Uncategorized

Correction from yesterday’s post……

Hey all, yesterday I mistakenly said that my old schoolmate Mary had passed away…..My Mom corrected me. She is still alive but in a nursing home, it was her Mom that passed away. My prayers will continue to go out for Mary and her child. I hastened to post this, because my hometown is pretty small and I would hate to think word would have gotten out without being able to set this straight!

Also, Nikole Hahn was kind enough to share some of my thoughts on blogging and writing today at her site….Please join me over there!

http://thewritelife2.wordpress.com/

St. Augustine’s Diet Plan

Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. Genesis 1:29
I came across this bit of wisdom from St. Augustine in the little devotional book, Early Will I Seek You, a 40 day journey in the company of Augustine. He has this to say about food:
“You have taught me that I should approach the taking of food as I approach medicine. For hunger and thirst are pains of a sort. They break down the body and burn, unless the “medicine” of nourishment relieves us. And it’s by eating and drinking that we repair the daily losses of the body, until such time as you destroy both the stomach and food. (1 Corinthians 6:13) At that time you will kill all fleshly hungers by filling us with your wonderful plenty. Then you will clothe this corruptible body with an everlasting body that cannot be corrupted. (1 Corinthians 15:54)
But until that day, I fast and wage war because I need to bring my body into subjection.”
I have lost and gained the same 10-15 pounds for many, many years. I love sweets and pizza and burgers, and every bit of weight is noticeable on a 5′ 1″ frame. I get lazy and would much rather sit and read than workout. Others have a much bigger struggle than mine, but I do identify with the struggle. Let’s face it, we can’t just stop eating. I tried that once, believe me, it doesn’t work. I got down to 83 pounds, anorexia had me in it’s grip, and I was in a battle for my life……
I can truly say that God healed me in a miraculous way, of that I have no doubt whatsoever. It was due to the prayers of my family that I was snatched out the power of that particular death grip. It was God and Jazzercise that saved me. After making my self sick, I then had to make myself well. Though God healed my mind, I had to love my body back into health.
Augustine goes on further to state:
“Now, let us be honest, eating and drinking are pleasurable, and good food is healthful for the body. But I may sit down to eat and drink for the sake of health, and then for pleasure go on to eat and drink far more than I need or over what is healthful. Often it is so difficult to tell the difference, whether my body has a healthy appetite or whether I am being deceived by my own overwhelming greed……”
He ends with this prayer that I join him in praying today:
“I call upon you, O Lord, and offer up all my confusion to you. Help me to clearly discern my own motives. Because food and drink are needs and pleasures, this is not the kind of thing I can renounce once and for all, as I was able to do with fornication. And who, Lord, is not sometimes carried beyond the bounds of “necessity?” I ask you, O Lord, to help me keep a right grip, neither too loose or too tight, on the reins of my palate. Confessions 10
I think this prayer fits just about any issue we are struggling with……..
I present my humble offering of Gratitude today, continuing the count with the community of believers………
A brand new tomato, which Elaine presented to the neighbor lady next door, little sprouts that reach toward the sun, another Sunday to worship and yes, enjoy eating outside before it gets too hot…..laughter and conversation with our neighbors……phone calls across the miles that bring us close……healthy discussions about what we heard yesterday in church……a healthy body and an abundance of food…..projects that provide a sense of accomplishment……two mornings of not having to get up early…..the Holy Spirit that gives us the strength to do what we cannot……#878-888
 

House of Prayer #2

 

The title of this book struck me first, and the fact that this was a memoir set in the South pulled me in further. But the opening line was so intriguing that I had to check this book out even though I am already two books deep into a reading list I started last week. When I closed the cover yesterday after reading just about nonstop, I felt like I had just come to the end of a roller coaster ride and yet the book was still zinging around in my head.

It is written a bit differently than many memoirs I have read, entirely in the second person. But the story is what whisks you away from the start. There are also quotes throughout the book that are like hidden gems in the grass waiting to be found. This book will take you on a journey. It is part magical mystery tour, part train-wreck, part heartbreaking, and part hysterical.

It is disconcerting, jarring, gritty, and extremely real. It is like reading through a life in one long sentence. I really enjoyed this book. Several times I had to remind myself that I was not reading a fiction novel, but that this was the story of someones actual life.

This book is proof that truth can indeed be stranger than fiction at times.

