Lori's prayer closet

Peace......

2012-02-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

I am learning you have to work for peace. You can't just settle back and say, "I am just going to sit here and be peaceful." To get peace you have to seek it, desire it. Be intentional about staying that way.......Jesus was peace, and yet everywhere He went there was commotion. Upheaval. And in the middle of it all, He had the Father's peace. That kind of peace is what we need in the middle of our world, in the middle of ourselves.

And it is reachable, because of Jesus.

And it is a battle. Sometimes in order to get that peace you have to fight for it. Sometimes as soon as you have set your mind on that peace, all of life conspires against your getting it. But you can get it. Actually, you already have it as a believer.

That peace is what attracts the world. That peace is what attracted them to Jesus.

They watched Him as the Sanhedrin tried their best to ruffle His feathers, but they never could. And they walked away shaking their heads, confounded.

Puzzled.

Even though Jesus was peace, and we have that same peace, there are times when He needed to find a quiet place. I love to think of Him sitting by the lapping shores of the lake, or climbing up onto a mountain where He could see His creation for miles.....Finding a little place to sit where he could pray.....far from the crowd, where He could hear the birds, listen to the wind in the trees, hear His Father's voice.

I like to envision a well in my soul. It's the one I draw from, the one with the living water in it. Unlike every other well built by man, this one has no bottom.....

It's source is eternal. And it never fails to quench the thirst in my soul.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23......

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Peace is my word for this year. Did God give you a word for 2012?

Childlike Faith

2012-02-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” Mark 10:12,13

When Jesus heard the disciples rebuke those parents, He in turn rebuked them. He really upset about it, in fact. I like coming back to this picture of Jesus again and again, because it is clear how much He valued the childlike faith of children.

Why is it so easy for children to believe.....to have faith in something they can't see? Not only do they have the faith, they act on it. It is no problem for them to grasp the concept of knowing in order for something to really work, they have to put it into practice. They leave money under the pillow for the tooth fairy.....and lo and behold, the money is there when they wake up. It doesn't really matter to them how it works, they just take it in faith that it will because their parents told them it will.

And somehow it happens just that way. That is, until they find out it was their parents all along hiding the money under the pillow and putting the cookies out for Santa.

We forget what was once so easy.....so natural. We get too smart to put our faith in something we can't see. Like God. But the problem is that God says that unless we do just that, we will never see Him. We will never enter His kingdom.....

So we spend the rest of our Christian walk trying to get back to that place of faith.

I miss my childlike faith. I too have cashed in on the world system. Let's face it, it's easier. I go to work, I get paid. I buy what I need. I get sick, I go to the doctor. Then if I don't get better I pray.

It's a process of going back, all our lives. Of letting go, unclenching our fists to give back to God what was His all along. I miss my childlike faith.

My Mom tells me that when I was first saved at aged 14, I was the one who really gave her the faith to give when she didn't have it. I remember praying together for a refrigerator when ours went out. My Mom had no idea where the money would come from. There was certainly not enough for one of those. Then, God answered our prayer of faith by supplying one that was almost new.....for 25 dollars!

I remember that refrigerator lasted for years and years.

I love to watch my niece at the beach. It is no problem for her to believe she can build a castle fit for a queen out of water and sand. The water washes it away and she starts all over again......

She has faith that whatever she believes can happen.

Lord, give me that kind again.

Multitudes on Monday

2012-02-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

California Dreamin.......

As we walked by this bus, which was covered front to back in everything under the sun, the tune that went through my head was the one by the Mamas and the Papas. Those of you under aged 50 may not remember them. You really never know what you might see in California, especially along the coast. It is nice to know that Jesus is in the center of the bus. I had to zoom in on that.

Well, even after 4 days of work and being back home, I still feel a bit of an afterglow from our trip to San Diego. This visit was sweeter than the last one. I remember being a little discouraged and even bored that last time. "Too many foreigners," I thought, "Not enough people speaking English," "Too crowded." It was good but not great.

This time, however, I saw it the way I saw it first. The beauty leaped out at me with full force. It's funny how you get spoiled. Things lose their luster when you see them again and again. This time was rich.

This time was sweet. I appreciated every single drop, every single morsel, every second. I felt as if I were breathing free air after being in prison for months.

I am so thankful for it.

So today I celebrate Multitudes on Monday. The one that I missed last Monday when I was actually there.

#813-823
Sound of the seals across the bay......balmy breezes to heal dry hair and skin.......boat bobbing in the bay, sails tipping......shrimp salad by the water.....precious free time.....and the health to enjoy it.....flowers that take the breath away......having fun with my camera......watching artists create their art.....and most of all knowing that God created it all with us in mind.....such a world of beauty!

I leave with one thought from Pastor Kevin today......

"We only believe the parts of the Bible we practice" I am still mulling over that one........

God's Language is Love

2012-02-04T15:59:00.000-08:00

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26, 27

So many times I search for the right words....I falter. No words express what I am trying to say. It's frustrating! But we need not ever search for the right words.....The Holy Spirit always knows the perfect words. It is as if He is laying out my heart before the Father, in the Father's own language!

At one point in my Christian walk, I was almost obsessed with having a "prayer language." I wanted to know everything I could about speaking in tongues. I read books, I talked to other Christians, I prayed for the gift. I wanted the "experience." A pastor friend I know says he prayed for the gift and months later he was driving down the road and was so overcome with emotion he had to pull over. Then he spoke in tongues for the first time.

At one point, I went so far as going to a church meeting and having the pastor pray for me to "get it" right then and there. Nothing came forth.......not one utterance. He prayed.......I waited. And waited. Not one Holy peep. He told me, "Just praise God out loud." I did, well, not really loud, in English.

Me and another lady were ushered off to the side where we were prayed for again, to no avail. She seemed somewhat upset. I mumbled something out loud and they thought they had success, "Glory to God!" I went and sat down just so they could stop praying.

Looking back, parts of this meeting now seem very humorous, although not in an irreverent way. It was an evening spent with people who loved God gathering together for one purpose, to praise Him. The motive in my heart was pure. That's what God saw. My prayer may not have been answered the way I wanted it that night, but not because of what anyone did or didn't do. Not the Pastor, not me, not anyone....certainly not God.

One day, many months after that night while I was vacuuming I started singing and praising God....in another language. It came quietly and unannounced, like a gentle dove. I didn't lose control, I didn't black out or fall to the floor. I was completely coherent and rational. And that is how its been every time since. It is my prayer language and only God hears it. It is His gift to me and it is precious.

And it came in His timing. And whatever you believe about this particular topic, the Holy Spirit is very much alive and working in the hearts of men and women today.

I know there are some denominations who teach that without this gift, you aren't saved. I have never read that in the Bible. I also know some denominations that say it's not for today, it only happened once on the day of Pentecost. All I know is it happened to me. Regardless, we never have to worry about either having a prayer language or not having one, God always hears the cry of our heart.

Not only do we have Jesus actively interceding before the Throne of the Father, we have the Holy Spirit interceding for us in our prayers! That unspoken request that is in your heart today? Be assured, it has already been communicated in the best language....God's language! And His language is always

Love

Sanity Restored

2012-02-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." 1 Corinthians 2:9

What a wonderful time away in beautiful San Diego. God is so good. He has created such beauty in the world for us to enjoy. The balmy breezes you hear about? All true. I felt them, every one! It was such a blessing to have this change of scenery that I love so much.

Best of all, I got to watch my best friend become her carefree self once again.

When you are a full time caretaker, your needs go on the back burner and you actually morph into the person you are care giving. Your own self disappears. That is when despair settles in because you really don't see an end. It is as your view is distorted and you can no longer see clearly. It is a sad and curious phenomenon that everyone who has done this knows very well.

But for four wonderful days, all that was left behind. Sanity was restored.

We stayed in a place where it was easy to forget......they even had two resident parrots who rested on a perch right outside our room. We could hear them screech from time to time, and the seagulls crying overhead made us sigh.....

And far away, the magical sound of the foghorn drifting across the water.

It was all so very good.

A big thank you to Elaine's Nephew Mark who stayed with his Grandma so she could have a few days rest. God bless you!

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

This Good Day

2012-01-29T07:57:00.000-08:00

Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" Matthew 4:19

We have had a couple days away from everything. And it has been much needed.......the best part?

No plan........No schedule......No worries

Yesterday I walked along the beach and caught the sun coming up over the city of San Diego....what a gift!

Elaine left her Mom with Nephew Mark and to his credit there have been no calls or texts. I know that is because he knows how much stress his Aunty is under and wants her around for a long long time.

It is amazing what just a few days can do. So far the whole weekend has felt something like this:

Morning sun, morning glories

Pouring down the hill

Through my window I can feel the ocean breeze

Noisy sparrows fill the oak trees

Swallows can't stay still

And in the glad commotion, Lord, You speak to me

If rain clouds come

Or the cold winds blow

You're the One Who goes before me

And in my heart I know

That this good day

It is a gift from You

The world is turning in its place

Because You made it to

I lift my voice to sing a song of praise
On this good day

Fernando Ortega, partial lyric This Good Day

San Diego, California is only 6 hours from Phoenix but it feels half a world away........I thank you God for this marvelous gift and all the beauty you created for us to enjoy.....

One more day left.....

The Next Room of Prayer

2012-01-26T10:37:00.000-08:00

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

Let us firmly resolve not to lost the battle we fight. For if the devil sees that we are willing to lose our life and our peace, and that nothing can entice us back to the first room (first stage of prayer), he will soon cease from troubling us. But we must be resolute, for we fight with devils, and thus, there is no better weapon than the cross. Theresa of Avila

I tend to blame a lot of the way I feel on external things, people, life.......circumstances around me. But at the heart of it all, is my own response to all those things. My own internal struggle, the one that wages on in my soul, that old spiritual battle we have fought since the beginning. That is what keeps me in prayer. If Satan can convince us that the battle is lost, like we are failures at our faith. He has won.

Sometimes it doesn't seem like we are getting any closer to our goal.....but the truth may be that we are closer than we think. It may be that we have moved up a level, into the next room of our prayer life. Lately I have felt much like a hollowed out gourd. Writing about anything has been hard. I have a person living in my home who has exposed me to myself.......made me see the reality of just how weak my faith is. Can it be that is what God has wanted me to see all along?

How can I ever fully understand His strength unless I am met face to face with the stark reality of my weakness? My inability to do anything on my own?

It is no wonder I am exhausted. I have been wielding my own sword and not His.

It is this act of laying down my very ineffective sword again and again.........that is where the real battle comes in. Like Peter, I want to take matters into my own hands and slice off the ear of the guard. I so identify with Peter. He sees chaos coming and wants to defend, to fight, to fix, to right the wrong on his own.

But Jesus says no.

Jesus walks right through the middle of it, knowing that in order to win the war you have to pick your battles.

And for the joy set before Him endured the cross.............."Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close

2012-01-25T07:38:00.000-08:00

I don't often recommend movies, but sometimes Hollywood messes up and does something right. I know the critics weren't kind to this movie, but I loved it. I usually go straight to Christianity Today for my movie reviews and most of the time I agree with their reviewer. They aren't biased and even if a film has an R rating they will rate it honestly by the film's creative merits with a full warning about what you might be offended at.

I sometimes think we have forgotten all about what happened on 9/11, that "Worst Day" as the film's lead character describes it. What I most love about this film is how the story weaves this one boy's struggle to cope with the lost of his father with all the other characters throughout the film. We get lost in his journey to hang onto his Dad by trying to search all over New York for something he felt his Dad wanted him to find.

In his search, we find out that what we all need is a little healing. Everyone he meets along the way, he finds, has lost something, and most of them embrace his search. We see our own healing, our own journey, and we remember the healing that our country went through back then.

This movie made me remember what is most important......we all need each other. We are all on a journey of healing of some kind, and we are rooting for this boy to find his all the way through the movie.

And another thought.....what would it be like if we all stopped to turn and give that healing to one another.

What matters most

2012-01-23T12:38:00.000-08:00

Above all powers
Above all kings
Above all nature
And all created things
Above all wisdom
And all the ways of man
You were here
Before the world began......

This was the week Elaine and I were supposed to go on a cruise to Belize. Caretaking took that away as it has taken many things away this past year.....

But somehow, sitting in church yesterday listening to the sermon and, most of all, having Elaine's Nephew Mark sitting right beside us. The cruise didn't matter as much anymore. Not if it meant having an eternal impact on someone dear. None of our travels matter much in the long run.

What I heard yesterday reminded me. Knowing God matters more. Reaching the halls of Heaven matter. Hearing the gospel and having a chance to respond? That matters more than anything.

When the Pastor took the long black rope representing our whole life plus eternity.....when he held up the piece with the knot about 4 inches away from the end, and how we pour everything we have into that four inches representing our very short time on earth.....

Our hopes, our dreams, our ambitions to make money, have a successful career, a family.....all on that very tiny end with the knot.

And we fail to think, to plan. For the rest of the rope that represents eternity. Stretching on and on.

We fail to count the cost.

Fail to plan for eternity and where we will spend it.

As he said the words, I felt the chill.......Saying "maybe tomorrow" is the same as saying no to God.

Later today is also a refusal.

With all that life hanging in the balance,

A little cruise didn't matter so much anymore.

Above all kingdoms
Above all thrones
Above all wonders
The world has ever known
Above all wealth
And treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure
What You're worth

Crucified
Laid behind a stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
Like a rose
Trampled on the ground
You took the fall
And thought of me

Above all

Michael W. Smith

the blessings keep coming, as well as the grace.......Awesome church service yesterday, just when it was needed most.....warm beds at night.....money for the new fridge.....and for the new coffeepot when the other gave out......music to soothe rumpled souls.....praise that lifts the tired and poor of spirit......God's Spirit that helps us through it all.....warmed up oatmeal maple scone......walking in the mornings chill.....time off work, even when I am not going anywhere......#802-812

Wishing you a bit of grace

2012-01-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

Not much going on around here.....just hanging out waiting to see if there is anything good coming out of the fridge!

Actually, I am at work. Briggs is the one just hanging out. More than likely right now he is dreaming of chasing mice or catnip.....

Until I can get a bit of time to post, I am at my desk.

Hope your Saturday is going wonderfully......

To all in Rome (and the rest of the world) who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:7

The other morning before I left for work I grabbed a Bible CD from my bookshelf. I saw that it was Romans so I put it back, (I thought) since I had just read that. When I got in the car, I heard "Romans Chapter 1"

And I was glad, because you can never read the book of Romans too often.

Happy Saturday fellow bloggers and readers!

We are smart, but God's smarter

2012-01-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

We do things in this building, and all others on our campus....fantastical things. Things never thought possible even 60 years ago. We create all sorts of wild imaginings and then put them into form. We think, "what if....." And then we do it. That is, at least the creative brains do that. I am just a small cog in the wheel of technology....but I do my part.

And it all changes and grows so fast, that by the time a new process comes out, it is already outdated....
Considered obsolete.

People are creators because God made us that way....

All of us have that God spark that seeks to create because He put it in us.

