Sunday, March 11, 2007
nothing new here
i'm still here, just have been terribly busy and not thinking very creatively at the moment. i hope to add more seed stories this spring ....
Monday, January 15, 2007
keeping alert
a couple years ago i went away for a few days to visit my mom for a long overdue visit. i wasn't convinced that leaving my son and my husband at home without me was a good idea, but michael assured me that he could handle the responsibilities. i called every evening to check in and see how things were going on their end. one evening when i called, i woke michael up from a nap. we chatted away, and then he told me he'd call back. it seemed that josiah wasn't where he thot he was. later i found out that while mike had fallen asleep, our son decided to go down to our basement to investigate what might be waiting for him there. our laundry room is there along with a room we keep our out of season items and in one of the rooms i have my paints, rubberstamps, stencils and fabric.
michael called out joe's name, but being non-verbal he didn't answer. so michael had to search each room of the house until he found josiah in the basement. josiah was quite content sitting on the floor of my craft storage room with a can of lavender colored paint open, the white cement floor now colored with splotches of purple. you could see where he must have tipped the can while he was trying to open the lid as it had dripped heavily on the legs of the wood table next to him. josiah had purple paint adorning his clothing, hands and shoes. mike tried hard to get joe up the stairs and into the bathroom without too much injury to the house, but along the way there are several purple handprints that commemorate his adventure.
i've often commented that caring for our son is an adventure where you need eyes in the back of your head and you have to be "on" 24/7. unless you want more suprises like the paint can fiasco michael found himself cleaning up.
needing to be alert reminded me of Jesus' time here on earth, when he was praying in the garden only to find his disciples asleep. he said to them, "So, you men could not keep watch with me for one hour? Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matt26:40-41 and in Col 4:2 it says: "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving."
my need to be alert while i care for my son is one i have accepted and grown accustomed to over the years. my need to be alert in prayer is one i am just beginning to understand. for me not only do i need to be alert when i am praying before the throne of grace, but throughout my day i need to be alert to hearing and seeing those needs around me that the Lord would have me bring before Him. its so easy to go thru my day and hear about those who are in distress or need a touch of grace and yet forget all about them when my prayer time is upon me.
"Lord, help me to be attentive and alert, devoted to prayer. thank you for the opportunities to come alongside your work and be a part of the kingdom process."
michael called out joe's name, but being non-verbal he didn't answer. so michael had to search each room of the house until he found josiah in the basement. josiah was quite content sitting on the floor of my craft storage room with a can of lavender colored paint open, the white cement floor now colored with splotches of purple. you could see where he must have tipped the can while he was trying to open the lid as it had dripped heavily on the legs of the wood table next to him. josiah had purple paint adorning his clothing, hands and shoes. mike tried hard to get joe up the stairs and into the bathroom without too much injury to the house, but along the way there are several purple handprints that commemorate his adventure.
i've often commented that caring for our son is an adventure where you need eyes in the back of your head and you have to be "on" 24/7. unless you want more suprises like the paint can fiasco michael found himself cleaning up.
needing to be alert reminded me of Jesus' time here on earth, when he was praying in the garden only to find his disciples asleep. he said to them, "So, you men could not keep watch with me for one hour? Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matt26:40-41 and in Col 4:2 it says: "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving."
my need to be alert while i care for my son is one i have accepted and grown accustomed to over the years. my need to be alert in prayer is one i am just beginning to understand. for me not only do i need to be alert when i am praying before the throne of grace, but throughout my day i need to be alert to hearing and seeing those needs around me that the Lord would have me bring before Him. its so easy to go thru my day and hear about those who are in distress or need a touch of grace and yet forget all about them when my prayer time is upon me.
"Lord, help me to be attentive and alert, devoted to prayer. thank you for the opportunities to come alongside your work and be a part of the kingdom process."
