ACCIDENTS HAPPEN

Yes, they do.

Unexpected, unannounced, uninvited.

Just like last week…

So, I was down visiting family again.  "The Hub" was with all of us for a few days, but then journeyed home.

I was spending a very nice evening with my youngest son, when my phone starting ringing.  I looked at the number, and not recognizing it, I did not answer.  (I've been getting a LOT of unsolicited telemarketing calls lately…GRRR!)

Fast forward 2½ hours…

At a lull in the evening, I glanced at my phone and saw that the unknown number had left a voice mail.

Hmmm, that's unusual.

So, I checked the voice mail.

That's when I heard a very familiar voice speaking:

"Hi, it's me.  Don't freak out, but I'm at the hospital…"

Yes, it was "The Hub."

I did my best not to freak out, but the word *hospital* did drive my adrenaline into overdrive!

As I listened to the rest of his message, I found out what had happened.

"The Hub" has been doing some wonderful woodwork on Manzanita branches.  

He chooses the dead and fallen branches, and brings them home.  Then he begins the time-consuming work of sanding them until they are smooth as glass.  After the sanding is done, he applies tung oil to them, and rubs them until they have a low gloss.

Oh, what beauty is restored!

Lately, he's been making chimes out of them, by adding *icicles* of stained glass.  Or he makes candleholders out of the larger branches.

This is where the trouble started.

Because, in order to make candleholders, you have to drill out little *wells* to hold the glass votives.

And that drilling requires a 2" drill bit.  (That's TWO inches round, folks...)

You do see where this is going, don't you?!

Yup.

The drill bit caught, and then skipped out of the hole.

And sliced open two of "The Hub's" fingers.

O.U.C.H.


It was over two hours before I finally heard from him again.  (You see, he had called me using someone else's phone, and told me not to call back).

I knew he was "OK" because he was chuckling.  But still…tough guy that he is, I knew the cuts had to be bad for him to decide he needed to go to the hospital.

Finally, at about 10:20 PM, he called me.

Around 4:00 PM, the accident happened.  He said that he immediately put his hand behind his back, because he knew it was bad.  One look confirmed that he needed help.

He first went to a local clinic here in town.

There was no one there except the receptionist.  And even if the staff had been there, she informed my husband that there wasn't anyone there who could stitch him up.

From there, he went to our local fire department.

They didn't have anyone to stitch him up either.  But they did help disinfect the wound and wrapped it up.  (Which was a whole lot better than the bloody towel "The Hub" was sporting at the time!).

And, since the wound was on his right hand, and his Jeep has a stick shift, he couldn't drive himself to the hospital – which was an hour away.

So, he got a personal ambulance ride to the hospital.

After getting x-rays to confirm that he hadn't done any damage to the bone (he hadn't), and getting stitched up (14 total on two fingers), he realized that he didn't have a way to get home.

So, he got a personal taxi ride back up the mountain.

(Which cost $150...yikes!)

Fortunately, he wasn't in any pain, and has only needed antibiotics as a precaution.

(For the record, I try not to think about the scarcity of medical help up here on the mountain.  And I try not to freak out that the nearest hospital is over an hour away.  Thankfully, our fire department and the local EMT's are wonderful – which was proven in this little escapade!)


When I returned home a few days later, I got my first look at his fingers.

It was brutal.

I won't go into details, and I have not included a photo of the damage (you're welcome), but let me just say this – "The Hub" is VERY lucky that he didn't lose one of the fingers, it was that deep and that bad.

He's healing well.

And I have nicknamed him "Dr. Frankenstein."  (That's Franken–"steen," in honor of Gene Wilder!)


Accidents happen.

It's just one of the hazards of living in a broken world.

And sometimes, one might be tempted to live in fear of all the bad things that could happen when we venture out the front door (not to mention all the things that could happen inside of our own houses!).

I know I am tempted to live in fear.

Some people think that things just "happen" – willy-nilly – in a world gone mad.

They speak of coincidence, or chance, or luck.

Some people think things are pre-determined, and we have no choice or will in anything.

They speak of fate, or kismet, or destiny.

What should we believe as followers of Jesus?

I begin with Scripture, and specifically this:

"Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." (Psalm 139:16, NLT)


I don't know about you, but this verse puzzles me in some ways.

I know that God lives outside of time, and is completely and perfectly omniscient.

Therefore, every moment of my life was known to Him before I was even born.

But then, we are also taught about the concept of free will.

Therefore, are my days "chosen" by God, or do I do the choosing?

Sometimes, in my mind, the truth of God's sovereignty butts up against the idea of free will – and vice versa.

I have met people, and have done it myself, who attribute everything that happens to either the devil or the Lord.

Did the enemy cause my husband's accident?  Did the Lord?  

And some people say that many things happen just because of the inherent danger of living in a sinful world.

