Don't You Dare Have Fun!!! ~ Guest Blogging Day

Image Courtesy of Photostock/freedigitalphotos.net

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

Praise the Lord with the harp;
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

Sing to him a new song;
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

For the word of the Lord is right and true;
    he is faithful in all he does.

The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
    he puts the deep into storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the people of the world revere him.

For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

Psalm 33: 1-9 NIV

Sometimes, as parents of children with disabilities and health concerns, we feel like we shouldn't have fun.  As much as we WANT to have fun, we feel as though we would look selfish or calloused if the world saw us having fun when the world knows the condition of our children.

When my daughter had cancer,  we stopped going to church and we stopped getting together with a lot of people, and we stopped traveling to visit my family who lived 4 hours away.  We did all of those things because of the risk of germs that could have dramatically impacted our daughter's health while she was on chemotherapy.

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Self-Diagnosed Panicky Woman with SPD ~ Guest Blogging Day

Waiting for Skillet to perform at Lifest 2015

So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

 So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this, and you’ll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1: 5-11 MSG 

A few weeks back we were at Lifest in Oshkosh, WI.  Lifest is an annual four-day Christian music festival; it's what makes summer "summer," as far as our family is concerned.  We started going 5 years ago, and, despite moving to Nevada last year, we STILL return to Lifest in WI.

Ironically, I tend to have to fight off panic attacks whenever I attend loud concerts.

Weird, right? Why do I keep going if it causes me distress?

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Stray...

Sunset on Lake Tahoe by Tammie Hefty

And though I may stray,

My faithful God, you are still

Where last I met you.

Inspired by Sunday Scribblings 2 Prompt 85: Stray

www.sundayscribblings2.blogspot.com 

Wanting to be Well ~ Guest Blogging Day

Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”  At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

John 5:3-8 NIV

Do you want to get well?

It sounds like such a harsh question with an obvious answer; but really, it isn't.  We know a lot of people who actually seem more comfortable wallowing in what they DON'T have rather than looking forward and working toward happiness.

Do you want to get well?

We moved to Nevada over a year ago and immediately I fell in love with Lake Tahoe.

But, during the course of this summer, I have decided that Lake Tahoe is not just my FAVORITE PLACE, it is my HAPPY PLACE.  Lake Tahoe is the place where I GET WELL.

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The Look on His Face ~ Guest Blogging Day

Image courtesy of ImageryMajestic at freedigitalphotos.net

 

 

 

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account 

for every careless word they speak, 

for by your words you will be justified, 

and by your words you will be condemned.  

Matthew 12:36-37 ESV 

As parents, as friends, as humans, we will have to answer questions concerning sin and forgiveness.  Questions like:  If we are covered in the grace given to us through Jesus Christ on the cross, then what is the point of "following the law?"  Why should we even bother to avoid the "seven deadly sins?"  Why should we feel bad about doing ANYTHING that we do? 

The answer is quite simple...

One day, we WILL have to give an account for our actions, and that will be a day we never forget.  I'd like to keep my list as short as possible so that I don't have to look God in the eyes and admit to all the times I've wallowed in sin.

Once, when I was in elementary school, there was a thing called a SLAM BOOK being passed around.  For those who don't know, a SLAM BOOK was a notebook in which each page had numbered lines which corresponded to the same line on the pages that followed.  A person would put her name on the first page; whichever line was the next available, and then, on the pages that followed, she would answer the questions on that page on the same numbered line each time.  For example, I might sign my name on line number 9 and then I would put my answers on the corresponding line on each page; number 9.

The questions varied and were anything from:  "What's the worst thing you've ever done", to "What's your favorite color?".

I, unfortunately, made the poor decision to fill out a SLAM BOOK.

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#LoveWins ~ Guest Blogging Day

Photo "Silhouette of Bride and Groom" Courtesy of /freedigitalphotos.net

Love is patient, love is kind.  

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs.  
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, 
always perseveres.  

