GROWING SEEDS: "What We Do In Life Echoes In Eternity"

“For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity.”

~ C.S. Lewis

This past weekend we had a Memorial Service for a dog. 

It was my friend Cheryl's dog, Lucy Hood, and everyone that had ever crossed paths with little Lucy.....loved Lucy.  She was a little 4-year old weenie dog with a huge personality that loved chasing squirrels, messing with skunks and was engaged to our dog, Murphy.  She loved steering the golf cart all around the neighborhood, kayaking in the lake and biting sprinkler heads.  What she lacked in legs she made up for in personality.

We gathered Lucy's favorite people for the Memorial Service, sang a song, buried her ashes in a bottle and placed them carefully in the Etheridge Pet Cemetery.  We laughed, we cried and we remembered.  And we each secretly thought she left this earth too soon.

As I stood there, listening to Betsy sing "Bless The Lord My Soul" at the foot of Lucy's grave, I heard these words,

"And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will SING YOUR PRAISE unending
Ten thousand years and then FOREVERMORE."

And it dawned on me.  I'm not afraid of death.  I'm afraid of NOT living like Lucy lived......in a fast-forward, speedy-gonzales, screamin'-like-a-girl-to-go-outside, eternity-bound way.  Eternity is NOW......not reserved just for once I reach Heaven.  Eternity isn't like a stopwatch that begins once we die.......eternity is living right this second.  How is it possible that Lucy.....a DOG.....knew this??

My hope is that on that chosen day, when it's time for me to take my last breath on this earth and my eternity continues on, I'll be singing in my typical off-key, squeaky voice at the top of my lungs with a gigantic smile on my face as I bolt as fast as I possibly can into eternity and into the arms of my Savior.

"The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name"

 

 

My Bella

September 24, 2013

I remember that day well......11 years ago today. 

It was a Tuesday....just like today and was the 267th day of that year in 2002.....and we had eaten a lot of mexican food the night before with her parents in hopes it would encourage her to get here sooner......

It worked.  

As we've watched this first grandchild of ours grow to a healthy 11 year old, we have never forgotten to count our many blessings for her.  She is tall, athletic, smart and cute as a button.  She has these AMAZING blue eyes that dance when she's excited and an infectious Texan laugh that has its own drawl.

And I had a few things I wanted to tell her today.....on this very special day of hers......

My Dear Sweet Bella,

My heart had never felt so full and satisfied as it did on this day in 2002 when I held you for the first time in my arms.  See, I was never able to have children of my own, so for me to have a grandchild....a beautiful blond granddaughter......was a MIRACLE.  A mind-blowing, extraordinary, unbelievable miracle and I thank God daily for bringing you into my life.

After we got through that first year of colic and you screaming bloody murder every time you saw Grandpa Charlie and me, we became friends.  We played dress-up EACH and EVERY time we saw each other even when we both outgrew the outfits.....and I questioned EACH and EVERY time why you always stripped all 687 of your Barbie's of their clothes.  Especially my designated Barbie, Meg.  I won't even go into the phase of your life where the Barbie's all had no heads.

Then you said you wanted to be baptized a few years ago.  Such a grown-up decision and in my mind, you were still 2.  I must admit, I thought you were too young.....I questioned whether you fully understood the commitment you were making.  But you know what?  I now KNOW you knew exactly what you were doing.  As I stood up with the rest of your family in your church that Sunday, watching you stand proudly in the baptismal, with those AMAZING blue eyes and long blond hair, I wiped tears from my eyes as I saw you growing up before my eyes and committing yourself to God.  There simply isn't a word in the English language to fully express my love for you at that moment.

And here we are today.....a few short years of you being a teenager.  If the next 11 years go as fast as the last 11 years, you'll be a college graduate and maybe even married.  My advice to my first born granddaughter; the one who likes to write stories, take pictures and wear cowboy boots with shorts, is to find the BLESSING in everything.  Everything.  Even the things that don't look like a blessing....be thankful for it all......

You have blessed my life, my sweet girl.....and I am SO very thankful for YOU.

