along the road.

Sometimes,

when facing a mountain,

we might get tempted 

to lose sight 

of the beauty that surrounds us.

We might focus on the big and scary 

and unknown,

rather than the glory that exists along the way.

Yes, 

the big and the looming must be attended to.

And yes, 

much may be be unknown about what lies ahead,

but...

we know that God loves us, 

and He'll see us through.

So as you journey today,

don't miss the beautiful things 

that God surrounds you with.

Even in the middle of the difficult,

he speaks of love. 

Look and listen

today.

For I can do everything through Christ, 

who gives me strength.

~Philippians 4:13

Many blessings,

Deni

great things.

So, today?

My mom is coming to town. 

I haven't seen her since December,

and I can't wait to show her what life's like these days.

I hope that today is filled with 

hugs,

smiles,

sunshine, 

lots of time to talk,

and flip flops.

I hope that it will be 

a moment

to savor,

to show,

to see

the new experiences 

that God has poured into our lives.

Whatever your day is like today,

know that God savors you,

that He wants to show you something amazing,

and that He wants you to see His goodness,

maybe not with your eyes,

but with your heart.

He has done great things.

The LORD has done great things for us, 

and we are filled with joy.

~Psalm 126:3

Many blessings,

Deni

{photo taken this week during Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival.}

simple life.

So, today?

Today I would like a heaping helping 

of the sweet and the simple in life.

Boil it down,

pare me down,

just the basic everything, please.

The simple.

Yes.

The simple is so beautiful,

and with the circus that surrounds me,

that surrounds us,

that lives in me,

that lives in us,

it's no wonder that our lives are anything but

simple.

Today I want simple life.

To implicitly trust 

the God who loves me. 

To love the people 

around me completely.

To lavish myself with grace,

rather than cursing the things I've said or done or felt.

Simple life.

Filled-with-beauty life.

Today?

Yes, please.

The Lord has told you, human, what is good;
    he has told you what he wants from you:
to do what is right to other people,
    love being kind to others,
    and live humbly, obeying your God.
~Micah 6:8

Many blessings,

Deni

with us.

Today?

Rest.

Storms blew through here last night,

and so this morning,

we wake with eyes half-opened. 

Tired.

With things to do. 

But...

I want to be sure not to be so tired

that I miss what God has in store.

So, today?

Maybe today you and I can walk the road He has for us

in a restful way.

Not worrying.

Or fretting.

Or panicking

(although I'm really good at all three).

Maybe today,

we breathe.

And notice

and stop 

even if only for a moment

to remember the space 

that God has placed us in.

Because wherever we find ourselves today,

God is there.

With us. 

Always.

Have I not commanded you? 

Be strong and courageous. 

Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, 

for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.  

~Joshua 1:9

For I am sure that neither death nor life, 

nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, 

nor powers, nor height nor depth, 

nor anything else in all creation, 

will be able to separate us 

from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

~Romans 8:38-39

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, 

what you will eat or what you will drink, 

nor about your body, what you will put on. 

Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: 

they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, 

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 

Are you not of more value than they?

 And which of you by being anxious 

can add a single hour to his span of life? 

And why are you anxious about clothing? 

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: 

they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you,

 even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ~Matthew 6:25-34

Many blessings,

Deni

just be.

Today,

just be.

Dwell.

Breathe and exhale

and simply be. 

Yes,

there are things to do

and people to see

and errands to run.

Yes, but.

Today?

In the midst of those?

Just be.

In the middle of the doing,

don't miss the chance to 

stop and notice 

and interact 

in the moments that God places you in.

Most of the time, 

I am far from this. 

I am doing

and carrying far too much.

So today,

in the middle of it all,

I simply want to be 

me.

I praise you because you made me in 

an amazing and wonderful way.
    What you have done is wonderful.
    I know this very well.

~Psalm 139:14

Many blessings,

Deni

a win-win

So, today?

This. 

Like crazy.

I've been sick this week. 

And these verses are like a balm. 

God is working.

Even when we're not on our A game.

Because this whole thing's not about us,

it's about Him. 

And He doesn't get sick

or too busy

to work and fit everything together in our lives.

Nothing is too much for him. 

This great big puzzle is being put together

by the One who created it. 

And I'd say that that is a 

win-win. 

Many blessings for your Friday,

Deni

{this photo taken at Disney's Polynesian Resort.}

Who has our back.

So, today?

Maybe we remember Who has our back.

This day 

and every day.

The God who will stop at nothing

~nothing~

to show us His love.

