Sin and the kitchen floor...

Recently we decided to take some money my hubby earned and give it to Lowe's in exchange for a new kitchen floor.  The one we had was really pretty over 17 years ago when it was very white and shiny.  I worked hard to keep it that way too for a long time. Eventually however it lost it's no-wax feature and became a real source of aggrevation as I struggled to make it look as clean as possible.  But no matter how hard I tried, time, kids, and wear and tear had taken its toll and it just never looked really clean anymore.  

So we went from one extreme to the other, this time choosing a darker laminate that has a random pattern that looks something like stone.  It's amazing how I don't spend nearly as much time cleaning the new floor.     It just doesn't "look" dirty.  I gleefully posted on Facebook: "So, if you change out your all-white kitchen floor for a darker, patterned one, the same dirt accumulates, but you don't see it, right?  works for me!"

A friend commented: "When the sun shines in and shows all the dust I thought I'd cleaned, it helps me remember that in God's light, I'm more sinful than I appear!"

Now isn't THAT the Gospel Truth!

And it is actually something I've been thinking a lot about lately too.  I know I am more sinful than I appear. And I bet you are too.  Just like there are areas of my home I keep hidden from visitors, there are hidden places in my heart that are messy at best, but when God shines His light on them, they are exposed for what they are...dirty, sinful rooms that need a makeover.

God's shining light is a good thing. I'm thankful He cares enough about me to show me where my thoughts, words, or deeds are not expressing His pure nature~areas that He wants to clean up and replace with something new, clean, and beautiful.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

See if there be any grievious way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting!"

~Psalm 139:23-24~

I'd rather wear out than rust out...

Years ago my grandparents were in a fun local seniors band and that was their slogan.  I've sort of adopted it as my life's theme.  It's another way of saying something else I often repeat: "I want to live till I die."  

Yesterday I wanted to do something special with the grandchildren, since there is only one more week until school starts.  I knew I was on my own with three of them, and I was at a loss to come up with a plan for the day.  We've done a lot of the usual already: the zoo, the local parks, hiking, swimming, the library, baking, crafts, a lemonade stand, the flea market, and playing in Grandma's park (our backyard).  

Before they arrived yesterday morning, I did something I often do when I feel a lack of direction for the day ahead.  I prayed.  "Lord, I need you to order my day.  I know for sure there are two things that you have promised to give for the asking:  forgiveness and wisdom.  I need both.  Please give me an idea of something fun to do with the kids today."

It wasn't very long until I thought about taking them to Ohio's Amish country, located in Holmes County and a little more than an hour's drive away.  It would get us out of town and into the beautiful countryside, and I thought they would love tasting the cheese at Heini's.  But could I handle three of them on my own for such a venture?  I'd never gone there by myself before, but I knew I kept a detailed map of Amish Country in my car. And I had Dora, my faithful GPS, plus a stroller. Confidence rose and I felt my prayer had been answered.

When I finally got everyone dressed, fed, and buckled tightly into their carseats, I pulled out of the garage and stopped.  I announced to the kids that whenever grandma and papa go on a trip, we always say a prayer first.  So I prayed out loud for a safe and fun day and gave thanks for the beautiful weather and our special time together.  Simple and to the point. A teachable moment too.  

There were many more teachable moments, especially once we got off the highway and onto the country roads.  We took turns spotting grazing cows, baby goats, lots of horses, beautiful farms and rolling hills.  We started counting how many horses and buggies we saw until they became a common scene.  We looked for houses without any electrical lines attached to them, and we saw lots of clothes being dried outside in the breeze.  I pointed out several small Amish school houses.  We talked about some of the differences between the Amish and the Mennonites, who also populate the area.  In answer to my granddaughter's question, I explained that even though it is called "Amish Country", that we were indeed still in the United States!  We talked about the difference between being "in the country" and "in the city".  

Our first stop was the Ashery Country Store. Located in Fredericksburg, Ashery's is a bulk food store I've enjoyed going to since my own kids were young.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much the store has expanded and the grandkids loved that there were free samples throughout ~ candy, pretzels and dips, even sassafras tea.  When I was looking for a certain item, I inquired to a woman I recognized had been there for probably 20 years! Even though the store had changed slightly, it really did seem like time had stood still here!  People were so friendly too, stopping to chat and admire the grandchildren. There are some interesting facts at the Ashery website, found here.

Ten minutes farther down the road is Heini's, where cheese-making operations have been going on for 75 years.  It takes a little time to walk around the store and sample every cheese they sell.  And behind large glass windows we could see the workers cleaning out the huge vats where they had made cheese earlier in the day.  We paused to watch part of a video which showed the process.  

