Christmas for the Birds

Snow fell softly overnight

A white cover purifying the land

On the corner of our deck is a bird house

A place of safety for our winged friends

Slipped over branches is a wreath of green

Both are wrapped in peace

Christmas should be shared with all

Resurrected Blog

Dear Blog,

Yes, it is true, you have been neglected.  So many times my fingers have itched to sit down and write but, golly, I have been side tracked by so many things.  Tonight I blew the dust from the keyboard and decided to re-introduce myself to you.

I am So Amazed.  So Amazed at all that God has done in my life, is currently doing, and will do in the future.  His beauty and wonder delights me and I love to capture, in pictures, or in words those amazing details.

The side-tracking things in my life continue to exist.  So I won't promise a daily update but when I can, I shall return.

For tonight, I am thankful that God is my Rock and Foundation.  His steadfastness and faithfulness are like gasoline in my tank.  They keep me going.

This picture was taken at my parent's house early one morning when fog covered the area.  You cannot tell what is beyond those trees.

 

A short time later, as the fog drifted away, the view was more defined.  Not everything was clear but at least the lake could be seen.


So much in our lives doesn't seem to make sense or may seem foggy.  Hang in there and trust that God will blow the fog away in the right time.  You will then see things more clearly.  He has been doing that with me so much lately.  The wait for the clear vision is worth it.

If you are intentional about looking for those small, amazing things in your life, you will be blessed.

I know.

Signed,
So Amazed

Beauty

Yesterday morning as I was rushing into work I passed this plant along the sidewalk.  It was early in the day and all the rains we've been having were still displayed as droplets on the leaves of this day lily.  It caught my eye and I had to stop to admire it.  So many itzy bitzy beads of water delicately balanced on each leaf.  It was gorgeous.  My cell phone camera doesn't do justice to the beauty I enjoyed.

Walking away I turned around to look at the plant again and from a distance, with the sun rising, the plant almost looked be-jeweled as the water sparkled.  

In a Great Book of Wisdom it is written: 

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.  The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. 

I am very thankful this plant caught my attention.  It caused me to stop and see the beauty around me and that was like a precious gift. Life has become The Great Rush--getting to the next meeting or running another errand--so focused and intent that we miss the beauty placed specifically for us to enjoy. Vegetation spoken by the very breath of God and He called it good.  

Friends, slow down half a step today and look around you.  Take the challenge I'm offering to really see the beauty in our land.  Not only will you be refreshed but you just might be So Amazed.

I Honestly Didn't Look Ahead...

Have you ever read the last chapter of a good book because you just couldn't wait to see what happens?  I have to admit I have done that but I didn't last night.

See yesterday as I was getting ready for bed I had such an overwhelming sense of thanksgiving.  It was a strong sensation so I grabbed my iPad and I wrote a post (see yesterday's post for details).

Tonight as I head off to Nighty Night Land I grabbed my Jesus Calling devotional by Sarah Young.  I turned the page to April 6 and started to read.  First sentence goes likes this:

Bring Me the sacrifice of thanksgiving.

What!  I actually looked at the date to make sure it was today's reading and not yesterday's as the thanksgiving message had hit me yesterday.  Nope...I had the right date.

I honestly didn't look ahead at today's reading.

When these coincidences just happen (and by the way, I don't believe in coincidences or things that just happen), so when things are repeated in my life, I believe God is trying to get my attention.  The word thanksgiving must be something I need more of in my life.

Here is another true thing that happened today.  When I got to work I asked my co-workers if they'd had a good Thanksgiving.  I am absolutely serious!  The holidays got mixed up in my brain and I spoke out the wrong date.


Sarah Young ends her devotion with these words.  I will end this post as well asking you to ponder where you are at in regards to giving God thanks:

When you approach Me with thanksgiving, the Light of My Presence pours into you, transforming you through and through.  Walk in the Light with Me by practicing the discipline of thanksgiving.

