Love Songs

 

What comes to your mind when I say the words:  Love Songs?  I bet several old songs immediately pop into your head.  Maybe they were songs from when you meet your first sweetheart or perhaps the top hit list when you were a teen or maybe a song at your wedding.

I want to share with you my Love Songs!  A little twist to their meaning.  I had asked my husband  to make me a play list of all my favorites on my ipod (Yes I am still old school)

When he asked me for a list, my mind dumped and I could only name a few.

When I plugged it in the first time I heard the most beautiful love songs ever.  What I mean is, I found out that my husband knows me!  He has been attentive all these years. He put on my playlist all my favorites from as far back as 20 years to the present without me telling him!

He has no idea how this touched me. Better than any roses, candy or gift.  To know that I am loved deeply and that he knows my heart of worship. 

This was the best Love Songs ever!

Challenge:  Do a playlist for your spouse and see how well you know them!

 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Ephesians 5:25

Blind Sight

 

Has God ever stopped you dead in your tracks?  He did just that one morning at the gym.  I had just come out into the hall when I saw a lady walking towards me.  Her eyes focused ahead.

I had seen her before.  She came faithfully each morning to clumsily walk.  She has always been peculiar to me but i didn’t know her handicap.  But on this day, she was to teach me a lesson in how to see Jesus in a whole new way.

I watched her turn touch the water fountain.  Then she ran her fingers over every letter of the WOMEN ‘s bathroom sign.  Then she turned the knob.  As she fumbled around I lunged forward to help her with the light switch.  She closed the door just as i reached for it.

Then the light bulb clicked on! Not in the bathroom, but in my head! This woman did not need light to see, for she was blind. 

It was the Light that lived inside her that illuminated her way.  She depended on God to guide her.  Every day she lived with her blind eyes focused on The Light.

Just a reminded for those of us who can see…… what is your focus?  Has looking at the things of this world or the situations that surround you dimmed The Light that is to shine brightly so others may see God in You.

Don’t be blind to what God wants you to see!

                                                           

Be Careful What You Pray For!

 After being married for several years we began what turned out to be a long painful journey to have children.  Test after test being negative, frustration began to build.

I cried out to God to answer us.  I pleaded our case as to why God.  I was sure He thought we would be terrible parents since He had not granted us any children.

Then the day came, finally some 6 years of trying, a PINK POSITIVE! The excitement we experienced was way over the top!  The joy of buy maternity clothes, taking the prenatal vitamins, and Doctor visits could not be measured.

Only to lose the baby at 12 weeks.  Boy did we ever come crashing down.  This was a very dark time for me spiritually.  I begged and prayed the “Hannah’s Prayer”  “God is you will give me a son, I will give him back to You.” Be careful what you pray for.

After the horrible painful miscarriage and D&C our arms still remained empty.  We again were back to infertility treatment.  After a year, PINK POSITIVE again!  We were much more fearful of telling anyone our good news…but eventually, not able to contain our joy, we burst and told everyone.

Surely this time it will work.  We were more involved at church and the timing seemed perfect.  Surely God wouldn’t do that to us again.  Be careful what you pray for.

In an instant we came crashing down.  It happened yet again, we lost the baby!  Painful miscarriage, D&C again.  Laments to God filled my soul as once again my arms were to remain empty.

More Infertility testing, more drugs.  My raging hormones did not help my attitude and spiritual bitterness remained.  Be careful what you pray for.

After a year of torturous treatments I told my doctor, I needed a break from treatment.  He checked me first before changing up our plans.  And GUESS WHAT---!PINK POSITIVE again!

We went through the first 3 months on our tippy toes, holding our breath.  On into the last trimester did we finally realize---God was going to grant us our “Hannah” prayer! Be Careful what you pray for.

We named our baby Samuel---- His name means asked of God.  Our joy could not be contained.  We were finally parents! 

Two days after Christmas, just a month after Samuel turned two, he got sick.  Test revealed serious anemia, more tests revealed, our precious baby had Leukemia (ALL) cancer of the blood.  Be careful what you pray for. 

