Radical Has to be The New Normal

There are people all around us who are struggling, hurting physically, emotionally, and spiritually starving for answers, and we don't need to look farther than across the street, in the grocery line, a school hallway, or cubicle at work to find them.

AnnVoskamp, author of the life-changing book, One Thousand Gifts, reminds us of all we've been given as one being born in America in her blog, A Holy Experience. For those of us who've seen such disparity in other parts of our world it's often difficult to understand why a good and holy God allows it.

Having been to Africa and seen the poorest of the poor humbles a person, and seeing such suffering in unspeakable conditions wrenches the heart, yet I was consistently astounded by the visible hope and joy in Jesus these beautiful children and women exhibited each day. Hope and joy in nothing but Jesus, and in that, having everything.

Author and activist, Shane Claiborne, said it well when he wrote:

Over and over, when I ask God how all these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I feel His Spirit whisper to me, 'You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet.

God entrusted us, His church, to do His work here on earth - to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a world filled with empty, and He commands us in Matthew 28:16-20 to go out and make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in His name.

Reading Ann Voskamp's words written while sharing Jesus in Africa's slums reminded me of what we're to be about during our very short time on this earth:

You've got to use the life you've been given to give others life.  If your life isn't about giving relief - you don't get real life.

("What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?"  Mark 8:36 (NIV))

You have got to use your position inside the gate for those outside the gate - or you're in the position of loosing everything.  There are a thousand ways to be the living dead.  If you have food in your fridge, any clothes in your closet, any small roof , rented or owned, over your head, you are richer than 75% of the rest of the world.
We are the Esthers living inside the palace. If you have anything saved in the bank, any bills in your wallet, any spare change in a jar, you are one of the top 8% wealthiest people in the world. We are the Esthers living inside the gate.  If you can read these words right now, you have a gift 3 billion people right now don't, if your stomach isn't twisted in hunger pangs, you have a gift that 1 billion people right now don't, if you know Christ, you have a gift that untold millions right now don't. WE ARE THE ONES LIVING INSIDE THE GATE.  It's like you can hear the cry of the red soil of Africa's pulsing right here with the heart of God: YOU HAVE GOT TO USE YOUR POSITION INSIDE THE GATE
FOR THOSE OUTSIDE THE GATE - OR YOU"RE IN THE POSITION OF LOOSING EVERYTHING -OF LOOSING YOUR SOUL.
You are where you are for such a time as this - not to gain anything - but to risk everything.  You are where you are for such a time as this- not to make an impression - but to make a difference.

You could have been the one outside the gate. You could have been the one with the Lord's resistance Army slitting your child's throat in the middle of the night, you could have been the one born into a slum, rapes without hope, you could have been the one born into AIDS, into starvation, into l;ives of wild Christ-less desperation.  The reason you are inside the gate for such a time as this - is to risk your life for those outside the gate.  If I perish, I perish.  

Radical has to be the Christian's new normal, that radical isn't radical but the regular to the disciple of Christ, and what if we're all fooling ourselves with the American Dream instead of waking up to the Christian Reality and His Kingdom Come?

God forgive.

God forgive all the lukewarm blood.

Lately, God has been impressing upon my heart and mind what I'm to be about in the right here and now time of my life.  Our time here is so very short - a dash.

I don't want to waste the dash I've been given.  I want to live a life that pleases God in every stage of existence - to be used for His purpose.

People all around us are hurting, struggling, starving physically and spiritually in a decaying world.

God asks, "Where is my church?"

Please God, convict our hearts to be about doing the desires of yours, wherever and whatever that looks like in such a time as this.


______________________________________________________
my life ETERNITY ....ETERNITY ....ETERNITY ....ETERNITY .... ETERNITY .... ETERNITY...

What will you do with your dash?

MOM 2 MOM: Can You Hear It?

Life will always have its share of puddles!  And there isn't a mom in this world who hasn't had to dodge them, plow through them, and often come out muddied from battle.  YOU ARE NOT ALONE! God is working for you and sends his mightiest angels to fight on your behalf - no matter how small or how big the war.  He will always be your solid ground in a world filled with potholes.

