Love Is In The Details......as God would have you to Love....

Love is in the Details….

I don’t know who to credit with this quote…I am not even sure when it was that I first heard this quote..

I do remember my sister,  Jill,  explaining to me that her wedding was “all about the details because “love is in the details” ….and, she truly did have an exceptionally lovely, down to the smallest detail wedding…I was touched by her attention to everything and amazed at her organizational skills.  She is still like this with her little family…..her love is evident…

Tough, though, if you are not an overly detailed person, which I am not.

I am a generalist….I see things in BIG picture format.  If I get caught with too many details, it bogs me down and I cannot get anything accomplished. 

Some of my friends will laugh at the above comment, because they find me very detail-oriented….even today, I keep a monthly calender for both my current family and for my ex-husband to share so that he is kept abreast of our children’s activities.  I do this from love because I care that he is able to be just as involved as he wants to be and chooses to be.

I have organized baseball teams as “coach’s wife” and school home rooms as “class mom”.  I have written PKU newsletters which went across the entire state of Kentucky, assisted in lobbying for PKU fundraises and even legislative bills.  I have managed a home of five (although I failed at being tidy) for 26 years. 

But, it did not come easy to me.  I struggled.  I felt like Paul….”I do do what I don’t want to do and don’t do what I want to do”……because women seem to be judged on how well they can organize their families, I worked like Martha Steward striving to make homemade foods for my daughter, daily iron my husband’s shirts to starchy perfection, vacuumed the kitchen at midnight, cut my children’s hair to save money, I made sure our clothes in the closet were organized from lights to darks and that our bathroom towels were folded in the exact tri-fold that all good women did.

I rarely said no, and then felt guilty.  I often said yes, and then felt exhausted.

It exhausts me to read this.

And, then one day, it all changed…..

I do not fully remember what caused the change….

But, I am grateful.

I remember distinctly asking God….how can I be the “me” you created me to be and yet show love to my family?

And, he answered…..Love Them….as only you can…

Which is such a “God-incident’ thing since I always signed my letters to children and at times even my siblings…ILYAOYMC” OR “ILYAOYBSC”

I love you as only your mama can….I love you as only your big sister can….

And, that was the beginning of change for me.

Yes, I do think love is in the details….I think my sister learned early on what I had not figured out yet….

Love is in the details as YOU are able to love.

For me, it meant giving up organizing things for others and focusing instead on my own family….

It meant seeking out my God-given gifts and using them in a detailed way.

Thus, I went back to writing notes.  Many of you may have received a note from me (if not, I apologize.  I probably wrote it but failed to get it to the mailbox), I began cooking little meals and delivering them to your door, I sat more in my “mama chair” with my babies and rock and sang to them.  I let the laundry, vacuuming and house work go and climbed the Magnolia tree with my boys.  I bought a subscription to the Lexington Children’s Theatre and took my daughter on Sundays.  We grew a garden together.  We laid out on the concrete in our driveway and watched the stars together.

Our motto became “Honey…dream big dreams, because if Jesus lives in your dreams, your dreams will live”….(Thank you Eva Self)

We initiated “family goals”…..and loved to mark them off when we were successful in achieving them.  We still do this…it is just a little different now.

We fed the ducks, ate watermelon like pigs and stank like dogs from playing in the mud.

We had fun.

Now, obviously, we didn’t get this perfect or some things in our lives would be very different….

·                                 But, as I tell the children….and, as a dear friend, Nancy wrote me just yesterday, “

·                                

o                                                        “Isn't it funny how we put some people on a pedestal and think somehow that they are different than the rest of us? I am just a forgiven saint walking the narrow road to heaven and trying to show others the way. We all have lumps and bumps...and stumble from time to time.”

While I don’t think anyone would ever dare put me on a pedestal….and, it saddens me to think that I am not necessarily one I would recommend anyone follow, she got it right..

“I am a forgiven saint….walking the narrow road…trying to be a light where I can…trying to be authentic as I go….never judging…

Just loving…

Loving as God has made me to love…

What a relief….

I can be myself….love the way I am able and that is A-OK with God……

Love IS in the details……

As YOU and I are able to love….

