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Tuesday January 19 2016  THE SCRIPTURES AND THE MOUTH

Computers!  You either love them or you detest them!  I really don’t think it’s the computer’s fault but more my fault for not being tech savvy.   I know enough about them to use them TO MY CAPACITY, but not enough to be master over them.  I have been working with computer problems most of this afternoon and evening with a Geek squad representative.  I only wanted tune ups by the Geek Squad but both PC’s have problems that need the big guns.  That means I must take them in to be serviced (for no charge).  OR… I can have the Geek squad (one person) come to the house for 4 hours and work on any and all computers that I own for $50 for the four hours.  That is worth it to me.  I have a big heavy tower for my professional work and it is a bear to haul back and forth.  This poor laptop that I am currently using is having its one year birthday soon and has not been tuned up all year which has resulted in overload.  It is so full that it will not support an online computer to take control online.  Mr. Geek Squad suggested I get a tune up once a month.  Which I will do from this point on.  I’ll just schedule it on my calendar, call and have my over-the-phone service call (for three computer) via the phone.  That way they will not get overloaded with all the excess that the computer holds on to.  My Geek Squad subscription cost $99.00 for one year.  There is absolutely no charge with over-the-phone repair or if I take it in to Best Buy.  However, there are some things that need to be done, which must be done from home base because of all the connections and contraptions and WiFi that is involved with having all this paraphernalia.  It will be best for me to have someone come out.

Our Quandary regarding the house is still not totally settled, but it should be by tomorrow.  I am beginning to wonder if I have too much on my plate.  That is a hard thing for me to admit.  I have always just done what must be done, regardless how much was expected.  Now, I am rethinking life a bit.  I have pared down my obligations.   I no longer do any type of consultations or counseling such as Stephen Ministry, or Theophostic Ministry.  I am finished with my professional photography.  I am not involved with any organized ministry at church.  I am not on the prophetic prayer team this year, nor do I have any involvement leading or attending Connect Groups through our church.  I have curbed all organized activities that meet on a regular basis and I still don’t seem to have time to accomplish what I desire to accomplish. 

So…I have figured out it must be my age!  If I don’t have anything else to blame something on I can always just blame it on getting older.  But that doesn’t work for long either because I don’t feel old yet.  I just had a light bulb moments!  I think I know why I am not accomplishing my goals.  It must be because I talk too much.  I can talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime, even when realistically I don’t have the time.  I saw that happen today and realized how much time it takes to talk and listen.  Well, perhaps it was Dave that actually helped me to figure that out because he was patiently (or maybe I should say IMPATIENTLY) waiting for me all those times I was waylaid by all those interesting people.  And he wasn’t a happy camper.  And I don’t blame him.  I shall try hard not to talk too much in the future (at least when he is waiting with me).  I tried that once when we first married and it didn’t really work too well for me.  Well, I’m older and hopefully wiser now so maybe there is hope.  I suppose I’ll just have to write longer blogs to use up all my words.  JUST KIDDING! JUST KIDDING!   

To show you how mature I am becoming, I’ll just stop this blog right here, write a poem (MAYBE a short one) and get ready to make dinner.  We usually have a light supper and so it is quite simple to prepare.

 

THE SCRIPTURES AND THE MOUTH

By Kathleen Martens

January 19, 2016

 

Oh the scripture is full of caution

Of what a mouth should say.

The wise heart accepts commands

But chattering fools, ruin, demands.

 

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain

Of life, that flows from deep within.

Violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked

And their words cause them to sin.

 

Knowledge is stored up by the wise,

But ruin is invited by fools.

For the words they choose to speak

Seem to break all God’s rules.

 

When words are many

Sin is not absent

But he who speaks little

Allow sin no consent.

 

A righteous tongue is choice silver

As words come from their heart.

But the words of the wicked

Have little value to depart.

 

Lips of the righteous

Many will nourish.

But the simple fool will die,

For they do not flourish.

 

Through the mouth of the righteous

Wisdom speaks with voice.

Their words are fitting

Because of their choice.

 

And he who answers without listening,

It is his folly and shame.

And a liar who is perverse

Tarnishes his very own name.

 

With his mouth

The godless destroys,

But through righteous knowledge

Escape is employed.

 

A man of understanding

Will hold his tongue

But a gossip,

By himself is hung.

 

Reckless words pierce

The heart like a sword.

But the tongue of the wise

Give a healing word.

 

Truthful lips endure forever,

God delights in what is spoken.

Kind words will cheer a man,

When he’s down and broken

 

He who guards his lips

Also guards his soul.

But he who speaks rashly,

For him, no such goal.

 

Knowledge is not upon the lips

When a foolish man doth speak.

It is the truthful who save lives,

A false witnesses voices deceit.

 

Folly and evil gush

From the mouth of a fool,

Kind words of the righteous,

Are a healing tool.

 

A man finds joy

When giving an apt reply.

And oh how wonderful

A timely word applies.

 

The righteous prayers

Of a man are heard,

Because God in heaven

Hears every word.

 

Good news gives health

To a man’s bones.

And to the man who listens,

His wisdom is honed.

 

He who speaks truth

Is an honored man.

Even among kings

He uprightly stands.

 

Pleasant words are a honeycomb,

And to the soul so sweet.

A Wiseman’s heart guides his mouth,

His words to others a treat.

 

Whew!  That poem started short and just grew.  I have looked up a lot of verses from Proverbs about the mouth.  And this isn’t half of them!

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU.  I WILL KEEP THE REST OF MY WORDS TO MYSELF.  (You see, I am learning.)

BELOW PLEASE READ PART THREE OF:

8 Keys to Finding God’s Will For Your Life

 3) Obey what you already know to be God’s Will.

Many people seem to want to know what God’s plan is for their lives, but they overlook the fact that 98% of His will is already delineated carefully through His Word. God is very clear about many, many aspects of His will. For instance, it is clearly His plan that we abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

If we do not obey the things that God has shown us clearly to be His will, why would we think He would reveal any further information regarding His plan for our lives? Obedience is an important first step.

http://www.biblestudytools.com/blogs/chris-russell/8-keys-to-knowing-god-s-will-for-your-life.html

Monday January 18 2016  OUR QUANDARY 

This morning it was minus 7 degrees outside when our post toasty bodies emerged from beneath our pile of quilts.  It almost felt that cold inside too.  News from the weather channel quoted the wind-chill made it feel as if it was minus 20 degrees.  I have the heat up to 72 degrees in the living area, and 62 degrees in the bedroom wing.  Downstairs is also set at 62 degrees.  We cannot leave the heat off during this kind of cold for fear of pipes freezing.  We have a large shop off our family room downstairs and lots of pipes, for our baseboard water heating system, that go through that area.  That area is not heated.  Because of the pipes being warm the shop does not freeze.  The space is 40 feet by 20 feet.  To show you how you must dress to go out in this kind of weather, I will include a picture of me still bundled up when we arrived home from the gym earlier today.  It takes about 30 minutes for the car heaters to be able to start pumping out heat so we must really be bundled when we get into the below freezing car.  We have wool blankets in the car that I snuggle in. 

We’ve had quite a cold spell these past weeks and I keep forgetting to mention it in the blog.  It is just a normal part of our life in Wisconsin during this time of year.   I thought some of you living in the warmer climates might enjoy hearing about what it’s like for us in this part of the country.  Dave looked outside the other day and asked me in all seriousness, “What do you see when you look outside?”   I thought he was referring to the beauty of the snow and landscape and such, but he wasn’t.  He simply replied, “I see death”.  He went on to explain that the walls of our house and our heat coming into it, are all that stands between life and death for us.  That was an eye opening statement.  As I walked from the car into the gym, which probably takes less than 30 seconds, I could barely keep my eyes open because the surface of my eyes would start freezing and drying out.  Fortunately I had on warm clothing, and for a short period of time, could be exposed to the bitter cold without permanent damage to my skin and eyes.  Being in this kind of cold is brutal, even for a short period of time.  Being INSIDE in this kind of cold can sometimes feel very uncomfortable if the house isn’t warm enough.  I usually stay busy and active enough that I am not too bothered with it.  But I do look forward to climbing into bed at night.  As much as we enjoy all our windows in the spring, summer, and fall, even with dual panes and high rated glass, there is not quite so much enjoyment of being close to a window in the winter months.  Most of our windows are not covered due to the fact we live in the country, have no street lights to come in, and we would probably never keep the window treatments closed due to the beautiful views we have from all directions.  Another reason we keep our windows exposed inside is because of the humidifier that runs on automatic during the winter. Even the bedroom windows that do have blinds, we keep open.  Too much moisture builds up between the glass and blinds and then drips on the hardwood floors.  So you see, the cold can create dilemmas that you may never think about when you live in a warmer climate.   FLORIDA, HERE WE COME!  We just don’t know when.

There is a lot on our agenda at present and we have some tough decision to make regarding the rebuild from our water loss on Christmas day.  This blog will be short due to time I need to make some phone calls before it is too late in the day.  Please join us in prayer that God will give us wisdom to do what is best for all involved. 

 

OUR QUANDARY

By Kathleen Martens

January 18 2016

 

No matter what confronts us

God is by our side.

He helps us make decisions,

Because in us He abides.

 

Thank you God for being

Our true and constant friend,

Directing mine and Dave’s choices

With answers that You send.

 

We ask for help in this matter

That what we do is  best.

Direct us to do Your will.

Teach us through this test.

 

Such a comfort it is to know

That You guide us on our way.

Calm us that we are quiet

So we hear Your voice each day.

 

Your voice that so tenderly speaks

To the deep within our souls.

For it is our desire,

That You direct our goals.

 

So our quandary we lay at your feet

And ask You would intervene.

Give us courage to face what’s ahead

And show us the unseen.

 

Thank you Lord for Your strength,

That You are a tower in which to hide

Where we find solace and love

Because in You we do abide.

 

Thank you that you are in control

When we don’t know which way to go.

All we must do is faithfully follow

And Your way, to us You’ll show.

 

PROVERBS 18:15

“THE NAME OF THE LORD IS A STRONG TOWER; THE RIGHTEOUS RUN INTO IT AND THEY ARE SAFE.”

 

I believe this poem just came as a confirmation to me that I be reminded that God is in control and He knows the beginning from the end.  We are to lay our concerns at His feet and then wait for Him to give us direction.  This all has to do with the situation regarding the damage to our home, and how we are going to handle the entire situation, as to what must be done to rebuild.  A lot more involved than that, but that is the gist of it.

Thanks for listening to the concerns we have.  Remember, this is also my journal at present, so my raw feelings sometimes get put on the table for the world to see.  Mostly, we just ask for your prayers tonight that God would lead us in the right direction for all matters involved.

Good night and God bless you!

BELOW PLEASE READ PART TWO OF:

8 Keys to Finding God’s Will For Your Life

2) Surrender your will to God’s.

Many times when we say we are seeking God’s will, what we are really wanting to say to God is this: “OK, God, here’s what I’m planning to do. Now I need you to rubber stamp this, all right?” I must tell you that this is not really effective in finding His true will.

Before God will begin to reveal His will to you, you must be committed to doing whatever it is that He desires for you to do. God will likely be slow to show you His plan if He knows you will likely not do that plan anyway.

Romans 12:1-2

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Jesus was willing to die for us, so shouldn’t we be willing to live for Him? When we surrender to Him, that is when He really begins to direct our steps.

http://www.biblestudytools.com/blogs/chris-russell/8-keys-to-knowing-god-s-will-for-your-life.html

 

 

 

Saturday January 16 2016  OUR NEW BEGINNING

Well, I went to church this morning to attend a women’s brunch and had an hour sermon along with brunch.  It might have even been longer than an hour.  And it was good!  It spiraled me off course however for this weekend.  All day long it has seemed like Sunday.  I must draw myself back to pre-retirement-reality, and remind myself that it is only Saturday and tomorrow is the real Sunday Sabbath.  So when I re-gain a day (even if it is only in my mind) it feels as if I have a whole new day added to my life.  And believe me, I will take all the extra days I can get.

