Prints in the snow.....

It snowed again today.  Just a light dusting.  It was actually raining and icy when I left the house for my small prayer group meeting.  The salt trucks were out in full force.  At some point during my meeting the rain turned to snow leaving a very pretty covering on the sidewalks and lawns.  I noticed these tiny very cute prints in the snow as I was walking to my car.  Some cute little birdie had been taking a stroll across the sidewalk.  And that got me thinking about the paths that we chose to walk.

Yesterday I blogged about the presence of Jesus, which was the focus of the conference that I attended.  My friends and I talked about this at our meeting this morning.  What a blessing it is to have like-minded people to discuss and mull over and contemplate things.   And today we practiced being in the presence of Jesus.  The presence of Jesus is not just reading the Bible or talking about Jesus or even praying.  All of those things CAN help you experience the presence of Jesus, but they are not THE presence.  You have to choose to welcome the presence of Jesus to experience it.  This blog is not about getting into a big discussion about the theology or traditions that might arise from the things I am sharing.  But I hope that it will make you stop and think and consider that very personal choice towards the presence of Jesus.

When I saw those little prints in the snow after talking with my friends, I immediately thought about this story.  When I was about four years old, I had a very powerful dream.  This was no ordinary dream, I knew that as soon as I woke up!  In my dream I was walking in a very beautiful garden.  When I close my eyes I can still see that garden!  The amazing thing is that at 4, I had never seen anything like this place.  It was green and lush with trees and plants everywhere.  There were flowers lining the path that wound its way through all the beauty.  Suddenly I was aware that there was a man walking with me, and he was holding my hand.  As we walked down that path, he told me exactly who he was.  He explained that the story that I had heard in Sunday School about Easter was really true. He went on to explain that Easter was not about the Easter Bunny and candy but how he died on the cross and came back to life.  And then he told me that I needed to always tell the truth about those things. I needed to share the truth with everyone that Jesus had died for all of us and was alive and living in that wonderful garden.  Even now, more than 55 years later, I can still feel his hand holding mine.  There is no doubt that after that dream, I knew exactly what path I was on and the footprints I was walking in.  Now it would be a wonderful story if my life had been a "walk in the park" (catch that phrase....just like my dream) from that point on.  But the truth is, that didn't happen.  I told my mom about this dream and she just sort of blew me off.  She told me it was just a dream and people didn't "talk about these things".  She told me that I should not tell anyone about this dream.  And I was obedient.  As a matter of fact, that dream was not in my mind until many, many years later.  It wasn't until I made a choice to welcome the presence of Jesus into my life, that the dream came back into my memory.   And I believe that this is the first time I have shared this on this blog.  Yet this is the truth.  And Jesus told me to share this truth with everyone.  In this dream was the presence of Jesus.

Okay, I will leave that for now.  I am sure that many of you are wondering what is going on.  I guess that this is the path I am on right now.  The path of sharing the truth.  And to encourage you to all make a choice to welcome the presence of Jesus.  Just ask!

Jesus, thank you for reminding me to share the truth.  Holy Spirit, bring the presence of Jesus to us and give us grace to welcome that presence every day and every hour of every day.  Thank you for friends and fellowship that strengthen us.    Help us all to see the path that you have laid out before us.  Thank you for little birds that leave footprints.   Amen

Where my mind is today......found in a mystery box.

So last Saturday, Ken and I were doing some serious "clean out" of those sort of hidden places.  You know, the drawers and cupboards that you don't really look at much.  We had several large garbage bags of true junk, several bags of stuff to go to the kids and some things to go to Goodwill.  Later in the day, I was looking around in the master bedroom walk-in closet, looking for potential Goodwill donations and I saw a plastic storage box stuck way up on the top shelf of the closet organizer.  So I dug out the step stool, and pulled down the "mystery box".  This is what was in that box....

This is my wedding dress and veil.  From 1974.  It was not packed carefully away or "preserved".  It was literally stuffed in a plastic box.  And I really thought I had gotten rid of this years ago!  This was not a "designer wedding gown".  I know that I mentioned in a previous blog that I got this out of a bargain list and paid $19 for it.  I did buy the head piece and veil and actually paid more for them than the dress!  When I THOUGHT I got rid of it, I must have had some hesitation.  For some reason, I shoved it in a storage bin.  I am so thankful right now that I did that.  

