Watching and Waiting

My annual summer cold has arrived and because of that I've found myself sitting a lot more over the last couple days.    Last night, after I put the kids to bed, I collapsed on the couch, too tired to clean up the kitchen or fold the laundry...both things I knew I needed to do.    But instead, I decided to veg out to a movie I found on TV.    It was one I had seen before, but not for a while.    I was happy to see it again, especially because it was an easy to see romantic comedy.    As it finished, I realized another movie was coming on.   Then I realized, it was the same movie!  So what did I do?   Did I get up and turn it off, knowing that I still had chores to do?   Of course not!   I stayed right there, and saw the first half that I had missed the first time around.    Eventually, I fell asleep on the couch, right after I had said to my hubby that I wasn't tired enough to go to bed.   Typical!

Then, this afternoon, I decided to finally listen to an audio testimony that I had been wanting to hear for a while.   Some of you may have already heard it.     It's from a woman who was dying of terminal cancer, but who knew that death is not dying.   This dear Mommy, passed away this past week, which made it seem more appropriate to hear what she had to say, while she was here.    This testimony, opposite from my romantic comedy, was not something easy to hear.   It was not a fake-feel-good movie that makes you forget about the sorrows of life or the tragedy that strikes everywhere.    It was better.   It was real and it was true.

I've never been very good at handling sadness and sorrow.    From a young age, I learned to ignore those emotions, and stuff a lot of positive thinking on top, as to not let out what really made me sad.    It just felt too hard to deal with the pain.     I taught myself to be strong, and to only cry in movies.     So, you can better believe I cried in movies!    Hard!    It was my outlet, and sometimes it still is.

But as I listened to Rachel's testimony, I did cry, but not to cover up my own pain.   And not tears that would silence hers either.     But tears from the hard truth that we live in a sinful world, full of sickness and death.   And I cried tears of joy, to know that one day, there will be no more sickness.   And there will be no more pain.    And we will see our Father face to face.    

But tears shed also, because of the awesome truth that we have when we know how real Jesus is.   That He is not just someone to sing about on Sundays.   That He is not just someone to read about sometimes.   That He truly is our Only Hope, and the only Way.    He is.   

    

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face.   Now I know in part; then I shall know in full; even as I am fully known." 1 Cor. 13:12

A Little Chuckle

Today as I was listening to my daughter sing songs with a little microphone, I was impressed at all the little songs she knew by heart.    And then, she started singing Three Blind Mice.   

"Three blind mice,

Three blind mice,

In my Bible book it says,

Three blind mice.

Really??  I've never read that scripture!   It made me laugh.   Instead of shying away from the song, she just put in the words from "God Made Me".   After all, it's the same song, right?

Jumping In

Last night after dinner, my hubs, the kids and I went out on the front porch with our ice cream cones.    As we were enjoying our dessert, my husband prompted the simple question to the family, "What does it look like to trust God?"

Our oldest started shouting out things like, "praying!...love!... joy!" in search of the "right" answer.     Our son went along eating till his ice cream cone fell face down...the original reason why we went out to the porch.

Randy went on and asked when the kids jumped to us from the side of the pool if they thought we would drop them.   River shouted out an emphatic "NO!"   Exactly.   

I love the relentless trust that our little ones have when the spring from the side of the pool, straight into our arms.    They don't hesitate.   They don't doubt.    They simply jump in.  

I believe if we fully knew how much we could trust Him, we would jump.   We would jump in total abandonment and even in freedom.    We would let Him catch us.   Even if we didn't know where we would land or how we would get there...we would jump.     That would be my prayer for us today.   That we would have the faith of a little child and jump.

   Don't forget to check out other great posts about enjoying the gifts of the everyday at Tuesdays Unwrapped.    As Em says, "Tuesday is becoming my favorite day of the week."

