Grace

God's hand of favor on us....undeserved.

Zinnias

My devotional this morning was about violets and zinnias. A very simple and interesting comparison for our daily spiritual lives. Flowers are beautiful and brighten our yards and homes and are a wonderful uplifting sight in the spring and summer. Violets must be constantly encouraged though. Roses tend to bruise easily, azaleas have to have just the right conditions, and gladiolas will break.

The zinnia, however, is brightly colored, pretty, and needs no special attention. It blooms day after day after day without any encouragement, pampering, or special care.

Am I like the zinnia in my spiritual and physical and emotional daily life? Depending only on God and rooted in Him and just taking one day at a time? That's a new goal for me...to be like the zinnia and not like the violet that must be constantly encouraged.

Life Has Loveliness to Sell...

A portion of one of my favorite poems....

BARTER
by Sara Teasdale

Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up,
Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like the curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Riding in a Vette at 9 Months Pregnant (A Memory)

Seeing an old friend this week brought back several memories of seminary days and pregnancy days. I had two babies during our three years of seminary in New Orleans. My friend, Lucy, and I were pregnant at the same time and actually were due just a week apart. Back in those days we didn't find out the sex of the baby. Not done at all. But it was quite nice for both of us as we ended up having boys about a week apart.

Now, let me tell you, being pregnant in New Orleans in the summertime is hard work and miserable. For the most part I felt good but I had to get in the shower several times a day with totally cold water...no hot at all added to it. It was refreshing and gave me a little break.

Lucy and I loved going to the pool on the campus because, even though we were SO big, we could float in that pool in the smooth cool water and feel like we weighed only 100 lbs. NOT 150 lbs. Haha. One day we had to use her husband's car...it happened to be a Corvette, of course a convertible. We drove up to the pool and all anyone could see was two 20-something girls with long red hair (Lucy is a redhead also). There was no view of our huge pregnant tummies. Oh I wish I had a video of that moment when we huffed and puffed and pulled ourselves out of that low-sitting car. The men's faces were quite funny...not what they expected to see. We waddled over to the pool and got in (making quite a big wave in the water) and sighed with relief. One bad-mannered seminarian chose to say at that moment something about "whale on the beach" as if in warning everyone else.

Ah well, fond memories. Lucy and I babysat for each other and spent much mommy time together and then even proceeded to get pregnant again at the same time and have our second children just a month apart...she had another boy and I had my girl. That little boy is getting married this weekend. Hard to believe 23 years have passed so quickly.
Here we are at not quite our biggest point...but big enough!!

Stream of Consciousness II

Just a lot of different little things going on this week. Most exciting is the kids naming the baby boy coming in September! His name is Landon Michael Evans. Sounds so nice together. Now I can go from "Sweet Pea" to "Sweet Boy" to "Landon".

This past Sunday night I had my first experience of allowing harm to my granddaughter...turned my head for a millisecond and she fell on concrete and scraped her nose up to where it was bleeding. Ouch! I felt terrible and she did, too! Ha. She's better now but that was traumatizing. I know it's the first of many little accidents. I just don't want them happening under my care.

On Monday we got word that a dear co-worker's daughter-in-law had died of cancer. She left behind teenage children after a year-long fight with the cancer. According to her mother-in-law, she was the heart of the extended family also. I've been praying for them so much this week. I just can't imagine.

On Tuesday I talked to my son on the phone. He's going through some trials I think with finding the right job. He has a fine work ethic and has never had problems finding a job. He has one he likes right now but just needs a little more dinero. I continue to pray for him and hope to see him on Mother's Day.

My folks are adjusting to their new home and just turned off the old phone number...that was somewhat hard for me. Been dialing that number for 36 years. Just a strange feeling.

I've been faithful on the treadmill this week. Now I'm up to 45 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Hope to see some improvement soon. I'm also pretty well into my online course on childhood language development and am enjoying it. Having to take that to keep up my teacher certification. Of course, if I ever wanted to go back I wouldn't be hired! No vacancies and too many cuts. Who would have ever thought that this would happen.

My problem in the previous post has improved somewhat. I'm having to discipline myself (or rather depend on the Lord for His convicting prods). Hopeful to have victory over this soon.

Loving this beautiful spring weather and this sweet little face that I get to see every week!

Struggles

To struggle is to proceed with difficulty. That's what the dictionary says anyway. I am in a season of struggles. There are various things going on in my life and I pray about them as I should. Some I can do nothing about. Others I can do something about and this is where the sin lies. This is where I choose to obey or not. God gives us the power to obey. I have to want to give the problem to Him. Sometimes I just want to hold onto it and dream about it and think about it.

Lately there has been one particular problem that I'm feeling overwhelmed with. It's an area of weakness that the enemy enjoys making worse. Even now I'm struggling as I write this. I had a particularly rough time this week with it and it's amazing how daily devotionals can be used by God to zing us with the Truth at just the right time. I was reading one by Marilyn Meberg. The reference is Romans 7:18-25.

