"A Work in Progress"

I was listening to a song this morning and that got my interest. The song talks about how God is not finished with us yet. Whether we have weight issues, hair issues, health issues, or just plain issues, it does not mean we will always be in that situation.  God is at work in us all of the time.  Not just on a Sunday, or when we are in church.  There is a scripture in Philippians that tells us this very thing.
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. - Philippians 1:6
God has promised to finish what he has started in us. But we have to remember, not everything is instant.  Sometimes it takes many of life's lessons to get to that place God wants us to be at.
Let me tell you from my perspective.  As you know by now, I have major spinal cord damage and leukemia.  The spinal cord has been operated on 3 times.  All 3 surgeries lengthy and risky. Those surgeries were necessary to keep me alive and with some quality of life. I was not promised the cord would be fine or that I would be good to go for life.  Instead I've been told I may need the surgery again, and again.  I have to say this literally makes me feel sick to my stomach. So what gives me the will to go on, the fact that Jesus promises He will finish what He has begun in me.  I don't know when that will be, but I know without a doubt it will happen. And I know the same for the leukemia.  The kind I have is chronic. This means it will never go away or be in remission. But it is treatable.  Sure I deal with the effects of it in my body. The fatigue, the susceptibility of repeated infections, these do wear me out.  But still, God is bigger than all of that. He has a perfect plan. I have to take comfort in those promises He gives us.
No matter what you are going through or dealing with, God has a plan, and He promises to finish it.  I encourage you to reach out for that strength He gives us, no matter what others say, or what your diagnosis says, God is bigger. And I am so very grateful for that.
Take a listen to this song.  I pray you find the strength and hope Jesus has for you.

Memorials

Memorials, a word that can have so many different meanings. The one I am thinking of today is "happy memories", or "important milestones" in your life.
This week my husband Paul and I celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary. Yes 36! And I can say we are quite proud of this. But then why wouldn't we be proud, right?
You see marriage takes work from both husband and wife. It also takes sacrifice, not 50/50 but 100/100.  That's right, it takes total commitment from both. And this is why I am proud of our 36 years.  Has it always been roses and sunshine. Of course not. We need trials and testings to make us grow and mature, and make us stronger. But we both love each other more than we can even describe. We never would even think of giving up on our marriage. And honestly, I think after 36 years, we even value our times together more than ever. We find ourselves talking of retirement days when we can spend every day together. For us, marriage is a very special memorial in our lives. We feel fulfilled, blessed, and very thankful to have each other.
OK so enough of that part. There are many types of memorials you can have in your life. I like to think of it as something that is so very important to you that you can remember every moment of that day. Maybe your high school graduation or college graduation. Maybe the birth of your child. Or the first day of your first job. How about the first new car you bought, the color, the price, even the smell. Whatever it may be, memorials are important. And often something we can be very proud of.
We all need something to strive for, or something to keep us energized and motivated. Our life is meant to be full of life, love, and happiness. Sure we all have had our times of sorrow and grief. That is why it is important to have something to keep us motivated and to keep joy in our lives.
So ask yourself today, what is my special memorial. Who or what motivates me? Why is it so important to you?
We all have them, we just may have never looked at it in this way before. God has created each and everyone of us uniquely. Our DNA is only ours. We have our own personality, our own talents, our own memories. And I know God has intended for us to have joy and happiness in our lives. Someone may be thinking "you don't know what I am going through", or you may be asking yourself how you could have happy memories when you have faced many crisis in your life. Trust me, I have faced many trials, and I know how important it is to focus on those happy memories versus the trials.
We need to learn from our trials, but we do not need to dwell on them.
I would also encourage you to journal about your memorials. I have tons of journals filled with all kinds of things. It is good to go back and look at them every so often.
I pray that as you read this blog it spurs happy memories for you. I pray you feel that joy and contentment as you ponder those times. And even some pride as you think of something great you have accomplished.
Be blessed my friends. Find your happy place. You deserve it.

Mother's Day

I've been thinking all week about my next blog.  I knew I wanted to talk about Mother's Day.  At first I was having a hard time putting it all together. Then I looked at it differently.
I will start with being a Mom. There is no way to explain the joy, the elation, the deep love that a mother has for her child.  The day I became a mother my heart was ready to explode with love when I laid eyes on my son for the first time. I felt so honored and blessed that God chose me to care for this baby boy with the help of his Dad. But you see, it actually began 9 months earlier.  My husband and I prayed over our child day and night. My husband played guitar and we sang worship songs to that baby every day. And he would bounce around in that tiny womb every time.   Back then we did not know whether the baby was a boy or girl. And it did not matter. This baby would be loved regardless of sex.
This got me thinking, Mother's Day we honor our precious mothers. But to a Mom, it is so much more, to me anyway. This is the day that I am reminded of the tremendous blessing it is to be a Mom.  And the responsibility that comes with that.  Let me say, I am not the perfect mom, and I am sure I made plenty of mistakes. However, my love never changed for our son Matthew. Everyday I would marvel at how could I love more each day. Sometimes love is tough when it comes time to discipline or teach a hard lesson.  But when we love unconditionally those hard times are overtaken by the love.
The other thing I think of is encouraging our child to be who God wants him/her to be. Not who we want them to be. My husband and I knew our son was gifted in music. A God given talent. We vowed to encourage Matthew in any way we could. But that also came with the reality that he may choose a different path.  And that would be ok. We trusted God to lead and guide Matthew and we trusted Matthew to follow that lead. Today Matthew travels all over playing that guitar, making it sing to the Lord. He truly has followed his calling to minister God's love through music.
My husband and I are so very proud of him. And he has a beautiful, Godly wife who supports him as well.
So when I celebrate Mother's Day, I do think of my own Mom now in heaven, and the wonderful things we did together. And I will also continue to thank God for the privilege of being a Mom and pray I will always bring honor to God.
I know not all of you have wonderful memories like I do. But know this, God still is your Creator. He created us all to be the best we can be with His help. We all have someone in our life that has left a positive, lasting impression on us. That is a gift from God. That is something to celebrate. If you are not a Mom, God has still used you to bless someone else. Rejoice in that.
I am forever grateful that God gave me the son he did.
So yes, I want to say a special greeting to all Mom's out there.  But also to the rest of you, be blessed with who God has placed in your life as well.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!