... 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!!!!!!!

......... Celebration.....

... I knew it... I knew it because I know Him... and I am very far from knowing Him well enough... but I know Him anyways.... I know that He is holy, just, righteous... omnipotent and omniscient, He know the beginning from the end.. He is the Beginning and the End... the Alpha and the Omega... In His infinite wisdom He is the one that is in control and I praise Him for that...

So I knew it... I knew that the calling I have been feeling in my heart was from God.... that it was Him who put the compassion and love there.... I knew it I knew it I knew it...... I am soooooooooooooooo excited...

This morning I received an e-mail.... finally... but, hey, I was patient... I was, I also was very busy.... so it was easy to be patient.... anyways... the email basically said that the Elders were very eager to see me move forward with this ministry.... the Pregnancy Care Center..... HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happiness???? around the corner?????????? JOY... more likely.... a calling, a purpose, a real reason to be here.... helping others in need.... how much better can it get.... Direction.. affirmation ......the potential to love and encourage women in a time of need...to show them the real, genuine love of Christ...

I love Him... I love all the moms, and all the babies.... I love my dear friend who will start this with me.... I can't even deal with the excitement.... this is, like a friend said to me this morning to encourage me... indeed a WONDERFUL day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.....
Praise Him, today and always!!!!!

.. earthly blessings....

..... Last night's post was a little confusing maybe.... emotions pouring out of me how much I love the closeness and fellowship I have grown to cherish so much in the last 16 and half years but especially in the last 18 months... felt afraid of maybe losing this closeness if things would get better .....
Thankfully I am not lost to my own devices when it comes to those kind of questions and after sharing these thoughts with my very wise and loving friend last night.. she in turn thought about it some more and gave me some more insight and wisdom concerning this matter... ( God is so amazing.. He surrounds us with people that are more than capable to extend help and wisdom when we find ourselves stuck and in a fog for some reason or another) She pointed me, like she always does, to scripture... namely our friend Job... the poor guy that was targeted because he was the most righteous man of His time... always walking with God.... Satan wanting to prove a point asked for God's permission to take away everything , saying he would eventually curse God... well, we all know how the story ends... Job, even though going through tremendous suffering never did end up cursing God.... this here is the Happy Ending of the story:


 After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.  All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.


  The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.  And he also had seven sons and three daughters.  The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch.  Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.


  After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.  And so Job died, an old man and full of years.


Before Satan started messing with Job's life he indeed was walking with God, he was a very blessed man and he maintained a close relationship in those  good times... when one thing after the other was taken away he wrestled with the WHY but never walked away from God... in this time he grew closer I am sure....in the end God revealed Himself to Job and then.... voila.... God restored him.... and there it is...the blessing did not corrupt him or make him lose his closeness with God... .....  PHEW..... that's good to know, that's actually really comforting for me... so if there were some more pure "earthly" blessings around the corner... I would just be allowed to enjoy them and don't need to reject them out of fear to lose my close and wonderful relationship with my Lord.... I was kind of buying into a lie from the bad guy.... I definitely do not need to fear.. I am loving Him and if He will bless me with some happiness here I will gladly accept it and praise Him for the fact that He is always there with me, in the good and the bad times... What a wonderful friend I have in JESUS..... Praise and Honor be to Him both now and forever more.......

... loving Him.......

