Anniversary, 35 Years

     Happy 35th Anniversary to my precious husband.
     Last July, Pat and I and our younger three children drove south to visit our son, James, and his wife in South Carolina.  We left my parents house in Virginia while it was still dark because a hurricane was due to make landfall and travel up the eastern coast.  We hoped to drive south of the hurricane.  That worked as planned.
     We reached that wonderful tourist trap, South of the Border, in time for a much needed rest stop.  We wandered around their gift shop and then decided to head across the street to the Waffle House for breakfast.  You KNOW you are in the South when you see a Waffle House or a church on every corner.
     We piled back out of the car with visions of buttery syrup covered waffles in mind.  The five of us walked in.  It was July.  It was hot.  We all had on shorts.
     We were greeted by three Waffle House waitresses leaning over the counter.  These Southern ladies had eyes for only one person in the crowd.
    “OOOWWEE, Sir.  You have some mighty fine legs.  Mighty fine.”  Pat laughed.  The other two ladies giggled appreciatively and continued to goggle at the legs on display.
     I thought, “Hello, did you notice the three kids and the WIFE that came in with those mighty fine legs?”
     But wait there’s more.  The waitress leaned even further over the counter still peering at those mighty fine legs, “Why, those legs should be in a magazine.”
     Pat made a leg at his admirers and laughingly wondered what kind of magazine it would be.  Then we were escorted to a table and those mighty fine legs were tucked under it.  Our waffles were sweeter for teasing Pat.
     A marriage is made of a million little shared moments.  Those small everyday things.  The kiss in the morning. The look across a room.  The tender touch.  Singing side by side in church.  There are moments full of beauty and laughter, shared dinners, campfires, and stars.  There are giggles over waffles and syrup and mighty fine legs.  Of course there is also, sunburn, Pepto Bismal, bee stings, and trying to get everyone out of the house on time.
     Last week, Pat left me standing on line with a grocery cart to retrieve something that we had forgotten in the depths of a big box store.  It was crowded.  I saw Pat looking for me and I noticed the way his face changed when he found me.  He smiled like he hadn’t seen me in days instead of minutes.  Those are the treasured moments that make up a marriage.
    The relationship a married couple have with each other is the same as the relationship God desires with each of us.

     But now, O Israel, the Lord who created you says: "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name; you are mine.  When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you.  When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!  When you walk through the fires of oppression, you will not be burned up: the flames will not consume you.  For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.  ...  you are precious to me.  You are honored, and I love you. ~ Isaiah 43: 1-4

   So, to my dear husband, you are precious to me, and I love you, all the way down to your “mighty fine legs!”

Burning Bush

     Can you be used like a common little scrubby bush in the desert?  God used this unlikely plant to give us an important message.
     Moses was eighty years old when he received his big assignment while speaking to a burning bush.  Moses had spent forty years in the palace of the Pharaoh, left because he had murdered an Egyptian, and fled into the desert.  He then spent another forty years working as a shepherd for his father-in-law.
     We pick up the story here:

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb the mountain of God.  There the angel of at the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush.  Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.  So Moses thought, “I will fo over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”  When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to  him from within the bush, “Moses!  Moses!”  And Moses said, “Here I am.”     Do not come any closer, “ God said, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”  ~Exodus 3:1-5

     The miracles of the burning bush assured Moses of the divine presence of God.    The bush was burning, but not consumed by the fire.  Jehovah God spoke to him from the burning bush.  In many ways, we are like that little bush.
     The flaming bush was most likely a common scrubby thorn bush native to the area.  It was minding it’s own business, just sitting in a remote area of the desert, looking a whole lot like the other little thorn bushes around it.  In the scheme of things, it was a very common and very ordinary little bush.  It was also unimportant to most everyone in its immediate area of the desert.  The bush lifted its leaves and thorns to heaven and anchored its roots deep in the earth.  And then God decided to use it, right where it was, in the condition it was in, because God can use anything or anyone for His purpose.  This bush was simply available for use.  Our God likes to use things and people who are ordinary to let others see the extraordinary contrast of His presence burning within them.
     When Moses turned aside to see the burning bush, he saw that it was burning but not burning up.  The Lord of the Universe spoke to Moses from the heart of the bush.  He was willing to speak through this otherwise insignificant little bush.  God will use the foolish things of the world to show us what He wants us to see.
     God still uses ordinary people to make His point.  God may not ask me to be a Moses.  Instead, He may ask me to be a bush that allows God to speak to others through my heart.
     God’s presence was in the bush.  While the bush appeared to be burning, it was not consumed by the fire.  God protected it, not from the fire, bur through the fire.  The fire of affliction touches all of us at times.  But we can rest assured that God will take us through the fire.  The fire will not destroy us, but rather preserve and purify us.
     Zecharaiah 2:5 is referring to the city of Jerusalem, but the thought still applies.  “And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,” declares the Lord, “and I will be its glory within.”
     Will you be a bush burning for God today?  Are you available in your corner of at the desert for His use?  Or like Moses, has your time in the desert come to an end?  Is your preparation complete?  Is it time to take off your shoes because you are standing on holy ground?

