Last weekend my family and I went up to South Dakota for Thanksgiving.  We were there to celebrate, of course, but we also had some work to do.  Mom's house has been sold, and we were there to clean out the storage room.  A few boxes of mine were in that room, and as I sifted through them, all of these memories came flooding back.

One item that particularly interested me was a box  filled with letters from my grade school years up to high school.  It was so fun to read about the good old days. I was amazed at the friends I had back then - how good they were to me, how much we cared about each other, the fun times we experienced together.  Looking back  to those days made me remember something very important; life is precious. 

It's easy to trudge through our days taking them for granted, thinking that nothing ever changes, nothing ever will.  But that is so untrue.  Life does change.  We change.  Our circumstances change.  The problem is that in the midst of the monotony of everyday life we forget that.

So how do we stop taking our days for granted?  How do we live each day to the fullest making each day count?   I think one way we can do this is by realizing that whatever a day brings to us, whether it's craziness, sadness, loneliness, satisfaction, peace, or joy;  it will be a day that we can never reclaim.   I don't know about you, but I want to live my life without regrets; no looking back, no wishing to revisit the past.  Who knows but that tomorrow will bring an unexpected curve in the road, or even a dead end.  Who knows what's waiting just around the corner?  Only God does. 

As the saying goes, "Time marches on and waits for no man."   May we all march in a way that brings glory to God - a way that we can look back and say, "Yes we lived each day as if it were our last." 
All of this reminds me of a quote I once came across.  It's a quote that helps me to remember to find the miracle in the monotony of everyday life.

God works out his own high purposes, slowly as it seems oftentimes, but surely and with unerring wisdom, until all things being done, the end is sudden, dramatic, complete. ~Cynthia Heald

Our lives are strung together day by day.  Each one has meaning.  Each one has purpose.  All of the little days of life are leading us to an end that will be sudden, dramatic, complete.  So as we go along day by day, may we march joyfully to the beat of the drum of time looking back with no regrets.

Loving the Giver more than the Gifts

So, with Thanksgiving fast approaching I thought it would be appropriate to write about what being thankful means to me.  I have to admit that there have been many times in my life when I have not been thankful.  Whether in plenty or in want- sometimes it's too easy to keep my focus on things; what I have, what I don't have.  In fact, sometimes I become so obsessed with my "things" that I forget about the One who gave them to me.  

 I will always remember a prayer that my aunt prayed one Thanksgiving;  "Dear Lord, help us to love you the Giver more than we love the gifts you give."  That powerful petition  has stuck with me to this day.  So, here's a list of just some of the things I am so thankful for:

the sweet scent of spring
the smell of a newly mowed lawn
a bright, blue sky on a warm, sunshiney day
my kids' laughter
my husband's love
family and friends who are there through good times and bad
my bed (Oh, how I love to sleep)
my dog (Well, unless he's barking which, when I think about it, takes up a good portion of the day.)
happy and healthy kids
Jesus
the many posessions I have - most of which are wants more than needs
A Creator
A beautiful crystal clear lake just right for dipping toes in
Breathtaking sunsets
And the list goes on and on and on . . .

I remember before I was diagnosed bipolar coming across a verse that reminded me about what is truly important - the Giver, not the gifts.  It struck me as such a powerful verse that I journaled about it that day.   Here's an excerpt of what I wrote:

Psalm 62:10b Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.(NIV)

When I underlined this verse, I felt as though God was sending me a message: 'When things get better, when you enter your own "Promised Land", don't forget about me'. But, I must admit,  in the midst of prosperity it's so easy to forget about God . . . '

Since being diagnosed, my riches have increased.  The first and most important way has been in my well- being - both of body and mind.  I feel really good most days.  I'm not  bogged down by the despair that comes with depression, and, with the right meds, my mania is very manageable.  On top of all that I have a wonderful family who supports and encourages me.  So yea, life is really, REALLY good for me.  So much so, that I guess you could say I've entered my own 'Promised Land'.  All of this reminds me of a strict warning that God gave to the Israelites before they came into their Promised Land -a land flowing with milk and honey.

Deutoronomy 6:10  When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Issac and Jacob, to give you - a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant - then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  (NIV)

So, if you are living in your own 'promised land' and, in the midst of your prosperity, you're tempted to forget about God, I have a little encouragement for you.  On this sacred week of thanks -make your own list of gifts.  Keep the list handy, and each day whisper a prayer of thanksgiving  to the One who has given us so much. Most important of all, keep your heart close to Him; the One who showers us with blessings too numerous to count.

A Rock Star

So I was running today, and I was thinking about rock stars.  You know the ones we idolize, adore, would- give-anything-to meet kind of rock stars.  I have to admit that I'm starting to get out of the loop when it comes to knowing who's popular these days.  Take, for instance, Justin Bieber.  When I first heard about him, I thought his last name was Beaver.  And I thought to myself  'that is a really strange name for a rock star'. 

