Sister Friends

And so I really thought this...

 

might actually not happen again?

 

 

Silly me...

Not My Home

Everything we lose here should remind us that this is not a place of forever.

There is a reality that begins after we die.  For some people, sadly, that will be

a forever life of unbroken anguish and separation from the grace, safety,

and saving love of God.

For the rest of us, though, our eternity will be in the presence of the One Who has loved us, redeemed us, and kept our inheritance safe through all that happens

on this earth.  It will include never losing what God has blessed us with,

one of those being the presence of our dearest friends. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I remain thankful for the dearest of friends and the time I've been given with them.  I remain committed to thanking God for the painful times.

I remain hopeful for what is to come.

 

Gratitude, Day 18

Thankful, today, for...

*Things on T.V. other than "Duck Dynasty." Love me some Uncle Si, but WORD! Enough is enough. That show drives me nuts.

*50 years that God has given my sweet husband. His b-day isn't for several more days, but we celebrated tonight so Mem could be with us. As with many years in the past, it was good to enjoy this birthday dinner with some of our dearest friends, a tradition I hope we're allowed for many, many years ahead.

Here's this sweet man serving me by (1) cooking his own deer meat so I won't have to mess with the mess; (2) cooking down in the garage so the frying won't stink up the house!! I must say, this meat was incredible. He certainly knows how to cook it. It's definitely best that he cooked it, because I probably would've come close to ruining it.

Byron kept him company ~

 

 

Reading the card from his sweet momma ~

 

Opening Jake's present ~

 

Just sittin around, swappin stories and helping each other with the memories ~

My camera is... simple. Yeah, that's a good word for it. Red eyes abound! I use to change this girlie's diaper!! Look at the beautiful young woman she is!
And so, so sweet & fun!

 

It was just too much for this party animal. Actually, this poor guy had chosen to stay up all night last night with some friends. The pic turned out fuzzy, but it kinda matches the "La-La Land" thing he's got going on ~

*My MIL will be here for several days with us. I am so blessed to have her and am so thankful to know that there's lots of conversations over coffee coming up the next few days.

Thanksgiving Day Gratitude

Thankful today, for so many things:

*A family who puts up with my huffin' & puffin' to pull a big meal off

*Enough money to buy what we'd like to eat for Thanksgiving

 

 

*Sweet friends to share the  holiday with

 

 

 

 

*What I see as a meringue fail, Joe-Mac sees as beautiful: "Wow, Mom! Did you put all those on one-by-one? It's so pretty!"

 

 

*A daughter who's willing to act silly for the camera. Oh! And SSOOO thankful she makes the best pecan pie this side of... anywhere!

 

And so where are my other kids in these pictures? My day flew by so fast, I forgot to pick the camera back up. Bad habit, that.

Hoping your Thanksgiving Day was full of reminders of the very, very many things God has given you. Every thing we have comes from Him alone, and to Him be the glory and praise!

Day 33

Thanking God today for...

5 solid hours with 5 of my very closest friends. Thankful for the laughter, the encouragement, the exhortations. Thankful that God has preserved our friendships.

Thankful for alone time tonight! Dad took all the boys hunting, and Mem is away overnight with one of her bestest home from college (Hey, Hope-E!!!) Since I won't be able to do all 134 things on my list, I'll have to choose. Although that couch is looking awfully inviting...(have I ever mentioned my lazy streak?)

Day 32

(Yes, it's been officially longer than a month. But it's good exercise for my heart to keep recognizing the gifts God gives all day long, so I'll keep on a bit.)

Thanking God for...

A lengthy time in town w/just Big-E today. For a long (for him!! ha! ha!) talk about the things of God.

The last of the Christmas presents bought.

A sweet Mem who takes care of the youngest two without complaining so I can meet three of my closest friends in town this morning for coffee ~ followed by a full day in town getting the rest of Christmas wrapped up.

Time in town this a.m. w/... well, see above.

