We have just finished a weekend honoring the men and women who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. All men and women who enter the armed forces of this country are willing to pay that price; far too many of them have actually paid that price on our behalf. Memorial Day is far more than just the beginning of summer, but is the day we set aside to honor those men and women who paid the price of freedom.
This Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I traveled to Gatlinburg with two of our closest friends, and along with several thousand others, experienced three days of some of the best Southern Gospel music to be found anywhere. Gaither Family Fest is held in Gatlinburg, Tennessee each Memorial Day weekend. Family Fest is five concerts, packed full of worship and praise, laughter and tears. It is a phenomenal experience, and one I would love to repeat again some time. But, for a person just two months past knee replacement surgery, there was a price to pay. The evening concerts are long, meaning I didn't get nearly as much rest as my body needs these days. Gatlinburg is on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which means there are a lot of hills to walk up and down. The parking lot is across the street from the convention center where the concerts were held, which means more walking just to get into the building, after which there is walking through the large convention center building to get to our seats. Those seats were folding metal chairs with just a hint of a cushion on the seat, and they were hooked together very closely, so seating was not the most comfortable, and was hard on my arthritic parts. While I loved the entire experience, uncomfortable chairs and all, I paid a price for the weekend experience. By Saturday night, my knee was very swollen, and even more so on Sunday. In fact, it resembled an over-inflated basketball. By Monday morning I was once again walking with a cane. Once we returned home, I spent most of yesterday in my chair with ice on my knee and am happy to report my knee is doing much better today.
Those musicians who were a part of Family Fest pay a price as well. They spend hours developing their skills, and hours rehearsing their instruments, whether piano, guitar, or voice. One of the most amazing performances we heard the entire weekend was Kim Collingsworth playing How Great Thou Art on the piano. I have no words to describe what a phenomenal performance that was. If you can get a DVD of her playing (because you need to see her play as well as hear her), I highly recommend you do so! All those musicians pay a price to be in the music industry, not just in terms of the time they spend honing their craft, but in the time they spend on the road, traveling around the country and even abroad, just to present these concerts we all enjoy so much. There's a price to be paid.
Yesterday while I was icing my knee, in between naps I did some reading. Writers pay a price as well. Being a writer is often a very solitary pursuit. Writers spend hours writing and editing what they hope someone will want to read. Then they risk rejection over and over as they submit their work to publisher after publisher, in hopes someone will want to print and market their work. Many writers never achieve the success they seek, but they keep writing because that's what writers do. Writers write. And they are willing to pay the price to do that.
Missionaries pay a price as they follow the calling God places on their lives. They leave their homes and extended families behind, often going to far away, sometimes dangerous, places to share the Gospel. There's a price to be paid, and they willingly pay it.
For all of us who are Christian, there is a price to be paid. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be counter-cultural. To follow Jesus and not the ways of the world. There's a price to be paid. We may not be popular. We may be ridiculed. We may lose friends. We may be misunderstood. That's what Jesus was talking about when He said, "Which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost?" (Luke 14:29 ESV).
Just before He said that, He said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:28 ESV)
There's a price to be paid. If God has placed a calling on your life to be a writer or a musician or a missionary or a teacher or a preacher, there's a price to be paid, whether in the time it takes to prepare or in where you must go to follow that calling or in whatever ridicule you might endure.
For each of us who follow Jesus, there is a price to be paid. The question is, are we willing to pay it?
Something to think about.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Time to Remember
We're approaching the Memorial Day holiday, which many view simply as a kick-off to the summer vacation season. But Memorial Day is so much more than that. This is a holiday which has its roots in the days following the Civil War and which began as a way to honor and remember those who had died in that war. Although in recent years it has been observed much like other patriotic holidays (Independence Day and Veterans' Day) as a way to honor all the men and women who serve in our nation's military, I believe it is important to remember why we have this particular holiday.
This day is so much more than just a kick-off to summer, and it is so much more than a day to honor the military, as important as that is. We have Armed Forces Day (the third Saturday in May) to honor those who are now serving in our nation's military. Sadly, unless you are part of a military family or you live in a community near a military base, you may not even be aware of this holiday. We have Veterans' Day in November to honor all those who have served in our nation's military.
This holiday, Memorial Day, is a day set aside to remember those who have died in service to our country. To remember that freedom isn't free. To remember that all those who went off to war didn't come home. Memorial Day is a day to remember.
In places like Gettysburg and Vicksburg. At Bull Run and Bunker Hill. In faraway places like Normandy and Argonne. Korea and Vietnam. Baghdad and Mosul. Kabul and Kandahar. In all these places and many more, somebody died for you. Memorial Day is a day to remember that. Somebody died for you.
As you're celebrating Memorial Day with family and friends, remember.
This weekend, while you're enjoying your day off from work, or your day at the beach, or your barbecue, or your ball game, take time to remember.
Freedom isn't free.
Remember.
Somebody paid the ultimate price so you can enjoy all these things.
Remember.
Somebody died for you.
Remember.
"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13 ESV)
This holiday, Memorial Day, is a day set aside to remember those who have died in service to our country. To remember that freedom isn't free. To remember that all those who went off to war didn't come home. Memorial Day is a day to remember.
In places like Gettysburg and Vicksburg. At Bull Run and Bunker Hill. In faraway places like Normandy and Argonne. Korea and Vietnam. Baghdad and Mosul. Kabul and Kandahar. In all these places and many more, somebody died for you. Memorial Day is a day to remember that. Somebody died for you.
As you're celebrating Memorial Day with family and friends, remember.
This weekend, while you're enjoying your day off from work, or your day at the beach, or your barbecue, or your ball game, take time to remember.
Freedom isn't free.
Remember.
Somebody paid the ultimate price so you can enjoy all these things.
Remember.
Somebody died for you.
Remember.
"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13 ESV)
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
The Never-Open Desert Diner. A Book Review.
Once again I chose to read a book based on its location. A never-open diner in the middle of the Utah desert intrigued me. As it turns out, The Never Open Desert Diner by James Anderson didn't really have all that much to do with the diner in the desert. What had once been the "always open", but is now "never open", diner provides only a bit of backstory.
This is the story of Ben Jones, a hard-working but almost bankrupt truck driver who runs a delivery service in the desert. Day after day, he drives back and forth on Route 117 somewhere in Utah, making deliveries along a route that major delivery services don't want to be bothered with. On one such day he stumbles across an abandoned house in a never-finished housing development, where there is a woman hiding out. (The term "squatter" comes to mind.) Ben is fascinated by the woman and her cello.
The cello seemed at first an odd quirk, but turns out to be central to the story line. A down and out truck driver, a mystery woman, and a cello. These, plus the desert itself, are the main characters of this book, which turns out to be part mystery and part love story.
I wish I could tell you that I enjoyed this book. I wanted to enjoy it, but it didn't hold my attention and I struggled to finish it. I love a good mystery, but this one just didn't measure up. For me, this book was a big disappointment.
