Category: friends and loved ones

life with my loved ones

friends and loved ones

His reputation

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We had a wonderful occasion at church today.  Recently my daughter, Emily finished the communicants’ class.  Today was the high point of the class: she  took the vows to become a member and was able to take  communion for the first time.

I must say that I shed a few tears.  My Emily is a very serious, tender hearted child.  It has been such a pleasure to see her grow in the Lord.  Watching her answer those questions so honestly and eagerly moved this mother’s heart.   Her countenance has the glow of a believer and it thrills me.

He’s living up to His reputation.

Prior to communion, and the children joining our church family, one of our pastors gave a sermon that I will not soon forget.  Well, actually – a good portion of it I have forgotten because there is one thing that he said that continues to ring in my ears.  In fact, its ringing so loudly that its all I can think about…

At one point, we read part of the Lord’s prayer.  Our pastor stopped at one point and made mention of the first phrase, “Our Father, who art in Heaven hallowed be your name…” He said that it means we are to praise Him, and make known His work on the earth, giving glory to His name.   We’re to make His reputation the best known name around the world.  Those are the words.

They are still ringing now.

Well, I have to tell you I’ve known the Lord’s Prayer for a long time, since grade school when we’d say it every morning at the start of the day.  All this time, I believed I had that part down – the hallowed part, that is.

Turns out, its the part I’m worst at.  Do you know why?  Its simple.  I like to work at making my reputation great.  Its not that I don’t praise the Lord or worship Him.  But I know there are times when I promote myself.  Its so true, I’d rather make my name known.  Often I talk about myself and my accomplishments more than His. This is the truth that has really penetrated my heart today.

But, He is more than His reputation.

As I think back on the morning, I am thankful.  When I look at my daughter, I see Him moving in her heart.  As hard as it is to admit sometimes, I see Him working on my heart, too.  Even more important, when I look at the world around me, I see His redeeming love in motion.  He is answering the very prayer He taught us to pray.

What I learned this morning is true; it is important for me to make His name great on the earth.  I should make  more of HIM much more often.  However, I also know that He has a reputation that no one can destroy.  He will continue with His plan to redeem the world to Himself and that is good news for everyone.

I will never read these words in the same way again…

9 Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11Give us this day our daily bread.

12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

This is His reputation and He owns it : His kingdom is coming.  His will is being done.  Power, glory and honor truly do belong to Him entirely forever.  I know its true.  My daughter and I, each in our own way, caught a glimpse of His glory, today…

a bit of history · friends and loved ones

Tiger tails…

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(originally written April 2010)

Tiger Tails…

I can still picture it, though I’m not sure of the name of the place – its as clear as day in my memory. We visited the establishment (my dad, my sister and I) on a semi regular basis in the mornings, on our way to school.

When my sister and I were still very young my dad would get us ready for school on the days that my mom left for work early. Sometimes that meant we weren’t quite ready in time to eat breakfast at home. Two little girls can be complicated for dads – there is hair to brush, and tights to get on and so on and so forth… We knew we were in for a treat when we came into the kitchen if my dad was putting the cereal bowls back into the cupboard.

Tiger tails were in our future.

My dad would drive us to this little donut and coffee shop on the way to school – My memory wants to call it “Mister Donut”? We would go in, enveloped in a haze of smoke mingled with the aroma of strong coffee and pick out our breakfast. Every time my sister and I would get a tiger tail. This was a long, braided sort of donut – of chocolate and white goodness, with a crisp glaze on the outside. They were wonderful, usually fresh and would melt in your mouth. I don’t ever remember picking anything else. not once.

Because of my life as I know it now, I can sincerely appreciate my mom’s diligence in putting out those cereal bowls every morning. But cereal is not as memorable as a tiger tail.

There are so many little memories like this that I share only with my family. Good ones and bad ones. There are only three people on earth who have known me from the beginning, close and personal, seeing all kinds of ups and downs. God has been good to me, to place me with the family I have grown up with. But, It hasn’t always been easy.

Not so long ago, in fact it was difficult. Circumstances grew very complicated and we were divided. When I think back on it now, I’m not sure how I survived. There were many days where I would look back on a few of those sweet memories and I thought I would die – The separation hurt terribly and I wondered : would I have a chance to make any more memories? My heart felt swollen and bruised. That’s all I really want to say about it, because I don’t wish to hold onto any of the bad – only the good.