For dinner out tonight with Dad, the annual office Christmas dinner. The new boss says, "We're wearing jeans!!" My kinda people... Don't know the man, already like him!

For big hugs from my littlest when I got home.

Day 30

So thankful for...

Time alone in town today.

Face-to-face with my BFFSF, even if it was only in the parking lot for 10 minutes.

Seeing friends from Senegal, knowing they've safely arrived.

Kisses and hugs from my littlest upon arriving home.

Day 26

Thoughtful, and grateful...

For the gentlest of admonishments from a true friend ("Faithful are the wounds of a friend..." Prov. 27) Sadly, my first response, though silent and (hopefully) undetected, was full of pride and hurt. Honestly? Could she not have kept that to herself when she knows I'm struggling? And, of course, she was knowingly, lovingly addressing the very thing I'm struggling with.

But thankful, so thankful, that the LORD heard my subsequent confession, that He gives me the hope of true repentance, that He is at work in my heart to slay my pride, that He is giving me a fuller hatred for it, that He is faithful to bring me Truth through my friends, that He gives me a stronger desire to hear it and come under it than the desire to bow up against it... Thankful that He does not leave me to fend for myself but instead is at work in me for my good and for His glory. That He continues to bear with me and burn away my dross... That He gives me true friends who love me!

[If you are my friend, please do not ever hesitate to confront me! How I need to hear! And how I need to practice battling my pride and confessing my failures!]

For the truth that was brought to me today. Truly, something I needed to hear! God spoke clearly to me, through the Word shared with me, about how I need to see my sin from a different angle. It was so, so helpful.

For dinner out with the fam tonight.

For a thank-you note from someone dear who is far, far away...

Day 24

Grateful for...

Early-morning coffee with my best friend. For counsel & sharpening, for encouragement and comfort.

Time alone with Big-E in the car this afternoon, enjoying yet another caramel brulee latte.

These playing over and over in my CD while I put Christmas things out. Older albums, but I still love them. I'm not a huge Michael W. Smith fan, but these are fabulous. Although... Sadness is a part of the listening. We've done several of these songs as a choir at church, conducted by a beloved worship pastor who left us in August for Florida. It is a wound that continues to need healing ~ part of our family left. How do you move beyond something like that quickly? You don't... And so, with Christmas ~ there comes much joy and often, the weighted emptiness of what is no more.

Great Encouragement

Here's another great example of how something can be so convicting and yet so encouraging at the same time. Makes me think of the precious work of the Spirit: He exposes our sin, convincing us again of our need of mercy and grace, and then helps us as He shows us the way to sweeter fellowship with Him.

This was posted on the Gospel Coalition's site, an excerpt from an article by Elisabeth Elliot. She wrote on how she dealt with suffering, sorrow, and loss:

“First, I try to be still and know that He is God. . . . Stillness is something the bereaved may feel they have entirely too much of. But if they will use
that stillness to take a long look at Christ, to listen attentively to his voice,
they will get their bearings. . . .

The second thing I try to do is to give thanks. I cannot thank God for the murder of one [husband] or the excruciating disintegration of another, but I can thank God for the promise of his presence. . . .

Then I try to refuse self-pity. . . . Amy Carmichael, in her sword-thrust of a book If, wrote, ‘If I make much of anything appointed, magnify it secretly to myself or insidiously to others, then I know nothing of Calvary love.’. . .

The next thing to do is to accept my loneliness. When God takes
a loved person from my life, it is in order to call me, in a new way,
to himself. It is therefore a vocation. . . .

The acceptance of loneliness can be followed immediately by the offering
of it up to God. Something mysterious and miraculous transpires as soon as something is held up in our hands as a gift. He takes it from us, as Jesus took
the little lunch when five thousand people were hungry. He gives thanks
for it and then, breaking it, transforms it for the good of others. Loneliness looks pretty paltry as a gift to offer to God – but then when you come to think of it so does anything else we might offer. . . .

