When you get confirmation........

This weekend we got to "dog sit" for Sammy and Kylie when Doug and Susie took a quick overnight getaway.  It is really interesting to see how relaxed and at home these two doggies are when they come to visit.  Within five minutes of Doug and Susie leaving, both dogs were asleep in their beds.  They both spent all night soundly sleeping in their beds and Sammy woke me up this morning with a lick to my face!  It is certainly fun to have these little doggie times.  It is confirmation to me that although I love dogs, at this stage of our lives it is better to just get our "dog fix" through our "grand dogs"!

Another bit of confirmation for me was reading this post from Lana Vawser.  It is basically the same message that I shared in my last post about all the ways we compare ourselves to others.  I believe that I am not the only person hearing this message so there must be others out there that are dealing with this jealousy, comparison issue.  It is worth reading her post for more insight on this subject.

To finish out my weekend, I totally rearranged my scrapbooking room.  I still have more to do, but I actually moved the furniture and set things up.  I really can't believe how much more room I have just by moving a couple of tables.  This is a really small room but suddenly I have room to breathe.  I had been considering doing something different in that room for some time, but it just seemed like it would not change anything.  There is nothing NEW in the room, it is all the same old stuff. Yet it feels new.  After shutting out the light in my "new" room, as soon as I sat down at the computer I realized the message that this brought to me!  Sometimes there are places in our life where we just need to "rearrange" things a bit.  Before I moved those tables, I threw out several large bags of trash.  And there may be some things that need to be removed before things can be put into new places.  I moved my work station to the opposite wall, so now I am facing an entirely new direction and I have a very different "view" of things as I work.  This was confirmation to me that the shifting that I have been feeling in my spirit is actually just some "rearranging"!  I have certainly felt that there has been some shaking out of some things that were clearly junk that I did not need to hang on to.  And I have been sort of resisting the shifting I have felt that seemed scary.  After tonight, I am kind of anxious to see where the rearranging of things in my life might take me.  I can't wait to find out what direction I might end up facing.  I am looking forward to finding out exactly what my view might be when everything is finally moved around!  Quite an interesting result of some cleaning!  

Isn't it just amazing how these bits of confirmation come to us?  I have felt so encouraged in each of these seemingly small details.  But I know that often, the most important things are contained in the little things. Yes, it has been a refreshing time this weekend.  I got to take several long walks (not that the weather was wonderful.....it was COLD and RAINY) but it was good to be out with Sammy and Kylie.  I love thinking that someone way around the world in Australia is hearing the same message from Jesus.  And then it is so fun to know that Jesus can get my attention even when I am moving furniture.  Isn't that something?  Be encouraged to stop, look and listen in your own circumstances.  You just never know when you might get some confirmation when you least expect it!

Jesus, thank you for caring for each of us so individually.  Thank you for giving us exactly what we need, even when we don't know that we need it.  Holy Spirit that you for bringing me clarity about the shaking I am feeling and excitement about what is to come.  Help us all to remember to look for the confirmations that you bring to us.  Thank you for doggy kisses and cleaner rooms!  Amen 

Times of transition - hard on us and others!

This picture is Doug's first day of Kindergarten and Gwen's first day of 3rd Grade in 1987.  I was thinking about this picture while waiting for the bus this morning with Ellie and Lia.  Ellie has just started Kindergarten and Lia is in 3rd Grade.  I had Zeke and Anna in a double jogging stroller.  This is quite an experience for this grandma!  It's been a long time since I went to a bus stop!  Ellie marched happily on the bus (after giving both Zeke and Anna a hug and a kiss) grabbing Lia's hand.  This is, in itself, pretty amazing since Ellie wasn't so sure she wanted to go to school.  After a week, she loves it.  All of these transitions are really a big deal and I don't think that we appreciate just how difficult it is for these little kids.  Zeke looked a bit sad as we walked back to the house after the bus drove away.  He wanted to know when he could go on that bus.  When I told him that he needed to be 5 he kept saying, "I'm 3!"  Don't think he really understood what I was saying.  Zeke and Ellie are great playmates.  Ellie always seem to include Zeke in whatever she is playing.  So without her, Zeke is a bit lost.  He found his cars and all his ramps and finally played happily for a long time.  Later Zeke managed to get Anna laughing and laughing.  They will be good buddies as she gets older. But boy was he missing Ellie!

