... walking by faith into 2011...

.. sick as I am, I so feel the need to write about something that was just impressed on my heart... oh to know the heart of God... it will always be a mystery to me...

More than my next breath 

More than life or death 

All I'm reaching for, I live my life to know you more 

I leave it all behind, you are all that satisfies 

To know you is to want to know you more 

To know you is to ache for more than ordinary 

To know you is to look beyond the temporary 

To know you is believing that you will be enough 

Cause there is no life without you 

(Casting Crown, "To know You")

I just watched the movie "Amish Grace"... all alone, on New Years Eve, sick.... and it brought me to this place again, the place where I just cannot comprehend my Lord, my God, the depth of His love, the brilliance of His plans, getting another glimpse of who He is..... and I cry, but I cry because it is just so amazing and so mind boggling....

The movie is telling the story of the Amish Schoolhouse shooting, a true story, when for a little while in this secular and lost world of ours He and Who He is was in the Headlines of all News Stations... when the forgiveness of the Amish people baffled the world and made them all take another look.

Forgiveness in the face of such tragedy, such violence and disregard of all that is sacred... innocent, Amish children, randomly shot and killed.... 

Watching this movie right now made me fall in love with Him, the lover of my soul all over again...

 We are in awe of the Holy God, the Almighty Creator of the Universe, we are grateful for His plan of redemption and as we draw closer to Him and get to know Him more and more we are learning of HIs goodness, His love and His grace....

The Story of Redemption as it unfolds throughout the Bible is the most amazing story, a story that only our God could have come up with...

Grace, the unmerited favor granted to an undeserving mankind... extended to reconcile us with the Father, His just and holy wrath poured out on the sinless Son... debt paid, redemption for all those that believe... Grace lived out through Jesus' sacrifice to give us the one tool we need in order to be able to live a life of love and unity... live the way God intended for us to live....

Jesus, when asked which was the most important commandment said this: "The most important one is this: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength'.  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” ( Mark 12: 29-31)

Everyone knows that without forgiveness loving one another is a rather difficult thing to do.... that's why Jesus teaches His disciples to pray like this: 

 "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."  and then goes on to say: "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." ( Matthew 6:12, 14-15)

This last year in my life has had many people very close to my heart sin against me over and over again, the pain and the hurt was immense.... by God's grace and His work in my heart I have forgiven all those sins and reconciled with the ones that hurt me... instead of a heart full of bitterness my heart is full of love... forgiveness has not only severed the chains that bound me to the offenders but allowed relationships to be restored... love, unity and peace to be there as much as possible in those kind of circumstances...

Watching the movie brought me to tears tonite because of the sweet fragrance of Jesus that was imminent throughout the whole story... sadness, tragedy, pain.... through forgiveness love and restoration in the end...

I am thankful that a movie like this is out there explaining to the world what following Jesus is all about... you all need to see it.....  Let's make FORGIVENESS the main ingredient of 2011, because you all can be sure of this... there will be conflict, hurt and pain.... like every year... it is what we do with it that is going to make the difference...

.... the price of maturity....

.... Christmas tree still up, fireplace going... wearing my new PJ's my youngest daughter gave me... wrapped in a cozy blankie..( a gift from a friend a few years ago.... sooooo soft ) one puppy on the counch with me, the other one on the other couch.... my pink laptop on my lap, watching "Happy New Year Charlie Brown"..... how much more relaxing and cozy can it get???

Telling a friend today that I am actually quite happy being alone... even on a day like today, when once again all my kids are out, even overnight... and it is really just me, I am enjoying it, I am. I would not have thought that possible even a few months ( weeks)  ago...

Well meaning friends told me I had to first be okay being alone, before entering into another relationship,  I nodded my head but I didn't think that I would ever achieve that...  now I think I probably have.. how cool is that????

It's all my Father's doing... yes, for the first time in my life I am resting in who He made me to be... this must be the most wonderful state of mind / soul / heart....

He is indeed enough for me... it is true, I wanted to believe it but I doubted it... I did, I can admit that...
I knew it had to be... I wanted it to be like this... I experienced it sometimes.... but still felt somehow weird about being alone... now, I still am hoping that in God's most amazing plan for my life is that one man that will fit with me so wonderfully that it will blow my mind away, but there is no longer that urgency.... I can take all the time to find this out... I am trusting Him...

Me being the impatient, task oriented yet emotional girl, I thought that there had to be some method of getting to that place of trust, that it took more bible reading and meditating, more praying, more memorizing ..... that there had to be some kind of action I had to take for this trust to become big enough to give me that peace I was so longing for... that feeling of being whole and worthy, without a man giving me that  value by loving me... I was frustrated and I doubted... I figured I just had been messed up too much by the rejections of my life to ever be able to get there...