This morning God impressed upon my heart to share words of encouragement with several precious moms I have the privilege of mentoring - one whose daughter is the receiver of hurtful words and actions by a girl who has learned to manipulate and deceive.  Know the mother, know the child. Her behavior has been learned by example, and God will deal with it! Because his justice is just.  He has a way of getting our attention!

Another mom is trusting in God's strength to be courageous in dealing with verbal abuse and mental instability from the former father of her children; while a third mom seeks boldness and God's intervention in standing firm during times of verbal attacks and vindictive behavior by extended family members.

Constant prayer is penetrating through the darkness giving each mom heavenly insight and wisdom that is helping in very visible ways. God continues to bring people along their path who are doing good on their behalf and are on the battle lines with them.  

If we refuse to tire of doing what is good and what is right, if we remain steadfast and obedient to God, he deals with the words and actions of others.  He hears your battle cries and renews your strength! And as an added bonus, he's promises to never give us more than we can handle without bringing in reinforcements!

Jesus tells us his yoke is light and he is waiting for each of us to release our conflicts to him -  he's up all night anyway!

Surround yourself with people who dwell is what is good, and forget the bad - those who make you laugh and who refuse to let the world zap their joy, even when life turns sour.
My grandma used to say,"Hang out with the cherry tomatoes, and be in prayer for the radishes!" 

I was given an amazing song cd by one of my moms yesterday, and as I listened to it this morning, one sung by Kim Walker Smith pierced my heart! Honestly some of the most beautiful and worshipful lyrics I've heard!  Powerful!!

So I copied the song link below and hope those reading these words will listen...(early morning before the kids are up, or late at night after they're asleep ... or when you're alone in the bathtub! Are moms ever alone?!) 

Spirit Break Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj3XD4WVJzM 

Can you hear it mom?  The sound of heaven touching earth?  God's Spirit breaking out and heaven raining down! He's there in the puddles! He is with you now, with you always, and never forsakes you...          

Be strong and courageous ( through battle)  Do not be afraid; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Blessed to be on this journey with you!  Never lose heart mom ...you're in good company!

Going Crazy...Wanna' Come Along?!

Last Wednesday was filled with unexpected interruptions...not the fun kind, but the frustrating, pull-your-hair-out, grit -your-teeth kind!  My dryer decided to die mid-way through the morning...a second wash load had just finished the rinse cycle when it began making screeching sounds and then abruptly stopped...silent.

I realized late in the afternoon I'd forgotten lettuce for croissant sandwiches - a must for a perfect bite, so I made a mad dash to the store, getting back with just enough time to prepare the fixings and cut fresh fruit for arriving friends.

Rushing to clean out a refrigerator drawer of past due items, I managed to clog up the disposal with old coleslaw, (You'd think I'd know by now NOT to put it all down at once) and after several minutes of trying to plunge it down, the water level not descending, I knew I'd have to loosen the piping under the sink to find the clog!! UGH!! 

Tom would've done it with record speed, as he's done many times before, but he was in Atlanta, so I'd have to muster the courage to go it alone! I had one hour to find the clog and finish making dinner before my friends arrived--so taking everything out from beneath the sink( a major  feat!)  I set my big  turkey pan under the pipes to catch any water and began to unscrew the connectors, one pipe at a time.

So in a state of frustrated desperation, I began talking out loud:  "Lord, you know I'm totally deficient when it comes to fixing this kind os stuff, and I know you're in the small things, so please lead me to the pipe that holds the clog."

Within seconds one of the loosened u-shaped connectors simply popped, exposing the hollow opening, and I had complete confidence that if I could get my finger into it, I'd find a mangled mess of coleslaw lurking inside!  I was euphoric!! Talk about his amazing grace!
In no time, I had the coleslaw out, all the connectors tightened, everything put back under the sink, and the goo scrubbed clean with 15 minutes to spare!

A few minutes later my friends called saying the roads were getting icy and slick. Peering out the kitchen window, I was flabbergasted to see a blanket of fresh, deep snow!

"We're still a good hour away as traffic is crazy!"

