Category: Faith

Memories

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“Notice how your memories nest, one inside another — so close-fitting that you can’t peel one free without releasing others.” ~Dr. SunWolf

I love memories.I love the scrapbook of life, where you turn pages in your mind and revisit wonderful times.

Yesterday my memories on facebook showed a wedding picture from my nephew’s wedding. I easily remembered it had been ten years ago, not because nine years ago I wished them a happy first anniversary, but because of the time surrounding their wedding was a decade ago.

You see, the photo of my nephew and his bride reminded me that after their wedding, Dale and I stayed in the mid-Atlantic area waiting for the birth of our first grandchild.

One memory unfolded several more memories in an instant.

“I enjoy, occasionally, a day with my memories — these paintings hanging on the walls of my mind.” ~Robert Brault

The day after the wedding, Dale and I drove to Gettysburg, PA. We set up our tent and explored the town. The next three days we toured the battlefield. A day to explore for each day of the battle. We listened to a tour cd and stopped frequently to walk and truly see what was hidden from the road. It was a glorious three days of climbing, walking and hiking around the battlefield. It is a solemn site. It’s grounds are hallowed. The monuments are incredible. It is one of our favorite places to visit.

“We do not remember days, we remember moments.” ~Cesare Pavese

From camping we visited with my sister and her family for a few days. Then we headed for another important event. We relocated to a hotel near our kids and waited. We visited daily, us, the kids and his folks. We walked, talked and kept waiting. The hotel staff kept asking us if today was the day, each evening when we returned they kept us hopeful. Until the day finally arrived and so did our grandson. The day is etched in my mind, a deep memory that will not fade. The day I graduated from Mom to Grammy.

“Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.” Proverbs 17:6 (NLT)

In recognition of our Little Man turning ten, I am going to repost some lessons I have learned from him. The lessons keep going as each time with him I discover a truth that is only seen through the eyes of a child. We also have our Little Miss, who has also taught me much. There is such a difference in the way a little boy and a little girl look at the world. Their eyes shine with a wealth of understanding and discovery that we lose in growing up. I hope to share a bit of what I have learned from my precious grands.

I end with a quote from Peter Pan, one of my most favorite stories, “Go on! Go back and grow up! But I’m warning you, once you’re grown up you can never come back.” ~ Peter Pan on leaving Neverland

The same is true when we grow up, we lose site of the wonder, the magic, the glory that God has given us to relish in this life. As we age the wonder of a beetle walking over ground is lost. The urge to blow a dandelion is met with the knowledge that those seeds will produce more dandelions in our yard. The pile of leaves is hiding danger, not excitement. The first snowfall is not magical, it is the beginning of ice and cold.

Oh! To keep that child-like mind to thoroughly enjoy each day as it comes.

Praise in all Things

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“For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12 (NKV)

The subject of praise has been rattling around in my mind for the past few days. The definition of praise is to extol, exalt, admire a deity.

I love to praise the Lord. It is a part of each service that I look forward to. When I listen at home I find myself lifting my hands and praising where I am and with what I am doing. It is a part of my life, and I am so grateful for a relationship with God that I can honor Him.

As I have thought about this today, I have felt like I have not been in a place of praise. I have felt quiet and moody, almost. As I walked today I asked the Lord what was wrong with me.

I felt that what I needed was to be still. Once more that word I contend with. I had an image of curling up on a lap, a soft quilt wrapped around me and allowing everything in me to unwind. As I imagined myself like this, I reflected that curling up on my Creator’s lap was in itself a form of worship. I would be giving up and unwinding, allowing Him, to envelope me in His presence. Like I used to do with my girls when they were little, I would grab a quilt, wrap them up completely and sit and rock them. I would hold them and gently sing to them. They would hear my voice and the rhythm of my breath and snuggle in for rest.

This is my goal for me, to climb up into our Father’s lap with my blankie and listen for His breath and His song over me. Like all of nature that praises and dances for our Lord, this will be my offering to the King of Kings.