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
to sleep or not to sleep
our son, who has a genetic disability, has a problem getting to sleep and staying that way without the medications we give him. even with the meds there are nights where he wakes up and won't go back to sleep or takes a couple hours to get to sleep. this means one of his parents (usually me!) is up with him, as he can't be left alone unattended. this past month of december has seen more than its share of sleep disturbed nights.
so it was with great joy and anticipation that michael and i got away for a weekend without our son. michael usually wakes up early, but that next morning we both slept in. it was heaven! that night we stayed up late and again slept in longer than before. what a sweet gift.
i was pondering on the effects sleep and lack of sleep have on me. when i get a good nights sleep i'm renewed, energized, and ready to tackle whatever the day holds. when i am sleep deprived, no amount of coffee or sugar will energize me. i go thru the day in slow motion, yawning constantly. every action an effort that drains the few reserves i have.
i have noticed a similar reaction in my life when i don't have my time with the Lord. i made it a higher priority this past year to read the Word and have some structured prayer time in the mornings. when i did have that time with God, my days were focused, energized, and alert. i had a strength that did not come from within me. but on those days that i forgot, or skipped that time with the Lord were harder to get thru. little things would trip me up during the day. i didn't have as clear a focus as i wanted and i certainly didn't have any extra strength or energy. just as a person can't live an effective life being sleep deprived over the long term, i don't believe a christian can live an effective life without the Word of God and consistant prayer time with the Lord God Almighty.
tho the hard seasons the Lord has brought me thru have drawn me closer to Him and given me a greater desire to spend time with Him, i still struggle. and knowing the flesh and blood body i inhabit, i imagine i will probably always stuggle in this area. but that isn't a reason to give up and quit fighting. no the struggle shows me that this is worth fighting for. no matter how long i struggle to be consistant in this area, i will fight, i will press on, i will endure. just as i go to bed every night hopeful for a solid 8 hours, every day i will anticipate my time with the Lord. one gives me physical strength for the day, and the other .... oh how much more!
so it was with great joy and anticipation that michael and i got away for a weekend without our son. michael usually wakes up early, but that next morning we both slept in. it was heaven! that night we stayed up late and again slept in longer than before. what a sweet gift.
i was pondering on the effects sleep and lack of sleep have on me. when i get a good nights sleep i'm renewed, energized, and ready to tackle whatever the day holds. when i am sleep deprived, no amount of coffee or sugar will energize me. i go thru the day in slow motion, yawning constantly. every action an effort that drains the few reserves i have.
i have noticed a similar reaction in my life when i don't have my time with the Lord. i made it a higher priority this past year to read the Word and have some structured prayer time in the mornings. when i did have that time with God, my days were focused, energized, and alert. i had a strength that did not come from within me. but on those days that i forgot, or skipped that time with the Lord were harder to get thru. little things would trip me up during the day. i didn't have as clear a focus as i wanted and i certainly didn't have any extra strength or energy. just as a person can't live an effective life being sleep deprived over the long term, i don't believe a christian can live an effective life without the Word of God and consistant prayer time with the Lord God Almighty.
tho the hard seasons the Lord has brought me thru have drawn me closer to Him and given me a greater desire to spend time with Him, i still struggle. and knowing the flesh and blood body i inhabit, i imagine i will probably always stuggle in this area. but that isn't a reason to give up and quit fighting. no the struggle shows me that this is worth fighting for. no matter how long i struggle to be consistant in this area, i will fight, i will press on, i will endure. just as i go to bed every night hopeful for a solid 8 hours, every day i will anticipate my time with the Lord. one gives me physical strength for the day, and the other .... oh how much more!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Need Him?
As i have mentioned, we have a very needy jack russell named Daisy. I was pondering her neediness tonite. It occurred to me that becuz she is so needy that i rarely need her. i rarely take the initiative to cuddle with her and pet her becuz she is always there, jumping to get my attention, underfoot, or getting as close to me as possible as i relax on the couch. at times its downright annoying. there are times when i don't want to give her attention becuz i need to be doing other things (or wanting to). she is low man on the totem pole in this family of high needs.
so then my thots drifted to God. does He get irritated when i have needs? but no, He's not like man. He is so much bigger than that and His capacity is so much bigger than my capacity to love on daisy, He loves me and you, and welcomes the chance to show us His love. in the psalms i see the writer many times crying out to be healed, to be rescued, to be vindicated. God never seems to mind. in fact what comes to mind is His pain and sorrow over Israel in the Old Testement when they would stray away from Him. unlike my attention with daisy, the Lord doesn't have more pressing things to do than to have fellowship with me. He isn't anxious to get His more important work done. He doesn't resent it when I come to the throne of grace and ask for mercy and grace. He wants a relationship with you and i. after all, isnt' that what Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was all about?
so then my thots drifted to God. does He get irritated when i have needs? but no, He's not like man. He is so much bigger than that and His capacity is so much bigger than my capacity to love on daisy, He loves me and you, and welcomes the chance to show us His love. in the psalms i see the writer many times crying out to be healed, to be rescued, to be vindicated. God never seems to mind. in fact what comes to mind is His pain and sorrow over Israel in the Old Testement when they would stray away from Him. unlike my attention with daisy, the Lord doesn't have more pressing things to do than to have fellowship with me. He isn't anxious to get His more important work done. He doesn't resent it when I come to the throne of grace and ask for mercy and grace. He wants a relationship with you and i. after all, isnt' that what Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was all about?