All this thinking about  rock stars made me think about something else.  Something that may sound silly, but I wondered about it nonetheless.  Why don't we as believers love Jesus and treat him as our rock star?   Yea, yea I know - Jesus as a rock star - how crazy can you get?  But think about it for a second.  Why do we love celebrities?  It 's not like they do anything for us, they only know us as one of the masses who love and adore them.  And I seriously doubt that any one of them would be willing to give up their life for me.

But Jesus did.  He gave up his life for me.  I'm not just one of the masses to him.  He knows me intimately and personally.  He is, in every sense of the word, a true rock star.  So why don't I jump up and down when I think about him?  Why am I embarassed to even mention his name in cetain crowds?  My rock star, Jesus.
Nope, I sure don't treat him like one. 

And for now, maybe that's all right.  He knows my weaknesses.  He understands that I'm just dust and bones.  And, most importantly, he's not ashamed of me.  So I figure I shouldn't be ashamed of him either.  In the church I grew up in we used to sing a hymn about this - about being ashamed of Jesus.  Wish you could hear the tune- it's quite catchy.  But, for now, take note of the lyrics, and try not to forget who the ultimate rock star is. 

"Jesus! And Shall It Ever Be"by Joseph Grigg, c. 1722-1768

Altered by Benjamin Francis, 1734-1799

1. Jesus! and shall it ever be
A mortal man ashamed of Thee?
Ashamed of Thee, whom angels praise,
Whose glories shine through endless days?

2. Ashamed of Jesus? Sooner far
Let evening blush to own a star.
He sheds the beams of light divine
O'er this benighted soul of mine.
 
3. Ashamed of Jesus? Just as soon
Let midnight be ashamed of noon.
'Tis midnight with my soul till He,
Bright Morning Star, bids darkness flee.

4. Ashamed of Jesus, that dear Friend
On whom my hopes of heaven depend?
No; when I blush, be this my shame,
That I no more revere His name.
 
5. Ashamed of Jesus? Yes, I may
When I've no guilt to wash away,
No tear to wipe, no joy to crave,
No fears to quell, no soul to save.
 
6. Till then--nor is the boasting vain--
Till then I boast a Savior slain.
And oh, may this my portion be,
That Christ is not ashamed of me!

trees, tree, and more trees.

Thank you so much for all the prayers, love, and support.  I am a lot more at peace with what's happening to mom.  I know that is a direct result of prayers sent up on my family's behalf - so thanks again.  Keep up the good work.:)  Another reason I feel much more at peace comes from a verse I found in Isaiah.  

Isaiah 61:3   . . . and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. (NIV)

Love that analogy - God's people as oaks; big, strong, difficult-to-bring-down oaks.  There are a couple of psalms that I've noticed compare believers to trees.  And while we're on the topic of trees, have you ever noticed how often a reference to trees is made in the bible?  Okay, well it's not a lot.  But it's significant enough that I thought I'd use it for today's entry.

Genesis 3:22  And the Lord God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.  He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.(NIV)   

My husband is really into a show called The Living Dead.  Basically, it's about zombies, but it's much more complex than that.  Anyway, after he'd explained the plot to me I thought about what it would be like to live  like that forever.  All of us the "walking dead",  which, when you think about it, that's what we are apart from Christ. All of us moaning, groaning, and walking around with no end in sight.  And all I can say is -  not me.  No way would I want to live like that forever - in my imperfect body, with my imperfect  bipolar brain.  No, when I really think about it, I get why God wouldn't allow us to live forever in this state - the walking dead.  Which leads me to the next verse about trees, or specifically about a tree - the one that changed everything.

Acts 5:30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead - whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.  (NIV)
 
Interesting that it all started with a tree - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - the one no one was supposed to eat from.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised.  After all, God has a way of taking something that's cursed and turning it into a thing of beauty - just like that tree that Jesus hung on.  The tree that kept us from becoming the eternal "walking dead". 

Fortunately for us, that's not the end of all this talk about trees.  You see, there is a tree of life waiting for us.  One that we will be able to eat from. (Revelation 2:7)  One that will heal not only our bodies but also our souls.  And the best part of eating from this tree of life?  We'll be spending eternity in a perfect place, our paradise; no more dying, no more crying, no more pain, no more walking dead.  What's more, this tree of life's leaves will be used to heal us like no one and nothing else can.   

Rev 22:2-3 . . .   On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.  And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be any
curse . . . (NIV)   

Yup, it all started with a tree, and, I guess you might say it all ended with one too.  God has a way of using evil and turning it for good.  So when I think about my mom, I feel a sense of peace.  Yes, she's really suffering, yes, she has pain.  But it will be temporary.  And, because of Jesus she will spend her eternity not in a place of suffering, but in the beauty of paradise.  So ends the story of the three trees, the tree that condemned us, the tree that redeemed us, and the tree that will give us eternal life -  not the walking dead kind, but the joyful living kind.  No more zombies.  No more moaning and groaning.  Which makes me happy, because, quite frankly, zombies have always given me the creeps.