An early morning call

I was preparing for work this morning when the phone rang. I went to pick it up and saw it was my husband Jimmy. He explained that he had been involved in an accident. See he was coming home from his job after working 12 hours all night. A lady had run a stop light and he had plowed right into her. He was driving his big truck and she was in a small Toyota sooooooooooo guess who got the worse of that. They were both okay but Jimmy was complaining of a shoulder injury. I told him to go to our family Dr. to make sure it was okay and he checked out fine.
Jimmy's fellow Detention Officiers were right along behind him and they had stopped to help. I can just imagine the thoughts of this young lady with all these guys in sherriff uniforms surrounding her. She got out of the car confessing. Bless her!
As I called our children to report to them that Dad had had an accident but was okay, Melissa said, "What's wrong Mom". Poor thing has gotten calls so many times with bad news she knew that an early morning call could not be good.
As I looked at my phone I had gotten an email from Sylvia Gunter who has written many prayer books and in bold type it said, THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S. I had had this same scripture when our son attempted suicide. Stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord. WOW!
Jimmy encouraged me to go on to work and his friend would take him home as he lived in Clemmons. God had already given me peace and I knew He was in control so I did go on to work and everything worked out fine.
Our grandson Brett, was very upset about Papa and he and Melissa are coming to visit tomorrow and Brett wants to bring Papa a card. He is so sweet.
The truck was banged up pretty good but is fixable. It was Jimmy's Dad's truck and he has protected it for 10 years since his Dad's death. I knew it hurt his heart to wreck it but he took it well.
We are so grateful that no one was hurt and that God once again protected. We praise Him as our strong fortress and Mighty Warrior.

A Teachable Moment

I had promised our grandaughters that they could pick out a ring they had seen at Lifeway when their birthdays arrived. Due to schedules we were not able to get there till this past weekend. We had our almost two year old grandson with us when we went. He had a big time playing hide and seek with Papa. Then he saw a Veggie Tales lunch box on the shelf. He attached himself to it and when his sister tries to take it away he cries out, "Mine". Well you guessed it, we came home with a Veggie Tale's lunchbox!
On his way out the door he saw a stuffed dog and picked it up and put it under his arm and headed towards the door. This time we had to use it as a teaching moment and explain to him that he couldn't take it with him. He was so cute but he has to learn he can't have everything he wants, right? Not even from Mama and Papa.
When we got home from church on Sunday he took the lunch box to bed with him. Don't know how long he will be attached but it is cute for the moment. So cute, who can resist that little boy. He loves to call for mama and papa. Most times he says mama papa like it is one name. What a boy. We love being grandparents. They are all so special and have brought such pleasure to our lives.

Insecurities and Change

Man, what a powerful time with Beth, family, and friends yesterday. I am so happy my daughter, and daughter in law to be were able to attend. I have not finished her book as yet but I am learning more about my insecurities. God has given me two straight weekends of retreats and instruction. I feel very blessed that He has allowed me to come aside for Him to do new works in me. It was a powerful time of worship (Congratulations to Travis for his Dove Award). I pray I will learn how to deal with my insecurities as the Lord comes in and works on my heart.
Last week He told me to be content with who I am, this week He instructed me to lay down my insecurities. I look forward to new adventures with Him as He continues to make the changes in me He needs to.
I sense there are many changes coming. I know God is changing family relationships and bringing healing, for which I am most grateful. I am not one who normally likes change but I know He means it all for my good. Sometimes we get stagnant with things the way they have always been so He comes in and shakes it up a bit. We might not like it at first but then we can often see that the change was all good. Often times it gives us new freedom.
Just like the change with my computer. It took me about an hour on the phone with the technician today but now I am hooked up to Hi speed and I am sitting in my bed writing tonight. I will be able to go out on my porch now and downstairs in the basement. How cool is that! See I had resisted that change for so long but now that it is hooked up I can get better service all over the house. Loving it.
So I am learning to be more content with other changes in my life. It is not easy but we make our way through and with God's help we are able to "go with the flow" as my husband likes to say. It is much easier to go with the natural flow and direction then to try to swim upstream against it. I am learning to get excited about where the journey with take me.
Sandra

