A Pair of Bartletts

The Waiting Game--A Marriage Monday Article

Wow....I think I had to sweep 4 inches of dust off of my Typepad account just to write this post!  I know that it's been a while, but i'm SLOWLY getting back into the blog.  There has been SO much going on and I've been busier than any bee could imagine being, but nonetheless, I'm writing again.  And I can think of no better blog post to write than one for my precious friend and sweet, sweet sister in the lord, "E-Mom" over at Chrysalis.  If you have never paid E-Mom a visit, then you must.  Her wisdom and insight, and especially her friendship, are priceless to me.  She is not only a hero in the faith but a hero in her testimony of Christian marriage.  She is a Proverbs 31 woman....have no doubt about that.

Today's topic was one that I could deeply identify with.  When I got the blast reminder from E-Mom the other day, I think I almost fell off my seat when I read the topic.  Where do I even begin?  I just hope if you are reading this that you have poured yourself about a gallon of coffee and have a while to sit and read.  I'll try and condense, but I can't make you any promises!

They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’      II Chronicles 20:8-9

E-mom encouraged us in writing about moving past the pain of infertility.  Well...I can definitely give you some insight into this topic, because Rob and I have walked through this valley for the last 5 years.   I have known many who have faced the same...some who have been able to receive a deliverance and some who have not.  My post today is not to discuss great theological reasons why each individual goes through certain trials and tribulations.  My post is only to give you insight on where we have walked.  I can only pray that the Lord would use our situation to help someone else who may need encouragement while in the valley.

Dear Lord...not my words, but Yours.  Amen. 

Rob and I have been married for five years next month and I thank God every day for our marriage. It has definitely not been a textbook five years, if there is such a thing.  We married and then began a roller coaster ride through the trial of osteo arthritis (a direct result of Rob's struggle from childhood with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis), which lead to Rob having to have not one but two major surgeries to replace both of his hips.  All of this and he was barely over 40. All of this and I was barely over 35.  It was not what I had prayed for all of my life, but God will never give us more than we can handle....I can honestly tell you that.  You may not have gotten that answer from me at the time, but I can tell you that now.  God's promises are true my friend.  God's promises are true (Jeremiah 29:11-14).  

In the midst of the surgeries, we had still had no success with getting pregnant.  Surgeries came and went....therapy and recuperation came and went, still, no pregnancy.  I'm not sure if you've ever seen the movie "Back To The Future", but the opening scene is filled with clocks....all ticking very loudly, and all ticking at one time.  Well, my friend, that's pretty much what has been resounding in my ears as I painfully got up each day over these days, months, weeks and years....listening to the deafening "tick-tock" of my biological clock piercing my ears.  

"For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” II Chronicles 20:12

Flash forward to the last 365 days.  Rob and I (in addition to his healing after hip surgeries) have both managed to lose a drastic amount of weight.  We had both become more unhealthy as we struggled through his hip surgeries and as I struggled  with severe endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome, which had both plagued me for many years, also attributing to infertility.  (I encourage you to stop here and read the transcript {or listen to the podcast} of a sermon by Stephen Davie, Senior Pastor of Colonial Baptist Church, Carey, NC entitled Mrs. Job--A Lesson On Second Hand Suffering.  I had become a "second hand sufferer", which lead to further sickness in my own body.) At any rate, (the very long story, short) we have been freed of all of those medications (blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetic meds, etc.) and are both the picture of health.  The weight loss has been tremendous for us in more ways to count.  And I'm happy to report, as of 3 weeks ago, my OBGYN advised that she believes I should {prayerfully} be pregnant within the next six months.  I'll be 39 in December and would love to be pregnant before I'm 40.  This was AMAZING news to me and a sheer answer to many prayers.  It was such a total turn around from what had always felt like despair at my many prior appointments with her over the years.  

God is a good God.  He wants us to pray His promises back to Him...which I do on a daily basis.  I have no problem reminding God that I KNOW that if I delight myself in HIM that HE will give me the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4).  I know the plans that He has for me and that they are to prosper me and not to harm me...they are to bring me a future and a hope and if I will call on Him and pray to Him, He will listen and He will answer me (Jeremiah 29:11-14).  I KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT I KNOW that I need to be anxious for NOTHING but in ALL THINGS, by prayer and supplication, WITH THANKSGIVING, I can make my requests known to God and HIS PEACE, which surpasses all of my {pitiful} understanding will guard my heart AND my mind through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).  I recite these (and other) verses back to Him every day.  These words are all embossed on my heart.  And they are true.  And God wrote them.  And God meant them.  And He will not go back on them.  

Please don't misunderstand....God didn't tell me "how" He was going to give us the desires of our hearts.  He didn't say that the fulfilment of motherhood for me would automatically be through me becoming pregnant.  He very well may choose to bring us a child through an adoption...or He may do both....He may decide for me to be pregnant and also send a child to us through adoption.  We don't know....if we did, then what need would we have had for God and His soveriegnty?  All we can do is trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding and in all our ways acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

I can't tell you that we are there yet.  But I can tell you that we serve a living and RISEN Lord who if faithful, who is just and who will never leave me or Rob....he will never forsake us, and on that promise, we stand.  Take heart sister....don't believe the lies of the Enemy.  I'm not telling you that I've never fallen victim to them myself, but I have CHOSEN to run the other way.  I have chosen to run into the arms of my Jesus, who will protect me with His wings.  He is the shielder of my heart....of Rob's heart.  I have not always been at this place, but I'm thankful for the long, excrutiating road that got me to this place.  God never promised that It would be easy....He just promised...He just promised.  My God will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19).  That's all I need to know.  Trust HIM with your whole heart and He will make a way when there seems to be no way.

 

Be Blessed in the Lord,

From A Stump To Butterfly Paradise

 

 

This beauty in the picture is quite deceiving. It is hard to look at something that is thriving and green and flowering and really see what had become of it. This beautiful varigated lantana bush had become nothing more than an ugly brown twiggy stump that was sticking out of the corner of a flower bed. Rob and I moved to this house a year ago. The flower beds had become terribly overgrown after the previous owner passed away. The sad part was that 40 years of beautifully cultivated flowers and plants had become buried and covered up by overgrown ugliness. One Saturday afternoon about 2 months ago I began to dig in and focus on uncovering and saving what I could in the beds. That is when I encountered a stump. Honestly, I almost yanked it up by the root. The only thing that kept me from totally destroying it was that it had one tiny green leaf peeking out at the base. When I saw the leaf, I saw a glimmer of hope for the stump. Fortunately I have grown up around plants and gardens and knew that this stump had to have been a bush, due to the size of it. The leaf also looked incredibly familiar. So, I decided that the right thing to do would be to coddle and protect it and water it and feed it, in order to uncover whatever loveliness might lie beneath the ugliness.

