WRECKING CREW

My VERY talented friend, Glenda has sent me some pictures to inspire me--her art would inspire even the poorest of writers!  So today---I am sharing the first group of her pictures of many more to come.  GOD HAS RICHLY BLESSED HER WITH TALENT!

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We spend our lives in an effort to build strong walls

 --protecting us from all that threatens to attack-kill-and destroy. 

 The sad truth is the walls no matter how thick

 or how strong or all made by fallen man.

Without the strong re-enforcement

 that comes from the source of all strength,

 our walls will easily crack and crumble

 as the jaws of the enemy

snakes around and attacks.

He hungers for our treasures, our prizes, our pride

He has no bounds as He pushes, pulls, and pounds 

and knocks it all down

And after the day has ended-

-because we forgot the under-girding

we are left with a pile of garbage

that even the enemy disdains and ignores.

A twisted and broken pile of life

that at the final say

Is quickly loaded and cast on the trash heap

All that we cherished and prized 

Junk in the end

The question I bring-

-to this sad little tale

Is when life is a mess-

-and destined for the trash heap

All has been cleared and

 you are left with a blank slate

What will you do

Where will you turn?

Will your land stay empty left for the grass

Or will you rebuild with the right foundation

A temple fit for the Master

What will you do 

with your blank slate?

Today my joy is in "My Firm Foundation"--
"The Rock" upon which I stand.

"He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built."

Luke 6:48

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THE BOW IS ON THE STRINGS

To listen to this song---go to the bottom of the page first and disable the blog music--by clicking on the parallel bars in the blue bar on the left side of the page.

"My Life for the glory of God."---I count it all as joy---for HE has been by my side every step of the way!

"Arise and shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of  the Lord rises upon you."

Isaian 60:1

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AN ANGEL IN DISGUISE

BEFORE READING--DISABLE THE MUSIC BY CLICKING ON THE DOUBLE BARS ON THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE ON THE LEFT SIDE

My grands have unusual and eclectic taste in music.  I listened to their latest favorite song recently and had to share it with you.  Top-tapping--hip-swinging-funny and fun--the song talks about one of my favorite of God's creatures, Mr. Fox.  If you do not remember my love affair with Mr. Fox--click here.

This cute little ditty is all about "What does the fox say?"---What is the voice of the fox?  An illusive-secretive creature--not known for showing their face--they stay secreted in the woods hidden and thus the mystery. God was showing me favor during the season that I watched my two foxes.   I looked up the "Real" sounds of a fox and found this video:



 I was pleasantly surprised to find I had heard of a couple of these in my lifetime.  It would seem the fox has several voices--and yet because he stays secreted away--we do not recognize or know his voice .

Have your found your voice of God?  Do you stay secreted away--so that no one really knows your God voice?  Are you bold and courageous and use that God voice so that all recognize You are His?  We are all guilty at times of hiding that voice and staying back hidden in the shadows--but how is the world to know if we do not come out in the open and share our call?  I am thankful today for the joy in the lessons of God's creation all around us.

FOR FUN---When you click the arrow-you must again click to go to Youtube. 

" But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you.  Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?"

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SUBTITLES NEEDED!

One of the rainy afternoons during the glorious days of friends visiting, we went to the movies.  Nothing out of the ordinary until I discovered the film was in Spanish with English subtitles.  This was not my first foreign film experience, and I have enjoyed most of them greatly.  This movie took a surprise twist at the end and left me shocked and teary.  Just as life has endings that surprise and bewilder us, sometimes the movies do as well.  This was not a "And they lived happily ever after" movie-but still enjoyable.

One of the things I noticed while watching the movie is it takes a good deal of concentration to not only read the subtitles, but also focus on the facial expressions, the body language, the action, and the surroundings.  It was an added element of experiencing the movie--and I really did a much better job of truly "Watching" the movie and getting the picture of what was really going on. 

Would it not be great if we all came with "Subtitles"?  We could all walk around with little boxes over our heads or around our necks, explaining where we are coming from.  It would add a dimension to explaining our, at times, weird behavior.  I always say when someone is acting less than kind and gracious, "There is more to the story than we are seeing and hearing."  Something has to explain the tendency to act like a donkey's behind!

While we are at it, what would you think if God gave us subtitles?  They might say things like- "Saved by Grace", "Shepherd's Lamb", "Beloved Daughter", "Lost but Found", "Beautiful Creation"---just insert you own subtitle.  Sadly  some would walk around with signs such as "Fallen Away", "Sinner", "In The Dark", "Eating with Pigs", "Lost Sheep".  If God gave you a subtitle-what would it say today?   

"You will know them by their fruit."

Matthew 7:20

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TIME STOOD STILL

Man has been looking for the answer to making time to stand still for all eternity.  The Bible records a day that it actually stood still in Joshua.  I made a discovery recently---I made time stand still---or certainly what seemed like still right here in Fort Worth, Texas!

It all began with Grand #3 getting the stomach bug.  Since he and #4 share a room, I decided it would be a good idea to go get #4 and bring him to my house until H was better.  We had a sweet night together---HEY a man in my bed--and fun playing the next day.  I am praying he has missed the bullet and perhaps the bug will stop with H.

