Today is a big day! We're celebrating a milestone. One of our grandsons is graduating from kindergarten.
It hardly seems possible that this day has come already. It seems like just yesterday that I held him in my arms for the first time. Now he's such a "big boy"......growing taller and stronger, loving baseball and chicken nuggets and all sorts of other "little boy things". Loving his family and friends. And loving Jesus!
We'll celebrate at school this evening as we watch boys and girls in caps and gowns cross a stage and receive a kindergarten "diploma". The celebration will continue later with cake and presents.
Through it all I'll be remembering other significant events - milestones - in the lives of my sons and my grandsons. And in my heart I'll be celebrating not just this milestone, but celebrating a faithful Heavenly Father who has blessed my life with these special blessings. I'll be giving thanks for the joy and blessing of motherhood, and for the privilege and responsibility of being part of their lives.
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6 NASB)
"O God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare Your wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who -are to come." (Psalm 71:17-18 NASB)
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Times of Refreshing
We all need those times, don't we? Times of refreshing. I love that phrase.....it comes from the Book of Acts.....and that's what I'm experiencing today.
These past few weeks have been challenging, wearying weeks. But yesterday we left those circumstances behind for a couple of days, and we're spending a couple of days with our younger son and his family.
Today, everybody has gone to work or to school. Everybody but me. I'm spending a lovely quiet day home alone.......just me and the dogs!
I slept late. I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and some extra coffee. I caught up with e-mail. I'm listening to the rain. I had a long, uninterrupted time reading my Bible. I have had time to ponder some of the truths I read. I'm really enjoying this quiet time. I'm feeling refreshed.
I'm looking forward to seeing everybody later today when they get home from school and from work. I'll enjoy hearing about their day. I'm thinking we may miss baseball practice this afternoon if this rain continues. That will give extra time for just being together! Either way, I know I'll enjoy the evening.
But right now, I'm enjoying the quiet. The sound of rain. The extra cup of coffee. The time of refreshing.
"Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19 NASB)
These past few weeks have been challenging, wearying weeks. But yesterday we left those circumstances behind for a couple of days, and we're spending a couple of days with our younger son and his family.
Today, everybody has gone to work or to school. Everybody but me. I'm spending a lovely quiet day home alone.......just me and the dogs!
I slept late. I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and some extra coffee. I caught up with e-mail. I'm listening to the rain. I had a long, uninterrupted time reading my Bible. I have had time to ponder some of the truths I read. I'm really enjoying this quiet time. I'm feeling refreshed.
I'm looking forward to seeing everybody later today when they get home from school and from work. I'll enjoy hearing about their day. I'm thinking we may miss baseball practice this afternoon if this rain continues. That will give extra time for just being together! Either way, I know I'll enjoy the evening.
But right now, I'm enjoying the quiet. The sound of rain. The extra cup of coffee. The time of refreshing.
"Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19 NASB)
Friday, May 11, 2012
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)
I'm sharing with you a portion of a Mother's Day post from a couple of years ago. If your mother is still with you, tell her that you love her. If your mother, like mine, has left this world, then pause to give thanks for the time you had with her!
Here's a portion of that post, first published in 2010:
Today 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......that all who come behind us find us faithful........that the fire of our devotion light their way......that 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......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)
"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)
I'm sharing with you a portion of a Mother's Day post from a couple of years ago. If your mother is still with you, tell her that you love her. If your mother, like mine, has left this world, then pause to give thanks for the time you had with her!
Here's a portion of that post, first published in 2010:
Today 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......that all who come behind us find us faithful........that the fire of our devotion light their way......that 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......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)
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
When I'm Overwhelmed.....
Have you ever felt that way? Overwhelmed......
Sometimes that's a good thing. As in being overwhelmed by the goodness of God. Overwhelmed by His faithfulness. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the world He created. Overwhelmed by answers to prayer. Just overwhelmed. Completely in awe of God. Overwhelmed.
But.....