So, I started with trimming part of the stump that was obviously burnt.  I clipped off the unhealthiest parts and left what I thought would be the most viable.  Every day, I've watered the stump, until finally, a few more green leaves started peeking out...then another, and then another.  I was so excited!  We were getting somewhere!  I finally had enough leaves on it that I could do some further "testing" of the future "fruit" and not destroy it totally.  So, I plucked off a leaf, crumpled it and smashed it between my fingers and then gave it a deep sniff....just what I thought!  I had lantana on my hands.  I knew down deep what was really under that stump, but I had to be sure.  I had been around enough lantana over the years to know what fragrance it "should" give off when put to the test.  I knew that lantana was really a beautiful plant and not an ugly stump.  I also knew that not only would there be a beautiful lantana bush in my garden, but that just its presence would attract other things to my garden, like beautiful butterflies and some great pollenating bumble bees.  I knew that this would bring an overall benefit to the rest of the garden and not just to that one plant.

At any rate, as you can see from the picture, all of those months of deadness and ugliness and pruning paid off.  The beauty underneath is nothing that I could have produced on my own...it was only because of the pruning and nurturing that had to be done to the plant.  It had to become nothing, only to become bigger, better and more beautiful than ever.  

This beautiful plant is only likened to the pruning that the Lord has to do the stumps of our lives.  We become burnt, ugly and nothing more than a stump, but God looks beyond the ugliness.  He can see that one little green leaf peeking out and He can also see the finished product that is on the other side.  My lantana plant didn't have a choice as to whether I would prune it or not.  It could do nothing more than sit there, dormant, stagnant and ugly.  It was totally reliant on me, the vinedresser, to come and rescue it, love it, see beyond its ugliness and cultivate its beauty.  

I am thankful for the reminders that the Lord provides to me, even in something as simple as going out this morning to water flowers.  He is constantly giving me life lessons and life reminders through His word.  I am thankful for His reminder of the words in John 15 today.  I pray that they will be as meaningful to you today as they were to me.  He always has perfect timing and He always provides gentle reminders right when I need them.  I just have to resign and allow Him to continue to prune me so that I can bring forth the best fruit in my life and that I can be an example to others.  Thank you Lord for your lessons!  I'll leave you with the words that He gives us in John 15 about he Vinedresser....

John 15 (NKJV)

 

The True Vine

 ¹ “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;^[a] and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will^[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Blessings to you on this Lord's day,

 

Milk And Honey

It's amazing where the Lord will sometime lead us in our study of scripture. For whatever reason, I was lead to Deuteronomy 11 while in another scripture. I landed there through a cross reference. At any rate, when I got into the chapter, the Lord just made this passage jump off of the page for me. Isn't it amazing how He speaks? And I don't know about you, but there is no sweeter place to be than dwelling with the Lord in a land of milk and honey. Now please don't think that I am so naive to think that as a Christian, everything is going to spring up roses with Mary Poppins singing in the background. BUT, I do believe that obeying His statutes and walking upright is HIS word will bring forth fruit in our lives and we will dwell in a much better place than if we were wandering as aimless as those in the world who do not know Him.

Dear friend, seek HIS face. Take possession of the land and live long in that land. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and soul. I can't speak for you, but only for me....and I want to cross over Jordan and take possession of everything that the Lord has in store!

What scriptures are speaking to you in your study and quiet times?

Deuteronomy 11

1 "You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always. 2 And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm, 3 his signs and his deeds that he did in Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and to all his land, 4 and what he did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots, how he made the water of the Red Sea flow over them as they pursued after you, and how the Lord has destroyed them to this day, 5 and what he did to you in the wilderness, until you came to this place, 6 and what he did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, son of Reuben, how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households, their tents, and every living thing that followed them, in the midst of all Israel. 7 For your eyes have seen all the great work of the Lord that he did.

8 "You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess, 9 and that you may live long in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give to them and to their offspring, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables. 11 But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven, 12 a land that the Lord your God cares for. The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

13 "And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. 15 And he will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full. 16 Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; 17 then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you.

18 "You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 20 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, 21 that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. 22 For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, 23 then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourselves. 24 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. Your territory shall be from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea. 25 No one shall be able to stand against you. The Lord your God will lay the fear of you and the dread of you on all the land that you shall tread, as he promised you.

26 "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, 28 and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way that I am commanding you today, to go after other gods that you have not known. 29 And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. 30 Are they not beyond the Jordan, west of the road, toward the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Arabah, opposite Gilgal, beside the oak of Moreh? 31 For you are to cross over the Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you. And when you possess it and live in it, 32 you shall be careful to do all the statutes and the rules that I am setting before you today. 

 

Be so blessed!

Caleb is "Wholehearted"

I regret that there have been so many things going on at one time that I'm just now posting this update.  

I recently asked everyone for prayer on behalf of friends Cary and Alisa Lowery and for their little one, "Caleb Luke" who was born on September 24th, and with some serious heart defects.  I haven't posted about the outcome, simply because I've been so heavy hearted for this sweet couple and just have been at a loss for words, to say the very least.  Caleb Luke went to be with Jesus late in the evening on October 25th.  In God's sovereignty, He chose for Caleb to be with Him and in that home going, we fully trust that the Lord will provide immeasurable strength, peace and resolution for Cary, Alisa and their ten year old son, Kyler.  

We will never understand in this earthly life all of the nuances of what God has deemed to be His perfect will.  But, His will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven.  It is stunning and incredibly exciting  to think that one day, those who believe in Christ as their Savior will be reunited with their loved ones in glory and will be in the presence of the Lord Himself.  And personally, I will look forward to meeting Caleb there and worshiping at the throne of grace next to him.  We praise God, even in the unknown. 

I believe that it is only like God to have given meaning to the name "Caleb", long before the earth was even formed.  I know that the Lord had Caleb on His mind before time began and that He decided then that "Caleb" would mean "wholehearted".  It is also only like our Lord that Caleb Luke is now "wholehearted" in the presence of the Living God.  To God be the glory, for GREAT things He has done.

Memory Monday--Ephesians 3:20-21

 

                       God doesn’t need measuring spoons…

It is always amazing to me how the Lord brings scriptures either to our minds or into our lives always JUST at the right time.  There is a lot going on for Rob and I at the present time….all very good things, some things that require a lot of prayer, but nonetheless…things that the Lord is there…right in the midst.

 

Today, our memory verses in Sunday School class were read from Ephesians 3:20-21.  WOW….are they EVER relevant for us now. 

 

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundant above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. AMEN.”

 

I don’t know about you, but the words “exceedingly abundant above all that we ask”…..that just blows me away.  This “thing” that Rob and I are experiencing right at this moment is going to be worked out by the Lord of hosts to a point that we would have never imagined on our very own!  How encouraging is that?

 

I’ll be sharing more with you as the weeks go by, but for now, please pray for us.  We are entering into something that we know that the Lord is blessing.  We have bathed it in prayer and the pieces have fallen into place as only the Lord could do. 

 

What “exceedingly abundant” things have you asked for lately?

 

Thankful Thursday~~Who Is Your Champion?

 
Dear Jesus,

Thank you for my precious husband.  Thank you for the blessing that he is in my life and every day of my life.  I thank you that before the world was formed by Your mighty hand, You had the sweetest treasure on Your mind for me.  In the very core of my being, I could have never in my own strength have thought of, dreamed of or found a soul mate more precious than the one that You created for me!

