I’ve been sitting here with tears stinging in my eyes. Have really felt like bawling for the last hour or so. Finally went ahead and got on my face and took God up on it. Now I’m back in my chair at my backporch table but still can’t shake the feeling. Nope, it’s not hormones although how would a woman in my season of life know, for crying out loud? I think at least that what moves me this moment is the power of the Cross and all this Resurrection weekend represents to those of us who believe. Who keep believing. And I’ll tell you why. When I asked you how you were doing, I had absolutely no thought of tying these two entries together. I had no agenda at all except to simply know how you are but by the time I’d read the first several hundred, I was so moved by the connection that I could not hold back the tears. I’m not even sure I can explain what I felt but I’m going to try. After all, blogs like mine are not meant to showcase beautifully prepared, deeply deliberated, excellently proofed, and perfectly edited theological treatments. Blogs like mine are more for simply throwing it out there to a bunch of friends. For writing like you’d chat. A place – when it’s appropriate – to say it while it’s raw.

I looked at all 700+ comments and shook my head with love and wonder over what a slice of life was represented there. Many doing great, feeling loved, and sensing God. Others dry, confused, and, as one of our beloved Siestas said, “hanging on by a thread…but at least I’m hanging on!” And either set could trade places in a split second. Many probably have even by this time. One sister’s dad died suddenly of a heart attack and she’s planning his funeral this Resurrection weekend. How perfectly appropriate. Another was taking her teenage daughter for her driving test. God bless her. Another had six kids home for Spring Break. God help her. Another had a three year old with head lice but let’s not nit pick. Another’s nephew was killed in a car accident last night. Dear Sweet Jesus. Another found out two days ago that she’s pregnant. It’s her third pregnancy but she has no children. Lost the first two. Please, Lord. Another is heading with a group of 40+ people to Belize to minister to those with severe needs in the name of Christ. Another will spend Easter weekend on the other side of the world from her deployed husband. Another is hearing the voice of God through His Word like never before in her life. Another is a school counselor trying to help elementary children deal with the death of a 3rd grade girl killed by a van while checking the mailbox. Another is at her wit’s end trying to know what to do with an unrepentant, unapologetic teenage son with a pornography addiction. Another and another and another is in financial distress. Another is five weeks pregnant with her first child and spotting some. Another is “cleaning toilets and changing diapers to pay rent.” I loved that. Another is a 49 year-old bridesmaid. We’ve gotta all love that. Another is sitting in Southern Indiana surrounded by flood waters. Another is celebrating at a Pizza Inn with a group of 75-90 year olds who have just finished studying “Jesus the One and Only.” And another is “tired and deflated and ready for this dry season to end” for her.

And Christ is watchful and active and overflowing with unabashed, unbridled affection over every single one of them. As Present in one as any other. As purposeful in the life feeling the least purpose. The most exhaustion. He still raises the dead. Saves the lost. Heals the weak. Sets prisoners free. He never misses a tear. Never let’s us go. He was lifted up so we could be drawn to Him. Killed so we could live. Beaten so we could win. No matter what stone seems to have you entombed, He can roll it away. Nothing can stay in the grave when God has resurrection on His mind. And, Sweet Thing, God has resurrection on His mind right now.

He had it on His mind with every beat of that hammer on the nails penetrating Christ’s flesh. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” Death never gets the last word. Not even the death of relationship. Respect. Well-being. Health. God cannot – will not – leave well enough alone. His business is life and life at its liveliest. Loveliest. May He roll away every last thing that is stifling His effervescence in us. He never promised that life here would always be fun but He mighty well promised that life here could always be full. Every single ounce of power expended on the Cross is yours in Jesus’ Name. Ask Him what that means. How you draw from it. That’s what I’m doing today. Like you, I’ve had innumerable blessings and unforgettable moments of late. Like you, I’ve also had my own heartbreaks, disappointments, and worries. Felt weary to the bone. Frustrated to the core. I’ve cried, too. Thought I was fed-up with some things, too. Wondered if I’d ever change, too. Then comes Good Friday. The violence that says something’s about to be different. That causes our earths to quake. Then comes the Saturday wait that seems an eternity long. Then, finally, FINALLY comes Sunday morning…long before dawn. By that time the Father has waited long enough. And stones begin to roll.

