My dear friend Lisa Buffaloe was on Blog Talk Radio today. The interview and conversation was excellent. The ladies discussed several informative topics such as creating a blog, building an audience, and why they blog. One of the best topics addressed, in my opinion, is the importance of blogging for God's sake, not our own. While they were specifically addressing blogging, the truth shared is applicable to all parts of life, whether that be writing, singing, or mowing yards. Very encouraging...and convicting...stuff.
The whole program is about an hour, and it is worth the time. Drop by and get blessed!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cwa-radio/2010/03/31/his-love-extended
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
More Valuable Than Butterflies
Today the children and I joined our co-op buddies at the Botanic Garden's butterfly exhibit. Because we had a large group, we were able to attend a very informative class on butterflies. The leaders explained how the butterflies were shipped from all over the world to be on display here in Texas. They also explained the butterfly life cycle and the importance of specific plants for specific species of butterflies. Certain aspects of butterfly behavior were discussed as well, and we were encouraged to take time to observe those behaviors. Mostly, they suggested we take time to just watch and behold.
I did just that, and what I beheld left me amazed...not just by the butterflies but by the wonder of me.
Butterflies are more than just a pretty face. Generally speaking, they are bugs. They do bug jobs. Specifically, they wander from flower to flower, picking up pollen and dropping it off, being the catalyst for new life. This is no small thing. Take away the butterflies, and a huge number of those flowers we love in the spring would disappear, too. They not only offer up their own beauty. They enable others' beauty as well.
I love that.
However, a butterfly's functionality isn't what made me stop and stare. Without thought, I was captivated by the art of the butterfly, not its part in creation but its creation by a purposeful Creator.
As I looked at the artwork that sat stone still in front of me, I became lost in the meticulous design of each scale on its wings, the blending of colors, and the perfection of its design. My eyes were fixed on this creation whose life span is a blink of an eye compared to mine. What I saw was not a bug or a nifty pollinator. I stared at a masterpiece formed by a God bigger than the universe with the ability to make something so tiny and delicate, and He knew every single scale on that butterfly's wings. He knew where it had been laid. His hands recreated it in the chrysalis, and He smiled when it took flight.
He watched with the same wondrous joy I did, and He was captivated, too.
If the God of all the earth cares that much for a butterfly, how much more me, the masterpiece made in His image, the one He longs to have as a companion? He holds the butterfly in His hand, but He holds me in His heart. Is anything more wondrous than that?
I did just that, and what I beheld left me amazed...not just by the butterflies but by the wonder of me.
Butterflies are more than just a pretty face. Generally speaking, they are bugs. They do bug jobs. Specifically, they wander from flower to flower, picking up pollen and dropping it off, being the catalyst for new life. This is no small thing. Take away the butterflies, and a huge number of those flowers we love in the spring would disappear, too. They not only offer up their own beauty. They enable others' beauty as well.
I love that.
However, a butterfly's functionality isn't what made me stop and stare. Without thought, I was captivated by the art of the butterfly, not its part in creation but its creation by a purposeful Creator.
As I looked at the artwork that sat stone still in front of me, I became lost in the meticulous design of each scale on its wings, the blending of colors, and the perfection of its design. My eyes were fixed on this creation whose life span is a blink of an eye compared to mine. What I saw was not a bug or a nifty pollinator. I stared at a masterpiece formed by a God bigger than the universe with the ability to make something so tiny and delicate, and He knew every single scale on that butterfly's wings. He knew where it had been laid. His hands recreated it in the chrysalis, and He smiled when it took flight.
He watched with the same wondrous joy I did, and He was captivated, too.
If the God of all the earth cares that much for a butterfly, how much more me, the masterpiece made in His image, the one He longs to have as a companion? He holds the butterfly in His hand, but He holds me in His heart. Is anything more wondrous than that?
Gratitude 31--Life: Sacrificed, Provided, Eternal
Palm Sunday is an odd day for me. On one hand, I want to focus on Jesus. I want to meditate on the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb for me. I want to be in awe of the love that would give such an extravagant gift for one so undeserving.
However, my mind wanders. On Palm Sunday seven years ago, my dad went into the hospital...for the last time. He had been sick for some time. The last nine months had been very difficult. Multiple hospital stays, trips to the ER, and times of needing intense care spotted the calendar.
When I received the call from my mom that Dad was in the ER again and he was being admitted to the hospital, I went to be with them. I knew in my heart this was it. Our journey was done.
On Thursday of that week, my dad was released from the hospital. X-rays showed a mass, not pneumonia. A biopsy had been done, and we were waiting for the results.
