2020 Vision

2020 Vision

It's so hard to believe that the year 2020 has arrived. The new year always brings with it the thoughts of what is ahead. Goals are set, resolutions will be made, and broken, lol. Seriously only 25% of people will still be on track with their resolutions after 30 days, and only 8% will actually stick to them. Ouch!

As I look back at 2019, I'm not disappointed, I made some positive adjustments in my life, though no where near what I wanted... A friend once told me, shoot for the stars, if you only hit the moon you still have gone forward. – to a point, he was right.

Going into 2020 I am NOT setting resolutions, I am setting goals, goals are realistic and incremental. I am desiring to change my vision... not my eyesight, but rather my vision of my life's path. I want to move forward in the vision that God has called me to live, I want His vision for my life to become more clear to me.

This is something that will require much more than making a resolution, it means taking forward steps toward the goal. In doing this, I must remember those incremental steps that will add up to the desired result, a life submitted to the Lord, following His will for my life, not my own.

The amazing thing is that this is something that anyone can do, the trick is, it takes the decision to do the steps, and they aren't hard to do, but yet I have found myself choosing the easier path of not doing them diligently in the past. – However, I have a deep stirring in my soul to press forward in a new way this year. I really want that 20-20 vision!!

The steps I know to make at this time: (You can too, if you choose.)

• More time in prayer – this can start with increasing by a little a day, or just starting, 5 minutes increase is still increase, and as time goes on, add more. If I do just 5 minutes more a day, that's 35 minutes a week, and that nets over 30 more hours a year, minimum. That's a lot more time in the Lord's presence!!
• More time in His word. Same principle as above.
• Studying the word with more purpose.
• Journaling more, my prayers, hopes and visions. Writing these things down allows for focus, and also allows for reflection as time passes.
• Being active in the house of the Lord. – A plant grows better when it is planted. I know, that in my life, the extended family I have acquired in the house of the Lord had been irreplaceable.
  
  

Yes, I want 2020 vision for my life, His perfect vision. Will I walk 100% in God's will this year? Of course I'd like to think so, but I know me, and the battle I have with my will. So, what I will do, is press in and press forward, I will take any forward progress I can make.

I am excited for the year ahead, a new decade, new beginnings!!

My heart for all of you is the same, new beginnings, just start where you are and take it a step at a time.

Searching for the Perfect Tree

It's that time of year, the time when we set out to find the 'Perfect Tree.

For some that means a trip to the woods, always fun and quite the adventure, memories of doing this with my own family over the years, sometime with snow, and sometimes without... they always make me smile.

  Or maybe it's heading to a department store to find the right size, color of lights, price and style of artificial tree. (When we bought an artificial tree there was a debate... colored or white lights, lol.)

Whether you choose a natural tree or an artificial tree, you want it special, because... well let's face it, the tree, and all that goes with it, on it and around it, is a huge part of this season.

Sometimes it's fun to decorate a tree in the yard too... I know I love to see the lights on people's trees, and house's, during this time of year, they always bring a smile to my face. As a matter of fact, they bring the memory of a 2 year old child in a car seat constantly, and delightedly saying, "Oh, Pretty!!!!" as we went light looking many years ago.

But I was struck recently with a thought of a different tree... A 'tree' that was the most perfect tree. It was not perfect because of it's shape, size or decoration, it was/is perfect because of what it represents, the completed work of the greatest Christmas gift ever given.

The Gift of course, is the reason we celebrate this season, the gift was a tiny child born on dark night so many years ago. A child that was born for one reason. He would grow up to be Savior of the world for all who choose to call on Him. JESUS. And the tree I speak of, the cross that bore His body through the crucifixion, the ultimate sacrifice, His life for ours.

From my heart to yours this season: Merry CHRISTmas!!! Remember the Reason for the Season!

Fantastic Fall

I love fall!!

Everyone has their favorite season... for most it's probably spring or summer... for some it's winter, but as for me- I love the fall!

I enjoy the other seasons (for the most part) but I feel rejuvenated in the fall. Weird, I know. I just can't help myself, as the Lord begins to wave His paintbrush over the landscape my heart leaps. There is nothing that can match those colors, seriously!

God made each season unique, and to me the fall is the culmination of things.

Winter is the time of rest in many ways, most of the plants go dormant, the weather does it's best to keep us indoors. The daylight is less, we tend to be more willing to take time to be quiet... yes, like nature we know it's a season of rest.

