Today is A Day of Being Quiet

As I celebrate the Sabbath, I am reflecting on the week and the rollercoaster of emotions for the week.

Tuesday was a day of rejoicing.  My brother-in-law, George was so much better and stronger.  He was recovering well from COVID.  It is going to be a slow process, but we knew he was on the road to recovery.

And then Friday came and George called to tell us that Adele, his wife, had passed away that morning in the hospital due to COVID/pneumonia.  We were in such shock.  Such shock that I was not able to cry.  Also thinking in thirteen days, Adele would have turned "71".  And next year, George and Adele would have celebrated fifty years of marriage.

Forty-five minutes later, I received a text that a dear friend, who was "95" had just passed away.  Tears began to flow.  I was rejoicing for V, as I knew he was finally with the love of his life, Erma.  Erma had passed away in December of 2019, at the age of "93".  They had been married almost seventy-five years.  They were now together.

Today is a day of being still and resting and exalting God for who He is.

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalms 46:10

When Your Heart is Sad

Everyone has gone through times of sadness.  There are periods where there are situations with family and friends, work isn't going well, some challenging times at home, the break-up of a relationship or the death of a family member or friend.

Right now, I am experiencing sadness due to the death of my sister-in-law, Adele.  Yesterday, my husband's brother, George, called to let us know that she went home to be with Jesus.  Adele had been in the hospital for almost a month with pneumonia.  

Adele was a God-fearing woman and loved and shared Jesus with everyone she knew.  Family and friends were praying for her divine healing to come home to her home that she had lived in for almost fifty years.  God had other plans.  Praise God!  She is healed.  She just will not be with us, but she is rejoicing with other family members and friends and Jesus.

We are not alone.

Isaiah 43:2 says "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.  And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.  When you walk through the fires, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."  The Lord will hold our hand and walk through these sad and dark times with us.

What now?  We will treasure the sweet memories of Adele and all that she has done for others.  Life is short and that is why you enjoy your time with family and friends.  I will treasure the thirty-six years that I had with Adele.  Some fond memories are when she made the flowers for Kenny and mine's wedding.  We spent a day picking out flowers and deciding on the designs for my bridal bouquet, as well as the bridesmaid's bouquets and the table arrangements.  She was never selfish of her time.  She was always willing to assist others.  Our time with family(dinners, holidays, reunions, working puzzles and so much more).  But what I will miss the most is just having a conversation of certain matters going on in my life, talking about family and friends and sharing our faith.

We will now rise up and carry the torch.  What would Adele want us to do?  She would want us to go forth and continue to share the gospel that Jesus lives.

It is hard to see the blessings, but I know they are there.  God promises me that.  Matthew 5:4 says "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."  Blessings are more than happiness.  It is about finding hope and joy and to follow Jesus no matter what.

Adele has faced a physical death, but she lives and will always live in our hearts.

John 5:24 - "Jesus said that Adele heard His word and believed in Him who had promised her everlasting life.  Adele will not come into judgment, but she will pass from death into life."

You will be missed!  Until we see each other again!

Adele, George and their beautiful grand-daughters

Don't Worry Be Happy

Today the song "Don't Worry Be Happy" popped into my mind.  I haven't heard this song in years.  The song did bring a smile to my face.  Of course, I had to google it and listen.  This song was released in 1988.  That was thirty-three years ago.  A lot was happening back then.  I was living in Austin, Texas and had been married for two years.  Life was going well and the only worries I had were taking courses at the University of Texas.

The lyrics are "Don't worry, be happy.  In every life we have some trouble.  But when you worry you make it double.  Don't worry, be happy...."

Now that I have this tune in my mind, it will help me keep everything in perspective of what is going on in the world.

Who doesn't worry?  I realize some worry a lot more than others.  When I begin to worry, I think what can I do to change the situation.  

I have a friend who tells me "When you begin to worry, pray.  When you are praying, you don't worry".  That does make sense.

If you are worrier, what can you do?  Begin to smile.  There is something about smiling.  Your whole body changes.  The weight is lifted, your breathing changes and you have a twinkle to the eye.

Exercising is also something you can do.  Exercise strengthens your heart and your increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body.  

Being grateful keeps your mind off of your problems.  What is something that you are thankful for? 

And just like my friend, praying is the main ingredient.  God tells us to give him all our troubles and burdens.  Matthew 11:28 says "Come to Jesus, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  How would you like to feel loved, healed and peace with God?

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22  When you have something at task that you don't want to do and you are worried about it, remember encouragement, enthusiasm and a positive outlook will make all the difference.

This photo represents letting go and letting God handle our troubles.  Take a minute to walk outside and enjoy the surroundings.  Remember that the God who created nature is also the same God that will carry you through the troubling times.  Start whistling "Don't worry, be happy".

