Dear Psalm:
Your grandmother, my mother, is a very wise woman who taught many, many, many things over my life-time.
I cannot say that I always readily accepted her wisdom with enthusiasm, but I can tell you that in hindsight, and with this many years of my own under my belt, I have realized that she was right about just about EVERYTHING.
I thought I'd share this particular advice with you now, just in case you need it sooner rather than later.
She would say to me, "Never say 'never' to God. If you do that, you will find that He will lead you to do whatever it is you say you're 'never' going to do!"
:)
It has been my experience that this is absolutely the truth!
If you don't want to teach third grade Sunday School, then don't say, "I'd NEVER teach that class!" or "I'll NEVER drive that bus! Those kids are CRAZY!" or "I'll never pray out loud in front of people" or just WHATEVER it is you dig your heels in about and tell God you're not going to do!
Ha. Ha.
If you get a chance, ask Daddy about the time he said he'd "NEVER go to another Chi Alpha service again!" Yeah.
Just thought I'd share this bit of advice with you, in hopes that it spares you many hard lessons in the future.
Love you, dearie, Mommy
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
The Best Kept Secret
Dear Psalm,
I want you to know something--and not just with your head, but with your heart. Our Lord, the Lord God Almighty, is an AMAZING GOD and there is none like him anywhere and for ALL TIME.
I don't care WHO comes along and tries to tell you differently: There is NOTHING as exciting, as fulfilling, as wonderful as living for the Lord.
There's a Christian song that says it best. One of the lines repeats: "You're the best kept secret..." He is, Psalm.
I don't understand why people aren't lining up in droves to get to know Him, be in His presence, kneel at altars all over this planet, trying to get as close to Him as possible.
Life is BETTER with Him. Period. No, exclamation mark.
I just wish I could figure out a way to tell the world, to share this. He is the author of Joy, of Fulfillment, of Peace. He heals our bodies. He fills us with His presence. He comforts us, guides us, protects us, NIGHT AND DAY.
He doesn't have to do these things--after all, who are we? But He does, Psalm. He does because He loves us.
I wish people knew that. That He loved us. No, more than that. That He loves us as deeply as He loves us.
The entire Bible--which people twist and turn out of context to support their own immature and/or incorrect ideas--is a testament of His love. I wish people would just read it, once, all the way through, and with as open a mind as possible. No, more than that, even. I wish, before they read it, that they would ask God to open their eyes to what they're reading: The greatest testament of love of all time.
Psalm, I want you to know that it is my DEEPEST PRAYER that you will know Him and grow in Him every day of your life. That you will "hear" Him speak to you, guiding you, teaching you, loving you, in the midst of your life, in the midst of your greatest highs and most disappointing lows.
My soul's prayer is that He will not be a secret to you.
I love you, always and forever,
Mommy
I want you to know something--and not just with your head, but with your heart. Our Lord, the Lord God Almighty, is an AMAZING GOD and there is none like him anywhere and for ALL TIME.
I don't care WHO comes along and tries to tell you differently: There is NOTHING as exciting, as fulfilling, as wonderful as living for the Lord.
There's a Christian song that says it best. One of the lines repeats: "You're the best kept secret..." He is, Psalm.
I don't understand why people aren't lining up in droves to get to know Him, be in His presence, kneel at altars all over this planet, trying to get as close to Him as possible.
Life is BETTER with Him. Period. No, exclamation mark.
I just wish I could figure out a way to tell the world, to share this. He is the author of Joy, of Fulfillment, of Peace. He heals our bodies. He fills us with His presence. He comforts us, guides us, protects us, NIGHT AND DAY.
He doesn't have to do these things--after all, who are we? But He does, Psalm. He does because He loves us.
I wish people knew that. That He loved us. No, more than that. That He loves us as deeply as He loves us.
The entire Bible--which people twist and turn out of context to support their own immature and/or incorrect ideas--is a testament of His love. I wish people would just read it, once, all the way through, and with as open a mind as possible. No, more than that, even. I wish, before they read it, that they would ask God to open their eyes to what they're reading: The greatest testament of love of all time.
Psalm, I want you to know that it is my DEEPEST PRAYER that you will know Him and grow in Him every day of your life. That you will "hear" Him speak to you, guiding you, teaching you, loving you, in the midst of your life, in the midst of your greatest highs and most disappointing lows.
My soul's prayer is that He will not be a secret to you.
I love you, always and forever,
Mommy
Friday, July 6, 2012
Butterfly Hollow: A Story
--This story is currently under construction--
Introduction
Did you know that there was a time when butterflies could not fly? It's true. For several hundred years, butterflies lost their wings. This is the story of how they lost their wings, forgot them altogether, and then regained them. Now, if only they can keep them!
