Byway Blessings

Sunday morning I was given some lovely cards, a framed picture of my boys, and a candle for Mother’s Day so I couldn’t let Mother’s Day pass without wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers.  I experienced a wonderful day with my family.

This time of year has always been a special time of reflection and memories since my mother passed away. I have found over the last several years that I have happy days and still some sad days of remembrance since her passing. This year, however, not only do I want to honor my mother, but I also want to honor and say, “Thank you” to the other mother’s who have influenced and enriched my life.

Being a mother is a special blessing. The saying is indeed true that you only have one mother. I love my mother dearly, and  even though she has gone on, she is never to far from my thoughts on any given day. She taught me so much about love and life, and her memory will always have an honored place in my heart.

I would like to also honor today my step-mother, Jeannie Brown. She has a special place in my heart also.  She takes care of my Dad, which is a full time job. :)  She is extremely talented in music. She is a great “Nana” to Clay and Glen. She does so much for everyone and I love and respect her for all she does for the family. Our family is enriched because she is a part of it.

I would also like to honor today my mother-in-law, Brenda Cloud. She is a wonderful mother to my hubby, and “Meme” to my sons. She is a great listener when I need someone to talk to. She is giving and loving to all of us. I appreciate all she does to show us she cares. My life has been blessed because of her.

If your mother is living, I hope you were able to spend some quality time with her. If your mother has gone on, I hope and pray you will be comforted, and have the opportunity to reach out to someone who has enriched your life and tell them how much you appreciate them. We, as women, have been given by God a great capacity to love others. May we take advantage of the grace and love of our Lord and honor Him by passing on to someone else the love he has deeply rooted in our hearts.

“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love” 

~ John 15:9 ~

I experienced the most wonderful opportunity this last Friday evening. A sister church in our area, Pine Level Baptist Church in Cairo, GA,  had a “Ladies Night Out”. They served to us a beautiful dinner and the Program presented was such a wonderful blessing to me. Two of the Pine Level Ladies presented dramatic monologues and the Ladies Ensemble from the First Baptist Church in Bainbridge, GA ministered in song.  Donna Lott and Patti Appling presented the “Painted Parable”. This is a truly unique ministry. While Donna delivers a wonderful message/parable, Patti paints a picture to illustrate the message. The spirit of the Lord is on these ladies. They live in North GA above Atlanta. The evening was full of blessing after blessing.

My heart was especially stirred when Donna shared a particular problem in her life and how God lead her to a book by Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth Bell Graham. Mrs. Graham when faced with adversity ran to God and her Bible. God showed Mrs. Graham that she was focusing on the problem she was facing and the adversity rather than focusing on the promises of God. I felt in good company because over the last few weeks, I have been struggling with a problem of my own and all I could see was the problem.  I failed to focus on the promises of God’s Word. How often do we all continue to struggle with something when the answer is right in front of us? (more than I would care to admit, thank you )  In the midst of my struggle God showed me the answer I needed. He said, “Run to the word, my child, run to the word!!! Focus on my promises not on the problem!!!”   Peace flooded my soul. Believe it or not, but my problem in all of this was not really the problem. IT WAS MY FOCUS.  God showed me that peace is available in Him when I focus on His promises and not the problems of this life. Who would have thought you can have peace and a problem at the same time.  We all have problems that we face every day. The problems can clutter our mind and drag us low if we let it. By focusing on the promises we can experience the presence of God right beside us, holding our hand and whispering His sweet promises in our ear.

 ”And being fully persuaded, that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”  ~Romans 4:21

As a housewife, I can always count on a few things. Stocks will rise and fall. The ozone layer will probably let more bad stuff in. Global warming will be on the rise.  Summertime in Georgia will be scorching hot. Dirty dishes and laundry will always be the biggest plies in the house.

Since baseball season has begun, I have spent less time at home than I normally would spend. Glen is in the County’s 9-10 year old league, and Clay is in the County’s 11-12 year old league so scheduling, between practice and games, has been a challenge. During this time of year the dish and laundry plies have grown and I have struggled to keep up. In my effort to start fresh this morning I was dish washing before I had to go to work.  As I was washing  one of my glasses, I heard a pop and felt a burning sensation in my thumb…the glass broke and I saw red. The glass sliced the top part of my thumb. The funny thing was when I first picked up the glass I didn’t see a crack in it. Cracks are usually the first thing I look for in a glass. If it has a crack in it, I go ahead and put it aside to keep this very thing  from happening. The only thing I can figure is the pressure of the cleaning process caused the glass to fracture.