Love,
LeLe

Happy 11th Birthday!!

GROWING SEEDS: "Glass of Our Church"

 

 

"People are like stained-glass windows.

They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in,

their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

On the heels of the sermon series of our church's stained glass windows, it seemed only appropriate to sit and visit with two of the chosen people who helped design and plan what those very windows surrounding you would look like.  

I'm talking about Mike and Janet Jordan.

Mike and Janet have been faithful members of the Mt. Vernon First United Methodist Church for about 40 years now.  Back in the day when the church was located on Kaufman St. just spitting distance from Mike's old tromping grounds, First Baptist Church, they started raising their children, Julianne and Josh, at the 1930's brownish brick church building with the amazing stained glass windows throughout.  

But by 1985, it became clear the church body had outgrown its square footage and plans to build a new church began.  

The pastor at the time, Dan Hoke, a retired architectural engineer, began the long process of organizing committees for each aspect of the new construction.  Mike and Janet were asked to lead the Decorating Committee along with a team of about 5-6 other members.  This team visited various churches as far away as Arkansas and, with the help of Pastor Dan Hoke who decided on the stained glass symbols, came up with the design you see before you today.  

As I visited with Mike and Janet this week, I realized that they, along with the entire team who gave of their time....their resources....their energy, did so that we could not only "feel" the presence of God in this place, but "see" the presence as well through the stained glass.....which is exactly what I do each time I walk through those double doors into the sanctuary and see the colored glass cross ahead of me.

And I could just picture the entire congregation that beautiful Sunday in 1985 as they each carried one old thing from the prior church to their beautiful new church home. Some carried a hymnal or a Bible or a cross.......a piece of history in one hand....child in the other, and the Jordan family proceeded down the aisle to find their home on that 4th pew from the front on the right.  And in true childlike fashion, Julianne, age 5, made that pew forever the "Jordan Pew" by proceeding to throw-up on the brand new, never-before-sat-on cushion her parents so lovingly had just selected. 

Holy Joy and Amazing Grace

 "Holy JOY lies in the habit of murmuring thanks to God for the smallest of graces."

Ann VosKamp

And I whisper thanks over and over and over and over again right now 

for the family I have been graced with.  

For the love my brother and his favorite girl have for his only child.....a man now......safely back within his reach from the pits of war.....

For the love of my sister-girls......who make me laugh sitting on my favorite 3-legged bench propped up by a rock....and make me cry as we walk down sometimes difficult roads together holding each others hands.....and who love me no matter how many fire ant beds I have in my yard......

For the love of companionship when you thought life just couldn't get any lonelier......

For the love of capturing memories.....both in our minds, hearts and SD cards...

For the love of my One-and-Only....numb legs, hard-of-hearing, swollen feet and with a heart as big as they make them with an almost constant smile on his face in the face of pain...

And especially today, for the love and return of my Marine, with the familiar family blue eyes and crazy awesome smile that make me never want to let go of him.

Thank You God,  for these Graces that are Amazing!

GROWING SEEDS: "How To Live Through The Hard Days"

 

 

HOW TO LIVE THROUGH THE HARD DAYS

Sometimes, even right before it really begins, you know how the week’s going to go.

Yep, it's been one of those kind of weeks.  But as I sit here, watching the sun come up in the most beautiful shade of pinks and reds, I am  brought to my knees in thankfulness for the difficult times.  For these times remind us that without these messy days....the day-to-day struggles....the wreck I see when I look in the mirror and the fact that I'll never get it all right, I am reminded of Ann VosKamp's words, "Christianity is the only hope for this broken world, because there's no other way for the broken to get the Nails they need to rebuild."  And trust me when I say "I need a LOT of nails"!

You all know what I'm talking about.  We've all experienced those days, weeks, months maybe even years, where it was hard to see the pinks and reds of a sunrise and be thankful.  Each day rolled into the next and "Joy" appeared to have taken a vacation without us.  

