When you lay your head down on that soft pillow at night and you reflect quietly on your day, what do you see? Do you smile because you actually lived your life today? Or do you fall asleep a little depressed and confused because you muddled through the day? Maybe you survived the day. Or maybe you just tolerated it, every bone in your body weary and achy.
It's a good question and one we all need to answer. I know. I'm right there. I have been falling asleep with the weight of the world on my shoulders, knowing that tomorrow will offer a new load of battles, struggles, and serious concerns. For awhile, life was something to be survived. Then, it moved to a "just tolerate it" level. Well, that ended on Wednesday. Let me tell you why.
A dear sweet precious girlfriend of mine passed away last Sunday morning. She was 49, married, mom to three awesome kids, and one of the most selfless, giving people I've ever known. She loved the Lord and spent a lot of time in His Word - and it showed. She offered joy everywhere she went. She exuded faith. This woman knew her God and His character flowed from her very pores.
Instead of a dark, sad, desperate funeral, a "Celebration of Life" was given for this friend. Why not? Everyone knew where she had gone, and there was certainly not one reason to feel sad for her! The typical fragrant flowers were replaced by light and airy helium balloons of every color and shape imaginable!! Instead of songs of mourning, there was Spirit-filled praise and worship. I could imagine my friend, watching from her place of glory, dancing and laughing over us as we remembered her intense impact on this world and those who were blessed enough to know her.
My moment of truth came at the grave yard when hundreds of helium balloons exploded into the air above, twisting and winding and floating their way toward the free and open blue skies. The sight was so moving in itself that tears of joy were seen on many faces. A perfect ending for the testimony of a life lived in its fullness. I was suddenly faced with the question - How am I living my life??? Is it a life so grounded and anchored in the Lord Jesus Christ that all around me are fully aware of joy, faith, peace, love, and mercy??
Psalm 135:18 says "And those who make idols are just like them." The truth of life is that we invariably reflect what we soak ourselves in, what we choose to believe and devote our time to. What do others see when they are with you? What unspoken truths are they sensing as they obsesrve your life? I want balloons and praise and worship songs when my family and friends celebrate the essence of my life lived! What will you choose?
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Fall is in the Air
I love the fall season!! I think it's almost my favorite season of all. Of course, since I've come to the season in my own life where I am hot 99% of the time (with or without AC), I think the idea of having a cooler atmosphere thrills me beyond belief! Ahhh.....blissful.
Today is rainy, windy, and . . . chilly. I have every window wide open in the house. I love the smell of the outdoors. Fall has its own smell laced with falling leaves, damp earth, and the distant odor of wood smoke from a far off chimney. Which brings me to the next thing -
Hot cocoa! Fall isn't fall without the first cup of hot cocoa. So, in honor of the season, here is my favorite recipe. I actually whipped up a huge batch of it today! Enjoy!!
Grandma Atwell's Delicious Hot Cocoa Mix
28 oz pckg. powdered milk
16 oz. jar of powdered non-dairy creamer
16 oz jar hot chocolate mix
1 - 2 cups of powdered sugar
13 oz malted milk powder (totally optional)
Mix all ingredients in a huge bowl thoroughly.
You can add approximately 3-4 TBSP into a cup of hot milk or water. Stir and enjoy.
This also makes a great gift!
Now, get some cocoa and enjoy a quiet moment savoring the fall colors, smells, and dreams!
Today is rainy, windy, and . . . chilly. I have every window wide open in the house. I love the smell of the outdoors. Fall has its own smell laced with falling leaves, damp earth, and the distant odor of wood smoke from a far off chimney. Which brings me to the next thing -
Hot cocoa! Fall isn't fall without the first cup of hot cocoa. So, in honor of the season, here is my favorite recipe. I actually whipped up a huge batch of it today! Enjoy!!
Grandma Atwell's Delicious Hot Cocoa Mix
28 oz pckg. powdered milk
16 oz. jar of powdered non-dairy creamer
16 oz jar hot chocolate mix
1 - 2 cups of powdered sugar
13 oz malted milk powder (totally optional)
Mix all ingredients in a huge bowl thoroughly.
