Month: January 2012

Remember the t.v. show called 30-something? Well, the way today\’s society is tiered, we now need a show called 50-something.

I attended the surprise party of one of my friends who has just turned 50. Little does she know, turning 50 is going to be a bigger surprise than she could have ever imagined. Let\’s work our way up to 50, though, shall we?
Continue reading “50-something”

She came downstairs, rubbing her eyes and yawning into the new morning. We met in the kitchen, and she said, “Mom, I keep having this recurring nightmare. It’s just awful. I want it to stop.”

“Can you tell me about it?” I asked. My antenna had gone up at the word recurring. I was really curious to hear what it was that her mind continued to play over and over as she slept.

Her first response was that she didn’t want to talk about it; too depressing. Then she just couldn’t help herself, I guess, and out it all came.
Continue reading “Breakthrough!”

Here we are the beginning of another week. We are already almost finished with January. Can you believe it? This past week was not without its drama, but by now, my life would seem so meaningless if we didn\’t have some drama, you know?

Started out great. Jenni began her new job on Monday. She had been sick all weekend and rested as much as possible. Loaded herself up with medicine and headed out. I didn\’t work Monday, and the boys were out of school, so we hung out at the house.

Other than working out some afternoon details for the boys, we had it mostly figured out. Jenn seems to like the job, and it appears the other workers there like her.

Wednesday, Jenni ended up in the emergency room after describing symptoms that sounded very much like an aneurism in her head. Scary. He dad took her to Prime Care and then to the ER. That was about 3:30 in the afternoon. They got back home at 11:30 that night. Her cold from the weekend had become acute viral sinusitis, which caused her to experience a migraine headache. They gave her meds through an IV to take care of the headache, but told her she\’d just have to load up on ibuprofen for the viral infection. She called her job and they let her come in late the next day. It appears her job is not in any danger. For this we thank God.

She still feels a little punk, but she\’s a trooper–keeps on moving forward. I\’m proud of her.

****

Saturday, I spent the day washing clothes and doing some much-needed mending. That was actually fun. No, really. It was. I love being able to be in my house and get stuff done, and I\’ve been needing to get that mending done for a while now.

Didn\’t get my nap today. After church, I had to get ready for a training session for the jail volunteers who work with our ministry. That kept me out of the house until 5 or so. Too late to take a nap. So I\’ll hang out and watch football for a little bit and then I\’ll just turn in early.

I know. Ho hum. But this is my life.

So what good can I accomplish this week? What sort of impression will I make? What witness will I leave with folks? Stay tuned.

I know, I know, life is always good. And you would be right to say so. I believe this.

But this day–today–is especially good. On this day, I have both of our children in our home. Josh and Mel are down visiting from the beautiful state of Pennsylvania; and Jenni, who is my precious girl, is here as well. Well, actually, Jenni and the boys live with us, so she\’s always here with me. And a blessing to have, I tell you. She knows how to get it done. So it\’s going to be a great weekend.

For the last nine months or so, Jenni has been without a job. She had a part-time thing that ended and then just couldn\’t find anything else. She was also in school at the technical college and taking care of her three boys. Lots of responsibility for a single mom–the same that many other single moms do every day. The good news in her life these days is this–in December she completed her studies in Accounting and will receive her Associates degree at her graduation in May 2012. She is rightly proud of herself for having accomplished this goal.

Then, just last week, she spent a day filling out job applications online. She called and told me she had sent out 13 of them. And within an hour of doing so, she had a phone call and an interview set up with one of the companies the very next day! After her SECOND interview with this company, she came to my work very excited and told me how hopeful it all sounded.

Then the waiting. Two days passed with no phone call. At one time I suggested that she might call them to check on their progress. She didn\’t want to do that, and after a moment\’s reflection, I realized we just had to let this be God\’s timing for it to be right. \”When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.\” (Psalm 94:18-20). So we waited some more; this time with a greater peace that God would handle it.

Yesterday, Friday the 13th, the call came, with the offer of a job. This is not a part-time job–this is a full fledged FULL-TIME, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, with BENEFITS job! We haven\’t stopped rejoicing.

God has taken care of us so faithfully. He is our Great Comforter and Provider. Blessed be His Name.

And even if this job had not worked out, the same is true about God even then. I may not always understand why we wait so long for things (humanly speaking), but I know that God will ultimately provide. His timing is perfect, perfect, perfect.

