Deja Vu All Over Again

I realised something this morning.

I've always wanted a do-over in my life. I've wanted the chance to go back to certain sections of my life and re-do them, so I could avoid the mistakes I made.

This morning I realised I'd just make different mistakes.

And once again I am thankful for the blood of my Saviour!

xoxoxox

Here! I Got You This! Open It! Open It!

God has been doing some amazing things in our lives here lately. We were going to work on our house this week, and put it on the market this coming Monday, April 12. Instead, God brought us buyers about a month ago, and instead we're painting and packing. We saw a house last July that we loved and wanted to rent -- but weren't ready to sell ours. So that house was rented to someone else. But, those people have since moved, and the rental house is available again.

So not only did He sell our house for us, He gave us a bigger, nicer, cheaper place to live.

Oh, the abundance of God! I cannot tell you enough about the way He choose to bless me. I suppose I recognise this because I love to give gifts. At Christmas or birthdays, I spend a lot of time thinking about the person to whom I'm giving -- things they've said, ways they are. I often even pray about it. Then an amazing idea will pop into my head, and I'll either do it or wrap it up, and then the best part comes -- I get to watch them receive it. It gives me such joy to do that! No wonder God loves it so much!

We all live off his generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding—
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.

John 1:16-18

xoxoxox

Sliding into Home Base

My brother wrote to me recently from Iraq. He said this:

I read something once that said:

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming... "Wow! What a ride!"

I love the picture in my mind that I see when I read these words. It makes me think of the apostle Paul, who said these words in Philippians 3:

17-19 Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I've warned you of them many times; sadly, I'm having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ's Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.

20-21 But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.

We're right there with him, running this race, jogging the marathon, ready to jump and land flat on our bellies as we slide toward the finish line, bruised, aching, tired, old, probably with a black eye, filthy, ragged, and proclaiming "Wah-hoo! What a ride!"

I personally need to remember this when I'm so focused in on my very small life, in my very small town, and my very small issues, only growing narrower and narrower in my view. This abundant life is a glorious ride! It is designed specifically to wear you out and use you up! Go for it!

xoxoxoxox

Divine Vitamin D

Psalm 121

A Pilgrim Song

1-2 I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

3-4 He won't let you stumble,
your Guardian God won't fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel's
Guardian will never doze or sleep.

5-6 God's your Guardian,
right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
sheltering you from moonstroke.

7-8 God guards you from every evil,
he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, he guards you always.

I read this just now, this morning, and am reminded of God's goodness to me lately. So many of my prayers have been answered -- little things, really. But they seem like big things at the time. We have switched from our home phone to all having cell phones -- all 7 of us -- which seemingly couldn't be done. I have a job. Virtually all of our girls now have jobs as well -- one at Lowe's hardware, one at a local shop in the mall, one in fast food, one mowing lawns, one babysitting. We sold our lot that had been on the market for 3 years. The grandparents are choosing (in their usual gracious fashion) to be more than generous with the twins in helping with college. There is money for a new roof, and we are not in debt.

Life is just good right now. It's like being able to take a long, deep breath after feeling constricted and asthmatic for a long time.

So this Psalm sounds kind of like a lullaby to me. It's a reminder to me that no matter how I try and work out my individual life circumstances -- things that really make no difference in the eternal scope of things -- my help will still come from not the mountains, but the One who made the mountains. He never goes to sleep, never stops listening, never leaves my right side to guard me from harm, never even lets me get sunburned.

What a love! Do yourself a great favour and bask in it today with me --

xoxox

He Knows My Name, He knows My Cell Number, Too.

Today is my 23rd wedding anniversary. I am amazed that I have done anything consistently in my life for 23 years. And yet there is that Hunk O Man that I love infinitely more now than when I married him. I suppose even more amazing is that he loves me still, after all the joy and pain and heartache of 23 years and 5 kids. Once again, I praise God who is the Giver of all good things.

Yesterday, he and I (well, yes, God too, but I mean Hunk O Man and I) took a little trip to the beach. We stood in the warm sand and watched as the waves came in -- it was a little breezy, with rain to the north and south of us, so they were the kind of waves that come in kind of lined up, about 4-5 rows deep. The blue of the sky and the deep aqua of the water just brought a peace over me that only God can give. Wow. I do love the ocean.

We shopped our way home from the beach, stopping at various thrift and Goodwill stores. We also stopped at the Sprint store. In our efforts to curb costs, we have decided to forego our "land line" and go with all cell phones. However, it took a miracle God provided through a wonderful woman named Andrea to make it all happen. Believe it or not, it actually will save us money.

