My Greatest Encourager!!

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself." Ephesians 5:25-28

When I arrived home on Tuesday afternoon, sitting on my bed was an adorable stuffed monkey with a big red heart that says 'I Love You,' along with a welcome home greeting card from my dear husband. My husband and I have been married for over twenty-two years and he continues to be my very best friend. I praise God for him and treasure our time together.

My beloved husband knows that I enjoy getting gifts from him. He also realizes that I have a weakness for monkeys. I'm not sure why, but most of the stuffed animals (and the real ones too), just happen to have cute faces, in my opinion. Although his gift wasn't something that I needed, he chose to show his love for me, by purchasing something to welcome me back home after being away for nine days. Whenever I see that monkey now, I smile and think about my wonderful man.

As meaningful as the gift and card were to me, even more so is the support and encouragement my husband gives me each day. He willingly permitted me to take these past six weeks to take a break from a lot of the workings of our household, so that I could concentrate more on the Lord. He stepped in with taking care of homeschooling our son, while I was away visiting my friend in Georgia. He knew the importance of me having this time, and did whatever he could to make that happen.

All of these things have shown me how much he loves and cares for me. I think uppermost though, has been his continual support and encouragement in my endeavors. When I arrived back home, we spent one evening talking and reconnecting together. I shared how God spoke to me on this trip, and also throughout the month.

The direction that God is leading me to follow is one that I have felt during most of my growing up years. I also experienced it early in our marriage as well. The desire and inspiration has always been a part of who I am and how God designed me. Not many people understand it. My husband has always been my biggest cheerleader - encouraging me that I could do what God is calling me to do and to succeed. He has told me that I am talented and have a gift. My discoverings came as no surprise to him.

Today I am feeling blessed by having a husband that loves, supports and encourages me. As much as it difficult for me to imagine, my heavenly Father loves me even more. My husband's sacrificial and unconditional love is but a dim example of the outpouring of love that God has for me. How blessed we are!

Sowing Seeds

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23

I have been thinking about this verse. It is rich with attributes that are to characterize our Christian walk. Some you may find easier to harvest in your life than others. "I'll take two cups of joy, but hold the patience. I'm not ready for that one yet!"

A few years ago, I wrote a Bible study on this passage of scripture. I remember encouraging the reader to sow these 'seeds' and to cultivate them in their spiritual garden (their heart). In order to sow seeds, you need to first prepare the soil. When you ask Jesus into your heart, this starts the cultivating process. It gives Him permission to work on your 'plot of land.'

Picture if you will, two kinds of gardens. One is gorgeous. It has a variety of fruits and vegetables. The plants are vibrant green, and the produce is a multitude of colors. There is not a weed in sight. The ground is a rich, dark brown soil. Proper spacing is between each plant, so it has plenty of room for growth. Now contrast this, with a cramped garden space that is overrun with weeds. It is nearly impossible to see the produce plants, because of the weeds choking them. What produce there is, is minuscule and malnourished.

What makes the difference between the two gardens? They both were planted in the same soil, and both gardeners used identical plants. What makes the difference is what the gardener did to cultivate his garden, and what he continues to do as the produce grows. A good gardener will cultivate. One gardener daily continues to work on his land, while the other decides to sit back and take life easy and just wait for the results.

Today I have been focusing on faithfulness. In just a few weeks, it will mark the year anniversary of my husband's skiing accident that radically changed our lives in so many ways. I hadn't realized until today, that it had been that long since I had sorted through our receipts. They have been piling up in our kitchen. Not a week has gone by, that I haven't thought, "I need to get to those receipts."

Before I returned home from Georgia, that was one of the things on my 'to do' list. Today I'm home alone, and felt it was time to finally approach this task. Surprisingly it took a shorter amount of time than I anticipated. Isn't that how things often are? We put off doing something, and dread thinking about it, but when we jump in and finally take care of it, it takes shorter time than we thought.

I am working at being faithful in several areas - I need to address the pile of mail on my dining room table, I need to prepare for leading a ladies Bible study next week, correct school work for my son from when I was gone, and various other paperwork. Now I would love to just sit down and read a good book, or start researching for my writing project, but today I know that God has called me to be faithful in taking care of these other areas. The beauty of it is that, when they are accomplished, I won't feel weighted down by these 'things' that have been demanding my attention. I then will be free to pursue the things that I feel God is calling me to start.