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Sounds confusing? It is...I am just as confused. But the Truth is this...Jesus, in His perfection, paid the price for our imperfection. As Marilyn says, "Behind this huge relief effort is God's love, a stubborn love that will not let me go, a love so tenacious, so gracious, so unfathomable that He willingly made a new covenant with me at the highest price. That covenant is designed to assure me that in spite of poor performance, I am His and He is mine."


It's just one of those things that I will daily turn over to the Lord or try to do so anyway. There will be days of defeat and "poor performance" and other days of relief and victory. The problem may go away for a time but then return when I am at my weakest or least expect it. He will still love me in spite of it all.

Stuff

This week consisted of:

1. Doctor's office calling with the bad cholesterol news. Ha. I knew it was coming...I talked them into letting me diet some and exercise more to get it down on my own in the next 3 months. Then we'll see. I am trying to avoid the medicine. My blood pressure stinks, too. I've been on the treadmill 3 days so far and have good intentions to keep at it.
2. Seeing my son and his girlfriend on Sunday and a nice impromptu family gathering at my parents' new house.
3. My parents DID move this week to their new house. Amazing to think that I won't be going to the house I lived in for 5 years and visited them in for 31 years after I married. Crazy stuff. No more Christmases there, Easter egg hunts, Friday night visits, etc. But I am happy for them as the new house is beautiful and fits them well. We will continue the family traditions in a new setting. I'm up for that!
4. Little granddaughter has been sick all week with tummy troubles. I hate it. Can't stand it when she's sick. She's on the mend now, thank You, Lord.
5. Started a new online course on language development to keep my teacher certification.
6. Struggles in another area of my life. I can't even begin to go into them but let's just describe it with these phrases: confused emotions, conflict, compassion, aggravation, "stuck in the middle with you"...I'm desperate to have some quiet, peaceful off-days and take time to breathe and get things in perspective. I pray I will be willing to let the Lord lead.

So, hallelujah, now for my long weekend of time alone, time spent with family, and some extra sleep.

Little Baby Boy

This week's events included a physical for me, an ultrasound for daughter and extreme busyness at work. I just can't wait to get my blood tests back to see how bad the ol' cholesterol is. Ugh!
Anyway, the bright spot of the week was this:







We are the proud grandparents of a boy! Everything looks perfect right now...all measurements, heart, etc. We are so happy and feel very blessed to have now a grandson as well as a granddaughter. I pray for continued good health for mom and baby.

Easter Weekend

What a wonderful, busy, and beautiful weekend we've had! I'm so thankful for little things and the big blessings. I spent the day on Good Friday with my sweet granddaughter as her mother was out doing the wedding festivities with her best friend. They had hair appointments, lunch, dress, makeup, pictures, etc. So I got to spend some good, quiet, quality and QUANTITY :) time with the baby. We spent some time outdoors walking around looking at sunshine and flowers.





Then it was off to the wedding. Hubby and I dressed Baby up and went to see her mom be a matron of honor. Mommy was gorgeous and the wedding sweet and so happy a time. The reception was fun and, even though the baby had not had a nap, she had a great time running around on the dance floor. We didn't leave until 11:30 pm and the grandfather and I just crashed at home. We were exhausted. That's why the Lord plans for YOUNG couples to have babies...



On Saturday, we tried to recover and then went on for lunch to........MY PARENTS' NEW HOUSE! I'm still just amazed that my folks, at their ages, have decided to move from the house they have lived in for 35 years. We are so proud for them and proud of them. I jokingly say that most folks in their 70s are looking for assisted living homes not buying another house. The place is gorgeous and fits their personalities perfectly. I can see them being very happy there and the whole family enjoying the beautiful place in special times and ordinary days!

Today, we spent the morning at church in worship of our Lord, the Risen Jesus. Amazing music as the choir sang "Were You There?" and "We Shall Behold Him". The church was packed with 1700 people who sang loudly, joyfully, clapped, and just enjoyed the morning.

Again, I'm so thankful for my life, the blessings God has given me in family, church, health, but most of all, salvation and eternal life. I don't understand it but I receive it gratefully.

Palm Sunday Weekend

Today was a very pretty, breezy, early spring day. The plants are 3 weeks behind this spring, so the weather folks say. It's been so cold and rainy and snowy this winter. But today there were Bradford pear trees in full bloom, cherry trees beginning to blossom, plenty of yellow jonquils, and, of course, Easter eggs! We gathered with all the family at my parents' house and hid a few eggs for the three littlest grandchildren and the teensy-tiny great-granddaughter. She practically tip-toed around on the grass as she held one egg in her hand. That's all she wanted. She was just observing everyone else. She has a thing about grass...she's timid walking on it. Funny to watch! Her pretty red hair shone in the sunlight and we all sat around out in the little park at my folks' house and watched the kids and enjoyed the sunshine. There were some sentimental feelings there for reasons I'll share later. But mostly just enjoyment at being together again a year later at Easter.
My girl is feeling the newest baby flutter around today and that is just perfectly symbolic of spring and new life. I could get really sentimental and silly so I'll stop there. I'm thankful. I've not been the person I should be lately but God shows grace and blesses anyway.

