Today I Am Thankful

I was outside, walking the dog, when my attention was drawn to the field across the road. A dozen deer were grazing quietly in the early morning sunlight, streaks of purple and pink in the sky behind them. Ever so quiet, frozen in a perfect picture moment. I ran inside to grab my camera. It is for moments like these that I enjoy getting up early. God is always giving me beautiful pictures of His creativity.

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Today I am thankful for: 

*honking geese flying low

*sunlight sparkling on the winter lake

*deer grazing in the field across the road

*quiet morning when the world is just waking up

*purple and pink sky

*fuzzy kitten curled in my arms

*barking dog

*praying with my son

*safe travels

*a job interview for one

*a new job for another

*a husband still wrapped up in sleep

*Spring Break

*a college tour

*handsome senior pictures

*God, who makes all things possible

 

Mighty Warrior

And the word for Five Minute Friday today? It’s MIGHTY because you are.

Ready, set, go!  Write…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The word mighty, by definition, means possessing great and impressive power or strength. Honestly, it would not be the word I would choose to describe myself. On most mornings, the best I can do is push the covers back and face the day after washing away the sleep and brushing my teeth. I find my comfy jeans and t-shirt, and pad out to the kitchen in my stocking feet. The dog needs walked and fed and I need to find something to eat, before I check my email. Nothing yet that is showing great and impressive power……..

Then I am reminded….right there on the front porch in the still dark hour, the wind whipping my hair all wild.

Mighty is not my own power and strength, but He who lives in me.

I am a child of the King!

I am a warrior!

I am an overcomer!

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galation 2:20 NIV

 

Wounded

*Today’s Thursday’s 3/27/14 Writing prompt : 
Wounded
This prompt is inspired by themes of Lent. Week #3 of {The Journey Series}, the journey to Easter.

 

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Wounded. A difficult word to write about. To be honest, I don’t enjoy writing about topics that come from the word, wounded.

Wounds aren’t like scratches. Wounds aren’t fixed by a Band-aid. They are deep and often times painful. In most cases it takes a long time, if ever, for a wound to heal….and scars can still show as reminders of what happened.

There are a multitude of the walking wounded wandering through this life. It doesn’t take much to notice them, if one walks with their eyes wide open.

Jesus understood the wounded. The downcast. The hurting. He met them where they were at. He gave them hope where there seemed to be none. He gave them love when they felt unlovable. He healed the brokenhearted.

As Christians our goal should be to be more like Jesus, reaching out to a wounded world…

Showing them the love of The Great Physician who binds hurts and heals even the deepest of wounds.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 NIV

We Need To Get Over Ourselves

I read something recently that left me feeling uneasy. The article contained some controversial material, but what really bothered me was the way Christians were fighting with each other. It grieved my heart. There is a world watching us, and when we fight amongst ourselves, tear each other down, what does that tell the greater population? Now, I’m not saying believers should ever water down the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am not saying to compromise core values and beliefs. What I am saying is that, as Christ followers, in many circumstances we need to get over ourselves. We are not, nor have we ever been, perfect. Sinners…..each of us, deserving of Hell.

I am a sinner…saved only by the unmerited grace of a living and loving God. I never deserved Christ’s forgiveness and I sure couldn’t earn it. In fact scripture reminds me that, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:6  NIV   In other words, none of us are perfect and even when we try to do “the right thing”, we can never meet the standards of a Holy and Just God. That is the whole reason Christ came to this broken, sin cursed world. He came to save us. We needed Him to stand in the gap between us and God. When God looks at me, He no longer sees Dawn covered in her sin, but He instead looks at me in the shadow of His perfect and righteous Son. Jesus has me covered.

Instead of arguing and condemning, maybe we need not be so scared to extend grace to others. The more we, as individuals, realize how lost we were before Christ found us, the more likely we will be to give a hand to others who are desperately in need of Him.

 

Hear His Voice

We are so used to the cacophony of our busy days that….

quiet can leave us uneasy.

 

Don’t be scared of the silence.

Sometimes the Creator of the universe comes to us in the quiet.

He whispers in the gaps of the every day.

We need to be still so we can hear His voice.

 

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  Psalm 91:1 

If Only

 

 

I’ve got a ton of things to do.  There is not enough time in the day. I’m sleep deprived. I’m stressed out and overwhelmed and want to just crawl into a corner and suck my thumb. Okay, maybe it isn’t really that bad. I won’t revert back to childhood, although I have to say it was a lot less busy and a whole lot less stressful.