Spring is a season of rejuvenation, new life is blossoming around us, it is a time to plant. Whether that is in the natural and we are preparing to plant our garden, or seeking the Lord to plant new dreams in our heart.

Summer comes with the warmth of the sun and longer hours of daylight, and this gives us time to play and allows the plants to grow.

Then comes fall and with it the wonder of the harvest... something that began months before with the turning of soil and planting of the seeds is now bursting for with produce.

I am reminded in this season that we also go through seasons, though they may not always align with the season of nature we are in at the time.

In my personal life I have seen seasons of winter, with it's darkness and sense of loss, I have gone through seasons of spring with new life and optimism... prayers of new dreams for my life.

Then comes a summer season... a time to rejoice in the beauty around us, maybe a trip to the coast to watch the ocean and ponder the power of the Lord. It is a time to allow the dreams that the Lord has put in our hearts to grow. To trust that, if He gave us the dream, He will bring it to pass.

But the best time of all, the one that is so exciting to come into, a fall season!! Sometimes we know when these are coming- maybe it's the completion of a project we have been working on. But sometimes, and these are the best, are those times of dream harvest... That moment that the Lord brings into being those dreams He gave us in that "spring" however long ago it was that we got the dream.

So back to the physical fall outside, yes, I love the colors, the sounds and smell of this time of year, what I really love is that I see it as the Lord's reminder that He will bring my life into it's season of harvest in His timing. And His timing is always best!

Winds of Change

Change happens, it is as inevitable as night and day. The Bible tells us that this is natural.

Ecclesiastes 3:1
To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.

We all have seasons of change in our lives, the obvious ones are changing from childhood to young adult-hood, then there is going from single to married, to parenthood, then empty-nesting. Sometimes we have moments that our lives are interrupted by unexpected events; loss of a loved one, sudden job changes and more.

All I know is that change happens, and the only control we have over it is simply how we respond to it. I was encouraged today at church when the young woman that was teaching, spoke on change, it stirred a confirmation in my spirit. You see, earlier this week I posted on Facebook how lately I have felt that it felt like things were about to change.

My statement was this: 

Do you ever get that feeling, like in Mary Poppins... where you feel the wind of change beginning to hit the sails of your life. No clue, why or when it's coming, but simply feel like it is? 

Pondering this morning what the road ahead will bring, I feel a shift and I'm not exactly sure what it means, it may just be my job change, but I feel it's more than that...

What I have been feeling is that things are changing, I'm not sure exactly what is going to change, or why things are changing, I just know that they are, and I feel like they are going to be big changes. This doesn't mean fast, but they will be big. Good thing that my trust is in God. 

Change can be stressful to some, and exhilarating to others. For me, my goal is simply to trust God and rest in Him as I move forward into whatever the change is.

At this point in my life I feel that it's a realistic goal, over the last 6 years the Lord has helped to grow me in this area. It hasn't always been so, I can honestly say that 15 years ago I was a person that, hmmm, how do I say this? Was, well, change resistant.

We need to remember that change is going to take us to where the Lord wants us to be. In this last 6 years God has taught me that no matter what is happening, no matter what I face, He is with me... I have learned the importance of responding rather than reacting.

Ephesians 20 Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I haven't exactly learned to embrace change, just appreciate it and give thanks for it as I go. I can say that, I no longer stress when something comes along to seemingly turn my world upside down... I remember that God is my provider. I understand that it is through a thankful heart that I can rest. Thankfulness allows me to become content.

My prayer for anyone who reads this; Embrace life, and all the changes that come with it. Rejoice that you are on a journey, and that, if you trust God, you will arrive at the destination that He has for you.

In my post the other day, I also posted these scriptures and why I draw much strength from them as I face the future and any changes it may bring.

• Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD, Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.  ---Because it reminds me that God will always be faithful to give me the strength I need. 
• Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, ​​And lean not on your own understanding; ​​In all your ways acknowledge Him, ​​And He shall direct your paths. - Reminds me that I can trust my life to Him, and He will guide me.
• Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” -- God gave me this verse during Glenn's cancer battle and has shown me it's truth in many ways since his passing 6 years ago.
• Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. -- I can rest in the fact that God has good plans for me.

Reflections...

When we think of a reflection, we think of looking in a mirror, or maybe on still water and seeing a copy of the item in front of it. Or maybe we think of it as taking a moment to think about something in greater depth.

This morning as I was wandering through Facebook-land, I saw a post by my nephew, he was reflecting back to when he was 15 and his mom had passed to breast cancer. She was only 38 when she died.-- My husband was only 52 when he passed, yet my dad was 93.

