Second Chapters and God’s Business

Second Chapters and God’s Business

    I am so amazed at times at the second chapters or acts in some of our lives. I look around me and what seemed to surely spell only disaster for someone’s life now rings of new hope and healing. I was very happy to share this news on the first day of a New Year about my daughter, Regina. After over five long years of working a program, paying it forward to many others through sponsorship and help in other ways, studying, counseling and more my oldest daughter not only is on the Board of the Rebecca Schneider Foundation but has just been officially "BADGED" to go out to the Volusia County Correctional Facility and spread the message that in her own words, "an addict, any addict, can lose the urge to use and stay clean! Woooo hooooo!"

      She went into the jail this week for the first time and from what she has said, was very blessed to do it. We know when the Lord has a great destiny the enemy tries hard to keep a person down and he has tried his hardest but didn’t win in Jesus name. It is true as the Bibles says that weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. Her second chapter is looking hopeful.

     I remember some years back that I felt that the Lord said “Life as you know it is getting ready to change.” I think it was right after that Shiloh and Brian came to us and said they wanted to get married in five days! Wow! What a whirlwind romance they had and then them leaving right after that to go to Rhema Bible College, life was really changing and probably truth be told I am still in shock. But it is a good kind of shock as in when the Lord gives you a very special favor. They make me laugh amidst many tears of life as I picture Shiloh having an animal farm someday, because she just can’t seem to get enough pets to love but their first love is youth ministryJ More about Shiloh and Brian as their second chapters evolve into beautiful works for the Lord.

   Life has seemed hard for Amber this chapter as the results of a “good, upscale doctor’s advise” at times which led to make her life harder. She has battled some medical things since she was five-years-old but rededicated her life to the Lord I think it was Sept. 2012 and I fully expect to see her giving her testimony one day on stage. I saw it in my mind many years ago and look forward to what the Lord has ahead for her. Little Aryel has been one of the greatest joys of my life, as the same can be said about all my grandchildren, but when you see someone who has an autoimmune disease live, laugh and love in the way that she does…well it makes my heart sing.

     Ashley, being the private person that she is, I try to give her that space, but she is one of the most beautiful, kindest women that the Lord ever created and one day all of my prayers for her will come about, I am sure. Her second act will be great.

     My second act is probably third or fourth at my age and only the Lord knows my days. I hope to see a family healed and whole before my final chapter. I am amazed at the goodness of the Lord as He continues to free me from the chains that had me bound for so many years. I am grateful to be married to Bill and will write more about him and all of our wonderful grandchildren one day.

     How can we conclude our second, third, fourth and following chapters without a really knowing what is ahead in our lives? This is my conclusion, and I believe the Lord gave it to me. Our lives, mine, yours, and our family’s are “God’s business.”

      I have always fervently believed and clung to the verse in Romans, 8:28.  I still do. But how God will work all things for good to me, because He loved and called me, I don’t know. There are some things we will not know until we face Him in Heaven. I have always believed that Jesus is with me, from the time I accepted Him as a young child. I couldn’t have survived a chaotic childhood, my own sexual abuse, first marriage to a pedophile, and then the ensuing years of struggle, without that knowledge. 

    Sometimes the pain has been so great, that I haven’t felt His presence, but I believe. Sometimes, I have felt that I would rather die, than live, but I believe. Sometimes, I wish, I could take the pain away from my family, but I believe that God will use it to perfect them, in some way, at some time. I believe that God can conceive the plans He has for me, for them, and for you, my friend, plans for a future and a hope.

     Why do I believe that I can leave my hopes and dreams to Him as His business? Because He is a good businessman!

      If we can trust earthly men who are great leaders and businessmen with our affairs how much more, can we, must we, trust the ultimate Father and businessman; the Lord Jesus Christ. To Him I dedicate my life and give the glory for what He will bring about and accomplish. He is the true lover of my soul; my dream come true! Donna Collins Tinsley

God will do what it takes----whatever it takes

To bring his children home

Max Lucado

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

Romans 8:28

The chorus to this song is the key to living in this world; Only Jesus!

Only Jesus can wash away the stains that come from the pain of living in this world. Only Jesus can love enough to cover our sins. Only Jesus can heal the wound that seems to be so deep that it is a gaping hole in the heart. Only Jesus can take disaster and make it healing garden of balm. Only Jesus.
The chorus to this song is the key to living in this world; Only Jesus!

