My Thoughts

I just had the opportunity to hear a young preacher by the name of Levi Lusko out of Montana.  He is a daddy to four little girls and is only 30 years old.  In listening to his preaching…rather quirky but in-your-face style, I realized that this young man knows more about God, is chasing after God and is reaching more people for God in his 30 short years than I have in my 51 years.  

I want to have his knowledge, but more than that, I want to feel his passion for the Word, for our God and our Savior.  I believe.  I love Him.  I don’t seek as I should and I don’t share as He wants me to?  

I brought these ideas to light a few blogs ago.  What in the world is holding me back?  What am I afraid of?  Who am I afraid of?

Jesus, Yeshua, help me to seek you daily, to live as You daily and to love you daily.  Help me to be passionate about You.  Help me reach the people I love including Matthew, Steve, Mary and others!

Listen to Levi Lusko.  He will set you on end and make you wonder just what is holding you back!!

Messenger of God

Oh, Little Butterfly,

Messenger of God,

When I see you in the sky

I cannot help but nod.

You bring me respite

From grief and despair

Everytime I see you

Sailing through the air.

You renew my faith

In all God’s wondrous plan,

And I know it’s all in FAITH,

Not in what I understand.

                    Kathryn Poland (4/12/01)

I have not posted in several days…weeks??  

I try very hard to look for the little works of God in my life each day. Sometimes it is as simple as seeing a cardinal fly in front of me as I drive my car down the road.  Other times, it is a swarm of butterflies that engulf me as I struggle with my day.  At other times, it is a person that stops me to say that they are praying for or thinking about me!  Little bits of heaven sent down to say, “It’s all going to be okay!  You’re mine!”

Last Wednesday, I had a doctor’s appointment early in the morning. Traffic was a real bear and I was running a little late.  Most doctors run late themselves so you would think that I would not have to worry about it, but not so with mine! My doctor is ALWAYS on time.  I rushed out of the house thinking about how I was going to get to the office in the quickest possible time.  As I drove up to the medical building, it dawned on me…you have to pay to park!  And I don’t usually carry cash.  In fact, the previous week, Steve had given me some cash and I had put the cash into the bucket for the Relay for Life team.

So, I fretted for moment and then just decided I couldn’t worry about it.  I said to myself that I would just trust that God would help me out!  I let it go.  I parked and kept my appointment.  Before leaving the office, I sat down and looked in my wallet.  There was no cash! I checked in the change section of the purse.  I thought, “Gee whiz, I bet I don’t have enough because I gave a 50 cents tip to that gal at Sonic earlier in the week!”  I went ahead and took out the change and began to count!  Two quarters, four nickels, five dimes and five…count them…five pennies!  Exactly $1.25!!  Thank you, Lord!!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I walked with a light step out to the car, paid the gal and went to work!

The Lord is in everything we do!  He is in everything we experience!  The Lord is with us everywhere, everyday!  He is with us in the little things, as well as, the big things!!

$1.25…a little niggle from God saying, “I love you!”

I love YOU back!!

After thought:

The next day, I pulled out some paper from one pocket in my purse.  Kleenex and receipts all folded up.  Before throwing it away, I opened each fold.  Guess what…?  About $6 or $7 was folded up neatly.  I had NO idea I had the money in that pocket.  Is there a lesson in here somewhere?  Perhaps it is just a reminder that God has everything under control.  All chaos is put to order under His watch.  That which was lost (unknowlingly even) is found!

Again…I love and thank YOU1

Today is Easter Sunday…Resurrection Sunday!  

We celebrated Easter differently today and it was not because we wished it this way.  Usually we color eggs the night before Easter Sunday, go to church Sunday morning, meet with the kids and my mom, eat dinner and open little gifts found in baskets.  We did not color the eggs or make baskets this year.  

Matthew thought he was going to be able to come home for Easter but found out on Saturday that the crew was only going to get the one day off.  They had to report back to work on Monday.  So, our son was unable to be with us at all today. 

A couple of weeks ago, Lauren said that she was not going to come home as she was going to stay in San Marcos to be with her friends who usually have no place to go on holidays. This afternoon, as we made lunch, we discovered that she was eating with a friend and was going to study.  The friend she was going to hang out with went to be with some of his family members.  Our daughter was not with us today.

For the first time ever, our children were not with us on Easter.  There have been moments today when sadness simply overwhelmed me but I had to hang tough because we were with my mother for the afternoon.  We are her only children left to be with her as my brother is in north Texas and my sister has moved out of state to unknown parts of the country.  I’m sure my mom was feeling quite lonely, too, but I think we were able to help a little bit.

I guess it really doesn’t matter where you are or who you are with on this day as the truly important piece of information is found in the title of this post.  He, Jesus Christ, Yeshua, Son of God, was crucified, died and was buried and on the third day He rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of our heavenly Father.  One day, He will appear in the skies above, take his children home and defeat forever the already fallen foe, Satan.

My focus should not be on me but on Him.  My focus should be on Him every minute of every day.  He was not killed by the Romans, he freely gave His life so that we would be freed of our sins and would ever be able to enjoy life in heaven with Him!  

Yes, I missed my kids today!  I love them very much. But I should be loving and thanking my Savior for all He has done for me!

Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice!

Thank you, Lord, for loving me!

Thank you!!

Yesterday, I walked/ran my first 10K!  I really did not train for it.  In fact, since registering and paying my fee, I had walked exactly 11 times.  When people ask why I signed up for the abuse, I laugh and tell people that my daughter bullied me into it.  True?  Well, partially.  She ‘encouraged’ me so much that I almost felt guilty thinking that I didn’t want to do it.  I HAD to sign up!

I’m listening to the song, Let the Waters Rise…

“I will follow you” is the consistent refrain but what does that really mean?  As I ask the question, I pause…what does it mean to follow Him?  I mean, what does it really, really mean to follow Him…daily, by the hour, the minute, the second? 

I must admit that I really don’t know the answer.  Now don’t take this wrong.  I am not saying that I don’t follow Him I just know that I am not doing the best I can.  

If I were truly following Him, then each day would be considered a blessing in spite of the negativity that threatens to overwhelm me.  

If I were truly following Him, then I would ask for and give forgiveness daily for all things done to hurt whether perceived or real.  

If I were truly following Him, then I would seek His wisdom…His Word…each and every day.

If I were truly following Him, then I would look at my world and marvel at the blessings that have been bestowed upon me and would stop fussing about the inconsequential and petty nothings that irritate and tend to consume my thoughts.

If I were truly following Him, I would look upon the beauty of each day and understand that each is a gift, a holy present bestowed upon His children, of whom I claim to be.

Dear Lord…forgive me my selfishness.  Forgive me for not loving your people as you want me to.  Too often, I don’t like them much.  Forgive my stiff neck and give me the courage to confront the problems with the grace that you have supplied me.

Give me the capacity to love these hard-headed and stiff necked people.  Let me find the good in them and keep that image in front of me even when their behavior shows more of their ‘back side’ than their good side.  Keep me from showing my ‘back side’ as often as I tend to do.

Help me to forgive myself of my own shortcomings.  Change my heart.  Change my attitude.

Thank you, Lord for all you have done and continue to do in my life, in the lives of the people I love and in the lives of the people with whom I work.

Help me to be a true follower of You.  Help me to be true to You.

Amen!