Bumpy Monday - Reflections (12/31/10)

On this final day of 2010, I've not felt compelled to think back over the year.  I've not wanted to dwell on the ups an downs.  Instead I sit here doing my normal thing.  I'm here in the present.  I read the blogs on my list and wish that more were updated today.  I smile at the cat curled comfortably next to my husband's Bible on the couch.  I am again thankful to be in this place at this time.

I consider my friend, Ashley, and am grateful for her parents and their dedication to choose life.  Choosing life is a reflection of God.  Awesome.  I consider another family waiting and working patiently for their Ukrainian child.  Their desire to care for an orphan is a reflection of God.  Awesome.  My heart grows heavy when I consider my friend, Jan.  Cancer has invaded her life aggressively.  Yet, she has chosen to live with her daughter and redeem this time to the best that she can.  What a lesson for me to learn!  Sounds a bit like another reflection of God, doesn't it?  My son is defending his faith against an atheist.  Their conversation challenges me to grow more intimate with my LORD.  It requires me to see the reflection of God in His Word.

I know I can't change the past.  It has happened.  I will be exposed to the consequences of it.  And, I can fully trust God for all I need in the present.  I am so thankful to be surrounded by reflections and remembrances and realities of my God.  Awesome!

(Father God, thank you for your great and mighty presence in my life.  Thank you that you surround me with reflections of yourself in so many places.   What a joy!  Father, I pray that as this calendar year closes you will be a welcome, comforting, sustaining presence to Ashley, Angela, Jan, and us.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.)

Monocular Vision

I was born 7 weeks premature and my left eye was swollen shut.  In today's terminology it would have been classified as a birth defect.  The result was (and is) that my eyes do not work like most everyone else.  I didn't know this for many years.  It only started becoming apparent when I started driving.  I scared those riding with me because I tended to drive really close to the right side marker.  3D movies make no sense to me.  All I see is the fuzzy red and blue outlines.  Even the newer types of 3D imagery hold no fascination for me.  Why?  Only one eye focuses on the object.  My brain sees the two images but the one presented by my right eye is the dominate image.  The left image is background, fuzzy, almost non-essential.  Normal eyes see a blended version of the two images presented to the brain.  That is why 3D is exciting for most.

My physical vision causes me to think about my spiritual vision?  Do I have a blended worldview?  Is my vision a blend of worldly and Godly view so that neither is dominate?  Can I see each distinctly different as they truly are?  I'm thankful for this physical reminder to keep things in God's perspective.

(Father God, thank you for my abnormal eyes.  Thank you for using them to show me and remind me to look through Yours.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.)

Reflections

On this final day of 2010, I've not felt compelled to think back over the year.  I've not wanted to dwell on the ups an downs.  Instead I sit here doing my normal thing.  I'm here in the present.  I read the blogs on my list and wish that more were updated today.  I smile at the cat curled comfortably next to my husband's Bible on the couch.  I am again thankful to be in this place at this time.

I consider my friend, Ashley, and am grateful for her parents and their dedication to choose life.  Choosing life is a reflection of God.  Awesome.  I consider another family waiting and working patiently for their Ukrainian child.  Their desire to care for an orphan is a reflection of God.  Awesome.  My heart grows heavy when I consider my friend, Jan.  Cancer has invaded her life aggressively.  Yet, she has chosen to live with her daughter and redeem this time to the best that she can.  What a lesson for me to learn!  Sounds a bit like another reflection of God, doesn't it?  My son is defending his faith against an atheist.  Their conversation challenges me to grow more intimate with my LORD.  It requires me to see the reflection of God in His Word.

I know I can't change the past.  It has happened.  I will be exposed to the consequences of it.  And, I can fully trust God for all I need in the present.  I am so thankful to be surrounded by reflections and remembrances and realities of my God.  Awesome!

(Father God, thank you for your great and mighty presence in my life.  Thank you that you surround me with reflections of yourself in so many places.   What a joy!  Father, I pray that as this calendar year closes you will be a welcome, comforting, sustaining presence to Ashley, Angela, Jan, and us.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.)

Dinosaurs, Turkey Bacon, and Toilet Paper

Do you see those words together very often? I never thought I'd see them together in the same paragraph let alone a sentence. But, that is what greeted us this morning. We were TP'd.

Now, I could have been upset and frustrated because of the vandalism. I dislike TP'ing. I don't see the reason for it. I have no desire to participate in such an activity. Granted, it's a fairly minor form of vandalism with few consequences. It's work on the targeted family or person due to the clean up and has little effect on the one doing it.

However, today I am grateful for Dinosaurs, Turkey Bacon and Toilet Paper. It was these items that caused our family to come together. First, we just kinda wondered. Then, we began the suspect list. Next, we started the clean up and questions. Why is someone picking on us? Was it malicious or just a practical joke? And, why did they use Turkey Bacon on the bushes and storm door? Turkey Bacon?

We joked about needing to call NCIS for the investigation. Gibbs will solve the case. Hey, maybe the cat was the culprit. The poor dinosaurs all lost their heads. So did Barbie. Turkey Bacon?