Happy Birthday!

I wonder how many people had birthdays today?  I know of three good friends who are celebrating.  One is celebrating her 50th; another one is celebrating her 60th and my other friend is celebrating reaching 72.  And to think somewhere, a baby is being born today and will celebrate a year from now.

Do you ever wonder where birthday celebration began?  Well, I do.  I am always curious, how things got started.

One thing that I did learn was that birthday festivities did not begin until calendars were created.  That makes sense.  No one had a way to keep track of time except by the sun, moon, seasons and other events.

The first reference to a birthday were the Egyptians when they celebrated Pharaoh's birthday.  The actual date that was celebrated was when Pharaoh became King.  This date was more important than their actual birth.  The Greeks felt that each person had a spiritual god that would be with them throughout the years.

The Romans would celebrate men turning 50 years old and they would receive a special cake baked with wheat flour, olive oil, grated cheese and honey.  Women did not begin to celebrate birthdays until about the 12th century.

If you are going to have a birthday celebration, you need a cake and candles.  The Greeks would offer up moon-shaped cakes filled with candles.  The flames from the candles gave a radiance glow of beauty.  The blowing out of the candles was a prayer to the gods.

In earlier years, sugary cakes were only enjoyed by the wealthy.  Sugar use to be a luxury only enjoyed by the wealthy.  It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution when everyone was able to afford sugar.  After that everyone enjoyed having a sugary cake to celebrate their special day.

"Happy Birthday" was written by two sisters who were school teachers.  They wrote the song "Good Morning to All" in 1893 and it was published for other teachers.  The song was to be sung in class before students started their day.  The lyrics of the song became what we know as "The Birthday Song".

The gathering of friends and family and noisemakers were welcomed to protect the birthday person from any harm.  The gifts that were brought would ward off evil spirits.

Some interesting facts.  October 5th is the most common birth date in the U.S.  Are you asking "Why?"  Think about it.  Nine months before is New Year's Eve.  A time of celebration.  May 22nd is considered to be the least common birthday in the U.S.  Nine months before May 22nd is August.  I guess August was too hot and no one wanted to be close to each other.

Now you know why birthdays are celebrated.  This year you can play a little trivia on your day of celebration.

"You are beautiful, for you are fearfully and wonderfully made."  Psalms 139:14  God has made you and His Spirit lives within you.  He wants you to celebrate life and a new year!

Angels

Last night when I stepped outside to look at the sunset, I was drawn to the blue and orange sky and the puffy clouds.  The sunset and the sunrays looked as if angels were gathered together and singing.

I just read that angels are mentioned 273 times in the Bible.  God created angels at the same time that the earth was formed.  Angels are God's spiritual beings who are here to bring messages, to protect, to give guidance, to encourage and so much more.

The birth of Jesus was such a supernatural event.  The angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her "you are highly favored.  The Lord is with you."   Mary had found favored with God and she would give birth to a son and she would name him Jesus.  An angel of the Lord came to Joseph to tell him not to be afraid.  That what was conceived in Mary was from the Holy Spirit.  And then at the birth of Jesus, an angel of the Lord appeared before the shepherds to tell them to not be afraid and that the Savior had been born.

There are so many more times that God talks about angels in the Bible.  Angels were there at Sodom & Gomorrah, Abraham, Jacob, Daniel, Paul, John and so many other characters and events throughout the Bible.

So many books have been written about angels and their mystic power.  Angels are not a god. God does provide them when they are needed.

I will end with this verse.

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."  Hebrews 13:2

To Dream The Impossible Dream

For the past several weeks, the song "The Impossible Dream" has been playing in my mind.  This was a song that was released in 1965.  Back then, I enjoyed the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, but I also loved musicals.  This song was written for the Broadway Musical "Man of La Mancha". 

When Andy Williams would sing it, my voice would come alive and I would begin to sing out loud.

"To dream the impossible dream, To fight the unbeatable foe, To bear with unbearable sorrow, To run where the brave dare not go"....."To reach the unreachable star".

This song was perfect for the musical.  Dox Quixote intends to restore the world of chivalry.  He is a dreamer and sees good in everyone and everything.  He sets out on his adventure where he fights imaginary giants, dragons & wizards.

I can remember this song would feel me with hope and made me think that I could conquer anything.  A thirteen year old girl that felt the whole world was before me.  I was very timid.  Afraid to speak up; afraid to get in front of the room; afraid to ask for anything.

I had dreams, but I was not strong or comfortable to fight for those dreams.  I was a tall, lanky, 5'10" with long brown hair and big brown eyes.  My dream was to become a model.  I even signed up with a modeling school, but I didn't have the courage to go.  I always felt that there were prettier girls than me.  That nobody would notice me.

