Thoughts Along the Journey

I know this is a couple of days early, but I wanted to make sure to tell all of you Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!

My niece wrote this poem several years ago. Thanks for your permission to print it, Kim! What is Christmas What is Christmas? Is it candy, ornaments, and toys? Is it for just little girls and boys? Is it shimmering lights and sleigh bells? Is it helping little children whose parents are in cells? Is it shopping, parties, or money? Is it spending time with your honey? Is it rosy cheeks, Saint Nick, and elves? Or has it become just about ourselves? Is it the slishing and sloshing of snow? I say, “No.” It’s about a little child that came for us. Not on a ship or a bus, But carried by an unmarried teenager. He was born in a barn and placed in a manger. He wasn’t born with great glory and riches. He was with animals and covered with a blanket of only a few stitches. Why was He born so humble? Why was His birth all a jumble? So that He could show Us how to go And be His disciples. Will you believe in what is made up and unreal? Or will you believe in the One who cam...

My Friday fave: Spending time with my honey! I love you!

I posted this on Facebook, too, and got some great feedback. Now it's you're turn, blogging friend! What does it mean to truly give God all my heart? What will that feel like? And what will I be like when that happens???

I know, I know. I've been neglecting my blogs! I think of them often, but time is lacking. As my bloggy friends know, I'm back to work for the fall. I keep hoping that once I hit my "winter break" in a couple of months, I can get caught up on blogland once again. I have to admit, too, that Facebook is a lot easier for me these days. I can be on there for about 5 minutes, let the world know I'm alive, and get on with the day. It has been nice to connect with some of my blogging friends there, too (Laurie, Laura, Paula, Lin, Harry, Mair, Patty, Janice, Pat, Cheryl, David, Keith, Keith...one of them is my hubby!). Be assured, though, friends, I will not be away forever. I have had a passion to write since I was quite young. Can't get rid of me for too long!

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. Psalm 37:23-26

My oldest son left on his class trip to Washington, D.C. today. He'll be gone for about three days. I have to tell you...that was a hard goodbye for me! He has never gone to camp or anything like that. The longest I've been away from him is a couple of days, and he was always with relatives. This is definitely a new experience for all of us! He has already called me 4 times since he left this morning! His younger brother is missing him like crazy, too. I know it will be a great experience for him...but I sure miss that boy!

I know I haven't been around much lately, but I'm still lurking in the shadows. LOL Seriously, though. A typical day begins with a quick shower, sort some laundry and start a load, breakfast, make my lunch, prayers with kids (and hubby, if he hasn't left for work already), finish getting ready for work, check on the laundry again...and out the door! Then, drop off kids (and hubby, too, sometimes) and to work. After work, I pick up the kiddos, then head home to do more laundry and get supper going. At some point, I try to relax some, then off to bed. Whew. I don't know how women who work full-time do all this, but it wears me out! :o) On a totally different note......... Yesterday was the 8th anniversary of the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. As I was growing up, people told me over and over that those (who were alive when JFK was shot) would never forget where they were when they heard the news. I never totally understood that until September 11th. My husba...

The kids are in school. I'm back to work. Back to the busy-ness of the "real world!" Summer seems like a brief reprieve from life for me. But now I have to dig in and get back to it. Hope all my bloggy friends are well!

Image from www.fineartamerica.com "A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure." - Sirach 6:14 Just sitting here, thanking God for all the wonderful friends He has given me. I am truly blessed with treasures beyond measure! .

I haven't disappeared into the background, like that wily Waldo fella. I've actually had some wonderful ideas for blog posts. They just haven't appeared on my blog! The truth is: I've become a Facebook junkie! I vowed it wouldn't happen. But it did. As so many of my friends and relatives have said: It's addictive! I have reconnected with people I haven't seen since my childhood. (Seriously! The man who pastored my home church when I was just a little tyke of 4 or 5 years of age is one of my friends!) I have found friends that I had given up on. So much time had passed without contact. One is living in Slovenia! (And if you know where that is, please inform!) I originally thought: This is less time-consuming than maintaining a blog (or two). After all, I only have to put a one- or two-sentence "status update" on my profile page, and I'm done for the day. WRONG! I have to read all the funny little ditties everyone else has pos...