I know that most likely no one else will ever want to wear this dress.  Gwen and Susie both have amazing wedding dresses that were professionally preserved in case one of their children wants to use them.  But I have a strong feeling that somewhere down the line, one of those grandchildren will be thankful that I saved this dress.  Not for the dress, but for the memories.  I have spent hours and hours preserving pictures of events, people and places.  And I am beginning to understand how important it is to have physical things to go along with the memories.  

I am so thankful that these two items have been preserved and they are now in Gwen's hands.  The top picture is the cedar chest that belonged to my grandmother, Nora Toensing.  My mom had this chest (along with her own cedar chest) and she gave it to me when she moved into her apartment.  I had this in my home for many years, and passed it on to Gwen when she got married.  Now it is particularly special since Lia's middle name is Nora and someday she may get this chest.  The ring is extremely special to me.  I remember my mom talking about this ring.....well ALWAYS!  This ring was her mothers wedding ring and it was given to my mom's sister Bea.  Aunt Bea had no children and when she died, my mom received all of her belongings.  Finally, my mom got this ring and really enjoyed it for several years.  She felt very strongly that I should have this ring and I knew I needed to pass it on to Gwen.  There is something very powerful in holding these objects that had belonged to my grandmother.  Especially important because we never really knew her.  I could see it in my mom's eyes when she looked at that ring and imagined her mother wearing it.  

So just like the very solid and clear footprints that I have been blogging about, sometimes it is good to have solid and firm objects to touch and hold.  I felt a flood of memories when I looked at my wedding dress and touched the fabric.  So many things came back to my mind.  And I was amazed at how very, very SMALL this dress was (I mean, really, was I that small, way back then???? I guess I was!).  

As I began to write this blog, I was filled with the thought of the Communion Table.  This might seem silly, but to me, these elements, the bread and wine  - real objects - that you can touch and taste so increase the meaning for me.  I love that Jesus used everyday objects to convey a special Spiritual message -  His very real presence for us.  And tonight, I am thankful for objects that are physical reminders of important "footprints" in my life.  Yes, this whole thought changes the way I view the things that I have saved.  And I think it will change how I decide WHAT I will save from here on out!   May need a few more storage boxes!  

Jesus, thank you for knowing us so well and providing connections for us through things that we can see, feel, touch and taste.  Holy Spirit, thank you for drawing me down the path to understand the importance of preserving not only memories in pictures, but also objects.  Thank you for yet another depth of understanding to the footprints on my spiritual path.  Amen

Walking in the (hidden) footprints of another great lady....my aunt Avis

This picture is my mom (on the left) and my aunt Avis.  I can just imagine my mom and Avis sitting around, right now in heaven,  having a cup of coffee with some kind of wonderful baked sweet roll, and they are laughing.   Because that is how I remember my mom and Avis together.   They had a very special bond since they were the only "in-laws" in my dad's family (Avis was my dad's brothers wife).  There were four sisters so this was a "special club" so to speak.  And our family and Avis' family were similar ages.   Avis had four children, my cousins John (who was similar in age to my brother Jerry), Marvin (who is similar in age to my sister Julie), Corrine (who is the same age as my brother Greg) and Thoralee (who is just 2 years older than me).  Let me tell you a bit about this favorite aunt of mine.

Avis was a teacher in the one room school not far from our lake home in northern Minnesota.  She met and married my uncle Walfred and they had a home that included a house for my grandparents.  And I believe at one point, they also had Avis' parents living with them.  Walfred was not well physically, and after he could no longer farm, they rented out the land.   By the time I was old enough to remember, Walfred was very sickly and spent most of his time on the couch.  He died when I was 7 or 8 years old.  Avis and the children continued to live in the house that had at one time, been my grandparents home.  It was small and not modern.  And by this I mean....no running water, no indoor plumbing, and a WOOD cookstove!   Some of my very best memories are spending time with my aunt Avis.  When my dad would want to go on a run to acquire wood for some project, I would beg to spend time with Avis.  And she was always willing for me to come and stay with her for a few hours. She would take me out to the garden and I would help her pick vegetables.  For this "city" girl, I couldn't believe how wonderful it was to eat peas right out of the garden!  I can still almost taste them.  And then we would pick berries (I'm not exactly sure what kind of berries but they were delicious).  She had one of those old phones that you would "ring up" the operator to make a call.  And her "ring" was two longs, a short and a long (I think!)  And it was a party line where you might hear someone's conversation when you picked up the ear piece!  And Avis was an extraordinary baker.  Yes, on the wood cookstove.  I remember her looking for exactly the right piece of wood to put in the stove for the bread and rolls to bake just right.  I remember her punching down the dough to make rolls - something I had never seen done.  These were the years that my mom worked full time and the only bread I knew was "Wonder Bread" that came in a wrapper!   And she also sewed (you might remember my blog about the Barbie clothes that my cousin made and sent to me). And I remember that she loved to read and she loved music.  As the years went by, there were improvements made to the house.  They added running water and a bathroom.  And sadly, the wood stove was also replaced.  Just before my uncle died, they had added a bedroom on the front of the house so he wouldn't have to walk up the stairs.  That room had a view of the church, just across the road.  I remember well, the day that I asked Avis if it bothered her to look out the window and see the church graveyard where so many of our family were buried, including my uncle Walfred.  She took my hands and said, "Lynnie, (She always called me Lynnie - even after my kids were born!) those are just remember places.  The people are not there!  They are up in heaven with Jesus!  Don't be afraid of cemeteries and graveyards.  Because we know that our loved ones are not here anymore."  And then she told me how important that church was to her.  That it represented so much to her and how comforting it was for her to see it there, just across the road.

