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.

The Password Is...

Anyone out there remember the original game show called Password?  Alan Ludden was the host and he would almost whisper the words The password is as the TV screen revealed the hidden word for the television audience.

For me, the password these past few weeks has been:  mystery

Mystery not like the Nancy Drew books that I grew up reading.  In fact, I still have my collection of hard-covered, girl-sleuth books.  Oh yes, I enjoy a good mystery book.

Lately the word mystery seems to surround me.  Like I am living the word.  It is a mystery to me how I am able to work fulltime and do my homework for a college course and go visit my grandbaby every once in awhile and have coffee with friends and freeze apples from the abundance of our crop and give time to my husband and try to make a Christmas shopping list and pray for my Dad & Mom during Dad's chemo and...you know...the list goes on. 

It is a mystery that anything actually gets done <consider a smiley face inserted here>.

Living a life of mystery is bigger than the list of tasks that I did or did not get done.  Recently I listened to an online sermon from a pastor in My City.  He related a story of a woman that visited a Sunday morning service.  The pastor greeted her as she was leaving the sanctuary and she informed him she was in town for medical treatment.  She had been told she had over 20 cancerous tumors in her body.  With determination and faith, she told the pastor she knew she had been healed and that the week of tests in front of her would prove her healing.  The pastor admitted at this point in his message that he knew God could heal the woman but he doubted she would be healed.   At the end of that week, the woman called the pastor to report she had been found to be tumor and cancer free!  The pastor was amazed, humbled, and without explanation.  See, a woman in his congregation, the mother of several young children, had gone through exactly the same diagnosis within the past year.  This young mom did not get the healing and died. 

Was God mad and punishing the woman that wasn't healed?  No, because that would be contrary to His character and promises.

Did the unhealed woman have sin in her life and this was her punishment?  If that was the criteria, no one would be healed, right?   Our manual as Believers In Jesus Christ, the Bible, records several instances where people were healed.  In many of those documented experiences, the sins of the person were forgiven along with the healing.  So forgiveness isn't a criterion for healing.

God must have loved one woman more than the other and that is why just the one was healed.  WRONG!  God loves us all.  Period.  No conditions.  He loves us whether we love Him.  How could He choose who to heal?

That sermon is a true mystery.  As frustrating as it is to understand, I actually love it.  It leads me to believe that I only know and see a small fraction of who My Big God really is.  See I believe that He is in control.  He hasn't lost the battle between good and evil.  He has a plan.  He loves, loves, loves all people.  And I cannot begin to explain everything about Him.  He is a mystery.

He is a mystery.  I had to say it again. 

I did a Bible search on the word mystery.  Depending upon the translation of the Bible there are between 25 and 30 verses that have the word mystery in them.  Here is one of them:

Just as you’ll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, So you’ll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does.  Ecclesiastes 11:5

 Yup.  That pretty much sums it up.  What is really interesting to me is that in the past few weeks I've probably heard a dozen people say the word mystery or talk about how mysterious and unexplainable God is.  He is really trying to get my attention with that word.  So I'll end this little post praying as I have the past few weeks:

God, my brain cannot fathom all of the concepts of who You are.  You are the Creator, the I AM, my Lord and Savior, Healer, Comforter, Joy Unspeakable, Peace Beyond my Understanding, Lover of My Soul, and so on.  I have experienced You in all of these ways yet I don't understand the how's and why's.  Yet I trust You and know that all of Your mysteries are maybe not things that I will ever understand.  Your timing is a mystery.  In all my life, lead me, guide me, and know that I love You with my whole heart.  In the Name of the All Powerful Jesus, Amen.

Whispering I leave you with this:  the password is....mystery.  As in living life with an incredibly Mysterious God.  He keeps me So Amazed!

I'm Going Back to School

I am 54 years old (I know, I don't look it, ha! ha!).  I've worked in my current position for 29 years with an additional six years at the same company but in a different role.

Approximately six weeks ago, 11 of my colleagues and I were, on paper, set up to report to another department and a new manager.  Our work remains very much the same.  The new twist?  Our job descriptions were re-written to now state that the job requires a bachelor's degree and no longer do "years of service" allow you to perform the job.  See, I don't have a four-year degree as my employer has instructed employees to learn on the job and use the strengths/gifts they have.

Until now.

