Wordless Wednesday #6

Wordless Wednesday #5

Fabulous Friday #4

It's FRIDAY!!! That means it's time for a spotlight on God's fabulous blessings!!

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I shared previously of my gratefulness for my Grandpa M, who was a dedicated Christian, army chaplain, pastor, husband, father, and so much more for his 80+ years.

Today, I wanted to share of my gratefulness for my other Grandpa, for whom I am equally grateful yet for different reasons. Grandpa S died just a little over a year ago, after a battle with a geriatric form of leukemia, and I miss him very much. He was a quiet man, but always thinking and learning.

Grandpa S lived in Friona, which is only about 90 miles from my childhood hometown. So we saw him and my Grandma S much more frequently than my Grandparents M in Tucson. My Grandpa S was a watchmaker and a jeweler; for many years, they owned the local jewelry store. I was always so proud when I watched my Grandpa work! Fortunately for them (and unfortunately for me), they retired when I was 10, thus circumventing my developing love for jewelry by selling out their stock. He was definitely a very smart man! I can picture him now wearing his headset loupe as he patiently worked on a watch or other piece of jewelry. When he pierced my ears the first - and second (sorry, Dad!) - times, I remember he approached it with the same calming, methodical patience.

My Grandpa S was also in the army. He fought in World War II, and actually had to hide in a foxhole for several days pretending to be dead after watching almost everyone around him be gunned down. By the time that he was able to escape, he had frost-bitten feet, a problem that plagued him for the rest of his life. I can't imagine the horrors that he faced, the fear he must have felt, the pain that he had to conquer - I didn't even know his real story from World War II until after his death. I knew bits and pieces that I'd heard from my Grandma or my Dad, but never the whole story from my Grandpa's point of view. Shortly after he died, I received from my Grandma a "story of my life" journal that I had begged my Grandpa to write in several years before, never thinking that he would do it ... to my surprise and great pleasure, he did write it, including his experiences in World War II.

Grandpa S was also an atheist. Quite a contrast to my Grandpa M! I never really knew why as a kid, only that he'd had a tough life and that because of that, he struggled to believe that God existed. I know more from his life after reading his journal, and it wasn't an easy life. I remember that the first time I ever saw my Grandpa set foot in a church was for my sister's wedding - even in all the years that my Mom had worked at our church, she'd always meet them in the parking lot when they came to town. Once I got into college and my Grandpa got sick, somehow I managed to sweet talk him into coming to the Candlelight service with us on Christmas Eve. He always seemed worried that he would not be dressed right or would not fit. Always something. A few more years went by, and amazingly, he began to meet my Grandma S at her church for worship service, and then eventually for Sunday School (it could be the other way around). Then came the Sunday I'd held my breath waiting for my whole life - my Grandpa asked Jesus into his heart! I will never forget the immense relief and gratitude I felt in this moment. By this time my Grandpa had already outlived his prognosis for his type of leukemia and was living on "borrowed time." I truly believe that God let him hang on without starting his steady decline until he believed. I miss my Grandpa S so much, but I am also so excited that I know I'll see him again in heaven! What I would have given to see the reunion between my Grandpa M and my Grandpa S in heaven! Two very different men, one shared eternity.

So I am thankful for the blessing of knowing my Grandpa S. He is a forever example to me that God is faithful. God cares, God loves us, and God doesn't give up on bringing us to His feet!!

Wordless Wednesday #4

Tabby Tuesday #4

A quick peek into the giggles and grins brought by the world's most terrific tabby cats, Tom & Jerry...

We know we're cute. :-)

Fabulous Friday #3

Fabulous Friday ... a day to focus on all the fantastic blessings of God!

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How could I not pause today to consider and be grateful for the wonderful sacrifice of Christ? I was the transgressor, the cause, the guilty ... and yet became the recipient, the beneficiary on Good Friday when Jesus paid the price for my sin.

Thank you, God, for your perfect plan. The unimaginable pain of giving your only Son to die only serves to demonstrate just how far-reaching Your love truly is. Wow! To think that we ever question that You care for us and want the very best for us!