Pressure is something we deal with on a daily basis in our lives.  Pressure to make choices, or to do this or that is present whether we want it to be or not. If we say we don’t have stress and pressure in our lives we are living in denial. The pressure will always be there. What we need to do is to find out what causes the pressure in our life and focus on the best way to deal with it. 

Some pressure we bring on ourselves. At times I find, I am my own worst enemy. Taking on to many things at one time will up our stress level. Yes, sometimes it is very hard to say, “No” to someone because 90% of the time the things others ask you to do are “good” things. We must remember to pray and ask the Lord, “Is this the best thing for me right now?” I find that when I fail to pray about what I should do, I often take on too much then I end up popping and lashing out at the ones I love.

Some pressure and stress will come when we know we have not done the right thing and God is trying to clean us up on the inside. We sin and are stained on the inside. We need the cleansing that only God can do. The cleaning up of the heart is not pleasant. It requires scrubbing and getting in all the small places inside.  No one that I know of will want to drink out of a glass that  has spots on the inside. We can’t explain the dirt and grime away by saying, “It really isn’t that dirty; I cleaned up that glass last week.” The cleaning process must happen for us to be pleasing to God. Sometimes the spots can only be seen by holding it up to the light of God’s Word. We must confess to Him our sin and ask to be made clean. He who knows us the best sees the stains and knows the best way to take care of it. Relying on Him and placing our lives in His hands is our only option.

Pressure can be lessened when we put ourselves in God’s hands. He always knows just what to do. In his hands, I find cleansing, rest, and comfort. Healing is available when we pop and fracture. He is the only one who can put it all back together again and make it stronger as if the fracture never occurred. It is God shining in us and through us that will testify of a life, not free from the pressures of this life, but of one who lets the power and the light of God shine forth in the midst of adverse circumstances.

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 

–2 Corinthians 4:6-7

When the pressure and stress of this life is overwhelming, I can count on my Heavenly Father for He holds me in His Hands.

When I think of April, I think of Spring. The time of all things new. Little plants that grow from the tiny seeds are shooting up out of the ground. All the plants and grass put on that electric shade of green and new life is seen in the blooms of the flowers hidden in the ground for the winter. The same is evident in the blogosphere. Over the last few weeks, I have found some great sites and met some terrific people who have been a great blessing to me. I wanted to share them with you.

I have enjoyed reading Notes in the Key of Life for quite some time now. Cindy Swanson is a blessed writer and keeps you informed with up to information on a myriad of subjects. She has had through radio and her blog opportunities to interview many wonderful people, including Liz Curtis Higgs, my personal favorite person and encourager. She shares many things that will pull your heart strings and/or give you a chuckle. Give her a look. You won’t be sorry.

I always receive something special when I visit Hariette Petersen aka Selah V. She writes a daily devotional that you will want to read over at SBC Impact.  She has a heart for Christian women and it shows with every post. As you read, you will also realize that she has a heart for God. I also enjoy reading her personal blog, Selah V Today. I have enjoyed getting to know this dear lady through her posts and her interaction with me in the comments section. If you need encouragement for your Christian walk, this lady’s writing is for you.

I have visited Danny Kaye over at nothing important  through my husband’s blog.  DK has done some great posts over the last few days that have brought laughter and amazement. The video he shared about Not Vig’s elephant is one you definitely need to see. Prepare to be amazed.

I have enjoyed reading Julie’s writing over at Jewelz Sightings. She has a wonderful style and has been a blessing to me as I have read her recent posts. She has a heart for God and longs to be near to Him. I know I will continue to gain strength and encouragement from her blog, and I know you will as well.

Paula at Grace Reign is a terrific writer with thought provoking posts. Her series on the Song of Solomon is a must read. You will find it located in her side bar.

I recently found Angela at Becoming Me. I can identify with her through her writing. Her latest post on “If only I could eat my words” is one you will want to check out.  Her thoughts on being a wife, and mother are heartfelt and genuine. You can relate also with her drive to be all that God wants her to be as she shares her life experiences with an openness that is truly refreshing. She has blessed and encouraged me and I know you will be too.

I hope you all have a blessed weekend filled with God’s love.

