Tag Archive for 'coree-balsamo'

17
Jul

Coree-izing Your Life!

Happy Friday!

As this afternoon begins the weekend for most of you guys, it begins the ending of our very blessed vacation. I have the best mother and father in laws… our time here on Hatteras Island with them has been something to be cherished… as it is every year!

I’m very excited about getting back to home sweet home! Can’t wait to see my family and all my beautiful friends at Destiny Family Center… and bring them some of the victory I received these past two weeks.

Last night, we stopped into the arcade at the old Buxton Drive In and played the stacker machine a few more times… trying to win a Spider Man digital camera Coree wanted! His enthusiasm for this prize, at the age of 18… it was HILLARIOUS! Thanks to Elizabeth and her arcade mastery, Coree walked out of that place with a STRUT!

They were even singing songs about the spider man digital camera on the suburban ride back to the cottage… PASSIONATE SONGS! If last night had been karaoke night at the Froggy Dog, they would have taken their song to the masses!

The ENERGY from those few hours was something to LEARN FROM!

This is one of the mysteries of my son… his ability to turn a $19 digital camera into a mega TREASURE that EVERYONE ELSE DESIRES!

I’m telling you guys… we we’re swept into Coree’s EXCITEMENT… laughing hysterically… our creative forces were DANGEROUS! I was SO IN LOVE WITH HIS PRIZE that I almost decided to trade my IPHONE for his SPIDEY CAMERA!

Coree has a UNIQUE gift for turning every day moments into ONCE IN A LIFETIME memories! I’ve never seen anything like it! Every day is a vacation in Coree’s world!

COREE-IZING YOUR LIFE:

One of my goals for the next few months is to COREE-IZE my life! I’m going to try my hardest to see my world through his eyes. The goal is to take what’s COMMON and make it RARE! I want to make significant adjustments with my life, ministry, and schedule… adjustments that will give me the kind of life I don’t need to escape from.

Somehow I believe there is a way for all of us up the preciousness of our everyday lives! Then we wont be so DESPERATE for our vacations… and so depressed when they are almost over!

So, what do you say? Ready to COREE-IZE your life too? Hey, if you need some help… I’m sure Coree is willing to help for the right price! Maybe Coree should become a consultant! He could become a CREATIVITY GURU! Now, that’s an IDEA!

Ok… I better log off and pray over some of this before my family wakes up. Last vacation day… lots to do! Please leave your comments EVERYONE…

Let me leave you with a video of Coree and his friend Cole Moore on their suped up shopping carts! See what I mean!! 

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15
Jul

What Kind of Change Am I Supposed to Bring?

Happy Wednesday!

No waves yesterday… ocean was FLAT. Beautiful for swimmers and readers… so we went with it… and had another amazing day!

I pulled out our Waboba Extreme: the amazing ball the bounces on water! We had lots of fun… it really works! Every beach bum needs a Waboba Extreme!

It was all fun and games UNTIL some lady almost lost her EAR! Yup, Coree was throwing back to me from about forty yards… and since my last aggressive throw to him, some lady had INTRUDED in to my personal space… I mean there’s a big ocean out there, what was she thinking!

To tell it from Coree’s words, “I don’t know what happened dad… I turned and glanced your way… saw the lady and thought: oh no, I better wait for her to move… and somehow I lost command of my arm… it took over my body and bypassed my brain… my arm did what it wanted… and I couldn’t do anything to stop myself… next thing you know… the ball was bouncing across the water at like 75 miles an hour STRAIGHT FOR THAT LADY’S EAR!”

A direct hit… and a most DRAMATIC OVEREACTION! She went crazy… we apologized a few times, felt bad at first… ended up happy for the accident… I really think she needed this! lol

On the spiritual side…

The kids left the beach early yesterday, leaving Emily, Merle, Mille, and me to RELAX for a few hours. I took a nap… woke up with a serious crick in my neck… read for about two hours… got inspired… climbed to my feet… put on my iphone ear phones… turned on some really good worship music… walked the shore and TALKED TO GOD.