Blogging for Books provided me with a free copy of The Never-Open Desert Diner in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is the story of Ben Jones, a hard-working but almost bankrupt truck driver who runs a delivery service in the desert. Day after day, he drives back and forth on Route 117 somewhere in Utah, making deliveries along a route that major delivery services don't want to be bothered with. On one such day he stumbles across an abandoned house in a never-finished housing development, where there is a woman hiding out. (The term "squatter" comes to mind.) Ben is fascinated by the woman and her cello.
The cello seemed at first an odd quirk, but turns out to be central to the story line. A down and out truck driver, a mystery woman, and a cello. These, plus the desert itself, are the main characters of this book, which turns out to be part mystery and part love story.
I wish I could tell you that I enjoyed this book. I wanted to enjoy it, but it didn't hold my attention and I struggled to finish it. I love a good mystery, but this one just didn't measure up. For me, this book was a big disappointment.
Blogging for Books provided me with a free copy of The Never-Open Desert Diner in exchange for my honest opinion.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Diary of a Knee Replacement. Feeling Thankful.
Yesterday marked eight weeks since I said good-bye to my old knee and hello to the new one. Eight long weeks. Eight short weeks. The surgery day seems so very long ago, but at the same time it's hard to believe eight weeks have already gone by.
As I was driving home from physical therapy yesterday, I was thinking back over these last eight weeks. In the beginning, of course, there was the discomfort from surgery. Even taking that into account, that part of the process has not really been too bad, and for that I'm thankful.
Certainly there have been frustrating days. Days when I wanted to do more than I was yet able to do. Days when I had to depend on others for nearly everything (which is a hard thing for a very independent woman). There were the days when I went to therapy and just couldn't get this knee to cooperate. Frustrating days.
But those frustrations are overshadowed by the blessings I've experienced. The love and encouragement of family and friends. All the notes and phone calls and texts, all the food and flowers and gifts, all the expressions of love and concern that have truly made me feel very loved indeed.
On Tuesday morning eight weeks ago, the morning after surgery, I was awakened at about 4:30 to have my blood drawn and my blood pressure checked. Again. It was the beginning of a very challenging day, a day of pain and nausea and learning to walk on my new knee. It was a day I'm thankful not to have to repeat! But this beautiful Tuesday morning, I awakened feeling great, able to get out of bed on my own, walk around the house and take care of things on my own, not needing any assistance to get up or make my breakfast or dress myself. I've come a long way in eight weeks. And I am so thankful.
I was thinking about that yesterday at physical therapy as I was riding a bicycle and doing squats and bending my knee. I was thinking about it as I was driving home after therapy. And I'm thinking about it this morning.
I've come a long way in eight weeks, and I have so much to be thankful for!
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!" (Psalm 107:1a NASB)
As I was driving home from physical therapy yesterday, I was thinking back over these last eight weeks. In the beginning, of course, there was the discomfort from surgery. Even taking that into account, that part of the process has not really been too bad, and for that I'm thankful.
Certainly there have been frustrating days. Days when I wanted to do more than I was yet able to do. Days when I had to depend on others for nearly everything (which is a hard thing for a very independent woman). There were the days when I went to therapy and just couldn't get this knee to cooperate. Frustrating days.
But those frustrations are overshadowed by the blessings I've experienced. The love and encouragement of family and friends. All the notes and phone calls and texts, all the food and flowers and gifts, all the expressions of love and concern that have truly made me feel very loved indeed.
On Tuesday morning eight weeks ago, the morning after surgery, I was awakened at about 4:30 to have my blood drawn and my blood pressure checked. Again. It was the beginning of a very challenging day, a day of pain and nausea and learning to walk on my new knee. It was a day I'm thankful not to have to repeat! But this beautiful Tuesday morning, I awakened feeling great, able to get out of bed on my own, walk around the house and take care of things on my own, not needing any assistance to get up or make my breakfast or dress myself. I've come a long way in eight weeks. And I am so thankful.
I was thinking about that yesterday at physical therapy as I was riding a bicycle and doing squats and bending my knee. I was thinking about it as I was driving home after therapy. And I'm thinking about it this morning.
I've come a long way in eight weeks, and I have so much to be thankful for!
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!" (Psalm 107:1a NASB)
Monday, May 23, 2016
Monday Encouragement
A couple of weeks ago Al and I drove up to the mountains where we used to live. The purpose of the trip was taking care of some business about his parents' mountain house, but the bonus of the trip was the chance to enjoy the beauty of the mountains in spring.
When we lived there, I so looked forward to spring each year. Winters in the mountains are often long and hard, and sometimes seem as if they will never end. But at the end of the long, cold, harsh winter comes a beautiful spring. Plants that seemed dead come to life again and even flourish.
My favorites were always the rhododendron. Many times, before winter ended, I would be convinced they would never bloom again, and each spring I was proven wrong.
Perhaps plants need to go through these really hard winters in order to flourish in the spring.
I think these plants provide a life lesson for us. Perhaps, like the plants that surrounded my home in the mountains, we too need hard winters in order to fully blossom in the spring. Just as the plant experienced the difficult winter and then thrived in spring as a result, we can come out on the other side of our difficult winters with beautiful blossoms as well.
If you're experiencing a difficult season, let that be an encouragement to you today.
"But He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold."
(Job 23:10 NASB)
When we lived there, I so looked forward to spring each year. Winters in the mountains are often long and hard, and sometimes seem as if they will never end. But at the end of the long, cold, harsh winter comes a beautiful spring. Plants that seemed dead come to life again and even flourish.
My favorites were always the rhododendron. Many times, before winter ended, I would be convinced they would never bloom again, and each spring I was proven wrong.
Perhaps plants need to go through these really hard winters in order to flourish in the spring.
I think these plants provide a life lesson for us. Perhaps, like the plants that surrounded my home in the mountains, we too need hard winters in order to fully blossom in the spring. Just as the plant experienced the difficult winter and then thrived in spring as a result, we can come out on the other side of our difficult winters with beautiful blossoms as well.
If you're experiencing a difficult season, let that be an encouragement to you today.
"But He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold."
(Job 23:10 NASB)
Friday, May 20, 2016
Diary of a Knee Replacement: Perseverance
This has been quite a week! After last Friday's adventures, and the consequences of those adventures, I had a temporary setback in my recovery from knee replacement surgery. Last weekend was all about a swollen knee and extreme fatigue, and Monday's physical therapy session, while productive, didn't yield the same degree of flexibility I had experienced previously. Even though I understood the reason for that, it was still a bit frustrating.
I'm not in a competition to be better than any other person recovering from knee surgery. It is not my goal to say my knee bends more than your knee, or anything like that. My goal is always to be better than I was yesterday. My goal is to get stronger and have a fully functioning knee. My goal is to work as hard as it takes to make that happen. And because it is my goal to continually be making progress, any movement in the opposite direction causes me some frustration, no matter how well I understand the reasons.