Life is going by too quickly and the years are quietly and quickly mounting.  I no longer think in hours or days, but rather in months and years.  No sooner does the last year get packed up before it is time to start unpacking this year’s times of celebration.  I find I must start much sooner in preparing for whatever is coming up because it takes me longer to do everything.  Why didn’t anyone ever tell me this was going to happen?  Okay, okay…one person did tell me, and like she always says, “You (meaning me) never listen and learn by what is said to you.  You always have to experience it to learn it.”  And I think she is right!  She is probably the one person in the world, other than my husband, who knows me best.  I’m learning sister, I really am.  And the list of what I am learning is long!

While at the brunch this morning I sat beside a beautiful young lady who is engaged to be married in four months.  She was delightful to talk to.  So young and so full of life and energy and anticipation of the future with the love of her life.  I love weddings!  I think that is why I have enjoyed being a wedding photographer for so long.  But, I am retired now and will not be working as a professional photographer any longer, other than my volunteer work at the hospital.  AND…I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT I COMPLETELY FINISHED ALL THE WEDDING WORK FROM THE FINAL WEDDING.  Once I deliver the images I WILL TRULY AND COMPLETELY BE RETIRED!!!!  I notified the government that my business is closed.  SO NOW IT IS TAX TIME!

Back to the lovely bride to be.  As much as I don’t learn without experience, I emptied my heart out to this lovely young lady by giving all the wisdom I could muster in the short time we were together.  She was extremely polite.  She listened!  I hope some of it was worth it for her as she heads into her new role in life.  I wish her well. 

Even though I am extremely happy to finally be truly retired, I would be less than honest if I did not say that deep in my heart I do miss photographing weddings.  Each and every wedding was special to me.  My assistant and I usually traveled together to the weddings, as many were long distances away. We would always pray for the bride and groom as we traveled to the wedding.  We also prayed for the equipment, our alertness, and for our protection.   I could always feel God’s presence throughout the day.  Not all weddings were God based, so I prayed even more fervently, that the the couple would someday know the Lord.  The weddings days were always, busy, exciting, wonderful, and exhausting.  Some of my weddings were 12 hours on duty, with 90 minute travel times on both ends.  I never tired until it was all over and I was packed up, in the car, and ready to head home.  Then I could feel the adrenalin, and tension drain from me, leaving me in a state of exhaustion.  Years ago I used to do two and occasionally three weddings in one weekend.  That was in film days.  Digital photography is much more time consuming, both at the event, as well as post production work.  But now for me, it is over.  For that I am thankful.

Writing about the above, leads me to the thought that caused me to think about the end of my photography career.  I recently either heard or read this statement, “OUR LIVES ARE FULL OF ENDINGS”.  Over the years I have thought about that very concept as I watched my life unfold.  I’ve actually written a few poems about that topic, but I think it bears mentioning again. 

When we were young, even as little kids, we rarely thought about “endings”, but rather about new beginnings.  I have found that with each new beginning for someone, there is usually an ending of something else that is being left behind.  It begins on the day of birth.  It is new life for the baby, the end of a pregnancy for the mother.  And there are so many steps that build each year, creating new beginnings and new endings for both parent and child.  And here I am now, looking at the ending of something I loved to do, yet on the other hand, seeing new beginnings of a different kind of life.  About five years ago, my family doctor told me I was entering a stage in my life when I would be experiencing many losses.  Though I could see with my mind’s eye what he was talking about, I hadn’t experienced it yet.  But with each of those losses that he discussed I could also see new beginnings that would emerge.  As the years progress some of those losses may be catastrophic, such as losing a spouse, losing your memory, downsizing, limited function of body movements, giving up driving, poor health, and the list goes on.  But the way I look at it, each loss must come with a new beginning, a new normal, just as it did as we gave birth to our children and made more room in our heart and home for each child.  And we also experienced losses as well; children growing up (a good loss), empty nest syndrome, and so much more, but always a new beginning just ahead. 

Living in the world we sometimes try to reinvent ourselves when one phase of our life is over, rather than just accept the new beginning that God has already provided for us.  With each ending, each change, or each loss, I have found my glass half full rather than becoming half empty.  I choose to see all the possibilities yet to come, rather than dwell on the endings.  Endings are expected.  Endings are needed.  To me, endings are nothing more than new beginnings in disguise.  And what is so wonderful about endings and beginnings is that when we walk with God, who has no beginning and no ending, we have the assurance that He has been with us through all the paths we have traveled, through all the trials and struggles experienced, through all the beginnings and the endings we transitioned through, as well as promising to be with us for that which is to come.  We, as believers, do not ever need to reinvent ourselves, because God already did that for us through the blood of His Son’s sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.  We have been made new, and we are His Beloved sons and daughters.  Our “final ending” will actually be our NEW BEGINNING.  THE BEGINNING OF FOREVER WITH OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, FOR ALL ETERNITY.  How awesome it that!   Yes, a lot of things will change over the course of our lifetime, but the wonderful thing is, God never changes and our new beginning began when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. AND WE NEVER HAVE TO LEAVE THAT BEHIND!  Come to think of it.  I think my glass is always full, regardless the circumstances.

 

OUR NEW BEGINNING

By Kathleen Martens

January 16 2016

 

This day’s beginning will have an end

As time progresses and darkness falls.

But some things will never change

When we answer God’s amazing call.

 

When our heart we give to Him

God leads and directs each day,

Through all the pain and trials of life,

Every moment He shows us the way.

 

So when this life on earth is done,

Even our death is not the end.

When it’s our time to be called home,

We will be greeted by our Truest Friend.

 

And heaven’s arms will open wide

As we see Christ in all His glory.

FOR OUR NEW BEGINNING, ACTUALLY BEGAN,

WITH REDEMPTION’S STORY!

 

Good night and God bless you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday January 14 2016  THINGS YOU CAN THANK GOD FOR

There are so many things to thank God for that I don’t think I shall ever run out of new things of which to give thanks.  My thank you journal has been an active place these past few days when I resurrected it from my ever-growing pile of books that surround my special chair in my downstairs library.  I differentiate the downstairs library from the “upstairs” library.  Actually we don’t have an upstairs library, per say, but as I sit here and look at my rickety little table desk, I spy way too many books that don’t have a home.  Piles here, piles there,…uh oh!  I feel a poem coming.

 

PILES HERE, PILES THERE

By Kathleen Martens

January 14 2016

 

Piles here, piles there,

Piles stacked everywhere.

On the floor are even more,

Everywhere, books galore.

 

On dressers, on living room shelves,

So I can go help myself.

In baskets and on the chairs.

Every place EXCEPT the stairs.

 

Books in closets, cupboards too,

And my desk has a few.

Neatly piled in a stack,

Books of God I do not lack.

 

Even on my chase lounge,

For books I do not scrounge.

Under my elbow there is one

Started, but not yet done.

 

By my bed behind closed doors,

Open them up, and there are more

End tables hold their share,

Wherever you look, books are there.

 

In the hall’s decorative case

More books have a place

And there are places left untold

Of little niches that can hold

 

More books dear to my heart

All of which I cannot part.

I dare not tell you all the places

Where my books take up spaces.

 

Many are read, most are not.

But there is always one more spot.

I must live to be quite old

Before these books can be sold.

 

To read every one is my desire

That my soul will be inspired.

I hope to read every word

Before my call to heaven is heard.

 

(Well, there you go, that is how a poem is born.  Thankfully, there is very little labor involved.  I feel it coming and I just give it one push and out it comes!)  And each one is given their own name!

And I even forgot to mention all the books in my library.  That is why we are creating a library where my studio was.  But first I must finish getting everything sorted and out of their storage places in the prop room.  Everything is just waiting to be labeled and priced.  Hopefully we will have the sale this spring or summer and the rooms will be empty. 

Well, this wasn’t what I planned to write about today, but it came out of me, so that must be where my thoughts were.  I actually thought about writing about our highway system in the United States.  But now I will save that for another day.  There are a couple of facts I would still like to search out. 

As I began the first paragraph above I was talking about my Thank You Journal.  Let me get back to that for just one moment.  When I sat down to do my quiet time today with God I happened to turn to the back of the book of Psalm.  Some of my favorite chapters in Psalm are the last dozen or so chapters of the book.  There are so many words of praise to God in them.  As I read Psalm 145, what jumped out at me, were all the THANK YOU’S I could give to God.  So, I again retrieved my journal and started writing line after line of thanks for all that was in the scriptures.  Let me show you an example:

Psalm 145:1 reads “I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise Your name for ever and ever.”

This is how I would write it in my journal, “Thank You God that I can exalt you.”  “Thank you, O King, that I can praise Your name for ever and ever.”

So that is what I did.  I just read each scripture and then wrote it in my journal in the form of a Thank You.  It is awesome when you later re-read your journal and come across all the beautiful scriptures turned into Thank You Notes to the Lord.

About now you may think I don’t have anything better to do with my time than to sit down and “play” with scriptures and a journal of thanks.  Well, actually I have too much to do, but I think it is more important to me, to just enjoy the Lord’s presence every day because I know that God desires my undivided attention.  I’m sure He would delight in your undivided attention as well.  Try it, you might like it!  Even though it is God who enjoys intimacy with each of us, it is we who really benefit.  It is the time when my faith is strengthened, when I hear what God is impressing upon on my heart, and the time I receive power and strength from His presence.  And for me, it is being obedient to what I believe He is asking me to do. 

Short blog, but I am sending it with lots of love.

Have a great evening.  It isn’t dark yet. 

Signing off at 4:32 p.m.  The days are lengthening!

 

 

 

Wednesday January 13 2016  A SHORT WINDOW OF TIME

A short of window of time to write.  And I must say, I am happy that my computer works.  Just after I published last night’s blog, my computer would no longer receive WiFi.  I spoke with the Geek Squad from Best Buy and made an appointment for today.  Before I left to go to the appointment I called the I.T. man that works at the place where I purchased my laptop.  He went over some things with me on the phone, only to discover that I had inadvertently turned the WiFi off.  All fixed, at no cost!  I called and cancelled my appointment and felt I had been given a two hour gift. Actually, I don’t ever remember turning the WiFi on.  The button has just always been that way!

Due to not having to go into town, I accomplished more than I ever thought I would.  Wednesday being my day off from the gym is the day I plan to stay home and get lots done.  It was awesome that I did not have to go ANYWHERE!

This morning we did a thorough cleaning under the kitchen sink.  The dishwasher will be delivered and hooked up tomorrow morning bright and early.  We couldn’t let anyone see the mess that was under our sink.  Right about now my sister will be shaking her head and probably thinking about how glad she is that she lives in California and I live in Wisconsin.  If I could say in all honesty, that I wished my house was as neat, clean, and decluttered as hers, I would say I would love it.  But…I know it never will be, and do not live with any delusional ideas that it will end up that way.  With me in it, it wouldn’t stay that way for long.  Once upon a time my house was orderly and neat, and believe it or not, that was when I had little kids.  But I got smart.  I realized there was too much living to do to worry about what someone else thinks of my messes.  Quite a bit of the house often looks presentable, but I know all that is lingers in the hidden places, unseen. 

Slowly those unseen areas are seeing the light of day.  I would like the world to know, that as of yesterday, every drawer in our dressing room (except my costume jewelry case) has been emptied, cleaned, sorted, and put in order.  I actually have two empty drawers.  Dave already sorted and purged his entire closet.  All that is left is my side of the closet.  And that is going to be a BIG JOB.  But it will be accomplished.  I still have eleven more drawers in our bedroom and another closet in the bedroom. 

I wish I had more time to write because I would love to tell you about how fun it is going through all the “stuff”, some of which I had forgotten.  It is a time of both sorting and reminiscing.  When I am doing it, I enjoy it.  It may take me longer, but it makes the day fun and interesting.  How great is that, I have my own, perfectly free entertainment!   (Note to sister: VFM, I’m really not going senile.  I just choose to enjoy and have fun when I am doing whatever I am doing. So don’t worry about me.  Just be glad you are in California)!

My blogs will be very short the next four days.  Every single day is packed with appointments, doing childcare for my grandkids, a church event, and then Sunday Sabbath. 

 

TRY TO HAVE FUN

By Kathleen Martens

January 13, 2016

 

It seems life happens

At an accelerated pace.

So I plan ahead,

Just in case.

 

I try to take time

To make good meals,

And do my exercise,

Listen to how I feel.

 

I go to bed early

So I wake up rested.