I humbly pray that you would saturate his every thought with Your precepts.  Conform his thoughts to Your thoughts.  Teach him Your higher ways.  Urge him to make his requests known to You, O Lord.  Guard his heart and his mind through You, Christ Jesus.  Give him daily courage to fend off the ways of this wretched world.  Continue to bless him as the leader of this home.

I ask all of these things in the name of Jesus, my Savior....AMEN

Ruth 1:16-17 (New King James Version)

¹⁶ But Ruth said: 

      “ Entreat me not to leave you, 
      Or to turn back from following after you; 
      For wherever you go, I will go; 
      And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; 
      Your people shall be my people, 
      And your God, my God.

 ¹⁷ Where you die, I will die,
      And there will I be buried. 
      The LORD do so to me, and more also, 
      If anything but death parts you and me.”

 

A Prayer For My Husband

It's not often that I'm away from Rob for any length of time, but this week, I have been with my brother and his family as my sweet sister-in-love is recovering from surgery for colon cancer.  I know that most people would think that it's just no big deal to be away from your spouse, but I would have to reckon with that.  I miss my husband dearly when I'm not with him.  I just miss him.  

While I've been away I have prayed daily prayers for him, since there is just so much going on for us with our move and lots of other ins and outs of daily life.  Last night, I happened to pick up a book that Julie has been reading called "Prayers of an Excellent Wife", by Andrew Case.  

 

 

I can say in only one day of reading that I would highly recommend not only this book,  but the companion book for husbands entitled "Water of the Word: Intercession For Her".  I pray that it will be a rich blessing to you as much as it has been for me since I picked it up yesterday.  

I'll leave you with the prayer that I have been studying and praying over since last night....if you download or buy this, you'll see just how rich in the Word each prayer is...it's almost hard to move onto the next one because each individual prayer is just overflowing in content.  And just so that you know the disclaimer from the author of both of these books (Andrew Case), you may share these passages based on the following guidelines:

{© 2009 by Andrew Case All rights reserved. Any part of this publication may be shared, provided that you do not charge for or alter the content in any way.}

As for the way that you should use the prayers, here is just a segmentof the instructions from the author advise: 

These prayers are also not intended to be merely read alone. To the married woman I commend frequent use of these prayers with her husband, praying them over him from her heart, using his name. This should be the rule and not the exception, so that he is regularly reminded that his wife loves and respects him, and that the Word of God abounds with sanctifying power. For this reason a short exhortation or encouragement for him is included in many of the prayers, usually beginning with “O beloved….” Take these as occasions to lift his spirit, to strengthen his soul, to sharpen his mind, to gladden his heart, to put a rock of confidence under his feet, to tenderly and humbly correct, and most of all, to point him to God as his all-satisfying joy.

Okay....as promised, I'll leave you with one of the prayers so that you can see for yourself. Have a very blessed (and prayer-FULL) week!

"O Keeper of Your elect,

It is better to take refuge in You than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in You than to trust in princes. Therefore cause my husband to take refuge in You alone. Be his strength and his song; be his great salvation.  Let him lift up the cup of salvation and call on Your Name. Open to him the gates of righteousness, that he may enter through them and give thanks to You. Raise his eyes to the hills to see from where his help comes. For his help comes from You, who made heaven and earth. Do not let his foot be moved; keep him and do not slumber. Please keep him and neither slumber nor sleep. Keep him from all evil; keep his life. Keep his going out and his coming in from this time forth and forevermore.  My beloved, do you know who keeps you? The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.  LORD, keep my husband. We wait eagerly for Your Son’s appearing. Hasten the wonderful day of His return—the wedding supper of the Lamb. Amen (Psalm 118, 116, 121)."

 

Hello Kitty Band-aids and Sticky Sucker Sticks

 

Well, did I get your attention with the title of the post?  I'm just glad that you stopped by.  I have been on somewhat of a hiatus from blogging the last couple of weeks, but with good reason.  As most of you know, my sweet husband underwent another hip replacement, this time being his left hip.  And the day before his surgery, my precious sister-in-love, Julie, had a colonoscopy and was then diagnosed with colon cancer three days after Rob's surgery.  Our lives have been forever changed in the last month.  But our God, in His divine providence, has met every need of every family member, especially Rob and Julie.  

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is GOOD! For His mercies ENDURE forever. Psalm 118:29 

I get excited just reading that verse of scripture!  But let me tell you, it's honestly only in the last few days that I can actually say that I'm "excited" about anything.  God has been so faithful to us and I know that He will never leave or forsake me or my family.  

Speaking of God's goodness, I have been blessed by being able to get away from work for a few days so that I could travel to my brother's house to be with him and Julie and the four children.  You have to understand, when I come for visits, I'm no longer my regular self...I am "Sissy" when I'm with the kids.  It was the sweetest thing to pull into the driveway this past Friday and see a bunch of little eyes peeking out from the upstairs blinds.  It was even sweeter to come up the front steps and hear a parade of excited short people clomping down the steps while shouting a chorus of "Sissy's HERE! "Sissy's HERE!"  I know that I'm prejudiced but they are the sweetest four kids on the planet.  I love them as if they were my own...there isn't anything that I wouldn't do for them.  

Here's where I let you in on the title of the post.  A five hour drive to most people may be grueling.  But to me, it's the sweetest five hours I could ever spend  knowing that when I get into town, I can fix bo-bo's with Hello Kitty Band-Aids, I can enjoy sweet little giggles when I share a popsicle with my 12 month old niece, and I can have wound up little boys use my purse as the closest "trashcan" for their sticky sucker sticks (say that 5 times in a row really fast).  

Like I've said, my family has had some really major things happen to us lately.  But they are not "chance" happenings...they are not "bad karma", as the world would have you believe.  In fact, they are trials that the Lord is using in all of our lives.  And no one will receive any glory for any outcome but our Lord.  He will be glorified in every outcome. 

My brother preached a very strong message yesterday regarding what it means to suffer together and God's perspective on suffering. The message was titled "Jesus Answers Our Worry" and it was out of Matthew 6:24-34 (click the link in this paragraph if you would like to listen to the sermon). The message was a much needed reminder that worry is not of the Lord. It reminded me that God is never surprised or astonished. He has an absolutely perfect plan.

"Our suffering is in the present, our anxiety is in what the future holds and our theology is caught up somewhere in the middle." ~Dr. Paul S. Lamey

My spirit was so incredibly challenged with this message. Paul asked "do you really want to be beyond the headlights of God's providence?" My answer to that today was an affirmative "no". If you had asked me this question a few weeks ago, I really can't be certain what my answer would have been. Well, I'll tell you...within God's providence is where I want to remain. There were so many "nuggets" in this message that I can't possibly list them all. And if I knew that you could read and understand my notes, I would post them here for you. Since I can't do that, I would highly encourage you to listen to the sermon.  I pray you would be as richly blessed as I was.

Well, I've rambled enough.  There has just been so much going on...I have so much to blog!  Thank you to those who are faithful readers.  Thank you to each of you who have vowed to pray for our sweet family.  

