Tag Archives: Irony

September 9, 2013 · 11:27 pm

Great Mother-Son Memory

imageI never prayed so hard for a sunny day. I always dreamed of having an outdoor wedding. We chose an upscale turn-of-the-century, Victorian bed and breakfast overlooking a beautiful lake for our wedding and reception.
It had been pouring for days, but God answered my prayer. September 25th 2004 turned out to be a gorgeous day after all.
Shortly after I announced I would be getting married for the second time, my then 20 year old son, Jonathan, actually asked me if he could walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. His question caught me off-guard because Jonathan made it clear he did not like to attend any wedding. I hadn’t planned on anyone walking me down the aisle at all, but after thinking about it for a second or two, I felt flattered that my son would request such a thing. How could I possibly say no to that!

Continue reading →

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September 4, 2013 · 1:20 am

Must Think First

image“Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Jesus said.

What a relief, it is the Master!  Peter thought. Everyone on the boat thought it was a ghost they saw walking towards them on the water, but he knew better.  He knew it could only be Jesus.

“Lord, if that is you tell me to come out to you on the water.”

“Come!” Jesus said.

A chill ran through Peter’s spine.  Jesus was telling him to walk out to him on the water!   Peter was aware of the other disciples shocked silence as he swung his leg over the side of the rocking boat.

No problem!  He thought.  He was sure of all the disciples; he was the one with the deepest connection and the strongest bond!  He would even die for Jesus!

After all, hadn’t it been only his name Jesus had changed from Simon to Peter.  Solid-as-rock-Peter.  And hadn’t he been the one that correctly declared that Jesus was the Messiah, The Son of the Living God; when Jesus asked him who he thought Jesus was? Continue reading →

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August 28, 2013 · 7:38 pm

Seriously, Who’s Got the Biggest Problem?

I was not able to write a post yesterday as usual (Tuesday) because I had two days of a migraine. Brutal! Here is my Tuesday post. 🙂

I have friend I will call Sandy. I met her about thirteen years ago when a little dog I was fostering snuck out of my yard. Sandy had recently moved in next door and offered to help me find the dog. We have both long since moved from that neighborhood, but we stay in touch. I consider Sandy a good friend.

Sandy feels bad about herself much too often, even more so when she is depressed. She has dealt with mean criticism and ugly labels throughout her life. She has been ridiculed and called names.

The thing is that because Sandy’s parents were heavy alcohol drinkers, Sandy suffers some of the symptoms of from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).

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August 20, 2013 · 12:03 am

Caught-Up with the Urgent?

“It all seems ultra-important at the moment—but later we realize much was done at the extent of cultivating deeper and more meaningful relationships with those we love most.  Being held hostage by the tyranny of the urgent is not how we were meant to live.”                                Charles R. Swindoll.

Guilty?

I sure am.

The years I struggled as a single mom I was under an insurmountable amount of stress.  It wasn’t just child support or family support that I lacked, I was also stuck with huge amounts of debt I didn’t create.  I tried to make the best of things, but I was often overwhelmed, exhausted, and grumpy.

Unwittingly, I placed more importance on finding a home for my family than the treasured place my kids held in my heart. It wasn’t that I didn’t love them.

It was for them that I sacrificed! Continue reading →

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August 16, 2013 · 12:09 am

Yard Sale Lesson

When my kids were little, money was always very tight. My then-husband had a great job and made good money. The problem was that he had a hard time letting go of it at home. I was the only adult I knew who received a weekly “allowance” that barely covered groceries but was supposed to also cover haircuts, clothing, shoes, gifts, gas, personal items, and anything in between. The amount of his paychecks was always kept a mystery.

I looked for ways to make extra money. I babysat, sold Avon, and had countless hostess parties like Tupperware and Christmas Around the World. I tried anything I could in order to buy needed things and to buy Christmas and birthdays gifts for my kids.

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August 12, 2013 · 11:35 am

Interesting Reblog from Beliefs of the Heart

I Wonder If Sunday School Is Destroying Our Kids

July 23, 2013 — 629 Comments

Several years ago I met with a woman distraught by her son’s rejection of Christianity.heroes of the faith

She said, “I did everything I could to raise him right. I taught him to be like the ‘heroes of faith,’ with the faithfulness of Abraham, the goodness of Joseph, the pure heart of David, and the obedience of Esther.”

She wondered why he rejected Christianity.

I wondered why it took him so long.

Look at almost any Sunday school curriculum. You’ll find:

  • Abraham was faithful, and God made him the father of a nation. So be faithful like Abraham.
  • Joseph was a good little boy (unlike his “bad” brothers), and God made him Prime Minister of Egypt. So be good like Joseph.
  • David had a pure heart (unlike his brothers), and God made him King of Israel. So have a pure heart like David.
  • Esther was an obedient girl. God made her Queen of Persia and she saved God’s people. So be obedient like Esther.
  • Finally, if we fail to be good, Jesus will forgive us (a “P.S.” tacked onto the end).

What’s so bad about these Sunday school lessons?  Continue reading.

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August 9, 2013 · 12:40 am

Growing Pains

You know that feeling of resistance we naturally get when we are required to step outside our zone of comfort, to push further, strive harder and move past stagnation?

Much like when the momma bird pushes her young to the edge of the nest.  What is that youngling thinking?

“Momma’s off her rocker!”

“She’s trying to kill me!”

“How could she do this to me?”

That little one, paralyzed by fear, becomes frozen as momma gives the final shove.

Down, down it goes until finally it gets this crazy notion to flap its wings… flap, flap, flap… Continue reading →

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August 8, 2013 · 3:56 pm

An Unexpected Answer to Prayer

I received this in an email from my friend Lyn Pelton.  I wanted to share this worth-reading beautiful story with you!

A Father, a Daughter – A true story by Catherine Moore

“Watch out! You nearly broad sided that car!” My father yelled at me. “Can’t you do anything right?”

Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn’t prepared for another battle.

“I saw the car, Dad . Please don’t yell at me when I’m driving..”

My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt. Continue reading →

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July 20, 2013 · 2:48 pm

An Important Message

It was February of 2013, when I stepped out as a novice blogger.  I was nervous to put my “stuff” out there as much of it is delicate and painful.  I feared somehow it would come back to bite me in the rear.  I took a risk and became a blogger and to date have never been sorry.  I have “met,” laughed with, shed tears with, resonated with, and admired wonderful friends I continue to cherish.  Many of them share from vulnerable places of their hearts making them even more dear to me.

This was my original post back in February.  I don’t think it got much notice with it being my first.  I am sharing it again today as I believe it has an important message at the end. There are countless, desperately hurting people, deeply needing and desiring help who fall under our radars. Continue reading →

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July 19, 2013 · 12:12 am

Overindulgent Slugs

The cashier scanned my groceries.  We talked about the importance of eating healthy and the extraordinary cost of the organic and natural food I was buying. She shot me a sideways glance when she scanned my extra-tall aluminum can of Coors beer.

“I plan on getting some slugs drunk!”  I said.

“Oh,” she said nodding her head, as if that was an ordinary response.

I told her about my slug problem.  She also was plagued by slugs, but never heard of the beer trick.

“I got the idea online. It’s supposed to really work.  They drink the beer and die!” I said. Continue reading →

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