Praying today and every day for you

Good Morning Family,

 I'm dedicating Saturdays to prayers for those who have lost loved ones to death. Many among us have lost loved ones, mates, parents, children and young adult children. The most unnatural thing in the world they say is burying your child. Lord, send your strong father arms of comfort to those who are grieving. And for those grieving the death of a dream, we pray also.

 We are reminded that there will be a day, don't miss this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtud5pvF08A

 Max Lucado says in Grace for the Moment:

In the Arms of God

We don’t like to say good-bye to those whom we love. Whether it be at school or at the cemetery, separation is tough. It is right for us to weep, but there is no need for us to despair. They had pain here; they have no pain there. They struggled here. They have no struggles there. You and I might wonder why God took them home. But they don’t. They understand. They are, at this moment, at peace in the presence of God……When it is cold on earth we can take comfort in knowing that our loved ones are in the warm arms of God. And when Christ comes, we will hold them too.

Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die New Living Translation

 

(©2007).https://www.facebook.com/groups/119408188089314/

 

 

12 weeks today; For this I have Jesus.

12 weeks today; For this I have Jesus.

 

Yes, once again I've waited way too long to update my blog. Sometimes just looking at the subjects in my emails would give me subjects for a blog, such as this one: "Your brain and memory are failing..." or "Dad catches cupcake thief red-handed." Who are these people and how do they know me so well? LOL!

 

One of my favorite old commercials I've updated to fit my life, is "My face has fallen and it won't get back up!"  Stress does make me wonder where my brain and memory went as the last 12 weeks have been incredibly sad and stressful. I can see the age creeping up each time I look in the mirror and yes, I need to do so many things but sometimes getting out the door with my hair combed, such as it is, may be the miracle for the day. Aryel's hair is more important. She's doing well at the new school and I'm so grateful that she not only has Shirley Temple's hair but her personality for the most part. She loves to sing and dance and watch old reruns of Full House. Especially when her mom comes over.

 

I'm incorporating my book review of Andy Lee's new book here. I love Andy, having met her at FCWC and felt a kindred spirit right away. All I have to do is look at her sweet, smiling face and I'm comforted. I was so honored that she would send me an advance copy of her book to review. I wish I could afford to buy you all one, it is that beautiful. I would've loved to have copied and pasted paragraphs all over facebook of some of her quotes as they meant so much to me.

Here it is:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Like-Me-Flawed-Called/dp/0891123342/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1460808887&sr=8-2&keywords=andy+Lee

 

 

A Mary Like Me is one of the few books that as soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it all over again. Andy Lee is a poignant, loving woman and her books and writings are the essence of her spirit. Holy Spirit, that is. Andy is well qualified to write this book with a degree from Eastern Nazarene University and has taught Bible studies for over twenty years but I have to say it's her heart that draws me to her writings.

 

 I loved when Andy described original Greek words that acquaint us with this book and scenarios of the stories. There are resources in the back of the book and also an invitation to start your own Mary Group. The meaning of the name Mary/Miryam which is: bitter, rebellious, defiant, beloved, gift of God don't even seem to belong in the same sentence let alone meaning, but in a way, it was comforting to me.  Haven't we acted at times, like all of those meanings?

 

 

This quote is one of the reasons I so fell in love with this book, "Some of the most fearless, determined, and brilliant women I've met have struggle with mental turmoil. I've often found myself beside them, begging them to give up and go home. But they didn't surrender the situation until they won the battle or became too weary to continue. The truth is, when a woman has been forced to fight for life---whether in a bad family, bad marriage or mental illness---this person, more times than not, becomes a survivor." From beautiful Andy Lee in her book, A Mary Like Me, Flawed Yet Called

 

I thought of several women when I read this and some that I'm hoping will learn to survive soon. Some that I love dearly and anguish with the thoughts of their torment yet sometimes the choice is beyond what we can do to help. The choice is theirs. My thoughts from reading this book: make good choices today, people, it affects more than just yourself. It affects the whole family and generations to come.

 

Another quote that I want to include is:

 “There is no one that Jesus does not want to heal and cannot use for the furthering of the Kingdom of God. There is no one who is worthless, or incurable, or unusable. May it be noted the gospel of Jesus Christ resurrected was first proclaimed through the lips of a woman to men. God never intended to silence half of his creation in proclaiming his gospel.

          Perhaps if Peter had hung around long enough at the tombs that day, he would have been given the opportunity to tell the Good News, but he didn’t. Mary did. God is an equal opportunity employer. May we employ our mouths today as Mary did, no longer affected by the rejection of others but unswervingly, undeniably convinced of the life of Jesus.”

Andy Lee has done a wonderful job of expressing who the many Marys in the Bible were; women like many of us.