Approaching Glory

Oldies But Definitely Goodies

In addition to getting blinds for the front window - woo hoo!  I also purchased the Ion Power Play LP.  I had wanted to get this for Hubby for his birthday in October but after reading reviews I hesitated.  Today I took the plunge and I sure am glad I did.  Is it that crystal clear sound you could get on better and more expensive LP/mp3 converters?  No - but the sound is still VERY good and boy was it a blast to listen to the old contemporary Christian music from the seventies!

01 Quarter_Revived

 

This is from the Christian album, "You're Not the Lone Ranger" circa 1976 by John & Kathy, Shane & Alice.  This is my Hubby's favorite and he just about cries everytime he hears it - he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior when he was 25 - so the quarter means alot to him.  I hope it blesses you.

Life Without the Traditions

My Easter today is nothing like the one I used to celebrate as a child.  My family did a very formal traditional Easter back then.  We were a mixture of Protestants and Catholics but that never seemed to matter (although some of my family members couldn't come to my church).  There was the shopping for the new Easter outfit - dress, shoes, gloves, hat, spring coat, etc.  The hat was always a point of disagreement for Mom and me.  I look terrible in hats and when you see pictures of me in them it is pretty obvious.

The relatives always shuffled between my Grandma J's or our house for the big meal.  Time was set - dishes assigned (secretly always hoping Grandma B would bake a lemon meringue pie for me).  For some reason I always remember the Easter at Grandma J's more.  Pots of lilies decorated the room.  Sitting around the dining room table with the traditional Polish Catholic butter lamb adorning the center.  We came from Buffalo and it is a big thing there - even though we were not Polish :) 

After we ate - it was ladies to the kitchen and guys to the living room.  I would sneak upstairs and play in the upstairs front parlor.  If I got lucky the door to the attic was unlocked and I would sneak up there and play all sorts of imaginative games. (until I got caught)

My young years were made up of traditions - the Easter eggs, the candy, the baskets, the clothes, the traditional meal, etc.  What was missing was a personal relationship with the One who had risen.  Take all the pagan traditional stuff out of the picture and we all missed the centerpiece of the table.  The butter lamb represented the Lamb who had given His life for us and needed us to partake of Him.  The scarlet ribbon around his neck was a symbol of the blood He shed for me.  Right there in front of me - and I couldn't see it.

Today I don't have all the traditions around me.  I miss them - just like I miss the family with whom I celebrated.  (I don't miss the hats or gloves) What I have that I didn't have then is Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  He isn't a tradition - He is life and life more abundant.  I don't begrudge people their traditions - as long as Christ is above all else.

When There's Too Much - Reflections

Sometimes in my life it isn't that there isn't anything to blog.  It is that there is way too much!  And some of those things are pretty personal and things I don't want out on the Net.  So you (if there is anyone still out there) get nothing to read.  It doesn't mean I don't think about posting.  Oh - believe me - I write blogs all the time :)  It is a matter of determining whether or not they should see themselves in print.  Most see the file thirteen of my mind.

So far Jbird is hanging in there with this semester.  Of course he is trying very hard to procrastinate and let it pile up to where he is overcome by the sheer size of his assignments.  However, (trying very hard not to be super pushy) his dad and I keep reminding him of the dates.  In fact, he has promised to sit down with me today and go over this month's calendar.  Hopefully, this will occur.  Since I last spoke to you - J has been admitted to Phi Theta Kappa and has an honors day program to attend this coming Thursday.  I couldn't get him to go to the induction for Phi Theta but since his father has this week off for Easter vacation, I hope he'll attend this ceremony.

Rich is now on thyroid medicine.  After his overnight stay in hospital it was determined his thyroid is low.  I can see an improvement already and they will probably bump it up even more.  Hubby and a couple of other teachers went to break up a fight at their school (between two opposing gang members).  For the first time in over eighteen years of teaching, he had a kid attack him.  Rich tried to get out of the way but he was shoved backward and fell.  He injured his elbow, and bruised his hip and his leg.  Thankfully, he won't have to press personal charges - the school will press charges against the boy because blood was drawn.  Don't ask me how I feel about all of this.  I will say that I feel badly for all that the boy faces and he definitely needs prayer.

