Tag Archives: friends

Where Is Our Focus?

September 12, 2019 A Labour of Love Leave a comment

I have recently been in touch with some very old friends, and by old, I do not mean in age. They were people who touched my life many years ago of whom we lost touch due to the turning of everyday life. Women who brought me joy, laughter and the safety to be myself. These women have been not long forgotten, and the friendship misplaced for only a period of time. Although Facebook and social media brings challenges, it is also a place to reconnect. From new friends that are destined to be lifelong friends, to lifelong friends that are destined to be new. I am blessed to be able to say that God has been renewing my broken spirit and refilling my empty soul.

The last several years I have been feeling lost in the upheaval of our church, saying goodbye to friends, being the mom of adult children, and just the everyday disappointments of family, earthly life and expectations. Each day, for the last few years I found myself becoming more and more “aged” with critical judgements of all the things that “didn’t go my way” or the “way I thought they should be”.

The Lord was always near and waiting for me to pursue Him with not just my eyes in scripture, yet with my whole heart. Don’t get me wrong. My prayer life has never faltered and my faith never wavered. I just have felt a “quiet” in my heart, that I have not felt in a very long time. Being unable to dance through each day knowing that there is so much more to every day living on earth. Sin is ever rampant, not just in unbelievers, yet also within our Christian community, making my emptiness ever so exasperated and enlarged. I never ask “why God”, nor do I question His will. I do however, sit back, still as a chipmunk who is hunted by the cat, and stare off wondering when will enough be enough.

More recently, I have confessed to the Lord that I needed Him to close that gap and help me to seek Him without distraction. What the Lord did in answer to that prayer, was bring forth a friend of my past whose adult journey parallels in so many ways my own. Her faith has been unwavering. She is a woman of God who has been used to reach out to me, fulfilling that desired hope in human kindness, with a Godly perspective.

The Lord has also helped me to see how often Satan feeds my mind with lies. I have been lost in thought, in everyday life, and in “time consumers” rather than focusing on what is most important. I have felt lost in my worship due to so many unspoken circumstances. For me, it was the bringing forth a new friend who shares a bond of sisterly encouragement. The Lord shared with me, the comfort in knowing that the woman leading our group has a common bond through a bible study that I have so missed. In learning this, my heart warmed and I felt a peace I have not felt in years. The Lord has heard my prayers and has not disappointed. It’s all been in His timing, not that of my own. Praise God for His mercies. Relying on him and trusting in him is all he wants from us. As difficult as it is sometimes, we find peace in the most unexpected ways. He brings forth iron to sharpen iron in the middle of the tea party. He keeps that cup that is tipping from falling off the edge and fills it to the brim with weight that is immeasurable, keeping it stable.

Friend, are you lost in the busyness of life that you have not sought out the One true love of your life? Have you given your time to Him so that He can fill you with springs of living water? Are you nourished so that you may grow? Have you prayed for the Lord to bring you closeness with Him? I encourage you to take all of your cares, lay them at his feet and pray not for him to send you a savior, as you already have one in Jesus Christ, yet to pray that you can see the blessing in every circumstance and that if you are unable to see the blessing before you at this very moment, that you will be given the eyes to see it when the Lord is ready to show you. How about putting away social media long enough to refocus our attention on the one true media outlet that can change out lives, bring us peace and give us grace to overcome all that is before us on a daily basis.

For two dear friends, I am reminded of these verses.

Romans 8:26-30 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercede for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

memories

The Heart Not The Shell

October 16, 2015 A Labour of Love Leave a comment

Bittersweet – adj. pleasant but tinged with sadness

I have heard this word close to a dozen times in the last few weeks. I guess you could say that it’s the word that fits the circumstances best. Pleasing to the mind that we have one less wasted expense, yet sad that something we hoped for as our future and enjoyed in our past is now being passed on.

We’ve sold three homes and now two cottages, the last of which was to one day be our retirement. It was the place we actually lived, without the hustle and bustle of everyday life, without phones and with minimal distractions. We shared our time with friends new and old, enjoyed nearly 10 years of Christmas memories, and submerged ourselves in the beauty of the northern woods. Hence the bitter…..

We rejoice in the plans that God holds before us, in the future we know not. We know that His plan is greater than ours and that He will provide for us a retirement filled with even greater blessings than a house made of wood. Ahhh…. the sweet…..

As the kids and I pulled off of the expressway two weeks ago to begin the packing and moving process, we each silently, without words, wept. We drove the 8 -10 miles with tears streaming down our faces…. up the driveway, knowing what was yet to come. When we first got there, we sat at the bottom of the driveway looking around at the cottage that silently waited our return, looking then to the leaves that have taken on their new look with brilliant colors of yellow, orange and red. A memory not soon forgotten.

