A Frozen Sunrise

There are moments in life that are quickly defined by time and space and as you are experiencing this moment you capture it in your heart and have the assurance that it will never be forgotten.

In the beauty of an early morning, with the ground still frozen and the stillness of the cold air, we ventured to a place that is normally teeming with people.  Though desolate from others, it was alive with the past that it represents and the future of what could be.  Looking out from these steps, hope seemed to be swelling in the cold breeze that was drifting through the white-walled monument. 

It was the perfect stillness of the soul that many long for. Tranquil, calm and undisturbed describes these moments. The soundlessness spoke loudly.  Never have I been to this place in a time like this.  We experienced a short time of having something so large and grand all to ourselves. 

It was for a purpose that we came and it didn't take long for it to transpire.  As we waited, the anticipation mounted and we looked out and paused for the first small glimpse of our quest.  And it was enchanting. In a place where decisions are made, deals are broken, the fate of people is mapped out without a thought, this moment was breathtaking.  

Watching the sun rise gently and majestically over the frozen water and the dignified reminders of what our country stands for,  I stood in awe of all that was and could be.  

We are hours away from 2014..a new year..a fresh start…a do-over.  Each new sunrise we are given is a new day dawning.  This new year is, in respect, the same thing.  What will I do with this new year? What will you do with it?  Will we go through the next 365 days doing the same thing, spending the same money, making this year a carbon-copy of the last? 

Or will we spend time focusing on what God has for us in 2014.  It's probably more than we can ever imagine. God is like that. He normally comes out of left field with His plans. That's why we cannot fathom His ways.  

God says this:

 " For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

We don't have to worry or wonder what God has for us in 2014. We have to trust that He is FOR us and WITH us, and whatever He allows in this new year is for our good and His glory.  

Just like the sunrise that brought quiet and stillness and wonder, let God bring you a more desirable quiet, stillness and wonder. He is more than we can imagine and breathtaking in all He does.  His ways are refining and can bring us closer to Him on a daily basis.  

In 2014 may we strive to love people more, focus on social justice, forgive others, give away more money, read our Bible more than ever and be changed by it, and may we look like Jesus to a world that  doesn't know Him. 

Let the love of God's tenderness and passion for you slowly shine on your heart like a sunrise over a darkened, frozen pond that melts away into a life that lives for the One who makes the sun shine. 

Happy 2014.

Her Name is Angela

There are a small number of people you can count on in your life.  I know. God. He can always, without question be counted on.  His characteristics and attributes clearly say that He is always with us.  If fact, He is the only absolute certainty in my life.  

Then there is family.  You cannot discount the tie that binds you together.  The good, the bad, and undeniably the ugly.  Our families are supposed to love us for who we are, but most often it's probably in spite of who we are.  

I have a sister. One sibling. One that I have shared a room and clothes with.  One who has shared our greatest joys and our deepest sorrows. She is all that is remaining of my original family. In 1972 when we became fatherless, it came down to one mother and two girls.  This was during the time when the innocent victims of divorce were the "undesirables" among certain people groups.  Maybe "desperate times called for desperate measures".  Maybe we needed to close in our circle so our mother could find where God wanted us.  Maybe what we needed to learn was how to lean on each other in every circumstance that was thrown our way.  In the wisdom of God, He provided for us and in doing that caused a bond to grow.  

I could fill you in on sister "discussions" that may or may not have ended up with hair being found in someone else's fingers. I could tell you about long car rides with laundry baskets full of books because we didn't have a radio, much less air-conditioning, which made keeping pages in the right place very difficult. You would be enthralled with our beauty shop tales of hair up-do's that couldn't' be brushed out for days because of all the hairspray. Hair may have come out on that occasion also.  There may have been a time when one of us, was hidden by the other behind a couch until the police were called by a frantic mother and grandmother.  She came out when the men in blue knocked on the door. We both didn't leave the house for days. I could tell of late night talks when we were supposed to be sleeping and staying up late for more than a few nights.  There is no end to the stories that could be told. 

