Magical Moments

Proverbs 15:30a " The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart."

I attended a wedding Saturday. Some weddings are just weddings, but this ceremony was such a special one because I had observed this couple and saw their relationship grow into a precious thing. They were so obviously in love and waiting for their union with sweet anticipation. They had worked through some difficulties and I rejoiced for them on their special day!

A wedding of this sort has just a hint of fairy tale fantasy to it.  Those of us who have experienced more of life know there will be a lot for them to learn, but sitting there in the candles, flowers and beautiful music, I like to experience the magic of it as well.  For me , part of that was sitting where I could observe the face of the groom during the ceremony.  It was wonderful to see him as he first looked at his beautiful bride in white. Then, I observed the awesome look on his face when he had said those vows. What a privilege it was to also  see the look of pure joy in his eyes when he kissed his new wife.  It was a beautiful, defining moment for both of them.

I like to think that life is made much more bearable and beautiful for us all because of the magical moments we experience. I hope you have them. I do. I don't forget them easily.

In addition to the wonderful wedding experience, I , also, had a magical moment in my life this past week.

I had some emotional challenges I had been working through for some time.  I had high expectations when I viewed my needs through the promises of God's Word.  However, when I looked at them through my limited strength, I was feeling pretty powerless.  I had been in that waiting mode for awhile, needing my miracle. This can be tiring and even discouraging. 

However, my magical moment happened this week!  It came from the blue, straight from God. It was a gift placed into my uplifted hands. I was overwhelmed and was captured in awesome silence for awhile, just holding on to it! 

His strength was made perfect in my weakness. I am still feeling overwhelmed at His love for me.  I am an achiever but this was nothing of my doing. It was defining because of the magic of it. It was a Supernatural force that caused this amazing thing to happen. It was wonderful and exciting and has left me changed and will be forever etched in my life.

I believe in Magical Moments!  God and I are writing our own Fairy Tale!

Witty Inventions

Proverbs 8:12 "I wisdom dwell with prudence and find out knowledge of witty inventions."

I was amazed when I ran across this scripture in the Bible. Whoever thought the all wise,  great Solomon, who could have anything he wanted, knew there needed to be a combination of wisdom, prudence and knowledge used with all the modern day inventions of his time?

The older I get, the more I realize Progress is on fast forward. I can't keep up with it and I get tired if I try. I do try. But somewhere way back I lost track of how to have knowledge of the most popular phone, car, clothing, food and a hundred other things.

All of us tend to accept the inevitable. Whatever "they" accept, even though we don't know  who "they" are, we quickly accept. We are so much more influenced by "peer pressure" than we think. I see us all as vehicles trying to keep up with each other or, more particularly, pass each other! We don't even know who's in the other vehicle, or where they are going, but we have to get the fastest car to get to wherever!

Some things just seem to be common knowledge!  A funny little family story: my oldest two grandsons were riding in my back seat when they were around three years old. One commented on a jeep we passed and told his Buddy he was going to buy it. With caution, the other asked, "You won't go fast, will you?" The first replied, "Men's go fast!" Now why did the little guy who asked the question feel concerned? And how did the other just accept the fact that men will drive fast? At three years, they already had accepted the fact that if you were a guy, you probably did some dangerous driving!  At that point, I was ready to bring their dads in for a lecture!!!!! But it's a fact: we all tend to drive fast!

Let me do my interpretation of Proverbs 8:12. "Let intelligence be mixed with common sense and caution as you understand the quick and easily accessible present day gadgets and contraptions."

Our household doesn't do TV. We have never desired one.  But every time I see the barrage of advertising presented on the television , I wonder how anyone can experience satisfaction in their lives when they daily access all that information. Bigger, better, faster, prettier, more, more, more.......

We are a much more productive world because of inventions. There have been many wonderful things invented through past generations. But this generation is producing just as many evil, unprofitable, not to mention, overly expensive gadgets that take over our minds, ruin our morals, sever relationships and cause us literally to sell our souls.

Truly, who is being witty? The enemy is laughing at us as we lavishly blow our resources on movies and sports robbing people of time and money needed in God's bigger Plan for mankind for Church and Family. People rush out to buy the latest tech gadget or the newest name brand tennis shoes to keep up with the Joneses when the same people are struggling to keep food on the table and pay their bills. It's only acceptable to drive an SUV or sports car if that's what your friend is driving. No matter that you can't afford the car payment.  It's hard to pull up an encouraging scripture at a crossroads when you haven't really picked up the Good Book in several months. We are paying big money for what we think is buying happiness and pleasure and investing in really risky choices. Oh yes, we're driving fast; very fast!

I, for one, have chosen to travel in a slower paced vehicle with Wisdom, Prudence and Knowledge as my passengers. Most people looking in my windows think I'm a little old fashioned in my ordinary, little car. While I am peacefully going the speed limit trying to heed every warning sign along the way, I am getting strange looks from the faster and bigger cars buzzing by me. I know their looks are saying: "Get off the road, little guy, if you can't keep up!" 

Its not really because I can't drive faster. I have before. It's really easy to do and even fun at times!  Sometimes it's tempting to be a little more "savvy" and I'm tempted to feel more wind on my face!. But when I have pulled into the fast lane, I get scared!  I feel like the little old lady on the Interstate who came down the ramp and turned left into the highway instead if merging. We came upon her sitting sideways in the road looking confused.  All this fast life confuses me!!!