Quality Time

I called up my Dad to ask if he could help me put a cabinet together yesterday. He can do anything. I use to think so as a little girl and I haven't changed my mind. He was available so I went over and wouldn't you know they didn't put the right board in. I am so glad I didn't start the project on my own. I had opened the box and closed it back up cause it had too many pieces. Thank goodness my Dad had a drill and was able to make the holes that were needed to get it all together. Otherwise I would have had to take apart what we had done, stick it back in the box (or try), and then return it only to begin the process over. I wouldn't have been a happy camper.
Our son, Rob and grandson Kane, went over before I got there and helped Grandaddy move some boards that were laying on his grass. Kane swung with Grammie.
My daughter, Melissa, is coming over next weekend to help me sort through my home office and reorganize. The shelf will go in there. For some reason she thinks I shouldn't have things sitting around all over the floor. She thinks it will look better in a shelf with pretty little bins :). I think I agree.
I can't wait to get it all fixed and "Cute".
So you see I am spending quality time with those I love while getting things accomplished. After putting the shelf together we went to a seafood restaurant to eat. We hadn't been to that particular one in a while and it was sooooooooo good. Could have been cause I hadn't eaten lunch!
Now I will have to think of some way to repay all the favors I am recieving, huh? Melissa and I will probably go out to eat afterwards also. That girl can eat! She is precious to want to help her ole Mom. Ole, not old.
Jimmy and I spent quality time this week putting out rocks and stepping stones in the garden. It about broke our backs but it does look nice. We have more to do. It has been a desire of mine to put rock at the driveway drain pipe. It looked so bare and ugly. We got one side about done. We both came in and crashed afterwards.
Why am I telling you all this? I don't know, just chatting. It is a lot more fun doing a project with helpers. We about got ALL the family involed in helping each other this week.
Have a great day.
Sandra

The Potters house

I was invited to the Potter's House for a ladies retreat using God Guides. Our scripture passage was from, Jeremiah 18:2, " Go up to the Potters House, and I will give you a message. So I went up to the Potters house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him".

Well my mind focused on, "I will give you my message".That was enough to send me running as fast as I could to the Potters House. Nancy owns this property and man is it ever full of God's glory. Such beauty, such peace, such respite from the world.

One of the days we were on our own for a rest time and I chose to go off by myself right in the middle of the roaring brook. When you are there you feel like you are the only one there with God. That is where He talks and talks.
I could hardly write His words down fast enough. Some of it was private, just for me and some I can share but man did He speak.
My passage was from I Peter 5:6-8, "So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God. He is most careful with you." I had written beside the passage, The Message, cause I was reading the Message translation. Then I reread it and saw MESSAGE beside it and though bum, this is His message, this is what He wanted to bring me to the Potters House to tell me. WOW! I can't explain to you how free I felt as I left that place of solace. I have never been really content with who I am. He is teaching me over and over and I am loving it.
I had divine appointments both before and at the retreat. I believe God absolutely set me free from many things that bound me and had hurt me. He took it all away. I even did an art project that I discovered helped to identify some painful issues. They came out and Thank God Almighty I am free at last. Free to see what He has for me, free to experience new adventures, free to experience new relationships, free to restore and heal old relationships, FREE TO BE ME! What will that look like, better look out cause I don't know but I am ready!!!!! (Hope it will be better than the OLD me).
He has put a NEW SONG in my mouth and I pray He will give me wholehearted devotion to Him. I pray He has purged me of critical attitudes, and a gumbling spirit. All I know is I put my old heart in the firepit and He burned it up. Will I still have challenges......you know I will but it was an awesome time with Him and I loved it.

I got home and was talking to my Mother and she even told me I was a JEWEL!.. Amazing. Thank you Lord.
He thinks I am ok just like I am......Amazing.

Sandra

Spring, Did I say it is my favorite season????

