Time to Celebrate and Kick-off Heidi’s Birthday Bash Month

It’s time to celebrate life!

We could spend today focusing on “Heidi’s birthday is in fourteen days, another birthday without my precious sister.” And let the tears flow OR I can put on my big girl panties and remember God doesn’t give me more than I can handle. I have a choice to enjoy my days here on earth and “live for the living”, as my Gram Mary told me or fall grief-stricken into my pillow in the darkness of my room, alone and miserable.

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond
what you can bear. But when you are tempted,
he will also  provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13

I don’t know about you but this doesn’t really seem like a choice I, or you, have to make. Who wants to live a miserable life focusing on the negative? Not me. Who chooses darkness and grief over Light, Love, and Joy? Not me. I understand there are people reading this who answered “Me”. You know how I know…because I was you at one point. Thankfully someone shared what I really needed…Jesus.

This is why I decided to host a “Birthday Bash” here on the blog for the month of September. I’m no perfect. I miss my sister every day. I’m not a super human. I cry over little things because I’ve got lost in thoughts of Heidi and other loved ones passed on. I’m nothing more than a human, just like you.

To write this blog encourages me. Someone told me, “Lisa, I like your blog because you are so honest and apparent. How do you do that? How can you put it all out there?” I was speechless (and this doesn’t happen often, lol). I thought about it for a bit because I don’t believe I’m doing anything that exciting or different. I strive to be who I am regardless of where I am or the venue in which others interact with me. If I wasn’t who I am, whether it be in person or sharing via the blog then all this would be for nothing.

I aim to “keep it real” if you will because this is how others are going to relate. I remember walking a decade in anger, fear, and frustration. People who hit me on the head with their Bible, preached one thing but did the other and expressed love and healing, yet lived nothing better than I was…were the stumbling blocks in my path to believing and trusting God again. My prayer is to not be someone’s stumbling block. Goodness, this is Biblical.

“But you must be careful so that your freedom
does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.”
1 Corinthians 8:9

Okay, jumping off my soap box. This is something the Lord placed heavy on my heart
this morning. Sometimes the message and Bible verses God gives me for the blog are meant to share with you and others, they are for me. God knows I take this seriously and won’t let you all down. I know we are to serve God and seek only to please HIM yet like I told you before, I AM HUMAN! God knows this. He knows how to speak to me so I will listen, and sometimes He gives a blog message for all of you that leaves me going “Wow, I needed that.” Oh my, God’s Word (the Bible) is like a V8! The younger generation has no clue what I’m talking about but most of you remember, right?

Let’s get back on topic – The “Birthday Bash” lasts the entire month of September. My parents said, “You’re giving away MORE books!” as they shook their heads, smiled, and even chuckled a little. My accountant might say next year, “You have to stop giving away books, you’re losing money.” And he will probably be right BUT there is one thing I know – money doesn’t buy happiness, heal the pain, or help the hurt in other’s lives. Only God does that. One thing that is evident to me, each book give-away I’ve done has blessed me beyond words when I hear the response from the winner in how God used my book to change their life. Only God could do that, but He can’t work in their heart and life if I’m not obedient to share.

O holy night, I keep getting all worked up, sorry. I try not to go over-the-top on the blog but I’m just fired up this morning for some reason.

I’m signing off – be sure to read tomorrow’s blog to learn how writing a review enters you for a chance to WIN A BOOK!! The photo challenge started today, if you missed this, read yesterday’s blog. There will be a special book discount announced in one of my guest blogs, so make sure you visit their blogs when they post, I listed some of them the other day on the blog. I feel another Facebook Party at some point this month too. Let the fun begin!!

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I challenge you to post one sentence about how God worked something out in your life before you realized what happened. Hmm…who will be brave enough to post?