Five Minute Friday: Grateful

This week I am grateful for a young man blessing's successful ear surgery, the BEST medical test results for a soul mate woman blessing, the anticipation of dear friends coming to visit, a tremendous group of young women blessings I am privileged to work with and learn from through Girl Scouts, a tasty chocolate bread pudding (for once), revisiting a spiritual locale and receiving such a genuine hug, eating a burger on salad instead of bread (big for me), the end of a semester of teaching, surprise cupcakes on our counter from my child from another mother, cleaning off the kitchen counter, catching up with an amazing woman blessing at a t-ball game, luscious cupcakes (okay, this cancels out the no bread above, but hey), lots of laughter, a hub who is an outstanding Girl Scout, and the Lord.

What are you grateful for this week?  Share courtesy of Lisa-Jo Baker in the comments section below.

Are Those Red Lines Ever Going to Go Away?

I scrubbed the bathrooms yesterday.  If you know me, you know this is quite the accomplishment.  Martha Stewart in terms of housecleaning I am not.  Yet, I am on spring break this week from teaching, so I thought, "Why not?"

Feeling a true accomplishment, I decided to make use of the sparkly tub last night.  Engulfed in bubbles, my youngest decided to come in and have a chat with me.  She was staring intently at my chest which was peeking through the foamy suds.  I knew a question was coming regarding my breast cancer, but I was not sure in which direction it would lead.  

She finally asked, "Are those red lines ever going to go away?"  The red lines she was referring to were the ropey scars which bisect each of my newly constructed breasts.  I answered honestly, "Probably not, but that's okay."  She asked (and not for the first time), "Why are they there?"  I told her this was where the doctor performed surgery on me to release the boo boos from my boobs.  My six-year-old thought about this for a moment and then said with a huge toothless front smile, "Remember when you had those tubes coming out of your body?"  I responded, "Ouch!  Yes, I remember those," and then continued to moan in exaggerated pain.  She giggled and giggled while discussing how I used to have to sleep only on my back while the tubes were in place.  Again, I groaned and whimpered in false distress, and her laughter grew louder.  She then asked the purpose of the tubes.  I told her it was to release the extra liquid (first I used "fluid" and then opted for "liquid") which had gathered during surgery.  This seemed to appease her for the time being, and she then ended with, "I am going to go downstairs and sing now."

This, of course, made me smile and caused me to give thanks to the Lord for my cherished children who fill my heart daily with such joy.

Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 
                                                                      -Psalm 100:2


 By Courtney Winkler

What Would You Include on Your Graffiti Board?

By Ruby Price

I Don't Wanna!

Having three young girls is often times very exhausting.  Homeschooling them adds a unique stress to that too.  There are many times that I wake up in the morning with at least two of them screaming or crying, and I think "I don't wanna!!"  I don't wanna spend all day correcting their poor behavior.  I don't wanna nag them to do their chores. I don't wanna nag them to do their schoolwork.   I don't wanna break up another fight.  I don't wanna clean up another mess.  The list seems endless. 

However, every single day something will happen that will make me realize why I do what I do.  For instance, yesterday was a crazy day.  We have been snowed in for a few days, and we are all starting to go a little nutso.  The girls have been fighting more and are moodier than usual.  We had had a LONG day of homeschool, and this mama was ready for a break!  So we agreed that we would each do one chore to tidy up the house, get in our pjs, pop some popcorn and watch American Idol together.  And so we did.  But in the bustle of getting all of the above accomplished, I heard my 3 year old say "My sister is so kind!" speaking about her oldest sister who is 10.  It was the sweetest and most sincere thing I have ever heard.  We had a very nice evening together relaxing and spending time together.  When it was time for bed, I found my middle girl who is 6 kneeling in her bed silently saying her prayers all by herself.  It brought me to tears. 

Life as a homeschool mama of 3 girls is tough.  It ain't for wimps!  Raising three girls to love the Lord, respect their elders, care for the poor and needy, love the unloved, honor their father and mother, treat others with love and kindness, work as unto the Lord (even in their schoolwork), take care of what God has given us, and still have fun and enjoy being kids, is EXHAUSTING!  But in those glimpses of time when I see them stopping to help others, giving hugs to strangers, telling each other "I love you" and really meaning it, praying the prayers that only a childlike faith can pray, and seeing a glimmer of what kind of God-fearing young women they are becoming, it makes me say "I WANNA!" I wanna invest time and love into them now so they can grow up to become everything God has for them.  It ain't easy, but I wanna!!

