It's been too long

So it has been over 2 years since I last wrote here at "Messy friends". Those 2 years have seen new jobs, new relationships, new grand babies and the normal stress that comes with living.  I don't see my messy friends as often as I would like but I cherish the times that I do.
So I got up this morning thinking that I'm tired.  Plain and simple.  My life is busy and happy and full and sometimes it makes me tired!   However, in the busyness that is my life I neglect just slowing down and,  dare I say it.....taking the time to do nothing.  God was thinking of me when he said. "Be still".
So here I sit on this Saturday morning in my chair with the windows open, a blanket, the cat and my iPad on my lap, writing.  It has been too long since I have done this simple thing that I so enjoy doing.   I really have nothing profound to say this morning except.  Slow down my friend and enjoy the moments.

The Good Life

"The good life, the one that truly satisfies, exists only when we stop wanting a better one.  It is the condition of Savoring what is instead of longing for what might be"  Read that again....  I read it several times this morning, letting  it really soak in because it strikes a cord of truth often overlooked.  It is so easy to fall into the pattern of wishing for something different. It is easy to see what's out there and want more or better than what we currently have.  Cars age, lose their shine, and have little quirks that a new care doesn't... but do they still get us where we need to go?   Houses always seem to need something in the way of repair or maintenance, but do they provide shelter and a place to come to at the end of the day?  Clothing and shoes become outdated but do they still cover us and keep us warm?  Relationships, can pale in comparison to the make believe we see on TV or read in books, but they are exactly that... make believe.
I think that this desire for more or better is a meticulously orchestrated plan of satan's to keep us constantly off balance. His plan is to keep us always searching, never satisfied. He breeds in us discontent, dissatisfaction, discord and often depression as we see all that we lack.  How can we be truly joyful if nothing in life ever measures up to our "ideal"?
So back to the original quote... What is the good life?  "It is the condition of SAVORING what is, rather than longing for what might be."
I LOVE THAT!!!  So savor each day, each relationship and each blessing for all that it IS.. that's the good life.

Resolutions

    I've never been one to make New years resolutions. Probably because I know that eventually my best intentions will fall prey to the "Tyranny of the Urgent"  Instead, I look back over the year and ask myself if there has been any positive change or growth. What impact did I have on the lives of those around me and was it good?
    Who really wants to do this "aging gracefully" thing if it doesn't bring with it positive growth?
However, this year I did make somewhat of a resolution and it can be summed up in two words...BE INTENTIONAL.
    It is so easy for a day to come and go and for every part of it to just "happen". I guess that's why someone coined the phrase "life happens".  But, I don't want life to just happen around me because that can mean missed opportunities.
So... this year I want to be more intentional in my relationships, both heavenly and earthly ones.  I want to be more intentional where my health and fitness is concerned.  More intentional in my finances and the use of God's resources, and I'm sure as the year progresses, I'll see more areas that this applies to. I'm not looking to do great things just maybe a lot of little good things.
    I am now the same age as my mother was when she received her cancer diagnosis. She was gone from this life less than 4 years later.  That is a sobering reality.  So as Psalms 90:12 says..
"Teach us to make the most of our time so that we may grow in wisdom"

Worry

Phillipians 4:6,7   Do  not be anxious about anything but IN everything, BY prayer and petition, WITH thanksgiving, PRESENT your requests to God and... the PEACE of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  WOW  Just writing out those words hits me with how powerful the process of giving worries over to God is.  Chuck Swindoll breaks it down even more by keying in on 2 main thoughts.
 "Worry about nothing, Pray about everything"     What qualifies as worry?  Anything that robs you of your joy.  So often it is the things we can do nothing about, we can't change it, and chances are we aren't even responsible for  it.  It can be a thing, a person, a situation that we cannot control,  It torments us , keeping us awake when we so desperately need to sleep.
God tells us that every item in our list of worries should be transferred to our prayer list.  One  by one we should relinquish them over to God ( he is already aware of them all), "present" them as the verse says, and then what???
Does He make them go away?  No.... He says he will give us peace, a peace that will protect our hearts and minds.
It is an intentional act of surrender done over and over again with each new concern and it often requires giving back the same old worry that we keep re-visiting.
But ultimately, peace does come, and our trust in Him grows as we see how he is able to handle the things we cannot.
So much of this walk with God requires choices on our part.  He has done all the work and has already provided all that we need to live victoriously, full of joy and hope...but we choose what to do with it.
So when worry creeps in, as it so expertly does, turn it into prayer.  Do this over and over and over again until the day God calls us home and worry is no more.  Herein lies peace.

