We arrived in Red River, NM today about lunch time.  The temperature had dropped 20 degrees from when we left Oklahoma at 5:30am and the sun wasn't even up yet.  There's a light breeze blowing and the sun is playing hide & seek with the clouds.  The high today reached about 75.  A breath of fresh air for my sweet husband who has been working outside in 100 degree heat. 

We usually have a whole host of people - family and friends - who come here together.  This year there are just a few coming - and today it's just the 6 of us.  The 4 from our house and my husband's parents. 

Today I went for a walk with my mother in law and my kids.. as we walked I had a new realization that time is marching on. 

 

My son is about to enter into his senior year.  My daughter is a sophomore.. and my mother in law is showing some signs of getting older.  It's sad to me that times have and are changing, and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it..  Like it or not, life is different now than it was 5 years ago, and it will be even more different just a year from now. 

I pray I will enjoy every minute.  

Cherish every opportunity to show those around me that they're loved.  

Because they sure are.

 

Everywhere I Look

It's been a while since I've blogged.  It's just not natural to me to make this an every day thing...even every week..

Hours.  That's what I'm spending these days lying by the pool, reading, listening to my kids laugh, praying, watching God work right before my eyes.

I'm seeing Him everywhere these days.
In scripture.  In the words of my friends.  In music.  Through my pastor.  And for sure in my husband and in the teenagers living in my house.

I'm watching Him intervene in marriages, in health issues, in friendships, in my church, in my work.  I'm feeling His guidance and His direction as I listen closer and read more and trust completely.
And I am thankful.

I heard a pastor say, "we pray and pray for God to do something for us and all the while He wants to do something in us."  In.  Us. 

Tonight I am grateful that He is working in me.  I am thankful that the work He begins in us, He is faithful to complete.  Every time.

He's everywhere I look.

The Word: Week 6 & 7

So, I’ve been a little under the weather and I’m behind on reporting our progress in the Word. 

A couple of weeks ago, our scripture was one of my favorite in the Book.

For the eyes of the Lord range

throughout the earth to

strengthen those whose hearts

are fully committed to Him.

2 Chronicles 16:9

I love this verse.  It has given me hope during some dark days.

Just the thought..

The thought that God is looking all over the earth for those whose hearts are wholeheartedly trying to live for Him so that He can help them.  Isn’t that amazing?

The God of the universe is trying to find those who are working their hardest to be like Him – and when He finds them, He gives them strength.

I really can’t think of anything in the world to add to that to make it sound any better.  

Re-read it.

For the eyes of the Lord range

throughout the earth to

strengthen those whose hearts

are fully committed to Him.

2 Chronicles 16:9

amen.

♥

Last week was Valentine’s..and our scripture followed suit.

Love is patient, love is kind. It

does not envy, it does not boast, it

is not proud. It is not rude, it is

not self-seeking, it is not easily

angered, it keeps no record of

wrongs. Love does not delight in

evil but rejoices with the truth. It

always protects, always trusts,

always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:7-8a

What a wonderful opportunity we had to all talk together about what this Word means.

I had the perfect chance to remind our children that as they begin to date they should be looking for people with these traits.  ...traits like their dad.

I don't know anyone in this world who lives closer to this description than he does.  And I get to be the beneficiary.

To live with someone who is patient and kind, who is not proud and is not rode.  He is never self-seeking and it takes a lot to make him angry.  He never brings up past wrongs.  He does not find happiness in bad and celebrates over the good.  He is my protector, he trusts me, he hopes for me, and he never ever gives up on me.  

My prayer is that both of my children will have the privilege of living with someone who loves them like he loves me.  

I am blessed.

The Word: Week 5

Trust in the Lord with all your
heart and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways
acknowledge Him and He will make
your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

How many times have you heard this verse?  When I say it to myself, my words almost run together before I finish because it's just rolling off my internal tongue. 

But think about it.

All your heart.  Trust Him with  a l l  your heart.  

Do not lean on yourself.  You have no idea what's ahead.  And He does.  So why in the world would you want to get in the driver's seat instead of trusting the One who can see around the curve?

Trust Him with all your heart.  Don't lean on what you see, what you know.  Lean on Him.  

In everything you do, put Him first.  And the more you do this, the easier it will get.. 

In the end, He'll make your path straight.  He'll smooth out the way.

I think it's worth a try.

The Word: Week 4

I consider myself a pretty good driver.  I'm sure my husband would add that I have a bit of a heavy foot.  But I'm (basically) a good driver.

I used to drive a school bus and through that training I learned to look all around me while I'm driving.  I usually noticed if someone is slowing down way up ahead, or if there's a car not paying attention and weaving out of their lane... I'm usually aware.

But I do have this one fault.

I can't look away for a minute.
Wherever my eyes go, my car goes.
If I look out the right window, my car steers right.  Every time. 
I've heard that NASCAR racers are told that if they start spinning out of control, not to look at the wall - because wherever your eyes look that's where you'll end up.
I don't know if if that's true or not for everyone - but it's sure true for me.

Listen to the Word of the Lord.

Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life. Put
away perversity from your
mouth; keep corrupt talk far
from your lips. Let your eyes
look straight ahead, fix your gaze
directly before you. Make level
paths for your feet and take only
ways that are firm. Do not
swerve to the right or to the left;
keep your foot from evil.
Proverbs 4:23-27

"Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you."
Ever think there's a scripture written especially for you?  Well this one is for me.

Fix your eyes.
Don't swerve to the right or to the left.  Keep your gaze on the One you're following.
If you don't you'll be off the path before you know it.


And I love how this passage begins.
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

If there's anything we need to protect, anything we must guard, it's our hearts.  If everything else in our lives comes from within, it's pretty important that what's inside is in good shape.  What goes in must come out.. so we have to guard what goes in.  All the while, keeping our eyes straight ahead.  Fixed on the goal.  Looking at Him.

I've been reminded

Today I've been reminded of how important it is to have friends and to know they are lifting you up in prayer.  Sometimes we have things going on in our lives that bring so much stress and anxiousness to us that it's hard to know how to even pray.  What a blessing it is to know that I have others around me saying the things I can't think to say.  Asking God for His blessing, His favor, His healing, His help. 

Today I've been reminded that when I tell someone I am praying for them, I need to stop.  That minute. And do it. 

They are counting on me.  

I know.  Because today I've had people remind me they're praying for me. 

And I'm counting on them to keep their word. 

A reminder that we all need each other. 

I knew. 
But it's real to me today.

The Word: Week 3

I write these things to you who
believe in the name of the Son of
God so that you may know that
you have eternal life. This is the
assurance we have in approaching
God, that if we ask anything
according to His will, that He hears
us – whatever we ask – we know
that we have what we asked of
Him.
1 John 5:13-15

What a promise. 

Not that we get everything we want.. but that if we ask all things, in accordance with His will, He hears us -- and we have what we ask of Him. 

In other words, we have His will.

Which may not always be what we ask for. 

What a relief to know that the One who knows far more than we know, and sees way further down the road, promises to give us what is best for us.  We have to trust Him.