Because I never know

How my day will be tested.

 

Appointments and disasters

Dealt equally alike.

One moment at a time

To access the pike.

 

And I resolve to do

What must be done,

And whatever the circumstance

To try to have fun.

 

Before I sign off I would like to tell you briefly of an excellent web page I discovered.  I don’t know why it showed up on my computer but I did some investigating about it and found it to be a great resource for me.  The web address is:  BibleStudyTools.com

You will need to type it into the URL address line because my blog is not hooked up to send links.  I recommend you try to find, or perhaps just google separately, the article:  “8 KEYS TO KNOWING GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE.”  I found it to be an excellent article by Chris Russell.  I am also signed up to read the Bible through in one year.  I am finding it interesting because I chose to do it with theme scriptures from both the old and new Testament.   

Good night and God Bless You!

“Wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.  Proverbs 8:11

 

 

Tuesday January 12 2016   TOO MUCH THINKING

When I think too much, I write too much!  So tonight I will think as little as possible.  Instead of allowing a topic to pop into my brain, I decided to just bring you up to date on what is happening around this place.

Our house is still entirely torn apart.  Wide strips of brown butcher block type paper is taped on the floor from one end of our house to the other so that workers will not walk on the floors with dirty shoes.  I know I have not mentioned weather lately, but we do have snow on the ground, and in the driveway, and everywhere else and it does track in.  The vanity is still in the middle of the dressing room.  I still can’t use the cupboards of our six foot bathroom vanity and all the linens and supplies are in the guest room.  We will hear back from the insurance company this week and then determine exactly what they will cover.

The last week or so, we have had a funny odor in the kitchen, especially when emptying the dishwasher.  Something just did not seem right with that smell but I couldn’t figure out what it was.  I was planning on running a vinegar rinse in it in case it was actually coming from the inside of the dishwasher.  We could see absolutely nothing when we looked into the dishwasher.  As I was getting prepared to run the dishwasher something told me, no, do not do it tonight.  I turned to Dave and told him that I did not want to run the dishwasher while we were in bed.  So we didn’t do it. 

The next day I was coming home from my massage across town.  The freeway was busy but moving at a normal pace.  A car came onto the onramp at my right as a two ton pickup truck was parallel with me in the lane on my left.  We were traveling about 58 mph.  The blue car on my right did not even look to see if anyone was in the lane to their left, and because I was in their blind spot, they undoubtedly did not see me.  Now remember, everything happens fast when it happens.  When the blue car started coming into my lane the only place my mind said to go was to swerve into the lane on my left, and fortunately the truck on my left realized what was happening and also quickly swerved to his left to give me a little room.  I never lost control of the car, but I could see the only way out of what was happening was for me to gun the accelerator while still half way in the truck’s middle lane in order to not be hit by the car coming into my lane.  I have a super charged engine and it has a quick response to acceleration.  It propelled me past the blue car before the truck had to come back over into his full space, and all three of us escaped unscathed.  Except for my adrenalin, that is.  That lasted the rest of the day.  It was a very close call!  The little blue car’s driver realized what was happening after it was too late, and swerved back into his exit lane.  The driver seemed quite contrite and subdued after that.  That little blue car moved in behind me and never even tried to pass me.  I finally came to my off ramp and I am sure that driver was happy to never see me again.  So, that was miracle #1.

When I arrived home I was not yet ready to mention it to Dave.  Instead I turned to him and said, I think we are going to need to buy a new dishwasher.  Something compelled me to open the dishwasher, remove the racks, and to start investigating the interior.  The smell was awful.  I had mentioned the day before that it smelled like an electric burn smell.  There was nothing inside that showed anything different than usual.  So I started running my hand around the heat element and felt something sharp.  I came up with a couple of little hard broken pieces of something that looked black and melted.  One of the prongs of the rack had dropped in the back and lodged under the heating element.  I kept probing, and my fingers came up black and gunky.   I took my Iphone and snapped a picture from the back angling a look at the element.  The picture I view showed a scrap of plastic material of some sort of a packaging bag.  It was melted and burned and sooty.  It had actually caught on fire.  I suppose the water inside the dishwasher put the fire out, no smoke was involved, just a funny smell.  We were fortunate that it did not cause an electrical fire.  I believe that had I turned on one last load, we may have had more than a bathroom to repair.  Once I stirred the mess up it was really yucky and stinky.  It has been closed since then.  Again, I believe it was just the voice of the Lord speaking to my heart to not run that dishwasher the night before as we were going to bed. 

It was actually because of what happened on the freeway that pushed me a step forward to investigate “the case of the stinky dishwasher”.  I was so adrenalized with the freeway episode that it made me realize I had to come to the bottom of what was going on in our kitchen before another disaster struck.  I thank God for giving me direction and wisdom to follow through on my hunches.   Miracle #2.  So, two days, two miracles.  I can only thank God for the outcome of both.  Remember I promised not to think too much.  The rest of what I will tell you doesn’t take much thought.

We were able to find the time this past Saturday morning to buy a new dishwasher from our local appliance dealer, Tri-County in Oregon, Wisconsin.  I guess we are old school.  Every new appliance we have purchased over the years has been purchased there.  We’re on the third generation of a family run operation.  I remember the grandmother and mother of the young people who are now running the business.  The women pretty much run the appliance store, the men do the deliveries and repairs.  We get great service and their service is still affordable.  The new dishwasher will be delivered Thursday.  I am so thankful we did not burn our house down.  Two years ago one of our neighbors started her dishwasher and then went to work.  Her entire house burned to the ground.   That same week our Pastor’s daughter’s house burned partially down.  And again that same week, a family I know who live about two miles from us were on vacation, and a light in the ceiling shorted out while they were gone. Their house also burned to the ground.  Our neighbor’s dishwasher had been recalled due to a malfunction problem that caused an electrical fire, but the store where they purchased it had gone out of business, and they never received the recall notice.  That was a sad time for the neighborhood.

Again, I thank God for his protection. 

 

BE PREPARED

By Kathleen Martens

January 12, 2016

 

We never know what a day will bring

As dawn unveils first light.

And perhaps that is a good thing

That we not always know our plight.

 

But there are things that we can do

To be in a position for the best.

Be alert and make wise decisions

As we pursue our quest.

 

Be prepared in our spirits

Be right with God in our hearts.

And then no matter what comes our way,

From this earth we’re ready to part.

 

Life is uncertain but we need never fear.  Put your trust in God.  He doesn’t promise you a walk in the park, but He does promise that He will be with you regardless what you are going through.

 

Good night and God bless you!

 

 

Monday January 11 2016  WHAT MAKES YOU RICH?

I listened to a sermon as I was exercising this morning and the speaker asked, “WHAT MAKES YOU RICH”?  That set my mind spinning down different avenues.  I listened to the rest of the sermon and then gave some serious thought to this question of what makes me rich.

Well, winning the lottery this week, which should be upward of one billion dollars, is one sure way that might make me rich.  And that caused me to start thinking about what it would be like to be the winner of the billion dollar lottery.  How would winning, a billion plus dollars, affect me, or any recipient?  How would it change my life?  After thinking about this, my first thought was to prayer.  I prayed that if a billion dollars would rob my soul, and turn my eyes toward the world, that God would protect me from such a catastrophe.  I have read several stories about multi-million dollar lottery winners which told of the devastation in their lives after they won; prison terms, suicides, murders of the winner, and  ultimate bankruptcy a few years after winning.  There is nothing I would trade for the serenity of knowing God, and knowing that I am headed for an eternity with Him.  Not even a billion dollars.  I actually prayed for the winner(s).   I prayed that God’ hand would see that a lottery of that magnitude would be placed into the hands of good stewards that He choose, so that His kingdom would prosper.  Now if God thought that would be me, I’d be willing to give it a try, but only if God entrusted me with such a vast amount.  Realistically, can you imagine how sudden wealth like that would open a new whole can of worms in your life?  Your life would no longer be the same.  Nor would your life ever be wholly  yours again.  That is a big price to pay for the riches of the world.  In God’s view we should never “love the world” and the riches it offers:

1 John 2:15  NKJV

“Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

You know what is even more amazing?  I already think I am one of the richest persons living in this world!

When I started thinking about what it is that I perceive to be true riches, I came up with quite a list.  Some of the riches were discussed in the sermon, and some written about in the Scriptures.  And many are only personal to me.  The Scriptures even go so far as to tell us where we store our wealth.

Matthew 6:19

  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;

 Matthew 6:20

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Below I will write a short list of my riches.

WHAT MAKES ME RICH

1. Having a personal relationship with God, knowing I am saved through grace.
2. The love of God.
3. Faith to believe.
4. Knowing that God is my protector, my provider, and my refuge.
5. Knowing that I am clothed in the righteousness of God.
6. The sun and the moon and the stars are mine to enjoy.
7. I have vision to see and ears to hear. In my family we never take that for granted.
8. I have people who love and cherish me.
9. I have people to love and cherish.

In addition to the above list, riches is awakening each morning with the the fact that I still live in a somewhat free society and  having the freedom to read my Bible.  My riches consists of God’s amazing creation, which to me is so unending, forever new, and beyond my imagination.  The richness of being able to express myself in words, and have poetry flow through my pen, is a treasure that is daily renewed.  The peace I experience daily is a richness that is unfathomable.  The joy God pours over me, in abundance, is better than gold or rubies.  Even to drive through the snow tonight, and see the snow sparkling like millions of diamonds in the car lights, adds richness to my treasure trove.  And I could go on and on.

In 2013 I began a Journal that is filled with my “THANK YOU’S” to God.  I titled it “MY BOOK OF JOY*MY STORY*GOD’S STORY”, “A JOURNAL OF TODAY’S GRATITUDE”.  Long title.  As I would be reminded of thank you’s while spending time with the Lord, I would pick up my book of joy and write my “THANK YOU” to God, dating and numbering each one.  My hope was to see if I could reach 1,000.  Not so as to impress God, or people, but to remind myself of all the riches I have been given by God, and all I’ve experienced BECAUSE OF GOD.  Some thank you’s are repeated several times.  Each thank you was pertinent to what God had recently done for me, or given me, or because of opening my eyes to new truths, and for all my answered prayers.  Thank you’s for His creation; for the tangible and the intangible.  Thank you’s for anything and everything that I was thankful for. 

I discovered there is nothing to lift your heart like a Thank You Journal.  You can go back and read all the gifts God has bestowed upon you.  Take time to pause in your busy day and reflect back over the hours of just this very day, and think of all the thank you’s that you can attribute to God. 

Do a “think tank session”, and see how many things you can come up with.  I would often do so and found it to be an excellent way to be reminded of all we have to be thankful for.  I hear people say to me quite often that they can never think of anything to write about.  Well, we can all come up with something to thank God for.  Then, all you need to do is have a pen and journal and write it down.  And there you go!  You have just thought of something to write about!  You never know where it might lead you.  And another thing, God loves to hear our thanks.  I have found that the more I thank God, the more He fulfills the desires of my heart.  And this next statement is totally unrelated to the thank you session, but the more you give to others, the more God showers down on you.  Then you have even more to be thankful for.  You cannot out-give God, nor can you give God too many thanks.  God loves a thankful heart.  And remember, thanks and praise are not one and the same.  I thank God for what He has done, what He has bestowed upon me, for prayers answered, that sort of thing.  I PRAISE GOD FOR WHO HE IS!  And that could be another entire journal!

If you try this exercise I believe you may see God in a new light.  Your eyes may be opened to see your world in a new light.  You may realize that you have so many more things to be thankful for than you ever thought possible.  As for me, it opened my eyes to see the world with more clarity.  I am so content with what I have, rather than always wanting something more.  I realize too, that the beauty of God’s creation is always waiting for me to partake of it.  I now see the details in a tiny flower.  I hear the buzzing of bees.  I smell the lilacs as I pass.  I stop and really listen to what the bird is singing.  I realize that God gives us the gift of a new, and unique sunrise each morning, and then blesses us with a sunset each evening.  Stop and take time to enjoy the riches that surround you each and every day. 

I did not write in my thank you journal last year.  When I picked it up today I realized I had 1,250 thank you’s in it, from October 6, 2013 through December 5, 2014.  The journal is three quarters full.  My hope to fill the journal up this year!  Almost every day there is something new to thank God for, and if there is not something new, I will thank Him once again for something I have already written.  My memory doesn’t even remember all the topics I have written, so to me, it will be new again.  And I don’t think God even minds.