On her own, Elylah decided to keep a little scorecard of ranking her favorite cheeses!

 Ethan: "Grandma look! Mouse cheese!"

Some unusual varieties included rainbow fudge cheese.

We left Heini's and drove a few more miles down the road to "downtown" Berlin.  Main Street is full of tiny little primitive looking shops and I knew of a restaurant where we could get some lunch.  I didn't try to take the kids inside any of the shops (I'm not THAT crazy!) but we enjoyed strolling up and down the street a little.  I did take notice of lots of "new" shops that weren't there the last time I was in Berlin, and I'll go back to check them out another time when I can freely browse!  

We waited about 15 minutes in line to go into Boyd's, a great sandwich shop in the heart of things.  Again I was stunned to realize a waitress was someone I recognized from more than a decade ago.  The place was just as busy as always, filled with visitors from all over.  The kids wanted home made chicken noodle soup, and I had a half-order of a hot roast beef sandwich, my favorite when I go to Amish country. Apologizing for the mess we left, I gave the waitress a good tip.  She chatted with me for a minute, and we were on our way.

The timing worked out perfectly and I drove the kids directly home.  They slept the entire hour.  I'm still glowing with memories of this perfect, gifted day.  God is good.  And I thank Him!

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given." 

James 1:5

A new year brings new perspective...

One of the positive things about getting older is the ability to look back over our lives and see areas where we have grown and changed for the better. Often our physical eyesight weakens with age but our spiritual vision can become sharper than ever if we allow it. We understand things differently because we have lived longer and we have more information and experience.  Time has a way of softening and healing.  Perspective changes. Confidence grows.  Living each day becomes more intentional. I like to think that's what is happening with me.

Every now and then something really major happens that drives home the point even more profoundly.  When my brother got his cancer diagnosis a little over two months ago, the earth stood still for me.  Suddenly our joblessness seemed like a minor scratch on the record of life by comparison. All our focus shifted and priorities rearranged themselves.  I've never experienced a major earthquake, but I've seen before and after pictures.  One minute everything is neatly in place and things look normal.  Then the shaking and rattling begins.  A few seconds or minutes later, a building or a highway or a room is totally unrecognizable.  For the people affected, life is never the same.

Life will never be the same for me anymore either.  My brother's cancer is incurable.  Many of the drugs are new and experimental and risky. We know the worst is yet to come as he faces stronger chemo treatments and a bone marrow transplant using his own stem cells.  The unknown looms large even as we hope and pray that the treatment plan will cause this cancer go into remission for a long time. 

Moments and days have become more precious.  Finding the sacred in everyday living has become the new normal~~valuing relationships more than ever the new quest. Discovering all over again that things can make life beautiful and interesting, but people give life meaning.

Shortly after the holidays my brother came to stay with us for almost a week while his wife needed to make a trip with her high school students.  They only live 4 miles away, but he couldn't manage being alone for that long because of some mobility issues due to pain. He teased me that I hadn't babysat him in over 50 years! I can't begin to explain what a gift this special time together was for all of us. We laughed, we cried. We talked, we prayed. Then we talked and prayed some more.  We ate together, watched DVD's, received visitors, went to church.  With transportation help, he was able to work half days.  How often do adult siblings get an opportunity to share this kind of quality time? As I like to say, we got to talk in "complete sentences" ~ something that often is a challenge when our large family gets together with all the children.

One of the things my brother is teaching me is to look for what he calls "God moments". He's seeing them everywhere, and I am too. Hardly a day goes by that we don't hear of someone, directly or indirectly whose life has been impacted in a positive way because of my brother's situation.  Strained relationships have been healed.  Practical needs have been met.  Situations have fallen into place in amazing ways. People are blessing and being blessed.  The stories are his to tell.  But allowing God to use this cancer for His glory is my brother's heart's desire.  Here is a link to the blog he is writing.  

Memorial Day '10

Don ran in our town's 5K race.  He actually has 11 marathons to his credit.

Relaxing on vacation last June.  For the first time ever, all the siblings, spouses, and our mom went to the beach together.

Don has always taken good physical care of himself.  Here he is making all of us a juice drink.

Shortly before the diagnosis came, Don and Marcie went to see their oldest son graduate from the Navy's officer candidate school. We could never have guessed the pain he was having was due to a cancerous tumor crushing his L5 vertebrae.

 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you..." Ephesians 1:18a

Help my unbelief!

Something has healed in me.   As I sat in church this past Sunday morning, it was just one of those times when God broke through and touched something deep inside.  