PS: This post was featured at Inspire Me Monday at Create With Joy!  Thanks for stopping by.

My One Little Word for 2015

  "One little word can light up someone's day. "

         In 2009, I decided not to make any New Year’s Resolutions.  Instead, I chose the phrase, “Make room,” to guide me as I set about living the year.  In my mind I thought vaguely about decluttering, saying “No,” to tasks that sapped my energy, and focusing on the important, instead of the urgent.  God answered my intention with a diagnosis of breast cancer and I learned to make room for things that I had never considered as I navigated the murky waters of cancer and emerged on the other side.  I was shaken, a bit bedraggled, scarred, and surprisingly whole.
     I continued to “make room” in 2010.  When 2011 rolled around, I was ready for a new adventure.  I signed up for One Little Word, a class taught by Ali Edwards, and I have been taking it ever since.  The class added structure and reflection about each of the words I have chosen to embrace. Each month Ali provides a prompt around your word.  Some years, I have been better at doing the prompts than others, and that is okay.  Always, I have enjoyed the journey my words have taken me on.
      My past words have been: Kindle (2011), Dwell (2012), Believe (2013), and Sail (2014).  Each of these words continues to speak to me and have become part of my life.

     For 2015, I have chosen the word, “Anchor.”  An anchor is a source of stability, strength, and security.  It can refer to fixing or fastening firmly.

     anchornoun 1.any of several devices, usually of steel, attached to a vessel by a cable and dropped overboard so as to grip the bottom and restrict the vessel's movement2.an object used to hold something else firmly in place: 3.a source of stability or security:4.a person or thing that can be relied on for support, stability, or security; mainstay:
verb 
1.
to hold fast by an anchor.
2.
to keep hold or be firmly fixed:  (Source)

    An anchor travels with its ship to journeys end and then holds the ship securely, not allowing it to  be shifted by storms, wind, or waves.  This particularly appealed to me as we are planning on moving from the Hudson Valley of New York to a coastal town in South Carolina.

     Hebrews 6:19 says, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”  The word anchor is used metaphorically  to mean, that which supports or keeps one steadfast in the time of trial or of doubt.
     An anchor is an emblem of hope.  When you are afraid, trust in God, is the anchor that will hold you in safety.  He is the Anchor that holds.

PS:  This is not an affiliate link.  I love the One Little Word class and think that you would enjoy it as much as I do.

One Starry Night and Plan B

     Embarrassing moment number 4 million seventy-two:   Last Sunday, when I tried to share a slide show from our church's One Starry Night event the video refused to play.  Some kind of technical difficulty.  I told our Pastor in the fellowship hall after the service that regrettably, I had no Plan B.  My message for the service was the slide show.  It reminded me of a story that Pastor had shared a while back.


     A fictional story is told of a time shortly after Jesus was raised from the dead and returned to heaven. The angel Gabriel was talking with Jesus and congratulating Him on having defeated the devil with His death on the cross, resurrection from the grave. and the salvation of men.  Gabriel, an angel with a type A personality, wanted to know what the plan was to announce the salvation of mankind. Gabriel suggested that perhaps they should call out the angel worship team. The heavenly choir could appear in the sky to proclaim the good news to all of the world.
     But Jesus responded, “No, Gabriel, my followers are going to tell the world about Me.”
     “Your followers!” Gabriel gasped. “Jesus, You can’t be serious!”
     “Oh, but I am,” Jesus replied. “I’ve told the ones who believe in me to tell everyone they know abut Me. And then they will tell the people that they know, and on and on, and, well, they’ll get the word out.”
     “But Jesus,” Gabriel responded, “You can’t trust them! Look at how they’ve failed! Remember how scared they were when you were arrested? Peter even denied he knew You.  And, this is the most important message ever! The people of earth can experience peace with God because of what You did! Shouldn’t we angels tell the news?”
     Jesus shook His head firmly.
      Gabriel gave it one last try, “But, what if they fail? What’s plan B? Can the angel choir be plan B?”
     Slowly, deliberately, Jesus replied, “They must not fail. There is no plan B!”

     For two thousand years, people have been telling others about Jesus.  About His life and resurrection.  About His birth One Starry Night.
     So this time, the story was my plan B, and the video once again refused to cooperate.  But you can see it here below!

What I Learned in November

1. Once again, SNOW in November!  Twice!
2. Family is fun!  Here are five of my six children.  I love having the house full!
3. One of my most popular posts is Have You Any Room For Jesus?  This post is popular all year, but especially during the month of December when we are more conscious to make room for Jesus in the midst of Christmas preparations.
4. A few years ago, I wrote an original Christmas Story called The Innkeeper's Son.  I am often asked to share it.  Here it is for you.
5. One in ten children have difficulty with learning to read.  As a special education teacher, I was excited to see this font designed to help learners with dyslexia become readers.  Christian Boer is the graphic designer who developed Dyslexie as a thesis project.  It is available free for home use here.