You can add approximately 3-4 TBSP into a cup of hot milk or water. Stir and enjoy.
This also makes a great gift!
Now, get some cocoa and enjoy a quiet moment savoring the fall colors, smells, and dreams!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Neck Pains
I am writing this with a heat pack wrapped around my neck and shoulders. It started yesterday - a little kink at first. I thought I had slept too hard and was suffering the consequences that an “older”’ body suffers when it lies unmoved for too long of a time. But as the day progressed, so did the pain, until mid-afternoon found me in a horrible amount of pain unable to even turn my head. I resembled an ancient stiff owl.
I was certainly hoping it would be gone by the time I awoke today, but apparently not. So, here we go again. Life is like that, isn’t it? Some days we wake up and feel great, but by mid-morning, we notice a little hitch or kink in our plans. Maybe the dishwasher breaks or the dog gets sick. Or maybe it’s a little harder kink such as when you hear rumor that your office is downsizing and your department is next in line. Or your spouse says he has something serious to discuss with you and you have a feeling you know what’s ahead that may rock your world forever.
Kinks are part of life’s plan on this earth. I wish I could tell you I know exactly why they come, but I don’t. Each kink has its own “personality” and requires something unique and different from each of us before we find a smooth road ahead. I do believe they are part of a growth pattern. The Lord knows we need to grow strong and healthy. And, just like you feeding your children carrots, peas, and wheat bread when they’d much prefer sugared candy, ice cream and soda, God allows some bumps and tangles to come into our worlds lest we fail to grow faith muscles and become weak, unproductive Christians.
I can tell you how to approach these kinks…
1. Don't ignore the early signs of a kink. If you recognize the problem, begin to
pray about it. Listen to the Lord. He will be ready with grace, mercy and a giant
sized plan that will heal that kink before it gets ugly.
2. Study Psalm 91. It's one of my favorite psalms. "Surely He will deliver you from
the snare of the fowler...For He shall give His angels charge over you to keep
you in all your ways, and in their hands they shall bear you up....I (God) will
set him on high because he has known My name…..I (God) will be with him in
trouble.”
3. Rest! I am fairly positive this particular neck pain is due to stress in my life.
Sometimes our bodies just break down and say “Hey, listen…..you can’t handle
anymore. Would you please just listen to me and rest!!! Enough is enough.”
So today, it’s heat packs and ice packs and maybe a couple of rest naps too. “This too shall pass ,” was my daddy’s favorite saying to me. I try to remember that and go one step at a time. And, with the Lord at my side, it’s really not so hard.
I was certainly hoping it would be gone by the time I awoke today, but apparently not. So, here we go again. Life is like that, isn’t it? Some days we wake up and feel great, but by mid-morning, we notice a little hitch or kink in our plans. Maybe the dishwasher breaks or the dog gets sick. Or maybe it’s a little harder kink such as when you hear rumor that your office is downsizing and your department is next in line. Or your spouse says he has something serious to discuss with you and you have a feeling you know what’s ahead that may rock your world forever.
Kinks are part of life’s plan on this earth. I wish I could tell you I know exactly why they come, but I don’t. Each kink has its own “personality” and requires something unique and different from each of us before we find a smooth road ahead. I do believe they are part of a growth pattern. The Lord knows we need to grow strong and healthy. And, just like you feeding your children carrots, peas, and wheat bread when they’d much prefer sugared candy, ice cream and soda, God allows some bumps and tangles to come into our worlds lest we fail to grow faith muscles and become weak, unproductive Christians.
I can tell you how to approach these kinks…
1. Don't ignore the early signs of a kink. If you recognize the problem, begin to
pray about it. Listen to the Lord. He will be ready with grace, mercy and a giant
sized plan that will heal that kink before it gets ugly.
2. Study Psalm 91. It's one of my favorite psalms. "Surely He will deliver you from
the snare of the fowler...For He shall give His angels charge over you to keep
you in all your ways, and in their hands they shall bear you up....I (God) will
set him on high because he has known My name…..I (God) will be with him in
trouble.”