Best Friend

The other day I had a few moments of feeling sad for myself as I pondered the fact that at this point in my life I am no ones "best friend". (I know that I am my husbands best friend, but I am talking about girl friends now.)  Over the years, from earliest memories on, there was that one friend, out of all of them, that if asked "who is your best friend" would have replied with my name.

In my adult years, when we would move to a new location because of a job change, I would pray for a "best friend", a "kindred spirit"  and always, God provided.  So although it is embarrassing for me to confess that this best girlfriend relationship is important to me, it is.  As a matter of fact, relationships in general are very important to me, it seems to be the way that I am wired.  So anyway, life happens, and things change, and I think that currently there is no one that would call me their best friend, and I have had some sad moments thinking about this. However, as I was reading the other day, I came upon a familiar passage of scripture that really encouraged me and reminded me of how very blessed I am. Please humor me as I write the passage out in it's entirety.

"Eccl. 4:9-12 Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble. And on a cold night, two people under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other, but how can one be warm alone. A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated but 2 can stand back to back and conquer".....Now at this point you are probably asking, "how does this help her to feel better?"  Keep reading ..... "Three are even better, for a triple braided cord is not easily broken!!!"


I am so blessed to have friendships that make up a multi-stranded cord. They provide me with constant support and encouragement. I am blessed with friends that love me unconditionally and truly value our relationship. I may not top someones best friend list at this point in my life and really that's OK, because I am part of a braid !!

Authentic Love

" I accept you as you are"
" I believe that you are valuable"
" I care when you hurt"
" I desire only what is best for you"
" I erase all offenses"

Could anyone resist being loved like this. Wouldn't you eventually be drawn to a love like this when you realized that it was real and authentic?

This real, authentic love is not shallow, It has what it takes to stay the course instead of looking for a way out. Running the other direction is simply not an option. It always opts for working through a situation, It doesn't bail out in the midst of a storm, it is tenuous and resilient.  This kind of love stands firm.

This is exactly the way the God loves me !!!  It is the way that He loves you.  Isn't that incredibly amazing ?
How can I resist it?  I can't, I succumb, I embrace it and because of it, I choose to love that same way.
I, of course, fail at times because I am flawed by sin but this will be my goal.
Remember today my friends that you are loved and because of that you are free to love in return.

Surrendering Self

It is so easy to get wrapped up playing the world's game of comparisons. It is all to easy to become compulsive in the need for approval especially if you are like me.  You see, one of my love languages is words of affirmation and subtly I can fall into the trap of measuring my value by how others perceive me or worse yet, how I think they perceive me. "Do they really like me, am I doing a good job at work, does my family really love me and on and on it goes.
All of these questions are fueled by insecurities and insecurities that go unchecked become self absorption. Gifts and talents are used more for human affirmation than worship of the gift giver. Trying to please others, measuring self worth based on praise and approval is exhausting and a sure fire path to disappointment.

The awesome thing is, and the thing that makes it possible to surrender self, is that God sees me through a lens called Jesus. Herein lies my true worth and when I really get a hold of that truth, I can make the most of opportunities to serve God without the need for human praise.  It's not always easy and I for one will always have to keep and eye on my old insecurities and reign them in when they show themselves. This journey is a constant "remembering" of what I know to be true. This I know... God loves me, He values me, He delights in me and the same is true for you so relax, let God use you and be thankful for the opportunity to do so.