Was my husband's accident just one of those things?

I don't know the answers.

And when I don't know the answers, I rely on these verses (which are my life verses):

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT)

And this:

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." 
(Romans 8:28, NASB)


So, here's my conclusion…

We live in a sinful world – full of disaster, disease, and death.

And yet, God is in perfect control.

And nothing happens outside of His knowledge, His permission, and His ultimate purposes.

My free will and His sovereignty somehow both exist.

And I can exercise my will to dovetail into His – continuing to yield and surrender my wishes to His plans.

Things will happen in this life, and we may not ever know "where" they originated, nor "why" they occurred.

But this is what matters to me…


God knew about it ahead of time – He is never surprised.

God is in control, even when I don't understand what's going on.

God's ultimate purposes and plans will be accomplished.

God can and will work all things for good.

God is with me, every step of the way.


And when all is said and done, that's all I really need to know!




Have you ever had an *accident* – what did God teach you from it?

Sticks and stones
may break my bones,
But drill bits
will always hurt me! 

"You keep track of all my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle.  You have recorded each one in your book." (Psalm 56:8, NLT)

"Perhaps the LORD will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day." (2 Samuel 16:12, NASB)

"You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways." (Psalm 139:3, NASB)

"Doesn't he see everything I do and every step I take?" (Job 31:4, NLT)

"For God watches how people live; he sees everything they do." 
(Job 34:21, NLT)

"For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths." (Proverbs 5:21, NIV)

"The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." (2 Chronicles 16:9, NLT)

"I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own.  We are not able to plan our own course." (Jeremiah 10:23, NLT)

"We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps." 
(Proverbs 16:9, NLT)

"The LORD directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives." (Psalm 37:23, NLT)

"The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?" (Proverbs 20:24, NLT)

"…O LORD, you are our Father.  We are the clay, and you are the potter.  We all are formed by your hand." (Isaiah 64:8, NLT)

"Acknowledge that the LORD is God!  He made us, and we are his." 
(Psalm 100:3, NLT)

"Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." (Proverbs 19:21, NIV)

"…the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." (Psalm 33:11, NIV)

"'For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, 'My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure'…" (Isaiah 46:9-10, NASB)

"Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan." (Ephesians 1:11, NLT)

"Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens." 
(Psalm 119:89, NIV)



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BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"DEEP COUCH SITTING"

What???

Let me explain.

There is an adorable commercial on TV that I just love.

It starts with a dad, a big and strong and muscular dad.  Who talks about taking care of his small son.  And how he's always so busy chasing and cleaning up after him and his friends that he has no time for *deep couch sitting.*

The doorbell rings.

And, lo and behold, some new cleaning products arrive.  Well, clean-up chores are now greatly expedited, and the dad has extra time on his hands.  The commercial ends with big ol' dad cuddled up next to his cute son.  And he says, "Now this is deep couch sitting."  Which is adorably echoed by his son, "Deep couch sitting!"

It's a great ad on many levels.

I love the fact that it portrays a close relationship between a father and son.  I love that it shows a man who isn't afraid to do household chores!  And let me tell you, the little boy is too, too precious.

But, the thing I love the best is the phrase – deep couch sitting.

As I write this, I am doing some babysitting for my youngest son.  That means all sorts of wonderful bonding time with my favorite granddog, Marty. Last night, as I was reading my current book, just to wind down and get ready for a good night's sleep, I looked down at the furry little buddy curled up oh-so-close to me.

He was warm and snuggly, sound asleep, with his upper body draped across my legs.

"Ahhh," I thought to myself.  "Now this is deep couch sitting!"

And with a rather stunned realization, I recognized the truth of it.  I was indeed more relaxed and restful than I had felt in a good long time.


It got me thinking…

(C'mon guys, breathing gets me thinking!!)

I got to pondering the whole concept of rest, specifically as it is talked about in the Bible.

What does it mean?  

Of course, we know that it is a necessary thing.

How do we know that?  

Because both God and Jesus rested.


Let's start in Genesis.

God did His great work of creation, and on the seventh day He rested.

Ever think about that?

Did God rest because He was tired?

"Phew!  I'm tuckered out.  Making the heavens and the earth was tough. Creating all the creatures was challenging.  But, boy oh boy, making those humans?  That took the last ounce of my energy!"

God tired?

Certainly not!!


So here we come to the first concept of rest in Scripture.

The Hebrew word translated "rested" in Genesis 2:2 is shabat – which means "to cease or stop."  So, the understanding here is that God stopped His work, He ceased creating on the seventh day.

It is from His example, and His directive, that the Hebrew tradition of Sabbath came into practice.

The Law of Moses taught that there should be no work at all on the seventh day.  And in this, we have the beginnings of our seven-day week.

