Just A Kid ~ To My Neighborhood Friend Wade ~ Remember When

Pine needles pricked my back, my face.
My hands were sticky from tree sap.
My toes tingled as I crouched down as far as I could.
I tried to steady my breathing so I could hear any approaching footsteps.
I blinked.
Darkness surrounded me.

Off in the distance I heard a faint warning.
"Ready or not, here I come!"

I smiled. He'd never find me.

Remember those days?
Summer nights under the stars,
we giggled and talked in loud whispers.
"No, not there. He'll find you!"
"Over here! Come on, hurry!"
"Shhhh."

I lived in a neighborhood filled with kids.
After we all had supper, we'd gather in my yard, or in the middle of the street (back then, there were only a few houses past where I lived, and the paved street ended at the last house, so hardly anyone drove down the street.)
We played kick the can, or hide-n-seek.
We'd start at dusk, then the street lights would go on.
There was something about playing at night under the street lights.
There was enough light to see, yet it was dark enough to imagine we were brave.
The nights were cool. It was great being a kid.
Not a care in the world.
Enjoying the moment.
Enjoying life.

The other night my husband and I watched "The Middle" on TV. The mom, Frankie Heck (Patricia Heaton) tried to encourage her family to enjoy the things she enjoyed as a girl - she ran through the sprinkler to show them how fun it could be. Of course, they didn't get it. They rolled their eyes.
But, she had fun.
That episode brought back memories.
I thought about that neighborhood, and all the fun we had.
It was a long time ago.
But,
she reminded me of me.

I decided a long time ago, I just wasn't going to grow up.
Ok, wait a minute.
I know I'm an adult and have been for a long time now.
I've been a responsible parent, and citizen.
I'm even Grandma age.
But!
No matter our age,
we can still have fun.
We can enjoy the little things.
Yes, that's what I'm talking about.

There is still a kid in all of us.
Do we ever let him/her out?

I hope so.

Early in the morning when Griz and I take a walk, I look at the brand new day as it approaches.
Sometimes the sun is a bright red ball that bounces up in the sky before my eyes.
I want to clap and and jump up and down like a child at my Father's ability to know how to make me smile.

Sometimes I watch birds with wide wingspans soar as the breeze carries them effortlessly, high above the trees.
It takes my breath away, and I ooh and aaah.

I love those times when I'm alone with my dog and my Father....He takes me by the hand and leads me, his child, and shows me things I may miss during a busy day.


I'm a child at heart.
You are too....or you can be.
Sing a song (I do that, too - listening to Pandora on my iphone...I just sing along. So, if you're out and about early in the morning and it looks like I'm talking to myself....I'm probably singing to the Beach Boys, some other oldies songs, or Keith Green.)

Have some fun today.


How about you let me know what brought a smile, a memory, a giggle to your day?

A Rainbow of Hope~My Short Story

Today was not the best of days.
In fact, the past few weeks have been difficult.
Nothing major, just things.
I've shut myself away at times just to be alone with God.
Still, the clouds seemed to hover over.
Situations that hurt, and left me feeling discouraged, kept me on my knees
You know how it is...
Sometimes the sun is there, but it's hidden behind clouds.


I had entered a short story in a contest, about a month ago.
I'd check my emails everyday to see if I was in the contest.
Nothing.
The end of the first cut and voting ends the first of October.
I figured I hadn't made it, but kept checking.

Today, I checked.
Nothing.
I went online to the contest, figuring I would look at the list, and read some of the stories others had sent in.
I scrolled down page one, and went to page two.
Fourth story down was "A Love Like Ours."
It sounded familiar.
It was my story!

It may have seemed small, but it was a big thing to me.
A rainbow.
A blessing.
It made my day.

This is just the beginning!
Now I need your votes to continue in the contest.
Please go to the following link, read my story, "A Love Like Ours," and cast your vote for it.
 http://www.familyfiction.com/short-stories/create-romance-2012/page-2/

God knows when we need a rainbow in our days.
I am grateful.

Thank you for your support!

