It is all about choice, isn't it?

Yes, time has flown by without a blog from me... Not that I have any followers at this point, this is more for me than for anyone else. :-)

It is now Christmas time.  All the decorations are out.  It is a festive time of the year.  Time to remember Christ and His selfless giving of Himself, leaving His throne to come to earth for me.  For you.

I am also looking forward to the wedding of my oldest son in two weeks.  I am so proud of him.  I love his fiance.  It is a happy time.

In the midst of pure joy, there is sorrow, sadness, need, etc... My husband's mother may not make it to Christmas.  She is in I.C.U. again and again we are told she may not make it.  Odds are against her.

My sister in law's husband left her again.  Left her for someone whom he has now fathered another child while he was married to my sister in law.  He left her with a 21 year old son who is a drug addict and a daughter going to college and a son who is only 12 years old.  Her old car is dead.  Resuscitating it will be costly. She has no one to help her, but us and our prayers to our heavenly Father.  My husband is doing his best to take care of his mom and his sister and his family too.  The oldest boy left a drug rehab and has a court date in January.  He will probably be put in jail.  In fact, she may have to kick him out before Christmas as he is flaunting his behavior in front of his siblings.  He is a boy in a man's body who was hurt deeply by his dad.  I hope it is not too late for him to see what he is doing and change.  For himself and for his family.  Her daughter has seen too much and has been so hurt by her dad.  She told him one day that if he wanted to be in her wedding someday and be a part of her life that he would have to straighten out his life.  He told her he did not want to walk her down the isle anyway.  She is a very intelligent girl and is going to college to be a nurse.  She is working part time at a retail store that she is able to walk to.  It will be raining the next week.  The youngest is a sweet one.  He takes everything in stride.  There will be no Christmas presents for this family.  If I had the money I would help, but we too cannot afford gifts this year with a wedding that will be costly and a possible funeral to pay for.  That is okay for us as my boys are older and just want the family time and presents are not needed, but for a suffering family like my sister in law's family it is sad.  And my sister in law... well, she is so engrossed in her pain that she is unable to comfort her children.  She takes a lot of antidepressants and when she is not at work she is asleep.  And work... well, if she doesn't get the car fixed soon she will lose her job, which by the way, is an hour away.  Too far to ask someone regularly to drive you.  

And then there is the possibility that my husband's mom will not make it.  During the wedding?  Before?  After? Who will pay for a funeral?  They paid for life insurance all their life... until Mom was in the hospital a few years ago and dad was paying the bills... and we did not know he was in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's.  He forgot to pay the life insurance.  He died last year.  We had to take the money out of our retirement to take him from CA to TX for the burial, which is what they wanted.  My husband's brother and sister had no money to help. Still don't. 

So... all this on a pastor's pay.  When I get to feeling overwhelmed I remember that nothing happens without God's allowing it to.  Maybe to strengthen us, or to grow us, or because in the overall picture it is best for us.  I believe this with all my heart.  I will update you on what God does.  You will see His hand in our time of need.  I choose to enjoy as much of this Christmas as I can.  I choose to enjoy my son's marriage.  I choose to embrace troubles, knowing that God will get me through.  I choose to help where I can, and not to feel bad when I cannot.  It is all about choice, isn't it?

May God bless your Christmas celebrations with His love! 

debbi

Ponderings and Prayers

It has been a while since I posted anything... not that nothing is going on, but that things are happening so fast I can't keep up! I either need to physically speed up or my life needs to slow down.  I guess it doesn't help that I am dealing with either a nasty cold or bad allergies right now. Taking Benadryl will put anyone on s-l-o-w mode!

Anyway, I have been pondering life.  I have been blessed with so much.  I have a peace from my Father, God in my heart.  I have been given the gift of salvation.  I have Him living in my heart and speaking to my heart daily. I have someone who I can tell anything.  He loves me and wants my best in life and then, of course, will be with me throughout eternity. All that for someone who comes from a family who put the "dys" in "dysfunctional"!  I certainly did not deserve to be adopted and become His own.  What I did not have as a child I have now.  Security that the world cannot give.  A loving family. My needs met.  (Many of my wants met too!) I have a church family, both locally and globally.  Believers who follow Jesus are my brothers and sisters, not separated by denominations or distances or any earthly divisions.

I have been thinking about these things because a little girl is heavy on my heart today.  I am praying for her and her family.  She is 8 years old.  She was kidnapped last week, sexually assaulted, and then by God's leading a "hero" emerged whose brave maneuvers helped the little girl to escape the clutches of this man whose heart is being used by Satan.  She is a farm laborers child.  Because of the water shortage in California her father is out of work.  Their car was sold just to pay for food.  Their clothing is threadbare.  This little one is in a wheelchair as it is too painful to walk right now after what happened to her. She has a brother two years difference in age.  The police are driving her to her counseling sessions.  It breaks my heart.  I am praying for her, but more than that, though I don't have the finances, God has resources beyond my abilities... He will be supplying food and clothing for this family through members of our church along with rides to spend the Walmart and Target gift cards coming their way.  How do we show God's love?  We walk in His ways, have His heart, see things through His eyes.  We need to be His arms to "hug" others in their needs.  They will know we are Christians by our love.