But, with all this human achievement and rushing around, what we call progress; we still can't even come close to making a moon or setting the stars in place.

Or calming the sea with a word.

We aren't so smart.......

And as long as we have been alive, there is a danger, a temptation in worshiping that "created thing" instead of the One who put it all in motion to begin with. "And they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen." Romans 1:25

Don't get me wrong, I love technology! It has been my bread and butter for 16 years now and the industry has treated me well. I don't feel as my Mom does, that computers are the Antichrist. But ever since the golden calf and before that, we have been tempted to put things in place of God.

The idols may change over the centuries, but the temptation is the same.

This whole train of thought started with the radio this morning. There was a discussion about our gadgets. The female commentator had left her IPhone home and was feeling a bit lost. I can relate to that. I never felt that way about a phone before I got mine. She further stated a quote attributed to Steve Jobs that said something like:

"When people can put their wedding pictures on their phone, they will be emotionally attached." Or something like that.

She was saying that it troubled her a bit that she felt an emotion, an attachment, like something was missing because she didn't have her phone. I can relate. I am ashamed to say I feel the same way.

She said all her friends were having a great time playing "Words with Friends." She didn't start it. She didn't want to feel like she had to respond every time the phone dinged.

Well, I succumbed.

I started......I am addicted. And now I have to go.

It's my move.

Maybe it's time for a gadget fast.

Just after I play this word.

When in doubt, wait on the Lord

2012-01-18T12:37:00.000-08:00

I had a whole post done when I realized I had no idea what I was trying to say....It seemed to be going in two different directions and I couldn't make up my mind which path to go down...kind of like one of my favorite poems by Robert Frost......So in lieu of my own words, here are some of his.
I am waiting on the Lord today, and waiting can be just the right thing sometimes.....

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Wishing for a rooftop

2012-01-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. Luke 12:3

The houses of the Jews, as well as those of the ancient Greeks and Romans, were flat-roofed, and had stairs on the outside, by which persons might ascend and descend without coming into the house. In the eastern walled cities, these flat-roofed houses usually formed continued terraces from one end of the city to the other. Clarkes Commentary of the Bible

I have wished for a place on the rooftop more than once. Even more so since I have started to get into photography more. The Arizona sky never ceases to surprise me. This particular night I rounded the corner not expecting anything......instead I was treated to this stunning view.

The ancient cultures were very intuned to the sky. They were sky watchers. They had to be, that is how they knew what time it was and what direction to go. In our modern culture, we barely ever have to look up. We have digital clocks everywhere and satellites to tell us everything we need to know. But I think we are missing something very important......

About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. Acts 10:9

When you stop looking up, it is easy to forget God. When you read the Bible, it is apparent much time was spent on the roof. In David's case it lead to trouble.....

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful....2 Samuel 11:2

As Paul Harvey would say: you know the rest of that story.

I do wish I had a rooftop to sit on, to gaze at the stars, to dream, to pray.

And there must be a reason why, in every romantic movie there is a scene where somebody surprises somebody with a beautiful rooftop spread. Complete with candles sparkling wine, flowers and market lights.

Yes, there is something to this rooftop idea.

I pause to continue the count......#791-801

Rain rain, blessed rain on our dry desert valley......half price book sale at our local library, cheap books are always a cause for celebration......call from a special friend across the miles.....another end of a week....chores I can do because I am healthy.......a wonderful time of meeting together at church once again......sharing a pot of tea......time at Barnes and Noble......enjoying a bowl of chili-mac to warm the bones on a cool evening......answered prayer for my sickly cat who feels much better now.

Bloomin joy

2012-01-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

"I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!" John 15:11

Ever have one of those days where for some inexplicable reason you feel like bubbling over with joy? No particular circumstance has caused it.....you may be on your way to work, or on your way to the Dentist (this is for other people, not me) I am one of those people who have dreams about my teeth falling out, or losing crowns. No, I am talking about joy for no external reason at all. This particular kind of joy is described in many places throughout Scripture......

"You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence." Acts 2:28

"With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!" Isaiah 12:3

"When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven's Armies." Jeremiah 15:16

It is a sing at the top of your lungs kind of joy! Everyone at some point in life has experienced this joy. It is a by-product of life, my friends. You don't have to know the source of the stream for your thirst to be quenched or to feel its refreshment, but oh how much more satisfying it is when you do!

It is a natural result of a supernatural event......the Holy Spirit taking up residence in us! Kind of like these little flowers, they don't think about whether to bloom, they bloom because they have to! While the actual joy "feeling" comes and goes, just knowing we never have to be alone again is why it's possible to have hope in every circumstance. Why we can "bloom" no matter what is around us.

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all." 2 Thessalonians 3:16

I pray that whatever your circumstance today that you feel the breath of His Spirit.............and the fruit of the Spirit filled to overflowing.

And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:22

Next time I'll sing

2012-01-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

As far back as I can remember, the sound of my Mom's singing is woven into the background of my memories. I have talked about it before somewhere in earlier posts. Can you imagine how it must have been to hear her wonderful Soprano drifing through the windows as I walked up the driveway from school?

Of course, I didn't appreciate it then, not nearly as much as I do now.

Last time I was back home she started singing in the car and I really wanted to sing along. The words were right on the edge....oh, I knew them, all right. But something stopped me and I don't even know what. Who knows, maybe someone was in the car and I was self-conscious. And ever since I got home it has bothered me that I didn't join in. She was singing an old song.......maybe you know it.

"This world is not my home, I'm just a passin through

If Heaven's not my home, then Lord what will I do?

The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door

and I don't feel at home in this world anymore...."

She stopped singing and asked me, "Do you know that song?" I said, "Yes, of course." Memories washed over me when she said that. We used to all get together and sing these songs and many others. Hour were spent, singing and laughing. No one cared how anyone else sounded, but really, I can remember it sounding pretty good. It sounded like joy.

I was ashamed at myself for not singing with her, for not joining in.

For not keeping the memory alive with her.

She said, "Why didn't you sing?"

Indeed. I wish I had.

I know there will come a day when I won't be able to sing with her, and it will make me sad beyond words. Sad that I didn't sing with her every chance I got. But that time is, thankfully, not yet.

It strikes me that I may be the last generation to know those songs. Kids today know many things, they know Miley, and Justin.......

and Beyonce, and JLo....but they don't know these songs about Heaven.

And it's wrong to let them die, just because it may not be "cool" to sing them.

So the next time Mom, I will join you.

I will sing.

Beside the still waters

2012-01-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

For the Scripture says: "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed".........Romans 10:11

Last night I stayed up most of the night to take care of a sick little cat. He has been coughing and hiding under the bed. I really thought that today he would be the day to take him in. I know many people, even Christians who make light of the sickness or death of a beloved pet. "It's not the same," they say, "as when a human dies." They make light of the grief.....

But one thing I know. Death feels like death, and grief feels like grief.......It's the same blackness, the same hell we escaped from....just barely. It's the same tears spilling down.....it's comfort that is needed, and to do anything less is to ignore Holy Scripture.....for this is the truth of it:

"Now we who are strong ought to bare the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to his edification." Romans 15:1, 2

And, also:

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

And you just don't know, there may be an ocean of events leading up to this one thing that brakes the back of the camel......

As I tossed and turned last night, all I could think of was all the other grief, from all the other times. Funerals, memorials, big ugly flower arrangements and holes in the dark cold earth. They all mean the same thing. The thing that should never have been. But the thing we must live with every day until Jesus comes again.

I thought again how very unnatural illness is, how foreign death was when the world was new. And how very wrong.

But on the opposite corner stands Jesus and He is our life......Thanks be to God!

I recited the 23rd Psalm as I waited for sleep to come. I thought of a little white cat lying down beside me in green pastures......I pictured us sitting on the shore, watching the quiet waters lap upon the shore.

I am happy to say, this morning Sydney is still with us. He sat on my lap for awhile this morning and ate and drank water. He is back under the bed but the coughing has subsided for now.

And with the morning came grace for awhile yet.

Multitudes on Monday

2012-01-09T07:27:00.000-08:00

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV

Counting the gifts today........#776-790

The return of gorgeous sunny weather.....to hike trails, take walks

Chilly desert nights spent once again around the fire, deep conversations......

New hiking shoes that will hold the rocky trail

Breakfast after church......and important reconnections

Mini vacations when you can't get the real thing.....sometimes just a few hours makes a difference.

Looks that say, "I understand...."

The joy of library books waiting to be cracked open.......

My ever positive Mom.....

Instant messaging with my brother across the miles

A brand new bathroom thanks to my wonderful and creative best friend (I really think she could teach Martha a thing or two)

Gathering together with other believers....here there and everywhere!

Good things that don't end......always another photo

always another book

always another chance to start again with each new day......always another chance to pray!

Wisdom from Ecclesiastes

2012-01-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--Ecclesiastes 3:1

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!

It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it.

Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.

I also noticed that under the sun there is evil in the courtroom. Yes, even the courts of law are corrupt! I said to myself, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.”

I guess they felt the same way about their system of justice back then too!

After reading Ecclesiastes, it would be easy to imagine that this writer, "the teacher" as he is called, suffered from severe depression.....and yet, if you can get through the weariness in its pages, there is much wisdom here. Though at first glance it seems to be filled with the ultimate futility of life, behind the words there is shining evidence of hope. Hope in God that is.

And there is even some very sound financial advice.....what investor would disagree with this?

Send your grain across the seas,and in time, profits will flow back to you. But divide your investments among many places, for you do not know what risks might lie ahead.

And this is some really good advice for people who tend to be worriers, like me.

When clouds are heavy, the rains come down. Whether a tree falls north or south, it stays where it falls.Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.

The man who had everything was indeed very wise, he realized that when all was said and done, even with all his wealth, all his stuff, all his palaces, and women, and vacations, that without God, it was pretty much worthless. And that even enjoyable stuff is much more enjoyable when you acknowledge your gratefulness to the God who gave it all to you.

all verses from the New Living Translation of the Bible

I will carry you....

2012-01-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

I will be your God throughout your lifetime--until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. Isaiah 46:4

Caretaking can suck the life out of you. It has the ability to sap you of all strength, make you believe that it will never end. Like this is your lot in life. You feel alone.......unappreciated for all you do. You may even deal with hostility from the one you are trying to take care of.

I have heard it over and over again. Health care professionals will verify it. For some strange reason, many times the caretaker becomes the focus of abuse by the very ones who are being taken care of.

When you are most tired and vulnerable, that is when Satan attacks. He does his best to make you feel singled out and alone. That's his specialty. That's what he did to Jesus too.

He also loves to make you feel as if you are undeserving of any other kind of life. He whispers things like "this is what you were meant to do until they end, or you do. But one thing we must never, ever forget.

He is and always will be A Big Fat Liar. Sometimes he even gets us to believe that God did it to us. After all, he says, God could have prevented the circumstance.

He is a tricky one, he is. He knows what we believe about God, because he makes it a point to know which ones belong to Jesus. We are his target. But He knows he can't have us for eternity, but that doesn't stop him from messing with us now.

But this is the truth:

Whatever you are going through will not be forever. It will end. It is temporary. You won't die from it, God has you. He has promised to carry you along and save you. He wants good things for you. And, in the end, you will have the peace that others seek but cannot find. You are doing what is right and what will cause you to have peace ultimately. God will work it out for your good.

Be assured.......He will bring back all that time you thought was lost forever....pressed down and shaken together. You will have years, you will have vacations again, the sun will shine brilliantly in your life once again, even brighter than before.

Be assured. He will bring it to pass.

The blessings of small town living

2012-01-03T07:25:00.000-08:00

I knew I had seen her before, I thought...."Could it be?" As they sang, I was convinced. Her posture was just the same, and her expressions. It was one of my high school gym teachers there before me, one member of a female barbershop quartet singing Christmas carols as part of the special music at the Christian Women's Club event we were attending.

They regularly share their gift of song to local churches and nursing homes. How they must love it when they come....

As they finished their performance, which everyone loved, they went into the foyer and were chatting away quietly amongst themselves when I realized I just had to go talk to her before she left. I walked up and she beamed......I said, "I just wanted to introduce myself, I had you for gym, Tokay High." Imagine my surprise when she popped right back, "Lori Cook," she said with a smile. Mind you, it has been 34 years since I wore that ugly orange gym suit. "Wow," I said flabbergasted, "You are good!"

When we were in High School she was single, but before we graduated she married a coach. It was all very romantic to us girls back then. Ann Ganzer became Ann Braden. I remember one specific day we were all in a circle and she put this funky music on. We were supposed to be learning folk dancing. We were changing all the words, and laughing hysterically. And she scolded us for it.

As I sat back down, my Aunt mentioned that her husband had been in her Graduating class in High School. Such a small world.

There was another lady at our table who I was also trying to place. Then my Mom introduced us...."Ah, Gladys Fever!" We were in choir together at Temple Baptist Church. She was always in a different section, being a tall Soprano. As a short Alto, I was always placed at the end parallel to Marge Jones, the shortest Soprano.

The last time I was back in Lodi, I ran into my Sixth Grade teacher. She knew me too! Before I flatter myself too much I remember that they all know my family and have kept in touch over the years, going to the same grocery stores and running into one another in town.

There is something to this connectedness. I think everyone needs a place where they have been known, and known a long time. It keeps you a bit grounded. Going back is good.

And going forward is very good.

Happy New Year! 2012

Impossible Joy

2011-12-31T07:39:00.000-08:00

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:35-37

The past year is fast receding, along with all the events, challenges, joys and sorrows along with it. As I look back along the 365 days worth of everything that made up 2011, I am once again filled with thanksgiving of what He brought me through. I reflected on this one thought this morning on my 30 minute commute, as my car idled into the parking lot and came to a stop.

That in every seemingly impossible situation during the past year, impossible joy came along for the ride. In the moments of hysteria, sometimes laughter rose up beside it.

In helping my best friend deal with both parents, one with Dementia and one with Alzheimer's, I learned many things about myself, some things which were not pleasant. I learned how easy it is to love the lovable, and just how difficult it can be to love the unlovely, the unlovable. It stretches you like nothing else. Several times a day I fail miserably. But I am thankful for that too, for that is what keeps me praying.

I am amazed at what transpired, what we got done.

What He brought us through.

And I am amazed at how painful moments can recede in hindsight and the joys magnify.

Like stones worn smooth by a rushing river, He smooths us out. It is easy to forget that just like that mighty river that is flowing all around us, He is still and always, there.

Washing us clean, making us more like Himself.

The Afterglow

2011-12-29T07:30:00.000-08:00

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

As years go by I am appreciating more and more, those winding down days after Christmas.......as the activity wanes, the afterglow remains. I still play Christmas music for a few days more.....and reflect on what just passed, and what still remains of the current year.

I realize that I need not release anything of the magic, for Christ is with us still.

And we have the hope of knowing that whatever happens in the coming year, His precious Holy Spirit strives with us, anticipating every step we take.

Bask in the Father's love today, for I really believe He loves us more than we know.

Without condition.