I had back to back therapy sessions Wednesday and Thursday, since my physical therapist is out of town again today. Those were grueling sessions. I worked really hard, particularly on Thursday. And while I still have not regained the 105 degree bend I had last week - I'm just a couple of degrees short of that - I feel very satisfied with the progress I have made. I'm getting stronger every day and doing things I couldn't do just a couple of weeks ago. The hard work is paying off, and I am seeing results.
Having therapy two days in a row means tired, sore muscles today. It means I have a swollen knee. This is one of those days when it would be really easy to just sit in the chair connected to my ice machine. Certainly I will spend some time doing that, but not the entire day! Later I'll be back at it again. Stretches and leg lifts. Quad sets and heel slides. Squats and bridges. I'll continue doing all that because I know that if I focus on the effort, then the results will come. It's all about perseverance. It's about not giving up, no matter how tired or frustrated or sore I am.
That's the lesson learned through this whole experience. Perseverance. Keep on keeping on. Never give up. Focus on doing what you know you should do. Eventually the results will come.
It's a good lesson for life, not just for recovery from knee replacement surgery.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4 NIV)
I'm not in a competition to be better than any other person recovering from knee surgery. It is not my goal to say my knee bends more than your knee, or anything like that. My goal is always to be better than I was yesterday. My goal is to get stronger and have a fully functioning knee. My goal is to work as hard as it takes to make that happen. And because it is my goal to continually be making progress, any movement in the opposite direction causes me some frustration, no matter how well I understand the reasons.
I had back to back therapy sessions Wednesday and Thursday, since my physical therapist is out of town again today. Those were grueling sessions. I worked really hard, particularly on Thursday. And while I still have not regained the 105 degree bend I had last week - I'm just a couple of degrees short of that - I feel very satisfied with the progress I have made. I'm getting stronger every day and doing things I couldn't do just a couple of weeks ago. The hard work is paying off, and I am seeing results.
Having therapy two days in a row means tired, sore muscles today. It means I have a swollen knee. This is one of those days when it would be really easy to just sit in the chair connected to my ice machine. Certainly I will spend some time doing that, but not the entire day! Later I'll be back at it again. Stretches and leg lifts. Quad sets and heel slides. Squats and bridges. I'll continue doing all that because I know that if I focus on the effort, then the results will come. It's all about perseverance. It's about not giving up, no matter how tired or frustrated or sore I am.
That's the lesson learned through this whole experience. Perseverance. Keep on keeping on. Never give up. Focus on doing what you know you should do. Eventually the results will come.
It's a good lesson for life, not just for recovery from knee replacement surgery.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4 NIV)
Thursday, May 19, 2016
An Amazing Race
'Tis the season for finales of TV shows. A couple of days ago we said farewell to Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo on this season's finale of my favorite TV show, NCIS. Last night Al and I watched the finale of Survivor, and a few days ago we watched the conclusion of the latest Amazing Race.
For a number of years now, Amazing Race on CBS has been one of the most watched TV shows in America, and is one my favorite shows as well. This season I really didn't have a favorite team, but I enjoyed watching each of the teams run their races well, and I was satisfied with the outcome.
As I was watching the most recent race, it occurred to me that we are all in an amazing race. This television program is really a good metaphor for life. We face roadblocks and detours on our journey through life. We're looking for clues as to where to go next. We want to finish well. When we step onto the final mat at the end of the race, we won't be awarded a million dollars or hear that we are the first to finish. Instead, we who are in relationship with God through Christ will be "awarded" an eternity with Him and will be hearing a different affirmation: "Well done, good and faithful servant.....enter into the joy of your master." (Matthew 25:21 ESV)
Challenges. Roadblocks. Detours. Interaction with other racers. Clue boxes. All these are elements of a popular television show. But they are elements of our lives as well.
Things in life don't always go as we plan them. There are obstacles, like knee replacement, to overcome. Sometimes we get on the wrong road. Our relationships with others don't always go smoothly. But through it all, we have a "clue box" to guide us. We have written instructions, the Bible, and we have the Holy Spirit within us to guide us on our journey.
How do we know how to run our race? By looking to our "clue box", the Bible:
"Let us lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:1b-2a NASB, emphasis mine)
If you have ever watched runners, they don't carry a lot of stuff with them. They don't load themselves down with clothes (like hats and coats and mittens and purses, etc.). They don't run with luggage. That's the imagery that this verse gives us. Don't run your race through life carrying unnecessary baggage. "Lay it down." Get rid of your excess baggage. Confess your sin. Lay it down, and run your race.
Run with endurance. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be roadblocks and detours and false starts. Even so, don't give up. Run your race. Run with endurance.
Run your race, not someone else's race. Follow where God leads you, which may not be where He is leading someone else. How will you know? Follow the "clues" in the "clue box". And follow the last instruction in this passage.
Fix your eyes on Jesus. That's the key to running your race. To running your race successfully. To finishing well. Follow that instruction, and you'll be amazed! You will be running an amazing race!
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB)
For a number of years now, Amazing Race on CBS has been one of the most watched TV shows in America, and is one my favorite shows as well. This season I really didn't have a favorite team, but I enjoyed watching each of the teams run their races well, and I was satisfied with the outcome.
As I was watching the most recent race, it occurred to me that we are all in an amazing race. This television program is really a good metaphor for life. We face roadblocks and detours on our journey through life. We're looking for clues as to where to go next. We want to finish well. When we step onto the final mat at the end of the race, we won't be awarded a million dollars or hear that we are the first to finish. Instead, we who are in relationship with God through Christ will be "awarded" an eternity with Him and will be hearing a different affirmation: "Well done, good and faithful servant.....enter into the joy of your master." (Matthew 25:21 ESV)
Challenges. Roadblocks. Detours. Interaction with other racers. Clue boxes. All these are elements of a popular television show. But they are elements of our lives as well.
Things in life don't always go as we plan them. There are obstacles, like knee replacement, to overcome. Sometimes we get on the wrong road. Our relationships with others don't always go smoothly. But through it all, we have a "clue box" to guide us. We have written instructions, the Bible, and we have the Holy Spirit within us to guide us on our journey.
How do we know how to run our race? By looking to our "clue box", the Bible:
"Let us lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith." (Hebrews 12:1b-2a NASB, emphasis mine)
If you have ever watched runners, they don't carry a lot of stuff with them. They don't load themselves down with clothes (like hats and coats and mittens and purses, etc.). They don't run with luggage. That's the imagery that this verse gives us. Don't run your race through life carrying unnecessary baggage. "Lay it down." Get rid of your excess baggage. Confess your sin. Lay it down, and run your race.
Run with endurance. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be roadblocks and detours and false starts. Even so, don't give up. Run your race. Run with endurance.
Run your race, not someone else's race. Follow where God leads you, which may not be where He is leading someone else. How will you know? Follow the "clues" in the "clue box". And follow the last instruction in this passage.
Fix your eyes on Jesus. That's the key to running your race. To running your race successfully. To finishing well. Follow that instruction, and you'll be amazed! You will be running an amazing race!