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Freedom Part 2
years ago, our beloved spunkie spent a weekend at the pound after trying to find her way home from our friends home who were dogsitting for us. we had been gone for 3 days and on the day we were coming home, spunkie decided she had had enough of this lifestyle and started running home. speeding along at 60 miles an hour on a freeway it would only take 45 minutes, but being a dog, going the back roads it took her a whole day to travel half way. she plopped down under a tree in someone's yard to recover from her long day. the woman took pity on the dog and called the pound.
when we got home from our vacation i was devastated to find that spunkie had run off. i prayed and prayed. i called the different pounds in the area monday morning as soon as they were open, i put an ad in the local newspaper and i prayed some more. tues was the 4th of July. i called the different animal control centers again, and then i noticed that a small town south of us had their own animal control. one i hadnt' noticed before. i felt the still small voice of the Holy Spirit nudge me to call.
as i told the worker my plight, trying to find my dog, he didn't think he could help as they only had two dogs. but he asked me for a description of spunkie. as i described her coloring, and her collar and the fact that she was wearing a red bandana, the workers tone changed. he said "I think we have your dog" michael and i drove as fast as we could legally go to pick her up. we checked in and drove down to the pens with the worker. sure enough, there in one of the pens was our dog spunkie! as she spotted our truck and then michael and i as we got out of the truck, her barks and cries of distress turned to ones of delight. after we got the paperwork and all taken care of, we put her in the truck between us. she kept turning from one of us to the other, each time licking, barking with glee, wagging her tail and showing her doggy delight of being rescued.
being rescued on the 4th of july we often referred to that occasion later as spunkie's independence day. her day of redemption. the shelter she had been taken to was a kill shelter and if she hadn't been found the next day they would have put her to sleep. a nice euphemism for a deadly end to life.
we all need a day of redemption, a day when we are rescued by our Father to avert the inevitable. many believe that when they die they will just go to sleep in a never-never land. or they have concocted a fairy tale to keep them from being fearful. but no matter what euphemism they come up with, the truth is we all will stand before our Creator. the Lord offers us redemption before we stand before Him so that we can be clean and holy and acceptable. but we have to take Him up on His offer. He doesn't force it upon us.
so, how bout it? have you had your day of redemption?
when we got home from our vacation i was devastated to find that spunkie had run off. i prayed and prayed. i called the different pounds in the area monday morning as soon as they were open, i put an ad in the local newspaper and i prayed some more. tues was the 4th of July. i called the different animal control centers again, and then i noticed that a small town south of us had their own animal control. one i hadnt' noticed before. i felt the still small voice of the Holy Spirit nudge me to call.
as i told the worker my plight, trying to find my dog, he didn't think he could help as they only had two dogs. but he asked me for a description of spunkie. as i described her coloring, and her collar and the fact that she was wearing a red bandana, the workers tone changed. he said "I think we have your dog" michael and i drove as fast as we could legally go to pick her up. we checked in and drove down to the pens with the worker. sure enough, there in one of the pens was our dog spunkie! as she spotted our truck and then michael and i as we got out of the truck, her barks and cries of distress turned to ones of delight. after we got the paperwork and all taken care of, we put her in the truck between us. she kept turning from one of us to the other, each time licking, barking with glee, wagging her tail and showing her doggy delight of being rescued.
being rescued on the 4th of july we often referred to that occasion later as spunkie's independence day. her day of redemption. the shelter she had been taken to was a kill shelter and if she hadn't been found the next day they would have put her to sleep. a nice euphemism for a deadly end to life.
we all need a day of redemption, a day when we are rescued by our Father to avert the inevitable. many believe that when they die they will just go to sleep in a never-never land. or they have concocted a fairy tale to keep them from being fearful. but no matter what euphemism they come up with, the truth is we all will stand before our Creator. the Lord offers us redemption before we stand before Him so that we can be clean and holy and acceptable. but we have to take Him up on His offer. He doesn't force it upon us.
so, how bout it? have you had your day of redemption?
