I am really loving reading Psalm 23 and learning more about it as I look out my window at the sheep pastures all around. There are rolling green hills behind our house where we can see dots of white across them, that are the sheep grazing. If I ever moved from here I think it would be Heaven before I saw something as beautiful as this ever again. (Sidenote: we can also see Lough Ree "Lock Ree", which is fed from the Shannon River.).
I am learning more about shepherding from my local farmer friends and also more about the Great Shepherd. One thing about moving sheep is that they like to stop and drink water our of dirty mud puddles that may have parasites or oil from cars. The job of the shepherd is to keep the flock moving to a place where they are safe and have a place of rest and good nourishment. A good shepherd will take them to a place with fresh water, lush pastures and hopefully no predators (local dogs or foxes). Left to themselves though the sheep would follow each other, getting lost, eating grass that may have poisons or poisonous to the sheep, and drinking dirty water that may have parasites or just junk in it that is not good for them.
It reminds me that left to myself I will do the same. I will settle for less than what my Shepherd intends for me. I will fail to know of what I truly have available to me because of my ignorance and shortsightedness. I will partake in things that look and seem nice but in the end are not good for me and lead to consequences and enslavement instead of the freedom I have within His protection and guidance. I will not be nourished and fed and will be thirsty.
Lord help me to follow You. You are the Great Shepherd. You're ways are higher than our ways (Psalm 119). Help me not to settle for less but to abide in You by staying close through the reading of your love letter to us (Bible), and walking with you daily. I leak and need water. I am not perfect and need You to fill me. I need "water" to fill me from a source that is clear and clean and never runs dry. Thank you Lord that You are that source and give freely to all who truly seek You alone and for your grace to us even in our sin. In Jesus name, Amen.
By the way, my dirty water has been discontentment, pride, coveting, and anger. And that is just this week! Whew! But thank the Lord that He is faithful to complete His work in those who are His. I need a lot of work but I am thankful it is God that does it, because it is too big for me.
PS pictured it our friend Frank that is so kind to let us come to his house in lambing season. We actually got to see a lamb born which is shown below. They are a blessing to know. Frank is Irish and Tina, his wife, is from Burlington, NC!
Note; pictures are not posting. Will try later.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Well now I understand....a little....Halloween started in Ireland
I originally posted the post below in 2008 before we moved here. I forgot this information so I re-read it. Since living here we have come to see the differences in how Halloween is celebrated in the US as compared to what we have seen here. Earlier the past couple weeks I overheard some friends talking about the neighborhood kids in Athlone walking around collecting items for the bonfires on Halloween. They use palettes, tires (sometimes donated, sometimes unwillfully donated) and whatever else that will burn. I wish I had my camera today. We came out of church and turned the corner. There was a tower of crates and tires at least 20 feet high. I wish I could see it tonight. I cannot even imagine! I wish I could have taken a picture to show you. The other night one of the girl at church was talking about a family next door that had small children. Some teens ahd gotten in the front and the back of the house and set off firecrackers ("bangers") and threw them through the slot in the door for the mail. So in light of those couple of things, the things below make a little sense. Mainly though it is a reason for teenagers to have a rowdy time and have a big bonfire. I have to say some of the "things" I've seen hanging on the windows and doors are very disturbing. I don't know what the word for them would be, things that look like dead body/spirits?
In Creech tradition we made our pumpkins. Griffin had a yoda pumpkin and Ruthie and Emily had Peter Pumpkins. I will post picture and tell you our Peter Pumpkin story in the next post.
Now for Halloween and it's Origin:
Griffin asked me about why we celebrate Halloween and dress up in costumes. I did not know the answer so I looked on the internet. The following information comes from http://www.wilstar.com/holidays/hallown.htm.
Halloween is an annual celebration, but just what is it actually a celebration of? And how did this peculiar custom originate? Is it, as some claim, a kind of demon worship? Or is it just a harmless vestige of some ancient pagan ritual?
The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic
day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year.
One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife. The Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living.
Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So on the night of October 31, villagers would extinguish the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of ghoulish costumes and noisily paraded around the neighborhood, being as destructive as possible in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess.
Probably a better explanation of why the Celts extinguished their fires was not to discourage spirit possession, but so that all the Celtic tribes could relight their fires from a common source, the Druidic fire that was kept burning in the Middle of Ireland, at Usinach.
Some accounts tell of how the Celts would burn someone at the stake who was thought to have already been possessed, as sort of a lesson to the spirits. Other accounts of Celtic history debunk these stories as myth.
The Romans adopted the Celtic practices as their own. But in the first century AD, Samhain was assimilated into celebrations of some of the other Roman traditions that took place in October, such as their day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple, which might explain the origin of our modern tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween.
The thrust of the practices also changed over time to become more ritualized. As belief in spirit possession waned, the practice of dressing up like hobgoblins, ghosts, and witches took on a more ceremonial role.
The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants fleeing their country's potato famine.
In Creech tradition we made our pumpkins. Griffin had a yoda pumpkin and Ruthie and Emily had Peter Pumpkins. I will post picture and tell you our Peter Pumpkin story in the next post.
Now for Halloween and it's Origin:
Griffin asked me about why we celebrate Halloween and dress up in costumes. I did not know the answer so I looked on the internet. The following information comes from http://www.wilstar.com/holidays/hallown.htm.
Halloween is an annual celebration, but just what is it actually a celebration of? And how did this peculiar custom originate? Is it, as some claim, a kind of demon worship? Or is it just a harmless vestige of some ancient pagan ritual?
The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic
day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year.
One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife. The Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living.
Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So on the night of October 31, villagers would extinguish the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of ghoulish costumes and noisily paraded around the neighborhood, being as destructive as possible in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess.
Probably a better explanation of why the Celts extinguished their fires was not to discourage spirit possession, but so that all the Celtic tribes could relight their fires from a common source, the Druidic fire that was kept burning in the Middle of Ireland, at Usinach.
Some accounts tell of how the Celts would burn someone at the stake who was thought to have already been possessed, as sort of a lesson to the spirits. Other accounts of Celtic history debunk these stories as myth.
The Romans adopted the Celtic practices as their own. But in the first century AD, Samhain was assimilated into celebrations of some of the other Roman traditions that took place in October, such as their day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple, which might explain the origin of our modern tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween.