The interesting thing to me is that God’s *resting* was purposeful, intentional.  

I wonder – do I rest intentionally?

More often than not, I don't stop what I'm doing – be it activity or worrying or thinking – I don't stop until I'm forced to by utter exhaustion.

But God showed us by His example that we should take purposeful time to cease our work.  Time to refocus, time to ponder and meditate, time to just *be.*

God rested on the seventh day because His work was complete and perfect.

So, let's be resolute in planning time to cease what we're doing for the purpose of focusing on Him, meditating on His Word, and just taking the time to *be* with Him!


Now, what about Jesus?

We are shown by His example that He often removed Himself to spend time alone.

Don't you wonder what He did during those times?

I'm sure He spent time talking to His Father.

But, I'll bet He also did it to keep Himself from exhaustion.  To find some peace and quiet away from the clamoring crowd.  To re-group so He could face the next steps in His journey.

I wonder – do I look for rest before I wear myself out?

Maybe this could be called preemptive resting!

Taking a *time out* before that moment of sheer exhaustion arrives.

I don't think we're very good at that.

We sorta pride ourselves on a hearty work ethic.  We like to do things to the extreme.  We even approach our leisure time with full-speed-ahead gusto.  (Sometimes a vacation can wear you out more than work!)

Jesus did not do this.

Though there were still people to heal, and lessons to be taught, and multiple demands on His time, He instead pulled away for time alone.


I think this is an area where the enemy is very clever.

He can fool us in a couple of very wrong directions.

First, he can convince us that activity is serving.  

And the more we do, the better "Christians" we are.

Unquestionably, we are called to serve God and to serve the Body of Christ.  But honestly, don't we all know someone (or are you *that someone*) who does this to the extreme?  The person who is never home, constantly doing something, the perfect volunteer.

On one level, it might be tempting to admire this person.

But, can we lose ourselves in ceaselessly serving to the point of exhaustion?

The enemy would love just that.

After all, a tired disciple is an ineffective disciple.  We're no good for Kingdom work if I we're all worn out.  And the father of lies would be overjoyed if we kept busy all the time – never giving ourselves time to think of what's truly important – sometimes even too busy for God.

Let's remember this…

God is not impressed by our *works* – but all too often people are.

So, let's be careful why we're serving, and whom we're serving.


Second of all, the enemy can deceive us into thinking that taking time for ourselves is selfish.  And oh boy, we don't want that!

"Think of others as greater than yourself" – oh, how the devil twists that sentiment!

If Jesus pulled away for rest-full times, was He being selfish?

Certainly not!

I once had a very wise person tell me that taking time for myself was not selfish – it was self-care.  It changed my thinking dramatically.  No longer feeling guilty about periods of *time away,* I instead gave myself permission to take care of myself.  It's so necessary to do this.

I wonder – am I practicing self-care?

So, let's be wary of frenetic activity, even if it's for good reasons and better causes.

Let's take time to take care of ourselves so we can be refreshed for further service.


Finally, I have one other area I'd like to talk about.

It's about when you've gone beyond the limit.  

When you find yourself exhausted, weary, frazzled, weak, debilitated, sapped, overwhelmed and overdone.

It doesn't matter how you got there.

There are many roads that can lead you to this point.

Sometimes it's our own fault.  Sometimes it's just life.

There are just times when we collapse – physically, mentally, emotionally.

These are the times when we cannot take another step.  We cannot muster the strength to go on.  We cannot find peace.  We cannot quiet our thoughts.  Our emotions run rampant.  Our bodies ache. 

Ever been there?

Only Jesus can help us in these moments.

Remember His precious words:

"'Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Put My yoke upon your shoulders – it might appear heavy at first, but it is perfectly fitted to your curves.  Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. When you are yoked to Me, your weary souls will find rest.  For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.'" (Matthew 11:28-30, THE VOICE)


I don't know about you, but those words just sound like a cool cup of refreshing water after crawling through a desert for days.

Really, this is what Jesus is – an oasis in the midst of life.

Quiet, peaceful, loving, caring, gentle, kind.

This is our Savior.  This is our Friend.

So, the word *rest* can also imply an invitation from the Lord.

A Hand held out, bidding you to step out of the fray, to step away from the clamoring din of life.

A Hand held out, asking you to join Him in a quiet place.

I wonder – am I listening?

Oh dear ones, let's take Him up on His offer!!


I encourage you to ponder this concept of *rest* – and to look at all the lessons we learn from our Father and our Savior.

Let's be intentional and purposeful in seeking times of rest.

Let's not forget the value of meditation, of solitude and silence.

Let's not be fooled into thinking that activity in and of itself is any good at all – busy isn't always better.

Let's not serve or volunteer to the point of exhaustion.

Let's be more discerning in what we do and why we do it.

Let's realize when the enemy is telling us lies.

