The Broken Things

Greetings Everybody,

Summer has officially started for us now. 

School is out. 

And we are at the lake house.

My In-laws own a place that overlooks a really beautiful lake and they are very gracious and let people use it. 

We are planning to be here for about 10 days.

I am sitting at the dining room table, looking out at the water and the mountain on the other side of the lake. 

Sipping coffee

Thinking deep thoughts

Been in prayer this morning.

Looking at the beauty that God created.

The skies are grey this morning and there are lots of ripples on the lake. 

Wouldn’t  be at all surprised if we don’t get a nice rainstorm sometime this morning.

From where I am sitting, I can see fish jumping and feeding in the shallows, and the occasional, gangly yet somehow still elegant, long legged water bird.  They like to “fish” off of our pier.

I hear songbirds waking up and chirping.

I will probably see deer at some point today.

And I am content.

This is what I have been waiting for.

This time of stillness.

This time set aside for reflection.

This time of healing.

There is a velvety smooth richness in seeing what God has made.

There is a beauty in nature that just brings me to tears.

My “Tempest in a Teacup” life is so small compared to this.

My life stresses are so very small in the grand scheme of things.

I suspect that when I take my troubles to God, and ask Him to help me, it must be a lot like when my daughter used to come to me in mourning over a toy that was somehow broken. 

So many times, her childhood world was just devastated by the tragedy of some broken toy. 

And at such times, she would bring the broken thing to me and then just fall into my arms seeking comfort.

And I would dry her tears

And diminish her troubles

And restore her peace

And bring her great joy.

God must deal with similar situations 24 hours a day.

All over the world, there are people presenting their broken things to him:

-broken bodies

-broken minds

-broken souls

And HE is able to show us how he works in our lives.

And HE is able to dry our tears

And diminish our troubles

And restore our peace

And bring us great joy

And HE does this constantly, effortlessly, and perfectly.

He makes every blade of grass grow.

He puts feathers on every bird.

He causes the fish to swim and the bugs to crawl and the deer to walk in beauty & grace.

My GOD IS SO BIG!

And I am grateful for the knowledge that I am small and can bring my broken things to Him …and that HE loves me and will dry my tears and restore my peace and my joy.

Being a Christian does NOT mean that God will keep us from experiencing hardships. 

Some of the best life lessons come from enduring hard times. 

They equip us to help other people in who will need us to help guide them.

Sometimes the broken things in life end up being huge blessings to us late on.

Just thought I’d Share.

In Him,

Grace

The Blessings of December 29, 2011

Greetings Everyone,
Woohoo...and I have Happy News.


1. My sister in law has made amazing progress since yesterday.
She is still in the Neurological ICU and still has a feeding tube, and still has an infection, but she is lucid.


She sat in a chair for an hour today.
She turned down pain medication today. 
And she wants the blinds left open so that she can see the sunshine outside.


This is an answer to prayer.


2. My daughters fever has broken and she is feeling better today.  


She said that Little Man still has a cough and a stuffy nose, but that he seems happy.


And so far... my son in law has not caught the cold that his wife and child have.


This is an answer to prayer.


3.  Hubby feels better today.  


The cough is better & the diabetes is in control today.


We had our breakfast date today, ran some errands, and then made the long trip to go see his sister in the hospital (where as I mentioned, we found her tremendously improved).  


Hubby's heart was lighter on the drive back home.


This too is an answer to prayer.


Let's just say we have been rejoicing and that the Ole Family Grapevine has been working overtime today.


Let me also say that OUR Family gives ALL the credit for these blessings to God Almighty. 


We prayed in faith for healings.


He responded with a YES on all counts.


His answer isn't always YES...but today it was!


Sometimes He says NO, and when he does, we have to remember that His Grace Is Sufficient...just like PAUL.


2 Corinthians 12: 17-19 "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."



But today, His answer was YES.


Ephesians 3:20-21 " Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.


We CHOOSE to BELIEVE in HIM.


Joshua 24:15 "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."


But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.


It does make me wonder what would happen if America would really claim            2 Chronicles 7:14
" If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."


What would happen IF WE AS A NATION HUMBLED OURSELVES AND PRAYED?
I believe with all my heart that HE WOULD RESPOND WITH A YES!


...just a little something to ponder...