I guess you could say that I am tending my garden today. I'm breaking up the soil, so the plants can grow healthy and strong.

Getting Back to Normal?

Is there such a thing as normal? If it is, that is what I am in the process of achieving today! Yesterday was a long day of traveling. I was awake by 5 AM, even though I saw almost every hour on the clock throughout the night. I arrived home around 4 PM yesterday afternoon. There was just enough time for me to unpack and relax for a few minutes before heading to my son's swim banquet. It was almost 10 PM by the time we returned home, and by then I was exhausted.

This morning my son and I slept in, and decided to have our schedule be a little different than normal. He needs to lead his guy's small group that he is involved in at our church this evening, and needed time to prepare for that. We will double up on school work probably on Friday, since he will be working tomorrow. This will allow me time tomorrow, to check on his progress with his lessons while I was gone.

The day has been somewhat leisurely. I did go grocery shopping at two different places and have almost finished two loads of laundry. I think I have trudged through the emails that came in while I was in Georgia, or at least the ones that needed immediate attention. I still have a few that are awaiting my reply. All in due time! :) I have yet to address the stacks of mail awaiting my perusal. I'm sure they won't go anywhere!

I did also manage to spend some time on the computer requesting library books to start researching my next writing project. Hopefully some of them will come in, before we leave on Friday evening for traveling to Virginia to visit my in-laws. (It will be our eldest son's 19th birthday on Saturday - his first time not to be home, so we opted to go away so we don't miss him as much!) I am anxious to get started with the research. I also plan to make this the topic of my next column for Home School Enrichment magazine.

It is a joy to be back home again, even though I had a wonderful time being away. I enjoyed my first good night's sleep since before I left. It may take me a few days to recover from being on vacation! Hopefully my sleep pattern isn't adversely affected while we are away this weekend! :) I guess such is the hazard when you are a creature of habit! At any rate, I feel blessed to be home again with my loved ones. I am grateful.

Reflections

"Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law." Psalm 119:18

In some ways it seems hard to believe that it already has been six weeks since I started my spiritual retreat. I find myself not ready for it to be over. It has been a time that I will look back and cherish for many reasons. I can't help but think back and be amazed at how far God has brought me. There are many things He taught me through the process.

I am extremely grateful for this time. I praise God for a loving, supportive, and understanding husband. I appreciate my son's willingness to adjust to doing homeschool a little differently while I have been away from home. A visit with my dear friend in Georgia was exactly what I needed to complete my spiritual retreat.

Going through this time of separation has been beneficial spiritually, physically and emotionally. God has restored in me the desire to write again. It's been a long time since I have had this burning flame smoldering inside. For now the fire is banked, until I return home and am able to stir the embers to glow brightly. But I have a vision of things to come and I am excited. I remember from my youth the excitement of the flaming torch burning within, for all to see. It creates passion, and a keener view and understanding.

A change of direction is in order when I return home tomorrow. Some of the things I have concentrated on during these six weeks, I will begin to incorporate into my daily schedule. Because of the stress from this past year, I had gotten away from reading very often. This is one change I will make - more time to read. It was encouraging to have specific topics of reading in which to concentrate. Throughout this time I've had several books 'in process'. I found one or two on a particular topic I wanted to learn about, and also one that was just pleasure reading. It's likely that I will typically have three books I'm reading - one on spiritual truths, one on writing and also a fiction piece. Of course I will continue to faithfully read my Bible too.

It's been a joy to work through two separate Bible studies in February. I plan to continue to work on this as well. I love the opportunity to dig in God's Word and learn. It's a pleasure to go through a Bible study with other ladies, but I have also found that I enjoy working on my own too. There are a few on my bookshelf at home that are just waiting for me.

With the things that God has shown me this month, I also need to build into my schedule more time to write. I have been doing better about faithfully blogging and have even started a separate blog. If possible, I will continue to do this, but I also know that I need time to concentrate on my creative writing too. Once I actually begin this process, I'll be absorbed in research, planning characters and plotting.