One thing I do know. I wasn’t really alone. Even in those dark moments that were filled with tears, heart ache and confusion, there was someone there. I experienced His presence and affection in the deep void of my heart, where I had known love. He was there as my family when I needed it the most. It was confirmation of Scripture: There really is a friend who is closer than a brother. (Prov. 18:24)

I carry the love of a fresh donut with me even to this day – or maybe its just the precious tiger tail memory that I love. Soon my family will be meeting with my sister’s family and my parents for a vacation at the beach. (Secretly I’ve been wondering if they have tiger tails there!) No matter! I am prepared to make many new memories that we will cherish for years to come.

Thank you Lord, for my family. and for being a part of that family.

a bit of history · friends and loved ones

petunia’s wisdom

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I read a story with my son today.  It is one of my favorites from childhood.  The illustrations are wonderfully drawn with vivid colors.  As I read it, I heard the words for the first time.  I remembered the tale well enough, but it took on the form of a parable for me…

Have you heard the story of Petunia before?

Petunia was a goose – a silly one, who found a book.  She thought she knew what it was, so she toted it around for days because she had heard her farmer say that someone who treasures a book is wise. Everyone in the barnyard assumed that she was knowledgable because of that book.  The animals asked her for all kinds of advice.

And she gave it to them.  Faulty words based on an incorrect premise.  She had not read the book or any book for that matter;  Petunia could not read.  Worse, she was not wise at all and did not know it.   All the while she marched around the farm, with a proud strut, carrying the book.

At the end of the book, she realizes she is not smart.  I read these words with my own mouth today, and they sounded so different to me than when I heard them as a child…

(from the story “Petunia” by Roger Duvoisin)

“Now I understand.  It was not enough to carry wisdom under my wing.  I must put it in my mind and in my heart… And to do that I must learn to read.”

The application to my heart and mind happened quickly.   How often I think I’m wise, just because I’m around good people and do good things.  I have an “olive tree” app on my iphone.  There is Christian music on the CD player in my mini van.  Oh yes, I’ve got all kinds of wise things that I’m carrying around under my wing.  But, it’s not enough.

The path to true wisdom, all wisdom, is God’s word.  He wants me to love it, know it, think on it, talk to Him and everyone else about it – in the morning when I first get up, during the day when I need to make decisions, in the afternoon when I have a bit of quiet time and in the evening hours before I go to bed.  Yes, that is His desire for me, if I am to be wise.

Psalm 1 says this:

1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

I’m not there yet.  I think because I spend a few moments in the morning and the evening, I should walk around strutting my stuff.  When really, I’ve barely begun the reading. Thankfully there are very specific words in Proverbs 3 just for people like me.

Proverbs 3:1-6 says:

1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck,                                                               write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

These verses are promises for peace and prosperity, for favor with God and man.  But do you know what else?  He promises that while we are still trying to understand it all, He will make our crooked paths straight. HE will always help us figure things out.  There is hope for me and all believers who are longing for His wisdom!

friends and loved ones

coffee with Jesus

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It was cold out today.  But I didn’t care, or so I thought.  I went on with my day, dressed like it was spring.  Winter may be having her last tryst, here in the south, but I pretended like the weather was warm wearing a short sleeved shirt and going bare foot in my little flats.

After attending my nephew’s first birthday party, I found out I did mind after all.  I was chilled to the bone. And needed a nice hot drink.  Thankfully I had plans for coffee with a friend at Starbucks.

Life can be complicated.  Sometimes I find myself a little colder than I’d like.  I am a social butterfly, no doubt.  But, often I’m at home alone with my kids and honestly I get lonely.  I need a friend.  a warm smile.  adult conversation.  Who doesn’t?

Yesterday, I had a chat with my Heavenly Father about it.  I told him how my heart was feeling a little low.  He promised that He was here with me, that He loved me.  Often that is enough for my spirits and I can move on with life.  But yesterday it was not.  I needed His promises to have skin on them- tangible evidence.  I asked Him if He could meet me for coffee?

And He did.