Guard your heart

Proverbs 4:23 says "Above all else guard your heart".  Did you ever wonder why this is so important, I've thought about it off and on over the course of time and today I was reading "Soul Satisfaction" by Debra Evans and came upon what I think is one of the best explanations of the importance of guarding the heart. Let me share it with you.
"Over the years I learned that my heart holds the keys to revealing wonder and obscuring deception, transferring treasure and stockpiling venom, imparting love and absorbing evil......our hearts carry our most intimate histories, a life time ledger of passion and aggravation, gratitude and remorse, motives and meanings, rapture and loss.
Even though God has implanted an enduring desire for eternity in our hearts (Eccl 3:11), our earthbound status urges us to satisfy our soul's hunger with mirage-like substitutes. When we do, our deepest desires remain exasperatingly unfulfilled. We cannot find soul satisfaction- and by extension, our true identity, in anything or anyone but God.
It is easy to see how this all-too-familiar cycle starts spinning out of control: our lingering hunger propels us toward overdoing it -over-managing, over-eating, over-spending, over-nurturing, over-working, over-thinking, over-imagining, over-ministering, over-exercising, over-estimating, over-controlling, over-you name it.
Meanwhile our appetites stimulate our unfulfilled desire for gratification. So we end up wanting more. Once our hidden cravings receive enough pseudo nourishment and random reinforcement our desires grow more intense until, voila'.....

an impulsive sideways glance may unintentionally become a recurring thought pattern, which becomes a perceived need, which becomes a convincing rationale, which becomes a persistent focus, which becomes a routine habit, which becomes a fixated compulsion, which becomes and addictive dependency."


Does the subtlety of this hit you the way it did me?  It really got me thinking.....

Dream Big

Dream Big- there must be more...

It seems of late this concept of Big dreams, stepping out in faith and doing something big for God, or even just different, has been on the back burner of my mind.  I've decided that it's not mid-life because young people struggle with it too at times.

I want to do the things that count for Eternity, that's really what it comes down to.  I want to leave an unmistakable mark as a Christ follower and one who is deeply in love with My heavenly Father.

Somehow, getting up every day and going to the office, coming home to eat dinner and go to bed shortly after. doesn't fit the description of "making an impact".

But just the other day the question popped into my mind..."How do I know"?
How do I know that there isn't someone at work or a customer I talk to that will wonder what is different about me? How do I know that the wondering won't lead to questions asked, maybe not of me but someone else? How do I know that my kindness over the phone or in my home might be just what someone needed that was having a hard day?  How do I know?  I don't, but God does.

If it is true, and I believe that it is, that God has a plan and he is always working his plan, than I must believe that He will use my willing heart right where I am.

There is a lot to be said about being content in whatever our circumstances- Phillipians 4: 11,12. It is the heart attitude that God wants to see in me.  A heart of thankfulness for all I have and also a willingness to do more as He opens new doors.

So until then I will embrace the here and now as God's best for me, and be the best I can be right in the middle of my normal.

I guess I realize that if "dreaming big things" causes discontent then they probably are not God dreams but dreams of my own making.

Time...

Here we are nearing the end of September and I am wondering how this could possibly be!  I remember when my children were young, and I was a very busy stay at home Mom, I envisioned how the empty nest years would afford me the quiet  times that eluded me then.  Now, here I am , sort of empty nesting, and the quiet times still elude me.  I work full time and come home every evening to "reverse parenting"... so the only time it's really quiet is when I am sleeping !
It takes extended quiet for my mind to slow down and let go of the demands of the day. That is probably why I am not a very good blogger. The reality is that my life really does not allow those much needed long stretches of solitude.  It is the rare occasion that I can sit quietly and my mind can just breath, and I can think beyond the immediate.  When it happens I cherish it.  
But what I realize is that the reason my life is so full is because I am healthy enough to go to work everyday and I am blessed to have a job to go to.  That I have children and grandchildren that are happy to come and be with us and want us to be a part of their lives.  That I have a parent who is content to be here living in our home and it is a privilege to have her call our home hers.  The  truth is that my life is blessed!!  One day the quiet will set in and I will long for the days when my life was full of the people and things I loved.
So, thank you Lord for my busy life which makes the days pass so quickly and thank you for the past 45 minutes that were blissfully quiet.

