Living in Harmony…

Did you ever have a friend do something silly to cover your faux pas?

A friend (Alice Berges) sent this tale of the mishap of an eight year old boy. He’d waited too long (haven’t we all?), sneezed and made a puddle in his shoes. Knowing any moment his life would be over and he’s be found out, he asked Father to fix it somehow — anyhow. As his observant teacher started down his row to his rescue, he realized before she could get there a little blonde girl had decided to move the fishbowl to a new window. There was no fish, as it was yet without occupant. Down the row she came, almost running and tripping, obviously single minded, at just the right moment to impact an impromptu meeting with the teacher. Splat! The bowl landed neatly in the boy’s outstretched arms while the water slid down his lap, splashing into a large puddle at his feet.

Now rescued, “ThankYou Dad!” this little one thought to himself while he dried out. No longer the brunt of a cruel joke of nature, the little female heroine was now the Klutz of the day. She seemed to take it like a good joke, with no harm, but amends HAD to be made by the puddle maker. “ThankYou” came quietly out of the mouth and heart of the boy. And from a heart just as thankful came the oral note, ”I wet my pants one day too. I didn’t want them all to laugh! We try in this new vision Father has given us to be mindful of the fact that church is where you find yourself. And worship is the act of helping God achieve His agenda and someone realizing it was HIM!

Remember, going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car. Find those opportunities, you will make a difference in someone’s life.

~ AUTHOR UNKNOWN.

This past weekend a miracle happened. A girl from a  family where marriage is seen as a non needful thing, married her sweetheart and the father of her child. My son was his BEST man (and is his brother-in-law) and my daughter-in-law was/is her new sister and Aunt Ti-Ti to the beloved child. I cried more during this one than when Tiff and Joe married last year. We had worked HARD the last week and of course, as these two are as my own, I used every speck of “get up and go” I had. So I finally am up, after sleeping most of Sunday and Monday away. Already this AM I have cleaned up the kitchen from 2 days of my sloth, made a quik-mix with buttermilk powder, so the next time I feel a need for biscuits I just add water to the already made dry stuff in my ‘fridge. I slid the whites down the steps (used  to carry 2 of these baskets at once,where have the good ol’ days gone?) and almost have the first dryerload ready and made some chicken soup, as that’s all that sounds good! Next – Walmart before 9 so I get back before I turn into the veritable pumpkin at noon  …

Running out of gas, when you’re a “perky” person, can be like tying ya down. It’s a strange feeling to me to say,”Nah, let’s skip that outlet,  I think bedtimes calling me”, or even stranger yet: “Let’s just skip Olive Garden… Mac ‘n cheese sounds just as good right now!”. I’m not a slave to my home, yep… it could be cleaner, but I’d rather spend the time talking to a friend, or on the phone/computer while I can still “see straight”! I actually allowed other people to do stuff for the wedding. I’m so used to saying, “…got it , no sweat!”. It was very strange to admit I’d have to miss the fun of decorating the hall. But I did get the warm feeling you get whe you discover a beautiful cove or see a newborn of any make or model for the very first time! The kids did a great job, even without me!

Today the newlyweds strike out in total abandon to find a spot in VA, driving there with no plan, but wait and see. They can trust each other and in that, the best has come already.

Do you see a bit of Father in that? WE can trust Him, we now he’s got us, so striking out in a strange world is no problem, just part of the blessing. He has plenty of whatever we need to go wherever He needs to go. I love that…

My doctor called yesterday. She had an interesting result found in my bome marrow.. Somehow I have an infection in the marrow itself! BUT I’m on this silly yellow pill-Biaxin is it’s name. It’s a trip in itself. First let me tell you, no fever and the achies are almost gone. That’s the good news. The “bad news” isn’t that bad, just this is one of those antibiotics that alter your taste and smell. At first I noticed a bitter taste, the last time reminiscent of biting into a banana skin. This time though, it has just stayed bitter. Lying in our bedroom about six hours after taking the first pill, I smelled exhaust. So I called Bruce over(He works about 20 feet from where I was) and asked him if the kids next door we’re doing some new engine project. I explained I smelled the heavy diesel exhaust one smells when beside a dump truck or bus, one of my least favorites. Bruce, my Champion, althtough not smelling it, went around and made sure there was no leakage coming into our bedroom. I had found my “altered smell” sensation! Twenty-four hours a day I smell exhaust. Only if I put a stongly odorous counter aroma does it stop for a bit, a break for my brain. 