Sometimes You Just Have To Run

 

 

Run Forrest! Run!

Life can be a bully. Throwing knock-out punches, hitting us left and right.
We can stand and take the hits for so long.
Forrest Gump did.
He stood, trying to shield himself from bullies calling him names, pelting him with rocks.
But, when Jenny yelled, "Run Forrest. Run!"
He did.
He ran till the braces fell off his legs, and he kept on running.


Situations can be so overwhelming
we don't know what to do,
and we want to run, and run, and run. 
Run and hide.
Run and get away from it all.
Run and make it all go away.

But, we know we can't.
Like Forrest, we feel crippled with the braces of defeat, loss, or discouragement.

What to do?

I say do it!
RUN!
Run as fast as you can.

I have.
Ok, sometimes I haven't run right away.
Like Forrest - I've stood there, and tried to shield myself from the shock of sudden attack.
Then,
I hear a  small still voice saying, "Run! Run!"

So I do.
I may hobble at first.
It may be painful, and hard not to focus on the bullies who are after me.
But, I keep on going.
Eventually, the braces fall off. 
The  tormenters plaguing me fade farther, and farther away.
I run...
right into my Father's arms.
Abba, Daddy.

He's always there, ready to catch me in His arms.
He holds me in His secure love.


Psalm 91:1 says, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High,
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
(2) I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God in whom I trust.
(4)...He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge,
his faithfulness will be your shield and buckler..."

Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest."
              
Psalm 50:10 says, "Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you..."

His Word is true.
                         
Abba Father. Almighty God.
He is enough.

Yes,
we can run to our Father anytime.
We will find rest, comfort, and peace beyond our understanding.
In His presence we will find strength, overcoming courage.

When the battle is on, it's ok to run and hide in him.
Go ahead.
Run.
Now.
Run into his arms.

 

9-11 We Said We'd Never Forget

Tuesday
September 11, 2001

We will never forget.

Today is
Tuesday
September 11.

I get goosebumps thinking about it.

Eleven years have passed since
the curtain of protection over our country was attacked.
Evil whipped it's destructive finger at us.
We were no longer secure in the United States.
Life as we knew it changed
forever.

Days following 9-11, when the air space was silent, I stood on our patio, looking up at Colorado's clear blue sky, a sight I usually enjoy.
That day it was eerie.
No planes, no jet stream.
Just a hush.

My thoughts:
Life will never be the same.
Never.
The innocence of living in safety are gone.
The world my children knew is gone.

A few months following 9-11 my daughter and I flew to Florida.
Security had changed immensely.
People wondered, weren't we afraid to fly?
No, but the events of September were fresh in our minds.
We weren't naive anymore.

That's it.
We aren't naive anymore.
None of us.

"We will never forget."
It's what we said.
"We won't back down."
"We will be strong."
"This evil will not threaten our nation, our world."
There was an urgency.
We needed to pray.
We needed the hope of a living God.

Here we are, eleven years later.
9-11 was significant to our future.
It's up to us...
We aren't naive.
We have a responsiblity.
There is still an urgency.

II Chronicles 7 :14 says, "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."

There is hope for our nation.
There is time.
It is now.
We said we'd never forget.
We've heard the saying
time heals all wounds.
... If the wounds are treated effectively.
If not, they are left to fester.
They can become infected and can end up worse than they were initially.
The wounds in our land can be healed.
There is a God who cares.
He loves us.
He knows the plans He has for us and for our children.
Plans for a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
But we can't slumber.
We can't sit back and wait

9-11-2012
I stop and remember all those who lost their lives, those who gave their lives to save others.
I think of those whose loved ones whose remains were never found.
Those who are now single parents, raising little children.
Those who were in relationships, just married. Those looking forward to their futures.
I stop and remember those who survived, and who see Ground Zero every day.

Lord, help us not to forget.
Help us not to be complacent or deceived into a sense of false security.
Help us remember our true security is in You.
Every humble heart, every heartfelt prayer that is spoken reaches the heart of God.

Let us not forget.

