Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Testimony
The first memory of my life faded in when I was about 3 years old. I “woke up” in the top of the Oak tree in the back yard…way up high in the trees. My two guardian angels were with me in the midst of explaining they were going to have to go now that I'm older. Though I couldn’t remember a lot of detail as they were fading from my memory fast…I knew this was true…not “play- like” with an imaginary friend. They let me know they'd still be there but not in this realm where I could see them.
Suddenly I slipped and fell. Me! I remember thinking how weird this was. Falling from the top of the tree I remember thinking....how did this happen to ME!? My parent called me a "monkey" because I have always been so sure footed and agile. But then out of nowhere my hand was grabbed and placed firmly on a branch so that I could stop the fall! I felt it...it happened...thank you Guardian Angels and God who sent them.
You know the drill- blank spots here and there. But two things that were always consistent were: I knew I was special and would do great things....and that God was there everywhere I went. I saw Him in the wind, the trees, birds, and people. I felt Him watching me, loving me, teaching me, laughing with me and crying with me. I felt His disappointment in me, but at the same time always opening and closing doors to get me back on the right track.
Cocky little child wasn’t I? In my young little naive mind the feeling that I had “the call” to be special was immediately interpreted in the world’s viewpoint of special. You know… famous for one thing or another. This misinterpretation followed me well through life. But this feeling of being someone special is true just not in the form I had first thought of.
All the children God has called and saved through their receiving His gift of sending Jesus to die and bridge the gap to Him are special. The children that hear Jesus’ knocking at the door of our heart and soul and simply ask Him in…they are special too. Jesus had come to my door and I finally asked Him in when I was in the sixth grade.
Through faith. Because at this point though God was sooo very real to me, Jesus was like a cartoon picture in my head. But through faith I asked Him into my heart to be my Lord and Savior, and my best friend.
It really irritated me that I only had this “cartoon vision” of him in my mind. I so wanted to see Him. And one day I did years later. Was it when I had become the beautiful, loving, pure Godly woman that I so desired to be? Naw! Get this…Jesus became real to me at a time in my life when I became the person I soooo hated that I couldn’t even stand to look at myself in the mirror.
Like Peter who was horrified at the thought that he would actually deny Jesus three times, I was horrified at the things I had done that had always been disgusted by when I saw others doing them.
But this is why He had to come to save me…and this is the thing that finally “clicked” and I saw Jesus as real being…when I saw He loved me so much just like I was. I was at a point I hated myself, but He showed me His love for me…so undeserved. Things have never been the same since!
.
Suddenly I slipped and fell. Me! I remember thinking how weird this was. Falling from the top of the tree I remember thinking....how did this happen to ME!? My parent called me a "monkey" because I have always been so sure footed and agile. But then out of nowhere my hand was grabbed and placed firmly on a branch so that I could stop the fall! I felt it...it happened...thank you Guardian Angels and God who sent them.
You know the drill- blank spots here and there. But two things that were always consistent were: I knew I was special and would do great things....and that God was there everywhere I went. I saw Him in the wind, the trees, birds, and people. I felt Him watching me, loving me, teaching me, laughing with me and crying with me. I felt His disappointment in me, but at the same time always opening and closing doors to get me back on the right track.
Cocky little child wasn’t I? In my young little naive mind the feeling that I had “the call” to be special was immediately interpreted in the world’s viewpoint of special. You know… famous for one thing or another. This misinterpretation followed me well through life. But this feeling of being someone special is true just not in the form I had first thought of.
All the children God has called and saved through their receiving His gift of sending Jesus to die and bridge the gap to Him are special. The children that hear Jesus’ knocking at the door of our heart and soul and simply ask Him in…they are special too. Jesus had come to my door and I finally asked Him in when I was in the sixth grade.
Through faith. Because at this point though God was sooo very real to me, Jesus was like a cartoon picture in my head. But through faith I asked Him into my heart to be my Lord and Savior, and my best friend.
It really irritated me that I only had this “cartoon vision” of him in my mind. I so wanted to see Him. And one day I did years later. Was it when I had become the beautiful, loving, pure Godly woman that I so desired to be? Naw! Get this…Jesus became real to me at a time in my life when I became the person I soooo hated that I couldn’t even stand to look at myself in the mirror.