Being as old as I am and having been in the church my entire life, there are some things about being a Christian that I take for granted.  I know God is everywhere and is able to do anything.  I know Jesus paid an awful cost to seal my redemption.  I know there is an eternity beyond this life and though much of that is a mystery, I rest in knowing I will be there and it will be good.  

If I'm honest, I also know there is a lot about God that my heart just doesn't fully comprehend, claim, or appropriate.  In my mind, Christianity is a package deal, and I'm sold.  When I read the words of Scripture, I know every one is trustworthy and true.  But somehow there are still truths and promises that I block my soul from fully receiving.  Why, I do not know.  I have no trouble claiming them for others.  I have a sneaky suspicion I may not be alone in this.

But as I was worshipping last Sunday, the familiar 23rd Psalm came to my mind.  And this is how the words played:

"The Lord is MY Shepherd, I~SHALL~NOT~WANT" 
"He maketh ME to lie down in green pastures"
"He restoreth MY soul"
"He leadeth ME in the paths of righteousness..."

on and on and finally...

"Surely GOODNESS and MERCY shall follow ME... ALL~THE~DAYS~OF~MY~LIFE..."

Friends, I've been living in the valley for a while now.  It's so easy to become discouraged when I'm feeling weak, tired and worn out by the storms of life.  Circumstances these past months have taken me almost to the breaking point at times when I've allowed myself to indulge in self-pity and worry.  With my head I fully have known there are so many others in much dire life situations, yet my heart still cried out "how much longer, Lord?  How many more roller coaster rides before things normalize again?"

Don't get me wrong.  The temptation to look at circumstances and fall into a sea of despair is still there.  I don't see any hard evidence our economy is getting any better.  Every time I turn around it seems someone else I know has lost their job~and all too often it seems that older employees have a target on their backs.  It's easy to lose hope...

unless..

we turn our focus back to the One who is all about goodness and mercy, and take hold of the truth of His Word.  That's where hope is found.  Thank you God for reminding me again.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." ~Philippians 3:12

I've got a LOT to learn!

It was small but mighty. We sat around the table, all four of us. Three-fourths of the group couldn't make it on Saturday morning. I was slightly disoriented coming in myself. I got up feeling a little depressed because I had too much pizza the night before and it showed on the bathroom scale. I was beyond tired. And I was wondering why I hadn't received anyone else's work through e-mail and feared I would be the only one having mine critiqued.

I'm not sure WHY I joined this writer's group. I somewhat know the person who is leading it, but no one else. I trust the leader because she has a sweet spirit and a kindness about her that tempers her intimidating list of credentials. She is a big picture person...a visionary who not only dreams big, but DOES big. And she is dreaming big for us. Actually she accelerates the dreaming process. Where I think "some day I'd like to write a book" she is on to "when we start to get published..."

While basically by personality I am pretty much an open book and wear it all on my sleeves to a fault, it is still intimidating to put your inner thoughts to paper, read it outloud to strangers, then sit quietly while they pick it apart. There is a protocol to doing this, and you are not permitted to to give any kind of explanation or mia culpa before you read what your wrote. You just read it and let the chips fall.

On Saturday I was the one asked to read first. The lady who sat next to me is a professional editor. Out of the corner of my eye I could see her quietly thumping her pen as I read my work. When I finished, she was the first to comment. "This lacks focus. I mean, I'm asking myself, why do I need to KNOW this?".

Just a few short weeks ago had anyone used those particular words, I would have been crushed and melted into a pool of tears. I would have taken it so personally, and probably would have given up altogether. While the words temporarily stung, I listened as the others weighed in. There were a few compliments on some of my detailed descriptions. That was something I had been criticized for at the previous meeting, so I had worked extra hard on that area. It felt good that they noticed.

The more they had to say, the more it was impressed on me why I am doing this. These people are here to help me. We are here to help each other. They gave me some suggestions not only on how to structure what I had to say, but some things I could expand on to make my work stand out and not look like "anyone's" story.

All of this is done in love. This is not a college class where you sink or swim. This is a group of Christian women who come together for the purpose of encouraging one another and for stirring up the gifts that are within us.

I have a long way to go. I'm very challenged, and barely have the room in my life to forge ahead with this. But I need this so much. All this costs me is my time, and a teachable spirit. I'm so thankful for this opportunity. Somehow in my heart I know that when the fog clears, I will see clearly that this was a God thing all along.

"...as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another..." Proverbs 27:17 NIV

Don't ya love a good curb find?

A week or so ago, my mom and I were on our way to do some shopping and I spotted a darling kitchen table sitting by a curb in front of one of those storage rental places. I thought that surely something must be really wrong with it for someone to throw it out. But I had to go look.