#3 is at his other sweet grandparents 2 nights later and he gets the stinky bug.  They are brave people and keep him overnight anyway.  I receive a call the next morning that now Mommie & Daddy have the bug and the two big boys are on their way home.  Would I come to the rescue?  What was I to do? There was never even a question--I just threw myself into the vomitory they call a house.  Mom & Dad emerged from their caves late that afternoon and I head home--washing my hands as I go.  In fact the skin is now coming off my hands, they have been washed so much.  PRAYING this is a bug I have had before---have NOT had the stomach virus in YEARS.

Another day passes, I pick up #3 from preschool and we play and then I go BACK to the scene of the crime to take him home.  That very night---after having a baked potato for supper---NEVER want to see another baked potato--it begins.  The gift that keeps on giving--appears with a vengeance.  I am up ALL night commiserating with Brother John.  One of my discoveries is that old houses have John's that are shorter than the newer models.  So I park myself on the children's step stool and spend the night moaning and groaning. I find myself thankful for a small apartment--since the steps to visit John are few. I quickly become dehydrated and I knew better--but I just HAD to have some water.  I thought, "Just a few sips"----BIG MISTAKE!  Twelve hours later--I am draped over the bathtub--wondering if I can get back to the stool. 

Finally there is nothing left inside me--but the aching does not let up.  I feel like someone has taken a huge rock and spent the day pummeling me with it. My head knows this will last 24-36 hours--but time stood still---it all lasted an eternity.  I am happy to report that the rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated---BUT it was a close call.  Here I am 5 pounds lighter and feeling like a limp dishrag--but still among the living.
  
God is always teaching me--SO--if you want time to stand still---get in the middle of something that you just do not want to endure---sickness--misery--pain--whatever---it may not stand still--but it SLOWS to a CRAWL for sure!

"So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day."

Joshua 10:13 

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LESSONS IN BEING ALONE

I was reading one of the blogs on my sidebar recently and she was posting about how real men love women.  I read the entire post, but then began thinking that is not where I am in this season of life and MOST women will eventually be alone--by some life event--we will be left alone.  Perhaps God is prompting me to post what I have learned about being alone, to share the joys-the trials-the victories-the defeats.  You may be already turning off what I am saying and thinking of the next thing you have to do--but there are some, perhaps many, whose interest is piqued and hearts are open.

There are silly perks in being alone like eating hummus and chips for supper, having ice cream in the middle of the night, watching predictable Hallmark movies, going to bed when the time seems right, going and coming at all hours, reading all night, and on and on.  Why I have even learned to embrace--no make up--dressing comfy--and finally coming to the realization that no one really cares what I am wearing--if I have make up on--of if I am dressed in the latest fashion.  If I am comfortable with myself, more than likely the rest of the world will be also.

As I was thinking about women alone, I went to those that are in the Bible---God has a purpose in putting these examples for us in His Word.  Mary, Martha, Ruth, widow with the mite, --there are some of the women alone in the Bible.  What is my one most important take away from most of them--they are women of God--they are Godly women--daughters of the King--followers of the way.  They are looking to Him for direction in the way to live-alone.

I am working on embracing the season I am in and figuring out how to live in the moment.  It is time to leave my grief behind--face the future--and move forward.  This is not to say there will not be steps back at times, but it is to say my motion is forward --not at a stand still--not backward looking--but toward the light.

Today's lesson was my realization that being alone is not always bad.  As I spoke of in my book, I need time alone to re-energize, process, regroup, refocus--get my act together.  I have always relished some time alone, and it is time to go back and recount why I wanted and needed this time.  The pendulum has swung to the top of the alone side of the arc, but it is up to me to figure out how to get the balance back into my life.  Balance that centers upon becoming the hands and feet of Jesus here on this earth, and learning to look through the eyes of Jesus as well. 

The pendulum swings from alone all the way to a huge community---there is need for both sides of the pendulum--I am prayerfully seeking balance in life as the swinging continues--and looking for the perfect motion from alone to community.  At this moment, I am embracing the alone.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31:6 

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CASTING A SHADOW

Growing old is NOT for the faint of heart.  One of my challenges is plucking my eyebrows---I HAVE to have my reading glasses on--why without them--I don't even know there are stray hairs up there-might not even be any eyebrows!---I also have to have light--and I have to be able to get to those brows with my glasses on and oh yes-DO NOT forget the magnifying mirror. It is NO easy feat and couple that with the shadow my hand creates when I get it between the light and my face--I have resorted to having those brows waxed--it would be easier to split the atom than to get the light-the glasses-the tweezers-AND the magnifying mirror all in proper alignment.  Put a pair of glasses on this lady below and you get the idea-

I always stand amazed when God is teaching me from different venues---and all are the same lesson.  Why would I be amazed--when He has done it over and over?  The current sermon series at church and the women's Bible study I am attending have been focusing on "The Light".  I have been reminded over and over of the Source of Light in my life.  The opposite of the light is of course the dark.  Why would I stand in the dark when I can always be in the light?

Think of the solar eclipse--the moon stands between the sun's light and the earth--hiding the brilliance of the light.

The Light comes from Him.  We are privileged to be chared with sharing the light.  The question is are we reflecting His light for all to see or are we absorbing the light and then casting a shadow based upon our actions-which blocks the view of the light.  Are we blocking the light's refraction and not reflecting the light- leaving only darkness around us.  I am praying to not be a dark shadow ---but instead a clear lens to refract the rays and show His glory.

"God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all."

I John 1:5

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