Thankful for prayers....and eagles

Today as I was driving around doing some errands, I saw an Eagle flying right over the ditch next to the road.  This was one of those times I would love to have had a camera at the ready to capture the sight.  At first I thought it was just a hawk, but as it flew upwards towards the pole that it landed on, I could see it more clearly.  It was certainly a bald eagle.  I have seen eagles around here, especially near the rivers.  And there have been some nesting pairs seen in the area.  But today, I felt like that eagle appeared for me.

I love the reminder that is on this picture above.....  when we love Jesus, our hearts are healed.  But what came to my mind was Isaiah 40:31......

"But those who HOPE in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Yes, there it is again.  HOPE!  And not just any hope, but HOPE in the Lord.  Over the last week I have loved all the reminders about hope.  Today as I watched that eagle and the effortless way it just flew to that pole, I realized that is what true strength is.  Effortless soaring.  And tireless running, And endless walking.   It's times like these that I am more and more amazed by the Bible. Each day it seems that whatever section of the Bible I read, it applies to my life right now.  I blogged about being weak and needing the strength of Jesus.  I have been blogging about hope and then today, the eagle appears right in my line of sight.

At my small group, my friends prayed that I would feel the love of Jesus.  I have to admit that this week I have felt so loved by Jesus.  In the midst of loss and grief and sorrow and feeling so scattered, I have felt loved by Jesus.  It is really beyond explanation.  And it is so good. It is certainly an answer to prayer.

Sometimes we kind of take prayer for granted.  We say "I'll pray about that".  Or "please pray for me".  But I am not sure that we really DO pray or that we really expect anything to happen.  This week has been a time when I have really FELT the prayers of so many.  I know that our family has been covered and carried on the prayers of so many.   We are moving ahead. Things are getting accomplished.  Life is going on.  And even though it is hard, we are feeling your prayers.  And we are thankful.

Jesus, thank you for the reminder that my hope in you gives me strength.  Thank you for eagles and verses that speak right into us.  Holy Spirit, thank you for prompting us to pray....for ourselves and for others.   Jesus, thank you for your great love.   Amen

Celebrating an amazing life.......

Today I heard (via Facebook) that an amazing women had gone to be with Jesus.  Her name was Florence and I met her in 2005.  This picture is my dear Kenyan friend Lucy and her sister-in-law Florence and me. (Not a great picture, but so special to me) When Lucy came to the United States to give birth to her special daughter Hope-Lyn, she stayed with her brother John, his wife Florence and their family.  After Hope-Lyn was born, Lucy invited me to visit her in Atlanta, Georgia for Hope's dedication.  Florence and John welcomed me into their home and blessed me greatly.  If you remember from previous posts, Lucy and I had just met in 2004.  So to be welcomed and loved and blessed by her family, was so special.  That trip to Atlanta was quite a big deal for me.  I traveled by myself, into the unknown.  I had never been to Atlanta, didn't really know much about these people, but trusted the Lord.  One of the first lessons I learned about Kenyan culture is that Florence was introduced to me as "Mama Nelly".  This custom recognizes a woman's status as a mother of her first child. Florence and John have three children - Nellie, Maurice, and Daniel.  And she was always called "Mama Nelly"!  (I would be called "Mama Gwen") The entire weekend was just incredible.  In many ways, I felt like I was stepping back into Kenya.  I discovered that there is a large Kenyan community in Atlanta and they are very close.  Florence and John welcomed a HUGE group of people into their home to celebrate the great gift of Hope-Lyn.  There were multiple pastors and many, many prayers.  And the singing was just amazing.  Unless you have experienced being in a group of people who are singing in a language that you don't know, you won't understand.  For me, it was one of the best worship experiences I have ever had.    The presence of the Lord was so heavy in that home you just had to worship.  I didn't speak their language, I didn't know them, I was a white face in a sea of black people, yet I was at home and I belonged. What a blessing it was to have these people pray for me! 

And then there was the food.  Like most church events, everyone had brought food and Florence and John had provided a feast.  Let me tell you that I think I ate more Kenyan food in Atlanta than I did in Kenya!  Florence was quite happy to serve me my first ever goat!  And I learned a great deal about how the women in Kenya take care of each other after they have given birth.  Yes, it was a weekend that I will never forget.

When I think of Florence I feel the love of Jesus in a very real way.  She talked about the school that she and John had started in Kenya.  With tears in her eyes she explained about the great need of these little ones.  You could feel the love and care in her every word.  I remember the warmth and joy that filled that home. That visit changed me.  I realized that Jesus can bring people together for His purposes - even around the world.  I understood in a much clearer way, that the world was here in the United States.  And I was reminded that I left a piece of my heart in Kenya. 

It is a terrible loss for their entire family.  I will see Florence again, one day.  She is celebrating now at that great banqueting table in heaven with Jesus.  And there is most likely goat on the menu! 

Jesus, be with John and the entire family during this difficult time.  Thank you for the assurance that Florence is with you.  Holy Spirit, comfort all who mourn the loss of this special woman.  Thank you Jesus for the opportunity to know Florence.  Jesus bless Lucy and give her your peace in this difficult time.  Amen

What I learned in Vacation Bible School (today!)

It is HOT outside today -  I mean HOT -  like buckling the roads and melting the pavement hot.  I know that I don't usually focus on such mundane things like the weather, but today is just one of those days.  In spite of the heat, what is on my mind is something quite COOL!  (Okay - I know I am showing my age, but to me, something "cool" is well..... AMAZING! ) Today I went with my daughter Gwen and her children to their Vacation Bible School.  There is nothing better than a large group of kids singing, dancing, playing, crafting, just generally having fun while learning about Jesus.  I loved watching my grandchildren - oh how fast they grow up.  But the best part for me was watching my daughter, Gwen, lead the singing. It is wonderful watching someone fulfilling their destiny, right in front of your eyes.  She is talented and gifted in music, but her passion is sharing Jesus.   She loves children and she can relate to babies,  preschoolers, tweens, teens and adults. And they love her right back. What an amazing gift. 

All that aside,  here is a list of some of the things I learned today at Vacation Bible School........

1.  Don't worry..... just pray!
2.  Stand..........Strong!
3.  Spread the Love of Jesus to everyone!

Really - is there anything else that matters???  I need to take these lessons in and meditate on them.  Isn't it true that if we would stop all the fretting and just pray about things, we would all be better off?  It seems like such a basic principal, yet I know that there are far too many times that I worry more than I pray.  When I consider all the shaking and storms that seem to have been swirling around lately, the "Stand Strong"  message seems made for me.  When we are standing on Jesus, our rock, we ARE strong.  And it is our destiny to spread the love of Jesus to everyone.

Last night a dear friend was praying for me.  She saw me on the top of a Ferris wheel, at a carnival and there was colorful confetti just pouring out from me.  Today I pictured the love of Jesus as that confetti.  What an amazing picture.  Don't you think it would look wonderful if we could see the amazing colors of the love of Jesus pouring out of us as we walked through our day?  I am going to begin to think about the presence of Jesus that can change the atmosphere around me, as colorful confetti.  How beautiful would that be!

Yahweh, thank you for my amazing daughter.  Bless her and her family as she continues to walk in your plan and purposes for her life.  Thank you for those happy, dancing kids at VBS today.  Help them to hang on to all that they heard and saw today.  Water all the seeds that have been sown into their hearts.  And Yahweh, I want to thank you for the VBS programs Gwen attended and all the seeds that were sown into her life.  Thank you for what you are doing in my grandchildren.  Thank you for what you are teaching me.  And Jesus, thank you for helping us.