GOD & I: OUR HOLY ENCOUNTERS
"This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
'I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.'" Isaiah 48:17
Boy have we been seeing the 18 wheelers on this trip! And numerous police suv vehicles, sometimes 3 or 4 at a time. Never have to worry about that with Steve driving as he ALWAYS goes the speed limit. Anyway...just thought I would post a few pictures of the trucks. I have been taking lots of pictures with our new camera so that I can be in good practice for our Alaska trip. Our Avalon was excited to see so many relatives. Some carrying interesting loads. I had no idea that trucks could run away from home :0 I was amazed to see this one, because I did not know Fruit Stripe gum still existed. I loved this gum as a kid. There were even flying trucks.
Finally today we took a ride on an Incline Train. It was a 72.7 grade built in 1895. It was interesting but definitely not worth $14.00 a piece for 30 minutes. Tomorrow it is on to Knoxville.
Steve and I are on our way to a wedding in Nashville. The wedding isn't until Thursday but we decided we would come early and just spend some time exploring Tennessee. We have both thought it might be a good place to find our "small town America" to retire. After talking on our trip today Steve is thinking maybe he would like Ohio or Wisconsin because there would be more opportunities to enjoy aviation events. We have heard that Ohio is one of the lower cost of living states. But most of all we want to go where God can use us...we realize that He can use us anywhere, but we are feeling called not to just be involved in "church" but to be more missional in the community where we live. We said maybe we should just stop at little churches on the way and ask them what they are doing and how could they use us. Just kidding...but it does bring up the question "how do we know where God wants us to go?" So for now we are just open. Today we are in Jackson with no plans yet of where we are heading tomorrow. I think we probably should have stayed in Memphis and then we could have taken the southern route. Guess we can still go south from here, but came a little bit out of the way. So stayed tune to see where we end up next.
We were creative today and besides spending time talking about retirement, we played a singing game. We tried to see who could come up with the most Beatle songs. We could only think of four so we then decided to try songs with a city or state in the lyrics. Steve won this one. I didn't keep track but we came up with a bunch. We then went on to songs with numbers in them and songs with names of birds. I then said songs with people's names, but by this time Steve was "songed" out.
You can't be a part of what has been going on the past couple of days and not think about death. Makes me wonder what my legacy will be when I die? Have to admit I can't help but wonder if Michael Jackson did not like being considered weird why he didn't do more to change his image. Okay and am I the only one whose favorite MJ song is "Ben"?
And Farrah Fawcett?? Hopefully after I die I will have contributed more to the world than being famous for my hair. Actually...I did find this picture of my Farah Fawcett hair that I cut myself. But today I went to see "My Sister's Keeper" and there is a seen where a 17 year old is dying and her younger 12 year old sister asks her "are you afraid to die?" and then asked "where do you go when you die?" She said she was not afraid to die and then replied, "I don't know, but where ever it is I will wait for you." It just made me think that if I didn't know that death is actually our victory and that life after death is so much more than we can ever imagine then how would I face death? Without God and His love facing death has to be scary. I am so thankful that when my time comes that I will be able to die in peace. However, I do think it is worth thinking about what kind of legacy I will leave when I die. I hope and pray that it will be one that glorifies my Father and causes other people to want to know Him better.
(our first attempt to download pictures from Steve's Blackberry)
Last night Steve treated me to a night of Il Divo for an early birthday present. If you are not familiar with Il Divo, Simon Cowell (yes from American Idol) had an idea of putting together four men who could sing classical music but not opera. He searched for two years before putting together an international group: Spanish opera and zarzuela baritone, Carlos Marín, a French pop singer, Sébastien Izambard, and two classically trained tenors, Swiss Urs Bühler and American David Miller. Each of them have amazing voices on their own, but put them together and they are just bone chilling. Even though 90% of the concert was not in English, I still really enjoyed it. But here is the problem. Since it wasn't in English I had no idea what they were singing. My favorite song was one called Hallelujah. Listen to it and then read the rest of the post.
I thought it was so beautiful and had to research today to see what the lyrics actually said imagine my surprise when I put them into a translation service and discovered this:
A soldier home today returned and a sick boy he was cured and today there is not I work in the forest of the rain The deserted was saved because of a good deed and today nobody repudiates it Hallelujah [Chorus:] Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah An atheist that managed to believe and a hungry one today has to eat and today they donated to a church a fortune That the quick war will be finished That in the world to the end will reign the peace That there will not be any misery Hallelujah [Chorus:] Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Because the norm be the love and govern not the corruption but the good thing and the best of the pure soul Because God protect us of a badly final one Because a day we can learn Because to put an end to so much fury Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Because a day we can learn Because to put an end to so much fury Hallelujah
Have to say though I was glad they changed the lyrics from the orginal ones of Leonard Cohen.
Now I've heard there was a secret chord That David played, and it pleased the Lord But you don't really care for music, do you? It goes like this The fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift The baffled king composing Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
Your faith was strong but you needed proof You saw her bathing on the roof Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you She tied you To a kitchen chair She broke your throne, and she cut your hair And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Baby I have been here before I know this room, I've walked this floor I used to live alone before I knew you. I've seen your flag on the marble arch Love is not a victory march It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah
There was a time you let me know What's really going on below But now you never show it to me, do you? And remember when I moved in you The holy dove was moving too And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah
You say I took the name in vain I don't even know the name But if I did, well really, what's it to you? There's a blaze of light In every word It doesn't matter which you heard The holy or the broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah
I did my best, it wasn't much I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you And even though It all went wrong I'll stand before the Lord of Song With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
Lesson learned? Just because the lyrics have the words Hallelujah, doesn't mean it is a religious song.