“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Home Again

2011-12-28T10:16:00.000-08:00

"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God." Ephesians 2:8 NLT

I am back home in Arizona after a treasured time with my family. I needed to be there and my presence was so appreciated, but also missed back here. Elaine had to take her Mom in to the hospital after a bout with the flu. She came home Christmas Eve, but has been nursing her ever since. Getting someone with Alzheimer's to eat is a challenge all by itself, but when you throw in other factors it makes it much more difficult.

Goodbyes on both ends are always difficult, and I look forward to the day when all goodbyes will be over for good. This is the rejoicing part of what we celebrate at Christmas. Once again, I am enjoying the after Christmas quiet.

I used to feel depressed the day or two after.....it was all such a let down, after all. But as I have gotten older, I have realized the value of the days after. The joy that comes when you realize that for Christians, the most important part of Christmas, the part we celebrate, never ends!

It doesn't mean that we won't have difficulty, but it does mean that He is still and always, God with Us. That is the hope that keeps us going in and through it all.

It is always good to see family and friends you haven't seen in awhile, and I did both back home. There were a few mishaps that I am sure we will look back on and laugh....

I gave my brother a recipe for Prime Rib in salt but forgot the operative ingredient (water) that would have made a paste. Instead he spent hours trying to mix flour, salt, and an egg into something that would stick to a piece of meat. It turned out wonderful anyway.....

I also watered the plant on the front porch not thinking of how my Dad's compulsive worrying about the house would affect things. You see, the water there doesn't evaporate like the desert, it stays around for days. He thought there was a water leak under the house and proceeded to go crawling around under there with a flashlight. It was only after the fact he asked if anyone had watered the plant by the porch.

He said, "Hallelujah, thank God!" when I told him I had.

Who knew my innocent watering of a plant would set such things in motion?

I have missed you all my friends, hope you had a safe and happy Christmas! It's good to be back in touch......

A Very Merry Christmas

2011-12-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a very happy and restful Christmas, from Lori's Prayer Closet........my own little corner where all are welcome.

To dream, to pray.....or be silent.

To talk it all out with our Father in Heaven.

Thanking Him today and everyday for His Son that was given, and gave Himself.....

who intercedes for us even now.

He is our blessed hope.....

I love you all.

I pray for a closer walk for the coming year.

I just popped over to Panera for a quick cup of coffee and note to you all. I am on a mission to find a Panda Express for food tomorrow. Just a quick hello to say I was thinking of you all, and that while I may or may not be able to blog this week, you are in my thoughts, keeping things loose here.......

I do ask for prayers for my dear friend Elaine, who is back in Arizona. She had to take her Mom to the hospital due to dehydration and a bad case of the flu. I ask for strength for them both and rest for the caretaker, who is the last to be taken care of.

I do so appreciate all your thoughts, comments and prayers!

For Unto Us a Son is Given

2011-12-19T06:10:00.000-08:00

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

My prayer this Christmas is a simple one. That may we remember always why we are doing what we are doing and most of all who we are doing it for. Not just Christmas, but throughout the year. There is a grand goal, and there will be a glorious finish and joy along the way as long as we walk hand in hand with Him.

I pray that the people I love will love each other......That peace will rule in our hearts and that Heaven will come to earth in the Spirit of reconciliation, which is true love.

May the Bethlehem Star rise in all of our hearts and minds in the form of hope.

May you all have a Christmas filled with the knowledge of Him who gives us strength, and hope and joy.

Amen

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

What can it possibly mean?

2011-12-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:13,14

What is it about Christmas that tears our hearts asunder? What is it about this birth that is like no other? So important that it split history....and time in two? Somehow it makes us regret what we don't have and grateful for what we do have. Something in us always hopes for that perfect Christmas, and each of us has a vision in our own minds what that would look like.

The regret of knowing that this will never come to pass is what sends many people off to the Bahamas until it's over. For a hilarious vision of what this might look like see the movie, Christmas with the Kranks.
Every year there is one Christmas album that brings me to tears. It was done by the Methodist church my Aunt used to attend when she was alive and it is called Sing with the Angels. In one of the songs is the probing question:

What could it possibly mean, what could it possibly mean? That God would be here with you and me, what could it possibly mean?

It is such a wonderful preposterous plan, it grabs at our hearts. The thought that God would come down to meet us......

Every year we hear stories about secret Santa's and good Samaritans. People everywhere seem to know that this is the season to display extra kindness. I think there is even something behind the driving forces that keep people year after year flocking to the malls and shopping centers for that perfect gift.

This event was important enough to pull back the ceiling of Heaven and announce this baby's birth.
Angels announced it, and Miracles surrounded it....

However your Christmas turns out this year, know that if you have the Savior, you've already received the perfect gift. There is no one thing more important to celebrate than this alone.....

And if you have it, get down on your knees today and thank Him.

If you don't, then seek Him and know the most perfect Christmas you will ever have. Cause when you have Him, you have it all.

"........and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;" Acts 17:26,27

Pockets of peace

2011-12-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just have to pull over to the side of the road.....find a little out of the way place and hide out for a spell. Especially at this time of year. It gets pretty crazy. The more people around me speed up, the more I want to slow down. I do this every year. I wear myself out. Not with buying, with doing.....

And this year, I haven't been able to make any plans because I still don't know if I can take the week of Christmas off. It makes it very difficult, expecially when you have to schedule flights. I don't do well with last minute. I want to plan, schedule. Finalize.

This has been an up in the air year. Ever feel like your life is in a holding pattern? Like you're flying around and around, waiting for the control tower to give you clearance to land but they never do?

I surprised myself the other day, when I realized that God is teaching me something through all this. He is helping me get better with this feeling of being out of control.

He has brought little pockets of peace in the chaos, here and there. Times of enjoyment.....laughter....and we thank God for them, every one.

It is really a relief when you finally let go.

You realize that there is peace to be found in that holding pattern above the clouds.

That's my Jesus!

2011-12-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen. John 21:24,25

Sometimes it is a good idea to let religion go and just meditate on the person of Jesus.......Yeshua. I prefer the Hebrew way of saying Jesus, Yeshua or Y'Shua because it flows. It is soft and yet strong. And when you say it aloud it sounds like a rushing river.

Then there is that wonderful song with words by Bill and Gloria Gaither.....There's Something About That Name:

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
There's just something about that name
Master, Savior, Jesus
Like the fragrance after the rain
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Let all heaven and earth proclaim
Kings and kingdoms shall all pass away
But there's something about that name.

Has someone you love ever asked you what you love about them? Do you see the sparkle in their eyes when you tell them? How happy it makes them? That look on their face is worth more than any amount of riches.

Yesterday I decided to simply meditate on the things I love about Jesus. So, as I settled into the dim morning light.......and my little heater hissed to life, and with the lights of the little shop Christmas tree sparkling in the corner, and my lantern lit, the words of gratitude flowed. This is my unedited list as I wrote it. #754-775

He loves reconciliation and never likes it when people are at odds with one another

He loves bringing diverse groups of people together

He was never at a loss for words while on this earth

He always said just the right thing

He stumped the best and brightest scholarly minds

He always did the right thing, even if it hurt

He always spoke the truth and never backed down from it

He is the way, the truth and the life, all three!

He has a sense of humor, (illustration about straining out a knat and swallowing a camel)

His great love for people

His great compassion

He never turns anyone away with an open heart, not then, not now

He wasn't afraid to let those close to Him see Him cry, yet.......He survived a beating that would have killed any other man, even before going to the cross

He is filled with passion, never boring

He was and is always in complete control every moment.

He caused a stir wherever He went, He was never afraid to shake up the status quo

He loves animals and nature

He appreciates fine craftsmanship

He wasn't afraid to step outside the cultural norms of the day, like taking time for women and children and people outside of His own ethnic and religious group

He took time for individuals, even though crowds pressed Him at all sides, He never lost His temper with those seeking help.

He saw the need and value of quiet time by the water, or up on the mountain in prayer, time alone with His Father.

That's my Jesus.

Thats my Savior!

picture credit: google images

Lost and found peace.

2011-12-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what are mere mortals that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" Psalm 8:3,4

that you care for me?

Yesterday was a no good, terrible bad day for me. I wanted nothing more than to go back home, tuck myself into a warm corner and pet my cats.

I wasn't getting any warm fuzzies from my work atmosphere. It was several things.

We found out the day before that someone from my group went out on a medical leave. That means I may have to work Christmas week. The week I planned to take off. The week I sacrificed my Thanksgiving for.

So right now I can't really plan anything until I find out.

I was irritable all day. I didn't want to be at work, or really be anywhere but home. Then about midshift as we were recovering from something else, we lost pressure in the factory. When that happens, my hyper-sensitive multimillion dollar tools log themselves down. I saw red on all 3 of my computer screens.......instantaneously.

In our world, as in most of the rest of the world, green is good, red means trouble.

Some days it seems nothing is settled. It is as if everything is suspended.....hanging in the balance. Unsettled.

That is how I felt yesterday, like someone snatched my peace away and I really wanted it back.

Despite how I was feeling.....I had to notice how beautifully the moon was peeking out from the clouds. It was like we were playing hide and seek all the way to my parking lot. It was yellow and full, and as always, it inspired reflection......What is it about the moon that does that for me?

Always awe, with a bit of melancholy thrown in. And always hope.

You can't stare at the sun for long, but the moon invites us to gaze long.

The sun blares forth it intentions.....to give light, and warmth. While the moon does more....she flirts and makes us fall in love. So quietly she comes out that at times we might even forget she is there, but then how stunningly she makes us remember!

The moon brought me to work and reminded me that God is still in control even when nothing else is.

And this morning I was reminded again as I crossed the parking lot. As I glanced across the parking lot at the tallest crane in the Western hemisphere, where our new factory is being built, there she was again.

Peeking out through the bend in the crane, high up in the sky.

Reminding me that we can build our buildings and make billions of dollars but we can't place the moon just so in the sky.

That's control, that's God!

Walnuts and other stuff

2011-12-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

I have a thing for walnuts. I can hardly walk by the walnut bin at the grocery store without digging in with both hands. I love how they sound and the texture. I know I would love how they smell too, but due to a genetic weakness inherited from my Grandfather, I have never been able to smell. That's just one more thing in a long list that will get fixed in Heaven.

I had a walnut adventure yesterday, well the cats and I did.

It all started with a package of store-bought cookies. They were mexican wedding cookies, the ones that I decided I wasn't going to make this year. They were okay. In fact, I am ashamed to say, I ate every single one of them. But they were nothing like mine. Now I had an unrequitted craving that wasn't about to go away. I had no choice but to make them.

I had pecans but I really wanted walnuts. My funny friend knows about my walnut fetish so last Christmas she gave me a sack in the shell, and they were still there in the cupboard. I dug out my nutcracker from wayyyy under the cabinet, since now I mostly buy nuts that Costco has already cracked and packaged very nicely. It was too cold to go outside so I spread a sheet in my room and let the shells fly!

The cats thought it was a great adventure. They interrupted their morning naps and sprang off the bed like kittens: "What have we here? We don't recognize this thing you are doing on our floor." Somehow a rogue pecan had made its way into the bag so I rolled it their way. They batted it back and forth, but then Sydney smelled food like substance coming from the cracked nuts, so he stayed close by. His begging could put any dog to shame.

It was great fun. It only took me about 20 minutes and I had a nice little pile. I was surprised how I remembered some things. My Mom and I cracking walnuts on the cold garage floor on fall days. And going out to my Aunt's little country house and picking them off her trees. I closed my eyes and heard the sounds, the voices.....it seemed so far away.

I heard the squawking of the blue jays, and the flutter of their wings as they swooped down. I remembered the brick wall in her kitchen and how she had See's candy in the fridge. And how her sunny yellow bathroom curtains had fuzzy balls on the ends that I liked to touch.

And I remember all those years of Christmas baking and all the smiles of joy as they got their basket of homemade goodies. All of the trips to the store for a forgotten ingredient. And it surprised me how memories of those walnuts hurt. Hurt for those years gone and that they went so fast.

But there is more to be thankful for.......I still have my Mom, and I still have my Aunt. Though many years have passed, there is hope in every moment we all have right now, together.

This morning I broke the rules. I didn't eat a sensible breakfast, I had two Mexican Wedding cookies with my coffee at 4:30 AM, and they were just as good as I thought they would be.

I have not one regret.

We are all invited

2011-12-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Micah 5:2

For four hundred years, the voice of God was silent......The Holy Spirit stirred no prophet. No one came forth. Israel waited. They waited for redemption, for hope. Rescue. But they didn't expect it the way it came, the way He came.

The light of the world

They knew the prophecies concerning the One who would come.....they studied Isaiah, Micah and all the rest even from birth, and yet when He came, exactly as it was prophesied, many missed him.

Jesus, our hope......the hope of the Gentiles and the Jews, the hope of the whole world.

His heart breaks even now, when He remembers how many missed Him then, and how many will continue to miss him now. For He is not willing that any should perish.

The fact that I have not missed Him is proof of His great mercy. I ask myself why? But then I remember that His mercy extents to everyone. He holds this invitation out to the whole world.......still.

This alone is reason enough reason to live thankfulness in my heart every moment. One lifetime does not hold enough time for the amount of gratitude He deserves, so I am glad He has given me all eternity to thank Him....

Along with the angels.

For now, I will continue my list of small miracles in the every day: #754-764

For the joy that still flows as I decorate this year, even through the difficulties and challenges. The Spirit still flows and circumstances can't stop it.....Halleluiah.

The silly moments of laughter with a best friend who is silly along with me, as we join in spontaneous song driving down the road.

The evening fires, and being to eat outside once again....

The incredible sunrise this morning.

The glided pages of my favorite old Bible, "big red" I call it. I had thought the gold had all worn off the pages, but as the light hit it this morning, it caught the edge of the pages and I discovered it was still there.

Small escapes, little vacations in the midst of chaos that bring back a bit of sanity.

And a big surprise last night. Elaine's Mom joining me in decorating the Christmas tree, the first normal thing she has done in a very long time, and the first time she has decorated a tree in about 20 years.....

Cloud covered Superstitions......(see photo blog today, here)

Birdsong cutting through the chill of the morning.

Cold weather in Arizona......that makes it feel more like Christmas!

photo credit: google images

When all other lights go out

2011-12-03T08:49:00.000-08:00

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4, 5

There is no darkness so deep that the light of Christ cannot penetrate it. He is the light, in fact. Light originated with Him. There is nothing in our lives that is so dark, so powerful, so strong, that it is beyond His reach. There is nothing in me that He can't fix!

At times I tend to forget my greatest resource, especially when the darkness closes in around me. In times past my first instinct was to panic or try to figure a way out. Sometimes it still is. I am a bit quicker now to pray first, but many times I still get the order mixed up, panic, escape, with prayer coming last.

Love is patient.

One of the most memorable scenes for me in the Lord of the Rings was when Frodo was in that terrible dark cave with that awful giant spider. Let me tell you, as someone with a lifelong fear of spiders there could be no worse scenario for me.