Blessings on your day,

ILYAOIC,

Lesa

On Optimism....

“Becoming familiar with optimism, reflecting on it, and making it a priority to become more optimistic are powerful life tools.  Seeing optimism as a possibility, instead of dismissing it as naiveté’, gives you more options.  It allows you to know that very often you have a clear choice about how to respond or think about something in your life.  It’s an attitude or outlook that nudges your perception one way or the other.  choosing optimism over pessimism can sometimes make the difference between success and failure, winning and losing, being neutral and getting depressed, moving  forward or giving up.”

-          What about the Big Stuff

I remember well sitting in a church service listening to one of our ministers talk about Optimism.  He explained that in our world today, authority seems to be give more frequently to those who are negative, pessimistic, or serious  and that those who are optimistic are seen as naive….

It’s is frequently true.  He had us think about those who had authority around us….and, I confess that several, in fact, most of those I thought of,  I would have also included as negative.  While, those who were optimistic, were loved and cared about, but were not considered authorities.

He challenged us to “think differently”…..and, I have tried to do that in my life.

I earnestly believe that if you are with someone long enough, their good will eventually come out.  This is one of my favorite quotes…and life truths.  I do believe this. 

And, the more I believe this, the more I seek those eternal optimists to keep myself and my children blanketed with optimism.

I have seen negativity destroy things…I have seen optimism build things.

It is an amazing difference.

I have a friend, Monica, who is a die-hard optimist…..and, I confess that at times, her optimism grated on my nerves (during my non-optimistic days)….:)  Sorry Monica…don’t think you knew that.  But, I can tell you that when my daughter was (and is) in need of a good dose, it is frequently Monica who gets the call, text or email to reach out to Madison.   There are others…some who are quietly optimistic, giving glimmers of their positivity in their actions, there are some who are boisterous in their optimism and I am amazed at what they accomplish even in the face of die hard negative-ators.

God bless the optimistic.  Quiet or boisterous…they change lives in a positive way.

I think Jesus was an optimist.  I know he believed in obedience and that is why he followed the path to the cross.  But, just as surely as he believed in obedience, I have faith that he was optimistic in the value of his brothers and sisters here on earth.  He believed we were worth the sacrifice…he believed we had hearts worth saving….

And to me, what greater sign can there be of our optimism?

To save our souls as in Jesus’ case?

To save our hearts, our feelings, our self confidence?

To see the good in us when all we see is bad?

To put faith in another when they do not have faith alone?

My husband tells me frequently…and, in fact, writes frequently to me that he will always

    “stand in front of, stand beside, and stand behind me”…..

Not in naïve belief that all I think and say and do is perfectly correct or right, but in love and belief that I am doing my best to be my best in search of HIS best all the days of my life.

THAT is powerful…to be loved unconditionally…accepted unconditionally and stood by unconditionally.

In optimistic faith

I appreciate that minister pointing out the fact that being optimistic (in others, in life….in FAITH) is healthy…because the world would have us believe otherwise.

I am grateful for the “Monicas” in my life…for they remind me of the gift of optimism.

I am committed to spending the balance of my days seeking out the optimistic…and weighing heavy the words of those who are not.

I believe that starts at the cross…

Blessings,

Lesa

                                                                                               

Home is Where You Go...To See Yourself reflected in Your Husband's Eyes

Home is Where You Go…

    To See Yourself Reflected in Your Husband’s Eyes….

 

I haven’t written about my husband before…for many reasons, but…

It is time….

Ian gave me this plaque after we married to remind me on a daily basis what he sees when he looks at me, my heart, my soul.

He knows I love words.

He knows I love seeing words in black and white. 

He knows I believe you are what you read.

He knows that what you are told you are plays a great impact on who you believe yourself to be, especially when it comes from those who love you most. Especially when you are told these things daily.

Words can build.  Words can destroy.

Precious…Mommy…Tender…expressive.

Priceless, valuable, petitioner, pure.

God’s.

God’s girl.  God’s woman.  God’s child.

It melts my heart when I read this.

It touches my soul.

It draws joy into me to think he views me in these ways.