After the cleaning was nearly done, we ended up trying to solve the case at Denny's. We had a long list of suspects. And the true culprit probably isn't even on the list.

None the less what someone else mean for harm, God used for good. Listening to the kids banter back and forth, enjoying a good breakfast as a family, and just having time together was a awesome blessing. Yes, there are still some remnants of paper in the tree. Eventually, they will blow away or get rained down. It's been a good morning.

(Father God, thank you for the blessing of family. Thank you that You caused us to be together. Thank you for the smiles. We are truly blessed by You. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.)

Mom and Cancer - Update

One of the first things that I needed to update is how my mom is doing with her cancer. Praise God, she is doing wonderfully well. She has completed all her chemotherapy. She has completed all the radiation. She has had her first follow-up visits and the doctors are pleased with her progress. A scope has been done on her nasopharynx and it looks clean with only minimal scarring.

However, she is having difficulty eating. The radiation basically destroyed all her taste buds and nothing has much flavor so she doesn't enjoy eating.

She has returned home and is no longer living with me. We are thankful but still we miss her.

For background information visit these blog entries:

• Rejoicing (12/16/08)
• What comes next? Random Thoughts... (12/9/08)
• Cancer = Caretaker (12/2/08)

(Father God, thank you for working in Mom's cancer situation. Thank you for placing everything just where you did and just when you did in order to ease the stress. Thank you for giving the doctors the knowledge to attack the cancer cells. Thank you for healing that comes only from you. Now, Father, I ask that you touch mom's taste and heal there as well. Encourage her to taste You through Your Word daily. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.)

CHRISTmas!

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this day that our nation has set aside to celebrate as the day You were born in flesh. I pray that every person that hears the phrase Merry Christmas knows that it really is about You.

I praise You for what you did for me. This gift of salvation so freely offered but at such a great price to you. Thank you.

I love you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Rejoicing

Mom has been doing great through the tests and today's treatment. The chemo went great today and now we will watch closely the next couple of days to make sure that nothing goes wrong.

God is so gracious to allow this time and to move Mom through each step with His strength. I am learning so much about the nature of God through this. He is so in control.

(Lord, God, I praise you for all that you do. Thank you for carrying Mom as she faces this challenge. I see your strenght even in her weakness. You are an awesome God. Thank you. In Jesus' name, amen.)

It's Thanksgiving!!

I love Thanksgiving. I like the holiday and the time off but I really love thanks giving. I love to thank God for the many wonderful blessings that He has bestowed. I'm thankful for my health. I'm thankful for the children that God has allowed me to parent. I'm thankful for my pets. I'm thankful for Christmas lights. I'm thankful for a vehicle that runs. I'm thankful for a bathtub. I'm thankful for the Internet. I'm thankful for words. I'm thankful for the food that fills my belly. I'm thankful for pickles. I'm thankful for the wind. I'm thankful for laughter. I'm thankful for friends that surround me. I'm thankful for cinnamon. I'm thankful for being able to read. I'm so glad that God is. I'm so glad that He gives. I'm so glad that He lives!

(Dear Lord, I do thank you. Thank you for being my strong tower. Thank you for allowing me to lean on the everlasting arms. Thank you for sheltering me under your wings. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for taking the price of my sin. Thank you for not letting me know just how much that cost. But, mostly, thank you for my salvation. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.)

So much...

I have so much on my prayer list this evening. Each of the blogs I follow has something that I want to bring before our Great God. My day has many items that I know He knows but I want to discuss with Him.

I have so much for which I am thankful. I am reminded that the volume of the books could not hold all that Jesus did during His earthly ministry. My mind can not hold all my thanks or my requests. I have to give them over to God.

(Lord, I'm in an attitude of prayer even now. Hear my voice. Give me the grace to accept the answer to each request as You provide it. Give me the grace to accept Your will in every situation even and most especially when it is not what I'm requesting. Thank You, in Jesus' name, amen.)

Information Overflow

Today has been a great day of learning. Our Sunday school lesson was from Daniel. Our pastor preached on creation for the morning service. The evening lesson was from 2 Thessalonians dealing with the end times. It was wonderful. I have much to consider and much for which I am thankful.

It was incredibly comforting knowing that God revealed himself to a worldly leader in Daniel. It was the king who saw that it was the Son of God with the 3 believers in the fire. I mused at the thought that others can see God with us during the times of the hottest trial if we rely on Him as they did. I also noted that it sometimes takes the times of trial for us to seek God's very presence in our lives and that God will bless that in accordance to His glory.

But, satan has reared his ugly head in our family. I am embarking on a study of how God views hate. What does it really mean when we speak, "I hate you"? How do those words affect God? Is this a serious offense in His eyes? If so, how serious? And finally, how can we replace those words of hate with words that are encouraging and peaceful?

(Lord God, I ask that you empower our search for Your answers on hate. I ask that you keep satan or his emissaries from meddling in our search for the truth. Build a hedge around us as we endeavor to seek Your face in this matter. Thank you for the words of encouragement in Daniel and the promise that You will never leave us. Thank you for the beautiful creation that You placed around us. Thank you for creating me in Your image and for Your purpose. Thank you that You loved me. In Jesus precious name, Amen.)