I tried to force myself to watch it on the big screen. Oh, those awful eyes and creepy legs and then coming after him with that awful stinger! My favorite part was when good old faithful Sam came to the rescue with the light of Galadriel, which they had all along. I loved her line:

"May it be a light for you when all other lights go out."

Jesus is that light for us. He is the light of the whole world. In Him is no darkness. When Christ came, His light threw the shadows back on this old world forever. That is the hope of Christmas.

I think of this as I look at my lights out front, on the tree.

All of them symbols of the One and only true light.

And even though Jesus' cousin John was chronologically born first, John knew that Jesus existed long before he did. Was there, in fact at the very beginning of all things.

John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” John 1:15

"I thank you Lord, for being my One true light. You are my sanity, my healing, my joy, my everything. With You I have everything I need, without You I have nothing. Because of You my future is full of hope, never dread. And thank you for reminding me that nothing bad lasts forever, but only for a season, and even that, you are working out for my good."

Love with a Capital "L"

2011-12-02T04:57:00.000-08:00

"Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread." Isaiah 8:12,13

In other words, don't fear what the world fears, make sure you are right with God instead. It is good for us to pause and remember, when the world seems full of unrest and chaos.....when has it not been after all?......who is really in control, that what we see on the news doesn't have to fill us with dread.

Isaiah goes on to say that consulting with people who we feel have an inside track on future events is like asking a blind person for a way out of a dark tunnel. Only God holds the future in His hands.

"When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn." Isaiah 8:19, 20

If we were standing before the Lord himself, the events of this world would dissolve into nothingness. We would be blinded by the splendor of His majesty, struck as Isaiah was by everything he saw and felt. No doubt we would be speechless, as he was. God knew that He must do something to tear down that wall of separation so that we could approach Him without fear.......So at this time of year, we peer into that manger, that lowly straw-filled cradle that held God. We know that it was for our benefit, not His.

After all, Who would fear a baby in a manger?

Imagine a God who wanted so badly to reconcile with His children that He would appear in a lowly stable......it's the old, old story that never gets old.

That's what I call love with a Capital "L"

I pray for you quiet moments this Christmas, to reflect on just how much He loves us. In the midst of the rushing around this month, pull up a chair and grab a hot drink and watch the crowds rush by.

Smile at the peace that reigns in your heart........smile at the fact that you carry His peace wherever you go, always.

photo credit: google images

Beating back the dark

2011-11-30T08:22:00.000-08:00

This morning, I huddled in the crisp, cool darkness of the morning. I spilled out my worries. The same ones He always hears. I drew names out of my heart......

I whispered them and as I prayed I imagined them floating up.....up.....up toward that Throne.

The only One who matters, heard them.

Received them.

Then, after the spilling out of my cares was done. I figured I needed the serious praying posture. The head down and knees bent variety.....and no words except praise for Him who is worthy. Filling the silence I thought of the verses in the Bible that describe Isaiah's vision:

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

There in the silence, I could almost hear it.

I discovered once again, that the best way to beat back the darkness is with praise.

It's the one thing I have found that never fails.

Joy in the morning

2011-11-29T09:37:00.000-08:00

As dawn colored the sky this morning, I couldn't help but think that God knew that we would need such a greeting to start the day, and close it too.

Through all the worrying that goes on after dark,

all the tossing and turning.

The mulling over of everything we should have done....

or have left to do.

This I pray for all of us today.

That in all the rushing around of this season,

that we treasure each other and the time we have together.

Help us to have open and honest conversations....

not rushed.

Conversations that bring light and healing to hearts and ears.

Help us bring relief in our actions and a presence of calm.

Help us to be eager to bring relief to anxious and weary eyes.

Help us Lord, to enjoy each other's company, knowing that though the river

of time never stops.....

That rather than just swimming furiously

or allowing it to carry us swiftly downstream,

we can stop and sit on the shore

for awhile.

Shoulder to shoulder,

quietly watching the beauty of it

flow by.

Thank you Lord for the joy that came yesterday as we decorated the house.

It shimmers with You!

Amen

Showdown in the Desert

2011-11-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

I struggle with this post today. How to get into words what I feel this year? This particular advent? Each year I ask myself the same questions. What did it mean then, and what does it mean today? How can anyone truly understand the wonder of the Living God coming down to earth as a baby? This is why we are celebrating, after all.

Yesterday I saw a sign at a Scottsdale shopping mall describing Santa as "The man of the Season." Really? I guess for some he is the man of the season, but not for me.

Sometimes.....many times, in our walk of faith we come to a place of decision. That is where I was yesterday. It was difficult to pray. I sat in silence, my heart feeling like a stone. I was struggling. It was a battle I was facing and I had to ask myself a serious question. It was a showdown in the desert. I

Jesus had one too. And He won.

After prayer I came back inside, pacing. Lately I have noticed anger.....resentment bubbling underneath my surface, ready to flare at little meaningless things. I know where it comes from. And I also know that it was a Spiritual battle not a physical one I had to fight.

I know Satan's tactics. It was between him and me now. I was determined that he would not win. Can I just say to anyone who thinks that Satan isn't real, that he isn't absolutely bent on our destruction, just look at our world today. That my friends, is not the work of God.

What He created was and is perfect. Take the human element out of this world and you would be left with the same perfection as in the day of creation. Still and always, good. But thankfully, there is a good human element in play as well. All around us there are those who hold back the tide. And let's just call it what it is.....evil.

I realized yesterday morning, that if I can't handle one old, stinky bad tempered woman, yes I did say stinky. We are going on week six of no shower. She gets absolutely hostile and angry when Elaine suggests she take one. So we just keep spraying air freshener and lighting candles throughout the house.

If I can't handle this situation, then my faith means nothing. I am a fraud as a Christian. I may as not sing one Christmas carol. You see, that was and is the battle. Yours might be different, but we are all in one once we claim the name of Christ. It is not about flesh and blood at all.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

It is an old battle and nothing new. Yesterday I determined that God and I together would win it. Peace will reign in this home, in my heart. I will lay my struggle down at the feet of Jesus. I will let the Spirit take over instead of trying to fight it on my own.

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." Romans 8:12

Once I made up my mind......peace flooded into my heart. That is what advent means to me this year. It means peace, it means victory, it means we may have battles, but Jesus has won the war for us!

I continue my count today with renewed gratitude........Decorating with joy for the season.......A best friend who understands and shares my burdens in prayer and conversation.....Christmas lights that work.....Snowman doormat....new heater in prayer room.......talks by the firelight......Morning chill......a call from my Aunt last night.....laughter when all else fails......Sleigh with stuffed Christmas babies that always make me smile.....#743-#753

Queen of the Mute

2011-11-25T06:19:00.000-08:00

My Mom and I are the reigning queens of the mute button. I must give her top billing since she has actually worn the color off her mute button, and I haven't even come close....yet.

This mute button issue has made others in the same room with us very annoyed at times. When my brother is over he takes control of the remote so he can have a direct line to any channel that Cops might be on. But sometimes my Mom gets control and when she does, it's war.

His complaint is that she isn't quick enough on the draw for when the shows come back on. He hates missing the first few seconds of whatever it is they are watching. If it's a breaking news story I can understand it, you'd hate to miss the first few seconds of that. But the most you can miss on Cops is, "Put your hands where I can....."

Anyway I digress. At home I let Elaine keep control over the remote. I don't want the responsibility of the thing. The cats and I settle onto my chair, (a term I use loosely since they always try to squeeze me out of it), and also, we have much the same taste so I will watch whatever is on until I can't keep my eyes open anymore.

We are not really TV people anyway, we could shut it off for days and not really miss it. We have in fact. Elaine's parents on the other hand, were TV people. Still are. Now that her Mom is living with us it is really interesting. When she gets the remote, you never know what you will hear from the next room. The other day she had the Spanish channel full blast. Also, with Alzheimer's, she forgets what the remote is for at times.

One time Elaine was in the shower and her Mom handed the remote control through the curtain and said, "The phone is ringing and I don't know how to answer it." And she switches the remotes so that none of them will work, and then furiously punches the button and complains that, "I can't get this thing to work."

When they lived in their own home and we would go to visit, they would be sitting in the living room like mole people shades tightly drawn and TV hot to the touch from running Judge shows in a continual stream. I had no idea they had that many. It was extremely depressing to say the least.

And of course now that the Christmas ads have started I may have to take the remote until the New Year. Elaine is pretty good about it. All I have to say when they come on is....Mute, mute! And she does it, usually.

And finally the biggest reason this year that I may have to take ownership of the remote, whereby controlling when and how fast I can mute is this woman right here! She wins top billing in my book for most irritating TV ad personality.

The crazy Target lady. (Bless her heart)

She may just be the reason that my mute button is completely worn down by the end of the month.

Thankful to be Thankful

2011-11-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:6,7

........If I had an altar I'd kneel at it today, but since I don't I will make an altar right here at work in my heart. I am thankful to be thankful today!

Even though I have to be at work, I know there are many who need jobs, who would give anything to be here today. In fact, I was all ready to grumble about being here, but I feel like the Spirit is doing flips inside my heart, so I think I will just go with it!

Have a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours......and don't forget to smile at everyone you see from now until the New Year. You never know what load someone might be carrying.

images from google

With a Grateful Heart

2011-11-23T08:53:00.000-08:00

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder...G.K. Chesterton

Because of my dear sister in law who lost her battle with cancer, (but won the war, for she waits for us in Heaven) I always give thanks for my health. This morning something reminded me of a bad flu I had and I realized that there are many this Thanksgiving who would give anything to feel good.

I can't imagine waking up day after day feeling sick, but there are many who do. I thought this the other day on my walk/run. The air was clear and cold. That particular day I felt like I needed to hear life and not the IPOD. Sometimes you just have to. I felt the blast of cold air through my nose, the tingle that makes the nose run.....I felt my lungs about to burst, pushing air through, my heart beating faster and faster.

It was life and life was good.

And I am so thankful for things and people who are life-givers and not life-takers. People who are quick to laugh, to bolster me up with their faith, who speak life and joy. Who build up and not tear down.....how I thank God for you!

I am thankful for the Christian music that uplifts......turns me towards God and makes me lift my hands, my heart, my eyes towards Him.

And I am thankful for realizing that despite some fleeting thoughts earlier this month, I could never pass the holidays by. For the first time in my life though, I do understand those who fly far away, or at least want to. And then the thought, maybe that was a gift too, because I didn't understand before.

With people living in different places, it seems like someone close is always getting left behind. I was tired of the heartache. I still am. I don't want to wait for Heaven to have everyone in one place, my heart rebels against it. And then there is work. I always have to pick which holiday I want off. But then my heart wells with thanks because I have a choice, and a job. So many right now don't.

Thankfulness bloomed then in my heart and I realized that I could never really be one of those that ignored Thanksgiving or passed on Christmas. They are lodged too deep in my heart and I can't let either one pass without a celebration, for there is so much to celebrate and be thankful for this year......

as every year by God's wonderful grace.

Also, be sure to check out my new blog, Lori's Views. It's more photos and less words. I am really excited about it! I am still tweaking things up a bit so thank you in advance for your patience....

image of cabin from google images

The blessing of fellowship

2011-11-22T06:35:00.000-08:00

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

Yesterday Elaine and I went to see a dear friend who Pastors a church. He was a friend even before he was a Pastor, but we used to meet at work for prayer and Bible study. It was so good to catch up. By the time we heard all his problems ours felt much smaller.

We sat there for 3 hours.....until he got a call to pick up his daughter at school. The time had flown so fast we scarcely noticed it.

What a blessing it is to have dear friends to fellowship with. Like iron sharpening iron, we are strengthened by each other. He told us of what pain he has suffered over his next to youngest daughter. The one he never expected it from. He also said that lessons he has learned from going through that has helped him deal with issues in the church.

The hardest lessons to learn......Letting go.

He had to learn to let his daughter go, and sometimes to grow a church, you have to let some people go. A very perplexing lesson when you are in a small church and you are trying to grow it.

Sometimes God uses those we love the most to teach us the hard lessons of letting go. Sometimes it makes no sense. Sometimes we feel that the most Godly thing we could do is to grab on tighter. But God's ways are higher than ours, always.

And it makes sense when you think about it.

He used the One closest to Himself to change the world.

I dreamt of snow flurries.......

2011-11-21T06:04:00.000-08:00

I have always said, snow can make a scene of beauty out of a dumping ground. It transforms what it touches, like God's Grace when it reaches us. In Isaiah, the book I have always thought of as the Christmas book God says: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. – Isaiah 1:18

While I didn't wake to snow flurries, I did awake to the patter of raindrops........I sighed and rolled over, "no watering today." Always a concern in the desert.

As I went out for my morning walk/run the streets were wet with wonderful puddles. Another thing to thank Him for. As I passed by the gate I saw the cars already lined up at 6:30, a stream of cars jostling for position in queue.

I thought of myself, since I will be one of those later on this week.

I thought of the people in those cars.......have they felt the touch of God's snow white Grace?

As the world is gearing up for the Holidays, I pray that we might slow down instead. Downshift our lives. I pray more than anything for peace during this Thanksgiving, and throughout the Christmas season. That our lives and hearts and souls will be knit together in love.

That we may love each other as One in Him.

I am thankful first of all today for Ann's calling it to my attention. The counting of the gifts. As I read more from her wonderful book: One Thousand Gifts, and I thought of a few people who I know that would embrace and live the message.....who just may find one tucked under their tree this year.

And I prayed thanks for:

#732-742: The joy of taking pictures......raindrops in the night.....fresh coffee to get me started......fires at night, along with conversation that goes with it.......visits with old friends.......dreams of snow flurries......warm clothes when wind bites.....warm oatmeal cookies......people who believe in me.

photo from google images

Onto the green.....

2011-11-20T08:59:00.000-08:00

In everything give thanks........"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

As I walked outside this morning, I glimpsed one of those magic Arizona sunrises that I knew I had to capture. I got my camera and drove across the street to the golf course, where the golfer's church, their form of Sunday service I suppose, was just about to commence. The announcer's voice.....the morning lineup of who would tee off....

I thought, I could just about get used to this kind of service.

I don't know if God was with them, but He was certainly with me.

Thank you precious Lord, for giving me the eyes to see You.

And this.

Amen

The door of peace

2011-11-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27

Every day we have a choice. Which door will I walk through? That of the Spirit or that of the world? In every circumstance a door of choice lays before us. Some people don't even realize a choice exists, they just react, and react badly. I have realized my own capacity to veer wildly off the path, leave the way of peace in the dust and choose to react the way the world does.

I am amazed and ashamed at my own capability for white hot rage, or resentment that sticks like a burr in my heart. One minute I am praying in the Spirit and in the next instant I am ready to lash out......At what someone does, or says. This is the human condition, and one Jesus knew well. It's one of the reasons He came. He knew we were hopeless and helpless without Him. Without His Spirit indwelling us, working through us and in us, we don't have a snowball's chance. (you know the rest)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Friends, this is a battle. And thankfully it is a battle that Christ has already won. I don't have a chance of winning it on my own. Many times I still try.

