Tuesday, June 26, 2012

You Are Outstanding!


This post was inspired by reading a post from a very good friend of mine Jess, as well my favorite teacher, my beautiful & brilliant little daughter Carissa.


Often we parents with good intentions striving for excellence for our children -- well it is we parents who often miss the mark. We must keep in mind that our life, and our children's life is about progression not perfection.

I had a very powerful intervention, or perhaps I should say a very powerful parent & Teacher conference with the LORD in regards to Carissa's Kindergarten report cards. The first two quarters Carissa earned all Os for (O)utstanding, the highest marks possible. Then the third quarter she was graded on Reading.


Background Info. Carissa is the youngest in her class, the public school standard was to hold her back a year just because of her younger age (missed the mandatory cut off by 6 weeks), although she excelled in pre-K, and is mature beyond her years, her friends were allowed to enter Kindergarten, because they met the public standardized age requirement, and Carissa was not allowed to start Kindergarten with her best friend. A local private christian school recognized that Carissa was ready for Kindergarten and allowed her to attend their school.


Back to the 3rd Quarter Report Card marks. As Carissa's parents we believe Carissa excels in Reading (especially since she is the youngest in the class), yet the report card said S+ as in [S]astisfactory + in Reading. We know that she did her very best, and that is all that we can ask from her. When our children truly do their very best, no matter the grade they receive on a test or on a report card by truly doing their very best they are in fact doing Outstanding!


On all the other areas on Carissa's report card she earned Os. When we average the S+ with the Os she earned over all Outstanding Excellence. 
We can achieve Excellence without having to achieve perfection.



This is true not only in our academic life, but our over all life.


GOD's Amazing Grace covers us when we miss the mark. Kind of like when we are caught on a cold day without a coat, Christ is the warm blanket that covers & comforts us.


All we need to do is to allow our Helper the Holy Spirit to bring the blessing of conviction and show us where we missed the mark. When we confess that we messed up we take responsibility, and when we have a repentant heart we have a teachable spirit, we are accountable, and most important we are pliable and willing to let GOD teach us & transform us to be Outstanding by living to our fullest potential.


The LORD is merciful, compassionate, and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast, and Unfailing Love. Psalm 145:8


GOD's Amazing Grace allows us to strive for Excellence without having to be Perfect, and that is sooo Outstanding!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Time to Dance

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3: 1


The Bible tells us in 2 Samuel 6:14 that David danced with delight before the Lord. The Bible also teaches us that GOD inhabits the praises of those who love Him. Psalm 22:3


David blessed the Lord with a Dance of Praise, or what we refer today as a Praise Dance.  What if David was not only dancing before the Lord, but with the Lord? Is it possible that David was dancing in the spirit with GOD? WOW! 


My little daughter loves to dance. She was born to dance. She was dancing, bouncing, and swaying to the rhythm of the music before she could even take a single step. If the tempo was slow she bounced slow, if the temp was fast she bounced fast. No doubt GOD created her to dance.


One day I was watching my little girl dance with such delight. She was smiling, giggling, and gliding along the living room floor. She had this unexplainable Peace and Joy that was sooo very captivating. This dance was different from the ones she had danced before. She was in her own world. If I were to give a name to what I witnessed I would have to say it was a Dance of Serenity & Tranquility. I could not take my eyes off of her, and yet she was completely oblivious to me watching her. She was both captivated and captivating in this wonderful indescribable moment.


It seemed as if she was dancing with someone who brought her great indescribable Joy. The emotional expression she had on her face was familiar to me, because it is much like how I feel when the Presence of the Lord is with me. You know that awesome experience when the Holy Spirit falls upon you and blesses you with the Peace that surpasses all understanding. 


I had to ask her, Honey who are you dancing with? And she said, with beautiful sparkling eyes, "Momma I'm dancing with Jesus! I watched her as she made these angelic moves, and I asked her, Honey who taught you that move? And she replied as if I should have already known the answer, "Momma Jesus is teaching me!" Well of course He is honey, and I can see you are having a wonderful time learning to dance with Jesus. Carissa told me how "Jesus is a great dancer, and knows all the steps!"


Talk about a WOW Experience that I will never forget!


Did you know Jesus loves to dance? I didn't either. If someone had told me this a couple of years ago I don't know if I would have believed her either, until I experienced it through my daughter's eyes. 


Jesus loves to dance and He longs to dance with each of us. WOW! 


Carissa often says, "Come on Momma and dance with Jesus!" She encourages others to discover & join the joy of dancing with Jesus. She says she loves to dance with GOD, and has inspired me to do the same! 


Okay, take another step with me.

Imagine the most beautiful wedding of all. Your favorite location in all the entire world. Your favorite time of the year, your favorite time of the day/evening. Create the wedding of your dreams with every spectacular detail. Your favorite smells and sounds surround you. Do you have that pictured in your mind?

Do you see yourself attending this amazing event? You are not one of the guests, and you are not a bride's maid. You are the bride -- the belle of the ball! Your favorite music is playing, and Christ walks across the room to dance with you. Just you. Only you.

In this particular season of your life perhaps you are experiencing Christ as your Best Friend, or maybe you are experiencing GOD's parental love, and see GOD as your Holy Parent, or maybe a Hero who has come to your rescue. And then maybe you are a bit like me, and are a little overwhelmed by the countless aspects of the multifaceted depths of GOD's Love. 



Have you ever been overwhelmed & overpowered by GOD's Love? It truly makes my mind swirl, and I get dizzy with utter delight. It is much like falling in love for the very first time, and like your best intimate moments. Raptured by GOD's Love. Is it okay to feel this way about GOD?


It is okay we don't have to figure it all out, and the thing is we can't even if we tried. Even if we had an army of experts with the most brilliant minds of our day, there would still be a great mystery to GOD, and that is sooo exciting! All we need to know is that GOD is for us, with us, and longs to be closer to each of us. GOD is who we need Him to be when we need Him to be. 


There are moments of my day, and I suspect there are moments of your day to when you need to feel the love & comfort of a best friend, or a parent, or your Beloved. Let me say it again, GOD is who we need Him to be when we need Him to be, because He is GOD the great I AM. 


Do you hear GOD saying, I AM here for you? Listen with your heart, with the depths of our soul.  


GOD's Holy Spirit is whispering to your soul, saying I AM here for you. Yes, you! 


It is Time to Dance. Let GOD be what you need Him to be. Maybe it is your very best friend from childhood who waited to dance with you, or it could be time for the Father & Daughter dance, or maybe it is time for the Bride & Groom's first dance. You are the Beautiful Bride. It is [your] choice. Let GOD be what you need Him to be.

GOD is waiting to dance with you. Take His hand and dance! Enjoy the dance.

Go ahead and as soon as you can, put on your favorite dancing music today or tonight, and dance with GOD! You don't have to tell anyone you are dancing with Jesus. It is only for the two of you to know and do. Go for it!

Will it be a slow waltz, or a quick step? Hey I'm told that GOD knows the latest dance moves. GOD is waiting to dance with you. Break out of your comfort zone, and dance with Jesus!

GOD is your Dream Dancer who knows all the steps to each and every dance you desire to dance with Him, and He will dance with you as long as you want to dance with Him. An amazing experience is waiting for you! Just for you!

* I hope this song inspires you to find your own song to dance with Jesus. This is one of Carissa's favorite songs!
♥ Anissa