Do you ever get an idea or the memory of an experience on your mind and think about it awhile?
- A Super-moon like a bright spotlight through our bedroom window.
- A picture of peaches on a country porch swing.
- Singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” with church family.
- A pink and white lily floating on a green pad in a pond.
- Sun shining on a cardinal’s wings on our feeder.
- “Our blue marble;” our earth!
- A thousand and more gifts!
I’m pondering some of life’s beautiful details and changing events.
To ponder is: “To weigh in the mind; appraise; to think about; consider, contemplate, or meditate.” All of these reflect my recent thoughts.
Sharing some of life’s deepest experiences with family and friends has caused this introspection.
Our blessed assurance of Scripture is that God’s peace, hope, and strength is available through all life’s experiences as we depend on Him. “The Joy of the Lord is our strength.”
A favorite quote of mine is from a book with a great title, No Pat Answers: “I cannot understand life because life is not understandable. But I can grasp the words of Jesus, ‘Follow Me!’ ”[1]
I love a meaningful quote from a friend noted in my journal:[2]
“JOY is the gigantic secret of the Christian!”
Are you ever surprised by life? Surprises can be big or little; large or small Good and bad. Amazement, wonder, or astonishment!
We had planned to celebrate our 49th wedding anniversary with an overnight trip to the place we met. Instead, we will be with our first born, now 47, when she has surgery and bring our grandson to Mississippi for a week. We will share a milestone in their lives and enjoy our grandson here. Do your plans ever change dramatically?
Trust God’s Timing
Our own “original Mississippi Mom” and her husband have had a dramatic change of plans. With missions on their minds, they had planned to spend May 2012 visiting Kenya finalizing plans for a ministry for Kenyan women that God put on their hearts.
Instead they found out the distant trip would not be this Spring for she was expecting. Later, more news. Not just one baby. Twins! Twin girls!
Then more challenges…. It’s her story to tell. But the good news is everybody’s fine; the babies are here and beautiful! And they are VERY BUSY! (Any body out there with hints for caring for twins?) Ms Mom’s Mother is helping them. She isn’t a Nana, she’s Ya-Ya! (I’d love to hear that name-story).
Mothers and grandmothers, we all learn from one another on life’s journey. But one thing I know. Our Lord God, the God and Father of us all, cares about each one of us and every detail of our lives. Yes, Scripture promises.
Last Sunday’s Worship Bulletin
I like to look for God’s glory in little things. Consider this example. I like to scribble, brought a pen to church but left it in the choir. A friend passed me a pen when she saw me reach for a pew pencil and discover it was broken.
TODAY I’m pondering the four scribbles on my worship bulletin:
1) A single word, “Footprints;”
2) A sketch of a few footprints. (Now they actually look like stepping stones.) But I remember the worship. And God’s glory.
3) Two phrases from songs. In my hymnal from my grandmother’s piano, I looked up the song Lance Word led us to sing, including verse four! Oh, yes, the Holy Spirit’s message to my heart…
“Though sometimes He leads through waters deep,
Trials fall across the way;
Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,
See His footprints all the way!”[3]
4) The second phrase: “I will open up my heart and let the Healer set me free.”[4] Beautiful!
Though the music and the Biblical message met my needs, so by God’s Holy Spirit did He speak to each and every worshipping attentive heart!
Today as I review and meditate on the worship, I realize; the last prayer was led spontaneously by the husband of “Mississippi Mom” and the announcement at the bottom of the page announced the two new baby girls! On the altar table: TWO BEAUTIFUL PINK ROSES! God’s timing!
Congratulations to “Mrs. Mississippi Mom,” to “Mr. Mississippi Pop” and to YaYa and the rest of the family!
With love to all readers and each Mississippi Mom. Remember: “The JOY of the Lord is your strength!”[5] Love, Nana o/`
[1] Eugenia Price, “No Pat Answers”, Zondervan, 1972, p. 14.
[2] My Journal. May 23.2012. Quote by G. K. Chesterton.
[3] “He (Jesus) Keeps Me Singing” by Luther B. Bridges.
[4] Psalm 89:1; “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever” by Martin Smith, 1994.
[5] Nehemiah 8:10b is the quote. For a blessing, read the entire story in Nehemiah 8. After the Law had been lost see the poignant setting of what happened when Ezra read Scripture!