This was the only time I ever remember having a conversation with Avis about church, Jesus or anything spiritual.  But there was so much about Avis' life that spoke volumes about her character.  She loved her family and cared for them before herself.  Her parents and her in-laws were her concern.  She had two sisters that never married and she watched out for them in their later years. She really had a heart of gold.  My mom was very sad when Avis began to lose her memory and become confused.  Eventually, she went to live in a senior residence.  Mom always visited her on her trips to the lake.  But here's the thing, mom said that Avis always knew who she was was and they would have great conversations about things from years and years ago.  She was always glad to see her and had a big smile on her face.  After Avis died, mom always said that she knew she would see her again in heaven.

Sometimes the footprints we follow from our childhood are not obviously deep spiritual footprints.  At least not on the surface.   When I was thinking about people who had a profound impact on my walk with Jesus, I thought of Avis.  I remembered that conversation about death and the faith and trust I saw in her.   So while I never heard her quote a Bible verse, or really talk much about Jesus, I know that she had a deep faith.   And it is those footprints of deep faith, that I am walking in today.

Maybe this will cause you to take a closer look at the people in you life.  At first glance you might not think of the spiritual implications from someones life, or the impact on your own spiritual walk.  But there are lots of diamonds in the rough out there.  People with deep faith and convictions that might not be very "out there" with their spiritual walk.  Let the Holy Spirit lead you to uncover your own hidden footprints and the amazing people who made them.

Jesus, thank you for reminding me of these hidden footprints.  Thank you for causing me to dig deep into my past to uncover this amazing part of my path in following you.  Thank you for family and the memories that encourage and grow our faith.   Holy Spirit, help us all to see the gems in our family tree.   Amen

Walking in the footprints.....of Kenya

Today I received a wonderful email that included several pictures of Hope-Lyn's 9th birthday. Hope-Lyn is my namesake! This is Hope and her mother, Evangelist Lucy Wa Ngunjiri.  Lucy is the founder of PBB Ministries and a radio personality on Kameme FM.  PBB (Prayers Beyond Boundries) ministry is a large prayer focused ministry that is a grass roots prayer movement.  They are currently in week 13 of concentrated prayers for Kenya. Large crusades are held all over Kenya and people are saved and changed through this ministry every week.  Every week she ministers to Kenyan people, all over the world, through her radio broadcasts.  They sponsor a children's home (orphanage) and school that has cares for and educated many, many children.    Yes, Lucy is one of those people that have really solid and deep footprints that I am walking into.

I know that I have blogged in the past about my relationship with Lucy.  We met in 2004 when I visited Kenya.  She was my translator when I spoke to children and teachers and shared that Jesus had a plan and destiny for each one of them.  Something happened in that meeting - it was certainly a God thing - and Lucy and I just "connected".  I was just a regular women from the United States and Lucy was already quite a well known radio personality.  One thing is certain, Jesus had a plan and destiny for us to be in relationship.  I have been so blessed and encouraged and, quite frankly, challenged by Lucy's faith and trust and wisdom.  If you would like a peek into her ministry, take a look at Lucy's Facebook page.

