POWER SOURCE!

As I made my way through my house I could hardly miss stepping on cords of every size, length and color, they were hooked to phones, iPods, and laptops. This is always a sign that my kids are home for a visit so I love these cords for this reason. It occurred to me this morning, that these bits of technology all seek the same thing.....POWER! Thirty years ago these little gadgets would be stuff of our imaginations and never a reality. But as great as they are, they run out of POWER! Who has not been filled with fear as the little battery at the top of the screen starts to show empty when we are far from the power source?

I remember "POWER Rangers", I know those people who "POWER walk" and we hear much about the POWERful people. We run from the POWER hungry, we are impressed with those in POWER and our hearts break over the POWERless in our society!

At times, power slips through my fingers like sand! I find myself weak and POWERless. If humans were equipped with that pesky little battery on their foreheads, mind would be blinking most of the time.

One of my favorite stories in the bible is about a woman who went from one doctor to another with a bleeding disorder until she had spent all of her money. As she gave her last cent for a cure, but as no cure was found, POWER slipped through her fingers. She was desperate to find an answer to her suffering. At daybreak she found herself in a crowd of people following Jesus as he was healing and doing miracles. With all her money and all her hope gone, she was among the POWERless!

Her only hope, she surmised, was to touch his garment. So even though her frail frame was so very thin, she felt so heavy as she moved toward Jesus. There were some who moved aside as they recognized her as the “unclean” while others were unaware as they clamored for Jesus. As she reached out and touched the hem of His robe she felt life giving power surge through her weary body. Have you ever felt that kind of life changing POWER come into your situation?

I can imagine this woman stopped in her tracks looking at her hands as the pale skin turned to a healthy pink and her face flushed as life giving blood returned to her body. I think she probably stood straighter as strength returned to her bent frame. Her thoughts, and her emotions twirled in her head like a merry-go-round as years of suffering fell from her being. Her thoughts were soon interrupted abruptly by the Master’s voice! “Who touched me?” The bible says Jesus felt POWER go out of Him and knew he had been touched. This poor soul who held hope in her hands for the first time in twelve years could now envision it slipping through her fingers. Feeling the eyes of the almighty on her, she stepped forward trembling in fear. As she looked into the loving eyes of her Heavenly Father, his words flooded over her as His “healing” had done minutes earlier. “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." (Mark 5:34 NIV)

As I look around at the cords, silently powering the technical wonders that we so often count on, I think of my POWER source. I thrill at the thought of touching His garment just one more time as the power is drained from my very being. As joy sometimes becomes a stranger and strength is diminished I strain to reach the hem of Him who can give us POWER!

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak. (Isaiah 40:29 NIV)

　

I Love Being the Mom of FORGETFUL CHILDREN!

What I love most about being a mom is my children's forgetfulness!

I remember many days when, as a mom with small children, I would want to run screaming down the street. You know those days when the bickering never stops, the spilled drinks could cause a flash flood and "Mom" seemingly is the word to bellow when one is touched by ones sibling! Those days that stretched my patience beyond the limits, when bedtime could not come fast enough still sticks in my mind. I remember at days end and nights when "Walton style" we would say our goodnights and I would add "sorry Mom was so grouchy today" and from their rooms I would hear in unison "that's okay mom, you're a good mom"! I want to be able to forgive that easily!

Even now many years since I have heard those sweet voices coming from the bedrooms in my house, I remember the love that was cheerfully given to that weary mom, and the forgiveness that overflowed even though I felt undeserving of it.

Now my grown daughters often say wonderful things to me that sometimes takes me aback. I recall all the mistakes I made as a parent. I remember how many times I felt like a failure as a mom and I wonder why they don't remember my mistakes and failures. But yet my forgetful children love me, isn't that grace?

Jesus said that we should all become like little children and I know why! They are so very forgetful as He is. As we ask him to forgive our sins the bible says he also forgets them, they are thrown into the sea of FORGETFULNESS!

It's funny how those we try to instruct often instruct us. Thank you Lord for my forgetful children!

Sweetness on a Shelf!

This time of the year I think of a story told about my husband that demonstrates his orneriness when he was a young boy. Larry's sister Carol was a teenager about five years older than Larry and as Valentines Day came she would usually get a box of candy from her latest beau. Not wanting to disturb the beautiful heart shaped box, she would sit it up in her room un-opened with cellophane still intact. My husband and his brother Dave would cut a candy sized hole in the bottom and shake all the candy out piece by piece. It was months before his sister would realize the sweet treats were all gone as well as the thieves who stole them.

Many times our marriages work in the same way! We set that which is so precious on a shelf, not wanting to disturb the memory of the love and romance we shared. We glance at it occassionally and admire it there on the shelf, as we wait to get the kids raised, make a successful career and obtain that elusive American Dream. As years go by it sits beautifully on the shelf but we seldom look at it anymore. From the outside it looks okay but inside slowly but surely it becomes empty and a shell of what it was when you carefully placed it on the shelf. Sadly, when we finally have time and begin to think about what we left on that shelf so many years ago, we find the box is hardly recognizable. The thief has struck!

Once we began our family, Larry and I took to parenting like ducks to water, we seldom got a babysitter because we just enjoyed having the kids with us. I remember one Wedding Anniversary when the kids were small, having the waitress bring us three high chairs. Needless to say, between cutting up food, wiping messy mouths, and cleaning up spilled milk, the romance flew out the door. But reality finally hit one evening when we got a sitter to watch the kids while we did something alone. As we pulled away by ourselves I suddenly felt a lost for words. I was so used to centering our conversations around the kids, about the kids and in spite of the kids that I had forgotten how to talk to my husband. I'm not usually a fast learner, but that was a lesson I learned that evening. I knew that if there was to be an "us" after kids it was not going to happen accidentally. From that night on I began to give more thought to the future and to what kind of relationship I wanted to have with the man I married. There were more alone times when he and I could talk. Not always big flashy dates but times when the kids went to bed early so we could watch our favorite TV show together and drink hot tea. We took walks to catch up on each other and now and then a weekend away gave us time to regroup and refresh.

