Past the Elves on the shelves, and the ipads, and "more pixels"...

In these days of shopping on line and getting most of my information from cyberspace, or in a sedentary fashion, it is amazing how isolated and left to my own devices I have become.

I learn what's cool by seeing "what's trending", I wait eagerly each morning to see what everyone's "elf on the shelf" did last night; I check Pinterest to see what cool things my friends are making, and  I am amazed at what just a few more pixels will do. I am stunned at how much "i deserve", or how much I am worth, in the eyes of advertisers.  I feel like I just sit in front of a screen and receive all of the interaction, affirmation and ideas I need for a successful life without ever actually having to address anyone or anything.  I am truly becoming "the master of my own universe".  I can order online, ship packages and never have to say "Merry Christmas"  to a living soul. Do I really need anyone or anything else?

Then last Friday happened.  Some tortured soul brought an act of violence so unspeakable and so evil into a place of hope and life; a school, and took the lives of 26 people and finally his own life.  What a horrific day for all of us...It reminded us that we are not "the masters of our own universe".  It reminded us that we are certainly not in control of our own destiny and furthermore, we were not created to walk through this world alone.  We are in need of a Savior.  The burdens of this world are to great, the evil is too strong and the nights are too dark to live apart form the comfort of our Savior's arms. We also need the gift of love and encouragement that He gives each of us to share with others.  You don't get that from "more pixels",  or Pinterest, or the newest I-pad.

Many years ago, there was also evil in this world.  The nights were dark and long and the oppression was unspeakable.  People were killed for saying the wrong thing, or not saying the right thing.  They lived in fear of a strong- armed government, and it was then that God decided His people needed a Savior.  He chose a young girl and her carpenter husband to travel a road  many would not have chosen to bring salvation for all of us.  Because of their commitment and obedience, their willingness to give up their rights to be "masters of their own universe," our lives are continually blessed.  Because of that Journey from Nazareth to a stable in Bethlehem there is light in even the darkest corners of this world and in our lives. Evil may have had a foothold for a moment, Satan may have thought he had a victory for a while.  But because of a baby born in a stable who won the ultimate victory, evil did not triumph.  Stories of protection and grace and sacrifice and love poured forth from this horror.  Christ is alive in the hearts of His people.  He is at every funeral, wiping every tear and proving himself faithful in this outpouring of love and grace as people step away from their ipads, and pixels and  cling to the "God of all comfort", and acknowledge the need for a Savior. He is there as He watches His people hold one another close and whisper the words of comfort He gave us so long ago into another's ears.  The burden is too great to handle on our own, and in His arms we find the perfect place to rest and His shoulders the perfect place to place our burdens.

This year, more than ever, I am so grateful for the road Mary and Joseph took, I am so grateful for God's plan to save us that began in a stable. I am so grateful that at the end of it all...victory is won and there will be no more weeping, or sickness or death and Christ Himself will wipe away every tear!

"Silent Night, Holy Night,
Son of God, Love's pure light,
Radiant beams from Thy Holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth."

Memory Keeper, Memory Maker or both?

This past weekend I did a little "time traveling" and didn't even have to leave home.   Even though  it was "rushing the season" a little, we decided to travel up to the attic and unpack Christmas.  I try to set aside a block of a couple of days to get everything displayed to my liking.  This year, it didn't seem possible to get that much time in one block so I hurriedly set out on my "tasks".  I started out by unpacking the Christmas tree ornaments.  As I unpacked the first few ornaments, they were trendy and new,  and my chore went by pretty mindlessly.  Then, the family tree.  As I unpacked each ornament, it was like traveling back to places on the timeline of our lives cherishing and savoring each one.  I remembered how the big bulky lights of my childhood shone on a couple of ornaments that are over the half century mark. I then realized just what a wonderful gift my husband gave to me by preserving these treasures in the face of a flood.  He is a true "memory keeper".  I looked at the ornaments that we purchased for our first tree, the ornaments we purchased each year of our children's lives, and now, ornaments that denote our grandchildren's lives. For the myriad of ornaments given by children and families I was blessed to serve over the years, those given by the friends and families we have been blessed to minister to and live life with. Gifts from special friends and special locations. I remembered making a lot of memories along the way, days and weeks of Christmas through eyes other than mine, I remember life being so busy that the end of the day in front of the tree was a priceless treasure. There were broken ornaments along the way (I broke two this year), but just thinking about the memories and moments held in the little pieces of resin, cloth and glass that remain make me proud to be "memory keeper"
Maybe I did things backwards this year, but maybe not.  Putting up my tree before Thanksgiving gave a new perspective to the things I am most Thankful for:  for the glimpses of Christmases past, for the reminders of friendship and God's hand in our lives, and for memories yet to be made.  These ornaments are a sign or a monument to the goodness of a God who has intricately woven reminders of His gifts of love in our lives into one place (a tree), to point us to His greater gift, His Son who was all to familiar with a very different kind of tree. 

Christmas before Thanksgiving?  Maybe so. Thankful for memories kept and made and for the One who gives all good and perfect gifts.


                                                                                                                                                     

..Another year

I tend to measure the years of my life not by birthdays, but by anniversaries.  This week marked 29 years of marriage to my husband.  I have been married over half my life and there are days that I can hardly remember life "B.U. (before us)". This has been a unique year for us personally, with lots of challenges and joys and bumps and tears and smiles...and another year together.

Our years together have been anything but boring,  but as we have traveled this life together there are so many things I have learned:

Trust-That life is so much sweeter when there is one person who always has your back, that you can trust completely and in turn you learn to be that Safe Haven for your mate as well.

Faith- You may think that its "you and me against the world".  Most couples start out that way, us included.  But it didn't take very long to realize that "you and me" can't do a darn thing by ourselves.  If God isn't in the mix, it either won't last for long, or it's much harder that God intended for it to be.

Hope- The days when you can't see hope are the hardest of all. Be an encourager to your mate.  Very rare are the times when you are both discouraged, so do your best to show hope to your mate and let him or her do the same for you.  When you are both without hope, remember there is Faith. Where there is Faith there is hope and where there is hope, there should be Faith.

Nothing, no nothing is ever as bad as it seems.  There are days that are horrible, and black and bleak and dark, you think that you will never laugh or smile again, but you will! And you have really found the secret if you can laugh through your pain.  Not to minimize the hurts in anyway.  There are some things that happen to us in life that are complete "game changers" like loss of health, loss of a job or a career, loss of a loved one, a move, family discord.  It is hard to find joy when these are the things we struggle through, but Jesus told us in this life we will have struggles. How we handle them together are Historic markers along the highway we travel together.

Family comes first.  We were given each other, we are blessed beyond measure with a family.  Never forget that they come first. Jobs are important, ministry is important, people are important, but family is forever.  The way we love our families says a lot about who we are.  There is always room for improvement, forgiveness, love and grace. Teach your children to love and to give love

Joy.  Look for joy in everything. Seek laughter and peace. Living in strife and conflict is hard and thoroughly exhausting.  Laughter with loved ones is the closest to heaven we will get on this earth. Joy is not circumstantial, it is a state of being.  I have lived in both, I choose Joy!


Okay, so I have stepped into my husband's territory, I have skipped blogging and begun preaching.  But, as I mark another year of marriage, going farther away from "BU", I desire more and more time with my love. When we married, I gave him not only my hand but my heart, after all these years, I am so grateful that I did because I know that both are safe with him...