But I am constantly reminded that when we know Christ, we always know how things are going to go.....always for our good and always for His glory.....even when it doesn't "feel" like it.  Have you ever heard people say, "God's will never gives you more than you can handle"?  I say "HAAAA"!!  I truly believe that God absolutely, purposely, deliberately gives us more than we can handle, because it is when we throw in the towel to Him and He takes over, that He proves Himself by doing the impossible in our lives.

And as I glance back out to the sunrise this morning, I see the Sun's reflection on everything it touches......the trees, the grass, the lake, my dead thirsty flowers and I am thankful.  Thankful that God only allows pain if He's allowing something new to be born.

"I'll be with you as you do this, DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY, right up to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:20

GROWING SEEDS: "Stephen's Ministry"

Stephen's Ministry

As I became an adult, Mom and I became best friends.....called each other every day....took trips together each year.....and prided ourselves on being the most fun and most entertaining people at wedding receptions.  So when she passed away after a long illness, a piece of my heart was buried in that casket alongside her.

A few weeks after saying good-bye to Mom, I received a note in the mail.  It was from Oleta Gann and included a book on grieving.  She was my first experience with Stephen's Ministry.  Over the course of the next 6 months, I received three more books from Oleta and with each one, came the most heartfelt, tender note I had ever received.  It was through this experience; the sincere, genuine and from-the-heart love Oleta showed me, that I learned what Stephen's Ministers were all about. 

I discovered that Stephen's Ministry is a volunteer outreach program that many different denominations embrace and adopt.  It's a ministry that brings Christ's healing love on a one-to-one basis to people suffering everything from illness and grief to family troubles and job loss.  It was named after young Stephen in the Bible.  He was the dude the Apostles asked to be the very first layperson to care for the needs of the early congregation (Acts 6:1-6).  Stephen Ministers are provided 50 hours of training to learn the art of listening, sensing others' feelings, maintaining confidentiality, praying with people and most importantly, they learn they are only CAREgivers; Christ is the CUREgiver.  I just love that!!

Being a Stephens Minister may not be for everyone, but if you have the gift of compassion, understanding and empathy, this just may be what God is calling you to do.  Contact Barb Olson at 903-946-3816 or bjblueeyes@gmail.com or Jackie Stempel at 903-860-3955 or jjstudio@peoplescom.net.

And as for those wonderful series of books on grieving Oleta so graciously sent me.........I'll be sharing them with my dear friend who just lost his wife this week.  Pay it forward.......

"Give freely to the world these gifts of love and compassion. 

Do not concern yourself with how much you receive in return, 

just know in your heart it will be returned."

— Steve Maraboli

GROWING SEEDS: "Stained Glass Window of Your Life"

Can you see through the stained glass window of your life?  Do you see the light of God shining brightly through that window, illuminating your path ahead or is it dark behind the stained glass pieces, causing you to stumble on the rocks of life?

When I was young, the church my family attended had a large stained glass window over the baptistery behind the pulpit and was of a picture of Jesus holding a lamb.  I was always mesmerized by that stained glass window and was more touched staring at it, than any sermon I ever heard growing up there.  But I noticed once that looking at it during the day, with the sunlight reflecting the stained pieces of glass to form the image, was just the opposite of seeing it at night.  At night, the image disappeared and all you were left with was just a black void.  I always felt something was missing at the nighttime services.

Do you see the Light reflecting the Shepherd in "your" life, protecting you from the wolves as you walk this, often times, difficult path called life?  Is the Light shining behind the commandment-stained-glass guiding and directing you?  Is the Light shining in the Bible-stained-glass a light on your pathway? 

I had the opportunity this past week to visit the old Mt. Vernon First United Methodist Church on Kaufman St. with Marcy Yates and see the stained glass windows from years gone by.  I found it interesting that the families of that church back then honored their deceased loved ones by purchasing a stained glass window with their name on it.  It was the stained glass window of their life.....

I, personally, want the shards of my stained glass life to read as Jewel Joyce's did on one of those windows.  It read, "What A Beautiful Life She Lived".  

The vision that makes the stained glass shards of your life depends on whether you see light or dark behind the window.