So every time that I would hear the musical tune "The Impossible Dream", a smile would appear and my eyes would sparkle and for a moment I also felt that I was fighting those imaginary giants.

Hear I am almost sixty years later and I am still dreaming.  Yes, I still want to be that super-model.  But I have a new dream.  I want to write a novel about a woman who wants to flee from a communist country to find the freedom that she had always been looking for.  

I thank God that I now feel comfortable with myself.  I speak in front of groups, I ask questions and I figure out a way to obtain my dreams.

To have a dream, one also needs a plan.  "Ask the Lord to bless your plans, and you will be successful in carrying them out."  Proverbs 16:3

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Philippians 4:13

I am believing in the unbelievable and dreaming that I could be that next best selling author.  

Is there something you are dreaming about?  Something that you feel is beyond reach?  Begin to believe and start humming "The Impossible Dream".

Adele, We Are Praying for You & Believing!

 Adele, we are praying for you and believing!  

Adele has a special place in so many people's hearts and lives.  I think of her daily as she lays on the hospital bed with a ventilator.  She has been in the hospital now for almost three weeks and has been on the ventilator for ten days.

People all over the world are praying for her and for the healing of her lungs from the bacterial pneumonia.

For those who do not know her, let me describe Adele.  She is a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, prayer warrior, educator, a God-fearing woman, friend and so much more.  Adele has always been there for others.  There have been so many times that I have seen her lay hands on someone or on a particular part of someone's body that might be in pain and prayed for them.  It didn't matter where she was.  She always knew that the person needed some relief and needed to feel God's presence.

Talking with her daughter the other day, Krista described her mother as Deborah from Judges 4 & 5.  Deborah was a prophetess and a wise leader.  She was always able to see the big picture that others are not able to see.  Deborah was a mediator, adviser, a planner and she walked with God.  As Deborah was a fighter, Adele is as well.  If she believes in something, she never gives up.

Adele's grand-daughter shared with me the other day of a vision that she had.  Emily saw her grandmother on a walker coming out of the hospital with a smile on her face.  She said she had aged and was very feeble and her hair had streaks of gray.

I have always felt that the Lord is going to use Adele to tell the story of her fighting to live and how God was right there with her.   Adele's husband, George, is also recovering from COVID.  George is a spiritual man, who teaches others about God's grace and how He gives new lives and a peace to ones that ask.  They have always been the dynamic duo.  Their forgiving love for others has shown how God forgives us and loves us throughout all our circumstances, trials and tribulations.

During times like this, one wonders "Am I not praying correctly?", "Does God not hear me?", "What am I doing wrong?".....  So many questions, we ask God, when we are not seeing our requests answered.

I know that God is working.  He is with Adele and He is healing her.  But God is also working on me.  He is wanting me to be faithful in prayer and to keep my eyes on Him.

Luke 18:1, Jesus says "pray and not give up".  I am keeping my prayer constantly before God as I walk with Him and believing He will answer.  God may be delaying His answer, so that I can grow in character, faith and hope.

When I think of believing.  I always think about Charlie Waters, who played for the Dallas Cowboys.  I was traveling from North Texas to Austin one cold Sunday listening to the game.  Charlie couldn't play the game against Washington due to an injury.  Charlie was asked to be one of the announcers for the game.  With Charlie announcing, I felt as if I was right there in the stadium.  The game was back and forth.  Washington got ahead and it was the last seconds of the game.  

The other announcer said to Charlie "It doesn't look good right now.  Surely, Dallas doesn't have a chance."  Charlie's reply was "Brad, that's just not the way you think as a player.  Everybody just believes.  You've got to believe.  That's just what it's all about.  If you collectively believe things are going to happen, you can sometimes make miracles happen."  

Charlie knew that Roger Staubach, the quarterback, was figuring out a way to score.  The other players trusted and believed in Roger.  The players believed in their hearts that if they did their job, then Roger would do the rest.  Seconds on the board, Roger did his hail-Mary throw and the Cowboys won 35 to 34.

I know this was a football game.  But the leader and the players were all on the same page.  They trusted and believed that they could do it.  As believers, we need to come together, believing that Jesus can heal.  He is "Wonderful Counselor", "Mighty God", "Everlasting Father" & "Prince of Peace".

Even the disciples questioned Jesus on why they couldn't drive out the demons of a young boy.  Jesus told them because of their lack of faith and believing.

We are praying for Adele and laying hands over her lungs and asking God for that victory of healing and that she will walk out of the hospital.  We are waiting for her story of how Jesus healed her!

Please join me in believing in the miracle that God is going to perform!

Adele, Krista(daughter) and Emily/Elle(grand-daughters)