Since I am way to young to retire , I started looking into schools.  I really didn't feel there was another option.  It was a very overwhelming task for this Brain-That-Hasn't-Been-In-School-For-35-Years.

How am I going to do this?

I'm too old to be going back to school.

Oh, my goodness...is this really happening to me?

Do I work all day and attend night classes?

Do I work all day and take online classes in the evening?

I finally decided to try online classes.  That just seems to fit with our lifestyle right now. 

There are so many programs available but I decided I needed to pursue something I was interested in and not just get a degree to get a degree.  I have spent HOURS and HOURS looking for schools and programs and usually walked away from the computer overwhelmed and in tears at the decisions that needed to be made.

And the expense...don't get me started!

In my searching, there was one school that I kept coming back too.  I made several phone calls to ask questions and everyone was extremely nice and not pushy with me at all.

So...drum roll please...last night I completed my request for admission at the University of Minnesota, Crookston to pursue a degree in Communications.

A sense of excitement and nervous anticipation has settled on me!  After clicking SEND, I ran to The Husband and told him I needed to go shopping for an outfit for the first day of school! 

If all goes well, my first classes will be queued up for me in the next few weeks.  Uff da!

Silly me, I did all of this application work at 10 pm last night.  When it was all sent off, I was too excited to sleep.  So I picked up my Joyce Meyer Starting Your Day Right devotional (I was ending my day right...) and read the day's devo.  God, again, came through with a message for me loud and clear.  Here it is for you to be amazed at!

I am able to do nothing from Myself [independently, of My own accord--but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders].  John 5:30

One of the reasons people don't get things done is that they mentally see their unfinished assignments as monstrous undertakings.  If they would just take care of those projects, they would find they aren't that big of a deal.

First Peter 1:13 says, "Brace up your minds; be sober (circumspect, morally alert); set your hope wholly and unchangeably on the grace (divine favor) that is coming to you when Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is revealed." Don't let your mind rule you.  When thoughts of inadequacy fill your head, stop and remember that God's grace is sufficient to meet all your needs.  Just do things one at a time, and keep your mind on God's ability, not your own.

******
Well, that devotional was just for me.  It is a huge undertaking this going back to school.  And being a wife, mother, Nana, working woman, etc etc.  But God's advice to do one homework assignment at a time and Get Er Done is good advice. 

Isn't His timing amazing!    I'd appreciate any prayers as I begin this adventure! 

The Coolest Thing

All things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  Philippians 3:8

Want to know the coolest thing about Christ's coming?  Not that the One who hung the galaxies gave it up to hang doorjambs....  Not that he refused to defend himself when blamed for every sin of every slut and sailor since Adam....  Not even that after three days in a dark hole he stepped into the Easter sunrise with a smile....  That was cool, incredibly cool.

But...the coolest thing about the One who gave up the crown of heaven for a crown of thorns--he did  it for you.   Just for you.

He Chose the Nails by Max Lucado

********
The above was a part of my morning devotional.  Nothing can stand in my way today.  I feel so empowered knowing that if I were the only person on this earth, Jesus would've left His Heavenly Father's side to come to earth and pay the price of my sin.  Just for me.

You have to admit that is pretty amazing.  Better yet.  He did if for YOU.

Dear Reader, this is Truth.  No matter what you've done or not done in your life, there is nothing compared to the greatness and love in knowing Jesus Christ.  Just say it out loud...hey God, if you are real, help me understand this Jesus thing.  Wait for the answer.  I know it will be shown to you.  Because of His unending, overflowing, indescribable love.  

Amazing grace...how sweet the sound....Jesus!

Your Face

I am mesmerized by this picture of Baby C.  Her daddy snapped it last week.  Just what was she thinking as she looked outside?  And to have her hands folded like that.  As far as I know, Favorite-Son-In-Law did not pose her hands.

Below is a daily devotion that I think goes along with this picture.  From Max Lucado's Grace For the Moment daily calendar, read this:

         He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.  Psalm 40:3

 

God invites us to see his face so he can change ours.  He uses our uncovered faces to display his glory.  By his fingers, wrinkles of worry are rubbed away.  Shadows of shame and doubt become portraits of grace and trust.  He relaxes clenched jaws and smoothes furrowed brows.  His touch can remove the bags of exhaustion from beneath the eyes and turn tears of despair into tears of peace.  How?  God's plan is [simple].  He changes our faces through worship.