That hour seemed to kick off the profound spiritual breakthrough I had been hoping for this vacation. It felt as if God rode his Imperial space limousine to the Frisco Beach and walked that seashore with me!

I didn’t ramble on as I usually do in prayer… I just ASKED A SERIES OF QUESTIONS. Not just any questions… the PERFECT questions!

For the past 7 years, I have been doing everything I can to keep people from forcing me into a management role… to keep circumstances from normalizing me… to dodge the status quo tranquilizer darts coming at me every day!

I’m called to LEAD… called to cast a vision… to build a tribe of millions… and incite a movement! I’m not called to MANAGE… not interested in turning DOWN my fire or my VOICE… not looking to blend in or fade away! There is something IN ME that’s bent on BRINGING CHANGE.

The question I asked God is this: Specifically, what kind of change do you want me to bring this world? What am I suppose to give my TRIBE that someone else isn’t already giving? What am I rallying my TRIBE around?

Yes, I know… that in a world filled with so many NEW RELIGIONS… I am called to LEAD PEOPLE TO JESUS CHRIST! Yes, I know that I’m called to AWAKEN a LARGE SECTION of the worldwide CHURCH… and provoke a non-religious, mainstream curiosity for a deeper experience with God’s Spirit. That I am called to EMPOWER the amazing people in my growing circle! But how? Specifically how??

When I traveled around the world ten years ago… I knew what my mission was. I was STIRRING people… I was bringing SPIRITUAL EXCITEMENT… I was awakening Pastors and worship leaders and business people… and Christians of all sorts! I was leading thousands to Christ and helping them to LIVE FOR CHRIST without reservation! There was no question… when I came into town; I brought FIRE… and CHANGE CAME TO EVERYONE!

For some strange reason… people believe that in order to Pastor a church, one must kill all such passions… that one is no longer allowed to think change or BRING CHANGE… that PASTORS are called to MANAGE instead of LEAD. There is a difference… and I have seen the light!

I believe that I am called to Pastor, and write books, and blog, and tweet, and build a global media outreach… at the head of a LEGENDARY TRIBE wrapped around a worthwhile mission… I am called to birth and LEAD a movement. And as my questions are answered, this calling will become far more specific… thus far more attractive… and far more beneficial to everyone else!

I hope today’s blog adds tremendous value to your amazing lives. You matter to me… you really matter! Today, more than ever before… I want to EMPOWER and LEAD… so thanks for appreciating my contributions! Thanks for appreciating this tribe! I love you guys and pray so often for you! Please leave your comments… and have a super day!

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14
Jul

Rainy Day Adventures!

Happy Tuesday!

What a yesterday that was… a rainy day in Ocracoke turned into our best day at the beach so far. We just wouldn’t quit… we were out for memories, refusing to get back on that ferry without them!

We ate lunch at some nifty neato pavilion style café… delicious! Found a map of the island… and explored the roads we have never been on. We went to shops we had never heard of… EVEN ATE CRICKETS! Yes, real crickets… all five of us! (photo)

I was the last to go, whining like a little girl as the golden brown insect landed onto the surface of my petrified tongue. In half a second, the little fellow was expeditiously transported over to my right chompers section… and CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH… swallow!

The worse part of the experience for me were those few lingering legs that failed to go down on the first few swallows… and the EYE BALL I pulled up with the tip of my tongue… they were lodged in between my cheek and jaw. But hey, we’re the coolest parents EVER according to our kids! lol

We went to a very fun candy store called Candyland… it was a kids paradise… a chucky paradise too! (photo)

After all the shopping, we headed for the beach IN THE RAIN… got to the beach, and the rain had stopped! Coree, Heaven, and I surfed for a few hours while Elizabeth and Emily shell shopped along the shore.

All three of us caught MANY NICE WAVES… and didn’t stop till way past shark feeding time. A couple beside us claimed they saw a fin… said it was like 4 feet wide and 3 feet high! (yeah right!) So we kept surfing, even though shivers went down our spines ever time a piece of seaweed drifted into our legs!

