You said if I had faith, even as small as a mustard seed, I could move mountains. I do have faith. I know Your Word is true. I know You will fulfill Your promises. I may need a little extra dose or two or million of strength and patience. I am confident that if I ask what is pleasing to You, You will hear my prayers and will give what is asked. I BELIEVE.....and when I don't, help me with my unbelief.

His name was Mo

I wanted a cat. I had cats growing up. I would hold one close to tell it all the secrets of dreams and broken hearts a little girl could have. It was my friend when my brothers wouldn't play with me. Living in the country with no neighbors makes for a lonely childhood sometimes. Anyway, I wanted a cat again. I got a cat. I'm about to lose him. Kirby, the dog, and the cat just aren't making progress in getting along. And the cat, named Mo but hereon referred to only as cat, gets too wild when playing. I have plenty of scratches to show for it. And Jody is afraid of the small gray wild beast. Can't blame her too much. So with sadness of a broken heart of a not so little girl, I am returning the cat to his farm home. "Things" keep coming in and going out.

There's that feeling...part 2

There were times when I was growing up that my momma would say something about someone or some situation and I would think "aw, mom, what do you know". Amazingly though, many times her intuition or discernment would be pretty accurate. There are some times that I do the same thing now. It's like you "know in your knower" (our Pastor's phrase) what is true or not about a situation. The next part is even when you know what the truth is and it doesn't paint a pretty picture, realizing God can still take it and turn it into a masterpiece.

I realize we can do nothing apart from Christ. And I thought I had learned a lot about things being accomplished through the working of the Holy Spirit not by my efforts. Guess I still tie too much of myself to these 'things'. I honestly thought if I poured all my love onto my boys that it would make a difference. As my friend keeps saying "the book isn't finished yet" but at this point I'm beginning to realize my love isn't enough. That is a hard thing to grasp because even in my imperfections and temper, I thought I had so much love to give. It is only His love that can make a difference. I can try to demonstrate it though I probably don't do it very well. But love has to be received for it to have an impact.

So Ross has moved out. He didn't like something I said. I spoke what I feel to be true. I don't know what happens next. I love him more than he will ever understand or accept from me. This hurts. I didn't read this part in the baby book about raising children. I thought it only happened to bad mothers...hmmmm...guess my own judgment falls back on me.

So having Branden back with us this last week hasn't been easy. Struggled almost constantly to have a positive outlook. Knew if we continued down this road with him, there would be a lot of sacrifices made. Kept hoping he would demonstrate an attitude of repentance, a desire to work his way out of his mess and instead saw a sour attitude and more concern with how to make his work easier than to simply get his work (community service hours) done. Then tonight, he sent a text about a friend picking him up from his community service and I "knew in my knower" that he wasn't being honest. He came home and gave me his song and dance about why someone other than that friend brought him home. Silly boy. I called the friend we would have approved of him being with who said that he was just getting off work. So the lie was revealed. Bottom line, we have given him until tomorrow @11:00 to be out. He has a lot of legal issues to deal with, no safe environment to go to, no home open to him - unless someone in his cycle of people he has used before opens their door again. I can't see how this is going to work out for him but God can.

God is still Sovereign. In fact, He doesn't need me to accomplish any of His work. Let me out of the boat, Captain. I'll swim back to shore. (From a story a friend shared.)

There's that feeling...

