Hey Friend,
Yes, you are in the right place! Welcome to my new blog home. I feel like I've been handed the keys to a brand new car that I don't quite know how to drive yet lol. Hope you'll bear with me as I get the kinks worked out?!
If you are new to my site...WELCOME! This is a place where we get to be real. I hope you will settle in and let me share with you what God feeds me each week. If you have been a faithful reader, thank you, and I hope you will subscribe to my weekly post (no other spam mail will arrive). I also hope you will find it easier to comment on posts because I would love to get your feedback! If you are reading this, please know you are being prayed for every morning and every evening. I believe in the power of prayer. I also invite you to contact me at my email address if you feel led to do so...
So what's on my mind this week? I just returned from a wonderful week in The Great Smoky Mountains with my 80 year old mother. Oh, what an adventure we had...
My SUV climbed up the steep and curving highway to get to the mountain top town of Franklin, NC. From there we turned off the main road onto a narrow paved road which soon turned to gravel and dirt. Kicking the car into 4 wheel drive we began the ascent to the very last cabin on the tippy top of the mountain. We navigated narrow, sometimes washed out road that had many switchbacks.
We reminded ourselves that this city girl from the hills of western PA and her mother from the mountains of WV were homesick for the mountains. I secretly prayed we would not meet anyone coming down off the mountain. At last we arrived at our destination and what a sight to behold. We were really up there and the purple hue of the mountains stretched out in every direction. What an awe inspiring sight we beheld! The beauty and majesty of the view around us made me gasp in disbelief. This was going to be a true mountain top experience.
I've always been amazed by people who don't believe in the existence of God. As I stood on the wood deck of the cabin, I thought how can you NOT believe there is a God when you look around and survey His handiwork. The mountains stretched out endlessly and the sun, starting to set, lit up the sky with hues of pink and orange that filtered down through the umbrella of trees that surrounded us. The woodland animals scampered around in the trees, oblivious to the great view that they had.
With no tv, internet and questionable phone service, my mom and I spent our evenings and our early mornings in the giant sunny yellow rockers out on the deck. Glass of wine in hand, we rocked and talked and gazed out on the tree covered mountains. The dogwoods were already a deep crimson red and the tips of the other trees were just breaking out in brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red.
In the early mornings we would sit on the deck in our fleece jackets and jammies. The hot coffee warmed our hands while we literally sat in the clouds. The birds chirped their good mornings to us while we waited for the sun to rise and break through the cloud we were in. Our sleep was restful with the crisp mountain air and the crickets singing and owl hooting its lullaby. Slowly the sun would start to break through the fog with its tendrils of light streaming through the tree tops and then the first glimpse of the mountains would appear. This was truly meeting God through His creation.
If I did nothing else that week, but to take in God's majesty, that was fuel to my soul. My mom and I hiked to cascading waterfalls and strolled through quaint mountain towns. We dug our hands in the dense NC mountain dirt and found God's treasures hidden there as well. Stones, that appeared to be nothing more than muddy rocks, came alive with color when you would shine a light through them. There were colors that only God could have dreamt up.
My mom and I talked and laughed and shared with each other. We basked in the stillness of the mountains and not having to know what time it was. We met with each other and we met with God on that mountain top. I have stored up this time and will treasure it in my heart. Is there a God?...after my week in the mountains, it confirmed what I know...that my God is an awesome, creative and loving God. He made all this for our good pleasure. When has anyone ever given you a gift quite like the creation He has gifted us with?
Usually my posts are infused with scripture, but this week, I let God's creation speak for itself. My prayer is that I will never cease to be amazed and astounded by the world that God has given us. May I see His love in the beauty He has created just for you and me to enjoy. May my heart lift up a song of thanksgiving and praise. Our God is truly good...
Hey Friend,
This week, while I head to the beautiful mountains of NC, I have asked my very special friend and blogger Beth to guest post at my site. Beth's tag line to her blog, Simply Beth, is "Let all that you do be done in love." To me, Beth has a heart that exemplifies God's great love. She's the "real deal"! I hope you will welcome her and then take some time to visit her blog site: http://withlove-simplybeth.blogspot.com/.
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
I've seen it written many times that one of the keys to a great blog post is a vulnerable story. "Dare to be open and truly vulnerable about your life," says writer Mary Demuth. It certainly isn't easy being vulnerable. For many of us, being vulnerable is the complete opposite of how we were raised. Stuff your emotions and move on was more of the norm.
I was reminded of words shared by Joyce Meyer in her Amplified Bible from First Corinthians. She wrote how we are like jars of clay. "Imagine a clay pot with a lamp in it and a lid on it. Even though it may be filled with light, no one can see the light within it. Yet if the pot is cracked, the light will shine through the cracks. In this same way, God works through our imperfections."