Life has kicked into high gear. Almost everyone I have talked to lately has told me how busy they have been during the last few months. It has struck me funny, because when I see a friend I have not seen in a while I always ask how they are doing. The answer has consistently been the same. “I am just so busy!”  As I was sitting on the bleachers last night watching my son practicing with his baseball team, I fell into conversation with a few of the other moms doing the same thing. One of the main topics was how we were dealing with the task of keeping our kids and their activities organized. “I can’t seem to slow down,” one replied, “we are always running from one thing to the next.” Can anyone out there relate?

We are busy people and keeping things organized has proved to be the ultimate challenge. How do we do it? How do we stay on top of it all? This morning in the quietness of the moment, while the kids were still asleep, these words overwhelmed me, “Be still and know that I am God.” It was not an audible voice, just my heart communing with His heart. Just take a moment and “Be Still.”

For my own sake, I need to take time and just be still and recognize that God is God.  The one who created the universe and set the sun, moon and stars in place knows my name. The one who gave the ultimate sacrifice to redeem me from my sinful condition knows where I am at this moment.  The one who knows me better than I know myself sees my weakness and is able to strengthen me, but I must be still. 

The verses in Psalms telling us to wait on the Lord are numerous and Isaiah 40:31 has always been an encouragement to me. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”  Before we being running around, we must wait and renew with God.  Being still and waiting are not going to happen if we don’t make a conscious effort to see that it does. God is there to answer our prayers and give us the strength and the fortitude to make it through anything life throws at us. Our part is to be still and know that he is God.  When life overwhelms you, take a moment close your eyes, (unless you are driving your kids somewhere,  :)   If you are, bow your heart before Him) and talk to your heavenly Father then be still and let Him talk back to you. Take a moment and recognize who He is and in that moment find the sweet peace that only God can give.

Don’t delay! Take a moment right now and just be still.

Over the past several weeks I have been making a conscious effort to “Get Healthy.” I  began by making changes in my diet and also by joining the gym to get some much needed exercise. I have been reading articles, began to drink only water, green tea, and juice, and eating foods that are grilled or roasted.  These changes were hard for the first week or two. As I got used to the changes, I began to feel better and found that I had more energy. I even have shed 18 lbs. which my clothes have said, ”Thank you”, to the extra room I have given them.  :)  Physically, I have felt that the choices I have made are good for me. I think however that the choice I make with my time is the most important I will ever make. Just as I only have one body and I need to take care of it to the best of my ability. My day, just as yours, only has 24 hours in it. We all have the same amount of time.

The choices we make with our time will impact us and our surroundings. It is our decision on what to do with the time we have been blessed with. *(I was thinking along these lines when I was responding to my friend, Dionna, over at Emphasis on Moms as she commented on It’s my time.  When I realized my comment was getting longer and longer, I decided to continue along these lines here. If you are looking for a great site for Moms, check it out!) 

As a mother, my choices not only affect me but also my family.  When my children were babies, they needed my constant attention. My every moment surrounded their every need. Even when they were sleeping, I always had at least one ear alert to every change in breathing, hiccup, snore, or cry. When I was sleeping, I slept lighter than I ever had before ready to answer all cries or calls. As they grew older, you would think that things would change. They were growing and maturing and able to handle more things on their own. Still, I am ready. Do I still hear them in the middle of the night? Yes. I choose to watch over them and be there to take care of them.

I have made the choice to teach them about God and the Bible.  Like Joshua in the Old Testament, I want those within my house to serve the Lord. It is so important to invest the time that was needed to teach them the ways of God.  I was thinking about the families in the Old Testament. They were directly responsible for teaching what God said to their children. They did go to the temple to worship. They had the priests and their leader, but they were commissioned by God to teach their children. In Deuteronomy 6:6-7, we read, “And these words, which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”  This teaching of God’s commandments was and is a 24/7 responsibility.  The Old Testament saints were diligent.

The choices that we make as parents today will impact the future of a nation. We do need to make a difference by witnessing in our communities, towns, states, nation and around the world yet,  let us never forget that the children in our homes need to be taught the ways of God from us. We can not rely on any one else to do it. Do we sit around with our children and grandchildren, and talk of the ways of God and his commands for us as the saints of old? or do we talk about everything else?  Are we sharing daily with our children the things we have learned at the feet of Jesus?

It is our Choice!

Over the past few days a song has been playing over and over in my mind. This seems to happen to me quite often. Most of the time I find it is a song that I don’t want playing over and over in my mind. It is usually one that I gets on my nerves, or one with extremely weird or “hokey” lyrics going dun, dun, dun in my brain. This week however it has been different. It is a song that came out several years ago recorded by the “Singing Americans” which was a gospel group based in North Carolina. The name of the song is “In My Weakness”.