Proverbs 13:24  Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

Proverbs 29:17  Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.

Lisa Powell

Prayer of Listening

Lord, sometimes You really want to tell me something don’t You? You gave me the same message loud and clear in two distinct places this week.

And what was that message? It was about being worried, hurried, maxed out, spread too thin, driven -- busy, busy, busy.

As I read the parable of the sower, I saw myself amid the thorns. I have heard Your message, and I have studied Your word. But, despite my good intentions, sometimes everything gets choked out by the cares and worries of my world. I run around town, racing from place to place, and crossing things off of my endless list. I stop only long enough to swallow a couple Motrin and a few Tums, and then jump back on the hamster wheel. The phone rings off the hook, I pencil in a handful of new commitments on an already saturated calendar, and then one of the kids calls to say he just threw up at school. Bruce is out of town. Before I know it, it’s way past my bedtime and I haven’t read my Bible or spent more than two minutes praying -- and that was at a red light. Where would I be if I wasn’t teaching Bible Study and didn’t feel like I had to do my reading, had to pray for my friends and their concerns? How many days would go by before I penciled You in on my calendar? What is wrong with my priorities, Lord?

And then I read the story of Mary and Martha. You might as well have been talking to me when you said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.” That’s me all right. Worried and distracted by everything from cobwebs and cellulite to colleges and cancer. In that story, Mary chose the right thing, the only thing. She simplified her life that night by making a basic meal, and then she sat at Your feet and listened. She spent time with You.

Lord, help me to put my roots down in the rich soil of Your Word and Your grace, away from the thorns of my humanness. Help me to cast aside petty worries and worldly distractions. Instill in me a longing to sit at Your feet and listen.

In Your Name, I Pray, Amen 

by Sue Busler

Overload

I came to a not-so-shocking conclusion about myself today.  I overload everything.  I overload the sink full of dishes until the task seems overwhelming.  I overload the washing machine until I can smell the belt burning and it finally breaks.  I overload the dryer with clothes, and then complain that it takes 2 hours to dry a load of clothes.  I overload the laundry hampers procrastinating about doing laundry for as long as possible, thus making myself miserable when it cannot be put off any longer.  And then there's my life.  I overload us with things to do, places to go, people to see.  I am on overload in every aspect of my life.

As I was unloading the dryer today and realized how fast a load of clothes dried because I did not have it overloaded, it occurred to me what effect overloading does to my spiritual life.  When I overload my physical life, social life, home life, things can get very bad very fast.  Usually we are all tense with each other, and all of the "fun" is sucked right out of whatever I have overloaded us with.  And my spiritual life suffers tremendously when I overload every other aspect of my life and make no room for my spiritual life.  So today, I'm committing to try to stop being an overloader.  I'm going to focus on my spiritual life first and fill in the rest later. 

Matthew 11:28  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

I think this applies to those of us who are overloaded.  Give it all to the Lord, and He will give you rest. 

 

Lisa Powell

Daily Wisdom

I can hardly recollect a single plan of mine, of which I have not since seen reason to be satisfied,

That had it taken place in season and circumstance just as I proposed,

It would, humanly speaking, have proved my ruin;

Or at least it would have deprived me of the greater good the Lord had designed for me.

We judge of things by their present appearances, but the Lord sees them in their consequences.

If we could do so likewise we should be perfectly of His mind;

But as we cannot, it is an unspeakable mercy that He will manage for us,

Whether we are pleased with His management or not;

And it is spoken of as one of His heaviest judgments,

When He gives any person or people up to the way of their own hearts,

and to walk after their own counsels.

~John Newton~

Reminds me that to everything there is a season.  I had to read this one a few times for the wisdom of it to really sink in, but it is such a good one it is worth the extra reads. 

Submitted by Carol Pigg

A Mother's Prayer: Yes to the Big Ones

Non, Nein, Nyet.

I know how to say it in other languages, Lord,

why can’t I say it in English?