Read just a few stories of the Bible and you will notice how God used imperfect people over and over again. If we were perfect we wouldn't need God. Isn't it refreshing to know God isn't asking us to be perfect?
"God works through our imperfections."
For many years I was sure I had failed my children. Their younger years were spent watching their parents go through many battles. Many times I wished we could go back in time and do it over again. Countless hours were spent worrying about how the choices and mistakes we made as parents would impact the lives of our two boys. How would those choices and mistakes impact them as they became husbands and eventually fathers?
Could it be possible that during those years of pain and sorrow, and the many mistakes, there was something greater taking place in us? Could it be God was using our brokenness to draw us closer to Him?
My husband recently shared with our small group about a time when he asked our oldest son for forgiveness. The two of them had a very difficult relationship for many years. He shared his story with such vulnerability. It's his story to share, but imagine a father approaching his son on the day of his wedding and asking for forgiveness. I imagine a light was shining through the cracks of the doorway as the two of them embraced.
On the day of my son's wedding, I didn't see a young man shattered from the brokenness of his parents. I saw the greatness of our God.
"God works through our imperfections."
The imperfections of my marriage can seem too great at times. We made many mistakes and the reasons to ask for forgiveness are long. For much of our marriage we relied on our own strength, a strength we simply didn't have. How do we ever apologize for all the pain our children endured as a result of our imperfections?
I can't help but to think of my husband again and the story he shared. Kristen Strong (http://chasingblueskies.net/when-an-apology-makes-you-drop-your-jaw-and-your-cake/) says it better than I ever could, "A genuine apology is a gateway to shocking, glorious redemption and a fresh start." My husband had not told me about his apology to our son. I was hearing his story for the first time as he shared with our small group. I did witness what took place following his apology: a "glorious redemption and a fresh start" for a father and son.
The pain we endured - those imperfections - God used them. He used them to paint a glorious story of forgiveness through a father and son. He uses them over and over as we dare to be vulnerable in exposing those cracks in our marriage. Each crack is another story to tell on how God redeems. Each one leads to sharing the greatness of our God.
"God works through our imperfections."
That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)
With love,
Beth
http://withlove-simplybeth.blogspot.com
Let all you do be done in Love.
Hey Friend,
There was a buzz in the air as people found their seats and wondered and speculated about the giant spaceship looking thing that seemed to form the stage. I was there with my husband and two grown children to witness, in person, the one and only U2 in concert. Certainly an enviable ticket. You could almost feel the electric current pass among the 60,000 fans all anticipating the event to come.
My kids had led the way in followed by my husband, then me. Not a word passed between my husband and me before the concert. His back was turned toward me as he engaged my kids in excited conversation. Unbeknownst to me, it was merely weeks until my husband would leave.
The lights lowered and the spaceship came alive with lights. "It's A Beautiful Day" rang out in the crisp night air. I could see the stars and the thousands of waving cell phones. I bit my lip and in the darkness tears burned down my cheeks. Here in this crowd of 60,000 people, I had never felt so alone in all my life.
Why do crowded places breed loneliness? I often, if I'm going to feel lonely, feel lonely in crowds.
I believe that in crowds we realize that we are not connected. When there is a disconnect between us and God, or a disconnect between us and others, loneliness sets in. A crowd is just a blatant reminder that something is amiss.
Does God allow loneliness to find us so that we will seek Him? Perhaps so...
David, in the Bible, was no stranger to loneliness. Read Psalm 38:9-15. David cries out with his longings and laments that his friends and companions avoid him.
God, however never avoids us or forsakes us...even in our loneliness.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6)
Jesus was also no stranger to loneliness when his close friends fell asleep on him and he was all alone in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus stood by himself in a crowd as people jeered and mocked him, tortured him and sent him to his death...alone.
But, thankfully, God is loving and compassionate and true to all his promises.
I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you. (John 14:18)
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
I have found that it is often at my loneliest points - when my heart cries out to God that He is faithful and draws near. He IS the great Comforter and He IS the God who sees (El-Roi)!
He held my hand that night, there in the massive crowd. The tears didn't stop, but my Father was counting and catching them. If you are in a lonely place, His promises are true for you! Know that you are loved...
Love,
Bev
ps. I continue to pray, both morning and evening, for all who read my blog. Praying especially for you if you are feeling lonely. You are not alone. You are loved...
Hey Friend,
Usually I post on Thursdays (for you folks that notice), but yesterday was an extremely busy, run around kind of day. You know how those go...The day started out well and with good intention, but before I knew it I had made a few too many left turns and before you know it I was in the Land of Busy-ness.
