They that wait….


I am thinking of the Holy Spirit this way today, like that eagle taking off, waiting on that branch for just the right moment; just when we need Him the most to swoop down and bear us up above the clouds.

I loved that scene in Return of the King…..Frodo and Sam are spent, collapsed on Mt. Doom, exploding fire raining down around them. Knowing they have just accomplished the impossible, but waiting for the inevitable final end when they would be enveloped by flames, not living to see the restoration of Middle Earth. And then…..the eagles. Picked off the mountain by powerful but gentle talons, that will bear them to Rivendell. I also love that Tolkien always portrayed eagles as rescuers.


Like those eagles, the Holy Spirit gently comes and takes me in His powerful but loving talons high above the chaos, letting me rest in the shadow of His wings for awhile. Catching my breath I hear air rushing through wings, feeling my body leave earth, see it rushing below. And nothing but quiet, rhythmic flight.

This morning was one of those rescue moments for me. A night of fitful sleep, plagued by worried, middle of the night thoughts, waking at 3 with full knowledge of the alarm going off at 4….Fully entertaining thoughts of calling in….just to get some sleep. Then I got up, knees hit floor first, elbows resting on unmade bed, plea of help, “just get me up, Lord.” He did…..

Interesting Eagle fact: Pound for pound, an eagle’s wing is stronger than the wing of an airplane.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Painful restoration…..


“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
— C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

Endless gratitude

The most precious gift of all….

“When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had said this, he showed unto them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad, when they saw the Lord. Jesus therefore said to them again, Peace be unto you: as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit.”

And…..Spoken by the prophet Joel:

“In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.”

The same power that transformed the disciples from a quaking, shivering, huddled with fear bunch; listening for footsteps and clenched fists pounding at the door, to an “empowered by God” group that would turn the world upside down, still empowers you and I today as believers, and the church continues to flourish….

Consider these facts from Philip Jenkins:

A few years ago, Bishop Spong wrote Why Christianity Must Change or Die, and his message was that Christianity is becoming discredited in the West, the old supernatural lessons are ceasing to carry any weight, so Christianity must change or die.
I will die, Bishop Spong will die, but, as far as we can tell, Christianity seems to be flourishing remarkably. The Christianity that is flourishing in the global South is a Christianity that looks very strange to Western eyes. It takes prophecy and spiritual healing very seriously. Dreams, visions, trances are all notions that carry a good deal of currency in the countries in which Christianity is succeeding very dramatically. It would be hard to convince a congregation in Seoul or in Nairobi that Christianity is dying, when they are far too busy building a new facility for the 20,000 or 30,000 new people they have added to their congregation in the last decade.

Places considered unreachable several decades ago have now become hot spots for Christian growth, and hundreds of new churches are being planted each month in those places. Take the small country of Nepal, for example; the church there is growing faster than in any other nation. In 1960, the number of Christians totaled only twenty-five. Today, the number has risen to almost 1 million. Despite the abuse and isolation many Nepali Christians have faced in recent years, churches are springing up all over the country. And though Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims, still constitute the majority of the population, Christianity is growing twice as fast as the other faiths.

Philip Jenkins is Distinguished Professor of History and Religious Studies at Pennsylvania State University. He was born in Wales and educated in England, where he received his Ph.D. from Clare College at Cambridge. He has written over fifteen books and many articles on contemporary religious issues and controversy.

The list of gratitude goes on:

21. The first cup of coffee in the morning

22. People that continue to love even when it seems impossible

23. Friends that know how to fix broken washers (washer gave out this morning and very smart friend pulled part out and also repaired part) Hallelujah!

24. Precious gifts from people that remind me of their presence.

25. The knowledge that ALL good things come from God.

26. Computers that keep us in touch with our loved ones far away.

27. Telephones that do the same thing.

28. Service people that show up on time and do a good job

29. The innocence of children

30. People who go out on a limb to rescue those who can’t rescue themselves

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In Memoriam

For the first time in 8 years, under the current Administration September 11th has been designated a national day of “service.”

It’s a good thing to volunteer, and we should do so….

For the other 364 days of the year.