...walking with Him, drinking in His love , acceptance and wisdom... walking closely in intimate fellowship... will I be able to keep the closeness if for some reason the path I am on would happen to lead me out of the valley and up to some higher areas.. restoration and healing... an ongoing process...growing and learning... trusting and hoping... accepting and moving on... taking the eyes off self and fixing them on Him and those He puts around me.. wonderful, really.... but scary as well...
If I don't have to hang on for dear life... will He, the love of my life be as important as He is right now when things are easier?? Or will I start depending on myself or others instead of on Him...
A wonderful and wise friend of mine tonite pointed out that when He grows us and teaches us in the valley times it will not disappear just like this... if we thought that would happen we were totally underestimating who God is.. making Him and His power so much smaller...
Yes, when things are easier we tend to sometimes run off on our own... and maybe, even after walking so closely for the last 18 months that could still happen for a bit... very soon though we would notice and miss the closeness with Him.... when I was saved so long ago, that moment I fell in love with Him and this love for Him has grown over the years... it has become so very, very humongously big... I cannot even fathom it.. overwhelmed in the most wonderful way...He is too important for me to disappoint Him and miss out on my time together with Him... to be in constant communion... like thoughts connected at all times... Him leading me every step of the way...Don't want to lose that... not for any perceived happiness that anything in this world could offer... it's like I feel almost protective over this relationship.... it is so precious to me.... this "dress rehearsal" I am living is not the real thing... the real thing is when I will be with my Saviour in Heaven.. spending eternity with HIM ..... it is wonderful serving Him and walking with Him...... all I am saying is that I want it to stay the way it is... I am thankful for the difficult times He has allowed in my life... what was intended for evil He turned into a relationship with Him that is so very very very much more worth than any happiness in this world....
Love Him from the bottom of my soul and with every fiber of my heart......

...a baby turning 20.....

... November 26.... 20 years ago my little angel was born... I will never forget how she looked... her mouth was heart shaped... never seen anything like this before... she looked like a precious, fragile porcelain doll...I remember lying in bed the night before afraid, wondering if I could love this second child as much as I loved my firstborn... not understanding that the amount of love in a mother's heart is infinite....
..... 9 months later I was at my wits end... a sick baby, too sensitive to even tolerate breast milk... fed only by mare's milk ( horse milk.. and no, she does not go "neigh"... like none of the formula fed babies go "moo") anything ever given to her would get a very strong negative reaction right away.. Mare's milk was the only thing she was fine with.. good for developing her brain and body... not good for gaining any weight... little foals must drink so much of it.. felt like I constantly fed her but she only gained  2 pounds from month 2 to month 9...... constant fear that she wouldn't be able to tolerate the mare's milk, what would happen then.... not a Christian then... or just a traditional one, not born again.. lacking the relationship with the Saviour and subsequently the trust and hope in Him..
One day that August I came to a breaking point... I had felt ready to take my baby and jump off the bridge I walked on every day...Praying I told God that I knew that this baby of mine was a gift from Him and if He wanted to take her back it would be okay with me... surrendering my precious child to someone I didn't really know out of the realization I had no control over anything was a big step in the right direction... it was as if a break through was accomplished that day.. slowly my little baby started gaining weight as we were able to add a few more substantial foods to her diet... Today this wonderful little girl turns 20... she is caring and kind... loyal and trustworthy....funny and sweet... healthy and strong.... a very driven and successful University student.. going on to Law school after finishing her degree .... a blessing to me and everyone around her....
 I am getting all emotional thinking back and seeing God at work in me through her... allowing difficulty to communicate truth, teaching acceptance and trust... even before revealing Himself to me.... what an amazingly caring Father He is..
the last 18 birthdays my Ex husband was part of the Birthday Celebrations
( and we CELEBRATE!!!!) this is the first year for him not to be around for that... he is not even in the country.....
just another "First".... oh, well, I will be fine but I am lifting my children up to the Healer and Comforter... the One who alone can meet all our needs and bring hope and comfort when there doesn't seem to be any...
so tonite we are going to have a wonderful Birthday dinner for her.... My prayer is that she will feel the love we all have for her and that her heart will be filled to overflowing with not only our love but her Father's in Heaven... the One that will never abandon and forsake, walk away or not care.... the One whose love is so full of mercy and grace, it forgives and embraces us no matter what we have done... I pray that she too will know Him that way.... and I know that only in the turmoil we really experience these amazing truths.... Thank You Lord for my daughter and Thank You Lord for loving her even more than I do... which by the way is something I cannot get my head around either... seems impossible  ;)

...make me a mirror, a reflection of you....