Today is my sisters birthday. It's a milestone. If I could describe my sister it would be this:  She loves family. Our family, her family, our extended family. It doesn't matter. If there is a drop of DNA that is common to her, it's a done deal.  She has loved my children since the moment each of them have been born, and they love her because she makes the effort to be their Aunt.  And the Treasures, no problem. They love Sissy! She is accomplished in her professional field. She has a husband and sons that  "rise up and call her blessed".  She is a good and trusted friend.  She is smart, talented, beautiful and excellent at board games :).  When we are together, it's as if we have never been parted. She is always fun. When you can laugh uncontrollably with someone, it's a bond that is not easily broken. She is the sister that many people long for, and some are blessed to have. 

Happy Birthday, Sharon. I hope it's wonderful. Do something fun. Wear red shoes. Feel the love that is coming your way, today and every day.  Know that there is no other sister I would rather have. 

You're stuck with me like Peeps and jelly beans at Easter. They always go together.  You can have all the black jelly beans, though.

For all the days we have, I am graced with the gift of you. 

Can I Have That One?

I'm thankful that God speaks to us in many ways. I'm thankful that He can use anything or anyone He desires to make it happen.  I'm thankful that today I was hit square in the face with something hard and God sent a "Word and a Wonder" (LPL/27bones attendees know this) that was a balm to my questioning soul.

Hard things hit when you are not expecting them to come crashing into your life.  Difficult situations, unexpected reactions are all part of our daily living when we do not want them to be.  Remembering that God is always in control is sometimes easier said than done.

I watched a video tonight. Social media does have a positive aspect. :)  In this video a father was presumably in a restaurant with his daughter in his lap. It was the usual endearing photo exchange that parents indulge themselves in with their children.  Chronicling our lives is getting increasingly easier and much more interesting than it used to be.  While watching the video segment  the father had his  daughter sitting in his lap. She was "feeding" him small morsels of food and she was enjoying every minute of it.  Looking at this fathers face, he was too.

All of this is very normal in a father/daughter moment. The best part was the fact that this fathers arms were completely encircling the daughter during their encounter. You could see she was very comfortable and safe in her fathers arms. At one moment he leaned into her and said, "Can I have that one right there? Can I have that one? Will you give me all of those?"

In the times of our lives that things are out of control, when nothing is going like we expected, everything is spinning around us and we wonder how we got to this place, that is when God says, "Can I have that one right there? You know, the one you are hanging on to. Can I have that one?  The one that you think you still have control of. Will you give me all of those? If you will, I will use you in ways you cannot imagine."

A father/daughter moment turned into a Father/Daughter moment.  I want to be the daughter that sits securely and safely in her Fathers arms without fear;  a daughter that trusts Him in every moment; the daughter that when her  Father asks something of her,  she gives it completely.

This precious daughter is going to find it very easy to learn how God loves. She is already beginning to see an example of it in her father.

One of these days I'm going to arrive in Heaven and when I do I hope I get to climb into my Fathers lap, feel His nail-pierced hands and arms around me, and sit a while.  What a day that will be.

Lessons Learned From One Table Over

Reflection at the end of a day is a good thing.  Sometimes we can look back see how our steps were ordered for good. And on those same days we can look back and see that even though we weren't praying for patience, God saw fit for us to put in some practice in that certain area.

I'm pretty sure the Bible says, "In all things, give thanks."  We were trying very hard.

The morning started off with this:

Thank You, Jesus.

Followed by this, with the former image in hand:

And the angels were singing.

All was well and right with the world.  Birds were singing, children were playing and I could almost feel myself starting to relax.  Quietly overlooking a lake, we ate lunch in divine splendor.  

As we exited and began to drive down a VERY BUSY highway, we heard what is never a good sound. After pulling over, we saw this:

Long story short, we found a place to get a new tire. They said it would take three hours!! So we sat. The football game was on. And we sat some more. On the upside, it only took half the time they originally told us.  

This is where the real story began. As much as I loved the morning, God had something much more in store for this soul that for most of the time is oblivious to what is going on around her.  

We stopped on the way home to eat at a place that is so much more than a restaurant.  You can shop there, too :) .  I noticed that the place was relatively empty when we sat down.  Maybe that's why the table to the left of me stood out.  There was an older couple sitting there just getting their food as we sat down.  The wife caught my attention first. She was dressed in white pants and a sparkly, purple sequined shirt. Her white hair was perfectly in place with just the right amount of curl. Her shoes were the prettiest pair of black sandals I've seen in a long time.  Sitting there in her wheelchair pulled up to the table, she was a picture of elegance and fine manners.  Her husband, ever the gentleman, was dressed just as well in his T-shirt, jeans and cowboy boots.  He had a Stetson in the chair next to him.  I immediately fell in love with both of them.  