 

THANK YOU FATHER

By Kathleen Martens

January 11, 2016

 

THANK YOU Lord for all You give,

THANK YOU for the life I live.

There is never an end to what I can say

In THANKS to You throughout each day.

 

I give You THANKS for my very breath

And Your plan of relinquishing death.

THANK YOU for the flowers of spring,

The tiniest bud that makes my heart sing.

 

THANK YOU for trees, and sky and sea,

And THANK YOU God for looking out for me.

THANK YOU for the light of early dawn,

And oh how beautiful are the spots of a fawn.

 

THANK YOU for Your intimacy which You share

And THANK YOU for always just being “there”.

THANK YOU that my words You always hear,

And that close to me You are always near.

 

THANK YOU for your love that you lavish over me,

And the astounding beauty of Your creation I see.

THANK YOU for the pen with which I write,

And for my eyes that give me sight.

 

And Lord, special THANKS for filling me with wonder

And THANK YOU for forgiving me all my blunders.

THANK YOU Father for the song of the bird,

And THANK YOU Lord that to me they are heard.

 

And for all the poems You place in my heart

THANK YOU that Your gift does not part.

THANK YOU for tears that cleanse my soul,

And filling me with Your love, that makes me whole.

 

THANK YOU for wrinkles upon my face,

They speak of long life by Your grace.

THANK YOU for wisdom that comes from You

And my white hair, a crown of glory too.

 

THANK YOU for my fingers even when cold,

And what they can still do now that I’m old.

THANK YOU for feet that walk your path

And special THANKS that You give me no wrath.

 

THANK YOU for music that delights my heart,

And for food with which each day I start.

THANK YOU for Your Spirit that draws me close,

THANK YOU that it is in You that I can boast.

 

THANK YOU Father for wealth beyond measure

All from You, that which I treasure.

Your riches are what makes me content,

Because You’ve made a way for me to repent.

 

Gratitude overwhelms me from within

With THANKS to You, for forgiveness of sin.

THANK YOU Father that you are

Not only God, but the best Father, by far.

 

I realized that all those thank you’s in my journal translated into just how rich I really am!

No billion dollar lottery could ever replace what I already have!

Good night and God bless you.

 

 

Sunday Sabbath January 10 2016  AN EXCELLENT SERMON

 

Last Sunday I gave a synopsis of Derrick Wright’s sermon.  Today I will do the same with Pastor Tom Flaherty’s address to the congregation.  The title of the message was “COME AS YOU ARE”.  Scripture reference is from Luke 15:20-32 which is about “The Parable of the Lost Son”.

Now those of you who have attended church on a regular basis have probably heard the story of the son who leaves with his inheritance, uses it up on prostitutes and extravagant living, and finally destitute, decided to return to his father.  I have heard this message many times.  However, I have never heard it told quite like it was today.  I found it to be interesting and right on; identifying with the analogy which Pastor Tom used.   It was very thought provoking and eye opening.  I recommend that you take a look for yourself by googling City Church Madison WI and going to MEDIA.  Check out today’s (January 10^th) sermon.  Extremely well presented to purposely touch your heart.

On the back of our Sunday morning brochure is a message for all who take the time to read it.  It is titled: OUR DESIRE.  There are four short paragraphs, each with a topic.  The topics are:  1.  COME AS YOU ARE.  2.  CONNECT WITH GOD.  3.  CONNECT WITH PEOPE.  4.  CONTEND FOR MORE OF GOD’S PRESENCE.

Pastor Tom indicated that he will be teaching on all four of the topics beginning with today’s message.  Today’s sermon title, as I said above, was “COME AS YOU ARE”.  Here is the text on the back of our bulletin:

“THERE IS A GREAT JOY IN REALIZING THAT YOU DON’T NEED TO PRETEND OR PERFORM FOR GOD; HIS LOVE IS DEEP, PASSIONATE, AND UNFATHOMABLY ENDLESS.  HE SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR US SO THAT WE COULD BE RESCUED AND DRAW CLOSE TO HIM.  JESUS TRULY IS A FRIEND TO ALL, AND WE DESIRE TO EMULATE THAT EVERY DAY BY EXTENDING HIS LOVE TO OTHERS AND MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE.”

In a nutshell, Pastor Tom explained that Jesus is waiting for us to come to Him, just as we are.  We don’t have to clean up our lives or try to impress God.  God loves us as we are.  He will slowly work the miracle of “cleaning us up”.  He accepts who we are, what we are, regardless of past sins or unforgiveness toward others, habits, or anything else we might think of that would cause us not to approach Him.  What Jesus desires, is to have a relationship with us.  But first, we must offer Him our lives.  Even when we have known God and walked away from Him, He will welcome us back with open arms, thus, the example of the parable of the lost son.

The words of that little paragraph on the back of the bulletin kept noodling around in my brain as I listened to the morning sermon.  I use poetic license and began to write the lines of a poem referring to the words in the bulletin.  If it were a scripture I referred to I would call it “a scripture poem”.  But since it was from our bulletin, I’ll call it “a bulletin poem”.  Who knows, perhaps I’ll be inspired to write a poem for each of the four topics on that back page.  Following is the poem I received from that inspiration.

 

COME AS YOU ARE

By Kathleen Martens

January 10, 2016

 

God of the universe

Is awesome beyond measure.

Though He owns the earth and stars

It is YOU He treasures.

 

You need not ever pretend,

God does not ask you to perform,

Or be something you are not

He knew you before you were born.

 

God’s love so deep and passionate

That He created you for heaven above.

His Son died so we might live,

So unfathomably endless is God’s love

 

God calls you to draw close

So He can truly be your friend,

That you too can give to others

All the love, that to you, He gives.

 

Accept all people as God accepts you.

Extend your love and a helping hand.

No greater gift you can ever give

Than helping another, by Christ to stand.

 

I believe the moments we spend in seclusion with the Scriptures and communicating with God, are the most important moments of our entire day.  Some days I do not spend my mornings alone with Him, but I speak to Him every day.  Even though I may listen to sermons on my Iphone throughout the day, it does not compare with my quiet time, alone in his presence.  That is when our intimacy grows.  It makes a great difference in my life.  I will paraphrase what I heard Pastor Tom say in one of his sermons years ago.  He said, “If you take time out to spend time alone with the Lord and with the Scripture, WATCH OUT, BECAUSE IT WILL BECOME ADDICTIVE.”  And I found out that he was correct.  Try it, it may amaze you.  If you are going to be addicted to something I don’t think there is anything better to be addicted to.  It would be my joy if I receive a response from even one person, that what I am saying in today’s blog caused them to stop and take time to be alone with God each morning.  The more time we spend in God’s presence, the more intimate our relationship becomes.  If you love God, share that love with another.  And what better day, than on the Sunday Sabbath?

It is only 3:25 p.m. and I think I shall go and rest an hour.  I hope your day is restful also.  May God’s peace and joy be with you.

 

 

 

 

Saturday January 9 2016  THIRTEEN MINUTES AND COUNTING

Here I am retired and I’m living my life by the clock.  Before I sat down I set the timer for thirteen more minutes.

Over the years Dave and I have enjoyed going to a favorite place once a year.  It is in the Amish Country by Fargo Wisconsin.  There are two cottages located on the property, one the size of a three bedroom house.  The owners of this piece of real estate are not Amish, so thus, the finer amenities of comfort exist, such as electricity and indoor toilets.  It is eerily quiet on the roads except for an occasional car and the sound of the quick paced, clip clop, clip clop, of horseshoes on pavement, and the early morning wake-up call from the barnyard rooster.  The farm is set back from the road and it’s as if you are in total isolation.  Our hide-away place is called TRILLIUM.  We haven’t been there for a few years, but I have a hankering to go back, at least one more time.  REAL SOON!

The cottage we chose to rent is not only quite a distance from the highway, but it is also past the main farm house, surrounded by gently sloping hills, lots of trees that we watched grow up over the years, beautiful raised flower gardens, and a huge, quaint barn, probably 150 years old, which we could see when we sat on the front porch swing.  Time seemed not to exist when we were there.  There was no access to television, radio, or land line phones.  At least none were hooked up.  We did not own cell phones at that time.  We absolutely loved it!  Well, at least I loved it!  Dave became accustomed to the place.

I made it a point to not have a watch or clock with me.  It was the one place in the world where we would go and let time just pass without having a clue as to the actual time.  We slept in and never looked at a clock.   Breakfast was complimented with the delivery of a covered basket, sort of like Little Red Riding Hood’s basket, filled with hot, delicious breads, scones, rolls, cookies, homemade jams and some other things I am probably forgetting.  When we arrived the refrigerator was always stocked with freshly squeezed juices, farm fresh eggs, milk, cheeses, and peanut butter.  The cupboards had the basic things needed to help create meals such as spices and condiments, as well as popcorn, coffee and teas.  (Popcorn is a food group for me)!  I am certain I have left a few things out.  We packed food with us to create a wonderful meal for each day.  Because we ate a LATE breakfast one meal in the early evening was the only other meal we ate.  It may be different now since Dave eats on a more regulated diabetic food plan.  We usually stayed for one week.

Just being in Trillium was like an oasis in the desert.  The cottage furniture was lumpy, the lamp lighting was poor, the walls and surfaces were over crowded with knickknacks, there was dust in all the unreachable shelves.  It was quite a hike on a gravel path to get from the car to the cottage and, there were no bell hops.  The bedrooms were at the top of a steep staircase and the bathtub was so small that Dave had to do pretzel maneuvers to come clean.  The appliances were old fashioned, the kitchen was outdated,  AND WE JUST LOVED IT!

That was the place where time seemed to no longer exist.  The one place in the world we could retreat to and find solace, peace, and quiet.  Work could not reach Dave and he could not call work.  I left my work behind.  It was a place where I was no longer a parent (we always went alone), but rather, I was just me, free from time and constraints.  Our children’s provider always had the contact phone number of the residents of the farm in case of emergency.  We usually went in September or October and had to schedule our next reservation one year in advance in order to have a place the following year.  We did that for many years.  And then the kids grew up and life became quiet.  And we still went.  We considered it our yearly “honeymoon”.  So, let your imagination soar!  All I can say, it was awesome.  And then we grew old and our lives have become too hectic and busy again!

While at Trillium I spent hours writing, and praying, and being alone with God.  We, Dave and I, spent hours in each other’s arms becoming reacquainted.  We played long card games.  We went on walks, sat on the porch swing and watched the sun go down.  We looked at the stars, and once happened upon a wagon train.  I kid you not.  I cannot remember how many real life, covered wagons were in that wagon train, making its yearly quest from one location to another, but I believe there were 87.  People were dressed in era appropriate clothing and there were horses and oxen and even mules that pulled the wagons.  I was invited to ride along on the top front bench of a covered wagon for a period of time.  Dave stayed with the car and later caught up with me.  The catching up part wasn’t very difficult as the wagon train was traveling the back road highways.

We had other amazing adventures when we went out exploring by car.  We went to Amish markets, and specialty shops.  We went to Amish auctions selling thousands of pounds of produce.  That part of our trip will best be left untold until a later time.  Just too much to explain.  It was just amazing.  Some days we went exploring, some days we stayed on the farm all day.  And some days I didn’t even get dressed!  But everyday we had that delicious basket delivered to our front porch at the time we requested.

So, you are probably wondering why I told you all this.  Well, I will tell you why.  Because today it seemed as if my life, was and is, being dictated by time.  Not enough time to do one thing, so we change our plans to do what had to be done, then we had to make the time to complete the other commitment.  Then we go here and there and home again and out again and…and…and…

And then, me and my bright idea, decided I had so much in the fridge that had to be used up that I must certainly make a soup.  Had one soup planned, decided on another, and then decided I didn’t think that recipe was all that good, so decided to change it.  And so the timer was put to use.  This ingredient goes in at this moment, that one such and such a time later, I’m running back and forth to the kitchen to see if the pot is boiling yet, then to put ingredients in every few minutes, then to stir, to season, then to stir again, start a new timer for the new ingredient so it won’t overcook, and so on and so on.  And it seems that time moves so quickly when it is necessary to respond to all the timers.  Doing all that made me think of Trillium.  I sat down at the computer, wondering what to write about, when the timer went off, and I had to hasten back to the kitchen.  That was the exact moment I thought about Trillium, and WA-LAH!  I had my blog topic.  The whole day was used for things of necessity that had to be finished, or accomplished to make this busy week come to an okay end.  In other words, time no longer is standing still.  And I miss it! 

