An Afternoon Visitor

It had been a full day in the office downtown today and as we were preparing to leave for the day a young lady with two small boys came in. We sat down at the table and I heard her story.....her husband is incarcerated and she is essentially homeless. Her furniture is packed up in a storage building and she is living from one shelter to another.
She explained that she was doing pretty good after her husbands arrest, with her grandmother in her home helping with the boys while she went out looking for a job until her grandmother was diagnosed with lung cancer and had to go back to Charlotte. She has been searching for a job for a very long time and there have been no openings. She lives on the bare minimum as she cares for her little ones and hopes and prays that she will be able to obtain a job in the near future. She has some medical experience and has applied at all the area hospitals without results.
I would be totally discouraged and down in the mouth but she was very pleasant, well dressed and mannerly. Her children were very obedient and responded well to her direction. She is out in the world caring for two small children and trying to make ends meet.
Got me to thinking about how bad we all think we have it. We have to clean, to cook for our husbands, to get to one appointment after another in our fine cars, and then we fuss when we have to go to work. We don't have near the odds against us, yet we groan and complain. Shame on us. What is that verse that goes something like this...."Do all things as unto the Lord without grumbling or complaining.
As you say your prayers to night, pray for Renee and her kids. She will have to find another place to live in two weeks cause her time will be up at this facilitiy. Pray we will be able to supply her with some resources that can help her living situation. Pray for her to have the strength she needs to raise those precious boys. Pray that God will provide her every need.
I am reminded of the passage in Matt. 10:42, "Whoever gives to one of these little ones [in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water because he is My disciple surely, I declare to you, he shall not lose his reward."
Oh Lord, help us to always be willing to give a cup of cold water to those who enter our doors who are in need. I know you brought this young lady our way today. Help us to know how to help her in your name. She acknowledged that she is a child of yours and we thank You for that. Help us know now how to help our sister in Christ in the coming days. We don't want to lose our reward in You Lord. Oh please don't let us lose this opportunity.

Brett's Day

Well I had it all planned to upload Brett's seventh Birthday picture but I left my camera in the bag that went home with my son........so this is about 2 years ago. We all had a blast at Brett's house with a celebration of just family. His desires have changed a bit in the way of gifts.....from play dough to DS games and Star Wars Lego's. He got three Lego sets and don't you know he can put them together by himself. Amazing.

I told him how we had waited for him seven years ago to be born. What a privilege to be there as he entered the world. Now that was a gift that I will never forget! He had a great time of playing with his three cousins, but the most fun is when he decided to throw the first tissue paper ball and then it was on. There were tissue balls flying all over the place as everyone pretty much got bombarded with them....for quite a long time. There was much laughter and NOISE! Don't you just love it. We were referred to as children......but isn't it fun to act like children occasionally. It will be a day of fond memories as the days move along.

I am feeling very privileged to have two wonderful children, two wonderful son and daughter in laws, two parents, a Grandma for my grandchildren to feel loved by, and a husband who made the effort to get up early from his sleep and come to join in the fun before heading off to work.

Thank you Father for my family and help me to always remember to cherish each one and enjoy the moment! You have done such a work in all of us and it is amazing to watch. Like someone told me recently...."God will turn your mourning into morning". Well I believe my morning has come. You were so true to your promise to me years ago......"I will bring your children home from the enemies camp." Thank You Lord....I love You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Amen.

Valentine's Day

It has been a filled day at the office, to the grocery store, home to cook, see my husband of forty-two years off to work and then drive back down to the office for board meeting tonight. It is not at all the normal anniversary celebration. We normally go somewhere special, like the Chop House to have dinner and then maybe on to see a movie but after forty-two years we find ourselves apart on this special day.

My husband works a lot of nights and this was his night to work.....so I have time to write...here all by myself. One good thought is that it should be the last year that we will be apart due to work. He plans to retire from his night work in November so... Lord willing next year this time we will once again be together. I guess one year of sacrifice is not so bad out of forty-two years huh?

Never fear though....we will celebrate tomorrow night cause we don't miss opportunities to celebrate! And forty-two is something to celebrate don't you think? In eight more years you can all come to our fitieth celebration....there again....Lord willing. So unbelieveable! I remember throwing fifty year anniversaries for our parents.....wasn't that a couple of years ago? Man how time flies. Enjoy the years together folks....cause it passes way too quickly. You will look around and wonder where the time went. Spend it well. Learn each other's love language and show love the way they enjoy. Thank you Gary for teaching us that concept.

I knew I was in love with Jimmy on the second date and I still am.....I still am! If you haven't made it to forty-two...hang in there. It is worth it.

God's Love is a Promise to Us

“No power on earth or heaven can separate us from God’s love. Not our sin, not any authority” Romans 8:38-39

A dear friend recently invited me to her son and daughter-in-law’s baby shower. There was a table set up with materials to make up a scrapbook and a note card to write down advice for the ‘parents to be’ which would be put in a booklet for them to refer to in the years to come.

I ended up taking my card home to think about before I attempted to write my advice down. The card laid on my bathroom counter in the hopes that it would prompt me to write down my words of advice, but I kept delaying the process.

There have been moments in my walk with our prodigal that I felt I was the last one anyone would want to ask for childrearing ideas. How about you, know what I mean?

One day, out of the blue, I decided to pick up that card and I wrote the following:

“As much as you love that precious baby right now, there may come a time you may not feel like loving her. Choose to love her anyway, unconditionally, just as our Lord loves us.”

If you are receiving this newsletter then it is conceivable that you understand what I said and why. There have been moments we didn’t feel like loving our child, our husband, our grandchild, or our wife. We may grieve over the choices our loved ones have made, but we have the choice of continuing to show them the same unconditional love God demonstrates toward us day after day. Nothing, not even our sin and rebellion, can separate us from His love.

Each time I attend a wedding and hear the vows taken, I think how most brides and grooms haven’t a clue what they are committing to. You never dreamed those vows you took to love, honor, and cherish whether in sickness or in good health, rich or poor might just be tested one day.

When we bring that child into the world we are taking the same vow to love, cherish, and take care of that one entrusted to us before releasing them into the Heavenly Father’s care. Some of you are at the point that you have had to release them due to continued bad choices, but continue to love and pray them home to their Father. It might have to be tough love but love them never the less.