The thrust of the practices also changed over time to become more ritualized. As belief in spirit possession waned, the practice of dressing up like hobgoblins, ghosts, and witches took on a more ceremonial role.
The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants fleeing their country's potato famine.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Happiness does not equal joy
Happiness is a temporary emotion based on circumstances. Joy is something deep within yourself that remains regardless of your circumstances.
When I moved here 2 years ago, I found out I was pregnant. Talk about stress!...culture shock, 2 kids, 5 previous miscarriages, and hormone shots.
I realized I was walking around the house with so much on my mind I was not talking, and I had a scowl on my face. I could not even smile unless it was forced. My prayer was “God give me joy when the circumstances around me are not good. When things are not going my way, when I can’t even smile at my kids.”
What is joy? It is a quiet confidence that allows you to rest in the midst of a storm raging around you. What are storms we face? Losing a child, paying bills, putting food on the table, being a single mom, or being married but feeling like a single mom, or a s simple as getting out the door and have a child having to change a nappy when you are already late. So where does that confidence and quietness or stillness of soul come from when you are in the midst of a storm. The Bible says that joy comes from God (Galatians 5) It comes from knowing the One in control of the circumstances and trusting Him because I know He loves me.
This is not a mindless, fluffy, feel good trust. Rather it is a fleshed out, sitting on the bathroom floor wrestling with God why did you let my baby die trust that God taught me through love, the reading and learning of His Word, the Bible which is His love letters to us, and just time and experience. I know that storms will come and go, but I know where my foundation is, and that He is unchangeable and trustworthy and loving.
Extra notes:
Happiness can be influenced by mood, music, good or bad news, etc
Galatians 5:22-23 Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit.
Joy is based on unchanging, divine promises and eternal spiritual realities. It is the sense of well being experienced by one who knows all is well between himself and the Lord (1 Peter 1:8). Joy is not the result of favorable circumstances, and even occurs when those circumstances are the most painful and severe (John 16:20-22) Joy is a gift from God, and as such, believers are not to manufacture it but to delight in the blessing they already possess (Romans 14:17, Phillipians 4:4). (MacArthur Study Bible)
Fruits of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23
Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness and Self-Control
When I moved here 2 years ago, I found out I was pregnant. Talk about stress!...culture shock, 2 kids, 5 previous miscarriages, and hormone shots.
I realized I was walking around the house with so much on my mind I was not talking, and I had a scowl on my face. I could not even smile unless it was forced. My prayer was “God give me joy when the circumstances around me are not good. When things are not going my way, when I can’t even smile at my kids.”
What is joy? It is a quiet confidence that allows you to rest in the midst of a storm raging around you. What are storms we face? Losing a child, paying bills, putting food on the table, being a single mom, or being married but feeling like a single mom, or a s simple as getting out the door and have a child having to change a nappy when you are already late. So where does that confidence and quietness or stillness of soul come from when you are in the midst of a storm. The Bible says that joy comes from God (Galatians 5) It comes from knowing the One in control of the circumstances and trusting Him because I know He loves me.
This is not a mindless, fluffy, feel good trust. Rather it is a fleshed out, sitting on the bathroom floor wrestling with God why did you let my baby die trust that God taught me through love, the reading and learning of His Word, the Bible which is His love letters to us, and just time and experience. I know that storms will come and go, but I know where my foundation is, and that He is unchangeable and trustworthy and loving.
Extra notes:
Happiness can be influenced by mood, music, good or bad news, etc
Galatians 5:22-23 Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit.
Joy is based on unchanging, divine promises and eternal spiritual realities. It is the sense of well being experienced by one who knows all is well between himself and the Lord (1 Peter 1:8). Joy is not the result of favorable circumstances, and even occurs when those circumstances are the most painful and severe (John 16:20-22) Joy is a gift from God, and as such, believers are not to manufacture it but to delight in the blessing they already possess (Romans 14:17, Phillipians 4:4). (MacArthur Study Bible)
Fruits of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23
Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness and Self-Control
Monday, October 4, 2010
Need help with creativity
Mom and Tot theme this week Joy (specific: Bubbling Joy-yes we will do bubble art. Story-The wise man..house on rock). Question: mom talk topic is Being a mom thru the storms of life. How to find joy in the midst of them. A little help here?
I have an idea but want to hear yours.
I have an idea but want to hear yours.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Inishowen-a time to unwind
We are currently taking some time away as a family. I am so excited to have this time together. I don't think we have ever ran so fast and so hard as a family, individually and together! We really need this time away together. I will be posting blogs on our time together just so I can remember the details, and will add pictures later when we get home. We are staying at a friends house in Buncrana. It is where we stayed when we first came to Ireland in 2005, when I told Ludie I would never live here. My how things change!
Today we went to Malin Head. It is the most northern part of the Republic of Ireland. It is actually farther north than Northern Ireland. We walked out towards the cliffs that go down into the Atlantic Ocean. We were the furthest of anyone out towards the ocean so we got to play, "I am the person furthest north in Ireland". It was a surreal moment to take our kids where we had visited when we first came here (when we only had one child, and now we have three, one of whom was born in Ireland!). We also got to drive through the countryside with mountains on each side and sheep in the middle of the road. My favorite sight through the mountains was the wild heather growing everywhere! When we came to Ireland I was so disappointed that there was not wild heather growing everywhere as I imagined it, and instead there was yellow gorse! Since then I have come to love the smell and color of gorse (thanks to my friend Tina), and almost two years later, have found my countryside laden with purple heather.
The best part of the day however was finding a deserted beach where we had a wonderful picnic and then went on a walk. Ludie, Griffin and Emily went to walk around the edge of the water where the tide had gone out. They were trying to walk to the other side of the shore on the inlet where we had stopped. Ruthie and I decided to walk towards the Atlantic Ocean. Our feet were read and turning numb from the cold water, but to see the joy Ruthie had in splashing in the water was priceless. We found the coolest rocks. The ocean here is so different from the SE USA! The water is so blue! The water is clear in the shallow parts. The rocks in this part of Ireland are black (which explains all the black tombstones in the cemeteries). There are more rocks instead of shells and all the small rocks on the shore are all different sorts of colors but all beautiful and rounded by the water. The huge rocks go up above your head and jut up into the sky. The seaweed is attached to some of them and there are huge pools of water where the tide has come out.