Today I remember September 11, 2001 as a memorial to all who lost their lives and continue to be impacted by the horrific events of that day. How life was changed for all of us including those innocent people who were just starting their work day; grabbing that cup of coffee, firing up the computer, dropping kids off before work, talking in office doorways, all the rescue workers who never dreamed how their day would end up.

A day to pray and remember, a day to thank God for carrying us all through that terrible time, and for His continued protection and preservation.

May we never forget.

I know a secret….


Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

There is something so very intimate about someone whispering in your ear….it is much different than just saying it right out loud. It means, this is for you only. I want you to know that I have your full attention, and that you really hear what I am saying…I had a very dear cousin do this one time in a crowd and I never forgot it. It meant so much to me that he would take the trouble. It meant he cared.

God does too, He wants to whisper in your ear today.

He cares…..For your ears only.

“Finally, I suspect that it is by entering that deep place inside us where our secrets are kept that we come perhaps closer than we do anywhere else to the One who, whether we realize it or not, is of all our secrets the most telling and the most precious we have to tell.” Frederick Buechner

Steadfast and Immovable

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

This verse popped into my head during prayer time today and I always wonder what God is trying to tell me when that happens. When I think of being steadfast and immovable I think of these majestic redwoods. I heard His gentle Spirit prodding in my mind and then it went down to my heart, which sparked emotion. So many times, I am anything but. But I want to be…..

Paul is telling us in this verse that we are to be like these trees…..rooted into the rich soil of Scripture, knowing that whatever I do for the Lord is not in vain. If I am praying, seeking Him, listening for His voice, being obedient when He speaks, then I don’t have to worry if I am in His will or not.

As I dwell on these trees today my mind may be scrambled with worry over things I can’t change and things that may never happen, but let me rest in your promises Lord and know they are true.

Multitude Monday (one day late)

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The list continues, due to labor day and driving back from San Diego no chance to blog on Monday!

11. Happy reunions with old friends.

12. A few days off! Gazing at the ocean once more, hearing and feeling it’s magic!

13. Calls from home (glad you’re home safe, and we are all okay)

14. Sometimes I forget God, but He never forgets me 🙂

15. Being able to clean house…..dust bunnies beware!

16. There is always another good book to start.

17. Thankful for every little thing, my Mom taught me that!

18. Pets that curl up beside you!

19. Hugs from little arms

20. Good food, had alot of that in San Diego.

Soft answers….and best friends.


Last night I met “my snippy self” again. She comes out every now and then. I was minding my own business getting my hair done when she made her appearance. My best friend was in the next chair waiting for her turn. We were having a “hair party” both getting beautified and I was so glad to be getting a trim. Everything was going along just fine until my friend kindly and helpfully said, “Are you sure that length is right?” You see, I had been complaining about it earlier, how I just couldn’t do anything with it and I couldn’t see my earrings because my hair was hiding it….blah, blah, blah. In an instant, out of my mouth came a very snippy retort. I don’t know where it came from, I wasn’t irritated, I was in a good mood, but there it was. Old snippy me right out there. I said rather tersely, “we talked about this earlier, she knows what she’s doing.”

A gentle (soft) answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1

In my mind and to my ears, it didn’t sound bad at all, but to her ears it sounded very harsh and unkind. I believe her because I know my friend. How could something sound so different in my own head, so much so that I was surprised by it when she brought it up later. She was wounded by it. She was reaching out in helpfulness, and was rebuffed.

Words said the wrong way can be just as painful as an insult, and I missed an opportunity to respond with kindness, and a soft answer….

What I didn’t know was that earlier that day she had been wounded by someone else she had been trying to help. It was uncalled for and she didn’t deserve that one either….My best friend is one of most kind, helpful people I know. She is one of those who never fails to get aside her own needs to give time and attention to someone else.

She really didn’t deserve that.

My mind wandered back many years to when we first met. She had just moved to my hometown and started working in my company. We were both wounded souls back then. She had cut herself off from some negative people and places, to start a hopeful new life. Escaping the dark looking for the light. She just had been through a terrible accident and was still recovering from months of painful therapy. I had just lost my husband, had my whole world turned upside down. We were sitting side by side much like at the hair place. She innocently asked what I was thinking. I replied, “If it pertains to you, I will let you know.” Wow, what a (fill in the blank)! I don’t really know why she ever talked to me again. But she did.

We have laughed about that so many times since…..

