Refreshment for the soul


Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior…Titus 1:1-3

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-14

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7

In the muck and mire of life it is easy to forget these wonderful promises, but this morning they ran through my soul like cool clear water. Life is hard sometimes. We are so furiously treading water we forget to take a drink of the eternal water that is all around us. Sometimes I have no confidence at all that I am doing what God wants me to do. How can I be sure? But here is the hope. He knows how it feels to be human, he knows that we are weak because He has been weak, and tired. He knows that our frame is dust. Here is what I cling to:

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil. 1:6

This is one project that He will see through to completion!

He delights in you!

He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. 2 Samuel 22:20

I always wanted to know how I would feel to see ocean but no land. I have always been a bit afraid of open spaces. My heart always drops a bit when I am going around a steep mountain road and it unexpectedly opens into a huge vista. It is a feeling of loss of control, heart in throat, plunging into the unknown.

But not when God is there…..I will never forget taking a cruise and stepping out onto the balcony for the first time and seeing nothing but water. It was a bit like the first time I crept to the edge of the Grand Canyon and looked out, but not quite. It is something everyone should experience once, and it was one the highlights of the cruise for me.

Not the food, or the entertainment, or the beautiful decor of the ship. It was stepping out, just seeing that water. Sea, sky, me and God.

Another thing was the strange sensation of sitting in the room and seeing water rushing by. Ship going one way, water another. It was captivating……walking on deck and seeing the light in the sky at midnight, the splash of a whale’s tale rising from the deep; the anticipation of seeing it come closer (that never happened.) The island where the Puffins live, bald eagles in flight landing in their “car-sized” nests.

I fell in love with the clear air and sapphire skies of Alaska….God’s creation is really something to behold! A reflection of His love for us. Just imagine, show and tell in the Garden of Eden……”Hey Adam, hey Eve, just wait till you see this!” And not only that, our God loves us so much He actually rejoices over us with singing!

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”

Place of welcome…..


Mom and Dad’s Porch

My Dad’s lifelong dream was to have a cabin. He never got it, so he figured he would make their house in town as close to one as possible. He still dreams of walking out and hearing nothing but the wind sighing through the pines. And yet this place has become something very important to so many people in the neighborhood. My Mom insisted on putting a picnic table in front years ago, so that she could sit outside and greet others passing by who could stop and rest, sit a spell, bring their lunch. They are still doing that these many years later.

This has been my childhood home ever since about age 4. Always it’s been a place of refuge and welcome, not only for me and the rest of the family but many friends as well. Their door is always open, and if I were locked out I know where the extra key is hidden. There are many other doors I could knock on in my hometown and I know that I would be ushered in out of the cold, offered a drink, a homemade dessert, a hug or welcome smile. How rich, how blessed I am, to have these all, in addition to my own safe harbor in Arizona.

It makes me wonder, to marvel, to shudder at the thought that there are those who have no place of welcome. No place of attachment, no place that says, “You are safe here, you are loved here, you are wanted here.” How can it be that I have never known that feeling and yet so many others have never known any different?

I think of Haiti and other parts of the world, and not only there, but right here in my own town! No place of refuge, no open door. No fresh brewed cup offered from a kind hand, no favorite mug….

Making people feel welcome is a gift we can give at any time. It may come in a form as simple as a smile at the store, for we never know what burdens another is carrying, what trials they face.

So today and every day I hope to get better at that.

Prayer for today:

Lord may I always remember that though you had no place to lay Your own head, you made me welcome forever by coming into my heart and making your home with me. May I remember always those who have given me that gift, made me feel welcome. Help me in turn to welcome others. Most of all, help me to share the gift of You; for in You I have all the home I ever need.

Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Matthew 8:20

More answers to prayer….