Especially touching is that he daily reminds me that this is who I am in God’s eyes…my creator who has known me since before I was formed in my mother’s womb.

He made this plaque for me as a gift…to remind me that in God’s eyes…through His view…from God’s perspective…

I am His.  I am good.  I am worthy.  I have value.

Priceless.

Sacrificially priceless..

Jesus worthy….Spirit Given…God blessed priceless.

While I have always known this…for my parents taught me this as well, over the years, I had lost that knowledge…buried deep.

Like a treasure, Ian put together this sweet gift to remind me of who I am, can be, will be..

A small gift in form, but a huge gift in its ability to impact.

“Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, forgets what he looks like.”  James 1:22

I wonder how many of us “forget what we look like” due to others words about us, to life, to challenges….and, would that we were told the precious about us, how much more joyful and different would we be?

 I am grateful that I have a husband who has helped me remembers whose I am…How I look through HIS eyes and through his (Ian’s) eyes…

It helps me remember.

My children read this plaque…and, they get to see how I am viewed by my husband.  They look at me through a more sweetly defined perspective…

It has made a difference in my life..this small gift.

And, for that I would add another word.

Grateful…

Blessings,

Lesa

Home is where you go TO HAVE YOUR HEART TOUCHED

I had a heart-touching moment this week….A sweet young friend of mine texted me to let me know she was getting baptized and that she wanted to be sure I was there…

Humbling to be so invited….even more humbling to watch a young woman I love so much to commit her life to Christ with such thought and purpose.

My friend and I have had some deep conversations….frank sharing from her to me.  Authentic, truth-sharing talks.

I love this young woman.  I love that she has chosen to live for Christ in an environment where it would be so easy to live for the world.

I love her because she knows the path of Christ will not be easy.

I love her honesty about how hard it is to be a teenager today.

I love her frankness about life….

I love that at her young age she acknowledges she cannot do this thing we call “life” alone.

She recognizes that she needs the power of Christ.

She needs the authority of her parents.

She needs the accountability of her siblings.

She needs the strength of her church family.

She needs the surrounding of herself by her God-seeking friends.

She may be young…but, she has the important thing figured out….

And, while I may be thirty-five plus years older than her, I have learned much, been humbled much, been touched much by her heart.

I am so grateful to have this young woman in my life.  I know that it is not accident that she is there at this particular time…for this particular season.

Knowing her has made me take stock of my own life…

And, isn’t that part of God’s purpose for each of us?

To help one another to bring us closer to God…..

Sweet friend, I am so proud of you. Proud of your stand for Christ…proud of your tender heart…

May God bless and bless each of your days.  May He give you strength to live daily for Him.  May he help you always to remember for Whom it is that you live.

I love you….and, I love your great heart..

Blessings,
Lesa

(submitted with permission of Ms. Venecia Proctor.  Congratulations and Blessings, Sweetie!!!)

Home is where you go TO HONOR OUR VETERANS

My Daddy is a Viet Nam Veteran. 

My Mother is a Viet Nam Veteran.

My Brothers, sisters and I are the children of a Viet Nam Veteran.

Our children are the grandchildren of a Viet Nam Veteran.

Because of that, we are different.

And, we should be.

To be the heir of one who sacrificed his personal body, energy, heart and life so that we can enjoy a better, more peaceful life is a gift.  An expensive gift.  A worthy gift.

I was four when my Daddy went over to Viet Nam.   I remember it well.  I remember his leaving…and, I remember his return.

I remember my military mother writing my Daddy letters every single day.  Frequently, she would have us sing songs or say hello to my Daddy on reel –to –reel audio tape.  One letter she wrote started December 1 and went all the way through to December 31^st.

I remember very frequent packages being sent to my Daddy…coffee, tea, Vienna sausages..and Daddy’s favorite, Carmel squares.  Even today, when I open and eat a Carmel square, I cannot help but think of my Daddy and smile….

But, more than anything, I remember the pride I felt growing up knowing that I had a Daddy who had chosen to be a protector of our family, our friends and our country.

It is a blessing to be the child of a veteran.

