The Second Half - The Unclaimed Gifts

Clinging To The Cross

2012-02-28T15:51:00.000-06:00

Clinging To The Cross

Matthew 17:20 “..Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

This morning, in my search for a deeper understanding of Lent, I was led by my Abba to pick up a cross I purchased a while back as a gift. Somehow in the course of my everyday life, I had misplaced the cross, never giving it to the person I had purchased it for. It is a very special kind of cross, designed by Jane Davis from Kingwood, Texas. (click here for website) Called the Clinging Cross, it was a gift from God to Jane at a time when she needed Him most. Because “every perfect gift is from above” James 1:17, she knew she had to share it with others. It does not come in sizes because God designed it so perfectly, it will fit in everyone’s hand.

As I ran my finger over its surface, marveling at how it settled in my palm, my thoughts were drawn to a piece of wood, rough hewn from a tree, its splintered edges jagged and sharp. Much like this cross I held in my hand, yet instead of comfort its destiny was to create the greatest pain ever known to man. How could something so benign, so simple in shape and design, be the bearer of unspeakable torture.

On my desk lies another cross. Small and simple, it has carried an unheard message for my heart for over 40 years. Carved from the wood of an olive tree, there is a tiny depression drilled into the front of it. Long ago I lost the plastic covering for the hole along with the tiny mustard seed inside. This cross was brought from Jerusalem by Pete Roton, a family friend,who placed it in my childish hands along with the story of Jesus’s love for me. Over the years, I would pull out the cross, pondering it’s meaning but still not grasping its real significance.

Along the rough strewn path of my life I lost many of the things of my childhood. I was careless with so many things in the months and years spent searching for God. Yet I never let go of that simple cross. It just felt right sitting there amidst all the broken pieces of the things I thought were important.

Three years ago, on Easter Sunday, I knelt at the foot of a cross, committing my life to Him. Sweetheart, youngest daughter, and I were baptized together that beautiful morning. I knew then, without any more doubt or wonder, what Mr. Roton had known all those years ago when he placed that cross into the hand of a young child. No matter how far I stray from His presence, I can always come back to the foot of the cross. There He will heal me from my wounds and give me rest. That because of that cross, I have a chance to be whole again.

In 1913 George Bennard wrote a song that describes what the cross really means. Let the words sink deep into your heart today and cling tightly to the cross.

The Old Rugged Cross

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

o Refrain:
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

2. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

NIV Bible used for scripture

Finding Home

2012-02-25T16:23:00.000-06:00

Isaiah 32:18 “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.”

As I sat here this morning, listening to the silence of a house filled with sleeping family, I felt a deep sense of gratitude for a place called home. Dorothy, in the movie The Wizard of Oz, finds her way back by repeating the mantra “there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home”. George Moore, a novelist who lived in the early 1900’s, wrote “A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” Fifty years after my birth, I have finally learned that home is so much more than a physical place.

Growing up I attended 6 high schools because of family upheaval. In the span of those four years I moved 8 times, living with 7 different family members. That didn’t count that my family had already moved 6 times by the time I had reached high school or that I moved another 21 times after graduating. To say that I had no idea what home was would be an understatement.

I searched for home constantly. I knew what home wasn’t. It wasn’t a place where I would be judged. It wasn’t a place where love was rationed out for good behavior. It wasn’t a place where I had to hide who I was or what I believed. It wasn’t the way I decorated or the things I put in it. I could not buy home or marry home or run to home. I could not find home in someone else’s home.

This morning God let me open a new gift. Wrapped in the mismatched paper of my life, tied with the ropes I had bound myself with, the tag addressed to me was written in beautiful script as only He could write it. Inside the box were the words of my children this week, the note from my sweetheart, the song of my friends love, the powerful message given as only a cucumber and tomato can give them. (Ha! You thought I was going to be totally serious for once!)

My son’s letter from Afghanistan with the words “I just want to come home and have you hug me”. Next to oldest daughter showing up with grandchildren in tow with the words “we just needed to come home”. Hearing one daughter tell another that “you can’t ask for a better place to have your children stay than at mother’s house”. Realizing that the request that I make sausage and biscuit gravy has nothing to do with them being hungry and everything to do with them just wanting to be a child sitting at my kitchen counter watching me cook, asking about their plans, knowing they were safe at home. Watching the smiles on my grandbabies faces as they repeated the words “God made you special and He loves you very much. My sweetheart texting me that “he loves me most” and can’t wait to get home.

Home is family. Home is friends. Home is love and laughter, music and mismatched china, veggie tales and muppets, sausage gravy and biscuits, quick phone calls and long letters, trivia with friends and quiet time with God. Home is all this and so much more. Home is not always a physical place on earth but it is a real place in Heaven. “In my Father’s House are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.” (John 14:2) And sometimes, Heaven is a place on earth when you realize you finally know what home is.

Dearest Adonai, thank You so much for showing me that by placing my life in Your Hands, You will give me home. Let me never stop making my home a place where You are present night and day. Let my door always be open to those who need to find peace by coming to a place that feels like home. Let those who are searching, find Your love and realize they are finally home. In the name of our Brother, Christ Jesus, Amen.

NIV and KJV Bibles used for scripture

Sisters By Heart

2012-02-24T11:18:00.001-06:00

This is a reprint of a blog I wrote at the beginning of my blog journey. It has been on my heart for a while again. I feel strongly that God is leading us as women to step up to the needs of our families.

Deuteronomy 11:18-20 "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ¹⁹ Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ²⁰ Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates,......" NIV

I am going to write today's blog first because it has been on my heart since yesterday. ( My last day of traveling is coming to an end so I will wrap it all up tomorrow with the pictures.) Sweetheart didn't want to do any driving so we decided to stay around Flagstaff yesterday. We found a museum north of Flagstaff that finally answered my questions about the local Indian tribes. Hopi, Navajo, and Zuni Indians live in what is called the Colorado Plateau. They are descendants of many early tribes that occupied the western states. There are many, many abandoned Indian settlements. There are few answers as to what happened to them. One of the things that struck me was how similar we are as women. Then and now. Most Indian societies are matriarchal in nature. The wisest person in the village was, and is, more often than not, a woman. The family was the most important part of society. Every person in a tribe or clan had a purpose. The women worked especially hard, together as a group, to feed, clothe, and tend to the needs of the entire tribe.

I thought of how often when I was younger, the women in my family would get together to help each other. Other women in our community would also join in. I was taught by my mother who was taught by her mother and so on. I learned to cook, to sew, to can, to budget, to tend to my children. When a woman was sick, the entire community worked together to make sure that everything was taken care of. When I looked at the history of the Indian women, I saw the similarities. They spent their days grinding corn, making blankets and clothing, and tending to the needs of each other. Each generation taught the next.

When did we lose that way of life? Was this one of the reasons for the disappearance of some of these ancient tribes? Because they lost that communal sense of living? I am guilty of being caught up in the modern way of life. I am guilty of not teaching my children how to take care of themselves or each other. We don't even know our neighbors, much less know if they need anything from us. I am quick to help the homeless but have excuses for not helping my own. I did not pass the skills I learned from the wise women of my family down to my daughters. Thus, they will lose generations of information that would have served them well in life.

I once heard James Dobson say that he felt that one of the reasons for the continuing downfall of our society was the disintegration of the relationship between women. I have to say that this makes sense to me. God gave women the task of bearing and raising children. We are to teach them the correct way of life. When the teacher is lost and broken, the next generation is left without the line of knowledge. Circumstance and life in general takes us all far from home with no circle of women to teach us the right way. It does not make me a bad mom. Or a bad woman. It just means that I need to now be aware of what I need to do to change the cycle that has begun in my life. I need to share what I know with women that I meet. Share the gospel, share my talents, share my love for them. I can mentor those who have no women to guide them. I can let myself be mentored by those who see me stumbling. And I can ask God every day to send women to mentor my daughters. We do not live alone. We are surrounded by women, young and old. Learn from the wise among us, teach it to the young. Step outside your comfort zone. Everyone has a skill to share. Ask God to show you how to help bring our women back together. Ask Him how to be a part of a community of women. He will tell you. He has promised.