What reflection is on Your Face? 
 
Do you have the peace, contentment and wonder that Baby C has on her face? 

Isn't it amazing that the answer is simple....worship God.  Spend time giving Him thanks and glory and honor.   All things He is worthy of. 
 
The benefit of worshipping God is a cheap face lift!  Our countenance changes and as mentioned in the devotional, bags of exhaustion disappear from beneath our eyes.
 
Give this amazing tip a try.  Let's watch our faces change!

Cancer and Chemo Suck

Suck is like a swear word for me.  When I use that word in a sentence that doesn't have anything to do with Popsicles or Tootsie Pops, I fully intend it to have an impact and intensity.  Tonight I feel great intensity when I say:  cancer and chemo suck.

 

This picture of my dad was taken last weekend.  He is holding his great granddaughter, Baby C (the world's cutest baby).  Dad looks great despite the fact he's had four cycles of chemo.   The first weeks of chemo were uneventful except his gallbladder went on a rampage and he had to have a quick surgery to have it removed.  The past month he has had to skip a chemo cycle because his blood counts were too low.  Now a sense of being cold all the time, extreme fatigue and a loss of appetite are side effects daily.  Today a permanent tooth fell out and a dentist won't see him because of his low immune system.  That tooth held his dentures in place.  It is hard for him to eat now!

Dad has such a great positive outlook.  He really is trying to keep up with his garden and projects in between naps.  Over the weekend he and I fished together and it was a special time for the both of us (I kept him busy taking my fish off the line).

Tonight my emotions have caught up with me and I find myself crying because his tooth fell out.  It sounds silly but it is another sign of that terrible disease and the treatment that have invaded our lives.  After I cry a bit then I get angry that Dad has to go through this.  My mom is such an encourager and helpmate for my Dad and all of this takes a toll on her, too.  Then I feel bad for my mom.  And I cry again. 

Cancer and chemo suck.

But that isn't what I want you to remember from this post.  There is a sure foundation that isn't moving or crumbling through all of this.  Our relationship with God is our sure foundation.  God has been very faithful to my parents over their entire lives and He has been so present for them these past three months.  God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow so the promise of His faithfulness for tomorrow is a sure thing.  Praise God. 

Should you feel The Nudge to pray for my dad, thank you!  Please also thank God for His hand of healing and wisdom for my dad. 

And please forgive me if I've offended you with my I-Really-Want-To-Swear-When-I-Say Cancer and Chemo Suck. 

In all this, I do remain, So Amazed at what God is doing in and through our lives.

Grab a coffee and let's chat

Monday morning.  My day off from work.  I'm sitting at the kitchen table with a big, no, HUGE cup of coffee.  I brewed six cups of coffee in the Mr. Coffee and it is almost gone.  Wheeeeeee...can you tell how this post is going to go?  I'll probably be all over the place on a caffeine high!

So far this morning I've shopped at JCPenney.com, made out a huge grocery list and planned a day of other errands.

 JCP.com is like a second friend.  I am a little surprised I don't get a personal message pop up when I click to their site. 

"Hi Debbie, welcome back...what can we taunt you to purchase today"???

 

 

Snow is falling.  Again.  I know I should start my day of errands but watching the snow from inside the house is comforting and I just don't have the umph to get up and get going.  Umph means Get-My-Behind-Off-The-Chair-And-Get-Going and it just isn't happening.

 

This week Kidlet One and Favorite-Son-In-Law will have their baby.  The word EXCITED does not reflect how we all feel.  Readers, get ready...I will have to contain how many times I post about this baby once she is born.  Baby Claire could consume my blog but I'll try to refrain myself...

 

My dad's cancer diagnosis has been like a rug pulled out from under my feet.  Now both of my parents have had to deal with this ugly disease.  My mom is a breast cancer survivor (16 years now).  I know I am not any different than any of you in that negative thoughts go through your mind over and over again.  That is why God had recorded in His word (2 Corinthians 10:5):

We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ. 



There is a choice and some action that I need to do to take hold of every thought.  When those negative thoughts come tapping into my mind, I need to say STOP IT.  Don't let my mind go over and over the thoughts that don't line up with God's Word and His character.