We spent Easter with my parents. Dad sat in the sun, watched his small ground children hunt Lego blocks. In the wildness of the week, we never thought about eggs, so we improvised. He laughed a lot. I committed every moment to memory that I could. Treasures stored in the heart.
Late that afternoon, I took my children home. As much as I wanted to stay with Dad, I knew the little ones were tired and in need of rest.
In the late hours of Easter, Dad went home, too. As much as he wanted to stay with us, Jesus knew he was tired and in need of rest.
I suppose some might think my dad's passing on at Easter would diminish the day somehow, but on the contrary, it only makes it more special.
For me, Easter is not just about the salvation of my soul, although that is amazing beyond words. To me, Easter is about my dad breathing without struggling for air. It's about his being able to walk as far as he wants without chest pains, getting dizzy, or passing out.
Easter is about passing on the love of the Word my dad instilled in me to my children. Life continuing from generation to generation. It's morning coffee with the Dad of all time, sharing my heart, hearing His, and letting Him speak through me.
Easter is not just about what Jesus did 2000 years ago. It's about what He is doing now and what He wants to do.
It's life that changes sometimes in form, sometimes in place, but still goes on, and the hope that life can always be better here...and There.
And today I am filled with gratitude.
776. Jerry Dale Kelley--December 13, 1940 - April 21, 2003
777b. Top hats :-)
777. An empty tomb
778. Love that stayed on a cross
779. Doctors who do the best they can
780. Mercy
781. Breathing without pain
782. No oxygen tanks are needed in Heaven
783. Amazing medical staff
784. Lego "eggs"
785. Sunshine
786. Hope
787. Precious memories
788. Stories that still bring laughter
789. Provision beyond my ability to fathom
790. Laughter
791. Pictures and video
792. Life--here and There
793. Death--that makes me realize the power and blessing of life
794. Being able to tell people God is faithful, even when their hearts are broken
795. The Bible--The Greatest Love Story Ever Told
796. HUGE Easter Egg hunts at church
797. Matching dresses my mom made
798. Plastic eggs with a quarter in them
799. Dozens of boiled eggs dipped and colored turning from white orbs to rainbows
800. My grandma who didn't fuss about the Easter egg coloring mess
801. The reality of the resurrection in my life and my heart.
Yes, I stop and think about this week, what was done for me...what has been done IN me...the life given on a cross 2000 years ago so I can have life today and for eternity...and I am in awe...
However, my mind wanders. On Palm Sunday seven years ago, my dad went into the hospital...for the last time. He had been sick for some time. The last nine months had been very difficult. Multiple hospital stays, trips to the ER, and times of needing intense care spotted the calendar.
When I received the call from my mom that Dad was in the ER again and he was being admitted to the hospital, I went to be with them. I knew in my heart this was it. Our journey was done.
On Thursday of that week, my dad was released from the hospital. X-rays showed a mass, not pneumonia. A biopsy had been done, and we were waiting for the results.
We spent Easter with my parents. Dad sat in the sun, watched his small ground children hunt Lego blocks. In the wildness of the week, we never thought about eggs, so we improvised. He laughed a lot. I committed every moment to memory that I could. Treasures stored in the heart.
Late that afternoon, I took my children home. As much as I wanted to stay with Dad, I knew the little ones were tired and in need of rest.
In the late hours of Easter, Dad went home, too. As much as he wanted to stay with us, Jesus knew he was tired and in need of rest.
I suppose some might think my dad's passing on at Easter would diminish the day somehow, but on the contrary, it only makes it more special.
For me, Easter is not just about the salvation of my soul, although that is amazing beyond words. To me, Easter is about my dad breathing without struggling for air. It's about his being able to walk as far as he wants without chest pains, getting dizzy, or passing out.
Easter is about passing on the love of the Word my dad instilled in me to my children. Life continuing from generation to generation. It's morning coffee with the Dad of all time, sharing my heart, hearing His, and letting Him speak through me.
Easter is not just about what Jesus did 2000 years ago. It's about what He is doing now and what He wants to do.
It's life that changes sometimes in form, sometimes in place, but still goes on, and the hope that life can always be better here...and There.
And today I am filled with gratitude.
776. Jerry Dale Kelley--December 13, 1940 - April 21, 2003
777b. Top hats :-)
777. An empty tomb
778. Love that stayed on a cross
779. Doctors who do the best they can
780. Mercy
781. Breathing without pain
782. No oxygen tanks are needed in Heaven
783. Amazing medical staff
784. Lego "eggs"
785. Sunshine
786. Hope
787. Precious memories
788. Stories that still bring laughter
789. Provision beyond my ability to fathom
790. Laughter
791. Pictures and video
792. Life--here and There
793. Death--that makes me realize the power and blessing of life
794. Being able to tell people God is faithful, even when their hearts are broken
795. The Bible--The Greatest Love Story Ever Told
796. HUGE Easter Egg hunts at church
797. Matching dresses my mom made
798. Plastic eggs with a quarter in them
799. Dozens of boiled eggs dipped and colored turning from white orbs to rainbows
800. My grandma who didn't fuss about the Easter egg coloring mess
801. The reality of the resurrection in my life and my heart.
Yes, I stop and think about this week, what was done for me...what has been done IN me...the life given on a cross 2000 years ago so I can have life today and for eternity...and I am in awe...