Thankful list

Today my random thankful list includes:

...cheesy hashbrown potatoes

...Resurrection and the Power God has to accomplish this

...my health

...time to write on this blog again

...grandbabies that make me laugh with their innocence

...spring

There is much more that I am thankful for but as I sign off for the evening, these things came to mind.

What's on your list?

Who They Are...

John 4:24 MSG

“It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”

Kidlet One and Baby C enjoy worshipping God together. 

Simply.  Honestly.  In their own way.

It is who they are.

I'm so thankful and So Amazed!

Wisdom Hope Thankful - Update on My Dad

Wisdom Hope Thankful.

My Dad and My Mom live in Little City USA.  Their options of medical care are at least a one-hour drive from their home.  The Next Big City where My Dad received his chemo couldn't perform the liver biopsy that was determined to be next steps so My Parents drove two hours to The Bigger City.

The doctor/surgeon that met with us was so kind, compassionate, and explained things very clearly. He called My Dad's cancer very interesting.  We could tell he had spent time reading and looking at the radiology films.  How thankful we were for God hand picking this man to review Dad's records and meet with us.  

And how thankful we were the suggested liver biopsy was scheduled within that same week!

The pathology report from the liver biopsy did show metastasis of colon cancer to the liver.  

And a strong possibility of spread to the bone.

The doctor had prepared us for this possibility and had also used the words:  slow-growing and make long-term plans.

Hope is a very powerful word.

We heard hope in that doctor's words.

Merriam Webster defines wisdom as:  

wis·dom

 noun \ˈwiz-dəm\

: knowledge that is gained by having many experiences in life

The next steps were to return to The Next Big City to see the oncologist in charge of My Dad's care.  I wanted to be at that appointment so headed north for The Long Drive.  As I drove, two dear friends telephoned me separately to chat and both prayed with me.  Both of them prayed for the doctor to have wisdom and that My Parents and I would have wisdom during the appointment.

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

God totally answered the prayers of my friends (and the host of others that were praying for us). Doctor P started explaining the possible next steps, another round of chemo, but then he said:

I think a another opinion is warranted here

He went on to say:  If you were my dad I would want another opinion. This is a very interesting case.

Wisdom 

Hope 

Thankful

I have worked in the medical field for 35 years and there are just a handful of doctors that I have met that would admit they would like a patient to get another opinion.  How thankful we are for the humility and compassion of this man!

With thankful, hopeful hearts, we await the appointment that will be scheduled for My Dad in the medical facility in My City.  We continue to ask God for wisdom as we venture forth.  

Friends, God keeps His promises. He promised that if any of you lacks wisdom, ask Him for it. Irregardless of who you are and your relationship with Him.  He will give it to you.

Daily I am So Amazed at the God of this Universe and His loving care for us.  

My Dad and Baby N

It is my honor to introduce you to My Dad.  In this picture, from a year ago, he is holding his Great Grandbaby C.  And at that point he was just a couple of months into chemotherapy for colon cancer. In this post, No Cancer, I wrote about his great check up in January.

This week we were told there are some hot spots showing up on a recent PET scan.  As we know from the January PET scan, hot spots don't always mean cancer but there are areas that need to be checked out.

Tomorrow morning My Dad is having a liver biopsy. There is a new hot spot showing up on his liver. Would you join us in praying for a benign pathology report, please. A preliminary report will be known tomorrow and the final pathology report within the week.  God bless you for joining us in this battle.

And now I would like to introduce you to Grand Baby N.  He is two weeks old today and is such a good baby.  His big sister, Baby C, loves to give her brother kisses.  Tuesday morning Baby N snuggled into me and took his nap.  Staring into this perfect face, all the cares of the world seem to melt away.  How I pray that he will be a Mighty Man of God.

I'm so thankful for My Dad and for the safe delivery of Baby N.  

God is good and very amazing.

Loony

Recently we were in The Northern Woods.

While fishing, we had a visitor.

She swam around us as if we weren't even there.

I wish you could see the drops of water on her head!

And then plop, under the water she went, probably

in search of her supper.

