Special Gift

Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble. Proverbs 17:17 (The Message)

I love it when friends come to visit. We said goodbye yesterday after four days of great fun with some good friends from California. When you share your home, meals, and everyday life with others, a bond develops from those shared experiences that lasts a lifetime. I know that I can call when times are good or times are hard. They love me even when my hair is a mess, no make-up, and dressed in sweats or all dressed up in my finest. Friendship is a true blessing from God that shows us in living color the kind of relationship we can have with Him. He is always available—in good times or bad. He loves to listen to us talk with Him and wants us to listen in return. He doesn't care whether we have it all together or are a mess. He likes nothing better than a good meal served up for us from His Word. And, the best part is He will never leave us or forget about us. He just loves us. I encourage you to thank God for those folks that you call "friends." They are a special gift from your Heavenly Father.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Alexander's Bad Day

Suddenly, Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind: "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me." And he broke down and wept. Mark 14:72 (NLT)

My blog friend, Miss Sandy, from Quill Cottage reminded me today of a favorite old book—Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. If you are unfamiliar with this little book, it is great for kids but has noteworthy truths for adults, too. The bottom line for Alexander was just to take off for Australia. Wouldn't we like to be able to do that some days? Life becomes so difficult that our preferred method of handling it is just to disappear and maybe it will all go away. I have been doing some reading for Lent and Peter's story caught my attention this time. Maybe it is because I can identity with him after a tough week. I can only imagine Peter's fear, defeat, and shame as he ran from the courtyard after hearing the cock crow and knowing he had denied his LORD three times. He had blown it…again. The pain overwhelms. Sorrow squeezes the heart and breaths are short and shallow. Life looks like it will never be the same again. He disappears into the night. And then, God steps in with His forgiveness and life. He knew what Peter was going to do—He even predicted it. This was a detour but not a roadblock. He knew the heart of Peter and even had great plans for him in the future. What a comfort for those of us who travel life's paths and sometimes get detoured. It may by our own choice or not, but we need help. Our Savior never rebuffs a contrite heart. All we have to do is cry out for help and Jesus is there to pick us up, dust us off, give us a hug, and send us on our way. Some consequences may need to be dealt with but for God, nothing is impossible and His forgiveness is immediate. Like Peter, I can say with a grateful heart...thank you, Lord.

Water-Walking

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. Matthew 14:29 (NLT)

Do you ever really blow it? I mean doing something so bad that you fear that there is no way out? Do you get yourself in situations where you want to do it your way, regardless of the consequences? I know what that feels like. Peter knew, too. He had the faith to get out of the boat in the middle of a storm and walk on the water to join Jesus…until he took his eyes off of him and looked around. At that point, he thought, "This is impossible." It WAS impossible—but Jesus. But Jesus was not about to let Peter drown and was right there to lift him back into the boat. I take great comfort in the stories of Peter recorded in the Bible. He was an impetuous man but he dearly loved His Savior. Even his lack of faith once he started his walk or his denial in the courtyard after Jesus was arrested did not separate him from the love of his Lord. Shame and forgiveness are part of his story and they can be part of ours. It is all about grace. God loves us when we mess up; in fact, He died for us when we didn't even care about Him. He does not ask us to clean up our act before we come to him. Instead, He asks us to come to Him with a repentant heart, accept his offer of salvation, and live a life that will glorify Him. He does everything else. So, keep your eyes on Him. He may even take you water-walking.

Pay Attention

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 (NIV)

Sometimes it is so much easier to just stick our heads in the sand. This year, the political debates, primaries, and pundits continually test our endurance. It may even tempt us to walk away from our responsibility as citizens. I read an editorial by Rev. Mark Creech and though I don't agree with all that he says, I do agree when he states, "…many conservative evangelicals are now acting as though God were not sovereign in the political process. Have we become more focused on the process than on the God who controls it? Granted, we must diligently seek to influence the culture for righteousness sake. Nevertheless, evangelicals are not sailing the ship politic and never were. There is but one Captain -- the Lord -- and He raises to power whomever He wills." Having served in the political arena in my past life, I learned first hand that money, power, prestige, and pure determination will not guarantee an election outcome. But rather than throw the baby out with the bathwater (a much easier alternative, at times) we have to stand up and be counted; we cannot disengage but must give voice to our convictions and vote. Rev. Creech also discovered two great truths as he worked the halls in the North Carolina General Assembly: "(1) God is sovereign over everything and ultimately His will cannot be defeated; and (2) no person or group involved in politics ever gets all they want all of the time. But for Christ's sake, one must ever be vigilant in victory and defeat. And one must always find positive ways to stay engaged in the process." I am so thankful that I am not in control of this world but that I know the One who is. I can go to sleep at night and wake each morning knowing that nothing surprises our Heavenly Father about this year's elections. Worry is useless. Instead, pray and stay informed.

Right Hand vs. Left Hand

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

After a month with a wounded wing, the doctor pronounced that I am in the top 10% for healing of folks that have had this type of surgery. He worries that since I am doing so well, I will use it more than I should. OK, so I still have to be good for another couple of weeks, but what a relief to have the elastic brace off. At least the timing for all of this was in the coldest part of the year. Being in the desert, it could have been hot along with uncomfortable. But, I learned a few things this past month: I really depend on my right hand. However, you CAN teach an old dog a few new tricks. I like brushing my teeth with my left hand—I am more thorough. I figured out how to start the car with the key in the opposite hand. The computer keyboard can all be done with the left hand...now, the mouse is another story. Yet, I hate being dependent on someone to open anything; jars, zip-lock bags, and water bottles, to name a few. And finally, the anticipation was worse than the reality. How often do we do that? We worry and fret over the unknown while if we would just trust in the Master Planner, our anxieties would turn into anticipation. There is nothing our Heavenly Father would rather do than to meet our needs. Thank you, Lord, for Your good care.