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB)
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Bittersweet
Too many times recently I have opened up Facebook to see that it was a friend's birthday. Of course, that happens every day, but on too many occasions recently it has been bittersweet.
It happened again on Monday. There they were. Two friends' names. Meg and Tommy. Both of them no longer in this life. Just a week ago, it was one of my dearest lifelong friends. Carleen and I had been close friends since we met in 6th grade. It was one of those special friendships that transcends time and place.
Seeing these names is bittersweet. There's the sadness because they are no longer here. But there's the joy at remembering the good times. When and how we met. The ties that bound us together. Fun times and good conversations. Precious memories.
And there is also the joy that comes in knowing where they are now. The joy that comes in knowing that they belonged to Jesus in this life, and they are with Him now and for all eternity.
Meg left this earth most recently, just a few short weeks ago. Her memorial service closed with a recording of her singing. I loved to hear her sing. I loved to watch her sing, because she sang not only with her voice, but with her soul. As I listened to her singing How Deep the Father's Love for Us, I could almost see her!
I will likely think of Meg every time I hear this song for the rest of my life. It was the testimony of her life. And of Tommy's. And of Carleen's. And of so many other friends and family who have already gone to be with Jesus.
Remembering them is bittersweet. They are missed. But remembering them makes me smile.
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:56 NASB)
Listen here to How Deep the Father's Love for Us: https://youtu.be/1vmY2ztb5xc
It happened again on Monday. There they were. Two friends' names. Meg and Tommy. Both of them no longer in this life. Just a week ago, it was one of my dearest lifelong friends. Carleen and I had been close friends since we met in 6th grade. It was one of those special friendships that transcends time and place.
Seeing these names is bittersweet. There's the sadness because they are no longer here. But there's the joy at remembering the good times. When and how we met. The ties that bound us together. Fun times and good conversations. Precious memories.
And there is also the joy that comes in knowing where they are now. The joy that comes in knowing that they belonged to Jesus in this life, and they are with Him now and for all eternity.
Meg left this earth most recently, just a few short weeks ago. Her memorial service closed with a recording of her singing. I loved to hear her sing. I loved to watch her sing, because she sang not only with her voice, but with her soul. As I listened to her singing How Deep the Father's Love for Us, I could almost see her!
I will likely think of Meg every time I hear this song for the rest of my life. It was the testimony of her life. And of Tommy's. And of Carleen's. And of so many other friends and family who have already gone to be with Jesus.
Remembering them is bittersweet. They are missed. But remembering them makes me smile.
"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:56 NASB)
Listen here to How Deep the Father's Love for Us: https://youtu.be/1vmY2ztb5xc
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Diary of a Knee Replacement. A Setback.
I shared in a previous post how excited I was after last Wednesday's physical therapy appointment. In case you missed it, at that appointment I finally made it to the longed-for 105 degree knee bend. I was thrilled!
There was no PT scheduled for Friday because my therapist was taking the day off for a long weekend out of town. Without my morning PT, I was free to do other things, and so Friday turned into quite an adventure.
The day began when my friend Cathy picked me up at 7:30. Those of you who know me well are, I'm sure, surprised that I would be out and about at that time of day. And I would be the first to agree with you! But it can be done! Cathy participates in an exercise class at Roebuck Baptist Church, and we were on our way to Strawberry Hill to meet the group for breakfast. Since I rarely, if ever, turn down an opportunity for pancakes, I had been looking forward to this little trip.
After breakfast, we decided on a trip to Hamrick's in Gaffney since it wasn't that far from where we were. For those of you who are not local, Hamrick's is a very large clothing store. After walking all around that store, I finally sat down to rest a few minutes in the shoe department. I was exhausted!
After Hamrick's Cathy took me home and I sat in my chair to rest. I ended up falling asleep!
Friday afternoon Al and I continued the day's adventure with a trip to the mountains where we used to live. Al's parents still own a house there and his dad wants to list it as a vacation rental since they don't go up there any more and the market is still not conducive to selling it. It was a beautiful day for a trip to the mountains and I enjoyed the scenery very much. However, for someone who has done very little but sit in a chair for the last seven weeks, a two hour ride to Burnsville was quite an undertaking.
We met with a property manager and worked out all the details, and then came the two hour ride back home. We stopped for some dinner at a favorite restaurant which broke the drive up a little bit. Even so, by the time we got home, I was beyond weary and my knee was swelled up like a basketball! I was in bed before 9pm, which is just as unusual as my being out and about at 7:30 am!
On Saturday morning, I was stiff and sore, and my knee was still swollen. I spent the better part of the day icing my knee. Sunday was a little better, but even by Monday the stiffness was still there.
Monday was therapy day. I did well at my appointment in the sense of strength and stamina, but the knee did not want to bend, so we're back at 95 degrees. That was frustrating, but my therapist assures me it's only a temporary setback. In the meantime, she says, I have to live my life and know that setbacks will come.
The setback was frustrating but not unexpected. And so, I continue stretching and bending, doing my exercises, and hoping to regain and even surpass my previous 105 degrees.
Setbacks are just part of the process. In physical therapy and in life. And so, I press on.
"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 3:14 NASB)
There was no PT scheduled for Friday because my therapist was taking the day off for a long weekend out of town. Without my morning PT, I was free to do other things, and so Friday turned into quite an adventure.
The day began when my friend Cathy picked me up at 7:30. Those of you who know me well are, I'm sure, surprised that I would be out and about at that time of day. And I would be the first to agree with you! But it can be done! Cathy participates in an exercise class at Roebuck Baptist Church, and we were on our way to Strawberry Hill to meet the group for breakfast. Since I rarely, if ever, turn down an opportunity for pancakes, I had been looking forward to this little trip.
After breakfast, we decided on a trip to Hamrick's in Gaffney since it wasn't that far from where we were. For those of you who are not local, Hamrick's is a very large clothing store. After walking all around that store, I finally sat down to rest a few minutes in the shoe department. I was exhausted!
After Hamrick's Cathy took me home and I sat in my chair to rest. I ended up falling asleep!
Friday afternoon Al and I continued the day's adventure with a trip to the mountains where we used to live. Al's parents still own a house there and his dad wants to list it as a vacation rental since they don't go up there any more and the market is still not conducive to selling it. It was a beautiful day for a trip to the mountains and I enjoyed the scenery very much. However, for someone who has done very little but sit in a chair for the last seven weeks, a two hour ride to Burnsville was quite an undertaking.
We met with a property manager and worked out all the details, and then came the two hour ride back home. We stopped for some dinner at a favorite restaurant which broke the drive up a little bit. Even so, by the time we got home, I was beyond weary and my knee was swelled up like a basketball! I was in bed before 9pm, which is just as unusual as my being out and about at 7:30 am!
On Saturday morning, I was stiff and sore, and my knee was still swollen. I spent the better part of the day icing my knee. Sunday was a little better, but even by Monday the stiffness was still there.
