Strong Childhood Flashback...

Simon up the tree before the wake
 of the storm. 

When I was a kid I remember the scream of the siren when there was a tornado...no wait, we didn't have sirens when I was little...it was the scream of my mother shrieking..."Tornado, Tornado, Get to the basement..." and we would be jerked from our bed and hurried downstairs with mom.  Dad?  Well, like all good men from Kansas, he was outside looking at the sky with my mom screaming..."Russell! Russell! You get down here!"

When Steve and I got married, tornadoes were terrifying to me.  Once after about 2 weeks of marriage, Steve was working and a police car came through our trailer court announcing: "Evacuate!  Evacuate! You must seek shelter!" By this time we had sirens and so with the sirens going in the background and this announcement, fear rose quickly.

Then, fast forward to having children of our own.  I didn't want them to have the same irrational fear of tornadoes so when there was a HINT of a possible storm, We would go to our basement and sleep down there.  Then if there was a tornado, we would be in place.  I think that my kids do not have the same irrational fear of tornadoes that I do...I will have to ask them.

Mazie at the park with her
favorite dog that she
petted in the park that day.

So, last night when the sirens went off in Omaha, I was ripped from sleep and I became my mother.  I am not the most coherent person when awakened at any time in the night...add a siren and it was comical in retrospect.  Shrieking at Steve, "Tornado!", I proceeded to stumble out of bed and hit the bed at the same time.  I grabbed the dog's collar because, face it, Lacy wouldn't get up unless pulled.  Pulling the 50 lb. dog and continuing to shriek, I ran into Simon's room.  "Get to the tornado shelter.  We need to go downstairs."

I was thinking that Steve had gotten Mazie and realized her door was still shut.  She wakes up like Nana in the middle of the night.  So, picture me dragging the dog by the collar, room by room, shrieking and I burst into Mazie's room. 

Gather the troops.  Down we went.  Into the "ROOM" and we dragged in a feather bed.  There we were. We ALL SAFE!  Wait! Roll call!  Mazie...physically present!  Simon...yep, he is here!  Lacy...oh yes we all know she is here because she has taken up a huge spot on the feather bed and is growling if anyone moves... Who is missing?  STEVE?  STEVE? Oh, he is out watching the TV.  He has moved Jon's car into the garage.  So, to keep the children calm...I continue to shriek!!!  My mom would have been proud of me.  Betsy on the other hand might fire me as a babysitter.

Now I know that Boys Town has rules!  So how do we get out of here?  Who tells us we can leave?  Oh, Steve did because he came in and said, "oh, the TV said it was over."  So, we all traipse back up stairs and off to bed.  Mazie wants me to sleep with her and be near the window.

Another friend that she found at the park before the fated
night.

As I was lying in bed and praising God for His protection once more.  I also realized that I am really only a couple of steps away from my mother.

As a PS to this evening: There were 2 highlights of the night. One was when Mazie began to cry...a natural response given the above description...and said, "but Nana, I haven't had breakfast yet."  (Miss Mazie has an internal food schedule!  And in all situations...that is the first thing on her mind.)  Once upstairs, she began to cry again, she couldn't see her bird feeder and what were the birds going to eat.  So in the midst of the chaos and the blaring sirens, normalcy comes from a little child.

Make me aware!

There are times when I am overwhelmed by the grandeur of God's kingdom.  When I look around and see His fingerprint on everything I see, it causes me to pause and wonder how sometimes we get so busy, we just miss it.  It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day things that we forget to pause and look at the world that He has given us. 

Father as we go about our day, make us aware of the wonders that surround us..

Like a tree hugging a rock...and growing....

 The ocean and even though it looks like a bunch of sticks, the evidence of your gift to man to do something, like make a pier in the ocean or span a body of water with a bridge or to read and write and to do the daily tasks is so amazing...

 From the flowers that grow in the desert...

 to the mountains...

 To the vastness of your world you have given us...

 The forests....

 the intricateness of your  design...

 to the wonders that we don't see....

You have given us an amazing world.  Thank you.  Today, make me aware.

Who is in charge? You? hmmmm? You really think so?

In Sedona, this is the church of the Rock.

Last night I googled top growing churches in Phoenix and found that First Assembly of Phoenix is one of the top 10 churches listed in the nation.  We thought about going to church there but Steve was not feeling well.  I have to admit that I was a little disappointed.  I resigned myself to going to church at the resort which was good last week and the pastor did speak to my heart but wanted to experience something different.

