Memories

They called for snow and behold, it came! As skeptical as I was before it got here, I am so glad to see it in a vast amount. With children snuggled up in The Household Regent's Chair watching a movie (and opining on how it DID NOT match the book) I donned my boots and went outside.

Near SILENCE.

WHITE.

Everything COVERED.

I shoveled the walk. With each step the fog that has been in my head for days slowly lifted. By the time I reached the street, my heart was near to bursting with happiness.

I am out in the snow.

It is quiet and dark.

My 3 day headache is GONE.

I headed up the street to go check on the main road and clear off the van. Then I remembered...walking in snow is good exercise. 

More SMILES.

I feel ALIVE.

Wow! I didn't really think we would get this much snow. A man in a truck drives down into our neighborhood. He must have gone around the circle looking for stuck drivers to help. I was walking towards the main road as he came back up the hill and asked if I was ok. "Roads are slick." he said. "No, the main road isn't plowed." when I asked about it and thanked him for his concern.

Turning around I headed home, smiling as I remembered the joy of retracing steps taken in the snow as a child. That led to more memories of walking with my dad and the dog on the lake, stepping in his steps, watching the dog stick her nose in the snow following a mouse. We could see the tiny tracks that led to a hole and laughed as the dog looked at us with a white face asking "Where is it?"

"Here's where I lost my glasses last summer while fishing." Dad said as we stood over the spot. The next summer he wore a bobber on his old pair of glasses so as to not lose another pair to the lake. He came home once or twice with a wet boot in the winter, having stepped on a thin spot of ice, downplaying the event but now that I look back, I think he may have had a couple close calls of which he never told us the exact details.

This brings to mind the first time he cleared the ice so Mom could teach me to skate. We had a little metal folding chair that I would push as I went along. I remember the ice on our lake being very smooth compared to what seemed like huge ripples on my grandparent's lake. 

Oh how the memories flood back, one after another. 

The magnificent colour and design of the ice.

Temperature and pressure changes singing like a symphony, echoing like thunder.

Aeons ago, a different time and place...

Which brings me to a thought I had as I neared the house.

White snow. CLEAN.

My sins which are many, were scarlet but are now WHITER THAN SNOW!

That is what Jesus did for me.

He forgave my sin and He cleansed my soul!

And I am ever thankful.

Daily Gifts

I think it can well be said that "Thankfulness is a gift to the soul."  In the ebb and flow of my life, this is a gift I give myself sporadically and this ought not to be so.  There are so many things to be thankful for.  So many things to accept just as they are, not wishing them to be different or "if only..."  Things to be listed and voiced with a song of gratitude because everything - even the hard things - cause life to grow.  Growth is good.

Safety in storms that would tear the heart or the roof

The dog obeying my command for stillness and silence when she would much rather chase a rabbit

A well made bed by one who is struggling to learn responsibility

The sweet balm of God's Word to a mind that is restless

A storm which caused people to come slow down and take time for each other

New friends who graciously share their time and knowledge, and are beginning to feel like family

Technology that allows us to see loved ones who are very  far away

The unfolding of a flower given to my garden by a friend

My list is growing and my heart is full.  It is so much easier to look at the day with a smile when one focuses on good things.  Stress may still be there, but it isn't quite as daunting.  Philippians 4:8 must therefore be true.  I like how The Message puts it:

 Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

A Birthday of Epic Proportions

I offer up thanks to the One who made me for having His hand on me and for guiding my steps. Yesterday was The Most Epic Birthday of All Time in my book, with certain elements that I hope never need to be repeated. 

Highlights included coming home from work to find my gift from Mr E being a cleaned kitchen, a lunch of stuffed shells made for me by Miss A and eaten with the 3 people I love most, lemon cake with lemon frosting, a present from a friend and being sung to in not only English, but Dutch and Portuguese as well! There were so many well-wishes and birthday hugs, I am truly blessed to be on this earth!

The not so fun but very much needed element was spending 4 hours in the ER with a dearly loved one as they again came face to face with some serious stuff. I would like to encourage anyone reading this who may be in a terribly impossible situation. I don't know what you are going through, but I challenge you to wait. Waiting is the hard part, but it is so worth the pain. I am encouraged to know that my hope is not in vain. God DOES have a plan for us and our families. His timing is never our timing, but it is always RIGHT ON TIME.

Hang on, dear friend. Look up and dare to keep hope alive. Reach out to the One who made you. He loves you more than you will ever know.