So I turned the car around and we went back to see. Sure enough, it was a nice wooden vintage table and felt pretty solid. Nothing was broken and it appeared that someone had tried to "antique" it but gave up.

It fit perfectly in the back end of my Saturn Vue; we loaded it in and off we went. I had no idea what I was going to do with it.

To my hubby's dismay, it took up room in our garage...until...I "happened" to see a post on Facebook by one of my friends. A friend of hers had friends who were in need. For whatever reason, they were trying to rebuild their lives and needed just about everything in the way of furniture and household items.

I had my friend check it out, and sure enough, they could use a kitchen table. So...

I got started sanding,

and priming...

and hubby did the painting...

I would have preferred to paint it a nice barn red color...but since we had no idea what color the recipients would like, we chose a neutral almond color.

In a couple days, we loaded the finished table back into my car and I delivered it to the friend of my friend, who then was able to pass it off to her friends in need. I threw in a box of stainless steel tableware that I don't use very often when I found out the family could use it for everyday. I gave these items with a prayer that the family will be blessed by receiving them. I love being able to do things anonymously like this. And I met a new friend in the process.

I had to chuckle that "I'm my father's daughter" because my dad just loved to find things on curbs and repurpose them. Here's just one of the things he sent my way and I will always treasure. It used to be an old dresser that ended up in someone's trash, but he rescued it, painted it, and surprised me with it. He gave it to me back in 2001, seven years before he died. It's in my sitting room now, and stores a variety of things for me.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

Be careful little mouth, what you say...

graphic compliments of www.penniwigs.blogspot.com

The two grandkids I babysit regularly and I have been singing the children's Sunday School song, "Be careful little eyes, what you see" this week. In case you don't know it, it goes like this:

O be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little eyes what you see

There's a Father up above

And He's looking down in love

So, be careful little eyes what you see

Then the other verses are little ears, what you hear, little feet, where you go, little hands, what you do, etc.

The Bible verse that has been on my mind a lot lately ties in. It is this one:

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29

Dictionary definitions of the word "unwholesome" include "detrimental to mental, physical, or moral well-being". When I was growing up, the kids in our neighborhood used to yell these words back and forth, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Well, we all know what a lie that is, and hopefully we try not to hurt others with our words.

But what about the rest of the verse? We are to say "only" those things that are helpful for building others up according to...what? THEIR NEEDS??? Our words are supposed to be of benefit to others.

I know I have failed many, many times in my life and have both intentionally and unintentionally disobeyed this scriptural admonition. Since I've been teaching the Sunday School song to my grandchildren, I've been thinking about what it would be like if I actually, very intentionally, tried to speak only wholesome words that would seek to build up the listener according to "their" needs.

The times when it becomes especially difficult are those when someone does or says something that I either strongly disagree with, or is hurtful to me. It's so easy to just let something fly out of my mouth (or off my keyboard!) in defense of my position or feelings. But the fact remains that as a bible-believing Christian, I must own that it is not only possible, but necessary that I need to be careful with words. Words are powerful, and they have meaning. Oh be careful little mouth what you say!

A quick trip to another corner of the world...

*This blog post has been rewritten and all names and other identifiable information and the photo have been removed for the protection of all parties concerned. After reading the post, the international student was somewhat fearful. She said she had never had her photo associated with anything she has said, and because she comes from a country that does not allow freedom of religion and many other freedoms we so easily enjoy here in the United States, she was not comfortable being identified so openly. This was a good lesson for me on several levels. If you enjoy the blessings of liberty in this country, please take time to thank God for that, and make a point to thank a veteran or an active service man or woman the next time you see one.

We had an interesting lunch on Sunday. We got to have an "international experience" without even leaving our area! One of our young friends, a college student, has made friends with a student from another country and we enjoyed lunch together. We've been trying to find the chance to meet our friend's friend for a while now, so we were thrilled. The girls are having a little break from school before summer classes start, so the timing was right.

Both girls are graduate students at a nearby University. They met this year when our friend joined a program to befriend an international student new to the school and country. While they have totally different majors, they have become great friends and have done many fun things together.

We did a lot of laughing at lunch because my hubby and I had so many questions for the international student that we barely gave her a chance to eat! We found out where she was from and a little bit about her family. Because she lives in a country with a political and religious culture very different from ours, we were curious about how her life back home differed from ours here in the States.

We also found out how she got into the international program at here and how she got interested in her field. She told us that she saw this program was available and not even knowing anything about it, she applied so she could have the opportunity to come to the United States to study. It is very intensive, and she will earn a masters degree in one year!

