True Love

As we move towards a holiday whose theme is love, my eyes fall on a story that so reminds me of God's faithful, unconditional and enduring LOVE for us....

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80′s arrived at the hospital to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

The nurse took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him.
I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.



On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. 

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. 
I inquired as to her health.   
He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, ‘And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?’ He smiled as he patted my hand and said,

‘She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.’

Isn't this story just the P E R F E C T analogy of how our Heavenly Father loves us!

He chose us before the foundation of the world.

Before we knew Him, He stood by the door, waiting.
We answered His knock and He rejoiced while making a place for us at His table.

When we turned from Him He mourned us and wooed us back to Him.

He loves us with a regenerating love.

When we forgot Him He continued to pursue us even though we didn't recognize that it was His tears in the rain or that the drop of moonlight on our brow was His gentle touch.

We didn't know Him yet He knew us and everyday He came.

Each week I have made a commitment towards a heart of gratitude. It is part of my worship to the One who gives me breath.

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- Fresh new crisp sheets
- Drenching rains that have slowed
- A sweet patient who held my hand and cried because he missed his dog.

- Getting his dog in the hospital to him =)
- Sweet Betty. From playing rock band to lying in a hospital bed. I love your playful spirit. Home safe and sound now.

- A week of fasting, praying and answered prayer. You prayed Russ and He answered. 3 days of sun proceeded

- So thankful for a lovely family. A family that loves me despite all my shortcomings.

- Even though my body has been failing me this last month I'm still able to work and get to this pc to tap thoughts 

- Finding new blogs that inspire
- Hugs
- A relationship that has been broken that is in process of mending after many years of prayer

- The little hospital I call work. They are my second family

- Family night and a movie. Letters to God
- Snuggling up with my man for an episode of House Hunters International

You is kind. You is smart. You is important

Wednesday's Word

• "You are forgiven"
• "I love you"
• "I DO!"
• "It's a girl"
• "It's a boy"
• "I'm sorry you lost your baby"

The above words are just some of the most potent words that have reverberated in my lifetime.

- I did not grow in a family of generous words.

- I walked into adulthood with a bankrupt Word Bank.
- The realization of the power of words tilts my universe a little. Just one can topple a grown man.
- Of recent, a few more words were caught in my net 

'You is smart. You is kind. You is important.'

The above scene clip is one of the most powerful moments for me in the movie "THE HELP"
WHY?

The power of words.

I've not read the book 'THE HELP' (based on the novel by author Kathryn Stockett) but did watch the movie over the Christmas break. The story, as most know, is set in Jackson Mississippi during the 1960s segregation era.
The story focuses on three distinct women – two Black, one white – and their intertwining lives around the ideas of race, class, gender and power.

A simple, poor and trodden down woman, giving the best gift she has...her kind life giving words.

(That's what stuck to me like a post-it!)

Continuously propelling us through life. The life they can birth in a beautiful ripple effect AND the life they can extinguish in a single syllable.

"Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." 

I remember saying those words when young to try and convince myself of its truth in the face of painful words thrown my way.
Unfortunately, it is far from true. They not only wound but without due diligence and prayer, can play over and over in the battlefield of our mind, sucking the joy right out of our very existence... like He never intended.

We can't always count on our loved ones or others to speak life into our day to day. So then what?

When we are dry and thirsty where do we go?

God’s desire is this – that we may come to Him and drink as the fountain of living waters!

 Go to the source of life! Go to Him and drink. Allow Him to fill you to overflowing. When we drink of Him,  – there are rivers of water flowing in us and spilling out on those around

I can remember vividly the last kind words spoken to me...can't you?

• The words of the reckless pierce like swords,  but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

• With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

One of my favorite characters in the story Celia Foote.

To be a little more Celia and a little less Hilly Holbrook!

Now that we are full let us spill out words of life onto others and fill their word bank!

Moments like fireflies

Give thanks to the Lord! His Love Endures Forever!





Again I find myself so very grateful for this journey of thanksgiving! This weekly pause of deep breath and thoughtful quiet gratitude.
A week full of laughter, prayer, hugs, tears, joy and sadness.
The purposeful dance of catching precious moments like fireflies.

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~package in the mail

~holding hands with a dear girlfriend

~One more family movie night (Soul Surfer) such an inspiration you are Bethany Hamilton.

~Celebrating my dad

~Green paint and decorating

~Painful news that breaks my heart. I don't know what to do with it yet. it's in process but I know that I know that my hope is in Him.

~The writings of Oswald Chambers. I fancy meeting him in Eternity.

~Listening from another room as my family plays a board game.

~I love you Dave Ramsey and how you are helping us find financial freedom.

~Colors and scents of fall.

~Football games

Tangled Princess

But you are a chosen people, a ROYAL priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, you were chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God.

1 Peter 2:9

Tangled

Today is Wednesday's Word with a twist...A Disney twist to be exact.
My family, in accordance to Thanksgiving tradition, went to the movies and this year it was a wonderful and heart warming FAIRY TALE!!
Disney's animated retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale unravels a fine Disney yarn.

It is after all a story of a lost princess!

An old-fashioned story with a true storybook feel, that is a music-sprinkled story of heroism and self-discovery.
The never-dying hope and love of parenthood is well represented in Tangled. Rapunzel's anguished parents never give up on somehow finding their beloved child. And when they are all reunited in embraces and tears, I sniffed and wiped a tear from my eye.

Though not intentional on the creators of the movie, my mind, heart and spirit could not help but be swept away with the spiritual connotations.

The likeness of the relationship between we women and our Prince and Hero, Jesus.

I don't want to over-spiritualize the experience, but I believe there is something very significant and divine in our nature as women to long for that princess state. Girls long to be loved and adored, rescued (even if it means scaling impossible odds even with all our "Tangled" mess),  to ultimately give our heart to our hero.

God is that Hero!

Something we women sense in our ever tender & ever young hearts is that we are special.  We are truly God's beloved and precious daughters, adopted as His own, children of the King of the universe, and therefore of royal heritage!

~ Princesses~

in the purest sense of the word! 

In fact, in this light the royalty of this world can only be imitation.

At an early age we are captured by fairytales, maybe because we all identify with the beautiful sweet princess that is not treated fairly and then gets rescued by a strong handsome prince. Our minds somehow relate with being mistreated and

 we hope that one day a Prince will rescue us

from all of the hurt that we have endured.

And when He rescues us He will desire us, cherish us, and we will live HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

Isn't that what He did?

That is what we really want is it not? His princess --that is what we are.

HIS Divine Princess!

We are dear to the heart of Christ. We are sisters of the Prince of Peace with virtues that create true beauty, such as honor, charity, compassion, sharing truth and fairness.

The other concept that captured me while watching this FAIRY TALE was PRAYER.

The prayer of a parent for their lost child. Prayer to find a way home, Prayer to be rescued, Prayer to be heard, Prayer to find a reason in life, and Prayer to be loved.

The floating paper lantern segment in Tangled  is beautiful, breathtaking and romantic. With the culmination of the princess finally living her dream and beholding the lanterns float to the the sky (on her behalf unbeknownst to her), finding her one true love, making her way home, well the serenity of it all found my tear ducts moist again! The imagery was spectacular. The colors and immense.....

I envision the prayers of His people looking much like those lanterns.

Stretching, pleasing, rhythmically permeating the Heavenlies.

Ablaze in the spiritual night sky, beautiful, spectacular, powerful all because of HIM!!

He is my King, I am His PRINCESS. He owns a cattle on a thousand hills!