Don't worry, it really is a dog's life!

Have you heard the old saying, "It's a dog's life"?  Well, this week I have been observing exactly what a dog's life is like!  We are "dog sitting" for Doug and Susie who are away on a much needed vacation......without Sammy and Kylie!  We are sharing the doggie duty with Susie's mom and dad, but so far, this is what I have learned about the dog's life.....

Sammy and Kylie spend most of their time doing exactly what they are doing in this picture.  Sleeping in their plush little beds.  They eat exactly what is put in front of them (twice a day) and go for a few walks outside.  But for about 23 of the 24 hours in a day, they are curled up in their comfy, safe place.  And I can assure you that those two dogs are not worried about anything!  (Except possibly when the next food truck arrives with the kibble).  They are really wonderful house guests.  I really barely knew they were in the house today!  

I was thinking about what a worry free life that dogs lead, and then remembering the very clear directive that Jesus left us about worry..........first He reminded us that birds are fed by the Father.  Then Jesus spoke about the flowers who don't need to worry about their clothes.  Then Jesus ended this passage saying....."Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34  

Yes, in spite of this very clear teaching, I know that I do worry.  But truthfully, I know that I am doing a better job of not worrying so much.  I am daily asking for guidance and help from Jesus on this!  At any rate, today at my small group, we were talking about all of the "stuff" going on around us in the world, in our country, and in our families.  And it was clear that worry and fear were trying to bombard our little group.  We started to just worship and soak in the presence of Jesus.  Calm and peace just filled the room and we all began to relax.  I had a little picture pop into my head of this very large hand holding the planet earth!  And the song "He's got the whole world in His hands" just came into my mind. I also thought "He has his eye on us!"  Psalm 33.  So I looked up Psalm 33.  

Psalm 33

¹ Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;

    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

² Praise the Lord with the harp;

    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

³ Sing to him a new song;

    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

⁴ For the word of the Lord is right and true;

    he is faithful in all he does.

⁵ The Lord loves righteousness and justice;

    the earth is full of his unfailing love.

⁶ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars^[a];

    he puts the deep into storehouses.

⁸ Let all the earth fear the Lord;

    let all the people of the world revere him.

⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;

    he commanded, and it stood firm.

¹⁰ The Lord foils the plans of the nations;

    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

¹¹ But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,

    the purposes of his heart through all generations.

¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

    the people he chose for his inheritance.

¹³ From heaven the Lord looks down

    and sees all mankind;

¹⁴ from his dwelling place he watches

    all who live on earth—

¹⁵ he who forms the hearts of all,

    who considers everything they do.

¹⁶ No king is saved by the size of his army;

    no warrior escapes by his great strength.

¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;

    despite all its great strength it cannot save.

¹⁸ But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,

    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

¹⁹ to deliver them from death

    and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰ We wait in hope for the Lord;

    he is our help and our shield.

²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,

    for we trust in his holy name.

²² May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

    even as we put our hope in you.

Yes, there it was.....the eyes of the Lord are on us!  Why would we worry?  He has it all in control.  He is not worried or bothered.  The plans of the Lord stand firm forever!  Yep, it really is a dog's life for us.  We can just let go and not worry about anything!  Yes, I think that I will be spending some time parked in Psalm 33.  It seems like a really good place to put my focus.  I will remember that just like verse 13 says, "From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind!"  His eyes are on us!

So after breathing that thought deep into my spirit, I will go and take these two sweet doggies on a long walk about the neighborhood!  And I will remember that Jesus has everything under control!

Jesus, thank you so much for this great lesson today!  Holy Spirit, help us all to keep our focus on the heavens and help us to remember that Jesus has it all taken care of!  Thank you for lessons learned through our pets and reminders through songs and visions.  And thank you Lord for making sure we had your Word to keep these lessons in our hearts and minds.  Amen

Room number 2 done!

Wow...... Another long day of redecorating, fixing, updating.  But tonight it is all done!  And I couldn't be more pleased with the results.  I still need to get some new tables and a desk chair, but for now, it is done!  I love the color and I love the carpet.  And my new shelf gets everything up and off of the floor.  Right now all of my scrapbook "stuff" is packed up, in readiness for the upcoming scrap weekend away!  So it will look a bit different when I "unpack" after that weekend.  But you can get the general idea of how well the room is going to function!  I feel so blessed to have this much space just for myself.  I haven't gotten my wall stuff up yet, but still, I can breathe out!  

