Today I was reminded of 24 years ago when my husband and I first began praying together. We didn't start our marriage that way. In fact we were married just under a year when we starting really praying together.
It happened one night after my husband came home from his insurance sales job, before he became a firefighter. He said he had something important to tell me. He explained how he had seen a vehicle accident happen right in front of him. He thought of my young cousin who had just been killed in a car accident (we had sang together at his funeral just a few weeks prior) and thought about how quickly things could happen. Pulling the car off the road, he prayed and rededicated his life to the Lord.
Soon we began praying together. We had our own prayer list and would get it out every night, kneel down by our bed and pray for people and situations close to our hearts. As I became huge with a baby bump (or baby mountain!) we continued to kneel by our bed every night and pray. I still remember how it felt getting up and down with that belly full of love. I so much treasure all of these sweet memories!
As I thought about that time, I thought about the old Bible we kept our prayer list in. It was falling apart and had been put away but I just had to get it out and see if I could find the list. So far I haven't found the list I've found other interesting things. I never realized how many seemingly obscure passages I had underlined in that old Bible. For example: Habakkuk 2:3 "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries wait for it. For it will certainly come, it will not delay." I love that! How many times do we give up because things didn't happen as quickly as we thought they should? This promise tells us it WILL happen! Just wait!
I also found several notes and poems I had written and even a cute card made by one of our kids. One of the poems I found was called doesn't have a title written on it but I'm thinking I intended to call it 'The Potter' or something like that. It was written during a particular difficult time in our lives on May 27, 1997 between 1:10AM and 1:25AM and was, beyond a shadow of a doubt, inspired by the Holy Spirit. The paper it was written on is now frayed and curled around the edges. It goes like this:
The Potter made a vessel
But said alone it's not complete.
So He created another
For him a help meet.
He declared this union Holy
and began to bless them so.
He added to them smaller ones.
More love for them He showed.
So long as the vessels
Were by the Potter used
He continued blessing them
Keeping them like new.
But when one of the vessels
left the Potters hand,
It became cracked and chipped
By the hands of man.
The other vessels
Were scared too,
When this one went astray.
They felt so alone
And asked the Potter what to do and say.
The Potter told them to trusts in Him and
He would care for them.
And someday soon that broken vessel
Would be whole again.
For the Potter does not make things
That cannot be repaired.
Though that vessel strayed away,
It was still in His care.
He'll make that vessel whole again.
He'll make it like brand new.
He'll heal that vessel family.
He'll heal them for His use.
I love the message God gave me in that poem! He is the Potter, we are the clay. When the Potter makes something, does He make it so that it will be lop-sided, ugly and of no use to Him? No! He makes everything beautiful and useful! Otherwise it's just a waste of His time.
What are you going thru that you think God can't fix? He is your Potter! You are His clay! He made you. Like the old saying goes, "God doesn't make junk"! We are the ones who make bad choices that cause us to break and hurt others. Satan tempts us and we have the choice to follow him or obey our Maker.
God's Word tells us repeatedly how He forgives, restores, makes new. Luke 15:4-7 is written in red so that means it's Jesus talking. He is talking about the shepherd (Jesus) having 100 sheep (we are His sheep) and one goes astray. He leaves the 99 to find the one sheep who has strayed. When He finds that sheep He picks it up and carries it on His shoulder rejoicing! Then He tells everyone how happy He is that He found His lost sheep. He rejoices! Jesus said (verse 7) "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." Wow!!!!!! Heaven rejoices more over that one person who has gone astray, repents and returns than it does over those who never stray! How amazing is that!!!!! The angels, the Lord, all of Heaven rejoices when we return to Him! He doesn't shun us. He doesn't remind us of what we did. HE REJOICES!!!!!!!!