After surfing, we joined the shell-shopping excursion… and together we found TEN SAND DOLLARS… Emily was the winner with SIX… I found TWO… Heaven and Elizabeth found ONE each… Coree found ZERO but he was HAPPY for the rest of us!

My inspiration message:

Your best vacation day EVER can come on a RAINY DAY! So when the storm clouds gather, and you’re not able to do stay on ROUTINE… look for map a MAP! Journey out beyond the well-beaten path, to the PLACES YOU’VE NEVER BEEN BEFORE!

Maybe there’s a life lesson here. Maybe, so many of life’s real TREASURES are found on the DETOURS. Maybe the storms come to force us OFF routine… to prod us onto a NEW ADVENTURE!

So instead of complaining about detours, we should LOOK FOR THE ADVENTURE… refusing to experience anything less than the TIME OF OUR LIVES!

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes EVERYTHING to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them!

I hope today’s blog adds tremendous value to your amazing lives! Please leave your comments and have a super day! Ohh… and don’t forget to follow our vacation on twitter and facebook! God bless you all!

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12
Jul

The Dinosaur Claw Machine!

Happy Sunday!

Yesterday was an eventful vacation day! At the ocean, Emily caught a decent sized FLOUNDER with her BARE HANDS! Then, we saw a LARGE fish in the break… something like 5 feet long and dark, never saw a fin, but it did drive us out of the water pretty fast! 

Last night, we went to the arcade at the old Buxton Drive in (don’t know the new name)… played a dinosaur claw game where you can claw little dinosaurs and win them! Well, you know my family… they were ALL OVER THIS MACHINE! 

All of us were taking turns at winning these little plastic dinosaurs… a game clearly intended for kids 6 and under! I became Emily’s hero when I won the GIGANTIC Tyrannosaurus Rex! (photo)

The funniest moment came when Coree won the DINOSAUR HE ALWAYS WANTED… and he was all smiley faced… until he went to RELEASE the prize… and IT WAS STUCK IN THE CLAW!

The machine is NOISY… it has dinosaur background music… and the claw lever opens and closes aggressively! The whole arcade knew we were there!

After Coree’s dinosaur got stuck, we all took turns at trying to shake it loose. It cost us $.50 for each try… 50 cents of HILARIOUS vacation entertainment! Finally it was my turn. Coree (my 18 year old son) gave me that look like, “Please DADDY, set my dinosaur FREE!” 

So I dropped in my 2 quarters… waited for the right moment, hit the button to lower the claw, and shook the claw until it seemed like I had broken Coree’s dinosaur loose AND captured ANOTHER one! The seconds ran out and the claw rose most triumphantly, up into the air… YES… there were two prizes heading for the exit drop… I was SO PROUD! 

Down on my knees, face lit up, working my dinosaur claw magic… all the CHEERING… it was the proudest moment of my life! lol The time had come… so I maneuvered the lever to release the dinosaurs just like I was supposed to… AND… ONLY ONE PRIZE DROPPED… the one Coree wanted was STILL STUCK in the claw! (photo)

What happened next… you HAD TO BE THERE to UNDERSTAND why we all laughed SO HARD that tears were STREAMING down our faces! Something happened in my mind… I suppose my parental defense mechanism kicked in… and all I can remember was the look on my sons face as all his hopes were smashed on the cold hard floor of that heartless arcade! 

Everything started moving in slow motion… as I violently shook the dinosaur claw machine lever maybe 100 times in 10 seconds! No, I didn’t break the machine. I just knew that if I shook it long enough… Coree’s dinosaur would DROP! Come on… DROP DINOSAUR… DROP… DROP NOW! Everyone was CHEERING… it was absolute pandaemonium! This was the DEFINING moment of my 18 years of parenting… AND… no matter how hard and long I rocked the machine… this evil dinosaur WOULD NOT DROP! 

I walked out of that arcade defeated last night… but this VACATION IS NOT OVER YET! 

Sorry… there’s nothing spiritual about todays blog… but hey, it’s Sunday and we get to go to CHURCH! Maybe you can make the 10am service at Destiny Family Center… or catch it LIVE on the internet! Hope I made you guys SMILE this morning… please leave your comments and HAVE A SUPER DAY!