Pulled Pork - Barbeque Anyone??

The title of this blog refers to thinking on positive things. That being said, I need to be honest about life's ups and downs. In the previous post I mentioned God pulling us apart for His glory. Tonight I have to be honest and tell you that I feel like a plate of Authentic North Carolina BBQ, pulled apart into strands and glopped on the plate in a heap.

What does God think when I raise my fist to Him in defiant anger? Or two minutes later hears me call for Him with arms raised just wanting to be held in His loving arms? What does He think as my attitude slides southward, my brain realizes it and for the moment my heart doesn't care?

How blessed I am, that forgiveness from Him comes quick and true when I confess the sin. I am trusting that joy will come in the morning and that this too shall pass.

LORD, I confess my stubbornness in holding on to the hurt, and the anger in my heart. Please wash away any seed of bitterness before it can grow bigger. Please cover me with Your peace.
Amen.

Blessed Beyond Measure

I'm not quite sure where to start on this one, there have been so many changes in our lives in the past few years that have all led up to this point.  I am amazed at how God uses events in our lives to pull us apart and bring us back together, all for His glory.

Family, marriage and life in general for me are all a major miracle...still in progress, but a miracle of grand proportions.

I once heard it said that for something to be a huge miracle, there must be insurmountable, impossible circumstances.  We seem to fit that category, and I am no longer of the belief that anything is impossible.

Mark 10:27 "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."


YES and AMEN!

'Tis a Gift to Live Simply

The Shaker song is heavy on my brain at the moment as 3/4 of my family prepares to relocate to the other side of the globe again.  Trying to fit everything into 6 bags for 3 people has become something of a chore.  There seems to be much sentiment to consider, and of course the books must come.  TAPM will ask about something and my reply is "It is somewhere in the bags." The look on my face must have been horror or dread as the last time he asked, he quickly said, "That's ok, leave it in the bag."

I am happy to report though, that many of the books that made their way to NZ on the first flight will not be going back on this next one.  However, we seem to have picked up many miscellaneous bits and bobs that now "need" to come with us and weigh just about as much.

What a great part of our adventure this has been!  I am amazed how God brought it all together in the end, and I am so very thankful.  It is a gift to live simply, but I am not living as simply as I would like.  This move is proof of that!  :)

A Day of Many Gifts

This day has been a full one, and ran the gamut of emotions.  Didn't quite go as planned, but the piano lesson that got postponed will hopefully happen tomorrow.  The kids and I were out the door in time to hear three college groups perform Kapa Haka at the Te Papa Museum to celebrate the Maori language.  It was quite exciting, and I especially enjoyed the loud hakas.  They seemed to be good stress relievers.  :)  The gift of music.

After the performance, we went upstairs to one of the galleries to see the exhibit on Pounamu (Greenstone/NZ Jade) which is found on the South Island.  It is one of my most favorite stones and I love the idea of being able to find one in a mountain stream even though that is probably not going to be my experience.  Having been a rock hound from my earliest days, it evokes strong feelings for me, especially when I get to touch it, bringing back many memories of picking other rocks at the lakes in Minnesota, in the creeks of Virginia, in a parking lot in India, in a stream on the North Island...I wonder where it will be next??  The gift of sight and touch.

Whoops!  Time to head for the bus so we can get to the pool in time for swimming lessons!  While waiting, the North Island had an earthquake of 6.5 up near Taupo.  It was 150 km deep but people here said they felt the ground sway.  I think I noticed it in the swinging of a sign in the shop I was standing near, but didn't pay it any mind.  The gift of safety.

At the pool, I had the pleasure of talking with a new friend from Thailand who is married to a Kiwi.  Her son and my children are in the same swim class this time.  She and I struck up an inevitable  friendship - she was knitting and I was crocheting!  I will be sad when this set of lessons is finished as the kids and I are switching back to the pool that is closer to our home.  Hopefully we can keep in touch with our new friends.  That would be nice.  The gift of relationship.

Home again, home again...Miss A made delicious soup and I tried to make bread.  I think the bread lump heard me say that I really hoped this time would be different, as it looked so beautiful on the outside, but inside was still gooey.  My solution??  Eat the crusts, scoop out the innards and make bread sticks from the goop!  Not too pretty, but it was edible and the kids didn't complain.  The gift of taste.

On to the time in my day when I did not check my thoughts and they came flying from my mouth, to my surprise and someone else's frustration and hurt.  Oh, if I could have just sucked them right back in.  It was as if they were slippery jelly and mad such a mess before I even realized they were out.  Not a good gift.  Hopefully forgiven?  That would be a good gift, for sure!