The teacher asked me to assist with computers

on the one afternoon I had reserved for myself.

I hear myself saying, “Yes, I’ll be there.”

The Bible Study Coordinator called and said

they were in a pinch. Could I teach this year?

Every week. 34 weeks. Sure. Why not?

The Brownie leader stopped by and introduced herself.

Any chance I could help at the meetings?

“No problem,” I chirped. “I’d be happy to.”

Who wants to be in charge of soccer pictures?

I look around. No hands are raised.

“It can’t take much time,” I thought. “I’ll do it.”

The Food Pantry called. They need volunteers.

You told us to feed the hungry, didn’t You?

Of course. I can do that. When do you need me?

But somewhere along the line, I learned to

say it, Lord. I heard myself saying “No.”

My daughter asked, “Can you read to me?”

“No, not now. I’m working on my lesson.”

My son limped in from football practice. “How

about a back rub, Mom?”

“Sorry, honey, I have to get to a meeting.”

My husband called home from work.

“Can you meet me for lunch?”

“Afraid not, dear. I have to work at the school.”

And You whispered in my ear, Lord, and

asked me to spend some time with You.

“I can’t. I’m really busy,” I said. “How about next

week? Maybe I’ll be caught up by then.”

Yes and no. Little words. Big implications.

Give me the wisdom I need to say no to the

little things so I can say yes to the big ones.

And, yes, Lord, that means You.

In Whose Name, I Pray, Amen

Sue Busler

A Mother's Prayer: Lord, the Real Coach

Lord, I praise you for youth sports,

For the excitement of getting that first uniform.

A t-shirt with his name and a bright yellow, too big hat,

Too big for his head, but not for rocks and flowers and already chewed gum.

Thank you for the joy of finding that his friend is on the team.

Which means a mother for me to talk to in the stands.

And thanks for the smiles when the ball goes in the net, and I am watching,

Or the healthy snacks that turn out to be a can of Coke and a Twinkie.

Lord, forgive me when I grumble about Saturday morning games, and rain delays.

When I complain about fields across town, and being two places at once.

When I groan at the prospect of slicing a dozen oranges for halftime,

And sigh at the pile of sweaty uniforms by the washer and the mud-caked cleats by the door.

Don’t let me forget that image of him kneeling in the outfield, picking dandelions,

Or that ear-to-ear grin when he received that first plastic trophy.

Etch on my heart forever the sight of that big glove on the wrong hand,

And the high-pitched sound of little ball players “chattering” in the field.

But, Lord, if it’s possible, take away that picture of my son sitting on the bench,

Eager and bright, waiting for the coach to call him into the game.

And later in the contest, the same young man, slumped and defeated,

Still on the bench as the buzzer sounds and the cheers go up.

Oh, wipe away his hurt and my hurt, it wasn’t supposed to be this way.

These are just youth sports, aren’t they? When did the rules change?

Help me to find the words to convince him of his worth,

To encourage him, and assure him, and love him.

And forgive me, Lord, for my anger, product of a child’s broken heart.

For my envy and petty jealousy, my bitterness and my spite.

Help me, in renewed wholeness, to depend on You, the real coach,

The One who leads us to victory in this difficult game of life. Amen.

Sue Busler

When Mama prays . . .

When Mama prays, I hear her voice so lilting and so light.

When Mama prays, I lay me down and drift off into night.

When Mama prays, I clasp my hands and bow my little head.

When Mama prays, we bless the meals and bless us into bed.

When Mama prays and asks the Lord to fold me in his arms.

When Mama prays it comforts me and keeps me far from harms.

When Mama prays me off to school, I know my day is right.

When Mama prays, “God guide the steps,” I know His strength and might.

When Mama prays me out the door and on my merry way,

When Mama prays, He sees the strife and keeps the cares at bay.