They each made sure that the other one had everything they needed.  They ate their meal, sometimes conversing, but mostly in companionable silence. You could tell that they have mastered the art of being with each without the need of words. Their silence wasn't forced. It was an easygoing comfort that comes with a love and respect for one another.  If one said something, the other was immediately attentive.  I imagine after spending so much time together it is a "hand and glove" reaction.  They each know what to do to the help the other.  

When they finished their meal, the waitress brought the check.  The wife held it up while they both examined it.  After agreeing it was correct, the husband helped his bride gather her belongings. He patted her on the back as he began to push her out and they left not knowing the lasting impression they made. 

I saw love in action.  It was quiet. It was peaceful. It hinted of minutes and hours spent together that made a difference.  It was comfort and it was unselfish. 

 The companionship of God is like that.  He is everything.  He is our Peace. He gives comfort when no one else can.  He longs for us to want to spend time with Him and when we do there is joy in the obedience.  He has given us all that we need in Jesus.  He has given us His Word to speak to us  and we can see in black and white what His instructions are.  Why do we so often long for the noise and chaos of the world when the companionship of God is what we need to crave? 

May we be satisfied with the quietness of God, because in that quietness, He speaks volumes.  

I was reminded of this today...from one table over.

Who Do You Trust?

Daniel 11:32b says that the people who know their God will display strength and take action. 

Who is this God that says He puts to death and gives life; causes well-being and creates calamity; wounds and heals and then makes the statement: "I am the LORD who does all these things"?

Oh friend, He is all this and much more. Understanding His names and attributes are what we have to draw strength and hope from . It is the exact courage that can pull us through those days when all hope and reason is lost.  God's character is all compiled within His attributes and His name. They are not part of Him, they are Him. 

What kind of strength are we displaying?  Do we as Christians show Who God is to those around us?  In those times of great distress and dismay, when the things surrounding us are in a whirl, where do we point with the fingers of our lives?  At this very moment, people in my sphere of friends are struggling. One has seen her father enter into the presence of Jesus.  One has a daughter on the edge of marriage and another has been praying for a particular person for years.  All the emotions and feelings that are wrapped up with these are more than we/they can bear.  That's where God comes in. He actually been there all along. Sometimes we can't see His goodness for the events that encompass our hearts and minds. 

God is Holy and gracious, loving us unconditionally.  He is always right and fair.  He is merciful and wrathful, all in One.  He is loving and jealous, not sharing what is rightfully His with any creature.  He is good, not giving us what we deserve and faithful. Always true to His promises.  He always does what He has spoken. 

God does not contradict Himself. All of these characteristics and attributes make God Who He is.

If we really knew God like that, would we as Daniel said, "display strength and take action"? 

Knowing God for Who he is will give us peace and security.  We can trust Him to do what He says.  His promises will become more real to us and we can rest in the knowledge that God really does have everything under control.  In this world of suffering and anxiety, we can believe that God is worth living for.  In fact, He is the only One worth living for. 

Trust Him.

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease
I trust in You, I trust in You

 

I believe You're my healer
I believe You are all I need

And I believe You're my portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need

 

(Healer:  Kari Jobe)

 

Rest in the shelter of Who God is and the truth of His Word.  It's worth it.

Day of Memories..

This is a day of remembering.  Two hundred and twenty seven times in the Bible God tells us to remember : 

But God remembered Noah,
God remembered His covenant,
Remember all the commandments of the Lord,
Remember the Lord who is great and awesome, 
Remember the former things past,
Remember the word that I said to you, For I am God,
Remember the poor,
Remember what you have received and heard; and keep it...

and so on.  

Maybe there are some things in our lives that are too painful to remember. They bring back memories of a difficult time, hurt feelings, a wrong decision made or fear. We don't like to let those memories resurface because they are etched in our minds as something we would rather forget. Not remember.

