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This past Sunday, Poppa and I, along with her momma Sheryl(our daughter-in-law), Aunt Summer, Uncle Dale, Easton, Titus, Will, Uncle Butch, Aunt Kay, Madison, Butch, Karli, Grandma, Aunt Robin and Erica, all gathered to witness the baptism of our little Natalie. Our pastor Johnny baptized her and his wife Wanda Sue was there also, along with a sanctuary full of people to see 8 others baptized.
Natalie gave her life to Jesus last December 21 and wanted to follow through with baptism. Nearly all of her family were there to witness this wonderful moment, which signifies to a Christian, the washing away of the old man with the raising up of a new person in Christ. We wouldn't have missed this event for anything. We are so thankful to the Lord for speaking to Nat's heart and giving her an understanding that she needed HIM in her life. We are so proud of her! THANK YOU JESUS!
God never ever ceases to amaze me. He gently tugs at hearts, from the young to the old. He whispers what only He can whisper into your ear and then sweetly takes you by the hand and leads you into New Life with Him. Instantly, you are a new creature and your New Life begins. That's what happened to our Natalie. And then, she realized the importance of baptism and even at only 8 years old, she understood what baptism signified. EVEN Jesus was baptized and Nat knew she should be too.
DOWN WITH OLD AND UP WITH NEW!
"Sweep across this world Lord Jesus....there are so many who need You....there are those in our own families who need You Lord. We cry out to You Lord to whisper into the ears of those who have turned their backs on You. From our innermost parts, we beseech You Lord....Do for all those who don't know you, what you did for our 8 year old granddaughter. We will wait and pray."
Today, Darrel and I celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary.
Can that be possible??? It doesn't seem that it could, but it is. In this picture above, our wedding picture, the year is 1971 and I am 18 and Darrel is 17. I bought my "wedding dress" at a department store and if I remember correctly, it was under 20dollars. We were married right where we are standing in this picture, in my mother-in-laws living room. My two best (and only) friends who had also moved down south from up north, were there, as well as my sister-in-law and her boyfriend and Darrel's parents. That was it, of course, except for the Baptist pastor who married us. Our wedding cake Darrel's mom bought at the local Piggly Wiggly store. It was a small german chocolate cake as that was all they had.
You can't see it, but under Darrel's shirt on the right arm, he is all bandaged.(which is why he's holding it sort of funny) Two days before we were to be married, he was taking a radiator cap off of a car at the gas station he was working at and he didn't let the steam out enough and it blew up on him. Needless to say, he got 1st and 2nd degree burns down his arm and back. Every time he moved, all you heard was....OWWWWWWW!
When we left his mom's house, I remember her running back and saying, WAIT!!! She ran back and grabbed a small box of Minute Rice from the cabinet and everyone got a small handful to throw at us as we got into our 64 Volkswagen and headed for the local motel. We had one night as I had to be at work the next morning. Darrel was off because he had been burned.
38 years........from those simple and extremely humble beginnings, we began our life together. We did not know Christ in those years. THAT is my biggest regret in life, that I did not know HIM and live for HIM in those early married years. A lot would have and could have been different, but that is water under the bridge now.
Thanks be to God, in 1978, Darrel gave his life to Jesus. I followed in January or February of 1979. It is THEN, that our lives together truly began. I don't think either of us really fully understood what we had done, but our lives began, slowly, very slowly, to take a new shape.
Today, I am most graciously thankful to God Almighty, for being the catalyst that has kept this selfish man and woman together. Without Him, we would have been another divorce statistic along with all our other friends from that time in our life who are now divorced.
"Father, you have given so much more to this lowly Chicago girl than I have ever deserved........I thank you for our sons DJ and Butch and our daughter Summer and for all of our grandchildren, who daily bless our hearts and enrich our lives. I thank You for Your great love towards us and for teaching us STILL TO THIS DAY how to love one another like You'd have us to. Thank You for all You have provided for us for all these years. I thank You for every breath I breathe and I thank You for all you have in store for us in the years to come, how ever many more you should give us on this earth together. You have blessed us Lord and we are humbled by your grace and mercy. For the past 38 years of marriage, we thank You Lord God and we give praise, honor and glory to Your precious name for all You have done for us."
REMEMBERING THE PAST 38 YEARS today has been sweet. Oh yeah Lord....and I'm grateful that my memory is still good enough that I CAN remember the past 38 years!
With my hand clutched to my chest....I cry out to my God.