I'll leave you with the scriptures that I have committed to memory many years ago but that have become SO relevant to the circumstances that God is allowing us to experience.  I praise Him for His Holy word.  He is real and He is always on time.  

Philippians 4

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 
⁵ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 
⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

 

Breaking the Silence & Some Urgent Prayer Needs

It has been quite a few days since I've posted.  I truly have missed it, but honestly, my heart just has been occupied on some other very important things.  First, my husband has been scheduled for the last few weeks for a total left hip replacement, which was scheduled for last Friday (3/26).  We were nervous, but not nearly as nervous as we were two years ago when he had the right hip replaced in May of '08.  We have anxiously awaited the surgery for the last 2-3 months...as it got closer, all we could think about was how great it would be to get it done, get it behind us and sail through recovery. 

The day before surgery was like any other.  I went to work, Rob stayed home resting due to the impending surgery and life seemed to be somewhat "normal".  I left work early that day so that I could hurriedly get home and finish the final preparations for surgery and his stay at the hospital.  I had LOADS of washing to do and things to pack for, you see, recovery was to take place at my parents house since they live in a one story house and we are in a two story.  

I got home last Thursday, kissed Rob, gave a pat on the head to our little dachshund (Buddy), and I was off to the laundry races.  Not long after I got my clothes changed and the first load of laundry rounded up, the phone rang.  Rob, who loves our speaker phone, answered since I was busy.  I was at the top of the stairs, so I was able to hear that it was my Mom calling.  You know how you can just hear that the tone of someone's voice just doesn't sound right?  Well, I could immediately tell that something was really wrong.  You see, that day, my sister-in-love (Julie, married to my brother, Paul) was scheduled to have a colonoscopy that day (she had noticed in the days prior that there was the presence of some bleeding, so for precaution, the doctor decided to do the test).

Well, what we all thought was going to be routine and what would turn out to be nothing....wasn't.  There was a "mass".  The doctor immediately did a biopsy,  but the results would not be back until Tuesday....Tuesday....that was five days away!  So, with heavy and weary hearts, Rob and I pressed on, went through the surgery on Friday and then spent the rest of the weekend praying, crying, and pleading to the Lord...the King of Kings.  

Rob was discharged from the hospital and came home on Monday to Mom and Dad's house.  Again, more silence, more praying...Tuesday would be tomorrow.    The phone rang on Tuesday.  It was my brother.   What was our worst fear was now reality. Cancer.  Our sweet Julie...cancer.  Thirty six years old, mother of the year to my two nieces and two nephews, wife of the year to my baby brother.....cancer.  CANCER!  A mass.  A concerned doctor....cancer....not Julie.  No Lord...not Julie.  Lord, pick me, don't pick Julie.  Lord, not our family.  Lord, the children...Lord, they are just 7, 5, 3 and 11 months!  Lord, my sweet brother! Lord....do anything...just not this Lord!  I pleaded, I begged...no God...not Julie. 

And then, the Lord delivered overflowing measures of peace.  Not just to me and to the others, but to whom it mattered to the very most....to Julie.  She has served the Lord with gladness for many many years.  She has the true definition of a meek and gentle spirit.  She leads and nurtures her children with grace.  She is devoted to caring for my brother and for their home.  She is a Proverbs 31 woman, from beginning to end.  

Our journey into the world of cancer is fairly new.  We have all known people who have had it, but never as close to home as our sweet Julie.  Amazingly, the Lord has brought thousands of people to their knees in prayer for our sweet Julie.  I am not kidding.  I ran the numbers.  By the time that we got the word out to the hundreds of people that we knew among churches, Facebook, email, my brother's blog (Expository Thoughts) etc., the numbers literally added up exponentially.  Not only were the numbers evident in my calculations, but they came to light as Paul and Julie were literally FLOODED with emails and Facebook messages by the hundreds.  Then, Paul established a page for Julie on Caring Bridge so that the masses could keep up with her story and her progress.  (If you would like to read and follow, you can click on this link: Caring Bridge: Julie Lamey's story).  It has truly been amazing how many people have had their friends, family and entire churches praying for Julie, just since Tuesday of this week.  God has poured love overflowing over our entire family, especially Julie and Paul.  

As you go through your day to day routine, I would ask that you too would add our sweet Julie to your prayer list.  Please also remember my sweet nephews and nieces and my precious brother in your prayers.  We covet every single prayer offered on her behalf. As you pray, I will leave you with these photos below that I have made into a prayer card of sorts.  I included some of the Proverbs 31 verses on the card, since our sweet Julie is a beautiful example to our family and to everyone that she comes in contact with of the image of a Proverbs 31 woman. 

 

I pray that you will be blessed and encouraged through her story.  Please feel free to leave her any encouragement that you are lead to leave for her on the Caring Bridge site.  She and Paul are reading each and every one and rejoicing over each shred of encouragement and prayer.  

May you and your families have a truly reflective and refreshing Resurrection weekend.  

HE'S ALIVE....HE'S ALIVE.  HE'S ALIVE AND I'M FORGIVEN, HEAVEN'S GATES ARE OPEN WIDE....HE'S ALIVE!

 

  

Down His Path

Proverbs 3 (New King James Version)

Proverbs 3

       ⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart, 

      And lean not on your own understanding; 

       ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, 

      And He shall direct^[a] your paths. 

       ⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes; 

      Fear the LORD and depart from evil. 

       ⁸ It will be health to your flesh,^[b]

      And strength^[c] to your bones. 

As Friday gets closer, I can't help but ponder on the verses above.  We are back to where we were two years ago, but this time, we are so much wiser.  On Friday, my dear sweet husband will have surgery to replace his left hip.  In 2008 he began the first of two life transforming surgeries when he had his right hip replaced.  As a child, he was tormented with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, which led to adult arthritis issues that flared up severely in 2008.  Fortunately, the Lord led us to an INCREDIBLE physician who did a fantastic job in 2008 with the first surgery.  On Friday, we will finally close the gap when Rob has the left hip replaced, which will rid him of arthritis in his hips for good!  He still has the disease in other joints, but by having prosthetic hips, he will feel like a million dollars.  The first one was a total and complete success.  It was the most amazing thing to watch him wake up pain free in the right hip!! And as of Friday, he will once again wake up and will be HEALED...PRAISE GOD!   

For those of you who went on this journey with us before....we will never be able to thank you enough for all of the prayers and kind things that you did for us during that time.  And now, we will once again covet every single solitary prayer that you offer on Rob's behalf.  We are so blessed to have such incredible family and friends who intervene in prayer for us.  I will keep everyone posted as we once again, head down the path to total recovery.  We send much love and many thanks to all of you....you all know who you are!

Much love and many many thanks,

 

Worship of God Banned In Arizona?

The town of Gilbert, Arizona must have lots of extra tax money to throw away on legal fees. What other reason could there be for their blatantly unconstitutional ruling banning all church meetings in homes? The Alliance Defense Fund is on the case:

via www.crosstalkblog.com

This has to be on the top ten of the most disgusting (and the saddest) stories that I have ever read. How is it that "One Nation UNDER God" has been moved to a nation that is "banning" God at every turn. This is the most shameful thing--society has become so incredibly liberal that they see nothing wrong in not only breaking the constitution but in the process are trying to snuff out every sign of God that they can get their sick hands around. What they have failed to realize is that no matter what man does to stop them, GOD is ABLE. GOD will PREVAIL. GOD will RECEIVE THE GLORY.