Please pray for the family and friends of Roosevelt Hunter , who passed away after a battle with colon cancer. We knew Roosevelt back in the early days of our marriage. He and Tim Dilena were co-pastors of Revival Tabernacle in Highland Par k, MI. Roosevelt had the most infectious laugh (think: Ernie on Sesame Street). He had a passion for the lost. He was full of zeal for God and His Word. He was one of God's rare gems. My heart goes out to Ilene and their children. You were one of His best, Roosevelt. You will truly be missed.

Have you ever had one of those times when a person/people or a situation caused your heart to hurt...a burden from the Holy Spirit caused almost a physical ache within you? I have had those moments off and on throughout my lifetime. Most of the time, it was caused by seeing something on TV. Or being aware of a desperate situation in someone's life. Seeing photos of children dying of starvation or cancer. Knowing a friend was lonely, or facing a terrifying diagnosis. Being on a missions trip, and realizing the people I was ministering to could not go home to get away from their circumstances. This was their home. Their reality. I had another of those moments yesterday. It had been a great day. We got to have an unexpected visit with my sister-in-law , her children, her parents, and her sister. (They were traveling through our area. We got to have lunch. A sweet blessing from God!) Afterward, we decided to head over to the local Barnes & Noble, as our outdoor plans ...

I have heard the Serenity Prayer over and over. I have seen it on greeting cards, plaques, mugs, and a multitude of other gift items. (I used to work in a Christian bookstore...I've seen it everywhere!) Last night, I came across the entire prayer, which I had never seen before. I hope it blesses you as much as it blessed me! "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. Taking as Jesus did this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him for ever in the next." ~Reinhold Niebuhr Now THAT is a serenity prayer! Happy Tuesday, friends!

Today is the memorial for Saint Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus. Whenever we hear of Mary and Martha, most of us automatically think of Martha's conversation with Jesus. She was perturbed that Mary was not helping her prepare a meal for her guests (Jesus and His disciples). Mary was, instead, sitting at Jesus' feet--listening to Him teach. Jesus' response to Martha is well known: " 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.' " (Luke 10:38-42) The picture here is how most of us picture Martha. Pestering Jesus, and busy about her meal preparations. That is how I often picture myself. Busy, busy, busy. And frustrated with anyone who isn't as busy as I am! I long to be as Mary...sitting quietly at the feet of my Lord. Learning from Him. Who wants to be like Martha, who received a scolding from Jesus? And yet... If we read...

Yep, I'm trying a new template...new profile pic... I have no idea how to truly customize my blog. I just have to use what Blogger provides. I may go back to my "dots" eventually...but you just never know!

The topic of my previous post was on "hidden work." That no matter how insignificant, meaningless, or mundane our work may seem...it is all to be done for God's glory. But there are other "hidden things" in our life that need to be dealt with as well. While the boys and I were cleaning house last week, in preparation for visitors, I emphasized to them several times to do their jobs thoroughly. As I'm sure you have experienced, "thoroughly" to a 13 year old and a 9 year old means something completely different than it means to me! When we washed our car one day, my constant reminder was, "Every inch must be cleaned boys! Every inch!" On the aforementioned cleaning day, it had more to do with dust on furniture and dust balls behind doors. Then there was the scrubbing of the kitchen floor. And the response to my insistent pleas for complete cleanliness? "If no one can see it, why does it matter? Why do you want the house to b...

Today I read a story in a devotional about a team of young adults working on a project at a deaf school. This school was in a very impoverished country. The team's project one day was to paint the back of a building. The only people who would ever see the back of the building were the person who cut the grass, and anyone who would ever have to work on the septic pit behind the building. It would have been tempting for these young adults to just slop some paint on the wall and move on to some other project that was more visible. Yet one of the girls said, "Nobody will ever come back here to see this, but God will see it. So let's make it look nice." A lot of what we do in our lives will never be seen by crowds--never receive great acclaim. Many of us have jobs that seem insignificant or tedious...very "behind the scenes" type stuff. It's tempting to think that we can just "get by" because what we do doesn't really matter, in the big ...

Well, we survived our trip out to Kansas! There was never really any doubt, right? LOL We left bright and early on the 1st, and drove as far as Columbia, MO. There's a certain motel we stay in every time, because it's right next to a Cracker Barrel . We do looove Cracker Barrel's food! The only glitch of the evening was a family get-together at the motel. Some folks were having a reunion or something, and EVERYONE was staying at our motel. They were enjoying each other's company quite a bit...especially around 12:30 in the morning! Then, after that quieted down, the people in the room above us decided to do their morning drill routine at 5 a.m. Not marching, folks. STOMPING! Wow, was it loud! We made it the rest of the way to my mom and dad's without incident. When we arrived, my sister (from Colorado) and her family were there, too. My kids and hubby finally got to meet Isaiah and a niece's husband...and we all got to meet miss Elyssa. Let me tel...