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10
Jul

The Mighty Force of a Parents Influence!

Happy Friday!

Had a super day at the beach yesterday. Was ahead 14 to 2 in a horseshoes game… ended up losing. Since our opponents were Emily’s brothers Jeff and Wayne (two of the MOUTHIEST boys of the South)… losing that game was the biggest stress of my vacation day!

That’s ok… today is rematch day and I’m gonna make those Wall boys wish they had finished vacation a day early! Yes, I’m talkin trash… just a bunch of wind… not very confident in my ability to even things up… PLEASE pray for me… you JUST DON’T KNOW what it’s like to LOSE anything to these guys! lol

On a more spiritual note… I got to spend a really good hour with Coree yesterday evening! It was a QUALITY father son conversation… started out discussing a book I’m reading… and the conversation drifted to the subject of reaching people for Christ and growing a youth ministry. I was shocked at the brilliance of Coree’s ideas! It was obvious to me that he had been thinking this through for much longer than anyone could have known.

I’ve been so BLESSED this vacation to see how BEAUTIFUL all these family kids are turning out. Elizabeth, Timothy, Kelsey, Sarah, Jamie, Victoria, Christopher… and the others who are not here. They each have such an amazing personality… they love and they care… they smile and they laugh… they adore their parents and their grandparents and their aunts and uncles.

Raising kids can be so stressful at times. We parents get all flustered about how our kids are turning out. Every few years, they go crazy, leaving us to wonder if they are going to stray down some dark path to never return.

Since I now have an 18-year-old son and an ALMOST 17-year-old daughter, I know these fears all too well. Yet, I know the faithfulness of God…

Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Psalm 145:13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES; he is gracious in all he does.

A PARENTS INFLUENCE is a MIGHTY FORCE! Our kids look up to us more then we know… they value our opinions… they want to see life through the fundamental paradigm we give them. This is what it means to TRAIN a child in the WAY he should go.

Through modeling, and intentional training, we show our children the WAY they SHOULD go… and by FAITH, we leave the rest up to God. Because I’m far from being a perfect parent, I rely on God’s grace to make up the difference… and believe me, it REALLY does!

Today, I want to thank God for helping us raise good children. As mine walk over the threshold into adulthood… I can SEE THAT GOD HAS KEPT HIS PROMISE! We are all so far from being perfect… but there is certain EVIDENCE of God’s HELP.

Maybe your kid is in a crazy phase… just hold on and keep praying… things WILL TURN AROUND FOR YOU! If you’re a young parent… be INTENTIONAL about modeling and training your young ones… for they are your LEGACY! Invest in them! Give them everything you have to give… and RELY ON GOD TO DO THE REST!

I hope today’s blog adds tremendous value to your amazing lives!

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09
Jul

The High Risk of Leading the Way!

Happy Thursday!

Yesterday was an EVENTFUL day… we took the ferry over to Ocracoke Island and had an interesting time. A little stressful at times with so many chiefs and so few Indians! lol

Take a BLAZING hot sun… add a few LONG HOURS OF shop hiking… and a few really good eatery OPTIONS… and then of course, to go to the beach or not go to the beach… and you get a few moderate temper tantrums and a whole lot of whispering… but HEY, we all made it out as friends! Because, “We are FAM… IL.. Y!” (yeah yeah)

The bond of FAMILY really is an amazing thing! I mean think about it… no matter how bad we irritate one another… we NEVER annul ourselves from the FAMILY… we don’t just gather a few family members into an alliance and go make up a new family name… we are ALWAYS ONE FAMILY with ONE FAMILY NAME… bearing with the good the bad and sometimes, the ugly! (A real lesson in love and unity)

As we were wrapping up our Ocracoke excursion, everyone consented to a short stop at the beach… Coree REALLY wanted to swim in the ocean. He was willing to forfeit his ONE REQUEST because he seemed to be one of very few with that desire. But hey, all for one and one for all… David’s vehicle pulled over and told us to lead the way. That’s a SCARY responsibility you guys!