How, God? How can I go on with this ache in my heart and this unanswered prayer constantly on my heart and my mind? How can I fight this battle and win? Tomorrow is another day Lord and I must once again face the same unanswered prayer when I awake. Before my eyes are open, this prayer is already on my lips. How many more of these mornings Lord, how many?
I KNOW You will answer. I know it, I know it, I know it. But as quickly as I know it, my hand clutches my chest again and the ache begins all over. I know it, I know it, I know You will answer. I do not know how, but I do know YOU will. Oh God, I DO trust YOU, I do, I do, I do. I'm not acting like it Lord, but I do, I really do.
V 15b "Do not be afraid or dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. V 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, STAND STILL and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!" Do not fear or be dismayed, tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you. And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, WORSHIPING the Lord. Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and the children of the Korahites stood up to PRAISE the Lord God of Israel with VOICES LOUD AND HIGH."
II Chronicles 20
Oh God....MY GOD. I WILL Lord...I WILL....I WILL....I WILL STAND STILL, I WILL SING PRAISES OF WORSHIP TO YOU AND I WILL LIFT MY VOICE HIGH IN VICTORY! I WILL TRUST YOU GOD AND KNOW THAT YOU WILL...YOU WILL ANSWER....I KNOW IT GOD, I KNOW IT. I KNOW YOU WILL BE VICTORIOUS. I CANNOT SEE IT WITH HUMAN EYES...
BUT I SEE IT WITH MY SPIRITUAL EYES.
I will stand still Lord. Please Father...hold me up. Help me in my pathetic weakness. My legs are tired and my strength feels nearly gone.
BUT..
I WILL STAND AND WORSHIP YOU.... I WILL WAIT FOR THE VICTORY WHILE I PRAISE YOU.
"Oh Lord....today, HAVE I pleased you?
Today, HAVE I honored You in every area of my life?
Today, has Your glory shone on my face?
Today, has Your speech come out of my mouth?
Today, HAVE I been about Your business?
HAVE I let people know Who it is that brings me the greatest joy in my life?
HAVE I been Your servant today?
Time is short Lord. Soon, You are coming back for us who know You. Help me Father, to use my time on this earth with a solid and firm intention to make every precious moment of every day to matter for YOU.
HAVE I pleased You today Lord? I pray so.
Tonight as I sat here shucking corn and getting it ready for the freezer, my mind wandered, as usual. There's nothng I like better than corn on the cob and I can eat a pile of it! But my mind wandered to the many millions of people who would give anything to have one single ear of this corn to eat.
On my last trip to Honduras I saw a scene that will forever stay in my mind. As I stood in front of a house we had been ministering at, there was one particular little girl who caught my eye. There were at least 100 people there, probably more, but this little girl broke my heart. She was dirty and dressed in clothes that were too small. She was aimlessly walking around, all the while looking down on the ground. It seemed she was looking specifically for something. And then I saw her spot her prize and I nearly cried. She reached down and picked up a dirty cob of eaten corn that had to have been laying there for days and began to gnaw on it. My heart just sank. There she stood chewing on a filthy corn cob while I was going to get on the bus in a few minutes, fill my belly with Little Debbie's and then go back to where we were sleeping and eat a splendid meal that Debbie G. had cooked.
Talk about feeling humbled. In the world in which I live, I have MORE THAN ENOUGH to eat and sustain me for weeks without even going to the grocery store. This little girl has never known what MORE THAN ENOUGH even means, let alone what it looks like.
Tonight, as I surveyed the bounty of wonderful sweet corn that God has provided me with, I pray for that little girl. I pray for not only her, but the millions across this globe who are hungry tonight, while my tummy is full.
You have provided beyond what I deserve Father God and I am so grateful. Your goodness and provision is way MORE THAN ENOUGH. Thanks God.
What is???
The MIND. Yep, YOUR mind....it's the doorway to your heart. Think about that for a second.
YOUR MIND IS THE DOORWAY TO YOUR HEART.
That means that EVERYTHING I put into my my mind (which is the doorway) goes into my heart. Oh my gosh. What are you putting into your mind? Whatever it is will rule your heart and your life.
Whatever rules your mind will become your god. What is it?
Show me a person and their actions and you can tell what they've been thinking about.
Your destiny begins with your thoughts. Remember, THEY are the doorway to your heart. What does your destiny hold for you? It all starts in your mind.
That was the question that Easton asked me yesterday. I was putting up some white acre peas in their kitchen and I had poured LOTS of the peas out onto a cookie sheet to cool. Easton came up behind me and said, "WOW Yaya, that's a lot of peas! Do you think there's about 100 peas there?" I giggled and said, "Oh Easton, there's lots more than 100 peas on that cookie sheet." He stared at the peas for a minute and then looked back at me again. This time he said, "Do you think there's 1000 peas there?" "Oh yes," I answered, "even more than 1000".