There is a great local church in our area which has an outreach program to the international students in the community. We found out that this student has attended services there and it has been a way she has been able to connect with some American Christians. Hubby, our friend, and myself, all being committed Christians, naturally were curious as to her religious background and status. I asked her if her family were Christians. She said they are not, and in fact they don't practice any religion. Amazingly, she said they she really didn't know anything about Christianity until she came to this country at the beginning of the current school year. I then asked her if, since she has been here, she has embraced Christianity herself. She thought a moment and then said, "I don't know. I really enjoy being around the Christians. I find them to be very kind." I know she will probably read this blog post, so I want to add a little personal note to her:

~~ That makes me happy, dear friend, that you have found Christians to be kind. As followers of Jesus Christ, Christians desire to become more and more like Him. We are not a perfect people group, but we know we have been forgiven of our sins, and we trust our eternity to the love of the One who loves us with an everlasting love. My hope is that you too will come to trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior. I would be happy to talk to you more about this if you are interested. We loved meeting you!~~

In addition to completing her degree by August, one of this students goals is to learn how to drive before she returns to her country, something she is very excited about. She will begin lessons soon.

I loved getting to know this student a little bit, and I love our friend's heart in befriending an international student this year! I would like to ask all my Christian blogger friends to pray for both of these girls as they each have many personal challenges. I believe that God has a plan for each of their lives. Please pray that He will reveal it to them in His own time and in His own way.

Please meet Sam...

Happy Birthday, Sam!

Samuel Paulson Stager is our second son. He is the daddy of Elyah and Ethan. And he's married to that beautiful tropical princess, Joanna.

I'm a firm believer that mothers should be honored on their children's birthdays. Afterall, we're the ones who did all the work, right? My other daughter-in-law, Ellie, feels the same way. She always goes out and buys herself fresh flowers on her kids' birthdays. So even if we have to honor ourself, so be it!

It's funny the things you remember when your kids' birthdays come around. When I was very pregnant the second time, and we knew the baby's sex, I was getting very antsy because my hubby and I were not finding a mutually agreeable name for our child. Anything he suggested, I vetoed. Whatever I came up with, he didn't like. OK, I was getting more than antsy. I was getting really frustrated, and it was beginning to be an issue between us. Things just seem so much more amplified when you are pregnant, don't they?

Well anyway, I remember one night I finally prayed about it. I said, "God, if you know what this child's name is, I sure wish you would tell us, because you can see it is getting to be an issue!" Would you believe, the very next day the name came to me. I asked my hubby what he thought. He liked it right away. Yep. Prayer changes things. Duh.

Samuel was my father's first name, and the two Sam's ended up not only being very close, but sharing so many of the same interests, talents, temperments, likeability, and even some quirks! (My dad didn't really like cake, for example, and neither does Sam.) Paulson is my mother-in-law's maiden name. So we also got Sam's 1/4 Icelandic heritage represented in his name too.

I well remember the day Sam was born. Our older son, then almost 4, stayed all night with my inlaws the night before because hubby and I both had the flu. As the day wore on, hubby was feeling better, but I was feeling worse by the hour. Then it dawned on me. It was my DUE DATE! Yep, I was in labor. We went to the hospital and in less than four hours we had our new baby boy. I didn't know babies were actually born on their due dates!

All grown up now, with a wife, two kids, and a mortgage of his own, Sam has made his parents proud. He's a steady-on kind of guy like his father, and has a tender heart like me. And I guess it's about time for me to forgive him for carving "I hate math" on my kitchen table. Even though you can still see it if you look for it.

It wasn't me!!

sorry folks. The generous person at Wal*Mart in my previous post was definitely not ME! I thought I made that clear, but I know we all have so many posts we like to read that perhaps some read it fast and got the wrong impression.

"You've Been Gifted" follow up...

On December 4, '09, I wrote about the initiative our church did during the month of December called "You've Been Gifted". (story here) There were so many stories that came in of random acts of kindness, and were posted on our church's website, though now they are gone. I wanted to share one story with you that was sent to our pastor. It is particularly touching.

"I was in the Super Walmart in Streetsboro this weekend and asked the Lord before entering the store to lead me to someone who needs a blessing. I really felt the presence of God while choosing a check out aisle. I ended up behind a woman in one of those wheelchair type carts the store offers and she was with her adult daughter. They were having trouble paying for their purchases and were trying to use different credit cards. It was obvious that this was the person God has chosen for me to "gift".

I stepped next to the lady and said " Merry Christmas why don't you let me pay for you today." The cashier overheard me and said " you can't do that" and I asked "Why not?" and she turned the cash register's monitor toward me that showed her total bill was $192. I said "that's OK our church asked us to look for opportunities to bless others this Christmas season" I then handed her the "You've Been Gifted" card.