Matthew 18:20 (New King James Version)

20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

Romans 14:10-13 (New King James Version)

0 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.[c] 11 For it is written:

“ As I live, says the LORD,
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall confess to God.”[d]

12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

 

Marriage Monday--Prayer in Marriage

 

I'll have to say that when I read what the topic was going to be for today's Marriage Monday, I developed a very quick case of "writer's block".  Why is it so incredibly hard to write about praying with your husband?  Block or no block, it's actually a topic that my husband and I have been discussing lately, even before the topic was decided.  We both agreed that want to step outside the bounds of our own prayer life and pray more together.  As a matter of fact, my husband is the one who brought it up.  That may not seem to be such an extraordinary thing by someone in the "world", but to me it's HUGE!  It's biblical, and here's why:

Ephesians 5:23 

"For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is head of the church, his body, of which, He is the Savior." (NIV)

"For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body." (NKJV)

"Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ.  The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to His church, not by domineering but by cherishing.  So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands." (The Message) (v 22-24)

I love that my husband is the leader of our home.  I love that he loves me like Christ loves the church and that as a result, he has the desire to want to pray with me.  Now with that said, we are not perfect, nor do we live in a perfect world.  It would be unrealistic to think that we would pray together over every single solitary thing and at just the right time, each time.  But what I do know is that God put the desire in both of us to serve Him.  Further, He put the desire in my husband to love me as Christ loved the church and He put the desire in both of us to want to spend time together in prayer and devotion.  The expectations here do not need to become so unrealistic that we set ourselves up to fail.  However, we need to be realistic, pray together when we are led to and over whatever the Lord puts on our hearts,and when we are able to.  When we are not praying together, then we can always do what we are instructed to do for each other as it's written in Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ".  

 

 

In addition to The Lord giving us the incredible ability to commune with Him intimately through prayer in our own prayer closets, He has promised us in Matthew 18:20 that "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." What an incredible promise, and probably one of the ones that I love more than anything.  I want to be where my Lord is.  I want to be where my husband is also.  What better place than to be with them together!

I pray that those reading this would also know an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.  If you are not sure if you have a relationship with Jesus as your Savior and would like to know more about the free gift of salvation, you can read more about that here.  

And, if you would like to read other great Marriage Monday articles, you can find more on my dear friend "E-Mom's" website at C H R Y S A L I S.  

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Saved Alone

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way....

"Saved Alone".  Those are the words sent back by Mrs. Horatio Spafford in a telegram to her husband in the aftermath of losing her four daughters in a shipwreck when the S. S. Ville du Harve was struck by the English vessel Loch Earn.   I'm sure that as Mr. Spafford read those chilling words that he was immediately overcome with the most horrific grief imaginable.  He was supposed to have been on that trip.  At the last minute, an urgent business matter kept him in Chicago while his family left to vacation in Europe.  Never would he dream that as he waved his goodbyes to his family that only his wife would return.  

But, God was still sovereign.  God still had a plan for the Spaffords.  It was in the midst of the grief that Mr. Spafford penned the words of a song that had one message...."peace".  As a result of this horrible tragedy, one of the greatest songs was anointed by the Lord to rise up out of the grief and despair.  The Lord gives us peace beyond our understanding (Philipians 4:6-7).  It was then that "It Is Well With My Soul"  was penned.  

I don't know why (other that it's just a God thing), but I literally woke up this morning with this song in my mind.  I think it's so incredible how the Lord can gently infuse something into our thoughts so that we wake up with it on our hearts and in our minds.  

I pray that it is "WELL" with your soul this morning!

It Is Well With My Soul

Horatio Spafford

1. 1. 1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
       
   
   
   1. 1. When sorrows like sea billows roll;
       
   
   
   1. 1. Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
       
   
   
   1. 1. It is well, it is well, with my soul.
       
   
   

   • 1. • 1. • Refrain:
              
     
     
     1. • 1. • It is well, with my soul,
              
     
     
     1. • 1. • It is well, it is well, with my soul.
              
     
     

2. 1. 1. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
       
   
   
   1. 1. Let this blest assurance control,
       
   
   
   1. 1. That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
       
   
   
   1. 1. And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
       
   
   

3. 1. 1. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
       
   
   
   1. 1. My sin, not in part but the whole,
       
   
   
   1. 1. Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
       
   
   
   1. 1. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
       
   
   

4. 1. 1. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
       
   
   
   1. 1. If Jordan above me shall roll,
       
   
   
   1. 1. No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
       
   
   
   1. 1. Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
       
   
   

5. 1. 1. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
       
   
   
   1. 1. The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
       
   
   
   1. 1. Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
       
   
   
   1. 1. Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
       
   
   

6. 1. 1. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
       
   
   
   1. 1. The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
       
   
   
   1. 1. The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
       
   
   
   1. 1. Even so, it is well with my soul.
       
   
   

   
    
   

 

Wal Mart Babies and Cowboy Cowards

 

 

I really had a great day today for the most part.  It started with work and then after leaving work, I headed about 20 miles north of my town to go and visit one of my best friends, who also just happens to do my hair too. We always have the best times laughing and cutting up and the bonus is that I get my hair done by one of the finest hair dressers in the county.  Tonight was a little different because I had to stop at Wal Mart on the way home.  It was SO busy in there (when isn't it?)!  I got there at 6:00, went straight to the pharmacy, talked to my other best friend, who happens to be my pharmacist also, grabbed some groceries from the list that my husband emailed to my Blackberry and headed for the check out.  

Up to this point, everything had been great.  I'd had a pleasant afternoon and got to see some great friends.  I got the things that my husband needed....how bad could the check out be?  

So, there I was, third in line.  The first couple in line were together, a married couple. They were having a good time together, racked up a few bargains with the price matching by using the sale papers.  Then there was a very young girl behind them.  She couldn't have been more than about 15 or 16 if she was a day.  I could see that she had chosen not to put her item on the belt, but instead, was clutching the item tightly to her chest with her head down.  At that point, I had not really paid any more attention to the situation since the first couple was finishing up their couponing.  As they smiled and waved to the cashier, the young girl stepped up.  With head down, she thrust the item to the cashier as if to tell her to please hurry and put it in the bag.  Do you know how your brain will suddenly kick into gear and say "hey you....wake up....pay attention!".  Well, that was my brain....as I looked up, I realized what she had thrust at the cashier.  It was a pregnancy test.  This is one of the busiest Wal Marts around and this evening it was packed.  I could see how nervous she was.  She was practically shaking.  But what came next was so unsettling.  As she finished her transaction, she practically grabbed the bag and the receipt from the cashier and took off in a bee-line to the women's restroom!  Not only was this girl young, but now I realized that she was young, alone and about to go to a Wal Mart public bathroom to find out what would or would not be happening to her in the next nine months.  This made me want to break down and cry, right there at the cash register.  I wanted to go and follow her and talk to her about Jesus.  I wanted her to know that there is a hope for her and for her unborn child.  but, there I was, checking out groceries and this little girl was all alone in the restroom for this life changing moment.  