It turns out where we had our pic nic was in the bay that leads up to Malin Head. We did not know we were so close. We were on the Donagh Isle part that on the other side of the bay is Malin and Five Finger Strand Beach. Here you can view Doagh Isle where we were. To view Malin Head click on: Malin Head
On the way home we stopped to see St. Patrick's Cross/Donagh Cross. It is from the 7th century and is one of the oldest Christian crosses outside mainland Europe. You can see it and learn more at: Donagh Cross.
By the way: I love living in Ireland. About the never living here, I could not imagine not living here. I do miss my family, my best friend, Jenny and Chick-fil-A however, but I know I would be missing out tremendously if I lived outside of God's will for our lives, which is currently in Ireland. ...and would miss out on beautiful blessings such as this! I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!
I am so glad to be getting away, as this last Christmas, the kids were sick so that did not really seem like time off. Then we were blessed to go to the US in March but that was 10 speaking engagements in 14 days so now is the real family time.
Today we went to Malin Head. It is the most northern part of the Republic of Ireland. It is actually farther north than Northern Ireland. We walked out towards the cliffs that go down into the Atlantic Ocean. We were the furthest of anyone out towards the ocean so we got to play, "I am the person furthest north in Ireland". It was a surreal moment to take our kids where we had visited when we first came here (when we only had one child, and now we have three, one of whom was born in Ireland!). We also got to drive through the countryside with mountains on each side and sheep in the middle of the road. My favorite sight through the mountains was the wild heather growing everywhere! When we came to Ireland I was so disappointed that there was not wild heather growing everywhere as I imagined it, and instead there was yellow gorse! Since then I have come to love the smell and color of gorse (thanks to my friend Tina), and almost two years later, have found my countryside laden with purple heather.
The best part of the day however was finding a deserted beach where we had a wonderful picnic and then went on a walk. Ludie, Griffin and Emily went to walk around the edge of the water where the tide had gone out. They were trying to walk to the other side of the shore on the inlet where we had stopped. Ruthie and I decided to walk towards the Atlantic Ocean. Our feet were read and turning numb from the cold water, but to see the joy Ruthie had in splashing in the water was priceless. We found the coolest rocks. The ocean here is so different from the SE USA! The water is so blue! The water is clear in the shallow parts. The rocks in this part of Ireland are black (which explains all the black tombstones in the cemeteries). There are more rocks instead of shells and all the small rocks on the shore are all different sorts of colors but all beautiful and rounded by the water. The huge rocks go up above your head and jut up into the sky. The seaweed is attached to some of them and there are huge pools of water where the tide has come out.
It turns out where we had our pic nic was in the bay that leads up to Malin Head. We did not know we were so close. We were on the Donagh Isle part that on the other side of the bay is Malin and Five Finger Strand Beach. Here you can view Doagh Isle where we were. To view Malin Head click on: Malin Head
On the way home we stopped to see St. Patrick's Cross/Donagh Cross. It is from the 7th century and is one of the oldest Christian crosses outside mainland Europe. You can see it and learn more at: Donagh Cross.
By the way: I love living in Ireland. About the never living here, I could not imagine not living here. I do miss my family, my best friend, Jenny and Chick-fil-A however, but I know I would be missing out tremendously if I lived outside of God's will for our lives, which is currently in Ireland. ...and would miss out on beautiful blessings such as this! I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds!
I am so glad to be getting away, as this last Christmas, the kids were sick so that did not really seem like time off. Then we were blessed to go to the US in March but that was 10 speaking engagements in 14 days so now is the real family time.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Check it out
I posted 2 posts today. So don't miss the Big Red Bus Wishlist post. The mudpie is a little long and takes up a lot of space.
The rest of the dirt....mudpies
The making of mudpies: What is our motivation for the things we do? There are so many things we do that look great in people’s eyes, but God knows the motivation of our hearts. We can be the leader in church, we can be helping the poor, we can even be evangelizing the lost. But really, all they are, are still mud pies. Sure we look great in other’s eyes but unless we are doing it out of love for God, it is just yet, a mud pie. I think one of my biggest struggles is examining my heart to see if I am doing activities, making choices, etc for the right reason. “Am I doing this so the pastor will see me and recognize what a model Christian I am? …So God can be pleased with me? …So that if I straighten up my life, He will see that my heart is in the right place and He will grant me the desires of my heart, because after all, getting pregnant could not be against His will could it? If I jump through this hoop, maybe I can gain His approval….maybe He will see to it that we don’t have another miscarriage.” Where is your heart? What are the motivations for your work? We cannot make Him love us any more, or any less by anything we do.
Isaiah 64:6 “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags”. (NIV)
Living life intentionally: In the end, a mud pie is a mud pie. Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.” We were made from dust and to dust we will return (physically)-just like a mud pie. To number our days, to realize that we have an end and we don’t know how far or soon it will be, makes us live life more intentionally. I’d stop putting off sharing Jesus with my cousin. I’d not lose my patience when my child that seemed potty trained last week uses the bathroom on the floor for the fifth time in a day. I would not get so bent out of shape about….you fill in the blank. I would snuggle more with my children instead of rushing off for “my time” or to clean the house.
Second, third, fourth chances: If you mess the mud pie up, just add some water and do it again. The great thing about God is when we fail the test, we get to take it over again. We even get to take it multiple times and in different variations until we get it right. God is more concerned about our heart than our comfort. He makes our ways complete. He is sanctifying us and working in us to bring His good work in us to completion. We won’t get it right or perfect but thank God he loves us enough not to leave us alone.
James 1: 2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (NIV)
Comparing Mud pies: It may just be a mud pie but it sure looks a whole lot better than her mud pie. The truth is, again, a mud pie is a mud pie. They all look the same to God. If we compare ourselves to others, of course we will look better than others. You can always find someone that is “worse” than you. However, it is not other’s standards that count, or even ours. It is God’s standard. To understand this now, and compare your mud pie, take the “good person quiz”. You know we all love those quizzes in magazines, go ahead, take this test. See if your mud pie is good enough to get you into heaven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6t0s7fpg1M. This only takes 6 ½ minutes.