Philippians 4:13 " ¹ I can do all this through Him who gives me strength. " NIV

copyright@2012 Michelle Welch, Breath Of Life Women's Ministry
NIV Bible used
Photographs property of Michelle Welch or Deb Evans Photography www.debevansphotography.com , all rights reserved

A New Beginning

2012-02-22T17:53:00.000-06:00

John 3:17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. For the next 40 days, Christ followers who so choose, will give honor to Him by sacrificing something in their lives. Sometimes it is a physical thing such as chocolate or sugar, others give up the internet or cable television, while still others give up vices such as swearing or alcohol. You will often hear the phrase “I gave it up for Lent” bandied about by people, drawing laughter and eye rolls. It is, I think, one of the most misunderstood times of the Easter season.

Lent basically means spring. The time of the year when old is made new, when the cycle of life begins again. After a season of rest, even the ground itself is renewed, becoming the perfect backdrop for blossoming flowers and emerald fields of grass. Baby animals bring a smile as they venture forth to test their new world. The old, dead branches of trees are trimmed away, opening space for new growth, stronger limbs, a place for sunlight to reach the darkest corners.

Last year was my first time celebrating Lent. The religion I grew up in did not practice it, leaving me no real understanding of it. I “gave up” fast food as I recall. I felt like one of the crowd as I regaled my friends with the sacrifice I was making. Yet when it was over, when the last hymn was sung, when the last of the Easter candy was consumed, when the last of the ham was picked apart, I completely forgot the entire Lent experience. I mean completely. Never gave it another thought.

As I sat here today, wondering what I might give up, (giving up the gym would not be a sacrifice I decided) I heard the whisper of His voice in the scriptures that I read. Revelation 21:5 reminds me that He will “make all things new”. Isaiah 48:6 tells me that “from now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.” In Romans 6:4 Paul tells us that “just as Christ was raised from the dead…we too may live a new life.”

My heart overflowed with gratitude for the understanding He placed on my heart. It is not about vain sacrifices or giving up something for a few days. It is not about the 40 days of my life. It is about the 40 days of His Son’s life. It is the lonely walk that Christ took in the wilderness to find complete understanding of what He was about to do. It is about making it through temptations, trials, and pain, giving all the glory to God. It is about the gift Christ gave us when He sacrificed Himself for our sins, thus giving us a new life, a new start.

The Lent Season is an opportunity to start again. To bring the new, clean, brightness of spring into the dark, cold winter of our lives. Lent is a chance to regain control over areas of our lives that bring pain to either ourselves or to others. It is a time to let go of something that keeps wearing at our soul. It is the first 40 steps of what leads us to a closer walk with Christ.

Dearest Father God, we are in awe of Your love for us. We know that we could never match the sacrifice Your son made on our behalf and we pray that You will accept our meager offerings. Let our hearts be turned to You this Lent Season as we strive to open our hearts to the seeds you will plant in us. Let our love for Christ bloom and blossom, showering those around us with Your beautiful fragrance of love and forgiveness. Let our voices sing out of Your all powerful mercy and grace. In the name of Your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, Amen

scriptures from NIV and NASB Bibles

The Sound Of Silence

2012-02-21T13:33:00.000-06:00

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God..." KJV

Yes! I did steal the title of this blog. From a song from a movie that makes me very old if I say I watched it. (Trivia for those of you on the front side of 50) But is silence not the most blessed sound in the world? And yet isn't it the most difficult sound to make out? How often do we sit, surrounded by noise and chaos, with a sense that perhaps we are missing something?

I spent the first half of my life making lots of noise. I couldn't stand the silence. In school I joined every club, went to every afterschool activity, was in band, chorus, cheerleading, swim team. I worked before school and after school. Later on as I became a mom, I filled my days with doing. If your a mom, you know what "doing" is. Trying to be super mom. Every play date, every activity, every sport. Ballet, soccer, 4-H, church, and so on. When my marriage fell apart and I went back to work, I spent hours "doing". Chasing success, going back to school, joining clubs. As my kids got older and I became less smart (oh you moms know what I mean), I spent hours and hours trying to change their minds. I had to be the cool mom, the mom who made 100 cupcakes,the mom who chaired the dance, the pta (that's what it was when parents actually helped the teachers) president, brownie troop leader. There was never any silence in my life. Never any room for me to hear from anything or anyone. There was a deafening amount of noise that overshadowed any ability of God to speak to me.

When you spend your life making mistakes, silence is your worst enemy. In the silence are the voices that tell you how bad you are. How guilty you are. How screwed up you are. Not voices like Sybil heard (another trivia moment for you). Just the voices of the enemy as he tries to draw you away from God. And since I never knew I could talk to God, I never knew that He might want to speak to me in return. God was someone who talked to moses or abraham or maybe even that crazy hankie throwing preacher on tv. I was willing to do anything to avoid the silence. My friends used to say they never knew how I could keep up the pace I kept up for all those years. I once drove 8 hours to watch my son run in a 30 minute cross country meet and then turned around and drove home too be at work the next morning. All because I didn't want anyone to think I was a bad mom. In the silence of my life, that's all I heard.

Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears" KJV

Once you have heard the whispers of the Almighty, you yearn for silence. You know that quiet is nothing to fear. The voices of the enemy have no power over you. Not that he won't try. But when you have the Holy Spirit in your heart and He speaks to you, there is nothing that you can't overcome. Try to find some quiet time each day. For some of you that might even have to be the bathroom. But if your kids (or animals) are like mine, they are sure there is a secret exit that you are going to use and they spend all their time trying to figure out how to get into the bathroom or get you out of the bathroom. No matter what, even if you have to get up 30 minutes early (did I just say that.....buy a Keurig, it will help the earliness of the morning be more acceptable) or go to bed a few minutes later, take the time to find some silence. Take time to listen to the Holy Spirit. Take time to give your mind time to heal.

I still work too hard and run too fast and do too much. I still have a long way to go to overcome my desire to be "super" at everything. When I sit down to write these daily blogs, I have to spend some time in silence. Waiting to hear what God wants me to say. Making sure that it's His approval I seek and not the approval of the world. I imagine He sometimes laughs at His headstrong, opinionated daughter who writes, erases, writes, erases, argues, gives in, and ultimately shares with you the things He puts into my heart.

Beautiful Blossoms

2012-02-17T11:44:00.000-06:00

Psalm 91:11 “For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”

My family will tell you that I am totally without ability when it comes to gardening. It is not uncommon for sweetheart or child to hum the funeral dirge when I come home with a new plant. My Abba just did not give me that gift. A friend, not knowing of my ability to cause even plastic plants to expire, brought me a beautiful orchid recently. I placed it in the kitchen window, promptly dooming it to at least a sunny demise.

This morning, as I stumbled around the kitchen making coffee and feeding silly dog so she would stop trying to climb on the kitchen counter, I happened to look at my kitchen window. I don’t look out, I look at as I don’t have a view other than a fence and the neighbors privacy window. (sweetheart has promised me that one day we will remedy that situation) On my window sill, in a simple little pot, was a glorious set of blooms on my orchid plant.

When had that happened? I had occasionally watered the plant, sticking in a fertilizer stick here and there. Mostly I had just let it sit, soaking up the sun and the warmth of the window. As I gazed at its delicate blossoms, the Lord spoke to my heart in a powerful way. This plant, in spite of my apparent neglect, had absorbed everything I had given it and turned it into a beautiful gift. His words were gentle to my wounded soul. “This plant is like your daughters lives. In spite of all you did or didn’t do, they took what you gave them and turned into beautiful women”.