Well, I paid the cashier, signed the little screen and headed for the door.  In doing so, I almost bumped straight into the young girl.  She had a tear in her eye and a very blank look on her face.  As I was getting my keys out of my purse, I noticed her walk up to the curb outside and look both ways.  I thought she was just checking to see if a car was coming before going and getting into her car.  Nope...that's not why she was looking.  I knew it when I heard it.  It was the engine to a very big truck.  The driver of that truck was (what I am assuming) her boyfriend.  Her BOYFRIEND!  This child had just walked into the middle of a busy store, bought a pregnancy test, gone to the bathroom to take it and meanwhile, the cowboy coward was riding around the parking lot listening to some tunes on the radio.  

Before I knew it, I was so angry.  Not angry that I wanted to go and commit a sin, but righteously angry at what I had just seen take place right before my eyes.  All I could think about were two verses.  The first verse that came to mind was directed towards myself:

 4:26-27 (New King James Version)

²⁶ “Be angry, and do not sin”:^[a] do not let the sun go down on your wrath, ²⁷ nor give place to the devil.

And the other scriptures that came to mind were relating to what I knew was probably the inevitable....a new little life that had been created:

Psalm 139:13-17 (New International Version)

¹³ For you created my inmost being; 

       you knit me together in my mother's womb.

 ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

       your works are wonderful, 

       I know that full well.

 ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you 

       when I was made in the secret place. 

       When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

 ¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body. 

       All the days ordained for me 

       were written in your book 

       before one of them came to be.

 ¹⁷ How precious to ^[b] me are your thoughts, O God! 

       How vast is the sum of them!

I can't get the pictures out of my mind.  I can only pray for this new little life that has been created.  I pray that the Lord will put divine appointments in the path of this very young girl that will show her how special this little life is and that it is just that....a life.  I pray that this young girl has a godly influence somewhere in her life.  I pray that she will confide in them and that they will point her down the right path.  I pray for that desperate adoptive couple out there that is anxiously awaiting a baby, possibly this baby.

Dear Lord, thank you for allowing me to witness this tonight.  Let it be a continuing reminder to me of all of the children out there who are scared and alone and are finding themselves in the midst of parenthood at too young of an age.  I pray that You Lord will place divine appointments in the path of this girl.  Lord, most of all, protect that little life that she is carrying.  If this child is being prepared for another family,  Father I pray that it would be a smooth transition for all involved.  

Lord, thank You that You are sovereign.  Thank you for salvation through the death of your Son Jesus on the cross.

Amen

 

Green Is Not Your Best Color

Numbers 12 (New International Version)

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

 ¹ Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. ²"Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" And the LORD heard this.  ³ (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)   ⁴ At once the LORD said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, "Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you." So the three of them came out. ⁵ Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, ⁶ he said, "Listen to my words: 

       "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, 
       I reveal myself to him in visions, 
       I speak to him in dreams.

 ⁷ But this is not true of my servant Moses; 
       he is faithful in all my house.

 ⁸ With him I speak face to face, 
       clearly and not in riddles; 
       he sees the form of the LORD. 
       Why then were you not afraid 
       to speak against my servant Moses?"

 ⁹ The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them.   ¹⁰ When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, ^[a] like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; ¹¹ and he said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. ¹² Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away."

 ¹³ So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, please heal her!"

 ¹⁴ The LORD replied to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back." ¹⁵ So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.   ¹⁶ After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran. 

My bible study today ended up being in a book of the bible that I think might sometimes be considered an "obscure" book of the bible, if there could be such a thing.  But, it's where I've landed the last couple of days and quite frankly, it's been a great place to be.  I have a new women's study bible that I picked up at church last Sunday night (you can find it in A Pair of Bartletts Bookshop under the "bibles" category.  It's a women's devotional bible that has some really great daily studies, as well as some topical reading lists in the back of the bible.  It's very organized so that you can direct your study with less fuss.  

At any rate, I'm really enjoying the setup of this bible.  Today's study was in chapter 12 of the book of Numbers.  The chapter begins with Aaron and Miriam questioning why God is using Moses more than He is using them.  For some reason, they forgot about all of the things that they were being used for by the Lord and decided that Moses was basically "getting more credit".  

How quick are we in our daily lives to decide that someone else has something better, is doing something better, is moving up quicker, or is less stressed out than we are?  It's so easy to do when we are in our flesh.  I am the chief of sinners and am preaching to myself.  Dear Lord, let me be reminded :  

Proverbs 14:30 (New International Version)

 ³⁰ A heart at peace gives life to the body, 
       but envy rots the bones.

I have not always been quick to thank God for my circumstances.  But I find myself at a place in my life where I can honestly say it's so much easier to be content with what I have and the blessings that the Lord has so graciously bestowed upon me.  It's so much less stressful with contentment than with worry (over what your neighbor has, has done, is going to....).

How do you handle bringing envy under control?  Do you have control over the green eyed monster?  Have you given your burdens to the Lord to let Him work them out in His timing?  I will leave you with this:

James 3:14-18 (New International Version)

¹⁴But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.¹⁵Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. ¹⁶For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

 ¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

 

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Thankful for Thursday

I found these great reminders for all of us this Thanksgiving week.  I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I did!

 

 I pray that you will spend incredible family time together doing the "little things" together.

 

I pray that you'll get "the perfect bird" for your perfect Thanksgiving table.

And lastly, that you stay one step ahead of the arrows of the Enemy! 

From my family to yours I pray that you will have a very peaceful and very meaningful Thanksgiving celebration with your families.  I pray that you will speak words of edification that others may be built up.  I pray that you will stop and remember all of those things that should make us fall to our knees in humble gratitude.  I thank God for my precious family and friends, but most of all I thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for my salvation in Him.   I'll leave you with one of my favorite Puritan Prayers, "The Valley of Vision". 

The Valley of Vision

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.

 

 

What Are You Thankful For?

As I sit here writing this post, I am just overcome with joy and the sweet peace of the Lord.  Rob and I are in Beaufort, North Carolina on a trip that we had to make at a moment's notice.  Rob's Dad has been battling heart failure and up until recently, has been in the hospital.  He is home now and his attitude is as sweet as ever.  The heart failure is at a very serious level right now.  But in all of this, we did not rush from home to go fourteen hours and three states away, only to mope around and have "woe is me" spirits.  We came to celebrate the life that Dad has and that he is the patriarch of this great family.  We came to change tradition.  I'm sure that you celebrate Thanksgiving in November, which is perfectly okay.  However, for us, we decided that it needed to be on a different day this year.  As a matter of fact, it was today.  And it was so sweet, so special and so tender.  As Daddy Bartlett sat in the wheelchair on his oxygen, he offered the most precious prayers to his heavenly Father who lives in his heart.  Dad didn't know his earthly father, but I assure you, he knows his heavenly Father.  He offered sweet and tender thanks for all of his children and grandchildren that were there surrounding him.  And our Momma Toni continued the prayer and thanked God through teary eyes for everything that He has done in this family and will continue to do.  It was a most precious time....one that I will never in my life forget.  My brother-in-law, Woody, and I actually decided that as a matter of fact, we'll celebrate Thanksgiving as many times as we want to all throughout the year.  I understand the story of the pilgrims making their way to this country and all that they were thankful for.  But today, my friends, I regret to say that I was not thinking about the country.  I was thinking about my husband's most precious family and how banding together at this time in Dad's life was the most important thing that I could have ever been a part of.  We thank God and praise HIS HOLY NAME for salvation in Him.  We praise God for the work that He has done in this family and for all the work that there is still to be done.  