 

As part of the finishing touches for the room, Ken and I had to run a few errands.  We went to Walmart and Menards with two of the very strangest shopping lists!  At Walmart we got everything from cold medicine to a paper towel holder to OFF and 409 with a few cans of pork and beans thrown in along with a bunch more very unrelated items.  At Menards we got new switchplate covers for my room, replacement water filters, hooks for the garage and more odd items!  The amazing thing is that we got everything that we needed and, thanks to the lists I had, didn't forget anything!  Having a list is a wonderful tool!  

Isn't it funny how often we think about making lists, but then don't actually do it?  Or how about the times that we make a really good list and then forget it at home.  My favorite is when I make a list, remember to actually have the list in hand when I am shopping, but then get home and realize that I didn't remember to actually LOOK at the list and I have forgotten several items!   Yes, I am a list maker.  I make To-Do lists.  I make lists as we are getting ready to go on vacations.  I make lists of things I might need in the future.  I make lists of places I would like to visit - some day.  I make lists of books I want to read.  List are important to me.

I love that there are lists in the Bible.  I love that we have 10 very clear rules to live by.  The Ten Commandments.  I love that there is a list of the generations of Jesus - both Joseph and Marys!  I love that we can find lists of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  There is a list of the Disciples.  I could go on and on.  Yes, I am so glad that there are lists in the Bible.  Sometimes we all need lists to help us remember.  It is very sad that we don't have the 10 commandments displayed in our schools, courts or city halls any more.  These life rules are good for everyone!  I recently saw this list for kids - but it could be for ALL of us!

GOD'S TOP TEN

1.  Put God first.

2.  Worship Him only

3.  No bad words

4.  Work 6 rest 1

5.  Obey your parents

6.  Harm no one

7.  Don't cheat

8.  If it's not yours, don't take it

9.  Tell the truth

10.  Don't be jealous of other people's stuff

I just love that someone has put this important list into words that can be remembered and understood by even the youngest kids.  And I think there are some adults who could use this as a refresher!  

Jesus, thank you for your provision for my home and this special space, just for me!  Holy Spirit you help us to remember all of these lists from Scripture....exactly when we need them.  Give us wisdom and revelation as we walk through our days.  Thank you for people who restate your truths, Jesus, so that we can understand and remember them more easily.  Amen

My response to a comment on this blog.........

Today I got the following comment on one of my blog posts......

"You are amazing, the way you figure out the good side of things from bad things. Did you ever get mad at God? Did you ever blame God for Lucas' death?"

I have been thinking about this all day.  At first I was just going to put a sentence or two reply comment on the blog, but then realized that this is really a BIG QUESTION that deserves a more complete answer.  Remember that I promised to be honest on this blog.... totally honest.  And through the last 8 months I have been honest.  There have been many, many very down times for me.  Times when there have been more tears than I even imagined that I could cry.  But there have also been many times when I have felt that hope just rise in my soul.  And I have felt the joy and wonder of all that Jesus is doing right now.  But I want to be clear about this...... yes I have been angry about this whole situation. There have been times that, like David in the Psalms, I have been mad at God.  David didn't understand his circumstances, or the events surrounding him.  He was angry at God, but at the same time, he also always remembered exactly who God was.  So many of the Psalms begin in that place of sadness and anger but then they move on to the wonder and greatness of God. Yes, there has even been times I have shaken my fist at God.

Not because He caused Lucas to die.  But just because I was so angry that Lucas died.  Sin and death are in this world because of US..... not because of God.  His plan was for us to live with Him in the Garden of Eden and never know pain or sickness or death. God knows that we are hurt and angry.  And he is big enough to handle our anger.  We were not "made" to experience grief.  It is a part of our world because of sin.  Sometimes people joke about the shortest verse in the Bible..... "Jesus wept" John 11:35.  But this has become a very important verse to me.  Jesus understands.  He gets it.  He was experiencing grief in this world.  His friend had just died.  And he cried.  I have looked at that verse more than once in these last months. And when I go to Jesus in my grief, He fills me with the peace that passes all understanding.  

So, no, I never blamed God for Lucas' death.  And I know that the only reason that I can see the good side of things is because of Jesus.  Staying in touch with Jesus.  Keeping my focus on who He is and the knowing that His promise is to work good for those of us that love Him.  

"And we know that in ALL THINGS God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purposes."  Romans 8:28

I appreciate this comment on my blog from a friend.  It has given me another chance to remember how thankful I am for the presence of Jesus in my life.  This life is not easy.  Our world is difficult and at times so terribly hard.  There are so many things that we just don't understand.  But no matter what emotion we are feeling, whether it is happy, sad, scared, - whatever, Jesus understands and He cares.  

