the joy spread by the kids in our lives...

Though I don't have kids of my own, I love the kids and grandkids of my friends. They bring such joy into my life, and I am grateful for them.

This New Year's Eve, my friends had two of their grandkids with them for a few days. I, always in for a good time, was invited to their house for New Year's Eve and a sleep-over. (I think I was probably the "out" so they didn't HAVE to stay up till midnight with the boys!)

The day and evening were full of fun, food, games, and just enjoying each other's company. While cooking dinner, I was handed a pen and an envelope by the 8yr old, and inside the envelope was the following note:

Translation (in case you can't quite get it):

Dear Shree:

[short for Shri-ri, a name they all call me due to boy #3 saying my name that way for a short time]

How are you doing?

(blank box for answer)

and what and when are you going to play with us?

(two blank boxes for answers)

And [till] what time will we stay up?

(blank box for answer)

I responded to the questions with the following:

excellent

after dinner and dishes

games? (uno?) later, a movie?

To which he responded with a note on the back of the original card, stuffed in the envelope again:

The above note was preceded with shouts of delight in response to the "stay up till" answer!

...for these kids in my life, I am grateful!! Thanks, God, for the amazing ways You bless us with others in our lives!

"...their children will be a blessing." ~Psalm 37:26b

crickets...

Shhhh. Listen.

Do you hear that sound?

Crickets...

I think that's what you've been hearing at my blog the past few months.... the sounds of silence broken only occasionally by a surprise post here and there.

Well, I'm still trying to work out the discipline of fitting blog-time back into my schedule, and I do appreciate those of you who still pop by to see me! I think I'll get there eventually...

For some reason, the month of January is usually a bit difficult for me. My job is always extremely busy in January, so I feel like I work a lot. And, also, I think it's the let-down after the busy holiday season of spending time with friends and loved ones. The combination usually results in me struggling with being emotional (negatively) and having to work at not being "down."

As you know by now, I love "happening upon" God's little reminders of His amazing love for and thoughts of me. And in January, it's extra special to find them.

Tonight I made a quick stop at Costco (one of my very favorite stores!!) to pick up a couple of photos I had ordered. When I went to get back in my car, I discovered this delightful little message right next to my car door...

...a shimmery silvery message of love...

Thanks, God, for remembering me today...

Thank You, my Father, for reminding me...

...note: the circle around the heart is from my flashlight as I was taking the photo...

let it rain!

Today it rained!!

In Southern California, that's not a common occurrence, but most times it is a very welcome one. It seems we are always in a drought anymore...never seeming to get quite enough rain...lakes and rivers and reservoirs growing ever lower.

We need the rain for drinking and for crops--for sustenance.

We need the rain for cleansing--for washing away the dirt and grime that builds up on everything.

We need the rain for growth-- for new life and renewed life.

Whenever we get a good cleansing, drenching, thirst-quenching rain, I think of how we need God in such a similar way...to pour out Himself upon us like the rain pours from the clouds. In much the same way that the land thirsts for the rain, our souls thirst for the rain of God... and for the same reasons-- for sustenance, for cleansing, for growth... for LIFE.

Lord, pour upon us this day...

Wash us clean.

Quench our thirst.

Help us to grow.

Give us LIFE...

We are grateful for Your rain...

a slice of the pie...

A friend emailed me this little clip the other day, and I couldn't help but share it with you....



A very thought-provoking visual, isn't it....

Don't forget from Whom all things come to us...

celebrate the Sabbath with joy...

Joy

is the echo

of God's life

within us.

~Joseph Marmion

heart on the pavement...

Yesterday I was having kind of a hard morning -- bad news at the dentist followed by a flare-up of a painful and frustrating eye problem. I needed to run an errand for work, so once my eye stopped watering enough so I could see to drive, I set out for the office supply store.

When I was leaving the store and walking back to my car, I was looking down at the ground (due to the sun irritating my sore eye) and I noticed something shiny..... (oooh! shiny object!!)... and this is what I saw at my feet:

a shiny piece of foil pressed into the pavement in the shape of a heart!!

God is so good!! I love it when He addresses the weariness of my heart...or just a frustrating day... with a special bit of love just for me!!

God's amazing creative talent in us...

We, as humans, are created in the very image of God. (Genesis 1:27) I believe a very special part of being created in His image is that we, too, carry the creative spark of the Master Creator! What an amazing concept! We see this demonstrated in so many ways around us from artists to musicians to writers to inventors to problem solvers to cooks... to each and every person's unique abilities to create, build, fashion! Within us is that piece that makes us want to make something with our hands or our minds.

I discovered an incredible creative artistry recently that I just had to share with you. A woman who won the 2009 Ukraine "Who's Got Talent" show does this amazing work called Sand Painting. The videos are a bit long, but if you have a few minutes, it is well worth it to watch one of them! I found it absolutely spell-binding and fascinating....

"Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of "America's Got Talent." She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and "sand painting" skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII." (1st video below)





God, You truly are amazing!! Thank You for placing within us Your creative spark that we may share the joy of creating!

here am i....