"Don't  want you to be driving in this...it's really starting to come down here!  Just head for home, and stay warm!" I replied.

 After laying out my wet clothes from the washer in every nook and cranny available, I couldn't wait to get into my jams and enjoy a cup of steaming tea by the fireplace. I thought of what Alexander from one of my favorite children's books, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day would have said about this day:  "Some days are like that...even in Australia."

Praising through Disappointment

A friend of mine has been dealing with much hurt and disappointment in her life.  Trying to make sense of it has been difficult, and she has cried many tears in the last year.  


I've been following the blog of Joanne Heim, a beautiful woman of God who suffered a stroke on January 11th.  Thousands are praying for her and her family, and there has been much praise lifted up to our sovereign God these past weeks as she shows signs, however small, of coming back!  You will find much humor, wisdom, and inspiration in Joanne's words, and I encourage you to check out her blog at:  www.thesimplewife.typepad.com.


Her husband and friends continue to post updates on her blog daily regarding Joanne's condition. Several of her family and friends are posting some of their favorite past blogs which Joanne wrote, and today's blog spoke to my heart in a special way.  Joanne was speaking of a disappointment her oldest daughter experienced when a weekend  she had planned with a best friend didn't work out.  Her daughter tried to come up with all sorts of ways to make it happen-to force it to work out, desiring to take control over it.  


Joanne wrote how her daughter reminded her of herself--"trying to force things to fit when the answer is no and realizing that to force it means compromising what you really want." And then God laid something on her heart:  Praise for everything.  The bad as well as the good.   
She was reminded of a quote from one of her favorite books, Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard:  "For DISAPPOINTMENTS accepted with PRAISE always seem to turn into EXTRA-RADIANT BLESSINGS."
And in the book, Winged Life, by the same author, these quotes:
"The secret of the victorious Christian living...is to go through each day praising God for everything--the bad as well as the good." 
"Don't try to hold onto anything in this life, but willingly let go, in order to be able to receive new enrichment from the Lord."
"Everything that is willingly laid down into death will be raised to life again in some more glorious and perfect form."


We've all had times in our life when we were given the chance to put all these words into practice.  It's rarely easy, but God knows best. We have the choice to to praise in the midst of disappointment, and trust him for the outcome. Those things that appear to be seemingly bad to us are part of that best...God's good and perfect will, even when we don't see the whole picture!
In Joanne's words, "It is never hypocrisy to act as we earnestly desire to feel, even though the feeling may be very contrary at the time." 


I plan to share Joanne's words with my friend tonight.

Rewind...

I've been putting off converting twenty-some years of VHS tapes to DVD for too long!  So today I took the plunge--beginning with Christmas 1988.  
Watching our two boys at the age of eight and two and a half on Christmas morning brought an onslaught of emotions. I was aghast at how young Tom and I looked! 

As I made my way into 1989 and viewed one of Josh's basketball games, my motherly pride swelled as I watched him dribble with deft skill and make a basket for the "Green Hornets!"  My parents sat cheering on the sideline - both just about the same age I am now!

The emotional roller coaster ride I experienced was not what I'd expected.  My plan was to plow through at least a dozen by noon, and finish another twelve before dinner.  I was a train wreck by mid-day! 


The lyrics to the John Lennon song, "Beautiful Boy," came to mind as I continued to glimpse various moments in time: (How did they pass so quickly?) 

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."  

I yearned to place myself inside that video, push "re-do,"and re-live the minutes. Life is made up of moments that turn into hours and become days, and too many times as a mom, I missed it. 

If we aren't living in the present, in the here and now, we will miss it - those ordinary days that truly are extraordinary.

Our children are with us for such a short time.  What I would give to have one more day, one more hour with my boys. The cleaning and laundry and dishes will always be there, but our children will not. Seize the day!  Live in the moment before the moment's gone. Recognize the immeasurable worth of what's right in front of you!

Linger a bit longer as you tuck your kiddos into bed tonight and gaze back on those elfin faces as they sleep...tomorrow they'll be graduating high school and you'll be watching DVD's, longing to rewind!










 
     

If He does not...