One thing I have discovered while visiting my friend, is the importance of always having pen and paper available. Now that won't sound significant or earth shattering to most of you...perhaps only to me! :) Since I have been here I have carried a tablet and pen in my purse at all times. I have pages of notes from this past week - some are blog ideas, a note to my husband, future book ideas, notes I took from reading a writing magazine, or a quote from a book I was reading. I also have a recipe from my friend of how to make butter cream and peanut butter icing! Yum! Yum! :)

Also in my notebook are book titles that I eventually want to read, a style of poem I want to try and write, video titles that my husband and I will enjoy watching, as well as my 'to do' list for when I return home. One page has some websites to check out as well. Then there are important things like various foods and tea that my friend had that I want to look for when I go grocery shopping. :) As a writer, I want to make a point of always having tools of the trade with me for when the inspiration hits.

Above all else that I have learned, is the reminder to keep my heart, mind and eyes open to what God has for me. I desire to eagerly follow and serve Him in all aspects of my life. Every day my prayer is to see, hear and know Jesus in a deeper way, so I can inspire and encourage others.

I praise God for this month that I was able to step back from the world and its many demands. Even though I am reticent to leave this time in my life, I know that I need to move on to what God has for me in the next step of this adventure. I know I won't be disappointed.


*** On a personal note, I would appreciate your prayers on Tuesday morning as I have tight flight connections in Atlanta. I can't wait to get home and see my guys!! :) ***

Getting Beyond Surface Level

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17b-19

Last Sunday my husband and I saw a real short video clip that mentioned that a lot of Christians struggle with getting beyond surface level. I have been pondering this all week long. I wonder if part of this is a by-product of our society?

Our lives revolve around the "me" mentality. We focus on the things that we need to get done for the day. I think often our lifestyle revolves around this. We perhaps take time for church and devotions each day, but how often are our thoughts and actions revolving around the Lord and His teachings? Do we ever go deeper than surface level with other people?

I think of an average Sunday morning in a church in America. We typically in passing say, "Hi, how are you?" We ask, but don't expect to hear anything other than "fine." If by chance someone goes into a deeper explanation we may be caught off guard. It seems even at church we often have an agenda.

I can't help but feel that God desires more of us. In Psalms it says that "Deep calls to deep." Perhaps all it would take is for us to change - to desire more in our Christian walk and to expect more from others as well - a deeper level of understanding. In the process of learning and desiring to go deeper, we also encourage and inspire others as well. If more of our conversations revolved around what God is doing in our lives and how He has changed us, instead of the weather or local news, maybe it would make a difference. Isn't it worth a try?

Waiting

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope." Psalm 130:5

I've been thinking about waiting today. We probably spend a fair amount of our life waiting for things - a doctor appointment, a traffic light, for a meal to cook, the mailman to come, a holiday, etc. I'm sure you can come up with your own list of things that cause you to wait. Some of us do better with waiting than others do.

Psalms 37:3a encourages, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." There are times that we pray, beseeching the Lord for guidance and He answers quickly. Other times it may take a while, before we sense His leading in our life.

Patience isn't always something that comes easy to me. If you asked my husband, he would readily agree that he is more patient than I am, in most situations. But I love what it says in Isaiah 40:31, "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (ESV)

This is such a vivid picture in my mind - giving my concerns to the Lord - waiting and trusting Him to provide the answers. As I wait, He gives me strength. Then when the answer comes and I know it is from Him, I find myself soaring like the eagles. Where I once was weary with the unknown, I now am strengthened and encouraged.

I feel this is the vision that God desires for us to have. We bring our burdens and concerns and lay them at His feet. He knows when the timing is right to answer us. Until then, we trust in Him. He knows what is best for us, because He can see our future.

For over a month I have been praying for a specific answer from the Lord. He had shown me towards the end of January of the need to pursue the area that He has gifted me. I heard His calling and answered. I then was awaiting further, specific instructions. Up until yesterday, I had no answer, but continued to trust God that He would answer when the time was right.

Then my friend and I spent a leisurely day sight seeing and walking along the beach. We also climbed a lighthouse. When we arrived at the top, I realized how afraid of heights I really am. My friend bravely walked around the outer walkway at the the top. I clung to the wall and crept along it. I was glad when we started the descent to the bottom.