Monday, October 30, 2006
Freedom Part 1
during our marriage, michael and i have had several dogs. we love dogs and the joy that they bring to our family. some have been better than others, some have stuck around longer, some shorter durations. but one thing that has been creeping into the pattern has been our dogs running off and getting picked up and spending a day or several days at the pound. now you can imagine for a dog that has been having a hay day, running at will, playing, sniffing new smells where he has never been before, a trip to the pound would not be any fun. all of a sudden the dog is confined in a tiny 3x4 cell with a cold cement floor, and a small bowl of food and water. but the dog isn't alone, there are other dogs there, not that they can play together, but the dog can hear them. barking, usually loudly, at their loss of freedom.
when our beagle ran off the first time we couldn't find her anywhere. i called the pound but she had not been picked up. we knew that being a beagle her nose was leading her astray. beagles have the most sensitive noses of the dog world and they can smell things of interest to them over a mile away! now she may have been having a good time, but we knew she could be in danger of getting run over or sick or any other misfortune. we hoped that she would come home on her own but she didn't. after being missing for two weeks i called the pound again. yes, they had her! she had been there a week. so we know that for the first week of her wanderings she was out and about, maybe taken in by someone by her cute face and puppy loving. but she probably got away from them as well and at some point was picked up by the pound patrol.
she may have enjoyed the fruit of her sin the first week as she was carousing the town and free to do whatever she liked. but as we all know there are consequences and repercussions to our actions. it may look like freedom to run away and do whatever her doggie heart desired, but it was just a precurser to prison. isnt' that what the story of the prodigal son shares? the young man goes away and spends all his time carousing, until he is out of money and out of friends. soon he is in a pig pen, fighting with the pigs for a morsel of food. just as sophie was in the dog pen waiting for redemption, we also can be stuck in our own prison, enduring the consequences of our actions. but the Father is waiting for us, watching the road to catch a glimpse of us returning home.
when our beagle ran off the first time we couldn't find her anywhere. i called the pound but she had not been picked up. we knew that being a beagle her nose was leading her astray. beagles have the most sensitive noses of the dog world and they can smell things of interest to them over a mile away! now she may have been having a good time, but we knew she could be in danger of getting run over or sick or any other misfortune. we hoped that she would come home on her own but she didn't. after being missing for two weeks i called the pound again. yes, they had her! she had been there a week. so we know that for the first week of her wanderings she was out and about, maybe taken in by someone by her cute face and puppy loving. but she probably got away from them as well and at some point was picked up by the pound patrol.
she may have enjoyed the fruit of her sin the first week as she was carousing the town and free to do whatever she liked. but as we all know there are consequences and repercussions to our actions. it may look like freedom to run away and do whatever her doggie heart desired, but it was just a precurser to prison. isnt' that what the story of the prodigal son shares? the young man goes away and spends all his time carousing, until he is out of money and out of friends. soon he is in a pig pen, fighting with the pigs for a morsel of food. just as sophie was in the dog pen waiting for redemption, we also can be stuck in our own prison, enduring the consequences of our actions. but the Father is waiting for us, watching the road to catch a glimpse of us returning home.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
sudoku
my husband has gotton hooked on the japanese puzzle sudoku. he bought himself a book full of the puzzles and started with the easy ones, went on to the medium ones and is now figuring out the hard puzzles.
sudoku is a puzzle of logic. there is only one correct answer for each square and if you get it wrong it starts a domino effect that is hard to reverse.
life is like a giant sudoku puzzle. when we come to a square we try to fill it in, maybe its a crossroads we've come to or a decision we need to make, but if we have built our life on a faulty foundation then it can result in alot of pain. sometimes we try to erase the mistakes we've made but often we don't even know which square has the wrong number in it.
but in life, as in sudoku, there is a right answer. and we can find those answers in the Word of God. the Lord has laid out directions showing us how to live our lives. proverbs is replete with wisdom about how to live life, as are many other books both new and old testement.
i find in my life its not so much the wisdom isn't there, but rather i haven't searched the scriptures to find the wisdom or if i know what is right i don't do it. wisdom without obedience is not wisdom. so like sudoku, instead of guessing i will search until i find the right answer and the put it in the box. how about you?