One of the tools I use to fight negativity is to worship God and to be thankful for Him in my life.  Also, I read His Word and a daily devotional.  And pray.  Because of His love, you won't be surprised when I tell you what today's devotional is in Max Lucado's daily devotional for today.  Here it is:

The worrisome heart pays a high price....  Worry comes from the Greek word that means "to divide the mind."  Anxiety splits us right down the middle....  Rather than take away tomorrow's trouble, worry voids today's strength.  Perception is divided, distorting your vision....  Who can afford to lose power?

But how can we stop doing so?  Paul offers a two-pronged answer:  God's part and our part.  Our part includes prayer and gratitude.  "Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all he has done"(Philippians 4:6).  God's part?  "If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand" (Philippians 4:7).

Reader, do you have worry, anxiety or fear in your life?  Might I tempt you to stop and make a list of all the good things you have in your life.  Really.  Stop right now, grab a piece of paper and a pen.  Write down 10 things you have in your life and then thank God for each and every one of them.  He gave those to you whether you believe in Him or not. 

When those anxious thoughts come at you...read through your list.  Be thankful.  Life is too short to allow our minds to be consumed by negative-life-sucking thoughts.  Let's encourage one another to be thankful and focus on Him.

Did you stick with me to the end of this rambling?

I'm amazed you did!  My coffee cup is empty so I'll end here.  May you have an amazing day!

Greenhouse

People harvest what they plant... Galatians 6:7

Think for a moment of your heart as a greenhouse.....   And your heart, like a greenhouse, has to be managed.  Consider for a moment your thoughts as seed.  Some thoughts become flowers.  Others become weeds....  Ever wonder why some people have the Teflon capacity to resist negativism and remain patient, optimistic and forgiving?  Could it be that they have diligently sown seeds of goodness and are enjoying the harvest? 

Copied from Grace For the Moment Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year by Max Lucado

Be Renewed

This is from Joyce Meyer in the Starting Your Day Right devotional for January 23.

God selected...what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.  And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are, so that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and ] boast in the presence of God. 
1 Corinthians 1:27-29

If you are weak in faith, in mind, in body, in discipline, in self-control, or in determination, simply wait on God.  He will be strong through your weakness.

Isaiah 40:31 teaches that if you expect God, look for Him, and hope in Him, you will change and renew your strength and power; you will run, and not faint or become tired.  The Bible doesn't say "hope so, it could be, or it may be"; it declares that you will be renewed.

********

May these words be encouraging to the person reading this that needs to be renewed.  Ask God for help.  He never disappoints.

Antidote for Depression

Fiscal cliff.
Illness hits your family. 
Wondering if your job is secure.
War threats.
Taxes going up. 
One of your children disowns the family.
Unexpected bills pile up.
Words get twisted/misunderstood and people are mad now.
A diagnosis is made.

There is a lot going on in our world and the above list is short compared to the realities I've heard friends state. 

Each of the items above do not bring joy and life into our world.  They each suck life right out of a person.

And a black cloud, like a depression, can come rolling in when we look at the yuck in that list that I made.

So...what is the antidote to live in today's world?   I believe these wise words are the answer:

Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you...

...Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and tremble with joy [at the glorious deliverance] and be enlarged; because the abundant wealth of the [Dead] Sea shall be turned to you, unto you shall the nations come with their treasures.

 

The Good News is God loves each and every one of us like crazy.  So much so, He allowed Jesus to die, in our place, to make a bridge for us to right up to God. 

 

If you confess your separation from God, because of sin, and accept Jesus as the bridge to God, then the glory of the Lord shines upon you.  As stated above, The Lord shall arise upon you and His glory shall be seen on you...and the darkness of depression will be blotted out in the Glory of the Lord. 

 

Those of us that have Jesus as our Lord and Savior have a powerful weapon against the darkness of that comes knocking at our door.  And it will knock.  We have the Glory of our Risen, Living Lord.

 

Those of you that do not have Jesus as your Lord and Savior...why wait?  Light is available to chase away the darkness.  Ask God to reveal Himself to you. 

 

He is the Light of the World.  His glory and light is available in unlimited supply.

 

Amazing!

 

Dust Farmer

I have become a Dust Farmer.   At least that is what my house would tell you. 

The ceiling fan in our bedroom grows dust prolifically.  It was only a few months ago that I was standing on the bed swiping dust off the fan blades.  As I was snuggling down in my bed covers the other night, I looked up.  Dust was crawling over the edges of those fan blades again.

