safe.

When you hear or see the word "safe" what comes to mind? A locked box hidden in a wall that protects your valuables? An umpire in a baseball game as the player slides home? Safety takes many forms. What does it look like for you? What makes you feel safe?

I have become convinced in the past several years that safety is a fundamental need for most humans. We need to feel safe. We need to feel that, whatever happens, we are protected. We need physical safety. We need the assurance that our physical bodies are not going to be in danger from violence, disease, or disaster. We seek out protection and treatment and assistance, and when those fail, our world shifts. A perceived lack of physical safety can cause fear and despair, and can also bring strength and new resolve. Safety is important.

We need emotional safety. We need to feel that our friends are "safe places" for our hearts. We need our families and homes to safeguard us and make sure we are protected from a world that would destroy us. We need to feel safe in our relationships and when we don't, that can lead to fear and mistrust and pain. When we do not feel emotionally safe, we can become insecure, unstable, and our confidence can wane. Safety is important.

We need spiritual safety. We need to be able to trust our souls to our Creator. We need to give our hurts, our confusion, our bitterness, our anger and hate...all of it...to the Lover of our souls. Spiritual safety only comes through complete surrender and confidence in the One who made us. When our confidence is in Jesus, we can trust Him for all of our physical and emotional needs...safety in Christ is the full package!

I am so glad that I can trust everything in my life to Christ. I know that in my humanity, I need to feel physically and emotionally safe. I am learning that if I trust Him with ALL of that, He provides security, safety and protection beyond what I could have found anywhere else. Nothing surprises Him and He is not worried. I can trust that He will do all things for my good, and my trust is in Him.

valentina.

Thirty years ago today, a beautiful baby girl entered the world. I was nine years old, and I had been eagerly awaiting her arrival for months. I'll never forget my mom telling me that Eugene had taken Jean to the hospital  the night before (Halloween night) and that the baby would likely be born today.

I'll never forget hearing that she had a heart defect, and the long days waiting for her to come home. I'll never forget seeing her for the first time, and hearing my dad pray for her. God healed the hole in her heart, and I always knew that she was a very special girl with a very special purpose.

She immediately became MY baby. Everyone knew she was my baby...I took care of her every chance I got. I loved her deeply from the very start, and that love only grew with every passing day, month, year.

She grew into a lovely young lady, and she is beautiful and strong with a family of her own. She has been through a lot in her young life, but I still believe that God is going to fulfill His purpose in her. I love her more than she will ever know. She is, and always will be, my girl.

I love you, Valentina Eugenia Cody. <3 nbsp="nbsp" p="p">

storms.

Life doesn't always make sense. Storms happen and sometimes the lights go out. We can shout at the sky and shake our fist in anger at the clouds that are covering the sun. We can allow the darkness to overwhelm our soul until nothing is left but an empty shell. Or we can lift our soul to the pouring rain and surrender to the growth it brings. We can allow our faith to be pounded to bits because we know that the storm will not last forever. When the storm has ended, the clouds have parted, and the rain has stopped, we will know. When the sun is shining once again, we will know. As the warm rays of the sun reach our inner being, we will know that there has always been a purpose in the storm. We will see the growth, we will feel the strength, we will hear His still, small whisper. And we will know that He was with us all the time.