Sunday, March 30, 2008

New Blog Listing

God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NLT)

It is hard for me to believe that I will soon celebrate the second anniversary of this blog, Flashlight. The prompting by both my husband and the Holy Spirit to share my life in this way has brought me more joy and satisfaction than I could ever have imagined. I am amazed each time I check the sitemeter and notice the hits from all over the world. It reminds me that this world is a lot smaller than we think it is because of the rapid rise of technology. Check out my interview at 5 Minutes for Mom, which has added my blog to their directory. I am grateful that God has continued to lead me one step at a time. The one thing I know is that He called me to be faithful and write. The results are up to Him.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Hold My Hand

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT)

As I read the Psalms, David's pleas for help remind me of some my own prayers. The last months and weeks of seeking God's face and will on some heavy matters have worn me out. Of course, the darkness and quiet of the night are often the hardest hours of the day and when the enemy is busiest. Instead of worrying, I finally decided to make use of this early morning time to pray and accept the nudge from my Heavenly Father that we needed to talk. There were many days when I was just plain weary and ready to give up. Then one day I woke up with Galatians 6:9 echoing in my head, So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. As Beth Moore says in the study, Living Beyond Ourselves, "Faith fights." There is no giving up and then God steps in and we see His game plan come to light. My son-in-law received the greatly anticipated phone call this week with a job offer after searching and waiting for eight months. We received some medical help that enabled us to begin each day with a renewed sense of hope after months of wondering what God had in mind for our lives. Often, there is no easy answer and that is why faith has to fight. Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1. He is there when the phone does not ring, the bills continue to mount, the pain does not go away, and the future looks bleak. I found this quote a couple of years again when I was in another one of those waiting rooms of life—God is rarely early but never late. Some many think that is cheesy but it works for me.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

A Vapor


But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Psalm 3: 3-4 (Amplified Bible)


I had to chuckle when I noticed the auto underlining done by Microsoft Word of "But You" in today's verse. It prompted me to insert a comma after "But." However, as I thought about it I realized that without the work of God in my life I would be nothing. The "But God" stays. You see, I learned this week, at our church's Women's Retreat, that our lives are but a vapor in the larger scheme of things. The speaker, Cynthia Heald, shared the story of a time when she was ill and needed a vaporizer. She decided to measure the length of a vapor because she was curious after reading James 4:14, Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. She discovered that it lasts about seven seconds. I figure I have about one second left. My first six seconds reflect a life of ups and downs, joys and sorrows, life and death. My greatest struggle is to trust Him for His leadership and guidance and not get in the way trying to "help" or "control" or "lead." Despair may threaten to overwhelm me but I have to remember the enemy must be working overtime. For I know when I cry out for His help and wait for His answer, then I am able to walk with my head held high. The Lord is my shield and protector. Selah!

Monday, March 10, 2008

Snow in March?


When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. Psalm 142:3 (NLT)


Snow in March in Memphis? It was a hard concept to accept being a California (now Arizona) gal. Some things in our lives just do not make sense at times. And for me, snow is one of them. We enjoyed several hours of watching three inches accumulate but in the back of my mind I kept thinking about the plane we had to catch the next day. We woke to bright sunshine and I gave a quick prayer of thanks as we headed off to Little Rock to catch the plane. Unfortunately, a normal two-hour trip by car took five (several big rigs had collided during the storm) and as we stood in front of the Southwest attendant with only four minutes to take-off, I nervously explained our situation. I knew from a call en route that this was the last flight out. Hardly believing my ears, she checked our bags, waved us on, and told us to hurry. They held the plane for us. Thank you, Lord! Our luggage did not make it but we did. By the time I crawled into bed that night, I ached all over. I realized that I had spent a very stress-filled day and my body was still in knots. But looking back over the day, I thanked God for His watch over us knowing that He had prepared our way.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Happy Birthday

Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12 (NLT)

Tomorrow we leave for Tennessee to spend a few days celebrating my mother-in-law's 90th birthday. Last year, several of my family gathered to celebrate Dad's 85th birthday. Both of our parents have lost their spouses and are in care facilities yet each has adjusted to being alone and accepting the path God has chosen for them at this stage of life. I know my dad wonders, at times, why God has left him here after taking my mother so unexpectedly. But I remind him that his Heavenly Father still has things for him to do. Because his mind is sharp but his body is not, he is the first anyone in the family calls when prayer is needed. However, aging parents bring unexpected challenges and I know I was unprepared for the role that I must now play. But God does not give us an option. His command to honor our parents does not stop when they get old. In fact, that is probably the time of life when they need it most. Yet, God also gives us a promise—the only promise that is part of the Ten Commandments. My honor and respect influences my life both in quality and longevity. I am not sure how that works but I know better than to question God's command. So we will honor Etna this week for her long life, her gift of three sons, and her example of loving one man, though widowed almost 39 years ago. Happy Birthday!