" Freedom in Powerlessness"

I was reading this morning and this phrase jumped out at me on the pages of my book. So I started pondering this concept and how it relates to me and my life.

       You know those times when something is happening within a relationship or in the life of someone you love and you feel totally helpless?  
       You know that urge to step in and try to fix it or share some profound insight that they really "need to hear"?

       Well, I am thinking that those helpless moments should be our cue to step back a bit. Perhaps we need to see that the issue they are struggling with, the choices made or circumstances they are in, legitimately belong to them.

 To step in, try to fix it, offer advice or help not asked for, is like invading their space.  When we do this it can convey a fundamental lack of respect. Why??? Because in essence we may be saying "I don't think you can handle this, or you aren't handling this correctly, so let me tell you what you need to do" 

 By exercising some restraint, and giving them space we can let them know instead, " I respect you enough to believe that you can deal with this, I am here if you need me, you just need to ask".  I am thinking that silence is at times the greatest compliment we can give someone and it conveys that we have confidence in them.


When we accept our helplessness and in a way embrace it, we experience great freedom.  We relinquish the worry and the need for control to God.  We then can step back and watch as He works as only He can.
That is awesome Freedom.

Dear Messy Friend,

Life is hard sometimes...
Crazy, mixed up, messed up.

And there you are, in the middle of it all,
just doing your thing...


Being strong and brave and beautiful
like it's no big deal.

But let me tell you girl,  it is!


Not everyone can do what you can do.  Not everyone can handle things the way you can.

And while you wonder sometimes if you're doing OK......

The rest of us are just watching in wonder.

Psa.  31:24  Be strong and let your heart take courage, all  you who hope in the Lord.

Faith, Trust, Surrender

"Between the longings and the demand for their fulfillment is a place as real as any in the tangible world. But it is uncharted and uniquely tailored to your personal story" (Strong women, soft hearts)

As far back as I can remember I was taught that trusting God was all wrapped up in faith "Trust and Obey" is what I have known from childhood. But, really trusting, that place of resting is not as easy to do as singing a childhood song.

The need to trust  is never more evident than when you know the deep longings of your heart, you feel the pull of dreams unfulfilled and you are powerless to dictate or control the the timing or the realization of them.  It lies in first choosing and then accepting the particulars of when, how, where and IF God chooses to intervene.

It is a place called Surrender.  It is a good place, hard to get to sometimes but once there you understand that there is no better place to be.

My friend, do you have dreams or longings that you need to trust God with?  I am praying for you this morning.

Fork in the Road

The reality or the truth about a "messy life" is that it does not match what you dreamed way back when.  You envision certain things for your life and what actually plays out can look very different.  These circumstances, these unexpected happenings blind side us and are like invisible forks in the road.  They require deliberate choices to be made. Do we say "Oh well, such is life" and begin building protective walls so that we won't be hurt again or, do we breathe, grieve, and keep moving forward?  Do we choose to believe that God has a plan for us and that He wants us to live life to it's fullest, or do we become bitter and resentful?  Each "fork in the road" is really an opportunity for growth and change.  I would tend to build the wall of protection but within those walls we will live a  lonely emotional and spiritual existence.  God created us to live in relationship with others.
So instead choose to claim   Jeremiah 29:11     "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you" . This God of Israel is the same God today and He loves us with an everlasting love.  So today my friends let's choose  to breathe and live life to it's fullest.
I love each of you, and will be praying for you today.

One of a Kind

Hello Messy friends,
I want to remind you today that you are One-of-a-kind, Wonderful!
You started in the heart of God, were shaped by his hand and then given to the world as a precious gift.  As His daughter you are a bearer of His image. That means that there is a part of who God is, expressed through who you are!  That my friend is absolutely beautiful. It is a beauty that runs deep and can't be touched by time, and it is how God sees You.
I love that God sees the best in me.  I love that He knows my heart and understands it.  I love that He sees the beauty that lies within me and see all my potential, even when I do not.
Lord, help us today to be all that you created us to be.

I would love to hear from you and to pray for you so leave a comment.
Love you all !