So just what have you done that you think God can't forgive, repair, restore and use? God says NOTHING! He WILL forgive! He WILL restore! He WILL repair! He WILL use you in a mighty way! Are your ears open to the call of your Shepherd? He's calling you now. He knows your name. He knows everything you've done. And He will forgive, forget and restore. Do you hear Him calling you? He is..........
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Friday, June 20, 2014
Ok Let's Talk About It
Might as well talk about it. I mean, why not? Many years ago it would have been a taboo subject, only spoken of in whispers. Now celebrities do it on TV even! So just what are we talking about? The colonoscopy of course! What did your think I meant anyway?
Recently I was watching an episode of the now syndicated sit-com "My Wife and Kids". Michael Kyle's doctor suggested he have a colonoscopy. Michael did everything he could to get out of it. Finally, for his family, he gave in. The night before, while sitting in bed watching his wife eat leftovers from dinner, Michael was downing a gallon of "go lightly"(Golytely). That night Michael dreamed about his procedure. As he lay on the operating table, the lights suddenly changed to make the room appear like a club. Music started and the doctor came into the room. The doctor was Lou Rawls singing "You'll Never Find". I just couldn't help but compare this to my own experience just two days prior.
While Michael Kyle's experience was for a laugh, I have to say, there was a lot of reality mixed in. What they didn't talk about was that you have to start preparing a week in advance. There is a huge list of drugs you can't take including everything I normally take for a headache. Now I'm not a wimp but UGH! Then the real fun begins. Since my procedure was on a Monday, my last 'solid' food was a bland bowl of oatmeal chased by a chocolate slim fast before 8 am Sunday. I was able to eat popcicles and jello but only certain colors. And I am not a fan of either.
When the time came to drink the prep, it really wasn't that bad. Neither was the 32 ounces of water that had to immediately follow the 16 ounces of prep. Then six hours later I had to repeat the process. It was a lot worse the second time. You would think they could make that stuff taste better. I mean, you are preparing to experience something completely humiliating. Surely they could come up with something that tastes at least a little pleasant.
I know I had crazy dreams when I finally went to sleep but I know I didn't dream about Lou Rawls being my singing doctor. I did have some singing after we got there though. While we waited, my husband first entertained me by playing videos on his phone. Everything from old love songs to the Osmonds performing "One Bad Apple" (yes he's a fan after our Donny and Marie concert last December). But one song he just couldn't resist as I waited for my procedure. He sang it over and over. Conway Twitty's "I can tell you've never been this far before." Not sure why he thought this was funny. And the other people in the waiting area were looking at us like we were crazy teenagers. Of course, compared to most of them we were practically teenagers!
Once we finally got called back, the nurse asked a long list of questions and gave instructions. With blood pressure rising, the last phase of preparation began. In came a second nurse. This one was a hoot! She told stories of other patients including one about a man she was questioning to see if he had been sufficiently prepared before coming to the clinic. Unable to get a straight answer from him, she asked him if she put a newspaper in the bottom of the toilet and he used the bathroom, would he be able to read the newspaper afterwards. His response....."If it was large print I would." She told how she met and married her husband in only 11 days and about the crazy stuff they had gone thru in their 40 years together. Her husband even had a pickup truck not unlike my husband's truck PT (precious truck) and her husband wouldn't let her drive his truck either! Who would have guessed that there was another husband out there with his own PT.
Oh and, I guess they are used to having 'old' married couples come in because we were asked repeatedly how long we had been married. I don't know how many times we were asked that question but it was kinda neat to get to answer "almost 25 years". I'm guessing they have other couples come in who have a whole lot more years under their belts though.
After the IV was started, donned in my cap, gown, goofy hospital socks, covered with a nice warm blanket and getting my goodbye kisses from hubby, off I was taken to the procedure area....where I was wheeled into a supply closet! With only my feet sticking out in the hallway, I waited. And waited. Then the anesthesiologist talked to me briefly. And I waited. While I waited, I thought about taking a nap but I guess I've watched too much TV or something because I was afraid that if I fell asleep someone might just take me for dead and I would wake up in the morgue. So I stayed awake a made sure I kept moving my feet so people would know I was alive.