This morning we got a text from some friends that had moved from Bismark years ago and Mike and Karen wanted to meet for coffee after they went to church.  They said that they were going to Grace Community Church in Tempe.  I map quested it and it was only 30 minute drive so I said, we'll meet you in church....MY IDEA RIGHT????

Back up a couple of days ago....Steve and I were walking in the park and I said...I almost hate to admit this...I don't want to get to know people in the park.  Steve laughed and said...he had the same feeling.  Well that was easy...RIGHT?????

Fast forward to this morning.  We met Karen and Mike and went in to the sanctuary.  It was so good to see them.  The music was good and so worshipful.  It was great.  Then the pastor got up to preach.  He was preaching on 3 John.  Well that was a short book...he even said, that people didn't usually spend a lot of time with these short little letters.  Then the Holy Spirit swooped down and started to prod me.

John wanted to encourage one of the men who was sharing his life and the Truth with those he came in contact with.  He was being a presence in the place that God had placed him.  You got it...My statement of not wanting to get to know people...slapped me right in the face. 

You see, no matter where you are, no matter who you are with, it is our responsibility...it is MY responsibility to be a Truth teller.  To allow others to see the Truth in me and draw them to the Savior.  I am not required to save them...I am required to show them the love and hospitality of Jesus.  To assure them that they are important and that just by being who they are...they are worth so much because Jesus walked down a road, beaten and forced to carry His own death instrument, to give His life to show  each and every one of us just how much He loved us....

So, what began as an escape from church services here at the park and connect with old friends wasn't what Jesus had in mind.  He was the one to orchestra our life today as He does each day.  It is up to us to see why he brought the people in our path or placed us in a specific place...

What am I going to do about it?  That is the easy part.  Show people the Truth who lives in my life.  Welcome them and invite them to our 'home', and to allow them to know that Jesus, the director of my life can do amazing things in their life.  To create a thirst that is unquenchable except by the Creator and Sustainer of our souls.

Thank you Jesus for opening my eyes and bringing me to my knees because I wanted a "break" from ministry...you have given us the gift of hospitality for a reason!  And you have allowed us to come here not just for the sun and the pool but to be your light for maybe only one person...help us to be open to your leading and courage to show the Truth and not to discourage anyone but to encourage them to follow you.

A Question....

MOPS...Mothers of Pre-schoolers...I love this ministry.  I get to hold babies (they call me the baby stealer and a few times the baby whisperer), mentor amazing women and allow them into my life as a wife and mother, teach Bible studies, and listen to amazing speakers.

This past week we had a MAN PANEL!  They were to talk about what men desired in a relationship.  AND I learned that after 38+ years of marriage, I had a lot to learn.  Here are some of the random thoughts stood out in my mind and heart.

1. Men are big boys with fragile egos.  Be aware of how and what you say to them because they may never tell you that you have hurt them but instead will withdraw from the relationship.

Sometimes my pictures have nothing to do with what I am
saying and everything about what makes me happy!

2. When you are trying to get them to understand you...make sure that you are not holding an ideal that they will never attain.  Don't wish 33 years of marriage for another person and miss the one that God has gifted to you.
3. Our husbands need our attention.  They do want to talk but rarely want to compete with children, TV, phones, or other distractions.
4. Ask your husband how can we, as wives support them.  I asked Steve this one and he told me by not going out and buying paint for the laundry room without his input. :-) Then we had a serious discussion.

As I listened and talked to the ladies at our table afterwards (while cuddling with a sleeping sweetheart) I realized that we as moms forget that our day, no matter how chaotic it was or how exhausted we are, need to affirm our husbands in the way that they take care of us.  We need to praise God for the gift that He has chosen for us.

Hallelujah!

 

Revelations 4 paints a beautiful picture of what heaven will be like... 



These pictures were taken at
Lyle's brides 90th birthday.

 Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this."  And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it.  The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.  Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads.  From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames.

This is the sevenfold Spirit of God.  In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.  The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight.  Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come."   Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever),  the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,  "You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased." 

Today, a dear friend is worshiping the Lord God Almighty singing His praises.  Lyle Calkins is there saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come."  He is whole and healed with the divine touch of the Creator of the Universe and the One who was and is his Savior forever to praise Him.

Class assignment or divine appointment?

 Our church has begun a class called ROOTS.  It is about the basics in our  faith and each week we have an assignment.  A couple of weeks ago the assignment was to make an appointment with someone that you would like to learn more about them and their faith....

I made an appointment with a woman in our church who has gone and is going through some difficult life-situations but seems to keep a sweet, strong faith about her.  I made the appointment.