Heeding the Battle Call

This week about 25 kids from our neighborhood are headed to camp. These kids are smart, sweet, and beautiful, but also are from at risk environments, and know how cruel life can be. I had wanted to be one of the counselors this week, but God made it clear that it wasn't going to be possible. Camp is a time of fun, but also a time of retreat. A place where these kids can let down their guard, and just feel. Feel joy. Feel pain. And the way that they connect with God and each other, allows them to draw near to Him, in a way that doesn't happen every day.

Today as we prayed for the leaders at church, I felt the Lord leading me to still consider myself a part of the team, but as an intercessor. As someone thinking and praying for them here, and lifting them up before the Lord each day. So as I sat down to post about the Fourth of July, and our fun time this weekend with friends and family, my heart was burdened for these precious kids. Who don't even get to be kids for very much of their lives. Their freedom does not come so easy, which makes me want to fight for it that much harder.



Fireworks or gunshots,
Who can tell?
There's much to feel
And a need to be real.

I want to write life, peace, and joy
But the honest truth is that there's
Much more to the story.

The truth isn't always pretty
Isn't always neat.
And justice is waiting
To be found in the streets

As fear sets in,
And the enemy draws near
I pray that tonight you will sleep
And know that there is a path made clear.

For your Father above
Is watching all the while
And even though it seems He's far
His hand is quick to love.

Come close dear ones,
Draw neigh this night
And know His promises
For you are held tight.

Yard Sale Drama

I've been trying all day...no...all week to get to my computer to tell you about last weekend's yard saling! I went at the request of my sister, who had several things in mind. I was hoping that we could find a few things, but knew that it would be a stretch to find exactly what we were looking for. But, we also had yard sale drama that I couldn't wait to tell you about. I know you all think that every time I go yard saling, everything goes completely perfect without any problems. But that's not always the case.

My sister, like the organized person she is, looked online and found all the yard sales in her zip code. She entered the addresses into her GPS so that we would have no trouble finding them. If you know my yard sale technique, this is totally not my style. I was almost jumping out the window to follow the neon signs that she sped past while sticking strictly to the instructions that the GPS girl was giving her.

Randy has been renovating her kitchen, and so she was hoping to find some fun things to spruce it up, without having to spend a fortune on the accessories. With having a budget of $40, here was her list:
-pot rack
-kitchen accessories
-canisters
-fabric for kitchen

I know you're thinking...is she crazy?! $40?? A POT RACK?? That's what I was thinking, too. But I kept my mouth closed, and went along to see what we could find. We started out and at first didn't see much. But after looking a little more, we stumbled upon a pair of red candle sconces. I had already told her that having some pops of red would definitely dress up her dining room and kitchen. After thinking of where they could go, we bought the pair for $3.

We went on to another, and were excited that it was in a nicer neighborhood. As we walked around, we noticed that the lady had some high prices. But of course, we were willing to barter. My sis found a set of white bowls, which had a price tag of $8 for the set. We asked the lady if she would take $5 for the set, to which she agreed. Then, she asked if we had seen any clothes that would work for us...clothes that her daughter had put in the yard sale. We had seen the clothes, but had seen her prices at $4 a pair of jeans, and $3 for shirts, and had thought..."naahh." But at her persistance, we decided to take another look.

We found a few cute tops from Holister and a pair of fun designer jeans. We made our pile, and decided we would make an offer. This is how it went.

Sister: We found a few things and wanted to make you an offer.

Yard Sale Lady: (slow and hesitant) Ohh...kay...

Sister: We were thinking all of this for $10.

YSL: (disgruntled) Well...this one shirt costed $50...so...

Sister: Yes....but...this is a yard sale.

Y'all. Oh my gosh. I almost couldn't stand there, I was about to die laughing. Here I had been thinking it, but then my sister just came out and said it. The lady looked like her eyes were about to burst. So then, this is what happened.

YSL: (shaking her head in disapproval) I guess...

Sister and I: Thank you.

YSL: You're welcome...I guess.

I AM SO SERIOUS, Y'ALL. She really said that!! I couldn't believe it. I was so aghast!! So, then I decided to try to explain it to her a little bit. Obviously, she was not the usual yard sale hosts.