Thank you Father God for a truly blessed day.  Thank you Lord for each day this week that we will continue to spend with our precious family.  Praise you Lord!

Memory Monday--Psalm 27:13

Thanks to my bloggy siesta Liz for my memory verse for this week here at Memory Monday.  Liz, you have no idea how I needed that verse at the very minute that I read it.  Thanks for your faithfulness sweet siesta for sending me that encouragement!  Love and Hugs....from my coast....all the way over to your coast!

Please keep my family in your prayers this week if you think of us.  We just got my Dad out of the hospital and now Rob's Dad has been admitted to the hospital today.  Pray for strength for everyone involved.  We covet each and every prayer lifted!

Praise Him Anyway

Here's the run down--

• My Dad's in the hospital
• My husband has to have a major surgery during Christmas
• My husband and I are dealing with infertility
• Got to have a painful HSG at the hospital before the end of the month
• I am beyond tired and worn out 
• I've been working tirelessly at my office and when I get home 

Guess how I handled of of this tonight?  How, you ask?  Like a loser.  Like someone who had lost every ounce of religion that they ever had.  Like someone who had no Christian witness whatsoever. Like someone who couldn't think of anything better to do than let their sorry attitude get the best of them.  That's how I handled it.  All of the above.  

Now that my husband has forgiven me for letting a rotten attitude hang out, I've been sitting up here in the bed (while he's been downstairs doing schoolwork), reading, pondering, praying, studying God's word....and asking forgiveness from the Father for the way that I let all of this "get" me.  I'm certainly not minimizing the fact that I am stressed.  I am.  I'm stressed...seriously.  It's just that I should have handled it MUCH differently than I chose to handle it.  At any rate, as I studied tonight, trying to learn something from all of this, I was reminded of two things. The first thing was as simple as the post that I put up on Monday, which contains the memory verses that I'm supposed to be working on this week!  Those verses  should have been on my lips as soon as I began letting my flesh take over tonight:

15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:15-17

I can't begin to tell you how I wish now that I had already finished the memorization and had recalled them earlier tonight.  As for the second thing that I learned as I studied is that I should be praising the Lord NO MATTER WHAT.  Would you like to know what my list should have looked like?

• My Dad is alive and has great care from some outstanding physicians
• My husband has the greatest hip surgeon on the planet and is going to be pain free in BOTH hips once the left hip is replaced
• God knows the plans for our family, regardless
• I am thankful for one of the greatest (and smartest) OBGYN's on the planet, who I also consider a "friend", as well as a doctor.  I'm so thankful that the Lord introduced us to each other several years ago.  She has a great laugh and is fun to laugh with, even in the midst of painful circumstances.
• I'm called in this life to serve others.  I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.
• I want to be a Proverbs 31 woman/wife.

This list looks a little brighter, don't you think?  I will leave you with another writing from The Valley of Vision that I really love to read, as much as the one from yesterday's post.  I pray you will be blessed.

EVENING PRAISE

GIVER OF ALL,

Another day is ended 

and I take my place beneath

my great Redeemer's cross,

    where healing streams continually descend,

    where balm is poured into every wound,

    where I wash anew in the all-cleansing blood,

    assured that thou seest in me no spots of sin.

Yet a little while and I shall go to thy home 

    and be no more seen;

Help me to gird up the loins of my mind,

    to quicken my step,

    to speed as if each moment were my last,

that my life be joy, my death glory,

I thank thee for the temporal blessings

    of this world--

the refreshing air,

the light of the sun,

the food that renews strength,

the raiment that clothes,

the dwelling that shelters,

the sleep that gives rest,

the starry canopy of night,

the summer breeze,

the flowers' sweetness,

the music of flowing streams,

the happy endearments of family,

kindred, friends.

Things animate, things inanimate, minister 

    to my comfort.

My cup runs over.

Suffer me not to be insensible to these

    daily mercies.

Thy hand bestows blessings: thy power averts evil,

I bring my tribute of thanks for spiritual graces,

    the full warmth of faith,

    the cheering presence of thy Spirit,

    the strength of thy restraining will,

    thy spiking of hell's artillery.

Blessed be my sovereign Lord!

A prayer for you....and for me

I would like to start out this post with my own disclaimer.   I would never recommend replacing daily prayers strictly and totally with those written by others.  The Father has given me a direct line of communication with Him through my faith and relationship with Jesus Christ.  However, I have found some prayers that are from time to time useful in bible study and meditation, such as one of my favorite books of prayer, The Valley of Vision.  This book of Puritan prayers is one that I have incorporated into my own time with the Lord and have really been blessed by reading them.  (I started reading my husband's copy so much that he went out and ordered me the leather bound version and had my name engraved on it....just so he could get his own little paperback copy back!)

I tell you this because I thought I would pass along one of my favorites from this book.  It's the prayer simply entitled "Sleep".  I think one my favorite parts of it is the charge that it gives to us, reminding us that just the mere act of sleep should remind us that every time we close our eyes, we become one step closer to the grave.  What a great reminder to us of how we should live each day and take each breath as if it should be our last!  In addition to that, I also love the request for rest and no evil dreams that would cause us anything less.  

So, when you find yourself pondering and praying over the sleep that you need, here is something that you can incorporate into your time with the Lord.  Like I said, I'm not encouraging you to stop praying your own prayers from your heart, but I hope that you will find the usefulness in these writings that I have found.

Restful and peaceful sleep to you,

SLEEP

Blessed Creator,

Thou has promised thy beloved sleep;

Give me restoring rest needful for tomorrow’s toil.

If dreams be mine,

let them not be tinged with evil.

Let thy Spirit make my time of repose

a blessed temple of his holy presence.

May my frequent lying down make me familiar with death,

the bed I approach remind my of the grave,

the eyes I now close picture to me their final closing.

Keep me always ready, waiting for admittance

to they presence.

Weaken my attachment to earthly things.

May I hold life loosely in my hand,

knowing that I receive it on condition of its surrender.

As pain and suffering betoken transitory health,

may I not shrink from a death that introduces me

to the freshness of eternal youth.

I retire this night in full assurance of one day

awakening with thee.

All glory for this blessed hope,

for the gospel of grace,

for thine unspeakable gift of Jesus,

for the fellowship of the Trinity.

Withhold not thy mercies in the night season;

thy hand never wearies,

thy power needs no repose,

thine eye never sleeps.

Help me when I helpless lie,

when my conscience accuses me of sin,

when my mind is harassed by foreboding thoughts,

when my eyes are held awake by personal anxieties.