While I lay there shaking my feet and singing "I can tell you've never been this far before" in my head, I watched a young woman cleaning the lovely instruments used for the procedures and wondered just how clean they actually were and why on earth anyone would want such a job. I mean, well, at least a doctor gets paid well. But the one cleaning the instruments. Yuck. Hmmm....actually it's yucky all the way around. Who in their right mind would choose to work in that field?
I watched patient after patient, sleeping like babies but with lots of wrinkles on their faces and bald or gray heads covered with surgical, being wheeled by on their way to recovery. Finally it was my turn. After discussing IRAs with the anesthesiologist, he told me that I would be asleep in about 10 seconds. I was never so glad to go to sleep in my life. Next thing I knew I was awake in recovery and I heard someone say my husband's name just before he appeared around the corner. I was wide awake and wondering what had happened to my surgical cap. Everyone I had seen go by as I waited my turn for the procedure still had their surgical cap on. I'm glad they took it off because it wasn't very becoming. But who took it off and did they arrange my hair in a flattering manner around my face so that I would look nice as I slept?
Thankfully recovery was quick and we were soon on our way to get a huge chocolate shake to share. What I had originally labeled the dumbest thing I had ever let myself be talked in to was over. Unfortunately I was told I would need another in 5 years instead of the usual 10. By then maybe the prep stuff will taste better or they will have discovered a less invasive way to check out the colon. Yeah right..........
Recently I was watching an episode of the now syndicated sit-com "My Wife and Kids". Michael Kyle's doctor suggested he have a colonoscopy. Michael did everything he could to get out of it. Finally, for his family, he gave in. The night before, while sitting in bed watching his wife eat leftovers from dinner, Michael was downing a gallon of "go lightly"(Golytely). That night Michael dreamed about his procedure. As he lay on the operating table, the lights suddenly changed to make the room appear like a club. Music started and the doctor came into the room. The doctor was Lou Rawls singing "You'll Never Find". I just couldn't help but compare this to my own experience just two days prior.
While Michael Kyle's experience was for a laugh, I have to say, there was a lot of reality mixed in. What they didn't talk about was that you have to start preparing a week in advance. There is a huge list of drugs you can't take including everything I normally take for a headache. Now I'm not a wimp but UGH! Then the real fun begins. Since my procedure was on a Monday, my last 'solid' food was a bland bowl of oatmeal chased by a chocolate slim fast before 8 am Sunday. I was able to eat popcicles and jello but only certain colors. And I am not a fan of either.
When the time came to drink the prep, it really wasn't that bad. Neither was the 32 ounces of water that had to immediately follow the 16 ounces of prep. Then six hours later I had to repeat the process. It was a lot worse the second time. You would think they could make that stuff taste better. I mean, you are preparing to experience something completely humiliating. Surely they could come up with something that tastes at least a little pleasant.
I know I had crazy dreams when I finally went to sleep but I know I didn't dream about Lou Rawls being my singing doctor. I did have some singing after we got there though. While we waited, my husband first entertained me by playing videos on his phone. Everything from old love songs to the Osmonds performing "One Bad Apple" (yes he's a fan after our Donny and Marie concert last December). But one song he just couldn't resist as I waited for my procedure. He sang it over and over. Conway Twitty's "I can tell you've never been this far before." Not sure why he thought this was funny. And the other people in the waiting area were looking at us like we were crazy teenagers. Of course, compared to most of them we were practically teenagers!
Once we finally got called back, the nurse asked a long list of questions and gave instructions. With blood pressure rising, the last phase of preparation began. In came a second nurse. This one was a hoot! She told stories of other patients including one about a man she was questioning to see if he had been sufficiently prepared before coming to the clinic. Unable to get a straight answer from him, she asked him if she put a newspaper in the bottom of the toilet and he used the bathroom, would he be able to read the newspaper afterwards. His response....."If it was large print I would." She told how she met and married her husband in only 11 days and about the crazy stuff they had gone thru in their 40 years together. Her husband even had a pickup truck not unlike my husband's truck PT (precious truck) and her husband wouldn't let her drive his truck either! Who would have guessed that there was another husband out there with his own PT.