Traveling on.....

Falling........

 I love Fall....

I love everything about it, I love the colors, the temperature,  the smells and I love everything it represents to me!


Fall is my favorite time of the year... Why do they call it Fall...what does it mean?
Here's what it I think...
When I fall down, it means that I lose control momentarily.   When you find yourself falling from a little bit of height you are "free falling" --- total abandonment.

When I fall asleep, I let go of the cares of the day, the worries, the fatigue gives way to rest and respite...again, to fall is to let go.

When I fell in love, I let go of my right to control every thing about my life, without sounding like a 70's poster,  We find true love when we let go of ourselves"


Watching the leaves fall from the trees, twirling and swirling in the breeze, there is nothing hindering them, they are not stuck to the trees and drooping from the summer heat.  They are not spotty and brown from too much water... they are colorful and free, showing off their beautiful colors. 
Sometimes, we are at our best when we are falling!

Many of my happiest memories  have taken place in the Fall,

31 years ago, I met my husband and became his friend.

30 years ago, I fell in love with my husband..at a barn dance surrounded by fall leaves, pumpkins and hay bales

29 years ago, I married the love of my life!!!

SO many memories of the boys playing outside till dark, football games and soccer games and leaf piles to play in!

There is a freedom we find, in letting go, not anticipating and enjoying the beauty of fall and of falling!!! We were created for freedom in our hearts and our souls, some times its okay to fall!

Maybe, I can't fly, but as buzz light year says, "I'm falling with style"

Happy Fall Ya'll!

Emerald green, White sand, Blue eyes

I've been reading a lot lately about colors in the bible.  God must love colors!  Of course we know He made the earth with its myriad of colors, and if that wasn't enough He made a rainbow to seal a promise.  He made sure that Joseph's beautiful coat of many colors was mentioned.  And then, in much detail He talks about the colors used in the tabernacle in the wilderness and in Solomon's temple. Then lastly, He talks about the colors in Heaven, brilliant colors that we can only imagine.

I am so glad that God made colors, not just one or two, but a multitude of colors that are a feast for our eyes.  People who don't have a preference about anything else have an opinion about color!
We all have our favorites, and sometimes the mere sight of a particular shade brings a flood of memories or wonderful feelings, or funny memories.

I love emerald green.  Gulf Coast green!  The kind of green like the water that I call home. So beautiful against the sparkling white sand and when the sun hits it just right it looks like emeralds and diamonds!  I also love blue.  Reminds me of my Dad and Josh's blue blue eyes!  Brown is a beautiful and warm color to me.  Reminds me of fall, and wooded lots and my husband's warm brown eyes! Comfort and love! I also love navy blue and red together? Why?  Because when our twins (who will be 23 next Sunday) were small, I always dressed Drew in Blue and Caleb in Red!

 If colors add so much to our life here and give our lives so much depth, I can only imagine what they must add to Heaven!

As I sit here on a cloudy Sunday, I am grateful for another one of the presents that will be waiting for us to unwrap.... just think of the wrapping paper!!!

"...clothed in rainbows of living color, flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder"

"If you're not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there." - Martin Luther

"Laughter through tears is one of my favorite emotions"---Truvy, "Steel Magnolias"

     When I woke up this morning my sides were sore and I couldn't figure out why.  Then I remembered...
Our women's small group met last night and although we are serious about our studies, last night began with laughter and joy.  Not just giggles, but side-splitting laughter! In between we had some serious issues and heart felt times, but we ended with more of that deep, cleansing, belly-laughter over some of the silliest things. What a God-given gift we have in laughter!

     A couple of years ago, my friend Tracey and I were coming back from an afternoon break for a little ice cream, we boarded the church elevator and were heading back to our offices, hit the button..and nothing.  No bump, no whirr, no lift that moves your tummy a little, nothing.... We looked at each other, hit the "door open"  button and NOTHING!  We looked at each other with our melting ice cream, I pulled my phone out of my pocket, called the church office 25 feet away and told them we were stuck.  Then, the best thing happened, we looked at each other and began to laugh.  At first it was a giggle, then a laugh, then the tears started running,  and we couldn't stop laughing.  We were safe, the fire department was a block away, we were on the first floor and there were maybe 10 or 15 feet below us. I am a little claustrophobic, but not that day.  For the next 30 minutes, we laughed about the good stories we would have for our families, the nice break we were having, and other than the need for the facilities it wasn't too terrible...after all, I never heard of anybody being stuck in an elevator for days on end, we knew the fireman and had great confidence in their abilities.  When we were sprung form our cocoon by our able firemen, we walked out to all of the concerned faces, then one of the firemen said, "You two sure were cuttin' up in there", and then we laughed even harder.  I am so grateful to our God for the joy of that memory.  It could have been terrible if we had not embraced the moment and chosen joy over fear.

  
    Last night was another one of those times.  We were bathed in God's most precious gift of laughter, joy,  and the  assurance that even though each of us are facing different and tough issues in our lives, He gives us the deep abiding joy in Him that enables us to laugh, smile and know that He smiles when His children are joyful!

    How many times in our lives has God rescued a painful moment with laughter?  Given us a memory that makes us laugh just thinking about it? My friend Debbie and I can't even say the words 'super glue" without laughing uncontrollably (..miss you girl!)  God gave us laughter at one of the most horrifically difficult times!   Snapshots of unspeakable joy!

---Feel His joy in your laughter today!

"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with shouts of joy".--Job 8:21 

When my best just isn't enough...He's there

Throughout my life I have struggled with this issue; if something is wrong I want to fix it right then and if I can't, I have trouble letting it go.  But sometimes, my best just isn't good enough.  Many times it's not even close.  It drives me crazy to know that there are just some things I can do nothing about.
The words  failure, inadequate, unlovable, heartbroken and  unworthy  cloud my heart and soul.  Instead of trying to force a solution to appear,  I need to be still and let God go ahead of me.  Much easier said than done.  I can't stand the fact that my best just isn't good enough and may not ever be in someone else's eyes.

This week, a freiend used some bible verses as her Facebook post.  I have to admit that I often do not look up verses if they are not printed plainly for me to see, lazy huh? But for some reason, I grabbed my Bible and looked them up: It was from Proverbs and three of the verses just grabbed on to me like glue:

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Prov. 4:23
(Interpretation from the commentary of Heather:  "Stop chewing on it, get your heart right."

"Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you."  Prov. 4:25
(Interpretation:  "You Ninny, it's not up to you, its time to move forward and get busy about the kingdom, only God can fix this".)

"Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways." Prov. 4:26
(Interpretation: "It's time to move forward, learn from the past and be faithful and authentic in all you do.")

Now, my commentary may not mean much to you, but this is the impression I felt when I read these words.  I stopped, wrote them down immediately, and thanked Monty for posting them.

Here's the kicker, she said she posted from the wrong chapter...No she didn't..that was just for me!

The things I learned this week...When my best isn't good enough, His is, and that is really all I need to know.

You're killing me, Smalls!

 I heard this the other night;  "You're killin' me, Smalls!" , and I just died laughing.
There are those lines from movies over the years that convey a message much better than I ever could!  That line is of course from the movie, "The Sandlot". a move we must have watched at least 100 times when our boys were at home.  Smalls just can't get it right, and his friends are finally fed up and use that line!   I know you all have your favorites.  Here are some of mine, oh and there can be multiple lines from the same movie:

From "The Sandlot"...


