When It's Hard To See Ahead

On a commercial break, the radio announcer quoted King David: "I present my requests to you in the morning, Oh God, & wait with expectancy".... I had a number of prayer requests on my heart that day & really pondered how much "expectancy" I make my requests... In truth, I pray & set about trying to put legs to the problem. A particular friends' request weighed on me heavily: The baby would have milk, but momma needed gas money to get to work. I prayed sincerely then realized I would be tied up all day & wouldn't have a moment to "work on" this as promised....
Hours later, I simply found a gas card lying on the floor of my van. I had searched for that very card many times...to no avail. At a critical moment in one of His kids' lives, God literally laid it out before me!! I laughed aloud...for hours. He is so awesome!! & I so untrusting.
I have been blessed to watch God pouring out His abundant love for many of His children these past months. His grace, His mercy & His timing fill me with awe, with wonder & with a giddy glee. I am also overwhelmed with gratitude for those who allow me in to watch. Thank you !

It Takes Three

White oaks are very significant to my husband & I in many ways. When we met with the artist who would sculpt our wedding rings she told us oaks symbolize strength & longevity... yet another reason to have a pair of them circling our fingers as we prepared for our marriage. "The 5th generation jeweler told us, "I prefer to make wedding rings in sets of 3. It takes 3 to make a strong marriage: the man, the woman, & God". We were in & they were cast with 3 leaves for each of us.
Many couples set out on their own in marriage only to encounter seemingly overwhelming troubles. They find themselves wondering what went wrong. Though they may have started out as a union of 3, they slowly allowed God to be pushed out until His presence faded, along with their commitment to one another. It is easy to say, "life without God isn't the cause of our troubles." Inviting Him back may seem ethereal, but He is waiting to return & help rebuild... but, He has to be asked.

Of What Value?

I once spent countless, predawn hours in prayer for the pond side of the neighborhood. Life has buffeted me around until I slowly withdrew my presence. My prayers diminished & finally ceased. It is too painful for me to go there. At the request of neighbors I returned.
Though it was a cool, early morning, the barren red earth & twisted trees glared at me as in mid-day heat. For the sake of "bringing up property value" a once serene, life-filled, habitat has become a barren wasteland. I wanted to turn back, for this is what had driven me away, but my prayers had been requested & I begrudgingly continued. As my feet stepped from the bulldozed tracks, I crossed into another time & place. Grass & wildflowers grew under my feet. I was surrounded by lush foliage, wildlife, peace & an amazing quiet. I stepped back into the clamoring starkness & glare, then back into the serenity. I did that many times, amazed at the transformation within & around.


Many find value in sod, sidewalks & streetlights, while others find value in that which is seen only by careful watching. Some build up their treasures on earth, while I remind myself I am not of this world. My home is the Kingdom of God, where neither moth nor rust, nor even bulldozers will destroy my treasure. The lake is becoming walled & sodded. When the bulldozers have completed their decimation, & have "won", peace will remain elusive. I return to pray that they may surrender their lives to the Creator & Giver of peace, Jesus, the Christ. Selah!

Calling All Prayer Warriors

I had gotten away from blogging due to health issues. I was looking forward to a peaceful summer and rededicated myself to this end. I enjoy blogging so and it brings me a lot of fulfillment. (Your responses uplift me in many, ways and on many levels).



I have been going through some very difficult trials. It is both exciting and frightening. God may have plans to move my life, or He may be using what I am going through to meet the private prayer request of someone else. God may have something entirely different in mind. (He is so creative!) This is a time when I need an abundance of prayers through Christ, Jesus. As well as prayers on my behalf, please hold up all of those concerned. I ask for prayers for clarity and discernment, as given to all when we receive the Holy Spirit. I ask for patience, understanding, gentleness, wisdom and guidance.
I know that God is moving in powerful ways. Today, while gardening, God put on my heart to contact some particular people for "prayer cover". I thought it odd, as we do not keep in regular contact. At that moment, my husband received a call from one of those people. They had not spoken in 12 years. Some may call this, "coincidence". I am convinced that an instance such as this is the power of Almighty God moving and acting.
Soon, I may be put into situations that call for strong conviction, as well as righteous words and actions. I pray that in that day, I am able to stand as a witness to my Saviour and King.


I do know that in the end, something beautiful will come from all of this....but the waiting is difficult. Thank you for your prayers and support.