I smiled and chatted with the Starbucks' barista as I waited in the drive-thru line to get my two pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin bread to take to my son and co-worker. I even paid for the irritated looking woman behind me who probably was running late for work. I dropped the dog off at the vet for blood work and a "spa day" (aka good scrubbin'). Picked up my friend's daughter and took her and her kitty to her vet for an emergency visit. Ran to the grocery store. Dropped the groceries. Back to get friend, kitty and bag o' medicine. Drop them off. Go get my clean smelling, mad at me dog. And, and, and...
Occasional days like that are okay, but I have to be careful that I don't start to vacation in the Land of Busy-ness.
Being constantly busy, to me, is like wearing an old pair of sneakers - comfortable to slide into, but not something you want to wear all the time.
Right now it's very easy for me to get caught up in a million little things, like home improvement projects and planning for my wedding. It is safe to do other things because if I spend time with God, He might want to do some major renovation. He might want to transform me and gosh, that takes work.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)
Don't get me wrong, many of the things we do in our day are good and righteous acts. Acts, that are pleasing to God. But just as faith without acts is dead; acts without faith is, well, just plain addicting. I have to watch that pride doesn't creep in there. I am not performing in the great recital called life. I am playing to an audience of One.
"All our righteous acts are as filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6)
God's reason for creating us is so that we can live in relationship with Him. (Period)
When I step back and truly take in what God has done in order that I can have a relationship with Him...He watched the blood of life drip from His son so that I could spend today and eternity with Him. He loves me...he loves you with a persevering passion. But, God will not compete for our attention. He will stand at the door and knock, but we ultimately have to let Him in.
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come and eat with that person and they with me. (Revelation 3:20)
God knocks every day at my door. He is gracious, humble, filled with loving-kindness; but some days I don't open the door. I'm too busy vacationing in the Land of Busy-ness. It's easier.
On my smarter days, however, when I do open the door and invite Him in. What joy and peace fill my soul. Yes He may want to do some renewing and renovating, but in the "potter's hands" I am safe. This is where I am meant to be.
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. (Psalm 84:10)
God will transform just as much of our lives as we are willing to give Him. What are you willing to give?
Love,
Bev
Hey Friend,
I held my mom's fragile hand in mine as we walked into a room filled with caskets. For a moment we both stood there, as if frozen, and gazed around. We were on a shopping trip...a terrible, gut wrenching shopping trip. The kind and compassionate, portly funeral director explained to us our different choices. There was everything from your very basic box, if you will, to the super deluxe steel casket.
I remember running my hand over the Cadillac box with it's shiny, cold, steel gray exterior and wondering who in the world would need that? From dust we came and to dust we will return. My dad was a simple kind of man. A no frills guy who liked vanilla ice cream. My dad worked with his hands and loved building things from wood. The cradle he had built for my two babies was and would continue to be a cherished heirloom. As if in unison, my mom and I decided on the chestnut colored wooden casket. Simple in design, it would be fitting for my dad.
I look back on that time and I think how in the world did I do what I did? It's been two years and the surreal experience is forever etched in my mind's eye. In a few days time we went from picking out caskets to picking songs and scripture; from meeting with everyone from the funeral director to the lawyer.
Quite simple, God gave me grace in the moment. I am an only child and for years I wondered, what on earth am I going to do when one of my parents passes away? It was a thought that haunted me and made me anxious. I couldn't fathom how I would get through it when that day would come. But God did not give me grace in the period of my waiting and anxiously wondering, He gave me grace for and in the moment.
There is not grace beforehand, there is only grace for the moment.
Grace is not offered in the "what ifs" but in the "what is".
Grace does not mean there will not be pain and anguish, but grace does promise peace for those who believe. Time and time again, grace and peace are joined together in the Bible. Paul started each of his letters with the greeting: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:3) Peace comes hand in hand with grace.
Grace is only offered in the present tense. It is not in the beforehand. I realized all my worrying was for naught, because God gave me what I needed when I needed it. This experience has helped me to not fret and worry about how would I handle it if (fill in the blank)? We all dream up our worst nightmares and wonder how on earth would I get through that? It causes dread and panic because the wondering is void of grace. I know now that I can rest in God's promises.
I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you. (John 14:18)
Ultimately, I must trust that God is good. This is where my heart rests. Through all the tests and trials that have come my way, God has been true to his promises and has showed up to give me grace and an underlying sense of peace. No good thing has He withheld.
For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss) and no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11)
So when does grace come? Grace comes for the moment...the moment our heart cries out to the Lord. It will never be easy (in this world you will have tribulation), but God promises He will answer with grace and peace that only He can give.