sudoku is a puzzle of logic. there is only one correct answer for each square and if you get it wrong it starts a domino effect that is hard to reverse.
life is like a giant sudoku puzzle. when we come to a square we try to fill it in, maybe its a crossroads we've come to or a decision we need to make, but if we have built our life on a faulty foundation then it can result in alot of pain. sometimes we try to erase the mistakes we've made but often we don't even know which square has the wrong number in it.
but in life, as in sudoku, there is a right answer. and we can find those answers in the Word of God. the Lord has laid out directions showing us how to live our lives. proverbs is replete with wisdom about how to live life, as are many other books both new and old testement.
i find in my life its not so much the wisdom isn't there, but rather i haven't searched the scriptures to find the wisdom or if i know what is right i don't do it. wisdom without obedience is not wisdom. so like sudoku, instead of guessing i will search until i find the right answer and the put it in the box. how about you?
Sunday, September 17, 2006
the lawnmower
our son joe loves lawnmowers. when the family comes over to mow our lawn on mondays he bounces for joy at seeing them take out the lawnmower and start to get to work. if we're around and we feel like giving him a little fun, we let him go outside and he will chase the person mowing the lawn, up and down the yard, laughing boisterously at the fun of it all. when we go to the local hardware store he points to where the lawnmowers are sitting and if our attention wanders we can always find him there.
a couple weeks ago my husband and i started talking about looking for an old lawnmower at a garage sale to pick up for joe. something he could push around the lawn for fun and exercise. a few days later joe got out of the house, before we could blink we were looking all over for him. we found him coming down the sidewalk pushing a red lawnmower. we assumed it was our neighbors so we put in his back yard. the next day our n'bor told us it wasn't his. so joe and michael pushed the lawnmower to the next n'bors house. it wasn't theirs either so they left it on the front sidewalk hoping that the owner would see it and grab it. after 3 or 4 days no one had claimed it.
during those 3 days joe insistantly told us in his non-verbal way that he wanted to push that lawnmower. since no one had claimed it we decided it was a gift from God for Joe and let him play with it. we leave it on our front lawn in case the rightful owner should turn up to claim it, after 2 weeks no one has.
i am in awe of God's goodness and compassion in my son's life. if he could i'm sure joe would have prayed and asked God for a lawnmower, in his own way he was always asking us for one! and even tho joe couldn't pray the way we tend to think of prayer, God granted his fervent request and brought a lawnmower to him. tho i dont' know if joe understands that this is a gift from heaven, he is happy and shows his thankfulness every day by the joy he exhibits as he pushes that old lawnmower around the yard.
i am inspired by my son's example of thankfulness. i too, want to react with joy when the Lord brings a gift into my life, whether i have been praying for it or not. i want to acknowledge that He is the giver of all good things and that those good things that come into my life are not driven by luck or chance, but by a Heavenly Father who loves me. i want to enjoy those gifts that the Lord brings, but also remember that they are on loan. i am not the rightful owner. i must hold loosely what God has given me in case He takes it away.
"Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights." James 1:17
sept 19th, postscript:
sunday afternoon after i wrote this, daisy ran away. after walking around the n'borhood looking for her and talking with a couple n'bors we had to conclude that she was gone. hoping that she would make her way home, by nighttime those hopes were dashed.
i woke up that night feeling sad and fretful about losing daisy. but i have to conclude that it was not a coincidence in timing. the Lord was testing me, to see if i was really living what i was sharing. so i had to give daisy over to the Lord. the verse from Job came to mind "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord" and so i gave her over to the Lord, thankful for the time we had had with her.
monday michael suggested i call the pound just in case. i wasn't enthused about doing so as i had truly thot she was gone for good, but i called. they didn't have her, but they took my name just in case. 3 hours later the pound called and said they thot they might have her. we went to check it out. the walls reverbrated with the sounds of barking dogs. i went down the aisle scanning to see if there was a black and white terrier. i saw one that was similiar and my heart sank, it wasn't her, but i kept walking. at the end of the room in the last kennel was daisy, trembling with fear. once she saw me she stood up and a huge smile replaced her earlier woeful look. i couldn't believe it was our daisy. the Lord had restored her to us. after taking care of the paperwork we took her home and she and i snuggled on the couch.