Oh, me of little faith.... I can't believe that even though I have seen my God in action... I have seen Him carrying us through tremendous tragedy .... that I still could not fathom that he would make all this beautiful in HIS TIME.... that it was whenever He had planned this, it would happen.... that no matter how much I tried to come up with all kinds of steps to get there, that it would be whenever the time was right He would have me where He wanted me to be...

My drawing closer and closer to Him, my reading, meditating, praying and memorizing were indeed very important, but once again, it was not what I did that made this happen, but rather Who He is... communing with me and transforming me, restoring my broken spirit, enabling me to soak up His love... saturated with it I finally just feel that "me" just me, is indeed good... made in His image.... wonderfully made, planned by my loving Father....

It is wonderful and I am taking it in.... understanding that growing up in one's faith , reaching new levels of closeness and peace come with a price...
I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death ( Philippians 3:10)
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. ( Romans 8:17)
I wouldn't want it any other way... if this is the way my Lord orchestrated this... I didn't enjoy the pain and I am not liking it when it still creeps up here and there ,  but it seems maturity is bitter sweet and means so much more because of the price that had to be paid to get there...

He knows what is best and who am I to  question the potter..... I am in awe of Him... and His goodness..

The Psalms have always been a source of comfort and hope for me, and the Lord has ministered to me through many of them... a favorite is Psalm 27 and the last few verses of this Psalm seem to be very fitting for this..

I remain confident of this:
   I will see the goodness of the LORD
   in the land of the living.
 Wait for the LORD;
   be strong and take heart
   and wait for the LORD.

As a new year is just around the corner, let's all just wait for the Lord....  we WILL see the goodness of Him if we are just taking heart and continue to wait on Him!!!!!

.. The New Years Resolution....

.....some people have asked me over the years if I make any New Years resolutions.... My answer to this is always no.. that's just not who I am.. have seen to many resolutions go up in smoke the next day... and.. most of all... as Christians isn't our life supposed to be an ongoing New Years resolution, with the one difference that we are really, with the Spirits help being transformed every day????

1 Peter 1: 13-16
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

2. Cor 3:18
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Gal 5: 16-26

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions  and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

So my point is... we do not need to make New Years Resolutions... shouldn't we all be striving daily, by God's strength and grace and through the Spirit working in us to live a life pleasing to the Lord... the fruit of the Spirit becoming more and more prevalent ... us becoming more and more like Jesus... having been given His mind.. His desires becoming ours... so, we can make New Years Resolutions, we can make them anytime, and they should be in line with what we are called to be, which is Holy, because He is Holy....
We won't have to give up because we are not going to try to do this in our own strength but with His strength... and with Him all things are possible...
But trying we NEED to...... because how else will the unbelievers around us see something they want... a young and very inspiring woman I am following on Twitter just tweeted this:
... Jesus said to tell the world about him and make disciples. Let's get over ourselves and do it!
That's a good New Years Resolution... isn't it???????

... sharing the blessings....

"The blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, they be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors." Tweeted this morning by CalvinTweets..


I have been on Twitter for the last 6 months or so, following amazing people like Michael W Smith ;) Natalie Grant, Casting Crowns , Rick Warren, James Mac Donald, Focus on the Family, Samaritan Purse...etc....  I have found it inspiring to read the little sayings and verses that those people tweet and they have lifted me up and given me focus more than once..
This Tweet from Calvin Tweets today I thought was especially meaningful... Blessings a deposit from God to be passed on... hmmmmm...
 If I think of my children and the way they bless me, they make my heart overflow with love and this love than makes it's way to others.. I am more considerate, caring and loving with those around me..
If I think of material blessings.. that's easy, not use this all for myself, but give and share with others that are not as fortunate..
Other blessings could be time, I have been blessed pretty much most of my life as a mother by the fact that I did not have to work outside the house but could be there for my children.. as they grew older I used the blessing of my free time to get involved in ministry at my church, blessing others with the time I had by investing in their lives.
Talents and skills are blessings that should be shared for the benefit of others... a beautiful voice or a talent for organizing events.. there are always opportunities to bless others with the gifts we have been given..


In short, I guess it comes down to one thing... we were made for community... we were made a certain way to fulfill a certain purpose, we are given certain skills, talents, opportunities  and blessings throughout our lives to share them with those around us.
The Sovereign God  has us in exactly the right place at the right time and we , like living stones are used to built His temple... in the community of our families, our churches, our schools, workplaces etc. There are no randoms in our lives... the blessings we receive are, like this Tweet said it so well, Divine deposits... like everything we have, just given to us  for safekeeping and to be used for the furthering of the Kingdom...


There is nothing about anyone of us that is useless and random... there is no experience negative or positive that is not purposefully woven into the tapestry of our lives... we are not an island, we are part of a community, a family... a Kingdom...
We all are important and have significant roles to play... we are gifted and valued...