She didn’t know God back then, although she had heard of Him. I knew Him but really wasn’t living for Him…so many conversations about God we had, so many prayers, tears and laughter shared.

That was about 21 years ago…..in many ways we are not the same people we were then. God has brought us both through so much in our separate journeys, but thankfully we have been able to walk the path together. So many things we have shared over the years….joys and sorrows. Her baptism to new life and running over a carpet on the way home, dragging it down the freeway. Jesus did have the wheel that night! (Nobody was hurt and we got off the freeway safely, one smouldering carpet later.) We have stood in the shadow the shadow of death…. planning a funeral for a stillborn niece (hers.) Seeing my sister-in-law valiantly fight a cancer who had the last say on this earth but not the next. She is with God waiting for the rest of us, as are so many others. Many other exits from this world to the next. Many prayers said together for our families…..so many needs. And now with parents getting older, we share grief over what the future holds for them and us….her Mom suffering mid-stage Alzheimer’s. Nobody prepares you for that.

But still we have kept our best-friendship intact…snippiness and all.

I look back over the years and reflect on all that God has brought us through, and I marvel. Sometimes snippiness happens, and sometimes the best intentions go sour. But this has given me pause to thank God for such a wonderful friend and what a blessing she is to everyone, and me. Thank you Elaine for 21 years of “best friendship!”

Call your best friend today and tell her (or him) how much they mean to you…..

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (And it is not snippy) 1 Cor. 13:1-7

Enough will never be enough…..


Wish I had written this….

We thirst for something far greater than this world can satisfy. So we are always disappointed. Always. But disappointment is itself a gift. Disappointment drives our search for life. We go from one false promise to another, gobbling up things and people in great gulps only to find them go tasteless too soon. And that is the secret of contentment.

It’s when we discover that enough will never be enough that we can finally stop kicking and scratching our way through life, put it all down, and let God be the point of the compass for us. Then we are ready to link arms with the rest of the human race as partners in the great enterprise of life. Then we realize not only the insufficiency of the other on whom we have put the burden of our emotional satisfaction, but of ourselves as well. Because neither we nor they are God, we can finally be gentle with one another.

From Called to Question: A Spiritual Memoir by Joan Chittister (Sheed & Ward, 2004).

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Augustine

What is on your altar?

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1,2

What does it mean to present our bodies as “living sacrifices” to God? We discussed this yesterday in Bible Study and we all decided that sacrificing can be very painful. Especially when God asks you to part with something very near and dear to your heart. Putting ourselves on the altar is tough; our flesh cries out in rebellion. Just try fasting for a day and you will see what I mean.

In all of our lives, there are areas that God is wanting us to deal with. When you start trying to live for God certain things cry out for immediate attention. You see what God expects and you think it is impossible, but “with God all things are possible to him that believe.” (Mark 9:23) As we walk further down the path of obedience we realize that God brings different things to our attention at different times in our lives. Lovingly, patiently, He heals us, questions us, turns us toward the mirror of His word of truth, but never leaves us without resources. And the process is sometimes very painful, like hacking off a limb, but:

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Cor. 10:13 and we have an advocate in God Himself: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin.” Hebrews 4:15

So there is hope for every possible temptation of the flesh we are confronted with! God is not surprised by any of them, and He is big enough to handle them all.

Sometimes we feel like the thing that God is asking us to place on the altar is just too much of a sacrifice, but look at what Abraham had to do…..

(Gen 22) Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. {2} Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” WOW! What was his reaction?

He didn’t argue….he didn’t ask why…he just saddled up the donkey, grabbed the wood, Isaac and went! Growing up I was taught that Isaac was a child, but further study into this made me realize that Isaac could have been a grown man! This means that Isaac had a part in this obeying too! He could have headed for the next caravan out of town, but he didn’t. Abraham had SO much faith in His God that He knew that God could raise Isaac from the dead. Nevertheless, I can’t imagine that it was a happy trek up the mountain for 3 days!

In that one act of obedience, Abraham took his belief in God so seriously that he didn’t hesitate to act. The story has a happy ending…Abraham and Isaac both walked down the mountain.

“And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. James 2:23

Maybe it seems like crawling up on that altar is the most painful thing you could ever do, but thankfully He has already been there, He knows the way, and He can get us to the other side!