Picturing Jesus

I recently did Beth Moore's study called Jesus - the One and Only. It was so good and I highlighted many ideas and concepts that meant a lot to me. In the chapter called "Picturing Jesus" the central verse is Luke 2:52..."Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and with men." The Greek word "sophia" is wisdom. It is having practical and wise management, knowledge, deep understanding, sound judgment and good sense. Being deeply spiritual is also very practical.

Jesus was an ordinary man in stature...he didn't have a Godlike appearance yet people were attracted to Him as "in favor with men". He was popular and drew men to Him like magnets (ex. fishermen leaving their business to follow him). I imagine Him full of laughter and warmth yet serious when He needed to be for His teaching. Isaiah states that "He was despised and rejected" but that didn't happen until He became a threat to "the establishment".

Finally, Jesus grew in favor with God. Their relationship was one of a kind. He was totally dependent on His Father and His Father was pleased and delighted with Him. Yet they were together as part of the Trinity. A difficult concept yet there it is. I find I don't have to understand it all...just believe. My God is BIG.

Jesus was real, He got hungry and thirsty, He played with His little brothers and sisters, He hugged His mother, He loved us before we came to be. As Beth puts it..."Unfathomable".

A Year's Gone By!

A year ago tonight we were waiting to hear if our daughter was being admitted to the hospital. Got the call and took off. We got there at midnight and after long, quiet hours in the waiting room and the hospital room, we met our little granddaughter around 6 a.m. She was precious to us then but I am amazed at how much more precious to me she is now and how much I love her. I've told many people that she is just pure JOY to me.

Because of the patience and love of my daughter and son-in-law, I've been able to spend many hours with the baby. I've played with her at the beach, gone to the park in the autumn, watched her play near her Christmas tree, enjoyed her reaction to her first snowflakes, and now about to celebrate her first birthday!

I'm so thankful and blessed to have experienced this year. I look forward to more.
Happy birthday, sweet girlie.

Not Much to Say But...

Nope, not a whole lot going on but I thought I'd update anyway. I'm pretty whooped right now due to a hugely busy week at work. Enjoying the day here at home after attending a bridesmaids' luncheon with my daughter. That was a lot of fun. My girl is going to be a beautiful matron of honor at 4 months pregnant in a pretty pink dress, black sash and gloves, rhinestone & pearl bracelet, pearl necklace and earrings. It's a fifties-style wedding on Good Friday. I'm really looking forward to it. The bride is my daughter's best friend and her mom and I are very close. Of course, to attend the wedding I have to miss the choir musical at our church. (part of my job) But my boss was very understanding.

The sun really tried to come out today. I'm really, really tired of this winter landscape and weather. I even shopped for some spring clothes today and I'm about to clean out my closet and pretend that spring is here.

Went shopping with my baby granddaughter yesterday for some spring stuff. That child proceeded to get in a tug-of-war with her mother over a really cute little dress. It was funny. She's not even a year old yet and that strong will is showing up! Like mother, like daughter. Of course, she mellowed out and became a delightful girl. I'm sure the little redhead will do the same.

So anyway, not much else. Looking forward to some fun days in the next few weeks...celebrating birthdays and Easter.

Later.

Happy News from a Good Friend

My friend and former co-worker just got engaged today! This means a lot to me because we have had many a deep talk about "the one", "God has the right wife for you", "be patient", "keep praying and waiting", etc, etc. Chris is almost 29 years old and has done what was very hard. He's been patient and has waited for God's best for him. I'm so happy that we'll get to see a wedding this year. We used to tease Chris that we'd be coming down the aisle on walkers whenever he "finally" got married. He put up with the teasing good-naturedly.

He's a great young man who has a lot to offer his future wife. He does beautiful work as a wedding videographer and photographer. He did my daughter's wedding and will be taking pics soon of my granddaughter for her first birthday. He has a tender heart and wants to do what the Lord wills for his life.

When he worked with us at the church, we had such fun. He was like a son that we picked on and teased. But he had revenge many times. We work in a basement area with dark halls. Oh my goodness, I can't tell you how many times he scared us to death sneaking up on us. One time he actually used a bullhorn. Whoa!! Then came the day that my friend Cheryl and I decided to get him back. He was working up in the orchestra pit and we came in the back of the church and got down on our hands and knees crawling through the pews. We started meowing like cats as we got closer to him. Making complete fools of ourselves. Of course, by the time we got near him, he had disappeared...never knew what we were doing. We never really were able to scare him. I guess we'll let him off the hook now and promise not to do anything vengeful at his wedding. God bless you, Chris, and your future wife and your marriage.

I Want...

I want Spring. Flowers. Green. Warm Breezes. Bright Sunshine. Long Daylight. New Energy. Anticipation. Life Renewed.

He's Back!

Well, my boy is back and I couldn't be happier. He had a good experience in Denver but it just wasn't the place for someone who loves hot desert temperatures. Georgia will fit better I believe. He is back living with his friends in Gainesville and starting the job search again. I'm glad he is back with his many friends from that area and back to the church he really enjoyed also. I'm also happy and relieved that we get to see him whenever we want instead of having to fly across the country on a planned vacation. I am praying for him as he listens carefully to the Lord for his next step.