GRACE INDEED

7/31/12 “Suffering is inevitable but misery is optional.” Old adage. Still true. Easier to read about than to practice. But God…..has given His grace to aid us in this choosing. I witnessed such grace last week on the way to Florida. I met Carolyn---Carolyn who has all the physical reasons to complain---3 years of undiagnosed severe headache-type pain. Chronic comes to mind. Persistent, continual, unending pain. No relief in sight. 

Recently doctors in Birmingham said her issues were “beyond them”---a phrase I am very familiar with. So in 3 weeks she heads to the Michigan Headache & Neurological Institute in Ann Arbor for evaluation and 7-10 days in the hospital for testing. Diminished pain, resolution and relief---my prayer for her. She prays for the Lord to be glorified.

Use it to shine through every moment of every situation.  Use it so that others will know that You are God and there is no other.  Use it, Lord, use it all... and, by Your grace, Lord, use me as Your instrument amidst it all. (By His Grace, 7/29/12)

She suffers. But she chooses grace, not misery. Others complain, but God……has been her all sufficient One. She lives day-by-day trusting in His goodness. She lives a grace-filled life. The title of her blog says it all, “By His Grace.” 

Grace, indeed. His grace.

BLESSINGS: THINK ON THESE THINGS

7/30/12 Meditating this morning in Psalm 103, I was overwhelmed with all the aspects of God’s goodness in my life. I did NOT want to forget them. But God….had a way of reminding me that once in the past (when there were only 3 grands in my life) I had recorded many of these. Dotsy’s Blessing Book 2007. Opening it, I was aware of that time when I was trying so hard not to get caught up in merely “ritual recording”---thus the list of "it doesn't matter" references on the inside cover. Desiring only true gratitude in order to change my focus or OCD behavior, I had to give my self permission.

Such a time has come again. A continuing change of focus, not just a chronicling of benefits, of which there are many. Beaucoups.

Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, (Psalm 103: 1-2)

Maybe all of us should "think on these things." BENEFITS & BLESSINGS.*

 *Recording them is optional.

7 GRANDS

7/29/12 I don't know if there's any symbolic significance of having 7 grandchildren.....but at this point in time, it's very special because that's how many I have. Times with all of them together at once are rare. After 7 grand days at the beach with all 7 distinctly different grands,  I know how blessed I am. I may be "pooped" but I've got a smile on my face. 
Allow me to introduce them to you with at least one of the verses from the Proverb which I have prayed for them since birth---it corresponds with their birthday. 

Lucy (9 mo.) Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man's counsel is sweet to his friend. Prov. 27:9

Owen (5) An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. Proverbs 12:25

Andrew (20 mo, That would be butter on his hands and face.) Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, Proverbs 12:1

John Parker (4) A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11

Caleb (6) Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in. Proverbs 30:5

Noah (8, Tooth missing as he reminded the "tooth fairy") Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3

Nathan (10) Humility is the fear of the LORD; its wages are riches and honor and life. Proverbs 22:4

Delayed, Delayed, ......

7/28/12.....Cancelled. That’s what the Atlanta airport board said for Delta Flight 929. The flight that was to carry Josh, Megan and baby safely to New York. Tonight all were suppose to be in their own beds in Brooklyn. At least that’s what they were telling 9 month old Lucy this morning as we dropped them off at the Panama City airport.

Disappointment----was my first thought for them. Yet, if air traffic control is shut down because of flooding, then certainly Atlanta is the safer place to be. My son’s comments were positive---they were heading to purchase a few necessities and get a hotel room. Lucy had been a “trooper” all day. Acceptance.

As the “mom”, I want everything to go smoothly for them. Setbacks in life can certainly be disappointing, even distressing and yet in the midst of all the frustration is where life lessons are learned. “Character building” is the term often used.

Replacement b/c travel pic was fuzzy & Lucy is in her beach travel dress---just prior to flight to Atlanta.

Their FB post was upbeat. Welcome to Atlanta, little Lucy.

Beach Olympics continued.....

7/26/12
The week of our beach olympics, we celebrated the food of 5 different countries. Great Britain, (fish & chips, mushy peas & tea & scones & Yorkie candy bars ) Greece,  (Spinach & feta treats & Greek salad)  Mexico, (tacos & Mexican corn) Sweden (meatballs) and USA! YUM!

All the kids helped with the cooking, decorating and table setting!!