1Corinthians 13: 4-7 NIV

I was on Facebook a lot this past weekend because it was my daughter's birthday and I was posting pictures and relaying messages to her from friends and family.

Much to my dismay, I was unable to completely "miss" the overwhelming amount of posts regarding the US Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage.  According to Reuters, "The court ruled 5-4 that the Constitution's guarantees of due process and equal protection under the law mean that states cannot ban same-sex marriages. With the landmark ruling, gay marriage becomes legal in all 50 states." *

I'm not here to debate the topic of same-sex marriage.  

I'm here to talk about the irony of the "hashtag" that accompanied rants from both Christians and non-Christians alike.  

Now, take into consideration that non-Christians will not have to recognize the "scripture" that I quoted above; but CERTAINLY Christians do.  So, I guess I'm addressing the Christians who were bashing the other Christians who weren't celebrating this "landmark decision."

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That is SO NOT You ~ Guest Blogging Day

Image "Footwear" courtesy of Duron123/freedigitalphotos.net

Do not conform to this pattern of this world...

Romans 12:2 NIV

OKAY, I know.  

I have been talking about Romans 12 for a while now, ever since I started to memorize the chapter as my own personal goal toward a closer relationship with God.  

But, gee wiz, does God HAVE to keep taking me deeper and deeper into it so that every week I see more of the scripture coming to life before my eyes???

Today I took my daughter shoe-shopping. 

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Anchors MY Way! ~ Guest Blogging Day

Image "The Old Wooden Anchor on Wood Wall Background" courtesy of cbenjasuwan /freedigitalphotos.net

He has given us both his promise and his oath, two things we can completely count on, for it is impossible for God to tell a lie. Now all those who flee to him to save them can take new courage when they hear such assurances from God; now they can know without doubt that he will give them the salvation he has promised them.

This certain hope of being saved is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls, connecting us with God himself behind the sacred curtains of heaven, where Christ has gone ahead to plead for us from his position as our High Priest, with the honor and rank of Melchizedek.  Hebrews 6:18-20

What on EARTH???  We couldn't quite figure out WHY it was taking so much effort to get the green row boat moving.  I mean, sure, my cousin and I weren't the MOST athletic girls you ever met; but we could certainly row around the lake as we had it dozens of times before.  

When we made the full loop and were rowing up to the dock, we went to drop the anchor and realized we had never pulled the anchor up!  We had left it down and had dragged it along behind us as we exerted all the effort we had to row that little boat around Owl Lake.  

Don't we often do that with our own ANCHOR that Paul writes about in his letter to the Hebrews?

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I'm Sorry, Ma'am, Your Child is Broken~Guest Blogging Day

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  Romans 12: 1-2 ESV

Color inside the lines, brush your hair, don't let yourself start to smell bad, one scribble on the page is not artwork, and don't forget to smile nice for your picture! 

That's what the world wants, right?  

I shrink inside every time I hear my daughter say, "Finished" and I see the scribble of one color across the white paper.  Her artwork.   But it doesn't look like the artwork that MY CHILD should be creating...no, surely she'd be more creative and want it to look nicer, right?

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"Me-OW," said God ~ Guest Blogging Day

Keep deception and lies far from me,
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion,
That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or that I not be in want and steal,
And profane the name of my God.

Proverbs 30:8-9 NASB 
 

They look so peaceful when they're sleeping, don't they?

But, my little buddy, pictured above nestled in with his football, no longer wants to sleep at night!  No, Jinxy Kitty; now 13 years old, has decided that he needs to eat at 3 am, if not earlier.  What that means for me is:

• Beginning at sometime between 1 AM and 3 AM, every morning since January, I begin to feel his "gentle" nibbling on my eyebrows, biting on my head, or pawing at my nose.  
• He has also began to pull at our window blinds, so those usually are opened at bedtime in order to ensure they are out of his reach.
• After being fed, he promptly retreats back to the master bedroom; while I, now awake, read for about an hour in the recliner until I nod off again for an hour until my alarm sounds.