And then there are the memories that we hold on to with the tightest grip we can manage. Those many "firsts and lasts" and things in between that seem to invade every spare inch of our brains. We take pictures and video so we can always remember what we looked or sounded like. Little League games, dance recitals, you name it and we are there recording every moment for the sake of posterity. I've done it and keep doing it myself. It's a chance to hang on to a certain time period so we will always remember exactly what it was like.  Pictures do that for us.  They transport us back to the place where something special was happening.  They help us remember. 

Today with much love and thankfulness I am remembering my Mom and my grandmother. I have pictures. I have hand written cards. I have special items of each of them. I have a video that was recorded at a family reunion several years ago that I periodically get out and play. While I was recording a certain trio of little boys singing "Hakuna Matata", Mom and Nonna were talking to me at the same time. In the course of  that conversation they both say my name. Sometimes I just like to hear them say my name one more time. It helps me remember. 

While I have all those reminders of them, what I most often think about is their kindness, their sensitive spirit to those who were hurting. They both seemingly had the uncanny ability to attract every person in their sphere of influence who had any kind of concern or problem, and they would sit patiently and listen, involved in each word that was spoken and offer advice when needed.  The feel of their embrace and the sense of their undeniable love is what speaks loudly today.  

Twenty four days before Mom opened her eyes in Heaven, she wrote, " Some circumstances seem senseless--often seem too painful to bear--but I know this truth and stand firmly on it: God is always, in all things, up to something good in my life.  His eternal good!"

I'm thankful for memories and I'm all about making memories. I have Treasures that will need to remember how God has been so faithful in their family. I want to be faithful in what they remember.  

Continue On...

As mothers, grandmothers and even great-grandmothers we all have a job to do. Some have said, "A mothers work is never done", and I believe it.  A mother knows what it's like to get everything clean, turn around and it's dirty again.  They wash endless amounts of clothes, cook meals that are scarfed down in 5 minutes flat and fix boo boo's that are causing no small amounts of pain.  All of this done while trying to be current, cool and calm.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

It's not easy to raise a family. Mothers sacrifice,  skimp, and work hard day and night.  I believe there is no assignment here on earth that needs more skill and compassion than what God requires of  mothers. They are a referee, a psychologist, a theologian, and occasional swat team.  Sometimes they have to wait 45 minutes at the pediatrician's with cranky, leaky nose children only to be told, "It's probably a virus. Take them home and let them rest".

How interesting that most mothers get the job done, and they generally do it well.  God put something on the inside of mothers that allows for all this to happen and they continue on. I believe that's what God wants from us--to continue one. Even when the work gets interrupted. Even when we feel like failures in comparing ourselves to others. Continuing on means allowing God take our shortcomings and turn them around. It means not giving in or giving up. It reminds us that these children we have for a short while were placed with us for a specific reason--to teach them about God and His greatness.

Deuteronomy 4:9-10 says:

"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children, how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, "Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth and that they may teach their children so"  

In other words, do what God has commanded you to do and continue on. Teach them to fear the Lord and all His ways. Teach them that God has worked in their past and He has a plan for their future.

Someone once gave me what is called "A Parable for Mothers". As I read it then, it reminded me of mine and my sister's journey with our mother.

A Parable for Mothers

A young mother put her feet on the path of life and asked, "Is it long?".  Her 

Guide answered, "Yes, and it is hard and you will be old before you reach the end. 

But the last is better than the first."

But the young mother was happy and the sun was shining.  She could not believe any years could be better than these.  So she played with her children along the way and gathered flowers for them and cried, "Nothing can ever be lovelier than this."

Then came the night and the storms.  And the children cried with fear and cold. She gathered them close in her arms and spread her mantle about them and the children said, "We are not afraid Mother, nothing can ever harm us for you are with us."

And that night, the mother said,"This is better than the brightness of day,  for I have taught my children courage."

And the next day there was a steep hill before them.  The children grew weary, and the mother was weary too, but she called to them, " A little patience, and we will be there."

They kept climbing and at last were at the top.  

the children said, "We could never have done it, Mother, without you."

That night the mother looked at the stars and whispered, "This day is better than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardship.  Yesterday I taught them courage, but today I have given them strength."