My house has a cathedral ceiling so the kitchen cupboards don't go up to the ceiling.  Dust collects along the top of those cupboards and it, too, creeps over the edges.  Maybe it is trying to escape or maybe it is trying to spread.

I think it is the latter.

It could really be discouraging to look at all the dust that has accumulated.  But I decided I wasn't going to let it get the best of me. 

Given the ability I have to grow dust, I'm giving myself the title of Dust Farmer.

Isn't confession the first stage to healing?

My house is like a field that has been planted to grow dust.  And my dusting spray is like Round Up.  Weed killer.  I'm going after the dust to wipe it out.  The fan blades have been cleaned. Very carefully I've climbed up on a chair to wipe off the top of the cupboard doors.  Every surface  and every area is being plowed up and turned over. 

And all of this is being done with a much better attitude once I realized I really am a Dust Farmer.  My cleaning is done with more of a chuckle as I think of the new title I have.  Instead of complaining and muttering, I'm humming in my new role.

How about you?  Are you a Dust Farmer?  I'm willing to share this title with anyone that wants to have a change of attitude about the realities of life.  Dust is going to happen.  Humming as you "plow up the dust" is much more fun that complaining about it.

A So Amazing Dust Farm.  Come on over to my house anytime!

Perspective

The slips of paper tacked above the table are food orders.

Food orders for a chef.

Food orders for Kidlet Two.

There was a night recently in which he was the only chef on duty at the hotel where he works.   The restaurant, room service and an employee lounge with food were all his to maintain.

Eighty food orders are represented in those tickets. 

In a two-hour time frame, there were 80 hungry people looking for their food.

There was no other help in the kitchen on that shift.

In fact there was no one to deliver the food for room service.

Chaos, pure chaos, is how Kidlet Two later described the experience.

The hotel manager and the front desk person had to deliver the room service orders.  There was no other staff to help out.

At the end of the evening, the hotel manager came to the kitchen and congratulated Kidlet Two for keeping his cool and for doing a great job despite the circumstances.

I was texting Kidlet Two during the evening.  He wasn't answering me.  The night before he had been texting me about the nummy food he'd made.  But on this evening he was strangely quiet.

Ha!  About 10:30 pm he sent me the picture above with the words,

I've been a little busy...

Staring at the picture on my phone I almost started to hyperventilate as I thought about what Kidlet Two was dealing with.

What would I do if I had 80 people waiting on me? 

There are days at my work that I feel really swamped with work and pressured with deadlines.  But none of those deadlines affect 80 hungry people. 

I've printed a copy of the picture and have it tacked on my cloth-covered cubicle walls at work. 

There are times I need a new perspective and a reality check.

When I feel pressured, I look at that picture and realize how good I have it at my job.  I wouldn't do well with the demands that Kidlet Two has.

He and I have talked several times since that evening about perspective and I've thanked him for being such a dedicated worker.  His boss doesn't really acknowledge the work he does.

But God sees what He does. 

I reminded Kidlet Two of these verses from Colossians 3:23-25 from The Message Bible:

Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.

Perspective is an amazing thing.  I'm sorry Kidlet Two had to have such a chaotic night.  But I'm thankful for the lesson in perspective that I learned from his experience.

How is your perspective these days?
 

Rube Goldberg

Rube Goldberg was the creator of complex contraptions that do really simple tasks.  That is your trivia for today.

For his 9th grade science class, Kidlet Three and his assigned classmates had to create a 12-step Rube Goldberg contraption that performed a task.  In our messy garage, after several hours of brainstorming and failed attempts, the car rolled down the track, knocked down the dominos, down the tube to put the golf ball into the cup that had a nail sticking through it to break the balloon. 

Whew...did you follow all that!

Here are some pictures of the building stages:

There were many re-iterations and many video attemps to capture the event. 

Here is "take one"...

 

 

Another attempt...

 

 The final creation before the kids actually set the car loose...

 

The not amazing thing about this project,

is that I accidentally deleted the video of the

project being completed.

Drats!

 

Anyway, we had fun, along with Luke's classmates

building a Rube Goldberg contraption!

 

Wind & A Good Papa

I have a great, loving, and kind earthly Dad. 

Tonight I want to talk about my heavenly Papa.

Over and over again He reminds me of His Love

and of His Presence in my life.

The night I was so sad about the house

we were trying to buy, there was a

huge wind storm.

Around 1 a.m. the wind awoke us all and

then the power went out.

