Rainy Wednesday

My daughter called me at promptly 2:50pm.  This is a familiar time-of-day-phone call if she is seeking to twist a ride home from school from her mother.  She knows that I am highly in favor of the 25 minute walk that lies before her, but still she tries to bat those beautiful eyelashes across the phone lines.  Today her ploy was..."Mom...it's going to start raining soon...can you pppllllleeeaaassseee come and pick us up?"(she and a friend)  My loving response, "Well, you better hurry if it's going to rain soon."

I know, I'm such a loving mother.

She was right...it did start sprinkling shortly after.  Eventually the sprinkle seemed to pick up steam, and by the time it became a drenching rain, I figured there was no point in going to retrieve these two girls.  They would already be soaked.  It was to be a good five minutes until they arrived home.  In the meantime I watched out my kitchen window as sheets of driving rain swept across our street.  And my thought was...

Oops.  Perhaps I should have gone in search of them.  But hey...then I would have missed this:

 

But  why would I have wanted to miss this memory???!!!!

Clothes and hair dry.  Laughter is good for the soul.  Such fun on a rainy Wednesday.

Because He Lives

"Do not be afraid(stop being afraid), for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.  He is not here, for He has risen,  just as He said."
--Matthew 28:5,6

There is no longer a reason to be afraid.  Jesus is alive! 

If Jesus is here...in this moment, in my world, and He is, what have I to fear?

The resurrection of Jesus puts to rest our fears.

Oh for for grace to live each day in the power of His resurrection."

But the Lord...

"All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way.
But the Lord,  has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him."
--Isaiah 53:6

"Ajith Fernando spoke these challenging, faith-building words to my spirit many years ago:  "May you see the 'but God' in every crisis."

Is this not what we are contemplating, remembering, and reverencing this Holy Week?  As we move closer to Good Friday and the dark shadow of His death, is this not what it is all about?!  
God, stepping in to deal with our sin-crisis, placing all of our sin...yours and mine, on Him.   

But the Lord!  Can there be three more hope-filled words for mankind!!





 

Happy Birthday My Love

This does not seem possible...my hubby turned 54 yesterday.

We actually celebrated on Monday evening, since the kids had youth group last night.  Cam BBQ'd yummy burgers and I made Oven Potato Wedges with a wickedly delicious "batter"(margarine, chili powder, crushed garlic, parsley and parmesan)  Mmmmm....I'm salivating just writing this!!!  Caesar Salad, veggies and OF COURSE....choclate cake.

For Brian, there truly is no other way to celebrate one's birthday than with chocolate!!!

 Of course, one must celebrate with Golf as well!!!

In between dinner and gifts/cake, we went out to see the new movie, "Soul Surfer".  A wonderfully inspiring movie based on a true story.  It's encouraging to see someone's life of faith be depicted on screen in a positive fashion.
So...another year older and wiser for my husband.  Another year where I am grateful to know this man and share my life with him.  Eucharisteo!

Holy Week

"God, often I begin a new week in anticipation of what lies ahead.  At times, I have moments of dread because of something which looms not so friendly on the horizon.  

But You, Parent Father, are only days away from allowing Your only Son to face cruelty to the extreme, abandonment in fullest measure, pain in wracking intensity, sin's crushing weight.

I fail to grasp even a portion of what lay in store for You.

I fail to fathom Your thoughts on a day like today, Jesus, as crowds of people would have praised, honored and hailed you as King.  Yet You knew.  You knew that in the end, you would stand alone, with no one, not even your Father to come to Your aid.

For many, the coming days are referred to as "Holy Week".  I desire to step into these days with an open spirit, yearning to hear what You want me to hear.  To know what You want me to know.  To live what You want me to live.

Grant me courage to walk this road with you.

Cam's Bible College Graduation

Today Cam graduated from Bible College.

His 4 month "Expedition" program from September-December 2010 was brief in the larger scheme of Bible College programs, but he still wore a gown and walked across the stage and his Mama was grateful...Eucharisteo in full!  Grateful because the God of the universe reached into my young man's spirit and changed him yet again.  God is always on the loose!!

Some of the Exped Team who were the hands and feet of Jesus in our own city, in Montreal, Quebec City, New York and the Philippines.  Memory making moments to last a lifetime.

 Cam...Praying God's wise and bountiful blessing as you continue to journey with Him on the wild and purposeful adventure He has called you to.

 

Welcome to "Spring at my Blog"

"No winter lasts forever,
no spring skips its turn."
--Hal Borian

Now... I must get outside and enjoy this gorgeous spring day!!

Knowing His Ways

Several days ago, my Lenten devotional asked me to prayerfully read a portion of Psalm 95--

"When your fathers tested Me, they tried Me, though they had seen my work.  For forty years I loathed that generation, and I said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways.  Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest." (verses 9-11)

There is so much that is challenging and sobering and downright scarey in these few verses, but you can see the words which bolded off the page at me..."And they do not know My ways."

Do I know God's ways???  This is the question that has continued to haunt  me.
Do I truly know His ways and do I trust them? 
Do I trust Him?

I am one day removed from hearing a heart-stopping story about my young nephew.  He is safe and we are incredibly grateful.   We have been quick to offer our thanks to God for His merciful protection.  We can too easily point to other children and similar situations whose end was unspeakable tragedy.

The question begs to be asked here.  "What are His ways?" 

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:8,9


The "fine print" of His ways is not for us to know, but the "bold print"? 


The "bold print" emphatically declares that God's ways are sovereign, loving, just, wise, and ultimately trustworthy. 

"God may I lean into You to know and trust Your ways...their length and breadth."