Oh and, I guess they are used to having 'old' married couples come in because we were asked repeatedly how long we had been married. I don't know how many times we were asked that question but it was kinda neat to get to answer "almost 25 years". I'm guessing they have other couples come in who have a whole lot more years under their belts though.
After the IV was started, donned in my cap, gown, goofy hospital socks, covered with a nice warm blanket and getting my goodbye kisses from hubby, off I was taken to the procedure area....where I was wheeled into a supply closet! With only my feet sticking out in the hallway, I waited. And waited. Then the anesthesiologist talked to me briefly. And I waited. While I waited, I thought about taking a nap but I guess I've watched too much TV or something because I was afraid that if I fell asleep someone might just take me for dead and I would wake up in the morgue. So I stayed awake a made sure I kept moving my feet so people would know I was alive.
While I lay there shaking my feet and singing "I can tell you've never been this far before" in my head, I watched a young woman cleaning the lovely instruments used for the procedures and wondered just how clean they actually were and why on earth anyone would want such a job. I mean, well, at least a doctor gets paid well. But the one cleaning the instruments. Yuck. Hmmm....actually it's yucky all the way around. Who in their right mind would choose to work in that field?
I watched patient after patient, sleeping like babies but with lots of wrinkles on their faces and bald or gray heads covered with surgical, being wheeled by on their way to recovery. Finally it was my turn. After discussing IRAs with the anesthesiologist, he told me that I would be asleep in about 10 seconds. I was never so glad to go to sleep in my life. Next thing I knew I was awake in recovery and I heard someone say my husband's name just before he appeared around the corner. I was wide awake and wondering what had happened to my surgical cap. Everyone I had seen go by as I waited my turn for the procedure still had their surgical cap on. I'm glad they took it off because it wasn't very becoming. But who took it off and did they arrange my hair in a flattering manner around my face so that I would look nice as I slept?
Thankfully recovery was quick and we were soon on our way to get a huge chocolate shake to share. What I had originally labeled the dumbest thing I had ever let myself be talked in to was over. Unfortunately I was told I would need another in 5 years instead of the usual 10. By then maybe the prep stuff will taste better or they will have discovered a less invasive way to check out the colon. Yeah right..........
Monday, June 16, 2014
Beauty
It's a beautiful Monday afternoon and I'm relaxing with my husband and 23 year old son. No work for me today. I took the day off. Not for fun. But for a medical procedure. An old person medical procedure. This morning I had a colonoscopy.
Now I know what you're thinking. First, why is this blog entry titled "Beauty" when it begins with a colonoscopy? And, you're thinking I'm too young to have a colonoscopy. Well I will get to the beauty part soon. And I agree that I'm too young, but the doctor has encouraged me to get one for a couple of years so I finally gave in. Bright and early this morning, hubby and I headed to the clinic for this lovely procedure. He was his usual lighthearted, fun loving self who tends to have a good time no matter the situation. And I was an unusually calm patient. Maybe it was because, after 25 years, I've gotten used to my husband having a good time and finally decided to embrace his attitude. Maybe it was because I was just ready to get the procedure over.
While preparing for the colonoscopy the last day or so, my mind has gone back to a procedure my dad had about a year and a half or so ago. Since I was on vacation that day, I went to the clinic to see how things went. While back in post-op with him (which was a trip in itself. If you've never been 'backstage' after a bunch of people have had colonoscopies, well you'll just have to imagine the sounds!) I begin noticing the patients being wheeled by, asleep on their left sides. One woman in particular caught my attention. I'm guessing she was in her 70s, maybe 80s. Hospital gown. Asleep with no idea what was going on around her. But she had her hair done and her makeup on. There she was, about to be told to wake up and pass gas, but she had made sure she looked nice!