God has you right where you are supposed to be: Mud pies are mud pies no matter where you are. They look different because of the dirt/content, but they are still mud pies. Only difference is location. People tend to put us on a pedestal because we left our “comforts” of what we were accustomed to in order to move to a foreign land we knew very little about to serve God. Well, let me tell you, my dirt is no different from your dirt except in location. Dirt is dirt. God has us all right where He wants us. God may have you changing diapers and wiping snotty noses and rock babies to sleep telling them how much God loves them. God may have you . working a 9 to 5 job and has you near a person that needs to know how much He loves them. God may have you living in the dessert risking your life to share His love, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God may have you in a place where you can learn and grow so He can prepare you for what He has next for you. Is my mud pie different from yours, well yes in aspects, we are all different. But is it any more special because of location or perceived sacrifice, no. God has you where He does to use you and prepare you for what He has planned for you if you are a follower of Jesus Christ and are obedient to Him through His word, the Bible.
Are you still making the same type of mud pie or have you moved on to making real pies? Are you growing? Is your life producing fruit or are you like a mud pie that has been left in the sun, unchanged, un-pliable for shaping? Or are you just a variation of what you were when you became a Christian but with no real substance. Hebrews 5:12 “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” (NIV). Are you growing or are you still pretending. Are you in the Word, or are you riding on the coat tails of what God told you a week ago, month ago, years ago. You don’t continue to give your children a bottle of milk; you give them solid food as they grow. They need a “meatier” diet, one with more substance. Evaluate your life, where are you? Are you growing or are you still making mud pies.
Well right now is my favorite time of year in Ireland. It is blackberry season. You can go on the side of the road anywhere and pick all the blackberries you want until your heart is content. I loved making mud pies as a kid, but now I am enjoying making blackberry pies. May God grow you into a great “pie maker”. Examine your heart, and make sure it is where God can grow you: surrendered, willing, humble, and obedient. Now go make some pies.
Isaiah 64:6 “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags”. (NIV)
Living life intentionally: In the end, a mud pie is a mud pie. Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.” We were made from dust and to dust we will return (physically)-just like a mud pie. To number our days, to realize that we have an end and we don’t know how far or soon it will be, makes us live life more intentionally. I’d stop putting off sharing Jesus with my cousin. I’d not lose my patience when my child that seemed potty trained last week uses the bathroom on the floor for the fifth time in a day. I would not get so bent out of shape about….you fill in the blank. I would snuggle more with my children instead of rushing off for “my time” or to clean the house.
Second, third, fourth chances: If you mess the mud pie up, just add some water and do it again. The great thing about God is when we fail the test, we get to take it over again. We even get to take it multiple times and in different variations until we get it right. God is more concerned about our heart than our comfort. He makes our ways complete. He is sanctifying us and working in us to bring His good work in us to completion. We won’t get it right or perfect but thank God he loves us enough not to leave us alone.
James 1: 2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (NIV)
Comparing Mud pies: It may just be a mud pie but it sure looks a whole lot better than her mud pie. The truth is, again, a mud pie is a mud pie. They all look the same to God. If we compare ourselves to others, of course we will look better than others. You can always find someone that is “worse” than you. However, it is not other’s standards that count, or even ours. It is God’s standard. To understand this now, and compare your mud pie, take the “good person quiz”. You know we all love those quizzes in magazines, go ahead, take this test. See if your mud pie is good enough to get you into heaven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6t0s7fpg1M. This only takes 6 ½ minutes.
God has you right where you are supposed to be: Mud pies are mud pies no matter where you are. They look different because of the dirt/content, but they are still mud pies. Only difference is location. People tend to put us on a pedestal because we left our “comforts” of what we were accustomed to in order to move to a foreign land we knew very little about to serve God. Well, let me tell you, my dirt is no different from your dirt except in location. Dirt is dirt. God has us all right where He wants us. God may have you changing diapers and wiping snotty noses and rock babies to sleep telling them how much God loves them. God may have you . working a 9 to 5 job and has you near a person that needs to know how much He loves them. God may have you living in the dessert risking your life to share His love, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God may have you in a place where you can learn and grow so He can prepare you for what He has next for you. Is my mud pie different from yours, well yes in aspects, we are all different. But is it any more special because of location or perceived sacrifice, no. God has you where He does to use you and prepare you for what He has planned for you if you are a follower of Jesus Christ and are obedient to Him through His word, the Bible.
Are you still making the same type of mud pie or have you moved on to making real pies? Are you growing? Is your life producing fruit or are you like a mud pie that has been left in the sun, unchanged, un-pliable for shaping? Or are you just a variation of what you were when you became a Christian but with no real substance. Hebrews 5:12 “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” (NIV). Are you growing or are you still pretending. Are you in the Word, or are you riding on the coat tails of what God told you a week ago, month ago, years ago. You don’t continue to give your children a bottle of milk; you give them solid food as they grow. They need a “meatier” diet, one with more substance. Evaluate your life, where are you? Are you growing or are you still making mud pies.
Well right now is my favorite time of year in Ireland. It is blackberry season. You can go on the side of the road anywhere and pick all the blackberries you want until your heart is content. I loved making mud pies as a kid, but now I am enjoying making blackberry pies. May God grow you into a great “pie maker”. Examine your heart, and make sure it is where God can grow you: surrendered, willing, humble, and obedient. Now go make some pies.
Big Red Bus Wishlist
Bus and kids material resource list:
Craft supplies:
Construction paper (assorted color)
Foam shapes with self stick back is always good to us.
Stickers (animals, stars, smiley face, bible verses)
Multi-Color Beads
Pipe cleaners
Crayons
Markers (washable)
Usually people get things for us from http://www.orientaltrading.com/ (just to give an idea)
Something that we really need is to replace our giant parachute (240" Diameter) ours is coming apart!! :-( And a book on parachute games would be helpful as well! We need new ideas! (same web site)
Pre-recorded puppet scripts, in CD format, would benefit us as well.
http://puppetsinc.com/prodspageeng.html
Kids songs DVDs (suggestion: Shout Praises Kids collection from Integrity Kids)
Youth songs DVDs (suggestion: WOW series)
Table games for youth ministry
Craft supplies:
Construction paper (assorted color)
Foam shapes with self stick back is always good to us.