The lady in the wheelchair began crying really hard and her eyes were red; she grabbed my face in her hands and said, "thank you very much-- I didn't think kindness like this still existed." She then said "the reason I am shopping today is to buy clothes for my husband's funeral this weekend!"

The cashier heard this and raised her hands in the air (and held them there) and said "praise God!" she then asked where our church was and said she would like to go to a church where people are as nice as me.

At this point I was feeling awkward about all the attention and started to babble phrases like "its not a big deal" and " I have a lot of money" --how embarrassing is that!

However, after all was said and done it really felt great to "team up " with God and be a part of blessing some else."

My random act of kindness didn't cost nearly as much in terms of money, and I don't know what the outcome was because I was able to do it anonymously, but I know I was just as blessed. I also did the Christmas Jar that I wrote about here. In fact, we had friends over on Christmas Eve (before all the excitement started with my mother-in-law and the ER) and our friends had also done one, so we got to excitedly share our stories with each other. I don't want to go into any more detail in fear of being "found out"!! But it sure was a lot of fun, and who wouldn't like to be blessed with an unexpected jar full of money on Christmas Eve from a secret friend or even from a stranger? I'll be starting to fill a new jar this week for next Christmas. I wouldn't miss out on this for anything!

I stumbled into a blog that a young gal, Katrina, is writing and she has determined to do a random act of kindness every day. You might like to check it out here. I have found it to be quite inspiring! But the best news is that when I went to read her post today, I found out that she committed her life to the Lord yesterday! If you feel so led, go over and give Katrina some encouragement. The angels are rejoicing and so am I!

God bless us, everyone!

church signs

One of my pet peeves has always been reading dumb things on church signs around town. I don't know why it gets under my skin so much. It's like someone is trying to say something profound in a cutesy way and in a few words.

My poor hubby knows how much it annoys me...he has to put up with my ranting when we're out driving and I spot one. What REALLY annoys me is when some slogan is posted that doesn't even speak the truth.

Here are a few you may have seen yourself:

"Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the snake, and the snake didn't have a leg to stand on"

"Down in the mouth? Come in for a faith lift"

"Speak well of your enemies, afterall, you made them"

"God is a know-it-all"

"Global warming is coming"

"Get ready for take-off"

You get the picture. Why do churches think these flippant sayings are a welcoming message to someone looking for a church to visit? And I found out that churches actually subscribe to services (yes, they pay money) to receive these sayings to post on their signs. A little web surfing also shows that there are tons of sites out there that exist for the purpose of ridiculing these signs.

OK, now I've gotten THAT off my chest!

I have to admit that for the first time in my life, yesterday I actually saw a church sign message that spoke to me personally. I was out running an errand at the end of a very busy day. I was feeling a bit down on myself for having had a cranky attitude the day before in front of some loved ones. As I drove around a bend in the road in the near-darkness, I spotted a church sign that read "TGIF" and under that it said, "Thank God I'm Forgiven".

Me? Touched by a church sign message? It had to be a God thing because this has never happened before. But it really did jolt me out of my self-loathing to remember that ALL my sins, past, present, and even future, have been forgiven. They were nailed to a cross long ago. Every day I can walk in newness of faith with full assurance that I am a beloved daughter of the King, and He takes delight in me.

I love these words to the hymn, It Is Well With My Soul. They speak such truth and assurance to my heart. To read the history of this hymn and hear the melody, go here.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

I'll probably still be annoyed when I see dumb church sign messages. But I won't forget TGIF anytime soon. Have a wonderful, forgiven Friday!

read about random acts of kindness!

I previously wrote about our church's goal of "gifting" 5000 people in our area through random acts of kindness of our members this Christmas season. (Previous post.)

I just wanted to point out that you can read about some of these on our church's website. The stories will keep coming in, so check back now and then! Go to www.hudsonchapel.org and click on the yellow "you've been gifted" tab when it comes up.

I have been so blessed to participate in this kind of giving this Christmas season, as well as doing a Christmas Jar. Read about that here.

I hope some of you will share some of the ways your eyes have been opened to look around and see others you've been able to bless with a random act of kindness.

"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

Hebrews 10:24

*graphic courtesy of Penniwig's

Angels unaware...

Angels Ministering to Christ in the Wilderness

by Thomas Cole

When I was a child back in the '50's, I remember reading a little book by Dale Evans Rogers called Angel Unaware. It is the story of the little daughter of Dale Evans and Roy Rogers, named Robin Elizabeth, who was born with Downs Syndrome and who only lived 2 1/2 years. The title of the book is taken from the biblical passage Hebrews 13:2, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares".

