Stein Mart Angel…..

ByKathy Stephens

fashion-1031469_640It is JUST crazy the way GOD does things. Things that we only really realize and understand AFTER they happen. Couldn’t see it coming for anything.
Last Sunday after church a friend and I made a quick trip to Jackson to Stein Mart for her to exchange something. I’m truthfully not a huge Stein Mart Shopper so I just sorta strolled around looking at things. I did end up grabbing a pair of pants but enjoyed watching the others that were shopping more. ( go figure) Somewhere between the Michael Korrs purses and the rack of the newest evening wear, I noticed this little elderly lady. She was well put together.. Makeup on, hair did, dressed very nice and her fingernails were well manicured. She was shopping with purpose and sifting through the finer knitwear with style. She had such a sweet face and I looked at her thinking, “this lady is WISE, classy and has been through some stuff.” She just sorta stood with independence.
TODAY…. I had a little window of opportunity to run back to Jackson to take back the pants I purchased last Sunday. I went right to the counter, returned my item and then went to make a quick sweep to see if I saw something that I just couldn’t live without. WELL…. guess who was there. Much to my surprise was the little elderly lady that I had seen on Sunday. Hair DONE, nails done, dressed well, makeup on and smiling. She walked right up to the rack where I was and then she began to comment to me about the sweater I had in my hand. She started telling me what to put with it, how it would look with boots, etc. etc. etc. SHE HAD STYLE… I began to talk to her and I actually told her , ” I just saw you here this past Sunday”. She said, “yes, I shop here at STEIN MART ALOT”. She continued with “I think I’m a preferred customer”. I chuckled…..
WELL ….. I began to talk to her and she told me that TODAY was her 87th Birthday. WE talked about her lunch with her granddaughter and her precious great grandson and the conversation continued. She finally shared with me that she had lost her husband 4 years ago. ( they were in a bad car accident and both spent weeks in ICU and He didn’t make it) She began to tell me about him and about moving in with her daughter AND HOW good her life is still. TRUTH IS, I wanted to just break down and cry at the very moment she began to share her story with me. I eventually told her about losing Dennis and here’s what she then said, “well Honey, you get up everyday and you do what you want to do. Ask God to show you what your purpose is”. She then said ” Today is the day the LORD hath made let’s rejoice and be glad in it”… and then SHE SMILED SO BIG…. I reached out at that very moment and ask, “can I hug you?” She giggled and was like, well yes. At 87 She is still out talking about God and loving on folks. OH HOW I HOPE that is me one day. My own little Stein Mart Angel. I so hope God lets our paths cross again.
Romans 12:8 “If it is encouraging, let him encourage… “Be a living Example of God’s goodness.

Daring Greatly…..

ByKathy Stephens

daringgreatlybadge1If I was to ask you have you ever been disappointed I feel sure you might answer yes. If I was to ask if you’ve ever been challenged beyond what you thought you could reach, I feel sure you might answer yes. If I was to ask you have you ever been made fun of I feel sure your might answer yes. If I was to ask you if you’ve ever failed at anything I feel sure you might answer yes.
Through out my life I’ve learned a lot of things from situations and challenges that I’ve been affected by. I’ve learned that being a good Christian isn’t directly associated with your church attendance yet In contrast, I’ve learned that a painful broken heart is directly affected by how much you love. I’ve learned that even good people don’t always want the best for you and I’ve learned that the people that you least expect will rise up on your behalf. I’ve learned that friends will lie to you while your enemies will smile at you.
One of the things I admired about Dennis was his “smarts”. NOT being a smart aleck but his ability to be well versed in a lot of things. One was history. He loved history. I came across something today that I want to share with you. It was written in April 1910 by Theodore Roosevelt. This speech is sometimes referred to as “The Man in the Arena”. Read slowly this little piece of history.
Here’s Roosevelt’s Speech:
” It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly…”
This really struck a cord with me. It’s not how much fun someone makes of you or what people think about you. IT’s not how many times you stumble and have to get back up. It’s not whether you win or lose but HOW you ( play the game) DARE… The challenge is what Roosevelt said…. to Dare Greatly….
Are you facing something right now that you need a good dose of daring greatly??? It means being all in. COURAGE TO YOU…..

LIGHTHOUSE in the storm…..

ByKathy Stephens

portrait-of-a-lighthouse-stationed-on-a-beach-coastline
I was blessed to get to keep my grand girls New Years Eve night. We had our own little “ring in the New Year” party. I bought party hats, blow whistles, poppers and of course sparklers. They loved it. As the smoke rose up from the sparklers I was reminded of the fear I’ve had of firecrackers all these years. Childhood accident fixed that for me.
My Kids came to pick up the girls, we ate lunch and spent some time around the table. It was all great until they began to back out of the driveway. I had to walk away because my heart was breaking. I looked over at my big ole house and watched them pull out of the drive and tears began to roll down my face. At that instant I felt all alone…. So very alone. I was taken back to that very day last year January 1, 2015. It was a day, the first day that I was able to literally cry out to GOD for help. It was the first time I had been able to speak to HIM personally, pray to HIM privately, since Dennis had died. I remember laying in my bed alone crying out to HIM in such a way that I was literally hollering at HIM. I remember everything getting quiet and I”m not sure how long I actually laid there but I remember HIM rushing in and bringing peace to my heart. I remember feeling the Holy Spirit literally breathe on me. It was a moment I’ll never forget… The last couple of days have been tuff. I’d like to say that my days are all easy now and that I’m moving on, but truth is Grief, losing the love of your life, is quiet the adventure. It changes everything about your life and most everything about you. I’ve been pondering over life these last couple of days and as most have been posting their New Years resolutions I have been asking GOD to simply show me my next step.
Today as I stood in church and worshipped GOD I began to release that hurt and pain to HIM. With each word of the song we were singing I could feel myself getting closer and closer to HIM. It was as if it was just ME and GOD. Not another soul in the church. The last couple of days I would compare myself ( or my emotions rather) to a ship that is being hit from every side with crashing waves and wind, being tossed to and fro out of control. I have felt helpless. I’ve felt like a ship that is lost and off course…..
BUT ( as the music played) as the storm began to subside, I could see through the darkness and the fog, a light.( My heart began to beat alittle faster) It started out as a small glimmer (the voices were soft) then it began to get alittle brighter( the voices were getting louder, I was singing louder, I was crying out louder) and I began to feel HOPE again. I found myself alittle more settled,( from my mouth came devotion for Him) alittle more safe. I quickly realized it was the light coming from the lighthouse. ( I worship you Lord for WHO you are ) The (lighthouse) one that is always there waiting for me to return home. Standing strong, shining bright waiting for my return…….I felt removed from the present state and transformed to a safe place with HIM. I saw HIM today as the lighthouse in the storm.
Matthew 8:23-26 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “you of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “what kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”
ME: He is the LIGHTHOUSE…..