Sunday blessings

A little this and that today as we thank Him for all He's done. Thanking Jesus for a great night last night when after church Shiloh and Brian came over and cooked us a deluxe steak dinner. With busy schedules, it's rare that we all get to sit down together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOJzZ5jocHo

Yes, I still dream of the day when all my children and grandchildren will be at my table, but I'm learning to enjoy what I have, when I have it for now. A day at a time. Uncle Rudy popped in with some notes for a story I'm writing about his love and care for Aunt Mary as she battled Alzheimer's. I think it may be one of the most poignant stories yet and am praying that it will get in Chicken Soup for the Soul. If not, it is something that I always wanted to put into words as I honor a man among us who took such wonderful care of his wife.

Last night at FWC they blessed the teachers with wonderful supplies for going back to school and the kids with filled backpacks. What a giving church, truly a beacon in our city. We add prayers today for Pastor Ray Dubois who has had some voice issues and is taking a rest for his vocal chords. With a gift for teaching as he has, I know that is hard to be on the sidelines. May the Lord send complete healing soon. It is always a wonderful privilege to hear Pastor Cathy Mazza  and last week Pastor John Mazza minister beautifully and so soul-felt, though.

Side note and something to make you smile, I did a little experiment at Isaiah's surf camp this week, where I decided I would do instead of WWJD what would Pastor Cathy do? She is such salt and light and says an encouraging word to everyone. So I made sure I greeted the teachers with an extra big smile, talked to the grandmother who brought her grandchildren to class, finding out some info about her family and spent some in-depth time with a widow raising three children alone, with all that entails. I left surf camp feeling better than when I came. Key verse from Proverbs 31:26 that describes Pastor Cathy, " She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness." May her tribe increase!

Isaiah is getting blessed with an extra vacation with his parents and Aubrey as they explore Salt Springs this weekend and Devil's Den to snorkel tomorrow. He goes to try out middle school for his preview day on Thursday. Good times!

They’re not the Waltons but They Make Me Smile Or How Some Crazy Duck-calling Family Won my Heart

Happy, happy, happy gets my attention as that is what my main dream is for my own family. To be happy, happy, happy.

Then the title “A Dynasty Built on Family and Faith” also got my attention and I figured I needed to find out how the Duck Dynasty family got so happy. It is a story in Guideposts magazine written by Korie Robertson about their life.

Along the way to a happy, happy, happy family I have taken a long detour. Maybe you have, also. What got in the way of your happy family? What came in and took your dreams. What stole the heart of your children and perhaps even your grandchildren?

Did addiction rear its ugly head and everything that you thought your adult child would become just seem to vanish one day? Did you lose a loved one, a spouse or a child and think you will never be happy again. Does someone in your family wrestle with mental illness and you wonder if all hope is gone? Did cancer invade the body of someone you love? Do you have a loved one in prison?   Life can seem anything but happy at times like these.

What can you do to get your mind into a mode of happiness again?

My first and best answer would be to find a word of hope to hold on to from the Bible. You know the kind, a scripture that just jumps out at you; instinctly deep within your heart it seems as if it was written just for you. Written for such a time as this. While you are searching for a word of your own, find one for your children or that adult child that is breaking your heart. We have to know and believe that the God who created them has a plan and it is an even better plan than you, as a parent, could even dream for them.

“O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
 I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
 All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
And great shall be the peace of your children.” Isaiah 54:11-13

My next thought for happy, happy, happy,  is give it over to prayer. Perhaps you are saying, I do that, I pray. We all have had to come to the point of not only praying but then letting go. Let go and let God is more than a slogan said at recovery meetings. It is the real deal. As a mother, though, I have to admit, I sometimes have to let go again and again, but that is OK as the Lord looks at the heart. He knows exactly the timing that we can yield that burden to Him. He is a protective God and He knows what we can deal with and when and He won’t push us or shove us to dealing with something when it is too painful for us. He deals the same way with our families.

I’ve found that what might make me happy, happy, happy will have the opposite effect on my husband or children. Sometimes I want to scream, “Let’s just all get on the same page.” But the story written from one person’s viewpoint will have a different slant and timetable in another family member’s life and so I must yield again.