Be Anxious for Nothing

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“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

I remember when my girls were little. There would be times in their lives where they would come to me worried about something. We would talk it through, I would pray with them and it would seem to be settled. This scene would be repeated until the event they were worried about would pass.

How often do we do this as adults? We fret and stew over things. My husband always says to me, “worry is like an ugly dog, it looks worse when it is coming than when it goes”. He is so right. Worry has a way of contorting everything.

Worry and anxiety are pretty close together when it comes to words. The Bible tells us to be anxious for nothing. It seems like a simple thing, doesn’t it?

Once more, today, I am anxious for this season of my life to be past. I am tired of not being able to do everything I normally do. I found myself yelling at Dale for a very simple thing today. I allowed myself to be anxious. He, as usual, met my ire with calm. How he does that, I don’t know. But, this I do know, Dale reflected Jesus to me. In my anxiety and worry over things, I received a calm and peaceful answer.

I know the Lord would do the same thing. It’s okay, there is a time and purpose for this all. Lord, for my anxiousness and for those who are reading who are anxious, fill us with Your calm, with Your peace and let it sink in that nothing escapes Your attention or care.

” For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

Dance of the Fireflies

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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” John 1:1-4 (NKJV)

We live in a rural area. It is so rural that in order to carry on a conversation on our cell phones we need to be near a window. I usually go to our guest room and stand by the window to talk. Tonight was no different.

It was dusk when I called a friend in California. We have been friends for a very long time and I knew I would need the window to talk for any length of time. We laugh about this thing with our phones, we say the squirrels have to work overtime to keep our phone and internet working.

As I said, it was dusk when I called. I opened the curtains in the guest room and as we talked and caught up with each other I gazed out the window. There are times when looking out that I see things I don’t normally notice. Tonight was one of those times. At one point I saw a doe coming out of the woods across the street. I mentioned this and then realized that trailing behind her were twin fawns. They were so light in color, and couldn’t be too old, really. They dutifully followed their Mama across the street into our yard and then the fawns started to run up along side their mom. It was so precious to see, even though I knew they were most likely heading to our berry bushes and grapevines. The absolute freedom and joy they displayed while following their mom brought a smile to my face.

All through the conversation I watched the flickering of the fireflies, lightening bugs as I called them as a child. It looked to me like they were dancing throughout the yard. Some close to the ground and some up high. It was a dance like I haven’t observed in a while.

The thought that stayed with me throughout the conversation was how nature dances and rejoices in the Lord. His creation sings and dances and praises Him. How blessed I am to get a glimpse of His glory while catching up with a friend. God is so good.

Anticipation

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“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
 Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.” Psalm 127:3-4 (NLT)

Both of my daughters are gifts from God. Doctors told me early in my marriage that children may not be possible for me. They forgot to tell God.

I love my daughters and know they are precious presents from my heavenly Father. They have both grown, married and are busy raising their own precious gifts.

My oldest daughter and her family are coming to visit this week, thus the title for this post.

Anticipation is a wonderful thing. It is like hearing the ice-cream truck on the next block and running to get money for when it finally appears on your street. It is like Christmas Eve when you see the tree loaded with wrapped presents underneath. It is like going to bed the night before school lets outs. Anticipation comes in many forms. It is always accompanied by those butterflies in your stomach that something good is about to happen.

Yes, I have anticipation. It will only increase until I see their vehicle pull into our driveway and a seven year old pops out. It will be fulfilled when those seven year old arms are wrapped around me and I hear “Grammy!” coming out of her mouth.

After about ten minutes of talking with my granddaughter and petting the dogs that I will turn to my daughter and her husband and welcome them to our home. Then the fun will truly begin.

A Memorable 4th

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Beginning of the year 1976, there was a build-up to a celebration of the 4th of July. It was the bicentennial of our nation. I was so excited for this celebration and imagined where we would spend the day, knowing that the fireworks would be special and the day would be incredible.