-"You're killin' me Smalls"
-"Man, this is baseball. You gotta stop thinking. Just have fun. I mean, if you were having fun you would've caught that ball."
-"If you'da been thinkin you wouldn't 'a thought that"
-"Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends. Heroes get remembered but legends never die, follow your heart kid, and you'll never go wrong."
-"Let me tell you something kid; Everybody gets one chance to do something great. Most people never take the chance, either because they're too scared, or they don't recognize it when it spits on their shoes."

-[Smalls has lost a baseball signed by Babe Ruth] " I take it back. You're not in trouble, you're dead where you stand."

From the "Princess Bride"...

-"Hello Lady"
-"...As you wish"
-"Whoo-hoo-hoo, look who knows so much. It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do.
 What's that?  Go through his clothes and look for loose change"-"Why won't my arms move?  You've been mostly-dead all day."
-"My Westley will come for me."
-"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
-"Sonny, true love is the greatest thing, in the world-except for a nice MLT - mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe"
-"Death can not stop true love.  All it can do is delay it for a while."
The Impressive Clergyman:"Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam...
The Impressive Clergyman: And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva...
The Impressive Clergyman: So tweasure your wuv.
Prince Humperdinck: Skip to the end.
The Impressive Clergyman: Have you the wing?
The Impressive Clergyman: ...and do you,Pwincess Buwwercup...
Prince Humperdinck: Man and wife. Say man and wife.
The Impressive Clergyman: Man an' wife.


From "The Jerk"..

"All I need is this Thermos...Just this thermos...this chair.. and this lamp..."
"The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!  I AM somebody! The new phone books are here!"
-You're a Cosmetologist? It must be tough to deal with all that weightlessness."


From "Steel Magnolias"...


"There's so much static electricity in this room, I pick up everything but boys and money."

"the nicest thing I can say about her is that all her tattoos are spelled correctly"
."I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special."

"Remember what Daddy always says - an ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure!"
"What's the matter with you, M'Lynn, You have a reindeer up your butt?"
"Don't try to get on my good side, Truvy. I no longer have one!"
"Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion."
"The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize!"
"I have a strict policy that nobody cries alone in my presence."
"Miss Truvy, I promise that my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair."
"In a good shoe, I wear a size six, but a seven feels so good, I buy a size eight"
"Honey, time marches on and eventually you realize it is marchin' across your face."

From "Sweet Home Alabama"


-" Honey, just cuz I talk slow doesn't mean I'm stupid."
-"You expect me to tell you look good? What, did they run out of soap at the Piggly Wiggly since I left?"
-"The truth is I gave my heart away a long time ago, my whole heart, and I never really got it back.'
-"What do you want to be married to me for, anyhow? So I can kiss you anytime I want."

From "It's A Wonderful Life"


-"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?
-"You call this a happy family? Why do we have to have all these kids?"
-"Bread... that this house may never know hunger.  Salt... that life may always have flavor.  
And wine... that joy and prosperity may reign forever. Enter the Martini Castle."
-"Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings."

-" I been savin' this money for a divorce, if ever I got a husband."

-"Boys and girls and music. Why do they need gin?"

-"A toast! A toast! A toast to Mama Dollar and to Papa Dollar, and if you want to keep this old Building and Loan in business, you better have a family real quick. "

-"Every time a bell rings and angel gets his wings"

-"Yes, George, You really did have a wonderful life."

-"Atta boy Clarence."

Everyone has their favorites, and there are many more that come up in our everyday lives.  But these just make me smile.  They give our conversations flavor and often conjure up pleasant memories, or great mental pictures.

Have a wonderful day and share some of your best movie lines with me!

Unclaimed Baggage? I don't think so...

Just came back from vacation last week.  It was awesome in an ordinary sort of way....which is good.  We  spent two days with each of our sons, with their families in and near their homes, relaxing, hanging out, celebrating and doing life together.

They were gracious, allowing us to be in their homes and sharing their lives with us.  One of the places we went was the Unclaimed Baggage Center in North Alabama.  It was a fascinating place, anything you can imagine that could be left on an airplane was there.  Bottles of tylenol, Persian rugs worth thousands of dollars, artwork, neck pillows, clothing from all countries, wedding gowns, art work,  cell phones, a power cord for any device,  you name it!  It kind of makes you wonder about the history behind some of the things left behind or lost.  One thing that struck us as "odd" was that attached to one end of the building were the gates to a cemetery... Unclaimed Baggage?  A cemetery? a correlation?  could be............

I know, I feel that I am always trying to place a spiritual implication on everything, but how many people live their lives right alongside us, and in the end, have never been claimed by anyone?  They have been cast aside as useless,  unclaimed by family, friends, or discarded in some way.  Maybe someone even gave up on trying to find them.  Maybe they thought they were living lives of purpose, but were unclaimed by those they thought they were made to serve.

There are days when I feel like "unclaimed baggage" , and if you're honest with yourself, I bet you do too, sometimes.

The other thing that amazed me was how much fun it was finding a "treasure" amidst all of the baggage there!  The person that cast it off, or left it, or lost it, may have forgotten about it, but someone else saw it as a treasure, a remarkable find, a new purpose to an old object....no longer unclaimed and cast off, but having truly found a new purpose!

Of Course, our God claims us, redeems us in Christ, gives us, a new purpose and makes us His own.  But in another sense, it is our responsibility to make others feel claimed, loved and worthy of a place in God's world.  God intended that no one should end up in a cemetery having lived a life of unclaimed worth or purpose.  It's our job to show them God's love through us, to make them feel worthy, and to point them to the one that will claim them forever.

Yes, I have days when I don't understand my worth or value to anyone here on this earth, but then I remember that I am not Unclaimed baggage, I am of value and worth to my Lord and it is my job to help others find their way to the best baggage handler of all!

 

Off the porch, now where is my hat?

Haven't felt much like blogging lately.  I guess I have been lulled into the complacency of Summer and not really feeling like I have had a lot to share.  But now, I feel energized!  My true love and I are hopping off the porch swing, dusting off our gnome hats and hitting the road together.  Our destination?  Seeing the boys and their families of course, and ending with the baptism of Baby Jeffrey on Saturday!

We have been to see our children before, but this will be the first time that we will have seen all of them in their own married homes. another view from the porch swing.

Seeing Baby Jeffrey's baptism, has is really been that many years since his sister Layla's?  Another rock of the swing?

Our family shifts, it changes, that is the nature of this fluid life we live.  It grows by leaps and bounds.  In one blessed year, we have a new baby and 2 new daughters-in-law, blessings abound and the swing moves again.

The constant?  We are all Hamiltons..we may have different zip codes, different goals for our lives, different friends, differences of many kinds, but from the first rock of the swing, nearly thirty years ago, we were boud together by a single thread, and the love of our Heavenly Father.

So, I am  ready to put the gnome hat on, put our over stuffed suitcases in the tried and true mini-van and hit the road with the love of my life.  I look most forward to sharing our thoughts and feelings, catching up, and just being near to him as the miles tick away!

I also look forward to coming home again, taking off the Hamilgnome hats again, and enjoying our lives from the view of the swing!

Happy trails!

Good Morning!...