Time for bed and I would like to know when did my little son grow into such an encouraging young man?  Could it happen overnight?  It seems that just yesterday I was the one giving out encouragement for something that was hard to do - a math problem, to be precise.  And now tonight he sends me from his room at bedtime with two words and a hug.  "Be strong." he says.  I thank him and quietly close the door, whispering thanks to God for encouragement in unexpected places.

Wow.  What a gift!

Monday, Monday

La la, la la la.  I don't know the rest of the song, but that part is in my head at the moment.

It has been a bit of an odd day here today. I had a good start but let the kids sleep in because of a late night the night before.  It was nice to have peace and quiet to myself for a bit.  We seemed to be at a snail's pace for the rest of the day, but oddly enough, it wasn't the usual harried snail's pace, which was a very good thing. Usually when we get a slow start, the day is full of "HURRY UP!" and frustration.  Somehow we avoided all of that stress and actually had a really good day.

 I recently read somewhere out there in blogger land about people putting on a mask and only writing about the good days.  Hmm, perhaps I have been guilty of that at times.  Guess I need to be honest and tell you that I have had many days in the past 2 years of real struggle, wanting to hang it up and run away.  That being said, I am so glad I am right where I am.  I'm still unsure of how things will turn out - there are so many unspoken variables - but I am certain that I am in the place that God wants me to be in right now.  Uncertain certainties or certain uncertainties...not sure which one makes better sense.

Negative Positives

I have heard it said that every choice to do something is also a choice to not do something else.  That being so, I would like to list some things that I do not do.

• I do not get enough exercise or rest.
• I do not take enough moments in my day to say "Thank You" to the people who make a difference in my life.
• I do not hit the computer "off" button often enough.
• I do not call my mom as much as I think I should.  (I'm sorry Mom.)
• I often do not plan ahead.
• I do not practice my music as much as I would like to. 
• All of these and a hundred more!

These being listed, I now look to see where I can refocus.  Mainly, it boils down to proper/better usage of time.  Ah...that four-letter word that we all seem to not have enough of in various seasons of our lives!  What are some practical ways I can improve my days?  Are there little things to be tweaked that might make a huge difference?  Hmmm, let's see...

• Have a scheduled time for movement and rest.  Go to bed at a decent hour.
• Practice an "Attitude of Gratitude" every day.  Share it with others.
• Re-evaluate why I have a computer. Set time limits for usage.
• Call Mom.
• A quick planning session twice a day will eliminate a majority of hassle and make life smoother for all of us.
• These things will help to free up the time in my day to be used for other things. Things like music, reading with my children, playing with my children, adding serenity to my life so that I can be a blessing to others.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 "If you make a promise to God, don't be slow to keep it...It is better not to promise anything than to promise something and not do it."

Sing and Not Be Silent

What a morning!!  I have come back from the weekly woman's Bible study with my heart full of thanksgiving - It is appropriate that today is a Thursday.  Many prayers have been answered this past week in the lives of the ladies around me.

Please understand, we have had our share of stress and sorrows recently, but God is turning our mourning into dancing and I must stop to give Him praise.  He is our Provider, our Comfort, our Way in the Wilderness and Path through the Desert. He is our Wisdom, He is our Peace.  In some cases answers have come over time, yet in others we give praise for sudden and surprising answers!

For those prayers that have yet to be answered, I claim His promises to "never leave or forsake" us.  He is working in places we cannot even see, and loves those who are dear to us with a love that is fiercer than our own.  His plan is good, and waiting is hard.  Let's keep our eyes on Him and see what He will do.

Psalm 30:12 "That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever."    Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you..."

...thanking God for many answered prayers and eager to see what He has for us in coming days and months.

Aotearoa

It has come to my mind many times over the past 18 months that some friends and family have no idea where in the world I really did go to.  In light of the earthquakes in Christchurch today, I would like to give my thoughts on this beautiful "land of the long white cloud" my family now calls "home".