Beauty. Billions of dollars are spent on it every year. We hear "beauty is only skin deep" and "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Solomon, in describing his bride, said "How beautiful your sandaled feet, oh prince's daughter! Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of an artist's hands......How beautiful you are and how pleasing, my love with your delights!" Pretty much the entire book of Song of Solomon is a tribute to love and beauty. Could it be that Solomon and his bride were in love and they were looking at each other thru the eyes of love? Probably.
I don't know of any woman who doesn't want to be told she is beautiful. Is that wrong? The Bible tells us that we are not to let our beauty be from jewelry and braided hair (1 Peter 3:3). We are not to be vain. Yet God placed within us the desire to be beautiful. At least beautiful to someone. A bride is surrounded by bridesmaids who tend to her needs, preparing her to be beautiful for her groom. She gets her hair done and paints her face, shops for the perfect dress, fusses over the details and walks down the isle to her groom, all so she can see the look on his face when he sees his bride.
Yet all our lives we are told not to worry about how we look. I recently read that at 16 we can take no credit for our beauty. But being beautiful at 60, that's different. As we get older we realize that true beauty does come from within. And as I've gotten older (no I'm not 60!) I've been told more often that I'm pretty. I don't know why. I never really considered myself pretty. But I won't deny that I enjoy being told that I am! I believe getting older definitely makes you feel better in your own skin and that's a beauty all it's own. But I do believe that, more importantly, I'm learning to be more of a vessel for God's use. And I hope that's the real beauty people see in me.
Now I know what you're thinking. First, why is this blog entry titled "Beauty" when it begins with a colonoscopy? And, you're thinking I'm too young to have a colonoscopy. Well I will get to the beauty part soon. And I agree that I'm too young, but the doctor has encouraged me to get one for a couple of years so I finally gave in. Bright and early this morning, hubby and I headed to the clinic for this lovely procedure. He was his usual lighthearted, fun loving self who tends to have a good time no matter the situation. And I was an unusually calm patient. Maybe it was because, after 25 years, I've gotten used to my husband having a good time and finally decided to embrace his attitude. Maybe it was because I was just ready to get the procedure over.
While preparing for the colonoscopy the last day or so, my mind has gone back to a procedure my dad had about a year and a half or so ago. Since I was on vacation that day, I went to the clinic to see how things went. While back in post-op with him (which was a trip in itself. If you've never been 'backstage' after a bunch of people have had colonoscopies, well you'll just have to imagine the sounds!) I begin noticing the patients being wheeled by, asleep on their left sides. One woman in particular caught my attention. I'm guessing she was in her 70s, maybe 80s. Hospital gown. Asleep with no idea what was going on around her. But she had her hair done and her makeup on. There she was, about to be told to wake up and pass gas, but she had made sure she looked nice!
Beauty. Billions of dollars are spent on it every year. We hear "beauty is only skin deep" and "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Solomon, in describing his bride, said "How beautiful your sandaled feet, oh prince's daughter! Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of an artist's hands......How beautiful you are and how pleasing, my love with your delights!" Pretty much the entire book of Song of Solomon is a tribute to love and beauty. Could it be that Solomon and his bride were in love and they were looking at each other thru the eyes of love? Probably.
I don't know of any woman who doesn't want to be told she is beautiful. Is that wrong? The Bible tells us that we are not to let our beauty be from jewelry and braided hair (1 Peter 3:3). We are not to be vain. Yet God placed within us the desire to be beautiful. At least beautiful to someone. A bride is surrounded by bridesmaids who tend to her needs, preparing her to be beautiful for her groom. She gets her hair done and paints her face, shops for the perfect dress, fusses over the details and walks down the isle to her groom, all so she can see the look on his face when he sees his bride.