I came across a verse last week that brought this home to me; "Let me hear of Your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting You.  Show me where to walk, for I give myself to You!  Psalm 143:8

How do your mornings start?  Mine usually start quietly, but good.  Although I am grateful for each day, there is always a little hint of sadness as I leave the comfort of home.  I guess I am a homebody.

I could be a very good Dorothy from the wizard of Oz.. there's no place like home ( I know that I've talked about that before), but in the leaving there is also the anticipation and joy of coming home.

We always say things to each other like, "Be Careful",  "Hurry home,"  "Love you,"  "Take Care",  "God Bless",  when we are leaving.  After reading that verse, it is like God showing us His unfailing love each morning.  Those words of Goodbye in the mornings are like blessings sending us on our way, reminding us of the love that God gives us through each other here on earth, that commend us into His hands throughout our day.   From now on, I will try to think of them as "Farewells with a purpose!"

.... and maybe, leaving in the morning isn't so bad, when I realize that I am sent off with a blessing, and a promise of His love, and at the end of the day,  there is still...no place like home. 

Thanks for your unfailing love each morning....and for the Journey that leads me home each night.

 

Snapshots

Do you ever see life in snapshots?

A photo like this:

Reminds me of my dad, my mom and the last thing he was able to do: show my mom a beautiful yellow rose  blooming in her garden.  

Another snapshot more than 30 years later, my husband showing me this beautiful rose in the garden by the pier at sunset.

Another snapshot:

joy 

After seeing hundreds of sunsets in my life, I know now, that no two are the same but all are equally beautiful!

Joyful Wonder

These:   the faces of my family with little moments etched forever in my mind.......
little moments, captured for a lifetime!

.....sometimes they are moments no one else remembers, 

peace

But I feel they are jewels, that will

sustain me in sad times,

forever

belonging

give me smiles in my old age

happiness

For the gift of life in snapshots, I couldn't be more thankful!

Cliffhangers!

This time of year can be stressful for those of us who get addicted to TV shows.  Tuesday night is TV night for my husband and I.  We plan our supper time and all non-emergency events so as not to interfere with NCIS night!  Even the Dog and Cat know our routine!  Last night was the season finale...what a "Cliffhanger"! Is Ducky gonna die, who got hurt or killed in the explosion, what will happen next season?  What about Tony and Ziva, are Gibbs and Abby okay?  What about McGee? How can we wait until September to find out "the rest of the story"? 

Of course, that got me to thinking.  Aren't we like that in so many other ways?  Can't wait for the end of a book....read the last chapter.  Can't wait for a reply for an email...check it 50 times in an hour.  Same with texts..keep checking your phone to see if the battery is okay.  Can't wait for a baby?  Nine months is nine months, can't do much to hurry that up (wouldn't want to anyway)!  Can't wait for commercdials..flip between channels.  We can't take not knowing every little thing and having some type of information readily available.  We don't like to wait AT ALL!

It wasn't until recently, that I began thinking about the "rest of the story" in other ways, too. So much is happening in the world, I see fear in people who are not fearful people.  Life is getting harder for all of us, and Jesus said it would.  He also said, "Don't be afraid for I have overcome the world".  He knows the "rest of the story" and we do too.  He's coming back for us, if we don't go home to Him first! 
It is  one of those situations like waiting for the new episodes in September...we won't get any information until it is time for the "rest of the story".  We can guess and we can wonder, but we don't really know how it will play out.  We are not going to know when it is the appointed time for Christ's return, but we have been given signs to know when the time is closer. However, with watching those signs, we are not to fear, because we do know "the rest of the story"...and it will put all of the waiting and fear and impatience behind us.. it will be worth it all! But, in the meantime, there is work to be done, life to live and people to reach.  And with His return comes a new Season...a never ending One!

Happy  "Cliffhanger" week, my Friends!

What a remarkable show!

Sunset at the pier last night was truly a spectacular show!  Oftentimes in the South, when someone outdoes themselves you will hear the comment, "He really showed out, didn't he?"  Well, all I can say is "Yes, Lord, You did!!

We got there about 45 minutes before sundown and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We could see several beautiful sailboats, and without cloud cover we could see all the way across the bay to Mobile.  As we neared the end of the pier, several people were gathered and looking at something.  It was a dolphin, and he was putting on a show for us!  I know, most likely he was feeding, but, beautiful none the less. He was so close to the end of the pier and stayed there for a long time, just holding court!  How neat.

On our way back, about halfway to the end was a beautiful long- legged heron, just preening himself on an arm of the pier and eating the fishermen's bait fish.  I really think he was posing for the cameras.

Fish were jumping, the water was calm, the soft waves were so restful, and the evening was unseasonably cool, and the sunset was magnificent.  And I truly believe that no two sunsets are alike.

How can so much beauty be packed into one evening at Sunset? It was the kind of evening where heavy hearts are made light, tired souls are restored and it's as if the Creator says, "Climb up in my lap, Children, I have something to show you, See, I made this dolphin, this heron, this bay, this sky, these waves and this Earth, and it is good, Climb up in my lap, enjoy my splendor, and let my beauty  rock your worries away!"

Yes Lord, You surely "Showed out last night!"

Thank You.

Back to the future........

Wow! how the months fly...April was a whirlwind month from start to finish.  How many times in our lives do we think that things can't get much...better, worse, busier, crazier..(you know how it is, fill in the blank in your own life)?  We had one of those months. highs, lows, ups, down, but now, things are starting to settle down.  But the best thing about the month was at the end. Some thing constant, something that has always come at the same time every year for 30 years of my life and 50 years of yours...your birthday.

What a great way to bring the blessings and constancy of life to mind.  Birthdays are markers.  Definitive milestones that say.." You are here, you have made it another year, and there is another clean slate, another adventure ahead.".  The past is gone, and we are back to the business of the future. But, being a reflective sort of girl, I like to look back a little.  I like to think of all of the ways that I appreciate you and all of the ways that you have made this last year remarkable for me and so many others.

From moving us across the state, to our family growing by marriage and by birth, to a new pastorate, to a new hometown, to new souls to reach for Christ, you have been a constant, loving, driving force in my life.   Only you can make me laugh each and every day.  Only you can make me smile when there is nothing to smile about. Only you can have the most beautiful eyes and the poorest vision.  You must have the poorest vision around because you overlook all of my faults. Only you can  finish my sentences or send me the same text verbatim at the exact same time I send it to you. Only you can look at me and speak a volume just by the the wink when a song comes on the radio. Only you can have a gourmet meal and a smile ready after an incredibly long day.  Only you can remind me that there is going to be sunshine after the rain, and not say "I told you so" when it happens! Only you can remind me that even though our load is lighter, as we travel on now, back to just the two of us, that there is hope ahead and life to be lived.

Maybe its the privilege of spending the last nearly 30 years with you, but, I am most glad for the past, and now I am even more excited about the future, and the privilege of traveling on with you  for the next 50 years.

So, one more birthday down,  we've looked back, and now we are on to the future!

Thankful for the power of Love!

Happy Birthday to You!

Grace...

Several occurrences this week made me ponder that word.  Some pleasant, some not.  But, as Christians, we are called to live lives of grace.  Both extending grace and receiving it.  We really don't have too many options in that department considering what was done for us.

Three different incidences called for a response, be it internal or external, the response was between God, the individual and myself. 