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us ALL our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 3:13-15

Some of us are burdened and weary because we never have allowed ourselves to feel the full and free forgiveness of the Cross. What if today you believed it? What if today you believed Him? What if you finally let it go? What if today the deadness in us could no longer resist the sound of Christ calling us forth from the tomb? What if we decided to get up and really live?

I love you so dearly. Blessed Friday of all Fridays and Happy Easter Sunday.

Hey, Darling Ones! In case you’ve been looking in the lost and found for your senior Siesta, here I am! I’ve had lots of (good but busy!) family stuff going on and, in the process, got behind on my writing for Esther. SO I had my man take me to the cactus lands of West Texas where cell phones don’t ring, emails don’t send, and deadlines are what happen when someone runs the tractor over the telephone wire AGAIN. A divine set-up indeed. And I got caught right on up, praise You, Jesus. All is well with Moores, Jones’s, and Fitzpatricks. I have all sorts of things to catch you up on and I’ll do that soon. Far more importantly, it is Holy Week and I’ll look forward to reflecting with you on some of what that means – some of what CHRIST means – to us as we approach the weekend.

Until then (most likely Friday), I’d so dearly love to know how you are doing. Check in and let me know. Keep your responses to one to two sentences max so that I can read them all. Can’t wait to hear about you. I’m so sick of myself I could throw up. Love you, Siestas, and I’ve missed you!

Hey, Girlfriends! I don’t have long because Jackson’s at Bibby’s house but we’ve had lots of good time together this morning and he’s preoccupied for a few minutes. I’ve got something on my mind that I’ve got to share or I’m going to combust.

Yesterday I was with somebody I love who was describing frustration over not being able to get a breakthrough in a work matter. I’ve been in on it for a while so I knew it had been hard and I was searching for encouraging things to say that weren’t just the usuals that we turn to when we don’t know what to say. I reached out my hands toward the loved one’s hands and said, “Let’s pray about it right this minute.” And we did. We had no more than said, “In Jesus’ Name, Amen,” then the telephone rang. It was the call the person had been waiting for and the breakthrough came. The phone call lasted some time so I just kept praying and even doing a few little thank You dances. When the loved one got off the phone, I said, “Can you believe that? That was the Lord!”

To which my loved one said, “You’re probably right.”

“No,” I said, “there’s no ‘probably’ to it! That was the Lord! I mean, did you see that timing??”

The person nodded and said, “Sure may have been!”

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, “SURE MAY HAVE BEEN”?? Are you stinking kidding me? (I didn’t say all that part.)

“But you’ve gotta give Him His glory!” (I did say that.) Or what compels Him the next time when He didn’t get any credit the last time? (Didn’t exactly say that.)

Girls, listen. GIVE GOD HIS GLORY! When He does something for you, don’t sit there and wonder if that may have been Him. GIVE HIM SOME GLORY!! Jump up and down about it. Get excited about it! I don’t know about you, but I want God to ENJOY doing some things for me. I want Him to think I’m fun to get a reaction out of. I want to dang well NOTICE. Can you imagine when we thank Him for something that He’s up there on His Throne shrugging His shoulders and saying, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I didn’t have anything to do with that”? Does Phil. 2:13 not say that God works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose? Ain’t no doubt, Girlfriend. It is GOD.

“Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done!” Ps. 40:5

“I am the Lord; that is My Name! I will not give My glory to another or My praise to idols…Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim His praise…!” Is. 42:8,12

Not fussing. Just feel passionate about it. I love you so much and want you to enjoy your God!