Since becoming a Christian so long ago I have been filled with gratitude and awe regarding this fact... I have rejoiced in the opportunities to serve and to pass on the blessing... how empty and hollow my life would have been had I just kept all those treasures to myself... It is a blessing to be able to share oneself with those around us.... God made us that way... we thrive when we share the deposits He makes into our lives....


As we are approaching a New Year I am excited about the opportunities this year will bring, opportunities to bless... and be blessed... to live a life in community with other believers and unbelievers... sharing all the blessings and in turn be blessed beyond anything I could ever wish for...


Be assured that the service opportunities are right there for you... just ask God to open your eyes.. He has you where you can make a difference for someone... share His love, be generous...... it is better to give than to receive.....

... taking the eyes of myself....

.. okay, I am done with it.
Today, millions are without a home, without food, without loved ones, without hope... today millions have not heard the Good News.. today children are being abused, neglected...  this year, like every year 15 million children will die of starvation... this year 700 000 to 4 million women and children have become victims of sex trafficking, which has now become the 3rd most profitable business for organized crime... this year 42 million babies worldwide have been aborted.... about 40 million children  were abused this year worldwide....... this is a very sad and tormented world we live in....

so enough of the self pity... I am thankful that we are healthy, have a home, have clothes to wear and food to eat.. we have friends and family that care.. we are not hiding from people that want to do us harm or have to be afraid of stepping on a land mine...

most of all though, we have heard the Good News... we know Who our Saviour is, we know that He has a plan and a purpose for each one of us... He has plans for us to prosper us and not to harm us... receiving His love we now need to take our eyes of ourselves and serve Him where He has planted us.. serve where the passion He has given us leads us and rejoice in our blessings and share the love of Christ with those around us..

there are so many ways of getting involved in communicating His love... we could have filled some shoeboxes with gifts for children in some part of the world through Samaritan Purse.. we can sponsor a child through World Vision and by this make sure he or she receives food, clean water, medical help and an education... we need to be involved in our churches ministries, we can support charities in our communities by investing our time and volunteering or by giving money.. we can help an old lady into the mall when the wind is so strong she can't move forward... we can make a meal or lend a hand to a friend in need... we can pray for those we know... there are so many ways to reach out and bless others...

it's what has given me joy no matter the circumstances... it is what has given me hope and joy in the last 6 months.. reaching out to the girls that come to the Center in Cambridge and now as we officially have moved into the planning stages for the Center here.. to the ones God will have for us here... it is great to be able to help in any way or form, it is what really brings joy... it is better to give than to receive... gifts and love, help and support... so there... done with the whining... accepting reality for what it is but not letting it bring me down.. I am blessed, I am a child of the Most High... all things are possible through Him who gives me strength... I am excited about the plans He has...

He is my help in trouble and as I am lifting up my children to Him I am trusting Him for them, for the drive to Toronto, for the time together there and for their future... their names are engraved on the palm of the hands of the Lord  "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..." Isaiah 49:16  He cares for them more deeply than I do...

I love Him for that as well....

.... living the " not supposed to be moments"

...   Christmas Celebrations done.. for now... interrupted by the need to separate the children from their mother... weird, how that's what a divorce does too... separated not only the husband and wife,  but the children, at times from one parent, most of the time from the other..
"Not supposed to be" times of loneliness and sadness... so this afternoon my daughters plus one boyfriend are going to celebrate away from me with their Dad and his new partner... maybe a little awkward for them ( it is getting easier as the time goes by), sad for me, but okay....
I remember last year on the 24th... the girls meeting with him for lunch... 6 days after... leaving me alone for the first time ... numb then still... in such shock that I didn't feel the full impact of what this all meant.
Isn't God so good?? Making us in such a way that there is a self defense mechanism that shields us... when things are just too fresh to even comprehend them...
Today I am choosing to face the feelings that are going to come this afternoon .. I am choosing to face them by myself because I know that it is important to face reality and pain.. it is important to cry, it is important for me to feel utterly alone and helpless.... it is necessary for me to process these feelings and to realize again that my hope is not in people, even such important people as my own children and family, but in Him, and only Him. I have always been like this, listening to sad music when sad , crying my heart out until I was better.. I could never keep my feelings in... I know, that's why some people, those that have no idea what to do with all the suppressed feelings of their lives , are actually threatened by me and have to get away... I am who God has made me and I am willingly going to the hard places, face them, allow them to bring me to my knees... because I know that this is the best place for me to be... on my knees...
Like the song from Jaci Velasque


There are days
when I feel
The best of me
is ready to begin
Then there's the days
when I feel
I'm letting go
and soaring on the wind
'Cause I've learned in laughter or in pain
How to survive!

I get on my knees!
There I am before the Love
That changes me
See I don't know how
But there's power
When I'm on my knees

I can be
in a crowd
Or by myself
and almost anywhere
When I feel
there's a need
To talk with God
He is Emmanuel
When I close my eyes,
no darkness there
There's only light!