I'm tired...I don't go to bed very early, so I'm only getting about two hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

But while others say, "Put him in another room," I cannot; because I KNOW with every ounce of my being that God is teaching me something through this.

He's reminding me that I can do NOTHING apart from Him. 

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That's What He Said ~ Guest Blogging Day

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:10-11 NASB

My cat has been waking me up somewhere between 1:00 AM and 4:00 AM in the morning since January.  Since I don't get to bed until 10 or 11 at night, that leaves me only a "couple"of hours of uninterrupted sleep for a few months now.  

But, that's a story for next week.

I just needed you to be aware of my state of sleep deprivation so the following story makes more sense.  Today, I want to tell you about the surprise blessing I received this past week by committing to scripture memorization.  

I have stayed on the mailing list for our women's ministry back in WI even though we now live in NV, and a few months ago I saw a message to the women that there would be a scripture memorization challenge for the summer. I thought that would be something fun for me to do while I was off of work and home with Evie over summer break.  

I didn't realize I was supposed to start BEFORE summer, and I was dragging my feet at starting in on the memorizing.  I really had only planned on it when "I had nothing better to do."  

Something urged me to start this past week, however, and I'm glad.  

When I pulled out the program information, I found that we were to start by memorizing Psalm 1.

AN ENTIRE PSALM?  

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Getting Plugged in to my Power Source ~ Guest Blogging Day

Evie and I praising at Joyful Noise Family Fest a few years Back...

 

Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, 

as I lift up my hands 

toward your Most Holy Place.  

Psalm 28:2 NIV

What is with the people raising their hands?

I remember asking myself this question over and over again when I would attend church with my grandma and grandpa as a young child.  

As an adult, I not only lift my hands when worshiping in church, but I do when we are at Christian music concerts, and I do even when I'm cruising in the car and the Spirit moves me.  

I realized the other night, while worshiping at the Beautiful Offerings Tour with artists like Big Daddy Weave, Jason Gray, Citizen Way and Lauren Dagle, that my hands lifted in praise are EXACTLY the PROOF of "HOW I STAY SO POSITIVE?"

People say I inspire them, and they want to know how I find the energy to do the things I do...Just as a tall tree would work as a conductor of energy from a lightening bolt to the earth, my hand raised in praise of Jesus is my power source.  It IS how I continue to persevere in a world that is so broken.

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Blessed Enough to be Speechless ~ Guest Blogging Day

Image "Mother Giving Hand to Child" Courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/freedigitalphotos.net

While he was saying this to me, 

I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless.  Daniel 10:15  NIV

A few weeks ago we were at an ophthalmologist's office.  My daughter was meeting this specialist for the first time as she has several eye conditions which include, but are not limited to; aniridia (no irises in the eyes), and glaucoma (high pressure within the eyes).

If you've never seen how doctors measure the eye pressures in children and infants, they typically use an item called a tonopen.  This pen must be placed directly on the eye ball, right where the iris and pupil are located.  The pen takes several readings which reflect how high the pressure in the eye is. 

Because my daughter doesn't have irises, she is photosensitive; meaning, she has extreme sensitivity to light.  She wears sunglasses at all times when she is outside, even if the sun is low on the horizon or behind clouds. 

Keep in mind that my family just moved from the Midwest to the far West under a year ago.  We have become acquainted with all of our new doctors, but don't know them NEARLY as well as we did our doctors in Wisconsin.  Often, I just assume that the doctor knows what he or she is doing; but that's not the best thing when it comes to rare diseases.

For example, when the doctor was trying to check my daughter's eye pressures with the tonopen, she made her tip her head back and stare straight up into an overhead fluorescent light.  It didn't dawn on me to tell the doctor to turn the light off, nor to ask her to dim the light.  My daughter kept closing her eyes while the doctor had the tonopen set on the eye ball attempting to get a reading.  

I watched, silently, as they both struggled to do their jobs:  my daughter was struggling to protect her eye from the blinding light and the doctor was struggling to get a reading as quickly and accurately as possible.

It was excruciating to watch.  

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