For many years I've wanted to delve deep into the prophetic book of Daniel, as I yearn for Daniels' resolute faith & courage, and unwavering trust in God.  I've become more conscious of the Babylonian mentality in our world today...greediness, over indulgence, our obsession with aging, beauty, position, and wealth.  Through its reading, God has given me an awareness of my own Babylonian mindset which creeps in subtly in daily life!

This last week, I've been impacted by the stanch loyalty of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to God in intense times of trial. Most of us have experienced  times of testing in our life, and our Godly loyalty - our ability to stand firm in faith, deeply tested our character and convictions.   

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego  were thrown into the fiery furnace, they had already predetermined their loyalty to Jesus.Their resolve was firm; their integrity apparent no matter what the circumstance.  Everything they were on the inside was obvious from the outside.  

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king (Nebuchadnezzar).  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

They knew there would be one of three outcomes:  

God would deliver them from the fire, and their faith would be built.

God would deliver them through the fire, and their faith would be refined (proved genuine-1Peter 1:7)

Or...

God would deliver them by the fire into His arms, and their faith would be perfected!

They knew that any of the above three was a win/win situation! 

...the God we serve is able to save us from it (the fiery furnace), and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

I know that as we draw closer to the end times, my faith will be tested like never before, and it is my deepest desire that like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the last mention of my name would bring God fame!  Please Lord, may it be so!

 

Morning has broken

Mornings are my favorite time of the day!  Sitting out on our back patio this past summer has given me a keener knowledge of the wildlife all around me.  Surrounded with morning's quiet and nature's sounds, I've observed young crows learning the ins and outs of swooping down on their prey, woodpeckers with brilliant black feathers and clean white stripes hard at work pecking out beetles on the pine bark, a lone red tail fox darting into the woods with the first morning light, a doe with spotted fawns grazing in the tall grass, and squirrels and rabbits tromping through the grasses gathering food...always busy!

But this morning I was awed by the great pine trees that border the acreage behind our home -  here long before I was born (really old!). Grand and  majestic, there are several close by that have come together in pairs, as if they yearned for company! Each one forming an almost perfect half for the other, and yet together making one full, perfectly shaped whole. So much like two people coming together as one in marriage; each complimenting the other, making life full and complete!  Life is always reflected in the nature surrounding us, and this morning, God provided me with another beautiful example of harmony in his creation - in my own backyard!

Set apart

Lately, and more than a few times in these last months,  I have felt disconnected and detached, even among friends.  I've always been a leader; which has proved frustrating to me at various times throughout my life, and I've had only a handful of "like-minded" friends cross my life path. 

A good friend once shared with me that growing older and hopefully wiser has it's up side, and in these past months God has put me smack in the middle of several situations in which my perspective is definitely contrary to popular opinion!  I've been troubled by an attitude prevalent among believers that justifies worldly values and  compromises spiritual ones.

We're bound to face temptation in this life, simply by virtue of being human, yet so many of us suffer from temptations we should never have to endure, simply because we've refused to let God lift us to a higher level.
Temptation easily confuses us for a while- we don't know whether something is right or wrong.  We can't escape temptation- it's essential to the well-rounded life of a person, yet it constantly shifts our point-of-view and makes us lose what God has put into us through His Spirit.

As believers we have the idea that we should shield ourselves from some of the things God brings around us.  May this never be, as it is God who engineers our circumstances!  Whatever the circumstances, we must face them while continually abiding with Him in His temptations --temptations to the life of the Son of God in us.  Jesus' honor is at stake in our bodily lives.  

Yet what I've witnessed in recent years is a mind set that diminishes the circumstances God brings to us by deeming them harmless and nontoxic, when in reality they are an attack on His life in us! Temptation should never to be taken lightly, or dismissed as nondestructive.

Being in the world and not of the world  is what sets us apart.  God doesn't save us from temptation, but  He sustains us in the midst of it and grows us leaps and bounds in the process. Raising the standard as believers  sets us apart, in a world that would rather have us conform to the norm.

To such as these...