I get on my knees....

Bob Carlisle in " on my knees" puts it like this:

...so I can stand tall
on my knees I can see forever
on my knees I can face it all
I feel like I can climb a mountain
cause on my knees the world's
a little smaller
and I stand taller
on my knees...

As we acknowledge our brokenness and need for a Saviour , as we kneel before Him knowing we have NOTHING to give, nothing to offer, no means to deal with our beaten up and shattered hearts...  in desperate need of Him... His presence, His healing, His touch , His love.... that's when we receive Him once again and His peace surrounds us like a thick layer of cotton balls... and warmth.... that's when we are close enough to hear His heart beat... to see they way He looks at us... His eyes so full of love and compassion...

So this afternoon, when my darling girls will have left... I am just going to open my arms and invite reality and all it has for me to bring me where I need to be .... on my knees.... desperately longing for the closeness with my Saviour.... I am not going to try and hide from the pain, or the loneliness, I, by His strength will face the loneliness and the heartbreak...
And once again I will be able to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my eternity with my Lord is in full swing...
So my most wonderful friends... do not worry about me, He has my back... He is going to spend Christmas day with me, because I am His child and He promised to be there for me forever.... AMEN

... A broken family's Christmas..

... listening to Michael W Smith host a Christmas Program on the The Message at XM online ( and only those that know me well know what that means to me )... while wrapping presents for my girls and their boyfriends.. the sun is shining and everything is prepared... couches moved and tree decorated... cookies baked, food in the fridge, ready to be eaten after the gifts have been opened..... soon we will get ready to go to church, looking forward to it, it is always so very special to celebrate the Birth of Christ...

What love is this... that He would love us so much to send His son to this Earth... to be born as a little baby, fully human and fully God... the perfect sacrifice... to pay for our sins...

So today is a very special day... a day to reflect, a day to remember, a day to share with family and friends.. this morning, driving down very familiar streets I was listening to one of my favorite songs by Michael and again, like pretty much every day lately I cried... I am grieving, deep, deep hurt in my heart...

Thinking about last Christmas, thinking about the Christmases in the past... we lost so much... no matter that for one year now we have had less tension and more peace in our house..... my children lost more than me,  their foundation, their security, their family was lost.. what I lost is different, substantial as well, but in a very different way...

I lost commitment and loyalty... I lost trust and protection... I had lost love long before this, not sure if I ever had it...


I know that I am repeating myself... I am also not quite understanding why this is so hard to get over... days like today are especially difficult...

Thinking once again about the fact that God created us in His image and that these things I lost are what He is all about... commitment, unconditional love, loyalty and faithfulness.... honesty and integrity...

So maybe it is not that surprising that a year later the wounds have not healed much... that the gaping wounds that were inflicted by ripping apart something that had become one by God's design are still hurting so much...

On a day like today I am also reflecting on the blessings... thanking Him for bringing us where we are now... thanking Him for my children... an unending fountain of joy, thanking Him for loving me like my husband never did, faithfully and everlasting.. understanding and accepting... surrounding me with people that love me like this... embracing us with strong and comforting arms... never to let go...

This evening, the church service where we will give thanks and glory to Jesus is a good way to start our celebration together... this evening we will enjoy each others company, by God's grace we will be able to bless one another and communicate our commitment and love and loyalty to each other... one will be missing... one that is missing out... even though he might never realize it.. but the One that this evening is all about...He is going to be there with us... we will acknowledge His presence and thank Him, because He is Heaven's present to us..

For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

He is my Prince... He is the Lover of my Soul.... He is my All and All.....

... just keep swimming... just keep swimming...

... sometimes I feel like a little fish in a school of fish on the bottom of the ocean, thousands and thousands of us... Dori comes to mind... "Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming" just swimming and swimming... in a big crowd... not really seeing where it is going and what is happening around me... a little anxious, frazzled, overwhelmed... life can seem that way... this last little while has been a little like that... so many things going on, so many things to take care of, so many burdens.... running the rat race... with a sick feeling in my tummy.... I am aware that this is what the Evil one wants, for me to feel insignificant and alone in a crowd of others running around aimlessly .... everything being meaningless .... I know that it is not true... that even though there are billions living a life similar to mine.. I am one of a kind ( for better or worse ;) I am fearfully and wonderfully made.... the purpose for my life intricately woven into the beautiful picture that God is creating... I know this... I believe this... then why do I get caught up in this and why do I have this sick feeling of fear in my stomach... it seems my brain is constantly going, trying to figure out the chaos around me ...  it's like being on one of those carousels... going really fast... trying to hold on but feeling the centrifugal force winning... eventually it will be stronger than my strength to hold on.... and there I will be... flying violently... no direction and no hope... because this is a given....I will crash, I will be hurt and broken into pieces..
But then again... no, this is not true... My God has me on the path He wants me to be on. He has laid out that path before me, He walks with me and He holds me in place... He protects me and even  though I sometimes feel I am spinning it is like my friend pointed out to me so clearly... it is He who is holding on to my hands, not me trying to hold on to Him...
This is where my hope lies... this is why my hope cannot be shaken.. no matter how crazily my life is spinning out of control... no matter that I have been dealing with things that are not supposed to be happening and there is no end in sight, He who created the Universe is on my side... He has my back...
It takes me to put time aside to draw near to him to ground myself though... otherwise the feeling of centrifugal forces getting out of control is imminent..
sometimes I just would like to turn the "tv of my life" off... take a break.... not deal with all the stuff... but I guess this has to wait.... He alone knows when the time is right for that... I have to admit, I am looking forward to it.....