Stickers (animals, stars, smiley face, bible verses)
Multi-Color Beads
Pipe cleaners
Crayons
Markers (washable)
Usually people get things for us from http://www.orientaltrading.com/ (just to give an idea)
Something that we really need is to replace our giant parachute (240" Diameter) ours is coming apart!! :-( And a book on parachute games would be helpful as well! We need new ideas! (same web site)
Pre-recorded puppet scripts, in CD format, would benefit us as well.
http://puppetsinc.com/prodspageeng.html
Kids songs DVDs (suggestion: Shout Praises Kids collection from Integrity Kids)
Youth songs DVDs (suggestion: WOW series)
Table games for youth ministry
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Mud Pies-Part 2: Inadequacy
Inadequacy-It doesn’t matter how much work I put into a mud pie, in the end, it is just a mud pie. Life is too much. There are too many needs to be met: overwhelming numbers of prayer requests, things to keep up with, ministry needs and so few workers, demands of marriage, kids, church needs, people needs, the list can go on and on. In the end, all I can make is a mud pie, which usually ends up in a mess of things. That is what keeps me reliant on my Creator, and humble. The only way anything good can come of what I do is because of God and His work in and through me.
Log in tomorrow and see how "my mud pie is better than hers".
Log in tomorrow and see how "my mud pie is better than hers".
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Mud Pies and My Obsession with Them
I am obsessed lately with mud pies. I feel like Bubba on Forest Gump talking about shrimp, but for me it is mud pies. This theme of mud pies keeps popping up in my mind. I loved making mud pies when I was little. I could not wait to go dig in the dirt and get my tiny pans out and put mud in them and wait until the afternoon or next day, depending on the weather for them to cook in the sun and dry. There are so many things that God has been teaching me but for some reason I just cannot get mud pies out of my head. They relate to my life in so many ways.
The first thought about mud pies: Mud pies can symbolize our creativity and the blessing of fun on earth that God gives us. It is simply fun to get dirty-well for some of us. It is beneficial to let go and create, mold and make. It is fun to put everything else aside and work on a mud pie or as adults we would call it a project.
The second thing:
Life is like making mud pies because we were not ready for the real thing: it is a time in our lives for God’s preparation of us. (did that make sense-well read on, maybe I can explain myself). When I was little I made mud pies because I was not allowed to make real pies by myself. I was too little to use the oven, and although I knew what basic ingredients went into making a pie or cake, I did not know yet what order to put the ingredients in or how much of each ingredient to use. There was wisdom in my mom not letting me make a pie by myself at that stage of life-I would have burnt the house down. There are times in our lives that we have to sit and grow and learn a bit before we can be allowed to “play with the real stuff”-do what we feel God has placed on our hearts to do. We may be at a stage where it is time to grow so that we can be equipped to “make the real thing” when God calls us to do it.
Another analogy would be a ship sitting in the harbor. You would not think of boarding a ship that is not sea worthy or stocked for a long journey. When you are ready for your journey, you will be thankful for the preparations that were made for the journey. The journey would not be successful without them.
I see things that God has used years before we this point in my life as a preparation for what I would need on this journey. If God had not brought me through certain trials, or fed me in certain areas, or shown me my sin in areas of my life, then I would have packed up and gone home long ago. I also would not have been able to speak into other’s lives in the certain situations, had it not been for God’s preparation. (And those certain people wouldn’t have listened to me either) Life is real and life is hard, ….and life can be full of blessings. We need to take advantage of the opportunities He provides for us to prepare us.
Philippians 1:6 “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
To find out how mud pies relates to inadequacy, log on tomorrow.
The first thought about mud pies: Mud pies can symbolize our creativity and the blessing of fun on earth that God gives us. It is simply fun to get dirty-well for some of us. It is beneficial to let go and create, mold and make. It is fun to put everything else aside and work on a mud pie or as adults we would call it a project.
The second thing:
Life is like making mud pies because we were not ready for the real thing: it is a time in our lives for God’s preparation of us. (did that make sense-well read on, maybe I can explain myself). When I was little I made mud pies because I was not allowed to make real pies by myself. I was too little to use the oven, and although I knew what basic ingredients went into making a pie or cake, I did not know yet what order to put the ingredients in or how much of each ingredient to use. There was wisdom in my mom not letting me make a pie by myself at that stage of life-I would have burnt the house down. There are times in our lives that we have to sit and grow and learn a bit before we can be allowed to “play with the real stuff”-do what we feel God has placed on our hearts to do. We may be at a stage where it is time to grow so that we can be equipped to “make the real thing” when God calls us to do it.
Another analogy would be a ship sitting in the harbor. You would not think of boarding a ship that is not sea worthy or stocked for a long journey. When you are ready for your journey, you will be thankful for the preparations that were made for the journey. The journey would not be successful without them.
I see things that God has used years before we this point in my life as a preparation for what I would need on this journey. If God had not brought me through certain trials, or fed me in certain areas, or shown me my sin in areas of my life, then I would have packed up and gone home long ago. I also would not have been able to speak into other’s lives in the certain situations, had it not been for God’s preparation. (And those certain people wouldn’t have listened to me either) Life is real and life is hard, ….and life can be full of blessings. We need to take advantage of the opportunities He provides for us to prepare us.
Philippians 1:6 “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
To find out how mud pies relates to inadequacy, log on tomorrow.
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Butcher, The Baker and The Candlestick Maker
Well I don't have a picture for this post. Sorry.
There are things that I just love about living in Ireland and one of them is the fresh local produce and ...the butchers. When we came here when Ruthie was 3 months old to visit where we would be living, we stopped at a local butchers to ask for directions. He stopped and talked with us about the area, what things there were to do here with the kids, etc. His name was Tom and we have never forgotten him. Well, for our anniversary we decided to have a nice dinner in. Ruthie is now 2 1/2. That tells you how much of an impact that one conversation had.
Anyway, Ludie went to see Tom and buy some steaks. They were wonderful. Definitely fresh! You could tell this by the taste. Then we hosted the Immersion Team Farewell Party and went to see Tom again and just got prices and quality you could not match in a store. So now, we get all our meat through Tom at Madden Meats (just in case you are in Roscommon and reading this, you will know where to go).