But in those few moments at the top, when I put my eyes on the horizon instead of thinking of plummeting to the earth below, something happened. In those minutes, God answered my prayers from this past month. He gave me the direction I desired.

Even though I was scared of the height, I also felt myself soaring like on the wings of an eagle. I sensed a new freedom. It had been a very long time since I had direction in this area. I was reminded of the passion that God gave me in my youth. He has stirred it again.

Keeper of the Light

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

Today my friend and I did a little site seeing. We traveled about an hour away to visit the Tybee Island Light Station. The weather was a little warmer today - about 50 degrees. It was sunny and we had a slight breeze. It was a gorgeous day to go exploring, and walk on the beach.

This was my first time to actually go inside a lighthouse. We climbed the 178 steps to the top of the 154 foot tall building. I mentioned before that I am not crazy about heights. I had to tell myself not to panic, as we got to the top of the steps and stepped out onto the catwalk. I hugged the wall as the wind whipped around each corner.

I did fine when I looked at the horizon, but not so much when I looked down. I think my friend would have liked to walk around on the outside for a little bit longer than we did, but was sensitive to the scared look on my face. I was ready to go inside, to the somewhat security of the circular iron rails and steps.

It was an interesting experience. This lighthouse was utilized from 1773 to 1948. There was a separate house for the headkeeper. Each day he would climb these steps, to make sure the light was working adequately.

As we were absorbing all of the history of the area, my mind was whirling with story ideas. What would it have been like to be a wife of lighthouse keeper? How would it have been during a fierce storm or hurricane? My mind ran through a gambit of ideas and possible plots. What an exciting adventure it must have been for these keepers of the light.

But then, isn't that something that we should also be doing as Christians? The verse above says that we are the light of the world. We need to make sure that the windows are clean and the light is glowing brightly for all to witness. Are others able to readily see Jesus in my life? Is there anything that I am doing that is hampering that view? I pray that I will be reminded of my job as 'keeper of the light.'

Writing for the Lord

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24

These verses are one of my husband's favorite. Sometimes his job can be quite stressful, and he uses this scripture as a reminder of where his focus needs to be. I too was reminded of these verses today, as I was reading a book from my friend's bookshelf.

I came across this quote in Charles Stanley's book entitled, A Touch of His Joy. "A cellist who practices each day is freer to perform in concert than the person who dreams of the stage, but never prepares." It made me think.

Lately I have been feeling God's prompting to be writing. So I have faithfully been writing something, almost every day for the past few weeks. Surprisingly that through this act of obedience, I find myself eager each day to get words down on paper (or computer). The process of writing has become easier, the more that I practice it. If the day continues into late afternoon and I haven't had the opportunity to write, I find my mind whirling and my fingers itching to record what has been stirring in my brain.

But isn't this how it should be when we are faithfully following the Lord? When He gives us an assignment, at first it may be hard. We have to think hard, or we may forget the path we are to traveling. However the more that we follow and serve in an area, the easier it should become...more like second nature.

Every morning before I get out of bed I reach for my Bible to do devotions. Years of consistently doing this has made it a habit that is easy to continue. I don't need to worry about finding time to be with the Lord, because it is already programmed into my day.

Another example is faithfully tithing. This is something my husband and I have done regularly all twenty-two years of our married life. I don't have to think twice about writing that check each week to go into the offering plate at church.

I believe that God desires for us to learn faithful habits. Many should be the same for us as Christians, but there will be some that are specific for you and your situation. For me, it is being consistent with my writing. It has been a joy to be back in this process again.

Sweet Fellowship

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

It's a rainy, cool day in Georgia - actually a little cooler than I anticipated. My friend that I am visiting and I had a leisurely morning. We sat, talked, drank hot tea and chatted some more. We haven't seen each other since the beginning of September, so it's been a pleasure to reconnect again.

I first met my friend about four and a half years ago. She was new to the area and was going to facilitate a Bible study at our church. Another friend asked if I would arrive early to help set up chairs or whatever needed to be readied for the meeting that evening.

This was a stretch for me, since I am more of an introvert. I remember that evening stepping outside my comfort zone to help this woman. Little did I realize that God would use this act of obedience to draw our hearts together.

