Wrapped In Love

A friend of my recently found out she has breast cancer. As someone who loves to “fix things”, knowing how to handle this has been challenging. I want to be supportive, but I don’t want to hover. I want to be upbeat, but I don’t want to be dismissive. She has been wonderful! She has a great attitude and a positive outlook, which makes the job of a friend easier. I know that this is going to be a long journey and there are going to be times, I’m sure, when she is going to have a difficult time staying positive. Another friend of mine called me this weekend with a wonderful idea. We each wrote several cards with scriptures on them, broke into her house while she was away and hung them all over the house. I got a text when she arrived home to find we had vandalized her house, she said she felt totally wrapped in love…. And that’s exactly how we wanted her to feel. I can’t fix her problem, and to a large degree I can’t relate to what she is going through, but while she is going through it, I can stand beside her and wrap her in my unconditional love and prayers.

A Matter Of Prospective

Not long ago I was walking my English Mastiff (Sailor) along the quiet sidewalks of our neighborhood. Sailor weighs approximately 150+ lbs. and stands about hip high. I've gotten used to her size and actually she doesn't seem that big to me, but she attracts a lot of attention on our walks. People are always stopping to ask what kind of dog she is and how much she weights. She is a real sweetie and still thinks she is a lap dog. I kid you not that I have several bruises from her trying to lay in mommas lap. I like taking walks with her because someone hopefully would think twice about messing with a woman walking 150lb dog. She makes me feel a little more safe. So, the other day we are sauntering down the sidewalk past a house that has a little dog that maybe weighed 7lbs soaking wet. It was a yapper. The yapper boldly walked to the edge of the yard and began protesting our presence in his territory. The owners eyes popped open when she looked up and saw the size of dog her dog was scolding. She quickly grabbed it's collar to move it back to a safer distance. What she didn't see was my 150lb dog tuck her tail between her legs and begin to coward away from what she thought was a threat to her safety. I had to laugh out loud that Sailor was afraid of a dog that she could completely hide inside her mouth. Fear in the face of life's threats is something I sometimes lose prospective on. Sometimes my immediate response to a threat is to tuck my tail and run, forgetting that I am not just anyone, I am The King's Kid. My daddy has an army of angels surrounding me. Most of the things that come my way are usually nothing more than a yapper, nipping at my heals, more of an annoyance than a threat. But sometimes my problems seem to loom above me like a dark overpowering cloud making me feel small and insignificant. God never meant for me to feel this way, he wants me to feel the power of his blood and his name pumping through my veins. I'm not just a conqueror, I'm more than a conqueror. My security in the face of danger isn't dependent only on who I am, but whose I am... a fact I need to keep in prospective.

More Than A Feeling

It's Friday... and all the peasants rejoiced!!! It's been a long week for me, not sure why, just not "feelin it" on many fronts. Perhaps that's why I am especially thankful this week that God's love for me isn't dependent on how I feel. It's a comfort to know when I feel unlovable he still loves me. When I feel disconnected his arms are lovingly tucked around me. Life may take me on a roller coaster ride of emotions but his love is constant and it's way more than a feelin.

Stand Out!!

Last night our church joined with several others to sponsor a See You At The Pole Rally. We had over 150 kids attend. It was great seeing so many kids come together for the cause of proclaiming Christ. It may be true that some came for pizza and some for volleyball, but if just one came to know Christ then mission accomplished. Standing in the back of the room I couldn’t help but notice what a tremendous force all of those kids, standing shoulder to shoulder made. If we could just realize that we do not stand alone, nor do we stand in vain, but when we stand united for the cause of Christ, WE STAND OUT!!!