Geraldine Nicholas said that “A life transformed by the power of God is always a marvel and a miracle”. I am acutely aware today that God took my mess and turned it into a miracle. No matter that I was not such a great gardener in my family plot. My Abba took my feeble attempts at planting, added to them His Light and Power, and transformed my garden into a stunning profusion of beautiful, graceful, talented women. He has reminded me that I am to “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”Isaiah 43:18-19

Dearest Adonai, Thank You for my glorious reminder that You are never going to let any plants in Your garden go to waste. Thank You for taking the neglect of a sinner and turning it into something beautiful. You have given us so much to be thankful for. We pray for Your Hand in our families lives. Thank You for Your Angels who are attending them. And Father God, thank You for bringing a miracle and healing to the garden planted long ago in the lives of my dad and I. Such a beautiful testimony to the power of Your Healing Love has blossomed in our relationship. I love you dad! In the name of Christ Jesus, our Brother, Amen

Scriptures from NIV and KJV Bible

About Those Valentines

2012-02-15T16:58:00.000-06:00

About Those Valentines

Psalm 28:7 “The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.”

Last night, as sweetheart and I pondered the state of the universe (our code for my idle chit chat while he’s trying to go to sleep and I’m wide awake), we found ourselves talking about our memories of childhood Valentine’s Days. Since we haven’t had young children in a while, we wondered if the elementary school’s still celebrate the holiday at all. There is so much about our world that has changed, what with the need for “sameness” and all those other society issues.

In the “old days” we would spend the days before February 14 securing and decorating a shoebox to hold the valentines our classmates would give us. For the boys, it meant mom forcing them to at least put their name on the outside of the box. For us girls it meant snipping intricate little hearts, placing them just so on the outside of the red, pink, and white box. If we were lucky, we had secured some stickers or some glitter or best of all, glossy perfect hearts that we had carefully cut out of our mom’s magazines.

The valentines were small, usually about the size of a playing card. They had all the usual silly lines about “Bee mine” (picture of a bee and a heart), “you make my heart flutter” (picture of a butterfly and a heart), and the ever popular handmade card with tiny candy hearts glued on. You always hoped you would get one of those from the cutest boy in class or one from that girl you wanted desperately to be friends with. What you usually got was a box full of same old, same old.

I shared with sweetheart how much I detested Valentines Day when I was younger. Or for that matter, pretty much my entire life. It had always been a holiday that meant that someone had to prove they loved me by how much they gave me. I usually ended up feeling let down, left out, and unhappy. No matter how big the card, how bright the flowers, how expensive the chocolate, there was always that nagging feeling that it just wasn’t what I wanted or needed.

After a few minutes, when I realized that sweetheart had long since given up listening and was deep in sleep, I found myself pondering the fact that this year it was different somehow. I wasn’t going to bed unhappy. At that moment I realized that it wasn’t because I finally received what I wanted. I had finally stopped looking for others to fill my valentine box with pretty cards to boost my ego. I finally stopped trying to find joy through what other people gave me. I finally stopped trying to give my heart away to someone as imperfect as I was.

My heart is filled with joy because I have placed it into the Hands of the only One who can truly give me what I need. Because the Lord has given me what I truly need, everything else is truly a gift. I am able to take each valentine out of the box, hold it up in the light of His Love, and accept it with a heart of thanksgiving.

Dearest Father God, Thank You so much for teaching me this lesson on love. Thank You for the blessings that are in my life. Let me always decorate my life in anticipation of what You are going to fill it with. You are a most awesome God, giving joy where it is not deserved. Bless my dear friends with the knowledge that only You can give them the perfect Valentine. Everything else is just an imitation. In the name of Christ, our Brother, Amen

Ps…to my dear readers….just so you know….my sweetheart gave me the second best perfect Valentine (after God’s of course). A cinnamon sugar donut, a frying pan, and a leisurely breakfast at our favorite local restaurant, La Madaleine’s(click here). I love you sweetheart. God has filled my heart with joy and you have filled my life with happiness.

scriptures from the NIV Bible

Being Unpopular

2012-02-13T16:38:00.001-06:00

Being Unpopular

Luke 9:25 “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss

I recently made some decisions in my personal life that have proven to be quite unpopular. That, in and of itself, is not something new for me. Making decisions that no one else agreed with has been sort of a constant in my life. I must admit that, in the past, most of my decisions were really poorly thought out and often were detrimental to my well being. They were often because I wanted my children to think I was a cool mom or I wanted my husband to fulfill my need to feel loved or I wanted women to think I was able to “do it all”.

From the earliest memory of my time in school, I was unpopular. Too smart, too shy, too bookish, too awkward. I had friends because parents made their kids be friends with me because of who my parents were. Birthday parties, school dances, youth groups were all constant painful reminders of my lack of personality, my inability to say witty things. I would raise my hand in class, say what I thought was a profound statement, only to find myself surrounded by humiliating laughter. I would make really dumb decisions because I wanted to fit in.

For many years, I have felt convicted to change my television and movie viewing habits. I would be mortified by what I was seeing or hearing yet lacked the personal strength to get up and walk out or ask that the channel be changed. I would laugh along with everyone else but inside I felt unclean and defiled. I allowed my children to watch heinous violent movies that made my physically ill to even walk through the room. I allowed these events to occur because I didn’t want to be unpopular, especially with my family.

A few weeks ago, I chose not to go to dinner with a friend because it was at a bar and my sweetheart was out of town. It was a wildly unpopular decision, bringing with it some hurt feelings and even a little stress. My decision to not see any movies that are PG13 or R gives rise to uncomfortable awkward moments and a few missed dates with friends. My decision not to watch shows with immorality or crude jokes or disturbing behavior means I watch a lot of Cupcake Wars and Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. My decision not to listen to music that has swearing or lyrics about cheating means that I listen to a lot of news or Christian radio.

After reading the scripture in Luke, I also came upon Psalm 101:3. “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless”. If what I am watching, listening to, or attending does not bring value to my quest to become a better daughter of God, it is, in essence, a worthless endeavor. Christ told us through his disciples that we should “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” 1 Timothy 6:11

Are we, in our quest for popularity, allowing ourselves to become unpopular with God? Are we filling our minds up with worthless things, leaving no room for His words, His mercy, His grace? I know that my new life choices are not popular ones. I know that there will be eye rolling and laughter from my family. I know that more than one of my friends will call me a Jesus freak. I know that I will not be cool. I know that there will be times when I get to be alone with my convictions. But I also know that when He wants to sit with me, I won’t have to step out of a place that He wouldn’t be in. When He wants to speak to me, I won’t have to turn down the sound of the world to hear Him. When He wants to come and visit, I won’t have to empty my home of things that He wouldn’t approve of.

Dear friend, do you need the strength to overcome the ways of the world? Joshua 24:15 gives us the clear answer to our search for strength. “Choose this day who you will serve…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. You can’t get much clearer than that.

scripture from the ESV version of the Bible

When Darkness Falls

2012-02-09T23:42:00.000-06:00

When Darkness Falls

2 Samuel 22:29 “For You are my lamp, O Lord. The Lord gives light to my darkness.”

In a way we barely understand, military mothers live every day with the knowledge that their child has agreed to die for complete strangers. Agreed to die for the Godly and the godless. Agreed to die for the freedom of every man, woman, and child whether that freedom is appreciated or not.

The word die is harsh. It evokes an emotion that we try to push far from our thought process. We would deny even the existence of the word if we could. There is darkness of thought that comes with even saying that word. It breeds a fear that threatens your very sanity.

In truth, most soldiers will come home safe to their loved ones. Statistically there is more of a chance of them being killed in an auto accident at home than on the battlefield, so precise and trained are our military men and women. But that knowledge doesn’t take away the fear, the heartache, the worry, the dull throbbing knowledge that is ever present in each hour of the day.

God regularly wraps His arms around me, reminding me that He is there. That He has gone through the agony of losing a child. That He knows what my fear and worry and heartache feels like. I feel selfish in my fear. I am trying to bear a burden that He would not have me bear. I pray constantly for the women who do not have the knowledge of God’s love as they worry about their child at war. I pray that they will feel His mercy. That His light will break through the darkness, giving them peace.