Here we are retired, and I am thinking of calling  Trillium to find out when the first opening might be so we can skedaddle off to the place where time stands still!  It seems when we are home, things happen.  At some point, I think most people need to experience what we experienced when we secluded ourselves at Trillium, a place where time stands still.

There are several things that have happened in our abode recently that I haven’t mentioned.  It’s as if I am just not quite ready to talk about them yet.  Maybe another day.  But I will say, God is with me.  He is our provider and protector and our source of strength.  I thank Him daily for His magnificence and for who He is!  “God is more awesome than His Holy Places”,  quote from sermon by Damian Kyle from Calvary Chapel Modesto that I listened to today.  I feel a poem brewing in me about that quote.  To be continued…

 

TIME FOREVER WILL STAND STILL

By Kathleen Martens

January 9 2016

 

Surely somewhere in this world

Is a dwelling of refuge and delight.

A place where time stands still,

Without morning or night.

 

Just “A WHILE” we call our own,

Where timers no longer ring.

As the ensuing hours,

More demands constantly bring.

 

A place of “ALONE” where all is quiet

And quells of the world subside.

Is there even one place on earth,

Where that dream abides?

 

Man looks for temporal value

Of a one week get-a-way.

But how can we find that one place,

Where we can always stay?

 

In truth I believe that I know

Just how that peace is found.

Only when you have Jesus as your friend,

Are you on solid ground.

 

There is a place of deep contentment

In the heart where the Spirit lives.

Both true refuge and delight

Is what to you, Jesus will give.

 

So ask Him into your heart

And eternity will become real.

And when you go to live with Him,

Time forever will stand still.

 

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:13

 

Good night, and God bless you!

 

 

 

 

Friday January 8 2016  SONGS UNSUNG

I did receive an email this morning in response to the plea to my sister to add what she could to yesterday’s story.  Her email pretty much verifies what I wrote.  I did edit and take out personal comments not related to the story.  I thought it might be interesting to see another’s angle of what was going on.  First of all I wasn’t at the house to see what was going on, and secondly, being so young makes it fuzzy in my memory.  The reason I know the facts as I do, was because years later after I became an adult I obtained my medical records records from Brookside Hospital, and the words “Infantile Paralysis”, was the final diagnosis.  To be truthful, I didn’t really realize at that time that Infantile Paralysis and Polio were one and the same thing.  Most people refer to the disease as polio.  Believe it or not, when the polio vaccine was administered at the public schools, with three drops on a sugar cube, my mother stood in line with me and I was vaccinated for something I had already been exposed to first hand.  Well, I’ve never had it again!  My polio episode was in 1954.  The first proven vaccine came out in 1956. 

Following is the email from my ever so helpful sister.  The way it sounds, I guess I was a bit of a challenge as a child.  I know I liked to roam and explore and stay out until after dark.  When I was eleven and twelve years old and lived in the projects, my neighbors loved me because I would take their babies out for walks in their strollers.  I would walk for miles all around the little town of Rodeo.  Rodeo, just so you know was and still is a HILLY PLACE.  I would have done it at a younger age but was restricted in walking and playing due to a bone disorder that affected my legs which was very painful.  Once it was okay for me to use my legs again nothing could keep me in one place.  The disease I had was Ozgood-Schlatter Disease.  I have attached some information at the end of this blog if you are interested in reading exactly what it is.  It affected me for about two or three years when I was younger.

In her email my sister makes mention of watching me so I wouldn’t run across the street.  Our cousins lived across the street and I would fly out the door, the screen would slam, the gate would clunk and then the screech of brakes, as I made it across to safety.  However, one time the car actually hit me.  It must have just bumped me a bit after having applied his screeching brakes and almost coming to a stop.  It threw me forward into the street and I banged up my elbow which turned out to be all skin abrasions with no broken bones. My mom told me later she just knew I had been hit when she heard the breaks so quickly following the slamming of the screen door.  I remember the incident and at the time I asked her, “Why did that car hit me”?  I was just flabbergasted that that car would hit me!  Oh, when I think of the mind of a child it almost scares me.  I’m just glad our children are grown now, and survived their childhood.  I mean that in all sincerity.

One other explanation about Velma’s email.  She mentions our friend Albert.  We moved to the projects when I was 6 years old.  Albert and his family lived in the apartment below us.  There were many a nights when his father, in a drunken state, would pound on our door in the middle of the night because the three pound coffee can of marbles (no lid) would come crashing off the top bunk, spilling hundreds of marbles onto the linoleum floors above  his bedroom.  Believe me, it was loud.  After several times of that happening my mother promised me a good whipping if that happened again.  To the best of my knowledge I never let it happen again.  I was a good marble player and we played for keepsies.  Back to Albert.  Just want you to know he is still a cherished friend after all these years.

In case you are interested in the debacles of an old lady, read the email from my sister for the closing chapter about yesterday’s episode.  When writing to each other we use our initials:

 

WKM,

I cannot verify anything that happened to you after mama and daddy took you to the doctor and you didn’t come home with them.  However, I remember very vividly the day mama told me you may never come home again.  It was devastating to me.  I asked mama what was wrong with you and mama said they didn’t know.  That was after you had been in the hospital for five days.  Mama was making briskest for breakfast on a Sunday before we would go to church.  She said just pray for her like you have never prayed before that she will come home. 

Both mama and daddy spent every minute at the hospital that they were allowed.  Me, Carolyn and Scarlett were at home with Aunt Hattie looking in on us when mama was at the hospital.  Of course daddy couldn’t always be at the hospital with her because of his work schedule.

When you came home and I saw your behind (butt), I was horrified; it was so black and blue I cried.  Mama said stop that crying, those shots saved her life, and you will always have to help me look after her;  make sure she doesn’t get over tired, or hot.  Make sure she doesn’t dart into the street in front of cars (which you did often).  I could tell a few tales about that habit of yours.  I don’t think mama should have allowed you out of the yard – you were a real pill to keep alive and safe.  No amount of instructions made a bit of difference.  Hence, I have been looking after you ever since, and I guess I still am trying.

The word polio was never mentioned in our household, however, until the polio vaccine was available we were not allowed in creeks or rivers to swim or play.  Now you and your doctors know you had polio.  The last time I saw your butt was after Courtland was born and you still had scars of those shots.

What happened to you in the hospital I have no idea; however, you told me the same story that you wrote in your blog today.  I was only 13 at the time so I just listened and you often repeated it until you met Albert and I think you probably told him.

That is another thing that we can be thankful to the Lord for – that we met Albert.  I love Albert as much as you do – I feel like he is a wonderful person and is a brother to me and a great friend.  In other words I trust Albert. 

VFM (my sister’s initials)

 

I almost mentioned the condition of my behind yesterday in my blog, but supposed I had finally grown up enough to be discreet.  However, since my sister mentioned it I will add one more tidbit of interest to the story.  I maintained the scars of those shots on my behind, shaped like a big, dark, dark (almost black) brown, crescent moon until I was past the age of 50. The larger I grew, the bigger the scar, and the lighter it became.  When I gained weight I think I just couldn’t maneuver to see if it was still there.  THOSE NEEDLES PROBABLY WERE AS LONG AS MY LEG!

SONGS UNSUNG

By Kathleen Martens

January 8, 2016

 

I heard a man say

Just the other night,

That for the old,

Reminiscing was a plight.

 

And so it seems,

That’s just what I’ve done,

By looking back at memory lane

When I used to jump and run.

 

Bygone days of yesteryear

In my heart are stored.

The whiter my hair becomes,

The more my memories soar.

 

Just to tell of escapades

I experienced while I was young,

Seems to give the heart release,

As well as songs unsung.

 

So listen if you will,

To the stories of old.

For when I am gone,

They’ll no longer be told.

 

Though children are not interested

In what happened before they were born,

When no more questions can be asked,

Then they’ll be forlorn.

 

I seek so many answers.

My older generation is gone.

There is no one I can question

Who can still sing their song.

 

But I have a sister

Who remembers much more than me

And often it is she

Who breaks my memories free.

 

So thank you for listening

To my tales of old.

For in my stories I am young

Fearless, and always bold.

 

Today Dave and I are with our grandsons.  One is in school and one is home.  It is my turn to go downstairs and play ping pong and air hockey with a four year old.  And what an amazing four year old he is!  After all, HE IS OUR GRANDSON!

It is only 9:24 a.m. and my blog is finished for this day.  The rest of the day is busy and non-stop.  I brought dinner and plan to have everything ready for the evening meal when Amy comes home.  Tonight is our final night of our week’s services.  They have all been excellent!  There is no preaching, but lots of praise and worship, and singing and coming together as a congregation to pray for certain groups on certain nights.  Wednesday night was the best!  It was the night we prayed for all the young people in the church.  There were too many children, from birth to about 10 years old, to make a single line across the front of our sanctuary.  The line had to double up.  We have a large, spacious building so that will let you know the scope of how many kids there were.  It was a hands-on prayer time.  The children also had a chance to pray for the adults.  

All I can say is, I am glad I did not miss one night.

Have a great day and God bless all of you.

 

P.S.

Information from the Internet:

Osgood-Schlatter disease can cause a painful lump below the kneecap in children and adolescents experiencing growth spurts during puberty.

Osgood-Schlatter disease occurs most often in children who participate in sports that involve running, jumping and swift changes of direction — such as soccer, basketball, figure skating and ballet. (This described me to a T, especially the skating aspect, but no ballet).

While Osgood-Schlatter disease is more common in boys, the gender gap is narrowing as more girls become involved with sports.

Age ranges differ by sex because girls experience puberty earlier than do boys. Osgood-Schlatter disease typically occurs in boys ages 13 to 14 and girls ages 11 to 12. The condition usually resolves on its own, once the child’s bones stop growing.

 

Thursday January 7 2016  THE KEEPER OF OUR SOUL

 

I enjoy listening to books on CD’s when driving in the car.  I am currently listening to “EISENHOWER, THE WHITE HOUSE YEARS”, by John Newton.  As I was coming home from my 90 minute massage (doesn’t that sound opulent) the  reader was reading a segment that took place in the early 1950’s.  Polio, known as Infantile Paralysis during those years, was claiming record numbers, both in death, and long term crippling.  In 1952 it became epidemic in number with 58,000 new cases and 3,000 deaths.  Eisenhower was very instrumental in making it possible for Jonas Salk to develop the vaccine.  Eisenhower did everything he could legally do to help the vaccine become available to the public. 

In 1954 I became very ill.  To the best of my recollection, through stories told to me by others, I awakened one morning and couldn’t walk.  My mother finally came into the bedroom where I shared a bed with Carolyn.  I told my mother that Carolyn had slept on my legs and they were numb and that I couldn’t get up.  I remember that happening but it is more of a picture in my mind than the words I said.  I did believe my words to be true.  At first my mother, in her stern way, just told me to get up and stop that story at once.  I didn’t have any other explanation.  I must have shown other signs of being sick because I eventually ended up in the hospital.  I don’t remember getting up and I don’t remember arriving at the hospital, but I do have vague memories of being there.

First of all, I was PUT INTO A BABY CRIB with high steel bars.  I don’t remember being “put” there but I remember later being in that crib.  I was mortified!  I WASN’T A BABY!  I remember that thought very well.  My sister Velma, being quite a few years older has a better recollection of that time than I do.  Again, if I remember correctly, Velma told me that mama came home and told my sisters that I would not be coming back home but would be going to live with Jesus.  I guess I must have been quite sick.  I was later told I had a high fever and was extremely ill.  One other memory I have are the shots I received each day with a needle that seemed to be about the length of my leg.  IT WAS SO BIG!  