At that moment in time, I realized I did not want to keep my end of the “Hannah’s Prayer” to give my baby boy back to God.  But He was surely asking for him back.

I am not going to share the details of this 3  year battle to beat cancer. Nor focus on all the pain and suffering he went through or the scars that forever will remain with him.  The things we went through with our baby are to horrible to mention. 

However it changed our lives.  Clinging to God was our only option.  Never once did He tell us our son would survive.  But still we clung to our only Hope.  God promised to be with us every step of the way.  Those were the words whispered to me, instead of the healing I  had wanted to tell God to do.  I had to give Samuel back to God and let Him do with my baby, what He seemed best.

I wrote this some 21 years later right after his wedding.  He did survive.  He is now 23 and happily married.  I just wanted to offer hope to the many people who have children with cancer, and their family and friends. 

There is HOPE in God!

Cling to Him!

If you look for God you will see Him!

 

Hands 〜 Boxes 〜 Blueberries

There are those times in life when you just feel undone by God’s blessing, His presence and His amazing movement in your life. I have had many of those times and wondered if I would survive God’s stare at me. (But that is the kind of God He is….. He loves to lavish His love on us!)

We had been praying for several years to be able to move. For several reasons, it was necessary (or so we thought). My husband drove over an hour to work everyday, our health had diminished, and our kids had all but one left the nest. We had lugged stuff from base to base. And in the house we were now in….like waffle batter on a waffle iron…..we had definitely spread out and filled in every nook and cranny.

Though God still used us in amazing ways out in the boon docks past the sticks….. we really needed to move… But God seemed to not see things the way we did… so our house did not sell… we finally took it off the market for over a year. Then we tried again.

If you have ever moved… showing your house is for the birds (if you really live in it like we do!) What stress that is. All the paper work etc. But our realtor was a hustler (or rather, God said it was time)

It was the hardest move yet, and we have moved A LOT! We had even moved cross country twice. In our many moves have often had to leave many things behind that did not fit in our truck. And the sweetest part is seeing who all God would bring to help us pack and load the truck!! We can never repay what our friends have done for us in all these not so easy moves.

No matter where we were….God provided some loving dedicated, hard working hearts and hands to bless our socks off. This move was no different. God sent us amazing people….for every need. God took care of EVERY detail, large and small…..even to the last blueberry!

We had done the whole farming thing and had to get rid of equipment, we had spread out in the 40 by 60 workshop, the detached garage managed to “acquire things” besides a car. And our basement….well, it was full of freezers, season changes, stuff, teen toys, country toys, and everything else that didn’t fit upstairs. We also had several bedrooms for guests, with stuff. Oh and a baby room of toys we no longer needed, and I had a hobby room crammed full of stuff….and a few closets here and there where it had like the waffle batter….found its way into other rooms. Oh I forgot, we homeschooled too, so we had school paraphernalia to fill up a school house and enough books to challenge the Library of Congress!

Just admitting….. we have a lot of stuff!!! And behind, around, and on top of all that stuff was dust bunnies taking up residence!

We had to do some SERIOUS downsizing. This was not an easy thing, especially when it included hobbies, season changes, and empty nesting. But God sent me a young lady and her mom one Saturday and they cleaned like nobody’s tomorrow! Got the house spit shined for pictures and listing. Within two months….we had a contract!

Then the girl stayed on… for several weeks. First she helped me finish a huge wedding project so we could start packing. But I don’t mean just normal packing. I mean sorting through the entire above mentioned belongings….one piece at a time! She helped me throw away, give away, send away, donate away….bags and bags full of “stuff”

She helped cleaned out freezers and scrub them. She helped sort through oodles of fabric. She even took my collection of dust bunnies home each night from each room we worked in. This was all done while packing too. Since we were going to be in a hotel a few days between closings, we had to eat all the food in the freezers too.

Closer to the big move day, two more ladies came to help me. Thank God He sent me help. By the time the big day came…. I was ready. But it had only been by the generous hands that God had sent my way. I baked blueberry muffins for the group of friends that came to help us. And down to the last blueberry I had handpicked and frozen….they were all used in my yummy homemade blueberry muffins. God saw that nothing was wasted!