"..Much will Be Required..." *

In the time of Jesus, Roman law was final. When a Roman centurion was walking and came upon a non-Roman citizen, he could force a non-Roman to drop what he was doing and carry his load for one mile. What a tremendous burden and inconvenience !!! After having accomplished my work, I have been instructed to carry out the tasks assigned to others. It is frustrating, to say the least, infuriating at most. Not given to anger, I first sought the words of scripture for counsel.

In Matthew 5:41 Jesus said, "And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two". Is the Bible an outdated manuscript without relevance in the modern world? I would say this example puts an end to that argument.

* see Luke 12:48

My "Cross to Bear"

So many choose a rushed and hectic lifestyle. We take it for granted that if we can just get IN bed, we will get proper rest. This is not true for 50-70 million Americans who suffer with one or more sleep disorders. People think we are lazy, complainers, spacy, &/ or slackers. We have unexplained bruises at furniture level, suffer depression, drag our feet, and are prone to illness. It doesn't matter how much or how little sleep we get, we don't get quality sleep. Without the right kind of sleep, it is as if we had never slept at all. My husband says that I, "flop around like a fish on a pier." I awake in the morning with legs that ache as though I had been climbing stairs all through the night. My arms, and often my entire body feel weighted....and I start my day.....
I am not saying all of this to complain, but to explain. Perhaps you know someone like I described. (Have them look into a sleep study.) It is my hope that you will literally thank God upon waking feeling rested, restored, and renewed. Tom always adds to his prayers, "Thank you for our blessings known and unknown"...I hope you will pause to be grateful for proper rest.

What Is It? (pt.3)

Scottish thistle....this one was extra eager to jump into life. It's a bit early, so I don't know how things will go for cross-pollination, etc. Most folks seemed to think it was a cactus of some sort.
Life is like that. Sometimes we see only the thorns and fear to go any further, when in fact, wonderful things may be found. Other times, we can feel on the verge of something big and want to jump right in. Spontaneity is great, but we have to look at the consequences, and the timing. We have to take very seriously how other people could be effected by our decisions. Ultimately, the only way for any major decision is to seek God's guidance. Sometimes we may think we have all of the information we need, when in fact, there is much more out there that never entered our thoughts. I make my requests known to God but always ask for His will to be done. That way, he who has the big picture in mind, can open or close doors as I need them.

Who Is My Neighbor?

Jesus sums up God's law with the command,
"You shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself". (Luke 10:27, see also Romans 13:9 & Leviticus 19:18). If I give to others all day, as a follower of Christ, am I entitled to take the evenings and weekends off? Can I ignore my neighbor because I have already filled my "good deed quota" for the day? I don't believe so. A lawyer asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" (Luke 10:29). Jesus replies with the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-37). One of those who passes by is a Levitical priest. This tells me that no matter how holy or righteous one thinks they are, there is never a time to turn ones' back on a neighbor.
Jesus gave 3, primary instructions: Love God, love your neighbor, preach to all the world. Just before His ascension, He commissioned His followers to "go into all the world..." (Mark 16:15) or "nations..."(Matt 28:19-20) and preach the Gospel..." Perhaps some believe Jesus' instructions were multiple choice, but I believe they were all equally important.
I like the metaphor in this image. The open archway that God created into a garden of His creations where the light begins to shine. This is in stark contrast to those who are in the dark and strive to fence people out of their lives. How does your light shine in your every-day and every-moment walk towards the Kingdom? Do we ever get to retire?...Take some time off...? Not on this go-around. That comes later.

Daily Strength

It is so powerful to start the day amidst God's creations !!! I feel so much closer to my Lord in prayer, when I am surrounded by his artistry !!As the day continues and my middle-schoolers show that post-spring break, Friday energy, I can recall the tranquility of these moments: the kingfisher hunting on the large lake, the mallards on the lesser one. I spied a new vine of yellow blossoms growing up an oak....these images and many more will give me calm throughout the day.

Images from Spring Break

HE IS RISEN

"THE LORD IS RISEN, INDEED!"
~Luke 24:34~



"Then He said to them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations...And you are witnsses of these things.
"Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you...until you are endued with power from on high'."
~Luke 24:46-49~

"Good" Friday

This is my most meaningful day...I arose and headed for the lake. The birdsong enveloped me as the full moon set in the early dawn light. Long before the moon had lowered below the tree line it's orb was within their reflection.