And when she resurfaced, away she went.

What a treat it was to enjoy this beautiful

creation of our Amazing God.

Gray Hair

Confession time:  I color my hair.

The gray hair intermingled with my mousy hair color just isn't pretty.

The time I decided to be a red head was definitely a mistake.  

Those of you that saw me during that redhead-crazy-idea know what I am talking about.

I'm back to streaks of highlights for the summer and maybe some brown streaks for the winter.

Just enough to cover the gray.

In fact I was in the hairdresser's chair just this week for some Pick-Me-Up-Color to be added to my mop of hair.

Which is why this morning's daily devotional in my Grace For The Moment inspirational thoughts by Max Lucado caused me to chuckle and then to sit back and ponder.  This is the June 6 grace for the moment:

****

Even when you are old, I will be the same.  Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you.  Isaiah 46:4

Growing old can be dangerous.  The trail is treacherous and the pitfalls are many.  One is wise to be prepared.  You know it's coming.... If growing old catches you by surprise, don't blame God.  He gave you plenty of warning.  He also gave you plenty of advice.  Your last chapters can be your best.... It could be that all of your life has prepared you for a grand exit.  God's oldest have always been among his choicest.

****

How thankful I am that my Loving Heavenly Father will be with me as I age.  He truly will never leave me or forsake me.  He promises to take care of me.  

Even if I cover up the gray.

Lord, thank you for Your promises of caring for us.  In Your Word you felt it was important to document that You will be there when our hair turns gray and that you will be the same and never change.  That is Amazing.  Your are Amazing.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  And I remain, Your So Amazed.  

Amen.

May 28

Psalm 145:3-6 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another;they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works—and I will proclaim your great deeds. 

A dear friend recently gave me a book.  I had to chuckle as I unwrapped her gift as it was my very own copy of a book I'd purchased and given to other friends.   I had my own copy of Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.

The verse above was one of the verses for today along with the daily devotional.   May you be So Amazed by these truths:

Let me anoint you with My Presence.  I am King of kings and Lord of lords, dwelling in unapproachable Light.  When you draw near to Me, I respond by coming closer to you.  As My Presence envelops you, you may feel overwhelmed by My Power and Glory.  This is a form of worship:  sensing your smallness in comparison to My Greatness.

Man has tended to make himself the measure of all things.  But man's measure is too tiny to comprehend My majestic vastness.  That is why most people do not see Me at all, even though they live and move and have their being in Me.

Enjoy the radiant beauty of My Presence.  Declare My glorious Being to the world!

A Masterpiece

I am so excited and, so amazed, that a big project has been completed.

It involves family.

My house is a split-level and within the past year almost

all of the upstairs and foyer have been painted.

Yeah!

I really wanted to change up the pictures from the

past and just couldn't decide what I wanted

on my freshly painted walls.

Until a Pinterest post caught my eye and I decided to recreate it.

Michael's Crafts had a sale on picture frames last

week so I went shopping and

spent an afternoon reframing family photos.

Here they are all lined up on the kitchen counter.

With the tall ceiling in the foyer, the wall
going up the stairs was perfect for all of
the pictures I wanted to show.
Using black construction paper, I measured

each frame and taped paper on the wall to

simulate each picture.

 I left the paper up for a few days to visualize if

I really liked this plan.  I did move a few
sheets of paper around to play with placement.

The day of the 'hanging' I assembled the framing

tools on the steps.

 I think The Husband got a little nervous when I came out

with the drill.

He stopped what he was working on and

offered to help me.

 For the next two hours he measured, drilled

and hung all of the pictures.
Yeah for The Husband!

 From the left we have pictures of

Kidlet One and Favorite-Son-Law's wedding

The Husband's parents

My parents

Our family picture

The Kidlets

Our India-supported daughter, Kavitha

Grand Baby C

 Tonight I removed the last placeholder paper.

  Family is one of God's Masterpieces

 My family is one of God's Masterpieces

 I'm so thankful for this project to the completed.