Monday was therapy day. I did well at my appointment in the sense of strength and stamina, but the knee did not want to bend, so we're back at 95 degrees. That was frustrating, but my therapist assures me it's only a temporary setback. In the meantime, she says, I have to live my life and know that setbacks will come.
The setback was frustrating but not unexpected. And so, I continue stretching and bending, doing my exercises, and hoping to regain and even surpass my previous 105 degrees.
Setbacks are just part of the process. In physical therapy and in life. And so, I press on.
"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 3:14 NASB)
Monday, May 16, 2016
Like Walking the Dog
Moving from the mountains back to the city last year changed the way we do a lot of things, one of those things being walking the dog. We didn't actually walk the dog in the traditional sense when we lived in the mountains; we opened the door, let her out, and she barked when she was ready to come back in.
But life in the city means we now put Molly on a leash when she needs to go out, and we take her out, on a leash, for exercise as well. If you have ever walked a dog, then you realize just how little actual exercise the human gets in that endeavor. Walking the dog is a start and stop, stroll a bit/sniff a bit endeavor, and actually involves more standing around and waiting than walking.
Of course, over these last seven weeks since knee surgery, I haven't actually walked the dog; Al has been taking care of that task as well as many others. But as he and Molly headed out yesterday afternoon for a walk, which was something like walk five steps, stop and sniff, walk two more steps, stop and look around, walk a little more, then just stand there, and as I listened to him ask her to please do something this time and not just sniff, it occurred to me once again, as it has it times past when I was the dog walker, that walking the dog has much in common with the Christian life.
When Molly and I go out the door, we (at least I) have a definite purpose in mind. A goal, if you will. A plan to walk in a certain direction, take care of business, and then return home, all within a definite time frame. There is no plan to stop numerous times along the route, or to be distracted by other dogs, or by birds or rabbits, or by cars driving by, or by any of the numerous other distractions along the way.
We begin our Christian walk in much the same way. Once we have committed our lives to Christ, we set about learning to live for Him for as long as we are in this life, until we reach our ultimate heavenly home. It is never our intent for our spiritual growth to be sporadic, or stalled, or that we go off course. But that's what often happens, isn't it?
The Christian life is very often three steps forward, four steps backward. It is sometimes very focused, but there are often distractions that hinder our forward progress.
Even though our expectation may be steady forward progress throughout our lives, reality is more often a series of starts and stops and twists and turns. Does that mean we aren't really Christian? No, it more likely means we are just human. Not perfect, even though we might like to be.
The good news is that the Christian life is about our relationship with Christ, not about our performance.
And even though we might find ourselves more often than not in a "walking the dog" mode, there is help for us. The solution to dealing with these distractions is focus. That's why the writer of Hebrews tells us to "fix our eyes on Jesus." (Hebrews 12:2)
Walking Molly is filled with starts and stops because she is so easily distracted. The same is true for us in our Christian walk. The starts and stops and stutter steps come because we are distracted.
The solution is focus. And discipline.
Something to think about today.
"Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." (1 Timothy 4:7b NASB)
But life in the city means we now put Molly on a leash when she needs to go out, and we take her out, on a leash, for exercise as well. If you have ever walked a dog, then you realize just how little actual exercise the human gets in that endeavor. Walking the dog is a start and stop, stroll a bit/sniff a bit endeavor, and actually involves more standing around and waiting than walking.
Of course, over these last seven weeks since knee surgery, I haven't actually walked the dog; Al has been taking care of that task as well as many others. But as he and Molly headed out yesterday afternoon for a walk, which was something like walk five steps, stop and sniff, walk two more steps, stop and look around, walk a little more, then just stand there, and as I listened to him ask her to please do something this time and not just sniff, it occurred to me once again, as it has it times past when I was the dog walker, that walking the dog has much in common with the Christian life.
When Molly and I go out the door, we (at least I) have a definite purpose in mind. A goal, if you will. A plan to walk in a certain direction, take care of business, and then return home, all within a definite time frame. There is no plan to stop numerous times along the route, or to be distracted by other dogs, or by birds or rabbits, or by cars driving by, or by any of the numerous other distractions along the way.
We begin our Christian walk in much the same way. Once we have committed our lives to Christ, we set about learning to live for Him for as long as we are in this life, until we reach our ultimate heavenly home. It is never our intent for our spiritual growth to be sporadic, or stalled, or that we go off course. But that's what often happens, isn't it?
The Christian life is very often three steps forward, four steps backward. It is sometimes very focused, but there are often distractions that hinder our forward progress.
Even though our expectation may be steady forward progress throughout our lives, reality is more often a series of starts and stops and twists and turns. Does that mean we aren't really Christian? No, it more likely means we are just human. Not perfect, even though we might like to be.
The good news is that the Christian life is about our relationship with Christ, not about our performance.
And even though we might find ourselves more often than not in a "walking the dog" mode, there is help for us. The solution to dealing with these distractions is focus. That's why the writer of Hebrews tells us to "fix our eyes on Jesus." (Hebrews 12:2)
Walking Molly is filled with starts and stops because she is so easily distracted. The same is true for us in our Christian walk. The starts and stops and stutter steps come because we are distracted.
The solution is focus. And discipline.
Something to think about today.
"Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." (1 Timothy 4:7b NASB)
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Diary of a Knee Replacement. A Good Day.
Yesterday was a good day.
But before I tell you about yesterday, let me give you a little background.
Six weeks have passed since I had total knee replacement surgery. Six long, sometimes frustrating, weeks. I have made good progress. I know that. The doctor has said that. The physical therapist has said that. My friends and family tell me that. And I know it is true.
Even so, there have been days when I have been frustrated. A lot frustrated. Particularly over these last couple of weeks, I have struggled with my attitude because, having achieved a 100 degree bend, it seemed this stubborn knee just wouldn't bend a single degree further. No matter how hard I tried. No matter how much I willed it to do just a little more. No matter what I or my therapist did, it wouldn't budge.
It was infuriating. There might or might not have been some tears shed. There might or might not have been a meltdown. Or two. Or perhaps more.
I was stuck on stuck, and it did not make me happy.
Meanwhile, last Sunday was my first Sunday to resume my place in the teaching rotation for our Life Group. We have been studying in Philippians, and the passage I was to teach was Philippians 3:12-21. It's a marvelous passage. You should read it. Read the whole chapter. In fact, just read the whole book. It's a very short book, but it packs a powerful punch.
In this particular passage, the Apostle Paul writes these words: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13b-14 NASB)
Studying this passage and preparing to teach it was a great encouragement to my soul and my spirit. It challenged me afresh to live all in for Jesus, always keeping my eyes on the goal, looking forward to what lies ahead, because something better is coming. That's the lesson in a nutshell. And as so often happens when I dig deep into the Scriptures, I was encouraged.
But these verses also had an interesting impact on me as regards my knee rehab. I was encouraged by these verses, not only in a spiritual sense, but in a real and practical sense. Having studied these verses, I had a renewed determination, not just to be all in for Jesus but to be all in with my therapy.
