EGGS AND THE RESURRECTION

 I don't know if I mentioned an experience I had but if I did, I think I'll mention again.

The Grandbaby made a set of Resurrection Eggs at her youth group a few weeks ago.  When I visited their house after that, she got the eggs and told me the Easter story.  I had to catch a tear or two as she told me the story of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and events leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection.  I said that some are overcome with emotion when they view the movie, "The Passion of the Christ".  I have found no emotion to compare to the story of Easter from the mouth of a six year old with a carton of colored eggs.

Today as I listened to the sermon, I began to recall that "egg" experience.  The sermon today was fitting and focused on the "Palm Sunday" entry into Jerusalem.   It came to me at that time that especially since this week is medically busy for me that I need to keep my comments simple.  How much simpler can I be than the story from the Resurrection Eggs?   

Today's "egg" holds a leaf.  This leaf represents the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  The people placed palm leaves and fronds into the path and they cried "Hosanna, Hosanna..."  

I sit here tonight and noticed on the television a lot of greenery in the form of the big palm fronds.  My mind pictures that with Jesus riding on the donkey.  I encourage you to allow your mind to picture that scene and over the coming days when you see beautiful greenery, let it bring to your mind Jesus riding on that donkey with those palms in his path.....Hosanna, Hosanna.

Amidst the busy of this coming week, let your mind move often to Jesus and what he endured for you and for me.

Consider....

WORTH SHARING

Easter, my FAVORITE "holiday", is drawing near.  My life is full of necessary busyness so Easter is sort of slipping up on me.  I'm not certain yet if I will make posts daily pre-Easter week as I have done in the past, but give me a look next week on occasion just in case I do.  I encourage you to also read daily pre-Easter week the life of Jesus during that week.  You may look back at my post from March 27, 2021 titled EIGHT DAYS to see the outline for reading the passages in all four gospels.

In the meantime, I've been tidying up my space--the sewing, scrapbooking, and my space room.  On my cabinet door, my eyes were drawn to a card front I had put there a long time ago.  I read it again and it fit so much in my life today, I wanted to share.  It's unfortunate that I don't know who to credit these wonderful thoughts to but whoever it was, it hit me in just the right place this day.

It goes like this:

We should fear only if the Lord were not in control...

We should worry only if the Lord were not able to meet our needs...

We should strive only if the Lord were not our shepherd...

We should doubt only if the Lord were not faithful....

We should grieve only if the Lord were not risen!

Consider.......

MOMENTS

I might already have a post titled this and if you a regular blog reader and know this to be true, excuse the same title.  Lately I guess you could say I have been on "hiatus" from my writing.  It's not that I haven't had thoughts, I've just not had any time to sit and type my thoughts.  I decided to make time on this day.

Today's sermon was a good one.  It spoke of moments in our life with the focus on salvation moments to begin.  That seemed to go right along with my thought process I've had since lying awake since 3 a.m.  Tonight begins spring revival at my church and my thoughts had been going to my own testimony or "experience of grace" as we say in the Baptist world.  And yes, you blog readers who read regularly and never miss a post, will know I've told this experience more than once and even maybe more than twice in this blog.  I don't know that I can testify enough so I guess you hear it again.

I was saved at the age of nine, a popular salvation age if you listen to the testimonies of others.  It was on a Wednesday night, the first night of a three nighter spring revival at the church my daddy pastored.  I sat about 2/3 of the way back from the pulpit on the aisle.  It seems some days I can shut my eyes and see the scene, then others I shut my eyes and feel the feeling more.  Does that make sense?

I'll not be long here with my testimony.  It's simple.  The congregation began to sing the invitation song after the preacher finished preaching, I stepped out to the aisle and went to the altar.  Funny thing is I always remember that altar as having an off-white vinyl covering.  My tears went on that vinyl, I prayed to the Lord, and got a peace in my heart.  Salvation.  Peace.  Now 57 years later, I STILL have it!  