Like Peter who was horrified at the thought that he would actually deny Jesus three times, I was horrified at the things I had done that had always been disgusted by when I saw others doing them.
But this is why He had to come to save me…and this is the thing that finally “clicked” and I saw Jesus as real being…when I saw He loved me so much just like I was. I was at a point I hated myself, but He showed me His love for me…so undeserved. Things have never been the same since!
.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Let's Go Together
Yesterday as I was drving to pick my oldest daughter up from High School after her Colorguard practice I couldn't help but notice the sky. My younger daughter, 9 years old was in the front seat next to me. I was leaning over my steering wheel lookin up and she said,"what are you looking at mom?"
"The sky...look at how weird it looks. Dark clouds one on top of the other just over that one area." I replied.
"Yeah," she agreed. "It does look weird."
I looked at her and smiled and said, "Hey, maybe Jesus is fixing to return!" She smiled too. Then I said, "Here, hold my hand...let's go together!"
So we held hands as we drove to pick up Ci.
Funny thing is, a couple of days ago I went out the front door to tell Cigi something. She was out there visiting with her friend across the street. I walked out on the porch and her cell phone, diet Dr. Pepper can was laying there but no Cigi! My first thought was "I got left behind!" Then Cigi came from inside the house she had went in to get something, somehow I didn't hear her come in.
"What are you doing, mom?" she asked. I laughed and told her what just had happened. She said, "Sheese, mom...don't you hear the neighbor mowing their lawn?"
I laughed and said "Yeah...I thought he got left behind too!"
Wonder why this has been on my mind lately? I tell you one thing, it sure makes you wonder about where you'll be, who you'll be with, and what you'll be doing when Jesus returns.
"The sky...look at how weird it looks. Dark clouds one on top of the other just over that one area." I replied.
"Yeah," she agreed. "It does look weird."
I looked at her and smiled and said, "Hey, maybe Jesus is fixing to return!" She smiled too. Then I said, "Here, hold my hand...let's go together!"
So we held hands as we drove to pick up Ci.
Funny thing is, a couple of days ago I went out the front door to tell Cigi something. She was out there visiting with her friend across the street. I walked out on the porch and her cell phone, diet Dr. Pepper can was laying there but no Cigi! My first thought was "I got left behind!" Then Cigi came from inside the house she had went in to get something, somehow I didn't hear her come in.
"What are you doing, mom?" she asked. I laughed and told her what just had happened. She said, "Sheese, mom...don't you hear the neighbor mowing their lawn?"
I laughed and said "Yeah...I thought he got left behind too!"
Wonder why this has been on my mind lately? I tell you one thing, it sure makes you wonder about where you'll be, who you'll be with, and what you'll be doing when Jesus returns.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Little Nuggets
SPECIAL NOTE: This is a semi-true story. Well, actually the only part that is true is the part about being held up at a stop light waiting for a chicken to cross the road. It was done in fun on the way home to Texas by me with valued input from my brother and sister. They seem to think I "tweak" my stories to make myself look like the sainted hero...imagine that! My mother, brother, sister, Aunt J and Cousin C are the sweetest, most fun people you could ever wish to know.
The last week of March I talked brother and sister (it took quite a lot of coaxing) into joining me on a trek to Arkansas. I really felt the urge from above to drive mama…my poor little, precious, almost 80 year old mother back “home.”
There are so many tales of inspiration that occurred while we were there but this one really stands out in my mind the most, at least today.
We were coming back from a long day traveling up and over through the Ozark Mountains; through mothers “memory lane.” Having arrived back to Rogers safely we were all wiping the tears from our eyes as we were sitting in sisters SUV, laughing at something cute I had said. The light turned green and brother pressed on the gas pedal. The vehicle slowly started moving but brother was forced to slam on the brakes as the two cars in front of us suddenly stopped. We noticed the lane to our left was at a halt as well.
We sat there a couple seconds when tempers began to flare. With the exception of self… sister, mother, brother, Aunt J and cousin C. all began cursing and waving balled up fists to the cars ahead.
My face flushed red not from anger but embarrassment as mother, brother, sister, cousin and aunt flew off the handle over this inconvenient situation. I remained calm in my never ending Christian state of mind. You can imagine my embarrassment for their behavior… especially brothers, a deacon of his church.