I went to therapy on Friday morning with this renewed determination. I pedaled harder and longer on the bike. I pushed harder on the slide. I went just a little deeper in my squats. After I had done all that, it was time for a measurement. Still 100 degrees. No change. But I was undeterred. That afternoon and through the weekend I worked harder than ever on my exercises. Pushing harder. More reps.
Then came Monday. Time to do it all again. On the bike. On the slide. Doing the squats and the lunges. All of that yielded a measurement of only 98 degrees. Ugh. More frustration. But still determined, I pressed on.
Yesterday it was time to do it again. And this time all that hard work yielded the desired result. 105 degrees! Hallelujah and thank you, Jesus!
After therapy, it was time for a check-up at the orthopedist's office and my good day continued. The x-rays look great. I have been relieved of my cane and compression hose. Once again, hallelujah and thank you, Jesus! It was a good, good day!
As I have been thinking about all that this morning, reflecting on these last few weeks, and enjoying the beauty of this morning, I realize just how blessed I am. How much I have to be thankful for.
I'm thankful for such a good day yesterday, and looking forward to what lies ahead today.
Because today is a good day to have a good day.
But before I tell you about yesterday, let me give you a little background.
Six weeks have passed since I had total knee replacement surgery. Six long, sometimes frustrating, weeks. I have made good progress. I know that. The doctor has said that. The physical therapist has said that. My friends and family tell me that. And I know it is true.
Even so, there have been days when I have been frustrated. A lot frustrated. Particularly over these last couple of weeks, I have struggled with my attitude because, having achieved a 100 degree bend, it seemed this stubborn knee just wouldn't bend a single degree further. No matter how hard I tried. No matter how much I willed it to do just a little more. No matter what I or my therapist did, it wouldn't budge.
It was infuriating. There might or might not have been some tears shed. There might or might not have been a meltdown. Or two. Or perhaps more.
I was stuck on stuck, and it did not make me happy.
Meanwhile, last Sunday was my first Sunday to resume my place in the teaching rotation for our Life Group. We have been studying in Philippians, and the passage I was to teach was Philippians 3:12-21. It's a marvelous passage. You should read it. Read the whole chapter. In fact, just read the whole book. It's a very short book, but it packs a powerful punch.
In this particular passage, the Apostle Paul writes these words: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13b-14 NASB)
Studying this passage and preparing to teach it was a great encouragement to my soul and my spirit. It challenged me afresh to live all in for Jesus, always keeping my eyes on the goal, looking forward to what lies ahead, because something better is coming. That's the lesson in a nutshell. And as so often happens when I dig deep into the Scriptures, I was encouraged.
But these verses also had an interesting impact on me as regards my knee rehab. I was encouraged by these verses, not only in a spiritual sense, but in a real and practical sense. Having studied these verses, I had a renewed determination, not just to be all in for Jesus but to be all in with my therapy.
I went to therapy on Friday morning with this renewed determination. I pedaled harder and longer on the bike. I pushed harder on the slide. I went just a little deeper in my squats. After I had done all that, it was time for a measurement. Still 100 degrees. No change. But I was undeterred. That afternoon and through the weekend I worked harder than ever on my exercises. Pushing harder. More reps.
Then came Monday. Time to do it all again. On the bike. On the slide. Doing the squats and the lunges. All of that yielded a measurement of only 98 degrees. Ugh. More frustration. But still determined, I pressed on.
Yesterday it was time to do it again. And this time all that hard work yielded the desired result. 105 degrees! Hallelujah and thank you, Jesus!
After therapy, it was time for a check-up at the orthopedist's office and my good day continued. The x-rays look great. I have been relieved of my cane and compression hose. Once again, hallelujah and thank you, Jesus! It was a good, good day!
As I have been thinking about all that this morning, reflecting on these last few weeks, and enjoying the beauty of this morning, I realize just how blessed I am. How much I have to be thankful for.
I'm thankful for such a good day yesterday, and looking forward to what lies ahead today.
Because today is a good day to have a good day.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
How Much?
I love Thee, I love Thee, I love Thee, my Lord;
I love Thee, my Savior, I love Thee, my God.
I love Thee, I love Thee, and that Thou dost know;
But how much I love Thee my actions will show.
(words and music: anonymous, from Jeremiah Ingalls' Christian Harmony)
(words and music: anonymous, from Jeremiah Ingalls' Christian Harmony)
I haven't been able to get this hymn out of my mind for several days now. My friend Rg wrote about a line from this hymn in his blog a couple of days ago. His blog is all about hymn lines; you should check it out (www.hymnlines.blogspot.com).
It's the last line of the first verse of this hymn that I can't let go of. But how much I love Thee my actions will show.
Saying that we love the Lord is an easy thing to do. Of course we say that. Even the most nominal of Christians would likely say that.
But beyond our words, what do our actions say?
Think back over this last week. Or even just think about yesterday. What was there in your behavior or your conversation that gave evidence that you love the Lord?
Or did you perhaps give evidence of something else?
We don't sing this hymn much any more, but I remember singing it frequently as a child in my small-town Baptist church. I loved it then. I love it now. And I'm challenged by it.
Are my actions revealing the depth of my love for the Lord?
But how much I love Thee my actions will show.
But how much I love Thee my actions will show.
Something to think about.
"We love Him because He first loved us." (1 John 4:19 KJV)
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Fading Starlight. A Book Review.
fading starlight by Kathryn Cushman is the first of Cushman's works that I have read, and I found it delightful. This is a tale of disappointments and new beginnings and unlikely friendships. If this is indicative of Cushman's work, I'll be looking for other of her novels to read.fading starlight is first of all the story of Lauren Summers, an up-and-coming fashion designer working as an intern in a major design house in Hollywood. Her first experience on the red carpet ends up in disaster, and with her reputation in shambles, she finds herself unemployed and looking for a place to live. An opportunity to design costumes for a high school theater production takes her out of Hollywood and to a very secluded neighborhood on the Pacific Coast north of Los Angeles.
This turn of events in Lauren's life introduces the second major character, Charlotte Montgomery, a former Hollywood starlet turned recluse who lives in the mansion across the way from Lauren's cottage.
Add into this mix a manipulative Hollywood reporter, a money-grubbing niece, and just a hint of a romance to come, and you have a well-written storyline with a bit of mystery, some struggles with ethical issues, and a developing spiritual journey. This is contemporary Christian fiction at its finest, and I loved it.
I received a copy of fading starlight from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion.
Monday, May 9, 2016
Last Words
In recent years, Mother's Day has been a mixed bag for me. I miss my own mother. I rarely get to spend time with my own sons on this day, one of the consequences of the fact that we live so far from each other. Mother's Day has become a time for me to travel down memory lane, which results in lots of smiles and some tears as well.
One memory that always surfaces at this time of year is hearing the doctor say that we would never have children. I remember the Mother's Days when I so wanted to be a mom and it seemed that would never happen. That's a painful memory, but one that is more than balanced by the fact that obviously the doctor was wrong and God had another plan. Two plans! Two sons! The joy I felt when that same doctor told me the pregnancy test was positive has never diminished!