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Part of the Crowd
Palm Sunday.
I am pondering the Triumphant Entry, the people who waved palms and adored Jesus, and then cried out for His crucifixion when He wasn't what they wanted Him to be.
Laying my heart before the Lord, asking Him to show me ways I refuse to accept His Truth when it isn't what I want to hear or be.
In His mercy, He answers...
I am pondering the Triumphant Entry, the people who waved palms and adored Jesus, and then cried out for His crucifixion when He wasn't what they wanted Him to be.
Laying my heart before the Lord, asking Him to show me ways I refuse to accept His Truth when it isn't what I want to hear or be.
In His mercy, He answers...
Friday, March 26, 2010
Seeing Down the Path
It is 7:40 am, and I am sitting in a quiet house with the sun beginning to slide into the backyard and slip into the windows. It feels good to be quiet and still.
This is the first time in two weeks I have not started my day with a long to-do list sitting beside me, being added to as I think of things while trying to focus on my quiet time. It is the first time in two weeks I don't feel the pressure of "have to". It is the first time in two weeks I am not trying to figure out how to squeeze my family into the myriad of things to be done.
I just looked at the white board in my kitchen, which started the week saying, "Snuggle time for Robert and Mommy on the trampoline". It was our personal to do list. It stayed there a few days. We never did it, but now it is erased, and something else is there. It makes my heart sad.
Once again I tried to balance things, and I fell off the wire. I am hoping I didn't crash so hard that damage was done that cannot be healed.
This has not been an easy two weeks. While it has been productive, it has also been hard. It has stretched me, stretched my family, and left me with some questions. Today, while I am thanking the Lord for getting our family through the stretching, I am also asking Him what I could have done better. I am taking the whole thing back to the Life Director and asking how I missed it, where I missed it, what I should have differently. I need Him to show me where my priorities were wrong...and where they were right.
I don't believe it was all wrong. Just because something shakes up the status quo or messes with my comfort zone...or the comfort zone of my family...doesn't mean it is wrong or bad. It simply means the Lord is doing something new. He is leading down a new path.
There are two ways to go down a path.
The first way is knowing the path to take and barreling down it full speed ahead. That can be hard going. I have to watch my steps to avoid holes or rocks that can twist an ankle and possibly leave me stranded. I have to fight branches and limbs that grab at my head and face, and if I am not dressed correctly, the briers can rip my legs up.
The second way is to follow. When I follow, the Lord's voice comes back to me and tells me to watch out for the hole, step over the log, or duck under a limb. He knows when to stop so the snake ahead is well out of my path before I need to go by it. When God is leading, He is gives direction, leads my feet smoothly, and protects my head. I may not see the path, but I see Him, and that is all I need to see.
That is where I am this morning. Seeking Him. Making sure I am aligned correctly with Him in front. Listening carefully to be sure I hear His voice over the loud crash of my shattering comfort zone.
This morning I am not merely asking Him if I am on the right path. I'm asking if I am in the right place--behind Him, so that He is all I see. If He is all I see, then I see enough to get me where I am going safely.
This is the first time in two weeks I have not started my day with a long to-do list sitting beside me, being added to as I think of things while trying to focus on my quiet time. It is the first time in two weeks I don't feel the pressure of "have to". It is the first time in two weeks I am not trying to figure out how to squeeze my family into the myriad of things to be done.
I just looked at the white board in my kitchen, which started the week saying, "Snuggle time for Robert and Mommy on the trampoline". It was our personal to do list. It stayed there a few days. We never did it, but now it is erased, and something else is there. It makes my heart sad.
Once again I tried to balance things, and I fell off the wire. I am hoping I didn't crash so hard that damage was done that cannot be healed.
This has not been an easy two weeks. While it has been productive, it has also been hard. It has stretched me, stretched my family, and left me with some questions. Today, while I am thanking the Lord for getting our family through the stretching, I am also asking Him what I could have done better. I am taking the whole thing back to the Life Director and asking how I missed it, where I missed it, what I should have differently. I need Him to show me where my priorities were wrong...and where they were right.
