Forgiveness is Amazing!

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Forgiveness oh how sweet! I remember back when the kids were all little and at times I would be overwhelmed and get grouchy with them. It was that last argument, that last spilled drink, it was a bad attitude (besides mine) or a smart answer that put me over the edge. After the day was over and things settled down, I would always regret losing my temper or being impatient and would say before the kids went to sleep “Mommy’s sorry I was so grouchy today” and out of the bedrooms (Walton style) I would get my answer in unison “That’s okay Mommy, We love you”. My husbands apologies were much like mine but he would add “you are good girls” and again in unison “you’re a good Daddy” Wow, from the mouths of babes!

If only it could be that easy when we grow up. If only from the bedroom I could hear, it’s okay, I love you. Actually, I still do that, I say God forgive me for my bad attitude, for my quick tongue or even disobedience and the quick reply is I forgive you, I love you, my child and you are good. To that my reply would be… you are my good Heavenly Father! I praise your Holy Name! Thank you!

Colorful Cast of Characters

Sometimes I have a hard time writing! I think I have to be clever (try at least) and optimistic and I want to send the positive message of Christ and his love so there are days that I feel I cannot write on my blog because my feelings are far from optimistic, my heart is heavy and there is no dancing in my soul. At least that is what I thought until my daughter shared with me about her favorite singer. This singer, like me, has chronic depression. My daughter explained that she can feel her pain in her songs but even better she hears the hope in the Lord that she also possesses and relays through her music. I should know this since the Bible is a collage of people who is, at times, down trodden, discouraged, defeated and depressed. There are those who suffer, not only physical pain but mental pain also. If they would all end up in the office of some unlucky therapist, you would find a very colorful waiting room. This cast of characters would include of course King David also Jeremiah would be there using up all of the tissues with his weeping and for sure Paul would have to explain the problems he has with that pesky “thorn in his flesh”. How about poor Peter, who after promising Jesus his life, denied Him three times. I know Job would be there trying to figure out why he would curse the day he was born.

If you want to catch up with King David you could take a tour through the Psalms. Many times he tells God of his pain, his hurt, his regrets and the fear that was at times his constant companion. Yet, David in Psalm 42:11 says “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Jeremiah 8:18 says “God, you are my comfort when I am very sad and when I am afraid.” (this comes from the “cry baby” prophet!) Job lets his crazy friends know that no matter what he would always put his hope in God. I love to read in Job chapter 12 that Job told his friends to pipe down that they didn’t know everything. Peter was given hope when Jesus told him that when he returned he should help his brothers and Paul says in Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. I also like Isaiah’s take on things, he proclaimed in chapter 40 that those who have hope in the Lord will receive fresh strength, they spread their wings and soar like eagles. They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind.

So you see if you are afflicted in any way or downcast or are afraid or like me depressed we sit in good company with God’s faithful, his colorful cast of characters. Their words have brought hope to millions down through the ages. Not with their perfect life in a “perfect world” but with the same problems that you and I share and we too can have the hope that prevails all through scripture. Go ahead don’t be afraid to tell others of your afflictions, weep if you need to but always proclaim the hope we have in Jesus Christ! Don’t be afraid to be you even if you fit into this colorful group!

Gifts from God!

Today I washed my windows and found myself happy and sad. Happy when I found tiny little finger prints on the window but sad because I miss the one who put them there. A few weeks ago my daughter Missy, her husband John and my sweet granddaughter Jenna came for an unexpected visit. For two days of their visit we stayed home, relaxed and watched Jenna be Jenna. It was wonderful seeing how she had grown and become such a little lady. We laughed when she bopped us with her head as a sign of affection, that according to Missy, she learned from their cat. We read her books over and over again making funny faces and loud noises to see if we could get her to fall over laughing which she did quite easily. Whenever the door was open her little hand went in the air as a sign that she wanted to go outside and we were more than willing to give her that wish. We all laughed as she ran and explored to her hearts content. She brought us flowers, sometimes dead ones, leaves and sticks. She laughed to see the dogs run past her with lightning speed and she
pointed to the cats who also joined the fun. The picture is still in my mind of her running, and watching those sweet red curls blowing in the breeze. Jenna and her parents even stood in the towering corn, that was well above the head of her 6’5” Daddy. We watched her every move, to the point, that she counted on her “fan club” to be watching and would check to see if we were watching and we were. As I relived those few days, my thoughts went to my heavenly Father and how he is so anxious to give to His children, to you and me. How he must enjoy watching us and being our “fan club”. Matthew 7:11 says that if we with all of our faults can give good things to our children how much more will our Heavenly Father give good gifts to us.

I am so thankful for what God gives me but I need to think of him more as my loving father and my best fan. As I receive good gifts I want to think of his broad smile and adoring eyes. As Jenna looked into the faces of loving parents and grandparents, I need to know that the Lord looks upon me with that same kind of love but even more so.

To be honest, I left a few of those finger prints just to remind me of that wonderful time spent with this beautiful family and the fun we had with our sweet Jenna! Children and grandchildren are surely one of those gifts that our Father happily gives us and smiles as we enjoy His wonderful blessings. Thank you, Father!

Out of the Miry Clay!