• Wellington is the capital city, and is home to approx 390,000 people
• As the crow flies, it is approx. 300km (186.411 miles) from Wellington to Christchurch
• Summer is Dec - Feb; Winter is approx. May - Aug (garden planting usually starts in September)
• School year runs Feb - Dec in 4 terms
• English, Maori and NZ Sign Language are the official languages, but on any given day while out and about in town, we may hear: Hindi, Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, Malay, Arabic, German, French, Italian, Greek, Russian, Finnish, Swedish, Dutch, English with the following accents - NZ, Australian, British, Scotch, Irish, North American (includes Canadian) and on the rare occasion Swahili or another African language that I cannot place.  Southern Hick (which got a huge reaction on the odd day that I slipped and let out a "ya'll") is not heard too often but garners an instant bond, as does finding those visitors who are from mid-west America.
• Mr E makes good cheese crackers
• There are many creatures and plants that only live in NZ.  Miss A is especially fond of the kiwi bird and fantail, Mr E and myself like the Tui Bird, the Artistic Pixel Man likes the Weta (workplace, not creature)  :D There are no snakes, the spiders are said to not be poisonous (but they sure can look menacing!)
• We drive on the left side of the road.  It is not too difficult, although I have yet to try a stick shift.
• Total Land Area of New Zealand = 103,483 sq. mi. = just a tad smaller than Colorado's 104,094 sq. mi.
• Many of you all have a twin here in Wellington.  When I see your twin I think of you fondly and pray for you, hoping you are well.

Although America is my home country, I am glad to call NZ home for now. Like the rain coming down, my heart is heavy for the people of Christchurch. Please pray for them as they pick up the pieces, bind up the wounded, bury their dead and try to move forward, even as the ground continues to shake.

"Just One More Row!"

The adventure at our house is slowly expanding.  Along with music study of a more serious nature, we are also adding the "monster of crochet" - so named by Mr. E.  (He doesn't know it, but he's the next one to take up the ball and hook.  heheh)

Having been up late with something on my mind, I picked up my first project and found myself looking at the clock after 3 am and saying "just one more row, just one more row".  Four am came round and the thought hit me - "what good is a project that turns out wonky due to lack of sleep?" so I put down the yarn and headed to bed, my mind not spinning quite so fast and the first half of my project almost finished.

Many thanks to my Dear Artistic Pixel Man - his girls now have a different kind of stash to build.  :)

Blessings Abundant

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
~ Berthold Auerbach

If today is any indication, 2011 just might be a year so full of blessing it pours over the edges.  Today, the Artistic Pixel Man and I have been married for 22 years.  Many of them long and arduous, but here we are, Praise God!  The day comes after a particularly hard week for me partly because my sleep was interrupted many times by not so small anymore bodies climbing into my bed because of their interrupted sleep.  But I digress...

After spending a beautiful afternoon at the beach with my family, having a picnic and playing in the sun and surf, I was given back a gift that I once thought would never be mine.  When I was young I learned how to play the piano. Reading music came to me without too much struggle and although my right hand has always been the more dominant one, I enjoyed playing...that is, until it was time for recitals and more practice.  The time came when I had had enough and my mom no longer had the strength to fight against my desire to quit the lessons.

One thing that I always struggled with was chords.  My dad had a wonderful ear and could make the piano really sing perhaps due to his 6 years of piano plus 6 years of organ lessons?  But I on the other hand, had to read the music and thought I had no ear for chord progression.

Enter Miss A.  She is getting into the habit to play the piano during dinner preparation when she is not cooking that night.  Tonight she helped with some of the prep and then proceeded to play.  Her first piece was not the usual.  Not quite catching it, I listened closer and to my utter delight heard the notes of a familiar song greeting my ears.  "Once in Royal David's City" was played by her Grampa during dinner clean up when I was a child.  It was also listened to year round as he would play the recording from the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols - one of his (and my) favorites. Miss A and Mr.E have also heard that song sung and played live for the past 2 Christmases, so I know it is contained in the music book she keeps in her head (like her Grampa).

After my prep work was finished, I suggested we play it as a duet, she doing the melody and I doing the bottom notes.  I sit down and realize that this means chords.  I have to play chords.  Stumbling around the notes for a while, she is very patient with me.  Finally it starts coming to me.  "Quick, run get a piece of paper!" I tell her.  "But I don't know what to write!" is her reply.

More stumbling, but it comes out, all of a sudden, smoothly, like a break in the clouds.  The fog that has hung over my head for the past 25-30 years clears from my head as my fingers work the notes out.  No, it wasn't perfect, or exactly like the recording, or Grampa for that matter.  But it works.  She smiles.  I smile and finally feel accomplished.

I tell her the story of Grampa, of my eagerness to quit because I thought I would never learn chords or play very well.  I tell her with tears of gladness filling my eyes, what a blessing she is because she inspires me with her music.  So much so, that chords are no longer the big scary monster holding back my left hand.

