Running to the Darkness

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

 

Gary  and I broke from our tradition of putting up the Christmas tree and all the trimmings the day after Thanksgiving! Once we no longer worked with students and weren't involved in the Church of God Kansas State Youth Convention over the Thanksgiving holiday, we began to utilize the day after Thanksgiving to pull everything out and decorate! However we were a bit preoccupied with Jeremy's trip to the hospital over Thanksgiving.

Gary loves to turn on the Christmas music while we toil away like Christmas elves. This year I really missed the kids! Though there have been many years that we decorated while they were at convention, it seemed at bit lonely. Maybe because last Christmas season Kristen and Josh were living with us and Kristen was my very own Martha Stewart! She baked cookies, made candy and even created a huge wreath for over the fireplace! I always miss Luke when we string on the lights. That was always his favorite part. As a child Jeremy loved placing his special ornaments on just he right branch. 

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas!

 

I love the first snowfall of the year! And today was it! It was spitting early this morning but by mid morning they were those big, wet, fluffy snowflakes mostly drifting to the ground, pretty much all day long! Beautiful! 

No accumulation, the ground is still too warm, but it was definitely snowing! What's the big deal? Honestly, I don't know. I have been this excited about it since I was a little girl. Maybe it has to do with growing up in a very small rural town in Kentucy. I remember waking up some crisp winter mornings and there would be a great hush over the entire outside as during the night it had been blanketed with a white cushion which muffled every sound! How delightful to wake up to the snowplow and know that that was a ticket to a day off! (Poor Gary growing up in Alaska, I'll bet he never missed a day because of snow.)

I have lots of memories of fun in the snow. I remember sliding down the hill behind my cousins' barn on an old car hood! And then there was the time as a college kid sliding down a hill and landing on the interstate! Good thing it was snowing heavy and there were no cars out.

Some of my favorite memories are of playing in the snow with the kids! Kristen, Jeremy and Luke even managed to build a snow igloo a couple of years. I did venture skiing once and I did not get the hang of it at all! However, I had the chance to go snowmobiling last year and LOVED it! What a rush going straight up a mountain to the top of a pass!

What creative God to design something that can transforn the entire landscape into a dazzling white wonderland!

Last year my dear friend, Prati Stephens from India was in Denver, Colorado when it snowed. She was delighted! She had never experienced it and she loved it! She went out shopping in her sari and marveled at the beauty. She said that it brought a whole new perspective to the scripture in Psalm 51:7, Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

I am grateful for a creative God Who delights in purifying His children!

 

Care Enough to Confront

Do you? Definitely not the easy way out. I admit most of the time, I opt out, if I have the option that is. A counselor friend says that most of the time when we do talk, we only say the top 90% at best, usually shying away from the last 10%.

What if we didn't, opt out that is? What if we said what we were thinking, in love, of course?

Mumbai's Taj Mahal Hotel--I slept there!

In February of 2005 I was afforded an incredible invitation to travel with the Presidential Delegation for the India Gospel League for tsunami  relief. President Samuel Stephens was so overcome by the ensuing devastations that he knew he needed help in order to help his people who were devastated by the immense destruction just before Christmas in 2004.

I was awed by the elaborate network of churches that I.G.L. had created for evangelistic purposes God was using to meet the needs of the thousands of people who were left homeless and hungry!

As Rev. Samuel Stephens led the delegation of nearly 30 close friends, family and pastors he selected a very special place for us to meet in Mumbai to stay the night and begin the pilgrimage and that hotel was the Taj. I was struck by the incredible beauty of the facility! I had traveled to India twice prior to that trip and didn't know such elegance existed in India. We had never stayed in such places when we traveled for conferences with the Women With a Mission teams.

It saddens my heart to see this country terrorized again! I remember traveling there the very first time in September of 2001 arriving just a day before the Twin Towers in the USA were destroyed by terrorists. Every person I met in India was extremely sympathetic to Americans after the attacks because their country has lived with that for years.

Today I am saddened for my brothers and sisters who are suffering senseless death and destruction! Oh, God, how long will you tolerate such injustice? How long will You tary before You say, Enough is enough! and return to earth to end it all? How long, O Lord?

