I saw my name in my mother's prayer journal...

I have been reading over some of my mother's journals. Most of you probably already know she was a minister's wife, raising the 3 of us through the years, often while dad was traveling and preaching. Now that she and dad are in heaven, I find myself reaching for what they both wrote down through their lifetimes. I have several of her journals and many of my dad's writings, some in book form.

Everything they wrote is dear to me... but when I saw MY name in her prayer journals, many times over, it struck deep into my own heart.

I know that some of her deepest lessons in faith came from trusting God for the 3 of us as her children. Some of the places where I see my name... when I needed God's correction and she needed His help... when she asked for specific guidance in how to handle a struggle, or when she was trying to reach a teenage girls heart and needed His strength ... another place was when I had Spinal Menningitis and the question of whether I would live or die was up to God. She knew that, and she surrendered my life to Him during those days. She told me later that she literally had to 'give me up', to the Lord not knowing if I would live or die.

It's all there, hand written in her journals, there are even some blurs where I have no doubt a tear fell...

The places where my name appears, were added to and crossed out through the years. Much later, our children's names were added to those books.... I can tell you that one of the things all 3 of us found that we missed the most, after they went to heaven, was KNOWING THAT THEY WERE PRAYING FOR US!!! ... I always knew they prayed for us, but when those prayers were gone from this life, we felt such a sense of loss. It's as though our 'safety net' had gone with them...

I'm so thankful that through the years, my mom and I were able to share many of those prayer requests... and the answers.

The reason I share this is to remind each of you, and myself, that OUR prayers for our children matter! They matter to us, to our children, and mostly, they matter to God. He hears the heart of His own, and He responds to those precious prayers, every single one of them!

So don't be discouraged if you haven't yet seen the results you so long for. He is listening, and every desire of your heart as a mom, dad or grandparent is being recorded in HIS book!

But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children's children--To such as keep His covenant [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it] and to those who [earnestly] remember His commandments to do them [imprinting them on their hearts]. (Psalm 103:17,18 Amplified)

I'm not a 'preacher'... but...

It occurred to me the other day as I was reading comments from one of my postings, that almost every topic I write about comes straight from what's going on in my mind and heart. When I write about faith, or fear, or obedience or waiting on God... it's usually because that is what I am adressing in my life ... and it's where He knows I need His instruction and help...

It's always interesting that so many others are on the same page! That's another blessing that comes from blogging... the fellowship of other like minded 'saints' (whoa... understand that I am really using that term loosely!! I know the Bible calls us 'saints', but I know me... and that word is a hard fit many days)... Still... that's what the Bible calls us... :D

I wonder if it isn't the same for many of you... that your writing many times is reflecting your own walk. It is always a help to me to put it down on paper. And no... not every thought or struggle that goes through my mind or heart is put into blog form... but I have seen it over and over, the encouragement of my own heart when I share what God is teaching me.

My intent is never to sound like I'm preaching... or that I have it all together...

On the other hand, there are lessons and 'nuggets' (one of my dad's favorite words), that He puts on my heart to share, maybe for the encouragement or edification of someone else. After all... we are all works in progress and our learning curves are all different and at various places along the road... and having said that... there SHOULD be results in our lives! If we are really living 'greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world'... it needs to be showing in our lives!

One more blog thing... there are some out there that ONLY talk about how they are experiencing victory... that God has lead them to a place of complete rest and peace...

#1 thing that makes me feel is... that I am not even on their radar screen!

#2 thing that I feel is somehow slightly guilty that I don't have that same constant victory in my own life!

and then.... I am reminded quickly in my own heart, that God IS working in me, and that I AM learning how to trust Him and to obey more quickly. I also am reminded that 'there is none that doeth good... NO, not one'...

I have never been overly blessed by ONLY hearing about someone's great victories.... but I am ALWAYS blessed when I hear a fellow believer share that they too struggle, with fear, obedience, trusting, waiting, and on and on... and then testify how God is changing that in their lives. He is doing that in me too... But... I still struggle, I still disobey, and I still desire more than anything NOT to!