He gave His Son to save me from my sins. When I am on my knees, unable to speak the words of fear that lie in my heart, I am covered by the Holy Spirit that Christ placed in my heart when I accepted Him. Romans 8:26-27 reminds me that “the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness…..The Holy Spirit prays for us with groaning that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying…”

Dearest Father God, My mother’s heart is struggling tonight. The sins of fear and worry are creeping into my thoughts. Let the groaning of my soul make their way to Your Loving Heart. Cover me and all my military mother friends with Your mercy. Give us a gentle reminder that You are there for us. That You will not leave us. That You are and always will be our protector and our strength. In the name of our Beloved Brother, Christ Jesus, Amen

scriptures from NLT & NLV versions of the Bible

Slow Fade

2012-02-08T13:38:00.000-06:00

Slow Fade

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”

One doesn’t get up in the morning, look into the mirror and exclaim “I think I will let my marriage get rocky today!” The very thought of that situation makes us laugh, albeit nervously, telling ourselves that we would never let that happen to our marriage. We go about our days, patting ourselves on the back, reminding ourselves that we have a Godly marriage. A marriage that is maybe a little cracked and marred but safe from the world, safe from being “like their marriage”. We move through our days together, feeling a little put out over this, a little bitter about that, perhaps even a teeny bit angry over that one little “if he would only”.

Sure, we haven’t had a date night in months. But he works, I work, we both can’t seem to make our schedules work. There are the grand kids, the yard work, the cooking, the cleaning. There is small group, men’s bible study, women’s Journey. Oh and don’t forget the volunteer work with the ministry, church on Sunday, and that event I volunteered to help with. I just don’t think we can fit one more thing into our schedule. I mean really. Didn’t we just take the grand kids to the movies last week? Doesn’t that count?

A few weeks ago, my sweetheart brought me a beautiful planter, filled with all sorts of bright, colorful cuttings. Every morning I glance at it in passing, smiling at the thought of him thinking of me when he went to the store to pick up milk for the baby. Yet this morning something seemed different. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the leaves were a little droopy, the edges of the ivy were turning brown, the bright red of the “I have no idea what that is” was fading to pink. It occurred to me that all I had done was admire the planter. I had forgotten to water it.

And so it is with our marriages. At first, they seem bright and colorful, full of all the things that make us smile. We proudly put our marriage first. We are a couple, a team, always together. We lay out our plans for early morning Bible study, family review time every Sunday, date night every Friday. Then work calls us out of town. Family comes to visit after church. One of you is a night owl, the other a morning person. You miss a day here, a week there, a month goes by and you have barely seen each other. The colors get a little dim, the edges a little dry and brittle, the days get a little droopy.

In Amos 3:3 God asks the question “do two walk together unless they have agreed to meet?” A simple yet powerful statement on what it takes to keep our marriages bright and full of color. “Whatever you put your time, energy and money into will be more important to you. It’s hard to care for something you’re not investing in” (from the movie Fireproof) Invest in keeping your marriage vibrant and full of beautiful colors. Don’t let it fade into the gray of sameness. You may not get up every day planning to let your marriage fail, but if you don’t get up with a plan to make it succeed it will start to wilt and lose its beauty. Take a walk, hold hands, write a love note to each other, bring joy back into your married life. You may not be a master gardener but if you place your marriage into the Hands of One who is, God will bring all the beautiful shades of color back into the garden of your marriage.

scripture references using ESV and NKJV

movie reference www.fireproofthemovie.com

Sometimes A Song

2012-02-04T11:43:00.000-06:00

"A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sand this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety." Psalm 18:1-2 NLT

Some days are just best defined in a song. Enjoy dear friends!

music may be purchased at www.sarahkelly.com click here

From the Sarah Kelly album Midnight Sun 2010

Twenty Five Minutes

2012-02-01T10:33:00.003-06:00

“A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume.” Ecclesiastes 7:1

Twenty Five Minutes

click the link below to see the video

a memorial video for CPL Joseph Logan

I sat today in sadness. It took twenty five minutes from beginning to end. Twenty five minutes to share in the journey home. Twenty five minutes to grieve with them. Twenty five minutes to ponder his sacrifice. Twenty five minutes to know that there are things in this life that are out of our control.

When you had to wait on the tarmac of the airport in your airplane, complaining because your flight was delayed, did you know a hero passed in front of you? When you had to stop on the interstate, whining about traffic keeping you from your destination, did you know a hero passed in front of you? When you couldn’t get out of the parking lot of the outlet mall after a morning of shopping and complained about the inconvenience, did you know a hero passed in front of you?

In the house on the corner, a woman sits inside, deep in her grief, mired in her heartache. Every room is a memory, every step on the stairs a place to see his smile. The view through the window is the yard where he played, the garage holds the car he so proudly bought with his first paycheck. The Christmas tree stands in the corner, its glow dimmed by knowing that the gifts underneath will never be opened. The box to send sits on the table, its contents a view into the things he loved to snack on.

I only had to share twenty five minutes of her grief. I will get up from my computer and go about my day, sad and fearful, worried and relieved, ashamed that I did, for the briefest of moments, thank God that it wasn’t my turn. It seems so unfair that her son, at only twenty two, was called Home for reasons that are still unclear. I am reminded of King David who cried to the Lord “The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to the room over the gateway and burst into tears…..If only I had died instead of you.” 2 Samuel 18:33 The words of a grieving parent are the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. Why not me Lord? Why them?

In our hurry up, frantic pace of today’s daily life, do we have twenty five minutes to give this hero? Will you stop watching your favorite sitcom, stop playing your computer game, stop updating your status to things no one really cares about and give honor to a mother’s son? In twenty six minutes your life will go back to normal. In twenty six years, her life will still not be the same. Draw your loved ones close, dear friends, and share with them the truth about why they are free. Give honor to the real heroes of this life. A mother’s son, a father’s friend, a defender of the life we hold so dear. He never had a million dollar salary, he never threw a super bowl winning pass, he never sold out a movie theatre. Yet who do you think will be told upon his arrival into God’s presence “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter into the joy of your Lord.”? Matthew 25:21

@copyright 2012 Michelle Welch, The Unclaimed Gift
KJV and NLT versions of the Bible used
pictures from Scott J. Engle - Photo/journalist-conroe Scott J. Engle website

Safe During The Storm

2012-01-27T19:30:00.000-06:00

"For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand." Ephesians 6:12-13

Safe During The Storm

Here in Texas we get some wild, savage storms. The wind blows, the rain sheets sideways through the air accompanied by the often strange burning smell that comes along with icy hail. The ground, often dry from months of drought, can’t absorb the water fast enough causing damaging flooding. We have a French drain that runs along the back of our house due to a slope in our yard. Its purpose is to keep the water from rising up into the house. Along the edges of the roof are gutters, running like metal stream beds guiding the pouring water into the storm drains at the street.

Yesterday we had a storm pass through that dumped almost 5 inches of water on us in under an hour. While looking out the window, sweetheart realized that silly dog had dug around the base of the fence thus blocking the storm drains. Water was rising rapidly up the side of the house, potentially headed into the house where our carpet would eagerly soak it up. He rushed out to shovel away the offending dirt, clearing the way for all that water to make its way safely to the street drain. He came back into the house soaked to the bone, complaining about the dog, the rain, the dirt, the absurdity of shoveling during a thunderstorm. I decided not to share with my sweetheart that he had just given me the exact example I had been searching for as my newest blog idea was swirling around in my head.

So many times in life we will pray for our Abba to keep us safe from the storms. The storms of life, the storms of nature, the storms of marriage, the storms of school, the storms of war. Yet what have we done to prepare for these storms? Do we meet with Him each day, clearing our schedule of everything but Him, thus keeping our hand in His? Are we making sure our relationship with our spouse is the highest priority in our life (after God of course) thus keeping the foundations of our marriage firm and unshakable. Are we attending a church, a small group, a Bible study thus keeping ourselves surrounded by like minded people who will stand in the gap for us when we are weakened by the storm?

It is so very important dear friends, to keep the dirt away from our foundation. When we allow the world to invade our lives, it leaves behind sediment. Eventually that sediment builds up to the point where literally forms a ramp allowing the world to rush in, leaving destruction and chaos in its path. We need to make sure that we regularly mentally walk around our lives, clearing away the debris, making sure the barriers against sin are strong, repairing any defects that might give way during a storm.