My mom once told me that she called the church she attended and asked the church to pray for me.  The church set up a prayer chain, so there would be someone praying around the clock for my healing, until I came home.  I think I was in Brookside Hospital in Richmond California for about two weeks.  I am hoping my sister reads this blog and can enlighten me on my memory of this event.  Now remember, when I sit down to write I never know what is going to pop into the forefront of my brain.  And remember also that my sister is hearing impaired and I can’t just pick up the phone and have a quick conversation with her to get the facts.  If I don’t know what I’m going to write, she certainly doesn’t know ahead of time either.  When she finds it necessary to correct me about one of my distorted or fragmented memories she usually sends me an email the next day.   It would be awesome to have her responses before I start, but like I said, I never know what is going to be written.  Poor planning?  Maybe.  But actually, I like the spontaneity of being open and free to write whatever comes to my mind each day.  So sister dear, please enlighten me if there is anything anything you would like to add.

I remember Velma sharing with me how devastated she was when mama and daddy told her the news that I wouldn’t be coming home.  She harbored a lot of hurt for that comment for many years. That was probably way too much information for a young adolescent to handle.  I do hope she has recovered from that pain of the past.  Actually, she was like my second mother.  I rode her hip as a baby and was probably her shadow the rest of my childhood.  She was a safe harbor for me when I was a little girl.  I learned to stay out of the way of my other sisters.  You think I talk a lot now?  Well, my incessant talking drove them crazy when we were kids.  As you can see, I’ve had many years of practicing my speech.

Now, this next incident I am going to tell you about, I do remember.  I remember the day I stood up in my crib.  It was a shock to the doctors, not to mention my mom and dad.  I didn’t see what the big deal was about because I knew all along I wasn’t a baby.  Eventually I was discharged.  On the last day I was there my mom and dad brought me a coloring book with my own crayons.  We were poor as church mice and that was a great boon for me to have a coloring book and colors!  I stood in the crib and my dad colored the last page in the book.  If you only knew the impression that made on me!  That was just not the dad I knew.  But I knew my parents were happy because they were usually more stern looking.  After that visual memory I don’t remember anything about coming home.  Though my mother always believed that my coming home was a result of all the prayers of her Christian friends.  And in my heart I too believe that to be true.  I have had no lasting crippling affects attributed to the polio.  However, I do have one leg that is noticeably smaller in muscle mass in comparison to the other leg.

I had not thought of this memory in years.  This afternoon as the book jogged my memory, it caused me to reminisce back over my life and discover a whole lists of miracles that God has done in my life since I was that little girl who lived  to come home to her sisters.  I think it would behoove us to occasionally stop and look back over our lives and to give thanks once again for all that God has done for us over the years.  And when I pause to look back over my parenting years, and remember all God’s provisions and miracles, it’s as if I can never thank Him enough for intervening in so many ways regarding our children.  Both of our children are alive today because of great interventions of God’s miraculous touch. 

Stop a moment today and think back to some of the pivotal points of your existence when God’s involvement had profound results in your life.  When you lack something today of which to give thanks, think of all the other times His power has had intervened for your safety or decision making.  We worship a mighty God.  We can never give Him enough praise and thanks just for being who He is.

 

THE KEEPER OF OUR SOUL

By Kathleen Martens

January 7 2016

 

When we least expect it

God shows His hand.

He is the first and the last,

The world He commands.

 

When we call out His name

We never walk alone.

And if we so choose,

We are one of His own.

 

God gives us strength

For He is our strong tower.

He fills us full of His Spirit,

Which fills us with power.

 

It is through faith that we walk

The righteous narrow road.

And He is right beside us

To take away our heavy load.

 

So much praise due our God

And hallowed be His name.

All the earth will one day bow

To the King who died in shame.

 

All so that we would live

Forever with God above.

Our protector and defender,

Pours over us His love.

 

So remember to take time

To shower Him with praise.

He is the keeper of our soul.

And the one who numbers our days.

 

I pray that God will be with each who read these words.  That He will keep you in the hollow of His hand, protecting and defending you.  I pray that one day you will know the depth and height, the length and breadth, of His love for you.  Amen

God bless you!  Have a great day!

 

 

Wednesday January 6 2016  TOZER SPEAKS

 

WHAT WORDS ARE WORTHY?

By Kathleen Martens

January 6, 2015

 

This blank screen stares back at me.

“What do you wish upon my screen”,

It asks in silent repose?

“What words have you worth to deem?”

 

I consider this simple question

And listen in case I should hear.

But there are no words yet captured,

None which have even come near.

 

I look into the horizon of my thoughts,

Perchance, there are words galloping away

That I can call back and corral

To fill my quota today.

 

If you think it’s easy for topics to come

Just stop and think awhile.

Do you have words worthy of sharing”

Or words that will bring others a smile?

 

I truly desire the words I write

To have meaning for the one who reads.

Words that will mend and build up,

Words written that other may need.

 

So today I will borrow a few.

One sentence from each day.

I’ll give you a glimpse into the mind

Of what my friend, Mr. Tozer, has to say.

 

Following are brief quotations of Mr. Tozer embodied in a critical article for review in hopes that you too will find his words worthy of buying for yourself.

 

As I wrote in an earlier blog my new daily devotional this year is a book by A. W. Tozer printed posthumously in 1981 “EVENINGS WITH TOZER, DAILY DEVOTIONAL READINGS”, compiled by Gerald B. Smith.   I will quote one sentence from each day from January 1^st through today January 6^th.  Just one sentence is going to be very difficult because each sentence rides upon the previous sentence.  The nuggets are priceless.  I thought you might enjoy his quotes.

January 1^st

“GOD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE UP AT THE LAST WHERE HE BEGAN AT THE FIRST, AND YOU ARE IN THE HANDS OF GOD WHETHER YOU WILL OR NOT.”

 

January 2^nd

“CHRIST IS ALL THAT THE GODHEAD IS!”

 

 

January 3^rd

“WHAT WE HAVE IN THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS DEITY PRESENT AMONG US”

 

January 4^th

AS GOD’S SELF-KNOWLEDGE LIES IN THE ETERNAL SPIRIT, SO MAN’S SELF-KNOWLEDGE IS BY HIS OWN SPIRIT, AND HIS KNOWLEDGE OF GOD IS BY THE DIRECT IMPRESSION OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD UPON THE SPIRIT OF MAN.”

 

January 5^th

“GOD CANNOT APPROVE ANY OF THE FRUITS OF SIN.”

 

January 6^th

“THEOLOGICAL TRUTH IS USELESS UNTIL IT IS OBEYED.”

 

I would love to peek ahead but I cannot.  His writings are like rich desserts to me and I want to savor a bit each day!

It is time for me to ready myself for the evening.  It is tough going out each night.  Could it be age?  I think I took my trip last year JUST IN TIME!  I’m so glad I did.  Or…maybe I just need to get revved up to take another one.  Just kidding sister!  Our house is our focus and that’s my final answer.

Good night and God bless you!

P.S.  Words in red are indicative of WISDOM or BIBLE SCRIPTURES.

 

 

 

Tuesday January 5 2016  MORE SURPRISES LOOM AHEAD

Another short blog because we are off and at it again today.  Will we ever begin working on the decluttering process?  We don’t know.  Dave now has had the opportunity of being home fulltime and experiencing how TIME EVAPORATES!  It is as if there is an invisible hijacker just gobbling up our precious hours.  There is always something that is urgent that must be done.  Right now it is the situation with our house.  We no sooner get one decision made when another urgent decision must be considered. 

After exercising this morning we went to a shop to check out counters for the dressing room.  After looking at the cost of everything we decided that we don’t want to put the expense into changing anything.  So, decision made!  We will put everything back just as it was.  Okay, that decision completed.  Then we talk to the contractor who does all the final investigating to make certain everything is as it should be and he pointed out another serious decision that we must make.  He informed us that the water penetrated into the bottom of the vanity and it may be swelling from the inside.  More than likely it is.  That might possibly cause the floor of the vanity to disintegrate and collapse.  Oh man!  So we must decide if we want to go through a rebuild.  That is a big decision and a lot of future chaos!  So tonight we will sleep on that matter.

I just thought I’d bring you up to date on the perils of living with the likes of me.  You never know what is going to happen from one day to the next.

I must retract part of what I wrote yesterday.  I told you about the situation with Dave’s mom and dad wanting to move to Rose Street.  Dave informed me that I had a couple of facts incorrect.  So, as one of my readers informed me, she wanted to know more about this story, here goes.

Dave’s father was born in 1893.  In the 1920’s he built a little craftsman type bungalow in Anaheim California with the help of a friend.  When he came home from World War II he and Dave’s mom moved into the house.  Nine months later Dave’s oldest sister was born.  Eleven months later his second sister was born. And thirteen months later Dave was born.  When Dave was born, his mom had a twenty four month old toddler, a thirteen month old baby, and a newborn baby boy.  The house was small and had only two bedrooms.  So about ten months later the family moved across town to a three bedroom house.

The entire time Dave and the girls were growing up, his parents planned to move back to Rose Street, as soon as all the children left home.  If you read yesterday’s blog you will know that that never happened.  They kept the house as a rental and after the children were grown and moved out they sold it.  Until it was sold they continually asked the question about anything they purchased for the house,  “Will it fit on Rose Street”?  Thus, the story of Rose Street.

One other interesting story about Dave’s father.  He actually served in both World Wars.  He volunteered both times.  In WWI He actually fought the Bolsheviks in Siberia, Russia.  He was 49 when he enlisted in WWII.  Dave’s father spoke fluent German and in World War II he went to Sicily before the invasion and spied on German troops acting as if he were one of their own.

He met his wife at a Navy Day Dance in LaCrosse, WI.  They dated for two months, married on the day after Christmas in 1942, and then he was shipped out three weeks later, and was gone for two and a half years, came home, and two years later and three babies.  He was obviously an overachiever considering he didn’t become a father until just before he turned 51 years old.

He was a remarkable man in so many ways.  He was 5’6” and never weighed over 150 pounds and sired a 6’2” son who crossed the 150 pound mark in about the fifth grade, and has never seen it since.  In WWI Dave’s dad was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross which is one step below the Congressional Medal of Honor.  When he mustered out of the army in WWII he came home through Camp McCoy Wisconsin and he was the most decorated military person in the camp at that time.

He was a prolific writer of letters to his sweetheart back home.  None of the letters Ruth wrote John were preserved because every letter he received had to be destroyed.  Dave’s mom gave all the letters to me that she received from John during the war.  I have read every single one.  There were over 200 letters if I remember correctly.  That is another book just waiting to be written.  Many of the letters were censored at first but he became better at writing discreetly, and his later letters were less marked up.   He never talked about the war.  We only know what we know because of newspaper clippings and some of the things that Ruth knew, as well as all his medals that spoke loudly of his achievements.  Our son now has possession of his medals.  Dave’s sister was given his WWII uniform. It was in amazing condition.

Just thought you might like to see a peek into the illustrious life of a very humble man.  I loved him from the moment I met him.  He was in his 80’s when I first knew him.  After reading all the letters he wrote to his new bride I realized what a wonderful romantic he was way down deep.  He had a twinkle in his eye and was a true man of valor.  And he was a lover of God. 

 

HIS HONORABLE NAME

By Kathleen Martens

January 5, 2016

 

Words of love written to a bride,

To none other did he confide.

He was a soldier in the bleakest hour,

Short of stature, but a man of power.

 

About himself, not a word did he mention

None knew the scope of his dimension.

Never a comment of medals earned,

And his head was never turned.

 

He fought two wars but not for glory,

Nor did he ever tell his story.

He diligently did what was needed,

And his orders carefully heeded.

 

Few men still walk this earth

That can hold a candle to his worth.

Though he was not a man of fame

The greatest gift to His children, his honorable name.

 

P.S.  I had to stop writing half way through the poem and leave for service at church.  Home again and poem is finished.  So I will say:

GOODNIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!

 

Sunday Sabbath  January 3 2016  GOD’S DESIRE

The first week of January is a time our Pastor calls our church body together for a week of PRAYER AND FASTING.  Meetings are Monday through Friday evenings from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p .m..  Each night has a different focus on what is to be prayed.  Fasting is not necessarily giving up food but can also include fasting from television or computers and phones.  It may also include giving up other activities that a person believes the Lord is calling them to give up. 

