How incredibly awesome it is to have the opportunity to know your grandchildren. You want to hold them, protect them, and never let them grow up – which we all know is impossible. Let Me Love You a Little bit More before you Aren’t Little Anymore.
I did not have a relationship with my grandmother, and to have you all in my life and to really know you have been one of my greatest joys. I have had the pleasure of knowing all of you. I was there when Briahnna, Sadeyah, and Mariyah were born. It has been a pleasure to see you grow from that baby girl into the beautiful young woman you are today. Jordan, you were three years old when you came into my life, and I see that little girl, and I am so proud of the wife and mother you are today. Lola, you are the youngest of the grandchildren and the youngest girl. I was not there when you were born, but Dindem and I were on the way, and as I write this, you are only 2 1/2 years old; I can already see the little lady you are going to become. Trey and Trenton, you guys have grown up so fast it seems like yesterday you were little boys. I pray for God’s blessings on you as you find your way. There is a place for you in this world. Logan and Langston are just little guys now, but I know if you listen to your parents, your path will be easier. You all will find your place in time.
To you all, if I could sit you down now and tell you how much I love you and how to get through this thing called life. I would ask you to please make God first in your life; let him be your guide. Know that you are loved unconditionally. Always. For as long as I live, you will be in my heart. These are the things I really want to pass on to you.
Always show kindness and empathy.
People will be drawn to you when you are understanding, caring, and compassionate.
Treat others as you would want to be treated.
Give others a hand up. You get what you give, so be helpful and encouraging to others.
Go all-in when you have a task to complete or a goal to achieve. Give 100% to any undertaking.
Be happy about successes and know you are capable.
Remember: finding the 12 ways it didn’t work leads to the 13th way that it will.
Have pride in your accomplishments.
The prize is always sweeter when you’ve worked hard and scrambled to get there.
Be Humble. Admit when you make a mistake. We are all human. Start again and do it right next time.
Have Strength. When things go wrong, they probably will, at some point, be strong.
Be courageous. Pick yourself up, dust off, and push ahead. There will be highs and lows during your life.
With the perseverance and strength you have inside, you will be able to handle whatever comes your way.
Learn, learn, learn. It never ends. Take Online Classes. Take Classes at the Community College.
You will never know it all, even if you think you already do. There’s that “one more thing” that could tip the scales in your favor.
Be Open-Minded. Listen to advice from others, even if you disagree with them. Consider their opinions, but make your own decisions.
Be Independent and choose your own way. You are in control of your own life.
You are the one to live with your choices.
Be Involved. Make the world a better place. Go green, fight for what’s right, support a cause. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE
Do what you can to leave your mark – – let them know you were here!
Find Happiness. Laugh. Enjoy your life. Have fun. Be happy.
Remember Family. Spend time with your family.
The love and support you have from them can’t be measured.
Know Where You Came From. Learn about your connections, traditions, and history.
Love God. Find a way to worship and love your God. Have faith in Him through all things.
And the biggest obstacle you will face is FEAR.
“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” – Proverbs 24:16
Satan’s favorite tool to diminish your faith is the fear of failure. But you cannot serve God and be constantly worried about what other people think. You have to move forward. Proverbs 29:25 says, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe” (NIV).
So, how do you get rid of the fear of failure?
One way is to redefine failure. What is failure? Failure is not failing to reach your goal. Failure is not having a goal. Failure is not failing to hit your target. Failure is not having a target. Failure is not falling down. Failure is refusing to get back up. You’re never a failure until you quit. So, if you’re attempting something for the glory of God, that’s a good thing. Failure is not trying and not accomplishing anything. Failure is failing to try.
Another way to get rid of the fear of failure is never to compare yourself to anybody else. You’re always going to find somebody who’s doing a better job, and you get discouraged. And, you’re always going to find somebody who’s not doing as good a job as you are, and you become full of pride. Both of them will mess up your life. Discouragement and pride will keep you from serving God’s purpose for your life.
The Bible says in Galatians 6:4, “Each of you must examine your own actions. Then you can be proud of your own accomplishments without comparing yourself to others” (GW).
Did you notice that the Bible says there is legitimate pride? There’s a good kind of pride, and there’s a wrong kind of pride. The bad kind of pride is comparing: “I’m better than so and so!” The good kind of pride is, “God, I’m proud of what you’re doing in my family, my business, my life, my walk of faith.” That’s the good kind of pride.
When you get to Heaven, God isn’t going to say, “Why weren’t you more like so and so?” He’s going to say, “Why weren’t you who I made you to be?”
Let go of your fear of failure because anything you’re attempting for God in faith is a good thing, regardless of the results.
Lord, help me let go of my fear of failure. I know Satan wants to use my fears to hold me back from living boldly for You. Forgive me for not living in faith, and help me from this moment on to live with bold confidence in You. Lord, help me not compare myself to others around me. Instead, I pray that I can keep my eye on You and live a life that proclaims Your excellence. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.
I wish you a good life full of Love, Joy, and Happiness. I wish you just enough!!
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final goodbye. (Author unknown)
But most important of all, I wish for you; I wish you to know Jesus.
5 Spiritual Habits that Will Change the Way You Live
Make God the one thing you pursue above anything else.
As a new season begins, here are 5 spiritual disciplines you can practice to make time with God a daily habit.
1. Give thanks
“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds.” – Psalms 75:1
Have you experienced healing? Answered prayers? Breakthrough in the life of someone you love? Salvation? As you seek God’s heart for this new season, take a moment to thank Him for what He’s already done.
2. Spend 5 minutes in silence
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” – John 15:4
Abiding in Jesus starts with stillness. Pause, take a deep breath, and give anything concerning you over to God. Spend 5 minutes centering your heart on the One who matters most.
3. Remember Whose you are
“You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
God loves you. (Let that sink in.) The price He paid for you cost Him everything. Remind yourself of Whose you are, and then confidently dream big with God for this new season.
4. Meditate on God’s Word
“Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” – Psalms 119:97
How does Jesus want you to live? One of the best ways to find out is to spend time in Scripture. As you do, ask God to speak to you through His Words about what your next right step should be. (Not sure how to start studying God’s Word? Read this.
5. Focus on what is excellent
“…If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” – Philippians 4:8 You have been given the mind of Christ. If you’re not sure of what you should do in your next season, try asking yourself: What is praiseworthy? What decisions would honor God?
Make a list of whatever comes to mind, and intentionally pursue those things.
By practicing these 5 steps every day, you can actively create keystone habits: acquired patterns of behavior that form the basis of your daily routines.
Imagine what good personal habits you might be cultivating a year from now because you purposefully chose to pursue intimacy with God today!
Grammy loves you. I will love you forever; I’ll love you for always; as long as I live, my babies, you’ll be. You will always be my Children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and I am forever proud of you. Wherever life may take you, may you know this to be true.
I Love You All. Your Grammy……Martha Jane Vernon Williams Harrell
Romans 15
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
These images portray my beloved family, whom I am grateful to have been blessed with by God.