Today, moment by moment, choice by choice I can choose to lay down my weapons and walk peacefully through the door of the Spirit.

Come with me.

Pray for me and I will pray for you, okay?

A Free Gift

2011-11-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8,9

News leaves me cold these days. We are, all of us, inundated with information.....most of it useless. How did we get to be a society, a people, so influenced by culture and what it says. I don't care about any of it so I scan over the headlines as quickly as I can. It makes me weary, nothing changes, only the faces of the latest celebrity of the minute, the hour, the week.

I skim past them, glancing at headlines, stopping every now and again as I shiver at the violence, destruction, loss that is now part of our normal. At what shouldn't be, but is.

I stay just long enough to know what is going on in the world. And I am reminded of one thing:

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9

But faith is one thing that never gets old. It gets renewed again and again. Increases in power, with constant use. It is stretched but never can be broken beyond repair. It stays gleaming and shiny new as that moment when we first grabbed onto it. Whether it was out of desperation or hope as slim as a spider's thread......it was real.

The other day in a book I was reading one of the characters said, "I just can't believe, I don't have that gift of faith." That is when I remembered again what a gift it really is. To believe. To have faith in what we can't see.

It is something we could never do on our own.....for even the act of believing comes from God Himself. Otherwise we could never do it. But He holds it out to us each day. And I believe, I really believe that though He will never force it on us, He holds out hope that we will accept it.

And I don't believe it is too late until we take that last breath.

Thank you Father for such a wonderful gift.

Need Blogger Expert!

2011-11-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! Psalm 121:2

(And sometimes He uses people)

Does anyone know how to change template on blogger without a lot of hassle or know how? Despite the fact that I work in a technical field, this is by far not my expertise. I want a wider template that will allow me to display my pictures bigger rather than dinky size!

I am trying to avoid sitting in front of the computer all day running through tutorials! Any help would be appreciated.

Yes, I am being lazy.....

Much to do today :-)

Encouragement from a prison cell

2011-11-14T08:21:00.000-08:00

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:9,10

The whole book of Ephesians reads like a prayer of Thanksgiving. Paul is writing from a prison cell, yet this book is enfused with so much joy and hope it is impossible to read it without your spirits lifting. No longer going from place to place putting out fires and encouraging the church, he has endless time in which to write about a future filled with hope in Christ.

It's all about knocking down the barriers that once separated us from God and each other. Jews and Gentiles, once the most segregated and divided of peoples, now are brought together as one in Christ Jesus......

"But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us." Ephesians 2: 13,14

Sometimes our circumstances can lead us to feel like we are in a prison cell of our own. And we see no end to it. My best friend sees no end to her caretaking responsibilities right now. She feels as if she has been robbed of her life. She told me yesterday all she keeps hearing is my Aunt's voice saying, "The caretakers end up dying"......and now it haunts her like a refrain she can't get rid of........The caretakers die......the caretakers die, the caretakers die. I do my best to comfort her, encourage her.

The truth is, the hope Paul holds out is real. Present circumstances are just that. They will not last forever. We must grab every scrap of joy we can, and yesterday we had a good day. With Christ, each day is enfused with hope. Without Him, we have no hope at all.

So I am thankful for the good moments we had yesterday, and looking forward to more today, holding each one up to the light and giving thanks to Our Father, who has given His Holy Spirit in generous measure, to do above all we can ask or think.

Going to see the movie Puss in Boots yesterday, it was truly delightful. I was surprised at the amount of adults in the theater without kids, and everyone was laughing. Sorting through old slides of camping days, I volunteered to do this for my Dad...such wonderful memories. Being able to gather with the Body of Believers yesterday, to remember what it all means and celebrate what Jesus did for us. Being able to take our neighbor, who turned 88 to lunch yesterday, and then gathering later for cake and enjoying some laughs. Being able to enjoy some rain, and getting back into my exercise routine.......#726-731

Going Deep

2011-11-12T10:39:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder why I am content to wade.........and I wonder how my life would look if I dared to go deep with God. I have gone deep before so I know how it feels. When things are good and I feel like I have things under control I tend to stay in the shallows. I read my Bible and pray, but just enough......

Then when I get desperate, I submerge myself in Scripture........Prayer........Calling out to God.....fasting.....And of course, He is there. He always answers. The truth hits home, for when are we ever not desperate in this life?

When do we not need Him? I wonder how my life would look if I truly lived by the Spirit's leading. If I listened to that quiet voice when it beckoned more often.

What is it that prevents me from walking that close, that intimate with my Heavenly Father?

I guess it really comes down to fear of where He might lead, what He might ask....So much so, that I forget all the blessing that He assures me would come with it.

Then I remember that was the first sin of Adam and Eve.......He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.

His love for the children of His creation led His steps to the Garden,

To the Cross.

He even went so far as to fill us with His Spirit so that we may never be without Him.

Shouldn't that be enough to convince me of His love? That where He leads I need never fear?

Yet sometimes I still fear. This life is full of it.

And still His Grace is with me, walking where I walk.

And someday, in that face to face place called Heaven we will walk again without fear in the Garden.

No separation, ever again.

The future is bright my friends.

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11

Always the Same

2011-11-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:7,8

God could have made every sunset and sunrise the same.....but He didn't. I wanted to show these one after the other to show how beautiful and how miraculous each one is all on its own. They never happen just the same way.....

I'm not sure what these little birds are, but they were very entertaining. They raced to the retreating waves to dig for sand crabs, then they would race to escape the waves when they came back in. Sometimes they would get caught and have to fly out of the way. They didn't like getting wet! A lazy seagull waited, watching them with interest. He tried to steal their spoil when he noticed they had something. Lazy guy.

This is the sunset I captured, racing breathless to the sea right before it sank beneath it's depths on the other side of the world on our last night there. As my lungs burned and I tried to catch my breath, I watched as another work of art was displayed before my eyes. It was like watching a prayer.....

And I got a bunch of these pelicans flying right above the surf looking for their breakfast......

Since the beginning of time, when God set it all in motion, these events have played on. Sometimes we are so mired in the circumstances of life and the stress that surrounds us that we don't notice, yet still they keep unfolding....just like God's grace.

It is encouraging to me that whatever happens in my life, Jesus always stays the same.

All photos taken in Moss Landing, California by me

The Art of Being

2011-11-10T08:19:00.000-08:00

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in youall. Ephesians 4:1-6

He held us captive, with his antics.

As he went through a whole routine of bathing and grooming, he seemed to know we were watching.

He even gave us a big smile for the camera......

Then he hid his eyes......

As we all watched, enthralled, I was struck by how a group of strangers became friends for the whole time he put on his show. We were unified in our adoration of his antics, his free spirit.

The simple beauty of watching one of His creations just being him (or her) self.

At peace in his world.

And for awhile, we were at peace in ours.

He gave us a gift, this little guy did.

I asked God, if I could keep it, that peaceful feeling I felt on the shore. He said, "Yes, there is plenty of peace where that came from just as long as you rest in me, child.

.........just rest in me.

So today I am taking a lesson from the otter, and rest in my place in Creation, just relax in the waves.

Just be.

(click on pictures to make larger)

Multitude Mondays on the Road

2011-11-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

I am posting my blessings on a Wednesday instead of Monday because I didn't want to miss an opportunity.......to thank Him again for outshining the stresses with blesses.

As I lay awake after my arrival, my mind swirling....one thousand thoughts converging......

colliding, worries tumbling over and over like a spin dryer.

Everything that comes with wanting to be everywhere at once when visiting family. The excitement of being there, and the sometimes extreme duress that came with traveling with someone extremely unpredictable, and with many special needs and challenges. It all swirled around.

My heart beating, my neck tense.....I prayed and let it all out to Him who listens best and can calm my heart when all else fails.

Still the blessings shine through the darkness. And many smiles were had and much laughter too. Now that I am home, I remember one after the other.

Being able to park the RV at my Aunt's place on the Mokelumne River, and it was a blessing to her too to have us there. A comfort to her since now she comes home in the dark, her husband spends his days and nights away in a rest home. She said over and over again how she enjoyed it....having us there.

Seeing my Mom's Bible study gals again.....their faith always shines through whatever they are dealing with, and there are many issues. But oh how we laughed and got a bit of study in too. Sometimes the fellowship is the most important part of the lesson.

Being able to spend time with Lauryn, my niece, my precious girl whose voice I still hear right now...saying my name which I waited so long for her to say. She has captured my heart with all the things she does......As I put scattered Lego's back in the bag, my heart tugged.....lurched for her and the fun we had. Leaving is so bittersweet.

Enjoying a walk downtown in the crisp fall weather......clicking with my camera and enjoying once again walking all the paths I used to walk.

And of course, being able to do some things for Mom and Dad who are so appreciative of every small thing I do. I only wish it could be more......enjoying great food cooked by my brother, who really missed his calling. He should have been a chef.

Throwing an impromptu party for the "girls" in the Motor home. Elaine cooked a wonderful dinner and we laughed until our stomachs ached. My Aunt came out later and said what a great time she had.....

And to top it off. A spontaneous side trip to the ocean. I promise, pictures will follow.............There was a special place she longed to go, my best friend.....but with her Mom along, there was not much peace or relaxation for her. Let's just say it was not a real vacation. Her dream of escaping there for a few days didn't work out, so she asked me......Want to take a side trip to the coast on the way back?

It would mean getting back with no time to spare for work. But suddenly the prospect of going there, standing on the pounding surf, was irresistible. And she beamed like the sun......We turned the "bus" to the West with our hearts singing.

And Oh, the seafood. The magic of the waves, walking for hours and hours on the beach, watching the sandpipers clown around the shore, and the otter who entertained us for a solid hour with his antics.

It was all so wonderful. There is truly nothing like praying by the ocean.

Getting to bed at midnight and getting up at four AM for work is something I have not done in a while. But the memories and bit of peace and relaxation we carried away is worth every bit of sleep lost.

Sleep can be caught up. Moments are for seizing, and once passed we can't be sure they will come again.

#714-725

Wow, I missed blogging!

2011-11-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

I am still on the road......veered off the path back to the desert to visit the Pacific Ocean for two days. It was a spontaneous idea but one that was necessary. Traveling with challenges sometimes makes one do things that are off the beaten path a bit, but it will only set us back one day.

The ocean has always been a mirror to me, a picture of God's glory and power and magnificence. It always stops me in my tracks. I got some wonderful photos last night and froze.....but it was all worth it. I can brave the elements to stand next to the pounding surf....

I hope to blog again later......And thank you for all your prayers during this trip. They were much needed and appreciated. I am learning to count the miraculous moments, the gifts God has given us this trip. I hold them up to the light today, His light.

I am thankful we have kept our sanity thus far. It was touch and go many times. Elaine's Mom had taken two falls by the time we pulled up into my folk's driveway. She had also refused to stay with her brother, who lived 40 minutes away. She thought she was still in Arizona. In the end she did stay, and Elaine got a three day break before picking her up again.

The cross gets heavy at times, but we know His cross was heavier than anything we could begin to imagine. He will carry us through.....

Can you spell STRESS?

2011-10-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.......James 1:2

Pretty amazing, this verse, when you consider that it was written by Jesus brother James, after he became a Disciple and head of the church in Jerusalem......after Jesus resurrection.

That didn't really sink in to me until I did alittle digging into which James actually wrote it, there were several in the Bible.

Last night was stressful and there were a few misshaps. There always are while traveling with an Alzheimer's person. But miraculously there were also moments of joy along with the stress.

We had a wonderful meal by candelight outside.

Elaine tearfully said that......"I can't let her change who I am, I have to stay myself."

She deals with so much guilt. I do my best to tell her that the guilt is false, but she thinks she has to be perfectly in control and perfectly patient at all times. And that is not humanly possible. But she still trys. I fear that the trying is what drives people over the edge.

Well, that is all for now. Pulling out of the KOA soon....that is, as soon as I get ready. They are all waiting for the blogger to finish.....Sigh.

Holding onto the good

2011-10-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

Joy and Peace in Believing by William Cowper

Sometimes a light surprises
The Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord who rises
With healing on His wings;
When comforts are declining,
He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining,
To cheer it after rain.
In holy contemplation
We sweetly then pursue
The theme of God's salvation,
And find it ever new;
Set free from present sorrow,
We cheerfully can say,
E'en let the unknown to-morrow
Bring with it what it may!

It can bring with it nothing,
But He will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing,
Will clothe His people too;Beneath the spreading heavens
No creature but is fed;
And He who feeds the ravens
Will give His children bread.

Though vine nor fig tree neither
Their wonted fruit shall bear,
Though all the field should wither,
Nor flocks nor herds be there:Yet God the same abiding,His praise shall tune my voice;
For, while in Him confiding,
I cannot but rejoice.

I was looking for a poem about peace.......you see, today we are packing up and driving 12 hours to see family in California. Home.......

We have no idea how it will go. Elaine desperately needs a break from her Mom but that was not possible so she is going with us.

We are going in the Motor home and she has a tendency to get carsick.

She refused to go the other day and then decided she would.

Packed and unpacked 5 times.

We have Dramamine and patches. There are no illusions here. It will not be a true vacation, but sometimes you have to "get outta dodge" anyway.

I am praying for peace for all involved, and for a caretaker who is dangerously close to being at her limit. Actually I think she passed that by awhile back.

I will be in touch. Have laptop and camera, will travel.

We continue with Paul admonition to "cling to what is good."

God Whispers Things

2011-10-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11

Sometimes God whispers things in the dark and silent moments between breaths.....and prayers. I was feeling so dry this morning. As dry as toast. Hollowed out. Like someone took my dreams and hopes for the future and blew them away with a puff of air.

I know I have Heaven.......I know what awaits me is better than anything I can imagine. I have nothing but hope there. But I need hope now, and for the rest of my life. Hope that it will all work out. Hope to fill in the holes.

He whispered........"Those holes and empty places you feel? That fear of the future? Those holes are all the better for Me to fill."

Sometimes He does empty us out so He can fill us with Him.

The reason I know it was Him?

It was still

It was small

It was immediate

And it put my fears to rest.................as only He can.

It Takes a Village (of Old Ladies)

2011-10-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

I am the fire upon the hearth,
I am the light of the good sun,
I am the heat that warms the earth,
Which else were colder than a stone.

Taken from the poem, "Any Woman" by Katherine Tynan

It was a rose of the Grandiflora variety......Love is the name of it. That was all it took to spark a memory of a special lady named Marie Day. And she was.....like day I mean. She gave our family one of these beautiful rose bushes....she had a passion for roses. It bloomed for years.....a creamy pinkie white in the inside with flaming red on the outside.

She did other things too. Special things for me and my Mom. She knew I loved lace, and that I loved to put clothes on my furniture. She made me the most wonderful embroidered dresser scarves. And pillowcases with colorful flowers. For me, the girl across the block. And she made the greatest zucchini bread. She was a sweetheart. She and her husband were fixtures in our neighborhood.

