Thursday, July 29, 2010

A Day in the Life

Well, after having an accident where a heavy bookcase lurched out of the van onto my foot, I was very happy that prayers that it not be broken were answered. The heavy bruising and swelling indicated torn ligaments. The doctor said it takes about as long to heal, but I have a much better chance of faster recovery if I will stay off it, as long as possible and keep it above heart level with ice. It also fell against my upper leg and there is a big bruise and when I said I don’t do well on crutches, I didn’t think I would be falling a few hours later scraping my back on a rocker and hard tile floor. I’m feeling some sore muscles back there.
I was so bummed as my grandsons, Austin and Jordan were over for a visit and I was in the ER nearly all of it. There went my plans to take them to the beach. Ashley filled in quite well with them and Shiloh even cooked them shrimp pasta. Isaiah was very loving, asking questions and if he could help.
Bill and the girls are taking good care of me; it is really hard for me, as I have never had to have anyone basically wait on me hand and foot. Since I fell, they are extra careful. Shiloh had been helping me and went to answer the phone, and I don’t know what happened. All I knew is, if I fell forward I would surely hurt my foot worse and there wasn’t anything to brace against or hang onto to my right. She felt terrible for leaving me, but someone had to answer the phone. And of course I had just got off the phone with Amber who thought it was her fault since I had just brought the bookcase from her house. I guess Bill heard the commotion even though he was upstairs. We have decided I may need to use the cane instead of crutches.
It is hard keeping the foot up and iced but then I think of poor Anita, my mentor, whose leg bled for 6 hours when she had a freak accident where her 200 pound son tripped and fell on her. He had a broken toe and she was in a leg cast for weeks. Well, I guess, I will figure out something from this. Makes you wonder why some things happen. Especially when you don't have insurance. But one thing I know from Anita’s teachings is to praise the Lord for all things and the first thing out of my mouth was “Thank you Lord that it didn’t fall on my toes!” It just missed them. Throbbing toes are the pits; I’ve been there before:)
Thanks to all my friends and prayer warriors who have prayed for me.
I am so blessed to have a good book to read today by Charles Brown. It is called, “Papa’s Voice” and so far I can see it is a powerful word from the Lord to His Body. Blessings to you, Charles, for sending this a just the right time, or for such a time as this. Check it out here: www.papas-voice.com Awesome!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Musings on Life, Marriage and Dancing in the Minefields

Musings on Life, Marriage and Dancing in the Minefields

Recently, Bill and I celebrated 30 years of marriage. I am blessed with a wonderful, Godly husband and I am so grateful that he is in my life. On that hot day in July, 30 years ago, we never imagined the blessings that the Lord had for us.
But to say that our life and marriage has been a wonderful waltz would be a denial of the strength the Lord could bring through trials. “Endure hardship with me” is a phrase that is written in my Bible. There is no phrase in the Bible that says, “Be a Christian, marry a Christian and live happily ever after.”
One time Bill sent me a card, and it had a picture of a Construction Zone. It was an encouraging message of our lives being a “work in progress.” If you think about it, that is what we all are, there are none that have arrived yet. We are all in construction, hopefully becoming more like the Lord.
J. Lee Grady in his article (http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones/28858-warning-you-are-entering-gods-construction-zone#readmore) recently said, “We aren't used to hearing sermons about God's construction zone. Some preachers believe the journey of faith is like skipping effortlessly through LaLa Land. We don't expect people to conform to the image of Christ; we don't warn people that Christ-likeness requires brokenness; and we don't teach that brokenness comes when we embrace trials and suffering.

Yet the Bible says: "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation" (1 Peter 4:12-13, NASB).”
I love Mr. Grady’s take on this and I wonder why there isn’t more teaching like “brokenness comes when we embrace trials and suffering.”?