Being small

 I read this excerpt in a devotional the other day and it struck a cord with me. As I ponder what the Lord has for me at this phase of my life, I sometimes feel very small and insignificant.  I get to feeling like my life has little impact on the world around me,  then God gives me these words to cause me to pause and be still because He cares.  
"Fall in love with the ordinary. Dare to believe that the minor details of your life matter to God. Dare to believe that you’re not a mistake. Besides, being ordinary and small may actually be evidence that God took extra time to make you that way.  Why?      Because being small sets you up to fit in places that big cannot.”

Thank you God for caring about us wherever we are in this journey. I adore you.

(Excerpt from One small barking dog:  Ed Gungor)

Because HE IS- I am

Because of Christ....

I am Forgiven **  Even if those I have hurt choose not to forgive me, even if I choose not to forgive myself,  God has, and that simply means that I am forgiven.

I am Loved **  In spite of the amount or depth of human love in my life or whether I feel loved,  I am Loved.  Whether I reach the mark or fail miserably, God still loves me...completely.

I am Understood**  Even if no one else "gets me"... God does.  I doesn't mean he always agrees but He always understands my heart.  He holds it, He owns it, and He has made it whole.

Reality

I read this yesterday in a book called Soul Satisfaction.  The Author is this poem is Frances Ridley Havergal who lived from 1839 - 1879.  I love when someones heart from so long ago has the capacity to touch mine. I just wanted to share it with you.

Reality, reality,
Lord Jesus Christ, Thou art to me!
From the Spectral mist and the driving clouds,
From the shifting shadows and the phantom crowds,
From unreal words and unreal lives,
Where truth with falsehood feebly strives.
From the passing away, the chance and change,
Flickerings, vanishings, swift and strange,
I turn to my glorious rest in Thee,
Who art the grand Reality!

Reality, reality,
In the brightest days Thou art to me!
Thou art the sunshine of my mirth;
Thou are the Heaven above my earth,
The spring of love of all my heart,
And the fountain of my song Thou art;
For dearer than the dearest now,
and better than the best art Thou,
Beloved Lord, in whom I see
Joy-giving, glad Reality.

Reality, reality,
In Thee is every type fulfilled;
In Thee is every yearning Stilled
For perfect beauty, truth and love;
For Thou art always far above
The grandest glimpse of our ideal;
Yet more and more we know Thee real,
And marvel more and more to see
Thine infinite Reality.

God Knows your name

It may be difficult for you to believe that God knows your name...but He does. Written on His hand. Spoken by His mouth. Whispered by His lips. Your name. You have captured the heart of God. He cannot bear to live without you. God's dream is to make you right with Him. And the path to the cross tells us exactly how far God will go to call us back. It is not our love for God: it is God's love for us in sending His Son to be the way. If you want to touch God's heart, use the nameHe loves to hear. Call Him "Father". He thinks you're wonderful! I have written your name on My hand. Isaiah 49:16 Excerpted from the Book, God Thinks You're Wonderful! by Max Lucado »

Messiness

An intimate relationship with Christ does not exempt us from messiness. Instead it helps us to accept those things that we cannot change and move forward.  Many times, if we allow it, those things that we cannot change help us to become the woman God desires us to be.

Where the "mess makers" in our lives leave us empty and insecure, God can fill our hearts with Hope, Joy and a sense of Gracious Generosity.

 1Corinthians 4:14 ff
We KNOW that the same God who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us....That is why we never give up....for our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasureably great glory that will last forever.  So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not seen yet.  The troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.

Remember to move forward in hope, even while you are waiting.

Bridges and Walls

Proverbs 18:19 An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city.

As I was reading this morning, this particular verse jumped out at me like it was the first time I had read it.  I re-read it and re-read it and it struck a cord with me.  The questions that came to mind as I pondered this piece of wisdom are these. 
     

• How often do we, as Christ followers, offend in our zeal to stop or help someone on a path of sin or  self destruction? 

• How often does righteous indignation take the place of compassion and grace.  

• How often is the truth spoken, but not in love?

• Isn't a struggling brother or sister still a brother and sister?

• What is really the desired end result?   Restoration of Retribution?