What does all this have to do with the Robertson family and their Duck Dynasty? Take a comedy break as often as you can and watch their programs and reruns. It will do your heart good to see people interacting in a loving and kind way. The way families used to interact. No they aren’t the Walton’s, they don’t live in Mayberry, but they have something to teach us. 

The main lesson is God first, and then family. In my view that is a winning combination. No, my family isn’t the Walton’s, the Griffith’s or the Robertson’s but I can learn to lighten up, smile more, listen more and embrace the unique family that the Lord is building, one day at a time. My favorite quote that I say is “There is enough love to go around.” Our family is a work in progress but one day I know I will be “Happy, happy, happy” just like the Duck Dynasty family.

http://www.guideposts.org/inspiration/inspirational-stories/a-dynasty-built-on-family-and-faith?page=full

 

 

Celtic Blessing 1

1. May the God of gentleness be with you,
   caressing you with sunlight and rain,
   caressing you with rain and wind.
   May his tenderness shine through you, to warm all those who are hurt and alone.
   May the God of strength be with you, holding ...you in strong fingered hands.
   May you be a sacrament of His strength to those whose hands you hold.
   May the God of gentleness be with you, caressing you with sunlight and rain, caressing you with rain and wind.
   Celtic Blessing 1 (anon/ or Hand of God)
   
   For some reason I always think of my firstborn daughter when I read this and pray a blessing upon her, that her life would have many blessings of love and gentleness. I dedicate this post to her today.
   The Creative Call: An Artist's Response to the Way of the Spirit by Janice Elsheimer is not only a beautiful resource for writers or artists of any kind, but I use it daily for the compilation of blessings and prayers in it. I found some of the most beautiful, poignant and comforting words from saints of old within the pages of this book and will be forever grateful to Janice for writing it. Today's blessing is from it:
   http://www.amazon.com/The-Creative-Call-Artists-Response/dp/0877881383/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343559218&sr=8-1&keywords=janice+elsheimer

Sometimes

Sometimes the pain of life gets in the way of living. Sometimes when we see those we love hurt it is hard to bear. Sometimes there is nothing we can do. Sometimes all we can do is pray. Sometimes we pray for help, sometimes for healing, sometimes just to make it through the next day, hour or even minute. Emotional pain and hurts can be as painful as physical and sometime even more so. Oh for the balm of Gilead to soothe our wounded hearts. Oh for the comfort of the Savior's arms in a real hug that would take away the hurts.



Sometimes we forget the scripture:


"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" Jeremiah 32:27 NASB


Sometimes we need to see with new eyes His plan and be grateful for all that we have been spared from going through. Sometimes we need to recount all the answered prayers and blessings we have received. Sometimes unmet expectations may be the most painful thing that we go through.
Sometimes we need to remember Hebrews 11 especially verse 13
All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.


Later on it is spoken of people that "the world was not worthy of them."


Sometimes we need to remember that the Lord God Almighty sees. He is with us in our pain and has promised to never forsake us. Sometimes we need to believe His word.

Florida Christian Writer's Conference and me

Just got home from the Florida Christian Writer's Conference yesterday! I can't even begin to express the grateful heart I have to the Lord for His favor and mercy for me to attend. I will be blogging and writing more as soon as I can, but for now all I can say is: awesome! Especially Dr. Calvin Miller who restores my faith in mankind by his very presence, his love for his wife, his father-heart, humor, wit and the way he has with words! I have never heard someone who can cover so many different subjects in such unique ways; I both laughed and cried.
Mark Mynheir moved my soul with his Fiction Workshop and I am in awe of his teaching ability and kindness to me, someone who has never written fiction before. I don't have time right now to say how much I enjoyed being among such a group of dedicated people because of course, I have been gone 4 days and need to reconnect with my family. It was so good to see their faces when I returned.

Everyone I met and connected with captured my heart from lovely Elizabeth Miller and Chaplain Barbara at the front desk to the faculty, other writers and many prayer warriors. I brought home prayer requests for many people and am grateful for those who agreed to pray for me.

