The joy of the Lord...

Then [Ezra] told them, Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet drink, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold. (Nehemiah 8:10 Amplified Bible)

I love the truth that JOY isn't some sort of fluffy, silly emotion.  On the contrary, God's kind of joy is a powerful thing, a force to be reckoned with.  It's an immovable stronghold, impenetrable to the storms of life or the attacks of the enemy. The joy that God gives isn't dependent on things all going my way or life being a bed of roses.  It's an effervescent fountain from a supernatural source in the middle of the desert.  It can't be manufactured, bought, or produced by human effort.  It's the sap of heaven flowing in my soul when I'm connected to the Vine, Christ Jesus.  

Without Jesus I am weak and puny and easily shaken.  I can't even stand on my own two feet in the face of life's turmoil.  But, like tea put in hot water infuses that water until it becomes a whole different thing, tea, Jesus in me makes me a whole different me!  I am filled with His joy and infused with His strength.  I can face the unknown future with confidence, with boldness, with JOY!

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. (Philippians 4:13 Amplified Bible)

still following,

Also happily linking up with my friends from (in)courage 

here and with the lovely Lisha Epperson.

What encouragement looks like...

When the automatic hospital doors slid open and I walked inside it was as if I'd walked into another world.  No news from the outside world seemed to penetrate the hospital walls.  The summer-like record breaking temperatures outdoors didn't matter.  Every role I'm labeled by except for "Mama" and "Nana" fell away.  I knew two things.  My daughter had preclampsia.  My grandson was going to be born over five weeks early.  

It was two weeks ago tomorrow that I walked through the doors of that hospital.  I watched as my daughter labored for twenty four hours, then frustratingly ended up having to have a caesarean.  I saw my tiny but perfect grandson fresh from the safety of his mama's womb.  I saw my son-in-law rejoice in the birth of his son and grieve the death of his father all in the same week.  I saw my daughter accept the fact that her husband had to fly across the country and bury his father, while she stayed behind with her son.  I saw my two oldest grandkids grieve the death of their papa, while trying to adjust to having a new baby brother and having their mama in the hospital and their daddy far away  Finally, I drove my daughter and her new son home from the hospital and saw them and my son-in-law and their two oldest children all together again in their own home.

Through all of these highs and lows, these blessings and difficulties, an army of people were praying. Some of them are knit together with us by blood, some of them close friends and church family, some of them we've never laid eyes on face to face, known only to us through social media.  

Love and encouragement poured in through texts and Facebook messages and blog comments and phone calls and cards sent the old-fashioned way.  Church family filled my daughter's freezer with meals and men from the church mowed their grass and weeded their flowerbeds.  A friend cleaned their house and caught up on their laundry and organized things that were left undone when my daughter gave birth with an unfinished list of "things to do before the baby is born".  

This is what encouragement looks like.  It's prayer support and encouraging notes and rolling up your sleeves to do someone else's laundry while, at home, your own laundry basket is full to overflowing. It's cooking an extra lasagna for someone else's freezer and offering to pick their kids up from school or take them to baseball practice.  It's rejoicing with those who are rejoicing and mourning with those who mourn and choosing to focus on someone else and what they're going through instead of on yourself.  It's not always convenient and it's not always acknowledged, but it is always life giving.  God created us to be a channel of His love and if there's no practical way that we're doing that then we're just a stagnant pond instead of a river of living water.

Our family has been the recipients of an abundance of encouragement these past two weeks.  We are all so very grateful.  At the same time, I'm keenly aware that to whom much is given, much is required.  I want to be aware and alert and willing to do the same for someone else.

still following,

     

Also joining THOUGHT PROVOKING THURSDAYS 

at 3-D Lessons for Life

And happily linking with Lisha Epperson "Give Me Grace"

We need each other...

I find that social media is a two edged sword.

Have you ever been wounded via social media?

Yeah, me too.

There's nothing like someone being upset with you about something and instead of talking to you about it face to face, discovering that they've made a snarky remark pointed at you on Facebook instead.

OUCH!

 I'm so thankful to be a part of a group of women that are bombarding the blog world, Facebook, twitter, 

you name it, in powerful ways that will build you up, not tear you down.