I witnessed the compassionate love of Jesus in one of my four/five-year-old  music classes today. One boy in the class, Christian, has been absent for several weeks. His dad is the new hitting coach for a Major League Baseball team, and so the family accompanied him to spring training.  For a four-year-old, coming back after many weeks of absence is hard--classrooms and classmates seem like strangers. 

As everyone chimed in, singing and moving to the music, Christian's eyes swelled with tears.  "I miss my mom," he sobbed.  

The petite figure standing next to him cuddled her tiny arms around his.  "It's alright, Christian.  It's hard coming back when you've been gone.  I cried when we had to leave my grandma's house to go home from vacation.  I know you miss your mom, but we're glad you're here,'cause we missed you. Do you want to sit down awhile?" Nodding yes through his sniffles, she guided him to a near-by chair, continuing to embrace him, as all gathered 'round to console.

And in that time-stopping moment, God's words came to mind, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."   

Leaving familiar surroundings for the unfamiliar is never easy for the big or the small.  There are times when we all need a little help from a friend.  And today, Jesus stepped in; personified in the diminutive form of a young girl.

I remember seeing a picture of Jesus smiling in one of our school offices.  Children were gathered around him, a few sitting on his lap. His face radiated joy as they clambered for his attention.  

I'm certain he was smiling like that today, watching "such as these" bring the kingdom of God to room 142.

Seventh Floor Angel

In second grade, my teacher was Mrs Sanford, and she cast me as the mother in our class play,  The Night Before Christmas.  My mom and I went shopping for the perfect night gown for my role, and I don't believe I've ever owned a more elegant one! It was creamy white with eyelet lace, and had alternate rows of pale pink satin ribbon woven throughout the bodice. Mock-pearl buttons dotted the front, stopping just above my waist, and I felt like Cinderella the moment I put it on! It was a dream gown for any eight year old girl, and I couldn't wait to show it off on opening night.

However, two weeks before my big debut, I was diagnosed with nephritis, and unbeknown to me, it was life threatening. The drive to St. Luke's Hospital that snow-white Colorado eve remains so vivid in my mind. My dad met us half-way after receiving mom's phone call, and carried me from the car into the entry way, setting me gently down in the prepared wheel chair. I'd lost a large amount of blood, and within moments I had a needle the size of my forearm inserted into a vein, with more fluids being pumped into my wee frame than I've ever had since.

Looking back, I don't remember any pain, and my courageous mom and dad hid theirs well. One or both remained by my side the entire stay, and they never once showed the slightest hint of distress in my presence, ever cheerful and optimistic.

I received the most amazing coloring roll from our next door neighbors, complete with a giant box of crayons, and classmates sent cards, letters, and pictures of the Christmas play which of course came and went with my best friend playing my role.

As siblings weren't allowed in any of the hospital rooms, my mom received the doctor's okay to visit with my sisters  in a small waiting area on the third floor.  The morning of their visit, my mom helped me don my new night gown, and weaved pink satin ribbon through my braids.  I felt like a princess as she wheeled me to the seventh floor elevator and pushed the button for the third floor.  Just as the doors began to close, a man suddenly emerged, and stood next to me wearing a smile that was dazzling! Every detail of his person has remained clear to me through these many years.  He was quite tall, with sapphire eyes that glistened amid his luminous white hair and beard. His shirt was the whitest I‘d ever seen, and he wore velvet green knickers with gold embroidery surrounding each pocket. His shoes were brilliant crimson, and as I gazed upon his face, I was certain he was Saint Nicholas in person! I glanced over my shoulder at my mother, as she stood behind me waiting for the elevators doors to part. She nodded, giving me a quick wink and a smile. She sees him too, I thought. And then in an instant, he was kneeling next to me; whispering my name, and assuring me I was going to be "just fine." His face radiated warmth, and in that moment, I knew without a doubt I was well. And as the elevator doors slid open, I became aware of something round and hard deep in the palm of my hand. Unfolding my fingers, I spied a shiny new silver dollar!  Somewhat confused, I stuffed it into my gown pocket as my sisters ran toward me with hugs and kisses.