I have done quite of bit of knitting since December - slippers, two baby sweaters, baby booties - all completed.  I am working on "Hey Teach" and another child's sweater.  Can't figure out why I seem to be having so much trouble getting Hey Teach done - I've read plenty of blogs that say it just whips up.  Hmmm.  Anyway, I've started painting again - a bit.

I also am on week seven of the twelve week program with NAMI.  I have learned so much and highly reccomend the program to anyone who has a loved one with mental illness.  I look forward to Rich attending the program and I've even considered being trained to help volunteer.  We'll see.

The other issue is one I don't care to discuss at this time because it is throwing me into a fit of depression/anger/denial - and instead of prompting me to action it is causing me to shut-down.  Some days it is all I can do to say "Get up and get going."  However, the situation isn't going to go away and I have to believe that God will see us through this.  I in fact know that He will - it is more that I don't want to go down the road it appears we will have to go down.  For one thing I know that Jbird will not handle the stress and strain well at all and it is going to rock is "safe stable" world.

And if God uses it for no other reason than to force me to face that I have judged other people who have found themselves in this situation than I guess I will have learned a lesson at a very high price.

Extending The Tent Pegs

"Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense!" Isaiah 54:2

This year has been a new beginning for the blogging for me.

• Got Richard started on both Facebook and Typepad.  You can find his blog here.  If you are looking for some good Word study -he's a great teacher.  And you can buy his book, Jesus in the Psalms there too!
• I finally got my own url and after 6.5 years here it is nice to have my own address
• With Typepad's many new features I can now have the navigation bar and pages that I've wanted to link to some of my other interests and writings

With that in mind, I introduce to you the tab and page Inspire Me - just go to my top navigation bar and voila!  Inspirational writing that I've done throughout the years.  I firmly believe in exhorting, encouraging, and edifying each other in the Word.  If you are looking some way to study the Bible or just need a quick pick up - I hope you'll go my page Inspire Me.

I hope to develop some other pages in the future - but for now I'm really excited to be able to do this :)

Puppets Versus Free Will

"God created things which had free will. That means creatures which can go either wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong; I cannot. If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having." CS Lewis

Somedays I think that creating puppets would have been a whole lot easier on all of us.  Okay - I'll repent now :)

Family Resemblance

"Remember, Jehovah, thy tender mercies and thy loving-kindnesses; for they are from everlasting."  Psalm 25:6

I remember this song from when the dinos roamed the earth.  It touched my heart because it is the cry of my heart - I want to be like Him.  I want to be identified with my Heavenly Father and I want others to be provoked to want to be His child too.

However.... (isn't there always one).. I am human and I make mistakes.  Now I know that is surprising to my readers - but sadly true.  Like last week for instance.  I was asked months ago to pray for a family whose house was to go up for auction this week.  They have around ten or eleven in this family and a brand new child was born in the past month.  They hadn't told anyone (and that includes their pastor) the direness of their situation except two or three people they knew would pray.

Well - their pastor (who has a daily email component to his ministry) found out.  Now this dear man NEVER asks for money - EVER.  He runs his entire ministry on faith.  And guess what?  God has never failed to come through for him.  This guy was driving home from one of his outreaches when he felt compelled by the Lord to mention the situation of this family on his email.  At first he resisted - this was not how his ministry functioned.  But it was pointed out to him that the land that this home was sitting on had been dedicated to the Lord as a retreat area (and it has been a  private home but there is a guest house that has been used many many times for peole who need help or just a prayerful retreat).  In obedience, the pastor posted the information.

And - well - you know - God came through.  In three days they had over $30,000 to pay off the debt and they are able to stay in their home.  Now to show you where I'm at:

• I've got to admit I'm still amazed and dazed when God does this sort of thing - yes - I've been on the receiving end of this type of miracle (like when someone handed me the keys to an almost new car and said they knew they were supposed to give it to me - over ten years later and it is still being used) - but none-the-less - I still get surprised
• I thought to myself, well - I would have given them the money - but I would have wanted to be sure they understood how they got where they are so they wouldn't repeat the situation  (this is SO typically me)

About the time my mind was going down that road, there was this still small voice that said, "What conditions did I make for them to receive what they needed?"  Dear reader - there is NO way for me to tell you how I felt.  It was as if someone had sucker punched me.  I had the instant realization that I don't resemble my Father very much at all.  I am still functioning (for a large part) on conditional love as opposed to being like Him (who loves us while we were yet sinners and loves us no matter what and NEVER says - well, when you clean yourself up - or - yes you can have that but let me tell you a thing or two before I give it to you). I was sorely grieved.  Even as I type this my heart is sad - thirty-five years of being a Christian and I wonder how much I've truly yielded in my life, my thoughts, my emotions in order to be like Him?  And that my friend humbles me beyond anything and makes me very thankful that His mercies are new every morning.