Father God, help us be mindful of the beauty of your workmanship in these earthly bodies you created for us. Help us to keep the dirt of sin from building up at the edges of our lives. Remind us daily that you are the Master Carpenter, ready in a moment to spackle over our defects, paint over our scars, make us once again shining and new. We know, Father, that there will be storms in our lives. Show us how to prepare to be strong during those storms. Show us every day through Your Word just what repairs we need to make. Keep us watchful for others who may need shelter from a storm. Let our lives be sturdy enough to provide a place of safety and rest for someone who has lost their way in the storm. In the name of Your most precious Son, our Brother, Christ Jesus, Amen

all pictures property of Michelle Welch

HCSB Bible used for scripture reference

The Snoodles In My Life

2012-01-23T21:36:00.001-06:00

Matthew 19:26 "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

My name is Michelle and I am addicted to Veggie Tales. There. I said it. For those of you who are stepping into the middle years, perhaps an empty nester, it is highly unlikely that you have ever watched a Veggie Tales movie. Let me say that you just don’t know what you are missing. These delightful children’s movies are refreshingly funny with a moral message. The writers take movies and stories such as Pinocchio, It’s A Wonderful Life, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Noah’s Ark, The Princess and the Pea and rewrite them in a fantastic biblical way using singing vegetables as the characters. (who knew a tomato and a cucumber could make a story come to life)

Accompanied by sweet baby Lyric, I listened to 40 hours of Veggie Tales on the trip to NC. At first, I turned the radio up in the front, letting her video player keep her occupied in the back seat. (Please, no letters about video players being a baby sitter in the car. She is 1 for crying out loud. How else am I supposed to amuse her on a 40 hour drive) Gradually I found myself turning down the radio so I could hear the stories she was watching. I became engrossed in them as the miles flew by. Sweet baby Lyric laughed and danced in her car seat, babbling away to the silly songs. I found my mood lifted, peace filling my heart, and a smile on my face.

One of my immediate favorites is called A Snoodle’s Tale. It is my life in a cartoon. (Kind of ironic but that’s another blog!) It’s the story of a little snoodle who comes to earth but can’t seem to find his purpose. He has three unique and special gifts but he is teased, bullied and ridiculed for everything he does, says, plans, or dreams. He leaves home to find his way, weighed down by the negative pictures he carries of himself. He is firmly convinced he can’t accomplish anything and that he has no special gifts. You will have to get the video to find out the ending but I can tell you that it will make you smile and feel so yummy inside. purchase the video by clicking here

Isn’t it just like us to only hear the bad things people say about us? To carry with us every negative thing we have ever thought people think about us? Some of which are most assuredly not true? Why do we believe people when they tell us our gifts are wrong, that we don’t deserve the gift, that we should have our gift taken away? Scripture tells us that “every good and perfect gift is from above” James 1:17

For most of my life I have let the world tell me that I couldn’t, I can’t, I shouldn’t, I will never. I was not smart enough or worthy enough or good enough or pretty enough or able enough. I let those negative pictures of myself become the billboards in my life, blocking out the beauty of the life that God had prepared for me.

Romans 11:29 tells us that “God’s gifts and His call can never be withdrawn.” Do you hear that sweet friend? No one and I mean NO ONE can take away the gift that God has for you. No matter what they say, what they do, what circumstances you find yourself in, the gift and calling God has placed upon you are yours forever and ever into eternity. No matter the sin, no matter the age, no matter the reason you come up with, God always has your gift and your calling sitting right there at His feet. Now the question is…..are there snoodles in your life keeping you from claiming your gift?

HCSB and KJV used for scripture references

Never seen a Veggie Tale Movie? Have fun while no one is watching by clicking here!

I Remember

2012-01-20T10:02:00.000-06:00

Psalms 73:26 "My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." KJV

I watched you over the holidays. Your laugh, your smile, your frowns, your hugs are all filed away in my heart. I kept thinking of you as a small child. Always in trouble. Always being the class clown. Always in the emergency room for something. When family gathers around the table, it is always your exploits we laugh about. Remember when he did this? Remember when he did that? Remember when he was the only one who?

Yet I remember other things as well. The pride I felt when you received your Eagle Scout award, joining your brother in that elite group. The overwhelming sense of amazement when I watched you graduate from boot camp, thinner, taller, stronger, but with the same gentle hug that makes you my little boy. I remember watching you walk down the aisle of the church, welcoming Christ into your heart. I love the sound of your singing as you lift your voice to the Lord in praise.

I stood beside you as you shouldered your weapon, lifted your ruck, preparing to board the bus that would take you to the plane that would carry you off to war. I tried to memorize your every move, your laughing eyes, your hug, the sound of your voice. I kept my tears inside, pasting on the fake smile that every mom had in that room. I kept my voice light, my laughter forced out between the moments of quiet that came in bursts. You were anxious to go, anxious to be beside your brothers, anxious to do what you have been trained to do. You stood beside us but your mind was already far, far away.

I will go about my days, making meals, watching grandchildren, cleaning the house, working in ministry. I will be strong because that is what is expected of me. But in my quiet time, I will count the days until you return. I will plead with God for safe passage for you and your fellow soldiers. I will hold His scriptures close in my heart to comfort and guide me. You are His warrior, fighting for His cause, keeping the enemy from our gate. I know that He walks daily on the battlefield with each of you.

You father and your two moms raised you to be a child of God. We did all we could do when you were young. Now you are grown and off to war. Take the things you were taught and share them with your brothers. Let them know that God is able and willing. Remind them daily that He is there beside you. Remember who you are. Put aside the demons that haunt you and step up to what He has called you to do. In James 1:2-3 you are told “consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

I love you, youngest son of mine. I know that you are where you want to be. I know that you love God with all of your heart. I know that you can, and will, make us all proud. Remember the prayer of King David in Psalms 91. Read it every day. Emblazon it on your heart. Remember that “He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways” Psalms 91:11 Call upon Him at every opportunity. He will always answer.

@2012 Michelle Welch
HCSB bible used

The Long Way Home

2012-01-19T12:27:00.000-06:00

Psalm 139:3 "You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do."

John and I

The Long Way Home

Sweetheart and I have very different thoughts on travel. I am a driver, easily planning a week long trip on the road. I love the miles as they slip by, giving me time to think with no distractions other than where the next gas station is or how far to the next starbucks. I spent years making the monthly 16 hour round trip to Birmingham to see my children perform in band concerts, run cross country, or graduate. As a pilot, sweetheart likes to waste no time in getting to a destination. Get on the plane, sleep, get off the plane. When he was younger, he spent many hours driving from work to home, thus his desire to now spend as little time in the car as possible.

Lee at college

So it was last week that I set out for North Carolina to see youngest son off to Afghanistan. I knew that I needed the time alone to prepare my heart and mind for this upcoming 7 months. I had purchased a plane ticket for the trip, leaving plenty of time for a visit with middle daughter and grand babies. They live not far from where youngest son is stationed. As the time to leave approached I was apprehensive and fearful. My heart couldn’t seem to find peace, my head was filled with worry, my little voice kept whispering. I cancelled my ticket, deciding to drive instead. Immediately my worries lifted, leaving my mind clear to focus on other things.

I took sweet baby Lyric along as a traveling companion. Yes, I know it’s crazy. No, I did not lose my mind. Yes, 40 hours of veggie tales is immensely brain numbing (more on veggie tale revelations tomorrow). No, I did not take sweetheart. It was, all in all, a very relaxing trip, made all the better by a quick side trip to see middle son at college. He is attending the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!). I don't get much time alone with him as he usually comes home when his siblings are here. We had a great chat about school, chess, work, and physics. Ok, well he chatted about physics and I pretended to listen and understand. Same for chess. His love for God's work is powerful and I am always amazed by some of his insights.

sweet baby Lyric

I talked to God on the trip. A lot. I listened to Him as well. He had a captured audience! It was just what I needed to do to catch up on what He had been wanting to tell me but I had been too busy to hear. I have always been one to need time away from home to reset my brain. My to do list is always so long, leaving me feeling overwhelmed. I am a firm believer that everyone needs a little “alone” time once in a while. Time to sit in silence. Time to ponder and pray. Time to find their balance. I love my family with all my heart. But if I don’t have time once in a while to just hang out with myself, I become seriously cranky.

barbara and Jacqueline

Even Christ took some time for Himself. He needed to get away from the crowds, the disciples, the family. He needed time for God, time for reflecting, time for resetting so He would be at His best. In Mark 6:46 we learn that after he had finished speaking to the crowds, after sending the disciples away, “after leaving them, He went up on a mountainside to pray.” NIV

I found an excellent post on the importance of solitude http://threadsmedia.com/life/article/the-discipline-of-solitude/ . It is by Michael Warden, a writer and life coach here in Texas. click here to view his personal webpage. His message resonated with me as I am always trying to find ways to find some time alone.