Just think of the possibilities if each God fearing church in the United States all joined together for the same week of prayer and fasting, joining together to pray for our churches, country, and our leadership.  The scripture calls “THE CHURCH” to pray.  Prayer changes things.  Prayer is powerful.  If “THE CHURCH” no longer prays, then who will do it? 

In case you have not noticed, our country is ailing.  If it were diagnosed in medical terminology it might even fall into the “terminally ill” category.  Sin is rampant, the government is corrupt, our freedoms are being taken away, and most people just put on blinders or join in with the corruptness.  Perhaps we, as believers, should remember the verse in 2 Chronicles:

2 Chronicles 7:14 New King James Version (NKJV)

^“14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

“…and will forgive their sin and heal their land…” is the promise that God gives to us if we will humble ourselves and pray.

For those who read this blog I would ask that if you believe in the miracle of prayer, please unite with our congregation this week as we join together in prayer.  Distance is no deterrent, God has no barriers in hearing from everyone, everywhere, at all times.  I have many more readers from afar than I have in my own community.  One reason is because not too many in my own community know I even write a blog, and secondly, because most of the people who contact me through this blog are those I met on my trip across the country last year.  Whoever you are, wherever you are, if you are a believer, please add your prayers to ours.  Monday we are praying for Revival in the Church.  Tuesday our prayer is for Awakening the World.  Wednesday is prayer for Youth of All Ages.  Thursday is a time when we will pray for the Prophetic Word that God Has for the Vision of Our Church Body and Friday will be an evening of Celebration to the Lord.  Celebrate the Lord with us wherever you may live!

Three years ago I attended this same week’s event.  I was quite ill at the time.  I had been diagnosed with a serious long term illness, was extremely obese, could barely maintain my daily existence, was in so much pain, and had a terrible agonizing deep cough without a diagnosis.  That first week in January I attended each service.  One night I was so sick that I went into the church library so I could still hear the service but not disturb everyone with my hacking cough.  That was an amazing week for me.  I came to terms with many issues I was going through and turned to God and began to diligently seek the Lord as to what His will was for me as well as for the church body. 

The following week I was diagnosed with pneumonia, thus the cough.  The cough was so severe that I broke two ribs from coughing so hard.  I was put on antibiotic medication that seemed to help and then my heart began terrible irregular palpitations.  I had a history of this so I didn’t want to tell Dave because we were leaving shortly on a vacation to Florida.  So, I kept my mouth shut, did not go see my cardiologist for fear of having to cancel my trip, and boarded the plane. Well, you guessed it.  I only got worse.  I couldn’t do much on the trip but refused to see a doctor.  When I was previously in Florida, visiting our daughter, I had such a bad Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib) episode that I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and spent most of my time in Florida hospitalized.  It was later discovered that the medicine subscribed for my pneumonia was actually causing deaths to those who were diagnosed with A-Fib.  That would be me!  But, as you can see, I didn’t die.

After the January services I knew that God was working deep in my life.  Finally, in March, two months after the Prayer and Fasting week at church, I finally surrendered myself completely to be obedient to what I believed God was asking of me.  I knew I needed to start following the orders of my General Practioner and the neurologist (whose care I was under) if I was going to have a chance to get my health back.  Those were difficult months for me.  It took me six months from my diagnosis in September to finally come to terms with the fact that it was probable that I had MS.  I think I just couldn’t accept the diagnosis.  I refused to look it in the face.  I refused to do what needed to be done for the recovery of my health.  In that first six months I only acknowledged the fact that I MIGHT have MS on two distinct nights that I remember well.  Those two night I stayed awake and cried.  Finally, in March I gave it to God.

I knew I would need to lose weight.  My balance was off and my entire body hurt.  Then, add into the mix the broken ribs, and I was really ready for a pity party.  Instead, I chose to lean on God, keep my spirits up and finally surrender to Him what I believed His Holy Spirit was prompting me to do.  I believed that God was giving me instructions to be obedient to three things.  The first, I was to exercise as prescribed by both doctors.  The second, I was to eat healthy and take half of my food off my plate before eating.  The third, to be obedient to God.  Sometimes I have a little trouble with obedience. 

So that evening I sat down at the table after surrendering to God and agreeing to follow His plan.  I served up dinner and I looked down at my plate, piled high with lots of good food, stood up, and took my plate back to the kitchen.  Dave asked me if I had forgotten something.  I told him yes I had.  I had forgotten to take half of my food off my plate before I ate.  Then I explained to him my “conversation” with God earlier in the day. He just sort of looked at me and nodded his head.  Then I told Dave I would be joining a gym the next day to get started on the physical therapy that the doctors prescribed.  He said okay!  So I did.  I think God let me forget to take half of my portions off my plate that first night so I would actually see how much food I consumed.  The first two weeks were a bit rough.  After those first two weeks my stomach shrunk and the half portions began to be too much.  I found myself cutting back more and more and then eating smaller meals more frequently. 

At first when I joined the gym I could only use a recumbent bicycle and do a few exercises on a bench.  I had to do my floor exercises on the bench because I could not get myself up off the floor.  I had periodical meetings with a trainer who worked with me and helped me with strength building and balance so I could eventually use more and more equipment.  It was very difficult and humbling to go to the gym every day and see so many slim, healthy, and vibrant people working out on all the equipment and I couldn’t even get up from the floor.  I chose to weigh on the 1^st and 15^th of each month.  I lost about 1 to 1½ pounds every two weeks.  Not a quick weight loss but it was steady.  Some weigh-ins I would drop perhaps two or three pounds. By June I had lost about 30 pounds.  My neurologist was astounded at my progress.  By September I had reduced another 20 or so pounds.  At that time I had another complete M.S. workup, including another MRI, and extensive neurological testing.  When I returned for the evaluation later, the neurologist was amazed at my progress.  My MRI was better than normal for my age, the neurological part of my exam was excellent, and my pain levels were almost non-existent.  I was discharged from her care but would need to return if any of my symptoms returned.  She did say that the symptoms could return, but as of that moment she would say I did not have any symptoms of MS.  She told me a lot more, and it was all good!  I am believing my symptoms will never return!

I really do believe that the beginning of my healing began that week in January when I attended the meetings at church for the week.  I was struggling, and when I look back now I can see how God was with me all the way.  It was only through Him that I was able to stand up, face my situation, do what He put in my heart for me to do, and to go forward with my life instead of giving up on myself.  And to this day, I don’t really know if even those closest to me knew how much I struggled with what I was going though.  There were only about three or four people that had been told about the MS diagnosis.  I always felt like I had to be strong.  And now I realize I was standing on my own confidence and not on God’s confidence.  Not only that, as a friend pointed out to me, I was not allowing the body of believers to pray with and for me.

I said all that I’ve said above because of a sermon I heard this morning.  The sermon hit a bull’s eye today.  It was presented by our Minister of Youth, Derrick Wright and is titled: “THIS ONE THING”.  You can listen to it by googling “City Church Madison Wisconsin”.  Go to Media and then the Sunday Sermon for today, January 3, 2016.  It is well worth listening to!  Believe me, I will be listening to it again.  It opened my eyes to some self-realization which I needed.  I understand a bit better all that I was going through three years ago.  Yes, three years is a long time ago and you may wonder why it is relevant for today.  The sermon made it relevant for today.  I have a better understanding of the difference between “self-confidence” and “God-confidence.  The second reason is realizing the difference between doing things for your own glory, rather than for God’s glory.  And the third reason is understanding the difference that GOD DOESN’T NEED ME, but, HE DESIRES ME.  The sermon was filled with so much more.  Since this blog is way longer than I intended it to be I will stop here and let you listen to the sermon for yourself.  Just try to take the time to do so if you have a chance. I use my gym time to listen to sermons!

The contents of this blog was not premeditated, nor even planned, when I sat down to write.  It just felt like it was the right time to share it.  When we have miracles happen in our lives I do believe we are to give the glory to God and share our testimony with others.  It has taken me a long time to share mine publicly.  Whether I was misdiagnosed with MS, and perhaps never had it at all, I will never know.  I choose to believe that God healed me of whatever I had.  He gave my life back to me.  My feet are no longer crippled like they were previously.  My knees no longer have the pain they once felt.  I can walk long distances.  I can climb rocks and hike on back trails and even on mountains that have no trails.  I can work out on many different kinds of exercise equipment, and do so several times each week.  I am able to play with my grandchildren on the floor and can pop up right from the floor ALL BY MYSELF!  I no longer have chronic excruciating headaches.  I can cook for long hours without taking a break, and I sleep like a champ (hopefully without snoring).  And at my age I had the courage to take off on a trip for four months, solo, with God as my companion.  And oh, let me tell you, even with all the naysayers, it was one of the most spectacular events of my lifetime!  Just me and God!  And it was amazing!

So…I think I am going to go to each of the meetings this week and seek God’s face.  I look forward to joining with our church body to seek God’s face and to know what He has for our church body.  I will also open my heart to new possibilities that He has planned for my walk with Him.  He doesn’t NEED ME, but I CERTAINLY DO NEED HIM!  

Philippians 1:6 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

The following poem is inspired by Derrick Wright’s sermon today.  I incorporated the words of Derrick’s daily prayer in the poem’s message.  I hope it will bless you as much as his sermon blessed me.  Thank you Derrick for sharing your heart!

 

GOD’S DESIRE

By Kathleen Martens

January 3, 2016

 

Sometimes I walk a lonely road

And heavy burdens I bear.

Though I may not realize it,

Right beside me God is there.

 

Sometimes I choose not to listen

To the tender word God speaks.

I’d rather do things my way,

Than consider God’s way to seek.

 

I work and labor and toil

In the work that God needs done,

Before I finally realize

 I’m not really the needed one.

 

For God is the almighty King,

Source of all power and might.

There is nothing I can do,

That He can’t do outright.

 

Then I realize He does not NEED

From one so weak and tired.

And though He doesn’t NEED me,

I am the one that He DESIRES.

 

Finally my eyes are opened

And for Wisdom I do pray.

And favor with God I ask

In my prayers every day.

 

And I ask God for favor

From my fellow man.

And That God’s presence and power

Allows me to do all I can.

 

And I thank God for His power

As revelation is released

Of who God is in my life,

That His love is increased.

 

That I will help others,

In so many different ways,

With the strength that comes

From my Savior each day.

 

And I always ask my Lord

That He teach me something new.

For God is my instructor

And what He says is true!

 

Long Blog but I hope you made it to the end.

Good night and God bless you!

Saturday January 2 2016  A NEW YEAR PRAYER

Today is a packed day so I am hoping to write my blog (and finish it) much earlier than usual.  It is now only 12:15 p.m. Central Time.  So here goes.

This morning as I was in my library studying the WORD OF GOD, I read a passage of scriptures that spoke to my heart.  I felt this passage is to be my New Year Prayer for 2016 and I would like to pray it over all those who read my blog.

Ephesians 3 New King James Version (NKJV)

“…I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,^[c]15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

This will be my prayer for myself each day as I begin my morning with the Lord.  A couple of months ago I read Psalm 5:3 and felt that it was one of two passages that I have chosen as my scripture verses for the year.  The other passage is also from Psalm 5, verses 11-12:

“³ My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;

In the morning I will direct it to You,

And I will look up.”

“¹¹ But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
¹² For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.”

I will write these scriptures in the front of each new journal and read them often. 

I am leaving shortly to attend the funeral of my friend’s mother.  She was a woman of God so I know it will be more of a celebration of her life and rejoicing with the family for her entrance into heaven.  When we know that our loved ones are bound for heaven after they die, it makes it so much easier to say goodbye.  There is always sorrow but intermingled with joy, knowing that the goodbye is just for a while.  For me it is awesome knowing I will again someday see my mom!

Now a quick update as to what is going on in regards to the flooding that seeped in the walls and between the floors.  A part of our dressing room floor (which is actually the master bedroom of the house that we turned into a dressing room) has been removed to allow huge drying dehumidifiers to stand like sentinels in our dressing room with huge tubes pumping hot air between our walls and floors and ceilings below.  There are hoses that drain the collected dehumidified moisture into the bathtub in the next room  A lot of water is being reclaimed.  We were told the machines would be in place until Monday of next week but I don’t see how it will be dry by then with so much water still being extracted.  The downstairs also has the same contraption plus two high pressured wind fans that help dry out the wallboard and rooms.  Not a pretty sight.  We are coping well.  We just walk around all the mess and the huge vanity that sits in the middle of our dressing room floor.  We are just thankful it isn’t worse.  Lots of hoses everywhere so we leave some lights on at night to help us navigate to and from the bathroom.  But all’s well that ends well and we are hoping for a good ending!