i am in awe of how the Lord works in our lives and how He is faithful to teach us what we need to know. its easy to share things that the Lord brings to mind but harder to actually live them out. yet the Lord knows that if its just words, it has no power. it must be in my heart and my life to make a difference. i pray that this lesson will stay in my heart forever. may all of us be able to say "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, Blessed be the name of the Lord"
a couple weeks ago my husband and i started talking about looking for an old lawnmower at a garage sale to pick up for joe. something he could push around the lawn for fun and exercise. a few days later joe got out of the house, before we could blink we were looking all over for him. we found him coming down the sidewalk pushing a red lawnmower. we assumed it was our neighbors so we put in his back yard. the next day our n'bor told us it wasn't his. so joe and michael pushed the lawnmower to the next n'bors house. it wasn't theirs either so they left it on the front sidewalk hoping that the owner would see it and grab it. after 3 or 4 days no one had claimed it.
during those 3 days joe insistantly told us in his non-verbal way that he wanted to push that lawnmower. since no one had claimed it we decided it was a gift from God for Joe and let him play with it. we leave it on our front lawn in case the rightful owner should turn up to claim it, after 2 weeks no one has.
i am in awe of God's goodness and compassion in my son's life. if he could i'm sure joe would have prayed and asked God for a lawnmower, in his own way he was always asking us for one! and even tho joe couldn't pray the way we tend to think of prayer, God granted his fervent request and brought a lawnmower to him. tho i dont' know if joe understands that this is a gift from heaven, he is happy and shows his thankfulness every day by the joy he exhibits as he pushes that old lawnmower around the yard.
i am inspired by my son's example of thankfulness. i too, want to react with joy when the Lord brings a gift into my life, whether i have been praying for it or not. i want to acknowledge that He is the giver of all good things and that those good things that come into my life are not driven by luck or chance, but by a Heavenly Father who loves me. i want to enjoy those gifts that the Lord brings, but also remember that they are on loan. i am not the rightful owner. i must hold loosely what God has given me in case He takes it away.
"Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights." James 1:17
sept 19th, postscript:
sunday afternoon after i wrote this, daisy ran away. after walking around the n'borhood looking for her and talking with a couple n'bors we had to conclude that she was gone. hoping that she would make her way home, by nighttime those hopes were dashed.
i woke up that night feeling sad and fretful about losing daisy. but i have to conclude that it was not a coincidence in timing. the Lord was testing me, to see if i was really living what i was sharing. so i had to give daisy over to the Lord. the verse from Job came to mind "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord" and so i gave her over to the Lord, thankful for the time we had had with her.
monday michael suggested i call the pound just in case. i wasn't enthused about doing so as i had truly thot she was gone for good, but i called. they didn't have her, but they took my name just in case. 3 hours later the pound called and said they thot they might have her. we went to check it out. the walls reverbrated with the sounds of barking dogs. i went down the aisle scanning to see if there was a black and white terrier. i saw one that was similiar and my heart sank, it wasn't her, but i kept walking. at the end of the room in the last kennel was daisy, trembling with fear. once she saw me she stood up and a huge smile replaced her earlier woeful look. i couldn't believe it was our daisy. the Lord had restored her to us. after taking care of the paperwork we took her home and she and i snuggled on the couch.
i am in awe of how the Lord works in our lives and how He is faithful to teach us what we need to know. its easy to share things that the Lord brings to mind but harder to actually live them out. yet the Lord knows that if its just words, it has no power. it must be in my heart and my life to make a difference. i pray that this lesson will stay in my heart forever. may all of us be able to say "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, Blessed be the name of the Lord"
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
sting rays
having an 8 yr old son in the family, we have been avid fans of "The Crocodile Hunter" for the past few years. steve irwin made a name for himself catching and relocating crocs down under where he lived. josiah loved his show, esp when steve was feeding the crocodiles fresh meat and the snapping jaws of a croc would just miss steve's leg or arm.
so it was with much sadness that we learned of steve's untimely death last weekend, having been stung by a stingray in the chest as he and his camera man were shooting another special. as the tale unfolded, it seemed that steve had been swimming above the stingray which had then flipped over and whipped its stinger into steve's chest. steve instinctively pulled the stinger out of his chest thus creating a gaping hole and losing massive amounts of blood before losing consciousness. he died before help could fly him to a hospital.