When I met Lucy, her husband was working in Sudan.  It was not a safe place to be.  He was working in the refugee camps and there was a war going on.  Yet, she seemed so calm about this.  She told me it was where Jesus wanted him to be, so it was going to be alright!  Her trust and faith in Jesus were so clear.  I have had several opportunities over the last 10 years to see Lucy.  My family got to meet her and her husband and Hope-Lyn and I was blessed to have her in my home for a visit. Lucy is convinced that I need to return to Kenya and that there is something for me to accomplish there.  I am just trusting that Jesus will reveal His plan to me!

But here is the thing, I can't really believe that Lucy feels that same connection!  I am always surprised that she remembers me, thinks of me and prays for me and my family.  She is one very busy lady that has much on her plate.  And I know that, other than my prayers, I have nothing to offer to her.  Yet she still calls me her friend.  That is how I know our relationship is God-ordained.

Her email today included this line....."I am dedicating Psalm 20 to you and your beautiful family".

 1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;

    may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

² May he send you help from the sanctuary

    and grant you support from Zion.

³ May he remember all your sacrifices

    and accept your burnt offerings.

⁴ May he give you the desire of your heart

    and make all your plans succeed.

⁵ May we shout for joy over your victory

    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

⁶ Now this I know:

    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.

He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary

    with the victorious power of his right hand.

⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

⁸ They are brought to their knees and fall,

    but we rise up and stand firm. 

⁹ Lord, give victory to the king!

    Answer us when we call!

What a powerful blessing to know that she is praying this for me and my family!  Sometimes the biggest surprise about these footprints is how deep, how firm and how strong they are.  And another surprise is that we don't always CHOOSE the footprints we walk in!  Sometimes the choice is made for us!  I believe that I will be spending some time meditating on these verses.  Then I will continue to walk on in those footprints!  

Jesus, thank you for you plan that brought Lucy and I together.  I know this is one of those times that I just don't understand fully what you are doing, but for today, I am just so thankful for Lucy and Hope-Lyn.  Help us all to see and appreciate the people that YOU have brought into our lives.  The ones that we know have to be because you planned it.  Holy Spirit, open our eyes and give us ears to hear you speak to us as we look at the people around us who have shaped our lives.  Thank you for encouragement that comes through email.  Thank you for friends and family.   Amen

Singing while I walk in those footprints...

Wow, it's been a long time since I first heard this CD.....and it was life changing.  In the course of several months, I acquired ALL of his CD's.  Each one seemed better than the one before.  I had some "favorites" among other music, but nothing really touched me to the same depths as this music.  I am sure that there was a powerful anointing on Terry when he worshiped and as these (mostly live) worship times were recorded.  I have 9 different CD's and I don't think I can choose a favorite one.  I planned and hosted an entire women's retreat weekend using one of these CD's.  It was one of the best weekend retreats I have ever led - or for that matter- been on!  Yes, I love this music.

Now, here's the thing about this music.  Somewhere around four years ago, there was a point when this music was no longer on the market and Terry MacAlmon was not touring.  He had experienced a personal crisis of faith and had stepped down from the ministry.  So, suddenly, all of his music was considered "off limits" and across the board,  it was no longer used in worship.  So, in obedience to my leaders, I stopped listening to this music as well.   What happened to me personally, was that I experienced a dark place as far as worship.  It became so hard for me to even enter into worship, no matter where I was.  This was a difficult, difficult time for me.   One of the hardest things for me was that I didn't really understand why all of this music was so suddenly not good.  Okay, he might have made a mistake, but which one of us hasn't been there?  But does that immediately discredit everything good that Jesus had done in the past?  And where is forgiveness in this ?  After some time, I saw that Terry and returned to ministry and was touring again.  Even after I was told that it was not a good idea to return to this music, I thought I would trust that Jesus would show me if this was not something I was supposed to be doing.  So I began again to listen and worship.

The result was almost an immediate upswing in my spirit.  As a matter of fact, I really believe that it was this music that spurred me to step out and begin this blog.  And it was around that time that I stepped out into some other new and different places also.  So this music represents some powerful footprints for me.  I have walked in them, stopped and then began walking once again.   As I have mentioned before, I may not agree totally with Terry, but Jesus is the central focus of all of his music. That music is a wonderful blessing to me.

One of the most divisive things in the church is how we treat our sisters and brothers who fall, make mistakes, or have some other kind of crisis.  This whole process with this music has convinced me that I need to just keep my focus on Jesus and trust that He will guide and direct me.  And I believe that is a good place for others to stay.  So my encouragement to you tonight is to keep your focus on Jesus!  And that is enough.