Thank you so much, Jesus, for this reminder that you care about our feelings.  Holy Spirit, encourage us to always be honest with Jesus about how we are feeling.  Thank you for bringing that wonderful peace when it is most needed.  And thank you for all of the people that read this blog and share their thoughts and comments.   Bless anyone who is struggling with anger.  Reach them and bring your love and your joy.  Thank you for being so present with me in my grief.  Amen

Connection to the past..........and into the future

I have mentioned that I am the youngest of five children in my family.  I was born in Watertown, South Dakota and my mom and dad had lived there for a long time.  My mom graduated from high school in Watertown and met my dad there.  And, except for a few years, they had lived in Watertown.  I always felt a bit out of the loop in my family whenever the conversation turned to Watertown.  All of my siblings have lots and lots of memories of Watertown.......except me.  We moved away when I was just 3 years old.  I only have a couple of actual memories of Watertown (a fact that my mom could not believe).  I remember the front porch of our house (and sadly, I can't visit it or get a picture because the house was torn down in the 1960's).  And I remember the Library!

I discovered that the building that I knew as the Library, is now the Codington County Historical Museum.  I remember going down those stairs on the side, into the basement, to the children's section.  I have very clear memories of rows and rows of books.  It was certainly a happy place for me.  My love of books and going to the Library did not end when we moved away.  I spent hours and hours at the St. Paul Public Library (downtown) - BY MYSELF - from the time I was in early grade school.  The arrival of the Bookmobile at my neighborhood shopping center was a big treat.   My nose was almost always in a book.  After my own kids were born, we often visited the library.  Thirty years ago our community had a very old building with a very tiny library.  As a matter of fact, the children's books were stacked on the steps to the second floor!  But we had "district" borrowing privileges at several towns near to us.  My kids grew up going to the Library on a weekly basis.  So it was no surprise that today, I visited the Library with Gwen and the kids....

 They have a wonderful children's room at their local library.  All of the kids picked their own books.  There were board books for Anna, picture books for Zeke, early readers for Ellie, and "chapter" books for Lia.  Zeke spent time doing a very large alphabet floor puzzle (with a little help from Ellie), and Anna walked up and down and around all the rows of books (with Grandma following closely behind her)!  Before we left, all four kids spent time at the computers!

And we left with 20 books!  Five for each kid.  And their loft is filled with books that they own.  And there are books in each of their bedrooms and books on their kindles.  Yes, we are a book loving family!

In thinking back to my love of books, it is really interesting that I really didn't OWN many of my own books.  As a matter of fact I think I could name the first 5 books that I owned!  I am so thankful that one of those five was my first Bible, which is still on my book shelf.

Last night I had one of those dreams.... the kind that I know have meaning beyond the dream itself.  I have been "dreaming" in my awake hours of going to the beach.  It looks like the beach might be a lake for us this year, rather than the ocean.  But I am longing for a body of water.  Since I spent every summer of the first 20 years of my life at a lake, this should not be a surprise!  My dream last night started with the realization that I was in a small row boat, out on a lake.  As I looked around I didn't see anything that seemed familiar.  But I was not at all afraid.  Even when I realized that I did not have the oars and there was not a motor on the boat!  I was calmly floating around in that little boat.  I remember that at one point in the dream, I put my head back and just looked up at the clear blue sky.  It was so restful and so calm.......so peaceful.  Exactly what I blogged about yesterday.  Peace.  Easy, not worries, just calm and peace.  What a great dream.   Jesus was totally in charge and I was just floating along.  Yes, I need to bring that dream into my life.   I don't have to understand.  I don't have to have all the tools I think I might need.  I just need to look up and breathe deep.  And let life take me where it will.  Because I know that my little boat, my life, is not on an aimless path.  There is a plan and purpose and destiny to my journey. And Jesus is in charge.  Yes, I need to just stop, take that deep breath and be in peace.  One thing is certain, that possible lakeside vacation is sounding better and better!

Jesus, thank you so much for speaking to us in dreams.  Holy Spirit, you connect us from our past into the future.  Jesus, thank you for books and libraries and words on a page.  Thank you for information and stories and testimonies that challenge and encourage us and educate us.  Remind us all that the best way to spend our days is floating along, letting you do the propelling!  Amen

Another step on the way.......