Also, at the beginning of the year of 1976, we knew we were due for orders. This would involve a move, most likely overseas. I hoped that we would somehow still be in the states for the fourth. As the time drew nearer for orders, places like Rota, Spain; Cuba; Scotland; Iceland; were all mentioned. Some of the places I could readily picture myself, others I couldn’t. Our orders came in and they were for Yokosuka, Japan. I never ever thought of going to Japan. I showed Dale my support, but inside I was questioning such a move. My thoughts of celebrating the bi-centennial in the states were dashed.

We arrived in Japan in early June. We were settled in our little Japanese apartment by the first of July. We experienced our first typhoon July 2nd through the 6th. A typhoon was lingering off the coast of Japan, dumping rain, wind and lots of water on Yokosuka and the immediate area.

On the fourth, we headed onto the base. We waded through ankle deep water to get to our car, and then we half floated/half drove to the base where there was going to be a parade.

That soggy fourth of July will always live in my memories as one of the very best celebrations I have experienced. Passing through the main gate of the base, we were home on the 4th of July. America was present on foreign soil. The spirit of our country paraded itself with the sailors and marines stationed on the base. The host country graciously honored this celebration. I stood in deep water that fourth of July, 1976, with a winter coat on while a parade passed in front of us. The base was alive with the indomitable spirit of America.

Through the rain the 6th Fleet Navy band led the parade carrying our flag, the host country flag and the military flags.

Although the rain and time has produced fuzzy photos, the memories are crisp in my mind. I stood in a country, once at war with my homeland, and together we celebrated the bi-centennial. The celebration I had envisioned at the beginning of the year was far different than the incredible time I had that day while standing in water and straining to remain upright in the heavy wind.

We once were told that our love for America would grow living overseas.  I did not think that possible, but it was.  The pride and honor I felt that day in 1976 has only grown for this country that has been my homeland.  My heart beats red, white and blue.  I am a patriot.  I stand with tears in my eyes for our flag. 

As much as I love this country, my heart yearns for more.  Hebrews 11:16 says, “But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (NKJV)   I cannot wait to be in my forever home, standing with my Creator.

Life

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This weekend is a long one. A weekend to celebrate the Fourth of July, or our Independence Day here in the states.

The days will be crowded with activities for many people here. Each family cramming enough time to celebrate with friends and family.

Since learning that I can go sling-less while at home, I once more had to come to a realization that I cannot do everything that I wish. I spent the last couple of days doing things, and planning a full weekend. I got as far as this morning and concluded that I am still not up to full speed yet. This was disappointing for me.

We had a wonderful dinner with friends last night. We sat and talked around the table and had dessert in their screened in porch and talked some more. We got home and knew we had a delightful time. Life is such a blessing when you have friends who are gifts to you.

The rest of the weekend reminded me of what life is. This afternoon is a wedding, a new beginning for a couple. The start of a lifetime of memories, joys, heartbreak, and laughter. I have been so excited for this couple and have been looking forward with them to this date. While I am thrilled for this day for them, we decided to stay home this afternoon and allow myself to regain some of the energy that seems to have departed.

Tomorrow is church and then we will be going to a funeral. A precious woman has moved to heaven. She was a high-spirited woman who enlivened any group she walked into. A gracious woman who lived her life with enthusiasm, love of our Lord and joy. We will go (Lord willing) to say our final good-bye to her after church.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 says, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.  A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.” (NLT) This weekend, to me, shows that to be true. A couple beginning life together and a family saying good-bye to a loved one. In the midst of all of this is a celebration of a holiday. Families joining together, friends gathering, and observing the anniversary of a country being born.

Life is filled with many precious moments. Some life changing and some that pass with little notice. My hope is that your weekend will be filled with moments that nourish your soul.

Ezekiel 16:60-63

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Today in my quiet time, I read the 16th chapter of Ezekiel. As I have been reading the Old Testament prophets, I have thought of our country.

246 years ago our country declared it’s Independence. We stood strong and held closely to our beliefs. We wanted freedom of religion. We wanted to be able to worship our Lord without the dictates of how we should do that. We wanted freedom from taxation without representation. We wanted to be a sovereign country of our own.