.. taking a break with a nice Egg salad Sandwich  and a Coke from the most wonderfully delicious Glen Oven Bakery.. I think I deserve it... my back hurts and I am pretty much done with the heavy lifting... (going to my regular massage a little later on..  :)
I am always thinking and praying when I am alone, thanking God for all the blessings in my life.. so as I was driving back home, with the car full of laundry baskets and other containers.. I was once again blown away... I so do not deserve the way He looks after me... the way He is always there and works things out..
last night I lost it with two of my daughters and as much as I think I am not so wrong in what I am upset about I definitely am so far from where I should be if I want to be a mirror, a reflection of my Lord..
An older song from Natalie Grant kind of goes like this...  ( and you guessed it.. I was listening to it in my car)


I've been silent instead of speaking up
Gave my advice instead of giving love
I have been unfair, faithless and unkind
I have shut my eyes just so I would stay blind
It's not what I meant to do
'Cause I wanna honor you

Make me over, make me new
Make me a mirror, a reflection of you
Take me all apart
Take me to your heart and pull me closer
Oh, Jesus, make me over

Take away the pride that whispers in the dark
Take the stone out of the middle of my heart
Hidden underneath my insecurities
Is the servant that you've destined me to be
But day after precious day
I get in my own way....

Make me over....

and on it goes.... it makes me cry, even as I am reading this again... I broke down right there while driving through the only little tunnel we have here ( no worries, I am woman, capable of multitasking... driving and breaking down crying all at once)... and I asked Him to take me all apart and have His way with me......

was thinking again about why He would even care... what He sees in me like I said in my last blog... I am such a disappointment to Him over and over again... you know, when He convicts me of my sin other than being totally broken-hearted I am also feeling tremendously loved.... What is it, He sees in me....and the fact is... it has nothing to do with me, and it has all to do with Him, nothing to do with who I am, but who He is...the dimension of this love is too lofty for me to even try to understand... but like I said earlier... I am blessed to an extent that leaves me in awe and so full of Thanksgiving, praise and worship just bursts out of me, like there is no tomorrow...
He LOVES me..... how can I not once again pledge my allegiance to Him.. my dearest Abba Father, my King and Redeemer..

....American Thanksgiving...

.. the night before American Thanksgiving...2 days before my daughters 20th Birthday... 2 days before the Michael W Smith and Nashville Choir Christmas Concert in Brentwood, Tennessee.... ( I did get tickets for that and gave them to my friend in Franklin,TN.... I got them in a moment of delirious illusion of me being Superwoman.... some very disrespectful people might say it has to do with me being obsessed with MWS and "chasing" him all over the continent....the nerve...)

a week since getting possession of my little home... it's slowly getting together... just needs a few more runs to the old house to get the rest of the stuff still hiding in a few closets and cupboards... should all be done by tomorrow I think....

So American Thanksgiving is starting off a string of days from now to January 1st that held special meaning in my life with the man who walked away from a life together...
American Thanksgiving has always been the weekend we would go to NYC for a trade show... I do have a deep connection with NY... I really am fascinated with this city...

...talking with a a guy today, a friend from church about us girls making this our home now... and how heart breaking he thinks all of this is....

on the other hand.. like I said, the floor is done, things unpacked...it will be so cozy and nice once the pictures are up... some Christmas deco already out.... simple and beautiful.... so much more me ..... saw the baby on Monday ... 10 days old... I do love  little babies... met with another girl today, the boyfriend came along and it is so wonderful to see their excitement about this little life growing inside her..

listened to ... what a surprise....MWS songs today while driving home.... Help is on the way....He is never going to leave me or forsake me... that was true yesterday, today and tomorrow.. it helped me through the time of deepest pain and hurt, when moving on and being okay was not  something I thought would ever be possible... it is true today when I have moved on and I am feeling much stronger for having gone through this... I still wouldn't choose it but I am more sure of who I am in Christ and who He is to me...I have never been that confident and balanced and at ease... my bestest friend said to me the other day that shouldn't surprise me... He grows us in those times.... and He has...