Motherhood is not an easy job. And I haven't always been a candidate for "world's best mother". I've made my share of mistakes. Perhaps more than my share. Bad decisions. Lost my temper. Said things I have regretted. But through it all, I have loved being a mother. I love my sons. And the daughters they brought into my life. And the grandsons who now bring us all so much joy!
As I travel down memory lane at this time of year, there are so many things that make me smile. Sometimes even giggle a little bit.
I smile when I think of hearing I love you, Mom, no matter what day of the year it is.
I giggle when I remember the poor hamster named Roscoe who met an untimely end when Brian jumped off the top bunk and landed on him.
I remember the big bows my mother always put in my blonde curls. And there were the sweet smiles and hugs of my own little blonde boys (who aren't so blonde anymore!!).
I remember Baby Dedication services for our sons and our grandsons. Violin lessons and soccer games. Long distance calls from England when Brian was stationed there during his Air Force years.
And I remember the last words my own mother spoke to me. We knew her time was short. We left Minnesota, flying down to SC, hoping we would get there in time. We arrived on Saturday around midnight. She left us on Monday morning. But on that Saturday night when we got there, she opened her eyes, smiled a faint smile and said the last words I ever heard her say.
"I love you."
Those words are a treasured memory. And a reminder. We should never miss an opportunity to speak those words to those we love. Because we never know if we will have another opportunity.
"Love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
(John 13:34 ESV)
Friday, May 6, 2016
Some Thoughts About Mother's Day
Today I'm thinking about Mother's Day. Thinking about my mother and about her mother, two of the women I admired most in all the world! How I miss them both! Each time I think of them, some verses from Proverbs 31 come to mind:
"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her." (Proverbs 31:25-28 NASB)
Today as I think about Mother's Day, I'm celebrating! I'm remembering my mother and my grandmother and celebrating wonderful memories. I'm celebrating the joy of being a mother and a grandmother. I'm so thankful for the blessing of my sons, the sons God gave me, the ones the doctors said I would never have. I'm loving my role as Nana, being grandmother to two precious little boys that bring me so much joy! I'm celebrating the mothers of those little boys, the daughters who came into my life because they are the women my sons chose, the women who love my sons. I celebrate the joy they each bring to our family, their unique personalities and gifts, and the blessing they are to all of us.
Mostly I celebrate that my mother and my grandmother, and the countless grandmothers before them that I never knew, as well as those daughters who are now part of my life, all love the Lord and His Word, and I celebrate the commitment of each of those women to teach His Word and His ways diligently. I celebrate our commitment to have families who love Jesus. I celebrate our desire to honor Him in all we do and say.
My prayer for us today is that we be found faithful. There's a song called "Find Us Faithful" that talks about this concept: May all who come behind us find us faithful, may the fire of our devotion light their way, may the footprints that we leave lead them to believe.*
I'm thankful today for the women who went before me who were found faithful, who left those kind of footprints. I'm prayerful today that I will be found faithful, that the fire of my devotion will light the way for those who come behind me. I'm prayerful that I will love the Lord with ALL my heart and soul and mind. That my love will be evidenced in my behavior. That I will leave for my sons and my daughters and my grandsons, and all who follow behind me, a legacy of that kind of devotion to the Lord. That I will teach that diligently to my children and my grandchildren. That my sons and daughters will teach those things diligently to their children. I'm celebrating today what God will do in and through us when we commit ourselves completely to Him.
And I am so thankful that I had a Mother and a Grandmother who modeled that kind of love and devotion.
L-R, my great-grandmother, Leona Harwell Knox; my mother, Helen Neil Austin, me, and my grandmother, Ethel Knox Neil
"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." (Proverbs 31:30 NASB)
*Find Us Faithful: words and music by Jon Mohr
"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her." (Proverbs 31:25-28 NASB)
Today as I think about Mother's Day, I'm celebrating! I'm remembering my mother and my grandmother and celebrating wonderful memories. I'm celebrating the joy of being a mother and a grandmother. I'm so thankful for the blessing of my sons, the sons God gave me, the ones the doctors said I would never have. I'm loving my role as Nana, being grandmother to two precious little boys that bring me so much joy! I'm celebrating the mothers of those little boys, the daughters who came into my life because they are the women my sons chose, the women who love my sons. I celebrate the joy they each bring to our family, their unique personalities and gifts, and the blessing they are to all of us.
Mostly I celebrate that my mother and my grandmother, and the countless grandmothers before them that I never knew, as well as those daughters who are now part of my life, all love the Lord and His Word, and I celebrate the commitment of each of those women to teach His Word and His ways diligently. I celebrate our commitment to have families who love Jesus. I celebrate our desire to honor Him in all we do and say.
My prayer for us today is that we be found faithful. There's a song called "Find Us Faithful" that talks about this concept: May all who come behind us find us faithful, may the fire of our devotion light their way, may the footprints that we leave lead them to believe.*
I'm thankful today for the women who went before me who were found faithful, who left those kind of footprints. I'm prayerful today that I will be found faithful, that the fire of my devotion will light the way for those who come behind me. I'm prayerful that I will love the Lord with ALL my heart and soul and mind. That my love will be evidenced in my behavior. That I will leave for my sons and my daughters and my grandsons, and all who follow behind me, a legacy of that kind of devotion to the Lord. That I will teach that diligently to my children and my grandchildren. That my sons and daughters will teach those things diligently to their children. I'm celebrating today what God will do in and through us when we commit ourselves completely to Him.
And I am so thankful that I had a Mother and a Grandmother who modeled that kind of love and devotion.
"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." (Proverbs 31:30 NASB)
*Find Us Faithful: words and music by Jon Mohr
Thursday, May 5, 2016
He Was Right
"Never, never, never give up." - Winston Churchill
When we lived in the mountains, we had very large pyracantha bush at the end of our front porch. A couple of years ago, when the landscape crew came in the spring to see what needed to be done to spruce our yard up after a long, hard winter, I told them to cut that pyracantha bush down because it was dead.
When we lived in the mountains, we had very large pyracantha bush at the end of our front porch. A couple of years ago, when the landscape crew came in the spring to see what needed to be done to spruce our yard up after a long, hard winter, I told them to cut that pyracantha bush down because it was dead.
That was on a Wednesday. When the crew came to do the work on Saturday, just a few days later, there were green leaves on that bush. I had given up on that bush too soon.
Day after day, that plant grew a little greener, and it wasn't the only one. In that particular spring, the plants were just taking longer than normal to come out of their winter hibernation. Who could blame them after the winter we had that year!
Winston Churchill was right. The Holy Spirit reminded me of that yesterday.