Any growth at all in my life from early childhood onward has been through pain. If the Lord had not allowed the pain of abuse I would have been a truly spoiled brat as a young girl; I was surely on my way to that early on. But I was spared by being broken by the pain of life, which helped me to become a more compassionate person. Had I not been broken, had I had every need in my life met, I would hate to see the type of woman I may have become.
Many (but not all) of the minefields of our marriage have been related to pain of my first marriage and Bill trying to help me help my oldest daughter overcome an addiction her biological father started her on. When we truly let go and let God, Jesus was the one to bring victory to her hurting heart. She is now celebrating her 2 year anniversary of living sober and giving her testimony to that.

But there were some painful minefields along the way. We give the Lord Jesus all the glory for He does all things well. And there will probably always be a minefield of some sort in our lives, in fact, it seems as if as soon as we get past one, we see another one. That’s just the way life is, it rains on the just and the unjust. There are many hurting people in our extended family and world. We can’t dance around their pain; it is legitimate to them, even if a little extra looking to the Lord would give them a source of relief. Although it is true the old saying that “We may be the only Bible someone reads” we can’t force a relationship with the Lord on anyone. But we can make them thirsty for living water and then point them to our source.
Jesus has never allowed the pain of life to strip me of the deep song of longing within my heart for His will in my life. He has never taken away the desire to dance from me, sometimes alone in my kitchen with a song of praise to Him, sometimes at a wedding or party. Bill doesn’t believe he can dance and so he has missed a lot of joy that the rest of us have when we just get out there on the dance-floor and move around.

One day we will both dance before our Lord and King and He will tell us of all the things He protected us from, all the calamities we were spared and show us the treasure he had waiting when he brought two hurting people together that sunny day in 1980.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Minefields of Life

“Dancing” is the word that struck me to begin post thoughts about the storms of marriage and life and how they can be overcome. One word; Jesus! Actually His name is the only word that can bring us through the storms of life, not just marriage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtTa81LyuQM
It has a beautiful message and I especially like:
So when I lose my way,
Find me
When I loose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith to the end of all my days
When I forget my name,
Remind me

I’ll be writing more on the minefields of life. Right now enjoy the music and lyrics.

Dancing in the Minefields


By Andrew Peterson
Well, I was 19 you were 21, the year we got engaged
And everyone said we were much too young, but we did it anyway
We got the rings for $40 each from a pawnshop down the road
And we said our vows and took the leap nearly 15 years ago.
And we went dancing in the minefields,
We went sailing in the storms
And it was harder than we dreamed,
But I believe that's what the promise is for.
Well “I do” are two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another, I've heard
Is a good way to begin
Cause the only way to find your life is to lay your own life down.
And I believe it is an easy price for the life that we have found.
And we’re dancing in the minefields,
We’re sailing in the storms
And this is harder than we dreamed,

But I believe that's what the promise is for
That's what the promise is for.
So when I lose my way,
Find me
When I loose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith to the end of all my days
When I forget my name; remind me

We bear the light of the Son of Man, so there’s nothing left to fear
So I’ll walk with you in the Shadowlands ’til the shadows disappear
Cause He promised not to leave us and His promises are true.
So in the face of all this chaos, baby, I can dance with you.
Let's go dancing in the minefields
Let's go sailing in the storms
Let's go dancing in the minefields
And kicking down the doors


Let's go dancing in the minefields
And sailing in the storms
Oh, this is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for
That's what the promise is for.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

The Missing Chapter

I have not been faithful with this blog, and for that I apologize. Bill has been painting my kitchen for an early 30th anniversary gift. He also put down a new floor. This old kitchen has never looked better. But since my computer was right in the middle of the work area I have a bit of an excuse.


Today once again I want to focus again on something by Mary E. DeMuth. She sent a link to what she calls a missing chapter of Thin Places.
Here's the link:
http://www.marydemuth.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ThinPlacesmissingchapter.pdf
I especially loved this quote:
"So the mysterious plan of God continues on. He uses France to break me so I can bless another broken friend, who then will no doubt touch another in her brokenness. It’s the Gospel of the broken, inaugurated by Jesus’ broken body on the cross, advanced through our weakness."

My take on this is: Brokenness helping to heal another's brokenness, that's what makes the pain worth it.