But, its not like you’re thinking.  This afternoon, my good friend met me at Starbucks for coffee.  The warmth of our friendship and our steamy beverages warmed my body and my spirit.  She probably doesn’t know it, but she was Jesus for me today.  There is nothing as promising as the smile of a good friend and nothing as hopeful as a conversation full of encouraging words.  Jesus met me for coffee, at Starbucks in Hixson, Tennessee, in the form of my friend.

I really do believe this is how it works.  One of the ways I can experience the loving kindness of my Heavenly Father, is through the friendships He provides.  And, one of  the ways that I can share that love is to do the same for others who need His friendship.

1John 4:7-16 describes this perfectly:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

And so it is.  The love of God himself, is in those of us who know Him personally.   He asks us to freely love one another.  This makes it absolutely possible that I really did have coffee with Him today, because of the friendship He has provided.

Thank you Heavenly Father for each of the friends in my life who regularly share your love with me. How I’ve come to rely on it!   Help me to remember to share that same love with those you place in my path each day.  amen.

and thank you my dear friend!  Your friendship means the world to me!  md

friends and loved ones · who knows?

drowning in my own sweat…

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This week has been quite busy.  Yesterday, as I ran around town with children in tow, I thought I was going to lose my mind.  texts flying, phone calls coming and going, emails to check…  Reality had come and gone and I wasn’t sure where I was for a few moments, trying to keep it all straight.

At one point I stood in my hallway, almost suffocating, trying to get my head above water so I could think…  All reasonableness had left the room and I had no earthly idea what to do next.  In that moment I had the audacity to say,

“Why aren’t You helping me, here?”

Yep.  That’s how I am you know.  I’m so good at creating my own disasters and then looking for assistance.  When the ship starts going down, I panic and that’s when I start asking for help.  And he says to me, in a very calm and low voice,

“You did not ask.”

Right.  I’m far too independent for my own good.  I create my own difficult tasks, often for wonderful, righteous purposes.  When the work gets too hard, I begin to sweat it out.  And in the end, as I’m drowning in it, I call out for rescue.  I beg for Him to throw me a line.

And almost always this is the kind hope He gives.  Its a reminder that causes me to slow my pace and think on Him for a moment…

4‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Tell this to your masters: 5With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please.  (from Jeremiah 27)

Yes.  He will give salvation and strength to those in need.  I know because I am a slow learner. Amid my own drowning scenes, loud wailing, arms flailing, crying for help, He is good.  He moves in, with an outstretched hand, offering His power.  Why didn’t I just go this route to begin with?  I’ll never know.

As I catch my breath, on the other side of calamity, I find a loving Savior who longs for me to do everything in Him, for Him, because of Him.  Without Him I’m unable to produce the fruit He desires from my life.  No matter how noble, when I go it alone, my good deeds are worthless.

John 15 explains it well:

4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Thank you Heavenly Father for the rescue efforts yesterday.  Help me to rely on you completely and not on myself.  Please.  Will you remind me that my efforts are nothing without you at the core?  Will you remind me to stop sweating it out alone?  Thank you for bailing me out.  I would have not finished yesterday without you.  amen.

friends and loved ones · home schooling

The Orchard…

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Not long ago my husband and I altered our life’s path. Emily was 5. We had to make a decision about how to embark on her education. It was at that time that we knew we wanted to entwine our family values and beliefs with her education. For us that meant one thing. Home schooling.

Emily began second grade this fall. As the school year was approaching, my husband and I had a time of evaluation. How did we want our daughter to progress this year? And what did we envision for her long-term. I talked about science and math, reading and language arts. Then Michael told me, “I would like for her to be a little Jesus.”

It took some time for me to wrap my brain around what that meant. I realized it was about fruit. yes, big, fat, juicy fruits. Scripture talks about fruit and is very clear – people will know us as believers by seeing our fruit.

Well, I decided to survey my own garden. My daughter would be looking at my fruit, as she began to grow her own. As I walked through the orchard of my own heart I saw some large beautiful fruit, lovely and tasty. But as I searched through my garden I found that something was missing. Apparently I had chopped my patience tree down altogether. It probably wasn’t growing its fruit quickly enough.