A description of the book from Amazon.com:

"Though Robin's time on earth was short, she changed her parents' lives and even made life better for other children born with special needs in the years to come. Angel Unaware is Robin's account of her life as she looks down from heaven. As she speaks to God about the mission of love she just completed on earth, the reader sees how she brought her parents closer to God and encouraged them to help other children in need. This book...changed the way America treated children with special needs..."

I think that was probably the first time I really thought much about angels, and not only has the story stuck with me, but the belief that angels are real and can take on many forms to perform their duties. Angels are referred to throughout the Bible, and I find them to be quite intriguing creations.

It's probably really hard to know for sure when we have had an encounter with a real angel sent from God. I'm certain there are many instances that we have been helped by an angel that we have been totally unaware of. But here is a story of something that happened to me and my husband a couple of years ago. I do believe it was a real life angel encounter!

Our older son and his family live in South Carolina, and especially now that we have grandchildren there, we try to run down from Ohio to see them several times a year. Unfortunately, I'm not recalling the exact date of this particular visit, but I know it was over a Labor Day weekend, and I'm thinking it may have been in 2004.

In any event, we set out to leave for home right after breakfast on Tuesday after the holiday weekend, which was approximately a 10 hour road trip. We knew the weather forecast was calling for rain because there was a hurricane moving from the Atlantic across the region (Frances?). We hoped to get a head start and head north as quickly as we could.

To back up just a bit: I am a very good traveler under perfect conditions. That means no rain, sleet, snow, fog, and no darkness. One of the demons I fight is my fear of the combination of highway speed and bad weather. It's just a big issue with me and I have no idea why. But I can have a serious anxiety attack when the conditions are "wrong". My husband is a great driver in any weather so it has nothing to do with him. (Probably more about my sense of the loss of control!)

We got about an hour up I-77N when the heavy rain started. I have never in my life experienced rain like that. It was coming down like it was the end of the world. Before too long, we could not see a thing in front of us. I was so terrified I thought I was going to die from not being able to breathe. We had to go quite a while with our wipers on full speed, not that it helped. Pretty soon, the rubber part of the driver's side wiper started inching up the metal blade. It was flopping all around and totally unable to clear the windshield to provide the least bit of visibility. Out of my side window, I thought I saw a sign for a gas station at the next exit. My husband somehow got us off the highway and we pulled into a tiny station with a little convenience store.

I was shaking so badly and I didn't even want him to get out of the car into the rain coming down in heavy sheets. But he went into the little store to see if someone had a tool he could use to try to fix the wiper blade. He came back to report that they did not. I just started to cry. I felt so helpless and scared of the long trip ahead of us. Just then, a small pickup truck pulled into the space beside me. I told my husband, "I bet that guy has some tools!"

While the man was inside the little convenience store, my husband tried one more time to fiddle with the wiper blade. Just then, the man appeared before him and asked if we needed some help. Hubby explained about the wiper and the man went to his truck to get a tool and within seconds it seemed, had our wiper fixed. We never had a chance to thank the guy...he was gone as quickly as he had appeared on the scene. All of this happened in what could not have been more than 3-4 minutes.

While I still didn't want to get back onto the highway, my husband wanted to persevere. Gradually we drove out of the heaviest rain, but it did continue to rain the entire way back to Ohio.

I really was too engrossed in the circumstances at the time to think this man could have been an angel. But looking back, I am fully convinced in my own mind. And totally grateful. What do you think?

Have you had an experiences that made you think twice about the reality of angels?

"Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?" Hebrews 1:14

cancer scare...

I've been challenged by Shirley over at Sketches of a Common Life (www.sketchesofacommonlife.com) to blog about a time when I thought the world had ended for me, but I ended up having a "butterfly" experience. There are several of these times in my life, but one I haven't blogged about before is the time I thought I was dying of cancer. I tread into this area knowing full well that my experience is "nothing" compared to what some folks have endured, and that for so many, their stories didn't turn out the way mine did. However I hope and pray that by telling it, that God will be glorified and that someone may be blessed and challenged in some way. It is what it is.

I never had an easy time in the monthly "female" department, each month bringing a lot of physical pain and emotional turmoil. I do have a pretty high pain tolerance and I just accepted this as "normal", thinking all along that every woman had this to deal with each month. So back in May of 1997 when I was experiencing the monthly "curse" I didn't think too much of it, except that this time, it was pain beyond anything I'd ever had before, and I could barely stand, and it didn't let up. I had some other symptoms that didn't go away. I called the doctor and that started a series of check ups, tests, and scans...