There's another sense in which we use that word. Overwhelmed. And that's what I have been experiencing a lot of these past couple of weeks.
Overwhelmed by stress. By the pressures of our current situation. My father-in-law had knee replacement surgery a couple of weeks ago. He's 87 years old. My husband and I are "temporarily" living with his mom and caring for her. She has some health issues of her own that mean she can't live alone. She needs constant caring for. It's a bit......make that a lot.....overwhelming.
Additional overwhelmedness comes because we have no idea how long this will go on......how long Al's dad will be in rehab. He's doing pretty well for an 87 year old. But.....he's 87. That means a longer recovery time than might be expected for a younger, more fit patient.
So, we're living out of suitcases and tote bags. Setting up an "office" on the end of the kitchen table. Trying to keep everybody (including ourselves!) calm and on an even keel. And I confess to you, there are times when it is both exhausting and overwhelming!
You may be experiencing your own sense of overwhelmedness. You may know someone.....a friend, a neighbor, a family member.....who is going through a tough time. There are all sorts of reasons in our world to feel overwhelmed. Financial stress. Unemployment. Relationships gone wrong. Sickness. Bereavement. There are all kinds of stresses in our world these days.
So, how do we deal with it. What do we do? Where do we turn? When life gets overwhelming.....and it sometimes does....how do we handle it?
I came across this verse a few days ago in my Bible reading. Coincidence, some would say. I think not!
I'm finding myself repeating this verse over and over. Maybe you will too.
"When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." (Psalm 61:2)
Sometimes that's a good thing. As in being overwhelmed by the goodness of God. Overwhelmed by His faithfulness. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the world He created. Overwhelmed by answers to prayer. Just overwhelmed. Completely in awe of God. Overwhelmed.
But.....
There's another sense in which we use that word. Overwhelmed. And that's what I have been experiencing a lot of these past couple of weeks.
Overwhelmed by stress. By the pressures of our current situation. My father-in-law had knee replacement surgery a couple of weeks ago. He's 87 years old. My husband and I are "temporarily" living with his mom and caring for her. She has some health issues of her own that mean she can't live alone. She needs constant caring for. It's a bit......make that a lot.....overwhelming.
Additional overwhelmedness comes because we have no idea how long this will go on......how long Al's dad will be in rehab. He's doing pretty well for an 87 year old. But.....he's 87. That means a longer recovery time than might be expected for a younger, more fit patient.
So, we're living out of suitcases and tote bags. Setting up an "office" on the end of the kitchen table. Trying to keep everybody (including ourselves!) calm and on an even keel. And I confess to you, there are times when it is both exhausting and overwhelming!
You may be experiencing your own sense of overwhelmedness. You may know someone.....a friend, a neighbor, a family member.....who is going through a tough time. There are all sorts of reasons in our world to feel overwhelmed. Financial stress. Unemployment. Relationships gone wrong. Sickness. Bereavement. There are all kinds of stresses in our world these days.
So, how do we deal with it. What do we do? Where do we turn? When life gets overwhelming.....and it sometimes does....how do we handle it?
I came across this verse a few days ago in my Bible reading. Coincidence, some would say. I think not!
I'm finding myself repeating this verse over and over. Maybe you will too.
"When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I." (Psalm 61:2)
Monday, April 23, 2012
Spring??!!
I was just thinking the other day about all the reasons I love spring. Beautiful blue skies. Warm, but not too hot, temperatures. Flowers. Sunshine. All the shades of green as the trees get their new leaves.
Now fast forward from those thoughts to this morning. The sky is gray. The wind is howling. The current wind chill is a single digit number just barely above zero. It's snowing!
On Saturday, as I was packing away winter clothes and getting summer clothes out of their bins and back into the closet, it occurred to me that maybe I was rushing things a bit. But I convinced myself that spring was here to stay and I carried on with that task. Big mistake! Now I need to go dig out a sweater or a sweatshirt!