There are also more than a few blogs that I read regularly, writers whose lives I deeply respect... it comes through in their gifted and knowledgeable words. The funny thing is... they don't hesitate to share their struggles as well as what God is doing to change them... I LOVE THAT!!! It blesses me every time... I love a good solid testimony of the life changing grace of God, but... let us share the struggles you have too... it's something most of us can identify with and be encouraged by, and learn from, as we see God 'working it out' in each other.

This journey is a 'marathon, not a sprint', as someone has said. We're all in it together...

This is a very special fellowship of friends, and with fellow believers, it's 'iron sharpens iron', as we share our hearts...

Final word of this lengthy (for me) blog... YOU all are the ones who bless ME!

A word from Proverbs... harsh words...

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words cause quarrels." (Prov.15:1)

This one I did NOT want to write about! This one hits way too close to home! How many times have I spoken a harsh word and regretted it?? I can't begin to count!! I am married to a strong and independent man... the clash comes because I am also a strong and independent woman!!

This much I DO know... a gentle response ALWAYS changes the course of the conversation. Ask my husband! I am working hard to change my responses when they are harsh... I have begun to really intensely dislike that word... harsh!

There are times when I even feel justified in giving the wrong kind of response... after all... HE IS WRONG!!

NOPE... not what God says for me to do... and He is very clear about it!

I have seen over and over, in my own home, when I intentionally give a gentle answer... it enriches and blesses my heart. I have also seen how quickly my husband notices... it blesses his heart too.

I can tell you... in my 'quiet and sincere' voice... God always blesses when I tone down a hasty retort, and give a quiet response... always!!... My husband loves it, I am happy, and the whole mood changes!

... By the way... I had my husband read this one before I posted it... I got a big smile and a 'thumbs up!'...

fear...

I recently heard someone say that there are 365 DO NOT FEAR verses in the Bible! I did a little digging, and there are many opinions on the exact number. The point is... If there were only ONE Do Not Fear verse, that would be enough!...

Fear is such a robber and a thief!

Fear is the flip side of faith... faith believes, fear doubts, faith claims the promises of God and dares to stand on them!

Fear is one of those things that I am 'learning' to reject immediately. (Like my dad used to say... "Recognize it, and refuse it!...

If I don't... it begins to get a 'foothold' in my mind and robs me of peace. I say 'learning' because I still get tripped up by this one... it is a 'biggie'... it touches the very heart of what we as believers claim, that God is real and His word is true... and that all of His promises are as good as gold!...

There is no law that says I must entertain fear... but there are many scriptures that tell me not to! And every one of them is backed by the authority of God Himself!

I need a little humor...

"Anyone with needs to be prayed over, come forward, to the front at the altar, the preacher said.

John gets in line, and when it's his turn, the preacher asks: "John, what do you want me to pray about for you?"

John replies: "Preacher, I need you to pray for my hearing".

The preacher puts one finger in John's ear, and he places the other hand on top of John's head and prays and prays and prays, he prays a blue streak for John.

After a few minutes, the Preacher removes his hands, stands back and asks, "John, how is your hearing now?"...

John says, "I don't know, Reverend, it ain't til next Wednesday!"...

I'd like you to meet someone special...

I have some very dear friends who live in Houston, this is their baby, and grandbaby... Witt. Witt was born with a rare chromosome disorder. He has 'defied the odds' so many times in his short life that each time is a miracle... but of course, we know that with God... there are no odds, which this family knows and claims everyday...

Most of Witt's life to this point has been spent at 'Children's' Medical Center in Houston, he's had many more days and nights there than in his own crib at home...

His story is far from finished, but I can't begin to tell you what his little life and the family who has walked this journey with him, means to me. I have sat in amazement at one trial and emergency after another, when Witt's life seemed to hang in the balance, and watched his family boldly say that they were trusting God and that Witt is God's child, chosen and created by Him...

I've cried with them, laughed with them and thanked God with them, and for them... over and over... all through the pictures and words they've shared during these months.