It again made me reflect on the briefness of life. Life is so short, no matter how long our life is, it is still just a blip on the grand scale of things. It is how we use our lives that determines our impact here on earth. 

As I reflect on those I have known over the years, and the lives they led I find myself reflecting on my own life. I want to live a life, that when I am gone, has left a positive impact on those around me.

For my children I want them to go further and do more than I have done... I think this is something that I think all parents want for their children. I want my children to have watched me, make the choice to follow the Lord first and above all other things, and have faith in Him. I want them to have memories of the funny times and the more serious moments where we came together, trusting the Lord and seen His hand move on our behalf.

I want to be a person of integrity, someone who is a friend that adds something, anything, positive to the lives of those around me. I want to be a person that is trustworthy because of the Lord in my life, I choose to pray for others because I know the power of the Lord in my life and I want to see it in others, I want them to know who HE is. I want to reflect the love of God, I want to see others as He see them. 

Am I there yet... no. Am I trying, yes. 

To become the woman that the Lord wants me to become, means taking that look at who I am, and being willing to let Him adjust me. It means doing the hard thing at times, and sharing that side of me that I prefer to keep hidden, with someone that I trust. This in itself can be a challenge, because people can, and will fail us, but it's because of my faith in God that I must push past the desire to close myself off. Because, if I allow myself to withdraw from people and things, then I become ineffective in what He wants me to do.

We were not placed on this earth to live life alone, we were designed to live in community with others. So press in, live, love and laugh with others; create memories, live a life worthy of the gift that it is. 

As for me, I want to live my life so that when I look in the mirror I can see me the way that God sees me. I am His child, and I want to be a good reflection of Him.

Blessings!!

Mary

Easter Blessings

The Joy of Easter and Family!

Easter is probably my favorite holiday, don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the 4th of July. But Easter is, to me, the best of them all. It is the celebration of the risen Lord, Jesus the Christ.

It was on what we call, Good Friday, that Jesus was Crucified, and put to death in one of the most painful ways possible. But on the 3rd day, the day we celebrate with Easter, Jesus rose from the dead!! He conquered death and through that victory His shed blood on the cross made available to us, the gift of eternal life!! And that is why it is my favorite! (For more on the gift of Salvation, take the link to "Meet My Best Friend.")

Ah brothers!

For my family, Easter is also a time to get together and have fun! In our family, since the weather was co-operating this year that meant a BBQ and yes, egg hunting! Our family, extended family means aunts and uncles and cousins... a group that loves getting together and hanging out!!  My children and I first had a stop at my daughter's house and a bit of time with just us before going over to join the rest of the family in Grants Pass.

I had a heck of a time getting a photo of my kids, for some reason I managed to continuously get pictures of them with someone closing their eyes... that's the reason for the exaggerated eyes photo. LOL, I really was laughing so hard that I had tears in my eyes at one point.

My daughter taking a sibling selfie.

My four blessings.

This year, at the full family BBQ  we were blessed to have 4 generations represented, my kids, my sister-in-law's kids and all their kids as well as my in-laws. The youngest generation refers to the generation above them as Aunts and Uncles, they decided to do this since my kids and their cousins are almost as close as siblings. And that is another blessing, it is a relationship that has come about by many holidays spent together.

This year was especially dear to my heart... it was the first time in over a year that all 4 of my kids and their families were all here with me at the same time. One of my sons is in the Air Force and the other moved out of state a year ago. So this was a joyous occasion indeed... and one I took advantage of, I made sure to get a picture of all of us, it is the first, full family photo since the February before my husband passed, that was 6 years ago in 2013. 

It is so very important to enjoy time with the ones you love, in the grand scheme of things, life is short. So make the most of it!! Gather together, play games, talk, laugh, have fun, and make memories!!

Time to hunt!!

Seek and Gather!

The parents hid the eggs and then the kids were set loose to find them! The littlest of the girls got a little bit of help but for the most part, none was required, they knew their mission! Nothing quite like the joy on a child's face and the sheer excitement of everything.


My hope and prayer for all of you is that you may enjoy your family as I enjoy mine and that you create memories to last you all for years to come!!

Grief and a Polished Rock

Recently I was cleaning out my purse and I reached in and grabbed what looked like a Milk Dud. I couldn't figure out where it had come from, lol. When I actually picked it up, I realized it was a polished rock.  Then I remembered where I had gotten it, it brought a wistful smile across my face.