I went over to talk to Alta Ruth.  I was supposed to have written questions, I didn't.  I wanted her to talk.  What was hard?  Life...Jesus...God's voice...His silence in her live.  That is what I expected to hear.  AND I did hear about the challenges she faced.

 She shared many things and then, with no question to prompt her, she began to speak of memorizing scripture.  She told me it was hard for her...I was so excited because that is what I have thought and had given up on even trying.  Then, she said, "For years I believed the enemy that I could not memorize scripture." WHAT? The enemy would stop someone from memorizing the Word.  She went on to explain that she and her husband began the memory work with Psalm 139:1 - 22!  But I can't memorize my heart screamed...why did you bring this up?  It didn't take long to realize that through her words, Jesus was speaking directly to one of my weaknesses. 

 

Later a friend asked if she could meet with me to fulfill the class' assignment.  I met with her over coffee and she had her questions too.  One of the first...another challenge.  When do you do devotions and how does that look?  I had to confess that my devotional life had been lacking lately.  I explained that I had to have complete silence and so for me, the best time was in the morning before Steve got up.  Then I had to confess that I had been staying in bed instead of getting up.  That became a renewed goal...to find time each day for a quiet time with the creator of the universe and the lover of my soul.

 

 Another call from another friend (and classmate)....could she meet with me.  I knew that I could be a help for her and.....guess what...every question she asked challenged me and spoke directly to my weaknesses or the very thing that I was struggling with.  At this point, I began to see (for I can be very dense which is why it took 3 people to do God's bidding) that the meetings were not merely assignments for the class but God's opportunity to speak directly into my life.

Each day we have amazing opportunity to see and listen to the very thoughts of God.  It is what we do with them that is important.  We can see his handiwork in nature that can cause us to fall before Him and worship His creative handiwork.  It could be from a friend who makes a seemingly insignificant comment or question that could cause us to reevaluate our lives or challenge us.  We just have to be open to what He is telling us.

So what did this do for me?  I am challenged in many ways.  One is to follow the leading of what God was trying to tell me with memory work and intentional quiet times and to realize the goals that I have set for my relationships in my life should be reevaluated.  I learned that there are no questions or answers that should be off limits but should be able to be opened for others to see the struggles that I am going through are not unique to them.  The other is to realize by each of us, what draws others to us is the strengths that they see in us BUT they need to see the leaks in our earthen vessels.  They need to see and hear about the struggles that we have.

What started out as an assignment for my class, turned into a divine appointment!  Does God speak? Oh yes! We just have to listen, not to the earthquake or the violent windstorm or the blazing fire but from the quiet whispers that surround us when we quiet ourselves before Him and allow Him full reign in our lives.



How do I respond with a heavenly nudge?

This week I have had opportunity to listen to several amazing women's testimonies of the struggles that they had gone through.  It made me wonder what I do with the nudges that God has given me.

One woman had had a very difficult day.  She had visited her husband and for the first time, he did not know her.  She was discouraged and stopped on her way home to run an errand.  A car pulled up and motioned to her to come to the car.  When she did, the driver gave her a bouquet of roses.  She said, they are yours.  My friend saw an angel in that gift.  I believe that she did.  Whether it was a celestial being, which I have no doubt that it could have been or someone who was so closely connected to the Spirit, it doesn't really matter.  What matters is what would I do if I were nudged to give a stranger something as "silly" as a bouquet of roses?  Would I respond?  Would I try to rationalize it as craziness?  Would I question?  For the recipient of the roses, it was a gift from God to tell her that she was important.  He loved her.  He knew her pain and would be with her.

 

Another woman talked about the financial struggles that she and her husband were going through. Throughout the year, God met their needs of food, clothing, and many other needs. With each need met, she rejoiced and gave the praise to God.  Christmas came and they didn't have enough money for Christmas presents that year for their 2 small boys.  She "wished" that the boys could have matching Christmas pajamas.  That was all she really wanted.  One night they came home to a patio filled with food, gift cards, and wrapped presents for her little boys.  One was marked: DO NOT OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS EVE.  You know where the story is going...Christmas pajamas for her little boys.  God heard her mother's heart and her "wish" and blessed them beyond.

God sees our needs, hears our hearts and multiplies His blessings to us.  I know that.  My questions were about me.  We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus...when He nudges me...how do I respond to the nudge? 

Like Samuel and Mary and many others in the Bible, I would like my response to be:  here I am Lord, let me help.  Let me give roses to a stranger because I do not know what you want to say to her through me.  Let me buy Christmas pajamas and strengthen a mother's faith in you .  Let me be willing to listen to your whisper and to feel your nudge.  Jesus, keep me sensitive to the needs that I see around me.