You could see his mind thinking about that incredibly big number for a 5 year old and then he said, "Yaya, can YOU count to 1000?" "I sure can." With one of those "You amaze me cause you're so smart looks on his face," he then said, "Can you REALLY count to 1000?" He appeared absolutely amazed that I was able to count to a number that was extremely high to him.
Hmmmmmm....his question got me to thinking about this precious 5 year old grandson of mine, who I am 51 years older than. He looks up to me. He "thinks" I am so smart and wise. He counts on me for many things. He trusts me to give him correct answers and to be truthful to him. Man, this little boy looks up to his grandmother. It's pretty mind-boggling when you really think about it. What a heavy and serious responsibility it truly is when you wrap your mind around it.
I have a huge responsibility to my grandchildren to teach them well when I am in their presence. They are hanging on my every word.......that, in itself, could be a scary thought. These precious children will learn from my example, they will imitate what they see Yaya do and they will repeat what they hear me say.
Oh help me Jesus to take this massive responsibility as serious as I should. Help me Father to be your hands, feet and mouth not just when I am in their presence but most especially when I am in their presence.
They are counting on me God, all of them.........and bigger than that................
YOU are counting on me.
Surely the Lord didn't "really" mean that I should take EVERY single thought in my head captive....did He??? Could He have really meant that??? I mean come on, EVERY thought????? Oh Lord, EVERY thought is a lot of thoughts in a days time.
But....that's what He said through Paul in II Corinthians 10:3-6. Ok...let me think about that for a minute....God wants me to take EVERY single solitary thought captive. CAPTIVE means that I grab on to it and STOP it before it becomes something I should NOT be thinking about. Now, that's hard, I have to admit it. But i also know that it's possible.
How do I know it's possible? Well, let's take a look at Phillippians 4:4-8 and we can see how it was done and by who. As we read Phillippians 4, Paul, the writer was imprisoned. He shares with us in this part of chapter 4 on how to have peace with God. Here is what he says...
"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (NOW LISTEN TO THE FOLLOWING VERSES BECAUSE THESE ARE WHERE PAUL TELLS US HOW TO KEEP EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE BY CONTROLLING YOUR THOUGHTS< CONTROLLING YOUR EMOTIONS AND CONTROLLING YOUR FOCUS!!!) Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble (or honest), whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on THESE things.
There should be NO room in our thought world for imaginings. Why??? Because once we start imagining things, we get off the track of thinking on those things which are honest, lovely, pure and of good report. Our minds wander and before we know it, we're thinking nothing but negative and we've forgotten to FOCUS on the positive. IF Paul could focus on the positive in prison, and he did, then shouldn't we be able to? I would say the answer to this is a big resounding YES!
Brother Johnny said tonight..."That which we focus on is that which we become." Man, that's one powerful statement. Don't you agree? We must set our minds on heaven....on the things above....not the things that beset us. The temptation is strong and we definitely face situations daily where we can imagine all the things that could happen....might happen....what IF they happen....and then get a negative outlook on life in general.
Paul recognized the importance of focusing on JOY and a positive thought life and he was in the darkness and dampness of a prison cell! YIKES...what excuse do we have that we cannot do the same as Paul?
EVERY THOUGHT....EVERY SINGLE THOUGHT....take it captive! Set your heart on those things that are heavenly, that are praiseworthy. Stop imagining all the many things that "could" go wrong, might go wrong, probably will go wrong, won't work right, won't happen, will happen, etc. etc. etc. etc. STOP IT! It will take us all some practice, but in time, we CAN learn to take EVERY THOUGHT captive. When we hear ourselves thinking negatively, we have the power within our own thought world to take it captive, lock it up, throw away the key and be done with the negative thought.
Those hurtful things that happened today? Well, I'm going to choose to take those thoughts captive and forget them. I'm going to choose to think on those things which are praiseworthy. I'm not going to focus on the "what if's"....I'm going to focus on what I know to be true.
Thanks God for Brother Johnny's message tonight on taking EVERY THOUGHT captive. It's helped to change my thought world and remind me once again of the millions of true and wonderful things of God that I CAN think about instead. How about you?
Why is CHANGE so hard? Why can't we overcome the sorrow, the feelings of not being able to do anything, when we face CHANGE?