Today I actually completed the main portion of the painting in the scrapbook room.  This was not without its challenges.  The ceiling paint that we bought turned out to be terrible!  It left the ceiling looking like it was covered with water spots.  The "painters tape" actually ripped off strips of paint, that had to be painted over.  So this morning I took back one gallon of the "not working at all" ceiling paint and actually got some "works really, really well" ceiling paint.  And I repainted the ceiling and did all of the touch up work..........all by myself!  All that is left is the closet!  And this will not be an easy task.  I am thinking that I should be able to finish it off on Wednesday! (Tomorrow I am going to Gwen's so thankfully, it will not be a painting day!)

We had a really nice time at Doug and Susie's house on Sunday, being together with Gwen and Tim and the kids.  Doug grilled and we had a very "Fourth of July" meal of  hamburgers, hot dogs, brats, corn on the cob, and of course, watermelon.  It was delicious!  The kids had a wonderful time getting to meet "Lucas Bear".

This precious weighted bear came to Doug and Susie from an amazing organization called Molly Bears.  I would love to have anyone who reads this blog, click on that link and read about them.  It is just another very important service that you never know exists, until you need them.  It was so interesting to watch Lia, Ellie, Zeke and Anna respond to this bear.  Each of them has been in their own process of grief and dealing with the loss of "baby Lucas". Holding that 7lb 6oz bear was very comforting.  I know that Lucas bear is important to Susie and Doug.  But as I saw Ellie and Lia and Zeke holding it, I knew that it was important for them also.  It is just our new reality that, as a family, we will always be missing Lucas.  All of us.  Not just Doug and Susie.  The women who started Molly Bears lost a precious baby girl (Molly) due to a cord accident.  From her own personal tragedy, thousands of families are being blessed.  There was one line on the web site that really struck me..."It is amazing to think how many people are saying her name - Molly".  Molly will not be forgotten. And we will not forget Lucas.

Yes, there are steps on the way... Clearing out, cleaning, emptying out, painting...on the way to a redone space.  And this precious little bear is another step on the way into our new reality.  Moving on as a family, missing Lucas, but always keeping him in our thoughts.

I had another one of those "Today, God wants you to know" messages.... Today, Lyn, we believe God wants you to know that ...peace can be found in unlikely places.Even in the darkest storms, peace can be found by those who seek it. When turmoil and tension tear at your heart, pray for peace and most often you'll find peace in prayer. Of course there is no need to wait for a storm, pray for peace right now.

These last 8 months have been filled with turmoil and felt like a very dark storm.  But it has been  true that I have found peace through prayer.  There have been times when I really didn't know how I could get through without prayer.  Jesus is peace and He will give you that peace if you just ask.  I love the last line of this message....don't wait for a storm to ask for peace.  That is great advise.  We need peace all along the way!

Jesus, thank you for being our peace.  Holy Spirit, remind us to come to you for a daily shot of peace, no matter what is happening - good or bad.  Jesus, pour out your blessings on the Molly Bear family.  Thank you for using their tragedy to bless others.  Thank you for family times together.  Amen

Transformations.......

 Don't you just love those commercials for home improvements or paint or some other product?  They all make it seem like you can paint a room and totally change your home in one day.  Or at most, a weekend.  But that is so far from the truth!  This redecorating transformation stuff is HARD WORK! And you have to do the very hard work of clearing out all of the junk before you can even start the hard work of the actual redecorating.

Here is Ken.  A long time ago.  Like actually about 36 years ago.  And that is how our nursery looked as we were preparing it for Gwen's arrival.  Notice that rainbow stripes on the wall that matches the rainbow on the crib.  And yes, we had painted one wall red, one blue and one yellow.  I know, this was a very BOLD choice - especially 36 years ago when pastels were the way to go.  But I had read that babies liked bold colors and that they responded to them.  So this was my choice.  And Ken went along with it.  Now that room has been painted several times since it was the nursery.  It also had wallpaper (sports themed) when Doug was young.  Yet, today, as we were patching holes and ripping up the 38 year old carpet, I noticed that you could still see that rainbow stripe on the wall.  So out came the can of KILLZ,

It was a long, long day.  I had spent a number of hours emptying out all the JUNK that filled that room.  (So right now the hallway is filled with stuff, and so is our master bedroom).  But I am so much closer to seeing the final product!  We still have the painting to do. The closet will be an extra challenge.  It has a very odd raised part that is actually over the stairs.  I don't know how we will paint up in the corner, but I am sure it will be an adventure!  And we have the new floor to do.  And then there is the moving all the stuff back into the room.  This transformation of rooms is no easy task!