Who knew all this fun laid in wait for me! There are  so many other experiences I could be and am not having. I feel blest that I can walk through this relatively well, and without too much fuss. I get to interact with some of the BEST nurses, the lovely people that care for those of us in Hematology/ Oncology treatment. And I get to meet some of the bravest survivors, not just one  go-round with the big C but many have multiple wrestling matches, and still fighting on. We talk so matter of factly about the battles, they concerned for me as well as I for them. It’s certainly humbling to be worried over by someone whose lungs have failed, or pancreas is gone, liver, colon, breast, whatever next on the list. I begin to feel like a lost child taken up in strong arms, while ministered to by observant tender caregivers struggling with my anemic foe as well.

I pray for you as you read and covet all for your prayer for me too. Together, movin’ on….

Yesterday I spent along time plugged into an IV bottle. First, of course, the inevitible “pinch”, then the fun begins. To get the real medicine to sit right with my sensitive insides I have to have stuff to keep  me from the onslaught of itchies and pretty red blotches that spring up from time to time. That done, they hang up the rusty looking liquid that’s supposed to refill my “iron-stores” that seem to be disappearing or wearing out. Now years ago, my tummy was “fixed”  to help a digestive problem from birth, but in the fixing I lost the ability to absorb iron. It has been an easy fix tilll now, something has changed and we’re all exhausted trying to figure it out!

So I took the next step in the understanding of how my body does it’s thing. It’s called a ”Bone Marrow Biopsy”. I won’t fill in all the blanks, suffice it to say I earned the ice cream cone I got on the way home! In a week or so we’ll know how well my blood manufacturing system is working.

I suppose I bore you with the “filling ” of my days just in case someone needs to know. It also helps me work it out when I wonder why Father has me walking this path. I know I shared my heart several times yesterday, sharing my walk with my fellow travelors as we sit hooked up to various concoctions. Most of my fellow travelors are battling cancer of some sort, and I feel a bit silly sometimes. Afterall I’m just “A quart low” as it were, not fighting little robots thumbing their noses at their human hosts. But we talk about living, and doing , being there for the next  one, and making sure everyone knows someone else is there for them. When your life is on the line, the walk gets quite abit clearer. So…

For today, I’m taking my little friendwho visits with Bruce and I while her parents work. We’re goin’ “flea marketing”, and walking in love…

A friend called yesterday. I haven’t talked to him since we left the church. Just haven’t had an opportunity, actually felt akward and was counselled to leave my “Church friends” be for awhile. Well, I did, so did they, those friendships petered out. Some people can live in both places, hence the call…

My friend Hank is a missionary. He minsters to folks in Africa. There he has a radio  minstry and seeks to help out the small “hut churches” that are springing from the dust in many corners of that great continent. He called because he feels there may be some “unchurches” that are moved to carry on our ways in Africa. He leaves in mid-August, wanna go?

There are many niches for people to fit into in that ministry from envelope stuffing to actually going abroad. I’m asking you to pray, to keep your ears open and to encourage anyone that would like to be a part of this “great Commission”. Let me know… I’ll shoot you his way. For so many of us, just getting folks to know it’s OKAy to love Jesus outside the “Church” is hard enough, but there are a few of you out there who hear these words and KNOW… let me hear from you, is Africa calling?

I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions and as a cloud, thy sin: return unto Me for I have redeemed thee….Isaiah 44:22 KJV

PARDON ME?

Well, there it is! As far as I can see there just aren’t any prerequisites, no “If you… I’ll do…”. Just plain and simply forgiven. Do you know how earth shattering this is to some folk? There are so many that feel there’s no way! “I can’t ever be good enough…” to come to your church, to live like a Christian, to be a dad, or a mom, a friend…I love to take those people under “my wing”. They are astonished when I stay around. I have a little “protege”, I’m sure Father sent her my way. She has an awe-inspiring life, being bipolar, she makes lies wrap around truth to save her bottom at every turn. I catch her up, the “phone dies” for a day or two, but she always calls. Sometimes it’s hard for her to grasp that she’s okay “as is” to God. He loves her, no questions asked. She keeps coming back. She’s beginning to believe it enough to look outside herself, it always gets easier then. If you can see the troubles of your fellow faith walkers instead of just feeling and seeing yourself, then I believe you follow the path you ‘re supposed to. That’s the way Jesus sends you how you get your marching orders. It’s how you see you’re forgiven, as your heart allows more forgiveness around you. 

So bottom line, He always forgives out trespasses and teaches us to then always forgive those who trespass against each of us, as many times as needed. I’m so glad Father gives me the opportunity to be as He is. Come with me, walk awhile