Here's the thing about transitions.  They are rough on YOU but they also effect other people around you!  Ellie is having some trouble with this big adjustment to full day school, and Zeke is having problems because Ellie is not home anymore.  Isn't it true that when we are dealing with the stress and shaking that comes with changes, we are NOT thinking much about others and how they are effected.  Nope, it is usually all about us.  I believe that most, if not all, of my friends are in some kind of transition or time of stress right now.  There is a lot of shaking and uncertainty.  And because we are ALL in this, each of us are in some way touched by the stress of our friends.   This reminder today will cause me to have a bit more grace for those around me.  I'm going to take more time to consider how my transitions are making waves for others.  Of course, the first thing that comes to my mind is how Ken is being effected by me not working.  I am sure this has been just as rough on him.  But I am so thankful for him!  Last night, after working all day, (with a storm approaching), he replaced the brakes on my car!  Yep, he was out there on that hot driveway, covered with grease, just so that I would have a safe car to drive.  WOW!  That's all I can say about this.  I am very blessed.

Jesus, thank you for Ken and those new, noise free brakes on my car.  Thank you for the reminder that other people may be just as upset as we are with the transitions we are facing.  Holy Spirit, give us grace to be patient with ourselves and others.  Jesus, you are the rock and our stability when things are unstable around us.  Help us all to stand firm on you and hold fast to the truth that you are in control!  Amen

I need to pay attention!

In the last two days I have discovered that, even though I have been writing this blog, I have not been taking in everything that I have written!   I blogged about the peace that Yahweh brings in the storms and the shaking.  I blogged about the covering of the love of Yahweh that surrounds us.  I blogged about the bitter-sweet rainbow after the storm.   Yet today I was amazed by Yahweh.

My husband Ken and I have just completed two "legs" of a rather long drive to reach our vacation destination(s).  Last night Ken drove in the worst storm I think I have ever experienced.  It was dark (after 8pm), there was SOOOOOOOOO much traffic - including large semi trucks, and the storm was beyond description.   We had about 45 miles to our hotel and at times I really didn't know if we would make it.  Our car was shaking, the road was covered in several inches of rain and you could not see a thing. The sky was just constant lightening strikes all around.  And did I mention that we were in the middle of downtown Louisville, Kentucky?   At the moment, I confess, I was not thinking about Yahweh's peace!  I should have been.   When we were about 22 miles from the hotel, and mostly out of the city of Louisville, I think I finally took a breath.  It was still a downpour, but the traffic had eased up and you could sort of see.  And I was just simply so grateful to have gotten through this storm.  It stormed for most of the night.  Both Ken and I were a bit shaken up.  As I was laying in bed, in my thankfulness to Yahweh, I remembered His promise of peace in the storm.

There were more storms predicted along our route for today, and I called on my good friends and intercessors to cover our trip in prayer.  And because Yahweh is faithful, we were able to avoid the majority of the major storms that were in our path.  We stopped and had a longer than usual lunch, which kept us out of a major storm crossing our route.  And just as we were passing the last major storm system (which never did cause us any rain), right in front of us, an amazing rainbow formed!  It was truly a reminder of Yahweh's promises to us.  The last 100 miles of our trip were clear sailing. 

So take my advice....... 1.  In the midst of the storm, remember Yahweh's peace!  2.  ASK for prayer covering and support - it makes a difference when you know others are standing with you.  3.  Remember Yahweh's covenant promises!  He always keeps them. 

Thank you Yahweh for calling me your child.  Thank you for your love and your amazing promises.  And thank you for being patient with me - even when I don't remember to trust you in the midst of the storm.  

Mean what you say and say what you mean!

Little Ellie, my 4 year old granddaughter,  announced yesterday that she was very scared of potatoes!  Of course she is not really afraid of a food item.  It was storming very badly and what she meant to say was that she was scared of tornados!  Today I have been thinking about the times when I may have said something that wasn't at all what I intended to say.  And I also have been meditating on the many messages I have heard that seem to have a hard time communicating what the speaker actually wants to say. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could keep our communications to short, simple, ideas?  I remember once hearing that every speaker should keep the content of messages at a 3rd grade level since that is all most people can absorb.  I suppose some people might say that this is "talking down" to a crowd.  But, then again, I can often remember the children's message given during a church service and totally forget what the main sermon was about.  

I am very thankful that Yahweh doesn't speak to me in complex and confusing ways.  When I have received something, I know exactly what Yahweh is saying.  Sometimes I am unsure of the intended recipient or the timing.  But I know that I need to pay attention to what has been given to me.  So, here is today's short, simple message.....   "In the shaking and storms, I AM with you.  I will hold you and rain my peace and presence down over you, and in you.  Because I love you."

Thank you Jesus for being with me and in me.  Thank you that your peace is more than enough, even in the storm.   Amen