Jesus, thank you so much for Terry MacAlmon and this amazing music.  Thank you for speaking to me and ministering to my spirit through the words and melodies of these songs.  Holy Spirit, it is so amazing to know that you will guide and direct us and keep us on that right path.  Thank you for footprints and music and mostly, thank you for Jesus.  Amen

A different kind of footprint today!

Today was a celebration day for our family.  We had a big party to celebrate Doug and Susie's soon to be born baby!  Who doesn't just love a baby shower?  There is no happier occasion.  The party was held at a beautiful location.  The room was lovely and the views were breathtaking.  From the outdoor deck there were views of lovely lakes, a waterwheel, trees and nature.  It was so calming and peaceful. We had a "woodland animal" theme (very much Doug and Susie) and there were little paw print decorations.

And of course we are all anxious for those sweet little baby footprints!   I am so excited for this baby to come!  This will be our fifth grandchild and each one is so special.  This is the first time that the sex of the baby is going to be a surprise and I am more than anxious to know whether it is a boy or girl! Alas, we have a few more weeks to wait.

I love this verse from Proverbs 17:6............

Children's children are a crown for the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. 

I love this idea of grandchildren being a crown!  Let me tell you I have had my share of tiaras and crowns on my head with Lia and Ellie.  But the thought of the message behind this verse is so much more.  I love being able to see the destiny of my grandchildren.  To watch them grow in their walk with Jesus and their love for Him.  There is nothing better than knowing that there is an eternal plan and destiny that is being worked out through our family.  I remember my mom telling me that she had always thought that grandchildren were the very best...UNTIL she had great grandchildren!  She said that it was such a blessing to add one more layer of crowns on your head.  Having children was just great - like a tasty piece of cake.  Having grandchildren was wonderful - like smooth creamy frosting on that cake. But those great grandchildren are like the sprinkles and the cherry on top!  My mom had 22 great grandchildren when she died.  Anna would be 23 and this coming baby would be 24.  So she had lots and lots of sprinkles and cherries!  She embraced and loved on all of them.

Yes, today was a day of feeling very blessed.  When I look at my all grown up adult children, I get a bit teary.  Seeing Doug today, I had moments when I flashed back to a time when I wasn't sure I would ever see him as an adult.  And here he is, a husband and father.  And seeing Gwen with her family just makes my heart happy.  I am so, so blessed.

Yes, these were new footprints today that I walked in....coming footprints of a sweet new grand baby.  We all just need to look around us to see and celebrate the blessings that are right in front of us.  Take a moment and see the blessing that you are to your parents and your grand parents - yes even your great grand parents.  Each of us need to see and understand this and celebrate it. Today we need to see the place that we hold in our own family.  And enter into the celebration that our life brings.

Jesus, thank you so much for new life and celebration.  Thank you for joy and understanding that comes from knowing our own place in our families.  Holy Spirit, help us all to see and celebrate who we are and the family that Jesus planned for us.  Thank you for Doug and Susie and this wonderful new life!  Amen

Seeing Eye to Eye..........sometimes!

I just love this picture I took on Thursday of Anna and Zeke.  They just love being together (usually). Now that Anna is mobile and crawling everywhere, she sometimes gets into Zeke's toys and at that moment, he is not to happy with her.  He told me "Anna is rude!" which is his word for not being very nice.  But I captured a moment when Zeke was playing with Anna and letting her touch his favorite blanket.  Anna is just all smiles whenever she sees Zeke.  I am sure that Anna will do quite a bit of following in Zeke's footsteps. For right now, they see things "eye to eye".  I expect that might not always be the case.  But I know that Anna will look up to her sisters and brother and watch the way that they go.  Yes, I have been thinking about footsteps and the paths we walk over the last couple of days.

When I saw this post from The Passion Translation it was a breath of fresh air for me.  I realized that over the last couple of days I have been thinking about those footprints that I saw.  And it is kind of hard to imagine following the wrong set of footprints.  So, now, as long as you are loving the truth, and have wonder and worship of God you WILL be on the right path, walking in the correct footprints.  PHEW...............  I'm so glad I settled that before I began to write about those footprints.  In fact, I think that is why I got so "stuck" when I started writing about this.  There was a part of me that wondered if all of the "footprints" I had walked in were the "right" ones.  But after this reminder from the Bible, I know that my path has been the "right" path and the right footprints!