Today we (the kids and I) prepared for our first visit to the butcher! Even Ruthie was excited to take a nap because she knew that when she woke up, we were going to see Tom the butcher. (She has no idea who he is or what a butcher is but it is exciting none the less). And so, today, for the very first time in my life I bought meat at the butcher's.
I made cajun hamburgers for supper (and might I say they were "lovely"). :)
The thing I am most excited about is that I found a mock recipe for Jimmie Dean sausage. I MISS patty sausage and cannot wait to eat it-if the recipe works out. Now I love many things about Ireland but I have to say the sausage here is, well, not good. It is linked sausage with no herbs or flavorings that I can tell. You know what is so cool, is that Tom said that when I get the recipe the way I want it, to give it to him and he will prepare it for me. Oh, how exciting. I know...I am just too excited about this but I just think it is the little things in life that make life fun. So today, I am excited about the ability to continue my love affair with pork.
To just give you an idea of how much I love patty sausage I spent an hour trying to read and find a loop hole in getting sausage sent over from the US, and even emailing Bass Farm to see if they could ship sausage over (it cannot be imported here from the US), so if we can't get it.....we will make it. (I hope it works).
There are things that I just love about living in Ireland and one of them is the fresh local produce and ...the butchers. When we came here when Ruthie was 3 months old to visit where we would be living, we stopped at a local butchers to ask for directions. He stopped and talked with us about the area, what things there were to do here with the kids, etc. His name was Tom and we have never forgotten him. Well, for our anniversary we decided to have a nice dinner in. Ruthie is now 2 1/2. That tells you how much of an impact that one conversation had.
Anyway, Ludie went to see Tom and buy some steaks. They were wonderful. Definitely fresh! You could tell this by the taste. Then we hosted the Immersion Team Farewell Party and went to see Tom again and just got prices and quality you could not match in a store. So now, we get all our meat through Tom at Madden Meats (just in case you are in Roscommon and reading this, you will know where to go).
Today we (the kids and I) prepared for our first visit to the butcher! Even Ruthie was excited to take a nap because she knew that when she woke up, we were going to see Tom the butcher. (She has no idea who he is or what a butcher is but it is exciting none the less). And so, today, for the very first time in my life I bought meat at the butcher's.
I made cajun hamburgers for supper (and might I say they were "lovely"). :)
The thing I am most excited about is that I found a mock recipe for Jimmie Dean sausage. I MISS patty sausage and cannot wait to eat it-if the recipe works out. Now I love many things about Ireland but I have to say the sausage here is, well, not good. It is linked sausage with no herbs or flavorings that I can tell. You know what is so cool, is that Tom said that when I get the recipe the way I want it, to give it to him and he will prepare it for me. Oh, how exciting. I know...I am just too excited about this but I just think it is the little things in life that make life fun. So today, I am excited about the ability to continue my love affair with pork.
To just give you an idea of how much I love patty sausage I spent an hour trying to read and find a loop hole in getting sausage sent over from the US, and even emailing Bass Farm to see if they could ship sausage over (it cannot be imported here from the US), so if we can't get it.....we will make it. (I hope it works).
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Picture update
Well a lot has gone on the past two weeks. Impact Ireland finished today! People from all over the world came to Ireland for OM Ireland's biggest annual outreach. (you will see a picture of Whitney with the boxes of tracts that went out all over Ireland!), We celebrated the 4th of July with a people from all over the world (here you see Colm from Ireland and Ernie from S. Africa). We are still amazed by the sun not setting until after 10pm (when this picture was taken). My sister and her family came to visit (we took a Viking boat tour on the Shannon River).
Picture update
Well a lot has gone on the past two weeks. Impact Ireland finished today! People from all over the world came to Ireland for OM Ireland's biggest annual outreach. (you will see a picture of Whitney with the boxes of tracts that went out all over Ireland!), We celebrated the 4th of July with a people from all over the world (here you see Colm from Ireland and Ernie from S. Africa). We are still amazed by the sun not setting until after 10pm (when this picture was taken). My sister and her family came to visit (we took a Viking boat tour on the Shannon River).
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Automated On-line Giving
Hey ya'll! Lots of people have asked me if they can get a reminder for their monthly support of the work in Ireland in supporting us through Operation Mobilization. Well now things just got easy. You can click on the online giving link on the right and have automated monthly giving if you so chose. Thank you for all your prayers and support helping us be obedient to God's call on our lives. (This picture is the First OM Ireland Immersion Team doing what they do best (eating....rrrr...I mean fellowship). :)
Monday, June 14, 2010
30 things you may not know about me
I read another blog that had a list like this and got to thinking do I have 30 things? hmmmm....
1. I click when I sleep (my husband says it sounds like a ping pong match)
2. I love animals but hate that they shed
3. I love candlelight. I love to get up early in the morning and do my devotions iwth a cup of coffee or tea and candlelight.
4. I like who I am when no one is around. I don't like myself when others are around-brings out my impatience and lack of self control.
5. At 11 pm something comes over me and I have no control over the amount of chocolate I eat.
6. I love the sound of water (rain, streams, bathtub).
7. I love to read cookbooks
8. I usually have 5 books I am reading at a time-slowly.
9. I love fiction books but think they are a waste of time considering our limited time on earth so I read the Bible or other Christian/Bible based books.
10. With the above statement about a waste of time....I am addicted to reading blogs. Well, not addicted but enjoy reading them (about once a month, it fuels my creativity).
11. My favorite blogs are Jenny Hodges, Mary Koester and Rebekah Gregg.
12. I love quick result craft projects.
13. I love paper: stationary, colored paper, etc.
14. My favorite website is Family Fun
15. Wish I were less uptight
16. Wish I could let the house get messy
17. I love going on walks
18. I love picking fruit and vegetables and cooking with them
19. I'd love to own an RV
20. I would love to just get into a fight someday to see what I was really made of (I'm sure I'd walk away crying after the first punch-I can dish it but can't take it)
21. I start day dreaming if you talk for more than 2 minutes.
22. I hate to talk on the phone, unless your name is Jenny Bagby
23. I cannot end a sentence. "...soooooo........"
24. I don't like being the new person
25. I play the piano but would love to play the drums
26. I have a 2nd soprano voice but can only sing melody so I screech at most songs.
27. I love hip hop old school "It takes two to make a thing go right..."
28. I love beach music and love to dance (NC term "shag" not European term in this sense). I also love Tony Bennett and Harry Connick, Jr., Brad Paisley and Tim McGraw.
