Early in the morning, my puppy Carlyle, likes to play rather than to eat. Sure, when I first put his food down, he’ll race over to it and take a few bites, but then, toys are on his mind.


It does not matter if I put all of his toys away the night before, he will still leave his food bowl in search of his toys. He will visit each spot where his toys have been previously in search of them, all the while, I’m telling him to eat his food.


Kinda obedient, each time I tell him to eat, he will wander back towards his food bowl, take a nibble and wander off again when I'm not looking. It’s not that he has a beef with his food – oh contraire. Rather, it is that he simply wants to play.


We can sometimes be like Carlyle.

When we wake up in the morning, we want to play in our make-up and beauty regimen trinkets and toys instead of eating the Word of God.

We would rather cater to our outside instead of catering to our inside.

Our soul needs to be fed with the meat of the Bible before we leave home, but so often, we, like Carlyle, get distracted. We wander around our homes finding the right outfit and shoes, grooming the outside while leaving our inside – our spirit man – unsatisfied.


So, let’s take a lesson from Carlyle. Let’s endeavor to feed our spirits in the morning. Let us put away toys in search of real satisfaction that comes from feasting on the Word.


God wants us to delight in Him and seek Him early. Let’s focus on what God wants instead of what we choose or think we need. For some, your toy may be coffee, make-up, perfect shoes, perfect hair, a big breakfast or time in your comfy chair. But God is watching. He monitors us and desires that we have enough to eat spiritually before we jump out into the world for the day.

He wants us to have enough nourishment to fight off the attacks of the enemy. He wants us to be sustained. But for all of this to occur, we need to do something: Seek Him first. Feed on His Word. And He will sustain you.

When Carlyle gets hungry enough, he'll come over and finish up his food. But we can't afford to wait like Carlyle can. We need to be on the offensive instead of the defensive. We should be nourished first to fight instead of getting beat up and then having to retreat to the Word to get filled up again.

Keep this in mind, for God-willing, you will have another morning to wake up to and get off to a great start. Feed your spirit!

So, have you been to Defiance yet? I wrote about my latest trip to Definace here. I am still thinking about Mary DeMuth’s final volume of the Defiance triology.


I think what strikes me most about this book is Mary’s ability to intertwine the lives of these characters in such a pure and uncomplicated way in the midst of such a tangled web of drama. As an aspiring author, her style intrigues me... challenges me...makes me want to be a better writer.


Obviously, I’m a fan of the series, and think you should be too. No undue pressure, of course.  If you want to read what others have to say about it, instead of hearing from little ole me, you can visit this link on Amazon and read the reviews. When I posted this link, the book had 40 reviews, with 32 of them being 5 out of 5 stars. That tells you something, right?

So, check it out and let me know what you think.

We enter into so many relationships. We have relationships with parents, children, spouses, co-workers, church folks - you get my drift. We are always moving around from one relationship to the next. We find some relationships rewarding while other relationships we find to be not-so-rewarding. Some relationships lift us up and others tear us back down. And no matter what type of relationship, we generally are never really tempted to stop having them. Most of us don't give up on people and retreat to our own personal island where we are the only living soul there. Most of us can't afford said island - especially in this economy!

Nevertheless, we are actively engaging with one another on a regular basis. But, for a large majority of us, there is one relationship where the phrase "active engagement" would be a lie. Funny thing is, the relationship that too many of us ignore is the one relationship that matters most.

Of course, the relationship I'm referencing is the one that we have the privilege of having with the Lord Jesus. This is one relationship that you should not neglect. Think about it. (I know you were probably expecting me to put on my preacher-hat and hit with a message about salvation and access and privilege. But today, not so. Today, I really would like for you just to think about who you are having relationships with in comparison to your relationship with the Lord. Then let Him address you from there.)

Have a blessed day.

Simply put, Mary DeMuth is a master story-teller. Life in Defiance is my fourth read by DeMuth and I just have to say, I thank God for blessing her in such a beautiful way. To me, this author is fresh and candid, honest and gritty, all at the same time. I have not read many novels that captivate my attention the way that Life in Defiance has done. I read it in just a few days - which is major for me due to my schedule...and new puppy. Let me tell you a little bit about Life in Defiance.

• we are driving along and suddenly, out of nowhere, an out of control tractor-trailer is speeding toward us, and we are trapped in our lane - unable to get out of the way of impending danger. That’s real fear. 
• we are at the doctor for a routine check-up when confronted with the news that our test results have come back expressing a need for further investigation. The grim look on the doctor’s face provides no comfort. That’s real fear. 
• we work at a job for a number of years, only to find out that the job is being eliminated. we have no savings. No one to turn to. No local support, but plenty of bills and loans to pay. That’s real fear.

• Abraham was afraid, but God told him something valuable in Genesis 15. Check that out. 
• Hagar was afraid for her son, but God addressed her in Genesis 21
• The Disciples were afraid during the storm at sea, but Jesus stepped in to calm them, as it is told in the gospels. 
• John 14:27 addresses the peace that is available to us if we lay fear down and pick up peace. 

So, what was all the fuss about in my previous post? Well, I had been anticipating a new arrival - a puppy. And the email told me that the puppy that in my mind and heart I thought I wanted was sold to someone else. Gasp! 


Well, come to find out through trusting God completely, He had worked everything out. Once I drove to the place where the puppies were, the breeder told me that he had spoken to the other buyers and I could have my pick of the puppies (the original plan). This news actually threw me in a tailspin. Remember, I'd gone out to the place prepared to make a decision on one puppy, thinking that I would not have the opportunity to make a decision on the other puppy.


Grace and mercy prevailed. I could choose. And grace and mercy prevailed again because I picked the one that I didn't think I wanted (thus the cause for all the unrest from the previous post was really unjustified!). You see, I thought I wanted one puppy - and knowing that he was sold made me very unhappy. But when I got to see the puppies, the one that I didn't think I wanted, came up to me and sat down beside me. He looked at me as if he were saying, "I'm all packed and ready to go when you are." Drama. The puppy that I thought I wanted was cool playing with me but he was like, "girl, I'm just not that into you." Go figure. 


So, I got the puppy that was "totally into me". And, now I am soooo into this little guy! You will be too when you see him...ready....get ready now... see him!?! Adorable. God worked everything out and now, my puppy, the right puppy that God picked out for me, is home.