We have all grown up with them. These venerable and wise elderly ladies of our neighborhoods, our villages. Church ladies and non-church ladies....you know the ones. They save pennies in a sock to give to the needy in the community. They hold down the fort, the neighborhood, the pew. They are pillars. Pillars of strength to their families whom they have given their lives, and not in misery....in joy. Their strength is knowing they have made others bloom.

They are tireless and work circles around everyone else. They fall into bed exhausted and sometimes they cry at night from carrying the weight of the world.......but only late at night when everyone else has been fed, comforted, fixed.

Then there was our neighbor Alma Nystrom. She also grew roses and the most wonderful pink Azaleas and Gladiolas, towers of color. She loved when I went over and picked some. She baked the best scratch cakes I have ever tasted. And every year.........Fluffy white pillows on a plate, the best Divinity I have ever tasted. I think of her every year I make it.

I will never forget the horror when our dog decided to lift his leg on her once when she was standing in the yard. I don't even remember her getting upset about it. Maybe she never noticed?

She had her grief.....lost her only son to diabetes too young, and that was after his wife left him. She was a part of our lives for a long time. Her sisters would come up the drive like a mini parade before they all went to church together, all looking like they just walked out of a style magazine. Then they would all come back and settle in Alma's kitchen for a small glass of beer and lunch.

My Aunt had Mrs.Swall next door. She always had a cat settled on her lap and what impressed me the most? Candy hidden in her dresser.

All of them dear.....all of them gone. I miss them. so much.

One day I hope to grow into one of those gracious and kind ladies. I have much to live up to.

The Miracle of the Promise

2011-10-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell. C. S. Lewis

I was thinking this morning.....how it's all a miracle. No matter what we have to go through, we are here. Someone had to think of us to bring us into existence. And maybe even if they didn't God did. It is a miracle that I believe, that any of us believes. And not only believe, because even the demons believe, but put that belief into something that started with a decision.

If someone had never taken me to church or told me about God, I have never have known that there was even a decision to be made.

Or that there was a God......and that He wanted a relationship with me.

If someone in your life thought it was important that you go to church, you need to thank God for them today. That they took you.

Maybe it was a stumbling blinding path they were tripping on themselves, or maybe it was a rock solid firm foundation. Whatever it was, they got you ready and somewhere in their hearts they thought it was right.......when many others were doing other things you were swinging your feet on a bench where you heard "the old old story, about how Christ left His home in glory."

and it planted a seed you could never quite forget.

I am thanking God today that no matter what I go through in this life, God cracked my heart open with the light of His love......and in all these years He has never stopped. Because I heard and answered the knock of a God who wanted to know me and live with me forever. And you.

"For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." Acts 2:39

picture from google images

Multitudes on Monday

2011-10-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way I have stopped physically counting. I posted gratefulness and thanksgiving, to be sure. I have said loud and long how I have remained oh so very thankful for all that God has done and has continued to do and I have......been grateful, that is. But I know now that the counting matters because each one is so important. And if you stop counting, before you know it they all run together and something is diminished.....lost in the shuffle.

It is Ann who made me realize this, in her book of One Thousand Gifts. You see, I didn't buy it right away; even though I was captivated by her blog from the first time I happened upon it. And even though I don't know her, I love her. The part of her that comes through her writing anyway........

There was one copy left at the clearance sale at Borders, and I should have bought it then. When I went back it was gone. So I bought it at Barnes and Noble at full price. I can only say that by page 14, the tears were streaming. It touched some deep place in me that no book has ever done in quite the same way. By page 27 it had paid for itself.

and I will probably buy more for friends and family. This book is not one to read casually, it's one to take when you are settling down for the night, or when you are settled and still on a rainy day, or at a corner table for one. I would keep tissues handy.

So thank you dear Ann, "without the fanciful e" for getting me to realize how important it is to keep the count alive.........

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good......." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-20

This is what stood out to me in this verse. I had always misread it! I had always replaced one word with another. God doesn't expect me to be thankful for all circumstances, but to be thankful in all circumstances. That changes the entire meaning. All this time I had saddled myself with a burden He never meant me to carry.

The count continues again.......thankful that someone comes to collect my trash.....shoes with good soles, shoes that fit........Never having to have my feet touch the bare ground, unless I want them to.......that I have the money to pay bills........not losing the joy of simple things, being able to pause even while frustrated or angry to say a prayer of thanks to God for His creation, fresh brewed coffee, even better, people to share it with......a brand new book......that I can let some things slide that I never would before......elderly people around me who have not lost their zest for life or their gratitude for this good earth and their part in its joys and sorrows and last but not least, recapturing my joy in numbering these blessings #700-#713

God Goes Where He's Wanted

2011-10-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

A modern day evangelist lamented, "Whenever the Apostle Paul visited a city, the residents started a riot; when I visit, they serve tea."

The church in Thessalonica, like many of Paul's churches, was born amid violent upheaval. An angry mob took offense at Paul's work and chased him out of town, accusing him of causing "trouble all over the world." (Acts 17:6) From my introduction to the book of Thessalonians, with notes by Tim Stafford and Philip Yancey.

The curious phenomenon of church growth during times of intense persecution is reflected in these quotes from Christians in different parts of the world.

From a believer in Malaysia:

"We are so blessed because in Indonesia they are killing Christians, but here we just have to put up with discrimination and restrictions on our activities."

and from an Indonesian Christian....

"We're very blessed because in Malaysia, they can't freely publish the Gospel. Here we still can."

Philip Yancey has an interesting observation from his travels and interviews around the world talking to believers in many different cultures and countries.......

As I travel and also read church history, I have observed a pattern, a strange phenomenon of God "moving" geographically from place to place: from the Middle East to Europe to North America to the developing world. My theory is this: God goes where He's wanted.

Quotes and selections from the book, Finding God in Unexpected Places, I heartily recommend this book, what a blessing it was to read it.

I tend to agree with him.

But Jesus said, "A prophet is taken for granted in his hometown and his family." He didn't do many miracles there because of their hostile indifference. Matthew 13:58

Quotes and selections from the book, Finding God in Unexpected Places

2011-10-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

The LORD is my light and my salvation;Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 21:1

Sometimes when words are few.....

A few pictures say some things in a different way......

A stroll around back can give a different perspective.....

A look above can make the heart sigh......

when words are few.

Lately I have found words difficult. They are all swirling around inside me but none will come out the right way. Be still, says the Lord.....And wait on Him. So until He brings the words, waiting is what I am doing.

Maybe we can wait together?

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalm 27:13,14

Confessions of a Church Mutt, a repost......

2011-10-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

I confess I have a speckled lineage when it comes to my church experience. Personally, I don't believe God cares what denomination, if any, we attach ourselves to as long as it remains true to Biblical teaching. I think we can gather richness from each one, I know I have. However we dress it up or perform the ceremony what remains is God and His word. He alone knows the heart of a church.

I started out Baptist, then dabbled in the Episcopalian denomination for a short time, been a member of Assembly of God congregations, enjoyed many Methodist services with through my Grandfather, and Aunt. For the past ten or so years I've been part of a Non-denominational Christian church. Each one has added something to my Spiritual growth.........From each one I carry memories that have enriched my faith. In each one I have experienced God's grace. I have seen prayers answered, God's love flowing through people. I have seen the Holy Spirit change lives and do things not humanly possible.

I remember....magical paper sacks that we received after every Christmas pageant. I remember quaking on stage, trying to remember my one line from the Bethlehem scene. I think one time I actually cried and ran off stage....but after, we received a paper sack that held the same things every year; peanuts in the shell, buried within a hershey bar, and a roll of five flavor lifesavers, and an orange. I was always scared they would run out before they got to me. A walk down the aisle to start my journey with Christ.....

I remember seeing my Pastor in rubber waders at my Baptism, warm water swirling around my white baptism clothes, giving the confession of faith; never to be the same again. Strong biblical teaching from a pastor who loved digging into meanings of Greek and Hebrew. So many joyful hours of choir practice, where my Aunt and I sang on the Alto end.

I remember ice-cream socials on summer evenings in the Methodist church yard, all cakes made from scratch, with a man dipping ice-cream at the end of the line. The beautiful marbled sanctuary...they knew how to make a church look like a church in those days.

I remember the beautiful liturgy at St. John's Episcopal, learning when to sit and stand, knees creaking. The flip of the kneeler in the silence. People there who helped each other out after hours. I remember a spirit of love in the social hall after service when I saw Father Ray dancing a jig with a child one day. The tradition of the flowering of the cross at Easter, the Sacrifice giving way to the fragance of beauty and conquered death once and for all.

I remember prayer times, tears, laughter, and meeting wonderful people who loved God. Meeting God at the altar, prayers answered, hands lifted high, tears of communion. Learning about the gifts of the Spirit....(still have my notes) All of these precious times, a bit of Heaven on earth. A foretaste of glory to come....

Church; it's not perfect because it is made up of people. But it's God's church and still a place where you can find grace, forgiveness, and love.

"One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple." Psalm 27:4

Okra 101

2011-10-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

As a West Coast "Yankee" I was never exposed to fresh Okra growing up. We had all other kinds of vegetables, but I just don't think anyone in my family knew what to do with it. On my Mom's side were mostly German/Russian, and all great cooks and bakers. They cooked a lot of potatoes, squash, sauerkraut and bratwurst, as well as dough in many and wondrous forms.....

But they never cooked any Okra.......

However, when you have a roommate who still has many family members in Texas, and a sprinkling in Missouri.....you discover the joys of Okra, preferably right out of the garden.

Now I know it has a reputation for being tough......slimy.......and it is a bit stickery when you pick it.

But oh so beautiful when tossed in a bit of cornmeal, salt and pepper and fried in the pan.....not deep fried mind you. Just enough oil to make it about a half inch deep.

And, very important.......do not turn it until it is browned on one side.

When it is done right, like this, it is oh so tender and wonderful........a perfect side for any occasion.

One of God most misunderstood and wonderful creations from the garden.

Life is Good Because He is.......

2011-10-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love hepredestined us for adoption to Sonshipthrough Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves......

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we were also chosen,having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory....

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1: 3-14

There is nothing I can add to this!

Lord of our Harvest

2011-10-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. John 4:35

I have always wondered when people say they can't pray. I think, Why can't they? Praying is just talking to God. I have always felt, if you can't pray, then you need to pray about the fact that you can't pray......

Lately though, I have found a mountain standing in the way of my prayers. The mountain has a name and it's name is resentment. It snuck in while I wasn't looking. Like those weeds that choke out the Word, resentment has crept in and made itself at home in the corner of my heart. It thought I wouldn't notice it there.

Then I noticed another thing, a very miraculous thing.......Those tares that grow side by side with the wheat? They have not been able to choke out the Thanksgiving. It has become a way of life and now it seems I can't stop counting the blessings.

It is something Supernatural, and God Himself did it.

And now? When I focus on everything that the Lord has already given, I have a harvest where I thought there was none. It is a different harvest that the one I expected, and it seems the more I gather, the more the resentment is beat back into a dark corner where it belongs.

And here's another thing I noticed. Now when someone says they just can't pray?

I understand.

He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. Psalms 126:6

2011-10-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

A repost from 2009......

Jeremiah 31:1-6

1 "At that time," declares the LORD,

"I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people."

2 This is what the LORD says:

"The people who survive the sword

will find favor in the desert;

I will come to give rest to Israel."

3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:

"I have loved you with an everlasting love;

I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

4 I will build you up again

and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel.

Again you will take up your tambourines

and go out to dance with the joyful.

5 Again you will plant vineyards

on the hills of Samaria;

the farmers will plant them

and enjoy their fruit.

6 There will be a day when watchmen cry out

on the hills of Ephraim,

'Come, let us go up to Zion,

to the LORD our God.' "

When I read Jeremiah 30-33 the compassion of God seemed to leap from the page this morning as I was reading in my "prayer closet" I selected just a portion above....when I think of how many times Israel turned their backs on God and yet, He reached out to them with hope and healing, longing for their restoration.
What are you exiled from today? A child, a church, God, a marriage, a friendship? It seems in life there are many forms of exile we face, but God seeks to restore us; always there is hope. Cling to His word, there is promise there.
I close with this verse, again from Jeremiah, 33:3...."Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things,which you do not know."

The God Who Sees

2011-10-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

"Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God who sees”; for she said, “Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?” Genesis 16:13

El Roi.....The God who sees. One of the names of God. Isn't it wonderful that we have a God who sees us? Who notices what we do?

We all want to be seen......be noticed. Even nature commands our attention........

It invites us to look.....deeper. And it always points toward its Maker.........the Grand Designer of us all.

Our God is the God who has searched us and known us......just as we want to be searched and known by others.....especially the ones we love.

Something in us wants to be remembered........and we want others to remember the ones we have loved......even little cats spelled with a "K"

Few words this week folks.......one of those "treading water" weeks.

As timing would have it I came down with a killer cold the day before I got a new trainee at work. So I have been drugged up with Dayquil and fortified with Vitamin C during the day, and knocked out at night so I can sleep and get up by 4 am.

Two more days to go......God is good. He has kept me going. I can almost see the end of the week in sight.

Prayers please for my caregiving friend who just may head off to parts unknown really soon if she doesn't get some relief......

all pics taken in and around Payson, Arizona by me

2011-10-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

I see the moon,

The moon sees me

God bless the moon,

And God bless me.......old nursery rhyme

When Elaine first noticed the dome of this moon barely cresting the top of the Superstitions, she pointed and said, "See you later." I grabbed the camera and went to the back gate, which was malfunctioning (again). I did a very fast three point turn and by the time I got across the street to the golf course, it was already this high in the sky.........

I promptly forgot everything I learned in my photography seminar about ISO, Exposure modes and all the rest. In my haste to get the shot, I threw my camera back in auto mode. What can I say? It was just coming up too dang fast!

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. Psalm 8: 3-5

Using our talents to give back.......

2011-10-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." Mark 16:15

At the end of the first half of the photography seminar I had the pleasure of attending on Sunday, my brain had so many facts whirling around in it, it felt like the inside of a pin ball machine. It was so exciting to see the world renowned photography of David and Ally McKay right there in front of us on a big screen. After our halftime break the lights dimmed as everyone gathered back into our seats. I was sitting there in a worship kind of mode, it being Sunday morning.

How surprised was I to hear the music of Brandon Heath and Leeland singing these lyrics along with a breathtaking backdrop of unbelievable photography of children and people in need all over the world:

"You live among the least of these, the weary and the weak. And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away.........."

When people first sat down there was much lively talking, but as the scenes and lyrics spilled across the screen, everyone started to quiet down.....how could they not?

"All my needs You have supplied, when I was dead, You gave me life. How could I not give it way so freely?"

As the song went on, photos were shown of people and children picking through a garbage dump......and a breathtaking one of a tattered pair of worn shorts that a child was still inside....scene after scene. I wondered where all this was going because this was an overtly Christian message I was seeing to my complete joy and wonderment. I wasn't expecting it here.