The great news is, that we want you to join us!

Who doesn't need a group of sister-friends who will...

-build you up and encourage you in your walk with Christ

-pray with you when you're struggling

-rejoice with you in your victories

-relate to you in areas of common interests

We all could use some of that, right?

Today, why not click over here,

and check out the list of (in)courage groups available for you.

I co-lead a group with my friend, Rhonda Quaney called (in) life after fifty.

This past week our daughter gave birth to our newest grandson over five weeks prematurely.

In the same week, her husband's father passed away.

The friends I've made through my (in)courage community group have been online rejoicing with me over my grandson's birth as well as bearing my burdens by praying for my daughter, grandson and son-in-law.

Yes, our in real life family, friends and church have been a huge support for us,

 and so have my wonderful online sister-friends from my (in)courage community group.

still following,

Battlefield Gratitude...

Since Friday I've battled against giving in to some type of cold or flu bug.

My symptoms have been a slight sore throat and ear ache and a general feeling of puniness.

My weapons have been hot tea with lots of lemon, staying home and resting, and taking Airborne.

My daughters make fun of me, saying that Airborne is to me what Windex is to Gus Portokalos,

the father in the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".

Remember how he would spray Windex on everything from cuts to pimples believing it was a cure all?

Well, I'm sure it's more the prayers than the Airborne, but I haven't succumbed to being full blown sick, thank God.

This past month I've battled something else as well.

In the same way that this bug is trying to get me but I keep fighting it,

I sense the enemy is up to no good.

Of course, satan is always and ever only up to no good.

But I sense him trying to get me to succumb to frustration, to doubt, to discouragement, to fear.

I'm so thankful that I know the miracle cure for his schemes.

It's not Airborne.

It's not Windex.

It's the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

It's the truth of God's Word.

It's worshipping God, praising God and thanking God-

even if I don't feel well or don't feel like it.

These are the weapons I rely on in this battlefield.

These are my miracle cure for what, or who, ails me.

**************

Since 2009 I've been counting my blessings thanks to the prompting of Ann Voskamp.

 I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal.

(and capturing some of my blessings via my camera or iPhone)

#4418-#4442

3-10-14-

-a long and lovely phone call with my friend and co-leader of my (in)courage group

and a long and lovely phone call with another friend

-blooms and blossoms all around the neighborhood

-an amazing rainbow

-a loving note from the hubs

-a yummy dinner

3-11-14-

-a sunny day!

-walking, (and praying), around our local fitness trail

-meeting our oldest daughter and her family and our youngest daughter for dinner at Chipotle,

then walking around the mall with them

3-12-14-

-meeting a couple of the twenty somethings from church for coffee

-another great day to go to the fitness trail to walk and run

-pink nails for spring

-homemade Irish Soda Bread and a delicious salad for dinner

3-13-14-

-meeting one of our elder's wives for tea

-being home to relax after a long day

3-14-14-

-a slow, lazy start to the hub's day off

-lunch together~lamb kebabs, tabouleh, hummus and pita bread at one of our favorite places

-going to our two oldest grandkids school spring program

and treating them to Dairy Queen afterwards

3-15-14-

-a day at home in my pjs, trying to fight a "bug"

-no guilt about spending the afternoon in bed

-hot tea with lemon

3-16-14-

-the Presence of Jesus during worship

-our "spiritual dad" preaching at our church

-lunch with the fifty somethings after church

-limelight hydrangeas on sale at the grocery store

-a fun text conversation with youngest daughter

gratefully yours,

Join the community of gratitude gatherers here...

Sisters...

I was the sixth child in a family of seven children.

I have three brothers and three sisters.

Family is a powerful thing.

We all know horror stories of a family gone powerfully wrong

as well as stories of families that sound more like a family of saints than our own flawed reality.

The truth is, for most of us, we come from a family with both strengths and weaknesses,

good memories and painful ones.

At least that's my experience,

yet I can't imagine my life without them.

No one can make me belly laugh like my siblings.

We all share a quirky sense of humor,

we all share the same funny family stories and memories.