I can't help but feel that where a bridge is burned a wall is built.

I have a good selection of Bibles. I think it's one of the many blessings of being a Christian in America. I do however, have a favorite. It is my study Bible and one of the things I would want to grab on the way out of my home if ever it were on fire.
You see, I am a "Bible marker". I underline, and write notes in my bible. After all these years it is a record of my life ,of sorts. My markings reflect the passages that have been precious to me over the years. God's words that did His intended work in my heart when I needed them most.

This year of 2010 our church leadership has challenged us to read through the book of Proverbs, 1 chapter a day (there are 31) every month for the entire year. We will read through the book 12 times by the end of the year. I am excited about this because the book of Proverbs has been such a source of teaching and encouragement to me over the years and through the various stages of my life.

Today I was reading chapter 3. Verses 3 and 4, (previously underlined), caught my attention anew.
"Let love and faithfulness never leave you, bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man."

Love and Faithfuless ! These are two attributes of God that are most precious to me. His Love for me and faithfulness to me, and those that I love, have been strong holds for me personally, and have largely shaped who I am today and how I view life. When life throws me a curve ball God's love and faithfulness remind me that there will always be an unchanging element in my life that I can cling to.

This passage of scripture is telling me to mirror my heavenly Father. That challenge is one that isn't easy for this imperfect person, but I truly want to be to God, and to the people in my life, what HE is to me.

If you have no bible reading plans for this new year how about reading Proverbs with your messy friends. That way we can share our hearts throughout the year via this blog.
Enjoy today and remember His Love and Faithfulness to each one of us.

So, Here we are.... Another new year has begun.
I was reminiscing yesterday about how often in those "growing Up" years that we wish to be somewhere in the future. We want to turn 5 and go to school, then we want to be in the double digits so 10 is a big birthday. Turning 13 and then 16 were milestones to look forward too. Then there was "I can't wait to graduate....get engaged...get married...have children and on it goes.
I have been blessed to see many milestones reached and it seems like yesterday when we had our first child. It's actually been 29 years, and we will soon have our 4th grandchild. I very rarely find myself wishing the days away for something out in the future. I am thankful for each day and the reality that with all the changes my life has seen, God has remained the same through it all.
I love this quote by St Augustine:
I Love you Lord- not doubtingly but with absolute certainty.
Your word beat upon my heart until I fell in love with you,
and now the universe and everything in it tells me to love you.
So in this New year the one wish I have for myself and all my Messy friends,
is to know and Love God even more.
Happy New Year my friends.

Just BE

It has been more than a month since I have written and it has been a very eventful month to say the least. Much has been happening in my immediate family and my messy friends family. The other week I was really struggling with a heavy heart and a sense of absolute helplessness over a specific situation. I was crying out to God asking Him a question that I have often asked in the past, "What would you have me do". In the midst of it all God calmed my spirit and I penned these thoughts.

When those unexpected, unwanted life storms enter my world, I want so much to DO something, or anything to fix it, or change it, or even better, make it go away. I have this need to DO something right away or even sooner if that were possible.
I think there must be an action or a word that will turn around a wayward heart or change a mind set on a destructive path. I want to DO something to open their eyes to the devastation of the choices they are making. I just want to DO! However, I think it is much better for me to allow God to work unhindered, by choosing just to BE.
To BE still and know, to BE quiet in the midst of the chaos and just listen. To BE there for a friend when they need me. To BE positive and supportive because her load is heavy enough. To BE a prayer warrior on her behalf and to BElieve that God (as He has always been) is much bigger than anything life throws at us.

Creator, Sustainer, My forever Defender Guardian, Provider, my Cleft in the rock The Beginning, the End and all in between MY SAVIOR, MY GOD, HE IS

I can just BE, because HE IS!

Messy Friends

Once again, it has been a long time since I've written. Thankfully the messy friends stay in touch better than we blog.

As I think back over the past couple of months of our lives it is no wonder that free moments to blog are at a premium. Between the three of us we have moved children both into new homes of their own or back into ours. We are awaiting the arrival of 2 unexpected but very much loved babies. The school year has begun-(two of us are teachers), there has been a marriage, one of us has moved an elderly parent out of their home and in with us. We await decisions by people in power that affect us directly, and we know the future holds uncharted waters for each of us.