Creature of Habit

Is it possible to look in the face of a bulldog and not know that we serve a whimsical wonderful God? Two years ago my husband surprised me with a new bulldog. My previous bulldog had to be put down several years before due to health problems. My heart was so broken by the loss I didn’t know if I could stand the risk of owning another one. Of course, before I could scoop Riley up in my arms she had me lock, stock and barrel in love with that face!!! I just love bulldogs. Riley may be a bulldog but her personality could not be been more different than my previous one. She is always just itching for trouble and as a puppy I thought “Oh my goodness, what have I gotten myself into”. She is uncharacteristically hyper for that particular breed and when she was a puppy you couldn’t just grab that face and take advantage of those beloved bully kisses or you’d come up missing a nose. She loves to wrestle but can get all caught up in the moment and cross over to the dark side like Darth Vader on steroids. At a few months old I decided I needed to lay down the boundaries and show her who was boss before she out weighed me in muscle and attitude. I had to become a no-nonsense Mom that stuck to my guns when she pushed the limit. Very quickly she figured out that I had her number and she began to calm down and settle into a routine. Having a crate is such a great tool for training. When she gets tired she’ll waddle to her crate and tuck herself in for the night. Occasionally she still gets a “wild hair” and acts like a child hyped up on sugar. When she does, her whole body wiggles seemingly uncontrollably because she’s trying to wag a tail she doesn’t have. During one of her moods she’ll get up in someone’s business, knowing that’s not where she belongs. A stern word form me will send her running as fast as her little short legs will carry her into her crate. Unfortunately because of her body mass, if she’s picked up enough speed, she can’t come to a complete stop once she enters the crate. That’s when the crate wall comes in handy. With a big bang she’ll go into time out (sometimes on her own accord) and plop down as she tries to gain her composure. Something about that crate gives her what she needs to gather herself together so others can stand to be around her and so she can stand to be around herself. Before the holidays last year I moved her crate into the dining room to give me more room in the kitchen. After several weeks of the crate being in the dining room she had “one of her spells”. I told her to go to time out at which time she ran full speed ahead into the breakfast nook (where the crate no long was) and crashed right into the wall. I laughed until I thought I was going to cry! She was just so used to running in there that she totally forgot in her moment, the location had changed. Today I was thinking…. That’s how I am with God. He is my hiding place, the place I go when the storms of life get too much for me. He is where I go when I can’t stand to be around myself. Instead of being my last resort, he is my resort. And unlike Riley’s crate, God’s location never changes. At the first sign of trouble I turn to him and run as fast as my little short legs will carry me into his protective arms…. Yes, there is nothing better than being a creature of habit.

A Life Poured Out

A trip to the city afforded us the opportunity to stop in on the City Rescue Mission to see the place where our Son works and lives.  Probably everyone has some preconceived notions about a mission designed to help the homeless and the addicted.  We were plesantly surprised to find it a well organized, cheerful place.  Our Son proudly showed us around and introduced us to the staff.  They have an area for children, a medical facility, pretty much anything a person would need to begin the process of putting their lives back together.  It was amazing to see how comfortable he was in this environment.  When he was in High School, he went on his first mission trip to Mexico. I'll never forget his words when he came home.... "Mom, when I grow up I want to move there and live with those people".  God placed a desire in his heart on that mission trip that hasn't been watered down by materialism, education, or youthful desires.  The desire to pour his life out so that others can know Christ still burns as passionately in his heart today as it did they day he returned from Mexico.... in fact it burns a little hotter.  Seeing how fulfilled he is by pouring his talents and time into others, makes me a little ashamed that I don't spend more time doing the same.  Never in my life have I seen someone get by so well with so little.  The more he pours his life out, the more blessings God pours into his life. He is truly someone I'd like to model my life after.  A Mother's heart cannot help but swell with pride and a lump never ceases to form in my throat when I ponder the blessings he's bringing to others. My prayer over my children has always been "Lord help them to become everything  you created them to be in you".... the truth is he created each one of us to live a poured out life so that we can be fully filled with him.

Never Give Up!!!

Last night our family went to see a friend of ours play college football. Boy, was that a good game. The weather was perfect for football.  The game rocked along with our team in the lead until 24 seconds left in the game.  Against all odds the opposing team scored a touchdown putting them ahead of us by 2 points!!! With just seconds left in the game our team took the ball and quickly marched it down the field to about the 40. With ONE SECOND left of the clock we kicked a field goal and won by an amazing one point!!!! Geeze, that is hard on the blood pressure.  After the game, the coach praised the team for never giving up.  Made me think of how many times I've come so close to a personal goal only to quit when all seem hopeless.  How many last minute victories have I failed to see because I had packed up and gone home with seconds left in my game?  Next time I feel like giving up I'll remember the game with one second left and a team that didn't give up.