"HATS OFF!"

By: Donna Selma Lind

"HATS OFF"

"Honor her for all that her hands have done."
Proverbs 31:31

When I was a little girl we wore hats. All the ladies big and small wore hats. Especially for church,holiday's and special occasions. 

Easter Sunday I wore a white straw hat with a yellow daisy along with a matching straw purse. Christmas was a red velvet Gatsby hat with white fur trim. My Mother, Grandmother's and Aunts all wore very colorful, loud and proud hats. Grandma Kathryn favored a bright blue peacock feather Cloche hat while Grandma Nonnie rocked a wide brimmed black Derby style with big white bows and flowers. Mama was stunning in her classy little Jackie Kennedy Pillbox hat and pearls.

While these were beautiful hats for everyone to see, there were many other hats the ladies in my life wore that were not visible. The invisible hats are the ones that are the most important!

The Hats Mama wore:

NURSE- Mama kissed my owie's and boo-boo's and applied a healing balm of love.

TAXI DRIVER- Before Uber, there was Mom's Taxi service. 
She drove us everywhere, no meter running and no fare charged.

COOK- Three meals a day. Seven days a week. 
Wonder-bread and bologna sandwiches with the crust cut off and Twinkies and Raspberry Zingers in my flower power lunch box. Thanks Mom! 

TEACHER - School homework, tying shoelaces, art and craft teacher.

ENTERTAINER- Birthday parties. Pool parties. School plays. School parties.

CHEERLEADER- "There isn't anything you can't do!" "YOU CAN DO IT!"

HOUSEKEEPER- Not only was Mom a great Housekeeper, she was a very gifted interior decorator and always kept a beautiful home.

SEAMSTRESS- Mom would make all our costumes for school and made some of our clothes. She also made homemade curtains and pillows and decorations.

I didn't think about it when I was a kid, but Mom really had to wear many hats and fill many roles throughout the years. Especially when she became a single parent. 

You may be out there right now and recognize that you have been trying to wear these same hats and many more. 

Stop for a moment and write down a list of the many hats you wear.

Do you feel overwhelmed sometimes?

Are there any hats you are wearing that you can take off?

What hats do you enjoy wearing?

What hats do you not enjoy wearing?

It's okay not to wear all the hat's. We are not made to!

God created us with specific gifts and talents, some hats just fit better than others! 

Learning the difference is the beginning of freedom, the beginning of embracing who you are meant to be. Don't try to wear somebody else's hat, it never fits right!

"God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well." 
Romans 12:6

Think and Pray before you put on anymore hats! 

"It's a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one's vows." Proverbs 20:25

When you are wearing the hat that God designed specifically for you, you will enjoy it and your family will enjoy you even more!

Choose the hats that will matter to your family and God in years to come!

IN HONOR OF MY MOM AND ALL THE OTHER MOMS, THANK YOU!

 "HATS OFF TO YOU FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE AND ALL YOU DO!" 

I love you Mom!

"Her children arise and call her blessed." Proverbs 31:28

HALLELUJAH! 

PRAISE THE LORD AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

Donna Selma Lind

I would love to hear your hat stories!

Share them with me in the comment's box. 

You can also let me know if you notice anything special about the lovely ladies hat in the photo above! :-)

"PRESSING TOWARD THE GOAL"

By: Donna Selma Lind

"But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

We can't run a race looking backwards! Though this is just what we do when we live our life in the past!

Some years ago I went to visit a friend in the hospital. It was raining cats and dogs out and I was in a big hurry to get inside. I was running toward the entrance where there was a wall of glass doors and windows. Someone called my name from the parking lot and I turned behind me to see who it was, but I forgot to stop running forward! 

I ran smack into the glass doors and knocked myself out! I woke up with a circle of very concerned people surrounding me and insisting they drag me into the ER to be examined. Although I had a goose egg on the side of my head the only real bruising was to my ego!

We can't go forward while looking backwards at the same time. 

A runner can't run the race always looking over his shoulder to see who's behind him. If he does he will trip and fall flat on his face like I did. The winning runner keeps his eyes fixed on the finish line in front of him and the prize that's waiting ahead!

Some people seem to life their life in the past, always looking backwards. They live a life filled with regrets and focus on past failures. They also look at others the same way, criticizing and complaining about things that happened a long time ago, pointing out all your mistakes and problems. 

Is that you or someone you know?

Has anyone ever been there, done that? How did that work for you?

It doesn't work. 

We don't get anywhere. We end up living in limbo. Living on yesterdays dreams. No hope for tomorrow. Stuck in the past, holding on to yesterday afraid to let go.