So last night and today, each girl has been beside herself with the new toy. Programming the ring tones, getting all the contacts in, etc. All but one have brand-new phones (which we got free). They have texted more friends in a half-hour's time than in probably all the time previous to getting the new phones -- because each one has her own number now, it's important to let everyone know. No more sharing a phone, or borrowing a sister's or mom's phone. Now each one has her own.

I have sat and watched all this furious texting and programming, bent heads with thumbs flying. And I realised that their excitement stems from something we all feel very deeply: to them, having their very own cell phone, their own number, means that people can now know their name. They are important, they have value, they have their own cell phones. 'It's mine,' they think. It's me.

And I remembered this: He knows my name, He knows my every thought, He sees each tear that falls, and hears me when I call.

I suppose we could add that He knows our cell number, too. And don't get me wrong - our girls (thankfully) each know God in a deep and personal way that no cell phone could ever replace.

But being recognized for who we are is so universal. We want to be seen, to be heard, to be valuable enough to our friends and family to matter. We want someone to know our name. And our phone number. And to email or text or call us just to see how we're doing.

So whether or not you have a new cell phone, or no cell phone at all, don't forget this --

xoxox

If Wishes Were Horses, Beggars Would Ride

I got a wonderful opportunity today to teach about 20 women at our church about freezer cooking. You know -- where you cook it all in one day and freeze it? (see Today in Jen's Kitchen) My mom and I have done this for years. My heart for ministry these days lies with young wives and young moms. So many were latchkey kids whose mom had to work. There is a huge generation of young women who have missed the wonderful teachings about home from their mom or grandma.

I love that kind of thing, so today was really fun. I talked about cooking, did some cooking (how DO those cooking show people do that?), we all ate some of my cooking, and then I briefly touched on coupons and saving money. A pretty good time was had by all.

Then Hunk O Man picked me up and we drove over to Sonic for a half-price Coke. Sonic has happy hour from 2-4PM, so their drinks are half off.

Now you probably know that Sonic is a drive-in. Like the old-fashioned kind, where you pull up to the menu and order and the people roller-skate out to bring you your food.

So we're sitting there, and there's a truck with a man and a woman next to us on my side. It's a warm day, so everyone's windows are down, and I notice that he is a middle-aged "painted" man with lots of tattoos. Cool! I think: I'll bet he has a story. I'd love to hear it. I thought I might speak to him, but it was awkward, so I just looked away.

Then he pushed the button to order, and this is what we heard between High-Pitched Animated Cheerleader-sounding Sonic Girl and him. Be sure to add the eastern Carolina drawl in your head:

HPACSSG: Hi, welcome to Sonic, what can I get for you today?
Painted Man: I'd like a large Diet Coke and a medium Blue Coconut freeze.
HPACSSG: OK, a large Diet Coke and medium Blue Coconut freeze? Is that all? Would you like some cheesy tots or anything else?
Painted Man: Yeah. A bag of money.
HPACSSG: Oh, um, we don't have bags of money. Sorry about that . . .
(brief pause)
But we do have bags of ice!
Painted Man: Nope, I don't need no ice. Just a bag of money.
HPACSSG: Well we don't have bags of money. But you know, you could buy the bag of ice and maybe sell it for a bag of money.
Painted Man: Nah, don't think so.
HPACSSG: Are ya sure?
Painted Man: Yep.
HPACSSG: Ok then, a large Diet Coke and a medium Blue Coconut freeze and no bags of ice or money. That'll be $1.76. Thank you for choosing Sonic!


Hunk O Man and I nearly fell out of the car laughing. It was one of those priceless moments you rarely get to witness.

God, please bless that man with a bag of money today, even if it's just some change leftover in a fast-food sack. Thank you for Jesus, our Saviour, Amen.

xoxox

The Rest of the Song

And so we meet again

After all these many years

Did we sow the seeds we're reaping,

Now that the harvest draws us here?

It seems that love blooms out of season

And much joy can blossom from many tears

And so, old friends,

You must forget what you had to forgive

And let love be stronger than the feelings

That rage and run beneath the bridge

Knowing morning follows evening

Makes each new day come as a gift.

That song is by Rich Mullins, who is one of my all-time favourite songwriters.


I'm not sure what was going on in his life when he wrote it, but I can imagine, can't you? Seeing old friends, looking at the "wake" of your life and wondering how you got where you are, and yet knowing that you made each choice that brought you to where you are.


And I love that third verse, where he describes conflict like "the feelings that rage and run beneath the bridge." Getting over the conflict is the bridge on which you're standing -- but it does not deny that there were raging feelings.


And once again I am speechless that this wonder of words and music came from a very flawed man -- what does this tell me about God, from Whom the wonder comes?


Wow.


xoxox



You can find this song by Rich Mullins, "Hello Old Friends" at Rhapsody.com.