And though I pray for this little girl and her family, their physical needs and their spiritual needs, I must not forget to pray for this man who has been used of Satan. Yes, he must have the punishment he deserves... actions have consequences, but God can even forgive this man!  Perhaps behind bars he will find a forgiving God and have a changed heart. He may have thrown his life into the gutter, but there is more to this life than the here and now.  There is eternity.  Even the "good" person who never bows to God in this life will have to face Him.  It is our own decision in this life where we will be in eternity.  With a loving Father... or not.  By the way, Satan has no friends.  When he's through using someone on this earth, they are on their own dealing with the consequences. 

If you have questions about what I've said about God I am available to explain what I am talking about.  There is a God.  He created you and wants you to recognize Him.  He wants a relationship with you.  He wants what is best for you. All you have to do is get your heart in tune with His.  It is nothing to fear.  There is nothing that God cannot do, if He so desires.  There is nothing that God cannot forgive, except unbelief in Him. No, not everyone goes to heaven, like some preach.  No, you can't be good enough to "work" yourself to heaven.  If that were the case then why would God send His Son to die for our sins?  He paid for our sins once and for all.  He wants our hearts.  His son in exchange for our hearts.  Hmmm... I'm not worthy... how about you? Something to think about...

God's Plans...

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

My Abba (Daddy/Papa) has plans for me... the bible says even before the foundations of the earth!

I have to smile.  I make plans... then everything I plan goes haywire.  Nothing terrible... I planned on going to a movie, but the plan is postponed and our family gets an opportunity to rest... I planned on walking with a friend this morning and then go to another friend's home for an hour or so to discuss women's ministry... but God had other plans... and they were to minister to a struggling couple.  Funny.  I think my plans are important and then God says... "that would have been fine, but there is something more important, eternal even, in what I want you to do today.  Go ahead and make plans, but don't be shocked or upset when I ask you to do something else."

Have you ever thought about it?  When an opportunity comes to serve God by serving others is it ever at an opportune moment?  Probably not.  But if you follow through you will not only be blessing others with God's love, but you yourself will be blessed.  It blesses me knowing that God was asking me from His all knowing, eternal viewpoint to do something.  Knowing that He would not have asked if it wasn't for good leaves me with a feeling of peace.  It is also a blessing to know that He trusts in my faithfulness to Him. 

Wow!  Now that is worth far more than rubies!  So I rejoice when my plans have come undone!  To God be the glory! 

And so it begins...

This last weekend started the actual countdown to the December wedding.  My daughter in love had her first wedding shower down in San Clemente.  We stayed at a hotel in Laguna Hills for the night.  Most of the time was spent with her family. Her dad's home, where the wedding will be held, is very nice and has a good layout for the wedding.  The decorating has already begun!  We really enjoyed visiting with her family.  We had already met her Dad and her Step Mom, but I also met her Mother, Grandmother, and little sis at the shower.  My husband and son played golf with her dad while the ladies attended the wedding shower.  It was so sweet.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  We did take time to sneak a peak at the ocean as it was only 3 miles away.  We arrived home at 12:15 a.m., tired, but very at peace with the wedding plans. 


One of the highlights for me was when I was told by my son that she had already picked the song that she and her dad would dance to... but we needed to pick the song for the groom and his mom to dance to.  He remembered that I used to sing "Baby Mine" from Dumbo to him all the time when he was a child.  That took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes.  Of course that is not a "dancing" song, so we will choose something else, but still... it touched this mom's heart!


So, now to getting the house ready for bible study tonight.  Then I will start the long range planning of our wedding shower to be held at the end of October.  And so it begins!  :-)

Plans...

Good Morning!  Today I awoke with a smile.  I have a lot to do today in preparation for tomorrow and I am excited.  My oldest son is getting married in December and my husband and I are traveling 5 1/2 hours south to the first wedding shower for my soon to be daughter in love! 
Today I had other plans that I needed to cancel... a good long walk with a friend and a good long visit with another girlfriend.  I am blessed not to be working outside the home and I scheduled these outings without thinking.  At 51 I feel the brain isn't as connected as it used to be!  The saying "you are only as old as you feel" comes to mind... some days I am 18 and some days I am 95... it just depends!  But I digress...
My husband and I will only be away for two days... we leave tomorrow morning and return Saturday evening late.  Today I have to wash clothes, pack, cook for my sons who will not be traveling with us (this is not a necessity, however I prefer them to eat real food and not have to purchase food from the nearest fast food place in my absence),  make sure that I am ready to teach bible study when I return, and of course take the time to do my usual bible study and quiet time.  In the mean time I need to run my youngest back and forth to college as he does not have a car yet and be ready this evening to help a small group home bible study as one of the leaders is out of town.  I can't quite focus on anything right now so I thought I'd try to organize my thoughts and then this blog came to mind.  Maybe it can help.  There are many ways God can use things for good.  He can use this to help my ADD mind today.  Thank you, Abba Father!  I am blessed!  May God also be with you today as you walk through this life of busyness!  All you have to do is ask Him! 


For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11

Today is the first day of the rest of your life....

Well, I finally decided to start a blog... I'm not sure how this will go, but I am willing to try!  My life is not very exciting, but it is pretty busy.  I wonder if I will be a boring blogger or whether I will be interesting.  We shall see!  In the meantime... Blessings to U world of bloggers!  :-)