Tiny Tyrant

   Our two youngest granddaughters, ages 2 and 8, came to spend last week with us. It gave my daughter a much needed break and we had a blast but we were exhausted by the time we took them back to Oklahoma on Monday. Bella, the 8 year old, was great and although she is known for her "Bella meltdowns", she didn't have a single one while she was here. However,  Kaya, the 2 year old, was a tiny tyrant.
   Kaya had learned over the holidays that if she climbed on a bar stool and sat at the counter and yelled "cucack" enough times that someone would give her a cupcake. She continued this tradition this past week. You don't want to say "no" to her when she has her mind set on something. It took 40 minutes and 3 of us to get her dressed in the mornings. I have never seen legs and arms slip so fast in and out of clothes before.
   But we loved every minute because we love those two little girls to the moon and back. I thought about how much Jesus loves me. It doesn't matter how much of a tyrant I am; it doesn't matter how difficult I am; or how set I am on getting my way. Jesus loves me to all eternity and back. I pray that He will help me to get over my tyranny of selfish ways and to follow Him.
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it, But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it", Matthew 16:24-25.

One Step Ahead

   We have a new puppy at our place, a six month old Border Collie that we named Grace. I figured she was going to need a lot of grace, and we were, too, to raise her. I gave my husband Phillip Keller's book "Lessons From a Sheep Dog" for his birthday. Keller had a Border Collie as his beloved companion and sheep herder. You know what comes next, right? My husband had to have one, too.
   We've found out since Grace has been at our house that we need to keep one step ahead of her. These dogs are highly intelligent and full of energy. As I've thought about Grace, I have seen how I need to keep one step ahead of Satan. If I give Satan an inch, he'll take a mile. If I give him a thought, it will stay in my mind a whole day. If I give him one bad experience, he'll push me into depression for days.
   I can keep one step ahead of Satan if I refuse to think negative thoughts and by reading my Bible and claiming Jesus' promises daily. I can keep one step ahead of Satan by recognizing that I am a child of God and by resolving to not let  bad experiences trigger old thoughts of inadequacy and lack.
   I am not that abused, damaged little girl anymore. I am a mature woman that has been in love with Jesus for a lot of years. If I surrender all my cares to Him daily and ask Him to walk with me every second and every step of the day, then He will enable me to keep one step ahead of Satan. 
"So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you", James 4:7.
"...because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world", I John 4:4b.