As we pray, may we be encouraged.
The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16).
Selah.

 

Believer Or Not - Revisiting My Words

A statement I made in my last blog has been bothering me. 

Transparency-here it goes.

 I said I was a new believer in the seventies which is interesting.  Sometimes terminology is lost in translation. I had a friend look at me with a blank look. "Glad you found what you were looking for." There was a pause. "But, we went to church together -I thought..."

Saying I was a new believer gave the implication I hadn’t believed prior to the seventies. I pondered my choice of words….
New believer? Hmmm…Ever since I can remember, I’ve believed in God – the God of the universe, the Almighty God. I’ve always believed in Jesus Christ, the Son of God who was crucified, died, and rose again on the third day. I’ve always prayed, and believed He answered.  He was there and loved me.

So, what happened in the seventies?

I believed. But, somehow something was missing... I wanted to be closer to God, wanted a closer relationship, somehow.  I was longing for something, I just didn’t know what or how to get it.
I went to church more, prayed more, even thought I’d become a nun (that didn’t work out.)

Then, one evening I went for a walk.

It was a dark and lonely night. I was troubled, was searching, and was wondering about the purpose of it all.
I walked through the church yard, and a priest happened to be on his way to the rectory. He stopped and talked to me, and as we visited I talked to him about my troubled heart, “So, I go to school, get a degree, get married, have a family, have a career…then what? What does it all mean? Where does God fit in all this?” I wondered.

He said, “Have you ever given your life to God?”

No. I’d never been asked that question. How do I do that?
He said, “It’s simple. When you go home just pray and give your life to God.”

So I did. I answered the altar call in my heart. I lay on my bed, and cried out to God with all my heart. I told Him to take my life and do with it what He would. At that moment, I had peace like I’d never had.  God’s presence filled the room, filled my heart, and has never left.

Believer, and Christian…a Christian is one who believes in Jesus Christ as Savior, Messiah. In Christian circles “believer” and Christian are used interchangeably. What was new wasn’t that I believed something different, but that I was new with His love and life in my heart. My understanding was new. My life with Jesus Christ as Lord of every part of my life, was new. Crying out to Him with my whole heart, giving Him full reign of my life, released Him to fill my life with His love.

When I went to the Jesus Rocky Mountain Music Festival, I was introduced to others who had the same desire. Keith Green touched on that spot in my heart.

Yes, I wanted to be more like Jesus. Yes, I wanted to be sold out to him.
Keith Green challenged my commitment to let God work in my life.
That night deepened my commitment.

In the Bible, Jeremish 29:13, it says, "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."

That, my friends, is the rest of the story.


Keith Green explains in his song, "Your Love Broke Through."

Tribute to Keith Green and How His Life Changed Mine

It was the seventies.

I was young and naive.

There were three days of concerts in the open air of the Rocky Mountains and I wanted to go. I didn’t really know much about the concerts. I just knew I wanted to be there.

I prayed. I figured if God wanted me to go, something would work out. I left it at that, and didn’t think any more about it, till the day got closer and it didn’t look like I’d be going.

But, the day the concerts were to begin my tax refund came in the mail. With that, I could go to the concerts.

I happened to run into some friends on their way to the concerts who said I could ride with them if I wanted. So, I packed a few things, grabbed my sleeping bag, pup tent, and hopped in the already packed van.

I was so excited. I loved music. There were a few names and groups I’d heard of who were going to be there, but I was a new believer – and didn’t know much about Christian music.

I knew heaven had to be like this Jesus Rocky Mountain event. Wonderful, contemporary Christian music, under a blue sky canopy by day, and a star covered night in the mountains – what could be better? Hundreds of people worshipping, listening to music with a message. It was a turning point in my Christian walk.

People like The Archers, a young girl just starting out named Amy Grant played her guitar in the rain. Reva (Dottie Rambo’s daughter), were a few who were there. They were all great. They shared and were a blessing.

 But, there was one young man who played the piano. While he sang there was a rainbow behind the stage, and to this day, I get goosebumps when I think about it. Keith Green sang and ministered with a heavenly backdrop, in a way that changed my life forever.