Veterans see life differently…..they recognize the value of each day, the  significance of a handshake, the worth of a hug, the gift of tears.  Veterans have low tolerance for bad attitudes, bad behavior and bad effort.  They are solid.  They are substantial.  They are strong.

Veterans are the glue that keeps a Nation knitted together….they are selfless…others and country above self.  They are disciplined….yet patient.  They are wise…and yet vulnerable.  They are leaders and yet stand behind and follow.

When I think of the veterans I know, they all have hands which engulf my own….they are warm….

They all have hugs which are long….and which let you know you have been hugged.

They all have the ability to drop tears in their conversations and then flood you with laughter as they tell you something positive.

They are the epitome of Philippians 4:8, my husband’s favorite Bible verse….

“Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

I think God was talking about veterans in this verse….veterans of all wars..Holy wars and civil wars….family battles and personal battles…..

God knew the worth of a Veteran and He gave them to us to be the image of those things which remind us of why we are here in the first place….To give God the glory through our lives.

That, to me, is what Veterans do…they give God the glory through their lives, through their service, their words, their actions and their deeds.

I am the child of a Veteran…..

Today, and every day, I am grateful for that legacy….

Blessings,

Lesa

Home is Where You Go to Watch Your Friend Be a Blessing....

I have a young-Mom friend who fairly consistently shares on face book her child rearing experiences.  She is unique in many ways….she understands already the blessing that a child is to his parents.

She understands fully the phrase, “her cup overfloweth” because God has chosen to bless her with triplets….a sweet God answered prayer to her, her husband’s, her family’s and her church family and friend’s prayers.

I admire this woman.

I admire her very much.

When in her presence, you sense a gratefulness in her heart.  When I look at her from across the church sanctuary, I see her kind eyes look sweetly to her babies with much love….love that comes from understanding the value of the gift she has been given….

I have seen small glances between she and her husband…yes, we are overwhelmed…but, yes, we can do this.

Precious to my heart is when she walks down the aisle to take her babies to Kids’ Own Worship during our church service.  Typically, she has the sweet help of her husband to get them to class, but on this one Sunday, she walked with them alone.

It was precious……to her left was one son, holding fast to her hand…at an angle she walked so that all four of them could fit down the aisle.  Her other hand had two sweet, little palms grasping…one son’s hand to her palm and her daughter’s hand to her pinkie.

THIS is what God meant when he said for the little children to “come unto me”…..

I know I was not the only person touched by this Mary Cassatt scene played out before our sermon even began.  What a beautiful story she is telling about God’s love….

Sweeter still is that even though her own cup overfloweth….she manages to notice the needs of others…praying, fasting and encouraging us to do the same….

When I envision Godly mothers, I see this woman clearly….

What I admire about her is that she does not pretend to “have it all together”…..her messages are about seeking help…from others who have done this already…who have walked this path before her….who understand.

I admire her frankness.  With us, her church family, her face book friends, her family….she knows she cannot do this child-rearing thing alone.

She knows she needs the prayers and encouragement of others…and, she is not afraid to share her needs.

It is a blessing to “watch” her raise her children….it is a blessing to be one of many prayer-warriors for her sweet family…

It is a blessing to have a friend who very clearly realizes that we are not to try to “take on” this earthly journey alone….we are to seek the help, love and support of our friends and family.

She does this very well..

I am blessed by her.

But, more importantly, her husband and children are blessed by her.  And, it is a humble privilege to watch…..

Blessings,

Lesa

Home is Where You Go to Have “Good, Clean Fun”……

Our boys and several of their friends participated in “FROM” this weekend.  FROM, for those of us who didn’t have one when we were in high school, is Freshman Prom.  I confess to some anxiety over FROM…the expense, the dedicated time to shop for tuxes, the flowers, the ballgame right before, the photo session, LIMO or no LIMO?, the post FROM party, the late…or should I say early am hours…I am 49 and don’t function as well at 1 am as I used to.  The ability to get up to make it to church the next…well, the same day.

