A new year has begun and, like a lot of people, I made a few resolutions. Some will stick and some will last a few days, if that. Two of my main resolutions were to become more comfortable speaking in front of people and sharing my thoughts and the other is to let those who have touched my heart know that they have done so.
Case in point: My friend Nathan (aka "Joe" in a previous post).
Nathan has become my chatting buddy when I'm logged into my messenger. We talk about a lot of different topics and we usually end with an online prayer. He told me about some of the rough times he is going through with his family and work. He also keeps me posted on his bowling scores and lots of other great information. He's my cheering section, my prayer buddy and my friend. He is very special.
He loves coming to our church but occasionally he has to work on Sundays and isn't able to attend. I try to make a point to stop by the store on my way home because I know he'll want to touch base on what we talked about that day. Last Sunday, we did a very touching affirmation of baptism ceremony for everyone in attendance. All were welcomed to the font for a blessing as a reminder that we are all children of God. We all approached the baptismal font and were blessed and then we would turn and bless the person behind us, marking the sign of the cross on the person's forehead. I was deeply moved by this but I was also very disappointed for Nathan because he wasn't able to be there for it.
On my way home, I stopped in to Walmart and there to greet me, of course, was Nathan! The first words out of his mouth were "What did we learn in church today?" So I told him about the worship service and the affirmation of our baptism. And standing right there in the front of Walmart, I marked the cross on his forehead and repeated the words we had said earlier at the service. He then did the same for me. I smiled, he smiled. We hugged again and I was on my way. We blessed each other again on my way out! It is so refreshing to be with someone like Nathan. Someone who just yearns to learn more and someone who can be so full of joy and smiles when the worlds seems to be knocking him down.
On one recent evening we were chatting so I let him know that he has really touched my heart and soul and I just thought he should know. I told him about the blog I had written about him (which I originally intended as 'just a story') and he was so surprised. I sent him the link so he could read it. He just loved it! I hope to share my story of Nathan, and how he's touched my heart, with the church someday.
If someone has touched your heart or changed your world in a special way, let them know! It doesn't have to be a big deal. No gifts or fancy wrapping necessary. Tell them what's in your heart and let them know they've made a difference.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Counting My Blessings
I drifted off to sleep last night counting my blessings and all the blessings that I am thankful for in my life. I woke up early (5:05 am) thinking of the same things so I took that as an omen to blog.
I remember in grade school around Thanksgiving we would always have to write a story about what we are thankful for.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is my short list:
Motherhood: I am thankful for the blessing of motherhood. To me, this means that God had enough faith in me to raise three of his children without an instruction manual. Those who are mothers know that this is completely on-the-job training, most of which we learned from our own mothers. I thank God that I one of the best teachers!
My daughter: She is just like me, only stronger. She makes me laugh, she makes me cry, she always hits the curb when she drives my car. She is strong, dedicated, loving, a good friend, and a defender of our country. Thank God for my daughter; she is my best friend.
My sons: Two peas in a pod these boys. Two strong, smart, dedicated, mechanical, loving, caring young men who bring smiles to my face every day by the way they love life and live each day to its fullest. Thank God I have my boys, and they have each other.
Love: I am thankful for the many ways I give and receive love and I am thankful that there is so much of it in the world that it can get you through many of the worse times of your life. Especially, the never-ending love we get from our Lord.
Family: Immediate and extended, those close, and those far away. I cannot imagine my world without my family. Though we may not get together as often as we like because of time and distance, they are always in my heart and in my prayers. They are the lifeline and support system that keeps me whole.
Cobwebs & Dust: This one might seem strange to you. But the blessings of cobwebs and dust mean, to me, that I am blessed with the a shelter from the cold, a safe place to be. I have heat and electricity. So praise God for cobwebs and dust.
Laundry: Those piles of laundry that never quite seem to end are absolutely a blessing. These piles signify that one of our basic needs of life, warm clothing, is being met in abundance and we should be thankful for them. Thank you Lord for warm clothing.
Dirty Dishes: Here again, many may think these represent an endless, thankless chore. But those dirty dishes in the sink mean that we have been blessed, yet again, with food so that we will not go hungry. Thank you, God, for dirty dishes.