To help us. 

To be our Friend.

To be our everything.

He is our place of safety.

Lean on Him

and feel Him hold you up

today.

Many blessings,

Deni

{photo taken in the village of Harambe in Disney's Animal Kingdom}.

care-free.

So, today?

This. 

Living care-free? 

Oh my.

That sounds great. 

Does it come from a magic fairy flying in the window, 

granting you such peace?

No.

It comes from God.

It comes from daily lifting 

needs,

concerns,

worries,

everything

up to Him.

He is so careful with us. 

And I am so thankful that He is.

Many blessings,

Deni

{photo taken the other evening at Disney's Animal Kingdom. goodnight moon.} 

depend on Him.

He did it out of sheer love.

Rescued us.

Freed us.

Chose us.

Not because we were good enough,

or because we deserved it...

because He loved us.

He loves you.

He loves me.

God is still in the 

love-giving, 

life-writing,

freedom-granting 

business.

Today?

Depend on Him.

Many blessings,

Deni

{photo taken yesterday at Disney's Animal Kingdom. the bamboo towers over your head.} 

{second only to the bamboo in my parents' backyard.}

the bold stuff.

There's an adventure waiting for you this week. 

Waiting for us. 

We're in this together, you know. 

This spirit-of-fear less life that God's gifted us with?

It will ask us to be bold this week.

To do things we might have turned away from before. 

To forgive.

To step forward.

To, with God's help, turn a page.

Next chapter.

New story.

So today,

hold on to Hope.

Hold fast to the One who is writing your life.

He has something great in mind for you.

Lift your head,

hold tight, 

and kiss fear goodbye. 

With God, 

do the bold stuff

today.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, 
everywhere you go;

 he’s the one who will keep you on track.

~Proverbs 3:5-6

But you, Israel, are my servant.

    You’re Jacob, my first choice,
    descendants of my good friend Abraham.
I pulled you in from all over the world,
    called you in from every dark corner of the earth,
Telling you, ‘You’re my servant, serving on my side.
    I’ve picked you. I haven’t dropped you.’
Don’t panic. I’m with you.
    There’s no need to fear for I’m your God.
I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you.
    I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.

~Isaiah 41:10

For God has not given us the spirit of fear; 

but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

~2 Timothy 1:7

Many blessings,

Deni 

{photo taken by my daughter. because it would be unsafe to take one while I was driving. ahem.}

put it to use. today

My daughter and I watched The Incredibles again this week.

I love that movie. 

And something just struck me sitting here. 

I don't want to spoil it if you haven't seen the movie, 

but I'm gonna mention something that happens at the end. 

And if you haven't seen the movie, what are you waiting for?

The Cliff notes version?

There's a family of superheros who save the world.

The end. 

Ahem...

Throughout the movie, 

it is thought that the youngest family member, baby Jack-Jack,

doesn't have super powers.

Until he's put to the test at the end of the movie 

by the horrible bad guy.

It's then that Jack-Jack's super powers rise to the surface.

Through the use of his super powers, 

he escapes the clutches of the bad guy.

Maybe we're a bit like Jack-Jack.

A whole lot of power

just underneath the surface.

Waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

But now?

Why wait?

Why not use the power that God's given you and shake things up?

Take steps to own the strength and sound mind that He's gifted you with.

And go for it.

Call a halt to the junk and the mud and muck that you've gotten stuck in.

Tell Satan in the name of Jesus to take a flying leap.

Live

and walk

and represent Christ

in His power 

today.

Don't let all that power go to waste. 

If God's given it to you

~which we know He has~

then He wants you to use it.

Be bold,

and just a bit reckless,

and passionate,

and filled with love,

and gracious,

and powerful

today.

...I can’t tell you how much 

I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life. 

We didn’t fence you in. 

The smallness you feel comes from within you. 

Your lives aren’t small, 

but you’re living them in a small way. 

I’m speaking as plainly as I can and with great affection. 

Open up your lives. 

Live openly and expansively!

~2 Corinthians 6:11-13

But in all these things 

we are completely victorious 

through God who showed his love for us. 

Yes, I am sure that neither death, nor life, 

nor angels, nor ruling spirits, 

nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers,  

nothing above us, nothing below us, 

nor anything else in the whole world 

will ever be able to separate us 

from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

~Romans 8:37-39

For God has not given us the spirit of fear; 

but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

~2 Timothy 1:7

Many blessings for your Friday,

Deni

{photos taken last evening in the Italy Pavilion at Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival.}