I had secretly known this was a problem – my patience had grown thin over the previous school year. I was unable to allow my children the luxury of their own timing. Things needed to be done quickly and on a tight schedule. I was anxious, maybe even irritable if my children did not do things within my time frame.

My green thumb has never been that great. I talked to God about it, since He is the one who makes all things grow. I told him I couldn’t seem to get my patience to grow or bloom. And He said to me, “Melody, I am the gardener of your soul. You cannot grow this fruit alone – it is the Holy Spirit in you that will produce it.” I asked Him to try planting the seeds of patience in my heart again, I thought my heart was fertile soil. He asked, “You know this will take time, it will not be on your schedule? I may have to dig out some weeds, I may have to do some pruning. It might be painful…”

I knew it was the beginning of a new journey. As He began this process of raising up new fruit in my heart, I would have to rely on Him. I was his garden. And, while I need to be faithful, I also need to let Him grow these fruits in my daughter’s heart too. He is the master gardener of our souls.

There are so many Scriptures about fruit, about God’s work in our lives – they keep sprouting up in my mind. But this one encourages my heart today in a deeply rooted kind of way. It has taken hold and will not be ‘dug up’ – Ephesians 1:11-12 ” In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” Regardless of the state of my green thumb, He promises this: He will work in my garden and my daughters – and all believers. In order to bring glory to Himself, His fruit will grow to be big, fat and juicy in our hearts.

Our family orchard has been planted. Some of the trees are older, producing large vibrant fruit. Some are small tiny saplings that need a bit of time before there will be blossoms. But we take it one day at a time. And we are thankful for each moment that God is at work in our lives.

Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

md

(written November 26, 2009)

a bit of history · friends and loved ones

memorabilia

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I’ve spent many hours over the last several weeks, digging through closets, tearing up storage spaces looking for something important. Not long ago, in a conversation with my mom I realized I didn’t know where it was and panicked.  It’s the childhood photo album my mom put together for me.   There are 1000 memories in there, and I couldn’t afford to lose them.

Tonight I found it.  In my children’s bedroom closet.  What a relief.  As soon as my kiddos were in bed, I took a long, slow walk down memory lane.  It seems the photos transport me in time and I’m there once again.  Of course, some are more significant than others…

There’s my fifth birthday party, complete with my little best friend,  a new Powder Puff, pink Big wheel and  a cherry chip cake, my favorite.  I can taste that cake.  right now.  The cake was special; there were coins wrapped in foil, hidden and baked inside, like a treasure hunt!  What a wonderful place that five year old birthday is…

Another  photo catches my eye.  Its my first voyage on the Maid of the Mist.  The Maid of the Mist is the name of the boat ride at Niagara Falls that takes you right up close to the bottom of the Falls.  The rain coats wreaked.  I can’t tell you what they smelled like, but I remember the odor well.  At any rate, the boat gets so close to the falling water that the roar of the water landing in that great basin is deafening.    I might be eight in the picture, standing there with my family, like a little drowned rat, at the end of the ride.  Its something I will never forget.

But, there is a piece of paper in the album that holds a significant place in my heart.  Its a letter hand written from my great grandma, “GG.”  The body of the letter is written in rhyming couplet form, written in August 1984. My favorite portion of the letter are these four lines:

I hope you have time to write to me,

I wish you were here like you used to be.

I love you a bushel and a peck,

Fifty kisses and a hug around the neck.

This was her way of expressing that she missed me.  That she loved me.  As I read it tonight, I shed a few tears.  The memories are so poignant that I can hear her laughter.  I can remember the last time we spoke over the phone on my birthday just before she passed.  I can feel that hug around the neck she’s promising.  She left this earth for heaven quite a few years ago, but  I still miss her so much.  Its a pain in my heart that I don’t think will ever go away until I see her in Heaven someday.

Her expression of love in this special letter, reminds me of another love letter.   Memories from my recent spiritual history, of my Savior’s love for me, come rushing in…

This is from a time when I felt like I was being eaten alive by the events of the day, but He said this to me:

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.(Lamentations 3:22-23)

And this one from a morning when I needed emergency back up to make it through the day:

The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days. “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. (Deuteronomy 33:25-27)

But there is one that fills me and warms my heart, radiating all through my being.  When I need it, it reminds me to think on His love for me:

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,  may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

All of these favorite Scriptures – all of this spiritual memorabilia is tangible evidence of His love for me and how good He has been to me.  His letters, that have so much meaning for me, are His way of loving me, for now.  More than ever I look forward to seeing my Savior’s face someday.