Oh, the joy that filled my heart tonight.  Given by a loving God who gives good gifts.  The simple act of working it out, closed by giving thanks to Him.  

New Year, New House, New Health, New Hope

The new year sits before me, a blank canvas just waiting for things to be added.  What colors will it hold?  Yellows and pinks full of joy, greens and blues full of growth?  Love overflowing in reds, strength and stability in the outline of black, contentment and stability in the browns, and white in the peaceful spots?  What about the excitement of oranges and the organization of purples?

So many colors to a life once grey with uncertainty.  I must say that I am truly blessed, for I have done nothing to deserve my life than to surrender it to God, then wait to see what He would do with it.

Make no mistake, surrender is not easy. And I can not claim or pretend to have the process down pat.  All I know is that God blesses obedience and life goes better when His plan is chosen and followed.

So, for this new year I once again make my choice, because this is a choice that has opportunity to be made each decade, each year, each month, each day, each moment.  I choose to walk with God and follow the footsteps of my Savior Jesus Christ.  

I do not know what the new year will bring in the days to come, but my heart is glad and I am at peace walking with Him.

Thank You dear LORD, for the life in each day, 

For the colors You give as I work, rest and play.

Please help me apply them with care and technique, 

And thank You so much that my year is unique!

Summer Solstice and a Good Book

Clouds blowing over the hill as if being spewn from the erupting cauldron that isn't there, I wait for a glimpse of the moon, that voluminous disk of silver white light shining behind the smoke and mist that moves so smoothly as the harsh wind jerks past teasing, hiding, then shining bright only for a moments' glance.

"Don't blink." the stars sing out, some familiar from a time and place long ago.  New patterns, to learn and befriend are thrown onto the expanse of blue-black canvas that is framed by smooth dragon backed hills and chopped up lights of the city showing me I am in a new place.

The length of this day...what a day it has been, fierce wind pounding at the walls, rain charging like a battering ram against the walls of a castle, while inside, away from the tempest, we are in another time and place...a battle of long ago, thanks to a book that takes us away, holding us spell-bound in a different storm, giving us noble thoughts and an aching heart, longing for Good to win.  "Does he ride Midnight? Does Nana die?"

I know but do not tell.  To do so would be thievery of the moment, of which I want no part.

"The Chestry Oak" by Kate Seredy is one of my favorite books and I am just now sharing it with my children.  Miss A has already deemed it one for her shelf, which is a solid sign of heart felt approval.

A Call for Strength

Today as I write, my heart is thinking of someone else.  Someone who needs strength to do something that is very hard.  I know that we were meant to walk together with others, but the journey with a friend can only be taken if invited, and so far, I am not in that spot in this particular circumstance.

My only option then, is to pray.  Pray in the morning, pray at noon time, pray in the evening and all of the minutes in between.

LORD, You say in Your word that strength and power is in Your hands to exalt and give strength to all.  Please lift up the one I am praying for right now.  Give strength for this journey and an appropriate confidant for support.  Please break down walls and restore honor and life.  Thank You for the power of Christ.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

A Wrestling Match

It has been one of those years, and I'm not talking about since January.  For some reason in my mind, the end of this August is the significant end of a year's time - my first in New Zealand.  As eager as I was to get here, I sure did wrestle with being here once I landed, and God has certainly had me on the mat more than a few times in the past 12 months!

Amazing to think that if I had only surrendered at the beginning I might be further along, but as they say, "hind sight is 20/20" and there is no use pining over what could have been.  I am looking forward to seeing what the active side of surrender looks like as I once again lay my life at God's feet and ask Him to empty me of myself and fill me with Jesus.

One thing that I have come to realize is that I cannot expect big things of God if I am not willing to get serious about my end of things and do the daily things I am responsible for.  No more slacking off.

Dear Lord, I need help!  On my own, I'm no good...lazy...selfish...grumpy...disorganized.  Please show me what can happen when I lean on You and do what is right.  May the next 12 months be a continued testimony of God's faithfulness in my life.  Thank You for slow and repeated starts.  Please keep me moving forward.

Manna

"What is it?"  This is the definition of the word "manna".  You know, that stuff that God sent the Israelites when they were complaining in the desert.  How cool is that?  For forty years God provides these disobedient malcontents with food each morning.