They have ministered to so many at Children's Hospital in Houston. I know for a fact that my friend Karen (a very YOUNG grandma, on the right here) could never spend all those days and nights (and she's been there, day and night!) close to Melanie and Witt and not share with those around her... her joy is infectious, and she knows the reason for it and knows those hurting families need the hope of Jesus. And besides... Karen has NEVER met a stranger! :)

Melanie, Witt's mom, is a picture of God's love, as she steps up to the plate day and night, in a world that she knew nothing about prior to Witt's birth. I've watched the way she tenderly loves and cares for each of his needs, with a devoted and beautiful spirit, her heart for Witt is in her loving hands and always in her eyes!... His dad, Austan is a steady rock to both of them.

This last picture is my favorite! Double click so you can see it... a loving mom and her precious baby boy!

If you want to see living faith in action, take a minute to visit over at Witt's page, I promise you will be blessed...

Be careful what you ask for...

Maybe it's just me...

but...

Whenever I take a new step into more fully abiding in Christ... instead of the immediate 'joy' and 'peace'... many times there are more trials and tests than before...

Here I've been given a new glimpse of Jesus, and desire more than ever to be fully obedient and yielded, and ...

Things start falling apart all around me... personal trials seem to grow, things that had never been a problem suddenly are irrationally out of hand, frustrations and testings take on a new level of intensity...

Some years ago, I had been praying for a deeper work of God in my life and in our marriage... later my husband said...'please tell me the next time you start praying like that, so I will be prepared!'... :) He was more than half way serious!

It's as though God was saying to me..."I love your new desires, but... 'are you sure??'... Let's see if you really mean it!... Usually, He sees something that needs to be changed or removed ...


I've come to 2 conclusions:

#1... when God is doing a new thing in my heart, many times it comes hand in hand with some new testing or trial.

#2... it's worth every bit of it!

This life is speeding along faster than I can keep up with... I keep praying these words in my daily life...

Trust and Obey..
Don't waste one more day!

I've already told you I like one liners... but this one has surfaced so many times that I know God means for me to listen and learn it!

Does your fruit connect to the root?...

Years ago, in one of the talks my mom used to share at women's groups... she spoke of the kind of fruit that 'grows on our tree'... she described a tree that was full of beautiful looking fruit, but had no roots...

Just imagine a gorgeous tree... full of fancy, sparkling fruit hanging all over it, but when you look at the tree more closely, the fruit is just stuck onto the branch to decorate it, to make it look good...

Those shiny fruits were placed there from the outside, so there was never any life to them, no depth, and no roots. They just hang there, and if a good strong wind comes along.... they fly away or fall off... they were never connected to the root.

Sometimes there is a temptation to decorate our tree on the outside, so we hang our fruit on the branches and hope someone will notice how special our tree looks...

The only kind of fruit that matters, is the kind that grows up from the root of the tree and into the branch while attached to the source of it's life. This is the fruit of the Spirit, and it is nourished from the root that gives life to the tree... God Himself.

He is the source of the life that produces fruit. It's His fruit that we all seek for our tree to be filled with...

There are names for these fruits...

love
joy
peace
patience
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
gentleness
self control

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
“(John 15:5)

A word from Proverbs...a beautiful woman...

"A beautiful woman lacking discretion and modesty is like a fine gold ring in a pig's snout." (Proverbs 11:22)

How fine is a beautiful gold ring when you picture it in the nose of a pig??

Have you seen a woman that fits this description? I have, and it's always surprising. She has all the physical beauty that is attractive, but her attitude and manner and often her words are something entirely different...

What I know for sure is that I have seen behaviour at times in my own life that in some way reminds me of this pig... and I don't like it!! When I lose my temper, or nag, or gossip... or a whole list of things that we know we are capable of.... that ring just fits!

I don't want to look anything like this pig, and guess what?? ...God doesn't want me to either!...

I love the Proverbs 31 description of what a beautiful and Godly woman looks like. I have also known many of these women, and that is my prayer for my own life. Once again, it's a daily choice... my way or God's way!

It's those 'little foxes'...

"It's the little foxes that spoil the vines"... (Song of Solomon 2:15)

These are the little foxes that tried to spoil my vines during the last few weeks....

...the upstairs water heater burst and came raining down through the ceiling of the downstairs bathroom...