After my physical therapy session yesterday, I was frustrated. It was a good session. I'm able to do much more than I could even a week ago. I'm getting stronger. But my knee still won't bend consistently beyond 100 degrees no matter how hard I try and no matter how much I will it to do so. And that frustrates me. I've said often before that I'm not a particularly patient person, and that's certainly true with this recovery. My therapist says I'm being too hard on myself. She says I'm doing well and I shouldn't get so frustrated. If she had quoted Winston Churchill in her little pep talk yesterday, I probably would have laughed out loud!
What Caitlin was saying to me yesterday was the same thing Churchill said all those years ago: Don't give up.
I gave up too soon on my plants. I've been much too quick to give up on myself during this rehab process.
The message to my frustrated and impatient self is not to give up on this or any other things too soon. God's timing is always perfect. He is never early. Never late. Always right on time.
Churchill was right.
"Never, never, never give up."
"He hath made everything beautiful in his time." (Ecclesiastes 3:11 KJV, emphasis mine)
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Morning Praise
"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2 NASB)
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Thankful Tuesday. Let's Make a List.
"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens......
These are a few of my favorite things."*
If you're a fan of The Sound of Music, those are familiar lyrics. Even if you're not particularly a Sound of Music fan, the lyrics are probably at least vaguely familiar.
These days it seems the world is just falling apart. It's hard to find any good news to talk about any more. If we let it, all the gloom and doom that is part of our world can really drag us down.
Today seems like a good day for a change of focus. I don't know how things are where you are today, but here in the Upstate of South Carolina, it's a little cloudy. I had a challenging physical therapy session yesterday, which leaves me a little sore and achy today. I could find all sorts of reasons for complaining if I really tried. And I wouldn't have to try all that hard!
Instead, I'm choosing to focus my attention elsewhere. To be thankful. To make a list of a "few of my favorite things." Using the song as a starting point, here's my list:
- Raindrops on roses. I love roses. And hydrangeas. And gardenias. And daisies. And I love to see raindrops on those roses. It makes me happy.
- The next line of the song doesn't really make my list. I'm not a fan of kittens or their whiskers. Kittens grow up to be cats, and I'm really more a dog person than a cat person. Whiskers on puppies. That I can get excited about!
- Bright copper kettles. I love copper pots of all shapes and sizes.
- Warm woolen mittens. Again, as with the whiskers on kittens, I'm not a fan. Mittens, yes. Woolen mittens, not so much.
- Coffee. Hot, strong, black coffee. That definitely is on my favorites list.
- Friends. Especially friends who drive me to therapy when Al is out of town, and then take me out to lunch after. Definitely thankful!
- My physical therapist. I think I have mentioned before that I have the world's best therapist. She's amazing and encouraging. She pushes me beyond where I thought I could go. She challenges me. She encourages me. And all with a really compassionate heart. Love her!
- My ice machine. A few weeks ago I never would have believed that I would be so thankful for this little machine, and now I wonder how I would have managed without it!
- Books. Big books. Little books. E-books. All books. I love books. I love to read. It's one of the great pleasures of my life!
- The smell of rain.
- The smell of freshly mown grass.
- A big juicy steak.
- Pimento cheese, homemade by my husband. The best there is! (The husband AND the pimento cheese!)
- Strawberries
- Peaches
- Pancakes
- The beach
These are a few of my favorite things. On this Thankful Tuesday, I'm thankful for these things and for so much more. This only scratches the surface.
What's on your list today?
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15 NASB)
*My Favorite Things - songwriters: Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers
Monday, May 2, 2016
Diary of a Knee Replacement. Pressing On.
Five weeks have now passed since I said good-bye to my old knee and hello to the new one. In some ways, it seems hard to believe five weeks have already gone by. At the same time, it sometimes seems like much longer.
I have come to the point in this process where frustration is rearing its ugly head. I'm at the point where my life seems to be nothing more than physical therapy sessions and ice machines, and I'm growing weary of it all. I'm just being honest here. Some days are worse than others, but I often find myself wishing I could back up to about six weeks ago and just call the whole thing off! In my head, I know that this will all be worth it. Eventually. But in my feelings, I'm not there yet.
Even so, I press on. I know I'm making progress, although sometimes it seems very slow. I know I'm able to do things for myself that I couldn't do just a couple of weeks ago. On Thursday, Al dropped me off at the hair salon for some much needed personal maintenance. Afterwards, we went out for lunch and then to Costco, where I pushed the cart myself all around the store. A couple of weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to manage any of that. On Saturday, I went with Al to Publix where once again I pushed the cart all around the store myself. That may not seem like a big deal to those of you with two good knees, but trust me. It's a big deal to me. And it's evidence that I am, in fact, making progress.
I'm beginning to do a few more household tasks, like folding laundry and dusting. I no longer fall asleep every time I sit still for more than five minutes. I'm sleeping better at night. We have been out to dinner a few times. My leg is getting stronger and bending better. More evidence that I'm making progress. Baby steps, but progress nonetheless.
Even so, it's a long and often frustrating process. This morning I have yet another physical therapy appointment. I'll ride the exercise bike for 10 or 15 minutes. I'll do some squats. The therapist will work on the scar tissue around my knee cap. There will be more exercises. Then we'll see how much I can bend today and take another measurement. None of that will be fun, but it's all part of the process.
Just like life. It's a process. And it isn't always pretty or fun. It's often frustrating and tedious.
But the end result is worth it.
"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14, NASB)
I have come to the point in this process where frustration is rearing its ugly head. I'm at the point where my life seems to be nothing more than physical therapy sessions and ice machines, and I'm growing weary of it all. I'm just being honest here. Some days are worse than others, but I often find myself wishing I could back up to about six weeks ago and just call the whole thing off! In my head, I know that this will all be worth it. Eventually. But in my feelings, I'm not there yet.
Even so, I press on. I know I'm making progress, although sometimes it seems very slow. I know I'm able to do things for myself that I couldn't do just a couple of weeks ago. On Thursday, Al dropped me off at the hair salon for some much needed personal maintenance. Afterwards, we went out for lunch and then to Costco, where I pushed the cart myself all around the store. A couple of weeks ago, I wouldn't have been able to manage any of that. On Saturday, I went with Al to Publix where once again I pushed the cart all around the store myself. That may not seem like a big deal to those of you with two good knees, but trust me. It's a big deal to me. And it's evidence that I am, in fact, making progress.
I'm beginning to do a few more household tasks, like folding laundry and dusting. I no longer fall asleep every time I sit still for more than five minutes. I'm sleeping better at night. We have been out to dinner a few times. My leg is getting stronger and bending better. More evidence that I'm making progress. Baby steps, but progress nonetheless.
Even so, it's a long and often frustrating process. This morning I have yet another physical therapy appointment. I'll ride the exercise bike for 10 or 15 minutes. I'll do some squats. The therapist will work on the scar tissue around my knee cap. There will be more exercises. Then we'll see how much I can bend today and take another measurement. None of that will be fun, but it's all part of the process.
Just like life. It's a process. And it isn't always pretty or fun. It's often frustrating and tedious.
But the end result is worth it.
"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14, NASB)
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