 

What kind of water can wash this stain?
What kind of heart can heal this kind of pain?
What kind of love can forgive me this?
Only Jesus
On Mondays we pray for our family and extended families. Many people in our families are hurting, emotionally, physically and financially. Lord we ask that You be over all that concerns us and our loved ones. We ask for special favor, blessing, a touch from You, to be held in Your great Father arms when we weep.
Somebody's mother or child is hurting today and needs a touch of healing and kindness. Somebody's family has endured pain they never thought they would endure, gone further away than they ever thought they would go, thought thoughts of their family they never thought they would think and needs restoration. Somebody's Mother is praying for you, that you will find a way to see the light today and every day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofNtjhUE0Zs
Only Jesus by Point of Grace

A sister breaks a promise, a leader tells a lie
A wife tells her husband it only happened just one time
A man knows it wasn’t innocent how he came upon his wealth
A preacher looks in the mirror says “how can I ever face myself?”

What kind of water can wash this stain?
What kind of heart can heal this kind of pain?
What kind of love can forgive me this?

Only Jesus

A first love teenage heartbreak, a child that’s never found
A family loses everything when their house burns down
An addict hits rock bottom, the cook who calls it quits
A doctor tells his patient he’s only got three months to live

What kind of water can soothe like rain?
What kind of heart can heal this kind of pain?
What kind of love can comfort us?

Our father knew us well, long before we came to be
He knew we'd leave the garden, He knew we couldn’t come clean
So He sent to earth a Savior to walk the earth
We walk to feel what we feel and free us from it on the cross

What kind of water can wash this stain?
What kind of heart can heal this kind of pain?
What kind of love but Jesus?

Only Jesus
Only Jesus
Only Jesus
Only Jesus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofNtjhUE0Zs

Worry is about to be conquered by reading Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries!

I am finally getting around to playing catch-up. Number one on my agenda is getting ready for our first Word Weaver's Volusia County Group meeting tonight and second is a book review that I promised I would do.

"Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries, Finding Peace in all Kinds of Weather" by Kathy Collard Miller is a book that many women, especially mothers, need to read. Worry is something that we all must admit to, and it is true that it is the opposite of faith.

As Kathy says in the beginning of her book, "Sometimes when I am worried, I feel like a fog of fear and anxiety is swirling all around me, blocking out the ability to think clearly and trust God. It quickly fuels responses like complaining, grumbling, or making a quick decision that isn't led by God."

I can remember so often the fear that can come upon me when something gets in my mind and I ruminate about it and everything that could happen instead of quickly rolling that burden over to the Lord in prayer. I so relate to this book and know many other women who fight the "worrying' battle daily.

There are discussion questions in Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries, and also this book can be used as a daily devotional.

The addition of the letter after each chapter starting with, My Precious Daughter, makes every chapter gives a personal touch to each chapter and each letter is a very beautiful. I would have to say the letters are my favorite parts of the book. The last letter begins, "My Precious Daughter, I am powerful. Nothing worries me" and it ends with "Beloved I can do anything. And everything I do in your life is meant to draw you closer to My loving heart. Draw close to Me. Rest in Me! My arms are open to you and I'm working on your behalf."

As an author, I must say that Kathy Collard Miller goes the second mile to her readers. Many years ago I read an article by Kathy that really touched me with the poignant honesty that she portrayed concerning her life. I wrote her a letter and she wrote me right back. I still have that letter and reread it when I am discouraged. May she be blessed for all that she does to get the message out that there is a better way to live and that the Lord is a God of great forgiveness.

I give this book five stars.