Walking that aisle that night was a simple choice.  I've learned in the years between that a body gets to make a lot of choices.  Some we choose are good and beneficial and holy and some we choose are the total opposite.  I've determined, especially as I age, that I choose to choose joy.  I recall hearing Gloria Gaither say one time about her salvation, "I chose that day to go with the cross crowd and every good and beautiful thing that has happened to me since has been a direct result of that choice."  I would totally agree with that.  And I can testify to you that everything that's happened to me in all those years since has not been good and beautiful but I have had a loving heavenly Father to walk right there beside me and provide every step of the way.   

I know there are many in this world who don't believe in the salvation plan of Jesus.  They say it's just a good story.  I will say it's a real, life-giving spiritual way of living.  I would not debate this, I don't think, I would just testify what I know to be the truth for me because honestly, I only know about my heart and my business.  I will tell you, though, that my Jesus is real and as the preacher said today, my eternity has already begun.  I'll just move along into it later on when I move to heaven.  

Now, I will get dressed to go to revival.  I will look for those many precious moments this week.  I'm betting if I look, I will find.

I want to close with the song I sing as a solo most often.  Now understand I rarely sing solos but when I do, this is my favorite because it speaks my heart....a song by the Gaithers--you know, those that chose to go with the cross crowd....it goes like this:

"Since I started for the kingdom, since my life He controls. Since I gave my heart to Jesus, the longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.

The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.  The more that I love him, more joy He bestows.  Each day is like heaven, my heart overflows.  The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows.

Every need He is supplying, plenteous grace He bestows.  Every day my way gets brighter, the longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows."

Makes one WANT to testify, doesn't it?!

Consider........

41 YEARS

 "The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad."    Psalm 126:3

This Bible verse describes the feeling of this day.  It was 41 years ago today at 11:59 a.m on a Sunday morning that The Husband and I changed our names to Daddy and Mama.  We may have acquired other names throughout the years but these are two of the most precious.  That morning 41 years ago we were two youngsters with more fear than excitement....labor two weeks early, a bad breech pregnancy, an unexpected C-section, and a serious doctor who, when asked if The Husband could be in the OR also, said five scary words, "I think not this time."  The pediatrician that day said that breech was the worst he had seen in his 35 years of practice.  The Baby Girl had a hip problem that was attended to in the following months by an orthopedic doctor and resolved.  Maybe that leg has never kicked as high as the other but thankfully even though she might have wanted to kick us parents, she refrained from the temptation.  :)

Between then and now there has been much life, both wonderful and not so wonderful, but in all truthfulness, the joy that this day brings and the point of life to which we have all come is due to the Lord's provisions and we are so gratefully glad.  

The Girl is a wonderful daughter, wife, mother, and friend.  She not only makes her family proud but I am certain her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ smiles at her love and service to HIM.  The Girl is full of grace, often more for others than herself, and loves big.  I see her becoming quite the "adult child" already as we age.  When I look at The Grandbaby, I see very much of both her parents but I am often reminded of the little girl who lived all the years in our house--blond, smiling, imaginative, and so much more.  More so I pray for The Grandbaby to grow up to be the kind, loving adult that her mama is and her daddy as well.

So today, we celebrate!  Happy Birthday to The Girl!

 

 

 

WORTH RECOGNITION

If you are a regular blog reader and/or know me well, you know that The Girl was diagnosed 30+ years ago with Type 1 (Juvenile Diabetes).  Our family has always looked forward to a cure in her lifetime and will continue that looking.

Today The Girl sent me a text with a photo and explanation of this day in history.  The Girl told me it made her teary eyed.   As a parent, it gave me chills.  As a parent of a diabetic "child", it gave me chills AND thankfulness.  It's good enough to share.

I remember one of the first things our family learned in our diabetes education in the very beginning was about diabetic ketoacidosis (yes, the word is so common to me, I didn't have to consult Mr. Webster to spell) and how to recognize and get help.  Can you imagine the miracle felt in that room?  Chills.  Chills.  Chills.   I loved the analogy of death and gloom becoming a place of joy and hope.  Reminded me of Jesus.