Change I Can Do Without

Well, Mr. President, you've shown your hand quickly.  Without a lot of media coverage you signed this order.  Why am I not surprised?  Shame on you.  Remember that big difference we had about the sanctity of life?  Sure you do.  The person typing this blog may not have been here on this earth had abortion been available when I was conceived.  My son may not have been here either - praise God our birth mothers chose to carry us and give us life.

You stood up in front of our country at your inauguration as a symbol that America has finally gotten it through our heads that all are created equal and should have the right of liberty and freedom.  All what?  I take that to mean - human beings.  ALL human beings.  Don't get into a philosophical discussion with me about when life begins.  Any scientist worth their weight will agree that life begins at conception - that's a scientific fact.  Viability?  Don't go there either sir.  I really don't think you want to play God - no matter to whom you are likened by the media.  Mr. President, you are not the Messiah - Jesus Christ.

So the bottom line then of this sneaky move was what?  Why do I think it was money?  Because somehow I can't picture you as a champion of women over in some foreign country who feel cheated because they can't have an abortion.  If that was the case you would have, and could have championed that argument for years and years.  So - really sir - who got to you and for what reason?  Could it be the funding?  I believe so.  So let me ask you then, Mr. President - how much is a human life worth?

God never changes - He's always the same. 

Update:  I had to update the link to a media newsreport on what Obama signed.

Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr. President,
Congrats on winning the election and having a historic day before you.  Praying all goes well and safely for you and the family.  Part of me is excited to be part of such a major event.  It definitely will be (should the Lord tarry) one of those times when people will say "I was there" or "I watched it".  I've been through quite a few of those in my lifetime - some good - some terrible.  I've seen one president assassinated, one resign, and one who was impeached. (although he never left office)  May your service to your country do well.

Here are some of my thoughts for today - I did not vote for you.  My voting for the other side was not due to race, but because of basic differences in our views and beliefs concerning the sanctity of life.  Let's not get into my concerns regarding your socialistic educational leanings.  I'll just let you know you are doing a lot for my prayer life - and for that I thank you.  I would like to believe the United States will resemble something of what I fondly remember when, and if, my son ever has children.

I know the world is watching us.  Many countries still are astounded that we have such a smooth transition between those who serve in office.  I am proud to be an American. I feel blessed to have been born here and to be part of the Christian heritage which has profoundly effected the development of our governing system.  May you remember those roots.  I am deeply grateful for our men and women who serve us in our military - may you do right by them. 

So Dear Mr. President - may you grow in the knowledge of the One who is the King of Kings and to whom one day you will bow.  May the wisdom of His Word guide you, comfort you, and give you hope and courage for the days ahead.  I believe you will need all the prayers you can garner for the future of our nation.

One for whom He died.....

Thoughts in my Head

I've been reading in James.  It seems everytime I start reading there that stuff starts happening that causes me to realize that I am definitely a human being.  Translated that means - I'm hurt.  I've been through a situation like this before, but it is one of those to which there is no good solution.  No matter what I do or say, I am going to be wrong.  Knowing this doesn't make it any easier.  This is where one can get real disgusted with God's kids.  This is where you feel completely justified in thinking that being an isolationist might not be such a bad idea.  Relationships are tough.  But I guess God already knows that.

Reflections

I decided to enter a contest online about mothers and how they have reflected Christ.  I woke up this morning in time to sort of see the sun rising.  The weather here is so cold that many cancelled the sunrise services - with the wind the chill factor was around 23 degrees.  Not your typical Easter weather.  And the poor farmers around here have totally lost their peach crops.

Anyway, I got up and got myself a cup of coffee and sat here and prayed.  I thanked God that He had indeed risen.  I wanted to focus on Him and I wanted it to be special.  So I wrote.  I was pleased with the results and submitted the story to the contest.  I'll let you know what happens.  If nothing else I'll eventually post the story about my mother here.

I do hope your Easter is blessed.