We also share in one another's childhood pains and wounds,

so we can bear each other's burdens with compassion and understanding...

we know where we came from.

I have some friends that are only children.

While I'm sure there are some pretty great things about being an only child,

give me a sibling or two or six to share my joys as well as my sorrows.

If there's one thing I've learned about the body of Christ it's this,

no one is an only child.

Oh sure, there are horror stories about people that have been terribly hurt in church

so they have chosen to withdraw away from gathering with other believers.

And maybe, somewhere out there, is a church so perfect that everyone gets along and no one ever gets offended or hurt. 

{If there is, I sure haven't heard of it.}

The truth is, for most of us, we come from churches with both strengths and weaknesses,

good memories and painful ones,

at least that's my experience,

yet I can't imagine life without by brothers and sisters in Christ.

But here's the deal,

sometimes when it comes to church,

we can't see the forest for the trees.

We hear the word church and we think of the handful of people that we actually socialize with out of the dozens, or hundreds, or thousands that gather to worship together in the building that we also call church.

So, to think of all of our siblings in Christ from various churches and denominations world wide as our brothers and sisters is more theoretical to us than reality.

Then, along came the internet.

Suddenly,  we're connecting and communicating with our brothers and sisters in Christ

across the country and even around the world via the clickity clack of our computer keyboard.

We're experiencing a foretaste of that great day when all of those who name Jesus as Lord from every tribe, tongue and nation will worship Him together.

In truth, the walls have come tumbling down in so many ways that there really is no reason for any Christian to walk alone, to live like an only child.

Maybe you're reading this and thinking, I haven't connected with others like that,

how do I get started?

Well, (in)courage wants to make it easy for you to connect with some of your other sisters in Christ.

They might not meet at the same church building as you do on Sunday mornings,

their worship style may be different than yours,

they might not even have the exact same doctrinal statement as you,

but they love the same Jesus that you do.

Today, you can register to join an (in)courage group.

There's a group to fit your area of interest, your area of need, or the season of life you are in.

Why not check it out?

As far as I'm concerned, you can never have too many sisters in your life.

still following,

Who has the rights to your story?

We sat in the movie theater as the ending scenes of "Saving Mr. Banks" played out on the big screen.

My husband and I were both moved to tears as Emma Thompson, playing P.L. Travers, the pen name of the author of the Mary Poppins books, watched the premier of Walt Disney's version of her book.

After a twenty year battle she had finally relinquished the rights to her story to Walt Disney, and in doing so, she experienced a great amount of personal inner healing.

The movie impacted both of us greatly, but for my husband it became a quest.  He wanted to know how much of the story was true.  He wanted to know more about  P. L.Travers, more about Walt Disney. For weeks he researched and read.  His research led him to the conclusion that "Saving Mr. Banks" is a pretty accurate depiction of both people and their stories.

For my husband, the movie didn't just spark his curiosity.  He became convinced that God had used this movie to speak to him and that God had given him a message that he was to share.  

The first Sunday of 2014, when the people of our church entered into the church sanctuary they noticed a very large multicolored kite with a long tail hanging from the ceiling, and kites of various colors mounted here and there on the walls, a reminder of the song, "Let's Go Fly a Kite" that was a pivotal moment in "Saving Mr. Banks" and in the Disney movie, "Mary Poppins".   That Sunday, my husband began a series of messages called, "The Happiest Place on Earth".  The first in the series of messages was, "Who has the rights to your story?"  He used the movie as an illustration.  He reiterated how for years, Mrs. Travers fought Walt Disney refusing to relinquish the rights to her story, fearful of what he would do with it.  My husband compared that with us being fearful of giving God the rights to our story, of not trusting what He will do with it.  However, just as we saw in the movie, in the relinquishment of her story, Mrs. Travers found healing from long ago wounds.  My husband said, as we relinquish the rights to our story God wants to use our own story to heal us and set us free.

I was on the front row that Sunday, in my usual pastor's wife seat, saying my amens to what he said.  I believe it with my whole heart.  For here, in this little place online, I have let God have my story, and when He has said to share it, I have.  In that process, healing has come not just for me, but for others who have read my story and related to some of the things that I have written about.