I'm really excited at how it turned out.
Plus, there is room to add pictures of Grand Baby N
that will join our family in July!

As God continues to amaze me every day, it was

important to me that He be honored on this

wall as well.  After all, He brought us all together.

Amazing!

No Cancer!

The Israelites were running from Pharaoh's army and came to the Red Sea.  They didn't have boats and there wasn't a bridge.  They were trapped and going to be killed.

The Red Sea parted.  A pathway was created, the water held back, the Israelites raced to safety on the other shore.  When the army came to the Sea the water was let loose, the pathway closed, and the Army was stopped.

It was a miracle!

Moses climbed a mountain and encountered a bush.  The bush was on fire and never burned up.  How can something never stop burning and turn to ash but continue burning.

It was a miracle!

A huge wedding was taking place and the wine ran out.  The bridal party was humiliated that the guests wouldn't have wine.  Jesus asked the attendant to fill jugs with water.  He didn't wave His magic wand or repeat some mantra, he told the attendants to then dip into the water jugs.  Wine better than the bridal party started with now filled the jugs.

It was a miracle!

My dad had a PET scan four weeks ago and the report stated there were hot spots in his chest and all down his spine.  A biopsy of the chest lymph nodes was done two weeks ago and came back with a "no cancer cells spotted" report.

It was a miracle!

Last week a blood test and bone scan were done to check the hot spots in the bones.  After a week of waiting the report today was "no cancer". 

It IS a miracle!

Don't let anyone tell you that miracles were a thing of the past.  Miracles are for today!


No Cancer!

It is an amazing miracle and I would ask you to join with my family and I in thanking God for this miracle.  The glory goes to Him!

I am so amazed...

Impact

Last night I attended a concert in which five Christians artists performed.  It was an incredible experience.  One of the performers, Matthew West, sang a song I'd never heard.  It was an incredible song and it made an impact on me.

Impact.

Something that makes you stop.  It has an effect.


In the case of this song, the lyrics were being displayed as Matthew West sang them.

It made an impact on me because I needed to hear it.

I believe many need to hear this song and its message.

In fact, you may be one of the people that needs to be impacted.

Dear friend, would you please take the time to listen through the entire video that I'm linking here.  I found the YouTube version of the song and better yet, it includes the background of the song.

Please listen to it.
Let it soak into you as I did last night.  And I listened to it again today.
There is a message to bring healing and freedom to all of us.

I'm praying for you....

Bob's Dad and Baby Claire

This week Bob's 91-year-old dad was taken to the hospital by ambulance.  He had fallen and was unable to get up by himself, was having trouble catching his breath and had a bout of intestinal troubles.  He ended up in intensive care for a couple of days with pneumonia from aspirating.  See, he can't swallow well.  The muscles that aid in swallowing have given up working after 91 years and the food sits in Grandpa's esophagus and, unfortunately, has ended up in his lungs.  There are a myriad of other things going on in his tired body that the doctors are investigating so he remains in the hospital. 

Here is a picture of Grandpa and The Husband at Grandpa's 91st birthday.  We would appreciate prayers for him in these days of struggles.

 



Also this week I had the privilege of staying with Favorite-Son-in-Law, Kidlet One and Grandbaby C in their Far-Away-City.  With great joy, I babysat C while her parents went to work.  Oh the giggles we shared!  Here is a video of C singing to her toys:

 



 

The mysteries of life were so evident to me this week:  the aging, tired, sick body of Grandpa and the vibrant, investigative life of Grandybaby C.  Such extremes between the two.  God's planning for our human bodies was done with such creativity and love.  We definitely aren't robots and there are unique changes that occur in our bodies. 

 

He amazes me over and over.

 

Enjoy

Life

Beauty

Peace

Growth

Freedom

Enjoy

Live Above the Circumstances

Seriously, this is such an amazing posting.  I wish I had written it as it conveys my heart's desire. 

Please click here to read on...