Through various Bible studies we grew closer to each other. Eventually we started meeting together once a week to walk and pray together. As our hearts were joined through our time with the Lord, a special bond was created.

It was a sad day for both of us, when she and her husband left Pennsylvania to move back to Georgia. It took me a while to get back into the habit of walking regularly after she left. I just didn't have the heart at first to walk alone. I missed our times of fellowship and prayer.

It's been over two years since my friend has moved to a different state. We regularly keep in touch each week through phone calls. We try and make a point of praying with each other on the phone once a week. We have continued to remain close, I feel, largely because of this time of prayer. It has a way of drawing hearts together like nothing else.

Even though we only see each other once or twice a year now, we continue to be close. Our time together today, was as if we had never been apart. We fell back into step of talking about people we know. But it also went deeper than that as well. We talked about spiritual things and our shared passion for our Lord.

Our time together has been sweet. I praise God for the blessing of Christian fellowship. Numerous places in the Bible, it encourages us to get together with others who are like minded in our faith. I talked recently on a blog posting about not being a lone ranger Christian.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." When we get together with other Christians we share a common bond - belief in Jesus Christ. It is important that we share both our struggles and triumphs. Through sharing our difficulties we allow others the opportunity to pray for and encourage us. Also as we share our joys, it can be a way of lifting others.

I recently have gone through a series of struggles. At times I felt overwhelmed with the various situations I was facing. But my Georgia friend was one of the ones that faithfully prayed for me and encouraged me each week. I praise God for her. She is a real blessing in my life.

What a joy it has been today to have face to face communication together. Even this evening when her husband returned home from work, we had some stimulating spiritual conversations. It made me realize how much my heart longs for this deeper communion with other Christians. Our society today becomes so distracted by many things, that we tend to lose sight of the purpose that God has for us. He desires for us to go deeper.

Fix Your Eyes on the Goal!

"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13a-14

I'm not a thrill seeker - never have been and doubtful that I ever will be either. My excitement for the day was hurtling down a runway and taking off on two separate flights, to reach my final destination - Savannah - to visit my friend.

My first plane I was on, the runway is parallel to a river. So when we took off, we spent several minutes over the water. Visions of crashing and drowning flashed through my mind. Unlike my husband and two sons, I am not a swimmer.

I was glad when we were beyond the river and I rested a little more easily. There before me lay a miniature world. It reminded me of my oldest son's model railroad layout. Snow covered the landscape as far as the eye could see.

As we continued to ascend we passed through a thick layer of clouds. When we leveled off, all that was visible was a cottony blanket of clouds below and blue sky and sun above.

When I arrived at the airport this morning, the skies were overcast and gray. Who knew that just above waiting to be seen, was the sun and blue skies. Despite my uncomfortableness with water and heights, there is a beauty up here in the skies that is hard to describe.

I almost laughed as I listened to the airline stewardess explain the safety procedures as we departed. I remember as a young girl envisioning the exciting world as an airline stewardess. At the time I had never even flown. My biggest concern then, was whether or not I could pursue a career in this, since I wore (and still wear) glasses. Somewhere I had heard at the time that being visually impaired could be a deterrent.

Some people really enjoy flying. I know when my youngest son flew to China this past summer, he loved the flying aspect. I never am too excited about the way my ears pop. I don't enjoy the feeling of my stomach dropping out and being left behind somewhere.

Despite my trepidation, I still have taken to the skies. I have a goal in sight - a desire to be reacquainted with my dear friend in Georgia - so we can spend the week visiting together. At this point of my writing I can't see the goal, but I trust (God willing) that I will arrive safely in Savannah later this afternoon.

This makes me think of my spiritual walk as well. Often God will give us a vision of the path He desires for us to follow. Recently He has reaffirmed His call and desire for me to be faithfully writing and also seeking publication. Now I could just write and then put it in a drawer, but God has called me to go beyond that. I need to write and submit and work towards being a better writer. I trust that someday I will get a book published, even though I can't see that happening YET. I still fix my eyes on the goal and work towards that. In the process, I pray that God uses me and changes me into the Christian writer He desires for me to be.