The last of the helps I have found is to do something for somebody else. There is nothing like definite, overt action to overcome the inertia of grief. . . .”

Elisabeth Elliot, “The Ones Who Are Left,” Christianity Today, 27 February 1976, pages 7-9.

Here's the link to the Coalition's site.

20th Day

Grateful for...

A best friend traveling home.

Friends over for dinner, money to get groceries to have them over, a home that's comfortable against the rain & cold.

Many reasons to laugh with friends, many memories shared. For head-standing contests and Michelle doing the splits (you go, girl!). Although... pretty sure I broke my toe tonight. I fell against the couch as I was coming out of my headstand, and right now my toe hurts like crazy and is swollen to twice its size. So, thankful for... a good story to tell? As in, I didn't break my toe tripping in the tub. Something like that...

Dinner that included Mom!

15th Day

Thanking God...

For the bluebirds who came to check out the bluebird house and swoop around the yard a bit. I love those birds and, while they're year-round residents, I don't recall ever seeing any around here past September.

For the homecoming of Grace...







For a long, long walk with Macy Mae, coming home just as twilight stole in. For all the hugs Macy Mae requires ~ she actually stops in the middle of the road and hems you in until you hold her for a minute. (oh my... my heart has been stolen again...) For the incredible sunset that looked like it was made for another world.

For all of us around the table for dinner ~ again. For a family who understands the importance of eating together and works consistently to make the happen.

Day 8

Thankful....

For peeks into the prayers of saints already at Home:

"Give me a humbling sense of my sins, give me a humbling view of Thy glory, give me a humbling taste of Thy love, for surely nothing humbles like these. All my pride springs from ignorance. Grant me to know myself, to know Thee, to know my relation to Thee, and my dependence upon Thee, my unprofitableness and insufficiency before Thee; and the extent and importance of the mercies I continually receive from Thee." (John Newton, 1758)

For the front-row view of the cardinal that lit in the crepe myrtle just 10 feet from my face this morning. What a joy to be able to watch him for several minutes while he sang!

That I can still walk into Mem's room for a wake-up kiss. (These days are numbered, and I am not counting them. I am living with my head in the sand while also trying to live inside every second. This will be hard, this parting when it comes; but I am thankful that I have the hope of the future grace I will desperately need to let go and rest in God. Kathie, you must keep reminding me that it will come, and that it is overwhelmingly sufficient...)

For The Magician's Nephew to start with Joe & Jake; for time on my bed under covers while we read.

For a long catch-up conversation with one of my we-go-way-way-back best friends. I sat in the post office parking lot for 45 minutes while we chatted, certain that I would at some point be surrounded by police cars while I sat for so long outside that federal building.

For a husband who will take over the role of disciplinarian without complaining. Raising these boys is hard, hard work, and they need their dad to teach them to grow up!!

Day 7

Thankful for...

Sundays, days spent in the Lord's house with the Lord's people centered on the Lord's Words.

Time with our community group tonight.

Dear girl friends who make me laugh. Hard. Deep, belly-crunching, silent laughing that can't quite stop.

Lunch with Mom.

A comfortable bed in a beautiful house (we have it all in this country, don't we?) surrounded by a family and nodding off in the knowledge that God is, and all is well. That He never sleeps, even as I do. That He is sovereign, and that He loves me. And so I rest.

Day 5

Thankful...

That two little boys are in bed. And finally quiet. oh.my.word.

That a dear friend is on her way to another state to bring her daughter home, the first girlie to balance the two boys waiting on mom & dad to return.

That duck season starts tomorrow. "Dear Closest Shopping Strip Mall: Mem & I are on our way!!"

That God gave me a best friend who continues to reach out to me, even on our busiest days, in this incredibly busy time of life.

That the Spirit reminds me often that, though I fail, He offers forgiveness for every single sin. That He chooses to see me as clothed in the unearned righteousness of the Lord Jesus. That He will never cast me away.

That two little boys are in bed... oh...