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed………..

 

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.  For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.  Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.  I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.  And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. John 17:1-5

I wish you grace and peace on this Palm Sunday……

Help me Lord, to fix my eyes on you always, and not myself…..Help me to remember that I can never clean up my messes with filthy rags, but with Your righteousness only can I be washed clean once again, and thank you that always, your window of Grace stands open……

Redeeming the years

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:37

We had the privilege to attend a miracle last evening…..the remarriage of Elaine’s nephew Kaleb to his wife, Angela. For many years they were lost to the blackness of drugs and addiction.  Then they were lost to each other and everyone else. Possessed by something beyond their control…..and the kids caught in the middle, seeing things and hearing things they never should have.

And when you think of these two……on the streets, and then going their separate ways. All those days and nights spend praying and hoping against hope that they would make it out…..So many years lost, so many sleepless nights of worry and grief…….And not to mention all the anger, betrayal and broken trust.

When the story is bigger than everything, and there are no words left to say, the Grace of God fills in the spaces. That is where they are now…..and we are right there with them. There was love around them last night. From family old and new. It was important to tell them with our presence…..we are here to support you, and we aren’t going away.

They landed in a mission…….they got clean……and sober…..she came back…..and now, they not only have their own family back, they are part of a bigger family now. God’s family. The scars, while still visible inside and out, are healing. And they’re all together. The biggest miracle of all.

In a story like this, with so much unbelievable heartache behind it, with words not being adequate to explain it all, the only thing you can say is that God is enough. God’s grace pulled them and everyone else through. All the times when we held our breath and prayed. And yes, we did pray that the salvation would “stick.”

And it has.

By God’s Great and Wonderful Grace, He is redeeming the lost years.

Our prayers were heard. And they still need them so much.

Living miracles, each and every one…….and really, when it comes right down to it.
Aren’t we all?

It’s Still Good…..

“Life Isn’t fair, but it’s still good.” Regina Brett, The Plain Dealer
 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12
For some wonderful rules to live by, please click on the link under the photo. Regina Brett says it was one of her most requested and popular columns, and I can see why. I had heard some of these quotes before, but I had no idea who to attribute them to, I am glad I do now. There is wonderful wisdom here…..
Well, it is the end of a difficult week. For those who may not have read some of my posts from last year, my roommate, (and best friend in the world) Elaine, is navigating the tumultuous waters of Alzheimer’s with her Mom, who moved in with us last year. It was a big adjustment for everyone. First of all we had to figure out how to expand two bedrooms into three. Luckily we had walled in the patio when we moved in, due to a cat that came along with us when we moved. That was a God thing. He was looking ahead even when we weren’t.
And there were the little things we had to learn along the way. Signs on the microwave, TV remote and refrigerator. (which had to be replaced recently because the door was repeatedly left open) Reminders to that effect were met with an indifferent shrug of the shoulders……God has been serving us some humble pie. You see, Elaine and I were used to a tidy house, and when it was clean, it stayed clean for awhile. Even the cats are that way. Things left out of place are looked at with suspicion and given a wide berth. Now we follow the trail of potato chip grease everywhere she’s walked. And no showers for weeks leads to smells this house has never held. And every suggestion of a bath or shower is met with hostility. Sometimes you have to pick your battles.
Living with Alzheimer’s is like living on an emotional roller coaster. You never really know what each day will bring, so you have to be ready for anything. One day she seems almost normal and cognizant. Other days, she sits and cries but won’t talk about why. And then there is the irrational anger that comes from nowhere. It is a tough job. And Elaine has had to let her career go, for now anyway. As she says, “Her Mom is her full time job now.” And what a job she is……and not only does she have her Mom, her Dad is in a resthome with dementia.
And so many times the one who is care taking gets the brunt of all the hostility. It’s a strange phenomenon I have seen again and again. Her Mom is a marvelous actress when other people are around, the picture of politeness, she is enough “with it” to not say much…..But alone with her daughter she becomes downright nasty and contentious. I have seen this change when she thinks I am not watching.
Night before last it got really ugly…….She has been coming out at night asking where her checkbook is, where her debit card is. She hasn’t been capable of doing her own finances for 3 years. And then the other night she awakened Elaine out of a sound sleep…..yelling for her to wake up. This brought back memories from when they were kids. Their Mom never woke them up gently, always with yelling or shoving. I must have awakened after the 5th or 6th yell.
The anger was palpable. It echoed off the walls. Elaine was blindsided by it. Her Mom was literally shrieking, irrational, her face contorted, daggers flashing out of her eyes. And when she said, “I would be better off in the street”? That hurt most of all. At that moment, the knife plunged deep. Say all you want that it is the disease talking…..you doubt.
When every kind and good thing you have done is thrown back in your face, it smarts. Takes days to recover.
And the next morning she didn’t remember a thing. Total amnesia.
Later, as we talked about it though, a light dawned. Elaine remembered the reason her Mom was taken off the (unnamed Alzheimer’s drug) the last time. It was due to the terrible mood swings. Recently the Dr.had suggested that her Mom go back on it. It usually takes about 30 days for it to take effect, and it had been just about that long.
Hallelujah, thanks be to God. I am happy to say, her Mom is back off the drugs and so far, no more terrible outbursts. I say, what good is a medication that clarifies the mind, when it causes something worse. In my opinion, it prolongs the inevitable. A disclaimer here, I am not in the medical profession, but I think this was a very wise decision. Only time will tell.
In the meantime. We are heading to the coast for a week for a much needed break. I will see my family and she will see her brother and nephews and their families…….It will be very good.