Let's be courageous enough to say "no" when it's needed.

Let's take care of ourselves.

And let's not be guilty when we do…


So today I'm planning to cuddle up next to a beagle who knows a thing or two about resting!  And I'm gonna join him in some good ol' *deep couch sitting!*

For *rest* is a good and necessary thing – restorative and refreshing to body, mind, and soul.

Let's embrace it…

For God calls us unto Himself when we take the time.

Best buddies
doing some serious
deep couch sitting!! 

"'Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations!  I will be exalted in the earth.'"(Psalm 46:10, AMP)

"The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him." (Habakkuk 2:20, NIV)

"He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.  He renews my strength." (Psalm 23:2-3, NLT)

"For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:17, ESV)

"God has told his people, 'Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here.  This is a place of quiet rest.'" (Isaiah 28:12, NLT)

"For we who have believed enter that rest..." (Hebrews 4:3, ESV)



Is God calling you into a time of rest?!



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BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

THE WONDER OF GOD'S NAME

What's in a name?

Well, if you're God, quite a lot!

Our pastor is doing a series of sermons on the names of God.  

And today, I was blown away by how the Holy Spirit spoke to me through his words – how the Spirit moved so powerfully in my heart when we studied this name:

Elohim.

The name Elohim means "strong one" in Hebrew.

So it's an apt name for the Almighty God.  

But what's most interesting to me is the fact that God chooses to name Himself with this name.  And it's also pretty remarkable when God chooses to introduce it.

In the beginning.

Yes, right there in the very first verse in the Bible, there is the name…

Elohim.

Genesis 1:1 could be translated this way:

"In the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth."


So today our pastor helped us *unpack* shades of meaning, blistering insights, and nuances of Truth – all held within that name.

Let me start with some facts:

1) This name for God appears over 2500 times in the Bible.

2) Elohim is the name that is translated "God" in Scripture – so when you see the upper-case name, God, it is actually the Hebrew name Elohim.

3) The name Elohim is plural and singular – thereby declaring the existence and truth of the Trinity from the very beginning.

4) Therefore, the name Elohim declares that the Trinity was involved in the process of creation.  Yes, the one God in three Persons – all of them participated in this miraculous work.


So, God chooses this way of introducing Himself – by using a name that holds a treasure chest of doctrine, theology, and mighty truth.

Pause and ponder that.


But our pastor also elucidated other characteristics inherent in a Creator God.

He used these words: transcendent, outside of time, not confined by what exists, organized, intelligent, detailed, extravagant, sustaining.

Elohim is infinitely more than and substantially distinct from His creation.

In fact, creation only points us to conclude that there is Someone greater.

Now, I am a nature lover.  And I live in a pretty awesome place.  Surrounded by majestic mountains, and towering trees, and creatures galore.  The sky is often bright blue, and the moon glows like the sun.  The air is so clear at night that I can see the Milky Way and its entourage of a multitude of stars.

Some are tempted to worship these things.

But this awe and adoration is misdirected if we stop at the "stuff."

It would be like worshiping a book just because the cover is pretty and the pages smell good…without ever reading the words, or knowing the author.

Creation speaks.

And it speaks of its Creator.


Lately I've shared a lot about the difficulties this year has brought to my life. How sometimes I feel so alone in it all.  Just the other night, when I once again could not fall asleep, I looked out my window in the kitchen and stared at the skies.  I whispered aloud, "You know, God, that is a pretty awesome sky You've created."  And in that exact moment, the biggest shooting star I have ever seen streaked across the sky!

It was if I heard God say, "I'm here."

My eyes teared up as I was once again reminded of the transcendent God of the universe who also deigns to come near.

Elohim.

The Creator, who is all-powerful.

Think of words that mean powerful:  strong, great, mighty, awesome, commanding, authoritative, prevailing, majestic, almighty, invincible, supreme, sovereign, omnipotent.

This God is our God.


Why do we doubt Him?

Why do we struggle with trusting Him completely?

Why do we try to control our own lives, to determine our own circumstances, to manipulate our own situations, to fix our own relationships – ON OUR OWN?

I don't know why I do that.

I think I’m just a slow learner.

Are you?


So, as this very powerful message was coming to an end, our pastor chose to have us focus on a very particular scene from the book of Luke.

A young woman is confronted by the angel, Gabriel.  And he has a message for her:

"…behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

I don't know about you, but if I was Mary at this moment, I probably would have uttered something really profound like:

"Huh???"

We're not alone in those feelings.  Mary was a bit confused, too.  For she knew that she was a virgin, and she knew how creation worked.  She could not fathom in her own mind how this prediction was ever going to come true.

But then Gabriel, who declared with his very own words that he stood in the actual presence of the One, uttered this amazing truth:

"For nothing will be impossible with God."


