Loving Well

This week-end I'm attending a Beth Moore Loving Well Mini Retreat at my church. Loving well--how is that done?

Because we are imperfect people, we cannot love well on our own. We must draw on God's love, whether the people in our lives bring us joy or sorrow, whether they are near or far away. The beautiful thing, the one sure thing in life, is that His love is endless. He draws from an infinite supply--Himself. For God IS love.

Our friends across the street visited China again this year and brought me back a beautiful sterling silver pendant with the Chinese figures spelling it out: God is love.  How grateful I am that loving well does not depend on myself. For I know what a frail vessel I can be.


Whatever challenges you face, remember that God is love. Draw on His love and strength today!

The Perfect Weather

In the Pacific Northwest we waited a long time for summer this year! But after a few false starts, perfect weather came along. With daytime highs in the 80's and nighttime temperatures in the low 60's--we start off each day refreshed and ready to face whatever the day brings.

In the same way, those who believe in the Lord start off each day refreshed from restful sleep:

"I will lie down and sleep in peace,

for you alone, O LORD,

make me dwell in safety."

~Psalm 4:8

"You will keep in perfect peace

him whose mind is steadfast,

because he trusts in You."

~Isaiah 26:3

And they look forward to a good day, filled with God's love and compassions which are fresh every morning.

"Because of the LORD's great love,

we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;

therefore, I will wait for him."

~Lamentations 3:22-24

Have you become a follower of the Lord yet? Do you believe in Him? If not, read the Bible--Old and New Testaments--and make your peace with this loving God.

 

Children's Children Are the Crown of Old Men

I gotta write fast--our six-year-old grandson is having a sleepover with us! At the crack of dawn, I could hear him whistling in the next room. That was just before the beanie baby toss that got me up. In Luke's defense, it was garbage day and he was, in turn, awakened by the trucks.

While I'm blogging, he has grandpa helping him find objects in the I Spy book. Next they're going out to weed grandpa's garden so Luke can earn money for another Bak-u-gan (what next?). Following that, the plan is for me to help him make a felt worm. We've sorted through my own grandmother's button box in search of the perfect eyes . . . and are hoping to find the perfect treasure--sequins! (No self-respecting worm would go out without sequins!)

There's never a dull moment, never an unplanned minute. And we love it! In our far-too-quiet world, it takes a little person to shake things up. Well, gotta go . . . but let me leave you with two thoughts:

"Sons are a heritage from the LORD,

children, a reward from him."

~Psalm 127:3

"Children's children are a crown to the aged . . ."

~Proverbs 17:6

Have a blessed day!

When Old Friends Reconnect

Yesterday's mail brought a delightful surprise!  In the stack of bills, catalogs, and junk mail, I found two blasts from the past. Two friends from different periods of my life wanted to reconnect. Two in one day! Wow . . . I was thrilled.

If you're like me, you still care about old friends even though time and circumstances bring day-to-day contact to an end. I have a hard time letting go even though I know it's the thing to do at the time. Yet, circumstances and responsibilities change as we age and sometimes it's possible to pick up where we left off. Haven't you found that to be true?

And so, I'm prayerfully considering how my husband and I can best respond to these folks and extend the love of the Lord Jesus Christ to them. Nothing is more important than to know that our family and friends - even old friends - know the Savior. May God give us the grace of discernment and opportunities to share our faith.

Too Much Excitement Can Be a Dangerous Thing!

Because of the wedding last week-end, my sister was visiting from out-of-town, and I wanted to show her the sights

With three hours to go before the wedding, we drove to the historic town of Willamette. Ignoring the still small voice in my head to clip my car keys back on the strap in my purse, I jammed them in my pocket--and away we went!

After visiting a few of the many shops, we decided to head for home and get ready for the wedding. You guessed it! No car keys anywhere. We dashed back to the stores we'd visited and, finding no keys, left my telephone number--just in case.

Next we called my saint of a husband who showed up within ten minutes with the spare set of keys. We arrived home with only 15 minutes to dress but we, somehow, made it to the wedding with time to spare. (Best of all, someone later happened to turn in my errant keys to a shop that had my phone number. Thank you, Lord.)

After church on Sunday, I took my sister into Portland for more sightseeing. Finding no parking spot, we chose a very crammed parking structure and spent a lovely hour on the Esplanade along the Willamette River. The very crammed parking structure had a very strong cement post at its exit--which I unceremoniously scraped, along with the side of my hitherto unscratched bright red Camry SL.

I wondered what my saint of a husband would say about this.  If you know Dick, you guessed it! He smiled and headed for the rubbing compound and touch-up paint. Within a few minutes the car was almost as good as new! I was relieved. My sister was amazed.

What a powerful testimony to the goodness of God. He restored my keys and gave me the most wonderful husband around. To quote my sister, "Patience trumps excitement every time!" Too much excitement can be a dangerous thing!

Wedding Day Report

It was a wedding to remember! Held in a pioneer country church, the Princess and her Prince Charming recited their vows. The Prince's brother officiated the traditional Christian wedding reminding the couple, as well as family and friends, of certain important principles--one of which was that Jesus died for the bride and for the groom. Each has value and is dearly loved by their Creator. Therefore, they should treat each other with consideration and respect.

It was a reception to remember! Under tall fir trees, the trunks of which had been strung with tiny white lights, guests dined sumptuously at tables spread with white linen cloths. Children played in an elaborate treehouse and on an old-fashioned wood/rope swing that reached high into the sky. All the traditions were observed: bouquet toss, garter toss, the Prince and Princess enjoying the first dance, the Princess dancing with her father, and a beautiful multi-tiered wedding cake.

As night fell, the trees took center stage--lighting the pathway out of this fairyland.

No one could blame guests for not wanting to leave. We'd just taken a magical mystery trip back to simpler times--times of joy and laughter, times of traditional values, times when mere acquaintances could spend an afternoon and evening in each other's company enjoying the moment. It was a party--and those putting it on appeared to be more concerned with their guests' experience than even their own. 

May God bless this couple with long life and rich blessings. Like the trees strung with lights, may their roots be strong and may they be reflectors of His love.

Have you a particular wedding memory you'd like to share?