My Job: Day and in and day out I travel to work and come home. It takes a big chunk out of my day when I'd sometimes rather be doing something else. However, if I did not have this blessing, I would not be able to enjoy the previous three blessings. I appreciate the fact that I still have a job to go to when so many are not as fortunate and are struggling. I am thankful for the laughter and friendships that flourish there. Thank you God for allowing me to be employed and help support my family.
Friendships: I am so thankful for the many various friendships I have been blessed with throughout my life. From my best friend since kindergarten to the new friends I've made through work, church and the army - every one of them has blessed and strengthened me in some way. Friends are there for you. Friendship is powerful. Friends laugh with you, they cry with you, they can get you into and out of trouble, they can get you down and they can uplift your spirit. Each one, I believe, has been sent to me for a reason. My cup runneth over with this blessing of friendship. Thank you, God, for the abundance of friends you have brought into my life.
Freedom & Soldiers: I am thankful for all of the soldiers who serve in the military. Who serve to restore peace and freedom in God's world. We are blessed with the freedom to come and go as we please, wear what we want, thank what we want, and be who we are - - shouldn't everyone, everywhere have this blessing? God, thankyou for our troops and for the freedom we enjoy!
Remember to take time to count your blessings this year and thank the God who has given them to you.
I remember in grade school around Thanksgiving we would always have to write a story about what we are thankful for.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is my short list:
Motherhood: I am thankful for the blessing of motherhood. To me, this means that God had enough faith in me to raise three of his children without an instruction manual. Those who are mothers know that this is completely on-the-job training, most of which we learned from our own mothers. I thank God that I one of the best teachers!
My daughter: She is just like me, only stronger. She makes me laugh, she makes me cry, she always hits the curb when she drives my car. She is strong, dedicated, loving, a good friend, and a defender of our country. Thank God for my daughter; she is my best friend.
My sons: Two peas in a pod these boys. Two strong, smart, dedicated, mechanical, loving, caring young men who bring smiles to my face every day by the way they love life and live each day to its fullest. Thank God I have my boys, and they have each other.
Love: I am thankful for the many ways I give and receive love and I am thankful that there is so much of it in the world that it can get you through many of the worse times of your life. Especially, the never-ending love we get from our Lord.
Family: Immediate and extended, those close, and those far away. I cannot imagine my world without my family. Though we may not get together as often as we like because of time and distance, they are always in my heart and in my prayers. They are the lifeline and support system that keeps me whole.
Cobwebs & Dust: This one might seem strange to you. But the blessings of cobwebs and dust mean, to me, that I am blessed with the a shelter from the cold, a safe place to be. I have heat and electricity. So praise God for cobwebs and dust.
Laundry: Those piles of laundry that never quite seem to end are absolutely a blessing. These piles signify that one of our basic needs of life, warm clothing, is being met in abundance and we should be thankful for them. Thank you Lord for warm clothing.
Dirty Dishes: Here again, many may think these represent an endless, thankless chore. But those dirty dishes in the sink mean that we have been blessed, yet again, with food so that we will not go hungry. Thank you, God, for dirty dishes.
My Job: Day and in and day out I travel to work and come home. It takes a big chunk out of my day when I'd sometimes rather be doing something else. However, if I did not have this blessing, I would not be able to enjoy the previous three blessings. I appreciate the fact that I still have a job to go to when so many are not as fortunate and are struggling. I am thankful for the laughter and friendships that flourish there. Thank you God for allowing me to be employed and help support my family.
Friendships: I am so thankful for the many various friendships I have been blessed with throughout my life. From my best friend since kindergarten to the new friends I've made through work, church and the army - every one of them has blessed and strengthened me in some way. Friends are there for you. Friendship is powerful. Friends laugh with you, they cry with you, they can get you into and out of trouble, they can get you down and they can uplift your spirit. Each one, I believe, has been sent to me for a reason. My cup runneth over with this blessing of friendship. Thank you, God, for the abundance of friends you have brought into my life.