I have also been reminded as I look back how precious my friendships with messy friends are. I actually have quite a fair amount of messy friends. These are those dear sisters whose lives are unpredictable, plagued by worry or fear of the unknown, and who are certainly less than perfect. However, their God, (MY God) is very predictable and trustworthy, the great comforter, the author of peace, the one who holds the future, the perfecter of our faith, and our HOPE.

The bond that we share is that the messiness of life draws us closer to our precious father and to each other.

So to all my dear messy friends, I'm thinking about you today and I am forever thankful for each and every one of you.

It's been quite awhile since I, or my messy friends, have taken the time to write.
Job, family, and the tyranny of the urgent, leave little time for extras.
So this week I was reminded of a thought, simple yet meaningful for me. It goes.....


Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply,
Speak Kindly, Forgive freely and
Leave the rest up to GOD.

This is good for me to remember when life gets "heavy",
the road seems "long",
and the future is "uncertain".

I love knowing that nothing is unknown to God.

Sandscapes

Yesterday, while cleaning one of the many piles that have accumulated over the past school year, I came across my 'Art in Motion - Sandscapes' purchase of last year. Inside a glass rectangular frame, tiny grains of colored sand pass through small holes, creating amazing scenes of peaks and valleys that shimmer in the sunlight. It was purchased with the idea that it would help my active four year old students relax and enjoy the shifting sand. But today, it was me enjoying the changing scenes. As I watched the shifting sand, one hole was inactive. Impatiently, I reached up and gave the case a couple of strong shakes, interfering with the gradual process. What followed was a scene very different from the others. Gone were the peaks and valleys with varying shades, replaced by a flat layer of sand. By stepping in to help, I had altered the course of the grains and eliminated the beauty and potential.

Often, I find this is what I do in my life. Rather than wait on the Lord, I rush in to help, only to find I have done more to hurt than to help. The peaks are breathtaking, but the valleys can be frightening and lonely. Trying to avoid the pain that can happen in the valley, my efforts are spent interfering with God's perfect plan. Rather than grow, I grumble. Rather than trust, I tremble. Rather than climbing for the peak, I am clamoring in the valley. Perhaps, if I stop interfering, I will see the mighty hand of God at work. Help me, Lord, to trust You when You say, "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth," Ps 46:10. Teach me to remember that those who "wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not grow faint," Is 40:31. Then, when I pass through the valleys, rather than trying to interfere, I will be able to say with the Psalmist, "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of darkness, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me," Ps 23:4.

What Lies Ahead ?

I have been singing for so long that it's a part of who I am. I sang my first solo in church at 5 years old.
(I can still sing the song ).

As I got older, God provided more and more opportunities. I was always so deliberate in choosing music to sing. I wouldn't sing about something that I hadn't experienced. It was important that I believed with all my heart the message that I was singing . In doing so, music became the vehicle that really enabled me to share my faith and my love for God.

So many times my love for singing made it easier to become involved each time we moved to a new area and started attending a new church. Music allowed me to share with greater passion than I could have with the spoken word. It really is the universal language.

Lately, I have been wondering if God has something else for me, some other way to share my heart. I know that I will always need to be able to tell others all that he has done for me. My heart will desire to pour courage into woman who may be going through hard times, and are in need of a messy friend.

If you read this will you pray for me? I am listening for that still small voice.

LOVE /luv/ n. a warm personal attachment or deep affection for another person

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE /un'ken dish' e nl luv/ n. to love no matter what

GRACE /gras/ n. God doing in and for us what we cannot do ourselves

God's love is ALWAYS a gracious love

Jesus loved to lavish grace on the left-out and the used-up and the put down. This is the way Christians are supposed to be...a group of rag dolls who have received love even though they know they didn't deserve it, who then extend it to others because they refuse to allow raggedness to keep them from loving. Because love is God's signature and grace makes love strong.

adapted from Living The God Life by John Ortberg