Beth Miramonti

Suit Yourself

1 Samuel 16:7 - "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  (NIV)

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I once purchased a greeting card that said the only thing worse than nuclear war is trying on bathing suits. My sentiments exactly. Recently, I spent a whole week shopping for the perfect suit since all the ones I own feature Rice Krispie elastic . . . . so old it snaps, crackles, and pops. The new swimsuit tags made it sound so easy. “Look sleeker. Look slimmer. Feel more confident in your swimwear with power net control. Finding your perfect fit as easy as 1-2-3.” One, two, three my eye. There were dozens of choices to be made. First, I had to decide if I wanted a suit equipped with a bust minimizer or a bust maximizer. That was a no-brainer for anybody who knows me. If I were any more “minimized,” my chest would be concave. For women who are well endowed, there was a feature called “full cup support,” which presumably keeps “the girls” from pulling a “Janet Jackson” when you do a one-and-a-half off the low board. Next up was the tummy toner suit which sounded like a must-have until I cork-screwed myself into one. It felt like I was choking on a chicken bone and the person administering the Heimlich maneuver wouldn’t let go. The thigh reducer suit also sounded appealing but without smoke, mirrors and a matching full-length cover-up, I didn’t see how it could possibly pick the pockets of cellulite on my thundering thighs. On the same rack, I found one-piece suits available in a “long torso model” for cheeky women who prefer not to have their suits in the thong mode all the time. Further back in the store, I was drawn to the bikinis which were pretty tempting with their mix and match pieces for mix and match bodies. That is, if you had a double A chest and a double D butt, you could find a two-piece suit that would fit. It wouldn’t disguise the fact that you look like a walking Bartlett pear and haven’t done a single sit-up since eighth grade gym class, but it would fit. Then again, what fits and what doesn’t fit is apparently open to discussion. If you have any doubt about that, visit your local swimming pool and check out the deckside mammals. In case you were wondering, I never did find the perfect swimsuit when I was out shopping, despite all the slick promises, the newest fabrics, and the sleek designs. So, if you see my at the pool or beach anytime soon and I sound like your breakfast cereal, it is likely my knees or my ancient swimsuit. Here’s to better luck suiting yourself!  

by Sue Busler

Thanksgiving Prayer

This Thanksgiving, we gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing on our families, our friends, our feasts of food and faith. We lift up Troy and travel and Truth and trucks headed for hurricane relief. As the days draw shorter, we pray for longer patience, thinner waists, wider smiles, higher incomes, and lower gas prices. Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home, and the tunes of the nine o’clock Praise Band, and the melodies of the hand bell choir, and the voices of the chancel choir. Let’s give thanks for new babies, new potatoes, new shoes, and Good News; for post offices, post-it notes, Army posts, and post-op progress; for Black Friday, the Red Cross, the Green Hornet, and Blue Nun. In the shadow of Veteran’s Day, we pause to pray for soldiers and sailors, colonels and corporals, commanders and our Commander-in-Chief. Oh Lord Our God, when we in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands have made, we offer thanks for our EMTs, our PTOs, our DVDs, our MRIs, and our OB-GYNs. What would we do without diapers, deodorant, dentures and donuts, or strollers, straighteners, string cheese, and stretch pants, or white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and hot chocolate? Praise God, from whom all blessings flow, to include email, iPhones, t-bones, and J. Crewe; L.L. Bean, u-turns, Z. Z. Top, and you tube. All of us creatures here below are grateful for grandchildren, grand pianos, the Grand Canyon, and grand slams. We praise Him above for Christmas cards, the Cards, and Cardinal Glennon, for the Rams, honey hams, and Sam’s. For Starbucks, eight-point bucks, and birthday bucks, we praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. We double down that praise for our homes, our heat, our hand-held games, and our hoops; for microwaves, micro-financing, microscopes and Microsoft. Hallelujah for lap tops, Swiffer mops, Corn Pops, and small town cops; for food drives, faithful husbands and wives, and rich and full lives. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, for dentists and doctors, and teachers and techies, and pastors and pilots; for four score and seven years ago, ten little monkeys, and tea for two. This is my Father’s world, O le me ne’er forget, the battle is not done, ‘til earth and Heaven be one. We bow in humble gratitude for Your sovereignty, Your sacrifice, and the gift of Salvation through You. In the precious name of Jesus, the people said, Amen! 

Sue Busler 

Dear Lord . . .

Thank you for providing nourishing food for our bodies and uplifting moments together.  You are the source of all joy.  Keep our eyes fixed on You.  In Jesus' name, Amen.  (life:  beautiful 28).