So it was that I took the long way out and the long way home. I spent time with family. I enjoyed the beauty of the land we call home. I listened to God’s voice, feeling at once blessed and humbled by His great love for me. I would love to say that I am without fear over my son’s deployment (more on that this week). I am, sadly, still struggling with that burden. Yet, it is somehow different this time. I am more at peace with life, more in tune with Him, more mindful of His plans for my family. Take some time, dear friends, to find some solitude. Meet with God in quiet. Take time for yourself. You can not hear Him speaking if you are surrounded by the noise of everyday life. Whether it’s five minutes, five hours, or five days. He will be there, lifting you up, holding you up. What are your “long way home’s”? Feel free to share them. It might spark someone else who is looking for that extra time with God. Love to you all and thank you for being patient with my time on the road.

Time out

2012-01-14T19:42:00.000-06:00

I apologize to my readers for being behind on posting. My son left last night for Afghanistan and I am still on the road, mentally and physically. I will try to get back on track on Monday. Love to you all and God's blessings on you as you go through your weekend.

Hurry Up and Wait

2012-01-11T12:41:00.000-06:00

Psalm 118:5-6 "In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" NLT

Hurry Up and Wait

In the military life, one often spends a lot of time waiting. Especially waiting in line. Lines for the commissary, lines for the ID card facility, lines for the clinics. It is not unheard of to spend 3 or 4 hours a day waiting in lines. The phrase hurry up and wait is heard frequently. After 30 years, I became quite used to waiting. You take a book, write letters, read the signs around the room. You aren’t allowed to talk on your cell phone (which I consider the height of rudeness anyway) but you can play games on your phone(sound off of course). It is just a part of the military lifestyle.

In my personal life however, I am often impatient with being made to wait. I want things to happen faster. Results to come quicker. Words to fly from my brain to paper. I get up in the morning with the idea that I will conquer everything on my to do list. I plan and plot, keep paper and pen beside me at all times, putting sticky notes on everything. What eventually ends up happening is that I need a sticky note to remind me to read my sticky notes. I spend more time planning to get things done than actually getting them done. Does that sound like something you can relate to?

So what do waiting and disorganization have in common? Many times God has given us the answer to our prayer yet we can not see past the clutter in our lives to make that answer become reality. We say we have to wait to go on that mission trip until we have more money while we wander the aisles of DSW or order another Venti mocha. We say we have to wait to write that note to our old friend because we want to get prettier note paper or we make a trip to the superstore and get everything but a card! We say we have to wait to serve at church because we just don’t know what our schedule is that far in advance. We say we have to wait…and wait…and wait.

It often times isn’t that we are waiting on God but that He is waiting on us! Waiting on us to free our minds and our lives of all the excess clutter and disorganization. Glynnis Whitwer of Proverbs 31 ministries is doing a study called “Clutter Free”. click here to sign up or go to www.glynniswhitwer.com For 15 days she will be posting ways to help us find our way out of the clutter starting with the clutter in our minds. We won’t have to wait for things to get organized. We can actually GET organized. I know, I know. Am I kidding? One more study to add to your already hectic day! But I promise you that this is soooooo simple. Just a quick email to your inbox or just a quick read on her blog. Nothing long, no pages of homework, no book to buy. Just a simple way to let God work miracles in your life, freeing you up to stop WAITING!

Dearest Father God, It’s us. Your disorganized children. We are tired of waiting and we now realize that it’s our fault! Help us organize our thoughts, our lives, our very souls so that we can be free to go out and do your will. Cover us with grace and mercy. Help us to learn to laugh today Lord. Bring a smile to our hearts. We are so very glad to be the children of such an awesome Father! We love You so much. In the name of our Brother, Christ Jesus, Amen

These Three Things

2012-01-10T23:23:00.000-06:00

Psalm 5:3"Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly."NLT

Yes, No, Maybe

From a child’s point of view, there is nothing worse than hearing the word maybe. They don’t know whether to get excited because they might or be disappointed because they won’t. As they get a little older, they come to realize that maybe, when said by mom, usually means never, no way, ain’t gonna happen! I think this becomes the basis for our belief that when our Abba says “maybe” or “wait and see”, it somehow means that it is His way of letting us down easy from an impending NO.

In our lives, we often pray for answers to what we consider immediate needs. Do I need to keep this job? Should we have another child? Should I date this person? Do I need that Venti Starbucks Caramel Machiatto? (I admit. Some of my questions are not life changing) Today our society demands instant satisfaction. Fast food, minute clinics, lightning speed internet (I used to use the time a picture was downloading on dial up to vacuum the entire house), fast passes at amusement parks, same day dry cleaning. We often expect God to answer us in that same fast lightning speed way. We want Him to let us pass all the waiting and move straight to the head of the line that ends in instant gratification.

I had a sign in my store that read “Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part”. How true this is when we come before God with our problems. Our lack of planning does not mean that we should demand instant action on His part. In Psalm 5:3 King David is praying. He cries out “listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring any requests to you and wait expectantly.” NLT If one of God’s greatest prophets and kings had to wait for His answers, do you think it would be any differently for us?

Too often we are taught that if we come before God in prayer, He will always give us a yes or no answer. I have found over the course of my often misguided life, that this is just not so. More often than not, He will tell me to wait. Ponder. Read. Pray more. Listen. Present options. Discuss my thoughts with like minded people. Oh how I hate that answer sometimes. But the worst mistakes I made in my life were because I went ahead with my own plans when He had loudly told me to wait. .J.C. Ryle said “There is nothing which shows our ignorance as our impatience under trouble. We forget that every cross is a message from God and intended to do us good in the end.” Ouch! But so true.

In Ecclesiastes 7:8 we are told that “… Patience is better than pride.” For it is our pride that often demands that we be first, that we have it right now, that we deserve what we are asking for. It is our pride that makes us act in ways that show a true lack of understanding of just how our Abba does things. If you really read David’s prayer, you will notice in the end that he says “wait expectantly”. Wait but with the expectation that you will receive an answer, being mindful that His answer might not be the one you have set your heart on. Wait but with the expectation that He knows what is best for you. You must have no doubt in your mind that He will answer you. You must have no doubt in your heart that He hears your prayers. You must be willing to patiently wait for your answer and then accept it when it comes.

Dearest Father God, please accept the humble prayers of your children. Remind us daily through Your word that we are always free to ask for anything but we must be willing to accept whatever You would give us. Your love for us is overwhelming. We are forever grateful for the forgiveness You offer us through the blood of Your Son, our Brother, Jesus Christ. Please help us to know when to wait. Let us find patience in waiting. We are thankful for the power of prayer and all that is does in our lives. Let our ears be open to Your whispers. In the Name of Your Beloved Son, Christ Jesus, Amen

It's All About The Timing

2012-01-09T18:44:00.000-06:00

"Matthew 6:19-21 "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Where your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." NLT

There Is A God by Lee Ann Womack

It’s All About Timing

Well, the holidays are over. My house is silent. Well as silent as it can be with all the hacking and wheezing going on. It seems that all our beloved children gave us the gift of the Christmas Crud. I got the worst end of it, having been in bed for almost two weeks now. Oh I drag myself out of bed to attend church or visit the doctor or go buy food. Almost as soon as I return, I find myself back in my jammies, sitting on the couch, bemoaning the impending end of football season. Yes, dear friends, it is true. My sweetheart is a football widower. Many of our children attend or attended the University of Alabama. That makes us all crazed college football fans. That and rooting for any team playing the Patriots keeps me on my toes every fall weekend. (You knew that one was coming didn’t you dear)

We announced at the end of summer that we would not be showering all of our children with gifts this Christmas Season. My “retirement” has proved to be not as lucrative as one would have hoped. Well not this “one” but some other “ones” in our family hoped I would be showered with ideas for the next great novel or at least a movie of the week deal. Abba had other plans, as He usually does when we lay out our life plans according to how we want them to go without listening to how He wants them to go. Anyway, back to the detail of presents. Funds being what they were, we found it entirely too stressful to buy what would have amounted to about 75 gifts to “keep up” with our past materialistic lifestyle.