Do you think about Grace in response to situations?  I don't always...The simplest way for me to define it is: not getting the punishment I deserve, or not giving the punishment I really want to give as an act of love.

I think that there are also people who live lives of grace.  People, who by their very presence, call out the grace in you, and also extend that Grace to others.  

When I was younger, I wanted to make sure everything was "Fair".  I wanted people that were wrong to be punished, If someone hurt me or someone I loved, I wanted them to hurt too.  I wanted pain for pain, joy for joy, because, after all, "it was only fair".   It wasn't till I was older that I realized that punishment wasn't always mine to give, and that God didn't have to follow my analysis of a situation as He decided how to " handle" that person.  And now that I am older, I am glad He didn't!

A dear friend, Franklin went home this week.  He didn't return to his home in Ozark, He really went "home" ...he received his "ultimate healing", resting in Jesus arms.   Franklin was in his twenties and was one person who truly lived a life of Grace.  He loved without reserve, he gave of himself without even knowing he was doing it, and wasn't trapped by petty offenses.  He gave grace and received it daily.  Franklin's parents also walked in grace, trusting Jesus for each step, not railing at him for an injustice through his illness.  Many people may have seen his Downs' Syndrome as a liability, but I, and many saw it as a gift to the rest of us....just as Franklin was.  I will miss his kindness, humor, grace and love.

My mother turned 81 yesterday.  Even at 81 she is still lovely....Many times over the nearly 51 years that we have been mother and daughter I was anything but graceful.  Many times I wanted justice, not grace.  Many times I wanted her to hurt because she hurt me.  But somewhere along the line I learned something.  Love and grace overcome much.  She never knew I had those feelings, she probably just thought I was an angry, twitchy, unhappy girl.  One day, after my boys were deeply entrenched in puberty, something changed in me.  I realized that she did the best she could.  I was only killing myself with all this anger and animosity.  She was, after all, my mom, and at that moment, I knew that I loved her with all my heart.  Not for what she had done or hadn't done, but because, I realized just how much I was loved.  How much had been forgiven on my behalf.  I had been a Christian all my life, but in my heart that day, the concept of Grace touched me in a profound way.  When I looked at her from that point on, I didn't see the offenses, I felt love and forgiveness washing over us both. The word for that is Grace , God's grace, not mine.  

Then, I realized that there are times in our lives that we crave grace from others. Not the punishment we probably deserve....when we have to rely on the grace we are given by God, not the grace we eagerly crave from others.  My husband recently gave a sermon on the changes Easter brings to our lives. One of the things he talked about was living as a forgiven and new person.  It's hard to do when you are weighed down and walking in pain over your hurts.  Hurts you have caused or received. 

 My prayer is for Christ's grace to wash over myself and my loved ones daily.  To receive grace when it is given, to give grace when it is not deserved, and to ultimately live a life of grace, as Christ did.  How can we do any less?

Hope...

That is my mother's middle name.."Hope".  Four little letters that are so full of meaning.  How different our lives are when we live with "hope" and more different still, when we don't.

When I first thought about this word in relation to my Mom, I thought, "well, she sure hasn't lived like she has had a lot of hope, she really hasn't lived up to her name."  But then I thought about her life.  She faced incredible odds as a child, and ended up seeking a better life, a life in Christ..she really did have hope...Did the hope wane as the circumstances of life took their toll on her?  You bet it did......Was "Hope" more than a part of her name?  At one time I would have said "no", but now, as I have gotten older, I say, "yes"...her Hope remained, buried for a while, but it is there now... I see it again, in a glance when no one is looking, or a timid smile, or her childlike anticipation..there's hope...and a future.  Maybe one I can't see, but she can! 

Have I always lived like I have had hope?  Not always.... Have I exhibited the" hope that lives within me" to my family and friends?  Not always.  I don't have "Hope" as my middle name, but I have something else, the hope of a risen Savior living inside me.  It may not always be at the surface.   Other things, circumstances, life, my own sinfulness, selfishness, and self-defeating tendencies try to block that hope.  But today, I was reminded of this precious gift we have:  

"Let us hold tightly without wavering to the HOPE we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise!"

Hebrews 10:23

and :

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  

Jeremiah 29:11

Why, oh why would I ever want to live as though there is no hope?

Have a "hope-filled " day in Jesus!

  

This morning...

We have been huddled up in this little room since Thursday night....  only venturing out in the cover of darkness or in groups...hiding so that we wouldn't be crucified too!  The sun is shining....."Mary, Martha where are you going?  why are you anointing His body? We heard that there are guards around the tomb. BE CAREFUL! "

"Mary, why are the men so afraid?"   "I don't know Martha..we have to take care of our Lord's body, the Sabbath is past, and we shouldn't be afraid..How many times did He tell us, 'Don't be afraid', 'Fear not', He said He would always be with us."  "Look, Mary, the stone is gone...the tomb is open...The guards are gone..Where is Jesus...go look in the tomb, I'm right behind you."  "Martha, He's gone!!!"  Look! there are angels...Where is my Jesus..?"

"Mary, where are you going?"

"Martha, there is a man over here..the gardener, maybe..".excuse me Sir...do you know where they have taken my Jesus?"  "Woman, why are you looking for a living person in the cemetery? He isn't here, He has risen."    "Mary.."  "Sir?  I don't know how you know my name or who I am, but if you could tell me where he is..."
"Mary....."   "JESUS...IT"S YOU!...."  "Yes..GO and tell the others that I have risen..that I am alive and will be with them soon!"

"Hurry..Martha, come out..I see you hiding in that bush!  Hurry, we have great news to share!  Our Jesus is Risen!  He is alive!!! We have to tell our friends!  I told you not to be afraid! We have seen Him and He is alive!  Just like He said!!!!!"


Hurry, Brothers, open the door!  We have good news to tell...JESUS IS ALIVE..and we will never be the same!"


HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!!!!!

The darkest day....

Jesus is gone...they took Him away on that very dark night.  We hid, we cried and we watched from a distance.  Jesus was put on trial.."Judas, where are you going?"  Barrabas?  Why do they want him?  Jesus isn't supposed to be on trial.

Oh Jesus, you are tied and bound, a crown of thorns on your head...No, not the cross.  "Broken"....I get it..but this is for me?  No, make the pounding of the nails stop..."your blood shed for me"....for me?

The sky is so dark.  There is John with the women...Isn't he afraid?  We are all back here in hiding. Will we be next?   The earth is rumbling.. the temple is shaking...one of the priests came running by and said the temple curtain was torn....God, save us, save us....Jesus is dead.  What do we do now.....we are afraid.
Look, they are taking Him down. Joseph and Nicodemus are here....hurry, lets see where they are taking His body.

He's really dead, Dead and buried..we followed Him, we left our homes and jobs and families, and saw Him do miraculous things. ...we saw Him heal, cast out demons, calm the seas, but He didn't save Himself and take His kingdom...we are lost....a very dark day indeed....

A strange meal, a walk in the Garden, why is it so dark tonight?

Today is "that day".  The day when the world as it was known at that time began to stand on its end.  The events of the next few days would change everything.    Jesus made all of  the preparations,  Had a place reserved, a meal prepared and was ready for His closest friends.  How He must have felt, knowing that today was probably just a "good day" for them.....   They were riding high on the waves of the previous Sunday, knowing without a doubt that He was their King, and they were His closest friends and only  He knew what was to come.  They were probably joyous, expecting a good night, a good meal and some time to relax.  How did He do it?  Wash their feet, recline at the table with them, listen to their small talk and all the while His heart must have been breaking.   He knew that one of them was about to set the whole thing in motion.  He was about to betray his Lord.