How is it you forget from year to year the things you don't really like about the season. I was reminded this weekend, actually last week: When the tornadoes ripped through, when I had to start pulling weeds and cutting back dead limbs, when pollen covered my car and they reported it was the worse ever this year,when I pulled up old flowers and then suffered with poison oak all over my arms, hands, and some on my face. Ugh! I can look at the stuff and zap----I develop skin blisters and boil like areas! I started right away putting my cream on them but they really got bad this time. I feel like scratching them but know better.
One area really got bad and looked like a boil and hurt and got real inflammed. I thought, Wow, how did Job feel when he had boils all over. Job 2:7,"So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes." His friends didn't recognize him and kept silent for a week because his agony was so great.
Oh my goodness, puts it all in perspective, right? From the sole of his feet to the crown of his head. Man, I cannot even imagine. My worse area is between my fingers. Can you imagine scrabbing these sores and blisters with a potsherd? Ouch?
So there you go, this is nothing. It will all be gone in a few days. Yes, it looks gross but I think I can endure it. (Just hope my patients can tomorrow).
I just go in apologizing and telling them it is not contagious! "Yeah right," they say.
By the way, I think the devil planted that old stuff right where he knew I would dig, what do you think? Watch out my friend, he might just be out to get you too! :-)

Sandra

He is High and Lifted up

Man what a glorious day in the Lord as we sang praises to His name. He is high and lifted up, He is King, He is Saviour, He is worthy of our praise. Man, we sang to the rooftops today, how about you. Melissa shared with me that she lifted her hands with abandonment at her church today as Newsong sang. Hallelujah. Spontaneous worship. He couldn't be more pleased! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there's just something about that name. It demands our praise.
Our son and his family came to worship with us today and then we headed on to our daughter's for food and fellowship. We were a little rowdy and loud but that is just the way it is. We like it that way. There have been times we have not been able to celebrate all the family so we enjoy it when we can.
The kids had a ball hiding easter eggs and finding them. Even little Kane at under age 2 was learning the process and having a big time. So much fun to see the wonderment of the little ones and join in their little world. It is often more fun than ours!!!
It is great to see all four of them having fun together and hearing the laughter and sqeals of excitement as they find their eggs and open their baskets. Are they a little spoiled, yes, but isn't that the way it is suppose to be.
Our twin grandaughters turned 10 yesterday. Can't believe it. Seems like yesterday they had those two little bald, bobbing heads. None of us could tell them apart.
I hope you had a great time in the Lord today and then with your family. If some of your family members were missing from your celebration I prayed for you today. I know the pain of having that empty seat. Paw Paw had to miss today because he was working this weekend. He was sorely missed.
Praise God, Jesus is risen. May we all live in His resurrection power. Be happy in the Lord to day and everyday.
Sandra

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him

God had taken me to this passage from Job 13:15 yesterday. I thought, okay what does this mean Lord. Our son had been having stomach pain and they were doing an endoscopy yesterday. Did it mean I would recieve bad news, what?
We actually had some emotional battles to work through and I kept remembering, Yet I will trust Him!
This morning I went to Job 13:20-22. Job asked God to end his pain and stop frightening him with such terrors. In 14:1-12--Job embraced the fact of God's control over the issues of life but challenged their meaning. Job asked God for a little grace instead of such intense judgement and a little rest from the pain.
Psalm 56:3, Confidence in the Lord is a purposeful decision, replacing an emotional reaction to one's circumstances. Anguish is intensified by increasing harrassment in vs. 5. 56:8, David asked God to keep a remembrance of all his sufferings, so that God would eventually vindicate him. 57:1, I will make my refuge in the shadow of Your wings. When life becomes bizarre only ones relationship with his God calms the soul. (All these notes taken from John MacArthurs Bible commentary.
Isn't He good to keep us focused and trusting Him. What in the world would I do without Him who is my counselor, my guide, my Bride-Groom Lover.

Even though He slay me, yet will I trust Him! Amen and amen. He has proved Himself faithful over and over. I love Him so.
Sandra