So, a few of you may have noticed that I have been away... at least from my blog... for a few weeks. I did not intend it to be so many days, but for the suddenly undisciplined, each day passed into another and another, and well, here it is, three weeks since my last post.

Since I don't have a giant readership, I felt that I probably wasn't all that missed from the blogosphere and didn't push myself to be here. Over the past two days, however, three of my readers emailed or checked in via Facebook to ask if everything is ok in my world. I sheepishly say, 'yes.'

I have been 'away' for a few reasons... a couple of good ones, and (the reason for the sheepishness) a couple of not-so-good ones. The good reasons are that I have been helping a sick friend with her kids the past few weekends, and I have been away from the computer and/or not really able to blog on those days. Another ok reason was that, once I passed my one-blog-post-every-day-for-one-year mark, I decided to allow myself some leeway to not necessarily post every day.

The not-so-good reasons are that I have become very undisciplined--and, as I said, as one day turned into another, it became easy to skip it for a night...and another...and another... This was also a sign of the lack of discipline in seeking those "heart rock life" moments and encounters, and I found myself not really looking for those little, but meaningful, God-moments in my day. I've allowed myself to be "busy" with less important things in the evening, such as too much Facebook time or game-playing time on the computer--rather than sharing God-encounters.

And, so, with my confessions... and with my heart of gratitude toward those of you who sought me out... I say, as Samuel did, "Here am I, Lord."

"Each day holds a surprise. But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us. Let's not be afraid to receive each day's surprise, whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy. It will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity." ~Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey

giving thanks...

Following my recent mission trip to Mexico to house-build, I decided it's time for another post focused solely on being grateful... we (I!) have so much and take so much for granted....

• for running water
• and indoor plumbing
• for a toilet that flushes (and handles toilet paper!)
• for electricity in my house
• for fans to circulate the warm air in my apartment
• and fresh air not full of pollution
• for carpeting and linoleum rather than dirt floors
• for a shower --with hot and cold water
• for a kitchen with a refrigerator and stove
• for food in my cupboards
• and dirty dishes in my sink
• for a roof that doesn't leak
• and solid doors and windows
• for a comfortable bed
• and a closet full of clothes
• for shoes to wear
• and teeth to brush
• for a car that runs
• and money for gas to run it
• for medicine when I'm sick
• and good health most of the time
• for friends who care
• and kids in my life to play with
• ...their peals of laughter
• and eyes sparkling with mischief and joy
• for sand and sea and splashing in waves
• for making it to adulthood
• but still being able to be a child
• for a Father Who loves me beyond what I can imagine

...for these things and so many more, I am grateful...

He is here...

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.
~Psalm 139:7-10

remembering... a key to gratitude...

I ran across this in my Women's Devotional Bible, and it made me think of our adventures in gratitude. As we travel the path of being grateful for the many gifts and blessings in our lives, we must continue to remember... remember what we have been given and from Whom these many blessings come....

Remember

~Judith Couchman

"A warm letter from a friend. A compliment from my boss. An unexpected refund. A comforting Scripture. These arrive as God's good gifts to me. But they usually get overlooked while I'm focusing on what feels like--at least to me--insurmountable trouble. Always, it's trouble that God hasn't solved yet. Often, I complain about His delayed response. But really, my myopic vision isn't fair to Him. If I lift my eyes off the problem, I can spot God's gifts all around me. They may not be the answer I'm searching for at the moment, but they're good and continuous gifts that say, "I still love you, my child." They remind me that God doesn't stop caring for me, even though I live with unfulfilled expectations. Now during the hard times, I remind myself to hunt for God's small surprises while I'm waiting for His big solution. It takes my mind off the problem. It helps me to trust Him...It encourages me to know that God still cares."

And this is just what the heart rocks are for me: "...good and continual gifts that say, "I still love you, my child."...God's small surprises while I'm waiting for His big solution(s)."

i'm lovin' it!

My cousin posted this wonderful heart on my Facebook wall today!! It's a chicken mcnugget!! and I love it! What a great reminder to be on the lookout for delightful surprises...you never know where or how God's going to give you some lovin'!

celebrate the Sabbath...at the Cross...

At The Cross

~Randy & Terry Butler

I know a place, a wonderful place

Where accused and condemned

Find mercy and grace

Where the wrongs we have done

And the wrongs done to us

Were nailed there with Him

There at the cross

At the cross, at the cross

He died for our sin

At the cross,at the cross

He gave us life again

*photo taken at Georgian Orthodox Church near Tbilisi, Georgia

fruit-ful lessons...

When I was in Georgia, we went one day to visit the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) students and staff in the village where they were staying for their ministry outreach. While we were there chatting with a couple of them, a local village man stopped by for a chat. He brought with him a large bag of home-grown cherries as a gift.

While he was in the "visiting" room enjoying a cup of turkish coffee and conversation with one of the students, my sister and I were in the other room chatting with another, D. D had brought in a bowl full of the cherries the visitor had brought, and we began to happily munch on them as we talked. They were juicy and sweet--very delicious! I think I had eaten six or seven when suddenly D discovered that one of hers had a small white worm in it!