Yet all our lives we are told not to worry about how we look. I recently read that at 16 we can take no credit for our beauty. But being beautiful at 60, that's different. As we get older we realize that true beauty does come from within. And as I've gotten older (no I'm not 60!) I've been told more often that I'm pretty. I don't know why. I never really considered myself pretty. But I won't deny that I enjoy being told that I am! I believe getting older definitely makes you feel better in your own skin and that's a beauty all it's own. But I do believe that, more importantly, I'm learning to be more of a vessel for God's use. And I hope that's the real beauty people see in me.
Monday, June 2, 2014
What I've Learned From Blogging
First of all, I think the term 'blogging' is really funny. Didn't we do that dance in public school music back in the 70's? Probably not but that's how my brain works. Blogging, clogging. Which reminds me that we had to have the plumber at our house again recently. Anyway, blog and blogging are funny words to me.
My original reason for blogging was to archive family events and leave something for my kids after I'm gone. Because I usually have a short attention span, writing an entire book was just out of the question. And because I consider myself somewhat of a comedian at times, I also thought blogging might be an outlet for my comedic creativity. I mean, people laugh at me all the time. Of course it might not be because I'm funny though....
While not everyone is interested in what I have to say (that's ok....I'm not always interested in what they have to say either) I have had some very nice comments on my blog. I'm sure not everyone who reads it enjoys every blog I write. I can't even say I would read some of them a second time myself. But I am surprised that I have had several thousand views already.
Something I didn't realize, I can actually tell where my views are coming from! The countries that have checked in are the Ukraine, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, the UK, France, Germany, Malaysia and of course the United States and Canada. But I can also see what social media or search engine brought the reader to my blog, what browser they use and their operating system they use (android thru Facebook, iPhone thru twitter, iPad that keeps my blog open at all times). Sometimes I even know who is reading my blog. Now that has been an eye opener and kinda fun information to have at times.
While I know there are some really sweet readers who have told me they are touched by my blog, I know there are some who read it so they can make fun of me. Seriously. That bothered me at first. Now I find it flattering in a sense. I've considered the source and it's the devil who deceives and uses them. The sad thing is, when someone reads my blog with intent to make fun of me etc, the devil leading them is actually making their lives miserable. Really really a sad thing. I pray for them. They need Jesus so badly.
The best part of blogging is that I get to tell of God's love for us. Knowing Jesus is the best part of life is amazing but now I get to share it with my readers. Living every moment for Him is something I want to experience and share. Enjoying this life He has given us instead of letting circumstances rule us is a goal I have and want to encourage readers to have as well. Sharing truth. The most important thing is sharing truth. The Word tells us in John 8:32 "and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free". My little blog about my family has turned into a way to convey the truth of God's love for us. Truth? Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). I blog about the Truth. I know the Truth! I have the Truth living in me and I want to share Him with you. Do you know Him? Would you like to?
My original reason for blogging was to archive family events and leave something for my kids after I'm gone. Because I usually have a short attention span, writing an entire book was just out of the question. And because I consider myself somewhat of a comedian at times, I also thought blogging might be an outlet for my comedic creativity. I mean, people laugh at me all the time. Of course it might not be because I'm funny though....
While not everyone is interested in what I have to say (that's ok....I'm not always interested in what they have to say either) I have had some very nice comments on my blog. I'm sure not everyone who reads it enjoys every blog I write. I can't even say I would read some of them a second time myself. But I am surprised that I have had several thousand views already.
Something I didn't realize, I can actually tell where my views are coming from! The countries that have checked in are the Ukraine, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, the UK, France, Germany, Malaysia and of course the United States and Canada. But I can also see what social media or search engine brought the reader to my blog, what browser they use and their operating system they use (android thru Facebook, iPhone thru twitter, iPad that keeps my blog open at all times). Sometimes I even know who is reading my blog. Now that has been an eye opener and kinda fun information to have at times.