“In my weakness, he is strong. In my need he lingers on. When I come to the end of all I am, and I place my trust in him, that’s where his strength begins… in my weakness.”

I really feel like God placed that song in my mind for a particular reason. The last few weeks have been crazy. My family has been fighting sickness, and to be honest I have been weak and just plain weary. A tiredness that has settled over me and I can’t seem to catch my breath. Then day before yesterday, this beautiful song began to resonate in my brain. When a moment of quiet overshadows me, the music washes over my heart and mind, and plays the sweet harmony of “In My Weakness.”

Maybe you are where I am today, you are tired and weary fighting the good fight of faith. Maybe you are just tired with the overwhelming amount of things that have to get done today.  Sometimes when we are the most weary are the times we can’t stop and rest. Yet, we have the promise of His strength.  How can we truly know the depth of the strength of Christ till we come to the end of what is in our power to do? His strength takes control when our strength comes to an end. Many times in my own life I find I try to go forward in my own strength thinking I can handle all the problems of day to day life, but it is not about what I can do. As much as I try to tell myself I am strong, I see my weakness, but that is okay. When I recognize just how weak I am, It frees me to rest and rely on the one whose strength is perfect.

Paul said it best when inspired by God in 2 Corinthians 12:9 to write, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

The world will tell you that you are strong enough to handle all that life throws at you. Be strong and pull yourself up. In his word however we find the true key to making it along in this life.  Be willing to admit you are weak, and rely on the strength of one who is more than capable and willing to carry your burdens for you. Paul rejoiced in his problems. Why did he do this? He knew that when he did the power of Christ would rest upon him. We need to give to God the cares and problems of this life and stop wearing ourselves out trying to carry them alone. We don’t need to be afraid to show our weakness before our Heavenly Father. He knows all things. We do need to recognize it for ourselves. Have you come to the end of all you can do and all that you are? His strength is there. Claim it.

“I place my trust in him, that’s where his strength begins… in my weakness.”

I have noticed of late how time seems to be moving faster and I seem to be moving slower. I try to schedule my time wisely knowing what I have to get done and the set amount of time I have to get it done. Both are passing by so quickly I am not able to get half of what I need to get done–done.

Why does this happen? I don’t remember my childhood being this busy or my teen years either.  I had quite the set of school activities, etc. yet Life moved at a slower pace. As I have grown older I have noticed more and more that people in general are busier than they have ever been. Maybe, it is because there are more opportunities for doing things. We all have more access to go and do more than we ever have before.  Certainly, everyone I have talked to recently have told me how busy things have been for them, and in my own life I find this to be true also. Does it ever end?

I heard a quote the other day from a friend. “Life is like a coin. Once you spend it,  it is gone. You are the only one who can spend it so spend it wisely.” We are all given the same amount of life or time. 24 hours in a given day is all that we have. We are the ones who decide how to spend the time we have been given. This really puts the phrase, “my time,” in a new perspective. Are we really this busy because we want to be, or are there some things we could say ”no” to doing? I know there are in every one’s lives nonnegotiables like work, sleep, meal time, family, and last but certainly not least the things of God. These things take up a major portion of our time, but we need to focus on all these things.

The Bible does say, “Redeem the time because the days are evil.”  Are we focusing to much on the things that are not nonnegotiable? Are there things that we are doing that we should back off of to focus on things that last forever? This is something we all need to examine in our own life.  It might be time to grab the clock and take some time to examine why we are so busy.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject, and I hope I haven’t taken up to much of your time.

“It does not matter where God places me or how.  That is rather for Him to consider than for me.  For the easiest positions He must give grace; and in the most difficult His grace is sufficient.  So, if God places me in great perplexity, must He not give me much guidance? in positions of great difficulty, much grace? in circumstances of great pressure and trial, much strength?  As to work, ministry was never so plentiful, so responsible, or so difficult; but the weight and strain are all gone.  His resources are mine, for He is mine.”

–J. Hudson Taylor, Missionary to China

“Grace.” It is a small word, but the depth of its meaning transcends time and place.  As a child, my teacher in Sunday School taught me that Grace meant “God Riches At Christ’s Expense”. This definition of grace helped my childish mind to wrap itself around this concept. God extended salvation to me because of his grace. Titus 2:11 reads, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”  In my sinful state, I needed what He showed to mankind through Christ’s death on the cross. I needed the salvation he offered.   Songs, poems, essays and sermons have been written expressing in words the amazing grace of God.  Perhaps the most well know is “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” (John Newton)  Countless men and women throughout time have been awe struck by the “salvation grace” he poured out upon the human race and great debaters have gathered to discuss the importance and deeper meaning of the word, “Grace.”