I am back, just in time for Multitude Mondays!
Got to enjoy a few clear days after many days of blessed rain. This is the new Marina that my brother worked on and saw through to completion…..we got to walk along the docks and see the fruits of much hard labor. Yet another answer to prayer. Blessing #199

I have missed blogging! (in spite of Dad’s painfully slow dial up I managed only two posts.) There hasn’t been much time for introspection, yet I received another blessing from the Lord that I hadn’t expected. I learned that He remains steadfast when time is squeezed out from the day and there is little time for quiet. Day started early and was packed with activity. Bedtime was cherished and before I could say a prayer, I felt myself drifting off….But I should have known He would meet me there! “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matt. 18:20 He reminded me that every blessing, every task done for someone else becomes a worship and a prayer all it’s own when it is done with a heart that seeks to please Him. God looks at our heart. He peers deep inside to seek out our true motive, and when He finds it seeking His help, His grace, He finds it pure and blesses it. That was blessing #200

So I received many blessings in helping my Mom back on the road to her recovery….I found Him there at every turn.
He was there at pajama day at school when we weren’t sure how it would go in special needs class, it went wonderfully, and she was so proud to show her PJs to her friends!#Blessing 201
Blessing #202
He was there when a room became available just in time for my Mom at this wonderful facility. Here she is at therapy, and will not be happy if she sees this photo of her without her hair done and no makeup! She is getting ready to bat the beachball. I can’t say enough about what a healing positive place this was. You see very few at this place lying around in beds, days start early are are filled with activity geared to getting people healed! The therapists really inspired me! Everytime I went in there Mom was visiting someone new. One lady in there said that as soon as Mom walked in she saw the light of Christ in her and just had to get to know her.

When I grow up I want to be like her.

Head therapist Mike was a wonderful guy, but he was a real taskmaster. He didn’t let anyone slack off. The first day my Mom heard Christian music playing in the therapy room and she said, “Who’s the Jesus person?”

Mike said, “I am, and I’m the boss, so I can play it here!”

She said, “Alright! I am at the right place.” #Blessing 203

Food brought from friends and family on several occasions #Blessings 204-207

A very special evening spent with a cousin and wife I hadn’t seen in too long, and so many laughs! Blessing #208

Mom coming home in a record breaking 9 days after surgery! At 80 years young that is miraculous and a testiment to her great health and positive outlook, and of course to the power of prayer! Blessing #209

Of course coming home is always a blessing…..I count this along with all the blessings from the past two weeks, I came home to a totally rearranged living room. My very artsy friend took some liberties and I am glad she did, I never would have thought to put the bookcase as a room divider! Blessing #210

The list keeps growing for me and so many others!
holy experience

Answers to prayer….


“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” James 1:17

My Mom is doing phenominally well after only 12 days post knee replacement. Therapists are amazed, and so was everyone in rehab. After being there only 4 days she was home. The therapist that came to the house said, “There is no point to me being here, you are well ahead of schedule!” I was not surprised….

Direct results of prayers lifted by many kind hearts…..So many answers during the past two weeks, it will be impossible to think of the past two weeks without thinking of these small miracles.

Kind friends my Mom has not seen in 20 years, showing up at rehab to visit. A brand new (FREE) toilet chair provided, oatmeal raisin cookies baked and brought over at just the right time, (my Mom had just said the day before that was the only thing she was hungry for!) A vacant room at the rehab my Mom said she wanted to go to coming open the day she was to be released from the hospital….and so many more!

Friends, they cherish one another’s hopes. They are kind to one another’s dreams.” Henry David Thoreau

There is an eye that never sleeps
Beneath the wing of night;
There is an ear that never shuts
When sinks the beams of light.
There is an arm that never tires
When human strength gives way;
There is a love that never fails
When earthly love decays.

A love that never fails by George Matheson

Arrow prayers…..


Our confidence lies in the fact that God hears the whispers we pray when there is no time for anything else. Whispers in the daylight and Whispers in the dark when all is silent and the heart slows its beating in the calm of “lights out.”

We throw arrows up and He catches them and puts them safely in His Heavenly quiver…He knows when there is no practical time to pray and we are running here and there doing things that need doing, and yet our heart is praying without ceasing and our soul is on it’s knees.

Miraculously we rise up with eagles wings and soar with the Spirit, somehow we get everything done, our bodies going through the motions and His Spirit carrying us through.

