Wonderful words of wisdom from my dear friend. I agree with her and wanted to share with all of you. Thank you Skye!
Archive | November 2013
Thank You Lord
11 years ago, November 26, 2002, was the worst day a parent can ever experience. That is the day I lost my oldest son Joey. I am thankful that through that awful time and the years since, the Lord has been there every minute, even when I forgot he was there.
Several months before the 10th anniversary of Joe’s death, I started to think about that impending anniversary and other things in my life, feeling very downhearted, lonely and worried about many things. I was just having an ongoing, one person, pity party. I felt like life was flying by but nothing positive was happening in my life, with the exception of the process of my weight loss. That never suffered and I can say it was the Lord’s doing, not mine.
I prayed a few times, asking the Lord for help, but then in my silly human condition, I would take back the request, figuring I could do things better and faster on my own. NOT! It doesn’t work that way!
I am so thankful God never gave up on me. He is such a patient God. He waited for me to come to him again and again. He heard all of my prayers and he continually put people on my path–people who I could relate to and share with, as they shared things with me. We were and are able to be an encouragement to each other. Some of those have become close friends and are a blessing to me.
In the spring of this year, the Lord put it on my heart that I needed to talk with someone about my feelings and He led me to speak with my pastor’s wife and ask for prayer. We met a few times and that led to taking part in a Bible study, to my spending more time in His word, (though I could do a lot more of that). My walk with Him is growing stronger all the time. I have slowly started to become more involved with things in church and loving every minute of it, wanting to be here.
Through this time of growth, I have developed a new hobby—blogging! Yes me, really! I never felt I had anything worthwhile to say, was not good enough to write anything of interest to anyone; not wise enough to have anything of real value to offer. I’m not writing as much as I would like to and still dealing somewhat with those old feelings but a few things I have written have actually gotten responses from others and I have developed a small group of followers. What a wonderful God we have! He is so full of surprises! I never thought I could see this happening in my life, that I could be an encouragement to others suffering through different hardships.
When I originally wrote a blog post last month with some of these feelings I noted that the journal page where I first wrote in longhand had a quote by an unknown person that I thought was so fitting to the situation “Within each of us, just waiting to blossom, is the wonderful promise of all we can be.” I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me in my future!
I also am so very thankful to the Lord that he is protecting my daughter and her husband. Last October they came close to being killed or seriously injured when a tree fell on their home while they slept, destroying the home and again this October, saved them when they were hit head on by another vehicle and I know he will continue to watch over them, though I did tell my daughter that she and hubby need to go live in a bubble next October!
There is so much in my life that I am thankful for, my family, my church family, my friends, my life in general, that I could go on forever but I will spare you all. 🙂
Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving filled with the Lord’s blessings!
Praise and Thanksgiving
This verse appeared in a Thanksgiving email request for prayers for church family and extended family and my first thought as i read it was that feels like a blog post formulating in my mind! So yes, I am stepping away from my usual role of procrastinator and writing what i am feeling while the thoughts are fresh.
I will indeed praise and thank Him forever for the way He loves all of us and watches over us. How lovely it is to have a heavenly Father who is always there even when we think he isn’t!
Just as recently as last evening, I felt his presence as I spoke a few words in church, thanking God for the ways He has worked in my life. (I have those words ready to post for Thanksgiving Day so you will be able to read them as well.) I feel His presence even at this moment as I spoke with my daughter who is having surgery this afternoon. I know He will be watching over her and giving the surgeons the wisdom to know exactly what she needs to make her feel better. I feel his presence in every part of my life as he continues to bless my life with new blessings daily, placing people in my life who are good Christians and a blessing to me. I know he is also watching over a friend who is traveling halfway around the world to take care of some personal business matters. He will orchestrate every part of that for the best outcome and I praise Him for it.
As the previous verse, Psalm 52:8 says, I will always trust in His unfailing love for me; for all of us. What a wonderful Father and a Wonderful God we serve! He knows the plans he has for us and His timing is so perfect. Patience! That’s the hard part for me and, I dare say, for most, if not all, of us. I tend to get impatient when things don’t work the way I want them to and as quickly as I want them to. As a friend of mine always says–I am a WIP — Work In Progress! God is not finished with me yet! I will fumble along through life, trying to be patient but failing at that many times I am sure but God holds the patience in his hands and will never give up on me.
I will just end this with the words of a song we sing in church often:
Some thank the Lord for friends and home
For mercies sure and sweet
But I would praise Him for his grace
In prayer I would repeat
Refrain:
Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free
Some thank Him for the flow’rs that grow
Some for the stars that shine
My heart is filled with joy and praise
Because I know He’s mine
I trust in Him from day to day
I prove His saving grace
I’ll sing this song of praise to Him
Until I see His face
Uprooted ~ Not!
Every day I begin my day by reading the devotions that my dear friend Skye has posted. As I, along with others, have said to Skye “Reading your devotions is so much nicer than reading those of strangers. It somehow makes it feel more real to know that a friend is going through some of the same struggles that I go through with my faith, my life, etc. Today you gave me a whole new way to look at caring for the roots of my faith, nurturing them, strengthening them.” Blogs like this are probably the #1 reason I so enjoy blogging – the blessings I receive daily.
What is your source? Tough questions from good friends.
Great thoughts! What is our source?