Listen to these words in other translations:

"For no word from God will ever fail."

"Nothing is impossible with respect to any of God's promises."

"Because nothing is difficult for God."

"For no word from God shall be void of power."

"For no promise from God will be impossible of fulfillment."

"For everything spoken by God is possible."

“For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.”

"For every promise from God shall surely come true."


I have written each of these interpretations of the Word, for I want them to burst upon your heart, as they have in mine, as a mighty refrain – chanted over and over, and building to a crescendo of truth.

And then, insert the name, and it all becomes thrilling:

"For nothing will be impossible with Elohim."

Pause and ponder that!


I finish with these words from our pastor:

All God needs is Himself, and all I need to do is trust Him.

Yes.

God established at the very beginning that there is no one or nothing that we can turn to besides Him.

He is the One who made it all, who keeps it going, and holds it all together.

He is the One who made me, who keeps me going, and holds me together.

He is in control.

Elohim.


As we sang the last song of the day, I coupled one sentence of the lyrics with an astounding statement from our pastor – and knew that both had come directly from the Holy Spirit like an arrow to my heart.

This will be my prayer this week, the prayer that embodies and encompasses every prayer that could ever be said:

"Elohim, hold me, please hold me…"

And the answer that is The Answer:

"JUST REMEMBER MY NAME."

I will reveal my name to my people,
and they will come to know
its power. 

"By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." 
(Hebrews 11:3, ESV)

"The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created.  He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.  He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.  Let the whole world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of him.  For when he spoke, the world began!  It appeared at his command." (Psalm 33:6-9, NLT)

"By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth...For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm." (Psalm 33:6, 9, NIV)

"The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.  Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." (Genesis 1:2-3, NLT)

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." 
(John 1:1-3, ESV)

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.  Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?  In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." (Job 12:7-10, NIV)

"'Am I a God who is only close at hand?' says the LORD.  'No, I am far away at the same time.  Can anyone hide from me in a secret place?  Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?' says the LORD." 
(Jeremiah 23:23-24, NLT)

"For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God..." (Deuteronomy 10:17, NASB)


"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world."

(Psalm 19:1-4, NIV)


"This is what the Lord says,

he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar –
the Lord Almighty is his name:
'Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,'
declares the Lord,
'will Israel ever cease
being a nation before me.'

This is what the Lord says:

'Only if the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject all the descendants of Israel…'"

(Jeremiah 31:35-37, NIV)


"For in him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28, NIV)




What does it mean to you that we have a relationship with the Almighty Creator of the universe, the One and Only Elohim?



Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, UNFORCED RHYTHMS, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, SALT & LIGHT, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, SOLI DEO GLORIA, TITUS 2 TUESDAYS, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, UNITE, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY'S PRAYER GIRLS, WINSOME WEDNESDAY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAYS, CAPTURE YOUR JOURNEY, COFFEE AND CONVERSATION, TELL HIS STORY, WHAT YOU WISH WEDNESDAY, WISE WOMAN, WHIMSICAL WEDNESDAYS, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, WOMEN HELPING WOMEN, THRIVING THURSDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, EVERYDAY JESUS, HEARTS FOR HOME, GRACE AT HOME, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, FAITH BARISTA, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, LIGHT FRIDAY HIT LIST, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAYS, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, THE FRIDAY FIVE, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, SO MUCH AT HOME, FAITH & FELLOWSHIP, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, HEART-FILLED FRIDAYS, SATURDAY SOIREE, SATURDAY STILLNESS, RECOMMENDATION SATURDAY, WEEKEND BREW, SUNDAY STILLNESS, GIVE ME GRACE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

GOD IS IN THE DETAILS

I am a master of disguise.

There is not a flaw that has bested me yet.

If you're a perfectionist like me, you notice that just about everything has a flaw or two (or eighty).  Furniture, carpet, tile, cabinets, paint, clothing, collectibles, etc.

And flaws are my nemesis.

Armed with my arsenal of colored pencils, multi-colored Sharpie pens, various colors of wood putty, acrylic paint, a lead pencil, a black and a blue ballpoint pen – AND my *tools of the trade* – tweezers, scissors, glue, brushes, and two pairs of glasses – I am a Fixer Extraordinaire.

If something has a chip or a stain or a snag or a scratch – I am your woman.

Some of my best work has included:

The dented nose of a cigar store Indian – (paint, colored pencils, brush).

A ripped and unraveled patch of carpet – (glue, tweezers, scissors).

An area of missing stain on a cabinet – (wood putty, colored pencils, lead pencil).


Actually, you might enjoy this little story about my absolute finest moment.

Several years ago, the sons and Marty (the grandbeagle) were staying downstairs with my parents while they were renovating their upstairs apartment.  Marty, The Beagle Who Cannot Be Trusted, was watched like an eagle.