We managed to pack enough up that what was left over was significant enough to attempt a rummage/garage sale. So, at 4 p.m. I went out to buy signs, put them out for the next day and we loaded up the garage. I was stunned to see that by the next day at 4 p.m. we had sold more at that sale than in any sale I’ve had in my 20 years of hosting them. We took the leftovers to Goodwill, filling an entire bin. In two days we had cleaned out and packed up the basement storage room, two bathrooms, all the linens, the basement living area, one entire bedroom, 85% of another bedroom, 2 closets and all of the decorations/wall hangings except those on the mantle. It took us one more day to finish two more bedrooms, one closet, and the garage. We also packed a trailer, my truck and at the end of the trip another car. There is still more to do, yet we are hoping that we will enjoy a little bit of our last week up there when we go up to close. Knowing how much we can accomplish in such a short time, we are thinking a week will provide the closure we need to this chapter in our lives. Prayerfully this time with fewer tears. 🙂

After we had packed up most of the house, we looked at the empty rooms and realized that it is just a shell… a beauty of a shell, yet still a shell. The heart of the house is in those who dwelt there and the memories that were made there.

Some of the memories this trip: Packing, rummage/garage sale on last minutes notice piggy backing on someone else’s advertisement without our knowledge, Elk farm where we saw the babies, taking senior pictures in the woods and in the beautiful leaves, leaf crafts …. we really like Pinterest! and all of the animals that came out to say goodbye!

Leaving, God blessed us with some amazing sights. We saw the doe who gave birth to triplets this year walking through the yard, the wild turkeys walking by the driveway and in the yard (too many to count…) we saw a beautiful orange fox with a huge fluffy tail and a bald eagle that soared over our heads. It was as if they were all saying goodbye to us as we left our native state.

Bittersweet…a word that made it’s debut in the early 1600’s to describe something pleasant yet sad.

The heart of the home!

memories, Why?

Traveling Memories Week 2

April 3, 2015 A Labour of Love 1 Comment

Riding one of the “child friendly” roller coasters with our son. Front seat wasn’t so bad as it was well tolerated. Yesterday I rode the Rockin Roller Coaster with the kids. You could say I had a brain lapse and got on the ride thinking “Oh there aren’t any drops it just goes fast.. I can handle this..” I knew that I was in trouble from the moment it went from zero to sixty… Yes, this is what this ride is all about. Okay, to stop any additional adrenaline rushes and cortisol waste, I closed my eyes and did Lamaze breathing. As my friend reminded me it was already dark in there. I told her I hadn’t noticed as my eyes were already closed. ha ha Hey, it worked and I walked off without any screams leaving these lips and I wasn’t spent from cortisol use.

Selfie with Cheshire.

Notice anything? The Hat is gone… Boo hoo!

Although we do like the new look it’s a little strange….

A little too close for comfort. Believe it or not he was actually under my chair.

To be my friend you have be able to take a joke or be the butt of one. So if you’re camping with me and you wake up with a red eye that lasts for 2 days you deserve to wear what I buy you. (Okay, I didn’t buy it, but I was ever so close and the kids almost made me… )

Yes this is the real carriage from the movie. And we got to hold the glass (plastic) slipper. Look at those two queens and their ladies in waiting. 🙂

memories

Traveling Memories

March 31, 2015 A Labour of Love 1 Comment

Visiting with an old friend who was a wonderful mentor walking through my early years as a Christian. Thankful for the afternoon spent in her new home in a new state.

Now, the two Mickey Mouse beds are enjoyed at home and since Disney is on the itinerary it was appropriate that the beds came with. Tell me what is wrong with this picture…. The basket was the “catch all” basket for papers, keys, etc. Hmmmm….. I’d say it caught more than expected! 🙂

We learned that when your car is old enough and the gear shift doesn’t shift properly all you need is a good old fashioned screw driver.

I have a beautiful picture of my great grandfather, whom I can still remember from my early childhood, playing the violin. The picture is of him fiddling while his sister plays the piano. My grandmother has always shared of her joy of hearing him fiddle. It has been a blessing that our daughter has picked up the love of the violin and has been fiddling for a few years now. With great joy and many tears, our daughter was able to share her passion with her great grandmother. It was a special moment to always be remembered. A generational passion that continues to play on…. 🙂

My grandmother is turning 90 this year and she doesn’t travel back to her home state nor up to our state to see us anymore. So knowing that she hasn’t heard the kiddos play their bagpipes and drums in a while, it was a must to bring them down and to play for her. Another moment or two… to be remembered.

Eating lunch out at our favorite eatery on the waterfront. Something grandma and I have done for many many years, every visit. Now the kids ask if we can eat there at least once when we visit. Who doesn’t love a good Ahi Tuna or Crab Lobster salad… Mmmmmm!

Mother daughter picture (yes a selfie) on the pier. Watching the dolphins chase the Jack fish toward the shore, watching the fisherman pull up their catch and just enjoying the beauty of the ocean and what it has to offer.

And to top off the visit with grandma was learning how to make plantains! Thank you Ken! I have tried and failed until you shared how it is done. We all thank you more than you know for the blessing of instruction in cooking this delightful treat. We have made them at least every two nights and are trying to figure out where to get more. 🙂

We thank grandma and Ken for their kindness and love during our visit. Memories made during a week of fun… We will never forget and we look forward to doing it again.

Two more weeks to report on coming up next…. 🙂 To be continued….