 During the meal: "More lamb, Judas?, ".. Another was about to deny Him: "Peter, more bitter herbs?" The others were about to hide instead of follow their King to the death.  "Andrew, more wine?", "James, what would you like?", "John, did you see my mom today?"," Thomas, if Matthew said it, he must have meant it!..quit doubting everyone."..."Judas, you're awfully 'fidgety', go on and do what you have to do, and do it quickly"!

 He hushed their talking and took a piece of bread, broke it in two and said, "this is My body, broken for you".....Can you imagine the silence that must have fallen on that room?  What did He mean?  by 'broken'?  But He was the King! Right?  Then He took a cup.."this is My blood shed for you...." "Do this in remembrance..." Wait, did He say "remembrance"?  Where is He going?  He does seem down tonight.  What is going on? Where did Judas go?  

 Wait, where are you going, Jesus?...The Garden, but it's late... and so dark tonight, really dark tonight and.... .we're tired. What are we waiting for?  Okay, we'll wait with you.  " I didn't mean to fall asleep, Jesus.  Where are you?" What is happening.... footsteps..."Peter, NO!....they'll take you too, don't cut that man's ear off!" Jesus..did you just heal your captor's ear?.   Jesus, where are they taking you?  Don't leave us...................we need you.....................we are scared....
..Save yourself...
Save us....

Palm Sunday...

I have always loved this particular Sunday in the life of the church.  It is such a celebration.. of joy, of life, of the holiness of Christ, and the exuberance of children! All seems as it should be...for a time.  In just a few short days, the joy of Palm Sunday is just a distant memory.  What a lesson in forgiveness I learn from Palm Sunday. Jesus knew exactly how He was going to be treated, exactly what those same fans would be doing less than a week later, but He chose to let them cheer Him and jeer Him in equal measure.   How would I have been?  would I have cheered, or jeered or both?  He could have refused the parade being prepared in the presence of His executioners; But He didn't.  He could have refused the betrayal, the trial and the execution; but he didn't .  He chose to forgive the most horrible behaviors mankind can exhibit.  If He can forgive so much, who am I to hold on to the petty?  If he can love and forgive in the face of the ultimate betrayal, who am I to withhold affection, grace, charity or love?  Who am I to think that I am not in need of forgiveness by others or by Christ?
  
humbling day, indeed.  He chose to ride, He chose to wave, He chose to forgive. and He chose to die.  My life will never be enough to repay that  sacrifice, my forgiveness is not mine to withhold, neither is my love.

Thank you for choosing to ride.....The next time won't be on a lowly donkey..it will be as the King of Kings and the Lord of  Lords coming to take us home!

Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest...

Diggin in the dirt and salt water makes it better...and running behind a mosquito truck is lots of fun!

Love to be outside...I love the smell of dirt, of fresh cut grass of honeysuckle and wysteria in the distance.   I don't mind the dirty clothes and the sweat pouring down.  Truth be told, you can get a lot of stuff figured out diggin' in the dirt. I also love salt water..Daddy always said it would heal anything and Mama agreed.  Got a sore that won't heal, or a bug bite or a cold? Go swim in the bay or gulf, you'll be all better!

I have always had an affinity for the outdoors. Of course it was much more convenient growing up, get dirty.. then go wading or swimming.  Not a problem!   I was the queen of the mud pies, get just the right mixture of dirt and water and it will actually stick to the pan like a pie.  Need something to go with it?  Make some acorn soup!  I thought it was really cool, because the acorns turned the water purple! I even tasted it once or twice on a dare.  I later learned that that was probably not a good idea and it may account for some of my current lapses in brain function! I am sure that aluminum pot I pretended to cook it in wasn't so great either.

I have also always hated wearing shoes.  Don't get me wrong, I am girly enough to like all kinds of shoes...I just don't like to wear them any longer than I have to! So, there you have it, I am a dirt diggin, acorn swilling, salt water lovin, redneck girl.  WHEW, glad that's out in the open...

Being outside as a kid taght me how to figure lots of stuff out.  Like...oyster shells hurt your feet when you walk on them without shoes; that Mama doesn't like you to come in the front door when you are dirt streaked, and smell like a wet puppy.  That salt water really does wash away a lot of boo-boos...still does.  Nothing seems so bad when you put your feet (or your whole body) in the water, feel the ebb and flow of the waves and the balmy breeze and the warm water surround you. God made all this..He can handle my boo boos too!  Dirt will not hurt you...it is what God made us from. .. and where we will go back to.  You have to bend over, and humble yourself to get dirty, but look at the rewards.  pretty flowers, a new project, cut grass...new life from the dirt! 

I also made stupid mistakes when being outside.  Like the time my sister told me to see how many toad frogs my friend Cheryl and I could collect and put in the garage...big mistake, it was in early spring after a rain..We had about 80 at last count. Boy was she in trouble!  Also...chasing after the mosquito truck so you can play in the fog is also probably not a good idea! There was a whole posse of us who would watch for the yellow lights and hear the fogger, then jump on our bikes and follow behind him all over Parker.  I still get a little "twitchy" when I hear the truck in the neighborhood.  I learned which clouds would bring rain we could wash off in and even swim in, and which ones meant a boring "inside" day.

On beautiful sunny Spring days like these, I still have the urge to take my shoes off, dig in the dirt, wade in the water and Wait...I hear it...now I see those yellow lights.. Where's my bike???

Free Boat!!!

As I was going to work the other morning I saw a large blue boat alongside the road.  At one time it must have been the envy of the neighborhood, but now, it was just laying on it's side with "Free Boat" spray painted in white along its hull. I wouldn't have noticed it if the two guys in front of me hadn't slammed on brakes to check out this marvelous find.  On each trip this week, I have noticed the boat and at least one or two people checking it out.  Then, yesterday morning I saw spray painted under the "Free Boat" sign was a new note that read, "must take all of it"!  So, I guess people were just taking what they wanted and leaving the rest.  Kind of like a "boat buffet"! THen, finally, I saw it was rescued and moved about two houses down to a new home.  I so enjoyed watching " free" enterprise at work this week! 

I've heard it said that it is better to have a friend with a boat or a pool than to have one yourself! This is probably true....swimming and fishing are fun, but waxing the boat and skimming the pool rank right up there with clipping toenails and scrubbing toilets!  I wonder when the boat quit being useful, when it quit being the entertainment for the day, when it became such a burden that it was chunked alongside the road to be scavenged for parts. Then, I was so pleased to see that someone noticed the value of it, saw what the faded boat once was and rescued it from the scavengers!

I am so glad that when I feel like I have outlived my usefulness, or that I view myself as unimportant in the lives of my loved ones and others,  that my Owner and Creator doesn't leave me alongside the road to be scavenged.  He rescues me, sees the value in me. rescues me, and restores me to my former worth and reminds me that I am His, treasured and valued.

How grateful I am for His loving care..

..thankful for another lesson from the side of the road.

Spring...It's Really Here!