Donna Collins Tinsley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06sYse_hb-4&feature=youtu.be

Christmas 2013, a Day Late and a Dollar Short as my Mama would say:)

As usual I am a day late and a dollar short:)

Is that the sound of reindeer hooves or is it Presley and Willow pitter-pattering around while I am trying to have my quiet time? As usual I am running way behind, so for those that I didn't get a Christmas letter sent to, here it is:

 

Happy, Happy, Happy!

 or

Ho, Ho, Ho! It’s Christmas, Either Way

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 NIV

Happy, happy, happy! I have to say I agree with those words from the Duck Dynasty clan and it sounds just as good as “Ho, ho, ho” for the season we are in right now. Happy is what I want our Christmas to be all about, but sometimes life just gets in the way of that. Sometimes, we want to be more of a part of someone’s life, but life gets in the way. We overlooked something, forgot a special date, and got too busy, life gets in the way. Christmas season gets hectic and we get behind with all those good plans we had and find ourselves at the point of the “tyranny of the urgent.” *

Christmas events heighten the urgency and our dreams of making it the perfect family holiday may bring more stress than happiness. We ruminate what we need to do, want to do, have to do and the tension that shows up in our physical bodies makes it hard to slow down and have the peace that Jesus is known for. Perhaps this is the first year that you are experiencing the pain and grief of losing a loved one and you are finding it hard to even smile this Christmas.  We are, in my family, and navigating a new kind of normal is not easy. We pray especially for those who have lost spouses or children. We are grateful for the memories that help us to bear the loss.

We look forward to the time in heaven when we will all be together, again. Memories of good times help us to smile as we remember the love we were privileged to share with them while they were here on this earth. I’m so proud of my mother-in-law, Edie, who is coping with loss and yet doing it with a smile on her face. I think giving someone a smile can sometimes be a sacrifice and the Bible says to give a sacrifice of praise as an offering. To do that when your heart is breaking is a beautiful and precious thing before the Lord. A smile can lift the spirits of those around us and sometimes we smile amidst tears. They may stream down as we think about the way we wish that things were, yet no one can steal that joy that abides because of Jesus and His presence in our hearts.   Happy, Happy, Happy! Or Ho, Ho, Ho! It’s Christmas, either way and I pray a great big blessing for your day.  Donna Collins Tinsley 2013

"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid. John 14:27 NLT

*A booklet by Charles Hummel, Tyranny of the Urgent, describes that there is always tension between what we believe is important and what is right before us that seems urgent. My opinion is that usually the urgent wins, especially around the holidays.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZBYa_YGE5Y

Navigating Christmas this year is hard with the loss of Grandpa Del Ce Cato. Many prayers are needed for Mom Del as they were married over 50 years. He was a very precious man and is sorely missed. I also ask for continued prayers for family peace. A day at a time, progress not perfection, keep it simple (I'm not sure how when I don't know how many I am cooking for?:) and "Let go and let God." He is the reason we celebrate!

First Christmas In Heaven

I wrote this poem the year my Mama passed away. It is a very simple poem, but it comforted me. The first holidays without your loved ones can be the hardest. It seems so many people near to me, have lost a family member. I pray that you will be able to have peace and blessings although there is that empty place at the table that could only be filled by them.

 

First Christmas In Heaven

 

It’s my first

Christmas in Heaven

And oh,

What a sight!

 

The angels are singing

This is not a silent night!

 

On the throne sits

The One who

Died for me

From the Pain

Of my body

I have been

Set free.

 

He’s not a babe

In a manger

Anymore

He loves you

He wants you

For your soul

He will war.

 

This life you live now

Is fleeting

At best

I trusted

In Jesus and

He gave me rest.

 

 

Donna Collins Tinsley 

 

 

Mrs. Toad's Wild Ride or Donna's Wild, Crazy and Blessed Day

Yesterday was one of the busiest days of my life but also one of the most blessed. Early morning after prayer and posts I stopped in and saw my oldest daughter Regina, who was helping at a garage sale for the Rebecca Schneider Foundation,https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebecca-Schneider-Foundation/223245997829912?ref=br_tf. This foundation is in memory of one of Aubrey’s friends, Rebecca Schneider, whose mother is paying her pain of loss forward to help others.

Then, an appointment, ran back to the garage sale and home for a minute, just as Bill was getting Isaiah off to a party.  I wanted to go to Edgewater and see our grandson, Jordan play in the Edgewater Christmas parade with the New Smyrna Middle School Marching Band. But first I had to pick up Aryel in Daytona, though, so she could see her first ever Christmas Parade. When you view things through the eyes of a child, it is a beautiful thing. I have to say everyone around me was blessed by her joy and exuberance.  When we went to see Jordan and get a picture of him, we somehow missed Santa. We saw an empty sleigh later and I had to convince her he went back to the North Pole.