I would like to think that I am not like the Israelites, that I always obey and have a good attitude about things in my life.  However, I would be quite the liar if I dared to come close to that statement.  So many times I catch myself thinking a negative thought or going my own rebellious way.  How easy it is to ask "why me, why now?" as I pound my fist or wipe a tear.

Oh, may my focus be on God's goodness.  He is More-Than-Faithful and I am so undeserving.  But God, in His mercy saved me!  Because of His great love for me, I am a child of the King.  I have the right to stand before His throne.  Nothing will take me from His hand.  I'm covered in the righteousness of Christ my LORD. 

I have no reason for complaining, no reason for discontent.  Oh, that I will walk humbly in obedience and be thankful for His timely provision.  May I tenaciously run the race and pass the test, to see the benefit of God's goodness in the life of my dear family.

Deuteronomy 8:16 "In the wilderness he fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end."

Hard Things

I've been reading a lot of the Gospels recently and this morning was struck by the thought of the job done by Joseph of Aramathea.  He was the one who went to Pilot and asked to have the body of Jesus.  Pilot was surprised that Jesus was dead so soon, but upon confirmation of that fact, was quick to give Joseph the okay to take Jesus down from the cross.

I'm not sure what got me thinking of the common threads of this part of the story, but there are things that I have not heard mentioned before that need some thought.  Imagine, if you will, Joseph of Arimathea.  Mark says that he goes to Pilot and asks for Jesus because of his devotion to God.

Joseph loved God.  He believed Jesus.  When he saw how Jesus was treated his heart probably broke.  Now God had a job for him to do.  It wasn't the most pleasant of jobs, not one that would get many volunteers, but this was something Joseph could do to show his devotion to God.  What better thing to do than to take care of God's Son?

Now, imagine the logistics.  Jesus is up on a rough wooden cross, barely clothed.  Blood, sweat and tears mingled together on His face and blood, sweat, skin and wood fragments mingled together on His back.  Did flies gather on the One who created them?  What would Joseph do about those huge nails?  I think if he was the one to physically take Jesus off of the cross, that he did it as gingerly as possible even though Jesus was dead.  I can see Joseph looking away out of respect as he covered Christ's body and carefully picked Jesus up to take Him to the tomb.

What if the soldiers took Jesus down?  Were they careful about the removal of the nails from Christ's hands and feet?  Did they jerk him around, still being in the disrespectful mood from earlier in the day?  Or perhaps they were a bit more kind, circumstances having changed something in their minds.  Maybe they were thinking to themselves, "What if Jesus really was the Son of God?"  "What if we were wrong to do this?"  How little they understood that there was nothing they could have done to prevent this event from happening, that it had been recorded through the ages since the first sin in the Garden...that this happened even for them, should they understand and believe.

I think Joseph had a hard job, but it was one that allowed him to honor the God he loved and served.  So many times God calls us to do hard things.  Do we look at the circumstances and say "No thanks, God, this is going to be too messy."  or "I think I'll pass on this one, surely I'll be ok if I just keep quiet and don't bother anyone.  I know God has someone else who can do this in my place."  Oh, how we would like to tuck tail and run the other way when hard things are presented.

How pleased is God when we step up to the plate and say "Okay God, this looks to be a rough one, but with You at my side and as my Shield and Defense, I'll move forward!"  or "I have no idea what comes next.  God, You are in control and I need you to guide me!"  I think this is what He longs to hear from us.  He is just waiting in the wings with His sleeves rolled up waiting to go through the muck right by our side.  I think He is eagerly sitting on the edge of His throne waiting for our joy upon reading His promises and comfort from His Word.  When we do find the gems He has for us, I think there might be a great chorus of cheering and "Amen" from those who have gone before when they see that our Father is happy we are finding the treasure in His Word.  Treasure they now see face to Face.

Isn't that a great thought?

**Additional note** (July 31, 2010) Luke records that Joseph of Arimathea was a counselor who had not consented to the counsel and deed of them.  Luke 23:50-51.  So, what do you suppose his life was like after the resurrection.  Surely the other counselors heard about his activities.  Did they ridicule him?  Call him crazy? Black list him?  How many of his co-workers changed their minds about the Messiah after talking with him in the days and months to come?

What courage he had to do hard things!

Thankful on Friday

Seeing how I am still not asleep in the early morning hours of Friday, I will consider this a post for Thankful Thursdays...

I am thankful for:

• God's Word
• a friend whose life and walk with Jesus is true encouragement
• a bed to lay in once I fall asleep