3. Rest! I am fairly positive this particular neck pain is due to stress in my life.
Sometimes our bodies just break down and say “Hey, listen…..you can’t handle
anymore. Would you please just listen to me and rest!!! Enough is enough.”
So today, it’s heat packs and ice packs and maybe a couple of rest naps too. “This too shall pass ,” was my daddy’s favorite saying to me. I try to remember that and go one step at a time. And, with the Lord at my side, it’s really not so hard.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Whose?
His Prairie Princess....what in the world?
It is a rather odd title. But, it just fits so well and it kept coming to me, over and over. So, I decided to go with it!
First of all, let me explain "prairie princess" lest you get the vision of me sitting on a mound of Kansas dirt with tall grass surrounding my frame, basking in the hot sun with my diamond crown sparkling and dazzling until the eyes of the prairie dogs are blinded. It's not like that at all.
I am simply misplaced. But, I'm misplaced by God, so that really makes me in place. I was raised a princess....meaning, an only child of a doting daddy and a fun mom who just happened to reside in the comfy suburbs of the 60s and 70s. I didn't like getting dirt on my fingers, and I preferred a quiet reading chair over a romp in the park. My room held a sweet white canopy bed with matching dressers (I can still smell that new wood smell!) embellished with rubbed gold. We weren't rich and I didn't wear diamonds....but princess is rather fitting. I spent much of my childhood daydreaming about my prince and wondering when he would appear. Little did I know he would come blasting out of the Missouri Ozark Hills, the most handsome man in the world ready to rescue me!
And, as you can guess, that's where prairie comes in! Instead of fluffing my newly wedded home in the 'burbs, I found myself whisking a steady supply of dirt into my broom pan from the cowboy boots of my man. Instead of settling into my exciting high rise loft overlooking a pulsating city of cement and people, I fell asleep to the sound of frogs and crickets, the soft breeze of the Ozark nights wafting through the curtains. Ahh, the prairie.
And, that's who I am today. The "His" - well, that comes from the One who owns me today. And, although many of you probably think that's Steve, lo and behold, it's not. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Lord, and therefore, I am His Prairie Princess!!
So much more to share....how I got here, what I've learned, and what I am finding every single day in the tucks and folds of life. So, come back regularly. I know you'll find something to relate to whether you are a princess or a tomboy, a city slicker or a country gal. We'll have fun! See ya soon!
It is a rather odd title. But, it just fits so well and it kept coming to me, over and over. So, I decided to go with it!
First of all, let me explain "prairie princess" lest you get the vision of me sitting on a mound of Kansas dirt with tall grass surrounding my frame, basking in the hot sun with my diamond crown sparkling and dazzling until the eyes of the prairie dogs are blinded. It's not like that at all.
I am simply misplaced. But, I'm misplaced by God, so that really makes me in place. I was raised a princess....meaning, an only child of a doting daddy and a fun mom who just happened to reside in the comfy suburbs of the 60s and 70s. I didn't like getting dirt on my fingers, and I preferred a quiet reading chair over a romp in the park. My room held a sweet white canopy bed with matching dressers (I can still smell that new wood smell!) embellished with rubbed gold. We weren't rich and I didn't wear diamonds....but princess is rather fitting. I spent much of my childhood daydreaming about my prince and wondering when he would appear. Little did I know he would come blasting out of the Missouri Ozark Hills, the most handsome man in the world ready to rescue me!
And, as you can guess, that's where prairie comes in! Instead of fluffing my newly wedded home in the 'burbs, I found myself whisking a steady supply of dirt into my broom pan from the cowboy boots of my man. Instead of settling into my exciting high rise loft overlooking a pulsating city of cement and people, I fell asleep to the sound of frogs and crickets, the soft breeze of the Ozark nights wafting through the curtains. Ahh, the prairie.
And, that's who I am today. The "His" - well, that comes from the One who owns me today. And, although many of you probably think that's Steve, lo and behold, it's not. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Lord, and therefore, I am His Prairie Princess!!
So much more to share....how I got here, what I've learned, and what I am finding every single day in the tucks and folds of life. So, come back regularly. I know you'll find something to relate to whether you are a princess or a tomboy, a city slicker or a country gal. We'll have fun! See ya soon!
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