I think even more worrisome is the “after” stuff which comes after FROM…the parties.  Parties to homes of kids I don’t know, parents I don’t know at locations I am unfamiliar with.  At our house, you go nowhere unless we know the parents, know the location, have confidence the parent is going to be there, have confidence the parent is not only going to be present, but will have control over the situation.  A call and/or visit to the parent’s is made.  And, tonight’s party did not meet with any of those criteria…thus, I got to be the mean mom and say “no”.  Thankfully, I was not alone in that…the other parents of my boys friends felt the same way…so, we were a united front (Thank God for Kim/Mark, Kris/Todd, Jamie, etc.)

I didn’t party when I was in high school.  I didn’t feel the desire to party…didn’t want the possibility of problems which can come with parties, didn’t want to have to ask my parents to go to a party.  So, I have to work hard to “give permission” to my much more social children who are not like their mother.

I believe that it is okay that my children are not like me….it is not bad…their desire to want to go have fun…it is just that having fun has its limits…needs it boundaries….

My parents had a philosophy…”I will trust you as long as you do not give me a reason not to”……..so, that is what I try to do with my children.  I can tell you…much simpler it is to raise them when they were in elementary school and in middle school…..much more difficult it is when they get to the age where self-thought enters their decision making.  It is a humbling time for a parent.  

The confidence you have in the teachings you have given your children as youngsters is stretched as they grow into adulthood….all the teachings you have given them since birth are called upon to get them through this period of life.  No parenting is perfect…and, frankly, my children’s has some flaws which we see evidence of daily, but they have been taught right versus wrong, they do know to put Christ as their center, they do know the right thing to do….it is becoming increasingly vital that they do what they know to do….

We talk about this a lot. 

We talk about my and their Dad’s parenting failures.

We talk about how they will be parented moving forward.

It is a humbling time.

We talk about the need for trust, respect, and faith that if they are told “no” to something that it is because as parents, we can see danger where they are youth, cannot.

We talk about fun versus danger.

We discuss the desire to say “yes” as often as we can…..but, balance it with “no” which is to be respected.

Will they obey perfectly?

No.

Do I obey perfectly?

No.

What I do believe is that I have three children who have great  hearts…who have been through much…but, who are survivors….

I believe that their journey these past 21 years and 16 years is not in vain….some of the lessons  they have learned will be used to serve others…..to make the place around them better…

I believe that they are not “finished” products….and, I am grateful for those adults around them who love them, care for them, believe in them and see the good in them.  I am grateful for the Dads and Moms who reach out to my children, who provide safe havens in which they can play and grow. To their grandparents who love them….just love them….

I am increasingly grateful for those of our friends who “adopt” my children as their own.  Who tow them to events, feed them, discipline them and genuinely Love them.  The Coach Johnny’s and Ms.  Coach Jane, to “second Mom Melissa” and “Mrs. Kim”….to cheerleader Leslie and Mr. Steven.  To Fannie…to Ms. Kris and Mr. Todd.  To neighbor/friend Mrs. Laura.  And, the list could go on and on…..

I am especially touched by those of my friends who see the good in my children….who stand beside them when I cannot….who hold them accountable and who take time to listen to them.

I could not nor would I want to travel this journey with you……and, I am glad we don’t have to…

You assist in teaching my children that live can be fun….that FROMs can be a great experience….that you/we are willing to work together to give our children opportunities for “good, clean fun”….

With your help, we teach our children the need to serve and be authentic….the need to balance living for self with living with other’s needs in mind…that there is more to life than playing and more to fun than being silly.

Last night was such an experience….

No party.

But, lots of fun.

Instead, late night/early am trips to Taco Bell, lots of laughter and conversation around the TV, XBOX and in the family room.

It was a night of “good, clean fun”…….

Blessings,

Lesa

Home is where you go to listen to wiser words then yours....