While I know there are some really sweet readers who have told me they are touched by my blog, I know there are some who read it so they can make fun of me. Seriously. That bothered me at first. Now I find it flattering in a sense. I've considered the source and it's the devil who deceives and uses them. The sad thing is, when someone reads my blog with intent to make fun of me etc, the devil leading them is actually making their lives miserable. Really really a sad thing. I pray for them. They need Jesus so badly.
The best part of blogging is that I get to tell of God's love for us. Knowing Jesus is the best part of life is amazing but now I get to share it with my readers. Living every moment for Him is something I want to experience and share. Enjoying this life He has given us instead of letting circumstances rule us is a goal I have and want to encourage readers to have as well. Sharing truth. The most important thing is sharing truth. The Word tells us in John 8:32 "and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free". My little blog about my family has turned into a way to convey the truth of God's love for us. Truth? Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). I blog about the Truth. I know the Truth! I have the Truth living in me and I want to share Him with you. Do you know Him? Would you like to?
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Cha-Cha-Changes
Do you like changes? Some people do. Some don't. Some changes we kinda control. Some changes seem to control us. Like the saying goes though, change is inevitable.
I don't know if you've read my blog about our weeping willow tree or not, but our beautiful willow went thru some changes recently. Just for a recap, 13 years ago I got a willow tree for Mother's Day. We planted it. Watered it. Took care of it. Made it the backdrop of Mother's Day pictures every year since that first year. It was recently the backdrop of our youngest child's, and only daughter's, high school graduation photos. I kinda feel like that tree is a part of our family. Back in the winter it was decorated for Christmas when an ice storm hit. We beat the ice off the limbs with brooms and tennis rackets in an effort to save it. Our willow suffered greatly and we didn't know if it would even survive. But today it is absolutely gorgeous! Without the storm though, we wouldn't have had it professionally taken care of and gotten it trimmed up and healthy looking. While watching our sweet tree under the weight of the ice was difficult, it brought about changes that have been very beneficial and made it even more beautiful.
Speaking of our daughter's graduation, wow. I can't believe it. My baby! Just yesterday I took her to her first day of kindergarten! She was this tiny girl with big brown eyes who was ready to take on the world! Today she is a young woman who will soon leave for college and still ready to take on the world. She thinks she is ready for this change. I don't think I am. But I don't have a choice about this. Change will be good. Right? I hope.
We live in Arkansas. The weather changes constantly. The saying goes, if you don't like the weather, hang on. It's going to change. In the spring we may have snow and ice one day, and record warm weather the next. I was able to spend time working in the yard this weekend. More specifically I worked on the pool. Of course it was raining one minute and sunny the next. But I made a lot of progress. And it's always fun when the seasons change and we can open the pool.
Someone who never changes....God. He is always the same. We can depend on that. He does cause change for us though. Have you ever gone thru difficulties? How did you react to the problems? Did you blame others? Did you make excuses? Or did you ask God what to do? When someone hurts us, we have a tendency to lash back. But I'm learning that's not what God wants us to do. It's so tempting to hurt back. God says that's His job though. He will take care of that other person in His own way. It has taken me a very long time (almost 53 years!) to learn to leave it all to Him.
But what does that mean for me? Does God really just want me to sit there and wait while He changes the other person? No. He has a purpose in my pain. I am learning to not be so quick to react to the circumstances. I am learning to ask God what He wants to change in me. Funny....many many years ago I even wrote a song entitled "Lord Change Me". I don't think I knew what that meant back then. But I'm learning not to ask God to do something unless I really want Him to do it.
So many times we ask God to change a situation for us. Then when things don't go just like we think they should and when change doesn't happen as quickly as we want, we decide God isn't answering our prayers. Thing is, if we know Him, if we belong to Him, He is answering our prayers. He just does it in His time. Which is always the right time. We just get too anxious for immediate change.
