Let us remember

"Our faith would be stronger if we would remember 

what God has done for us in the past. 

For some reason, as humans, we seem to remember 

all the hurts and tragedies of our past, 

but forget the good that has happened. 

“Some saints have very short memories. 

It has been well said that we write our benefits in dust 

and our injuries in marble,

 and it is equally true that we generally inscribe 

our afflictions upon brass,

while the records of the deliverances 

of God are written in water."

C. H. Spurgeon   (from "The Lion & the Bear") 

the Journey

Another hill taken today

Another barricade removed!.

Today is the 5th year anniversary of a vicious attack on my husband.

He was stabbed 3 times by a poacher and left for dead.

Why?
Someone thought deer antlers were more important than someone's life!

Today is also the opening day of pheasant season - just as it was 5 years ago. 

Even before the attack, I would stay home on this week-end to help Marvin

and to make sure hunters stayed out of our yard and out of our buildings. 

A few weeks ago, I promised my friend, Penny,  that I would help her
when the crew from the Covenant Church came to redo her roof. 

My mistake was that I promised . . . not knowing the date. 

This morning I was so angry that the crew chose November 13th.  

I almost backed out and was thinking of calling to say so.  

But - I was preempted. 

Penny called ME first to make sure I was coming. 
I think she had an inkling of my emotional state.

A New Year

Another year awaits me.
It's a blank page, an unwalked road.
the pages will read  what I have gained in exchange for time,
or what I find along the way

My resolution is to remember every day
that life is too short for petty things.
That it’s important to kiss slowly, laugh insanely,
love fully, forgive quickly, count my blessings
& look for the unexpected joys purposefully.

Every day! 

You would think that I, of all people, would remember
that life is fragile, unpredictable, and like a vapor can vanish in a moment. 

But even for me, the routine grind and problems of the day
crowd out the important things of life.
It takes great effort to consciously look for the good.

I have to establish reminders. 
Something that reminds me to STOP and consider what blessings were sent my way that day.
Blessings such as when I'm troubled and someone comes along with a smile;
or maybe the breath-taking sunset on the way home.

Bloomin' Vinca

My pretty evergreen ground cover, Vinca (or myrtle) - has some beautiful purple flowers on it today.

What's the deal? Is there something I haven't been told?
Did I miss something?

Like - did I sleep through winter and spring is here?!?
Woo Hoo!
YES!

The Glass Window - in the wee hours of today.

“A glass window stands before us.  We raise our eyes and see the glass; we note its quality, and observe its defects; we speculate on its composition.  Or . . . we look straight through it onto the great prospect of land and sea and the sky beyond.”  Benjamin B Warfield. 

The above phrase suddenly leaped off the web page a few moments ago?  Out of all the pages boringly scrolling by, why this statement? 

Vaguely, as if through a fog, thoughts begin to form.  But what?   Suddenly it hits me.   I remembered the wee hours of today.   

Something that had already receded from my memory . . . . had I not just stumbled across those words by Benjamin Warfield.   

The window?  It’s the reference to the glass window?  Yes!  I remember now.  Thank you Lord, for your reminder. 

The phone!  It’s ringing.  I hear myself crying out loud, “Oh no!  Oh no!”.  I’m sitting straight up in bed, in terror, fumbling in the dark for the phone before I even know I’m awake. 

My parents!  One of them is dead.  Surely it’s not Tammy  - she’s healthy . . . . . . . unless she threw a clot to her lung.  Please no, God, I can’t handle anything more right now.  Please, God!