Have you ever had that friend that knows how to ask the brutally tough questions, but in a way that build you up instead of breaking you down? David is that friend for me. We had a chance to have a long talk a few weeks ago and I look up to David for the extent to which he has fully abandoned his life in the service of God. He’s a very intense, and very amazing guy. Someone we could all look up to.
We were talking about the various things I’m doing. Teaching Sunday School, writing this blog, the book, coming to a full stop at all stop signs. You know… living life the right way. To be completely honest, I was kind of rattling off this list to him in hopes of his approval. I love positive affirmation. Perhaps…
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Do you remember where you were that day?
As all of us so well know, 50 years ago today was one of the most shocking days in American History–the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Regardless of our politics, whether we agreed or disagreed with the Kennedy presidency, our world stopped for a few days as we stayed glued to our tv sets, watching in horror as the details were told over and over and the pictures shown, from the procession of the cars, the shooting of JFK and finally the heart wrenching funeral honoring a president who was loved by many. I heard someone mention today, and I agree, how can any of us forget the adorable little toddler, John F. Kennedy, Jr. walking with his Mom Jackie and his sister Caroline behind the caisson carrying his father and the brave salute he gave to honor his father. I never realized, or perhaps I had forgotten, but that day was the 3rd birthday of little John. That memory still brings tears to my eyes, thinking of those little children who probably did not understand why some cruel person took their Daddy away from them and why he would never be back home with them.
I remember well where I was when I first heard the news of the assassination. I was in my senior year in high school and as we came out of the school that afternoon we were told the horrible news. I remember thinking, could it really be true? How could it be? This is the United States of America! These things just don’t happen in our country, do they? Wow, talk about a rude awakening to the changes coming in our future. Our whole world seemed to turn upside down from what it had been up to that point. Gone was the innocence of our youth and gone was the fairy tale presidency of Camelot.
Many years later, I lived in Texas for a few years and on a few occasions visited the site of the assassination. I stood near the window where Oswald’s shot was fired,in the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas, the site of the Texas Book Depository. I saw all the exhibits and watched over and over at the tv screen with Walter Cronkite announcing the President has died. I walked on Dealey Plaza and on the grassy knoll. I still get the chills when I think of how it felt to be there many years after the fact. The last time I was there, the temperature outdoors was 105 degrees F, but for the time I was there I never noticed the heat because of those chills I felt in knowing what had happened on that site so many years ago.
RIP President John F. Kennedy.
Music – A Joyful Noise to My Ears
Psalm 95:1,2
O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
Every day I receive a different Bible verse in my email to begin my day with and today’s verse made me smile. O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
I began to think of how I love music in my life. I never learned to play an instrument and sadly, I was not gifted with a good singing voice, though I tried when I was young. I always joke that my voice is so bad that I was fired from three church choirs! (not true, but I think it’s funny) At any rate, despite my lack of ability, I do love to listen to music of many different kinds. I can be found listening to anything from Classical to some Classic Rock, Country, Blue Grass to Southern Gospel, Hymns and Praise music to 50’s rock or jazz and blues. I love Celtic music and probably among my favorites is to listen to great tenors such as Luciano Pavarotti, The Canadian Tenors and of course Andrea Bocelli! And my kids are more than willing to tell everyone that Christmas music comes out the day after Thanksgiving and gets played right up until New Year’s at my house!
Music plays many different roles in my life. When I am stressed, it is soothing and relaxing. When I am trying to get things done around my home, the right type of music can be very energizing. It can change my mood in a heartbeat if I choose the right music to listen to. Overall, it just brings great joy to my life.
I mentioned this verse in my Bible study group this morning and that I was going to write a little post about how music affects my life and brings so much joy to it. We were talking about emotions and how Satan likes to play on our emotions and pull us away from Christ with his lies. Our bible study teacher brought up a great suggestion for those nights we have trouble getting to sleep! She said we should lie in our beds, sing hymns and praises and speak Bible verses. It upsets Satan so much, he will put us to sleep! I love this suggestion and I am sure she is right about it. Think I will give it a try when I can’t sleep! 🙂
Hope you all enjoy the wonderful music we have been blessed with in this world of ours and that it makes your life just that much better.
You Raise Me Up- Full Version
This is the full version of this song and one of my favorites! I’ve been looking for it for a while so I could listen to it often and share it with others. Beautiful video also! I hope you enjoy it!
Somedays knowing you are there is all I need!
Beautiful picture. Beautiful sentiment. I agree… Thank you God.
Yesterdays Hero
I’ve read this story before and it never fails to bring me to tears so I just had to share it. God bless our vets!
I saw this picture recently of a crowd sitting in lawn chairs along a parade route. In the background, a military formation is marching by carrying our flag. Sadly, the only one standing in a show of respect is a veteran in a wheelchair. That bothered me, so I wrote this to give yesterdays hero the recognition he deserves. To all our veterans, thank you for your service and my freedom.
“Excuse me” the woman calls quietly and somewhat apologetically. “Can we get in front of you? We won’t block your view”
Slowly the crowd parts, some reluctantly, others without hesitation. The woman pushes the wheelchair forward, smiling as she navigated the narrow opening provided for their passage until they reach the curb.
The woman, a daughter perhaps, locks the wheels of the chair and fusses over it’s occupant, adjusting the robe in his lap, assuring his comfort. He shows no resistance to…
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Elaine's Random Thoughts 