it is true for today even when things are sometimes complicated and troublesome.... just life in general... like He said..in this world you will have trouble but I have overcome the world... so conflict and trouble  are inevitable but He will never leave us or and forsake us.. and walking with Him when you have to hang on for dear life tends to strengthen the relationship, that's for sure..... read something Rick Warren tweeted today: God answers your pain not with a principle but with a Person, not with a word but the Word, not with a reason but a relationship..... he ( Rick Warren) must have gone through some big stuff himself because he for sure is getting it... that's exactly what He does for us...

He will be there for us in the future as well... knowing that allows us to live to the fullest without holding anything back... following Him with expectation and trust... because no matter if things will be nice and wonderful or hard and painful... my best buddy, the lover of my soul is always right beside me... I will never get my head around what He sees in me... in the meantime I am enjoying His love and commitment...

... overwhelmed and frazzled?????

...it's been a while, and that is unheard of in my very young but passionate love affair with blogging...

I have been thinking about this... it must be my age, I am just not that young anymore.. yes, that is true... I just don't seem to be able to be doing everything all at once and then some.. I think I was able to do that before... maybe I am fooling myself...

..anyways, between being a mother, working part time, buying a house, moving, attending aDivorce Support group with a friend, getting prepared to , God willing open my own Pregnancy Center, taking my youngest to Team Canada rehearsals and getting ready to go to Poland for the World Championships of Dance.... somehow I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed.... just a tiny bit.. throw in the broken in  car window, car trouble, Mentoring groups and such and really... it's all a wonderful blast... it is....

My new house will be a HOME for us very soon, such a blessing, I am in love with this humble abode that is going to be the cozy shelter for my girls and me.... can't wait to be unpacked far enough to start putting the Christmas decorations out....... :)

Have been reminded this morning, when a bit down ( my puppies are taking turns either throwing up or pooing all over the place.... all too much for them I guess ) because I hadn't gotten a lot of sleep and woke up to a bigger clean up after the dog session.... - was reminded that I am BLESSED and that this is a new morning, a new day, full of mercy, grace and love, right there waiting for me... paid for with a horrendous price just for me and whoever will believe they need this gift.....

...I went to a shelter to deliver a baby bassinet a tremendously generous, wonderful friend had donated for one of the girls I am seeing... walking in there was quite the reality check for me.. I spend the hour driving home thanking God that He has blessed us and kept us safe all along... we have never had to find shelter in such a place  (and it is amazing they are there)... we just moved like I said and we are making this place a home where we can all come and find peace and rest.....

so I am.....overwhelmed, a bit.... frazzled, yes...... even frustrated at times, yes....
ULTIMATELY extremely thankful??? For sure!!!!!!!..  driving home again today , praying and worshipping my Lord, my Saviour and the Lover of my soul...I realized, this is another phase in my life in which He is teaching me something new... I am finding myself feeling all these negative feelings at some point in time and but then I get to step back.. look at it and make a decision... how cool is this... is this what self control looks like?? It's not perfection, meaning that there is no more frustration or difficulty and negative feelings,  but rather getting  a chance to  make a choice that honors the One who came to give us life, and life abundantly.... I am impressed at what He is doing in this small little stubborn heart of mine ( considering I am fighting Him all the way..) ... He really is changing me.... that's amazing and another reason to be thankful... back to work I go... with a heart full of Thankfulness and Awe... My God is an awesome God.. He really is....

.... sometimes the sun stays hidden....

.. today was somehow a downer... can't complain have been riding high for quite some time... there had to be a sucky day in there at some point in time..