Change is a struggle. It doesn't matter how young or old you are, CHANGE means that something is going to be different....maybe even your whole life as you know it will be different.
I've had to face a lot of CHANGE in my life, but then, so has everyone. Some more, some less than others.
I don't want things to CHANGE. That's a fact. BUT, things do CHANGE. How do I deal with it? How do I accept it? How do I live moment by moment dealing with the CHANGE?
I wish my heart didn't hurt so much. I wish I knew how to deal with how I feel. Oh, I know, I know.....the Lord Himself covers like a flood and cares for us and does what only He can do.....but still, I must live in the flesh.
And the flesh hurts.
Two simple words....TRUST and OBEY. As the song says...
"To be happy in Jesus...but to trust and obey"
I want to be happy, don't you?
Wonder why we make daily decisions that go against these two words?
And then we wonder why we're not happy.
The concept of these two words go against our flesh. We ALL want to do what WE want to do. We don't like the concept of obeying anyone as we all seem to feel we are capable of making decisions on our own. Boy, are we stupid or what? I know a LOT of people who are living miserable lives because they are living lives of disobedience against Christ. And think about the word "trust." Gosh, for many people, it's hard to trust anyone, let alone a God we cannot see.
We have all failed miserably in the TRUST & OBEY status of our walks with Christ. Some moreso than others. Some much less than others. But we have all failed in some ways and need to learn the simple but POSSIBLE concept of TRUSTING and OBEYING our Savior. Man, our lives would be so much more peaceful and happy and our walks with Christ would be closer than ever. It is in learning to TRUST & OBEY what Jesus says that we learn the importance of letting HIM be in charge. We are not capable to be in charge. Oh we think we are, but we fool ourselves.
Oh Lord, help me to daily learn these two concepts so that my life may be pleasing to You and You alone. I'm tired of trying to fool myself into believing that I am able to do things on my own. I am not Lord, I am not. Help me TRUST & OBEY tomorrow more than today and the next day more than tomorrow. Let my life be pleasing to you.
In the midst of fear...He's there
In the midst of the unknown...He's there
In the midst of indecesion....He's there
In the midst of pain....He's there
In the midst of lonliness...He's there
In the midst of every storm of our life and every peaceful season of our life....He's there
Today, as I sat waiting in the hospital for my dear friend Mary, I listened on my headphones to Chris Tomlin sing "How Great Is Our God." There in the waiting room, God spoke loudly to my heart.....I'M HERE....I'M HERE and I AM A GREAT GOD AND I AM HERE WITH YOU AND I AM IN THE PROCEDURE ROOM WITH MARY...I'M HERE.
WOW...God, as great and good and perfect as He is, loves us! US!!! Me and you....unperfect and pathetic as we are, HE LOVES US AND HE IS HERE WITH US WHEREVER WE GO! While HE sat with me and comforted me as Mary underwent her procedure, HE ALSO stood beside Mary and comforted her at the same time! OK....I know I'm not real smart but how does HE do it???
This I do not know. But what I do know is that HE'S EVERYWHERE all the time and He goes with us, each of us, constantly. This fact alone comforts me as well as brings me great joy!
HALLELUJAH TO THE RISEN LAMB! HE'S EVERYWHERE and this Chicago born and bred woman is sure enough thankful for that fact!
How sweet are the FACES of those we love, those we care about, those who are a part of our lives. Their FACES...they bring so much to our lives. Each of their pairs of eyes, their smiles, the way they turn their heads when you call their name. It's all a part of who they are to us and how our heart holds them.
FACES....
I had so missed the many FACES of those I love so much and to step back into our church tonight and see my family and my many friends warmed my heart and made me feel at peace inside.
FACES....
Of my children, grandchildren, daughter and son-in-law, my girls in my SS class, my dearest of friends and all those whom I love so tremendously. So many FACES. They all make me realize just how blessed I am and how much I am loved. To be loved by so many FACES....it's good, it's so good.
Thanks God for the many FACES in my life, each one who represents a life that is so dear to me.
Who would have ever thought that some 15 years ago, when RRC sent out its' first mission team, that the day we prayed for has finally come.
For all these years, our churches heart has been the country of Honduras. It seemed long ago by the Lord's direction, that this was the country He wanted us to minister to. And so, for all these years, we have continued sending teams out each year. In the beginning years, it was only men's building teams and only one a year. But as the years went by, it was 2 trips a year. And then, after 4 or 5 years of only men being allowed on our mission trips, Cathy and I were allowed to go to Panama on a church building trip. Back then, this was BIG...REALLY BIG!!!