In the days following my release from the hospital, I transferred the silver dollar into a single white sock and placed it in my jewelry box. I hadn't shared my encounter with anyone, as I yearned to hold on to the specialness of that moment. But as weeks passed, I grew anxious to talk with my mom about the man we'd seen in the elevator, who got in on the seventh floor and off on the third. I was shocked to discover that mother had absolutely no recollection of such a person! I reminded her that she nodded and winked when he got on, and that he knew my name. She was quite surprised when I presented her with the polished silver dollar, but did not doubt my story, and fixing her eyes squarely on my face softly affirmed, " I believe that God sent you a special angel, sweetheart. And I believe that He has made you well!" My eyes swelled with tears, as my mom drew me close, and in that ephemeral moment, I knew with complete certainty that my Saint Nick was most certainly that!

I was up quite late tonight as I couldn't sleep. We had a blizzard and white-out conditions here in Colorado, and I was waiting to hear from our youngest son, confirming that he was home safe and sound. As I sat gazing at the snow outside my bedroom window, praying for God to give His angels charge over our son-for His protection, my thoughts trailed back to that Colorado winter so many years ago when God sent me my seventh floor angel, and by His grace, to this day, my health has been extraordinarily "just fine!"

He shall give His angels charge over you, to guard you in all your ways.  Psalm 91:11

Take hold of this day...

This Wednesday one of the second grade teachers at the school where I teach met an untimely death after suffering a seizure. I received word of her passing Wednesday evening. I remember exchanging smiles in the lunch room just the day before, and although I did not know her well,  I know she was beloved by her students, and the void she has left is irreplaceable.  Here, and then gone.  In a moment, taken from earth into heavenly territory, by his grace.

I love the words of Sheri Rose Shepherd from Love Letters from Your King:
"You need not worry when your life will end, My precious child.  All you need to know is that your first breath began with Me, and your last breath will lead you to My presence.  Don't ever let fear of death or eternity frighten you.  Your todays and tomorrows are secure with Me-I have held them in My hand since the beginning of time.  When you finish your brief time on earth and I call you into heaven, your 'forever life' in heaven will begin."

Valerie Hildebrandt was a Christ-like example daily to her second-graders, and their lives have been forever changed by her presence.  What was learned under her tutelage will remain in hearts for a life time.

Our time here is brief; we've been given just enough to bring forth God's life-changing news of salvation-
we're here to collect people! We are called to bring others to him.

If we live each day as if it were our last, leaving eternal imprints on the lives of those we know and love, though they be brief, their impact will linger long after we have gone. Recognize that God has strategically placed each of us here for such a time as this. Seize each day!  Make a difference in the lives of those God brings into yours...one day at a time for the rest of the days you've been given.

...that I may finish the race with joy and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-
Matthew 20:  24

Almost Heaven

As a child I was blessed to have both sets of grandparents living just a short distance from our family home. I remember many birthdays spent in their backyard, anxiously anticipating Grandma Carrie's home made angel food cake with her drizzled orange cream cheese frosting, and Grandma Mabel's sour cream chocolate with milk chocolate shavings! Whoa baby--just thinking about them makes me drool!

My Grandpa Jack would often take my sisters, brother, and I, on a birthday wheel barrow ride across their wide breadth of yard, dumping us out each time onto fresh-cut grass, as we begged "just one more time!" My grandma Mabel's flower garden was a work of art; a Monet painting exploding with colossal color. I used to pretend I was Alice in Wonderland and plop myself down on the ornate iron bench that rested along the small stone pathway to one side of the brillant blooms.

Grandma Mabel had an identical twin, and when Aunt Maudie came to visit, they would keep us howling, telling of the times they switched places in school and took tests for one another, as Grandma excelled in English, while Maudie was a whiz in math!

My Grandma Carrie and Grandpa Harlan had an extensive vegetable garden on their property, and I used to watch Grandma snap the tips off the green beans with amazing speed, tossing them into her big iron pot filled with water, while we ate them by the fistful! She was a captivating story-teller, and on summer nights, we'd sit next to her on the over-stuffed sofa, listening to her tell us of her childhood years spent on the farm in Nebraska, spilling out favorite Bible verses, leaving lasting imprints on our hearts

My mind is flooded with memories of my grandmas....both women of commanding character, strength, and unwavering faith.