This morning already... I was realizing how there was one specific someone trying to bring me down... insecurities... creeping up ... complications and a lack of excitement throughout the day... the overall stress making me feel overwhelmed, probably not helping... moments in certain conversations with significant people in my life that made me feel sad and frustrated...as always, no dull second... running from one place to the next.. packing up more boxes and then... as a perfect end to the day... clashing with my daughter... great... I hate the consequences of this family's break up...suffering is just a fact of our lives...

Every moment that caused grief in this day was tugging on my faith and my trust in God .... the lies whispered in my ear.... they don't really like you or care about you...it's all too complicated and will not work out anyways...I can never get this all done ... and the angry arrows of a hurt child... aimed right at my heart... moments that needed me making a choice, over and over again....

Surprised ..... really surprised... choosing to stand on the promises and not follow the lies and their path leading to destruction... not that hard after all...  for some reason, this morning I was listening to the song that was my companion for many months when going through the pain and hurt of the divorce... "Held" by Natalie Grant... this one never fails to put things in perspective.. realizing now, at the end of the day that someone who cares about me very much ( God...) had me listening to this before I was even encountering some of the downers...

So , at the end of this day... a regular day... really... I am choosing to focus on the good... really on the One that invented Goodness and Love... Comfort, Hope and Perseverance... I am choosing to be thankful.. thankful that there was another little baby born a few days ago, someone very caring and generous gave me a trunk full of baby items that will bless my young girl so much...... thankful that after a bad fight....love once again won the battle... rejoicing in the possibilities... with Him, all things are possible...

He is walking with me and I am thankful that I could turn my head while walking and I was able to look into the most beautiful eyes there are, the loving eyes of my Saviour... He would have picked me up but it turned out it wasn't necessary.. His presence was enough to make me trust Him more than the lies a certain someone wants to make me believe...because He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world... ha....thank you Lord!!!

... 19 baptized at GAC.....

.... big moments in time.. good and bad, we never forget where we were when it happened... good big moments are awesome to experience...it elevates everything... makes u feel that you are part of something that is not just a fleeting moment and forgotten the next second.. a bit of a glimpse into what eternity is like...

So yesterday at church.. yesterday was such a moment... what a privilege... the excitement was in the air.. it was so thick you could feel it... have a pentecostal friend who once said to me you could feel the spirit it was so thick ... well, that's what it was for sure...

Heaven rejoiced... there was a HUGE PARTY... as they talk to the little kids in Sunday School about making Jesus smile... He was beaming as He was hanging out at my church yesterday..

My pastor, the willing and obedient vessel for the Lord that He is, by God's grace... preaching through
1 Peter right now, last week challenged everyone to take the first step in obedience one has to take as a follower of Christ... get baptized to profess their faith and allegiance to the Lord...

19 people responded.... we are not a small church, and we have had  Sundays where maybe 5 people would be baptized on the same morning.... but 19.............. testimonies so amazing... age ranged from
(I am guessing ) 19 - 82 ( not guessing about the 82!!!!)  testimonies from dramatic to just no longer able to resist the voice of Jesus telling her to get baptized... HE ROCKS.... the Rock....

 So being there yesterday was unbelievingly amazing... encouraging... the world is won over, one  person at a time.. believing and stepping out in faith... proclaiming Christ as their Saviour... shouting it out loud and not holding anything back...

To be part of this moment... HEAVENLY............ it is such a privilege to serve the King of Kings, Lord of Lords...to be part of His Kingdom to join in the celebration.....  (nothing wrong with being a Jesus Junkie... that's what I am I think... cool, eh????)

... do you still feel the nails???????