However, Marty is also The Beagle Who Is Very Sneaky.  And one night, while everyone was watching television, Marty was busy.  Oh, it looked like he was just lying down in his little pen in the middle of the living room.  (I know – I was there).  But no, he was actually gnawing and nibbling away at my parents' carpet.

Yes, call him The Stealth Chewer.

Fortunately, my dad went to bed before the damage was discovered.

But when we saw Marty's carpet work, we were shocked.  A decent-sized piece had been completely destroyed – right in the middle of the room!

Great, now what?

Well, I told the boys not to panic, we would figure it out.

So, step #1:  Look under all the furniture to see which carpet would be the best color match, roughly the same nap, and the least likely to be noticed missing.

Step #2:  Having determined that the best replacement candidate was underneath a very heavy coffee table, move said table.

Step #3:  Using boxcutters – (oh, I should have mentioned that in my above-cited arsenal) – remove patch of carpet.  Replace table.

Step #4:  Place new patch into old hole and glue down.  Evaluate.  Uh, not good.

Step #5:  Use various "tools" to work the edges into the surrounding nap. Push and pull and tamp down and pinch up.  Over and over again.  Not bad.

Except for the oh-so-obvious difference in the color.  Wow, carpet really, really darkens over time.  So, the three of us just stared at the carpet for the longest time.

(Mom was there too – but her *slightly-less-than-helpful* suggestions included putting a table or chair in the middle of the room or making sure that she was talking to Dad and pointing at the ceiling every time he entered).

What a dilemma.

Until Son #2 said this:

"You know how they use tea to make things look old?  I wonder if soda would work…"

Which is how Step #6 happened:  Pour cola on patch of carpet.  Soak up excess with paper towel.  Don't rinse and repeat.

I can't tell you how perfect the match was.  How much the new patch blended in with the darker surroundings.  How inspired this *fix* was.

How my dad never found out about it.

How Marty always seemed to prefer that particular area of the living room.

That old carpet has since been replaced – not because of our problem, mind you – and no one was the wiser.  Except, I've always wondered if the installers were puzzled by how easily that one area of the carpet came up, and why it was so sticky!  HA!


So, yes, flaws are my nemesis.

And that is why I found myself on my hands and knees in my parents' driveway a few days ago.

You see, the sons had a very important trade show to attend, and they needed to construct a booth for their company.  My dad has every tool you can imagine in his workshop, so the project happened at his house.

Wood, screws, saws, hammer, nails, paint – the finished product was a work of art. Finished in the nick of time, just before the sons left at 3 AM for a long trip to Phoenix.

Later that morning, I went out to inspect the clean-up effort.  Pretty good, but not up to the standards of my dad.

For one thing, there were black drips of paint on the garage floor and pink latex primer paint dripped all over the driveway.

Sigh.

So, I used a screwdriver to chip up the black paint.  That went pretty well. But the pink primer was another story altogether.

You might be wondering why I didn't use paint thinner or turpentine.

Well, my parents have kind of a special driveway.  Completely made up of little pebbles all cemented in.  And it's old.  So, besides the fact that there was no paint remover handy, I also didn't want to take the chance of wrecking the driveway with a harsh chemical.

That is why I labored with a screwdriver and a boxcutter to scrape and peel and strip up the pink primer paint.

Got most of it off.  

But good is not good enough for my dad's standards.

So, I proceeded to hand-pencil every single pebble that had any pink residue left over.  Fortunately, there were some black shiny pebbles, so I could use a Sharpie on them.  At first I noticed that the pencil (or Sharpie) ended up looking a little too shiny.  So, I perfected a technique of applying pencil or pen, and then rubbing with my finger.  Repeat to give a more natural finish.

I know.

Perfection.

It took me a few hours.

And so, I had plenty of time to ponder.


I got to thinking about God.  

About God and His very perfect world that He created.  About God and how His very perfect world got all messed up.

He had to have looked on in dismay at all the drips and dribbles of sin that had spilled on His perfection.

It had to make Him feel frustrated, knowing that He had clean-up work to do.

Frustrated, yes, but His love propelled Him to do it.

I felt frustrated that I had clean-up work to do.  It was disheartening to be left with the aftermath.  But I also knew that I was the only one who could do it.  And I did it because I love my boys.

God is the same.  

No, God is better…


As I belabored over every single paint-stained pebble, I thought of how God works in me.

He inspects me closely, and sees even the tiniest remnants of sin.

He takes His time, inordinate amounts of time, to fix my mistakes and work on my flaws.

He scrapes away my false hypocrisy, and peels away my layers of selfishness, and strips away the sins that so easily trip me up.

And, even then, He is not finished.

For good is not good enough for my Heavenly Father's standards.

So, He painstakingly pencils in the empty spots with His righteousness. He covers my stains with His blood.  He rubs my spirit with His finger, until I am made like new.