I had no idea just how wonderful finding that old photo album would be, its earthly memories, with heavenly prospects strengthen, revive and heal my heart and soul.   Thank you Heavenly Father for this precious, beautiful gift.

friends and loved ones

devil of a memory

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The conversation went something like this: “I am a good mom.  I AM a good mom.  I am a good mom.” This was what I told myself over and over earlier today. Yep.   Me, myself and I were having a little chat after something awful happened.  I’ll just come right out with it.

I dropped Mackenzie.

*sigh*

On her face.  Her teeth came in contact with the hardwood floor in the hallway.  After many (many, many) tears and wailing and blood I was able to see that it looked as though her top two middle teeth had retreated back up into her gums.

“I am a good mom.  I am a good mom.”

My interpersonal discussion is really only preparation for tonight.  This is how I know it will go. Something bad happens.  Then, when I try to lay my head on my pillow and get some rest, the accuser will appear.  He has a memory like no one else.

And as he whispers, I usually buy into it hook, line and sinker.  It begins with the events of the day, the regretful ones.  And then, he works his way chronologically through my history, reminding me of all of my unfortunate happenings.  all of them.   Even if I’ve been forgiven.  Even if they weren’t my fault.  It really gets in the way of sleeping.

That’s how he works though.  I’ve been warned haven’t I?

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (from 1 Peter 5)

He’s ready and waiting to devour me – and all believers for that matter.  But, Jesus says that I don’t have to believe the accuser.  I don’t have to listen to him.  I can give my anxiety to HIM and believe what God’s Word says about the situation instead…

Psalm 103:11-13

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,  so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

One of the beautiful things about my love relationship with the Heavenly Father : He does not look on me and see my wrong doings.  They have been removed and He does not dwell on them.  His eyes see me with love and compassion, no matter what is in my past.

If I could just grasp this, I wouldn’t be so tempted to listen to the “deceiver” when he shows up in my bedroom at two in the morning rehearsing his memory in my ears. If I could really understand this level of forgiveness, I’d believe that I don’t have to answer to the liar and his historical account of my wrong doings.

Heavenly Father, Please help me.  You are the only One who can.  Let me live submerged in your forgiveness.  And may that forgiveness give me the power to turn a deaf ear to the devil and his lies.  I know this is Your will for me and the only hope for my heart.  Thank you for your forgiveness that knows no boundaries.  I am so grateful.  amen

a bit of history · friends and loved ones

at Publix, in training…

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The strangest thing happened this morning.  I went to Publix for my Saturday grocery run.  Just like normal.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  It was a lovely peaceful morning as I walked through the doors, coffee from Panera in one hand, grocery list in the other.

I took my time,  wandering through the store gathering the items on my list.  I examined produce, searched for Michael’s favorite coffee and discovered boneless skinless chicken breasts on sale.  The deli counter  was calling my name, so I stopped by for my new favorite – Boar’s Head lacy Swiss cheese- exactly a third of a pound, thinly sliced.  All in all it was turning out to be a blissful experience.

When I had finished cruising through the frozen section and the dairy cases, I headed to the checkout.  Now, at Publix they are very friendly.  There is someone waiting to check each item, and another clerk waiting to bag your groceries.  Their service is amazing.  It just so happens that the young woman who was my cashier also is a friend of mine.  She is always so kind and when I see her there, we usually catch up a bit.

As my groceries were being bagged she happened to mention she’d been enjoying reading my blog.  I was so flattered and told her thank you – that I was enjoying writing these days.  I’m sure I blushed a million shades of red.  By this time, there were others waiting, so I had to scoot on out of the way.   Well, a young women was ready and waiting to help me to my car with my groceries.  Did I mention Publix is my favorite?