I don't believe it was all wrong. Just because something shakes up the status quo or messes with my comfort zone...or the comfort zone of my family...doesn't mean it is wrong or bad. It simply means the Lord is doing something new. He is leading down a new path.
There are two ways to go down a path.
The first way is knowing the path to take and barreling down it full speed ahead. That can be hard going. I have to watch my steps to avoid holes or rocks that can twist an ankle and possibly leave me stranded. I have to fight branches and limbs that grab at my head and face, and if I am not dressed correctly, the briers can rip my legs up.
The second way is to follow. When I follow, the Lord's voice comes back to me and tells me to watch out for the hole, step over the log, or duck under a limb. He knows when to stop so the snake ahead is well out of my path before I need to go by it. When God is leading, He is gives direction, leads my feet smoothly, and protects my head. I may not see the path, but I see Him, and that is all I need to see.
That is where I am this morning. Seeking Him. Making sure I am aligned correctly with Him in front. Listening carefully to be sure I hear His voice over the loud crash of my shattering comfort zone.
This morning I am not merely asking Him if I am on the right path. I'm asking if I am in the right place--behind Him, so that He is all I see. If He is all I see, then I see enough to get me where I am going safely.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Where I'm Reading This Week--March 26, 2010
What Will We Miss? -- My friend Lisa Buffaloe is an amazing writer. She's also an amazing hearer of God's heart. When I read this, it was as though the Lord were speaking Himself, encouraging me on a hard day of transition, assuring me that sometimes we have to lay down good things to have His best things.
Lending a Hand When You are Down and Out -- All of go through painful trials, hard seasons, and times when we wonder what matters. Shae Hamrick has, too. However, instead of letting them engulf her, she lets them push her outside herself to see others' needs...a place where everyone finds comfort and healing.
You Just Have to Trust Me -- It's just good stuff. Trust me.
Lending a Hand When You are Down and Out -- All of go through painful trials, hard seasons, and times when we wonder what matters. Shae Hamrick has, too. However, instead of letting them engulf her, she lets them push her outside herself to see others' needs...a place where everyone finds comfort and healing.
You Just Have to Trust Me -- It's just good stuff. Trust me.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Gratitude 30--Being Still, Being Thankful
Last week was a frenzy, but I thought I handled it well. Today makes last week look like a walk in the park. To say it's been crazy would be an understatement, and I refuse to go crazy, so I'm going to be thankful.
Thank you, Father, for:
751. Whispering the importance of being still
752. Sunshine to warm me through and through
753. Amazing children who are rolling with the demands of today
754. Two empty CDs
755. Wilson's driving here to pick up the filled CDs
756. Melissa--O! Lord, such a woman of grace to cover me...
757. Grace, grace, and more grace
758. A husband who keeps telling me I'm normal, this is normal, and it is okay
759. Take out...sigh...
760. Women of grace who bless me even when I say, "I can't..."
761. Deliverance from needing to always say yes...even when it is impossible, punishes my family, and isn't a work of excellence for you
762. Leftover birthday cake
763. Just enough milk...
764. That some folks know when, "I can't talk right now," is honest, and it isn't about them.
765. Another chance.
766. Promotion
767. Hoodies
768. Ephesians 3:20
769. That right now, you are doing more than I can dream or imagine
770. My children's laughter
771. Prayers of friends
772. Snuggle time in the big bed that calms my soul and reminds me of Your heart
773. Birds singing
774. Giving thanks in everything
775. The calm that has come from simply making this list.
Lord, you are so good to me. You are faithful beyond words, and you are my escape, my very breath. I love you!
Thank you, Father, for:
751. Whispering the importance of being still
752. Sunshine to warm me through and through
753. Amazing children who are rolling with the demands of today
754. Two empty CDs
755. Wilson's driving here to pick up the filled CDs
756. Melissa--O! Lord, such a woman of grace to cover me...
757. Grace, grace, and more grace
758. A husband who keeps telling me I'm normal, this is normal, and it is okay
759. Take out...sigh...
760. Women of grace who bless me even when I say, "I can't..."
761. Deliverance from needing to always say yes...even when it is impossible, punishes my family, and isn't a work of excellence for you
762. Leftover birthday cake
763. Just enough milk...
764. That some folks know when, "I can't talk right now," is honest, and it isn't about them.
765. Another chance.
766. Promotion
767. Hoodies
768. Ephesians 3:20
769. That right now, you are doing more than I can dream or imagine
770. My children's laughter
771. Prayers of friends
772. Snuggle time in the big bed that calms my soul and reminds me of Your heart
773. Birds singing
774. Giving thanks in everything
775. The calm that has come from simply making this list.
Lord, you are so good to me. You are faithful beyond words, and you are my escape, my very breath. I love you!
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