You Just Never Know

Gary and I often start the day asking God to give us strength for the day. We just don't know what the day holds but we are confident that God does and that He holds the day and we need that confidence to face the day and all the trouble it holds.

Early this morning we were awakened by a phone call telling us that our daughter-in-love, Jesi had found our son in the bathroom floor passed out a few hours earlier. Our plans for the morning immediately altered! Everything changed for the day as we jumped out of bed and into our clothes to hurry to the hospital. True, there was nothing we could do but be there but we know being there means the most.

Tonight Jeremy is resting more comfortably at the hospital recuperating from severe dehydration. And we are thankful! We are fully aware that things can change in seconds and relationships are the most valuable assets in our lives.

We may or may not have turkey tomorrow for Thanksgiving but we are extremely grateful that we will have Jeremy! Tell your loved ones how grateful you are for them and thank God for one another as well! God bless you and yours!

Sharing Thanksgiving Together!

Who needs turkey when you have friends to eat, work, play and pray with! 

FREEDOM!!

Are you living the have to or want to life?   

Gary  poised the question at the very beginning of the message today, the fourth one in our series, Life Shift. Gary lent different insight and perspective on the story of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking him what he should DO to get to heaven. Jesus told him to follow and give everything he had to the poor. Tough question! Jesus had never asked that of anyone directly before. However He had called His twelve disciples to do virtually the same. Gary emphasized the fact that that this rich young ruler had been asked to follow Jesus. He had an opportunity to walk where Jesus walked but he declined! Why? Jesus asked Him to trust Him with the very thing that tripped the young ruler!

Rich chose money over mission. Do I? Do you? What if we put our purpose ahead of our possessions? We know we can't take them with us. But sometimes they end up owning us!

I think God is up to something here! He is FOR us and for freeing us! Remember part of His mission statement is to free the captives. Let's live the want to life and be free!

A Ride in a Hearse

      Truly a humbling experience today to participate in the LIfe Celebration for Wylena Burns! After the service we proceded to the graveside for the internment service. I have accompanied Gary to many of these services but didn't know what it felt like prior to today.

I rode with the funeral director and was surprised that it felt so humbling! We drove past the site of our daughter's gravesite, past Adam Ettinger's site, as we passed Micah Settles' site I noticed that his dad was knelt at his graveside. Of course we were passed the site that holds Wayne Stout's remains as we entered.

The reality is that none of us know if we will be riding in a hearse or not this week. Sombering, yes! But we were encouraged with four inspiring songs about heaven! When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! Meet you there!

A Well Lived Life and a Well Loved Woman

 Tomorrow I have the honor of conducting the funeral of a woman I have grown to know and love-- Wylena Burns. Her husband, Lowell was a part of Indian Creek Community Church  from nearly the beginning. Lowell was a generous and faithfilled man. Wylena began to accompany him just a while before he died but afterwards was extremely faithful even coming when it was necessary to drag her portable oxygen tank with her.  

What an honor to walk with people to the other side! I can't imagine a greater honor than to see them get right up to the door! We are so tied to this world, but every time I walk this way I realize anew the preiousness and reality of life after this one!

Wylena and Lowell passed on a great heritage of faithfulness and love to a large family that is commited to passing it on!

I have this picture in my mind of Wylena running in those gates of heaven to meet Lowell first and then maybe Jesus but also her son and sisters who had preceded her there! Then I picture her turning and swinging wide those gates and inviting everyone to follow her home to heaven! The grace and peace she found in Jesus Christ is available to anyone who will partake!

  Wylena's life summed up in family memories.

Change

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God! Change. Change. Change. One man's mantra gained him the presidency. Now we will see what kind of changes come in the next four years.

Yesterday Gary's blog highlighted the Rapid Change  intechnology. Watch the video and be amazed! Where will you bein four years? Where will I be in four years? Where do you want to be? Change for tomorrow begins today.

I am grateful today for a God who never changes! His love is constant and everlasting! In a world of change I can count on His faithfulness being new yet the same every morning! And I can be certain that He will not leave me nor forsake me though everything else around me may change and everyone else may leave! He won't!