My Name Is...

I got hooked on a song this summer.
Matthew West's "Hello, My Name is."

The lyrics ring true over and over again....

"Hello my name is Child of The One True King."

It was and is such a great reminder that I belong to God.

I don't answer to any other names.

I am not defined by anything or anyone else.

And guess what...neither are you. 

This means that you and I don't answer to our regrets, lies or judgements.

We answer to Him.

We are His.

We have been bought and paid for.

 "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in His Name, 

He gave the right to become children of God."

~John 1:12

In His Dust,

DCC

He Is Here....

He was there.
He is at birthday parties that start in laughter and end in unspeakable tragedy-
He is in lakes and hospital rooms and living rooms-
He is at dining room tables where funerals are planned for children who should be sitting down to dinner.

He is in bedrooms with children and parents who toss and turn over what they could've, would've, should've done.

Where there is complete chaos-
He is our Shalom

When we feel forgotten-
Our Hope and Refuge is with us.

Where there are absolutely no answers-

He IS here.

"I know The Lord is always with me. 

I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me." ~Psalm 16:8

God, Let us be Your hands and feet for the Kelley family and all those involved.

In His Dust,
DCC

Use Your Blinker...

I am not new to lights in my rear view mirror. 

However the ones that I saw last week, surprised me, because I wasn't speeding.

And then, I got to meet a very angry and rude policeman that was none to happy about the way I changed from one lane to the other. 

So unhappy, that he decided to give me 2 tickets for it.  

(Improper lane change and improper use of signal=$400.00) 

I thought I was going to have to bust out a "Don't Taze Me Bro."     

     ...but I refrained.

On the bright side, when I told my mom how rude the policeman was

  she informed me that she wanted to call the sheriff. 

(Yes, my mommy wanted to call the sheriff, of the 7th largest city in the US,

 to report someone being rude to her baby.

This is one of 6 gazillion reasons I love my mama.)

That is what a good parent does- they pull for you,

 while allowing justice to be meted out.

It is certainly what Our Father, God does.

He gives us free will and doesn't stop the consequences that come from our choices. 

If we don't put on our blinker, then we break a law and we get a ticket.

But we have a father pulling for us...and cheering us on. 

He is for us, not might be for us....

 or should be for us....

But IS for us.

His loyalty or love does not waver, even if you don't put on your turn signal.

When you are tired and anxious and overwhelmed...He is saying Your Name

"I have written your name on my hand." -Isaiah 49:16

God, Thank You for cheering for me, no matter what...and for parents that do the same. 

In His Dust,

DCC

White Jeans....

Ok, so here's the deal...I am struggling with the season change. 

And by season change, I refer only to the calendar month....

not the temperature....because according to the temp, it is July 4th.

Which leads me to....

Dear Fall, I am not playing with you. At least until you start treating me better.

Yes, I know full well the law of no white shoes and no more linen...

Being raised by Momo and Weezie, leaves no room for doubt on these rules.

Francie, Kakie, Matthew and I have dished out many a fashion ticket over the years to offenders.....

But dang, my white jeans too? (It is 400 degrees outside!!!)

Please don't misunderstand....I am very happy for the change of season- 

I get anxious in Summer, so the structure of Fall is very comforting to me.

This past summer, God reminded me who I am.

He also showed me, "Never will I leave you; Never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5b

So, whether your schedule is jam packed, or clear....

Whether you are in running shorts in July or white jeans in Sept.

May you be reminded of who you are today.

You are a child of The One True & Living God. 

King of kings 

Controller of our calendars 

You are the one He loves. 

A Son or Daughter of The God of all seasons.

God, Thank You for loving me for who I am...including anxious days that I wear white jeans after Labor Day. 

In His Dust,

DCC

It's That Time....

Empty sidewalks...no longer...Empty hallways...not todayStreets are just starting to buzz with the "sounds and smells of school."

The sun is breaking through and shoving clouds out if it's way.

Some are more than ready to start.....

Some not so much...

Meanwhile, there are weepy mamas

Who are dropping off their firstborns,

to Middle School and First Grade....

they have driven away from a college drop off

Now it's time to wait....and trust that the seeds from...
Sunday School and VBS will sink in...