After we had rolled up the old carpet, and once again, filled up all of our garbage cans and recycling bins, (and made yet another trip to GoodWill!) we decided to celebrate with a special treat for dinner.  Ken loves this particular Pizza.  And he has been really working hard at eating better and also exercising.  And the scale really shows it!  With all of the work we have done on the house in the last few months, he deserved this special treat. And it was so delicious! 

I was thinking about the many, many transformations that happened in my spirit.  It is really very much like this house stuff.  You have to do the very hard work of clearing out all the junk.  You know, those really bad memories or habits that are lingering in your spirit.  And you even have to empty out all of the dark and hidden closets.  You have to be sure that you empty everything out so that the Holy Spirit can fill up all those spaces.  That is the beginning of the transformation of your spirit.  As you continue along in the process of being transformed, there will be changes that come along.  You may decide that the things you thought were so important before don't really fit with the Holy Spirit.  Those TV shows or movies that you watched before, don't seem so good anymore.  And you might even find that you want to add some new things.....reading the Bible, a small group... Then you might notice that you have been redecorated!  You have a new attitude, you are wearing a smile more often than before and you feel so much lighter, brighter.  You are free!  

Yes, these transformations are really great.  Even though it takes much more time than a day or a weekend.  The finished product is always worth it!  

Jesus, thank you for being the great transformer!  Your love is the source of that wonderful makeover for all of us.  Holy Spirit, thank you for filling us up as we empty out all of the junk from our spirits.  Help us to be sure to keep up with the ongoing process of being filled with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus your love is amazing and your grace is overwhelming.  Thank you for reminding us that you have transformed us all.  Amen

Destiny and reaching for goals......

I found this picture yesterday and the timing was perfect!  This is Gwen and Doug at Great America on the Ladybug ride.  Today, Gwen and Tim took their kids to Great America and Gwen sent me this picture of them on the SAME RIDE!

As I told Gwen, I can see an amazing "side by side" Scrapbook page in the making!  I am sure that there is "method in the madness" of the operators of these parks.  They took this ride away many years ago.  But they know that it is time to bring it back when those kids of long ago now have children of their own.  Just so moments like this can be captured!  

But this is not the real reason for the blog today.  You know that I have been doing cleaning and sorting and organizing and I came upon this a couple days ago....,

This is dated March of 2010.  The purpose of these papers was to write a personal vision statement and goals.  Some of it was filled in and some was not.  It was pretty clear that I was having a hard time completing this even then.  And there are a number of things filled in, and sadly, I am no closer to them now than 5 years ago.  As a matter of fact, I think I have less focus and direction towards these goals NOW than I had then.  I think it is time to do some reevaluating!  

I have always said that the message I feel most pressed to share is that there is a destiny and plan and purpose for each person.  The thing is that you have to be pressing in to Jesus and listening and sensitive to the nudge of the Holy Spirit to know your destiny and plan!  And you also have to be constantly in touch with Jesus since that plan and destiny might change over time.  And even as I am writing this paragraph, I realize that I am speaking to myself.  This vision from 2010 does not HAVE to be my vision in 2015!  Isn't that good news?  If there is some goal that you set for yourself at some time in the past, and you haven't quite attained it yet, don't fret!  There may well be a different goal or some tweeking of that original goal that applies right now.  

There was one goal on those sheets of paper that I know I am moving towards....just not exactly how I thought it would happen.  I had written "Go to the nations, share the Kingdom message of Jesus' plan and destiny.  Make connections in the body of Christ to expand a platform to share this message, to bring glory to the Father."   And for each of you out there reading this blog, you have taken me closer to this goal.  It seems that each day I am adding to the number of different countries that are reading this blog.  Yesterday it was Georgia and Argentina that popped up.  Two countries on different continents.  I believe that these two countries brought the country total to 91!  And I have not left my house.  I have connected with people through this blog, that I would never have encountered.  I have had the privilege of "talking" back and forth with people (some who speak very little English) through email and comments.  I have been able to share Jesus without ever seeing people face to face.  But I have the assurance that writing this blog is exactly the correct thing for me to be doing!  I just need to remember to stay close to Jesus and listen carefully so that I can reach those other goals!

Jesus, thank you for your personal plan and destiny for each of us.  It is really amazing that we can each hear your voice.  Holy Spirit, thank you for prompting people to read this blog.  Help us to continue to work towards our goals.  Jesus, thank you for reminding me that my legacy is in my children and grandchildren.  Thank you for picture memories that bring smiles!  Amen