The Husband, The Girl, and I went on a trip several years ago to Niagara Falls and Canada, going up to Toronto.  In our path was the home of Dr. Banting and we were able to stop there and see where he lived at one time.  He won a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1922 for this wonderful discovery.  He has "won" gratitude from millions more for this discovery.    

I have such gratitude for discoveries in the world of medicine and especially what they mean to my family.  That insulin pump The Girl wears that puts insulin in her body constantly is one of those discoveries.  

We.  Are.  Blessed.

Consider.....

THE "ART" OF A CHILD'S ART

One of the favorite activities of The Grandbaby is art.  She loves to color.  She loves to draw.  She loves "mawkers".  She loves crayons--preferably Cra-Z-Art brand.  She's begun to enjoy painting and cutting and gluing.  I say she has inherited this "art" from me as I love all those things, too.  We can thank The Poppa as she relayed to me the other day what he said, "You should learn to sew by watching Neema."  Uh, Thanks Poppa.  There's a skill for the future as well.

Every time The Grandbaby visits and even other times, she's forever making us art sheets or bringing us art sheets from home.  I was gifted a wooden art holder a few Christmases ago that hangs in my kitchen.  It has 3-4 clips for art hanging and the words that say, "Every child is an artist."  I can truthfully say that for the child in this household, that's so so true.

Learning from children's art is an art as well.   I took a few pictures of The Grandbaby's artwork that hangs on that art holder.  Let's take a look at what I mean.   For the most part, each piece involves a name to the receiver and a name from the giver and artist....just in case we might not know who those folks are. 

In this child's artwork, you can most of the time find a drawing of a heart.  She loves hearts.  Hearts remind me of having a heart full of joy and love.   Even though this one isn't, she often draws rainbow hearts....rainbows are big deals, too.  And when it comes to rainbows, we are so reminded of God's promises like he made to Noah and like he makes to us.

This drawing  has hearts, windows, and happy faces.  I am reminded of a love of a happy home when I see this one and am filled with gratitude that it could easily represent our home.

There is a reminder of Mary and Jesus....those most important of stories of the Bible.

This is a self-portrait.  As I reflected how The Grandbaby sees herself, it made me stop and think about how I actually see myself.  I love that this one is smiling and is dressed so vividly.  The Grandbaby has quite a style.  And long fingers.

And then there's this newer one.  It's just for The Poppa and it's not "to" The Poppa, but "for" The Poppa.  Reckon there is a difference?  This one shows new skills.  Skills of cutting and gluing.  It also shows that she gave much thought to what The Poppa likes--in this case, not only fishing, but BIG fish!

Then we come to the final one in this post and it's my favorite.  The Grandbaby brought us this in a big envelope the other day when she came.  When I realized what it said, I just had all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings.  You must read it from the bottom line to the top, she's still learning....

What a message is in this one along with heart and happy face!  The spot that got wet on the bottom doesn't even hinder this message.  Yes, I wish she could come to my house more often, too, but life happens that school has to go on and that cuts into the daytime visits we used to have plus this hip replacement has cut into my babysitting time but recovery is on the way.  

When I look at this one, I am boldly reminded that this is how we are with our heavenly Father.  We have wishes and wants that we go to him with.  Maybe not in a handwritten piece of paper but written on the walls of our hearts.  "I wish I could talk to you more, Lord."  "I wish I could be a better person for you, Lord."  "I wish I could come to your house more often, Lord."   Well, duh, I can do all those things and more.  They are readily available to me and my heavenly Father says, "YES!  You can!".  And the mess I might have made in some of my life doesn't even matter anymore.  He wants me to feel about HIM as The Grandbaby feels about me.  YES!  I CAN.    And the beauty of a spiritual life and gracious heavenly Father is that some day when The Grandbaby goes to him and believes on HIM for salvation, HE will say, "YES!  It's yours!"  That's what HE did for me so many years ago and HE has done so much for me in all the time since.  YES!  

I.  Am.  Blessed.

Consider....

2022

 Happy New Year!  