Life has a way of making me feel like I am constantly running on a never-ending treadmill. Sigh. If only I can make it through the day. If only I can make it through the week. If only I could make it through the year. If only, if only, if only…….

The “if only’s” zap me of the here and now. I overlook the current moments, if I’m always fixated on the “if only”. I don’t want to be that way. Life will still remain busy and honestly, it can get stressful. With that said, if I will slow down and take a moment to thank God for all the good, the mood changes. Yeah, I’ll still be busy, but my perspective will have changed.

My focus will be in the right place.

1 Chronicles 16:8 – Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.

Lord, thank You!

Thank you for……..

*sunshine

*the fresh start to a new week

*hugging my son before he leaves for the morning

*a job interview for son

*soft pillows

*warm socks

*dinner with my husband

*conversation with my husband who tells me “I’m always on your side”

*God who chose me

*living in His unending grace

 

 

Joy In The Everyday

Five Minute Friday: Joy

Writing for five minutes and and only five minutes….

Ready. Set. Go!

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Joy is a choice and I choose to live it.

Happiness is not the same thing as joy. Happiness can be fickle and fleeting, triggered by emotion. Unpredictable and unsteady.

Joy is different. Joy is from God and about God and because of God.

I think back over the moments of my life and realize that where there was joy–there was God.

At 11 years old, I walked to the front of the small church and told the pastor that I knew I needed Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. There was indescribable joy at knowing that I was now a child of the King!

The birth of my son, the gift of motherhood. The first moment I held him, I cried tears of joy. Thankfulness flooded my heart.

The joy of knowing that my chronically ill husband was now standing in the presence of God. He was healthy and whole and through the tears my heart knew.

The joy of new love and finding a best friend.

The joy and awe of standing on the edge of The Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyons, taking in the amazing view of the Grand Tetons, driving across the Nevada desert, wading in the Atlantic off the coast of Rhode Island, listening to the Pacific waves crash on a beach in Costa Rica, savoring the views of my very own piece of heaven, here in the country.  There is joy in nature, God’s handiwork.

Joy in the everyday because God is here.

 

 

He Stayed

*Today’s Thursday’s 3/20/14 Writing prompt : Stay

This prompt is inspired by themes of Lent. Week #3 of {The Journey Series}, the journey to Easter.

 

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I’ve had people wander in and out of my life. Friendships that I thought would last forever, but didn’t. Romances that ended. Distance and time swallowing up what once was…..and I am left wondering why they didn’t stay? All of us crave relationship. We weren’t created to “go it alone”.  We long for someone to hold our hand and heal our heart. People to tell us that we are not really all that weird, and things will be okay. My husband tells me often that he is not going anywhere. He is staying.  It feels safe to know that he is willing to stay in my corner with me, through it all.

Even those of us that grew up feeling loved and wanted, and have strong families and good marriages, still have to face hard and difficult things in this life. Rarely is the face that others are allowed to see, the same one that reflects back to us in the mirror. You know what I mean. We hide the ugly parts. The broken dreams, the hurt, the desire for something different. The feelings of inferiority, indecision, and ignorance.

We can’t hide anything from Jesus…..and we don’t have to. He already knows. He sees the broken and picks up the pieces. He hears the whispered dreams and He reveals that He has plans for you. The feelings of inferiority are replaced with the word, valuable. Jesus promised to stay. He promised to never leave nor forsake.

He didn’t have to stay.

He chose to.

He left the joys of Heaven to come to this earth. God walked among people. He did not come to condemn (we do that already!) but, to seek and to save. We needed Him, we were desperate for a Savior…..even if we didn’t know it at the time. He could have left at any time, but He didn’t. Let that sink in for a minute. He loved you enough to stay. He willingly placed Himself on the course toward Calvary. He was beaten, taunted, scourged, spit on, and jeered at. He was brutally nailed to a cross, a torturous Roman execution. He was God and could have called the multitudes of Heaven to His rescue. Instead, He stayed…until it was finished.

He built the bridge between God and man on that day.
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. Luke 23:46 

Traveling The Back Roads Of This Country

“Try to be one of those on whom nothing is lost.”― Henry James, The Art of Fiction

This morning, I found Henry James’ quote in an article I was reading. His words struck me. I get what he is saying. I’ve written on numerous occasions how I observe things all around me, whether it is the diamond glitter trails of snowflakes, the warm rays of sun puddling on the kitchen floor, or the silky feel of fabric. My observing skills do not end with “things”. I am an avid people watcher, and also enjoy hearing people’s stories. It has been said, everyone has a story…and that is the truth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My desire to “hit the road” grows each year. I want to road trip. Meet people. See things. Explore. Observe. Make memories. Hear stories. I want to write down my thoughts…and by so doing, make this big wide world seem just a little bit smaller. I want to meet the lady down the block, listen to the elderly vet in town, see the little girl working at the lemonade stand, know the guy who plays his guitar on the corner.