... A prayer of Thanksgiving...

...let me start this day with a prayer of thanks to my Redeemer..
I thank You because this is a new day that You have made...
I thank You because You have saved me and redeemed me from slavery,
I once was a slave to sin and now You are my Master and My Lord,
through You I have the ability to say No to sin... you gave me your Holy Spirit,
You never give up on me, You are more committed to me than I will ever comprehend.
in Your lovingkindness You chose me even before the beginning of the World to be Yours,
I thank You because my eternal life with you started 16 and a half years ago
and ..since it is eternal, will never end..
one day I will be with You in perfect fellowship...
and until then You are always right here with me,
as I draw closer to You , You will draw closer to me,
You are revealing Yourself to me through Your Word..
You are the  Word..
this is why I love it so much...
I thank You for giving me a passion for You and for the lost,
I thank You for the fact that today,
a year after the my children I and I were abandoned and rejected..
we are in a better place... wounds slowly healing while scars remain,
but You... You have made Yourself known through this valley
in a most profound way and I thank You for that.
I thank You that through allowing the heartache
You have shown me how strong my faith has become..
You already knew this, but I didn't...
Thank You for grooming me and putting me together for that one specific ministry You have for me now...
Thank You for allowing me to extend Your love and forgiveness to those around me...
Thank You Lord for my children, my friends... my family in Christ...
Thank You for excitement in my life and things to look forward to...
but Thank You most of all that I am Your beloved child,
that You quiet me with Your love, that You delight over me with singing
and that indeed You are mighty to save
and that I will never need anything other than knowing in my heart that You love me....

I will praise You and worship You today and always
My heart is filled to overflowing because of You pouring Your love into me...
I am in awe and I am forever grateful....
May all I say and do today be for Your glory and honor..
May it be pleasing in Your sight... by your grace...
Trusting You for that...
AMEN

... comfort needed... and received...

...needed something comforting this morning from my Lord.... I prayed from the moment I woke up just asking for His tight embrace... I prayed and decided it was a Psalm day... a day to go to the most comforting words... I read Psalm 34.....


I will extol the LORD at all times;
   his praise will always be on my lips.
 I will glory in the LORD;
   let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
 Glorify the LORD with me;
   let us exalt his name together.

  I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
   he delivered me from all my fears.
 Those who look to him are radiant;
   their faces are never covered with shame.
 This poor woman called, and the LORD heard her;
   he saved her out of all her troubles.
 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
   and he delivers them.

  Miriam...Taste and see that the LORD is good;
   blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
 Fear the LORD, you his holy people,
   for those who fear him lack nothing.
 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
   but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
 Come, Miriam, listen to me;
   I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
 Whoever of you loves life
   and desires to see many good days,
 keep your tongue from evil
   and your lips from telling lies.
 Turn from evil and do good;
   seek peace and pursue it.

  The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
   and his ears are attentive to their cry;
 but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
   to blot out their name from the earth.

  The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
   he delivers them from all their troubles.
 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
   and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

  The righteous woman may have many troubles,
   but the LORD delivers her from them all;
 he protects all her bones,
   not one of them will be broken.

  Evil will slay the wicked;
   the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
 The LORD will rescue his servants and that includes me!!!!;
   no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

I meditated on this Psalm for many weeks a year ago ... I needed the assurance that He would indeed hear me and rescue me... and, at that time... I was also very much focusing on the fact that the wicked would be slain... I definitely was angry and the fact that the Lord was going to take justice in His hands was important to me...

This morning I was praising Him and then pleading for my girls and me... for His love to surround us... for His armies to protect us from the foolish and wicked arrows flying at us... we did have some fun times today and only a little bit of aggravation was added.... so, with His strength we can handle it..
My two University students shared with me today that they pray before Exams and that it gives them peace... that was something that warmed my heart... I am so grateful for anything... so aware of even the smallest blessing... grateful for Him showing me how He is at work... Because He is... He always is.. in all of us.... He is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace...He is my brother, the Lover of my Soul.... my friend and the one who has such strong arms, right now He is carrying me and my girls... again... He has the most loving eyes... did you know that???? Just have a look........