And, as far as that "seeing eye to eye" phrase, here's the thing!  I have learned that there is really only one thing that matters...Jesus and who He is and what He did for us.  If I step into some one's footprints for a part of my path, there might be things that don't exactly flow with what I believe.  As long as Jesus is the center and the core of that footprint, then I am in the right place!  I have learned much, and grown much by walking with people who are different than me as far as the "side light" things that seem to divide the Christian community.  One of the saddest things is having one part of the Christian Church degrade or discredit another for one of these "not central" issues.  I think that has weakened the power that we have in Jesus.  So I am not afraid to talk about ALL of the footprints that have been my path.  I am thankful for how I have grown and learned from each of them.

Well, I think that is enough to chew on for today.  I am sure that some of you may be thinking "what is she talking about?" or "is she totally nuts?".  I am convinced that this is exactly what I need to be writing about right now.  This is the beginning of a new year in the Jewish Calendar.  And this year is a year of double blessings.  I am trusting that if you follow along with me, we will both be surprised and amazed by what Jesus is revealing to us.

Jesus, thank you for what you are beginning to speak through this footprint vision.  Thank you for the reminder today that all that is really important is Jesus...who you are and what you have done for us.  Holy Spirit, please continue to speak to us all as we seek to go deeper into the path we are following.  Thank you for grace and love and truth.  Amen

Walking in footprints of the past.........and the present

So this is a picture of a very young Doug, at that famous walk in Hollywood, California, standing in the footprints of Eddie Murphy.  This was actually the very first "big" vacation that we ever took as a family.  We flew to California, stayed in LA, went to Disneyland and MGM Studios. On our first day we took an amazing whale watch boat trip and we saw whales!  We took a brief tour of Hollywood (can you believe that we were actually there on Academy Awards night and the traffic was terrible.  We had no idea and drove into the mess) Ken got stuck driving around while the kids and I looked at a small area of the names on the walkway.  I'm still glad we did this.  We completed this vacation by driving to San Diego and visited the beaches and the Zoo! One of the most memorable parts of this trip was our return home.  We heard that there was a late spring snow storm in Chicago and decided to try to get on an earlier flight.  When we actually got placed on an earlier flight we did the RUN through LAX to get to the gate on time.  We had four seats scattered across the plane, but we were thankful to get in at Ohare. It was one of the last flights to land before the storm hit.  The next morning we woke up to a thick snow everywhere.  It was hard to process going from warm, sunny and ocean to cold, snowy Chicago.   But now, on to the reason for this reminiscing.  Walking in the footprints.

Today I was thinking about the many, many people that have left footprints...and I am talking about SPIRITUAL footprints...that I have walked into in some way.  Certainly there are people in each of our families that have left imprints that we follow.  Then there are the well known names from the past - the greats - the spiritual giants.  They leave footprints that many, many people walk into.  And then there are those people who are walking with us, right now.  The book writers, the conference speakers, the evangelists....the well known in the Christian world.  Included in this list are the local pastors that reach so many every week.  And there are also those faithful everyday people, like the couple I blogged about yesterday, who volunteer their time and touch so many lives.

I've been stopped at that paragraph for some time.  Just thinking about all of the different people that have left an imprint that I have walked into.  I am having a hard time deciding which person I am going to focus on in this blog!  Yes, I think that this might become a bit of a series, as I work through this thought.  Actually, I am sure that if you all stop right now and think about this, you will be able to come up with your own lists.  And I didn't even include all of the Biblical people that I can't wait to meet!  I have realized how important people in our own family tree are in our spiritual walk.  They leave footprints that we walk in as well as sow spiritual seeds into us and our families.

This is really interesting.  I don't often feel so "stuck" as I am writing this blog.  For some reason this just seems so BIG!  Earlier today I was getting my eyes checked.  I was sitting in a dark room waiting for my pupils to dilate, and as I was praying, I SAW (in my spirit) a very clear row of footprints. At first I was thinking about the popular "footprints" on the sand picture and poem.  But this was very different.  The footprints were deep and solid.  They were like the prints in concrete that we saw in Hollywood.  So I am sure that there is a message here for me and for you!  For now, I think I will just spend some time meditating on the fact that these FOOT PRINTS are very real and Jesus has something to say to us in them.

Jesus, thank you for speaking to me today.  Holy Spirit, continue to show me and everyone reading this today, not only the footprints that are before us, but the footprints that we have already walked in.  Reveal to us, the people who left the footprints that we are walking in right now.  Help us to understand the importance of this message, and to consider the footprints that we are leaving as we walk out each day for you.  Amen