And the next day there were great clouds covering the earth. Storms of war, hatred, suffering and privation came upon the mother and children, and upon mothers and children all about them.  

then the other gathered her family and said, "we must now rely completely upon God. Only our Lord and Savior will see us through.  

We pray for strength to help all the unfortunate and suffering about us."

They knelt and prayed. Then they put their arms about their aging mother and said, "

we will go. You stay.  You have taught us how to live in the strength of the Lord."

The mother sat alone at last. But not really alone.  She spoke to her Guide through all the years and said, "The last is better than the first for now they have You.  Your love is in their hearts. 

We have , at last, 

THE BEST.

Continue on, Mothers, Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers.  Continue on so God's name will be honored and glorified.  

Happy Mothers Day

Material Girl in a Material World: The True Daisy Buchannon

Starting today, I will have some guest writers on this blog. I am always interested in reading peoples idea's and the way they see things. This guest writer is close to my heart. He has always had a penchant for writing and I believe this proves it. With his gift of opening eyes to the hidden meaning, I expect to read much more of his work in the future.



Material Girl in a Material World:
The True Daisy Buchannon

     After finishing rereading the great Gatsby in anticipation of the movie coming out on May 10th, I've been constantly chasing the proverbial rabbit around in my head about the unique romance inspired through the eyes of Hollywood. When you watch the movie whether old or new you'll get the feeling that Gatsby and Daisy are tragic star-crossed lovers that through fate are not meant to end like the fairy tales of our youth, but more to the etiquette of a Greek tragedy. The question that has cost me several nights of sleep is simple, "Did Daisy really love Gatsby or the security in which he represented?".

     Some would argue back to when Gatsby was a lieutenant in Louisville, that Daisy was indeed in love with Gatsby so much that she waited for him and only when he wasn't coming home did she finally move on to eventually her husband Tom. But we know this to not be to entire truth. Gatsby tells us in chapter 8 that the only way he won her attention was after misrepresenting himself as a person from a well-off family and that he would be able to take care of her in the way she was accustomed. Once Daisy decided she couldn't wait any longer for Gatsby and the start of her adult life, out goes Jay and in come Tom.  Fast forward a couple years, multiple bottles of illegal Rye, and the probable fixed World Series and there's the new Jay Gatsby that's larger than life. 

     Over the years Jay Gatsby, who was of a higher moral value,  begins a downward spiral slowly crumbling his moral intuition to further pursue Daisy by going as far as participating and coordinating bootlegging of illegal alcohol and fixing the biggest sporting event of the era. After convincing Nick to invite Daisy to his house for tea, Gatsby swoops in and goes on the blinding tour of all the material things he's accumulated over time in hopes of prying her away from Tom. The enormous house, the clothes, cars, over abundant flowers, and let's not forget the unreal  parties of the summer that had New York's socialites'  mouths watering for more. All of this for Daisy's approval. When it seemed that Daisy was leaning toward leaving Tom for all the glitz and glamor of the Gatsby lifestyle, it's revealed that most, if not all of Gatsby's earnings have been less than honorable among society. With this in mind the longstanding security of Gatsby's revenue could be at risk due to legality issues later on in life and the presumption of leaving her husband in that time period, however justified it might be, was frowned upon. Even while knowing that Tom is stepping out on Daisy, she still chooses the safe and easy route of remaining with Tom, breaking the entire world that Jay Gatsby had dream would one day exist.

      In the end, she chooses the one who doesn't appreciate her, but gives her security over the one who would give the world his soul for one moment with her. It just goes to show you that in fairy tales, Cinderella may always get her prince, but in the real world JFK doesn't always get a Grace Kelly.

Jonathan Goodwin

A Request For Prayer

Thursday, May 2nd is the National Day of Prayer. On this day we gather together as Americans to pray for our leaders, our country and our people.  And we need to. Like never before.

Many of you know that our children, Clint and Jennifer have been in the process of adopting two children from Haiti. It has been a while since it all began and every day is getting longer. I realize that  God's timing is perfect. I know He has the perfect plan for Betchina and John and their "gotcha day".  I also know that God desires that we are faithful in our prayer life. 

So, on Thursday as we are praying for our country, I am asking family and friends, and maybe friends of friends, to pray. 