I did what I do best as the new year arrived....slept....which meant I got up at the same regular time between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.  The Husband and I began this day as we begin most others with a cup of coffee as we sit in the recliners either watching the weather forecast or Dragnet.  We have become quite the Dragnet fans.  Yes, retired life at it's finest.

I do awaken often during my nights and I tended to consider the new year and while I don't make resolutions, I have areas of my life I hope to improve.  So, here goes....

I want to be:

Kinder

Quieter (I will always have opinions, I just long to not share them as freely as in the past.  And becoming quieter will be a challenge since I'm a girl of so many words.  But, I will really try.)

More service to the Lord and others  (Of course, I've got to get recovered from this hip to make that happen, but I'm hopeful.)

Wiser 

More grateful

More humble

More prayerful (Yeah, pray without ceasing.)

A friend who will sit in the mud puddle with you  (https://aliciabruxvoort.net/what-a-mud-puddle-can-teach-us-about-friendship)

A better wife, mother, Neema, daughter, sister, friend....

Most of all as always, I want to be a better child of my heavenly Father and if I do that, all these other things will happen as well.

I noticed this morning all the encouragements I have in my kitchen.  Encouragements I read daily.  Many times daily.  I decided I would share those as they are great considerations for a new year as well.

Reminder of new mercy....every single day....

Reminder of the Lord's love for us...

Reminder to keep quieter....  :)  ....

Reminder of choices and joy....

Reminder of blessings and gratefulness....

Reminder to pray....without ceasing....

Reminder that ALL is to be counted as joy....I do love joy....obviously....

Reminder of the strength of the Lord...

Reminder of hope and where it comes from...

Reminder of the love of a child...The Grandbaby has learned to sign with love...most every time...

Reminder of faith....and the smallness of fear....

Reminder to fear not and why....

Reminder that you are made by God, such as you are, or as I say "it is what it is".  Guess there's a good reason...

Reminder to be rid of anxiety as the Lord has got "this"...

Reminder to do your best from Honest Abe...

So there you go....encouragements for 2022.

Consider....

OLD PAST, NEW APPROACHES

 Here we are again....a day shy of New Year's Eve.  I stand amazed at how quickly time flies these days.  

I wanted to share a short (imagine, me short?) thought as the old year passes and the new year begins.  It's truly just one day at a time just as it's always been, we just add a different year in our dating of items.  So the same thing applies.  

Here's my thoughts, courtesy of Isaiah and 1 Thessalonians (words from the "old" and "new" testaments:

Consider....

SEASON OF GIFTS

Tis the season for gifts!  Beautifully wrapped gifts with snowman paper, gold foil paper, red and green paper, and festive paper signifying the Christmas season.  Gifts also come in many sizes from large to small.  Some are bagged in beautiful bags topped with tissue paper.  The ways for wrapping gifts is endless.  

As for my gift buying this year, I have mastered the art of online shopping.  With a hip replacement recovery still going on, my ability to shop on these two legs is so very limited still.  So far it's worked.  The Husband has learned to look daily for random deliveries.  Often he successfully finds them.

Today at church I was given a gift to open that was left for me somewhere in the choir loft by my anonymous gift giver.  After church, The Grandbaby happily brought it to me.  Her first words were, "Can we open it?"   I knew it was from this person as the gift wrap had birds on it.  Each gift in years past from this anonymous giver has been bird related.  This person knows my love of birds.  When I saw the gift wrap with the birds today, I almost didn't want to open it....so much care given to the wrapping.  "We" did open it to find a puzzle, colorful with beautiful flowers and yes, you guessed it....birds!   Of course, The Grandbaby said, "Wow, Neema, 1000 pieces!"  Yes, I love puzzles and yes, that one will take me a while.  I might even have the gift of patience when I'm done.   

If my anonymous gift giver is a blog reader, consider this a heartfelt thank you for the gift.  I find myself full of warm, fuzzy feelings as I look at the birds and today I was somewhat reminded again of how God takes care of the birds so how much more does he love me?  And with that, I am reminded of the treasure and gift of friendship, even though that gift giving friend remains anonymous.  So, if you are a blog reader, thank you, friend!