The manners taught at home will grow...

The bedtime prayers will echo in their ears...
The goodnight kisses and last minute hugs will last...

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

Lots of goodbyes.

And on the other side of the door....lots of hellos...

So, take heart, The Morning Star is upon us- and them.

God is with us.

God, Thank You for walking every hallway and entering every room with them....and us.

   

In His Dust,

DCC

Thingamajiggys, iTunes & Mac Mac...

Some of you will recall the day Mac Mac got his first iPhone.
'Twas back in ye olden days of 2009.
In case you missed this fun....please join me as we time travel to the joyous event.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My dad got an iPhone.

Those of you that know him....well, let's just say, we have just given a monkey keys to a Ferrari.

Don't get me wrong- my Daddy is brilliant...off the charts.

The finest architect I have ever known or been aware of.

He is honest to a fault....his word is his bond.

His handshake is from West Texas...it is strong and binding.

His heart is as sensitive as the touch pad on his new phone.

But technology.

Ummm....not so much.....

I feel certain, handling the repercussions of this purchase, will soon be become my new part time job.

First of all, he refers to it as his iPod.I can't even begin to tell him this also has an iPod on it.

Not to mention, all of the other features it has on it.

He gave me about 5 minutes, to explain the entire thing...and accidentally "prank" called about 4 people shortly there after.

Thank goodness my brother is an attorney. This is a potential law suit waiting to happen.

Another thing, he informed me he is, and I quote, "not interested in getting iTunes. Whatever that is- I don't need it or have time for it!"

Ok.

I wonder, if God must have felt this way, in a much smaller scale, 

when He decided to give us free will?

This monkey writing this blog has wrecked many a Ferrari. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fast Forward to 2013....

Houston we've had to upgrade.

And ohhhhhh, the problems....

"I've got some ridiculous thingamajiggy" 

(his actual description removed to protect you) 

that doesn't fit in my car charger!!!"

"They're trying to make me buy the iTunes- 

and I am NOT getting involved in that racket!!!"

(Oh, the irony in iTunes for Mac )

"Who can I call to get past all this malarkey!?!"

Ummmm, short of calling Ashton Kutcher to get his thoughts on the problem, 

we're gonna have to trust, that this is all designed, 

to work a certain way 

and to accomplish a certain purpose.

That is when it struck me, the similarity in how our Creator designed all of us.

To work a certain way...

To accomplish a certain purpose.

and only He can answer our questions.

"Surely, as I have thought and planned, so shall it come to pass, 

and as I have purposed it, so shall it stand." ~Isaiah 14:24

I know for me, trusting at times can feel frustrating, overwhelming and foreign.

"You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your Name, for You have done wonderful things, even purposes planned of old in faithfulness and truth." ~Isaiah 25:1

God, Thank You for allowing and even encouraging our questions, concerns and doubts. 

In His Dust,

DCC

The Cloud...

I went on a walk yesterday.....the bad news it was about 300 degrees. 

The good news....One giant rain cloud followed me.

I didn't acknowledge it until a few random drops fell...almost as if to get my attention.

It was then I realized It had "followed"me the entire walk.

Forgive the dramatization, but it reminded me of....

"By day The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people."~Exodus 13:21-22

Although, it was a tad different than wandering in Egypt for 40 years....

 

I was in Olmos Park Basin and not the Egyptian desert.

I was not lost....but within a mile from my home.

I had great worship tunes blaring in my ears to keep me entertained.

I drank clean bottled water and hopped right back in a nice air conditioned Tahoe.

When I decided I was finished, I was able to stop wandering.

It was God's Same Provision....His Guidance, all the same.

The difference in my comfort level while under this cloud, was astounding to me.

What surprised me even more, was that my entire walk...it remained above me. 

Almost as if it was was following me. 

It was as if it "never left its place."

It made me to wonder...what are the other clouds I am walking under in my life and not seeing.

Where is God providing for me? 

Why am I not slowing down enough to notice and Thank him for it!

what could possibly be more important than slowing down to look up and notice.

"You, The Lord, have been seen face to face, 

Your Cloud stays over them"- Numbers 14:14b

God, Thank You for never leaving Your Place over me. Over all of us.

In His Dust,

DCC