Freedom & Soldiers: I am thankful for all of the soldiers who serve in the military. Who serve to restore peace and freedom in God's world. We are blessed with the freedom to come and go as we please, wear what we want, thank what we want, and be who we are - - shouldn't everyone, everywhere have this blessing? God, thankyou for our troops and for the freedom we enjoy!
Remember to take time to count your blessings this year and thank the God who has given them to you.
Rejoice and Be Glad in It!
Today is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it
Psalm 118:24
I have heard this Psalm many times, but it has never struck my heart as true as it did this morning.
I woke up early as I usually do on the weekend, around 5:30 am, to find everything covered in a beautiful blanket of white this morning. This was a beautiful sight as today is the first Sunday in Advent and we are full on into the Christmas season. I left my house a little early so I could 'run in to Wal-Mart' and get a few things. I found myself grumbling all the way because the roads were slushy, it was cold outside and it was still snowing and that leads to a bad hair day. After an hour at the store, I headed off to church, gathering my thoughts in the car as I went and preparing my heart to hear the words that would be spoken there today.
For the past few months, we have had a very special guest attending our services. Out of respect for his privacy, I will call him "Joe", although anyone who shops regularly at the local Wal-Mart will recognize him just by the description. Joe was born with certain challenges that might have held back others - but not Joe. This blonde-haired, blue-eyed ray of sunshine beams right into each of our hearts when he is around. He is forever cheerful, upbeat, caring, and worships with all his heart and soul. There is utterly no human way that you can speak to him and not walk away with a smile in your heart. This brings me to the Psalm mentioned above - . . . "let us rejoice and be glad in it."
I chose a seat close to the outside of the row of pews, as I was the reader today and needed to be able to get out easily. I was the only one in that row until Joe came and asked if it was okay if he sat with me today. What an honor that felt like! Now, from the moment we sat down, he never left my side. In fact, he moved in closer, as if to say, "I'm right here if you need me."
The service began and as we normally do we start off with a hymn. Joe is quite accomplished on the piano and reads music quite nicely so no sooner than the organ started playing, Joe's voice rang out next to mine with such joy and abandon I couldn't help but smile. Why can't we all just sing with joyful abandon? When the first prayer began, Joe reached over and grabbed my hand tight. I was surprised at first but gladly accepted his hand knowing that there was genuine sincerity in his offering it to me. We held hands tightly with every prayer that followed, and if he forgot, I took his hand. Rejoice and be glad in it!
Upon returning to my seat after I had done the readings for the day. He heartily hugged me and said, "That was awesome!" He had ME beaming from ear to ear with his smile. Following the readings Pastor began her sermon. It was a wonderful story to help us all better understand how God knows we need help even before we cry out to him. At every turn of the story, Joe would look at me and we would discuss briefly the meanings behind what she was saying. When she was finished, Joe grabbed my hand and shouted, "Intense!" It was, indeed, intense. Isn't it amazing that God knows we need him even before we ask? Wow. Intense! Rejoice and be glad in it!
Soon it was time for us to approach the altar for communion. One by one we rose from our seats and proceeded to form our orderly lines, much as we do many other Sundays throughout the year. But somehow today was different for me, just being with Joe and watching his unequalled excitement with every phase of worship – something many of us do routinely and without thinking much. When handed the communion wafer and the words spoken "the body of Christ given for you" Joe exclaimed quite loudly, "Amen, Pastor!" I immediately noticed every face around me smiling. They were not laughing at Joe, but they were relishing the joy with which he enjoyed worshiping our Lord. I am sure, like me, there were a few who were thinking, "Why don't we all worship like that?" Rejoice and be glad in it!
At the end of the service, the women of our church presented boxes full of home-baked goodies to our college students and military service personnel. As one of the military moms in the congregation I was up to accept the package for my daughter. Pastor lead a prayer of blessing for all of these students and soldiers and as is usual for me, I cried. I always cry when we pray for the military, although I try to hold it in and almost always fail. When I returned to my seat, Joe was there waiting with his arms open wide to give me a hug and tell me it would be okay. Selfless, unconditional love – Wow! Intense! Rejoice and be glad in it!