As I watch the hectic lives of families today, I know that time spent alone has to be nearly impossible especially with small children. I believe the "thief" the devil, likes it that way and uses every opportunity to steal away those sweet morsals. I have to believe that one day when life has settle down, some will look across the breakfast table at a stranger. The pretty heart shaped box will still be on the shelf but it will be empty, it's contents stolen by the "thief" that is no where around when it's time pick up the pieces of the marriage.

Today as I look across the breakfast table I see the love of my youth. He is not perfect as I am not but we know each other and still prefer each others company to any other. I still laugh at his jokes and he still teases me unmercifully! Since we have retired, we still like to get away to an antique shop or even roam Menards for hours. We take walks and talk as if we haven't talked in days all the while laughing at our four legged "kids". Most of all we still love being with our kids and grandkids and cherish those times together. I thank God for the sweet morsals of life that we have enjoyed together and the memories of raising a family but I look forward to more days of laughter and love with the love of my life. By the way, Larry is still onery!

Stand guard over what God has given you, so the "thief" doesn't steal the love you have for one another.

Happy Valentines Day!

Sent from Jeanie!

"Them Dry Bones!"

Before I retired, I hated those yearly evaluations. Not that they were ever bad but I just dreaded the whole ordeal. It embarrassed me if there were complements, and the dreaded "ways I could improve" made me realize how thin skinned I really was when any kind of criticism came my way even "constructive" criticism.

I hate to use the term evaluate but I think all of us need to look often at that which most of us hold most dear, our marriages. February is the month of my birthday so, as a good way to remember to get my physical check up, I make my appointment in February and unfortunately, my appointment often falls on my birthday (makes for a fun day!). The doctor checks my breathing, my heart, my skin and my old bones. I think this "Month of Love" might be a good time to check up on our marriages.

Today I read a scripture that would never be found on a Valentine card but was used to describe some marriages

Then he [God] said to me [Ezekiel], "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!' This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD,'" (Ezekiel 37:4-6 NIV).

As I start to think about my husband and my marriage, I am going to start reading the devotional that contained this scripture from Girlfriends in God. Entitled "God Can Resurrect Your Marriage From the Ashes Part 1"http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/

Oh, don't be put off by the "from ashes" thing, we could all improve ourselves. I might just describe my morning. I got up put the coffee on, settled into my nice comfy chair and started to read my bible. Not a bad thing right? The only thing was, my hair was so inflicted with the dreaded "bed head" it could not be combed down, my old robe was stained in the front with coffee and when my husband started to kiss me goodbye before running errands, I had to turn my head slightly and hold my breath so the "morning coffee breath" would not cause him to faint! Have you been there? Maybe a spruce up wouldn't hurt me or my marriage!

It doesn't matter what you choose to read, just start now to think about your marriage and how YOU can improve it, not what HE should improve. Enjoy this journey of the heart.

Sent from Jeanie!

Heart Healthy to the Core!

As I read through a book on "heart health", I came across, something I had not given much thought to before. The author said that in order to have good health we need to strengthen our core. In this illustration, he referred to the core as being our back, abdomen, and pelvic muscles. Those muscles that helps us to sit and stand upright. He gave an example of a baby sitting on the floor with legs stretched out and back straight. As a child our muscles hold us up, our posture is perfect therefore letting our bodies work as God intended them to work. Because a six month old baby has not learned to slouch, his posture is perfect. This author said the worst thing that happens to us as we grow up is sitting in a chair. We then learn to sit leaning back on it which take the need for the core muscles to be strong. As I was reading, I was taking sitting to a whole new level in my big overstuffed chair with ottoman. My back at that point would have been highly offended if I would have asked it to straighten up. So easily I slid into this comfortable position, how often I am drawn to the ease of this soft chair.

As I thought of this I thought of another core. The core of new Christians, no matter their age, they are babies in the faith. Their core is Jesus and His forgiveness. If you want to be rejuvenated in your walk with Jesus, just sit down and talk with a new Christian. They have an insatiable desire to learn more about him and most of the time they can’t help but share with all who will listen, what has happened in their lives. They sit upright using their new found spiritual muscles to see all that God is and all He does.

Many times as we go along in our faith it is easy to lean back into our big, comfortable chairs and take in the benefits. I know for myself, I rarely come in contact with people who don’t already know the Lord or those who have already heard what I have to say about salvation. So those muscles that once held up my core are weakened for lack of use. I get comfortable in my own life and lean back into the past when I was a “baby Christian” and wanted everyone to know what I had found. I treasure those times when I actually led someone to Christ or had a part in there spiritual growth. But I AM retired you know, can’t I just relax now? The answer is yes, I can but, is that healthy? As I need to keep my physical muscles strong to be “heart healthy", I also have to keep those spiritual muscles strong to be “heart healthy”. Try as I might, I couldn’t find any version of the bible that said “Go into all the world and make disciples of men until you retire” so I guess I’m not off the hook. I am convinced that if we ask the Lord he will bring people into our lives that are dying to hear the message of Jesus and his forgiveness.

Lord, give me the desire and strength to tell others about you and your forgiveness. Help me to be mindful of my "Core" Jesus and His forgiveness!