So, here is the deal. I am considering starting another blog. I will still keep this current blog because I love it. I love talking about my Lord, I cannot nor do I wish to ever separate my faith from my day to day life. My relationship with Jesus is part of me and it always will be, and blogging helps me share His love with you, my readers. With that said, I have this dream, desire, to write stories about people I meet. I truly believe it is a “God thing”. Sadly, I think that most of us go through our daily lives in such a rush that we miss out on getting to know each other. It seems like we don’t come together unless there is some sort of tragedy…then we hold a hand, hear a word, wipe a tear. Shouldn’t we touch others lives, share a smile, wave hello, stop and say, “Hi. It is good to see you. What’s up?”….and then wait to hear the answer. Sure it takes time, but isn’t life a series of moments? And don’t we really live when we are reaching out?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I am a huge fan of the late Charles Kuralt’s, On The Road. He was a news man that got out of the box and onto the backroads of this great country. For him, no topic was too small, no person too insignificant. Kuralt once said, “There are sights in this country and people in this country to banish any gloom you ever may feel and to fill you instead with wonder.” By noticing the ordinary and celebrating originality, he exalted us all. (On The Road with Charles Kuralt)

I want to take up the torch, and then blog about it. About you. About life. In the cities, in the small towns and all the places in between, because your stories matter…you are interesting. So, tell me your story and don’t leave anything out.

 

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Once I figure out the setting up of a new blog, and get it underway, I will post the new blog site. If you are interested in hearing people’s stories, like I am, then you can join me as we travel the back roads of life, together.

You Do The Crime, You Do The Time

 

This is a post from a few years ago…… I reread it and laughed all over again. I hope you will laugh too. After all laughter is good for you!

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My intention was to finish my story from yesterday….but, that will have to wait until tomorrow. I’m too wound up to type something serious this morning.

Some days are better than others. Just sayin’.

1. The indoor pets needed their flea treatments. The weather is getting warmer and fleas and ticks are already becoming an issue.

2. My husband was gone to a meeting in the evening. I was left to my own device.

3. My son helped with giving the dog a flea treatment. The dog behaved himself at the time….but, then proceeded to roll around in the grass afterward —during his evening walk. Sigh. I hope any nasty little blood sucking varmints that happened to be in said grass, were repelled. Sigh again.

4. I commissioned my daughter to help with the two indoor cats. I had been noticing a little scratching going on (with the cats, not her) and decided we needed to treat them now, while the getting is good.

5. The cats were okay during the treatment, that takes all of 60 seconds. Joe (the senior citizen cat) took it like a champ. No problemo. Nikki, my calico, stalker kitty….not so much.

6. She sulked in my closet all evening. I tried to get her to come out, but she just turned her head and continued to lay on my shoes. It was a major snub.

7. FINE! Lay in there and  I hope you don’t roll over and poke yourself with a high heel!!!! Hmmppfff.

8. Well, Nikki finally emerged, but if ever a cat was ticked off….it was her. Cross my heart and hope to die, if she could speak…she would have cursed me. I’m sure of it.

9. She skulked around.

10. Bedtime came. She usually lays at the foot of the bed…..after she gets pet and loved on.

11. Last night she decided to show her ire, by PEEING on the bed. Right up near me. As a matter of fact she peed all over my new Country Living magazine that I was just settling down to read….and a book….and on the quilt, which soaked through to the blanket underneath.

12. At the moment I did not see what was going on…..but, my husband did and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. He carried her out to the laundry room–where she was banished for the rest of the night.

13. While that was going on, I had to strip the bed linens and wash them in hot, soapy water….at 11pm at night. I was not a happy camper. In my mind I was thinking up horrible sayings….things like…. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”  Yeah.

14. Nikki was crying in the laundry room and I was yelling back, “Suck it up sister. You pee you pay!” (along with maniacal, sleep deprived laughter)

15. She got out of detention this morning….none worse for the wear.

16. The bedroom is OFF limits to her today. She is NOT pleased.

17. Hey, that’s the price ya gotta pay, girlie. You do the crime, you do the time.

18. My bed is now fresh and clean.

19. I am in a much better mood.

20 And Nikki is sulking behind the file cabinet in the school room.

AND THAT IS MY LIFE…..end of story.