Wednesday, we will be heading west for the next round of vacation travel. It's about a 20-hour drive. We break it up into two days...still, that's a lot of driving! Please keep our family in your prayers, and I'll report back when we return.

As everyone is already aware, the pop star Michael Jackson died yesterday. It has caused shock waves around the world. In spite of all the turmoil over allegations of child abuse, etc., in recent years--and in spite of the obvious alterations to his appearance over time--his popularity has continued. From what I understand, he was preparing for an upcoming tour. The concerts set for Europe have been sold out for months. He has had a following since he was a young boy, singing with the Jackson Five. And yet... Did the fame and money bring him happiness? Was he surrounded by loved ones when he died? Did he know peace? If one were to judge by the outward signs, it would seem that the answer to all of those questions is a resounding NO. It's so sad. Another death that occurred yesterday was that of Farrah Fawcett. I remember the hoards of young men who clamored for her pictures and posters after "Charlie's Angels" came on the scene. She was definitely a beauty...

Thanks to all who sent anniversary and "happy vacation" wishes! We headed to Michigan about 1 1/2 weeks ago. We spent the weekend with my in-laws. We went to our niece's open house. That was a great time of seeing friends and family members we haven't seen for quite a long time. Monday was an interesting day. I had only planned to do some laundry and re-pack. As it turned out, my mother-in-law got sick that morning. Thankfully, by noon, she was feeling much better. Hubby and I headed north on Tuesday morning, leaving the kiddos with their grandparents. We stopped off in Frankenmuth, MI, another of my most favorite places to visit! We didn't do much, but really enjoyed the time to just walk around, look in the stores, and just be together. We left there and went on to the in-laws' cottage. The boys and the in-laws joined us there that evening. After a night of little sleep (4 people in one bedroom...), hubby and I headed north again on Wed. (our 20th ...

I just read this story on Yahoo! News. As you probably already know, abortionist George Tiller was murdered about 1 1/2 weeks ago. As usual, the pro abortion camp has made this a political issue, lashing out against pro-lifers as "extremists." The group Operation Rescue has discussed buying the building Tiller used as his clinic. In response, the Tiller family's attorney said: " 'I'm just not going to respond to every irreverent publicity stunt or comment by these extremists,' said...Dan Monnat. " Buying a building is a publicity stunt? What??? The response from Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue: " 'We would love to see that place established as a center for life, one that nurtures and cares for babies, rather than taking their lives,' Newman said of Tiller's former clinic." Sounds more like reclaiming a territory for God to me! (Brings to mind the book of Joshua! ) Dr . Tiller (and I used the title with some...

Fr. Joe's intubation (ventilator) has been removed, and they are working to get his lungs to do their job again. Praise God!

I don't really have much new to tell you on Fr. Joe's condition. He is slowly making very small improvements. He is still considered in critical, but stable condition. Thank you for your continued prayers. He has a long road to recovery ahead of him. Please pray for our parish, too. As you can imagine, this is difficult for all of us. We had a prayer service for him last Thursday. We are having another one this Thursday, June 4, at 8:30 p.m. EDT. Please join us in praying! Thanks again for all your prayers and words of encouragement.

He is still in critical, but stable condition. Your prayers mean so much. I'll try to give more updates as I'm able. THANK YOU for praying!

Thanks for all the prayers for Fr. Joe. He had developed some complications (internal bleeding) due to a medication he was given. He is now in critical condition, but stable. God is working! Please continue to pray! THANKS!

Our pastor is being taken by Life Flight to another hospital. He had improved to the point they were planning to send him home. Then, last night, he had a major setback. Please pray!!!!!

Memorial Day is full of, well, memories for me. The graves of my closest relatives are located in two small cemeteries, which are both close to the home where I grew up. One was almost across the road from our house. My dad's relatives are buried there. The graves of my mother's relatives are in a cemetery about 12 miles from my parents' home. Every Memorial Day, we would go to the closest one and place flowers on graves. The other cemetery had an annual flag ceremony, in which flags were placed on the graves of all the veterans. Stirring music would be played over the loud speakers, and a short speech given by a local dignitary. It was always a challenge to hurry and put flowers by head stones before the ceremony began. The wonderful things about this tradition were, first of all, that I learned so much about my ancestors. Who was married to whom. Whose parent was this? Whose child was this? How am I related to this person? Another great thing was that we oft...