I am not a medical person and I really don't remember all the different procedures that were done on me over a period of weeks. At one point it was determined I had an ovarian cyst the size of a baseball. I had several CA-125 blood tests, which can point to ovarian cancer with elevated numbers. A normal number is 35 or below. My numbers were running over 1200.

I was 48 at the time, and I had been looking forward to going through menopause "naturally"...I had even read a couple books on the subject because I didn't want to be taking hormone therapy, and I certainly did not want a hysterectomy. But after a period of time, I was told I had no choice, and that I needed to undergo surgery. The plan was for tissue to be frozen and tested while I was still under anesthesia, and a cancer team would be standing by to do some special procedures if the biopsy came back positive for ovarian cancer.

This all sounds so dry and clinical now. But at the time our two sons were 13 and 17 years old. There was a three week wait before my surgery date. I read everything I could about ovarian cancer, and discovered that by the time there are any real symptoms, a woman could be in a late stage.

The earth stood still for me. I was facing a very real possibility that I could die before my kids graduated from high school. One day as I was dropping clothes into the washing machine, I burst into tears, wondering if someone else would be doing this for my family in the near future. I felt tremendous guilt thinking what I might be putting my husband through financially and emotionally. We agreed not to tell our kids what we were dealing with until we really knew for sure.

I needed spiritual strength like I never needed it before. I shared the situation with Christians who I knew would pray for me. I spent warm summer days sitting on the deck, reading the Scriptures and praying. Praying a lot. I went through a process of thinking of anyone I might be at odds with, and I called them or wrote them notes. I searched my heart and found forgiveness for anyone I could think of who had ever offended me. I found peace. The most unbelievable peace I've ever known. I discovered an intimacy with God like none I had ever experienced before, or since. I was not afraid to die. My husband and I talked a lot and prayed a lot, and we both felt we were ready to face whatever the future held, because our trust was totally in the Lord.

One day shortly before the surgery, a Christian woman called me on the phone. She told me that God had woken her up in the middle of the night and layed it on her heart to pray for me. She got on her knees beside her bed and prayed. She shared with me some Scriptures that had been impressed on her. I can't explain it, but I felt like I was totally "covered". I asked the Lord to heal me and promised that when I was on the other side of all of this, I would stand up in my church and tell everyone what He had done for me.

Finally the day of surgery arrived. I had a slight dip in my emotions as they were wheeling me away, and I told my husband "I'm sorry to put you through this." When I woke up in my hospital room, about a dozen family members were standing all around my bed. My husband said to me, "you are fine." All I could say was, "you wouldn't lie to me, would you?" He just laughed. I was still groggy. But I later found out that even before they were finished with me, the doctor came out to tell my waiting husband that the biopsy showed no sign of cancer. The medical people were all amazed. So much so, that the head of the oncology department came to see me the next day, saying she just HAD to meet the lady who didn't have cancer. She said they were all ready for me because they were positive that I did. I told her I had a lot of people praying for me. She said, "I've seen that before!"

I still needed a followup CA-125 test to see what was going on with the numbers. I prayed and asked the Lord to convince everyone with certainty that there was no question of my status. So a couple weeks later the test was repeated. The number was 10. God again answered prayer. I recovered very quickly from the surgery, and within about two weeks I felt better than I had in a long time.

I did become a fool for the Lord one Sunday morning not long afterwards when a contemporary worship group within our mainline denomination church had the opportunity to format the entire service. I told my entire story to the congregation. I had also invited family members and friends to come and hear the testimony.

I've been a believer in Jesus Christ for over 50 years, since I was a child, and yet I know that something definitely happened to me through this experience that has changed me forever. I have absolutely no fear of death. I have total trust in the goodness of the Lord. I know my faith has been tried by fire and it stands. There is no turning back, no doubting. I know I am loved by God in a very personal way. Scriptures are more alive to me than ever. I am more sensitive to struggles that others are going through. I am more willing and happy to pray for them. I know without a single doubt that I am eternally secure and have a blessed future that awaits me when my earthly life is over. Even though I sin and fall short over and over, I know with certainty that God has already forgiven me, and loves me with an everlasting love. I know that nothing can separate me from Him. I know that He has a purpose for my life even if I can't see it clearly myself; I can trust Him to work it out. I live my life in gratitude and I can face the future with confidence because I know Who holds my future. I know that none of this is because of anything good I have ever done, but only because of the grace of God that has been shed abroad in my heart.

I guess I never really thought of it as a "butterfly experience" but I was definitely changed!

"But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone. Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come." Psalm 71:14-18 NIV