And this is where it happened.  the strange part…

Hold on. I h]ave to explain something first.  In my life, long ago, my sister and I spent a lot of time with my Aunt.  We called her Aunt Betsy – she was the sister of my grandma. I loved going to her house because she always made delicious things to eat – especially these soft, warm little chocolate chip cookies.  Sometimes we even stayed over night.   One time my sister shoved me right out of the double bed we were sharing… but that’s for another blog post…

At any rate there is something very important you need to know about Aunt Betsy.  Even when I was young at 8 or 9 – I recall her talking about the Lord.  All the time.  To everyone.  Everything was about Him.  It was very curious to me back then and I remember thinking it was so unusual.  She had a gentle spirit about her and she spoke kind, uplifting words. When I got a bit older I would wonder how that happens?  How does someone end up talking about the Lord all the time? And I wished it would happen to me…

But, its never really happened to me.  I’m not able to talk about the Lord freely in front of people, unless I’m sure they want to talk about Him too…  And I have a lot of fabulous excuses, but all they do is create as many holes in my testimony as my new favorite lacy swiss cheese…  I’ve questioned what’s wrong with me.

Back to the unusual part of my morning.  The young girl who was helping me to my van asked, “So, you’re a writer?  what do you write about?”  And…. it happened!  For the first time ever!  I did not know this girl.  I had no idea if she wanted to talk about Jesus.  But we did.  I told her about His work in my heart and how I share it on my blog so that others could know about Him too.  And we talked about it for a few minutes – she didn’t seem to have the typical “church lingo” down…  Unbelievable.  I wasn’t nervous.  I wasn’t uneasy.  The words just rolled off my tongue like it was meant to be.

And it was.  What I’ve learned from Scripture and my sweet Aunt Betsy’s example is this: The more I think about Him, and the more I talk to Him, the more He fills me up to overflowing.  And the more that happen, the more He will spill out onto those around me…

Ephesians 3:

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

As I begin to understand His love,  I experience His fullness and then, and only then He can do immeasurable, amazing things!  Not the least of things, my experience today.  Its amazing that I’m 35 and today, it all began.  I started my training, at Publix.

amen.

friends and loved ones · who knows?

Saturday morning blues

melodyannday1 Comment

It was a rough Saturday morning for my son, Isaac.   We had been to Chick-fil-a for breakfast and were heading out for a few errands.  first on the list: Target.

Now, our children know the rule.  “No begging.”  They learn it as soon as the know how to ask.  Its simple.  Don’t whine the whole time we’re in a store requesting candy, toys, movies, wii games.  Just don’t do it.  You would be amazed how hard it is for a four year old to follow this Day family statute.

Isaac couldn’t do it.  As we walked the aisles, he began a low murmur, “please, mommy.  I need a toy.” As the situation escalated, I realized we were not going to be able to finish our shopping.  We left the store with Isaac sobbing, wailing, and in tears.  He was just sure that he needed something. anything.  but he didn’t.

I know because I am the mom.

I knew it was about to get worse for Isaac before it got better.  Michael and I were headed home, kids in tow, with a secret plan.  We had discussed a toy purge in the play room for Saturday morning once we had finished the errands.  Well, you can imagine Isaac’s response when he realized, not only did he not get what he was hoping for at Target, we were also going to get rid of some of our less-played-with toys and give them to a local charity.  He couldn’t handle it.  You would have thought I was the meanest mom in the world.  He didn’t know it was for his best.

But I was sure of it, because I’m the mom.

What Isaac didn’t know was that his dad and I had purchased a cool present for him to give him on Valentine’s day.  What Isaac didn’t realize was that we were just trying teach him how to make room in his life so that he could enjoy a blessing.  Hmmmm…. I need to think about this for a moment….

Sometimes in crisis, I look to my Heavenly Father and whine and cry because I just don’t understand. I don’t trust Him enough, that He has blessing, in His hands, ready to pour onto my life. But, I want my way.  I fail to see things from His perspective.  How often I refuse to let go of my own will and make room for His will, which is always  the best option.  I refuse even when He’s promised blessing…

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”  Ephesians 1: 3-6

Of course, I suppose I should be the example, since I’m the mom…  Maybe in the future Isaac and I can avoid the Saturday morning blues together…

Heavenly Father, Help me to learn this lesson.  Remind me to let go of my way and my ideals so that You can work in my life.  Don’t let me miss the blessings that you have for me because of my own stubborn behavior.  Thank you for forgiving me and graciously tending to my heart.  Please don’t stop now!  amen.