For their encore they did come out and do an amazing rendition of Amazing Grace. And yes, it was in English.
I am thankful that God has allowed me to spend another Father's Day with my Dad. He wanted to go to the Great Buffet for lunch, so we did that on Friday. Today was simple, he didn't want a dessert, so I just took him some grapefruit. He loves grapefruit that is peeled. It took me about 45 minutes to peel him four, but it was worth it because he was so pleased. I have to admit doing this made me appreciate my mom, because she peels them for him all the time, and it is quite a bit of work to get all that skin off. Anyway...that's my dad, so easy to please, and very appreciative of just the simple things in life.
I am just thankful for the gift he has been to me and the most important gift he has given me which is the gift of having a father who has a heart for our Father. He is a wonderful vessel that God has loved me through and I am eternally greatful. I am not ready to say goodbye to my Dad, but he is sure ready to go home. I will just be grateful for each day until God calls him. Recent picture of my Dad and his great grandson Talon
I love going to weddings. It is just fun to watch a couple start life together, really clueless as to what really lies ahead. There is such innocence. I love sitting next to my husband during a wedding and just reliving our own vows and being thankful that 20 years later I can have all confidence that we have kept those vows to one another.
Today's wedding of Erin Snyder and Marshall May had to be one of the funner weddings I have been to, in that Marshall and his groomsmen seemed to have fun. Hopefully that means that he will keep things lively in their marriage. And I must say that Sara did an amazing job in sewing all the bridesmaid dresses.
One thing I have noticed about weddings is people do not arrive late. At Richardson East people are always talking about "R.E. time" because no one ever gets to Bible class on time. It is almost like it is just acceptable to be there at 9:15. As a Bible class teacher I find this to be very frustrating because you do have a couple of kids that get their early (because their parents are also teachers) and you have to begin class for them, and yet the kids that come in so late want to do the activity but don't get to because you are ready to move on to the next thing. Anyway... my question is why can people get to wedding's on time, but not Bible class? I guess one thing that makes it easier is weddings are usually later in the day. Anyway...just wonder if God thinks our excuses for being late to meet Him are acceptable?
I don't think much of what I miss by living in the city, but my recent trip to my brother's in Olympia have motivated me to once again think about moving out in the country. Here are a few pictures from his place. I love sitting out on a deck, and this was the view from my brother's. The haze did not go away enough to see Mt. Ranier, but it was still a pretty valley below. Two different days and deer showed up to eat plants and grass in the back yard. There were rhodendrums everywhere. His were lavendar and purple, but there were beautiful pink, yellow and orange as well. Eventually wherever we move, I want to have a deck to just sit out and enjoy reading and God's beauty of nature. My mom and I both enjoyed a ride in my brother's Rousche Mustang. What a life :)
My friend Andrea sent me an email today with this story and I thought it was just a sweet reminder of who we are called to be.
"Excuse me, Are you Jesus?" This is really powerful and makes one think!!!! A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.
ALL BUT ONE!!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.
He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did. The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.
The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.
When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."
As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister...." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?"
He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?" Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace..
If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the word as life unfolds day to day.
You are the apple of His eye even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.
This morning we attended worship with my brother Brad in Olympia, Washington. I thought the minister had a good sermon from Exodus 6. He talked about how God's timing is not our timing and what lessons God can teach us when He asks us to wait. He started out by saying that "we are always in a hurry and God never is". He said when God asks us to wait we usually do 3 things: 1. We WONDER what God is up to and how He will respond. 2. We WORRY because He isn't moving at our speed and think He may not respond at all 3. We WHINE asking God what's taking so long?
He stated that God will actually answer our prayer when He can manifest His power in such a way that He will get the most glory.
God told Moses I AM (not "I was" OR (I will be)
It is never about what we are doing for God but what He is doing for us.
In waiting for God's plan to be revealed we will see a revelation of God's power and a revelation of God's person.
Exodus 6:2-3-God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them."
They only knew God partially, not totally who He was as LORD=Yahweh. If we don't wait, we will not know God for who He totally is either.
We can be confident that God will always finish what He starts.
Seems like this summer is going to bring more travel than usual. Today, my mom and I leave for Olympia, Washington for my youngest niece's graduation from High School. After we return on the 10th, I will be home two weeks before Steve and I head off for Nashville for a friends' son's wedding. Then we are home a week before we leave on our Alaskan cruise.
So....won't be blogging a lot, but will have lots of pictures to share after each trip.
Everyone have a GREAT summer!!
Thursday, June 04, 2009
This note was in a Focus on The Family email that Steve forwarded to me today.
June Declared 'LGBT Pride Month' President Barack Obama has proclaimed the month of June 2009 as "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month." "The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress," Obama states in the official proclamation, "but there is more to be done." The most recent reliable figures, from a study called the "National Health and Social Life Survey" in 1994, found that 2.8 percent of American men and 1.4 percent of American women reported some level of homosexual or bisexual identity. [OneNewsNow.com; Edward O. Laumann, et. al., The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States, University of Chicago Press, 1994]
No, I am not going to post comments about President Obama. What struck me about the article were the statistics. 2.8 percent of men and 1.4 percent of women report some level of homosexual behavior. Does that surprise anyone else besides me? How does such a small percent of the population have such a loud voice? Unfortunately, I think it is called media.