I gulped a few times and proceeded to the BEACH RAMP! Yes, I was going for it… at a VERY HIGH RISK, I was leading a CARAVAN of worn out shoppers on a late day detour… I was taking my son to the beach! All was well… everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Emily got to SHELL SHOP along the shore and I found an UNBROKEN SAND DOLLAR (photo included)… a very rare thing these days, even at Ocracoke. Coree got to swim his little heart out… the ocean was BEAUTIFUL!

We all headed back with SMILY FACES… everyone was whistling while we drove… what a beautiful day this had turned out to be. AND THEN… we neared the FERRY LINE to find the LONGEST BACK UP any of us had ever experienced in all our years of Ocracoke excursioning!

Gulp… gulp… was that tasty Philly Chicken sub I ate at the Jolly Roger Restaurant going to be my last meal EVER! Actually, everyone was graceful… at least to my face. Haha! Who knows, they may be having a CHUCK & COREE OMLET for breakfast RIGHT NOW… and DAVE is going to read this blog! (Maybe I should have just LEFT IT ALONE!) lol

Really… the day was beautiful and Em’s family is an absolute PLEASURE! We’ve been vacationing together for 19 years this summer… some of the best days of our lives!

I’m sure some of you guys RELATE with yesterdays tension. You’re smiling and even laughing, because YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! Oh yes you DO! I pray that every one of your vacations turns out as blessed as ours!

Have a super day everyone… it’s overcast here right now… so who knows what THE MANY HEADED CONCIL will come up with for an itinerary… pray for us! lol

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07
Jul

Our Newest Family Member: Pretty Betty!

Happy Tuesday!

I’m sitting at the ONE spot on this entire property where we receive an internet signal… the view from here is amazing! As the sun begins to rise, all the colors start to show… a duck swims into view on my right… gliding effortlessly across the calm waters of this peaceful lagoon. An orchestra of birds and bugs, they’re all awake now… beautifying this special moment with their harmonious sounds! A dog barks in the distance… a door opens across the way, a man walks out with his morning coffee, leans over his porch rail… ahh the beauties of a vacation morning!

The weather was rainy and overcast yesterday, so we drove to Nags Head and traded Emily’s surf board… she wanted something far more GIRLIER than her previous MANLY board… didn’t really care much about how well it was built or how well it surfed… Emily was craving a PINK SURF BOARD! 

Her and Coree were arguing on the ride over… Coree wanted Emily to keep the board she already had because he just bought a high performance short board… and he wanted to fall back on her longer board on calm days. Emily was not giving in yesterday… NUT-UHHHHHH! This was her day… the entire Island felt as if all of time had culminated into this very moment! Emily sat behind me on the ride there… head held low, figuring that she would lose her war with Coree and drive back home with her butch board.

I started feeling bad for Emily… even pulled Coree aside at the surf shop and pleaded with him to back off… explaining that I hadn’t seen mom this excited about a material thing in a VERY long time. She had a TWINKLE IN HER EYE… and I wanted to see her SMILE with the enjoyment of her desire.

As we walked up the steps to The Pit Surf Shop, we saw a man carrying the EXACT board Emily wanted… the sissy boy bought a PINK CAMO surf board right out from under my poor little wife. Emily’s bottom lip went out… her pace slowed… and I think there may have been a tiny little tear forming in the bottom of her right eye. 

So we asked the owner if he accepted trades, and showed him what we had… he took us around the store and nothing jumped out until… THERE IT WAS… and with each step in HER DIRECTION, Emily’s face brightened up more and more… she was SMILING SO BIG! 

The owner started firing off all the specs… and Emily just kept looking at me like she had won a million dollars! She didnt care about the specs… it was PINK AND BEAUTIFUL… and it had a name, something like “PRETTY BETTY!” 

On our way back to the vacation home, Emily was leaned forward with both hands on my shoulders… for the ENTIRE RIDE! I just kept looking into the rear view mirror every 30 seconds to see that BEAUTIFUL EMILY SMILE! I live to see her that happy! She’s so much like a little kid in moments like that… the thing I love the most about her! 