Have a good day, my friends.

(Oh, and about that 13th thing, I\’m not even close to superstitious. Folks would say that 13 is an unlucky number. Thirteen is just a number. For us, it was just a good old day!)

Today we had our weekly staff meeting. It took about an hour to complete the business part of the meeting, and then the senior chaplain asked us to share where we were with God these days; how God was working in our lives as we entered the new year.

I shared with them my desire to leave an \”impression\” (see article below) on the world that points folks not to me but to Jesus. The other chaplain at the meeting remarked how very interesting it was that I should say that, because he was currently reading a book in which one of the chapters discussed impressions we leave. He decided to repeat an exercise talked about in the book and just the day before began writing his obituary. The other lady in our group talked about a book she was reading entitled Finishing Well and the thoughts she was developing as she read. Finally our senior chaplain shared what was happening in his life and the way that God was working.

As I sat there with these fine folks, it occurred to me that not everyone has such an opportunity as I have had the last year. I love my job! My co-workers have become good friends. They truly care about each other. I am able to pray on my job–in fact, it is the first responsibility I have each morning, as I call inmates to join me in prayer in the chapel. I can hand out Bibles. We get to tell guys that the community cares for them with the love of Jesus as we hand out socks, tee shirts, coats, and other clothing. By sharing Jesus with them, we offer hope for a better/different way of living once the guys leave the facility.

I also really enjoy watching the chaplains interact with the guys. They are so obviously called to what they do, and it shows in the care they exhibit.

My job is a lot of work, but it\’s meaningful work. Right up my alley. Love it, love it, love it.

I\’m a lucky girl.

Several weeks ago, our Wednesday evening service was centered around a prayer labyrinth. Don\’t get all hung up on the word \”labyrinth.\” We just followed some taped lines in our chapel to different \”stations\”. At each station we focused on a particular aspect of prayer. Every station, every thought centered around our relationship with Jesus. Is He the center of my praise, have I properly forgiven those in my life who have hurt me so that the name of Jesus is magnified; is the person inside of me the same as the person I show the world about who Jesus is, or am I doing a really good job of faking it? Lots of opportunity to examine my heart and motives.

As I was nearing the end of the prayer time, I came to Station 11. It was entitled \”Impression.\” After taking off my shoes and leaving my footprints in a box of sand, I then was asked the following questions… \”What will be left of me when I\’ve left? What traces will I leave? Will the evidence be compelling? What will the surviving witnesses say? Will their world be better because of what I did in my present? What will history say of me when I am history, too?\”

Okay, now, before you go off on how that is so \”me-centered,\” let me tell you that I know that it could very easily become that way. If we are honest, don\’t we all wonder from time to time if our lives have made any difference at all in the lives of those in our world? Is anything we have done going to leave positive results for them? I certainly wonder. Maybe it\’s a girl thing. I don\’t think so, though. I would venture to guess that the reason many men work so hard is so that when they are gone, their world can talk about what a wonderful provider he was; how great a guy! Yep, that evening could have easily become an \”all about me\” exercise.

What happened–for me, at least–was that I was struck motionless with the notion that I might actually leave this world and not have left a single \”trace\” of the Savior I serve in my wake.

I wrote a poem once that went like this:

Someday my life will be no more
And I wonder
Will anyone knock on my door
To mourn my passing?

More than that… will any impression of the Savior I served be left from my life? Will anyone be able to say they knew Jesus better because of my witness? I\’m quite aware that my life is only a small ripple and that others\’ lives make huge waves with their witness. I don\’t need to have my name up in lights or be known world-wide; I simply do not wish to meet Jesus with empty hands. I\’m not looking for accolades here–not my intention at all. This is just the way I want to begin and continue the year 2012…contemplating ways to make sure Jesus is known and God is praised because of the way I live my life. The older I get and the more I learn, the more convinced I become of this truth–that has always been there, but just lately truly taking root in my life–it really is all about Him.

This morning\’s sermon was from Luke 5:1-11. My husband titled it \”Getting Back to Basics.\” The main points of the sermon were these: Our first responsibility as Christians is to glorify God. Our second responsibility is to become fishers of men. Jesus told Peter, Andrew, James and John, \”…from now on you will be catching men.\” This is what He has called us to do.

My desire, my prayer is that 2012 will be the year of leaving HIS \”impression\” on the lives of those in my world and catching lots of \”fish.\”