Remember when…

I have one of those digital photo frames where pictures appear, one after another. And I love it so much! Pictures of dear family and friends. Pictures of wonderful vacations and good times. Some make me laugh out loud. Others bring a warm hug to my heart. Yes, I love the memories these stir up. My heart and mind revisiting all those “remember when’s”. 

 But there are other “remember when’s” that I don’t have pictures of - the many times God has helped me, saved me and blessed me. Most recently during a bad case of car trouble. God blessed me with good company, a safe place to wait for help to arrive, and provision all the way home. God has given me all these and so much more! Without pictures constantly flashing across a frame, how will I ever recall and remember these precious gifts?

One thing I do is keep a journal of everything good that happens in every day. Not only huge highlights like the one described above. There’s ice cream, watching the birds, and back rubs. Funny jokes shared. New yarn. Dinner out. Kitty cuddles. Coffee with a friend. And I number each one too. I’m into the thousands! Whenever I look back and review, not only do I realize how very awesome and generous God is; looking back also lifts my spirit when a day feels gray.

When you think of God’s goodness, you can probably name several things that come to mind. But the profound number found in my journals, and the fact that they are personal, for me, gifts from God - has an overwhelming, wonderful, heart-warming affect on me - and my outlook on life.

Might I suggest you try it for yourself. Start with one. And then one more. And build on it as often as you get the chance. And just see if it doesn’t heighten your awareness of God’s great, big, personal love for you. See if it doesn’t brighten a gloomy day!

And may God bless!

Time for a little Restoration?

 

Every morning I get up and settle into the same chair. Every morning I pour coffee into the same cup. Is my first thought wondering if the chair will hold me or if that cup will hold the coffee? Well, of course not. These things have faithfully performed their duties day after day. I don’t have to sit down gingerly, fearful, or doubtful - wondering, “Will the worst thing happen? - do I need to be prepared for the worst?” Now, while something like breakage could happen, time and experience has proven otherwise. Time spent like this every day would have me noticing if anything was amiss and I would give it the proper attention necessary to keep it for long term use and enjoyment.

Now, a dusty, old antique wooden chair stored up in the attic for years is a different story. It’s probably dry and unstable from lack of attention and care. While your favorite chair gets mended at the first sign of wear because you want it to be a part of your daily life as long as it can, that rickety chair in the attic has been neglected. Out of sight, out of mind - forgotten.

Is it too far gone?

Past the point of return?

Everyone knows it can be restored with the proper amount of effort. With some love and attention, it can become trustworthy again.

Isn’t that what faith is all about? Knowing and trusting that something (or Someone) that’s been good before - can be good again.

The same is true for your relationship with God. If your connection with God has been put away for awhile, if your trust in Him is a little dry and unstable from lack of attention, your faith in Him can be rebuilt, strengthened, and restored to good health once again. It’s never too late or too far gone.

God will not fail you.

God is strong and firm.

 Like your favorite chair, He is reliable and trustworthy and good everyday. Standing at the ready to meet your needs.

So pull up a chair… grab a cup of coffee… and think about having that same kind of confidence in God. He has proven Himself to be faithful. May you see it for yourself again today.

Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6)

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)

For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord. (Psalm 117:2)

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God… (Hebrews 6:18 MSG)

This needs to be written down

 First off, no one is going to believe this. Second, it’s truly a testimony of God handling every single thing in life. Thirdly, it will make you think of all the unbelievable things you’ve read in the Bible. Folks, I’m telling you right now that what I’m about to share really happened. It happened exactly as I describe it. I have eye witnesses. Will people who were not there believe it? What about a hundred years from now or 2,000 years from now - are there REAL accounts found in the Bible that you think can’t possibly be true? Exaggerated? Even with witnesses? Could it really have happened the way it’s written down? Let me take you on a recent journey:

Got up early after a great awards banquet in North Carolina to take Kathy to the airport.

Engine turned over and then died. Nothing. Dead battery?!!

Called road service. It will be two hours.

No shuttle service available. No Uber will come out that far to the conference center. We were leaving the conference before it finished so others weren’t heading out. Our only option was to change her flight. Next available: 7:47 PM. Getting her to Grand Rapids at 12:33 AM. And she was scheduled to work at 7:00am. So then she had to find someone to switch shifts with at work.

