I Laught in the Face of Adversity!

 If it makes you smile, giggle or laugh.. do it again. 

Thank you Lord for laughter to fill our hearts, our souls and our days. It is one of the greatest gifts you ever gave us! I am so excited to know that we are made in Your image, and so seeing you face to face will be a time of laughter! For all eternity.. how much fun is that!!!

My Sun Scorched Land of Milk & Honey

I have been living in the Coachella Valley in California for a little more than a year. It was a surprise to me that I was not only willing to move here, but that I faced it with excited anticipation. For years, driving long-haul with my husband we would drive through this area. It was dry, dusty, hot and held no appeal for me whatsoever. But my husband loved the desert and the hot sun. His subtle hints of desert dwelling fell on deaf ears, as I voiced my opinion that this must be the last place anybody would want to live.

God is so amazing... about the time you think you have everything under control, He say, "Just a minute - watch this!". So you stand there in open mouthed wonder. And that was me in June 2009. I stood in this valley while visiting our son and felt as though I had "come home".

When I shared this with my husband, he did not miss the opportunity to jump on the band wagon with me to look at a future living together here. So we sold our home, I moved in with our daughter and her family, and I began trips looking for a home for us.  We ended  up in the last city on my list of choices.. and it has turned out to be the best. [God is smiling right now]

Matters of life have been very strenuous, and sometimes we have asked each other if we made the right move. The answer is always "Yes", because God had His hand in this. And He will see us through.

Do we love it here? Oh, yes. I thank God every time I look out my window.. every day when I wake up. We love it because He loved it for us, and He has put a deep love in our hearts for this new land, and the people. For us it is a land of milk and honey... a place of rest and restoration He promises all of us.

I pray you have found your "home".. your rest in the Lord.

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. [Isaiah 58:11]

Mothers' Day Song

When I was a little girl, every year in our music class we would practice the Mothers' Day song to be performed at the Mothers' Day tea. Every year I hoped my mother would love the tea, and the little gifts I had made her. All little children hold their breath as their mothers carefully unwrap the untidy little packages, filled with untidy little hand made gift. Every little child's heart is on the line. 

Our walk with the Lord is like this... expectation, desire to please, excitement and a willingness on our part to prepare a celebration for Him every day... as we wrap our little gifts, lay them at His feet and eagerly wait to hear "well done, good and faithful child". Oh, the joy of it all!

I want to honor all mothers here today, and I thought the best way might be to write down the words to that song I sang so many years ago. It is my little gift, untidy in its wrapping, but given to all mothers with love.

M - is for the million things she gave me

O - means only that she's growing old

T - is for the tears she shed to save me

H - is for her heart of purest gold

E - is for her eyes with love light shining

R - means right, and right she'll always be...

Put them all together they spell MOTHER... the word that means the world to me.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Un-Mother's Day

Every year when Mother's Day rolls around I struggle with emotion, pain and scars.. and it is beyond my capability to deal with it, if I didn't have the Lord carrying me through.

It shames me to dread this especially blessed of days, but I do. And I have tried to hide it for more than 60 years now, but the Lord has led me to expose my inner turmoil, for the sole purpose of reaching others who struggle in the same way.

So, for those of you who have lost mothers, children, been abandoned, abused, forgotten... or perhaps you have never had children you so longed for - this message is for you.  The Lord loves you, and He has sent me as a messenger to remind you of this, and to let you know you are not alone. He has called me to pray for you for the next few days, and He has compelled me to tell you that I love you in your loss, and that I understand more than you can know. I will stand with you, and thank God for you. I will remember you, even though I don't know you, because Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords loves you, and begs me to love you too.

Do not weep, rather rejoice in the Lord. May this message bring you hope, courage and assurance that you ARE your Beloved's, and He is yours.