The lake was as still as I have ever seen it...a great time to watch for the beavers' last frolics before he heads home to sleep. The new hawk flew across and landed in his preening tree. I heard a familiar chatter and the kingfisher alit in a tree just across the landing. I saw the beavers' wake, and those of the fish that scattered before him. The kingfisher went for his aim, and hit right in front of the beaver and I. It was seemingly obscured by the tiny ends of a draping maple tree piercing the surface. It was only when I put my head near water-level that I could see how still the surface truly was.

A familiar call and I saw the 2 Canadians fly overhead, on their way to the lesser lake. I heard the blue heron in his glide along the far shoreline. The sky was clear while I wrote out my abundance of blessings. The sun rose behind me, turning the small wisps of clouds into a rich and lustrous pink above me. A family of swallows chased away a crow. A blue jay squawked as he flashed in front of me and landed in a branch. It was glorious, but it was time to head back. I had been out for over 2 hours.

With fresh coffee, I perched on a rock higher up and read the different accounts of Jesus' betrayal and arrest. I have a book called, "On a Friday Noon" that is a collection of writings and art of Jesus' sacrifice. I meditate with it annually on this day. I was lost in my Lord's sacrifice when a roll of thunder called my attention. As I had perched on my rock, pondering Golgotha, the sky had darkened and it was beginning to rain. Thunder rolled and lightening was beginnning to strike. It truly gave more meaning to the biblical account of this day, so long ago. I pray that this will be a meaningful day and season for you as we honor a day to praise Him for His sacrifice.

Bend or Break?

We go along on our path in life, seemingly oblivious to the blessings we have. Little things like socks on the floor and dishes in the sink nag at us….We fail to be grateful that we have people in our lives to leave them around…until we get side-swiped by tragedy:
a job is lost~
a car overturns and a loved one dies~
hospice is called in for a parent~
the house is foreclosed on~
a child has cancer~
someone makes a horribly irrevocable choice and families crumble….
Suddenly, we sit on the side of life’s road, numbed by a loss of that which we once took for granted. Life has become surreal and we long to wake up from what surely must be a “never-ending” nightmare…an episode of “The Twilight Zone”. We long for the socks and dishes to call out once again, but they have been silenced….
And finally the tears come, welling up from our soul in a wordless agony. It is at times like these that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, translating the “moanings and groanings” of our suffering.
When doors that have always been open suddenly slam shut and we are faced with forever-changed lives, we must choose between despair and searching for an open window…some other way out of the nightmare and back into our real life…It is then, we find ourselves at the foot of the cross. Do we bend or do we break? We must choose between despair and looking up~ to Him…a God and Savior who knows our deepest pains and our every need. He will guide us through the next doorway, and onto new paths.
My family and I are fine. We are cherishing our time together and counting our blessings. For my cherished friends, I do what I know to do: I am on my knees with the other Prayer Warriors, doing what I can to uplift and sustain you in your time of tragedy. To everyone:
Skip the dishes~
Hug your babies~
Pamper your pet~
Gaze in wonder at your loved ones asleep~
Tell them how much they mean to you…Take nothing for granted and look to the cross. He died for ALL of us. He died for YOU!

Listening

I usually get up between 3 & 5 ~ "oh-dark-thirty ~ and I listen. Not yet ready for starkness, I fill the room with the soft glow of a dozen or more candles. I settle in with Mikey, gently warming me with his purrs, comforting cup of tea or coffee, my journal and my Bible. Imagine ! The Creator of all things actually used the hands of man to write down his Holy Word in a book!!!...and I have access to it !!! How can I not read it ?!? I get to know Him better that way and myself, too.
I pray, but I try to listen most af all. It's not just a doing kind of faith, or a checklist item. It's not just dumping my requests and feeling better~ a cosmic kind of feel-good remedy. It's about relationship. I thank Him, praise Him and worship Him.
Outside, I stand so small, over-shadowed by the forest silhouette. I gaze in awe at the night sky. "When I consider the moon and the stars, what is man that thou art mindful of him?" (Ps. 8). And me? That you care for me?!? I wonder in amazement that the Creator of the Universe wants to spend time with me !
It's all about relationship and relationship is 2-way. I pray & I praise, but most of all, I try to listen. I hear "His still, small voice" best of all when the world has not yet arisen. I am His beloved child. He has adopted me into His family and made me an heir to His Kingdom...how can I not be amazed and filled with wonder !!! The Master Artist has made me in His image~ Once again, in the glow of candlelight, I am driven to create, still in praise and worship.
Soon, I will head out to spend my day with middle schoolers, but I invite my Lord along. I will learn to know Him even better as he allows me to help others find their image of Him through the act of creating.... and I continue to listen.