There were many other reasons, and I cannot list them all as I am afraid I would not correctly list them. But, this I do know, our country was founded on God. Our forefathers depended upon Him. Their writings reflected Him. God was an integral part of the birth of this nation. The men who signed the Declaration of Independence did so knowing that their lives were on the line. Signing this document, could have meant signing their death warrants. The battle that followed also put men in direct path of death. They fought for what they believed in and held as truth in their hearts.

Now, 246 years later it is my belief that this country is like a petulant toddler. Generations have passed since the founding fathers put their life on the line. Our young country has grown, it has become powerful and yet our dependence on God has grown cold.

People often quote II Chronicles 7:14, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (NLT) when they request prayer for our country. This is an excellent quote, but too often the phrase “and turn from their wicked ways” is not part of the prayer.

Our country is young. When children are young, they act out. Sometimes, toddlers are outright bad, hence the term ‘terrible twos’ or my favorite, ‘torturous threes’. Personally, I think our country needs more than a ‘time-out’, we need to receive direction and be accountable for our actions.

The sixteenth chapter of Ezekiel talks about the sin of Jerusalem. They had played the harlot and God was not pleased. He was angry. As I read the chapter I could see a similarity to our country. I prayed for our country for a return to God. To see a revival in this country.

The last part of the 16th chapter talks of God’s covenant with His people. His forgiveness. The shame of His people. “Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. 61 Then you will remember with shame all the evil you have done. I will make your sisters, Samaria and Sodom, to be your daughters, even though they are not part of our covenant. 62 And I will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. 63 You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

May we, this long weekend leading up to the celebration of our country turn to God and away from the shame of our sins.

Yes, this is different from what I normally post, but, this is close to my heart. I love my country with an unending love. I am a proud American. I long for the day to come when, once more, we live by what our Founding Fathers lived by.

Clutter

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Clutter. We all have it. Our houses show that someone is truly living there when there is clutter. Mail on the table, receipts on a counter, throw blanket askew. It is our life and sometimes the bane of our existence.

Many times we don’t see clutter. It’s always been there and so it’s normal. I can vary, at times clutter is part of my life and other times I want it completely gone.

After going for my check up yesterday, the doctor said that I can go without my sling while I am at home. When I go out, it has to be on. I asked what I could do, as I do need boundaries. I am allowed to begin to function as normal, do not over do and watch the amount of weight I lift. I really like this doctor because when I asked about vacuuming, he said it would be at least two years. Yes, he was kidding.

This morning, I awoke and was excited to begin getting back to normal. I gave my day to the Lord and asked what I should do, where should I begin. The answer was clutter.

Although Dale has taken wonderful care of me and the house, we did have a small pile of mail on the table. Knowing this, I thought to myself, well, that’s just a small start.

As I sorted through the mail, I understood that clearing clutter does not only mean the physical stuff we have laying around in piles. Clutter can be anything we let pile up around us. Attitudes, moods, thoughts, frustrations we don’t let go of, all of this can be clutter too.

So, as I began to clear the physical clutter, I asked the Lord to help me clear my personal clutter.

Psalm 51:7, “Purify me from my sins,and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (NLT)

Cleanse me, oh Lord, from the clutter that I pick up and for that which attaches itself to me when I am careless. Let me not become accustomed to the piles of little things that draw me away from You. Amen.

Downcast

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“Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?” Psalm 42:5a (NKJV)

Today is just one of ‘those’ days. Nothing major is going on, things are well, actually. I just feel anxious and down today.

I know that this is not a permanent feeling. I know that my Lord is here beside me. I know all of this.

So, why is it when we have ‘those’ days do we think it is always going to be like it is currently.

The rest of Psalm 42 talks about remembering God and the His deliverance. He talks of hope in God. He talks about pouring out his heart to God. His hunger for God in his life.

So, as this day is winding down for me (it is early evening as I write this), I will turn my eyes toward God. He is my help, my deliverer and my healer. I will put my hope in God.