"Use my hands, Use my feet, to make Your Kingdom come to the corners of the earth, until Your work is done.......Cause faith without works is dead, and on the cross, Your blood was shed
So how could we not give it away so freely?"

Then a scene of someone praying.....and a cross. Whoa. Am I in church? And here was a mixed group of around 400 people seeing this. The message couldn't be ignored. It was loud and clear. As the song ended, a very emotional David McKay, famous photographer, couldn't speak.

He said he gets emotional everytime at this part of the seminar. He went on to explain that as he and Ally went all over the world and saw such tremendous need, they realized they couldn't not do something. So they formed Vision Culture. A way of linking up individuals who love photography and want to help people at the same time.

I thought how great this was. They had all the acclaim and all the recognition, but they wanted something more. To help people in need.

I left that seminar with more than tools to be a better photographer, I left inspired that people were moved to do more, even with everything they had. They felt moved to give back........I would encourage anyone with an interest or love for photography go to their site. You won't be disappointed.

And I'll

Follow You into the homes of the broken

Follow You into the world

I'll meet the needs for the poor

And needy, God

I'll follow You into the world

If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? James 2:16

The Doctor will see you now....

2011-10-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

I put this picture of my niece Lauryn on my screen saver at work because I knew it would make me smile all week......Each time I booted up there she was, all suited up and ready for her first patient. I smiled just as big this morning as last week when it was first forwarded from my brother last week. Now I ask you, would you worry about what she might do with a needle?

Other things of note......Saw my first 2012 Beetle last weekend. Wish I could say new cars didn't tempt me but this one did. I can still remember when I brought my current new "Buggy" home in 2005....I had wanted one for so long, well, since they first came out in 1998! I don't like to think of myself as fickle.....but I will not lie, I wish I would have been on Oprah's favorite things show this year to get one......

I would name it Ruby Sue.......Just FYI

Wishing I could see some brilliant orange and red leaves against the sky today, but I am very grateful that it is cooler here and the season for open windows again. That makes all the difference! Ate outside for the very first time this week....it was a blessed event.

I am looking forward to my Photography seminar tomorrow. It will be very exciting to learn more of what I can actually do with my camera. Thank you Elaine for buying me such a generous gift.....

I will close with the Message version of Romans 12:1,2

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Impossibly Rich

2011-10-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost. ~G.K. Chesterton

I scooped them up and stacked them in a little pile, my Birthday cards from August. I had them all sitting on the top of my dresser, face out. It was like being smiled at each day. Finally I decided it was time to dust, so afterwards I went to store them away. Instead I read them again......

I couldn't do it. I couldn't put them away just yet. Not when I read the words and felt the love behind them all. I wasn't quite ready to let them go.....

I get cards every year and every year I treasure them. But his year, they meant more. Maybe because I needed them more. Maybe because when I stack myself up against the fruits of the Spirit, like I did this morning, I see where I am lacking.

I see how far I have to go......But when I read the words in these cards, the lives and the love behind them lurch at my heart. I read:

"You are the best sister a brother could ask for and I think of you everyday." My brother was sweet to me when I was small. He held my hand, walked me to school and didn't let me out of his sight....but then adolesence came and well, let's just say, he was in the cool crowd and I was not. Now as we get older we are recapturing time lost. He has remembered what we had. That he has a sister that loves him, has always loved him.

And from my Mom....."You are my special present in life, thank you for always being there for me." Yet, so many moments I worry that I am 12 hours away and not there nearly enough. I worry about all those times I am not there. But she makes me feel like I am.

And from my Aunt, I would recognize her perfectly slanted penmanship anywhere. Even though she is suffering right now the sadness of a husband in the latter stages of dementia and is now rattling around in a lonely house....she writes a hearlfelt paragraph.......she has kept her postive attitude and healthy sense of humor intact.

And from Diane.....she writes with love that God has placed me in her life, thanking me for being the friend and sister she never had.

And I know my Dad went to the store and hand picked this card out, it's a pink bicycle with a verse from Deuteronomy 14:2....."The Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession." He chose the bike because one of the memories he treasures in his heart is when he taught me to ride a bike. All those hours running along behind me in case I fell....and me looking back to make sure he was still there. He says: "Now you have become the strong anchor or faith and stability for Mom and I."

........and I guess it means so much because too many times, all I see is how I am lacking and how I miss the mark.

But these people I love and who love me, see the fruit of the Spirit in me somehow. This amazes me. How could I feel anything other than impossibly wealthy?

I will tuck the cards away another day, probably soon, just not today.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23

Eight Words

2011-10-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,because........
All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of manas the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
But the word of the LORD endures forever.”
1 Peter 1:

I have felt out of words lately.....and that's okay because sometimes you just like drinking things in.

There is a time for contemplating....watching......listening......absorbing.

There is a season for that as well as writing. After all, before the writing comes the feeling. So, this morning I thought since I had none of my own words, I would go to God's word.

And somehow, that seemed to set things in motion.

The Word brings the life, and the life gives birth to words.

God stirred my heart up and I saw people around me differently. Sometimes I need my eyes opened. Well, most of the time I do.

I went to get gas and drive my car through the wash. For some reason when I got gas it didn't give me the option of getting a wash so I went inside. The nice gal I see in there all the time was busily working away. I always notice how helpful she is. I explained the situation......and as usual she was very accommodating. We talked and joked, and I went to get my wash.

While the soap suds were flowing down my window........God kept bringing her to my mind.

The Spirit said, you should let her know that you appreciate her....that she is doing a good job. I said, I will tell her next time.

He said, maybe she needs it today.

I went back in. I let her know that what she does is noticed......appreciated.

As I was drying my car I saw a man coming out of the store. He smiled sheepishly, as if he wanted to be friendly......once on the way in the store and once on the way out....I think he wanted to say something nice. But I got the feeling that maybe he didn't know if it would be appropriate. Men have to worry about that now. About how we might take it, I guess. I gave a smile back.

He was driving a cement truck. Just a hard working guy on his way to a job. Not an easy job either. He touched me. It touches me how he is part of me, part of our country. How we are all part of each other when it comes right down to it.

Maybe I am feeling a bit protective of our country lately. It seems almost popular to beat up on America....at least it seems that way to me. We are all just doing the best we can here. Dealing with prices going up on just about everything we buy.

But we won't give up. We will keep going, keep trying. We will do the best we can........Because it's the right thing to do. Because giving up is not what America has ever been about.

So tomorrow I may get impatient and suck in my breath at how others drive on the freeway, but right now I love everyone. And I think it all started when His word sparked a fire that leapt to life with these eight words:

Love one another fervently with a pure heart.

Nature as prayer......

2011-10-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

In an interview with Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Dan Rather asked her, "What do you say to
God when you pray?" She thoughtfully said, "I listen." Flustered, he tried again. "Well, then what does God say?" Mother Teresa smiled......."He listens."

Yesterday I felt like the whole day was a prayer. God spoke through His creation once again......

..........and I listened. Nature speaks more clearly of God than anything else I can think of. If we only open our eyes and ears and let Him speak through it. So I give you some photos from yesterday's trip north to a place I used to live.

The Psalmist wisely says......

"The Heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the works of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech.....

And night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words; where their voice is not heard.

Indeed, God has touched every last corner of the earth with His nature, and only the coldest heart is untouched by it.....

Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world.....

In them He has placed a tent for the sun.

It's rising is from one end of the heavens, and its circuit to the other end of the world.

Down to the smallest detail........God has brushed our earth with His divine fingerprints. It is up to us to find His mark.....it is everywhere!

My soul exults. I breathe a prayer of thanksgiving once again for His marvelous works.

All pictures taken in and around Payson, Arizona and Tonto Natural Bridges State Park

Waking up in the Desert

2011-10-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.

For I am about to do something new.

See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

I will make a pathway through the wilderness.

I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Isaiah 43:18,19

The rest of the world is tucking in......preparing for the winter,

enjoying things like crisp mornings and the smell of woodsmoke.

And hot cider.

The bloom of color on tips of leaves,

and the anticipation watching them twirl down.......

orange frost crunch underfoot, and

Pumpkins peek out from green patch along the country road to town.

In the desert we are just waking up again.

The barbeques come back out.

We scalp summer lawn down to bare dirt.

and Home Depot sells manure by the ton

as our desert turns golf green.

But......as I hang my fall foliage indoors,

Set ceramic pumpkins here and there....

Hang my wreath of Autumn on the door

and get out the harvest flag.

The joy of fall wiggles glad in my heart.

I remember it.

Flannel shirts.....

cracking walnuts with my Mom in the garage

I cracked and we both sorted.

I remember......cool mornings

bright maple leaves against brilliant sky.

Wind that bites.

And wood piled in the driveway.

As I plant my perennials out front in the warm sun

Fall is alive in my heart.

and for some reason I can't stop singing.

Today I celebrate desert fall

Because God called it all good......

and it is.

Very good.

photos from google images

A God Gift

2011-09-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

I get to go on a CRUISE!

We are going to this place........I had no idea where Belize was until a couple of days ago. I must admit when I first saw where it was on the map, my fatalistic overactive imagination conjured images of drug lords and kidnappings and assault rifles. Immediately I got on the travel website to get some facts. So far it sounds very intriguing, especially for someone like me who loves history. It has been featured many times on the Travel Channel and also House Hunters International. Two people I told at work immediately started gushing about it....yes, they actually gushed. I feel safer now.

So, how it all got started.........I saw an ad in the paper asking for writing submissions. Well, all I saw at first were the words: WRITE and CRUISE. Contest was sponsored by the good people at Home Instead Senior Care. They wanted stories about caregivers sacrificing to care for loved ones at home and the winning submission would send the worthy caregiver on a cruise.....I could think of no one more worthy or in need of a cruise than my best friend who has been through so much the past several years with her folks. I tip-tapped my entry in the space....then I had to cut, and cut again.

I whittled it down to two words under the limit and hit "send."

I didn't hear anything for a few months so I figured it was already done, then lo and behold, I got an email day before yesterday. My essay was one of the winners of the caregiver cruise for two so Elaine (and I) will be headed for Belize in January. Wheeeee! I still can't quite believe it. It's a God thing. Sometimes He just gives one of those completely unexpected gifts, God gifts I call them.

And what is so wonderful is that my very generous and humble friend would hand this trip right over to someone else if she thought they were more deserving than she. No, no no, I will not let her.

Of course, when I read my submission again, the first thing I see is a big whopping error that I can't believe I let slip by. But when I think about it, isn't that just the way God works? If I had sent off a perfectly polished copy my ego would have had every opportunity to get all puffed up, as the Apostle Paul put it so well.

I am so grateful for this opportunity to see more of God's good creation with someone so deserving of this. Someone who has missed so many vacations and left her dreams of another cruise somewhere far in the future, if at all. God had other ideas. I feel like He gift-wrapped it just for her.

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17

Finding God in Unexpected Places

2011-09-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

An Atlanta slum. A pod of whales off the coast of Alaska. The prisons of Peru and Chile. The plays of Shakespeare. A health club in Chicago. For those with eyes to see, traces of God can be found in the most unexpected places. Yet many Christians have not only missed seeing God, they've overlooked opportunities to make him visible to those most in need of hope. Excerpt from inside flap, front cover.

Philip Yancey hits another one out of the ballpark for me with this one. I recently picked up a copy on my last trip (literally last trip) to Borders before they closed. I was introduced to his books years ago, the first being, The Jesus I Never Knew. What I love about Philip Yancey's writing is that he takes me places I will most likely never go and meet people I would never ordinarily have the chance to meet.

More importantly, he opens me up to the possibility that right next to me may be one of those ordinary and yet extraordinary people quietly doing what Jesus did......meeting the world with love and compassion.

With his strong journalism background, he has an insatiable drive to go to those far reaching places and ask the tough questions others are afraid to ask, yet he never pretends to have all the answers. Instead, he leads the reader on an investigation for the answers in light of the truth of Scripture.

In this book, He takes us to Ground Zero where he interviewed a Chaplain with the Salvation Army. He met with Prison Fellowship leaders in Peru, Chile, and Africa, and attended underground Church services in China. He presents us with a God who is very much alive and working in this world through His people. He tells us the stories we wish we heard on the news.

There is a balance and humility to his writing that I really appreciate, and what I love most about all his books is that while not backing away from the faults of the church and its people down through history, his love for the church always comes through clearly.

Through his writing and the lessons he has learned from his own experience and others he has written about, there is always the gentle reminder that walking softly through the world with love and compassion has the power to change in a way that slashing our way through it with legalism and dogma never will.

If you love to read about the powerful ways the Holy Spirit is working through His people, you will love this book. I'm glad there are authors out there like Philip Yancey who don't shy away from the journey.

And it was very good.

2011-09-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

noun /ˈnərCHər/
1.The process of caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something
- the nurture of ethics and integrity

verb /ˈnərCHər/
1.Care for and encourage the growth or development of

I was thinking about the word and process of nuturing this morning when I went out to collect the daily offering of okra from the garden. What is it that makes this one little task so satisfying? Because I was there in the beginning. I saw the little seeds when they came in the mail. The little seedlings even had to be taken on a vacation when they first came up. They were coddled, protected, nutured.....and even so some didn't make it. That made me sad.....I had invested in them.

They had attached themselves to me in a way, or I had attached myself to them.

The ones that did make it were tenderly transferred to the ground that stood ready to recieve.......all spring and part of the summer we waited......watered......spoke encouraging words to.

Oh, the excitement when they began to grow taller and straighter......almost as if to defy the odds, their small heads reaching for the sun......soon they were strong enough to withstand the elements of wind and the pounding summer rain.

The whole process gave me a sensitivity for those who depend on their crops for survival. Those who look to the skies to study their signs and signals; who read the Farmer's Almanac and study the weather report. The heartbreak of the ruined crops. I was upset over a few little plants, but imagine someone watching their livelihood dry up?

Now as tall as me, they have been producing like crazy for the past 3 months. Sometimes I just go out there and sit. I swear you can almost watch them grow. These plants have been one of the most satisfying joys of this long hot summer.

In the beginning God created.........and then He nurtured. I am so glad He didn't stop at the creating part. I am so glad He didn't create us and back away.

Well, our work here is done......hope they make it.
He knew it wouldn't work with plants or people.

And I am so glad.

Multitudes on Monday

2011-09-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

“It is absurd for the Evolutionist to complain that it is unthinkable for an admittedly unthinkable God to make everything out of nothing, and then pretend that it is more thinkable that nothing should turn itself into everything.”

“The main point of Christianity was this: that Nature is not our mother: Nature is our sister.”

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.

You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.

Giving thanks today for these wonderful quotes by G.H. Chesterton, and people like Ann Voskamp who got me started with all these thankful Mondays, Tuesdays and every other day of the week.....Gratitude as a way of life, a way of living each day as if it might very well be the last......And taking that further, we give the Ultimate Gratitude to our Father, who says it doesn't have to end only begin with Him......It means that when we take our last breath here, we take our first real breath the way we were truly meant to live all along.......I am grateful for all the people this past Sunday who came up out of the waters of Baptism to new life, and a way beginning again.......Blessings #736-746

Grace and peace to you today, in Jesus wonderful name.......... Lori

Till we meet again

2011-09-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Since I am at work on a computer all day Saturday, I manage to get some free time to go visiting. In Blogland that is. Don't worry, I am not doing anything unethical.......In our 12 hour shift, we get two free hours to spend however we want. It is one benefit to working when much of the world is off doing fun things like going to Costco and yard sales and picnics in the park.