Emily told me she wasn’t giving anyone a peak at PRETTY BETTY until today AT THE BEACH… at the glorious PRETTY BETTY coming out celebration! (no photos on the blog site yet… Dave reads the blog) I cant wait to watch her SMILE ALL DAY LONG! Ohh… I forgot to mention the amazing deal she got on the trade. The board she purchased was ON SALE… AND… they gave her a PHENOMENAL trade in value… a difference of LESS THAN $150. 

Not a very spiritual blog today… maybe tomorrow. I pray that the joy of my vacation blesses you with great peace and a new kind of creativity! Have a super duper day everyone! God bless you all!

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07
Jun

With Everything

Happy Sunday!

Church at Destiny Family Center (10am), graduation party at my house for Coree (1pm)! Hope you can join us for an amazing day! Love you guys!

VERSE 1:
Open our eyes
To see the things that make Your heart cry
To be the church that You would desire
Your light to be seen

VERSE 2:
Break down our pride
And all the walls we’ve built up inside
Our earthly crowns and all our desires
We lay at Your feet

PRE CHORUS:
Let hope rise
And darkness tremble
In Your holy light
That every eye will see
Jesus our God
Great and mighty to be praised

VERSE 3:
God of all days
Glorious in all of Your ways
Oh the majesty the wonder and grace
In the light of Your Name

CHORUS:
With everything
With everything
We will shout for Your glory
With everything
With everything
We will shout forth Your praise

CHORUS 2:
Our hearts they cry
Be glorified
Be lifted high above all names
For You our King
With everything
We will shout forth Your praise

The day is beautiful… for we are all so beautiful in Christ… let’s breathe this moment in… walking NEAR and NEARER to our beautiful God… for HE IS EVERYTHING! Have a super day everyone!

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06
Jun

The Gift of Love and Family

Happy Saturday!

God is so GOOD to us! I thank him so much for everything! He has lavished us with LOVE… love FOR HIM and love FOR EACH OTHER. Last night was Coree’s high school graduation… and it was even more than I ever thought it would be! 

Since Coree and Heaven go to a private school, the graduation ceremony is designed differently than an ordinary High School graduation. All students are honored for their various accomplishments, not only the seniors.

Heaven and Coree were not the cookie cutter kids… as we are not a cookie cutter family. Our kids have caused a LITTLE grief for Principle Spencer and the school administration at times. Nothing anything super bad… they just had a little bit too much SOCIAL FUN at times when they were supposed to be LEARNING. Therefore, until this year, NOBODY would ever imagine Coree or Heaven receiving any kind of academic recognition.

Out of the entire High School, Heaven was recognized for two awards, as being the student with the HIGHEST GPA and for being the student who completed the MOST WORK for the year! If one only knew what Heaven had to overcome to receive such an honor… GOD DOES MIRACLES!

Then Coree shocked us as his Principle got teary eyed, introducing Coree as the MOST IMPROVED STUDENT of the year for the entire High School!

The whole thing was so surreal to me… so many emotions running through my body… my baby boy graduating… where did the last 18 years go? I was so proud to watch him up on that platform in front of all those people smiling so big… he looked so confident and accomplished! I captured a photo at the exact moment one of his FRENZIED FANS blew the fog horn… Coree was LAUGHING PRETTY HARD! Oh… and notice the SHOES!

For me, the highlight happened AFTER the graduation ceremony. When my kids didn’t ask to go out with friends or to some graduation party… but they WANTED to be with US for the rest of the night! Just thinking about this now brings new tears to my eyes.

Coree wanted to eat at Chili’s with Mom and Dad and Heaven, and Nanny and Poppa, and Drew and Liz (they came to the graduation-so nice of them). Then to top it all off… Temple Huffer (graduate of RHS last night) and her boyfriend joined us at the end of the meal… and we laughed together for a long time before heading home.  