Dedication
For Psalm
A Story Inspired by You,
A Prayer for Your Life,
From Your Mommy
The Story
Once upon a time, long, long, ago, there was a community of butterflies that lived in a place called Butterfly Hollow.
These butterflies were beautifully colored--with the brightest hues of yellows, oranges, reds, and blues the world has ever seen!
All day long, the butterflies in the hollow played or perched on the limbs of tall trees, and on the petals of brightly colored flowers. Sometimes they danced across the softly flowing brook, letting the tip of their foot touch the cool waters.
At night, the butterflies would find rest in the softness of the green, mossy banks, letting the quiet noise of the stream lull them to restful sleep.
It was so beautiful there, such a wonderful place, in Butterfly Hollow.
----------------------------------------------
No one knows exactly how it happened, or, more precisely, who started it, but there came a Fearful Dread upon all who lived in Butterfly Hollow.
The Fearful Dread was not a person or thing, exactly. It was a belief that somehow embedded itself into the minds of every member of the community.
No, no one knows how it started, but in a very short span of time, the butterflies came to believe that they would be safer, more comfortable, if they did not have their wings.
Although we have little but oral histories to rely on for a true account of what happened during this dark time, most believe that there was an original source of this Dread...and that this source had an unimaginable ability to sway the opinion of others.
And so, when this source convinced the butterflies that they would be better if they clipped their wings, that is precisely what they did.
The Fearful Dread consumed them all, even those who occasionally vocalized concern at the practice. Some wondered when was the best time to clip the wings. One idea was that they might consider waiting to clip the butterfly's wings until they were fully formed. Others believed it should be done early and as often as necessary, a type of "pruning," as they referred to it. No one knows precisely who made the decision to clip the butterfly wings as soon as they were fully formed, but that is what they did. For generations.
Yes, for hundreds of years, butterflies in this hollow never stood on anything but the grass beneath them. They did not know what it was like to fly from one flower to another, to descend upon the small leaf of a tree. They never got off the ground.
This was a dark time that came to Butterfly Hollow, threatening its very existence!
Butterflies without wings could not help to pollenate flowers. Butterflies without wings could not hide from predators. Butterflies without wings had a very narrow perception of the world around them.
Introduction
Did you know that there was a time when butterflies could not fly? It's true. For several hundred years, butterflies lost their wings. This is the story of how they lost their wings, forgot them altogether, and then regained them. Now, if only they can keep them!
Dedication
For Psalm
A Story Inspired by You,
A Prayer for Your Life,
From Your Mommy
The Story
Once upon a time, long, long, ago, there was a community of butterflies that lived in a place called Butterfly Hollow.
These butterflies were beautifully colored--with the brightest hues of yellows, oranges, reds, and blues the world has ever seen!
All day long, the butterflies in the hollow played or perched on the limbs of tall trees, and on the petals of brightly colored flowers. Sometimes they danced across the softly flowing brook, letting the tip of their foot touch the cool waters.
At night, the butterflies would find rest in the softness of the green, mossy banks, letting the quiet noise of the stream lull them to restful sleep.
It was so beautiful there, such a wonderful place, in Butterfly Hollow.
----------------------------------------------
No one knows exactly how it happened, or, more precisely, who started it, but there came a Fearful Dread upon all who lived in Butterfly Hollow.
The Fearful Dread was not a person or thing, exactly. It was a belief that somehow embedded itself into the minds of every member of the community.
No, no one knows how it started, but in a very short span of time, the butterflies came to believe that they would be safer, more comfortable, if they did not have their wings.
Although we have little but oral histories to rely on for a true account of what happened during this dark time, most believe that there was an original source of this Dread...and that this source had an unimaginable ability to sway the opinion of others.
And so, when this source convinced the butterflies that they would be better if they clipped their wings, that is precisely what they did.
The Fearful Dread consumed them all, even those who occasionally vocalized concern at the practice. Some wondered when was the best time to clip the wings. One idea was that they might consider waiting to clip the butterfly's wings until they were fully formed. Others believed it should be done early and as often as necessary, a type of "pruning," as they referred to it. No one knows precisely who made the decision to clip the butterfly wings as soon as they were fully formed, but that is what they did. For generations.
Yes, for hundreds of years, butterflies in this hollow never stood on anything but the grass beneath them. They did not know what it was like to fly from one flower to another, to descend upon the small leaf of a tree. They never got off the ground.
This was a dark time that came to Butterfly Hollow, threatening its very existence!
Butterflies without wings could not help to pollenate flowers. Butterflies without wings could not hide from predators. Butterflies without wings had a very narrow perception of the world around them.
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