Show thyself to me as the God of all grace, love and power;

thou hast a balm for every wound,

a solace for all anguish,

a remedy for every pain,

a peace for all disquietude.

Permit me to commit myself to thee

awake or sleep.

Amen. 

Memory Monday--Colossians 3:15-17

With everything that has been going on in our lives lately, my surgery in July, Rob needing more hip surgery, waiting on the Lord to send us a family, and working so much and so hard  in the meantime, it sometimes can feel "out of control" for me.  And if I let it, then I tend to forget the words in Colossians that I need so desperately to remember and dwell on in my heart:

¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:15-17

I have to remind myself not to listen to the many and varied lies of the enemy: 

• "You'll never have a minute's peace". 
• "You'll never have a family". 
• "Rob will never be better".  
• "You'll never be able to stay at home."  

I don't know about you, but I'll be honest with you, the Enemy never minces words with me...he pretty much cuts straight to the chase with the fiery darts.  He has a way of zinging them straight for my head, and for my heart.  But, then, that's when I have to remind myself of His words in Ephesians:

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:10-20

When I decided to totally commit these verses in Colossians to memory (I have bits and pieces of them, but need to polish them), all I could visualize were "holding hands".  I think that's what I picture because I know that the Lord is holding my hand through all of this and in turn, Rob and I are holding each other's hand as we approach his next surgery and in trusting the Lord for a family.  As Rob and I reminded each other today of the "good, bad and the ugly" that we had to endure during his last surgery and that we were about to have to endure it again, my spirit checked itself especially with verse 17 of Colossians 3.  Trust me, it's easy to be in the midst of the recovery and be so overwhelmed that you just want to throw your hands up and tell everyone just "deal with it, I'm done".  But, I'm thankful for the experience that we had before, what we learned then and what we will take into our next experience.  By no means will it be easy.  But I'm thankful for the extra wisdom I gained the last time and excited to see what I will learn this time.  The same goes with the experience of trusting Him for a family.  I know and firmly believe:

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

I know that there is much to be done in the days to come.  It won't be easy, I know it will be tiring, but I made it once and I'll make it again.  So for now, my memory verses for this week will hopefully continue to remind me to keep my attitude in check, keep songs and hymns in my heart and to do everything as unto the Lord.

"Walking" Down Memory Lane

Well, today marked the second time that my husband and I have heard these words..."hip replacement".  As I went with Rob to the orthopaedic doctor today, expecting that his arthritis had simply flared up in his ankle, little did we know that we were going to be told for the second time that Rob's other hip would now need to be replaced.  You see, the arthritis in the ankle was being aggravated by his left hip.  His body has been overcompensating for the degeneration in the hip joint, therefore causing his rheumatoid arthritis to be an issue for him.  If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you'll remember that Rob had to have his right hip replaced last year in May of '08.  And WOW, what a journey that was!  Now, it's a year later, we're a lot wiser as to the "ropes" of this procedure, and for all of you physical therapists out there...we can recite "post op hip precautions" backward and forward.  I'm not saying that we are both excited about this, but, at least this time, we know what to expect and when to expect it.  Thank you so much to all who have been praying for us today and thank you to those who will pray for us after today.  We will covet your prayers over the next few months.  So, as of today, our good doctor has injected Rob's left hip in hopes that this will give him some relief for a little while.  Rob is finishing a degree at Liberty University, and is slated to graduate in May 2010.  Hopefully, the injection(s) will get him though until graduation...so if you are agreeing with us in prayer, this is a huge request for us.  

If you would like to read about our journey from May of 2008, just click on the archives beginning in May 2008 for this blog.  The posts begin there and spill into the next few months after that.  On the lighter side, I've reminded Rob of all that he has to look forward to with pool therapy at the rehab pool....accompanied by all of those cute little old ladies and their inner tubes!

Memory Monday--John 5:24-27

Better late than never...these verses have been on my heart lately because of the father of a friend of ours who is dying of cancer. He is not a believer and up until recently has been very hardened towards the Lord. We are praying that due to some recent events, his heart may be softening. If you are reading this post, please say a prayer for him. Other details are not important here, but just know that he is a husband, a father and a grandfather...and that he desperately needs a relationship with the Lord as his Savior, no matter what the hour of his life.

²⁴"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. ²⁵I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. ²⁶For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. ²⁷And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. (John 5:24-27)

PS....please come back for a visit here tomorrow for "Bee My Guest", where I will be welcoming a dear friend of mine as a guest author tomorrow.  And, there will be a great giveaway also!  You don't want to miss it!

Cafe Chat--What Would Your Title Be?

WOW...what a great question at Cafe Chat this week!  Kim atTo Know Him has posted another question from the archives.  And, it's SUCH a deep question....but a "good" deep.  It really made me take an introspective look. Her question to us was:

What would be the title of a book about your life?

Well, I'll have to tell you, what immediately popped in my head was actually the title of a movie, but it would be the title of the book about my life.  The book would be called "The Scent of a Woman". (HOO-WAH!) 

When I read the question, the verse in Ephesians 5:2 flashed up on the screen in my brain....it says:

"And walk in love, as Christ has also loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma."

I have often thought of this verse the minute that I come in contact with some very displeasing odor, like trash.  I find myself thinking about the Lord and what HE must think about the very displeasing odor of our sin.  Actually, odor is a mild word....our sin to Him is a stench.  As sensitive as I am to certain smells (you're talking about a girl who  has to tie a towel around her face to clean out the fridge....I get SICK at the smell of cold food--not even bad food, just cold food!), I can't IMAGINE what the Lord must think at the hideous foul smell of something so  hideous as sin in the presence of a HOLY HOLY GOD! 

So, my dear friends, I would  hope that my book would be called "The Scent of a woman (of the Lord)"....I want my life to be a sweet smelling aroma to my most Holy and precious Savior, Jesus Christ.

SOOOOOOO....Are you going to be this?

 

Or will you be this?

 

 

Memory Monday--Philippians 4:6-7 (A day late!)

I just have to confess that my Monday was not quite what I had anticipated (but then again, when are they ever?).  So, I am behind on my post, but nevertheless, I press on.  My verses are actually verses that i know, but at this season in my life, at this very hour, I need their constant reminder.  They come from Philippians 4:6-7:

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

May everyone have a blessed week. I pray that you will also delve into the scriptures that God has so lovingly written to us. I know that they are of comfort to me--I pray they will be also to you.

He hasn't forgotten

With all of the tragic news being pelted at us through the media recently, it seems that at every turn that there is a very public divorce, a public admission of adultery and even today, two very public deaths.  I know that in all of these tragedies, the one thing that I struggle most with is the thought of the children involved.  Since Rob and I still have not had children yet, I think I have this extra sensitivity to those children who find themselves caught in the middle of all of these things.  My heart cries out for them.  My mind races with thoughts of "Lord, why couldn't they be here with us?  We would want them to have a home of safety, security and peace!"  But, I am reminded that God is sovreign.  He knows these children, one by one.  He has a plan and will reveal His plan in His time. So for now, I am just gently reminded of the words from the Lord.... Matthew 10:29 (New King James Version) 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.