29. I love to swim but don't do it much because I hate to fix my hair and also I hate how cold I get when I get out of the pool
30. I love to explore new places I've never been
I don't have my contacts in so I will spell check later.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Glory!
Can I just say OH MY GOODNESS! It has been 4 months since I posted! Well my goal is once a week. There is so much. Highlights:
February-moved into a new house
March-Back to USA for 2 weeks! How great! and FCA golf camp
April-Immersion Team Spring Break-Immersion parents visit, host them and take them around.Griffin starts swim lessons and tin whistle lessons. Enjoying Scouts. Some trouble with kids with Griffin. Sweet Sarah hosts a birthday party for me (with brownies-mmmm).
May-Creech Sr's arrive. First trip out of the US!!!! Come with friends of theirs (and now ours) Pam and Jerry. 2 teams in. Ludie traveling over Ireland teaching Way of the Master Evangelism. Immersion Team comes off field and back to Lacken House (OM Ireland headquarters) where they will stay and work through July.
June-finishing up school for the summer. Went with Griffin to see matinee The Secret Garden play. Immersion team (9 people) are staying in our house for 3 days while the construction crew has come here to finish out the kitchen, meeting room and dormitory rooms of the stable block at Lacken House (utterly AMAZING!). Coming up this month: Speaking at our Ladies group at church on the 8th (oh my-need your prayers), Emily has hip dysplasia check with pediatrician on the 14, Car inspection on the 18th, Anniversary on the 21st (13 years), and Impact Ireland June 29th-July 13.
My SISTER and her family come week of July 4th !!!!!!!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
My head is spinning- and my legs are hurting
There are so many things going on. Such opportunities and so many rabbits to chase. I pray that the Lord would give us priority in our lives to make our hearts align with His priority and his best. I don't even know where to start so I will just pick a day and tell you about that.
I woke up this morning trying to figure out why my legs hurt so bad. Then it came to me...the big sprint down the driveway, down the road, to the boat dock, then back up the hill to the house not knowing what awaited me.
Yes, here I am again, providing entertainment for myself and the neighbors. It was the morning or the Ladies Coffee and Tea-an outreach to the community by a local church (you can pray for people to come in and be fed the Good News). I had to get the kids together to get a birthday gift for one of Griffin's friends and then to the tea and coffee. HOWEVER... that was not the priority of my seven year old. Actually it was a priority just not an URGENT one. So between getting ready he would be doing anything but getting ready, leaving me to sound like the mommy I did not want to sound like. (I am sure my mom lost her patience but I don't remember it but once-that's a whole other story). So I got the car warmed up. Got the kids in the car seat and then realized I really need to go to the bathroom because I will not make it to the church (and public bathrooms are few and far between in Ireland).
So, I have the kids in the car, the front door open because we have to air the moisture out of the house while we are gone, the heat off in the house, the dog locked up in the wash room (or so I thought) and me in the restroom (or toilet as is said here). Then I hear pawing at the door of the washroom and whining of the dog. Since I was in a hurry (more information than you should or want to know), I was running out of the bathroom while zipping up my pants and buckling my belt. I got a sick feeling that the dog got out. I got out of the bathroom, saw the washroom door open, and the front door open.
The kids were sitting patiently in the car and Emily was actually not screaming. I told Griffin the dog got out to stay with the girls, I'll be right back. Well that sent both girls into crying and screaming. Later I found out that Griffin yelled at Ruth Anne to get her to stop crying (and she did) because he said "I could only deal with one child screaming at a time". (Gee, I wonder where he heard that!?).
So... Here I go running down the driveway as fast as I can (first time sprinting after having the baby), in my dress shoes, through the mud, past the neighbor's houses. It is lambing season here so the baby lambs are in the pastures. I was so worried about the dog chasing and harming the lambs since he is so big and fast. I was praying outload as I ran, "God please don't let him chase the sheep", "God help me to catch him"-over and over. Well thank God he did not chase the sheep. He is a bird dog and was more excited about the freedom and the water fowl commonly found in Lough Ree. I am not sure at this point if my pants are fully zipped.
The dog does not come when you call him when he is outside the house. Needless to say as I was sprinting and seeing him in the distance, I was yelling for him to come here anyway. I am sure the whole community could hear me.
I could not catch him and was worried about the children so I ran as fast as I could, breathless, back to the top of the hill to our house and got in the car. On the way home I saw one neighbor and I just said "I have 3 kids in the car and the dog is out", and kept running. Then I saw my sweet friend and neighbor Sarah, and almost in tears just told her the dog is out and the kids are in the car. She drove towards where he was in an effort to probably corral him. (God bless her).
Now back to the house, with the kids buckled in I barreled down my driveway. Going full speed down the road, I spotted him running back up the marina walkway. I also saw a farmer looking at the dog and at me driving at speeds unheard of in this area coming down the road. I got out of the car at the playground (looking like the Dukes of Hazard) and the dog kept running toward me. He then quickly turned at a right angle and ran away again. I got back in the car and Ruthie was saying over and over again, "I wanna play" talking about the playground.
Then we went to the point of the peninsula chasing the dog in the car. I think I was going so fast it scared him and he stopped and coward on the side of the road. (For a half second I just wanted to hit him with the car, but knowing that was not the right thing to do and the kids would be traumatized, I opened the door of the car and he hopped in.) At this time I looked up just in time to see another farmer standing in awe in the middle of the street (and I am sure thinking some thoughts of his own). I did not bother with the obligatory wave to either farmer and just got the dog back home.
I tried in my best Carol Ingalls voice, "wow wasn't that an adventure!" and managed a laugh with the kids. I can laugh about it now and what a sight it might have been but at that time I was about at my wits end.
We did not get the gift until after the coffee and tea but enjoyed the calm friendship and a cup of tea with the ladies. And instead of being rushed to get the gift, we just took our time strolling and getting the gift after the Tea which I don't think we've done in a LONG time! It was nice not to be on a schedule, or at least not a tight one. That in itself was a gift to me and the kids.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
What I want to be....