But my most beloved memory is of Christmas Eves when mom would prepare a scrumptious feast, as we celebrated with my paternal grandparents and relatives on my dad's side of the family. After all had left, we would don our new pajamas, grab our pillows and blankets, and bound into the back of our family station wagon headed for Grandma Mabel and Grandpa Jack's house! Their home was an enchanting, magical place. Grandma's ability to make everything special was her gift to all of us. Dad would carry our slumbering bodies into their guest room, placing my older sister and I in the graceful four poster bed. Laying sheltered under Grandma's lush covers and white satin spread, I was instantly at home. We'd awaken early Christmas morning to the aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls, and tiptoe like mice down the extensive hallway to the living room - to peek at presents waiting under the tall spruce, with it's shining globes and glistening tinsel.

A childhood friend once asked me what I thought heaven would be like. I remember telling her: "It's like falling asleep on Christmas Eve, and when you wake up Christmas morning, you're in your Grandma's house surrounded by all the people you love the very most."

Realizing moments

One of my favorite plays is Thorton Wilder's, Our Town. In college, I played the role of Emily Webb, who grows up in the small town of Grover's Corner, where she marries her childhood friend, and dies giving birth to her second child.
She is given the opportunity to go back to one day in her life, and she chooses the day of her 12th birthday. Others who have gone before her caution her not to return, saying, “You (will)not only live (the day); you (will)watch yourself living it.”
At first, Emily sees the routine of life going on as usual–the milk man delivering milk, Constable Warren telling how he rescued a man lying in snowdrifts, the paper boy delivering newspapers. Then she sees her mother and father, who are surprisingly youthful to her. They are preparing to give her gifts.
She speaks with her mother, who tells her to eat her breakfast slowly. Her mother gives her a dress which she had to “send all the way to Boston” to get. Her father and brother also have gifts, but Emily can’t go on any longer and breaks down, saying she didn’t realize how much the little things of life–things she did not notice before–really matter. Emily returns to the cemetery and says to the another person there:
.......“They don’t understand, do they?”
.......“No, dear. They don’t understand.”
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every
minute?"
Every life is a culmination of moments, ones that are"one of a kind." Do we realize the most significant moments in our life, or do we too often dismiss them as ordinary, believing there will be another that comes along to top it? We are all here on temporary assignment, and if we're truly living in the moment, we will recognize its worth--for it can never be duplicated!
Life is made up of every day moments that make up the hours of our days. If we aren't careful, we will miss what is right in front of us! Those simple, every day things we so often take for granted are the very essence of life itself.
God uses moments in our life. How do we know if one is more pivotal than another? I have now lived for half a century, and looking back, there have been moments I regretfully dismissed; never realizing they were one of "the" moments, and never again would I have hold of them.
So, this is my message to all who have many more years of livng ahead:
Live in the moment! Don't take for granted that you'll ever own it again. Realize the importance of those simple, ordinary events that make up the patterns of life--those everyday miracles that God gives us eyes to see; if only we will!

Steadfast

I am grateful for friends in time of need; ones that stick with you through the mush. Never questioning, always near by...willing to wade with you through the molasses.
When startled by life's twists and turns, they console with unrestrained compassion, and remain steadfast when others close their eyes so not to see.
How like Jesus they are--when no one is looking.
How blessed I am to call them "friend."

We do not so much need the help of our friends as the confidence of their help in need."
~ Epicurus

Food for Thought

Today was "teacher service day" at the school where I teach. Our group chose to assist at a local community food bank. Listening to the director explain the many services they provided for families in need, I was surprised to learn there were no paid staff positions...every person serving was a volunteer. The efficiency I witnessed in organizing and distributing food and household items was impressive, with everyone working together like a well-oiled machine!
As I sorted through boxes of donated fruits and vegetables, tossing those that were badly bruised and no longer edible into boxes designated for farm animals, it struck me that there was no waste...every item had a purpose.
Some of those coming through the door today were bruised, harboring hurts, and needing to know that someone cared.
God created each one of us for a purpose. What is seemingly bad to us, God works for good. I'm so thankful He doesn't discard us when we are bruised, or deemed not good enough, but instead, by His grace, considers us each fruit worth saving!