Last year when a dear friend lost her husband I joined her in attending a Grief Share group, at the end of one of the sessions we were handed a polished rock.

This simple little rock was to remind us that grief is like a rock. When you pick up a rock from the ground it is rough, and craggy, and it can have sharp edges. However, when you put that rock in a rock tumbler it begins to smooth out, until it is so smooth, it almost seems soft, at least to me. Grief is like that, when it is new, it is sharp, raw and painful. Over time, it gradually becomes smoother, the bumps are fewer and the edges have become smooth and not sharp anymore.

Over time the grief process allows us to reflect back on the memories of the one we loved and see the beauty of the life they led, the times we spent with them, and all the little nuances that made them... well, them.

The timing of finding the rock in my purse, and recalling the lesson behind it was quite timely, I was having one of my 'bumpy' moments, the Lord knew just what I needed at that moment, I needed a rock.

As I think about this lesson, and hold this rock, I also reflect on another rock, it is the Rock that I anchor my life to, Jesus.

2 Samuel 22:2 And he said: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

Psalms 18:46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted

Take the lesson of the polished rock, remember those rough places will smooth over time, they will become something beautiful.

Blessings!

Mary

Do You Dream

Do you dream? I am not talking about the visions that flow through your head while you sleep... I am talking about the big things, the things that capture your imagination... that maybe you think are impossible.

Do you dream? I hope so!!!

Sometimes we are afraid to dream, we fear disappointment, at least I do at times, I admit it.  I have had times throughout life that I was afraid to dream... I had seen to much disappointment. That being said, I have learned the joy of dreaming. Are all the things I dare to dream going to happen? Probably not, but some of them will and that's exciting!!

As a little girl, I had an amazing imagination, I could dream up all kinds of things... how the future would turn out. Has my life gone as I dreamed it would? No. But I have been blessed!! 

I always wanted a big family, I was one of 5 kids, I have 4 children, two bonus kids by marriage and 5 grandbabies... so that dream. Check.

I wanted to own a home, my house isn't big, but I do own my home, so... Check.

Found this sign at Hobby Lobby in Nov of 2018.
A dear sweet friend blessed me with it for Christmas.

I dreamed of going places, and I have. Before Glenn went home to the Lord we were blessed to go to Lake Tahoe on several occasions (a place I think is one of the most beautiful I have seen). We traveled to Los Vegas, Disneyland, Hawaii, and we took 2 cruises to Mexico; in addition we had many camp outs with the family. I have wonderful memories from those days.

When Glenn passed, my world was rocked, I wondered if I would ever dream again. By that point of my life those things I had dreamed about were for both of us together, and they could never be. The challenge was to overcome those dreams and readjust, learn to dream about my life, with out him.  It hasn't been an easy thing to learn, but through God's grace it has come, incrementally. I didn't wake up all of a sudden one day and say... "Hey, I can start dreaming again." Nope, didn't work like that.

How it did work, was a step at a time, God took me through small steps, teaching me to trust Him along the way. Guiding my path as he promised to in Proverbs 3:5-6 (Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, in all your was acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.) God had given me the scripture Matt 19:26 that says, "With God all things are possible," during Glenn's illness, little did I realize that it would truly become the anchor in my life. 

I have held fast to that scripture and seen the Lord move in my life... in spite of the appearance of obstacles. 

In 2017 I was able to sell the manufactured home that we had bought in a manufactured home park and I purchased another one, on it's own lot... no one can raise the rent on me and price me out of my home. (That happened to a neighbor of mine.)

I have been blessed in the last almost 6 years to continue to travel and see places that I didn't think possible. I have been blessed to travel to Alaska, and drive the Al-Can Hwy with my son and his wonderful wife, I went Hawaii, and also a Mexico cruise with friends, I went to Savannah with family to see my niece graduate from college, and most recently I saw the fulfillment of a dream that I have had since I was a 10 year old child, I went to Sydney Australia and then cruised to New Zealand with my sister-in-love.

I remember once a friend said to me, if you shoot for the stars and only hit the moon, is that really a failure? ... I think not.

I still have dreams that have yet to be realized, and I have more that I am beginning to dream about doing. What will happen in reality and what will forever stay a dream, I don't know... but that's okay, I know that God is a big God and He wants the best for me. So I choose to dream and trust Him.

My heart for each of you-- Dream!!! And DREAM BIG!!!