Free indeed

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. Revelation 12:2

Hey everyone! Some changes were made to my blog. I removed the word verification (I think) If it is still there please let me know. I am also using a different font style that should make reading easier! Though I liked the look of the font, I admit it was hard for me to read my own thoughts sometimes. Then I got a comment that spurred me into action. I really appreciated that, so let me know what you think. It’s all about getting the Word out there and if this makes it any easier, then all the better. I am a procrastinator by nature so this was good for me…..otherwise I would have kept squinting at my own posts for awhile longer……So thank you Beth for the timely suggestion.

This morning was my Monday and I had a hard time getting up. I had one of those tossing and turning nights. Satan was working overtime reminding me of everything I have ever done wrong in life, everything I needed to do better, and every way that I failed God, and everyone else under the sun.

Why does everything get so out of proportion at night? Worries get bigger, fears threaten to jump out from dark corners, failures are bigger than life.

There is a reason Satan goes by “the accuser.” It’s one of the things he does best. It’s one of his oldest tricks. But sometimes we have to remind him, that he simply has no more power over us.

As I dragged myself out to my car at 5:10 this morning, I put on my Bible CD and this is what I heard:

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Colossians 1: 21-23

Hallelujah, Amen……I have nothing more to add today.

Prayer for lost lambs

There was a certain man with two sons……
Oh, the agony of that first line……because we know the story.

I have always said I can’t imagine how someone deals with having a child who is missing. It’s the not knowing that kills you. Though I don’t have children, I do know how it feels to love someone and have them lost to you. I can only imagine that it is like having your whole heart missing. A piece of you….gone. Not to rest until that missing piece is back in place. Safe. Even if they were there, miserable, head phones permanently attached, slumped over and scowling at the table, that would be better.

 
 
Some dear friends are on my heart today, and in my prayers. They have a son that has been missing for over a week. They don’t know whether he is hurting himself or maybe someone else. It’s the not knowing that is torture. But I do know this, God knows where he is. He has you, and he has your lost lamb too. The hardest part of the story of the Prodigal son is the missing part. The heartache part. A father sitting in the window day after day, having to go about his work with a piece of himself out there somewhere.
 
 
And it must have been hard for the other son too, the faithful son. He was on the same heartache journey as the father, just in a different way. And all the time, as a parent you ask yourself the hard questions, how much is too much to give? And when does giving become enabling?  And possibly the worst one of all, what’s it going to take for them to come to their senses? Just how deep do they have to sink before they hit bottom? 

“He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. Luke 15:16-19

 
 
God had to live that hard lesson when Jesus was on the cross. That day when the clouds darkened the sun, the sin of the whole world removed the Son from the Father. In that terrible moment, God knew what it was like to have a missing child. He understands your heartache and He is with you in it. He has your lost one in the palm of His hand.
 
 
God cares about lost coins, and lost lambs……and lost sons and daughters. But like this hide and seek moon, though they are veiled from your sight for awhile, they are not lost, God has them…..and you.

My prayers are with you today, my dear friends.