Over the years, as the number of trips per year grew, we began sending out women's teams also. Our women's trips were focused on ministering to women and children while in Honduras. Eventually, our 55 years of age and older group of members, showed a great desire to have a trip more designed for them and their abilities. Another new trip was formed. Then, just last year, we took our first group of youth (16 & older) to Honduras. Their job would be to minister more to Honduras youth and children, getting to know them through playing soccer etc, door-to-door witnessing, drama, music etc.
Now, at present, our church is sending out about 15 (give or take a few) mission trips a year. Not all of these involve RRC members, but our church helps to organize this many trips for other churches. It's amazing when I think of har far we've come.
All these years, we have prayed that one day, God would grow out of our fellowship, a couple who would commit to full-time ministry in Honduras. Our prayer was that God would provide the right land, the right people over there and the right couple from our midst that HE had hand picked and led to this position. ALL of this, He has provided. To us, it's A MIRACLE, or at least to me.
We would never have dreamed all those years ago, that God would already have the couple picked out who HE had chosen to go. At that time, Kara was just a teeneage girl and I'm sure, didn't have a clue that one day, she would be the one God had chosen to be the answer to our prayers. Kara, my own son-in-laws sister, her husband George and their 2 year old son Elias will fly out this weekend for the beginning of this chapter in their lives of service for Christ.
I ask you, the reader, to please pray for this couple. They will first attend language school and will eventually live on our compound that is being built on the land God gave us there in Honduras. They will have many roles to play in their new places of service there. There will be much adjusting for them. Please, pray that God will help them to make all the changes and adjustments that will be necessary and please pray that God would use them mightily to touch the lives and hearts of the people there.
I also ask you, the reader, to frequently check their blogspot at:
www.declare-His-glory.blogspot.com
Drop them a line of encouragement and let them know you are praying for them.
Tonight, I thank God for George, Kara & Elias. Please God, use their ministry for your glory and watch over them for us. We love them so.
Question: What do you call a cow that can't give milk?
Answer: An UDDER failure!!
Or how about this one.....
Question: Why did the bird go to jail?
Answer: Because he was using FOWL language!!
Or this one....
Question: Why did Tigger look inside the toilet?
Answer: He was looking for POOH!!!
Alright, alright....I know these are pretty pathetic jokes but you have to admit that "A WEE LITTLE BIT OF HUMOR" does go a long long way. Today, I have simply appreciated feeling good enough again to laugh at the silly things in life.
Tonight, I thank God for silly jokes that make the sides of my mouth curl up and my tummy bounce with giggles.
Blueberry cobbler..
Blueberry pie...
Blueberry tart...
Fresh blueberries...
Blueberry Fluff...
Blueberry muffins...
Blueberry pancakes...
Blueberry smoothies...
Blueberries 'n' ice cream...
YAAAAAHOOOOOOOOEEEEEE....my blueberries are in and all I can think about is the many different ways to eat them! How many ways can you eat blueberries??? Well, I don't know, but I'm doing my best to find out!
Thanks God for BLUEBERRIES!
I can tell I'm beginning to feel better as my sense of humor is returning as is my appetite!
Laughter truly is medicine to the soul and can make any situation seem better. Darrel has given me cause to laugh for days now but until today, I just didn't have the energy to hardly laugh.
We are doing some remodeling in the house and right now, there is no dining room nor family room furniture. Well, that's not entirely true. There ARE two chairs in here, so there is at least a place for each of us to sit. The problem is that the recliner is about 20 years old and has seen better days and my wooden rocker is 34 years old. It was a very inexpensive rocker when we purchased it and now it's barely holding up. Since I've been so sick, I have been layed out in the stupid uncomfortable recliner every single day, while Darrel has had to sit in the rocker. When I'm well, I sit in the rocker and Darrel in the recliner.
Because the rocker is falling apart, every time Darrel leans back too far in it, the dowels across the back actually pop out of the top of the chair while making this horrible loud "POP" sound as though someone has shot a gun! Naturally, every time it happens, he fumes and fusses over the pathetic chair and all I can do is laugh!
In the middle of all this sickness and being fed up of laying in this chair and feeling so bad, a little humor goes a long way around here! Man, it feels good to laugh again and be able to see the light at the end of this long dark tunnel I've been in.
Throughout my life, I have been extremely fortunate to have had many good friends. Friends fill our lives with so many good gifts and we realize as we grow older how very fortunate we truly are if our world involves at least one good friend.