I have to tell you if you don’t know, that Aryel has had an autoimmune disease and has to have blood work every two weeks, and is on some heavy medication but she is my Christmas blessing. The Lord surely has made her very different from all my grandchildren but I stand amazed every time I am around her by her joy. Yes, she sometimes appears very wild and crazy but I am writing amongst tears as I realized anew yesterday what a blessing she is to me in a time that I need something to laugh about. She also may be my biggest fan and acts like she adores me all the time. I can’t tell you what a gift that is to be loved so unconditionally. I am very blessed to be her grandmother and thank the Lord for the complex genes He combined between Amber and Ryan to create this precious one.

I wish you could’ve heard her when we got back in the car saying, as only she could say, “WELL, SOMEONE FORGOT TO LET ME SEE SANTA CLAUS!”LOL! I actually thought we were going to see JordanJ

After running to Daytona to pick up Isaiah at the Skating Party, the other cool thing was them harmonizing, totally unintentional, on a song.  I love that! Then a short visit with my brother, Dale and little Levi:)

Home again and Isaiah got ready for the second showing of the “The Nightshift Before Christmas.” It was great and Aryel was so happy especially since I managed to find a Santa on the sidewalk across from church for her to tell about her wishes for a Minnie Mouse phone. Grandma Del Ce and Ashley joined us there. When we got home I even managed to make some of my Christmas Salad Dressing in gift jars so the season is officially open at my house. The tree still isn’t trimmed, (hopefully today) but the outside is the light show of the neighborhood, with an angel and a cross amidst streaming lights. The day ended with a message from Shiloh saying they will be home for sure on Christmas Eve. A good day, a blessed day and a peaceful day. What more could I ask for?

 

Got Tears?

Got Tears? We all do, and today we remember Sandy Hook families. Thanks for running my devotional and hopefully words of comfort to the grieving families.

Much love to the families at Sandy Hook Elementary

(On the One-year Anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy)

You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle... Psalm 56:8 NKJV

Looking over the local obituaries it seemed a higher number of deaths than usual were recorded near Christmas. It seemed even sadder when knowing a family personally. But as I view what happened in our nation in 2012, I grieved too. A horrible tragedy occurred with many school children murdered and a community shattered.

Twenty-six people -- 20 students and six adults -- were shot and killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012.

Christmas doesn’t alleviate the normal pains of life that we go through and a tragedy like this is certainly abnormal. We weep anew for them this Christmas season and pray their families are finding peace in the beauty of the season once again. The grief process takes time and we find comfort in the fact that the Lord sees our tears and bottles them in heaven.

Tears have always been a part of Christmas. Mary cried tears of awe at the thought of the holy seed implanted within her. Joseph cried as he felt betrayed by his betrothed before the angel of the Lord came to him. Yielding in submission, they each shed tears of joy at the high calling God had placed upon their lives, to raise the Christ-child. The pangs of childbirth brought tears that the baby’s smiles soothed. Prophetic words allayed the tears of the sword that would surely pierce her heart and soul. God feels our pain and gathers our tears.

In this day and age, we cry too. We weep for dreams that did not come true as we have memories of loved one who have passed before us. We cry our own tears of Christmas.

In the eyes of our Father in heaven the tears we cry may look like liquid diamonds. They are so precious to him that he stores them as jewels that He will uncover within us at the day of His coming.

Some Christmas holidays are painful. When the tears I have cried are stored in His bottle and I am drained, He becomes my Restorer, my Strength and my Hope. Got tears? Yes, we all do, but we will be amazed at the beauty of those glistening bottles waiting for us in heaven. Our tears will be there but our loved ones will be there as well. Trust that God has us close under His wing.
http://christiandevotions.us/?wpmlmethod=newsletter&id=660&mailinglist_id=0&subscriber_id=1709&authkey=d07e70efcfab08731a97e7b91be644de

Something New; Visual journaling

An Afternoon at a Visual Journaling Workshop

Six women in a room filled with words, works of art, pictures, art supplies and a wonderful leader, Penny Bragg, who took us on a visual journaling workshop experience for those who have experienced loss and grief.  Who knew that for three and a half hours the Holy Spirit would show up and minister and encourage and begin a healing process? Some were just beginning the journey; some had been with Penny for a while. All will forever be grateful to this woman of God who gives out of her painful experience of grief, beauty for ashes.