Urgency

Couldn't sleep-exhausted in Him; His words quenching the core of my soul. If I fall asleep will I loose them? He gives me a Word, burning it in my heart for another...insistent.

Lasting joy comes from God. We are loosing it--too consumed with life--too absorbed with burden. Can the haze be lifted, can the stupor cease? Can we once again proclaim joy to a parched world as it was first proclaimed?
Can we bring back the music of joy to satiate the thirst?

E.T. phone home

I remember seeing Steven Spielberg's movie, E.T., in the early 80's with good friends. Our oldest son was just a toddler when the movie appeared in theaters, and to this day, it's still my favorite Spielberg flick! Watching it on DVD last weekend with my family was a treat. In one memorable scene, E.T. points to the phone and says to Elliot, "E.T. phone home," and of course this was not possible, since E.T. was an extra terrestial from a distant planet inaccessible to Pac Bell. But it got me thinking: back in the 1980's and 90's we were a world void of cell phones and blackberry smartphones. Back then, people actually memorized the phone numbers of their top ten friends, wrote important numbers in an address book, and never had trouble remembering their home phone. Yesterday I overheard a mother/daughter conversation taking place in a check out line at our local grocery store. The daughter, in her early teens, was on her cell, and had paused during her conversation to find her home phone number in her "contacts" list for the person on the other end. "You don't know our home phone number?," the mom exclaimed in a state of shock. "Well, I just wasn't sure of the last two digits," her daughter retorted.
So I'm throwing this question out into the cosmos: Have we become a world too dependent on iphones, blackberries, and the internet? If we misplace or heaven forbid, loose our cell phone, would we be able to find our way to a "White Pages" to phone home? (Using someone else's cell phone of course, since pay phones are now obsolete.) If the world wide web crashed, would we?
Call me old school, but I still prefer to memorize numbers (a throw back from years of memorizing play scripts), and I'd be perfectly content to go back to Big Chief tablets, typewriters, and snail mail. (I loved getting letters in the mail!)

P.S. My niece just asked, "What are White Pages?" Arrrgh!

Resolute

Lately I've had a restlessness... sensing there is something more that I'm to be about. I am certain change is in the air. God is preparing my heart-asking me to believe more, trust more, anticipate more! My time alone with Him increases my peace, but I find myself trembling at anomalous times throughout the day in great anticipation of what is to come...
For now, I wait, resolute in knowing that I will know when it pleases Him.

Such as These...

Children have such straightforward faith...pure and untarnished. Teaching them is a privilege, and more than occasionally I glean from them a wisdom way beyond their years! After singing, Jesus is the Rock, with one of my kindergarten classes, I asked, "What does it mean when we say Jesus is our rock?" A hand instantly shot-up, and before I could acknowledge him he blurted, "It means Jesus is solid, he doesn't move ...HE STICKS!" From the mouths of babes...sometimes I am totally astounded by what they perceive - just when you think you're not getting through!
On my drive home I was listening to a missionary talk about the amazing faith he has witnessed among the Haitian people during this most devastating time. You could hear the voices of children at play around him. "You see the children here playing among the rubble--they find a cheerfulness even in the most dire circumstances. They trust that things will be better."
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

Just thinking how blessed I am to be able to teach such as these!

Shirts for Shoes...

There is an amazing ministry headed up by President, Tom Davis, out of Colorado Springs, entitled Children's Hopechest. You can follow the link below and choose from several T-shirts, designed by Kari Gibson, to purchase for you and/or someone you love for Valentine's Day. They are sincerely cool, and one hundred percent of the proceeds will go to providing shoes for children in Ethiopia. What a blessing..both ways! There's nothing better than helping children in great need...kids are the best part of this world...check it out!
http://www.mycrazyadoption.org/one-stop-shop/shirts-for-shoes-hopechest-project