*Pray that Betchina and John will continue to grow and be healthy.  They have their wonderful Mrs.Sue who is seeing to all of their needs, both physically and emotionally. 

*Pray that the paperwork will get into the right hands, get signed, move along and anything else that is needed.  

*Pray that the Passports will come in a very short time.

*Pray that anything standing in the way of the adoption being processed will come to light and be able to be fixed.

*Pray that Noah, Ruthe, Isaiah and Moses' hearts are being prepared for their new sister and brother. 

*Pray that Betchina and John will settle in quickly to their new home when the time comes and realize that they have always belonged there. 

*Pray that Clint and Jennifer will have the wisdom to know what is needed and be able to show their great love for these children while they are still far away.

This is my prayer for my children:

"They are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power and by Your strong hand. O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who delight to fear Your name, and give success to Your servant today..."  

Nehemiah 1:10-11

Please join us in praying. God is honored through our prayers. Pray for our country to seek God and His ways, not ours. I also ask you, humbly, to pray for these two children. They have stolen my heart and I wait in anticipation of the day they step foot in our great country.

Thank you for lifting this adoption process to our Father. Thank you for caring enough to take the time and consider these children and their family. I am praying blessings upon blessings on all those who join us in the time of prayer and petition.

On behalf of the Clifton family: Clint, Jennifer, Noah, Ruthe, Isaiah, Betchina, John and Moses-

God Bless You.


p.s.--when they get here I will have to do all the "Nan" things.  I can't wait!  :)

A Name Like No Other

It's that time of year around here. The time when we get out the notebooks, the pens, and the discipline that's required.

It's time for Bible study.

I love women's Bible study. I love the closeness it brings. I love the camaraderie that is shared. I love the joy and the tears that bind us together like no other time can. It's people being Jesus to each other and learning how this Christian life is lived out in the trenches,

I'm somewhat of a nerd when it comes to preparing for this event. I have to get all the supplies in order to be ready. I may not be organized in any other area of my life, but I am in this one.  I need the structure of orderliness. And the coffee. You can't have Bible study without coffee, right? :)

Here are a few things that are an absolute must for me:

The notebooks are vital. Where else can you take notes and draw pictures  diagrams?  Not only do they contain thoughts and idea's, but when my children are looking for journals of my life, this is where they need to look.  It's all in there--prayer requests, prayer groanings, life-changing decisions, etc. 

Oh, how I love these! I use them in my Bible and everywhere else. They don't bleed through the pages. And the Treasures like them, also.

And last, but certainly not least,

These are my  "go to" pens. They have a fine point and I just adore them. All colors.

Pardon my weird seriousness about this subject. I look at Bible study as vital to my personal life. Nothing else prepares me for church or service like this. When I look into God's Word and He looks into my heart and see's me for what I really am, there are bound to be changes. I have invested years into this process and I have still have miles to go. However, every time I spend time in studying a subject or a book in the Bible, it never comes without conviction of the soul and a life-changing impression deep in the core.  

This time we are studying the names of God. I first took this particular study eons ago in 1996 led by my personal friend that I adore.  She introduced me to Precept Ministries and I have never studied the Bible the same way since.  She often said, "We don't study the Bible just to study. We study the Bible to be changed by it." Counsel well taken.  "Lord, I Want to Know You" is our choice of study this time. 

In this study I found out Who God is. His names tell us everything we need to live life on this planet. The holy names tell of His character, His nature and His ways.  His names also tell us of His great love for us.  I fell more deeply in love with God. I learned that the more I know Him, the more I trust Him. And in this world of sin and lack of control, I think we need that.  If we trust God, our faith should be deepening. 

I hope our collective prayer is "Lord, I Want to Know You". In knowing Him,  we can say:

The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous runs into it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10

Come join us...the coffee pot will be on. :)

Friends to the End

Chuck Swindoll says, "I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let's face it, friends make life a lot more fun."

I wholeheartedly agree. 

I believe that God placed in our hearts and minds a spot that only a true friend can fit in. I am not discounting husbands as our friends. However, the friendship of women is a need we all have. We "get" each other. We can feel what the other one is feeling without having to say it.  We are connected.

