Thursday, September 18, 2014

Writing Here Again...

It's been close to 2 years since my last post. I have been writing over at our sister's blog, Every Tradition. However, I want to do a little bit of writing back over here! God has been doing some neat things in the life of our family, and we are now in a time of transition between ministry opportunities. One of the most difficult things for me personally is not being "settled" in this area of our lives. My goal for the posts that will follow is to reflect on the things that God is doing in my life and the life of my family during this time! There may be some laughter along the way (hopefully not too many tears)!

Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.(Psalm 66:5 ESV)




Friday, December 14, 2012

Thoughts from Today

The older I get, the more I realize just how much this world is not my home. If this life was my final destination, miserable would be too tame a word to describe it. The events that unfolded in Newtown, CT today make my heart hurt. I cannot explain the emotion I feel in words. And as I have prayed for the families whose lives have been forever changed, all I can do is simply trust...there are questions that truly cannot be answered in a way that is humanly understandable. Only Christ offers true hope and peace, a hope and peace that will one day be fully realized when we are in His presence. Until then, life in this world filled with sin will point us who know Him as Savior look forward to His return.

I appreciated this blog post this evening: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/how-does-jesus-come-to-newtown

And this text from "Creation Sings" has been going through my mind:

"Creation longs for His return,
When Christ shall reign upon the earth;
The bitter wars that rage
Are birth pains of a coming age.
When He renews the land and sky,
All heav'n will sing and earth reply
With one resplendent theme: The glories of our God and King!"  (Getty)
 
My God is still on the throne. His grace is sufficient. The events of today did not catch Him off guard. He is still in control. And I can rest in His promises...because I rest in Him.
 
For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. 2 Cor. 1:20
 
In the midst of the miserableness of a sin-cursed earth, a hope shines forth. Nothing, absolutely nothing can destroy what Christ has done in my heart. And that brings me great joy and peace!
 
"No power of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His hand. 'Till He returns or calls me home Here in the power of Christ I'll stand." (Getty/Townend)
 
[I might add that I am thankful for the gift of music and "sermons in song" that encourage a struggling heart.]
 
 
I am also thankful for my precious children.
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Things Learned in Song...

Growing up, a common phrase that "Uncle" Fred Coleman shared with us was "things learned in song are remembered long." I cannot tell you how many times the Holy Spirit has used "song" to encourage my heart. I vividly remember one instance in October 2007 when I was going through a particular loss. A song we had learned in children's choir came to mind, and I sang it over and over and over again that night.

  Surely He Will Care for Me
If God can dress a lily in a gown of white,
If God can guide a moonbeam thro' the dark of night,
If He can help a river find a friendly sea,
then surely He will care for me.
If God can paint a rainbow when the rain is done,
If God can give a summer day the gift of sun,
If He can teach a nightingale a melody,
then surely He will care for me.
He's with me when I sleep.
He's with me when I wake;
He hears my softest prayer.
Wherever I may go, whatever path I take,
I know he will be there.
If God can greet a morning with a new blue sky,
If God can show a young bird how a bird should fly,
If He can hang a blossom on a cherry tree,
then surely He will care for me.
Mary Kay Beall
Words © 1984 Hope Publishing Company

Simple truth that was so comforting.

 Miles Coleman suffered a serious head injury this week. Today, Anna and the Coleman family wait and hope for Miles' recovery. They have shown tremendous evidence of God's grace and testimony to so many! This sudden accident is not sudden to God. He has a perfect plan. Kristin, Miles' sister, shared these words from a song this morning: "King of glory, I know you love me, so I will trust You. Yes, I will trust you." It is true that "things learned in song are remembered long" and what a sweet comfort to be reminded of truth when we need it most! I am thankful for the Coleman family as they live out the many things that they have taught us over the years! And I am grateful that my Heavenly Father will "surely care for" the Colemans!

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Miscellaneous Thoughts about Facebook

Facebook. A few weeks ago I had made up my mind that I was leaving Facebook for good. There were several good reasons to do so. One of which was my own inability to be disciplined about my use. In all honesty, I did not need to be checking posts 50 times a day. So, I left. I deactivated my account. A couple of weeks later I heard that a friend's son had been in the hospital. The day I heard was Monday; he had been admitted on Saturday. That was enough to push me back to the Facebook world. My time away did a few things for me. First, it allowed me to think about my reactions to things I would read and my motives for getting on Facebook. Second, it broke me of the "check it 50 times a day" habit. Third, it revealed that I can really live without it.

Today, I found out about a good friend who was in the hospital in a serious condition. I have been able to stay in touch with friends who really do care about our family and encourage me to grow in Christlikeness; I have deleted a few people; and I have enjoyed connecting with "old friends" and new friends.

I do believe that Facebook tends to define many of our relationships; occastionally I say or hear "they are 'Facebook friends.'" Another post about relationships another day!

My goal for Facebook is not to record our family history. I do not want to tell my children to "go on Facebook" to learn about our family. The art of journal composition and handwritten letters is quickly diminishing. That is something that I have tried to work on personally. I don't write as often as I should, but I do try to write occasionally; and the good old letter in the mail. Just this past week I have contemplated writing again. Letters. I fear much of our history will be lost one day if we don't write things down. Not that blogs, Facebook and technology aren't helpful. But what if the internet ever crashed or we didn't have access? I think often about printing out posts and putting them in a notebook. I really should do it as I go, but I don't. Maybe tomorrow. It is one of those projects that is in the "future ideas" list that really should be placed near the top!

So, these are my Facebook/letterwriting/journal thoughts for tonight. In the time it took me to type this post I could have written a letter....

Friday, August 31, 2012

It's ORANGE Friday!

It's college football time. Yes, we love football around here; Fridays we wear solid orange. Tailgate food is on the menu, which means it's time to boil some eggs for deviled eggs; make pimento cheese spread; and wash some grapes. Nothing fancy, just good. And of course, we can't forget the fried chicken. Football season is a special time for our family. Some of my most fun childhood memories include tailgating and football games. Now we have the opportunity to start our own family traditions! There are many important lessons to be reminded of during football season! I may take some time to share a few over the next few months!



Monday, August 27, 2012

Goodbyes...

We said "goodbye" to our friend who is headed out to fulfill her commitment with the army. Here are some observations from the morning...
1.There are so many unknowns, new experiences, and possible difficulties ahead for these soldiers.
2. They have commited to serve our country however they are called upon to do so.
3. Many are leaving a spouse or children behind. All have family they are leaving behind.
4. They are leaving the comforts that we enjoy and often take for granted every day.
5. The only media present were 2 local newspapers. No local TV news picked up their departure as a headline.
6. A motorcycle group, several fire departments, and police escorted the buses as they left the unit.
7. As the soldiers gathered in formation before loading on the buses, so many thoughts go through your mind. Will they all come home? What will they face before they come home? What will their families face while they are away?

So many thoughts. So many tears. Yet, it was also a day of gratefulness for me. Gratefulness for the friend God has given me, and the work He has done in her life and in my life through her friendship. Our God is faithful, and He has each step of life planned for each of us, according to His perfect plan. I am excited about the opportunities that God has given my friend to serve Him as she serves our country over the next months!