This announcement brought gasps and loud sighs as you can well imagine. I mean really. Who did we think we were? Didn’t we know we are responsible for making sure our children want for nothing? Didn’t we know that one day these same children will be changing our diapers? Ok, well that’s probably a stretch as far as any of them are concerned. Either way, we were not on the favorite parent list.

However, some of them figured out a way to get around our great announcement. That’s right. They had babies. Not just one, not just two, but four babies. Added to the five grandchildren we already have, it made for a large pile of gifts under our tree. They knew, the sneaky offspring that they are, that mom and dad can’t resist the grandchildren. Can’t resist getting the little princes and princesses their every desire. Or at least cool stuff that Grandpa can play with when they aren’t here.

So, in the end, the children won. Our house was full of love and laughter, boxes and bows, food and fun, and BABIES! There were gifts for everyone including the moms and dads. They knew that we would cave. I admit it. We are weak. Yet somehow, because we put God first, gave first to the church, first to those in need, first to friends and neighbors, our basket was always full of gifts to give.

A. W. Tozer once said that "Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God,and one that the poorest of us can make and not be poorer but richer for having made it." I can only say that I was overwhelmed with gratitude for all that He gave to our family this holiday season. The gift of these precious babies was the best gift of all in my mind. Sitting on the floor, surrounded by grandchildren playing is what life is all about. Now if I could just get sweetheart to agree to take them all to Disney world this summer.......

The Unclaimed Gift

2012-01-06T11:22:00.000-06:00

Matthew 2:11 "They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." NLT

The Gift - Jim Brickman/Collin Raye/Susan Ashton

Today I woke up to a text by the local community group announcing the arrival of Friday! Included was a list of events available to keep me busy every moment of my two day weekend. The words encouraged me to jump out of bed and make the most of my first weekend of the new year. I thought of all the things I needed to get done, not the least of which was to spend some time writing. I filled my mental to-do list with all kinds of important things such as pay the kohl’s bill, make sure the sprinkler is turned off for the winter, take the crazy dog to the dog park, call the hair stylist to hide my “skunk stripe” before I leave for North Carolina. You know. All the important things.

It occurred to me that as we rushed through the last week, enhanced by the birth of baby Coda and the days spent trying to figure out my latest wacky illness (it is never a good thing when the doctor looks at your symptom, shakes her head and says “well now, isn’t that funky”.), that I saw little mention of the Epiphany. To me it is one of the most important parts of Christ’s birth. It shows, along with the visit from the shepherds, that there were those on the earth that knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this Child was going to change the world. They knew that somehow, someway, someday, He would save us all. We rushed to get to the holidays, rushed through them, and now we are rushing into the new year. We are rushing right past an event that is staggering in it’s simplicity and yet it’s magnitude.

The word Epiphany (when the E is capitalized) means the manifestation of God. It is the celebration of God coming to earth in human form. It is the celebration of the events of His coming including the story of His birth, the story of the angel’s visit to the shepherds, and the visit to Him by the kings. Some of us get bogged down on the story of the three Kings and their gifts. We marvel over the value of the gifts, the meaning of the gifts, the timing of the gifts. What we often miss is that these men traveled for TWO years to reach this child. They put their lives on hold, followed a star they could only find in the darkness, and got lost along the way. (go figure…guys on camels in the dark looking for a loosely defined place) Everything they did defied common sense. They were worshipping a two year old. They were giving gifts of enormous value to the child of a poor carpenter and his wife. Yet they knew, despite all that was probably being said by those around them, that this was HIM. This was God’s gift to the world. This was the Emmanuel - God with us. Because they were so in tune with God, they didn’t hesitate to give His Son their most treasured possessions. But more importantly, they gave Him the gift of themselves when they bowed down to worship who He was going be, without seeing any evidence at that moment. Their gift of faith was the greatest gift of all.

What gift do you bring to Christ today? It may be that your life seems empty of anything of value to give to Him. You have been driven to your knees by sorrow, fear, depression, hurt. Your days are filled with darkness and tears. Or, like me, you are so busy with life and all it’s chaos, that you find yourself forgetting to stop and pray, forgetting to come to Him with your needs. You hold out your empty hands, sure that you have nothing that He could possibly want. Oh sweet friend. You are mistaken. He wants your heart, your soul, your every tear, your every smile, your anger, your joy. When you give Him all that you are, falling on your knees in front of Him, He takes those gifts and gives you Himself in return. He fills every corner of your heart and soul with His peace and love. He transforms every bit of darkness into light. You are His gift. He is your gift. Treasure Him.

The last line of the song “The Gift” by Jim Brickman just about covers how I feel about my Abba. It is a reminder that He loves me every day. Loves me so much He gave me His Son as a gift.

"All I want is to hold you forever all I need is you more every day

You saved my heart from being broken apart

You gave your love away and I'm thankful every day for the gift."

Dearest Abba, Never let us forget that you gave us Your Son as a gift. All you ask in return is that we invite Him into our heart and live so that we can return to You. Let us be willing to travel through whatever circumstances lie before us to fall on our knees and worship You in gratitude. In the name of that most precious gift, Jesus Christ, Amen

Please feel free to comment on the gifts He has given you.Gifts are best enjoyed when they can be shared.Or share what you would like to give to Him. Let us pray with you and for you as you search for the gift best given. Much love and joy on this wonderful day.

Praising Him In Advance

2012-01-02T21:36:00.000-06:00

Matthew 2:10 "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." KJV

Pastor Marvin Sapp sings "Praise Him In Advance"

When the kings went searching for the Christ child, they only had past scripture to guide them. They only had some pretty sketchy details from the prophets of old. One thing they did know was that a star would guide them. Imagine their joy when they realized that it was their generation who would get to see the future King of the Jews, the future ruler of Israel. It took two years of traveling to finally reach their destination. Two years of camel riding. Two years of searching. Two years of watching the night sky. Yet they knew, with every fiber of their being, that nothing was more important than seeing this child.

It is worth noting that before they ever laid eyes on Him, they were ready to worship Him. Before they bowed down before Him, they were ready to risk everything to see Him. Before they left for their long journey, they made sure they carried gifts for Him. Before they even got down from their camels, they were rejoicing at just the knowledge that they were going to meet Him.

In advance, they learned. In advance, they prepared. In advance, they rejoiced. In advance, they worshiped.

He was only a child. He had done nothing worth noting. He probably was barely walking and talking. He probably hid behind His mother's skirt when they came. He probably wanted to play with the containers the gold came in instead of being impressed by the gold. He definitely had no idea who they were or that they were their to worship Him.

None of this mattered to the wise men. They didn't need Him to perform a miracle. They didn't need Him to heal the sick. They didn't need Him to bless them. They just needed to praise Him. To worship Him. To give Him all that they had. To do anything and everything to see Him. Just as Anna and Simeon (Luke 2:34-36) knew in advance that He was the one. Knew in advance that their lives weren't complete until they had seen Him, worshiped Him.