How does it happen that you know there is something but you can't put your finger on it right away. All of yesterday while there was a lot of other stuff going on, I kept thinking there is something about today. Well, yes, it is Jonny's 20th birthday. But there is something else about today. I couldn't shake that feeling and chalked it up to other emotions running rampant, lack of sleep and chocolate. Today, suddenly today, I thought I remembered but I couldn't be for sure so I went to my drawer where I have some family papers. There it was. The envelope the funeral home puts together for family members. Also came across an envelope that contained a letter written from my dad the same year. I read the letter first. As I read it, I wondered if I had ever read it before because it all sounded like new stories. That is until I got to the part where he talked about meeting my mother for the first time. He had almost cut off his thumb that day - never did hear how that happened - and if he got out of line, my mom tweaked his thumb. He was a handsome charming cowboy that I'm sure was use to having his way...until he met my mom. Her name was Rowena. Not an easy name to say and daddy struggled for a long time to learn to say it correctly but he said it was worth learning. He said he would always look back on the good times and only remember those days with her. Said when his voice cracked when he talked of her it was because of the love and happiness he had with her. Remember this was a big tough guy but not when it came to his wife and children. After folding the letter away for safe keeping I turned to the other envelope to see that Yes, I remember now. The 13th is the day she died. I have the comfort of knowing she said the salvation prayer that afternoon from her hospital bed, gave up her fight to live and went to meet her Savior and her Heavenly Father. Her life was spent taking care of others from an early age and she worked hard for things to be just right. Finally, her hopes and efforts had been realized - not by her own doing other than the act of placing her trust in Jesus. And that was enough. So is there a word for that feeling that comes into our hearts reminding us of some person? I'm not sure but if there is, it's meaning probably comes from the root word LOVE.

Missing In Action

It's just this simple: There are people in my life that are "missing in action"...some are living their own lives with their own family in a state far away, some are no longer on this earth, some are going to fiddle contests and some are lost. That's all I had to say....

MAYBE... Maybe... we were supposed to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one - so that, when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift. Maybe... when the door of happiness closes, another opens; but, oftentimes we look so long at the closed door that we don't even see the new one which has been opened for us. Maybe... it is true that we don't know what we have until we lose it; but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing, until it arrives. Maybe... the happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. Maybe . . . the brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; after all, you can't go on successfully in life until you let go of your past mistakes, failures and heartaches. Maybe... you should dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go, be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you dream of and want to do. Maybe... there are moments in life when you miss someone -- a parent, a spouse, a friend, a child -- so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real, so that once they are around, you appreciate them more. Maybe... the best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had. Maybe... you should always try to put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that something could hurt you, it probably will hurt the other person, too. Maybe.... you should do something nice for someone every single day, even if it is simply to leave them alone. Maybe... giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but, if it doesn't, be content that it grew in yours. Maybe... happiness waits for all those who cry, all those who hurt, all those who have searched, and all those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of all the people who have touched their lives. Maybe... you shouldn't go for looks; they can deceive; don't go for wealth, even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile. Maybe... you should hope for enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy! Maybe... you should try to live your life to the fullest, because when you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling; but when you die, you can be the one who is smiling and everyone around you crying.

okay i just had this thought....for the sake of unity i believe if we hang in there together long enough, the differences in our perspectives won't matter as long as Christ is the center...oh, yeah and that Truth reigns - that's important - more important than most realize....yesterday during worship my heart was broken for the lies and deceptions that I've seen all around me - the father of lies knows no boundaries, no age limits, believers and non-believers alike...then it was if God revealed to me that our lives are the testimonies to the only real TRUTH and that is how we combat the lies and deception....so i've been thinking on how that looks in everyday living...am i a testimony to His way, His truth, His love.... pastor talked about 4 foundations: Jesus, His Word, Family and Church.... i know of a faith that claims those same 4 foundations cloaking the TRUTH in false venacular..(word?)... sometimes I stomp my foot out of frustration coz I feel angry about this deception and as if my hands are tied....then I force myself back to His promises, His truth and His faithfulness...
I was on my way home from Dana's the other day and a little black puppy was trotting alongside the four lane road - no homes in sight. I wanted to stop. I wanted to rescue that dog even though I wasn't sure it needed rescuing. I was about to look to the side of the road to stop when I heard "you can't save every stray puppy".... my thoughts have been circling since...its not up to me to 'save' anyone or any puppy...but it is my responsibility to be obedient to whatever He asks of me...it just wasn't meant to be that puppy that day...