I wrote my poem this morning in my journal which I rarely do since I have been writing my blog.  I miss writing my poetry in my journal.  So today I penned a poem when the inspiration arrived while I was sitting in my library enjoying the presence of the Lord.

 

PEN IN HAND

By Kathleen Martens

January 2, 2016

 

Oh, how I miss pen in hand,

So easy my thoughts to land.

The feel of paper between my fingers

Defines memories that seem to linger.

 

Thoughts come softly tiptoeing in

Captured on paper as my friend.

I pause and think and write some more

As my muse opens never-ending doors.

 

There is nothing quite like paper and pen

That allows those thoughts to pour in.

Purple fingers, a sure reminder,

Of where my words I will find them.

 

My pen writes what my heart speaks,

As new expressions my soul seeks.

Release comes when my spirit has spoken

And what needs fixing, is no longer broken.

 

Such a salve when words are released

And freedom seems to be increased.

Just to express what I desire to say

Puts a bright slant on my entire day.

 

There you have it friends.  A short blog and I’m ready to leave (except for my lipstick).  Have a wonderful day.  God bless all of you.  And remember, you can always read the prayer from the scriptures and know those words are being prayed over you.

 

 

 

 

 

Friday January 1 2016  CONSIDER ALL THAT’S IN YOUR HEAD

On my title line above this sentence is the first time I have written 2016 as an actual date.  A New Year gave me pause to wonder about all that might happen this coming year.  Would you like to have a glimpse of just what might happen this year?  I’ve given that some solemn thought and have decided from a serious point of view that, no I would not.  I think it would be quite overwhelming.  The most crushing would be to know what is going to happen, both to and in, our country this year.  If I gave that topic some thought I think it would be disconcerting.  If something drastic takes place would it be better to know ahead so you would worry about it, or to not know and just go about your normal everyday life.  How would it affect our lives if we really did know the future.  I think that would be a stressful way to live. I know that both life and death happen.  I certainly hope a catastrophic event will not take place where I am, but I would rather not be burdened with the knowledge of knowing if a horrible situation was going to take place.  God can handle it.  I can’t.

Had I thought in that manner I certainly would not have set out on my odyssey in March which took me to deserted back roads, mountains too high for me to climb, back woods bear country, and miles and miles of driving in isolation and unknown areas.  Was I cautious?  Well, I would like to think I used common sense and was therefore alert and watchful so as to avoid dangerous risks.  I drove in the daylight and planned my daily driving distance to not be farther than a six hour drive so I could take about eight or nine hours to get where I was going.  I have a penchant to stop and get out, speak to strangers, and discover out of the way places.  I tried to make wise decisions before doing any of those things and I did arrive home safely.

Instead of worrying or fretting about the state of affairs our country is in, I choose to be informed and well read about what is happening, know what precautions to take, avoid dangerous environments, understand our governing processes, be informed about the candidates that are running for the top position in the country, and to give everything over to God.  If and when disaster strikes, then I will do what I can do, and must do, and rely on God for my strength, courage, and refuge.  But, as you can tell by last night’s blog and tonight’s blog I do stop to think about a lot of things.  And I guess that is a good thing.  I just wish I could get into the head of others and really know what they think.  Now to me, that would be interesting, and maybe a little frightening. 

How do you think?  Do you really take time out of your busy schedule to actually just sit down and deliberately THINK?  Do you let your mind stretch itself by what you think about, by what you read, or by what you watch on television?  I do what I call “intentional thinking”, which I have mentioned in previous blogs.  Dave and I are reading the book YOU STAYING YOUNG which I mentioned in a blog recently.  We read a few pages together at the morning breakfast table and then discuss it.  I did find out one thing about myself when I turned a page and viewed a drawing that illustrated how some minds map out thoughts.  It’s point was to show the reader how a brain can think, organize, branch out, and compartmentalize all sorts of data.  It used the illustration as a positive way to exercise the brain power you have to keep it strong and healthy.  To Dave it was somewhat askew.  To those of you are list makers it would probably seem more than askew, perhaps a bit disjointed and cluttered.  The caption above the drawing gave this description: “MIND MAPS, DEVELOPED BY TONY BUZAN, EXERCISE THE BRAIN BETTER THAN LISTS CREATED AND NOVEL DECISIONS MAKE NEW PATHWAYS IN THE BRAIN.”  Well, when I first turned the page and looked at the drawing closely, reading all the words written in the pictures, I realized I had just viewed the pattern of the way in which my brain processes.  It is cluttered.  It goes in different directions, but with a reason and pattern for what I am thinking and planning.  I couldn’t help but laugh after I read the caption, to know that I wasn’t so weird after all (My husband just verbally inserted this comment “ONE PERSON’S OPINION” as we were proof reading. Hmm…). The author was encouraging people to allow their brain to be used in this manner to exercise it and make it grow.  So, I guess I am blazing new paths and it will help keep my brain healthy.  I’ll just have to blaze a new path about turning off water faucets!

In all seriousness, STOP, AND TAKE TIME TO JUST THINK!  Search out answers.  Be inquisitive and stretch your brain muscles (or whatever it is that needs stretching).  People think that three and four year old children have lots of questions.  I had lots of questions when I was younger, but I have even more now.  That is one reason I love talking to Dave every morning.  After all the quiet hours of the evening and night I awaken with lots of questions.  He doesn’t always have all the answers or even the answers I think I WANT to hear, but he is always patient and gives a lot of thought to his answers.  If he doesn’t know the answer, he often researches my questions, and then educates me at the breakfast table or dinner table.  I sometimes try to imagine other couples and the kinds of conversations they might have when waking up or at the table and just can’t imagine anyone else talking about the things we talk about. (Another Dave insert:  “THAT’S TRUE”). It’s as if we (or at least me) never have enough time to talk.  I just wish all that brain exercise would help me retain more than I do.  I just hope my brain keeps working for a bit longer (a LONGER bit longer)!

 

CONSIDER ALL THAT’S IN YOUR HEAD

By Kathleen Martens

January 1, 2016

 

When you really take the time

Thinking can be quite sublime.

But you must first find a thought,

One that is deeply sought.

 

Important ideas may be found

In your brain just laying around.

Everyday there is something new,

That which must be sifted through.

 

Unless you ponder you do not find

That special muse that’s one of a kind,

Allow moments to just ruminate,

So that you can then meditate.

 

Think on that which is good

For it is easily understood.

Contemplate not on the bad

Perchance it may, make you sad.

 

Let reason rise within your brain

So that you will stay quite sane.

Well balanced stability helps reflect,

On what you may expect.

 

Consider all that’s in your head

And upon what your brain is fed.

Allow your thoughts to deliberate,

So that you can contemplate.

 

Plan, consider, and envision each day

What it is your brain wants to say.

And study hard to make it grow,

The bigger it gets the more you know.

 

Organize and design, the perfect plan

And reflect on all you can.

Cogitate from deep within

Discerning where you have been.

 

Rekindle childhood fires

By imagining your heart’s desires.

Be the best you, you can be.

Allow your thoughts to go free!

 

So, I guess what I’m saying in this poem is, give pause, and allow your brain to go on holiday to think about whatever it wants to think about!  You might just go along for the ride and see where it leads you!  It’s what I call CREATIVE THINKING!

Today is the day I gave myself permission to start my new Tozer daily devotional.  I will only tell you the title since I really don’t like to break copyright laws.

So here is the title:

January 1

“GOD IS ALWAYS FIRST AND WILL SURELY BE LAST”

“I am  Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord.”  Revelation 1:8

 

Good night and God bless you!

I pray that you have a healthy and safe year.  

 

P.S.  I get to read another Tozer devotional tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

Friday December 31 2015  WHAT IN THE WORLD IS TO COME?

On this final day of two thousand fifteen I sit here at my computer and wonder, what in the world shall I write about?  What words, if any, do I have to say that would impact another?  A blank New Year looms ahead.  An entirely clean slate.  I can’t help but let my mind project ahead and ask, will I be on earth this time next year?  I remember asking myself that last year.  And here I am.  And I am glad I am here.

As I drive down the interstate I see the electronic signs overhead that tally the death tolls to date of those in Wisconsin who died in traffic accidents.  As of today’s date the toll, including cars, bicycles, motorcycles, and pedestrians is 546 for 2015.  The total becomes larger and larger as the year progresses.  Have you ever stopped to think about all those lives lost in just one state?  Who were they?  What were the circumstances that caused the traffic accident?  Who did they leave behind?  How many shattered lives were left behind here on earth to grieve, and possibly heal from injuries obtained in the same accident? All those who died become just a number on a sign, representing but one of hundreds included in the final year end death toll.  Next year will you be just a number?  Will I?

I really don’t mean to be melancholy, but rather just want to make an impression on each and every one of us who draws a breath, to stop and realize, how very fortunate we are that one of those numbers do not represent us, a family member, or a friend.

There is no way of knowing what next year holds.  But, when we put our life in God’s hands and place our trust in Him, it is God who will be with us every moment of every day.  He, and He alone, knows what next year looks like for each individual.  There is no place we can hide from God.  When we realize this, we then understand that we need not fear whatever awaits us in the coming year.  Psalm 139:1-10 speaks of this very thing.

Psalm 139 New King James Version (NKJV)

139 “O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
² You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
³ You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
⁵ You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

⁷ Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
⁸ If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
⁹ If  I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
¹⁰ Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.”

 And because God knows who we are, where we are, and what we are doing, we need never to fear.  Farther into the chapter in verse 16 the Word states:

 “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.”

 God is the only one who knows how many days we have written in His book.  We are not meant to know, but should be aware that this body is a temporal vessel in which our spirit is housed, and someday our numbered days will be used up.  And even that is a day we need not fear, because when the time comes for us to meet him face to face, He is there beside us.  When we accept His gift of salvation we need never fear what the future holds.

 Remember these words as the midnight bell tolls.  No matter what in the world is to come, just rely on God.  The people in our world are becoming more wicked and hateful towards each other.  There are so many senseless killings and it seems each year the number of terrorist attacks seem to mount.  Regardless of what is coming our way, which candidate gets into office, how wicked the world becomes, we need not fear what man can do to us. 

Psalm 27 New King James Version (NKJV)

“1. The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?”

No matter what awaits you in 2016 remember these scriptures.  Draw on the strength that God offers. 

We never need fear of becoming a number on an electronic sign.  Our days are numbered and someday, some circumstance will allow us to meet God face to face.  We don’t know how or when, and that really does not matter at all.  All we must do is be ready.  If I ever become a statistic on a death toll sign across a roadway, I hope as my friends that drive underneath the flashing numbers will look toward heaven and just whisper in their heart, “Kathleen, you may have arrived in heaven before me, but I’ll see you again someday”, and then send a smile heavenward.  Our goodbye will only be for a while.  Yes, there may be tears and sadness, but I don’t think those who are in heaven would want to come back this this earth, regardless of how vast and beautiful it is.  Somehow, I don’t believe it can compare with heaven.

 

BECAUSE OUR NAME IS WRITTEN

By Kathleen Martens

December 31, 2015

 

Heaven is but a place

We think of in our dreams.

Our mind cannot fathom

The glory of its extremes.

 

Beauty beyond comprehension,

Imagination cannot conceive

What awaits those who arrive,

Because in Jesus they believe.

 

How can we know what awaits

When we say goodbye to earth?

But knowing Jesus as Savior

More than gold it’s worth.

 

Because our name is written

On the pages of God’s Book,

And that will be confirmed

As into our eyes God looks.

 

And face to face we will stand

Before GOD WHO IS LOVE.

And pain and sorrow from earth below

Does not enter with us above.

 

Nor will we look back with longing

For what we left behind.

We will be forever content

Because its Jesus’ smile we find.

 

Yes, we will grieve for those who go before us and that is a normal process of our healing.  But just remember, that your goodbye is just for a while.

In the morning when you wake up remember to say:

²⁴ This is the day the Lord has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118 New King James Version (NKJV)

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!