God doesn't waste our story.  He doesn't waste the good parts and He doesn't throw out the bad parts. He doesn't waste our wounds.  Everything, our highest highs and our lowest lows, He truly does work together for our good.  Just as a delicious chocolate cake has the blandness of flour in it, the savoriness of salt in it, the bitterness of baking cocoa in it, and the sweetness of sugar in it, yet all mixed together it is something delicious, in the same way God mixes the sweet and the bitter of our life into something wonderful.  First though, we have to let Him.  We have to trust Him with the rights to our story.  We have to trust, that like Walt Disney did with P.L. Traver's book,  that God's glorious imagination will do more with our story than we could ever ask or think.

Today, (in)courage is asking you to join in and register for an (in)Real Life meeting in April.  This is a meeting where you will hear women sharing their stories, and where you can share yours.  Last year's (in)RL was life changing for me and the group of women I watched it with. I heard stories from women I have known for almost two decades that I had never heard before, stories they finally relinquished the rights to, and in doing so we all experienced the healing touch of God.

Who has the rights to your story, friend?  It's a story we all need to hear.

still following,

     

Also joining THOUGHT PROVOKING THURSDAYS 

at 3-D Lessons for Life

Practical ways to make the rest of my life the best of my life...

I don't think of my age all that much.

I don't feel fifty six.

At least, not most of the time.

When I'm out on my run I think of my age with pride and gratitude.

I'm fifty six and I can run.

Thank God!

I've been a walker for over twenty years,

but it wasn't until age fifty five that I decided to celebrate my double fives by running a 5K.

I've been running ever since! 

I try to walk a half mile, run two miles, then cool down by walking another half mile or so.

Sometimes the enemy tries to use my age against me.

He tempts me to begin to fear and worry when I remember that sixty is only four years away.

What about this, what if that?

 He most certainly likes to get me to fret.

He most certainly does not like me to trust God and to have a mind that is at rest and filled with peace.

I notice my age when I first wake up.

My legs and feet are a bit stiff, a bit achey, especially on that first trip down the stairs to the kitchen.

And that first look in the mirror without make-up, why there's my mama looking back at me!

Growing older is inevitable.

But, I refuse to be a cranky, joyless, anxiety filled old lady.

 I am determined to make the rest of my life, the best of my life!

Here are some things that I am trying to do to help make my days the best.

1) Stay spiritually fit.

By reading, meditating on and heeding God's Word.

By communicating with God continually through prayer.

By staying free of offenses, unforgiveness and bitterness.

By keeping my heart soft, yielded, pliable and obedient to God.

By loving and serving others.

By staying involved and active in my local church.

By mentoring others.

2) Stay mentally fit.

Don't be mentally lazy and slothful.

Learn new things.

(I've been learning photography the last couple of years. 

 I'm hoping to learn to knit this year.)

Read good books.

Keep writing.

Keep creating.

3) Stay physically fit.

Exercise at least 5 days a week.

Eat right. 

Drink lots of water.

Moisturizer is my friend! 

(Take good care of my skin.)

Keep up with regular doctor visits and exams.

4) Stay emotionally fit.

Let the Spirit of God in me rule over my emotions.

Let the peace of God rule my mind and heart.

Don't give in to stress, fear, worry and anxiety.

Keep my thoughts centered on the truth found in God's Word.

5) Stay socially fit.

Get together with old friends.

Make new friends.

Mix it up!  Hang out with people older and younger than myself, as well as those my age.

Have people over to our home...practice hospitality.

Stay young by being around my children and grandchildren.

6) Keep having goals and dreams to reach for.

(If there's nothing to look forward to achieving, life feels purposeless.)

Keep asking God to show me His purpose for this time in my life.

These are just a few practical ways I want to live so that I make the most of each day God gives me.

I'd love for you to comment and tell me how you are coping with aging

 and practical ways you are making the most of this time in your life.

still following,

Seasons...

Friday, the Hub's day off and our weekly "date day",  we took a drive out into the country.

With the way Portland's urban growth boundaries are, one of the loveliest things about our city is that it's a quick and easy drive out of the city into rural farmlands, scenic, winding country roads and beautiful woods next to rushing rivers.