Hey, Siestas! I LOVED VANCOUVER! I loved the group God gave us so much! It was the best possible way to start a new speaking year AND our 10-year anniversary celebration. If any of you were there, let me begin this post by giving you a huge hug with words (if you’re the kind that likes hugs and, if you’re not, a really enthusiastic wave from about 12 feet away) and my deepest gratitude for having the joy of serving you. I just thought you guys were the cutest things. Very engaged despite my southern accent. (What someone once had the gall to call “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” How rude.) Then again, I guess you probably had to listen really hard. I am glad, however, that we found immediate common ground with “Eh-men?” Much love to the Canadian Siesta who insisted in the last post that I really don’t just throw up on stage (as a speaking style – and sometimes almost really) but I am afraid I really do. I’m still a serious work in progress and sometimes I wonder how you all sift clear thoughts out of some of the messes I make. I really do have notes up there and try to come before you prepared. I don’t know what happens. (Please don’t feel the need to answer back to any of that stuff. It’s just mostly in fun anyway. We don’t want to take ourselves too seriously.) Nevertheless, God is so awesome and faithful and wonderful and even FUN and, as we learned together this weekend, HIS WORD DOES NOT RETURN VOID! That’s the only thing that lasts when the conference is over. The only thing with a promise attached to it. I’ve already been praying for you, especially those who brought things to the altar. Remember to take one day at a time with Jesus. Sometimes one hour at a time when you’re getting over a fierce addiction and please seek out a support group of other believers and find yourself a good Bible-teaching church if you don’t have one. We have to do this thing together. Whatever you do, stay in the Word and keep up your memory work! Because “The Word of God is ______________ and _______________ . Sharper than any _______________ -_____________ _______________, it penetrates even to dividing ________________ and ________________, __________________ and ___________________; it judges the _____________________ and ___________________ of the heart. Nothing in all creation is ______________________________________________.” You’re getting it! Yahoo-Jah!

As for the rest of you, I’m gonna throw something out there I think might have some potential fun attached to it. I just got back from the grocery store. That’s not the fun part of it but, come to think of it, there was a particular delight on the way in the door: cub scouts that were selling coupon books and were so cute I could have eaten them alive. Most of them didn’t have any front teeth. I could also tell that their mothers had fixed their hair and kinda slicked it back. The fun part I’m writing to tell you about is that I remembered to get one of my very favorite not-naughty treats while I was there and was so filled with anticipation that I grinned like those cub scouts all the way home. (Keith does most of the grocery shopping because he’s the much better cook so it’s kind of fun for me when I get to go and pick out a bunch of stuff he refuses to buy me. For instance, he wouldn’t eat a whole wheat carb if you bought him a new pair of cowboy boots to go with them – he’d say the latter would taste better anyway – and gets an expression on his face like he sat on a spur every time he sees one in the cupboard. Myself, I’m rather taken with Nabisco Garden Harvest Toasted Chips if I’ve had my quota of tortilla chips and hot sauce that week and am going to throw myself into a man-hole if I don’t have something crunchy and I don’t mean celery. That was a run-on sentence. I’m sorry. I’ve been in a time-change and I feel a little extra compulsive. Hence, this post on treats. I’m simply trying to tell you that Keith likes naughty treats that put five pounds on you while you carry them into the kitchen. So do I but one has to pace one’s middle-aged self.)

SO, today while I was at the Kroger I got me some of those low-fat ice cream sandwiches called “The Skinny Cow.” Have you guys ever had one of those? Now, that’s some good eatin’ right there, Siestas. I try to remember to get a six-pack (that’s how many come in a package and they’re big, too) every time I go but I usually end up getting all distracted on the hair product aisle and forget what I really wanted until I get home and trip over the dogs while trying to get to the kitchen. About the time I say “Dad-gummit!” I remember a few extra things I should be saying “Dad-gummit” about. I almost always forget half my shopping list…because I never make one. I’m a wreck. Anyway, for all you South Beachers, no, “The Skinny Cow” ice cream sandwich (in both vanilla and chocolate and even packs with both) is not low-carb but it IS low fat and not a ton of calories and, for crying out loud, it has 3 grams of fiber in it. What the heck do you want from me here??? I have you know it’s approved by “Best Life” and it’s mighty tasty to boot! (Much tastier than a boot. I don’t care what Keith says.)

OK. Now it’s your turn. What’s your very favorite high-taste, low-guilt treat? If you have to get it somewhere special, don’t leave your Siestas hanging. Give us the goods.

I’ll be checking to see what my Siestas like! I may be about to make my very first shopping list! Sure love you, you darling things. (P.S. I’ve already read a ton of these and they are just as fun as I thought they’d be! You’re even going to find some great recipes! Yep, I’m gonna be making another trip to the grocery store but not the same one because NOT ONE SINGLE TIME have I ever seen a Skinny Cow in mint. I feel betrayed.)