Women talk. We can go back and forth from conversation to conversation, again and again, and still find something new in it.  Women are fiercely protective of each other when it comes to one of ours being hurt.  We can sit and be quiet or talk so much and so loud no one can stand to be in the room with us. 

From a table in the back of a coffee shop that is reeling with laughter, to a car ride that turns into the grand adventure, you can find girlfriends doing what they know to do: communicating.  We do our best communicating when we run together, and figure out where the day went wrong. When we are pushing strollers or just taking a walk around the practice field. When something tragic is going on in our lives to the birth of a new idea, women need to talk it through. 

                                         And if it involves coffee and cupcakes, that's a bonus.

Girlfriends are vital for women. These friendships are who we find our "getaway" moments with. 

It's a girls night out/shopping day mentality.

                                            

It's the moments of planning birthdays, going to church,

or simply having fun.

We need these moments. We need the girlfriends. 

They are the ones who:

Listen to our stories

When we crack jokes, they laugh

Loan us good books

Show up at our house with Starbucks

Hold our arms up, when we can't

Shower us with grace, sometimes unmeasured

Don't compare us to each other

Don't compare our children to each other

Cheer us on when we  cannot do it for ourselves

Tell us that we "can" even if we are in our pajama's

Go for long rides, for no specific reason. Maybe just because we want cupcakes

Reminds us that God is for us

Tell us when our tags are hanging out, for crying out loud

Laugh and cry with us, sometimes within minutes of each other

Challenge us

Commiserate with us

Believe the best about us and give us the full benefit of a doubt.

Helen Keller said, " Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."

In 1 Thessalonians 2:8, Paul said,

"We loved you dearly.  Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did."

The idea here is to "long after, to have a strong affection for."  Paul was so intensely attached to these people that he would have been willing to lay down his life for them. His most important job was to give them the Gospel, but after doing that he completely gave his heart over to them, also. 

Sounds like another Friend I know. 

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."  John 15:12-13


Jesus is the best Friend. And then He allows us the privilege of other friends. 

Be the kind of friend that God can use. Be the friend that others look to for comfort and acceptance. Be the friend who tells the truth and loves just the same. 

And have some fun. I think Jesus had fun with his disciple friends. Why don't we? 

Be the friend that gives "your whole heart".  It's worth it.













Priorities of the Sand and Sun.

There are times when you can look back at a single moment in time and realize that it shaped and helped define the rest of your life.

I had one of those moments when I was 17.  At that time I was consumed with two things: a certain baseball player and going to the beach.  We went to the beach on a regular basis in our house. Most every weekend and holiday involved the salt and the sand more often that not.

We loved the beach. The water, the sand, the chairs in the sand, and everything else that goes along with a great day.  The seaside, for us, became a place of soul-soothing moments that we grew to crave. There is still no other place like it.

On a particular Saturday morning, we packed up and headed to our happy place for the day.  We would go early in the morning and stay until the late afternoon.  We lathered ourselves with sunscreen  baby oil...horrors upon horrors...and waited the day out.  We didn't wear hats or sunglasses. Who needed them?

The next morning upon getting out of bed, I looked in the mirror and saw fire-engine red skin and very swollen eyes. Well, I knew I couldn't go to church looking like this, so I proceeded to find my mother and discuss this matter with her.  In our house, church wasn't on the optional activities list. It was always a given that we were going and normally I was ready. Not that day, though. It would be a tad bit embarrassing to walk in SS looking like that.

I found her and began my tale of woe."Look at me," I said. "I just can't go to church this morning.". I was sure I would receive the grace and mercy of a totally understanding mother. However what I got was, " Oh, you are going to church." She then proceeded to tell me that it was the Lord's day and that her worship of Him was the most important thing in her life. Even more important than me.

Insert my life-defining moment.  My mother's worship of God came first and foremost. She didn't always get it right, but she knew where the Anchor was.  I learned that day my mother loved me so much that in that teachable moment she put my priorities where they should be.  To her dying day, I am convinced that my mother  never stopped worshipping her Savior.

I want to be like her when I grow up.

Happy Birthday, Mom. We miss you.

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You,  for You, O Lord have not forsaken those who seek you.    Psalm 9:10

Reflections on Haiti

To say that we had a "good trip" to Haiti would be like saying, "I had a good day"....too generic.