Notify loved ones of the situation. Grab a coffee and begin our wait.

Tow truck arrives two hours later. It’s not a dead battery. It’s something else. He can’t tow the car anyway because the service order was for a dead battery and he had another call to go to. I had to request another road service for a tow. You guessed it. It will be another two hours to get someone out there.

Plus, the insurance company needs to approve of the repair shop it gets delivered to. They listed several and I just picked the closest one.

So we find a place to sit and wait. We decide to unload our baggage from the car so we’re ready when he comes. Haul everything up the stairs to a comfortable place to wait. Realize I don’t have my purse with me. Did I drop it somewhere?

Lost purse. Found purse.

Meanwhile, my husband is making the two-hour trip up to rescue us and get Kathy to the airport.

Notified by road service there’s been a delay. It will be an additional 90 minutes. Since we’ve only had a cinnamon roll from the coffee shop, we decide to go in and purchase lunch passes. Got in line for the front desk. You guessed it. Lunch room closed three minutes earlier.

Back to sitting and waiting. Tow truck came. Now just wait for my husband and get this nightmare over.

Road service calls. Repair shop I selected will not accept my car. They are two weeks out and have no place to store it. Need to find a different repair shop and one that will accept my car. Meanwhile, the tow truck guy has another call to go to, so my car was taken to their storage (a 1/2 hour away). Found another repair shop. Car will be towed there. 

Husband showed up. First thing on the list was to get some real food. Then off to the repair shop to give them any information they need. Car was not there yet - en route. Actually past it as we were heading out of town to the airport.

Part way to the airport I get a call. The tow truck driver is saying he gave the car key back to me. (No, he didn’t.) So now the repairman has no keys. Husband has spare key so we turn around and go back to deliver that.

Husband’s car is now overheating and in the red. So while we’re at the repair shop, they throw some more Prestone in for us. On a wing and a prayer we get Kathy to the airport. But something is obviously wrong with THIS car. Search for a nearby car care place. Half hour away and they close in a half hour. We made it at 5:27. Long enough for them to say come back tomorrow morning. So we find a hotel for the night. Call our cat sitter to go feed the cats.

Next morning. Husband’s car has a small crack in the water pump. Car has cooled off overnight and we can drive it the 2-1/2 hours back home. My car didn’t fair as well. The engine blew. Expensive but not as much as buying a replacement.

Unbelievable, right? But God had us in a safe place, and got us to the next safe place the entire time. A lot of calamity in 24 hours. How many biblical characters can you think of that have had trauma after trauma - and even written down… it’s all so hard to believe? Or take the miracles of Jesus. God Himself felt the need to get His stuff written down. So you would come to know Him as Almighty. This account of mine can be viewed as God’s miraculous hand at work again and again, providing at every turn.

Food for thought: God does amazing things. Rescue things. Good out of bad things. Remember that the next time you find yourself in a challenging situation. Know this kind of God and that He will do the same for you.

Rock and a hard place

 

Sometimes you need a comforter. Something warm and cushy. Down time. Sometimes you need a rock. A firm support and some “git’er done” energy. Then there are those times when you feel you need both. Strength to endure AND a place to rest. God can and will - provide the perfect balance, if we will only listen. How often do we shut down, overwhelmed, when wisdom and strength are at the door knocking? Or how often do we push ourselves to an ungodly extent - only to find ourselves totally drained and unable to think clearly? When a little food and a little rest would clear things right up.

It was evening. It was morning. God saw that it was good. These are familiar lines from the creation story. God is a God of order and of balance. You are not meant for unending sleep or unending activity. Yes, there are things that need to be done. But Martha, Martha only one thing is needed. And that’s connecting with God. It’s listening to God. 

I will be still and I will know that You are God.

God provides opportunities to love and help others - in the wisdom and strength He alone provides for the greatest success and satisfaction. He is also the Gifter of flannel jammies, an afghan and a cup of hot tea. In His great love for you, He has thought of everything.