... dizzy and exhausted....

....when I was a little girl I fell of a little turny thingi on the playground... I got dizzy from turning and couldn't hold on anymore... I couldn't swing too high because I got too dizzy... I never could go on any rides... the last 10 years or so traveling on planes or even car rides would make me so dizzy that I eventually had to start taking vertigo medication every time I travel... or stay home... :(

Today was a roller coaster ride kind of a day... I am exhausted and dizzy.... too many ups and downs.. I guess there is no medication for that...

woke up still having the Eeyore cloud hanging over me...had a friend over who loves me... that started my upswing.... went to church to meet with my counselor / mentor.... talking to her always helps clear up some things... upswing continued...
Got right on it... taking a few action steps..  scary and hard
(down swing)... but important...wrote someone an e-mail,  first little baby steps towards reconciliation, had an exciting meeting with my future partner for the Center... up swing....  Met with someone to figure out status quo... hard... but necessary....

time alone... some more figuring out and processing..... up swing.... my girls coming home from a party with the "new" and, unbeknownst to us some of the "old" family... good for them... some things said and shared with me... down swing.... going to bed... dizzy and exhausted...

Was talking today about how I sometimes wish He would have made me with skin just a little thicker....
a little less sensitive... a little less vulnerable.... but then, who am I to question Him... the Potter...can He not make the clay into any kind of vessel... whichever way pleases Him??? He is not accountable to anyone... In His ultimate wisdom He decided just how to make me....

Today... I am falling into the arms of my Saviour.... drained and once again hurt... sad ... on the down swing..... as He catches me He lifts me up... swings me up and I am sure of one thing:
When times get tough, and I get tired, I won’t back up, back off, back down, back out, or backslide. I’ll just keep moving forward by God’s grace. ( Rick Warren )

When times are tough and I am dizzy and exhausted from the roller coaster ride... when the only medication that helps with my condition is to rely on Him... I will do just that... I will keep on keeping on... fixing my eyes on the goal set before me... on Jesus... on eternal things not on temporary things... and I will rejoice...

because I am His and no one can snatch me from His hand....For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen

.... divine love.... right there for me...

.. another day, a new day.. Sunday... the Sunday before Christmas.... today, my Lord had a blessing for me... something I have taken for granted at times, have been immensely blessed by other times..
..today, He knew I needed to be reminded of it.. I needed it.. period... because just over the last little while something has been happening to me...  I kind of had taken my eyes off Him and how He blesses me...

..we had a a special service today... it was called "soul cravings".. it was for friends to come and hear a good sermon about what Christmas is all about and what our soul craves, and Who alone can satisfy the cravings we have...

... as I was listening once again I was reminded that yes... we do not quite fit in with this world... the way it is now anyways... the brokenness and sin that entered when Adam and Eve ate the apple back so long ago... this is not where our citizenship is... it is in heaven... with our Father... that He alone gives us meaning, significance and love...

 ..He created us for Himself and as much as when we are saved we are reconciled with Him, in a relationship now.. we still continue living in this place where we feel like a squirrel in the hot tub would feel ( "inside joke / story" you really have to come and check out our church... like I said... my Pastor ROCKS)... the "not supposed to be like this" baffling and stunning us...

.. but then... after the service.. I turned around and reached out my hand for help... and what met me was a love directly from Him through a sister in Christ... complete understanding and compassion.... no words needed...  acceptance beyond my deepest longing.... my soul thirsting for Him.. met with companionship, with something so much deeper than I could ever wish for... communicating to me once again how much He loves me... cares about me, takes care of me, understands me... a few more of my  close friends hugging me and knowing my heart and my soul....

I need nothing else... my kids don't need anything else...  deciding to believe that is the first step.. every little step we take from here is taken in faith... taking us a bit further on the road to  recovery and healing.. until the day comes, when He will come again and the new Heavens and the new Earth will be established and there will be no more tears...... no more stunned squirrels in hot tubs and no more broken up families struggling to make it through Christmas and a life of consequences and sadness....

.... consequences ongoing....

... forgiveness.... it's  accepting the consequences of another persons sin.. leaving the judgement and punishment in the hands of the Creator of the Universe... The Holy God... who alone is just....
it's obedience to a God who forgave us our sins, before we even knew that we needed this forgiveness...

these facts have been familiar for many years... explained the concept to many and encouraged them to take the next step and forgive... cutting the chains that bound them to the offender...

it's something I knew I had to do, something I practiced daily for many, many years, as a preparation it turns out for what was to happen one year ago today....



when "accepting the consequences" back then... I did so with a sincere heart.... the only thing I was not aware of back then is that I had no idea what those consequences would be... that consequences pop up again and again, new ones, unexpected ones... affecting others... like my kids.... that they would be something we would have to be dealing with and living on an ongoing basis.....