In this time of national and global hardship, we should hold on to what is most important in life… the things that money cannot buy! Things like, fulfilling our divine purpose, and the beauty of loving relationships with family and friends… enjoying REAL LIFE as we walk with God and he blesses us with HIS AMAZING LOVE!

I love my family… EVERY SINGLE MOMENT WITH THEM IS THE BLESSING OF THE LORD! Today, I thank God… I HONOR HIM AND PRAISE HIM… in front of you all… for he has been good to us! When life is challenging and cruel… and nothing seems to turn out like I dreamed it would… in times like these, I go home, shut the doors, look around, and realize that I already have the blessing of LOVE and FAMILY… and this is the greatest human blessing besides the great gift of salvation.

This morning, I feel compelled to pray for you guys… that God will BLESS your families even more… that he would BLESS your key relationships… and LAVISH YOU WITH HIS LOVE… so that you too can always say with me that GOD IS GOOD… no matter what the future may bring!

Hug someone close today… let them know you CARE, and APPRECIATE the care they have for you! Don’t forget church at Destiny Family Center tomorrow morning 10am! Then Coree’s graduation party at our house 1pm! Love you all…

John 13:24-35 So now I am giving you a new commandment: LOVE EACH OTHER. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

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05
Jun

Metamorphosis: Abrupt Change in the Animals Form

Happy Friday!

This is a pretty big day for my family… our son Coree GRADUATES HIGH SCHOOL at 7pm! Raising kids has to be one of the scariest things to do in LIFE… especially in todays world. There are so many THINGS pulling at their heart strings… so many pressures pulling them towards the dark side of the force.

So this morning I want to THANK God… for answering our prayers and GIVING us a son that loves Jesus and his family! Coree is such a beautiful person… has one of the most creative spirits I have EVER encountered. He is hilarious and HAPPY, bringing so much JOY to our family! Not all the time… he certainly has his MOMENTS. LOL

Over the past few months, I have noticed strengths in him that I never knew he had. There were so many things I wondered about… fearing that just maybe he hadn’t caught some of the principles we had been modeling for him these past 18 years. And when it seemed that he wasnt paying attention in the least… out of nowhere, he METAMORPHOSISED into this AMAZING butterfly!

I think that’s how it is with kids… PRAYERFUL PARENTING is the cocoon that turns our creepy crawly monsters into beautiful winged creatures.

This is also how it is for ADULTS… PRAYERFUL mentoring, modeling, coaching, training, and teaching… mixed with the supernatural help that comes from Gods Word and Gods Spirit… creates the cocoon that turns us into BEAUTIFUL and FAR MORE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES… and we are always being changed from lower glories to higher glories until the day we leave earth! 

METAMORPHOSIS:

  • Is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively ABRUPT CHANGE in the animal’s FORM or STRUCTURE through cell growth and differentiation.
  • The process of transformation from an IMMATURE form to an ADULT form in two or more DISTINCT STAGES.
  • A change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ONE, by NATURAL or SUPERNATURAL means.

So then, God is working in us as we walk with him… bringing about ABRUPT changes in our form and structure through growth and differentiation. We are in the process of transforming from an IMMATURE form INTO and ADULT form through MANY DISTINCT STAGES! We are changing from one form into a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT one by natural and SUPERNATURAL means! 

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, ARE CHANGED (same Greek word we derive our english word, METAMORPHOSIS) into the same image from GLORY to GLORY, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye TRANSFORMED (same Greek word we derive our English word, METAMORPHOSIS) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Philippians 2:13 For God is WORKING IN YOU, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

So don’t get discouraged all you creepy crawly monsters… you’re turning into beautiful winged creature… and this takes a little time! Just know that when you CLIMB out of this current phase of transformation, you’re going to notice STRENGTH and BEAUTIES you’ve NEVER HAD BEFORE! 

And YOUR FATHER will want to TELL THE WHOLE WORLD HOW PROUD HE IS over how well you are turning out! 

Have a super day everyone… don’t forget church at Destiny Family Center on Sunday at 10am… and then Coree’s graduation party at our house starting at 1pm!

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