Growing up, Saturday was a day for visiting. That's what my Mom and I did together. Oftentimes we would visit Mom's friend Rosie. Rosie was a tiny spark of a woman, from a big Sicilian family. Rosie liked flowers and decorating, refinishing her own furniture, and all things feminine. It wasn't easy in a house with a husband and four boys.

Going there was like visiting little Italy in a war zone. I never knew anyone who could be all sweetness and soft voice one minute, and screaming at the top of her lungs at one of her four boys the next. She turned on a dime. She had to with all those boys in the house. They were always doing something to get on her last nerve. But she loved them with all her heart, and they all loved her.

One morning when we stopped by she was making Bisquick pancakes. She had to send Steven to the store twice. Once for milk and once for something else. She made the first one and promptly threw it in the trash.When my Mom asked her why, she said, "Oh, none of them will eat the first one because of the oil." When she had run out of syrup, another son straggled in, miffed that he had missed breakfast. She proceeded to make him waffles, telling my Mom that they didn't use syrup with waffles.

She loved working with figures and hated paying taxes. She did our taxes for years, as well as her brothers and sisters and all their families. She knew the state of California's tax laws backwards and forwards. She would sit at her kitchen table and throw down Italian curses on the Government.

It got really interesting when her brothers and sisters were visiting. None of them agreed on politics and they regularly got into screaming matches over it. Then they would hug and kiss when they got ready to leave like nothing happened. Visiting Rosie's house was better than a movie for me, being raised in a quiet family. My Dad was raised in angry shouts, so we simply didn't shout.

Rosie was the queen of improvisation. They had a family dog who I think was equal parts German shepard and coyote. One day we were there when she had run out of dog food and hadn't been to the store yet. We watched incredulously as she poured ketchup over a bowl filled with chicken bones and leftover stew. Snoopy lapped it up like it was high quality pate. Anyone else would have worried about the bones, not Rosie.

Many times she invited all the pop warner parents and kids out to her house when they lived in the country and she never had all the ingredients for anything. One time she had a huge salad and nothing to put on it but an industrial size can of olive oil.

She was one of the most unique individuals with one of the best hearts, and I miss her.

Rosie never gave much thought to religion or God. She believed in the goodness of humanity. Her youngest son Steven became a born-again Christian. He and His Mom had many talks after that, and he never stopped praying for her. When he got married, his wife prayed too. At one point between all those conversations and the time she died of cancer, Rosie met the Lord.

She has been gone for years now and sometimes I still can't believe it. It's funny.....I didn't set out to do a post about Rosie, but I am glad it turned out that way. Our words and stories about people is what keep them alive in our hearts. Many times I have said a prayer of thanks to God that I will see her again.

I called my Mom this morning to see if she remembered about the pancakes, and she couldn't believe it. On the way home just about two hours ago she had passed some kids in football uniforms and thought about all those dinners at Rosie's house. She said she hadn't thought about her in some time.

One life, twice remembered in one day.

Till we meet again Rosie!

The problem of forgiveness

2011-09-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14, 15

Bryan Stow can speak again.

And he wants to see his kids.

Stow, the San Francisco Giants fan who was brutally beaten outside of Dodger Stadium on opening night of the season recently uttered his first words since awakening from a medically induced coma.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A criminal complaint against two new suspects describes in graphic detail the injuries suffered by a San Francisco Giants fan who was beaten nearly to death outside Dodger Stadium — including cuts to the victim's face and tongue.

As I looked at the photo in the paper of beating victim Bryan Stow and his two kids, I struggled. Then when I saw the photo of the two suspects who were charged, I struggled again, big time. How to forgive something that horrific? Could I forgive someone who did that? What if it was my Dad....brother....friend.....husband that was beaten almost to death. His only crime? Wearing a Giants Jersey to a Dodgers game.

Forgiveness is a big issue, one of the toughest. Peter struggled with it......he asked Jesus how many times he needed to forgive someone who had wronged him. I don't think he liked Jesus answer any better than I would.

It seems there are so many things in our society that are so hard to forgive. Our justice system too often fails us....lets killers and drug dealers, pedophiles back out on the streets only to have them do the same things they did before. We send children into the arms of parents that have no right to have them. As an animal lover I am distraught at the amount of cruelty inflicted on them.

We scream for justice, and we wouldn't be wrong in that.

But forgiveness is the bedrock of our faith. Christianity was founded on forgiveness.....How God Himself pardoned us. The painful fact is, each one of us has turned away from Christ at some point or other. It's what put Him on the cross, after all.

I sometimes think of forgiveness in terms of degree. I could forgive this but not that....never that. I think I could forgive something done to me easier than something done to someone I care about.

But I stand here in a state of grace, knowing that Christ forgave me everything.....wiped my slate clean. I also know that Jesus expects me to forgive everything wronged me, not just what I choose. I remember that the same Holy Spirit that made it possible for Jesus to forgive the world lives in me.

His forgiveness flowing through the Holy Spirit, flowing through me. God doing the forgiveness for me.

That is the only way I can reconcile it in a way that makes sense. Even then it would be an agonizing wrestling match between my will and what I know God expects. Yet as I stand here forgiven, looking forward to a future filled with hope, could I rationalize the right to withhold that same forgiveness to someone who wronged me?

I think of the road to Calvary Jesus walked for me once again and I already know the answer.

Though I sincerely hope I will never be put to the test, I know that it is the one thing that would make my Christianity more real to the world than anything my words could ever say.

Evening Prayer

2011-09-22T20:23:00.000-07:00

Lord our God,if I have sinned this day in word, deed or thought,
forgive me all, as the good and loving God You are.
Grant me peaceful and untroubled sleep,
and deliver me from every attack and design of the evil one.
Raise me in due time to give You glory;
for blessed are You, with Your only-begotten Son and all-holy Spirit,
now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

One of my favorite moments of the day is when I lay my head on my pillow, give a sigh and say a prayer of thanks. Thanks for what I did right, and maybe what I did not so right, that I have another chance to do it all over again tomorrow, by His grace.

This morning was a tough one. I felt as if everything I have been going through lately caught up with me at once. Tears flowed effortlessly as I stumbled around in the early morning hours getting ready........I wanted, needed to have a confirmation that God heard my prayer. Knew how I felt.

Sometimes we just need that as humans. We feel far from the angels, even though we know they are there. We need a touch. Sometimes we get the answer throughout the day......little assurances we feel.

Sometimes, He uses others to lift us up and over.....a smile here, and hand on the shoulder there.

And sometimes, like this morning. He shows us right away. It was as if a strong hand.....His, lifted me up and sent me on my way, and I was a little bewildered and amazed by it all..... awestruck that He would do that for me. But He did. Of that I have no doubt.

Thank you, loving Father, for knowing just what I need at the time I need it. I give you my days and my nights, for they all belong to You.

Your love for me is something I will spend my whole life trying to understand.

Prayer at top from source: http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/Evening_Prayers.htm

Holding out hope

2011-09-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

“Come now, let’s settle this,”says the Lord.“Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. Isaiah 1:18

Isn't it wonderful to know that we have a reasonable God? One who wants to know the deepest desires of our hearts? One who wants and seeks a relationship with us?

We serve a God of reconciliation. One who wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives. One who already knows our thoughts but wants to hear them from us in our own words. He delights in that.

People everywhere are seeking something, but too often they are asking the world to supply something it never can. Real Peace. But not the kind the world offers. The kind only God can give. Real and lasting peace. The kind of peace that comes despite every circumstance life throws at us.

Too often we look to the world for answers......we think the best and brightest humanity has to offer is good enough. It reminds me of that old song, "Looking for love in all the wrong places." When we look to the world for our answers we will come up empty every time.

Only when we begin to entertain the possibility of something bigger than ourselves, hope blooms like the crack of the dawn spilling over a mountain.

This is our future, and it is indeed, a future filled with hope. The world doesn't have the answers or the hope we need for our future, but God does. This is the future God has for us......

People from many nations will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the house of Jacob’s God.

There he will teach us his ways,

and we will walk in his paths.”

For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;

his word will go out from Jerusalem.

The Lord will mediate between nations

and will settle international disputes.

They will hammer their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will no longer fight against nation,

nor train for war anymore. Isaiah 2:3,4

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, Isaiah prophesied exactly to the letter all the facts concerning the birth of Jesus.

The rest is history.

God has always had hope for the world.......and that hope came through Jesus.

I wish you a day filled with His peace today wherever your path takes you and that you have a real sense of His presence.......

Evening walk

2011-09-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

An evening walk among giants......

Cicadas were the symphony backdrop, with an occasional bullfrog and the sound of ducks splashing across the pond and dragonfly wings whirring overhead.....

Fall in the desert is a bit different......no evening chill yet, the heat of the day leaves reluctantly....it hangs on until the morning hours.

Two ducks heading to communal evening bath time

Still, we know that summer is coming to an end at long last. It is slow going, and yet when we get up and are greeted with the cool air that greets the morning,

we are graced with new life....

new hope.

By the time we headed back to the car, the mosquitoes were out in force.......

but we know that soon summer will lose it's grip for good. Soon we will have the desert chill, and

fires in the firepit.........hot drinks and

everything fall.

More than conquerers

2011-09-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4

I can't think of a better way to celebrate with the gratitude community than with this verse. There is so much to be thankful for when we reflect on everything this verse really means. We are a people who have been brought from death to life! This is our eternal hope! I think sometimes we forget what we have been freed from. We tend to remember on Sundays in worship......when we see someone baptised into new life or celebrate communion, but our everyday reality is this: Every moment of our waking lives, we live with the reality of the resurrection. A living hope.

That changes our whole outlook on life. The law was given to show us how desperately we needed a Savior. God knew that it was a physical and spiritual impossibility for anyone to actually keep the Ten Commandments, but He had to show us the expectations. Of course, He never would have done that without giving us a solution to our desperate situation. The solution was and is and always will be Jesus!

He was the lamb without spot or wrinkle......our sacrifice. Being God, He was fully able to fulfill every commandment, not only that He was the Commandment.

I think, no I know, that sometimes God puts us in places that show us our complete and utter inadequacy in a situation without Him. He does it so that we will lean on Him and let His Holy Spirit do that work through us. I know that He has done that for me here lately.

And I am thankful for it. Sometimes we need to have things revealed in our character that need changing. Those things would never come out unless they were forced out. Being in a caretaker role I have learned some things about myself that I never knew. I am not nearly as nice as I thought I was. Can anyone identify with that?

The Holy Spirit can do a much better job than I could ever hope to do. Getting out of the way is the hard part. The letting go and letting God.

Each day is a chance to make room for Him, and in making room for Him, we realize there is a bigger space in our hearts for others. We learn to be easier on ourselves too. "No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us." Romans 8:37

Count thanks with me today........Blessedly cooler weather......days off to enjoy them......a good dinner last night with good neighbors......friends who pray.......scones in the morning........a walk around the park......my health......a good job.......A God who is not content to leave me as I am.......a good nights rest.......#725-#735

Sorry, I couldn't get Ann's button to show up today but you can get her here

He is more than enough

2011-09-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

I got home the other night and she was outside on the patio. My best friend of the endless positive attitude...the natural born fixer, the supervisor and mediator of people and situations, cannot fix her Mom. There is no fix for Alzheimer's.....yet. The look on her face said it all. She was done....spent. Finished. "She drove me nuts today," she said. "I prayed all day and it didn't work." I said, "Yes it did, she is still alive and so are you." Sometimes it is all you can do to get through the day with your mind and body intact.

Everything she tried to do for her Mom ended in complete and utter frustration.

A woman who used to scream at them for getting in the kitchen while she was cooking, now stands in the middle of the kitchen as her daughter cooks, staring a hole through her. It is disconcerting to say the least.

And then the endless pacing....up and down, back and forth. In her squeaky shoes. Suggestions are met with hostility and you never know when.....It is like walking in two worlds. The regular world and the Alzheimer's world. Applying the normal rules doesn't work in an abnormal world.

Harder still, is when you have no good memory bank to pull from because your Mom was never emotionally available to you or for you......never nurturing. What do you do when your own supply of love and devotion is not enough, and when you feel like the sun has gone down and taken every scrap of your strength with it?

When the last thing you want is another thing you have to do.

You rest in the knowledge that

you know...... that you know...... that you know

He is more than enough

His love takes over when ours runs out

He will never, ever ignore His child who prays

Know that the power that raised Him from the grave is enough to raise you.......^"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." Ephesians 3:20

Along came a spider

2011-09-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

I was driving home a couple of weeks ago when it finally happened. The thing I always dreaded. The "what would I do if this happened scenario." I was talking to my Dad on the commute home when I noticed something in my peripheral vision......a movement. Say it isn't so. But there it was, skittering across the dash like it owned the place. A spider. Everyone who knows me knows how I feel about them.

I know they are God's creatures. I know they are good to have around.....as long as they remember their place.....outside. I know they eat flies and other pests, and that their webs are works of art, especially when hit with morning dew. I really can see the beauty in that. But where there's a web there's an occupant. There it is, smack dab in the middle of that glorious creation.......along with all eight creepy legs that I imagine crawling across my face in the middle of the night.

That actually happened to me once and I never forgot it.

Surprisingly, Charlotte's Web was my favorite book growing up, but no matter how my Dad tried to tell me to "let Charlotte live" it didn't matter. It only pulled on my heartstrings for a second.....right before I switched on the vacuum cleaner and sucked Charlotte right into her new forever home.

There it was, dangerously close, on my side of the dash. I held my breath and leaned over as far as I could toward the passenger side. Then it leisurely went across to the other side....I released my breath. It was tortuous. I thought it would help if I stayed on the phone and so I did, never letting the panic hit my voice. I was extremely proud of myself for exercising such supreme discipline and control.

That is, until it started to crawl, in that fast creepy way they have, right over to where I was sitting. Trapped. My hands gripped the wheel and did the only thing I could do.

I sped up.

Then the worst happened, it disappeared! I lost track of the sucker. Any minute I expected it to float down right in front of my face. The not knowing was worse than actually seeing it.

It appeared again by my left shoulder. That's when all my self control and discipline went out the window. By the time I approached the Wal-Mart off-ramp I was approaching 80 MPH. I was in complete control of course, my hands never left the wheel except for once.

I barrelled around the corner and screeched to a stop in the garden center parking lot. By that time it had managed to make it all the way to the backseat floorboards. I should have let it go but I didn't. I got a towel from the trunk and smashed it good.

I feel bad for killing one of God's creatures....

If it just hadn't been in my car.

Later I told my Dad about it. After the laughter subsided he told me he was impressed by my tremendous display of self discipline.