Boxes, Boxes and more Boxes were stacked into the storage unit by strong loving hands of our friends. Moving day…. Trucks with trailers lined the yard and the real fun began. Even in the rain, they continued to spend their day moving us. Sweet friends! When the men left to take a load, many of the ladies began deep cleaning so that it would be clean and ready for the new occupants. What a blessing beyond words. Not to mention two guys actually keep their trailers full of what would not fit in the storage unit… in their barn for the weekend.

Then the second moving day…. Hot as it was in July… many of the same friends helped us unload…. And set up in the new house. Shewee! A LOT of work I tell you!

We could have NEVER done it without all the help!

We are forever grateful for each of you!

When God moves….He does it in all His

AWESOMENESS

……but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24

                                                     

Follow His Steps

Follow His Steps

It just doesn’t seem to matter how long you’ve been married, as wives, we are constantly straying from our man. I was reminded to tighten up my steps recently in a very simple way.

We were late for church and it was fairly packed when we arrived. It was clear to see our normal section was filled and we needed to look else where. My sweet husband looked at me and I said, “I will follow you!” and proceeded to do so.

But how many times over these past 30 years had I not done that? Had I willfully pursued my own way? Ladies, it is ever so easy to get sidetracked in our calling as wives. But one of the ways we can honor our husbands, is to follow his lead! We vowed to do this on our wedding day…we still need to be reminded…

It was a simple moment but the words I had whispered burned in my heart. “I will follow you.”

 

Ladies trust God enough to follow your husband

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:21-22

Don’t Judge a Skin by it’s color!

Don’t Judge a Skin by its Color

You know the old Grapefruit diet? There is nothing like putting a spoonful of TART grapefruit in your mouth. So when I grabbed the last grapefruit that morning I grumbled. It was the wrinkled spotted one. Just one look and I knew it was gonna make my lips pucker!!
With drudgery I cut it in half. Even the inside was as pale as could be. I cut around the edge and scooped out the first bite. With a deep breath I closed my eyes…knowing that if I hurried I could just get this over with.

My eyes flew open and to my great surprise… it was one of the sweetest grapefruits I have eaten. Boy was I rebuked! I had judged that grapefruit from its outer appearance instead of what was on the inside!
There is a lesson for us… we do the same thing to people don’t we? We look at their outer clothing, hair style, shoes etc and make a judgment. But we can miss out on the sweetest, God-fearing people!
Some of those wrinkled spotted “grapefruits” –people might be the lady smiling with a few missing teeth, the person that dresses from the thrift store, the poor person sitting on the porch in the blazing heat, it might be the lonely boy walking down the road, the barefoot, Africans walking to draw water, the biker in leather, the body pierced teen, the tattooed person at Wal-Mart.
I have met some very God pursuant people that didn’t look so terrific on the outside. What a blessing they are to me.
Likewise, I have actually seen some of the most “Perfect” ruby red grapefruit, perfect color, firmness and pink when cut open…yet when the bite hit my mouth I had to spit it out!
There are those people who because of what they wear we put them in a “Holy category” of which they don’t belong. Whether it is a suit & tie, suspenders & beard, bun & skirt, dress & head covering, high heels & matching purse…..
I have known some of these people to be the most unloving, snobbish, self-righteous, prideful people….really tart on the inside!
It is what is on the inside that matters. We have got to quit judging a person by what we see on the outside…take the time to find out what’s on the inside….it might just surprise you!

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged,

and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Matthew 7:2

Creation in Me

As Spring made it’s appearance announcing not only lovely weather to be enjoyed but the New Life that creation brings forth is amazing.  It seems that nothing shouts louder God’s existence than New Life.

Since the beginning of time, year after year, without fail, these amazing new beginnings are birthed.  The frozen waters are release from their bondage, to run freely down and water the earth’s life.  Spring babies abound, replenishing their existence, laughing at extinction. 

The daffodils start out the parade shouting God’s praise,followed by tulips,Dogwoods, Barlette Pear trees,and many more.  In a gallant orchestra all the plants and trees come to life.  Singing brilliantly their praise to God.  Pointing everyone to The Creator in their magnificent display of color and splendor. We are all spellbound by their indescribable beauty. 