One page in her examples of visual journaling resonated with me and reminded me of this previous post on my blog:


Just write on my tombstone, "She was a prisoner of Hope." Not a prisoner or her past or living another day would be much too hard. Not of a prisoner of her accomplishments as only the Lord Jesus can take credit for those, not a prisoner of her beautiful children, grandchildren, husband or family for they are what they are by God's grace and mercy. I am a prisoner of Hope in Jesus that He takes all things and works them to my good; He takes flawed things and makes them beautiful.

Joel Osteen says this:


"Return to your fortress, o prisoners of hope, even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you" (Zechariah 9:12, NIV) Zechariah 9:12 says that we should be prisoners of hope. It's easy to give up. It's easy to get discouraged. But God wants us to be so full of hope, so full of expectancy, that we just can't help believing for the best.

When you're a prisoner ...of something, it's like you're chained to it. You can't get away from it. I know people who are prisoners of fear, prisoners of worry, prisoners of doubt. You've heard them. "Nothing good ever happens to me." "It's never changing, Joel. It's just been too long."

They are chained to despair and discouragement. Break those chains. Become a prisoner of hope. No matter how long it takes, no matter how impossible it looks, your attitude should be: "I just can't help it. I know it will work out. I know I will overcome. It may be taking a long time, but I know this too shall pass. It may be difficult, but I know that means I'm close to my victory." Joel Osteen

The page I made has the word hope plastered all over it. Hope amidst words of scripture;  hope amidst words of pain, hope amidst  “already cleansed for His kingdom, hope amidst  “reconciliation” hope amidst “let your voice be heard” and hope amidst “make me laugh.” I am a prisoner of hope.

Music and More to lighten your day; don't miss the links and Billy Graham

Music will help you through the day and be a balm for your soul; a song and a prayer that the Lord will go before and stir up the gifts within you:)

He said, "I won't give you more than you can take, I might let you bend but I won't let your break." Don't miss this song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmi9IBP209s

 

Sunday, a day we dedicate to rest, peace and worship. Try all three, it will do your body good in more than one way:)

Remember if the enemy is trying to defeat you with thoughts of failure and fear that his day is coming and we know his end. Weeping may be for the night but joy comes in the morning. Your song and story are unique and the Lord is the final author. Feeling sad today? Give someone else a smile and it may lift your own spirits. Then there will come a day for Him to turn our mourning into dancing for Him. Hallelujah, what a Savior. I know of none other who can do that! And remember in eternity we are already all together in peace. Those who have gone ahead of us are with us, no more sorrows or pain.

A bonus of music from a band I just discovered today:

As seen on Huckabee this morning; a little bluegrass for the day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI1IWLv0Db4

Here they are at day of prayer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhWm6aAWofM

And a bonus:

This is my prayer; If you know me at all, even a little bit, if there is blood relation or any kindred spirit from our times on Facebook, that you will watch this gift of love from Billy Graham.
Favorite quote from the message; "Jesus lived the life I could not live and died the death I should've died."
I couldn't go see Beth Moore with the church ladies, but I can watch and share Billy Graham with y'all:)http://www.youtube.com/billygraham/?BA=3029&QR=168&SOURCE=BY13BVGYT&annotation_id=annotation_1870663097&feature=iv&src_vid=qfw_0VI_I4E&utm_campaign=MHANov&utm_medium=InStreamVideo&utm_source=Youtube

A Constant Image

 

I had a hard time wanting to post another blog as the “happy, happy happy,” of Duck Dynasty is so appealing to me. But because blogger is part of my “job description” I am putting a devotional I wrote on here until I can get really inspired to blog.

 

Sometimes the image in our minds of our past hold us back from the future. Sometimes it holds us in turmoil, holds us in pain and prevents us from pressing on to what the Lord’s true plan for our life or ministry. That is part of the enemy’s plan and he gets great pleasure from reminding us of our past, of causing great havoc and devastation in our families. For these things, though, we have Jesus. Let Him be the constant image in your mind.

A Constant Image

For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Galatians 6:14

The Message

"In the front of my mind

In the back of my mind,

 To the left and to the right,

There’s an image of a man on a cross."