WHAT WOULD WE DO without these precious people who make our life full? Trust me when I say, there have been many times in my life that I have wondered how I'd of gotten through without my good friend at my side. Through deaths in the family, trials that blindsided me and illnesses that threw me for a loop, my friends have always been at my side.
Today, I had to make another trip in to see my doctor. This virus continues and I am not strong enough to drive. Bless Debbie's heart, she gave up her afternoon off to drive my pitiful self in to town. Her company, her kindness, her laughter and her sweet gentle spirit touched my heart. When Debbie is around, her main objective is to please whomever she's with. She's such a blessing and I am so thankful for her willingness to help me. She tended to my every need as best she was able.
WHAT WOULD WE DO without friends? What would I do without Debbie? As I slowly get better and get back on my feet, I am continually grateful for dear friends in my life.
Tonight, I thank God for Debbie S. She has a heart as big as Texas and a love for people that is incredible. Thanks Debbie...What a joy and a priviledge it is to call YOU my "friend."
Tonight, for the first night in 5, I ate something so good! Darrel went and got bacon and picked some of our tomatoes and made me a bacon and mater sandwich! I have had no appetite all this time, but today, I got hungry.
OH MY GOSH...you talk about good, it was the absolute best sandwich I think I've ever eaten. When you've had not much appetite all week and then when it does come back and you decide to eat something, the tastes explode on your tongue!
YEP...it was THAT GOOD!
It was so good that I want to officially thank PIGS all across this great land for giving us some wonderful pork to enjoy! I know you think I'm nuts, but I'm telling you, that bacon was the best I've ever eaten. Some pig someplace, gave his life so I could enjoy that sandwich.
THANKS PIGS and THANKS GOD that I am feeling a bit better!
My husband and children decided this morning I needed to go to the ER today. How absolutely ridicuously grateful I am for grown children who love me so much and will just take the "bull" (ME!) by the horns and do what needs to be done. They and my daughter-in-law tried to get me in to see a doctor today but to no avail. And so, off we went to the ER. Dale eneded up being the one getting stuck to take his whiny mom-in-law. He was so very good, patient, kind and compassionate to me. It was a long 9 hours but Dale never left my side and spoke for me many times as I was just too weak to talk. God bless him and God bless all of my family who love and care about me so much. I know of so many who have no one to love them, help them and take care of them, but my family are always there for me.
As we waited over an hour in the waiting room, Dale sweetly and ever so quietly read Psalm 70 to me. It spoke to my heart. I needed "My Deliverer" today and He showed up. It was a moment I will never forget as he read to me. My heart was full.
Thank you all for your continued prayers. It appears I have some sort of viral infection which there isn't much they can do, while they await results of blood and other tests that were done. I so appreciate your prayers as I rest and sleep. I love you all and I cannot wait until I'm back in the land of the living instead of the land of the sleeping. May the God of heaven and earth bless you deeply for your prayers for me.
This seems to be a cheezy way to ask for prayer, but I'm asking anyway. For those few of you who read this, I need your prayers. I have not been or felt this bad/sick since I had hepatits when Summer was only a couple years old. Someone will have to take me to a doctor, any doctor, tomorrow as I cannot go on like this.
Please pray for me. All I know is that in my weakness, He will make me strong and I am hanging on to that. Thank you to those who will pray for me.
I am sick....more sick than I've been in a long time....high fever, aching ALL over, even my elbows hurt, vomitting etc. etc....
This is the first moment I've felt good enough to pick up this laptop and it's using all the energy I've got to write.
I hear myself in my mind saying over and over...I just want to feel good again, I just want to feel good again.
Funny, isn't it, how we "don't" miss a LOT of things until we don't have them anymore. It isn't until we loose them that we realize just how extrememly precious they are. Doesn't matter if it's our health or relationships or anything else for that matter. So much of our lives, we "UNAPPRECIATE" so many things. How about you? Who or what have you unappreciated recently????
Lord, help me appreciate everything and every person in my life.
In the darkest of nights, whether inside or out, ONE CANDLE can make a difference in feeling peace or fear.
The light of ONE CANDLE can dispell your fears and help you to see clearly that which you could not see before. The light of ONE CANDLE can light the way for your footsteps. The light of ONE CANDLE.....just ONE CANDLE can make a huge difference when the darkness comes and we're not sure which direction to go.
I want to be that ONE CANDLE for Christ. I want to show off His light to help lead those who are lost in the darkness to Him. I want to shine brightly for Him so that others are attracted to me because of HIS light that they see coming from me.