I would like you to keep our parish pastor, Fr. Joe, in your prayers. He had a bad cough last week, and eventually ended up in ICU. He has double-pneumonia, and is improving, but still very ill. In a church with close to 1,500 families, and only one priest, the man is seriously overworked. We do have two deacons, but still...Fr. Joe certainly has a workload beyond your imagination. Thank you in advance for keeping him in your prayers.

Well, it's an event for my hubby and me! Next month, we will celebrate our 20th anniversary. Yes, it's true! We are going to Michigan, and will spend the night here . And if you think that's great, wait until you see the room we have reserved ! In addition, we will make a day trip over to Mackinac Island , one of our favorite places to visit for an anniversary!

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.' " John 14:6 I read this quote today, and wanted to share it with my readers: "Jesus, our Savior, true God and true man, must be the ultimate end of all our other devotions; otherwise they would be false and misleading. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and end of everything. 'We labor,' says Saint Paul, 'only to make all men perfect in Jesus Christ.' For in Him alone dwells the entire fullness of the divinity and the complete fullness of grace, virtue, and perfection. In Him alone we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing; He is the only teacher from whom we must learn; the only Lord on whom we should depend; the only Head to whom we should be united and the only model that we should imitate. He is the only Physician that can heal us; the only Shepherd that can feed us; the only Way that can lead us; the only Truth th...

My oldest son recently posted a piece about abortion on his blog. I am so proud of him! (Way to go, "Harry"!) Check it out here...

After posting every day for over a month, I feel like I've been on a blogging fast! The truth of the matter is, my oldest son has been playing volleyball, and our younger son just started baseball. Between practices and games, plus church activities thrown in there, life has been a whirlwind over the past few weeks! We only have one car, too, so that just adds to the craziness of life! My niece and I were recently having an "e-mail discussion" about how so many people have this warped idea that once that Christians do not face the same temptations that worldly people do. (So what does this mean for worldly Christians??? That's a subject for another post!) People who are not serving Christ look at Christians like: you just don't face the same things I do. You just don't know. When the truth of the matter is, Christians often face even tougher temptations and trials. Those who are trying to really serve Christ and desire their lives to reflect His life ...

Sorry I'm not blogging regularly right now...we have volleyball games, baseball games, church activities...life is crazy! Hugs to all my bloggy friends! :o)

Sorry I'm back to not posting every day. I had to work some extra hours this week...kids are having baseball practice and volleyball games...we had special activities at church this weekend (evangelization day)...just busy, busy, busy!

So now that Lent is over, it is time to stop once again and reflect. God showed me a lot of things during these past few weeks. But the key is to integrate them into my life. For those of you who have traveled this Lenten journey with me, I hope these lessons are something God will help you weave into the fabric of your Christianity as well. 1. Forgiveness --given freely to all, as many times as needed. No limit. Christ's forgiveness toward us knows no bounds. Ours should reflect His. 2. Servanthood --Jesus gave of Himself over and over. That is what He calls us to do. 3. The cross --we should go through it, not try to go around it or just be near it. Jesus called us to the cross, even as He knew His destiny was the cross and all that meant. 4. Obedience --no matter what. Whatever He calls us to do is what we MUST do. It's time to move on from Lent, and, as our deacon said so eloquently at the vigil: Let's be resurrection people every day!

Happy Resurrection Day! Rejoice! He is alive! Alleluia! "...they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that He was alive." Luke 24:23b "Resurrection Morning" by Ron DiCianni "But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep." I Thessalonians 4:13-14 My offering to God: I will rejoice in Christ's victory over death and His gift of eternal life.

I'm making a departure on this, the last day of Lent. The reading for this day is actually an Easter reading, and, well, I'm just not ready for the resurrection "quite" yet...it's only Saturday. There is a wonderful old hymn that we always used to sing on Easter when I was growing up. I think the first two verses capture the essence of this day so well: Low in the grave He lay, Jesus, my Savior! Waiting the coming day--Jesus, my Lord! Vainly they watch His bed, Jesus, my Savior! Vainly they seal the dead--Jesus, my Lord! During family prayer this morning, we talked about how we, as modern-day Christians, have the benefit of knowing the "rest of the story." We know what's coming tomorrow! But those first disciples did not. All they knew was that their Master was crucified, put into a tomb, and, for all they knew, they would be next on the Pharisees' hit list. That Saturday was a quiet day of mourning and contemplating what the future might h...