And God said, “it’s all good.”

 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.

Genesis 1:12

 

But then, God made something even better, more beautiful, and spectacular than ALL of creation.  He made YOU!  As I was enveloped in all the majesty that God created as it came to life, I was reminded that we, God’s children, are to be more beautiful that all of creation.  We aren’t just good, we are very good!

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening,

and there was morning-- the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31

If our lives were sitting in a field of daisies, we would stand out as more beautiful because of God radiating out of us. If we were standing in the forest of Redwoods, we would stand out as more majestic because of the Jesus inside of us spilling out.

Our love for God and others, should be bigger than the ocean who continually sings God’s praise. Do you shine brighter than the brightest star? 

All of creation should pale in comparison to the masterpiece God created YOU to be! 

 

 

Forgotten Focus

Have you ever gotten busy or out of your routine and forgotten your focus? Recently I was on a work/vacation and I succumbed to that problem. I am ashamed to admit it but it happened.

We were in the DC/Baltimore area where my husband was having a week of work related meetings. He brought us, my only remaining teen at home and myself. And tagging along was my oldest son and his fiancé. My middle son is stationed here in the Marines. So this was actually going to be sort of a family vacation on the weekends.

Skipping the scheduling details, we were trying to please several different peoples site seeing goals. Then my oldest got food poisoning and was down two of the few days he was going to be here. My middle son had to work during the week as did my husband. So we were together at times and it just a few of us at times.

But I say all that to share that I was never alone, sharing a room with my soon to be daughter in law. I did not have time in God’s Word or time to sit and talk with God. Though very addicted to this time in a normal routine, I could not find alone time. I tried once and was interrupted.

Mid week, my oldest son and his fiancé went to the beach and were gone all day. So it was just my youngest and me for most of the day. I am ashamed to say…..I was spiritually lazy! And physically lazy. All I did was lounge around eating junk food watching old TV shows all day. I turned off my phone, did not look at Facebook, I did not talk to anyone….What a waste!

The next day the Lord took care of that for me in a rebuke. My oldest son and his fiancé left the next morning. After saying goodbye, I eagerly ate my breakfast in preparation to be with my Lord. I talked with the server and told her I would pray for the needs she had shared with me. After seeing my sweet husband off, I took my coffee to my room.

I hopped on the elevator with two kids. “Hi” I said to them. Then asked, “Are ya’ll here on vacation?” I smiled in expectation of a yes answer. The girl looked to be about 7 and the boy about 5.

Here came the rebuke… the girl answered, “No my mom has cancer and we are here for her treatment.” The elevator doors opened and they exited before I could form a reply.

Wow! Was I ever rebuked! I had been lazy the day before, I wondered at what opportunities I had missed! God convicted me that it is not okay to spend my time on myself. I do not get to eat what I want, watch what I want, ignore people, ignore responsibility. I negated my time with the Lord for a TV show….and did not pray for anyone.

I had valid excuses..... we don’t have tv connections at home so this was a treat…..I rarely ever do this….. I’m getting into my son’s world….can’t I just indulge once….. I could be doing worse things….on and on the excuses went!

What emptiness, what hollowness I ended up with at the end of the day. I had helped no one, but myself (if you can call that help), I prayed for no one, I invested in no one…..

I had indeed forgotten my focus!

So, with the words of that little girl still echoing in my ears…..I went to my room, now vacant except for me…and got on my face before my Abba and cried out to Him! I worshipped Him, I read His words to me….I prayed many of them. I prayed…..and prayed….and prayed some more. Oh how I missed being with Him.

I was reminded my focus needs to be about His Kingdom….His righteousness and then I will have the right focus for the day. I had gotten so wrapped up in my day, my family, my vacation, my laziness. All the while there were real hurts going on. Lives that hung in the balance…

I was reminded to refocus….we are here for others…to show the Love of God to others. No matter where you are, don’t forget there are others, in the “trenches” of real hard situations.

Don’t miss the opportunities God has for you!