So here is my list of things we saw, heard and experienced:

The airline we flew needs to check their thermostat. However, we didn't remember that the cold air was the last bit of coolness we would be a part of for a week. Hindsight is always 20/20.

My luggage which looked fine as I waved it good bye in Ft. Lauderdale came to me in Haiti beat up and filthy.

Port au Prince---what else can you say about no traffic rules, horns blaring, smells that haven't a name, wandering animals and people bathing, washing and "what can't be mentioned" in the same puddle of water.  Not to mention all the devastation from the earthquake.

Our first sight of Christianville was telling. We were anticipating such joy and happiness. And that is exactly what we received. The hospitality there was welcoming.

Mrs. Sue is a modern day Mother Theresa, or as Noah called her "Sister Theresa". For him to recognize  that was insightful for his 11 yrs, and he is absolutely correct. Any woman who moves to a 4th world country, saves children and uses her life savings to do it, along with God's leading deserves the title. She is a straight-talking, no non-sense kind of woman that children and adults love.  She has my respect and unending love for what she is giving her life for.

Christianville is a 25 acre ministry that is doing amazing things for the Lord and His work.  They are making a huge difference in their area and the people that live there.

Rats and tarantulas run freely.

The children we were with all have their own stories that would astound you, yet they all love with a heart that is open to everyone.

Of course, the two reasons we went: John and Betchina. My heart was meshed with theirs immediately. It was as if they were always ours... (I say "ours"...but I mean Clint and Jennifer's..I think :))...for their whole lives. I found there is no distinction of the heart. They belong with this family. Their hugs and smiles just seem to fit.

We had a room with three beds and a bathroom light that worked only in the daytime, a cold shower and a tin roof that when it rained sounded like we were being run over by a train, but our accommodations were very pleasant. When you are in Haiti you find out just  how spoiled and picky that you really are. The Lord seems to say, "Ha! I've been telling you all along" in those moments. I hope I listened.

The next time I go to the doctor and have to wait, I won't grumble about it. We went to a clinic that had a tent full of people sitting and waiting in the heat and I suspect it was an all day affair.

Worshipping with those you don't speak the same language with is, without sounding weird, a pure joy.  When you are worshipping in song and the only words you recognize are "Jesu" and "Papa",  you know that somewhere in the lyrics they worship the same God you do.  Anytime the song mentions "Jesus and Lord" you can count on hearts turned towards heaven. We also had Squirrely, the dog join us in worship that morning. He needed Jesus, too. :)

We took a walk to a near-by village where a well is in the center of it and people were bringing 5 gallon buckets to fill it up. There were little stands set up selling everything from Lotto tickets to mango's on the side.  Children ran freely, houses were being worked on and life went on in a world that we know very little about.

All this and more happened while we were gone. We spent seven days in a place almost completely opposite than where we live and yet, in many ways it was very much the same.  They are people trying to make a living, feed their families and get by. They want more for their children than what they have and do what they need to so it can happen.  They love Jesus...probably in a deeper way than we do.

My first born, the oldest Treasure and I left our homes and went to a small place in the sea and saw that God was working in very miraculous ways, in big ways.  I seemed to see things clearer there. I'm asking God for that same kind of clarity now that we are home.

May our eyes and hearts be open to see where God is working and to join Him in what He is doing.  I'll be going back soon to this island....and my heart is yearning already.

Mwen p'ap kite nou pou kont nou

Mwen p'ap kite nou pou kont nou

I will not leave you as orphans...John 14:18



Tomorrow begins a journey. It has been a long time coming and greatly anticipated.  In the wee hours of the morning, three generations will leave this land that we call home and fly to an island in the sea.  Waiting there are two children, whose names will soon change. I'm very sure that when our feet touch that ground our hearts will be eagerly waiting for moment we see the two that we are longing to hug.  God has granted us this time.  May we not waste one second.

Remembering....

Seconds  turn to minutes. Minutes turn into days and days into months.  Before we could blink, a year has passed, and our hearts are still remembering with thankfulness.

He is still the "Birthday present she couldn't return"

A good day with G'ma

She loved these.....

and the great grands .....

and most of all these. 

We are thankful we were hers and she was ours. And we are better for it.