Being the peacemaker that I am I knew what I needed to do. To everybody’s surprise I opened the door, hopped out and walk smoothly up towards the commotion. As I walked, I reached in to my front blue jean pocket and took out a pack of gum. As the reason for the commotion came into my view, I finished unwrapping the packet , slid out a stick of gum,(spearmint flavor as it relaxes me), unwrapped a piece and popped it into my mouth.
“Well hello there.” I said tenderly to the frightened chicken in the road.
I flinched as the verbal abuse continued…not from the verbal abuse but from the various items that were being flung at us. Who knew Aunt J had such a great arm! She hit me dead in the forehead with her cane (which I later returned to her polished and complete with a new rubber tip because the old one had gotten damaged when the doctor removed it hours later from my head) for this is just my nature.
I deducted I needed to take action quickly as the impatient motorist inched closer. The poor little terrified chicken just stood there like a deer in headlights…frozen. I laid my body down across the two lane road between the chicken and cars, stretching as long as my petite little body would allow; sacrificing myself for this chicken, one of God’s little creations.
Amidst all this honking and yelling the little creature began to focus on my soothing voice which encouraged it onward by saying, “Shoo, little chicken…shoo.”
With the little chicken now safely on the other side of the road, I returned to our vehicle to a car full of speechless, enamored relatives satisfied with myself and the end results. We drove past the chicken and I waved a humbled wave to little chicken as I saw it turn and head up towards the fast food building in the parking lot it had caused such a stink to get over to…McDonalds.
LAST NOTE: Oh, and the other part of the story that was true the chicken did cross the road to get to McDonald's restaurant!
The last week of March I talked brother and sister (it took quite a lot of coaxing) into joining me on a trek to Arkansas. I really felt the urge from above to drive mama…my poor little, precious, almost 80 year old mother back “home.”
There are so many tales of inspiration that occurred while we were there but this one really stands out in my mind the most, at least today.
We were coming back from a long day traveling up and over through the Ozark Mountains; through mothers “memory lane.” Having arrived back to Rogers safely we were all wiping the tears from our eyes as we were sitting in sisters SUV, laughing at something cute I had said. The light turned green and brother pressed on the gas pedal. The vehicle slowly started moving but brother was forced to slam on the brakes as the two cars in front of us suddenly stopped. We noticed the lane to our left was at a halt as well.
We sat there a couple seconds when tempers began to flare. With the exception of self… sister, mother, brother, Aunt J and cousin C. all began cursing and waving balled up fists to the cars ahead.
My face flushed red not from anger but embarrassment as mother, brother, sister, cousin and aunt flew off the handle over this inconvenient situation. I remained calm in my never ending Christian state of mind. You can imagine my embarrassment for their behavior… especially brothers, a deacon of his church.
Being the peacemaker that I am I knew what I needed to do. To everybody’s surprise I opened the door, hopped out and walk smoothly up towards the commotion. As I walked, I reached in to my front blue jean pocket and took out a pack of gum. As the reason for the commotion came into my view, I finished unwrapping the packet , slid out a stick of gum,(spearmint flavor as it relaxes me), unwrapped a piece and popped it into my mouth.
“Well hello there.” I said tenderly to the frightened chicken in the road.
I flinched as the verbal abuse continued…not from the verbal abuse but from the various items that were being flung at us. Who knew Aunt J had such a great arm! She hit me dead in the forehead with her cane (which I later returned to her polished and complete with a new rubber tip because the old one had gotten damaged when the doctor removed it hours later from my head) for this is just my nature.
I deducted I needed to take action quickly as the impatient motorist inched closer. The poor little terrified chicken just stood there like a deer in headlights…frozen. I laid my body down across the two lane road between the chicken and cars, stretching as long as my petite little body would allow; sacrificing myself for this chicken, one of God’s little creations.
Amidst all this honking and yelling the little creature began to focus on my soothing voice which encouraged it onward by saying, “Shoo, little chicken…shoo.”
With the little chicken now safely on the other side of the road, I returned to our vehicle to a car full of speechless, enamored relatives satisfied with myself and the end results. We drove past the chicken and I waved a humbled wave to little chicken as I saw it turn and head up towards the fast food building in the parking lot it had caused such a stink to get over to…McDonalds.
LAST NOTE: Oh, and the other part of the story that was true the chicken did cross the road to get to McDonald's restaurant!
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