One of my favorite places to go, not far outside the city, 

 is this historic old pioneer cabin and little country church.

Friday, evidence that we're only a week away from the official first day of fall greeted me there on the green grass by these old historic landmarks as I saw the first of many more leaves to fall.

It's rather interesting to read why deciduous trees lose their leaves. 

Pardon me for using a quote from Highlights for Kids,

but I actually found their explanation to be the most interesting.

When winter approaches, our part of Earth receives less sunlight, and the air grows colder. When these changes happen, trees prepare for winter. Trees that drop their leaves seal the spots where the leaves are attached. Then fluids cannot flow in and out of the leaves, which change color and fall off.

The falling of the leaves does more than mark the season. It also helps the tree survive the cold, dry air of winter. In the warm seasons, leaves use sunlight, water, and air to make the tree’s food. In that process, the tree loses a lot of water through tiny holes in the leaves. In winter, the tree does not get enough water to replace what it would lose through the leaves. If the tree did not seal the spots where the leaves grow, it would die. When spring brings warm air and fresh water, the tree will sprout new leaves and start growing again.

I guess this is significant for me, being in what I would consider the autumn of my life, my fifties.

If I liken myself to a tree, then the way I respond to each season in my life is crucial to the way I am going to handle the winter.

I really want to be a person who faces the last season of life, who faces eternity, confident that I finished the race well.

I don't think that's going to happen if I wait until I'm in the middle of life's winter to think about it.

I'm thinking an awful lot about it now.

I really, really want the rest of my life to be the best of my life.

I don't want to waste any more of my days, hours or minutes, trying to change someone else.

I've already wasted enough precious time with that sort of futile endeavor.

I also know that there are a lot of outward circumstances that I have no control over, that I can't change.

But there's one person, with God's help, that I can change, and that's me.

There are a few outward circumstances that are in my control that I can change as well.

Those are the things that I must choose to place my effort and focus on in this season.

For many people, autumn is their favorite season of the year.

Who's to say that it can't also be our favorite season of life?

After all, it's a lovely and colorful season to be in!

I'm so thankful to be co-leading, (in) life after fifty an (in)courager group with (in)courage.

My friend, Rhonda Quaney, is co-leading the group with me.

We became in real life friends after meeting at Jumping Tandem.

If you want to be in a group with other "colorful" women in the "autumn" of life,

registration is now open here.

Space in groups is limited.

Click here to check out other (in)courager groups.

There's something for everyone!

***************

In 2012 I followed the prompts in Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare in counting my thanks.

In 2013 I'm going back to the way I did it in the beginning,

just noticing and recording the many extraordinary blessings in my ordinary life.

And so I continue to count my thanks

piling up gratitude day by day

in my little black journal.

(and capturing some of them via my camera or iPhone)

#3773- #3796

9-9-13-

-the grandkid's photos of their first day of school

-a cool morning with fog in the foothills

-talking on the phone to the two oldest grands after school to see how their day went

-a great run

-bbq chicken and homemade coleslaw for dinner

9-10-13-

-a nice breeze on a hot day

-crafting and catching myself humming because creating makes me happy

-face time on the phone with youngest granddaughter

9-11-13-

-remembering God's hand on us 12 years ago

-meeting my friend from church at Starbucks

-the Hubs meeting with his mentor

-the Hubs buying the grandkids some crickets to feed the bullfrog we caught last summer

(then the phone call from only grandson reporting that the frog ate all 30 crickets in one meal!)

9-12-13-

-the way the hydrangeas change colors as fall approaches

-really encouraging prayer and worship at church tonight

9-13-13-

-a ride in the country

-buying some local apples

-a sweet date day together

9-14-13-

-talking to and praying with Rhonda Quaney, my (in) life after fifty co-leader

-a husband who says, "you go ahead and go on your run, I'll vacuum for you"

-getting out some fall decor

9-15-13-

-trusting God, He's the Rock beneath my feet that can't be shaken, even when seasons change

-worshiping with our church...powerful

-lunch with our youngest daughter

-the excitement of launching our (in)courager group

 gratefully yours,