Where there is light, there is Christ. Where there is darkness, there is fear, hopelessness, uncertainness and confusion. Stepping into the light of Christ, pushes back the fear of the darkness. Help me Lord Jesus, help me be ONE CANDLE for YOU.
Lord, Make us instruments of your peace,
Where there is hatred,
let your love increase
Lord, make us instruments of your peace,
Walls of pride and prejudice shall cease
When we are your instruments of peace.
Where there is blindness, we will pray for sight
where there is darkness, we will shine his light
Where there is sadness, we will bear their grief
To the millions crying for relief,
We will be your instruments of peace.
This morning started out like any other. You know, the regular routine things that you do, I did....Got up, bathroom, let the dog out, etc. etc. I was standing looking out my kitchen window and noticed that my hummingbird feeders needed to be refilled. I grabbed a pot, put in the sugar and water and started it boiling to make the syrup. In the meantime, I made the mistake of walking away from the pot as I turned on the burner. Within about 1 minute, I had forgotten I turned the burner on, which was a huge mistake!
Forgetting about the pot on the stove, I headed into the bathroom to shower. I had been in there at least 10 minutes when I started smelling something. I couldn't figure out what it was I was smelling and quickly dismissed it. About another minute later, the smell was back, only stronger. This time I remember thinking to myself what in the world could that smell be? It smelled like pralines cooking...you know, that sugary sweet smell but with a bit of a burn smell to it??? That's when it dawned on me I had left the burner on with the sugar water boiling on high!
I literally flew out of the shower and as I opened the door, smoke was everywhere. Evidently the battery had died in my smoke alarm and it never went off. I ran through the dining room, then into the kitchen and immediately my eyes were burning and I could hardly see for the smoke. I grabbed the pot off the burner and threw it out the door as the smoke was billowing up out of the pot. By now, I was coughing and could hardly open my eyes for the smoke and to top it all off, I'm here alone until Darrel returns from Mississippi. Yikes...it wasn't a pretty scene.
Brother.....am I stupid, or what??? Every time I do something absolutely stupid like this, I wonder why God gives me such sweet UNDESERVED PROTECTION. It makes me wonder how many other times in my life He has protected me when I made stupid decisions, had stupid actions or was ridiculously careless. It also makes me wonder just how many times He'll keep protecting me when I do stupid things. Does He ever come to a point where He says...."She ought to know better....how many times does she expect me to rescue her when she makes such stupid decisions?"
All I know to say is that I am so grateful to God for once again, protecting me and allowing me to catch the burning pot in time before it turned into a fire while I was languishing in the shower! I should be ashamed and I am. That's twice in the last week or so that He has intervened in our behalf and kept us from the house possibly being burned down.
UNDESERVED PROTECTION...once again, He has blessed and I am humbled at His great love for such an unworthy one as myself.
It's good to know that the hand of God is big enough to protect even a dodo bird like me!
How often do you reminisce about days gone by, people from your past or loved ones that are no longer in your life?
For me, that happens every single day. I, like probably many other people, have precious photographs of those who I love/loved dearly lining my walls. As I begin to walk down my hallway, directly ahead of me is a photo of my father with my sisters and I. There he is, smiling at me as I look at this PICTURE. It's as though each time I look at it, he's encouraging me onward....reminding me to press on....to laugh....to sing. Those were all important things to my dad and he did them well.
There are PICTURES of my children. I suppose it will always be difficult to see them for the grown men and women they are, as to me, they're still little and need their momma. I gaze at the PICTURES of them and their families and realize I was much more blessed when they were born than I ever realized at the time. Oh yes, I cherished my children but I'm not sure that any of us realizes just what they mean to us until they are gone. As I look at them, millions of little snippetts of memories come crashing through my mind. It's as though a little video of years gone by gets fast forwarded in my mind and in an instant, I'm taken back to when they were toddlers. Then just that quickly, the video stops and I come back to reality and realize they are gone, living their lives on their own. If possible, all 3 of them would live no more than a few miles away....If possible, we'd all eat Sunday dinner together every week....If possible, we'd celebrate each birthday as if it were our last together....If possible, we'd sit and have long conversations about the things of God and what He is doing in each of our lives....
If possible...If possible....If possible...
Then I see PICTURES of my dear grandchildren. Each one, a gift from heaven, strategically placed into our lives. Each one, different, special, unique, talented. I have no doubt that my senior years will be richer because they will remain in it. I have no doubt that as me and Poppa age, they will look out for us, check on us, pray for us and love us. Man, we are sure enough blessed.