Standing in the kitchen looking out to

the backyard, with the lightening, I could

see the trees doing a frenzied dance.

The sky was remarkably bright for a

middle of the night storm.

The trees were being whipped to the left

and then to the right.  

It was almost like they were conflicted

as to which direction to bend and stretch.

Never had I seen such wind and never had

I seen our trees move in such a crazy fashion.

In fact, I realized one of those trees could come

crashing down on our house.

Our house.

The day I was so sad that we couldn't buy a

different house, I realized how thankful I am

for my current house.

In the midst of the storm, My Papa spoke

to me in His God Nudge way...

"A house is sticks and concrete 

with windows and doors, it is people

and relationships that are important"

Yes, I agree with that Nudge.

Never would I want a house to be the

most important thing in my life.

The joy and peace that I went to bed

praying for came in the midst of a storm.

Losing out on the purchase of a

house is NOT the most important thing

in my life.

My Papa used the wind to get my attention.

Once He had my attention He spoke to me.

He flooded me with His joy and peace

He is so cool and faithful.

In the morning, we did have clutter on the deck... 

 The neighbor's tree...

If you don't know God as a loving Papa, 

I'm going to be praying for you.  

He is wildly, passionately, crazy for you.

Papa, thank you for the wind storm.  Thank you

for reminding me of what is important 

in my life.  I love you, Lord!

Amen

The Path Finder

Life is filled with paths.

On the clear path, it is easy to go about daily tasks.

There are no obstacles here.

Clear sailing.

It is on these paths that we forget there are other paths.

Where ruts and overgrowth cloud our vision.

The clear path feels safe and comfortable.

 But then the path may have a sudden turn.

And we don't know what is around the corner.

Our gait slows down and confusion may come knocking.

What happened to the clear path?

Should I go around this bend?

What is going to happen to me...

 But we all must keep walking.

Whatever the path is before us.

Thankfully a reprieve from the twist, turns and unknowns

may appear unexpectedly, as in a clearing along the route.

 From the widening and resting places, we set out

once again on the path.

With vision blocked by branches, we search

for the path we are to walk on.

Is there even a path there?

Do I go straight or do I turn to the right?

Sometimes the path isn't clear.

But we have to make a choice and keep going.

Life paths can get messy.

Sloppy.

Uncomfortable.

Whatever path you are on today, keep walking.

Don't give up.

You never know what clearing is just around the corner.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
Lean not on your own understanding
In all your ways acknowledge Him
and HE will make your path straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

If you don't know God as the Path Finder, just speak out to Him.  The words I need help finding the path are great words to start with.

If you do know God intentionally but find yourself stumbling along the path these days, He's ready to help you as well.

And if your path is free and clear, whisper a thank you to The Path Finder for this period in your life.  And pray for those that are not on the same clear path.

Praise God, the amazing Path Finder.

Hibiscus

A new hibiscus graces our deck.

Blooms almost as large as my palm bless our view each day.

Hummingbirds enjoy nectar from these glorious pink beauties.

God's amazing creativity expressed in this stately plant bring us joy and happiness.  His attention to detail, just for my pleasure, leaves me speechless.

And amazed.

Just think, He made the hibiscus just for you and I.

Amazing.

I Lost The Car

I lost the car.  Gosh.  It is so hard to admit this but it happened and it could have been a Lucille Ball episode.

One of our cars is a Honda Accord with no cruise control, power windows or power locks.  Shoot, when we got the car it didn't even have a radio but we added one.   The option of pushing a button on a key to cause the horn to beep is not available on this car.

Thus, it is easy to lose the car.  I actually  have to remember where I park each and every time I drive that sweet car.

Recently The Husband had a GI bleed and needed to go to the hospital for a scoping.  On the day of the procedure I dropped him off at the door and drove into the underground parking ramp.  There was a poky car in front of me and I remember following this car from one end of the ramp to the other end. We turned the corner to start down the next side and I was pretty sure I drove half-way down on this side before pulling into a parking spot.  I jumped out of the car and walked just a few steps to the elevator door.

There are two levels in this parking ramp.  I was so happy to realize that level one, where I parked, was the purple level.  Purple is a favorite color of mine and level two was the red level--red isn't a color I would call a favorite.