I realized that the pain of those consequences is what we are accepting... the complications of our lives, the losses that continue to manifest themselves.. and as the last days have brought more consequences into the light I realized another thing.... on the way to the very slow recovery, some consequences / painful impacts might require some more extending of forgiveness ....

when praying and forgiving back then I didn't get the full scope of the consequences.....I might not have seen it all yet, but I for sure have a better idea now... so today I came to the conclusion that some more forgiveness was needed in order to be right with my God...

so I did, again, not for the offender but for myself.... the resentment I have been feeling for how the choices one person made mess up my life even today needed to be released and given up...

 I am coming to realize that this too will be an ongoing process.... I am kind of tired of those.... I am acting in obedience relying on the blessing and protection that is promised to me.... I am once again pleading with my Father .... claiming His promises.... not letting go of Him... hanging on for dear life.... until the peace that passes all understanding  is mine in Christ Jesus... That's one of the promises after all....

.... brokeness.... a year later...

.... tonite... it is my baby's birthday today.... I am finding myself all alone.... this is not how it is supposed to be... now I said I was okay with it and on a rational level I am... we are going to have a dinner on Sunday... never thought we would have one tonite anyways.. but to be at home, when my child is out for a dinner with her sisters and her dad and gf..... not quite the way one pictures oneself when pregnant and when this little girl was born... not for her or me for that matter...

tonite... one year exactly after the night that he left the house around midnight... , sending an e-mail 2 days later saying he indeed would NOT come back ever again....

so tonite... like the last little while and the rest of the year basically is full of things that are not the way they are "supposed"to be...

... but then again... who promised anything was ever going to be the way it was supposed to be????

I definitely never pictured it to be that way... I would lie if I said that I am not sad.... I am much better than a year ago but I am still sad...

 I figured something out....

..when I had my first baby and ended up having a C-Section it took me a VERY long time to get over the fact that someone had just randomly decided to cut my tummy open and take my child out that way... I was fully aware that my little baby and I would probably have died  otherwise but still ..... it bothered me...

Now... what I have the trouble with in this situation  ( and there are so many more layers obviously...) is that someone just decided to break up something that was not supposed to be broken apart... like my tummy was not supposed to be cut open..... it's violent, it damages and hurts and it leaves scars....
It takes a long time to heal.... 4 - 6 weeks for the C-Section, to be without pain.... over a year for sure for this "surgery".... the pain is not constant anymore...  but there are times, like the scar of my C-sections hurts when the weather changes.... when it still hurts....  and I have not gotten my head around it.... it is just not supposed to be like this.

A wonderful new friend send me a great song as a reminder today....
it goes something like that:


You are my hiding place,
You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance.
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.
I will trust in You.
Let the weak say I am strong in the strength of my Lord.

I will trust in YOU



.. so tonite.. as I am sitting in my home... all alone and sad.... I am finding comfort  knowing that He indeed is my Hiding Place... and I am strong in the strength of the Lord... He is holding me in His arms of love.. never to let go... never deciding to dismiss or abandon ..... He is not like that... so I will trust in Him....

..and... because of that.... as I am held in the arms of my father.... my prayer for all involved is to feel the love that I am experiencing right now... letting go of the hurt.... in obedience..... filled with love, His love... for all...... leaving justice once again in the only capable hands..  His....

...rewards.... as the challenges keep on coming...

living in this world can sometimes be a bit overwhelming.... one thing after another... many layers of difficulties... different relational levels... hang ups and issues... baggage and history...
And then... there is new hope... things never imagined... but still truly happening... a hurt, beaten up  heart... slowly daring to inch out of it's shell...... could it be for me? Could there really be deepest understanding and connecting.... really?

throughout my Christian walk I was living the suffering... coming to the place where I met my Comforter, where I learned to rely on Him, for healing and just the amount of strength I needed to make it through another day... I also learned that even though there is constant difficulty, there can be joy walking along the path He has for me...my heart flooded with gratitude and love for Him, my Redeemer... His love and grace... unmerited favour... realizing that He has my holiness in mind when He allows the suffering... and that my happiness is just not that important... Accepting that was good but it led to some misconception...  because of that I kind of had a hard time picking up on  that He is good, truly good all the time... and that this not only means He will always pick me up when the stuff He allows to flow through His loving fingers hits me full forth and knocks me off my feet..... it actually means not only the blessings I have gotten to appreciate... the beauty that comes out of the turmoil.... no, it actually means so much more than that.... obedience has an amazing reward... He told me so today... I distinctly heard Him.... and the great thing about it is, even though today was a rather challenging day so far... I have gotten those glimpses of receiving the desire of my heart and soul..... so like I said... inching out of the shell ... cautiously... my heart soars.... days challenging... yes, difficulties and issues and baggage and history.... yes... but by my side, always, the bestest friend anyone can have.. and as I have been, by His strength walking as closely to Him and in obedience to Him as I could.... I get those glimpses... and they are blowing my mind away... and my soul is singing.... my heart is rejoicing.... because the reward... the reward beats it all........ Hallelujah!!! Praise Him now and forever more....