The sermon today was on the five senses and I was reminded of those and what they mean to me as a Christian.  Then there was a bit of a talk about the greatest gift ever given and I was thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This reminds me also that the best gifts are the gifts of the heart.  You know those, don't you?  Gifts of love, friendship, joy, mercy, grace....the gifts are endless.  As I watched the church's live nativity last night and watched those I love portray Mary and Joseph and all those other nativity characters, I thought of how the real people all must have felt on that night so long ago.  It brought a tear or two or three to my eye.  Sweet young Mary....how scared and awed she must have been at the same time.  And Joseph, did he wonder how he would manage with this young wife and this special baby?  The shepherds, so lowly and poor and probably very smelly....how did they feel to see the angels and hear the good news, then go quickly to find this baby.  Oh, the awe that there must have been!  Lives changed in the quiet and still of the dark, dark night.  That dark night lit up by a shining bright star.   Such wonderful gifts!

One of my cousins went to be with Jesus last night.  The Cousin was right under me in the lineup of age ...a paternal cousin.  He was 11 months younger than me.  He had become sick.  He would call me weekly and just talk.  I found myself looking at old photos of the two of us as we played together often at my Granny's when we were little.  He always seemed to sort of have a hard life, but now he walks on a street of gold and has seen Jesus face to face!  What a great gift that is!

In this season of gift giving, let us always be thankful and say so to those who gift us material things.  Let us always be thankful and say so to those who gift us gifts from the heart.  And let us never forget to be thankful for the greatest gift of all--the gift of Jesus, God's only Son!  

Happy birthday, Jesus! 

Consider....

SEASON OF HEALING

Yes, you are right.  Healing is a big deal to me these days.  I'm slowly healing from my hip replacement but I'm not gonna lie you, it's slow.  I am walking mostly on a cane and 30+ minutes a day in increments  of time up my driveway and back.  They are slow walks, but walks.  I'm take it.

That got me to pondering about healing.  I looked up the word "healing" and Mr. Webster says it's "the process of becoming sound or healthy again".  That led me to look up the word "sound" and he says it means (in the context defined in healing) "in good condition; not damaged, injured, or diseased".  

There are so many seasons in our lives.  If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know I say that so often, simply because it's the truth.    In thinking of seasons of healing, we immediately go to the physical.  When we are sick, we want to get better.  When we are in recovery from surgery as I am, I want to get better quicker.   It's not a road that is pain free either.  When those we love are sick, we want them better.  I have learned, though, that there are times when our seasons of healing are of the ultimate kind....be it from an incurable disease, an aging disease, you get the idea.  

Often when we experience the seasons of ultimate healing, then we go into a season of grief and need healing from that.  I imagine most of us have experienced this season of grief and the healing involved.  Many say that time heals all things and that is partly true.  I say that the Lord helps us with those kinds of grief healing.  He knows our griefs and our sorrows and He loves us.  Love goes a long way towards that kind of healing.

I thought of healing from anxieties, worry, and stress.  Do you know those kinds of "diseases"?  Boy, I do. Often I mentally let those things eat at me, pull at me, and mess with my mind so much that I have to ask healing for those.   Granted we must do our part by learning to not be anxious, learning to not worry, and learning to not stress.  The scriptures speak of that.  I think a way of healing from these problems is to consult the scriptures.  I might would start with Philippians 4:6,7 and Matthew 11:28-30.  

Sometimes we even need a season of healing from our ego.  I don't know about you but sometimes I think I'm a pretty good person.  And sometimes I am but I don't need to get so high and mighty and prideful that I forget humbleness.  So yes, a season of healing from my ego.  

So yes, seasons of healing are necessary for profitable living.  Think about it.  I'm sure you can come with some healing of your own that you might need.  My list is endless.  Healing for impatience, annoyance, and other mental things like that.  I think healing for these things take the right kind of medicine--love, joy, grace.  I need those doses in abundance.  

There we are, it wasn't exactly the post I thought it would be but one nonetheless.  I will ponder a bit more and in the meantime you consider.....seasons of healing.