In spite of it all, I do love spring. Growing up in South Carolina, I always considered spring my favorite season.......dogwoods, azaleas, all the beautiful flowers and plants of spring.....how could I have had any other opinion? Well, there was the pollen. But that was just part of the deal.
Then we moved to places with completely different climates. Like Colorado. And Connecticut. And Minnesota. And I soon discovered that spring can be quite unpredictable. And quite cold. And I'm being reminded of that this morning as we are experiencing a quite un-springlike morning. BRRRR!!!!
In spite of this crazy weather, I do love spring. I love watching the plants and trees come back to life. I love looking down across the valley below us and watching the "green line" gradually make its way up to us. I love seeing all the different shades of green that represent so many varieties of trees and shrubs. I've come to understand that spring comes slowly to this mountaintop.
And I love spring because it's a time of new life. Because in spring we celebrate Easter, as we did just a few weeks ago. Resurrection Sunday! The ultimate expression of new life. And so today, I choose to think about that......and not about the snow I see falling outside my window!
"And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and the life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:11-12 ESV)
Now fast forward from those thoughts to this morning. The sky is gray. The wind is howling. The current wind chill is a single digit number just barely above zero. It's snowing!
On Saturday, as I was packing away winter clothes and getting summer clothes out of their bins and back into the closet, it occurred to me that maybe I was rushing things a bit. But I convinced myself that spring was here to stay and I carried on with that task. Big mistake! Now I need to go dig out a sweater or a sweatshirt!
In spite of it all, I do love spring. Growing up in South Carolina, I always considered spring my favorite season.......dogwoods, azaleas, all the beautiful flowers and plants of spring.....how could I have had any other opinion? Well, there was the pollen. But that was just part of the deal.
Then we moved to places with completely different climates. Like Colorado. And Connecticut. And Minnesota. And I soon discovered that spring can be quite unpredictable. And quite cold. And I'm being reminded of that this morning as we are experiencing a quite un-springlike morning. BRRRR!!!!
In spite of this crazy weather, I do love spring. I love watching the plants and trees come back to life. I love looking down across the valley below us and watching the "green line" gradually make its way up to us. I love seeing all the different shades of green that represent so many varieties of trees and shrubs. I've come to understand that spring comes slowly to this mountaintop.
And I love spring because it's a time of new life. Because in spring we celebrate Easter, as we did just a few weeks ago. Resurrection Sunday! The ultimate expression of new life. And so today, I choose to think about that......and not about the snow I see falling outside my window!
"And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and the life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:11-12 ESV)
Friday, April 20, 2012
Every Careless Word
I've been reading in the Gospel of Matthew lately. This is part of what I read this morning......"Every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment." That's Jesus speaking. Every careless word. Oh my. Every careless word. Not some careless words. Not just the words I meant to say. But every careless word. Including the ones that just slipped out of my mouth. The ones that caused me then to say...."did I really just say that??!!"
And as I have been thinking about that verse, I wonder how many careless words I have spoken already today.
Or how many careless words have I spoken this week?
Or this month?
And I realize that I can't even begin to keep up! How sad that is.....
Every careless word.......that's a lot of words......and that's something to think about.
Maybe that's one of the reasons we were made with two ears and only one mouth!
"But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36 NASB)
And as I have been thinking about that verse, I wonder how many careless words I have spoken already today.
Or how many careless words have I spoken this week?
Or this month?
And I realize that I can't even begin to keep up! How sad that is.....
Every careless word.......that's a lot of words......and that's something to think about.
Maybe that's one of the reasons we were made with two ears and only one mouth!
"But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. (Matthew 12:36 NASB)
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Incredible Journey
A couple of weeks have passed since my last post......not because I deliberately decided not to post. But sometimes life gets a little busy and the calendar gets a little cluttered and things just don't get done. As I look back on the last couple of weeks, I'm not really sure why it feels that I've been so busy - because I'm not sure that I have been - but somehow it feels that way. Going in circles can have that effect, can't it? But it's all part of the journey, my incredible journey.