"OUT OF THE WRECK I RISE"
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Romans 8:35

God does not keep a man immune from trouble; He says - "I will be with him in trouble." It does not matter what actual troubles in the most extreme form get hold of a man's life, not one of them can separate him from his relationship to God. We are "more than conquerors in all these things." Paul is not talking of imaginary things, but of things that are desperately actual; and he says we are super-victors in the midst of them, not by our ingenuity, or by our courage, or by anything other than the fact that not one of them affects our relationship to God in Jesus Christ. Rightly or wrongly, we are where we are, exactly in the condition we are in. I am sorry for the Christian who has not something in his circumstances he wishes was not there.
"Shall tribulation...?" Tribulation is never a noble thing; but let tribulation be what it may - exhausting, galling, fatiguing, it is not able to separate us from the love of God. Never let cares or tribulations separate you from the fact that God loves you.
"Shall anguish...?" - can God's love hold when everything says that His love is a lie, and that there is no such thing as justice?
"Shall famine...?" - can we not only believe in the love of God but be more than conquerors, even while we are being starved?
Either Jesus Christ is a deceiver and Paul is deluded, or some extraordinary thing happens to a man who holds on to the love of God when the odds are all against God's character. Logic is silenced in the face of every one of these things. Only one thing can account for it - the love of God in Christ Jesus. "Out of the wreck I rise" every time.

(Taken from "My Utmost for His Highest")


Amen.

Blessings,
Lesa

Home is where you go to “let go”……

I have started a new chapter in my life.  It is bittersweet in that I never ever expected to be here.  But, here I am.  It is bittersweet in that I had to learn to let go….and, while now I have peace, I also have broken little pieces inside me which I believe I will carry for the rest of the balance of my days here on earth.  The only reason I can carry these pieces is that I do not carry them alone…God’s hands are wrapped around every little broken fragment and I know that healing will come.

Letting go of anything is not an easy process….in fact, it is not a process, it is a journey.  And, in my case my faith belief that God can do all things enabled me to stay in a place where otherwise I would have long ago let go.  As I look back I see that there was a purpose for this journey and while I don’t see it fully at this writing, I am able to see small vignettes of purpose each day.

A friend told me early on in this journey that while God is not always happy with our decisions, He never leaves us nor forsakes us as we struggle to find our way.  I know this to be truth.

I have made some tough decisions these past three years….frankly, some which those around me struggle with.  But, as one of my children told me just today, “Mom, we have walked the journey with you…we know truth….”and, in that I can find peace.

So, as I begin this new chapter, I will do as a wise woman told me…..let go.

Let go and let God be my guiding light in an even more and sincere and deep way…..

I thought I knew him before….but, now I realize that I am just at the beginning of knowing Him.

I have peace in my life.  Peace which passeth all understanding.  And, I believe it comes from God.

And, in that peace I can find it to “let go”…

Blessings

Lesa

Home is where God awakens you in the early morning to spend time with Him…

I am not sure why, but for some reason, I find myself waking up in the early morning with the inability to return to sleep and the need to talk with God…these early am prayers are precious to my heart.  Time alone with just me and God…time to reflect on my life and the life of my family.

Time alone to think about the past and to rejoice in the future.

It’s quiet in my home at 4 am or 5 am or whatever early am time I am awakened by God.  It is a unique quiet…a different kind of quiet.  I do not awaken frustrated that I cannot sleep as sometimes I do…rather, I awaken with the knowledge that if I will get up and make the time to be “present” with God, I will receive a blessing that only He can give.

            God chooses very interesting times in my life to draw me to this early am prayer….not at all what I would chose…when I had little twin babies and so very much needed my sleep, I would be awakened in the wee hours to spend time with Him.  When I have been up all night with worry over a daughter who was out with friends and she comes in…I remained awake….with God.

            When I had a big project at work and needed my rest so desperately so that I would do well the next day, I could not sleep until God and I talked.

            And, very early on I learned that IF I would obey his calling of my name and make time to be in prayer and talking, He would carry me through whatever came my way the next day.

            God is like that.  He loves it when we sit beside him, lay our weary heads on his shoulder and talk.  He loves it when we kneel beside him and share our joys and our tender moments of life.  He loves it when we share our happy moments and he loves us through our sad.

            Like a good parent, God just likes us to be with him.  He knows the more we are present with Him, the more of Him is present WITHIN us. 

            And, Him being God….blesses us in ways no other can bless us….