Most people would tell you that I am not the adventurous kind. Even as a kid, I could not wrap my mind around the idea of getting on a ride to get a thrill. The only thing I got from those rides was “scared” and sick. Fun? No! Mind you, I am not proud of that fact because I would have loved to have fun being scared but I didn’t have it in me. I would venture to say there is not one daring bone in my body and if there ever was it is well hidden in the ever-accumulating fat that I carry these days. I do recall a time when I was a “dare devil”. I know, that is not at all like me but I must share this story with you. When Larry and I were younger we used to go canoeing on the Current River. I actually loved it though it could get a bit scary if someone stood up and rocked the little canoe. I enjoyed the scenery and usually had others from our group to enjoy the ride with us. On one of our trips we came upon a cave that housed a spring of water that fed the river. Several of us went in to take a look and a few even jumped into the water. It was a welcome change from the sultry hot day on the river. Suddenly something came over me! I decided to jump in! Wow, the crazy woman in me came out and I made the plunge. I quickly became aware of the temperature of the water, it was so cold that it took my breath and I know my heart stopped. My life passed before my eyes and my first thought was “Why”? Why had I strayed from my life long path of cautiousness and sensibility? Why had I not at least started small like a ride on a Ferris wheel or even a Roller Coaster. It seemed I was under the water forever and when my head came up all I could see was not concerned spectators but laughing fools! If you can imagine, huge nostrils, big exaggerated smiling mouths and the hideous sound of horrible, jerring, laughter that‘s where I was. I think my brain had frozen and I struggled to awake from this horrible nightmare! Before I could say a word I slid on the slimy bottom and again went into the icy abyss! Again I tried, only to see the same audience that was clearly having fun at my expense. I raised my hand to let someone know I was in trouble, only to slip again. My thoughts then went to the idea that I was going to die as I time after time slipped on the slimy edges of the pit. I knew that unless one of those gawkers got the clue that I was going down for the third time I would die there in that slimy pit. Finally I felt a big hand of my husband reach for me and I was able to get to a firm place so that I could stand again. Between lots of giggles, I got apologies for not recognizing the fact that I could not get out. How could they know that I could drown in four feet of water? I have told this story many times and have giggled as well at my one daring incident and my "rescue" from the pit.

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40:1-3

Have you ever been in the slime and mud? I know I have been. Sometimes that can mean you have sin in your life and you have to ask and trust God to pull you out of the miry clay that keeps you in the pit. The Bible says he is faithful to forgive you of your sins and free you from them. Other times we can be in a spiritual rut and need to be rescued from the dark pit that you have found yourself. There are times that even those closest to us do not see the difficulty we are in because we are too embarrassed to tell anyone of our struggles. I have spent time in that place and as I struggled to get out on my own it was futile. All of the will power or determination could not help me. As I struggled to get my feet on solid ground, I would slide backwards, even more discouraged than before. Only when I was desperate enough to hold out my hand to the only one strong enough to pull me out did I feel solid ground beneath my feet. He set me on the rock of his salvation and again I could walk with Him. Are you struggling alone? He is waiting to give you his hand!

Well, since that day I avoid all pretense of being a dare devil, I am very content to say “NO” to daring and “YES” to cautiousness (or cowardliness)! Being a “chicken” becomes me and I am sticking with it.

Born and Born Again!

Forty years ago today I became a Mom! I wasn’t prepared for the love I would have for this precious little girl. This gift that God had given us was more glorious than Larry or I could have expected. A man, who was a bit stingy with “I love yous” could hardly say anything else, a habit that has continued to this very day. We immediately thought she was beautiful, even with the cone head that she kept for a few days. We were a bit relieved when her head went to a normal shape and a perfect little blond head replaced it. This little wonder was really ours and there is not a more frightening or more precious thought. We brought her home to our one bedroom apartment, that we would soon out grow, but for now it was heaven as our little family settled in. Her Dad would hurry home from work just to hold and play with her, while a harried though happy Mom shared every little detail of my day with him.

We were married the year prior to her birth and my practical and wise husband announced that we should go to church regularly because he said “families seemed to do better if they went to church”. I don’t think either of us really understood the importance of that decision in the beginning. We didn’t grasp that we would meet Jesus and bring him into our home as well as our hearts. By the time Christa was born we had already accepted Christ as our Savior and Christ now was the center of our lives, that is why we named her Christa because we loved that Christ was in her name. As we, baby Christians ourselves, read children’s bible stories to her we learned right along with her. When we told her of the “big fish” that swallowed Jonah, we were just as awed as she was. When she bowed her tiny head and folded her hands in prayer we could not have been more blessed. Oh, how like God to think of the joy that children would bring to us.

I was to have the privilege of having and raising more children and seeing grandchildren born but it all started forty years ago today. As I ponder this day, and all that God has done in these forty years I am amazed and so grateful. I was told a few days ago by one of my kids that if I had not had so many kids I would have a lot more money and to that I said “no amount of money would I trade for the joy that has been mine for these forty years.”

Our Christa Leigh has grown into a beautiful woman now with children of her own and now she reads bibles stories to her daughter and she watches as she folds her hands in prayer. Christa continues to be a blessing to us and I stand amazed at the God and the child that came into our home and hearts so many years ago. Through many years of prayer we have seen miracles in her life and we thank God for her good health and her love for the Lord.