Afternoon events moved to the "road" for cycling, (each in his own way) shooting (a fave as it is done with the feet and a big jump) and running.

Note rubber bullet approaching "shooting target."

Our ending ceremony was complete with anthems and medals for all!

SEAGROVE: BEACH OLYMPICS 2012

7/23/12 SEAGROVE: BEACH OLYMPICS 2012 A Pictorial Account
And so it begins with a parade....

And a cheering crowd....

...to beachside hurdles, long jump, javelin and discus throw, each in his own way & with personal, colorful flyswatters to mark their distance.

 Discus and Javelin competition was tough!

On to the pool for relays and water polo---

SaveSave

A Feast of Encouragement

7/23/12  Just as I’m considering Psalm 34: 8 for meditation this week, Judy D., the Texans “Ya Ya” shared Sarah Young’s “40 Days  with Jesus, Celebrating His Presence", with me. Her marker for day 23 gave Jeremiah 29:11 as a promise that offered a “feast of encouragement.” It spoke of Christ’s eternal encouragement for believers........

........Which brought me right back to the verse I had been considering. We, who have a voracious appetite for fixing our future, trust our own plans----hedging our bets economically and in aging----all to pad our future security. We too often take refuge in ourselves---trusting in our own abilities.

But as Psalm 34:8 reminded me, my security (and feasting) is in Him, the One in whom I seek refuge moment by moment. Young continually teaches the importance of being in His Presence----in the present moment. She sees that “tasting” as a feast of the richest fare and encourages all to come to His table of delights, bringing  a fork of trust and a spoon of thankfulness. (Young, p.24) To me that sounds like “tasting and seeing that the Lord is good.” 

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. 

What encouragement---to be blessed for taking refuge in Him.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: Beachside

7/22/12 Will post pix as soon as possible. 

PATIENT in affliction

7/21/12 Am I patient in affliction? Great question for each of us to ask ourselves on a soul searching Saturday.

For some Memphis business folks, the greatest “constant” affliction is their weekday commute in the “crazy” Memphis traffic. For parents at St. Jude, it’s enduring the day- in, day-out rounds of  chemo and radiation, as they “fight” for their child’s life. In these situations, both the “patient” and the parent/caregiver need patience in such an affliction. Others find affliction in the chair that confines them---the paralysis that holds them.

Not all afflictions are physically painful---though it often feels that way. Emotional afflictions of disappointment in a child’s rebellion, deep regret, fear,  rejection by a loved one, are all equally painful. Heartache.

For  Christians, Romans 12: 12 bookends the term, “patient in affliction”, with two other phrases. Fervent in prayer, the bookend that closes the verse, provides the earthly answer---prayers for ones own suffering supported by prayers of others for them. Intercessory prayer is powerful.

 “Joyful in hope is the first bookend and it is key! Hope for a better tomorrow. For some that’s possible this side of eternity.  For those whose “earthly affliction” is diagnosed as chronic or terminal, their daily hope is reliance on the rest, strength  and grace from the God of all comfort. This daily hope coupled with their eternal hope provides the patience needed in the affliction

Many have that patience in abundance.  Ohers do not.  Do you?

TIME REDEMPTION

7/18/12

I am a clock watcher---always have been.I used to even wear a watch to bed if there wasn't a clock nearby. But God.....has been teaching me to "watch" Him more and my timepiece less. Yesterday, that happened. Before my "biggie" 6 month doctor's 11:15 a.m.appointment, I had already run errands in Germantown (2), made a bank stop, picked up tomatoes (For me, jet star tomatoes from Middleton vendor at Agri-center put those Ripley "maters"to shame---more acidic, which is what I prefer.) and "peas to put up" at the market, and voted. After said appointment, which Dr. S. deemed a "good report", I met 3 friends at Paradise Cafe for a yummy lunch and mission trip discussion.
Following that I went to the home of a dear friend. Geary Irwin, who has been a special friend since the 60s and is almost 89, can run circles around me. It was a bittersweet time. Geary is moving to Jacksonville, FL to be nearer to her daughter and the movers were pulling out as I arrived. The sweet part was that Anne Hooker and I both had just dropped in to see her off because in an earlier conversation, she let us know that some folks would be there to clean up and we could just visit. Well, the cleaners never came and Anne, who lives around the corner, went & got her vacuum and we had the privilege to help her grandaughter with the "tidying up" before the new owners came the next day. How special was that---Geary said, "Y'all were God-sent." How those words energized me.
There was even energy left over to make a few more stops on the way home and leftovers were easy to pull out for supper. All of this to say, that earlier in the day, as I was ready to dart out the door with a  l-o-n-g list of "to do items", I had a real God nudge. I took time (which I didn't think I could spare) and had time with Him, not looking at my watch even once.
Hosea 10:12 reminds us that it's time to seek the Lord.

Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord

Maybe I'm on the road to recovery. Maybe I'm not as time compulsive as I once was. Maybe....once again, God clearly showed me that He can redeem the time. Time redemption that even left me energized at the end of a long day.

Seasons of Discontent

7/17/12 If you don’t vote, you can’t complain. I don’t know if those were just Daddy’s words or if it was just the general sentiment of small town folks in Hoptown, where I grew up. Daddy was never a “waster of words” so that would have limited his political discussions to a degree anyway, But…..I NEVER heard him complain. I know it’s hard to believe I’m his daughter---because I, too often. am a waster of words and have been known to cut loose with some complaints.

Complaint often stems from discontent. But God…..has been teaching me contentment like I’ve never known. You see, contentment is a learned condition, it doesn’t come naturally.

Paul reiterates this in Philippians 4:11.

.....for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

I must confess that I much prefer seasons of contentment. And these can come regardless of one's circumstances. These seasons of contentment can translate to seasons of “no complaint”. But, just in case my candidate doesn’t win, I can reserve the right to complain…..because I did vote.

MEDITATION: ♪♪ music to His ears ♪♪

7/16/12

PSALM 92:1-4 A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

It is good to praise the Lord
 and make music to your name, O Most High,

proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, 

to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. 

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
 I sing for joy at what your hands have done.

This was the psalm Aggie "prayed all over me" while I was in Ukraine---it means more and more every time I read it. When it was read aloud in church yesterday, I got "glory bumps". 

Today as I pondered it---Chris Tomlin's "Shout to the Lord" began "playing" in my mind.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
Let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King;
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name.
I sing for joy at the work of Your hands,
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

My Jesus, My Savior,
Lord, there is none like You;
All of my days
I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter,
Tower of refuge and strength;
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
Let us sing......

Music. Praise. Meditation. More praise. It's all running together for me. It has me singing. May my "joyful noise" be music to His ears!

3-2-1 Kakes for Kids (BTW, adults enjoy as well.)

7/16/12 Preparing more “Olympic Treats” for our upcoming trip has brought in suggestions from everywhere. JoLynn shared a “red white and blue” dessert so simple that the grandkids can make it themselves. Little cake bites topped with…..anything one desires.

3-2-1 Cake Bites Recipe

Mix angel food cake mix (dry) and 1 other cake mix (dry) in a gallon Ziploc bag.

(One cake mix must always be angel food. For our “red” cake we will use a strawberry cake mix as 2nd mix.)

 Child will:

• Scoop 3 Tablespoons of mix into a cup/mug

• Add 2 Tablespoons of Water

• Microwave for 1 minute

Serve with whipped cream (cool whip or reddi-whip will do) Top with fresh blueberries for a “red white and blue” treat. Cheer on the USA team as you enjoy!

 Fun to make in a punch cup so that the colors can be seen. Plus, will smaller than the mug we used.

Options: serve with vanilla ice cream, strawberries and blueberries over white cake bite.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: Mountain Memories

7/15/12 Isaiah 52:7 is the verse that comes to mind when I reflect on our trip last week to the mountains of North Carolina. 

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

All curvy roads lead to the mountains.

Perfect window treatment for the home of 2 "saints."

Aunt Margie and Uncle Larry, Sam and JoLynn’s kin, bring good news all over their mountain and exude good tidings all up and down their road---all 56 curves of it. Time with them is a "taste of heaven" from the beginning welcome to the final hugs. It’s easy to see why she’s one of the dancers in my life and her life partner encourages her (and others) to be all that God intends them to be. How blessed I am to have spent time with them once again and to share it with hubby and dear friends.

FLORAL WELCOME #1

FLORAL WELCOME #2

FLORAL WELCOME #4

Perfect setting and temps for morning cuppa and quiet time....for hubby too.

Mountain stream COLD---what a treat!

My kind of library. New life for the old courthouse in Sylva, NC...& they said it couldn't be done!

This view can distract even the staunchest bibliophile.

FLORAL WELCOME #3---can't manipulate pics

Downward view from the deck----Sweet memory of babbling creek.