Love,
Bev
Hey Friend,
Awww...not again?! It's 4:30 am. and bing, I'm awake once more. When will my body let me sleep in? This has gone on for a couple of weeks and I have fought it, analyzed it and finally have come to the conclusion that this is when God wants to meet with me.
I've always been a morning person, but not quite this early. Even my dog looks at me like I'm crazy and she slowly saunters down the steps after I have a cup of hot java in my hands and have settled into my favorite chair. This has been going on for most of the summer now, and I have finally stopped fighting and find I actually enjoy rising at an early hour. The house is quiet and peaceful when it is dark outside and the rest of the world is sleeping.
It's then that I am a captive audience, without distraction, to whom God can speak.
I've learned that if I walk my dog at 5:45, I get to experience the awesomeness of God in the magnificent sunrises He blesses me with. Now that fall is approaching, the sunrise is more of a benediction on my walk with my dog.
God's mercies are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:23)
Another thing I've learned this summer is that I need to not only drink in scripture, but I've been challenged to memorize it. It's kind of like packing my emergency kit, because when the storms come along (and they will), I need to be equipped with God's grace on the tip of my tongue.
His word is what I cling to and the more of His word I can have tucked away the better. Not only for the storms, but for when life calls for praising Him. I want to be ready with scriptures to bless and praise Him.
Impress them (God's commands and words) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:7-9)
Due to extensive knee surgery that kept me immobile for a long time, I rediscovered my love of writing this summer. Do you sense a thread here, that God has to go to great lengths to get my attention sometimes? A reader said that they appreciate that I am honest, real and transparent. Yep, that's me. It isn't easy sometimes, but I feel called to do so, so that we can stand shoulder to shoulder and support one another in this difficult thing called life. In a glossed over world, we need to be a little more real.
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)...this is the most recent scripture I have memorized.
What things have you learned this summer? I'd love to hear from you, but at the very least, I hope you will reflect upon this season and find something you've learned and can give thanks for.
Love,
Bev
Hey Friend,
As the smell of school bus fumes fill the air and kids with bright new sneakers once again grace the halls of neighborhood schools, I thought it would be a good time to write my back to school essay..."What I Did This Summer".
Seriously, I did learn quite a few things about God, myself, my family and others this summer and I hope that you won't be bored to tears with my reflections...
After several years of what seemed like nothing but trials - a long drawn out divorce, my dad passing away, the dog dying, a rebellious son, extensive knee surgery and recuperation which made me have to leave a job I loved (teaching), and a few other plagues; dawn finally peeked through the darkness.
Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
On May 31st, my summer began with the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful man in the world asking me to marry him. I know that only God truly loves unconditionally, but I have to say that my fiancé comes pretty darn close. I've been a busy bee making wedding plans. We want something small and intimate, but boy I've realized what an industry weddings have become. When asked by the florist who my wedding planner was, I replied, "You're looking at her!"
One thing is for sure...God has been in control all along. God is in the business of bringing beauty from ashes and He has never failed nor forsaken me. Perhaps that's why I knew immediately what lyrics we would dance to for our first dance together as husband and wife:
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you (Rascal Flatts)
Besides, this southern girl needs a little country to kick off what I know will be many happy years together.
Now there's the little matter of fitting into the dress I picked out. That leads me to another thing I learned: It's a lot easier to put on weight than to take it off. Okay, no big revelation there, but what matters is understanding why I put it on and having the right motivation to take it off.
For why I put weight on, glance back at the 3rd paragraph. I admit I am a stress and comfort eater (double whammy). When the goin' gets rough, give me the M&M's. There is something physiologically soothing about eating a pint of ice cream. But, God calls me to cast my cares on Him and find comfort and refuge beneath His wings. Ben and Jerry's is a far cry from the comfort God can offer.
My motivation to take weight off was all wrong too.
I am the temple of God and His spirit dwells in me. (1 Corinthians 3:16)
If my body was God's temple, then God was slummin' it for quite awhile. I was not treating my body like a suitable dwelling place for God's Holy Spirit. I will not say that this has been easy, but I did have to come to the realization that God had equipped me with everything I needed to make some radical changes in my life (which included my eating and exercising habits). I had to believe with my whole heart in Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.
Christ and I have taken off 45 lbs. and still have a way to go. Like many things in life it takes commitment, obedience, accountability and encouragement. Since taking that first step, God has been faithful to provide. When I slip up or stumble, He doesn't criticize me, He just says, "Keep taking steps, Bev!" God is pretty awesome that way!
I'm out of time and room for today and laundry calls my name so I will end this post with one simple thing I have learned...Whether they are two or twenty, children are most beautiful when they are sleeping. Nuff said.
Love,
Bev