In Him,
Grace

Calling ALL Hero's

Greetings,
This morning let's talk about how Teaching is Mission Work!

Most of the time, when we think of Missionaries, we think of people who go into international settings, and render aid to folks in need, and talk to them about God and about Jesus Christ.  We think of them being around the poor, the sick, the indigent and the societally disenfranchised.


Well guess what!
It doesn't take a Solomon to figure out that The United States of America is filled with young people exactly like that.

They may not be riddled with smallpox, but often they are hurt and wounded.
They are often what Scriptures refer to as Poor In Spirit.
They are often somewhat LOST and societally disenfranchised...after all...doesn't that term personify the Teen-Aged Years.

So yeah...being a high school teacher is ACTIVE Mission Work.


We can't teach the kids until we help to heal them.


It's basic science.

When the Pre-Frontal Cortex of the Human Brain has yet to fully form (and this area of  the brain is still developing during adolescence )...Higher Thinking Ability is completely monitored by elements of the brain that focus on safety and security.


And as our American families flounder...our kids sink into survival mode.


They focus on food, shelter, and immediate gratification.

Not all of them...not all the time...but a chunk of them every day in every class are locked into survival mode and have been basically for their whole lives.


Now let's add on the pressure of State Mandated Testing to these kids.
The response is usually total and complete APATHY.


And who can blame them.

If I my parents are getting a divorce right now, and my world is falling apart...why in the world would I care about a stupid test.  It's not even a blip on the radar screen of things I care about.


But while Adults often are able to throw up the White Flag of "I'm Having Trouble Right Now, Everybody Just Back Off For A While Till I Regain My Mental Footing"...kids get no such rights.


Society just expects them to tuck all of their feelings and fears into some dark place in their souls, Deal With It, and go on about their lives... and the next state mandated test.

I am not asking that we stop all testing.
And I know that there is NEVER a time when the whole teen-aged world is trouble free and able to enter a GREEN LIGHT ZONE for all State Mandated Tests zone...but I know this...
                                   
humans need safety and security in order to mentally process at high levels.


And our kids are suffering.
And our test scores are looking really lousy these days.

And the Think Tanks just keep spinning out the need to test them more often...or blame the teachers for the test results.
And a vicious cycle of blame casting in educational circles develops...that has NOTHING to do with why Johnny Failed The Big Test.


Basically Johnny is Grieving and Mourning and he can't think straight right now...DUH!


The grown-ups in our country need to start making wiser choices about who they marry.
The grown-ups in our country need to start modeling marital fidelity, and loyalty, and trustworthiness and integrity and  courage.


Our kids are losing their HERO's.


Every kid ought to be able to find his or her FIRST and LARGEST HERO IMAGE within the context of their own home.


Parents are supposed to be our HERO's.


So for anybody who is reading this out there...Be a Hero to your kids.
Talk with them.
Tell them about how you make decisions.
Tell them how you weigh right and wrong.


Model Godly Virtues for Them.


Help them to Feel SAFE and SECURE by knowing that their MOM & DAD do what is right simply because IT IS RIGHT!


If America is to heal itself, it must heal it's families first.


Today I go back out into the Mission Field.
Today I will see your kids.
Today I will hear about the times you cheated on your wife.
Today I will hear about the times you abandoned your family.
Today I will hear about the times you got drunk and smoked pot.
Today I will hear about how your kids don't respect you because of your words and actions.


Today I will MOP UP after you...and I will try to give your kids what YOU should have been giving them...today I will try to be an honorable person and show THEM how to be honorable too.


Today I am CALLING ALL HERO's to come to the aid of our AMERICAN FAMILIES in order to HEAL THEM.


Mom's & Dad's, Grandparents, Uncle & Aunts, Brothers & Sisters,  and Cousins...STAND UP!


Be Hero's in Your Family:
                              Stand for What Is Right.
                              Put God Back in our Homes
                              Pray for Healing.
                              Pray for Wisdom.
                              Pray for Strong Families.


                              Let's Heal America...1 Family At A TIME!


In just a few hours I will be in the middle of The Mission Field again...and teachers all over this country just like me will be helping your kids today.
Please Pray For Us...Just as We Pray For You.


And for those of you who are already doing what is Right In The Eyes of God...BLESS YOU!


In HIM,
Grace