...the whole upstairs air conditioning condenser died and had to be replaced....

...several of the sprinkler heads went south and either gushed like a geyser or were buried into the lawn and just bubbled up and flooded... they did not 'sprinkle'...

The money spent on these things was not cosmetic, you don't invite your friends over to see your new water heater!

I realize they are all unimportant compared to the serious problems that many are going through, but that's the point... these little foxes are the daily annoyances and frustrations that can unravel me, frustrate me, and rob my joy!

I want to be faithful in the little things, and trust God in the midst of them. I have a choice to make, each time a little fox comes into my day, and so do you...

They are definitely going to come...

God knows all about them, and He wants us to handle them with a quiet spirit and the knowledge that He is in the details and will take care of them too...

It's one more way He teaches us to trust Him! It's His way or my way... and I know from much experience that His way is ALWAYS the best!

I remember mama...AGAIN...

When I was growing up, there was a tv series by that name, it reminded us of her...

We never really called her mama... we always called her mother...

It's been 9 years, and on Mother's Day... my memories of her still bring sorrow and joy...

The life she lived, the joy she shared, the mother she was.... in this world, will always leave a big hole in my heart...

What I learned about God, about life and about myself, were lessons taught to me by how she lived and who she was...

She was deeply committed to God, my dad and the 3 of us... we were her life...
She also ...

was a women's speaker at christian conferences...

baked and shared 1000's of cookies in her lifetime, for us, and to give away, by the beautiful plateful...

Lead many, many people to faith in Jesus Christ...

Prayed... and then prayed some more, and kept praying all through her life...

She was a Registered Nurse, and worked the night shift, even as she raised the 3 of us, and usually while dad was in another part of the world preaching...

She was always on the lookout for someone who might need a helping word or hand, and gave it quickly and gladly...

I think my very best memories of her were her JOY and laughter and humor, we all called her 'the fun one'...

She had it together, and she passed down to us a legacy for a lifetime! Oh how I miss her and love her!

My mom...

Living up to the light we've been given...

Are we living up to the 'light' we've been given??...

There is a tremendous responsiblity that comes with knowing and understanding God's truth and His Word!

You would think it goes without saying that to understand what He has done for us and what He promises to do in our lives would lead us to joyfully go forward and never look back!

As most of us know... that doesn't always happen. It is a journey, and there are times along the way that we move much slower than we should, and end up disappointing ourselves, and Him... and knowing that we have not lived up to His truth...

He expects us to take what He has taught us and live it ...If we don't... we begin to fade in our faith, and to experience that dry, desert place ...

"Impression without expression leads to depression" (Adrian Rogers)

The wonderful truth is... the more we walk with Him and understand His ways, the fewer those times are, and the greater our desire to NOT allow them. There are times when I literally stamp my foot and say "NO" to the temptation that may be pulling me. There are other times when it creeps in almost before I know it, but I ALWAYS know it immediately after I've done something wrong!

His forgiveness is so welcome when that happens. And with forgiveness, He means for me to learn... to listen to His voice ... and to obey more quickly...

A word from Proverbs... too much talking! ...

"Don't talk so much. You keep putting your foot in your mouth. Be sensible and turn off the flow!" (Prov.10:19)

I love the Book of Proverbs! Today as I was reading, it occured to me that I am so blessed and challenged by many of the 'one liners' in this book of instructions, that maybe I should do a periodic blog, to remind each of us of the practical, easy to understand truths in this book.

This is a great one to begin with... it's one that I've felt the sting and regret of many times. Do you relate?...

I love the way God gives us such perfect illustrations of His thoughts ... (each translation is a little different, but all make the same point!) He knows us... and His message is delivered in these chapters with such clear and direct words that there is no escaping the truth because it's "too complicated"!... He speaks right to my heart!

I'm pretty sure that one of the reasons I love Proverbs is because each verse IS short and to the point... I think my brain is the kind that likes to get right to the bottom line, and carry away a message that I can remember through the day!... There is so much practical truth in this book. I am caught by these 'one liners' that pack a punch... Proverbs is full of them!