A New Twist

I have been married to the same man for thirty-two and a half years now, and for thirty-two and a half years I have reacted to his being angry and/or upset the same way (it has never gone well for us). Today was different. I bought the wrong size pretzels after work Friday (I am making a skeleton with them), so I asked my hubby to go get me the right kind as he needed to go to the store anyway (I am sick). I do not want to tell the whole story because he was inspired to do so and I want to share his version here. I think this is precious:

LADIES, if you have a special project and don't have all the ingredients, then might I suggest you don't send your husband (like my wife did me), because invariably he will return with the wrong items. A case in point, "THE PRETZEL DILEMA". After church this morning I went to Wal-mart for some things, one item in particular (my wife's request) was a bag of twisted pretzels. I arrived at the chip aisle, saw a 98 cent bag of big fat salted pretzels and I bought them. I know she wrote down twisted (and she even drew me a picture), but my brain said big fat salted pretzels (or maybe it was saying, only 98 cents). Well to my dismay, after arriving home, I was informed by my lovely wife that I got the wrong pretzels. Well of course I was indignant about the whole thing (SORRY BABE). So I ate lunch, went to Rite Aide, went to the chip aisle and found no pretzels. Well I asked the Lord to please give me a break and low and behold He did. There was 1 bag of twisted pretzels, so I bought them. I thanked the Lord and went on my merry way. It was a short lived victory. When I learned that the pretzels were the wrong size, I nearly had a complete melt down (SORRY BABE). So I was on my way to store #3, Target, where I found pretzels galore, they had big fat salted ones in five different brands, 3 sizes of twisted to choose from, salted and unsalted, with or without cheese; I was in pretzel heaven. I bought 2 bags of different size TWISTED pretzels, just to make sure. In short, IT TOOK ME 3 STORES, 3 HOURS and 5 BAGS OF PRETZELS, to solve, "THE PRETZEL DILEMA", thank God!

I do thank God for "THE PRETZEL DILEMA". Although it did not please me to see my husband so distressed, my husband and I had a good laugh over this afterword, and we did not fight! God works in mysterious ways when conforming each of us to His own image. How blessed I am to see the man that loves me. 

Matthew 7:3 & 5b And why do you look at the speck in your bother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?...First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Happy Valentine's Day Jesus!

 

My

Move  into my heart, move into my life

Make me Your bride, make me Your wife

Mold me and shape me according to Your will
Melt my heart and keep me still

Lord

Let me fall in love with You

Look to You and trust in You

Live right here inside my heart

Love me Lord and don't depart

And

Always stay right by my side

Answer prayer and be my guide

Amazing grace You  give to me

Apart from You I can't be free

Savior

Sin is here, deep stained within

Shower me and cleanse, forgive

Show me how to walk in Your ways

Stay with me for all my days

Happy Valentine's Day Jesus!

 

My

Move  into my heart, move into my life

Make me Your bride, make me Your wife

Mold me and shape me according to Your will
Melt my heart and keep me still

Lord

Let me fall in love with You

Look to You and trust in You

Live right here inside my heart

Love me Lord and don't depart

And

Always stay right by my side

Answer prayer and be my guide

Amazing grace You  give to me

Apart from You I can't be free

Savior

Sin is here, deep stained within

Shower me and cleanse, forgive

Show me how to walk in Your ways

Stay with me for all my days

Trouble on the Path

It was Saturday, November 18, 2011. Steve and I were watching our grandsons while their parents were at a couple's retreat. I had taken the boys and the dogs out for a walk in the desert. This time, the walk did not go so well.

Camden ran far ahead of us this time and would not stop or come back when I called. For a moment, I was scared; if I did not act quickly he would soon be out of my view. I would not be able to catch him if I carried Keegan and Keegan could not keep up with me. I made my decision.

I left Keegan where he was and ran after Camden (I knew Keegan would stay where he was and wait for my return). I got Camden and quickly walked him back to where Keegan was waiting. Lowering myself to Camden's eye level I explained to him, "Camden, you can run all over this desert, but when granny says come, you come! Do you understand?" Camden replied, "I don wanna stan!" "Then you will hold my hand", I replied.

Camden whimpered softly as we held hands and walked back toward home. After a short time, I let him try again, and this time, he obeyed.

Matthew 18:12 "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep,

and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine

and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?

