Gold, silver & bronze - share your own...

I love this idea which Janette shared on her blog today. It is found at MY PLACE TO YOURS, where Susan's idea is to share 3 blogs that were among favorites of your own postings, some that meant a lot to you as you wrote them.

So I am jumping in with 3 of my own...

Bronze... God thought enough of me to think me up!

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

Gold... Not an ordinary birthday...

Take a few minutes to visit and read some of the blogs. It's our own little Olympic celebration, even if there are no medals!

The week that wasn't...

This past week has come and gone, but I can barely remember all the details...

I started out by going to see Gracie, and it was beyond special!! The days were cut short by a phone call... our son in law thought he was going to the doctor for indigestion or acid reflux... instead, he was directed to a quick appointment with a cardiologist and the next day had open heart surgery, 4 bypasses.

I've been back and forth, staying with our 3 granddaughters while he and our daughter have been in the hospital. So many thoughts...

1. The grace of God that lead him to the right doctor BEFORE a heart attack or stroke, which he could well have had.

2. His age, he is so young to be having this serious heart issue to deal with.

3. His age, BECAUSE he is so young, a few days after 4 bypasses, he is already at home and doing just fine.

4. The church body that have surrounded them in the hospital is more than a blessing, it is amazing! Not to mention that their refrig is FULL!

5. The reminder to all of us, life is short, and on any given day, who knows but God, what may happen.

6. The prayer chains that were formed for Philip immediately, have been strong and incredible, and God has heard those prayers, and He is blessing this whole situation.

7. Because our son in law is a fit, healthy, determined, focused and strong guy... his healing is going to amaze us all.

8. A precious time for mimi and her 3 beautiful granddaughters! They are absolutely wonderful. We had a 'family meeting' and the insight and comments they shared were incredible.

9. A heart of thanksgiving that ' all our children have been taught of the Lord, and have taught their own children, and great is the peace of our children." And even more... great is the peace of their parents and grandparents!

So... all is well, and here I am, back home again, hubby glad to see me, and all the normal activities and work are still waiting for me! :)

Gifts...

I remember when I was growing up and I wondered what on earth my spiritual gift or gifts might be. I knew what my parents gifts were, but was much less sure about any that I might have.

I know now what gifts God has given me. I also know what my gifts are not. I am not a teacher or a speaker or a singer.

The gift that I am certain God has given me is the gift of encouragement. How do I know that?

I know it because encouraging others is as natural as breathing to me. I also realize that I have done nothing to deserve this gift, it's simply what God designed me to be and to do. The spiritual gifts that God give us are woven into our lives. When He created me, He knew I was to be an encourager.

Another thing about gifts is... when we are using our gifts from God, WE are blessed. We know He is using us, and it brings real joy. That's how it is with His gifts... they are meant to be used for His glory, and when they are, it helps someone else, but what it does for us is just as important.

When God creates the gift, it always blesses both the person it is used for, and the user.

These days, I am asking Him to show me new ways and more ways to let His gifts in me be used for His purposes. I know there is more that He means for me to do.

God's gifts are free, they are also extremely valuable, and His gifts were designed to be given away, over and over. His gifts are the real meaning of the 'gift that keeps on giving'!

Summer reflections #3...'forward'...

“Unless you move, the place where you are is the place where you will always be”...
(Ashleigh Brilliant)

I love this quote!

Sometimes i just get stuck!

I think about moving forward, and I even know what I SHOULD do to move forward, but I often just stay where I am...

There are times when moving forward is not the best choice, and usually I know that too. But when I KNOW WHAT TO DO AND DON"T DO IT... that's the kind of forward progress that I'm talking about...

I am so taken lately by how fast life is going... the kids are getting older, so are the grandkids... and SO AM I! This one life is IT for each one of us! I don't want to waste ANY of my days... my tomorrow is uncertain... but I DO have today!

I'm intentionally taking the steps to NOT stay where I am in the places of my life where I've been stuck!

There is a lightening of the load, mentally, emotionally & spiritually... when I am DOING WHAT I KNOW TO DO...

I've quoted this verse before, and it applies every day...

"My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving." (Col.2:6,7 MSG)

Forward... here I go!

Move that mountain!...

I wonder how many of you have a mountain in the scenery of your life, a mountain that was not erected by God, and one that blocks the road of your journey?

I do.

Do you meet your mountain head on, or do you go around it?

I am in the process of meeting a big mountain in my life, and I am moving forward into it and through it. This is not a pat myself on the back statement. Far from it. This particular mountain has been on my horizon for such a long time that you would think it's become permanent.

It has NOT become permanent.

That mountain wasn't blocking my road when I was born... it was self erected, a shovel full at a time. It will also come down a shovel full at a time.

Here's the part about changing the landscape of our lives that gets hard. I've become so good at skirting around it, or starting to chip my way through it, and then throwing down my chisel and hammer as it got hard, and forgetting that I am to 'be not weary in well doing, for in due time, you will reap, if you faint not'... that the mountain itself has become less of a problem than the one who is supposed to be chipping her way through it... me.

I've debated with myself over whether this is a sin issue or a 'less than what God wants for me' issue, or are both of those the same??

It's not one of those absolute right or wrong issues where there is no question. Instead, it's become an issue because I never moved ahead and handled it, instead I always went around it.

It has definitely been a long time issue in my life, up and down, back and forth. Yours may be something completely different.

This much I have already found as I've forged ahead.

Like Oswald Smith said... 'the minute you obey, you already know more than you did.' More about discipline, more about myself and more about God.

Perhaps the bottom line in these struggles through our mountains is that the mountain we have allowed to stand in the middle of our road, is making sure that we live with good, but not best as we journey along.

Best says that mountain is in the way, it is holding up the best in your life, and going around it doesn't remove it, it only postpones the decision and hinders forward progress.

So this summer, with my small chisel and shovel, I am steadily chipping away.

All of the chipping is observed and strengthened by the steady hands of the God who never placed that mountain there in the first place.

I'm off to get my shovel!



P.S... Hint: yo yo