He works and toils and labors over me.

OVER. ME.

Because He loves me…

…and flaws are His nemesis.

But He has never met a flaw that has bested Him.  For He died on a Cross for every flaw that ever did or ever will happen.

He possesses the ultimate tools in His arsenal to fix the mistakes, to redeem the flaws, to restore the blemished, to fill up the cracks, and to make it all right again – to make it all RIGHT again.


I know.

Perfection.

I was reminded of that while on my knees on a pebbled driveway a few days ago.

And it brought tears to my eyes.

God weaves His perfection in me. 

"May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation--the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ--for this will bring much glory and praise to God." (Philippians 1:11, NLT)

"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." 
(1 Corinthians 1:30, NIV)

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20, NIV)

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, NASB)


What does God’s attention to detail mean to you?


Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY
Hazel at TELL ME A TRUE STORY
Jen at UNITE
Darlene at TITUS 2SDAY
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Rachel at WHIMSICAL WEDNESDAYS
Shari at WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY
Gail at TGIF
Laura at FAITH FILLED FRIDAY
Mel at ESSENTIAL FRIDAYS
Wanda at THE FRIDAY FIVE
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS
Patricia at STILL SATURDAY
Barbie at WEEKEND BREW
Janis at SUNDAY STILLNESS


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

"FAN THE FLAME" FRIDAY - Heavenly Father

Welcome to "Fan the Flame" Friday.

This is a weekly post that will be "short and sweet" (kinda like me...)

Just a word and a phrase, a sentence or a question...just a little something to "fan the flame" of your creativity!


Today's word: Heavenly Father

What comes to mind when you think about your Heavenly Father?

At this season in your life, which character trait of the Heavenly Father means the most to you - and why?

What is the one thing you want to say to your Heavenly Father today?


Let me know what you think!!


"So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." (Matthew 7:11, NLT)


***HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all you dads out there!***


"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6-7)


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

MY ACHY BREAKY HEART

Remember that silly song by Billy Ray Cyrus?  (Bet you're going to be annoyingly humming it in your head all day now…)

OK, so now I want you to forget that silly song.

Let's talk about aching, breaking hearts.  I know what that feels like.  And I know you do, too.

Sometimes life just hurts – a lot.

And our tender hearts feel like they are breaking into a million pieces.

I'm feeling this way right now.  Oh, so weighed down by the travails and troubles of living.

No pity party – just a heavy dose of reality lately.

My *daughter heart* is aching.  It's been really hard watching my parents in their downhill slide.  Dad is sliding so much faster than Mom.  And it hurts.  It just really hurts.

I am painfully realizing that there's still a little girl inside of me that doesn't want to grow up.  I don't want to be the *top dog*.  I don’t want to "parent" my parents.  It's hard…and it hurts.

I ache to see my parents ache.  To see their bodies grow painful, to watch their minds grow feeble and their steps grow slow.

I hurt for the unresolved issues that haunt me from my childhood.  A good childhood, yes.  But none of us grows up unscathed.

I must forgive my parents for who they weren't, and for who they can't be now. Just as I need to be forgiven for the many things I did to bring heartache to their lives – and the many failings I have had as a mother.

It is time to accept what is…

But, the reality of now is hard…and it hurts.

My *mother heart* is breaking.  It's been really hard learning to let go. To watch my sons as they sometimes struggle to live life.   This is a tough season in each of their lives right now.  Identity-seeking, future-planning, relationship-sorting.

I miss happy faces – and simple problems with simple solutions.

Sometimes I long for the days of scraped knees and spelling tests.  For the "little" anxieties of life – the ones that I had some control over.

Now I watch from the sidelines in many ways.

And when either of them aches, my heart breaks.

I've heard it said, "A mother is only as happy as her saddest child."

Oh yes.

My *me heart* is aching, breaking too.  This past year brought many changes to my life.  Leaving a place that I had known for almost 29 years was difficult, to say the least.

Friendships changed, routines got altered, security took a big hit.

Life lessons – and faith lessons – have been learned.

But it’s been hard…and it hurts.


I've been having terrible insomnia lately.  The last two nights have been perfect examples:

Night #1 – asleep at 11:30, up at 1:30 – awake until 4:30.
Night #2 – asleep at 3:00, up at 6:00 – for good.

I'm so tired of staring at the ceiling in a darkened room.  I'm so weary of the quiet that is too quiet.  The silence of being alone, and feeling like everyone in the world is asleep but me.

The more I try to relax, the more tense I get about relaxing.

And then, the thoughts come.  The ruinous ruminations.  The crushing cares.  The aching, the breaking.

Often, all I can muster in the wee hours of the night is a gut-wrenching cry:

"Lord, I hurt!"