It’s hard to express the impact Keith Green had on my life. His music was a gift, but it was also heartfelt,  powerful, and rang with a timeless life message. He shared the Gospel with simplicity, and a heart hungry to serve.

When I ministered, I shared some of his songs. I followed his and his wife's ministry. They published Last Days Ministries Magazine with articles that challenged and encouraged believers in Christ to love, and live in Christ so others could see Him.

Then, July 28, 1982, he and two of his children - Josiah (three years old) and Bethany (two years old) along with nine others, were killed in a plane crash.
It was heartbreaking.

Today Keith Green’s ministry  continues with his wife Melody, who has gone through some tough times, and she continues to serve Jesus. Keith's music lives on, with the message that is alive and still changes lives. 

I've been thinking today.....

It's been thirty years - it seems like forever, and yet just like yesterday.

I'm going forward in life, but, funny as it seems, I feel like it's come full circle. I'm back in the place where prayer, repentance, and seeking His face is utmost. I'm not near perfect, but Jesus inside is. It's about Him.

I see that young girl I was, sitting on the ground in the Rocky Mountains with hundreds of others, her long hair whipping in the wind, looking up to the heavens, blessed beyond measure because of the reality of Almighty God listening to Keith Green sing,"O Lord You're Beautiful."

It may be thirty years later, but,  I'm still that girl - looking up to the heavens singing, "Oh Lord, You're Beautiful."

One day, Keith, we'll all sing and praise our Lord together in heaven, but till then, like you prayed in this song, my prayer continues to be, "Make My Life A  Prayer For You."

Second chance of a lifetime baby

I watched Nights in Rodanthe again.
I don't know why I do that to myself.
I end up crying every single time.
I know how it ends. I read the book. I've watched the movie. But, the tears come anyway.
Everytime is like the first time.

Why do I watch it? Is it because I can see myself with Richard Gere (sigh)?
Maybe it's Adrienne.
Yes.
I identify with her.
"When Jack left me, it wasn't just our marriage ending. It was the loss of all the hopes that I'd had for the future. I tried to move on, but the world didn't seem interested in me anymore. Then you came along and helped me believe in myself again."
I've been there.

So?
I was Adrienne once. My marriage had fallen apart. I was broken and lost. I didn't know who I was anymore. I had become a nonperson in a bad marriage.
Then,'Paul/Richard Gere' came into my life, and I started to live again. I began to believe in myself.
I learned to love again.

At one point in the movie Adrienne talks to her daughter and tells her how this new love is different from the love she had for the father of her children. "There is a different kind of love. A love that gives you courage to be better than you are, not less than you are. One that makes you feel that anything is possible. I want you to know you could have that. I want you to hold out for it."
At this point I am sobbing, because the love of her life has died.
But! Because of his love she has a new belief in herself that maybe she wouldn't have had, otherwise.


His son visits her and says, "You gave me my father back.You saved him." She answers, "We saved each other."
Certain people come into our lives at strategic times. They encourage us, and believe in us where maybe we've lost all confidence. They help us find ourselves again.

In a letter Paul writes to Adrienne he says,"I've been thinking of you constantly since I left, and wondering why the journey I'm on seemed to have led through you. I know my journey's not over yet, and that life is a winding path, but I can only hope it somehow circles back to the place I belong. That's how I think of it now. I belong to you."

I met my Paul/Richard Gere. He is my husband today. Our lives crossed on our journey through life. We stopped long enough to allow our paths to intersect. Two individual lives on totally separate paths, now sharing the journey.

How awesome is that - to get a second chance in life, at love? My nights are not in Rodanthe, on the shoreline. My nights are on the plains where the sun hits the horizon in wild hues of oranges and pinks. Where wheat glistens like gold, and little calves bawl and wobble beside their mommies.

Lives can change.
Love can happen.
Dreams can come true.

Here's to love that makes you feel anything is possible, and gives you the courage to be better than you are!

Happy Valentine's Day.