 

These are the words to a song written by Dallas Holm that really moved my spirit. This is how I want to live my life, with the Lord in the front of my mind and in the back of my mind. As I go to the left or the right, may his image never leave me. May this picture in my mind help me to walk differently in the world I live in. I need to walk worthy of the calling God has put on me.  Let me walk in a way that would not shame the one who is my Lord and Master. Jesus was born in a stable---yet He is the King of Glory.

     He lived a simple life. He amazed His mother, confounded his neighborhood, (could anything good come from Nazareth?) called together a group of outcasts to disciple and write about His story.

     He carried a heavy cross on which He was crucified for my sins and yours, years before we were ever conceived. He knew what pain was like. He understood how it felt to be rejected by friends and family alike. He wept. He understood what it was like to lose a loved one. But for the joy set before Him, he endured the cross. That joy was giving life to us.

Prayer: Lord, please keep the picture of what You did on the cross for us, ever before us.

Thought for the Day: What I allow myself to think on may control my day for good.

Prayer Focus: The Cross of Christ and his compassion towards His body of believers.

I’m ending with a new favorite quote; I borrowed this quote from my daughter, Regina's page:

"She could never go back and make some of the details pretty. All she could do was move forward and make the whole beautiful." Terri St Cloud

If your past wasn’t pretty, join me in trying to move forward and make a beautiful life. Someone out there needs you.

They’re not the Waltons but They Make Me Smile Or How Some Crazy Duck-calling Family Won my Heart

Happy, happy, happy gets my attention as that is what my main dream is for my own family. To be happy, happy, happy.

Then the title “A Dynasty Built on Family and Faith” also got my attention and I figured I needed to find out how the Duck Dynasty family got so happy. It is a story in Guideposts magazine written by Korie Robertson about their life.

Along the way to a happy, happy, happy family I have taken a long detour. Maybe you have, also. What got in the way of your happy family? What came in and took your dreams. What stole the heart of your children and perhaps even your grandchildren?

Did addiction rear its ugly head and everything that you thought your adult child would become just seem to vanish one day? Did you lose a loved one, a spouse or a child and think you will never be happy again. Does someone in your family wrestle with mental illness and you wonder if all hope is gone? Did cancer invade the body of someone you love? Do you have a loved one in prison?   Life can seem anything but happy at times like these.

What can you do to get your mind into a mode of happiness again?

My first and best answer would be to find a word of hope to hold on to from the Bible. You know the kind, a scripture that just jumps out at you; instinctly deep within your heart it seems as if it was written just for you. Written for such a time as this. While you are searching for a word of your own, find one for your children or that adult child that is breaking your heart. We have to know and believe that the God who created them has a plan and it is an even better plan than you, as a parent, could even dream for them.

“O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
 I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
 All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
And great shall be the peace of your children.” Isaiah 54:11-13

My next thought for happy, happy, happy,  is give it over to prayer. Perhaps you are saying, I do that, I pray. We all have had to come to the point of not only praying but then letting go. Let go and let God is more than a slogan said at recovery meetings. It is the real deal. As a mother, though, I have to admit, I sometimes have to let go again and again, but that is OK as the Lord looks at the heart. He knows exactly the timing that we can yield that burden to Him. He is a protective God and He knows what we can deal with and when and He won’t push us or shove us to dealing with something when it is too painful for us. He deals the same way with our families.

I’ve found that what might make me happy, happy, happy will have the opposite effect on my husband or children. Sometimes I want to scream, “Let’s just all get on the same page.” But the story written from one person’s viewpoint will have a different slant and timetable in another family member’s life and so I must yield again.

What does all this have to do with the Robertson family and their Duck Dynasty? Take a comedy break as often as you can and watch their programs and reruns. It will do your heart good to see people interacting in a loving and kind way. The way families used to interact. No they aren’t the Walton’s, they don’t live in Mayberry, but they have something to teach us. 

The main lesson is God first, and then family. In my view that is a winning combination. No, my family isn’t the Walton’s, the Griffith’s or the Robertson’s but I can learn to lighten up, smile more, listen more and embrace the unique family that the Lord is building, one day at a time. My favorite quote that I say is “There is enough love to go around.” Our family is a work in progress but one day I know I will be “Happy, happy, happy” just like the Duck Dynasty family.

http://www.guideposts.org/inspiration/inspirational-stories/a-dynasty-built-on-family-and-faith?page=full