Sometimes I wonder – where is God in all of this?

Does He hear?

Oh yes, I know He does.

Does He care?

More than I’ll ever know.


You see, He has a Son's aching heart.  He has a Father's breaking heart.

He has a heart that hurts like mine.

For He remembers what He created.  He misses the happy faces of Eden.  He longs for the restoration of His perfect world.

He has a heart – much bigger than mine.  Filled with an unfathomable love that I doubt I'll ever fully understand.

Yes, He provided the ultimate cure for the aching, breaking heart.  (Thank goodness for that!)  But hearts are still broken while we live out our lives.

And sometimes, my achy breaky heart wonders:

God, where are You in all of this?

Let me tell you – HE. IS. RIGHT. HERE.

Right next to me, through it all.

I honestly don't know how I could live a day of my life without the sure knowledge of His unchanging character and His constant Presence.


Life is hard…and it hurts.

But God is bigger.

I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.

"And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.

Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."  

(Ephesians 3:18-20)



What is breaking your heart right now?  What is causing you heartache?  How do you need to feel God's love?


Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

PRAYING ABOUT THE DUMB STUFF

Prayer.

It's serious business, right?

At least that's what I've always thought.

Deep, important – might I say, pious – communication with God.

In fact, I've always sorta categorized prayer – and, without necessarily meaning to, I've *ranked* it, too.

For instance:

There are the "arrow" prayers – the two-second prayers – like "Help me!" or "Save me!"

Then there are the "formula" prayers – like a favorite bedtime prayer, such as "Now I lay me down to sleep…"  Or a prayer that you might say before a meal – (I've always been a fan of "Rub-a-dub-dub, God bless the grub!")

I've alway thought of those as *fluffy* prayers.

Then there are the more *serious* prayers – like the ones you'd say in front of people, or the ones you'd say during your quiet time.

But, the most important prayers, in my opinion, are the "long" prayers.

These are the prayers uttered by *prayer warriors*.

I've heard of people who have spent an hour (or more) praying.  I've even heard of people who literally lay prostrate on the floor in prayer.

Truth be told, I admire them.  I wish to emulate them.

But, I've never really considered myself a warrior.  I'm more like an enlisted man, a private – (maybe one of those guys who blows the bugle in the background somewhere).

[Sidenote: Isn't it funny how we humans have a need to rank stuff?  We do the same with sin.  There's the "fluffy" stuff like a little white lie – and then there's the "serious" stuff like murder].

But, I digress.  

So, today I'm thinking about those *rankings*.

Fluffy or serious.

And I'm thinking about all the dumb stuff I pray about.

Do you do that?

I know I sure do.

But what constitutes dumb stuff?


Well, here's a list of some of the recent dumb things I've prayed about:

To get a parking place.

To lose some weight.

To find something that I've misplaced.

For the kitchen knobs and pulls to show up soon.

For a headache to go away.

To get our taxes done on time.

To fall asleep.


I could think of many other things, because I pray about dumb stuff all the time.  But, I got to wondering about this the other day.  Should I be praying about these things?  Are they a waste of my time?

Are they a waste of God's time?

But who am I to categorize prayer?  Who am I to rank (judge??) the levels of communication?

Who am I to determine what God likes hearing?

Does He only want *serious* prayers?

And does He enjoy the words of serious *pray--ers* more than hearing from me?

(Those were rhetorical questions – I'm pretty sure the answer is NO!)


I got to thinking about how my sons communicate with me.

Do I rank their conversation as fluffy, formula, or serious?

Do I judge their words as important or dumb?

Do I only want to hear from them when they've got something *meaty* to say?

Certainly not!

I just want to hear from them!!


God is the same way.

Sometimes I'll have those big, important, *serious* conversations.

And sometimes all I'll be able to manage is an arrow prayer – (or maybe even a "Rub-a-dub-dub…")

More often than not, I'm pretty sure I'll be praying about dumb stuff.

But here's the thing – most of the day I'll be talking to God – including Him in the details of my life.

The meaty and the mundane.

And, after all, isn’t that what matters most?

(That was a rhetorical question – I'm pretty sure the answer is YES!)


So, this is my conclusion –

God is in the details.

He cares about anything and everything I want to say to Him.

He's just waiting to hear from me.  PERIOD.

And so, when I say these words:

"Lord…"

I just know that He says:

"Ah yes, my dear Sharon, what's on your mind?  Tell me all about it…"


So talk to God, my friends.

He loves hearing from us.

Fluffy or serious…

…even the dumb stuff.

"Nothing is too small for God."

- A quote from one of my mountain friends!

"Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion."  (Ephesians 6:18)

"Never stop praying."  (1 Thessalonians 5:17)



Is there anything you're not sharing with God because you think it's too trivial?



Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY
Pamela at A SHELTERING TREE
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"