PICTURES...all around me there are PICTURES representing all the people in my life that mean so much to me. Even right now, I'm staring at a picture of my children and wondering why God chose to be so good to give them to me. I love them all more than mere words could explain. I want God's best for them.
PICTURES...faces of lives that God Himself placed on this planet and that I will never stop thanking Him for.
"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." Phillippians 1:3
Well, my week with my grandkids has come and nearly gone. It has been such a sweet time. Tommorrow afternoon, Butch and Kay will return and I will head back to my house. I have a feeling that as good as the quiet willl be, I will miss the noise. Noise is something that can definitely get on our nerves and make our heads hurt but it's funny how when the complete silence comes, even IT can be deafening and before long, you yearn for the noise of children again.
I will miss being with the kids all day every day. Oh yeah, it's been crazy, and busy and non-stop, but it's been so wonderful. These children help me to understand what life is all about. They make me realize how truly good life is, how short life is, and how precious life is. They keep me young, keep me happy (most of the time anyway), keep me laughing, make me feel loved and needed and give me great purpose in life. There's nothing sweeter than when one of them calls just to say I love you or comes running up to me just for a hug or calls me with a problem they want my help with. There's just nothing like being a grandparent and knowing you are loved and needed. Every time my son or daughter call me and need my help with the kids, inside, I smile. Inside, I thank God that I am still "able" to help, "healthy" enough to help, and "close" enough to help. Helping with them gives me such great joy as a grandparent. I never ever knew it could be this good playing this grandparenting role. Thanks again God. With each child you have made my life even richer.
Today, I only took a couple of pictures. The first one is of Madison and Lindsey. two beautiful young ladies who God so graciously gave to me when he gave us our new daughter-in-law Kay. God most certainly was good to us when He strategically placed her in our son's life. Not only did He give us her to love, but these two wonderful girls of hers also.
The second one is of Karli and Natalie. Two cousins who love each other dearly and who don't get to see each other often enough. Their daddies are brothers, my sons. I look at their little faces and I see my sons.
Tonight as I lay my head down, I will once again, give thanks to a most gracious and loving God. It's been a good week and for each and every moment of laughter, of clean-up time, of deep conversations with Lindsey, of beach time, pool time, lunch and dinner time and on and on and on....
I praise you Oh God!
SIMPLE PLEASURES seem to be ALL around me this week....if you know what I mean!!!
Day 4 with the grandkids was another fun one. They were all so worn out from the beach yesterday that they slept until I woke them up at 11:00 today. The only reason I woke them up was because we were heading in to Jax today to go see my daughter-in-law and grandkids there.
Had a great lunch at one of our favorites, Chick-Fil-A, then on to my daughter-in-laws apartment. They have a great pool there and of course, we were hardly in the door when we headed down to the pool. As you can see from the pics, they had a great time with cousin Natalie in the pool. We couldn't talk Bradlie into the pool and I didn't even get a picture of him but did have a great visit with him though.
As my son and daughter-in-law enjoy the sun, the sand, the island, the shopping, quiet moonlit nights and cruising on the ship...I don't envy them at all. We, too, are enjoying the beach, the pool, skateboarding, lunches out, pizza, all the YooHoo's we can drink, watching movies and laughing at stilly stuff (which I am the best at!) We've had a ball and although I look forward to going back to my own "quiet" house, I will miss being here with them 24/7.
Life is good....life is good and as I have said a million times before, I am tremendously blessed.
BEACH DAY!!!! YAAAAAHHHHOOOOOOEEEEEEE!!!!!
Yep, today was our day to head for the sun, sand and waves! What a perfect day for the beach it was! Not a cloud, not too many people, conditions in the water were good, we didn't run out of drinks or food, no one got hurt or lost, no one cried about anything, there were no major arguments, no one got sunburned, no one got mad when Yaya said it was time to go (after 3 hours) and no one fought over who got to sit in which chair!!!
YEP....it was a great day at the beach!
After getting showers etc when we got home, then we headed for the church. Tonight was our mission team meeting for our youth trip and we were assembling the craft and care package bags. The kids all went with and helped assemble bags and did a great job, as we were light handed and really needed their help. Then, it was pizza and a movie! What a nice way to end the day. I'm absolutely pooped but it's been good.
Day three with the grandkids has been sooooo sweet. I've enjoyed every single minute and once again, I'm grateful.
Tomorrow we'll head in to Jax to have them help me look at some furniture (YIKES...AM I NUTS OR WHAT????), then over to their cousins house for swimming in the pool and dinner together. Another full day tomorrow.
I know what it means, firsthand, to say..."my cup runneth over..."
My heart is smiling.