Randomness

• The air is chilly this morning and I shivered under the covers before climbing out of bed.  How thankful I am for the different seasons we have in This Frozen Tundra.
• My fulltime job is being shaken in every way possible.  Thankfully I still have a job.
• In the realignment of my job, I have been told I need to complete my Bachelor's degree to qualify for the position I've been doing for 28 years.  Sigh.  I'm not sure this old brain has the energy, stamina and brain cells to remember how to study!  There are many school options that I'm investigating and I'm thankful for options.
• With summer sports completed, we have empty evenings.  Recently I enjoyed supper/coffee/laughing with some really cool young women.  They energize me and I love hearing what God is doing in their lives.
• It is eight months since my knee surgery.  I am really thankful I had the surgery as there is no arthritis pain in that knee.  It amazes me that a year ago I would walk to different buildings on my work campus and endure a throbbing, painful knee during meetings or when I went to teach.  Now, I walk that same path and there is no pain.  I do have tight ligaments and muscles that I continually need to s-t-r-e-t-c-h out otherwise my knee feels tight.  
• My Kidlets are well and happy.  That warms a mother's heart and I'm so proud of them!
• My folks continue to battle this cancer/chemo thing.  Dad is a true warrior in this battle to beat the disease while Mom is the encourager, worrier, nurse, and prayer soldier.
• Some arthritis has crept into my hands so I've been told to not do any crocheting or "things that would aggravate your hands".  Good grief, pulling on pants aggravates my hands..what am I supposed to do about that?  Seriously, I have taken a step back from crafts although my fingers are itching at projects I want to start.  Soon I'll post the sewing project I've taken on.
• Well, is this enough randomness for one post?  I have an amazing day ahead of me and I should get started in it.  May you have an amazing day, too!

Baby Yoga

Grandbaby C came for a much-enjoyed visit recently.  She is already four months old.  Those of you that are grandparents, you know what grandbabies do to a Nana's heart.  There aren't words to describe the love and emotions tied up with a grandchild.

Baby C and I spent some time on the floor talking and singing.  She does sing with her mom but she wasn't really in a singing mood with me.  Kidlet One sings Farmer in the Dell to her and when the pig snorts are made, Baby C giggles, giggles, giggles.  My pig snorts must not sound like her momma's as she didn't giggle for my singing!  However, as you watch the video below, don't you think she could lead a Baby Yoga session with all the bending and stretching she does!?!?!?

Here is an amazing baby...but then I don't think clearly when she is around!

There is Life after Baseball

Traveling baseball has been done for one week.  That means that every night last week I was home.  For the past two months we've been on the road to games or practices three nights a week with hockey practice the other two nights.
 
Being home after a day at work is kind of nice.
 
The Husband and I did go shopping one of the nights we had baseball freedom.  We actually were pretty dangerous as we bought a new patio set and umbrella.  It has been a couple of years since we sat on the deck with a table.  Kidlet Three had commented at some point this summer that it would've been nice to eat supper outside and we are now able to do just that.
 
For at least three hours on Saturday, The Husband and A-Great-Neighbor, put the chairs and table together.  Thankfully the weather was nice for these two BOYS to sit outside tackling a task they thought would take, maybe, an hour.
 
Kidlet Three was the first one outside to relax and enjoy the new chairs.
 

 
I decided a hobo packet of sliced potatoes, frozen corn from last year's freezing, onion and lots of butter should be on the menu for supper.  I also marinated chicken in Italian dressing and grilled that separately.

As I grilled, I set the table.  Doesn't this look peaceful and inviting!

Our supper was delicious.  There were no bugs outside.  It was a pleasant, relaxing meal. 

Kidlet Three decided Riley should eat his treat on one of the new chairs. 

The chairs 'rock' so Riley wasn't sure he really sure he liked them.

 

 
Baseball season is really fun.  It is also fun being done.  I hope you've had a chance to be outside enjoying the summer evenings.  Or maybe even your morning coffee on your deck. 

We are amazingly blessed to have this deck, new furniture and nice weather.  Thank you God!