Just two weeks ago, it was cold and we were grabbing for jackets and now...We girls are putting color on our toes, finding our crop pants and colorful clothes, fanning when we are outside, and  there is more good local news than bad!

 I was watching the morning news this morning and most of the reports were about festivals, and the boom that Spring Break brings to the area!  I counted about five or six local festivals such as: the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival, Family Funday, a BBQ cook off , and a Sausage Festival.  This list is in no way exhaustive or complete!  There are concerts on the beach, concerts in town,  and opportunities to shake off the gray of winter!'

I love the promise and the color of spring!  Azaleas are covering their bushes, the Bradford pears and dogwoods are gorgeous, and even the fruit trees are budding.  New life always follows the dead of Winter.

Thank you God, for dressing the earth up so beautifully, just for our pleasure!  You are a marvelous God!


¹¹ See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.
¹² Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.

--Song of Songs 2:11-12

When Silence Speaks the Loudest

There are times in our lives when silence speaks louder than words ever could....
 Silence is often feared in our culture.  We don't know what to do with it. so we fill it up with "white noise" like fans and fake ocean breezes and all kinds of things to avoid it.  I am just as guilty as anyone of avoiding the quiet at times, but there are so many things we learn through quiet....If only we are still.  The God who made us and loves us does His best work in silence...it is then when He tells us to "Be still and know that I am God."

Here are some of the times in my life when silence is speaking loudly:

...The morning after a night time snow.  The whole earth seems hushed in a blanket of white.

... Watching.a sleeping baby...all seems right in God's world.

...The calm before a storm. The sky is a strange color, it is eerily quiet, even the birds have hushed.

....The calm after a storm.  You know the One that made you covered you once again under his wings.

....Sunset on the water..why speak?   There are no words.

....Waiting up at night for answers that aren't there to find.

...Waiting for a call that can't come soon enough.

....Sharing a look or a smile that needs no words.

....Feeling a loved ones arms around you

....Holding your sleeping child for the first time

....A wink from God.  Just a little snapshot only for you. A moment frozen in time.

....That moment of utter silence immediately following a wonderful piece of music...aahh!

....Those rare times when I am silent enough to hear the mighty and calm voice of the Savior.

.

 A favorite quote on the blessings in the quiet times...

"Place your ear against the chest of the Savior so that, when troubled times come, you may not know what will befall you, but you can hear the steady pulse of the boundless love of Him who holds you."--Praying God's Word by Beth Moore 

Have a great day






.....

Boxes

I have seen my share of cardboard boxes....until I was 20, I didn't have much need of them at all.  I lived in the same house for my first 20 years. Then, when I finished community college, it all changed. Boxes for college (back and forth, in the summers), boxes when I finished, boxes when we married and started our own home, ...didn't need boxes when the river took our stuff away, though!  Then, boxes back home a few months later, and then a few years later. ..and then, the big move halfway across the country!  A break for a few years, and then the boxes reappeared.  Then they spread to our kids, when they moved back and forth to school, when we moved back and forth to new Pastorates, then, as their families increase and they move forward with their lives, more boxes are required.

Cardboard boxes have a particular smell all their own, They are kind of a necessary evil.  They have come to represent the fluidity of life to me, and for someone that fights change with her every fiber, they are an just an object which I can rail against!  NO, I am not packing now, but in the last few weeks there were boxes to move my mom, boxes to help our children pack for a new move, and a couple of lingering boxes around my house.  I know that I am grateful for the "stuff" that goes into the boxes, but there is more to it than that... See? Boxes equal change!!!

There is a song on the radio right now that really speaks to me... the chorus goes something like this:...

"All I know is I'm not home yet,
This is not where I belong,
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong"

Kind of brings perspective, doesn't it.  Glad that as I go through life, the boxes will become less plentiful and eventually, I won't need them at all!

Thank you, Lord, for the boxes and also for the fact that I won't need them when I finally make it Home!

Blessings come in many shapes............

So many blessings in one week...So many tears....of unabandoned  joy, and of quiet acceptance. Last Friday, the most wonderful of miracles happened! We were made grandparents again to a beautiful little 9lb 13 oz boy named Jeffrey Isaiah! You see, he is the second child of our oldest son.  Of course, he is perfect in every way just like his sister!  We were blessed enough to be able to spend a few days gazing at that gorgeous new creation and  to spend time with that sweet family.  God's blessings are amazing and astounding.

But before we could see that beautiful face, there was a task to be done, one I have dreaded for many years. As the disease that is stealing my mother's mind has progressed to her body, there was another life event that had to be attended to. Since she can no longer do even the most minimal things for herself... as she nears that shore where Jeffrey just came from, she had one more move to make...  On Saturday, my sisters and I and some other loved ones moved Mom into a full time skilled care setting.  It all seemed so final.  removing the things she once treasured so but no longer recognized....it was the full realization that this really is the final leg of a long, long journey.

So much emotion in just a few days.  On Sunday, I returned home, unpacked a suitcase, put away the memories of Saturday, and my raw emotion of that day, and packed for a brighter one...a new soul to see, a new life entering the world bringing hope and promise.  

As both a mother, and a daughter, and now a grandmother again, I feel most privileged to have had a front row seat in these wonderful lives....those leaving the shore, those returning to the shore, the ebb and flow of life.

I can hardly wait to see God's plan unfold, it is scary, exciting, and wonderful..but the best thing about it is to know, that amist the tears of joy and grief , that we are all in his care, and our destination is sure.

Thank you for all of the blessings.

Walking a broken road....

Anyone that has known me in my adult life would find it hard to believe that I used to be a runner.  I know, what happened? Right?

Although I don't run anymore, I learned some valuable lessons during those years of my life.  They are just "nuggets" that mean something to me, not necessarily anyone else and as we approach the journey from Lent into Easter, I am reminded of some of the lessons:

-Running, walking or moving forward is a journey.  The path may be familiar or unfamiliar, smooth or broken, but the only way to get back home is to complete the journey. Thank you Lord, for completing this journey for me.

-Most of the time, this journey was traveled alone-there were friends who often ran or walked beside us, but ultimately, the choice to go or not go is an individual one. I am glad you chose to go, Jesus.

-There are often obstacles, broken pavement, scraped knees, turned ankles, cramps,  dehydration and loneliness along the way, prayer often sustained me as I talked to my Father.  Who sustained Jesus on His journey?  Faithful friends, but ultimately, His father.

-The journey provided beautiful sights, things you see from the side of the road that you wouldn't see in a vehicle.  Baby birds, small animals, budding trees, smiling faces. Shadows and sunlight in equal measure. Jesus shared in these beautiful things, the creator walked among his creation.

-As a runner or walker, our destination is fairly sure.  A task completed, a minor victory for the day, a shower and rest. His destination meant so much more...the cross, death, the grave, and a victor's crown. ...the Journey complete...the Victory won.

-I ran that broken road for me....  Just me..

--He ran that broken road too, but not just for me...for you.

Rocks, Paper, Valentines!

Yep, this week was it, Valentine's Day.  I have a "love-hate" relationship with that holiday!   It is great to get Valentine cards and flowers and candy, and all that, but it is also no fun to get left out, is it?  Being a very blessed person that has a Valentine 365 days a year, I don't worry too much about that one day...but then again....

I tend to think about the people who don't have someone to make them feel special...  The people whom getting a little paper card would make all the difference in the world......Like my old friend Charlie Brown...  