... this morning I have been listening to a song I used to listen to all the time in my car and cry and cry... and wouldn't you know it... cried again... I guess I am predictable this way....
.. the truth is, this song speaks about what my Saviour went through when dying on the cross.... causing Him pain like this, continues to break my heart... don't get me wrong, this isn't about me having to feel guilty... this is not why I am crying.. He chose because of His great love for me and you to go through this suffering... that's what makes me cry....because this kind of love is too much to handle.
the song challenges us to wonder if we continue to hurt Him, is He still feeling the nails every time we fail , sin....
now theologically speaking I am not even sure we should look at it this way... He paid for our sins once and for all... then, when he went through this agony...
what it does for me is it breaks my heart that my wrong choices would hurt Him, and that the wrong choices I might be making today were the reason He even had to go through the pain... my love for  Him makes me sad beyond anything I could ever imagine that He might be hurt because of me... that He was hurt because of me... because of my stubbornness, my rebellion, my impatience, my desires...and, that even though I have met Him personally that first Sunday in June 1996, understood what He did for me in my heart for the first time then... that I could still stumble and continue to  hurt Him.. my most precious Saviour... who is there for me ALWAYS.. who walks with me when no one else will, who catches me when I fall, who tenderly holds me in His embrace, His eyes communicating love on a level I cannot even comprehend.... what could ever be worth it.... the answer is NOTHING... oh to live with Him, to walk with Him to consider Him more worthy then anything else in this world... constantly... without being distracted and led astray... He deserves my allegiance, love and devotion... He, who I love and adore, who I worship and praise... May my life on this earth bring Him glory, honor and praise both now and forever more...
 I love you Lord...

... the curve balls of life....

... okay, we know we are here to become more and more like Christ and to represent Him well, push back the gates of hell by His grace and strength and bring glory to Him... this is an established fact...

We can walk along in our life, trying really hard, focusing on Him, drawing closer and seeking Him... getting to know Him more and more, more successful at times than  other times.. all along trying to figure this out... being blessed as we are... getting used to the areas we are struggling with, in His grace getting a handle on it , one breath at a time, one little baby step at a time....


And then... life throws us a curveball... and all of a sudden we are finding ourselves in different circumstances and confronted with areas we never thought we would ever struggle with...

I am sure that happens to all of us at one point in our lives...this could be a bit of a problem, it could throw us off, make us feel as if we are not as closely connected to Him as we thought.. we could start doubting, we could start beating ourselves up... we could become discouraged and because of that be even more unsettled and loose the grip on walking  with Him...

 when confronted with new challenges in regards to walking with Him closely we need to trust that He who started a good work in us will bring it to completion, He is not surprised at the curveball or the new challenges...He allowed it to prove to us that our faith is indeed genuine and will result in praise , glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed....so, rather than beating ourselves up and feeling guilty if this is not as easy as we think it should be, we need to again draw closer, repent and keep on keeping on, relying 100% on Him who has given us everything for leading a godly life when he gave us the faith to believe...

Circumstances change, challenges will always be there.... the only constant is the Author and Perfecter of our faith... the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords....to Him be all glory forever AMEN

... Love overflowing....

... wondering this morning... if there is anyone out there who knows this feeling...
I never knew it before I was saved, before God had my heart grow ears and and I could hear Him calling my name... before the blinders were taken off and I could see.... the truth... of who He is, who I am, and what life is all about..

I remember lying in bed at night as a child trying  to figure out what  life was really... were my dreams my reality and what I thought was reality really my dreams... could there be more to life than going to school and working and then eventually dying?...

Anyways, thankfully He in His great mercy gave me all the answers... and wow, I had only been trying to figure it out for 30 years....  ;)

My questions though is... is there anyone out there that just has no idea how to contain the love they feel for the Lord and His people... I am finding myself at times in a position where the love I feel is just too overwhelming to even be able to express it...