Prayer is the soul catching it’s breath.

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

The Lord is near….


Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9

I will be gone for two weeks helping out my Mom who is having her second knee replacement surgery tomorrow. I hope to get a few posts in here and there. May the Lord bless and keep you and make His face to shine upon you all!

Eat, pray, vacuum


Anyone who is having troubles should pray. Anyone who is happy should sing praises. Anyone who is sick should call the church’s elders. They should pray for and pour oil on the person in the name of the Lord. And the prayer that is said with faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will heal that person. And if the person has sinned, the sins will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. When a believing person prays, great things happen. (James 5:13-16 NCV)

I don’t know why but some of my best prayer/praise sessions come when I vacuum. It amazes me how God breaks through at the most common everyday moments sometimes. I put in my headphones, pull up a worship playlist on my IPOD and off I go. I am even starting to look forward to my “vacuum sessions.” When God shows up even the most menial task becomes a form of meditation. There is something very wholesome, even Holy about “working with your hands.” Menial tasks become anything but menial when done as a form of praise!

I love my rainbow vacuum cleaner!

Love one another


It is hard sometimes even to love those we love. We get irritated sometimes and then we feel bad at being irritated. Things get in the way and prevent us from loving the way we know we should. It’s like static on a radio. So frustrating to almost get the station dialed in, one minute it is there, clearly it comes across like a miracle, only to have it crackle and fade, gone again. Those old dial radios!

And then there is the baggage. Baggage of all of our past experiences with that person. Old wounds, old hurts. We come to them hoping for a change, for them and us; hearts open but guarded, only to be smacked down again. Little things become big in a hurry. But there is hope. Hope because God is enough. God is love itself, the very essence of it.

So I pray for Him to show me, and sometimes miracles do happen when I get out of the way. He loves through me. Not only do I show it, I really mean it. We connect Spirit to Spirit and God teaches us how to love the way He does. The kind of love that washed not only the feet of John and Peter, but Judas feet as well.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34,35

"The something else factor"


I finally went to see “Avatar” and I was not disappointed. This was my first ever IMAX experience and now I really wish I had gone to pay the extra money to see Lord of the Rings in 3D. I was captivated by the special effects and it is always fun to be whisked away to another world for awhile. Coming out of the theater entering what seemed to be a very dark, drab world after all that vivid color, light and sound was strange.

People have been captivated with what I call the “something else” factor since the very beginning. Billions of dollars have been spent researching other planets and possible other life forms. We just know there has to be something or someone else out there! Eve was no different. She thought there was “something else” too and she had everything. Imagine for just a moment, the world she lived in. It was idyllic, perfect, it could not have been improved upon. All the moisture came up from the ground so it was a very tropical environment, no worry about the elements, the temperature was perfect. They didn’t have to worry about being cold, or too warm. The animals were their companions and friends, as yet there was no need to fear humans. Great creatures we can’t even imagine stalked through the brush. They listened to the music of the angels, they experienced colors that don’t even exist down here. They lived in the light of the very Presence of God Himself, they actually walked with Him in the cool of the evening…..Who needs anything else? Right?

But she thought God was withholding something from her; “something else.” The Bible says the “serpent” was “more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord had made.” We are not talking ugly snake here, we are talking a very intelligent, otherworldly, and very beautiful creature here. The Bible says Satan worked through this beautiful creature as he always does, by masquerading as an angel of light. The rest is history. The painful result is the world we live in today.

But here is the miracle and wonder of God. He is in love with this world and He came down Himself to get us back. He will also come back again to make all things new. Once again, it will be perfect. That world, God has promised will never end. When we really see that, this world becomes transformed right before our eyes. We begin to live with what my former Pastor Gary Kinnamon called the “eternal perspective.”

Jesus said, “The kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” He looked at this broken world and He knew it needed fixing, so He left a perfect place and made a way for us to join Him there, forever! Whatever magic a filmmaker can dream up today pales in comparison to what God has prepared for us!

“But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love him. But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” 1 Cor. 2:9, 10

Please join me in prayer today for the people of Haiti……