Like the wise men, like Anna, like Simeon, we are called to learn all about Him before we meet Him. We should know the signs that will signal His coming. We should carry the gifts we want to give Him with us at all times. We should be willing to give up everything to be where He needs us to be at the time He needs us to be there. We should be so close to His Holy Spirit that we know His voice when we hear it, keeping us free from danger or letting us be blessed in ways we can only imagine. We need to be willing to praise Him in advance. Praise Him in the good times. Praise Him when the darkness covers us. Praise Him no matter what lies before us. Praise Him because we know, no matter what, that "whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's."Romans 14:8 KJV

Dearest Father God, We come before You this day asking for Your blessings on our lives. We pray that we might be always in tune with Your Holy Spirit. We pray that we might praise You in advance. Let us never forget that, whether we are dancing with joy or sobbing in heartache, You are right there beside us. You will never leave us. We are Your treasures. Thank You for every chance we have to worship You. In the name of Your most precious Son, Christ Jesus, Amen

Another Year Older

2012-01-01T11:58:00.000-06:00

2 Corinthians 5:17 "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" NLT

Payton, Maghen, grandpa,Madie

This time of year many of us are making resolutions for the new year. Some of them are new, some are old, and many will never happen. Our minds are filled with ambitious ideas of how we want our lives to be. Where we will go, what we will do, who we will love, how we will behave, habits that will be changed, traditions started. Yet many of us will find that our expectations are bigger than our reality. Ok, I admit it. My expectations are much bigger than my reality. It seems that, no matter how hard I try, no matter how much I plan, no matter how often I write it down, I often reach the end of a day, weary of trying to meet my often unrealistic goals.

Callum & Jacqueline

As I read over my journal entries and blogs for the past year, one thing became clear. In spite of what I think I didn't get done, my Abba made sure that all He needed from me was accomplished. In the hidden moments between the chaos, in the quiet of watching a new baby sleep, in the prayers for friends that came frequently to my mind, in the hours spent driving, in the songs my heart sang, in the walks with my sweetheart, in the words I wrote, in the lives I touched, in the tears of joy and anguish, in the darkness of fear, in the laughter of family. In the seconds and minutes and hours and days that I thought I was getting nothing done, He was making sure I got everything done. Everything that was important to Him.

Roger, Lyric, Jacqueline

I pondered John 9 this morning during my time with Him. As I started to apologize for all I didn't do last year, He gently reminded me that He gave me sight when I was blind. That He gave me hearing when I was deaf. That no bad choices made by me or anyone else in my life will be held against me as long as I believe in Him and spend every day doing His will. He pointed out that asking for this year to be better is only saying that anything He did for me last year wasn't good enough. That just isn't true. Every single moment of last year was a gift and a blessing for me. Another chance to walk with Him and learn from Him. Every moment another chance to break through the bonds of my past and influence the lives of the next generation.

grandpa & roger

My Dearest Adonai, You are my most gracious and awesome Heavenly Father. Each day is a gift to open and explore, reveling in the new minutes and hours You have given me. I pray that I will spend every day of this new year working for Your Good. Working to spread Your Word. Touching the lives of my family in a way that brings glory to You. Let me put aside my wants and selfish desires. Let my whole focus be to do Your will. I pray for my friends and family, my sweetheart and my children, my beautiful grandchildren. I pray for those who haven't found You yet. Let their darkness be lifted. Let them be lifted up by Your Angels. Let me hear Your Spirit when You whisper Your commands to me. Today is the first day of the rest of a New Year. Thank You for letting me spend time with You this morning. In the name of my wonderful brother, Christ Jesus, Amen

Coda Elise

A Late Christmas Gift

2011-12-31T09:35:00.000-06:00

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD will all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." NLT

2 minutes old and fresh from heaven

There are many times in life when you look up to heaven and wonder just what God has in mind. It's often a look of complete and utter confusion. Such was our state of mind when youngest daughter told us she was pregnant again. She had just had sweet baby Lyric, was starting her singing career along with her new job as a vocal coach, and her married life was just getting off the ground. Armed with a new husband, a new baby, a new job, and a birth control implant, she thought she had quite the plan for her life. Surprise! Her Abba had another idea.

Coda Elise

The last year has been quite chaotic for sweetheart and I. (I say that a lot on this blog....it should be my life statement) Four new grandchildren, two weddings, several family gatherings, a new job for him, me selling my shop, and our prodigal son coming home with permament brain damage. We just haven't been sure which way to turn or which door will slam shut as we start to walk through it. It's been a year of sitting and waiting to see what He has next for us to wonder about. We have only been able to lean on Him and certainly to NOT trust in our own thoughts about things.

Big sister Lyric helping bring
her in from the nursery

Our newest little angel, Coda Elise, joined our ever growing family on December 30. She entered the world on her time table. Two days after all the family who had come to see her birth had to leave to go home. Three days after sweetheart had to go out of town. The morning of what was supposed to be her mom's last day of work before maternity leave. Nothing like pushing your daughter down the hallway in a wheelchair, stopping every minute for another contraction, listening to her expound on why she can't be in labor now because she has to finish her paperwork for her job. I never laughed so hard in all my life. Such is the ignorance of youth sometimes. God and babies could care less about your best laid plans.

grandma michelle and Coda

She is another angel fresh from heaven. Born with a head of hair and a great set of lungs, she filled our hearts instantly with overwhelming gratefulness for not letting our worldly plans get in the way of God's plans. He alone knows what is best for us. For our children. For our lives. We may not like what He has decided we need to do but in His infinite wisdom, it will always be better than we could ever have imagined. Sweetheart and I never know what today will bring. With this many kids you just wait for the phone to ring and wonder which child will change our day. But we are learning (ok, we are being drug kicking and screaming) to trust HIM, listen to Him, and let Him decide our path. Thank you, dearest Father God for the gift of another sweet angel.

The Day After Yesterday

2011-12-27T14:44:00.000-06:00

Luke 2:14 "...and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

On the inside, every holiday is just another day for the wife/mother/sister/girlfriend/daughter of a soldier. On the outside, we are smiling, wrapping, cooking, teasing, singing, cleaning, writing. On the inside, fear and tears make up our world. On the outside, no one would ever know our world is different from any other day.

Our soldiers are far from home. The holidays are but a glimmer of lights, tinsel, and song. We stand at church, our hand hanging down beside us, empty of the grip of the one we long for most, smiling at those around us when they wish us Merry Christmas. When the lights are turned off, the house deep in the silence of sleep, the echo of laughter still hanging in the air, we give way to our tears. On our knees, in front of the manger, at the feet of our Lord, we beg for safety for those we love. It is the gift we long for most. The only present we want to open on Christmas Day.

John 15:13 tells us that "greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." KJV Truth be told however, we don't want it to be our soldier who has to lay down his life. We don't want him to have that great of a love. It's a cold harsh truth that we never want to admit. We will say the words, wave the flag, read the scriptures about live, love, and giving. But deep in our hearts, in the farthest corners of our fragile soul, we beg our Father not to take them from us. Let it not be our lives shattered.

We spend these holidays alternately happy and sad, joyful and tearful, begging and giving, mindlessly hoping that this moment will be a moment free from fear. John 14:18 reminds us every day that He "will not leave you (us) comfortless." KJV Yet, when the day is done, the holidays are over, the world forgets about peace and goodwill, when yesterday is a memory, it is so easy to feel like we are alone in a crowd. There are so many praying for our soldiers. But who is praying for us? Who stands in the gap for us when we are bowed and broken? Who holds us up when we are weak? Does anyone hear our cries in the silence of the night, in the darkest moments before the dawn breaks?

The shepherds were alone in the wilderness on the night of Christ's birth. Yet God, in His infinite wisdom sent them an angel to tell them that He was watching over them. God provided them someone whose words of comfort and peace came at a time when they were shaking with fear. Will you be our angel? Will you pray for us, with us, beside us? Will you reach down and hold our empty hand? Will you remind us that God loves us, loves our soldier, loves our family? We try so hard to be the strong one but sometimes it's easy to find ourselves in the darkness of fear.

Dearest Father God, Please cover us with your love. Please light our nights with Your Comforter. We thank you that our loved ones are willing to give all in the quest for peace on earth. We truly do believe in God and country first. It's just hard sometimes. Give us your supernatural strength to overcome these moments when we are weak. Bring our soldiers home to our loving arms. We come to You in humble adoration, our faces wet with tears, our hearts heavy with grief, yet our lives will be lifted up by Your magnificence. Your comfort is all we need. Send us an angel who will remind us that Your peace will rest upon us. In the name of the One who leads us into every battle, Christ Jesus, Amen