Stop struggling with what to do next. Stop overwhelming yourself with all you think you have to do right this minute. If you would just be still and listen, you would hear Him calling you, leading you, laying out for you - what should come next. 

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) 

Who wrote that? Our Almighty, all-wise, all-powerful God wrote that!

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

One definition of to know is: have developed a relationship with someone through meeting and spending time with them.

May you come to know God as both Comforter and Rock. That He always provides what is needed - in the right amount - at the right time. He has been in the balancing business since the beginning of time. When you know this about Him, you can trust Him. You can rest in Him. And you can complete tasks in His wisdom and strength.

So, what’s next for you?

Knock. Knock. Who’s there?

I certainly felt all alone. I mean, no one else was around. Just me in the house. There are times when all alone can feel lonely. I recently visited some dear friends and the camaraderie of our time together filled me with such joy! Goodness, how wonderful to be with loved ones! Laughing and loving life…

Then there are those other times. Those nothing to do, sitting around in the house times. All alone. But that’s not entirely true. Because as I sat on the porch…

A gentle breeze blew across my face (could it be… a kiss from God?)

The sun warmed a spot on my arm (God’s hand resting on mine?)

A bird’s tweet, tweet, tweet (He will rejoice over you with singing.  - Zephaniah 3:17)

A cool, refreshing glass within arm’s reach (you will thirst no more. - John 4:14)

A freshly made tuna sandwich (and all ate and were satisfied.  - Matthew 14:20)

If you seek Me you will find Me… (Jeremiah 29:13)

Yes, it can certainly feel like I’m all alone. But it can also feel like I’m in His presence. And that sure is a comforting feeling. Not alone at all. Nope. And to think I might have missed it, had I not been - alone.

So wherever you find yourself, the next time you feel all alone and lonely… look around. Use all your senses. You will find God right there with you. You will…

Taste and see. His promise is true. I am with you always… and all ways. (Matthew 28:20)

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with Me. (Revelation 3:20)

That warmth you feel from the sun… could it be…?

A little note popped in the mail can make someone you know feel less lonely. Check out my card shop and make a plan to keep some on hand - for when the Spirit moves you! (New designs added!)

https://intermissionsforhope.blogspot.com/p/new-card-catalog-1123.html

It’s Me!

 We’ve all experienced it. You are home all alone. The rest of the household is at work or school. No one expected back for hours. You’re in the back of the house busy with something. And then - you hear the door open. Your heart leaps. Your stomach does a flip. You turn your head to listen more carefully.

“It’s me!” someone calls out. And your heart and breath revert back to normal. Because you recognize the voice. You know instantly who it is. Everything is okay. You don’t need to be afraid.

In Matthew 14 there is a passage where it is a dark and stormy night. The disciples are out on their boat. Jesus comes walking on the water. They think they see something scary, like a ghost. But Jesus calls out: “It’s me. It’s all right. Don’t be afraid.” And I’m sure He was hoping for the same calming effect that comes when you recognize a loved ones voice.

My sheep recognize My voice… - John 10:27

God’s Word says we can recognize His voice. We can hear Him and immediately be put at ease.

If you’re in a dark place, a place that feels scary… if your heart is leaping, your stomach flipping and you’re holding your breath - turn your head and listen carefully. You have a Savior calling out to you. You will hear His voice. You will recognize His voice. And the peace that passes understanding will wash over you.

Peace I leave with you; My perfect peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge. - John 14:27 AMP

Listen? Do you hear Him?

“It’s Me. It’s all right. You don’t need to be afraid.”

What mom taught me about Jesus

 

I don't know how she stretched one dollar into ten. I don't know how she turned scraps of meat into a hearty meal. How she kept eight kids in clothes and shoes. Or how she found time to crochet wedding afghans and baby blankets beyond number. And something for every single grandchild under the Christmas tree. Making a way where there seems to be no way...

But I also see her on the ground planting petunias. Waltzing behind the ironing board to Ray Price. And pans of yeasty cinnamon rolls on Saturday mornings.

Despite any challenges, she also knew how to find joy in the life she was given.

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied... (Matthew 14:18-20)

I want to be like my mom. Because she was so much like Jesus.