Saturday, June 28, 2014

IT'S OKAY BABY








I get soooo distracted!  When I'm supposed to be focused on a project and there are things around me that are pretty, or there are other things I would rather do, I get distracted and taken away from the very thing I'm supposed to  be doing.  When this happens, I fall behind, things don't get done and often times, a catastrophe happens.  I don't keep my eye on the main thing.

My precious granddaughter is spending the afternoon with me.  She has had lunch and now it's one o'clock and it's nap time.  She's never slept in "big girl" bed before.  She still sleeps in her crib.  Since she's almost 3, I decided it was time she could take a nap in the queen bed in our guest room.  I put bumpers along the side so she couldn't roll out and placed her favorite blanket on the bed for her.  I told her it was a "princess bed", just like Sophia's.  She LOVES princess Sophia!  She was really excited to sleep in our 4 poster "Princess Bed" just for her!

She actually, ALWAYS goes to bed for naps or at night, GREAT for me.  She just a little angel!  And today was not different.  She usually plays a few minutes in bed before settling down and taking a good long nap.

I guess there was a lot of pretty things in the room, things she had really never seen.  The night stand had a little gold clock with open hands sitting at the far end.  It was a while before I checked on her because I heard her talking to herself and knew she often did that sitting up in bed for a while.  When I peeked through the door, she was standing at the door with the small minute hand of the clock clutched in her fingers.  Her eyes her looking down and wee small voice said, "it broke". 

Catastrophe!  She wasn't doing what she was supposed to do.  She was distracted by the worldly things she was seeing around her that were soooo  attractive.  Though she knew she would get her long awaited popcorn if she settled down quickly and took a good nap, she just couldn't resist.  I knelt down, took the tiny minute hand from her, hugged her and said, "Lovey will fix it baby.  I still love you very much.  I know you didn't mean to.  But let's take a nap so you can get that popcorn when you wake up."

Isn't that a picture of me when I take my eyes off of Christ?  Catastrophe!  Nothing goes right.  I mess up, I am broken and my relationship is severed.  But he leans down and wraps those arms around me when my eyes are downcast and says, "that's okay baby...I died for those sins....I love you anyway....let's get back on track now....Jesus will help you!

I'm grateful for the gift of a child who can remind me to keep my eyes on Jesus!

Thursday, June 26, 2014

BEST FRIENDS







I have a three year old granddaughter who is really the apple of my eye.  Blue eyes, blond hair and smile that melts your heart!  She is bubbly, cheerful, runs up to me to give me a kiss and hug the minute I walk into the door.  She is usually always happy, happy, happy!  She entertains herself, dances around and is just a joy to watch.
She came home the last day of preschool this year with a shirt on that had hand prints of all her cute little school friends on it.  As you can see from her sweet smile, she was delighted to be wearing this new creation,  AND, she could tell you all the names of her classmates and friends.  Next year, she won't attend school as often and will have a new class and new friends.  For one so little, this was just a season for her for most or all of these friends.  She may never see them again or may have a few in her classes the next few years of school.  But for the most part, friends in her life will come and go for the next few years.

I've thought about friends in the past.  Friends I've had long ago.  Friends I miss very much.  Friends I talk to only a couple times a year but seem to never feel as if we were ever apart.  Friends that I've let go because the season has passed, life has happened or God brought them in my life for a period of time for whatever reason and that time is over. 

But true friends last forever.  Even if you only speak a few times per year.  True friends are those you trust.  Those you count on.  Those you can pick up with wherever you left off.  Those you spend time with and the time flys and you don't want it to end.  Those who cry with you, cry for you, laugh with you and when they laugh at you - you are laughing along with them.  Friends always are honest with you and you never mind it because you know they love you - even if it stings a little.  You love them for it because they love you enough to dare to risk everything to be your friend and be truthful.  I can go on and on, but I think you get the picture.  I've had many friends through the years.  They have come and gone and many more have stayed.

But my best friend is always faithful, truthful, kind, generous, thoughtful, loving, forgiving, encouraging and is always, always by my side.  I can call him day or night and he's there for me.  In my tears he comforts me and in my joys, he's rejoicing with me.  In my frustration, he's calming me and in my anxiousness he's slowing my pace.  He's the song in my heart and the joy of my day.  And I can't wait to visit with him every day.

Do you have a best friend like me?  I'm so thankful He chose me?














Thursday, June 19, 2014

SUMMER NIGHTLIGHTS

Remember the movie "Grease"?  I love musicals and I especially loved that movie.  Since I was raised in that era, I related to the music, the clothes and all the fun times.  There was one song that Olivia Newton John sings called  "Summer Nights".  The lyrics talk about all the fun these kids had during the summer - what they did in the lazy days of summer.  It all sounded so dreamy!  The other kids kept singing in the background - "tell me more, tell me more"!


I really had this image that this summer would be my "Summer Nights".  This summer would be my lazy days of summer, playing a lot of golf, taking the grand kids to the pool, traveling, working in my yard, sitting and reading when I like and just relaxing.  WRONG!!!  This summer has been like my "Summer Nightlight"!  I feel like I've been up all night, every night.  No, I've slept, but I'm exhausted!  I'm busier than I've ever been.  I don't know what happened!  All my well laid plans, or rather my plans to DO NOTHING got changed by I don't know who!!!  I've only played a little golf, only taken the little kids to the pool about 2 times, been to the dentist, doctors, no travel yet and running more errands than I have in my entire life!  SOMEONE is working behind the scenes to determine my days other than the way I had intended.


I spoke with my son Graham, yesterday.  His life has had an adjustment recently that was unplanned.  As we spoke, Graham told me he had been reading scripture to help him through this change in his life.   I suddenly recall the verse he quoted.  I'm ashamed to say I, myself had not remembered this verse as I grumble about my "Summer Nightlight".  Ps. 139:16 When I was woven together in the depths of the earth your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  Well!  There you go!  God already had these "Summer Nightlights" planned before the beginning of time.  They were planned for His glory and to be used to in His way, to point to Him and to glorify Him!


You mean it's NOT all about me and what I want to do?  Hmmmm......


Isn't God good to give us children to point us to Him?  Isn't it humbling to FINALLY realize NOTHING is about ME and EVERYTHING is about GOD?


I am grateful my Lord loves me enough to gently humble me through the words of my sweet child.