Today alone would be such a devastating, crushing commemoration were it not for the knowledge of what came such a short time later - resurrection. As with every year, I am excited about celebrating the risen Savior come Sunday. Yet let me not fail to stop today and truly let my heart sit in all that encompassed the crucifixion of Christ. It is a painful focus - how much hurt Jesus must have faced that day, not just physically but emotionally. So many who loved Him denied Him on that day. How alone He must have felt hanging on that cross, but even then He was concerned only with those beside Him, with his mother Mary, with his disciples, with us. What great love.

Thank you, Christ, for your unfathomable sacrifice. I am humbled to the core to know that You loved us - You loved me - so very much.

Truth-Filled Thursday #3

Wordless Wednesday #3

Tabby Tuesday #3

A quick peek into the giggles and grins brought by the world's most terrific tabby cats, Tom & Jerry...

We love the sink!

Meaningful Monday #1

Mondays are always tough days for me. I don't know why I have such trouble getting a new week started, but for some reason, I always seem to start the day in a "blah" mood. As I've been praying this weekend, I realized that perhaps a shift in me was needed to get the week started in a more God-centered frame of mind ... perhaps a shift to starting my week solely focused on praying for others and their needs. Thus begins "Meaningful Mondays."

This morning, my heart and prayers rested here:

• with my IRL friends Jaime & Melissa, who are trying to adopt from China. Their dossier has been sent and they're now awaiting a "Log In" date
  
• with my IRL friends Carla and Heath, that God would do great things in their sweet baby Garrett's life this week: http://www.icenhower-family.blogspot.com/
  
• with Stellan, his momma MckMama and his family, from a relatively new blog I've been reading (I think she started "Not Me!" Mondays, by the way). Stellan is in his third week in PICU with some serious heart troubles. Please pray that God would guide the doctors in his treatment this week, and give his parents peace and rest.
  

• with my IRL friend Suzanne and a situation in her family - may God smooth the path ahead
• with my IRL friend J, that J would turn over real needs to God and let God work it all out
• with Angie and Todd Smith, who lost their sweet baby girl, Audrey Caroline, a year ago on Tuesday. I randomly stumbled on their blog on Friday night and was captured instantly by their story and their faith in God - I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to backtrack all the way to the beginning and read forward. I laughed, I cried, I sobbed, I celebrated with them, and I mourned with them.
  

• with Cindy Foote, who writes blog I've been following
  (http://www.adoptingaria.blogspot.com/) They're awaiting an adoption referral for a little girl from Ethiopia. Right now they are #2 on the list!

Savoring the Savior #2

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
Philippians 4:11

Contentment is such an elusive state of mind. Why? Why is it that we rebel against a God who is perfect, who is all-knowing, and who has our very best in mind? We rebel and instead take our lives into our own hands, weaving our own plans, all the while reaching but not grasping that ever-elusive contentment.

Yet contentment is not attainable apart from living centered in God’s will. God is faithful. God is faithful – no matter what! We must rest in that confidence, and only then will contentment envelop us.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
Proverbs 19:21

In a sense then, our contentment is directly proportionate to our obedience. God does say in Romans 8:28 that “in all things God works for the good” but it is followed by “for those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” The love here is active – how do we show love? One way is to obey Him. We obey Him by leaving our lives in His hands and trusting Him with the outcome. We trust God to meet our very deepest needs. Only He can do that – no one and nothing else. When that happens, contentment blossoms.

When we begin to feel the chords of discontent strumming in our hearts, we must ask ourselves – am I desiring now whatever God wants – what is His will, or am I lost in desiring what I want at this time? As we grow in relation to God, the two are often reflections of one another; yet the moment we take our eyes off God and lose focus on Him as our sole source of contentment, too often our “wants” shift as well.

Godliness with contentment is great gain.
1 Timothy 6:6

Holy Father, help us (help ME) to focus on you, to embrace that only you can reach into the depths of my heart and meet my every need in Your perfect way. Help me to have complete confidence in Your plans for my life. When those plans don’t seem to be a reflection of my wants, please help me to understand that means I have taken my eyes off of You.

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Psalm 73:25-26

Sassy Saturday #2

I'm not in "sassy" form today (that's probably a good thing!) ... perhaps a whole day devoted to soapboxes and sass is not necessary in the grand scheme of life. Last Saturday's post was one that had been rolling around in my brain for many weeks (months? years?), and it felt great to finally just put it out there. Likely I should rethink this Saturday endeavor and revisit it only when the sassy whim descends upon me. :-)

So today I'll just leave you with my wishes that YOU have had a simply sassy Saturday!