The Husband made it through his procedure without any sedation and received a good report.  We walked to the purple level in the parking ramp and walked straight out from the elevator to where I parked the car.  But the car wasn't there.  The Husband started walking to the right and actually walked all the way to the end of that side of the ramp.  I was so sure that I had parked across from the elevator that I only walked four to five cars to the left of where I parked the car.  It was not there!

As sure as I was that I had not parked on the red level, we went to that level and we walked all the way around the ramp and there was no car.  Finally I admitted defeat and I went back to the main lobby of the hospital and told the doorman that I'd lost the car.  He reassured me that I probably had not lost the car and he offered to go to the purple level with us and help us look.

Mr. Doorman had me walk to the spot where I parked the car.  He then asked me to walk all the way to the left and look for the car.  The stupid stubborn side of me just knew that I wasn't going to find the car but I felt I had to follow his suggestion.

Have you figured out the ending?  About 25 cars from where I left the car (snicker snicker), I found the car. As I stood there looking at how far I actually did walk to get to the elevator, I realized that perspective is really an important part of my life.  The thought that I actually walked farther than what I remembered caused me to stop dead in my tracks.  I really must have been pre-occupied to not have paid attention to where I parked.

My new friend, Mr. Doorman, was so kind.  He looked me right in the eye and said "you would not believe how many times a day I get told by people just like you that they have lost a car.  And you would also not believe how many laps I make each and every day in the ramp helping people look for their lost car".  Somehow that did make me feel better.

The day I lost the car I also lost perspective.  Both are scary to lose.  Finding the car was important but I honestly think gaining back perspective will be more important.  Anyone know how to find it?

Calm Day

The Husband has had some GI bleeding lately.
Nothing new for his unique, surgically re-created innards.
The bleeding got worse, however, so he called the doctor.
Finally.
An appointment was made to scope and hopefully
cauterize the bleeding area.
A black cloud rolled in over me during the waiting for
the appointment.
Sleep didn't seem to give me rest.
My thoughts were pretty much out of control.
The longevity of his illness seemed to be on my shoulders.
But my friends were praying for us.
And on the day when I felt really undone, my dear friend
Prairie Woman, sent me the daily devotional she'd read just
that morning.
The devotional was from the book I had given to her as
a birthday present.
Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace In His Presence by Sarah Young.
Here is what she sent me:

Stay calmly conscious of Me today, no matter what.

Remember that I go before you as well as with you into the day.

Nothing takes Me by surprise.

I will not allow circumstances to overwhelm you,

so long as you look to Me.

I will help you cope with whatever the moment presents.

Collaborating with Me brings blessings

that far outweigh all your troubles.

Awareness of My Presence contains joy

that can endure all eventualities.

So Amazed.

I was so amazed at the words printed in the book for

that very day.

The words I needed from the book shared as a gift.

Words that brought me to the Truth.

God is my Calm.

His Presence changes everything.

In His Presence I was able to have a Calm Day.

Amazing!

Hotel Room Numbers

The Husband had a revelation three weekends ago.  We were in, yet another, city for baseball.  In that hotel our room number was 316.  The revelation was to remember the room number with a Bible verse.
"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life." John 3:16

Last weekend at another away tournament, our hotel room number was 424.  This number caused The Husband  to do some searching through the Bible and he found this verse:
"And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you." Ephesians 4:24


This week in Omaha, we are in room 313.  I volunteered to find the Hotel-Verse-For-This-Week and I chose:
"Since you are my rock and my fortress, 
    for the sake of your name lead and guide me." Psalms 31:3
What great verses to mull over during our weekends.  Maybe you'd like to give this a try.  When a number jumps out at you, pick up a Bible and find a verse with that number.  Get ready to be amazed with me, at how God can use a hotel room number, or your random number, to bless you.


Because He is an amazing One.

Spiritual Rah! Rah!

Here is my daily devotional from Max Lucado's, Grace For The Moment.  After reading this I think you will feel encouraged, 'cheered on' and important.  I sure did

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You are a chosen people...that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  I Peter 2:9


Let's spend a lifetime making our heavenly Father proud.  Use your uniqueness to do so.  You exited the womb called.  Don't see yourself as a product of your parents' DNA, but rather as a brand-new idea from heaven.  Make a big deal out of God.  Become who you are for him!  Has he not transferred you from a dull, death-destined life to a rich, heaven-bound adventure?


With God, every day matters, every person counts.  And that includes you.

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