Psalm 32:9 Do not be like the horse [or] like the mule, [Which] have no understanding,

Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you.

Together on the Path

One week ago today, Steve and I were watching our grandsons, Camden and Keegan. When it came time to take our dogs for their afternoon walk, I asked my husband if he would like to bring the children along for the walk; he agreed. We live across the street from a wide open desert with many paths; we took the dogs and the young boys and walked through the desert without restraint. This morning I reflected on that walk we took together.

The dogs loved the freedom to run through the desert and the boys were equally excited to join them. They joyfully ran a distance ahead of us, laughing as they went. Keegan fell twice, but seemed to be having too much fun to care. Only occasionally would the boys attempt to go off on a different path when the road forked; at this point we would call them back and they would come. In this manner, we could dust them off when they fell or pick them up when they got tired. We were also close to protect them from danger.

This morning I related our walk with the boys to my walk with God. I thought about the joy it brought me to watch our grandsons enjoy themselves on our walk together. I was blessed to see to their protection and to watch Keegan step on every weed as if he were a conquering hero. Camden loved to run far ahead and we let him until he got nearer to the street. Then I easily caught up to him and made sure he did not cross alone. I decided God must have a similar joy to let me run free, delighting Himself in my discoveries, in His world, but I must always stay on the path he has chosen for me. I must be able to hear His voice and respond because I am only safe in His presence.

This afternoon, during lunch, I picked up the book I was reading by Warren Wiersbe, "On Being a Servant of God." I was amazed at what I read on page 103. Relating how he asked God for a promise to sustain him for what he anticipated would be a difficult future in ministry, Wiersbe cited Psalm 16:11. Emphatically, Wiersbe proclaimed, "Life! Joy! Peace!, For those who walk in God's path, live in God's presence, and seek God's pleasure." I am awestruck.

Psalm 16:11

You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

No Service Available Here

All of last year my cell phone did not work well at my place of employment and I would frequently go home with a drained battery. It was frustrating. This year, going back to work started out the same. However, last night I gained some insight. Alyssa and I were chatting and somehow wound up talking about our cell phones. I told her about the terrible service and the dead battery. Alyssa explained to me that my phone is looking for service; it is actually using all the energy in the battery trying to find service.

I reasoned then that it was not enough for me to turn my ringer off at work, I must shut the whole phone down when I am in that place. Only then will my battery cease to be drained and my phone able to use when I get in the right spot. I told the Lord this morning, "You must have something to teach me with this." He did.

He said it is like me. I get into some small dark area of serving myself; one no one else would even notice because it is just a little compromise, and I am unable to serve Him there. I am born again, to serve Him. How often am I frustrated and exhausted because I am trying to serve Him in self? But there is no service available here. He doesn't expect me to do anything for Him; He just wants me to obey. As my friend Chelsea recently reminded me, even a child without wisdom can obey.

Colossians Chapter 3


Thursday, August 25, 2011

God's Heart Beat...

Today I took the song I wrote to a very talented young man at my church and watched as he began to translate it on paper. Three years ago I asked God for a lullabye for my grandson. At that time, I had a yellow slip of lined paper with the words of Psalm 121 tucked inside my Bible (one of the ladies from Bible study had given it to me for encouragement). As I looked at the Psalm, the words seemed to change order slightly, a melody came into my mind and some more words came too. I wrote and I sang until I had the song memorized. I have sung it to all four of my grandchildren and watched them fall asleep as though God Himself was lovingly, soothingly, lulling them to sleep. I do not know much about music at all except that I love to listen to it and I love to sing. I wanted to record this, especially for my grandchildren who live so far away in Virginia. Joshua wrote out the key in which it is written--C#. He wrote out the tempo; there are three different tempos contained in the song. Finally, he wrote some numbers and letters--137bpm. I looked at the notation and thought, "That must mean beats per minute." I expressed my thoughts out loud and Joshua confirmed them. On the way home it occured to me that I have a heartbeat, measured in beats per minute. This made me think that God's own heartbeat is in this song, at the rate of 137 beats per minute. I do not mean to be irreverent or to put God on the same level with humans. I know that He is holy and so high above His creation; I just felt so close to Him. He gave me the melody, the words are His words right from the Bible. Life happens so fast and memorable moments are so easily forgotten in the chaos of life. I want to cherish this experience with my God and writing helps me remember.