... traveling mercies....

Warsaw...Poland... Day 2....So here we are.... in our room, trying to find some sleep rhythm... not so easy, but no big deal... surrounded by many young dancers and their mothers... getting to know them and seeing some of their hang ups and fears.. planes seem to be bringing these up... flying... a scary business..
Years ago, when already a Christian I too had tremendous fears about flying... dreaded it, one time I even went to the church before we left and asked my pastor to pray.... then, for the longest time I would take my little travel bible and read Psalms frantically and sing Christian songs to myself when taking off....
Eventually over the years.. this fear has subsided... I always pray.... but I am  not afraid...when, like this last flight there is some substantial turbulence I do pray and ask God to make it stop.... He usually does...
So some of my travel companions had some tremendous fear and I asked them if they believed in God...shared my experiences and prayed for them... I think they were okay afterwards...
I am still shy and rather hang out with people I know but I guess old age brings with it a certain confidence  ( and knowing who I am in Christ helps too) and so it is okay to hang out with a bunch of strangers and make some small talk turning into some deeper conversation over a dinner.... ended up sitting next to a lady from the town we are planning on opening the center  and shared with her what I am intending to do... turns out she is from the Salvation Army church there and is very involved with Family Services .... doesn't He just bring me together with a born again Christian on that trip who has a heart for the underprivileged and especially moms and little children... in His wisdom another connection made..
So today... the next part of the trip... a bus ride that sounds rather dubious.. every Polish person we talked about going to Mikolajki seemed a little concerned about the roads leading there.... this could potentially be a trip that has some people scared and many getting car sick.... I told my fearful friend who told me she didn't trust bus drivers that I trusted God for this... she said she was glad I was on the trip... funny... I don't think I have special favor.. but if that's what she thinks that works for me. I am glad I can point them to the Lord and His protection and care... after all, I know all about this... never at all questioning that He is in total control of all our coming and goings...


You have searched me, LORD,
   and you know me.
 You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
 You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
 Before a word is on my tongue
   you, LORD, know it completely.
 You hem me in behind and before,
   and you lay your hand upon me.
 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain.

 Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
 even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you.  ( Psalm 139:1-12)

So we will be on our way this afternoon.. getting to our final destination for this week... some activity filled days and then back the same way we came... God is going before us... making sure we are safe and giving me the opportunity to share my faith with some that are not that sure about that.. that's marvelous..
The girls will be dancing their little hearts out and all in all it will be a great experience...
All Praise be to God....

... reflecting on the journey....

.... reflecting.... it's what the JOG
( Journey of Growth) book had prescribed for this week.... reflecting on what God has been saying over the last 10 weeks reading 1 & 2 Peter...
As I wrote my summary I noted that the message of these two books has been resonating with me over the last 18 months of my life... so the last 10 weeks have been a summary in themselves...
My walk with Him over the last 18 months has taught me so much... first of all... that suffering is just a fact of life... 1st Peter goes on and on about that... do not be surprised if you are experiencing grief in all kinds of trials..

I remember the day I found out my husband and my cousin, my most beloved friend and "little sister" where having an affair... driving to meet my best friend at the church... screaming out of the pain they inflicted... I was thinking that this is how Christ must have felt when He was betrayed by one of His disciples... and I know that the comparison doesn't quite work... I was not being killed, even though it felt like that... and He really already knew ahead of time... still hurt on a human level I am sure...
So suffering... it happens... again and again.... when he walked right out of our home, abandoning all of us a week before Christmas... pain to an extent that I could have never imagined possible...
Suffering.. walking in it daily... sometimes just barely surviving... making it from one breath to the next...

And then.... He... He is there... always... He knows... we are achieving the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls... we are being refined, so that our faith, of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire will be proved genuine and will result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.....

Pain and suffering... yes.... making it through by His grace, being refined and bringing glory to Him...

We are also challenged to live a holy and blameless life... resist temptation and the devil... live to bring glory to Him...

The big lesson... none of it is possible without Him.... my last 18 months.... walking through it in forgiveness and grace.... only possible with Him... hope for a light at the end of the tunnel... only through Him... my life here.... only for Him.... love for others that do not care about me... only possible through Him... His love flowing through me , His arms catching me, holding me close to His heart... listening to His heartbeat and flooded with a love so divine so unending so amazing... a love that makes it all worth wile... the pain, the agony... the betrayal and the rejection... the hanging on when it seems impossible...

It hurts, and it will always hurt.... but what I have gained is so much more... my next step of love for those who hurt me has been and will always be  to pray for them, lift them up to the Saviour...so that they may one day find just that..... the goal of our lives here.......  to be eternally connected with HIM............. Nothing compares... Nothing!!!!!!!