Me: I just don't think you're going to get $4 for a pair of jeans. I mean, it's a yard sale. People aren't going to pay for each item at those prices.

YSL: (ignoring me, and turning around)

So, we left, and I ranted for about 5 more minutes. And then again to my husband. And to my sister in law. And some more with my sister as we've been wearing her items this week. But I think I'm over it now.

Have you ever had an experience like this at a yard sale? I know some of you are scared to death that something like this might happen, thus the reason you avoid them at all costs! But, most of the time, people are not like that. I actually, in all my yard sales, have never had quite an experience quite like that before.

We continued on...and at the next yard sale, guess what we found?

A brand new...in the box...copper....POT RACK...for $15!!!! Yes. The man hosting this one was an elderly man who you could tell was having a hard time parting with all of his collections from over the years. We talked with him a little about his things. And then we found some fun vintage Ball jars to use as canisters in her new kitchen. Our grandmother always had them on her counter filled with rice and noodles, so we both loved them! I think he took $6 for the set of 3.

We had a blast, and decided that even though the lady was snooty, that she just didn't know about yard sales. But that the sweet old man at the last one definitely made up for her snootieness! It was a fun morning full of adversity and adventure...and never a dull moment!!

I can't wait to show you pictures of her kitchen all dolled up, but that will be another post!

Covered

You may remember last year about this time of year hearing about my Rose of Sharon rescue. Today, I began to fight the same weeds that were so fierce last year. However, this time, the whole time I was pulling and pruning, I heard this noisy squawking above me. I looked up and saw a face I knew. From my kitchen window, I had seen him many times, and always enjoyed being able to be so close to him, with only a window between us. I knew that he enjoyed that big overgrown bush, but I didn't know how much it meant to him until today.

The closer I got to "his" bush, the more he squawked at me. I figured that there must be a nest, but I couldn't see anything. I stopped all my whacking and pulling, and tried to see what he was so upset about. As I peered into the big massive bush, I saw her. She was so beautiful, and almost invisible at the same time. Her dark wings were spread completely over their home, and she held her most beloved possessions closer than she ever had. She was terrified, yet stayed completely still, unrelenting to give up her position.

Ever so gently, I felt the Father say to me, "Let it go. They're protecting their home and their family." And so, once again, I let down my hands, and I stopped.

As I walked away, I saw the Father's heart so clearly. He is our shepherd, ever watchful, and so vigilant at protecting us. And yet, He stretches out His wings over us, and draws us closer than we could ever know.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4

Let Them Praise Him with Dance

This past year, I was able to be a dance teacher for a dance ministry we have in our neighborhood. Every week, we got together with our girls...but not just to dance. I've mentioned here before how I grew up dancing, but my experience was quite different. There was always a lot of competition, comparison, and individualism. And none of it ever had to do with God. So, needless to say, I love that these girls get to not only dance, but also get to pray, eat, sing, tell stories, choreograph, worship, and just share who they are...before us, and before God. It is such a gift to be a part of. And this isn't just doing little movements to the words of a song. They're are quick changes, and multiple dances, and several different styles of dance that we incorporate. And without the least bit of training these girls just shine out talent and beauty that you wouldn't believe.

We had our end of the year program just a couple weeks ago. It was amazing. So many of our kids families came to cheer them on and celebrate what they had been working on all year. Let me just say, that never happens. Most things that we do in the neighborhood, the parents don't or can't come to, and it breaks my heart. So when almost every girl had someone there, being excited about what they were doing, I couldn't help but tear up.

Through the year, going and being with the girls, is always fun, but it usually take something like a whole performance for God to wake me up and show me how big a deal it is for these precious girls. They are getting to do something that they would most likely never do, and are able to see how beautiful God has truly made each of them.

"They have been loved with an everlasting love, and are being drawn with His loving-kindness" (Jer. 31:3) and I'm so thankful to get to see it happening right before my very eyes.

Another awesome thing that I love about this dance ministry is that my little girl gets to be involved. This is a picture from the end of the year program, with River right in the middle of all her friends that she gets to learn with.