i overheard two women talking about the incident and one mentioned that if steve had not have pulled the stinger out he may have lived. one never knows, but doctors advise that if you have something lodged in your chest area, your head or around your mouth that you get a doctor to take care of it instead of trying to take it out yourself.
i thot of the many times i have been wounded, not physically, but emotionally and spiritually. my first instinct is to pull the stinger out and throw it back at the person who has hurt me. but i only end up a bloody mess when i do that. it seems to hurt twice as much, and then i have to watch out for more falling stingers aimed at me from the one i just threw one at. i'm slowly learning that it is better to take my wound to the Lord and allow Him to pull out the stinger and heal the wound. it seems to hurt less that way .... and the stinging arrows stop flying towards me. going to the Lord and having Him pull out the stinger allows forgiveness and restoration to be given and received between me and the other party....
either way the barb hurts, but if i take it to the Lord He has wonderful ointment that soothes the pain and heals the open wound. He comforts and consoles me as i give Him all my pain. He is after all, the Great Physician.
so it was with much sadness that we learned of steve's untimely death last weekend, having been stung by a stingray in the chest as he and his camera man were shooting another special. as the tale unfolded, it seemed that steve had been swimming above the stingray which had then flipped over and whipped its stinger into steve's chest. steve instinctively pulled the stinger out of his chest thus creating a gaping hole and losing massive amounts of blood before losing consciousness. he died before help could fly him to a hospital.
i overheard two women talking about the incident and one mentioned that if steve had not have pulled the stinger out he may have lived. one never knows, but doctors advise that if you have something lodged in your chest area, your head or around your mouth that you get a doctor to take care of it instead of trying to take it out yourself.
i thot of the many times i have been wounded, not physically, but emotionally and spiritually. my first instinct is to pull the stinger out and throw it back at the person who has hurt me. but i only end up a bloody mess when i do that. it seems to hurt twice as much, and then i have to watch out for more falling stingers aimed at me from the one i just threw one at. i'm slowly learning that it is better to take my wound to the Lord and allow Him to pull out the stinger and heal the wound. it seems to hurt less that way .... and the stinging arrows stop flying towards me. going to the Lord and having Him pull out the stinger allows forgiveness and restoration to be given and received between me and the other party....
either way the barb hurts, but if i take it to the Lord He has wonderful ointment that soothes the pain and heals the open wound. He comforts and consoles me as i give Him all my pain. He is after all, the Great Physician.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
the car wash
we have been saying we need to get the car washed ever since we got home from vacation. finally, this morning we had a moment to do so. daisy, our jack russell was with us. she is still a puppy and we have only had her a little over a month. this was her first trip thru the car wash with us.
daisy is a needy dog. she was found wandering around home depot by my girlfriend and tho we love her dearly, she is a bit high strung. even when we are not going thru a car wash she wants to be right next to us or even on our laps. she doesn't seem to understand that a dog her size on a driver's lap just isn't going to happen.
the workers started to soap up the windshield and soon they were spraying all the windows. daisy wasn't sure what to make of all the water and noise. she crowded close to me and tried to get on my lap. instead, michael scooped her up into his arms and held her tight. she nestled into his arms, trembling as the big machines started to swish the cloth strips around and over our van.
"though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me."
there is great comfort knowing that the Lord is with us thru the valleys we go thru. whether they are scary car washes, stays in the hospital for some unknown illness, or some other unsettling situation, we can draw close to the Father, knowing that He will pick us up and comfort us, walk with us through the valley and that we don't have to fear any evil. sounds good to me!
daisy is a needy dog. she was found wandering around home depot by my girlfriend and tho we love her dearly, she is a bit high strung. even when we are not going thru a car wash she wants to be right next to us or even on our laps. she doesn't seem to understand that a dog her size on a driver's lap just isn't going to happen.
the workers started to soap up the windshield and soon they were spraying all the windows. daisy wasn't sure what to make of all the water and noise. she crowded close to me and tried to get on my lap. instead, michael scooped her up into his arms and held her tight. she nestled into his arms, trembling as the big machines started to swish the cloth strips around and over our van.
"though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me."
there is great comfort knowing that the Lord is with us thru the valleys we go thru. whether they are scary car washes, stays in the hospital for some unknown illness, or some other unsettling situation, we can draw close to the Father, knowing that He will pick us up and comfort us, walk with us through the valley and that we don't have to fear any evil. sounds good to me!
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