I guess it comes from a lifetime of working with kids, or having been a "marginal" kid, or worrying about things I can't control, but Charlie Brown sums it up for me.  He goes through Halloween and only gets a rock when he "Trick or Treats", then on Valentine's Day the best he gets is a used Valentine on February 15th...poor Charlie.


I also love that way that Charlie Brown wasn't discouraged by the rock or the Valentine. Since he got one Valentine, he was so encouraged that he was working on a bigger briefcase for next year to put all his valentines in.

Its amazing what a little thoughtfulness can do....even if it is a day late......I need to work on this ahead of time next year...A little more encouragement and a little more making someone feel special, and maybe they will need a bigger satchel next year!

"We love, because He first loved us!"  1John 4:19

Happy Valentine's Day, Charlie Brown!

Washing Greens

I have to admit, I love "greens".  By  greens, I mean Turnips, Collards and Mustard greens.  As a rule, I like my spinach raw, so it doesn't figure into that equation.  I am kid of  particular about them.... I like to cook them fresh.  Frozen will do in a pinch, but canned  just don't cut it!.  For years, I bought them in the bunch and washed each leaf by hand, just like people have done for centuries.  I learned lots of things over the years;  My dad washed them in the bathtub in an icy bath.  My mother-in-law  taught me how to "look" them (which meant check for bugs and worms), and my boys'  babysitter taught me that my first wash should always be in hot water and salt to knock the sand to the bottom of the sink (It works). Marty's Grandmother told me how to cook them "just right".

BUT, the last few years, I was able to put all of that knowledge aside when I found a marvelous new product at the grocery store...There they were,  right in there in the produce section...Cut," looked" and washed greens!!! Eureka! No more frozen hands and sore back from that hour long process! How great is that!?!?! It must have been how people felt about electricity or indoor plumbing!! (I know, I exaggerate a bit!) So, I have been in "green heaven" for the last few years!

Then..Friday night, we were at Winn-Dixie, and we saw the prettiest full bunch of greens, ever! I saw those wonderful bags, and I don't know if it was the price, or the pretty greens or what, but I bought a bunch instead of a bag.  I knew how much work it would be, and every time I looked in the fridge, I put it off.  Well, you can only do that for so long.  So, Sunday after noon, I just dug right in.  Cutting, "looking", washing and salting! The years had been kind to me, I remembered how to do it, and the most wonderfully surprising part, was that I was blessed with sweet memories of each person that told me how to prepare them.

A few hours later, we sat down to cut, washed, "looked" and cooked greens! Thank you Lord, for this wonderful bounty and for the sweet memories, too!

Playing "Chicken"

For Weeks now, our cat has been playing "chicken" with the garage door...  watching it fall and waiting till the very last minute to dodge underneath it and run in or out.  Last night, I was closing the door like I always do and I saw Atilla at the end of the driveway.  I pressed the button and she just looked at me, then, when it got to about 24 inches from closing she takes off running...and last night, the garage door won. All she got in the garage was her head. I feverishly worked to get the door up, and when I did, she took off for the woods! Spent forever calling and trailing her, I just knew she was gone.  I was rehearsing the phone call I would make to tell my son to let him know that his mom killed his cat.  Not a good feeling!

After a fitful evening, We got ready for bed, checked the garage one more time, and there she was on her bed, like, "Hey, aren't you gonna tuck me in?"  After checking her out, she is absolutely fine, but she has acknowledged defeat, I can see it in her eyes, when she hears the garage door, I can almost hear her say, "DOOR: 1, CAT: 0.  But knowing her....

Smart Cat...A great hunter, a sneaky opponent, but she knows when to bow down to the enemy...or does she? We"ll see.....

Whatever!!!!!

Ever have a "Whatever" kind of day?

That is what I am having today! To me, the word(s) "Whatever" are full of attitude...bad attitude!  When I am really frustrated that is just something that I love to say.  It feels so good to just spit that word out! and usually it means, "just forget it," or "I don't care", or "go away," or "I'm done talking about it, thinking about it, worrying about it,".  I guess what it really means is that an "attitude adjustment" is in order...it does for me anyway!

Well, I started doing a mental "word study" on that word and then found that in the Bible it means something totally different.  "Whatever" is full of instruction and encouragement! No attitude, no defeat, just good sound advice.  Like, what to think about, what to ask for, what to do....

Maybe, just maybe, the day that started out with lots of "Whatever" bad attitude will be full of the good "Whatevers" that were given for our encouragement!

SO...my friends, I leave you with these,  and have a "Whatever: kind of day!

Mark 11:24
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Philippians 3:7
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true,whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:9
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:11
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Heroes

Everyone has a hero, or two or three!  I guess our heroes are all as different as is our own idea of what  characteristics make up that definition.

One definition I heard is that, " a Hero is a person who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way."
I also believe that a Hero is someone who does what is right, without thinking about the personal cost.

Heroes are a different breed,  Most of them wouldn't consider themselves heroes at all, and usually don't want attention drawn to themselves for the things they have done.

Here are the people in my life who have made the "short list" for Heroism:

..My Husband. who quietly goes about his life doing the things he is called to do. Not seeking reward or recognition...just following in Faith and Commitment. Each day, I am amazed at your courage and strength.

..My three sons.  They are braver and stronger than I will ever be.  They are not afraid of the challenges life has to offer.  They are kind, considerate men of faith and courage.   Their compassion and commitment amaze me every day. They have done so many heroic things that people will never know of, just because they are that way.

...The prayer warriors in my life.  The men and women I have been fortunate enough to know who, when  prompted to pray for someone really do it.  Those people who can hold others up in prayer daily and can hear the whispers of God when he speaks.


..Those who hear of a need and physically do something about it.

...Those who look for ways to build up others.

....Those who love without counting the cost.

For the Heroes in my life who are too many to name...(and who wouldn't want me to, anyway),  I love you!





....

"Running Away?"

As I have mentioned before, we have an elderly beagle named Sadie.  She has lost most of her markings now to grey hair and she is really slow moving.  But she still has that "beagle heart".  In her mind, she is chasing a scent to the end of the world and running the whole time.  I could outrun her and that is not saying much, these days! Silly Dog!

Saturday night she "got us" though!  We were inside having dinner and I went to feed her while we were cleaning the kitchen, and  SHE WAS GONE! We looked for her for what seemed like forever. We then decided she would probably come home soon and would check again in a little bit.  About 3 hours later, after calling and watching and riding, we hear a knock on the back door.  She was home and was just knocking with her snout to let us know! Silly, Silly DOG!

Isn't that how we are sometimes, though?   We decide," I think I will run my own race... follow those things that appeal to me for a while, have a little fun and be free."  Well, then things don't work out so well, and we decide we have had enough of that and ......it's back home to the safety of the porch lights, a warm bed and our Father's arms. Knocking to let Him know we are back home.

Many of us as parents have had the same thing happen.  All three of our boys had  a "Runaway Plot" when they were very young.  One even left us a map with instructions not to follow him! I'm so glad those plans didn't work out, I liked having them at home under our protection.

The appeal of the "scent trail", or the "open road" or our "Own devices" can be so appealing, but the road back home is scary sometimes.  For me, I chose to stay inside, within the protection of the Father's house and to know that if and when I follow the wrong path, I can still run, or at least 'hurry" home out of the shadows and into the light!