Back when I first began my Mary Kay career and attended my first of the Company's annual seminars, the theme of Seminar that year was "Incredible Journey". I still have a well-worn t-shirt with that Seminar's logo on it. As I pulled that t-shirt out a couple of days ago to wear while exercising, I began to focus on those two words......incredible journey. Before you tune me out, this is not a post about exercise (which I loathe!) or about Mary Kay (which I love!). Rather, it's about those two words.....incredible journey.....as a metaphor for my life.
Life is a journey, isn't it? And we never actually arrive at our destination, at least not in this life! There's always "one more mountain to climb, one more river to cross," as the song says. And all the events along the way, from birth to the time when we leave this life, are part of our journey.
My journey has been incredible! It isn't my intention to use this post as an autobiography, to give you a listing of all my life's events - the wonderful things that have happened along the way, as well as the not so wonderful - but rather to give you my perspective on life as well as to perhaps cause you to pause and ponder your own journey.
I had a wonderful childhood. I had amazing parents. I have the best husband ever! I could go on and on about the blessings of my life.
Like any journey, my life has had moments of beautiful scenery. Mountaintop experiences with amazing views. Overwhelming moments of joy. And along the way, there have been potholes. Ruts in the road. Times in the valley. (And that's a good thing......how can we fully appreciate the mountaintop if we've never been in the valley???).
If you have ever been on a road trip through some of the western states, or perhaps in the deserts of Africa, you can appreciate that sometimes the journey is a bit monotonous......it all looks the same! And life is like that sometimes.....a bit monotonous, just going through the motions. But then.....over the next hill or around the next curve is something amazing that you could never have anticipated!
My life has been like that. And yours as well, I would venture to say, if you would stop a moment to think about it. And so that's my challenge to you today. Take your eyes off your immediate circumstances and look at the big picture. Let's keep remembering that all the events of our lives are part of the journey......
And today, whether you are on the mountaintop, or in the valley, or on a detour, or in a rut......keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and enjoy the journey!
"......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......" (Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB)
Back when I first began my Mary Kay career and attended my first of the Company's annual seminars, the theme of Seminar that year was "Incredible Journey". I still have a well-worn t-shirt with that Seminar's logo on it. As I pulled that t-shirt out a couple of days ago to wear while exercising, I began to focus on those two words......incredible journey. Before you tune me out, this is not a post about exercise (which I loathe!) or about Mary Kay (which I love!). Rather, it's about those two words.....incredible journey.....as a metaphor for my life.
Life is a journey, isn't it? And we never actually arrive at our destination, at least not in this life! There's always "one more mountain to climb, one more river to cross," as the song says. And all the events along the way, from birth to the time when we leave this life, are part of our journey.
My journey has been incredible! It isn't my intention to use this post as an autobiography, to give you a listing of all my life's events - the wonderful things that have happened along the way, as well as the not so wonderful - but rather to give you my perspective on life as well as to perhaps cause you to pause and ponder your own journey.
I had a wonderful childhood. I had amazing parents. I have the best husband ever! I could go on and on about the blessings of my life.
Like any journey, my life has had moments of beautiful scenery. Mountaintop experiences with amazing views. Overwhelming moments of joy. And along the way, there have been potholes. Ruts in the road. Times in the valley. (And that's a good thing......how can we fully appreciate the mountaintop if we've never been in the valley???).
If you have ever been on a road trip through some of the western states, or perhaps in the deserts of Africa, you can appreciate that sometimes the journey is a bit monotonous......it all looks the same! And life is like that sometimes.....a bit monotonous, just going through the motions. But then.....over the next hill or around the next curve is something amazing that you could never have anticipated!
My life has been like that. And yours as well, I would venture to say, if you would stop a moment to think about it. And so that's my challenge to you today. Take your eyes off your immediate circumstances and look at the big picture. Let's keep remembering that all the events of our lives are part of the journey......
And today, whether you are on the mountaintop, or in the valley, or on a detour, or in a rut......keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and enjoy the journey!
"......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......" (Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB)
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