A Messy Masterpiece

At almost 50 years young, I can look back and see where I have failed to let God be part of my choices, my decisions. I’m working, at least trying, to remember that even though I didn’t ask God to be a part of the choice, and it didn’t turn out the way I wanted, it was not a mistake.ย 
I feel as if they were, or can be used, to glorify God and be used as a learning experience, a stepping stone. Bad decisions DO NOT equal mistakes – in this I’m learning grace …for myself (the one person I rarely shower in grace).
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While I’m made up partly of the choices I’ve made, more importantly, I am His masterpiece. I am whole, I am cherished, divinely created, unconditionally loved. Like an piece of art, with every brushstroke (hardship, prayer, blessing, mountain, valley), I am a masterpiece, HIS masterpiece. A messy one, but still, and always, a work of art.
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Thank you Lord for the grace you shower each and every day. I am humbled to be able to share these words with y’all and earlier this year and made myself this ring. I felt it needed a matching tee. May you feel his love pouring over you today.
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Big Love,
Red
You can purchase a Messy Masterpiece ring or tee at Flying SR Custom Works.
PS. I forgot to mention that after I wrote this in my journal, I turned to our Scripture challenge with Rachel Mellard and lo and behold, God’s reassuring words were waiting in Psalm 86:15 and Romans 5:7-8.
(c) Michelle A. Farley

Newsflash: This will be your year!

NEWSFLASH: THIS WILL BE YOUR YEAR!

๐ŸŽ‰This will be YOUR year!
๐ŸŽ‰Whether you lose 5 pounds or gain 10, it’s YOUR year.
๐ŸŽ‰Whether you get in shape, or don’t, it’s YOUR year.
๐ŸŽ‰Whether you accept your gorgeous self with all your beautiful imperfections and brokenness, or don’t, it’s YOUR year.
๐ŸŽ‰Whether you live in joy or you live in misery, it is still YOUR year.

 

 


Everything about the upcoming year is all about you:
๐ŸŽ‰The choices you make
๐ŸŽ‰ย How you respond to what life throws at you
๐ŸŽ‰What sort of goals you set and how hard you’re willing to work at accomplishing themย ๐ŸŽ‰The people you choose to surround yourself with: you can choose people who bring you down or who work to lift you up.

It is all about you. This IS your year. Make it worth living intentionally, with purpose, and with joy and love!

~Red
(C) Michelle A. Farley

Holy Cow!

Well, today is day one, fully immersed in the “real world” and whoa what a day it has been already! Nothing beats spending some time in the morning on the phone w/ my SFAM (sister from another mister) Jen as she makes her annual trek back to the mountains of Montana. Oh how I wish I was loaded up and heading with her.

Okay, so I’m not quiet, but…

this morning I was hit with a HUGE …or as Pastor Duane would say, HUPER, revelation. T7f1e52a44de81f8ee8d41933396f247ais past weekend, there was a lot of revelation based around the difference between knowing and believing and this morning was another sign of the transformation that took place. As I was sitting there praying for my family, I realized that we often pray and ask God to give us (or those we are praying for) “stuff”: joy, peace, etc. Now, before you go getting all “churchy” on me, hear me out. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with praying peace or love or comfort over or for people. What I’m saying though is….we never stop to ask God to open our hearts and minds to the “stuff” he’s already given us! Seriously….he is not holding back waiting to grace our lives with love and peace and joy – it is OURS already! ย We already have ALL of the gifts, tools, skills, talents, people, blessings, and support to be successful! But instead, we place the burden on HIM, and we don’t do any work ourselves. So if our day is CRAP, it’s His fault. If I’m in a bad mood, it’s His fault.

This hit me hard. Like a brick. I don’t know how many times I have cried out to God begging Him to grant me something and then felt abandoned or ignored because I didn’t get it….all the while, what I should have been doing was asking Him to open my heart, quiet my spirit, close my mouth, and prepare me to receive what it was He already had for me! So, when I FINISHED praying for my family this morning, I prayed that our hearts were open to the peace, joy, strength, and courage God had for us today. Prepare yourself and open your heart and your mind and have a beautiful day!

PS. Uhm…talk about not letting me sit in my comfort zone. I opened my email today to find my name on the agenda to speak at the New Mexico CowBelle’s Mid-Year Meeting held in June in conjunction with the New Mexico Wool Grower’s Annual Convention / New Mexico Cattle Grower’s Association Mid Year meeting. ย Did I mention I haven’t even submitted a proposal yet?

Live BIG!

Love,
RED

De Colores!

ee33712f9709fa6541d1f74e233263a5Speechless. That’s how the last 4 days left me. Hardly able to string words together to form a sentence (shock, I know). There are no words in the dictionary to describe the journey, the process, the transformation that occurred on my Walk to Emmaus.

I came home today completely and utterly exhausted physically, mentally “drunk”, emotionally calm (which is EPIC), and spiritually made new. Not renewed…because of things I carried that kept me from accepting and believing God’s unconditional love and blessings over my life (there’s a huge difference in knowing and believing )…but new. I am a new woman with a new heart, spirit, soul and well of courage and faith I’ve never had.

I can’t thank everyone enough for the encouragement, prayers, blessings, and love this weekend and am forever humbled by the seeds that Monte, Tiffany, and Rodney planted in my life as well as mine and Gus’ (Shawn) future and the spiritual healing I received through Jimmy and Momma D (not to be confused with our Mama D).

Here is to a lifetime of fresh starts, agape love, grace (and snort) filled adventures, buttermilk pie, divine appointments, family, and freedom!

De Colores!
Live BIG!

Love,
RED

Here we go!

You know you need Jesus when you get a police escort to your walk. Just kidding, kind of. The sheriff is in the truck with us!18118910_10101465247644261_8810457037244490729_n_427

Heading to my walk to Emmaus with an open mind and open heart. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and to Rodney and Tiffany for opening the doors for Gus and I this year. “See” y’all Sunday night!