The verse below has been on my heart the past week and I was amazed when I saw this devotional. It reminded me of what Shelley Hendrix taught me two years ago. Don't concentrate on what you don't want to be but what you want to be. It is so true. Somehow I fell into the old habit of concentrating on the don'ts instead of do's. If there is a Proverbs 31 woman I would model my life after it would be Lila Cox, missionary to Thailand.
Below is a devotional from Proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com
Devotion by Amy Carroll:
"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
As my plane landed, I wondered if she'd be there. The retreat weekend simply wouldn't be the same without her. I would miss her encouraging looks as I spoke and the women of her church would certainly have hearts that ached with her absence. All year I had thought about the words that she had spoken the previous fall, and I needed to ask her more probing questions.
She had a secret that I longed to know. There were many women from the group who I wanted to ask about, but as the event coordinator and I waited at the luggage carousel, I started with my most important question, "Will Ruth Clark be coming?" My heart rejoiced as I heard the reply that was given with a smile, "Ruth has had a lot of health problems this year, but she'll be there!"
Entering the room at the retreat center, my eyes searched for Ruth among the small clusters of chatting women. I found her dear, smiling face quickly and headed to greet her. She opened her arms wide, hugged me and said, "I've been praying for you all year." After asking me to wait for a minute, Ruth opened her purse, took out a well-worn pink book full of small cards and began to leaf through it. Finally, she found the card for which she had been searching, and pulled it out. On it was a black-and-white photocopy of a picture of me with my name written underneath. She explained, "Each day I use this book to remember who to pray for. I put you in my book after the retreat last year, and I've prayed for you every day."
I looked at her face, creased with crows' feet and laugh lines, the product of many wide smiles and tender glances. I took in her white hair, the walker beside her and her comf ortable shoes and had a single thought—"Beautiful!"
Ruth is the woman that I want to be when age has settled onto my features and slowed my steps. Her beauty is an internal light that has grown brighter with time and experience rather than being extinguished. Knowing Ruth has changed my life and set me on a journey. When we first met, I immediately knew she had something I wanted.
After listening to this delightful woman talk for a while, I asked her, "What is your secret? How have you continued to grow in the Lord, stay positive and exude joy?" She answered quickly and confidently, "Be today who you want to be tomorrow."
Profound!
So, how can you and I apply Ruth's advice in our lives while we're still younger women? We can ask to God to reveal our own sins and flaws, repent of them and ask for His mercy to start living differently today. He's given me a very personal and specific list of where to start! I can ask God's help to stop my tend ency toward complaining about difficult circumstances and develop the habit of praising Him for molding my character through trials and tests. I can ask Him for the spiritual fruit of self-control so that I resist flying off the handle in a grumpy, hormone-fueled fit for no good reason. I can ask Him to stop my free-flowing river of words and help me listen to others compassionately before I speak. I could go on, but you're getting the picture. Are you starting to make a list of your own?
Although thinking about our own aging and watching loved ones age sometimes generates fear, we can face the future with tremendous hope and faith when we know that we can begin shaping our tomorrows today. I truly believe that becoming the woman today that we want to be tomorrow is the key to becoming the woman of grace, love and wisdom in our 70s and 80s that we so desire to be.
Dear Lord, I long to be a growing, godly older woman until my very last breath. Help me to begin t oday in developing the character and spiritual disciplines that I'll need to follow You victoriously throughout my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Below is a devotional from Proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com
Devotion by Amy Carroll:
"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
As my plane landed, I wondered if she'd be there. The retreat weekend simply wouldn't be the same without her. I would miss her encouraging looks as I spoke and the women of her church would certainly have hearts that ached with her absence. All year I had thought about the words that she had spoken the previous fall, and I needed to ask her more probing questions.
She had a secret that I longed to know. There were many women from the group who I wanted to ask about, but as the event coordinator and I waited at the luggage carousel, I started with my most important question, "Will Ruth Clark be coming?" My heart rejoiced as I heard the reply that was given with a smile, "Ruth has had a lot of health problems this year, but she'll be there!"
Entering the room at the retreat center, my eyes searched for Ruth among the small clusters of chatting women. I found her dear, smiling face quickly and headed to greet her. She opened her arms wide, hugged me and said, "I've been praying for you all year." After asking me to wait for a minute, Ruth opened her purse, took out a well-worn pink book full of small cards and began to leaf through it. Finally, she found the card for which she had been searching, and pulled it out. On it was a black-and-white photocopy of a picture of me with my name written underneath. She explained, "Each day I use this book to remember who to pray for. I put you in my book after the retreat last year, and I've prayed for you every day."
I looked at her face, creased with crows' feet and laugh lines, the product of many wide smiles and tender glances. I took in her white hair, the walker beside her and her comf ortable shoes and had a single thought—"Beautiful!"
Ruth is the woman that I want to be when age has settled onto my features and slowed my steps. Her beauty is an internal light that has grown brighter with time and experience rather than being extinguished. Knowing Ruth has changed my life and set me on a journey. When we first met, I immediately knew she had something I wanted.
After listening to this delightful woman talk for a while, I asked her, "What is your secret? How have you continued to grow in the Lord, stay positive and exude joy?" She answered quickly and confidently, "Be today who you want to be tomorrow."
Profound!
So, how can you and I apply Ruth's advice in our lives while we're still younger women? We can ask to God to reveal our own sins and flaws, repent of them and ask for His mercy to start living differently today. He's given me a very personal and specific list of where to start! I can ask God's help to stop my tend ency toward complaining about difficult circumstances and develop the habit of praising Him for molding my character through trials and tests. I can ask Him for the spiritual fruit of self-control so that I resist flying off the handle in a grumpy, hormone-fueled fit for no good reason. I can ask Him to stop my free-flowing river of words and help me listen to others compassionately before I speak. I could go on, but you're getting the picture. Are you starting to make a list of your own?
Although thinking about our own aging and watching loved ones age sometimes generates fear, we can face the future with tremendous hope and faith when we know that we can begin shaping our tomorrows today. I truly believe that becoming the woman today that we want to be tomorrow is the key to becoming the woman of grace, love and wisdom in our 70s and 80s that we so desire to be.
Dear Lord, I long to be a growing, godly older woman until my very last breath. Help me to begin t oday in developing the character and spiritual disciplines that I'll need to follow You victoriously throughout my life. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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