Thoughts Along the Journey

In addition to praying for my new little great niece/nephew to be safe and healthy... Please pray in regard to the song I mentioned in my "Travelin' Music" post. I keep sensing there is more God wants to give me (more words to the same song). I just don't have them yet. There's a sense of the song not being complete. Isn't that how our lives are? A song God just keeps writing: note by note, and verse by verse, as He makes our life a beautiful melody that draws others to Him. May your life be filled with sweet music, my friends!

I have to post this! We received a phone call from our niece last night. She and her husband are going to have their first child next May or June!!!! I'm going to be a great aunt! My husband said, "I'm already a great uncle." :o) Okay. So maybe I'm going to be an even "greater" aunt??? Anyway, congrats, sweetie! We all look forward to this arrival with great anticipation and joy.

As anyone who has read my recent posts already knows, I've been struggling along this journey lately. If you've read the beginning posts, you'll know why. Our family is in a time of transition. As my friend Paula M. would say, "God is wrecking our boxes." It's time to move on to something new. Something most of you don't know about me is that, next to God, my husband, kids, family, and close friendships, my first love is music. I've been playing piano since I was a little shaver. :o) I play a few other musical instruments, too. I love to sing. One of the joys of my life has been singing praises to God, and leading others to learn to worship Him--beyond the music--from their innermost beings. I haven't had much music in my heart lately. I've been too wrapped up in "life" issues. My mind and heart have been full of other things. I haven't been focused on worship. But today...today, my friends...today was different. I sat down at th...

I have spent my life worshipping idols. GASP! What did I just say? Okay. Take a deep breath. It's not what you think! All my life, I have looked at someone who is: older, wiser, prettier, wittier, more spiritual, more popular...you name it...I have looked at that "someone" and idolized them. Not in that, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image" kind of idolatry. It was more like a, "I'll never be able to be as.....(wise, pretty, witty, spiritual, popular)...as he/she is. They are just too (wise, pretty, witty, spiritual, popular). I could never measure up to that!" You know the type, right? That person that never seems to run out of wise advice. The woman who never has a hair out of place, no matter how many children are clinging to her skirts (jeans?). The person who always has a funny line to lighten the mood. The one who seems to be friends with just everybody they meet. The hardest to deal with, though, is the person who always has the ...

Over the past few weeks, I have been reading a forum which deals with issues in the church with which we were formerly affiliated. I won't go into detail. What I will say though, is that there are a lot of hurting people out there who need your prayers. What does this have to do with me personally? A lot of those people are my friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ. There is this "thing" inside me that can't stand it when those I care about are mistreated, lied to, or in some other way wronged. It's that part of me that wants vengeance . Wow. Did I use that word? But it's true. I want the erring party to repent, yes. But I also want to see them do some groveling and major "making of things right". And that thing inside me is like a mother bear protecting her young: you hurt someone I love, and I will attack! Shocking, isn't it? Most people who know me think I'm this gentle, meek person. I've been accused of being a "goody two s...

A few years ago, a CD came out called, "My Utmost for His Highest". The songs were based on excerpts from the Oswald Chamber devotional book. They were sung by various artists. One that has been on my mind today is the song, "God of All of Me", which was sung by Sandi Patti. There is this hunger inside me, this longing for God to have every bit of me. Every molecule. Every atom. To have total control of every thought, word, and deed. For my every move to be that of a Spirit-led child of God. Yet there is this "other" me. The one that says, "I can take it from here, God. Just step aside for awhile. I've done this before. I can handle this one. I'll get back to You when I really need You." That's the part of me that gets me into trouble. The part of me that worries when the car needs to be fixed--again. The part that worries when the utility bills are higher than I'd expected, for no apparent reason. The part that gets angry when ...