Psalm 30:11-12 says "You have changed my sorrow into dancing. You have taken away my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. You wanted me to praise You and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise You forever!" He changed David's sorrow into dancing. He removed David's sackcloth (his clothing of mourning) and clothed him in joy. How did David react? He praised the Lord! Did David learn anything? Yes. He learned to let God change him. (Psalm 51, for example, was David's plea for change.) And He praised God just as He should have.
Do you want your sorrow changed into dancing? Trust God. Do you want released from your past? Trust God and ask Him for forgiveness. He will change you from the old you to a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 confirms this: "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." Now that's change! Do you know Him? Do you want to?
I don't know if you've read my blog about our weeping willow tree or not, but our beautiful willow went thru some changes recently. Just for a recap, 13 years ago I got a willow tree for Mother's Day. We planted it. Watered it. Took care of it. Made it the backdrop of Mother's Day pictures every year since that first year. It was recently the backdrop of our youngest child's, and only daughter's, high school graduation photos. I kinda feel like that tree is a part of our family. Back in the winter it was decorated for Christmas when an ice storm hit. We beat the ice off the limbs with brooms and tennis rackets in an effort to save it. Our willow suffered greatly and we didn't know if it would even survive. But today it is absolutely gorgeous! Without the storm though, we wouldn't have had it professionally taken care of and gotten it trimmed up and healthy looking. While watching our sweet tree under the weight of the ice was difficult, it brought about changes that have been very beneficial and made it even more beautiful.
Speaking of our daughter's graduation, wow. I can't believe it. My baby! Just yesterday I took her to her first day of kindergarten! She was this tiny girl with big brown eyes who was ready to take on the world! Today she is a young woman who will soon leave for college and still ready to take on the world. She thinks she is ready for this change. I don't think I am. But I don't have a choice about this. Change will be good. Right? I hope.
We live in Arkansas. The weather changes constantly. The saying goes, if you don't like the weather, hang on. It's going to change. In the spring we may have snow and ice one day, and record warm weather the next. I was able to spend time working in the yard this weekend. More specifically I worked on the pool. Of course it was raining one minute and sunny the next. But I made a lot of progress. And it's always fun when the seasons change and we can open the pool.
Someone who never changes....God. He is always the same. We can depend on that. He does cause change for us though. Have you ever gone thru difficulties? How did you react to the problems? Did you blame others? Did you make excuses? Or did you ask God what to do? When someone hurts us, we have a tendency to lash back. But I'm learning that's not what God wants us to do. It's so tempting to hurt back. God says that's His job though. He will take care of that other person in His own way. It has taken me a very long time (almost 53 years!) to learn to leave it all to Him.
But what does that mean for me? Does God really just want me to sit there and wait while He changes the other person? No. He has a purpose in my pain. I am learning to not be so quick to react to the circumstances. I am learning to ask God what He wants to change in me. Funny....many many years ago I even wrote a song entitled "Lord Change Me". I don't think I knew what that meant back then. But I'm learning not to ask God to do something unless I really want Him to do it.
So many times we ask God to change a situation for us. Then when things don't go just like we think they should and when change doesn't happen as quickly as we want, we decide God isn't answering our prayers. Thing is, if we know Him, if we belong to Him, He is answering our prayers. He just does it in His time. Which is always the right time. We just get too anxious for immediate change.
Psalm 30:11-12 says "You have changed my sorrow into dancing. You have taken away my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. You wanted me to praise You and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise You forever!" He changed David's sorrow into dancing. He removed David's sackcloth (his clothing of mourning) and clothed him in joy. How did David react? He praised the Lord! Did David learn anything? Yes. He learned to let God change him. (Psalm 51, for example, was David's plea for change.) And He praised God just as He should have.
Do you want your sorrow changed into dancing? Trust God. Do you want released from your past? Trust God and ask Him for forgiveness. He will change you from the old you to a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 confirms this: "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." Now that's change! Do you know Him? Do you want to?
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