New Year, Fresh Beginnings, and Choices

New Year, Fresh Beginnings, and Choices

January 1st is always recognized as an opportunity to have a fresh beginning. A Chance to choose to walk a new path in your life. As the new year begins, probably 95% of the population makes their New Years Resolutions. These are quite commonly related to healthy eating, losing weight, exercising more, and others associated to the physical body. These are good choices, I do want to live more healthy. But more importantly to me are those decisions I associate more with my spiritual being. That being said, what I consider it to be is not a resolution, but rather my hearts desire, that is to live a life of following the Lord more closely. 

Doing this means making choices every day-- choices in what I watch, what I read, what I listen to, and the very words I choose to speak. Let me state now, I am not perfect by any means, I am just trying to consciously choose to do my best to walk upright before the Lord. I feel a burden to boldness in a new way this year, and it will be reflected in some of my blogs as the Lord leads, and that begins today.
(You have been warned.)

We know that the Lord has given us a free will, we can choose to live whatever lifestyle we want. But, that doesn't make them all good. Some things feel great at the time, however they can destroy our physical being, and in the long run, they can separate us from the very presence of the Lord. Fortunately, for as long as our body draws breath we can choose Jesus.

The thing that I keep hearing in my spirit lately, both in my prayer time, and in words I have heard spoken and written by others, is that we are living in a perilous time, a time when many people are willing to compromise their walk with the Lord for momentary "happiness." Some may think it old fashioned, but I believe that doing my best to walk in righteousness is a good thing. That means I have chosen a life of no compromise... I won't compromise my values. I don't feel that as a Christian, people should sleep together outside of marriage, I don't believe in drunkenness, 'recreational' drugs or similar things that modern society finds quite acceptable. Sorry, not sorry, when I read God's word this is how I see it, and the way I have chosen to walk. It is a choice we all have to make for ourselves.

Lately what is breaking my heart is, that almost daily, I am seeing a complacency toward righteousness... Many have become afraid to preach the Gospel that includes living a life with out compromise. Yes, we have forgiveness, but we are told in the Bible not to practice sin, that means to choosing to continue in things that God calls sin. My perception when I see a  person who says they are Christian choosing to sleep around, shack up or get drunk, or other things that the word says not to do; well in short, it brings a sadness to my soul. 

When we say are Christian then that means we are saying that we have chosen to become Christlike. I am not talking about new believers, they need instruction to leave the life of practiced sin behind. I am thinking of those who claim to have had a long term relationship with Jesus as Lord, and yet seem to enjoy living a life of active compromise. -- I just don't understand it. Why? There is joy in living a life lived by the Word of God. 

We are told in the Bible that we are to rule over the sin in our lives, not let sin rule over us... the choice is ours, do we chose to run the race of faith in an way that is pleasing to the Lord, or do we make light of the gift of salvation and live as though we never received the Lord.

What will your new beginnings be in 2019?

Blessings!! 
Mary

Romans 6 (NKJV) Reads as Follows

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Full Steam Ahead

My last blog gave a brief overview of last year, highs and lows.  From the loss of my dad, which was both a good and sad thing at the same time, followed by my trip to Australia & New Zealand, and ending with the loss of my job. Through all of it, I have to look back and say... Full Steam Ahead.

As each of us looks at our life, we often view it like a card game, we all have a different hand dealt-- it is up to us how we play it out. We can choose to dwell on the low cards or get so focused on the high ones that we forget that all will have to be played. What we need to do is to look at the full hand, and remember that this hand will play out and a new one dealt. Well it's January and time for a new deal, what it is, I haven't a clue, lol. But what I do know, is that I will not face it alone. I will play it through with the Lord right at my side.

I wish I could say that I never have doubts when I look forward, but that would be a lie. I am human, I deal with all the same emotions of fear, trepidation and dare I say depression that anyone else does, and sometimes I even get overwhelmed by them. However, it is at those points that I take a deep breath and adjust my focus, and remind myself that I am not in charge, I do have control over my actions, but not of those around me-- I choose at that point to trust the Lord. I need to remember to press in at those moments and listen... listen to the Lord and what He is telling me.

If I remember to listen, then I will remember that I have a great partner in the card game of life, His plays trump all. He is the author of all things and His word promises me that I will ultimately win, Salvation gives me that.

In the meantime, His word also lets me know that there will be good times and rough times to come in my future, but that is okay, He WILL be with me through it all. Knowing that, I know that I can look to my future with joy, so as I said earlier-- 2019 I will enter it like a ship on the ocean, going Full Steam Ahead.

Happy 2019!!