"Jesus therefore... said: 'It is consummated.' And bowing his head, He gave up the ghost." John 19:30b ~Douay Rheims Bible My offering to God: I will honor Christ's great sacrifice by making sacrifices for others.

" 'Do you realize what I have done for you? You call Me "Teacher" and "Master," and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the Master and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet.' " John 13:12b-14 My offering to God: Today I will humbly serve another person.

" 'I say to you, one of you will betray Me.' " Matthew 26:21b This follows closely with my post from yesterday. What is the difference, though, between denying Christ and betraying Him? Honestly, I don't know if there really is a difference. However, the results of Peter's denial and the betrayal by Judas seem to be worlds apart, don't they? After all, Peter only said he didn't know Jesus. Judas gave Jesus over to the Jewish leaders, which resulted in Jesus' crucifixion. I wonder, though. The servant girl and the others who heard Peter's denial...did it keep them from believing in Jesus? Did they look at Peter and think, "Wow. If someone who knew Him that well turns on Him, how good could He really be?" That, coupled with the fact that their leaders found Him guilty...did it keep them from faith, too? We will probably never know the answer to that question, as far as Peter is concerned. But what about us? Do those who know we profess...

" 'I say to you the cock will not crow before you deny Me three times.' " John 13:38b I cannot imagine the way Peter must have felt when he heard the crowing of that rooster. And yet, maybe I can... How many times have I denied Him? I have never said, "I do not know Him." But how many times have my actions said that? My offering to God: I will have courage in witnessing my faith in Christ, even when there is opposition.

" 'You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.' " John 12:8 The oil used in anointing Jesus was not wasted...it was poured upon the Lord as a great gift of sacrifice. My offering to God: I will serve Christ by giving a gift to the poor.

"...they took palm branches and went out to meet Him.." John 12:13a Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna! My offering to God: I will welcome Jesus into my heart with renewed faith and reverence.

"...he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God." John 11:51b-52 We pray something called the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy in the Catholic church. This is part of that prayer: "Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world." And because of His mercy...He died for all... My offering to God: I will reflect on Christ's tremendous sacrifice of love for us.

"And many there began to believe in Him." John 10:42 Wouldn't it be wonderful if they could say that of the city where you live? What if that were the headline in your local paper tomorrow? What if the national news media caught wind of the story and broadcast it on the evening news: "And the breaking news from [your town], [your state], is that many there are beginning to believe in Jesus Christ!" Whew...now THAT is news worth reading and hearing about! My offering to God: I will pray that those who are far from God will come to believe in Christ.

Yes, it's true that I didn't post yesterday. It had nothing to do with April Fools Day! We have had a crazy week here. However, yesterday's reading and today's reading go together so well, it's best to post them at the same time anyway! I'll just combine the readings, and get on with this post... "If you remain in My word, you will truly be My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free...Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps My word will never see death." John 8:31b-32, 51 Those are truly potent words, aren't they? They clearly show us how powerful every word Jesus spoke is for our lives. When we read "in My word" today, we automatically think, "the Word of God--the Bible". And while that is true, we have to remember that at the time Jesus was telling these things to His disciples, the only Scriptures they knew were the Old Testament. There was no "Bible", per se. He literally...

" '...I do nothing on My own, but I say only what the Father taught Me.' " John 8:28b I really wish that were my testimony! That I only do and say what the Father wants me to do! That is exactly what Jesus did, though. So He could honestly say, "When you've seen Me, you've seen the Father." Can people say the same of me? My offering to God: Today I will strive to follow God's Word rather than relying on myself.

Yes, I failed to post yesterday. It was just one of "those days". Here are the Scripture verse and offering for yesterday, March 30. " 'Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.' " John 8:7b The only One who was without sin was Jesus...and He didn't condemn her! My offering to God: I will examine my own life when I'm tempted to condemn another.

"Whoever serves Me must follow Me, and where I am, there also will My servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves Me." John 12:26 The truth of following Christ...be wherever He is...and where would He be? Serving the poor, caring for the sick, visiting the prisoners, caring for the least, helping others...that's where He is, and where He wants us to be. And the Father will honor us. Not with the honors of this world, but with eternal life. The best reward of all! My offering to God: Today I will reflect on what it means to be a faithful servant of Christ.