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Have A Sassy Saturday

Fabulous Friday #2

(Please pretend that I really posted this on Friday - it was a busy day yesterday and by the time I got home, I was ready to just crash!) :-)

Today is a fabulous day because I am blessed. Every day, I am blessed, but I wanted to reserve a day to be certain that I really focused on those blessings.

Today, I wanted to express my gratitude for my job and for a boss who knew just the perfect "niche" for me. I've moved into a new role this year, and I absolutely love it. Don't get me wrong - I adore teaching and for ten years, loved the thrill of learning new things alongside my students. I loved my 4th and 5th graders, teaching them, nurturing them, and laughing with them. Yet over the years the list of my "other" duties began to grown, and soon enough, it was overwhelming my task list. Last year was a struggle for me as I felt like I couldn't do anything on my task list to the best of my ability, and that made me sad. I knew that my students were not getting the very best from me, and yet I didn't have any more to give them either.

As I prayed through this, God helped me to see that the chances of those "other" type duties decreasing in continuing years was slim - I lean toward organizational, leadership activities and it's hard to not suddenly find myself surrounded by them. He also began to whisper to my heart that, over 10 years of teaching, all 4 principals I'd served under had tried to tell me that they thought I would eventually step into some other role beyond the classroom. All along the way, I refused their vision, claiming that I loved the classroom and would be in it for my entire career in some form or fashion. I refused it most because I don't think that administration is a job that I would thrive upon (then again, I've been proven wrong many times). God just nudged my heart to be open to possibilities.

Sure enough, one day in early February last year, I was meeting with my principal and expressed some of my restlessness. In that moment, I was overwhelmed by God's graciousness and His perfect plan - Ardath shared with me a position that the district was creating, described a little bit of it to me, and asked if I would be interested in it. I responded that I definitely was.

In the 7-8 weeks that followed, I continued to pray over it, and the ball rolled along at the district as the new position was officially created and approved. Problem was that the position had to be "rolled out" over a 2 year course, and my school was in the 2nd year. I was devastated at first, but then hopeful because my principal is a determined force, and she went forward with a creative plan to still be able to have me in that position for this year. Right around the first week of May last year, she got the "go ahead" and we celebrated it!! The caveat was that my role would be half-time ESL teacher and half-time in this new role, Campus Intervention Specialist (CIS).

I have loved it!! ESL has been a phenomenal experience because not only was it a great way to still have some direct involvement with students as an adjustment phase from years of having 90-120 5th graders in the course of a day. It has also been another wonderful learning opportunity! The CIS position was at first tapered down to be truly 50% of the job description since I was juggling two roles ... however those of you who know me realize that I crave challenges, and it was probably six weeks into the year (okay, um ... two?) before I had the entirety of the role in my lap again (and gladly so).

It's made for a busy year - juggling a job and a half, essentially. Yet I have truly loved (almost) every moment of it. I am just so very overwhelmed by a principal who knows me well enough - perhaps better than I did at the moment - to know that I would love this position. Not everyone gets great satisfaction out of organizing things, after all. At least, not enough satisfaction to be content enough in that place of the "teacher heart" to be simultaneously content with a more indirect involvement in helping students. So today I'm thanking God for my boss - may He bless her for her vision and her passion.

But I would be remiss not to say that I am far more grateful for God, who orchestrated all things according to His plan for me, and who perfectly orchestrated each step along the way to guide me into and keep me on the right path. I am so blessed.

Truth-Filled Thursday #2

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Proverbs 4:23
(NIV)

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I am so humbled by this verse, because as an emotions-driven person, I fail miserably at guarding my heart as regularly as I succeed. How true it is, though; from our heart springs everything. In the days when I am not guarding my heart and it is invaded by jealousy, bitterness, sadness, anger, or even just plain distraction or busyness, it is obvious because the wellspring that pours out from me is tainted with those things. Yet when my heart is focused on and set apart for God, the wellspring of my life evidences that as well. I pray that I will place my heart in God's hands and allow Him to guard it. May He be my one and only hearts' desire.

Wordless Wednesday #2