We have to choose. Forward or Backward. Future or Past. Life or Death.

Paul was talking to us in this verse to let us know he hadn't yet achieved his heavenly goal, but he made up his mind that he was going forward and not turning back to the past.

Paul could have easily looked at his past mistakes and sins and wallowed around in yesterdays mud-hole. No pity party for Paul! He didn't blame others or boo-hoo about all the bad things that happened to him in the past. No, instead he made a choice to receive God's loving Grace and the call on his life. He got up, dusted himself off and got back in the race and pressed on toward the goal!

What or who in your life has you stuck holding onto the past?

What or who in your life is keeping you from running the race?

What are your dreams and goals for the future?

Are you pressing toward the goal to win the heavenly prize of Christ Jesus?

Are you helping others run the race or are you holding them back because you are afraid to go forward?

Do you feel sorry for yourself and try to blame others for why you are the way you are? 

Stop looking back! Start looking forward! God has amazing plans for your future!

"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

We are all a work in progress. We can take the things from our past and learn from them in order to help others. Nothing is wasted with God! But if we stay living in the past we will miss out on our future.

Isn't it time to get back in the race?

"All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Run the race. Press toward the goal. 

Finish strong! 

The Lord is waiting for you at the finish line!

 "Well done, thy good and faithful servant!" Matthew 25:23

HALLELUJAH! PRAISE THE LORD AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

Donna Selma Lind

"HOLD FAST!"

By: Donna Selma Lind

"Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering;( for he is faithful that promised.)" Hebrews 10:23 

"HOLD FAST" A term we all have heard,quoted and some have even tattooed on their knuckles, but how many of us really understand the true Bible meaning of "HOLD FAST"? 

"HOLD FAST" has different meanings for different people and situations.

The Nautical term "HOLD FAST"on board a ship reminds the sailor when the ship is aloft in bad weather,to HOLD onto the lines (rope) FAST (tight) so the sailor's won't get tossed off the ship.

The Urban Dictionary defines "HOLD FAST" as: To bear down, grit it out, stay the course.

Lets break it down in the Webster Dictionary:
"HOLD" = To have or maintain in my grasp. To have possession or ownership. To stand firm in position.
"FAST" = Firmly Fixed. Securely attached. Rooted. Firmly Loyal. In a rapid manner.

Strong's Concordance in the Greek explains it as this :Take heed unto, give and pay close attention, mark,remain,stay, stop.

When the storms of life are raging around us and the waves are crashing against us;  Do you "HOLD FAST?" Do you HOLD FAST to your confession of faith as a Christian or do you go down with the ship?

Are you owning your position of faith? Are you loyal and fixed in your faith in God enough to ride out the storms? Without wavering? 
Wavering means doubting, not believing God is with you. 

" But let him ask in faith, without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." James 1:6

Years ago I was in a small fishing boat in the middle of a lake when a big storm came up out of nowhere. The rain was pouring into the boat, the waves were crashing against and spilling over the top of the boat. The lightning bolts darted the sky all around us and every time the thunder boomed I jumped a foot off my seat.
We were miles from the shoreline and the boat was filling up with water as fast as I was scooping it up and tossing it overboard with the old minnow bucket. Fear came into the boat and it was easy to look around and give up. The temperature had plummeted and we were freezing cold, teeth chattering, soaked through to the bone.
How could we ever survive this storm? I couldn't see much past the boat because the rain was so torrential and fog had set in. There was no shore, no land in sight. No way out.

I began to pray, "Jesus help us. We need you. I know you are in this boat with me. You have not abandoned me. I will HOLD FAST! My hope and my faith is in you Lord!" 

CRASH! THUD! Suddenly we hit something. The boat caught onto a little island in the middle of the big lake! When I say little, I mean little! It had one tree just big enough for the three of us to huddle under to protect us from the storm. 
We turned the row boat over dumped out our gear and sat on top of the boat under the tree until the storm passed.

In the middle of a big lake, in the midst of a ferocious storm, in a sinking boat with no way out, God had provided an Island of Refuge!

"For thou has been..strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm." Isaiah 25:4

What kind of storm is swirling around your boat? 
HOLD FAST!

When the waves are crashing all around your boat,
HOLD FAST!

When there is no way out,
HOLD FAST!

When you don't think you can survive,
HOLD FAST!

When your boat is sinking in the middle of the storm, HOLD FAST!

Jesus is your Island of Faith and Hope!

HOLD FAST TO YOUR FAITH! HOLD FAST YOUR HOPE! HOLD FAST TO JESUS!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord and Share the Good News! 

Donna Selma Lind