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| A friend and I walked the track tonight. What a wonderful feeling. The night was perfect. A full moon lit our way. I had been secretly longing to go on a walk for quite some time now but the hot summer nights had kept me at bay or shall I say near the A/C, content until the latter days of summer would come upon us. During the walk tonight I felt alive. Fully alive again. Like I could RUN! I hadn't felt this much alive outside of worship for months, nearly a year ago when I gave up walking my daily 5K. And why? And where did I go? I hadn't realized just how far I had gone without going anywhere at all. No, it wasn't a physical place I'd been, but rather it was a state of mind I was in. While walking and talking with my friend, our tennis shoes dug into the soft black track as she shared with me a piece of a conversation between her and her five year old daughter that occurred last night. She had told her five year old, April, that if they went to the football game to watch big brother that she would need to be on good behavior and her reward would be a 'laser ring' that April had begged for at the local convenient store earlier. The five year old's reply was "okay mommy, I'll try really, really hard to be good but if I forget would you remind me." Classic. I love that story. It's a similar conversation that I've had with God on many occasions at different times and stages in my life. ... "God, please I won't drink so much tonight that I might wrong decisions." And when I did, He 'reminded' me with a hang over and a baby. Or "God, I'll try to get ready for work sooner so I don't speed on the way to work." Then I am 'reminded' with a bright red light in my rear view and a pink ticket stating to pay the state X amount and higher insurance rates. Or, "God, I'm so busy right now I just don't have the time to attend worship today. I need to sleep in." And then waking up weeks or perhaps months later realizing that you are drained from stress and fear. I, like April, need 'reminders' when I go astray. Just please always make them small ones Lord!!! (It's hard enough to take those.) No, I didn't break any 'laws' (other than one of the highest laws of all, the 4th comandment) by not showing up to worship for a month or however long it was, maybe it was a couple of weeks, whose counting, (I am now) I just know that I was 'reminded' of how life is with out it. CRAZY!!! That nothing, not the internet, pocasts or archived sermons can take the place of worshipping with your brethren where all the Saints gather weekly. Sabbath is set apart for a reason. It's like not brushing your teeth... you don't brush you get cavities. You don't comb your hair you get snarls. You lay down with a dog, you get fleas. You don't go to church you get dried up old bones. Dried up bones ache and are no good to anyone, not even yourself. I don't want to ache anymore and I definitely don't want bad breath, snarls and no more fleas for me. I know that I can't 'be good enough' and that Jesus has already paid the cost but because I love the Lord God with all of my heart and soul, I want to be good. I really do but sometimes I am subhuman. So, Daddy, I'll try really, really hard to be good but if I forget 'remind' me as you always do with your abiding love and grace. Amen. | | |
| Time flies when you're having fun. Well, I can't say that it's been all fun but it's been life. I can't say that I've enjoyed it but I've endured some of it. My daughter has her own place and has her daughter living with her. That is good. Both are doing well. Adjusting to life. New life and a new way to be human. With out mood altering substances. Praise be to God for that deliverance! I now am trying to settle back into my rhythm of life, God's rhythm for my life. It's starting to feel good again. I'm getting the beat. I've starting to groove alittle with it. Unless you've listened to Pastor Brian Zahnd's sermons of late you probably don't understand a thing I've just blogged. And I'm sorry to tell you that is your loss! God has poured a blessing out on us at WOLC! Well, it's just a quick update blog... I've missed writing but that's one of the things that seems to go when I get into life instead of life getting into me. I'll try to be more aware of that fact. Until next time...adios. | | |
| As I was preparing for work tonight my 7 year old grand daughter asked me a question. She asked, "Grandma, how old is God? Is He 100 years old?" I said "Well, He's a bit older than that" She continued with another question, "Does He have a wife?" I answered, "No." When I returned downstairs where she was drawing pictures for me, I sat down to have a look. The picture had writing that stated Mr. God is 100 years old and Mrs. God is 101. I love the minds of children. So sweet. It gave me joy to know that my grand daughter thinks of God and is wondering about Godly things. Thank you Holy Spirit. Thank you God for the small precious gifts. Memories that will never part from me. | | |
| I came across this wall hanging today and stopped to read it and I thought what a great reminder for me and all. My Serenity Prayer GOD GRANT ME not my spouse, my kids, or my friends THE SERENITY remaining unruffled in spite of it all TO ACCEPT not just endure, suffer & bear THE THINGS as well as people in my life I CANNOT CHANGE even though I've tried and tried THE COURAGE which can only come from you, Lord TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN particularly about myself AND THE WISDOM this is your area too, Lord TO KNOW not just guess or hope THE DIFFERENCE between Your will and mine AMEN I have this wall hanging in my doorway, uhm,,, maybe I should move it so that I might stop to read it more often. Nah, that won't work either... I just need to place the seed deep within and live it. | | |
| "When I am weak, then I am strong" 2 Corinthians 12:10 God's idea of strength and my idea of strength are opposite one another. The Lord told Paul, "My strength is made perfect in weakness." Having learned this lesson (ahh...that's the key) Paul could then say, "when I am weak, then I am strong." Seems like a pardox. Not really. Only when Paul admitted his own weakness and was willing to get out of the way, could God take over and work. If we try to do God's will in our strength, then we can take the credit for whatever gets accomplished. But that isn't God's way. When we let His strength work through us, then He alone will get the glory ~ and that is as it should be. In the Old Testament God repeatedly told the leaders of Isreal to reduce the size of their armies, or He announced in advance how their victory would be won. Why? So they would place their trust in him and not in their own strength. As someone has said, "God's work, done in God's way, will never lack for God's provision." I guess I need to learn to surrender immediately. Lord, help me be weak! Amen! My comments are highlighted blue... | | |
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