Sharing with my group at RENEW yesterday if Jesus shows up in my life...shows up?????? On occasion ??????????? Are you kidding me?????? He is there ALL THE TIME!!!!! And my love for Him cannot be contained in my soul, body or heart... it breaks forth and needs to find an outlet... it flows over to the people I come in contact with all the time... the supply is unending... I am so thankful for that..
And then there are His people... love so pure and so immense... or should I say intense... I guess that's what allows you to put others first and yourself last... to be there for them no matter how you are... not worrying about getting your needs fulfilled... so, I am wondering... am I just a little crazy... or are you like that??? Love the family of God and love everyone...  I love the 3 girls I meet with at the Center... I truly do.... I am so blessed..... oh the goodness and tenderness of our Father in Heaven... who would have thought the journey with Him would be that full, that mind blowing... that wonderful... turmoil included.... :)

... shortsighted and blind????? :O

 A new morning... and His mercies are new... His promises still are just that, promises giving by the Divine Promise Keeper... no need to struggle in our faith but reason enough to hold on and stand on  them... the promises... fix our eyes on the One who so willingly gave His life, who suffered greatly and loved even more...

Rely on Him and what He has done and get up and follow in His footsteps... because .. if His love does not propel you forward, His Word also contains some dire warnings...

But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.  Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

( 2 Peter 1:9-11)

When reading scriptures like this I know that His grace is still that... grace, that catches us when we fail to work hard on this for a while... understanding and mercy and compassion... but we NEED to accept the forgiveness and grace ... and then get up again, in His strength and move forward... so whatever keeps you stuck this morning... let Him lift you up, allow His love and grace to permeate you, fill you and give you the courage to make the first step towards knowing Him more... and the "proving" is taken care of... 

I am imagining the "Grand Entrance into the Eternal Kingdom"..... He blows me away... there will be a party... cookies and cream cupcake towers... beautiful music and LOVE so tangible, if there were tears in heaven there would be that never ending stream of them flowing down my face... as my soul for the first time will fully comprehend His divine LOVE for me.... Joy that will never end... bliss for eternity.... so today, as I am again filled by Him.. His Word, His power and love... I am asking Him to allow me to be useful for Him...LOVE Him like crazy....

... divine employment.....

.... dizziness .... perhaps left over from the head cold... or maybe a permanent state of mind because of all that's going on in my life... CRAZY... closing in a week, moving in 9 days....Poland in 3 and a half weeks... Birthdays throughout and then CHRISTMAS!!!! somewhere in between there I am going to get a new car too... wild and crazy...

Drove through town, the other night, and someone had their Christmas lights lit already... they were beautifully colorful... and there it dawned on me... I can now pick exactly the lights I like.... I also ordered Scripture Stencil Stickers for the walls.... bought an electric fireplace and arranged for new flooring to be put down in two bedrooms before we move in...

Work in Cambridge is still the Highlight of my weekly schedule... did my first pregnancy test today...I am so blessed to have the opportunity to get so well prepared for the Center we will be opening here, God willing...

Very blessed by the passage in JOG this week... 2 Peter chapter 1.....so much in there... never a dull moment  in His Word...


By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
  In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Meditating on this and all that has been going on in the last year and half I do rejoice that all I need for godliness was given to me when Jesus claimed me as His own, and as He is refining me through all kinds of trials I am able to love better, have more patience, have more self control, know Him more and ultimately can be more productive and useful for Him....

The Pregnancy Center  comes to mind, and all the ministries I have been allowed to serve in over the years... and I am once again assured... this is what it is all about... We are saved for our own benefit, to start our eternal life in fellowship with the Father... but this is not the only reason... we are to be representatives that are productive and useful for furthering His Kingdom... He gives us all we need and as we draw nearer and nearer to Him through His word we are becoming more and more the willing vessel for His Goodness, Love and Grace to flow through to others..... no longer hindered by our own impurities and selfish hang ups, all burned away by the fiery trials He allowed...
So I thank Him today, I thank Him for leading me through the valleys... for faithfully refining me... for allowing me to be stripped of all that was not from Him, all that has been standing in the way.... I thank Him for giving me a passion to serve Him and the many opportunities He puts into my path... truth is, He is the best "employer " one could ever wish for.... I am so glad He " hired" me, considering my credentials were  total depravity and a wicked and deceitful heart.....