However, As I grew and matured in my faith and walk with Christ, I experienced first hand the grace God gives to us on a daily basis. When the storms of life came upon me I discovered beautiful “day by day grace”.  In small trials and overwhelming storms of life, I found not only a friend I could count on but also a grace that was as big as I needed it to be. (Ephesians 2:7)  When I was in situations beyond my control and nothing I could do could have any bearing on the situation, I discovered the great grace of God was there for me.

In  2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul declares, “And he said unto me, My Grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”  Paul experienced trial upon trial to spread the word of God to the people of that time.  In the circumstances beyond his control Paul discovered the day by day grace of God an invaluable source of strength and encouragement. For in weakness we discover reliance upon God to be the only strength available.

J. Hudson Taylor had truly discovered grace when he penned the words above.  Perhaps you are struggling in the location God has placed you. I can honestly say I have been in that situation.  I was in a place where I wanted to get out. I wanted God to immediately fix the situation and make it better. (A lot of “I, I, I ’s” don’t you think? ) I wanted to be removed from that place, but God had something to teach me first. He wanted to show me that there was not only “salvation grace” but also “day by day grace”. No matter where God has placed you or what you are going through we have a God who loves and cares about you. Sometimes, He puts us in a place so we can see who we really are and who He really is. God might immediately remove you from the place of trial or He may wait, but no matter where we are God has our best interests on His mind and heart. We might want to give God the benefit of the doubt that He knows about our present circumstances and has a plan that is bigger than us. Our purpose is to please Him and glorify Him.  We can do that in everything.  Let us never forget that as Christians, we have at our disposal a magnificent amount of grace. We have help in our time of need. You may experience this day by day grace today.

“His resources are mine for He is mine.”

A story was told about a man who lost his wife due to a car accident. The man had a small son whom he loved and was trying to help cope with this devastating loss. Daily the boy would ask his father, “When is mommy coming home?” The father would try to change the subject or do something to distract his boy from the awful truth. 

After several days at bedtime one evening after hugs and stories have been given and read, the father turned out the light. A small voice cried, “Daddy, when is mommy coming home?” In the darkness, the father with tears falling down his face replied, “Mommy is not coming home; she is in heaven with Jesus.”  Not a sound was in the room for the briefest of moments when the son said, “Daddy is your face toward me?” “Yes, son, my face is toward you,” he cried. “Then,” spoke his little son, “I know everything will be alright.”  

A short time later the father stands by the window with his face heavenward, “Father,” he cries, “is your face toward me?”  In his heart he knew the answer, and he also knew everything was going to be alright.

How often do we ask similar questions in our own life?  “Father, is your face toward me?” I know personally that I long to know that God’s face is toward me, yet in my weakness and pride how often is my face toward God?  Am I looking to Him for the guidance and direction I need? Am I in his will doing what he wants me to do?

As we begin the new year, I pray and ask God to bless me in the new year and to look toward me as I go on my way through the year. I make my list of the things I want to do this year. Perhaps, instead I need to ask myself is my face toward Him?  Am I only asking God to bless what I am doing or Am I striving to do what He is blessing? A new year brings with it many opportunities to serve the Lord. With these opportunities comes the challenge to go beyond what we know to do.  Have we sought the face of God in the new year and asked Him what He would have us to do with the year we have been given? 

Jesus in his earthly ministry spoke of ”being about his Father’s business” on many occasions. This is a wonderful example for us to follow. If Jesus, himself, went about doing the work of the kingdom of God and following his Father’s will and not his own, how much more should we do the same. 

My January schedule seems to fill up faster than any other month, but I need to make sure God’s schedule for me is the first one I look to.  We must follow what He has for us to do.  This sometimes may mean that we have to say, “no”, to something that may be good to do, but if it is not on His schedule for us it is best for us to say, “no”, no matter how scary it may be for us.  Pray over your schedule.  In the busyness of the new year let us all follow the wisdom of Matthew 6:33.  “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”  With childlike faith trust God to know what is best for you to do with your days. 

Seek his kingdom first; Seek His face first and everything will be alright.