            I have a favorite quote, “when you get to the bottom of yourself, you get to the beginning of God”….this is not a thing you do one time in your life.  I believe you do this again and again, because in our humanity, we forget to keep God front and center.  We don’t heed his calling and go be with Him…we try to take on things alone.  And, we cannot.  So, He allows us to get to the bottom of ourselves so that we are forced to come sit at His feet and take time to be with Him…to talk with Him…it’s not a thing He does so much out of discipline of us, although I think it can be, but mostly He does this out of love…because he knows that the more we are with Him, the more of our worth, value and purpose can be made known to us…

            Each of us is here on earth for a brief time and for a Holy purpose.  Some of us “get it” early on that God has a purpose and from early on, we head that direction.  Some, not so much.  Some of us take time to grow, develop.  The great thing is, God loves us regardless of which we are..all He asks is that as we search for our purpose that we use Him as our guide…and live it out in His name.

            We do that by using those gifts He gave us to use…His Word, the avenue of prayer, the gift of family, the treasure of church fellowship, and other things.

            Those who are wise…or maybe who are humbly aware know the value of using these gifts to draw themselves closer to God.  I love those who have this figured out…I love sitting in the presence of a Godly man or woman who is authentic in his/her walk with God.  They seem to have a peace about them which is found through many, many hours spent with God.  They are humble…they are gentle, their eyes are kind and their hearts are soft.  They don’t seem to talk a lot…maybe because they do all their talking with God.

            The words which they use when they do speak are provoking because of their insight…

            People who are close with God are different…you can feel their love of God is greater than their love of life….

            They have answered the call many early mornings to go be with Him.  They have stayed on their knees more than on their feet.  They have laid down their burdens at the feet of the only one who can really remove them.  The know the value of spending time with the only one who can truly make a difference.

            I want to be one of these people…

Blessings,

Lesa

Home…you are led there by the example of your parents…

When  I was unpacking boxes as the kids and I move into our new home, I found my Daddy’s Bible  from my Mama on Valentine’s Day 1976.  Daddy had asked me in 1983 what I wanted for my birthday and I told him I wanted his “blue” Bible.  And, as he promised, that is what I received.  On my next visit home from college after my birthday he walked up to me, handed me the Bible and said, “here it is…not sure why you want it but it is yours to keep.”  And, then he smiled really big…..

I wanted his Bible because I had been told you can learn much about a person by what they underline in their personal Bible.  I think this is true.  I heard this again at my sister’s father-in-law’s funeral…the minister read scripture which had been underlined in Mr. Reneau’s Bible and it was a precious memorial to a Godly man’s life.  I was changed by hearing what was said about him that day.  Just as I was changed by the things my Daddy had underlined in his Bible.

A favorite and strong memory I carry with me of my Daddy is of him sitting at our family’s kitchen table preparing for a  sermon, a lesson, service of communion or just reading for the comfort which  from reading his Bible.  I have seen Daddy in the wee hours of the morning reading…I have seen him rushing to prepare a lesson as substitute for a sick teacher, I have seen him burning his candle late into the evening preparing for a wedding.  As a child, you cannot help but be changed by the example of your Daddy studying the Word.  What I write here could be said of my mother as well.  Both are strong prayer warriors and significant WORD readers.  Both are intimate with God and if you are around them much at all, you can feel His presence in their words, actions and speech. They are authentic and real.  They love God and their family and their friends, and, in that order.

Daddy’s Bible is what you would call “worn out”…The blue cover has been masking taped to the binding, the blue has long faded from my Daddy’s big hands opening and closing it.  There are many pages which no longer are attached, having given up their service to repeated reference over the years.

The hand written notes in my Daddy’s handwriting have to make God smile….evidence of a man seeking God’s own heart is clear.  Ink is blue, green, red and purple.  Some times there are dates next to scripture.  And, what is amazing to me is that almost every book in his Bible has some sort of note in it.  Of course, some books, The Gospels, Deuteronomy, Corinthians….have received much ink.

Daddy’s Bible has the life of Christ highlighted, marriage, forgiveness, love.  He read frequently in Ephesians…there is yellow highlighting, red ink, blue ink and many many notes.   Childrearing, our spiritual walk, the importance of faith are all topics covered by Daddy. 