My little grandson was right: men do drive fast!  They are on a fast lane where they can hardly see the yellow and red colors of the road signs, let alone read the warning. They're going too fast and are headed for a head on collision!  In fact, its unfortunate to often see one of those cars driving in the "No Passing" lane crashing and burning up the road. Not only the driver dies. but he's taking his family and friends with him!

So here I am. Puttering down the road with my tried and true companions. I know I look and seem out of place!  Sure feels safer, though, staying over in the Right lane!

God's Eye

Proverbs 15:3 " The eyes of the Lord are in every place."

The Indians are a ritualistic people who have always intrigued me. Their customs and practices are mystical; a little eerie to some. But the indigenous people reflected God in much of their spiritual  ceremony, though He wasn't identified as the God we understand. They certainly acknowledged a Higher Power.

This is so in one of their ancient pieces of Art still created today. It is called a God's Eye. It is a four cornered object made of yarn and wood. It is often displayed hanging from a car visor or key ring. This creation was designed to reflect a confidence in an all seeing Providence who sees things unknown to the human eye. The Indians used it as a protection on the trail or on a worksite.

I am intrigued by the God's Eye, not in a spiritualistic way, but on a more enlightened level. I believe in God's Eye. I rely on the fact that He sees everything! Every day reveals new ways God guides and protects me when I am unaware of the dangers around me.

I recently was awed at how God's Eye was present in an accident experienced by my daughter and 3 minors she was traveling with while their parents were in Africa.  On a three lane highway, in the middle of rush hour traffic, in a city, God let their one vehicle unpreparedly come upon two large obstructions in the road.
Trying to avoid them, the driver lost control, hit a concrete barrier, spun across three lanes of traffic and hit another barrier head on. Only God's Eye could have prevented death or serious injury. Only God's Eye could have kept them from colliding with another vehicle or involving other people.

Was it coincidence that the children's parents were headed home after a two and a half week trip? Only a few hours and they were in the comforting presence of their Dad and Mom.

Did God care that it happened on school break for my daughter who had multiple bruises and soreness. As she could barely move without pain and slowly recuperated, I saw it as a miracle that she was able to attend a 4 hour class on this past Monday.

The parents quoted,  after an especially joyous reunion with their children, "We are just glad we are not coming home to tragedy". Why even question "why?" it happened in the face of the obvious protection of God's Eye?

Call it Providence if you wish. I have a picture of the Eye of God in my mind. I can't structure it as four sided or colorful as the early tribes crafted it. It is a Presence. It is a Power. It is an all present, ever seeing Entity I believe in and have witnessed daily in my 63 years of living. I don't have to display it to feel it. " The eyes of the Lord are in every place!" I can't step into anywhere or experience anything that I can't see or feel God's Eye. What a circumference!

Old/New

Proverbs 3:1 " My son, forget not my law."

I'm like you. Every New Year, I contemplate a new plan for the New Year. Its challenging as I grow older. I'm not much of a New Year's Resolution person, but I do still try to evaluate my life and see where I'm at, where I'm headed and what has happened in the recent past to hinder or help me. I love new ideas, new projects, new inspiration and I like initiating those things into life.

I am also a lover of "old". I cherish the seasoned things of life. I collect old stories. I display, with pride, my inherited old family pieces. My connection with "senior" (older than me"!!!) acquaintances is a valuable thing to me.

My most recent happy project is my husband's Christmas gift. It is a beautiful mix of old barnwood transformed into a new table/fireplace/ entertainment center/ bookshelf. It is still a work in progress. I am blessed so far with the first two phases of this wonderful creation. I think my new gift will keep blessing me through the bleak days of January and maybe February.

My love of the Old/New leads me to reflect on my desire to initiate new life into old commitments in my spiritual goals. When I reflect on my living for the Lord, I can see that I have made some progress in the last year. I also can observe that I have need for improvement in some areas of my life.

One of my reasons for the interest in Proverbs deals with the fact that Proverbs Scripture is timeless. Hundreds of years ago, Solomon offered advice in government, economics, religion, and family and personal life. I can take what was written so many years ago and still apply it to my life today.

This is Election Year. God has a plan. I'm wanting to be a part of it in the way the Word directs me to; which I interpret as a lot of specific, extra praying. There is also much needed biblical guidelines for the money that flows through my household. I want to always have that highlighted in my budgeting. My success as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister and good friend can only be so as I interweave the scriptural instruction that I access through reading the Bible.  I must take care to encourage, and to teach by example both outwardly and by what is expressed through my mouth. I have a responsibility to the Church that I cannot overlook or treat lightly. If I am that one member of the Body who chooses to be disfunctional, the Word says all will suffer.

My goal for past years and for 2016 is that I would not forget the law of the Lord. Whatever pursuit of change I have in my life, I know that I must consider what the Word says. God created this world and He created me.  He has an orderly plan  morally, physically and spiritually for me. When I want new inspiration or new focus for myself, I must remember the original guidelines that are outlined in the Word. Thus, I can take the old, beautiful, tried and true colors, add some new hues or brighten them up and I can be refurbished.

On my "old/new fireplace mantle, I have a creative combination of some old things and an added splash of new.  I like it!

I wait in anticipation as God blends my  unspoken desires for this New Year with my commitment to His Way. He then adds His knowledge and love. I know it will be that perfect combination of peace, comfort, guidance, and accomplishment that I need for 2016.