Spring Break - Over

Yes, spring break is over. The kids and I will get back to our routine beginning tomorrow. I have one that is excited to go back to school and one that, well, isn't.

I miss the routine when it's not there. Oh, don't get me wrong, I fight routine. I don't really "like" it. Routine is boring. Routine is the same ol', same ol'. Ugh! Routine doesn't allow for the creativity my mind thinks it craves. Yet, I know that routine is good for me. Physically, it's good to get regular sleep. It helps cut down on stress and weight gain. Mentally, it's good to know what's expected next in the day. So, sometimes I find myself wandering about aimlessly when the routine has been interrupted.

I believe that can also be the case spiritually. God calls us to consistency in our relationship with Him. He is always consistent. (He is never boring and He is very creative so I'll not describe Him as routine.) When I lose the routine, consistent time with God I begin wandering about aimlessly in the spirit. God wants me to be focused on the hope of His return.

Tonight I am thankful that spring break is over and the routine returns.

(Lord God, Thank you for the blessed hope that Your resurrection brings. I am so glad that You made a way for us to have a relationship that is intensely personal. Your love is amazing and beyond the boundaries of my feeble mind. I thank you that You loved me even before I knew I needed you. I praise you for the sacrifice you made. I'll never know what it means. I'll never be able to fully comprehend the depth of love and pain you experienced. Thank you. Thank you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.)

Why Penguins?

Many years ago, my mom gave me a penguin lamp. Then, I found two candles in a store. They were green holiday penguins. I thought they were so cute. (Years later they got melted out of the original shape when left in a hot place.) Then I started actually looking for items to add to the collection when my mom gave me a ceramic cookie jar.

Over the years, I've gotten small items and large items. Stuffed penguins, stickers, ornaments, candles, magnets, material, earrings, clothing, pictures, glass, and many other items are all a part of my eclectic collection. I'll share pictures along the way.

Why penguins? Back when I started, they were hard to find. Very few people were interested in them and I wanted to collect something that was out of the ordinary. In the past few years, it seems like they have come out of the woodwork and are everywhere. Of course, my favorites are the ones that are truly unique. It's fun to get the mass produced items from the discount store but I really love the ones that come from unusual places. I'm looking forward to sharing them and their stories - at least the ones I can remember.

(LORD, thank you for the penguin. It is one of the greatest testimonies of Your creation. In Jesus name, Amen.)

Ever had one of those days...

... where you couldn't even complete a thought? I've so much going on in my mind that nothing gets to completion.

I am so thankful that our God is not that way. He is perfect - perfectly just, perfectly good, perfectly loving, perfect. Everything He does gets completed. It shows in the way He creates a life and fashions it to His glory. It shows in the way He provides salvation for each one willing to accept it. Those are complete things. They are done perfectly.

I also am thankful that He doesn't require me to be perfect. Today was a shining example of how far below the mark I really fall. Even now, there is a struggle to complete this writing.

(Dear Lord, I pray for a focus now to get down this God Moment. I have no strength or power of my own to accomplish it. You and You alone can bring it to fruition. In Jesus' name I pray.)

Wow, look at that! He completes. When I turn to Him, He completes. There is nothing more that I can add.

Thankful for ...

... a car that fits in the garage so that I don't have to scrape the ice off of it in the mornings.
... a garage big enough to fit my extra stuff and the car.
... four walls and a roof to a house that protects me from the wind, ice and other elements.
... enough food to keep me from going hungry.
... a big warm coat to wear if I just have to get outside in the winter.

Yes, they may seem like small things to some people but on days like today I really am grateful that they all exist in my life. I'm just not an overall fan of cold weather. I have a tendency to curl up in front of the TV with chips and soda to eat and a blanket to keep me warm. I'd build a fire if it meant that I didn't have to get out from under the blanket. Winter depresses me. I realize that I would not appreciate the warm weather if I never had the cold to compare it too. I know me. I'd take that warm weather for granted. It's odd that I would be so attracted to penguins based on my aversion to being cold. I adore all the penguins but the ones that live in the harshest, coldest climates fascinate me. I'll tell you more about that another time.

I'm glad you stopped by to observe the ramblings of a simple mind. See you next time.

Close and Comfortable

I'm thankful for another uneventful day. Grocery shopping is done, at least for awhile. Although with a teenage son, grocery shopping will never be done. Just about the time we get it all put away, he's already finished a bag of chips, a cup of pudding, an apple, etc. And then we start all over again.

I love these days when God is so close and comfortable. I just have to be careful to not take Him for granted. His presence in a thunderstorm, His presence in the quiet, His presence in our laughter - these all are big, little things.

Well, we've finished the first week of school for this year. It's been a success! It's such a hectic time when all of us are getting ready for back-to-school. So for us to have survived without inflicting personal injury makes it a success.

I'm looking forward to sleeping in a few minutes tomorrow! Good evening.