So, to play it safe, we started opening each cherry before eating it, only to discover that EACH and EVERY one of those cherries had a live worm in it!! Uh, yeah. That means I probably ate at least six or seven live worms!! (I must admit I wasn't so eager to eat any more of the delicious cherries!)

Also while in Georgia, I kept seeing a strange round yellow fruit at the outdoor markets. Always game to try new foods, I ended up buying some. Each fruit had a couple of large seeds inside and the flesh was sort of soft and sweet, tasting kind of like a pear and a pineapple. They were yummy though they weren't very beautiful to look at:

As I was looking at my photos, I ran across these two photos of fruit-- one looking very delicious and pretty and the other not so pretty and even, perhaps, a little unappetizing. It was interesting to me that they were actually the opposite of what they seemed to be-- the pretty ones had worms inside (though still tasty, if you don't mind the added protein!) and the unattractive ones were sweet and yummy.

The thought came to mind that this is a great example of the "things of the world" vs "the things of God." The things of the world--wealth, success, possessions, even sin--seem so lovely, so appealing, so desirable. Yet, they are not what brings us health, peace, and true joy--there is a wormy core to them. Whereas, many times the things of God--sacrifice, obedience, suffering, service--seem so unattractive to our eyes; they do not cause us to eagerly reach out for them or to embrace them. Yet, these are the very things which bring us closer to God Himself...and give us peace, joy, and life!

I want to be eager to taste the things of God--even if they don't look so wonderful or tasty on the surface! I know they are what will bring life to my soul and joy to my heart! I pray that we may hunger for more of God, however that may be packaged!

But the fruit of the Spirit is

love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness and self-control.

~Galatians 5:22-23a

relaxing...

This is what it is like on a regular basis living in the city as I do:

But, for this week, I've been enjoying the benefits of living in the country!

Ahhhh.... being awakened in the morning by the sound of Canada geese flying over to the lake... looking up at the multitudes of stars in the dark night sky... doing yard work with my mom... and going to sleep to the sound of frogs in the nearby ponds...

It's been glorious... and I am truly grateful!!

...the chicken appears here today with permission from Doug, chicken artist extraordinaire!

celebrate the Sabbath... thanking the Father for our mothers!

Father,

Today we say,

"Thank You for making moms!"

For all they do,

for the ways they care,

for who they are...

We are so very grateful!

Thank You, Lord, for my Mom!

I AM so grateful!!

(I love you, Mom!)

Happy Mother's Day...

to all the moms and grandmas

and those who care for us as though they were...

feelin' the love...

Here it is, the end of my birthday week (more or less, anyway)... and what better way to end the week than to discover one of God's little gifts of love to me...

I was at the gas station for my Friday fill-up, had just set the pump to doing what it does, leaned back against the car to wait, glanced at the brick wall next to my car, and ....

there it was...

a little bit of love...

...and only two days into my new year...

I'm definitely feelin' the love!

celebrate the Sabbath... remembering Resurrection Sunday!

Let's celebrate together again this week... and be reminded...

HE TOOK THE SCARS

Words and Music by Hamm
(John 3:16, Heb. 10:19-23, Ephes. 2:18)

Sometimes I think about the cross that He endured
Laying down His life unselfishly
And how His suffering means I can rest assured
In His saving grace
Oh when He took our place…

Chorus:
He took the scars, felt the pain
Suffered loss so we could gain
This precious life,

precious love that we are feeling
He took our sin and the fall
Left His hope here for us all

Jesus took the scars
And left us with the healing,

left us with the healing

There is no brokenness that we could ever bring
That would ever be too much for Him to bear
Mistakes and failures don’t mean a thing anymore
That’s what He was dying for…

There was beauty in the tragedy
In His death we found new birth
It was unrelenting love
For every soul on earth

Thank You, Jesus,

for Your unrelenting love!

it is finished.

This day... a King wears a different crown.

A crown not of gold and jewels...

but a crown of thorns.

... a crown ...

meant to signify royalty

turned into one of suffering

...worn not to announce His Kingship

but to proclaim His love

for me

and for you

This day... a King sacrifices everything,

including His very life,

endures unimaginable pain,

alone,

on a Cross...

He dies

because He loves

me

and you

more than anything in the universe.

IT IS FINISHED.

passover....

Tonight is Passover...

This night we commemorate the "passing over" of the firstborn of Israel when God brought judgment on Egypt by killing all the firstborn in the land... the night when God made a way for His people... a way to FREEDOM.

The Israelites were told to paint the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a lamb... a lamb without defect. A perfect sacrifice.

I paint the doorposts of my home with the blood of the Lamb... the Lamb without sin. A perfect sacrifice.

And a Way is made for me-- the Way to FREEDOM--through Jesus, the perfect sacrifice. By His blood, I, too, am "passed over" by death... and given LIFE.

For this, I am amazedly grateful.