Spending one hour of worship time with Joe this morning was an enormous blessing. He did not care if it was snowing, or the roads were slushy, or he was having a bad hair day. He showed me, in all of his unbridled energy and glory, that "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Thanks to the joyful heart of Joe, I now have a truer vision of how God wants us to rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24
I have heard this Psalm many times, but it has never struck my heart as true as it did this morning.
I woke up early as I usually do on the weekend, around 5:30 am, to find everything covered in a beautiful blanket of white this morning. This was a beautiful sight as today is the first Sunday in Advent and we are full on into the Christmas season. I left my house a little early so I could 'run in to Wal-Mart' and get a few things. I found myself grumbling all the way because the roads were slushy, it was cold outside and it was still snowing and that leads to a bad hair day. After an hour at the store, I headed off to church, gathering my thoughts in the car as I went and preparing my heart to hear the words that would be spoken there today.
For the past few months, we have had a very special guest attending our services. Out of respect for his privacy, I will call him "Joe", although anyone who shops regularly at the local Wal-Mart will recognize him just by the description. Joe was born with certain challenges that might have held back others - but not Joe. This blonde-haired, blue-eyed ray of sunshine beams right into each of our hearts when he is around. He is forever cheerful, upbeat, caring, and worships with all his heart and soul. There is utterly no human way that you can speak to him and not walk away with a smile in your heart. This brings me to the Psalm mentioned above - . . . "let us rejoice and be glad in it."
I chose a seat close to the outside of the row of pews, as I was the reader today and needed to be able to get out easily. I was the only one in that row until Joe came and asked if it was okay if he sat with me today. What an honor that felt like! Now, from the moment we sat down, he never left my side. In fact, he moved in closer, as if to say, "I'm right here if you need me."
The service began and as we normally do we start off with a hymn. Joe is quite accomplished on the piano and reads music quite nicely so no sooner than the organ started playing, Joe's voice rang out next to mine with such joy and abandon I couldn't help but smile. Why can't we all just sing with joyful abandon? When the first prayer began, Joe reached over and grabbed my hand tight. I was surprised at first but gladly accepted his hand knowing that there was genuine sincerity in his offering it to me. We held hands tightly with every prayer that followed, and if he forgot, I took his hand. Rejoice and be glad in it!
Upon returning to my seat after I had done the readings for the day. He heartily hugged me and said, "That was awesome!" He had ME beaming from ear to ear with his smile. Following the readings Pastor began her sermon. It was a wonderful story to help us all better understand how God knows we need help even before we cry out to him. At every turn of the story, Joe would look at me and we would discuss briefly the meanings behind what she was saying. When she was finished, Joe grabbed my hand and shouted, "Intense!" It was, indeed, intense. Isn't it amazing that God knows we need him even before we ask? Wow. Intense! Rejoice and be glad in it!
Soon it was time for us to approach the altar for communion. One by one we rose from our seats and proceeded to form our orderly lines, much as we do many other Sundays throughout the year. But somehow today was different for me, just being with Joe and watching his unequalled excitement with every phase of worship – something many of us do routinely and without thinking much. When handed the communion wafer and the words spoken "the body of Christ given for you" Joe exclaimed quite loudly, "Amen, Pastor!" I immediately noticed every face around me smiling. They were not laughing at Joe, but they were relishing the joy with which he enjoyed worshiping our Lord. I am sure, like me, there were a few who were thinking, "Why don't we all worship like that?" Rejoice and be glad in it!
At the end of the service, the women of our church presented boxes full of home-baked goodies to our college students and military service personnel. As one of the military moms in the congregation I was up to accept the package for my daughter. Pastor lead a prayer of blessing for all of these students and soldiers and as is usual for me, I cried. I always cry when we pray for the military, although I try to hold it in and almost always fail. When I returned to my seat, Joe was there waiting with his arms open wide to give me a hug and tell me it would be okay. Selfless, unconditional love – Wow! Intense! Rejoice and be glad in it!
Spending one hour of worship time with Joe this morning was an enormous blessing. He did not care if it was snowing, or the roads were slushy, or he was having a bad hair day. He showed me, in all of his unbridled energy and glory, that "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Thanks to the joyful heart of Joe, I now have a truer vision of how God wants us to rejoice and be glad in it.
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