Traveling Towards Home

Today's thankful: “No matter how you have been hurt, no matter how lost you may feel, God wants to comfort you and restore you.” ~ Jody McFadden Ezekiel 34:16 - “I will look for those that are lost, I will bring back those that wander off, bandage those that are hurt, and heal those that are sick.” GNB Psalm 147:3 - "He heals the brokenhearted ands binds up   their wounds."   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 Corinthians 5:19 "In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others." (GW) I'm not sure what the GW translation is, but this says it plainly, we have this message from God to share the wonderful news with the world! Don't keep this great story to yourself! (Me) The above was shared this morning on my Facebook page and I wanted to expand briefly here.  For over a year I've been pos...

Wow!  It has been months since I last blogged. . . not that there haven't been many ideas rattling around in my head. . . .but October has come and gone and then November . . . December and January is now quickly fading. It was recently brought to my attention, that all things are not under my control.  It is time to let go of those things and people that are going in other directions.  I have a path to my heavenly home that needs tending. . .and a sweet young daughter I want to guide along that path.  Opportunities are frequent right now to share godly wisdom and spiritual knowledge. We find ourselves laughing and even crying over some common joy or earthly hurt.  It's a great time to hear what is on her mind.  She is one of those rare kids who seem to 'get' things that people years older than she don't seem to understand.  I feel privileged to be her mom.  It's a special honor. Let me add: I was *not* one of those rare kids, but rather a l...

Isaiah 43:1-3 (and 4a) has become 'home' to me recently.  It is easy to become overwhelmed when life is out of our control.   We begin to feel like those waves crashing over us will swallow us up.  We feel frightened at the heat of the fire all around us, licking at our feet.   'But now, thus says the  Lord , who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called  you  by your name; You  are  Mine. 2  When you pass through the waters, I  will be  with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 3  For I  am  the  Lord  your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4  Since you were precious in My sight, As the dear friend who pointed this passage out to me noted, "It does no...

"This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." ~  Ephesians 4:17-19   I hope you will bear with me in a little foolishness, but when I read this, an illustration of futility came to mind .  In the past, I was a huge Star Trek fan and followed the show for some years.  At one point they were battling a seemingly overwhelming foe.  I remember the cold monotone voice when anyone tried to defy them,  "Resistance is fu-tile."   The intent was chilling and no matter how valiantly they fought, the end result was assimilation into the collective conscience of the enemy....

Sunday night following our visit with the Lonestar congregation, our youngest daughter tapped her father's shoulder. He thought she would say she was getting hungry, as it was late and we hadn't eaten supper yet. But she surprised him by saying, 'Dad, I want to be baptized.' He came to get me and I burst out crying . . . tears of joy, but also of surprise. She has always been aware of things more than many her age, but I was not expecting this. We try hard, being a minister's family, not to push our children beyond their years, and yet, it is inevitable that she would hear and think on the spiritual things. That, indeed, has been one of our goals. I said long ago that if I entered heaven and did not find my own children there, I would have failed my mission in life. As a mother, my first and foremost goal is to bring my children up to love God and honor him with their lives. I can't make that happen, of course, but I can guide, teach, admonish and ooint...