You can read of my Daddy’s spiritual maturity in his personal notes.  Things which were big issues in 1976 seemed more clear to him by 1983.  His was a journey for clarity and it is evident in his writing that he succeeded in obtaining a better understanding of our God.

Very sweet to me is the handwriting of my brother, Jim, In the back notes of our Daddy’s blue Bible…evidence of a son’s following in the footsteps of a Godly father.  Jim, perhaps more than any of my other siblings seems to have a passion for reading scripture and trying to follow the heart of God’ s will for our lives. 

Sweeter still is the handwriting of one of my younger siblings, “I love you too much”….I guess they were writing that to our Daddy…for beside it on the next page is that little handwriting , “Chester Lee Millstead”.  Obviously, this was a child who knew for certain to whom the Blue Bible belonged.

Precious is my Daddy’s Bible, precious are his notes, but even more precious is the amount of time he spent striving to know his heavenly Father more intimately.

I am the daughter of a Godly father.  And mother.

There is no greater gift you can give your children.

They were and are not perfect people or parents.  But, they both live a life in service and seeking of God…and, for us as their children and grand-children, that has made all the difference.

Blessings,

Lesa

Home is where you go for Freedom...where the truth shall set you free..

Home is where you go for Freedom….where the Truth shall set you Free…..

I learned a powerful lesson this week.  Actually, it was a lesson I knew  already, I have applied it to my life for its duration; however, the power of the lesson was made especially real to me this week.

“The truth shall set you free”….

My beloved counselor, Rhonda, had shared this with me over a year ago as we battled through some difficult personal struggles.  She encouraged me from day one to “live in truth” in all things with all people at all times.  She encouraged me that even when truth was not brought to me through others, to be truthful  back.  She reminded me that painful truth is better than “pretty lies”…..a lesson learned early in my life through my parent’s teachings…

She reminded me that to draw closer to God, you had to be truthful.

That God and truth cannot live apart from one another.

She reminded me that only those who “walk the journey with me” were deserving of my personal truth…to all others, gentle silence is Godly.

She taught me to pull on God’s truth, not worldly truth...

God’s truth is always encased in love, compassion, gentleness and forgiveness.

God’s truth is freely given, quietly preserved and powerfully blessed.

I took Rhonda’s advice this year…..I became more quiet…

And, in my solitude, I found the comfort that only God can provide.  I found a peace that you cannot get from any other place but God’s tender care for you…

I learned to look at myself for personal truth and not to look toward others..

So, when a painful truth was brought to my attention this week, I was prepared.  As only God can do, he had been preparing me for a long time for this particular truth….

While I confess, for a moment, I stumbled….pain dropped me to my knees and broke my heart, this time, I was able to pull myself up quickly….calmly and appropriately…

And, this time I felt the freedom which comes from telling AND from knowing truth….and, it really does set you free….

Rhonda was right….truth is the foundation for a Godly life.  Truth with yourself.  Truth with others.  Truth given.  Truth received.

Truth causes you to put yourself “in the other person’s shoes”….it grows compassion in your heart when it would otherwise be absent.

Truth makes you real…

Truth draws you closer to God….who is Truth.

It is a personal decision…..

I chose Truth…

Blessings,

Lesa

Love your Dog....especially Today.....

Love your Dog…especially today…..

We buried our eleven year old dog, Jewel last evening as the sun set.  Having already written about her in a previous post, I won’t do so again at such length.

What I do hope to encourage all of us to do is tell those whom we love that we love them…even including your family pets.

Jewel a’ la Champion was a treasure to our family’s life. 

Rather than be sad because of her absence, we are choosing to be joyful for her life.

We are better individuals because of Jewel….we are kinder, gentler, and more compassionate.

She taught us the value of slowing down for life…the importance of taking time for a warm hug…the significance of always being there for one another.

She reminded us that baths don’t have to be an every day thing, walks around the block don’t have to be on leashes and sneaking home at midnight will not go unnoticedJ

She was faithful, loyal and protective.

She was a gift to us….

We are grateful.

Blessings on your day…..

Hugs to you and your family pets as well..

~Lesa