DIY Carrot Clarinet

     This man, Linsey Pollak, makes a working clarinet out of a carrot with an electric drill and a saxophone mouth piece.  Fun TED talk to watch.

Talk of the Town

     I don’t watch a lot of TV, but when I do it’s more often the Hallmark channel’s sappy romances than the blood and gore of horror movies.
     When I read my Bible, I take a similar path.  I like the “Jesus loves you,” scriptures.  The ones that tell me I am healed, forgiven, and whole in Jesus.  I avoid the messy ones where people are cruel or crazy or killed.  So, I know that this is not a scripture that I’ve shared about before and yet this was where I felt led and ironically, I found a “Jesus loves you scripture” that tells about a madman in a graveyard.

  Jesus and the disciples arrived on the other side of the sea in the country of the Gerasenes. As Jesus got out of the boat, a madman from the cemetery came up to him. He lived there among the tombs and graves. No one could restrain him—he couldn’t be chained, couldn’t be tied down. He had been tied up many times with chains and ropes, but he broke the chains, snapped the ropes. No one was strong enough to tame him. Night and day he roamed through the graves and the hills, screaming out and slashing himself with sharp stones.
 When he saw Jesus a long way off, he ran and bowed in worship before him—then bellowed in protest, “What business do you have, Jesus, Son of the High God, messing with me? I swear to God, don’t give me a hard time!” (Jesus had just commanded the tormenting evil spirit, “Out! Get out of the man!”)
  Jesus asked him, “Tell me your name.”
  He replied, “My name is Mob. I’m a rioting mob.”  Then he desperately begged Jesus not to banish them from the country.
  A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs so we can live in them.” Jesus gave the order. But it was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned.
  Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. Everyone wanted to see what had happened. They came up to Jesus and saw the madman sitting there wearing decent clothes and making sense, no longer a walking madhouse of a man.
  Those who had seen it told the others what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. At first they were in awe—and then they were upset, upset over the drowned pigs. They demanded that Jesus leave and not come back.
  As Jesus was getting into the boat, the demon-delivered man begged to go along, but Jesus wouldn’t let him. Jesus said, “Go home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had mercy on you.” The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town.  ~Mark 5:1-20, The Message

     The first few verses of Mark 5 describe a man as sad and down trodden as a person could get.  He lived in a graveyard.  He was naked.  He cut himself with sharp objects.  Then Jesus’ boat bumped against the shore of his life and he, and his demons, recognized the Son of God immediately.  He begged Jesus,”Do not torment me!”  This madman’s life was a total disaster and he was afraid that Jesus was about to make it even worse.
     When some of us first glimpse Jesus, we have a similar fear.  We are afraid of what it will cost to follow Him.  Jesus might ask us to give up something of great value.  It could cost the approval of friends, or things that we do for fun or pleasure.  We might be asked to give some money.  We might even be asked to do hard things.
     Jesus responds to the man’s pleas by simply asking, “What is your name.?”  Anyone else would have defended themselves or left, refusing to make eye contact, to not see the need of this scarred, naked man.  But instead, Jesus sent him a message.  “You matter to Me.”
     Jesus knew exactly how to solve the mystery of this man’s broken life.  He sent the demons into a large herd of pigs, who ran squealing into the water and drowned.  Then the pig farmers were concerned about the cost of meeting Jesus.  Jesus had done something great and wonderful, but they were worried about the pigs.  Were they afraid that Jesus would change them, too?
     The delivered man clearly had been changed by the grace of God.  He recognized that Jesus had touched him at his most unloveable.  He was no longer a naked wild man.  He pulled on clothes.  He was able to hold a conversation.  His chains were truly broken and had no power to hold him.  He no longer needed to cut himself to feel.  He was no longer living with the dead in trespasses and sin.  He knew that Jesus did not love him because he was charming, attractive, eloquent, or talented; his former self was none of those things.  He recognized the depth of his healing.  Jesus had delivered him completely.

 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;
  heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.
My soul is in deep anguish.
Turn, Lord, and deliver me;
  save me because of your unfailing love.
Among the dead no one proclaims your name.

Who praises you from the grave?
     the Lord has heard my weeping.
The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
  
the Lord accepts my prayer. ~Verse’s from Psalm 6 

     When Jesus was about to leave, the man begged Jesus to let him accompany Him.  He went from begging Jesus to leave, to begging Jesus to take him with Him.  A complete reversal of his former demands.  Instead, Jesus sent him home to his family and friends to share the story of what had happened to him when he met Jesus.  Restored and whole.  Heard and accepted.  The talk of the town.