But many thanks to Billie Wilson who puts on the best conference around, and also Anitra and REACH FM! You Rock!

I wish I had my old life back!

My old life is looking a lot better since it has changed recently.
I went to the foot doctor where they put another soft cast on. It was a blessing to have it off for a couple of hours; there is still bruising and the hard lump, but it looked much better.

By the time I got to the doctor it had started swelling again, but she projects I will be pretty normal by Oct. which was way longer than I thought.
I am sure it is on track, but I thought it wouldn't take as long as the doctor said. She said I am still swelling even up in my leg and toes; she considered putting a leg cast on, but said if I tried to keep the foot elevated more and try some support stockings, it may be OK without that.
I am really going to appreciate my old "normal" life when I can just walk in regular shoes again. I am trying to hear what the Lord wants me to hear through this.
Mainly it seems that I am thinking more about people that have "real" problems. I am trying to count my blessings more. I am trying to look at people I see when out shopping and be kinder; I saw an elderly gentleman with a can. He saw me hobbling along and asked how I was doing. I told him, I was better this week; the week before I was using a cane, too. I notice if you smile more at people it takes their gaze off this really ugly cast/boot shoe I am wearing and either brightens their day or makes them wonder what I am up to:)
I have never walked this slow in my life and now I know why Bill was always telling me to wait; he is way ahead of me now.
We still are praying the VA will come through with surgery help for him, and I'm thinking I really need to get better for that. But for now it seems, I am still spending a lot of time with my foot elevated.
I did finish out the summer with two great books, "A Cup of Comfort for Women" and for my fiction vacation, "You Make Me feel Like Dancing," by Allison Bottke. I got a real education about the disco generation through that book and I always feel like dancing, at least before the foot cast.
I long to dance before the Lord again in my kitchen; here's an old poem I wrote with that theme.
My Kitchen Time
I stand before Your throne, Lord
In this little kitchen of mine
I stand in Your throne room
In the mirror of my mind
I worship You here
With dance and praise
I give you glory
All my days

Before You only
I can be so free
Because for this
You created me

O love the Lord always
Come daily to Him
With thanks and praise
He will carry you
Through painful days
He will show you the miracles
And secrets
Of His ways
For He is our Father
And is worthy of our praise.

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!

Graduating from the school of life’s addictions

My oldest daughter celebrated 18 months of sobriety on Jan. 21st.
I will give her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt (her addictions). Hosea 2:15

A ceremony and a big party usually mark Graduation Day as someone graduates from High School or College. But what if you daughter has taken the long road of education in the “school of life’s addictions”?
My oldest daughter has wrestled with a drug and cocaine addiction that her own father started her on as a child. It has been a stronghold that caused much pain to her and our family. Even though I had divorced her father his influence lived on in the pain of her lifestyle. Finally, at age 42 she took the steps to stay in a Treatment Facility for long enough to be able to come out from the grip of these bondages and begin to live a normal life.
So what do you say at a different sort of commencement ceremony?
In a letter I wrote her, I rephrased the words to an old blessing to fit the occasion
Dear Sweet Regina,

I am very proud and happy that this day of commencement has come for you. It is an example of God working all things for good once more in your life. He is the God of second (third, fourth and more) chances, as you well know.

I pray the Lord be your helper and protect you from harm and addictions that call.

I pray the Lord save up from your affliction and have mercy on your lowliness

I pray the Lord raise you up from where you had fallen

I pray the Lord come to your neediness

Heal what needs to be healed

Restore where you have wandered from Him

Feed your spirit

Ransom what has been lost

Help you to rise up from the sickbed of the past and walk

Straight, firmly and with His strength

So that you may teach the weak and faint-hearted about the

True comfort of His love for you.

(My version of a prayer written by Clement of Rome 1st Century)

Welcome, honey to your new life. And know I will always love you.

 A daughter is your child no matter how old she is and how far she strays and I am truly grateful the Lord has given her a new start
Donna Collins Tinsley

This scripture sums up my feelings about the subject:
My heart rejoices in the LORD!

The LORD has made me strong.
Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. No one is holy like the LORD!
There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.1 Samuel 2:1-2