Beieve in Dreams

 Proverbs 13:19a "The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul..."

I guess you could say I'm a dreamer. My family sometimes groan when I say, "I have a new idea".  I have a good husband who will sometimes shake his head at me, think about it for awhile, and jump on board!

I have been  a part of some pretty big dreams!! I'm talking work from the ground up!!! We helped share the dream of establishing a Christian church school. That dream graduated my children; some having attended for 13 years. We dreamed of adding Christian School Retreats and made some great memories for many of those years!  Not a lot of pay..... a lot  of grit ....and a vision!

We participated in the dream of a dear friend to start a mission and English school in a foreign country. The blessings  were definitely worth the challenges!! I have so much appreciation for those who believed in it!!!

More recently, we have shared the dream of Project Christmas Blessing with Africa Mission and Beyond!  It has been so refreshing to bless and be blessed from this project that God is growing. All because of people who see what God can do!

I believe in dreams and never laugh at those who have them!!!....A quote: "Let your dreams be bigger than your fears, your actions louder than your words, and your faith stronger than your feelings."

The book of Acts speaks of young men seeing visions and old men dreaming dreams. The young and old have dreams!! And who am I to squelch the dreams of a dreamer?  I have them and my greatest supporters have been those who may not share the dream but they encourage and support me.  So that's my purpose: to believe and support those who have big dreams though I may not have the vision!!

We have a young friend who has a dream.  He has gathered a team who believe that God will realize the desires and this past weekend, we traveled to Oklahoma to support one of the first phases of his dream.

 I was thrilled at a turnout of over 100 people who were supportive. My husband and I arrived on Friday to prep for a workday on Saturday for the renovation of "Pearl of Grace Ranch", a potential facility for hurting girls.  

We have supported the dream, the planning, the organization, and the reality of "It's really probably going to happen!!!"

Upon our arrival, admittedly, I was a bit overwhelmed at the work needing to be done on this piece of property. I could see potential, but after only one day of preparation and being so tired I could hardly walk, I was like, " There needs to be a lot of helping hands here to make this dream happen."

On Saturday morning, I couldn't help but tear up when I saw all the caring people arrive asking "What can I do?" Over 100 people supporting a dream!  I watched people drag old insulation to the dumpster, knowing they would be itching later and  I know of one faithful lady who is now suffering from poison ivy from cleanup.  I hugged an elderly, handicapped lady as she cried after driving miles to give her two mites. She and her handicapped sister faithfully bagged cookies. I was completely overwhelmed by the love, the giving, and the support!!!

As I watched the transformation of this 10 acre little ranch dream starting to happen, my faith in humanity was, again, (as it has been so many times before) renewed and strengthened! There are a lot of people out there who care about a dream!  With them , I can't wait to be there the first day the Pearl of Grace Ranch opens its doors!!!

 

 

 

 

Hugs

 Proverbs 1:5 "A wise man will hear....."

I don't even have to step outside my walls to hear the crying and the hurting. I try to keep my ears open and strive to be alert to even a faint appeal from the bleeding hearts around me. Even as I listen, I want to help them. But I find that I often don't have words to say. I feel helpless to know how to reach out.

I read the things you are and aren't supposed to say to hurting people. I have been in circumstances of my own when nothing anyone could say seemed to be what I needed. It's impossible to feel the right kind of emotion for every difficult situation and know how to reach out.

 We overthink how to do this thing of "reaching out." Sometimes we even choose to not do anything. We are at a loss what to say. There are times it brings back hurtful reminders of our past when someone is in trouble and you have no words. Then there are people who have hurt us who are in need of help, and we really don't want to help them. But many times, we are inwardly hurting for the hurting and felt helpless. Emotions are always hard to direct in the right channels in a moment of need. It's easier to ignore them. That hurts you and robs others of blessing.

What I do believe in and receive blessing from is a pure, simple hug!!!

I recently met up with an old friend whom I hadn't seen for years. We had parted ways, without bad feeling, only differing opinions. I was thrilled,  but a little apprehensive about meeting her face to face. But, our embrace spanned all those years and we connected again. Her hug was so tight and reassuring.  It simply said " I still remember that we are forever friends and I love you." We didn't even have a chance to visit much but I walked away so comforted by that warm hug!!

At our church, we have some foster children and kids dealing with messy family issues. I try to reach out with a hug every time I see them.  They always respond. A couple of days ago, one little boy leaned in and tightened that hug. I think we both needed it. It said, "You're important to me."

We used to make our children hug after they were having a "fight". They hated it but it always broke the ice and brought them back around. Hugs can say "I'm sorry."

I have a lot of friends that have shared tears and hugs with me. They don't have much to say but their expressions of caring speak to me. They are saying, "I am hurting with you,"

I love it when a friend posts the little word through texting or social media, "Hugs!"

It speaks volumes to me. A little card in the mail that has just simple, caring words touches me more than a long letter trying to get me to understand that you care.

A quote I love says it all. "I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words."

My encouragement is to reach out and give a hug or simply say, " I care" or " Praying for you." Just because we don't have a lot of words to say doesn't mean we can't  be a comfort to people. 

There are so many ways to send a hug!!! 

Give them out freely. I like to get them and I want giving them to be a natural reaction to those who need them. And that's pretty well everyone!!

The Giving and the Taking

 

 Proverbs 11:10a "When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth."

Proverbs 12:13b "but the righteous will come through trouble."

I just came through a weekend of struggling through watching the"giving" and watching the "taking" and trying to  bless God's name. 

We were in Kentucky participating in a weekend "house raising" for dear friends who have been living in an RV for what seems like long enough. More than 50 people showed up to start making a dream happen.

 

 

In the middle of this joy, we were receiving texts and videos from family and friends in Louisiana that their world was falling apart. They watched in helpless horror as inches and inches of relentless rain caused the waters to rise and rip their beautiful, rejuvenated church (that had been practically destroyed in March this year from flooding) apart.  

 

The much quoted words of Job were used again to boost faith and give courage: "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away...blessed be the name of the Lord."

Joy and sorrow. Birth and death. Building up and tearing down. It's so hard to mix opposite emotions and come out with Praise and Blessing.

When our last child was born, my mother in law was only able to briefly cuddle and love her. She was phasing into the last months of her life here. Cancer claimed her; our daughter never remembered how much her grandmother loved her. I felt sad for her because all our other children had felt her love and treasured her memories. 

But through the long months of grieving for her Grandpa, her childish hugs and kisses kept him going. The Lord took his lover but gave him the devotion of a precious new grandchild to give him something to live for after the taking away. Their relationship was a special one!!

Only a few days before our oldest daughter was to be married, a 5 year old nephew died. I was tempted to doubt God's timing in this one. But I saw God's Spirit give sweet calmness to the family of the little boy by enabling them to attend the wedding, and thus witnessing to a community of God's nearness in this distressful situation. I don't know when I have ever felt God's presence so strongly in a wedding ceremony as on that day. It was God's "giving " after the "taking away".....

Last evening, I attended a viewing and observed the tears of the family doing closure for their loved one who had suffered a lot. I listened to a lot of the nieces and nephews talk about how their Aunt Beth couldn't be replaced and how much she had done for them. But I also watched the smiles of several of those nephews and nieces and grandmas and grandpas as they cuddled new babies who had just joined the family circle. It's like the holding was healing. The taking was being replaced by a new generation and God's giving. 

I envision my Kentucky friends sitting around the fire in their new home and feeling the love that was hammered and nailed into every inch of their wonderful cabin. I pray they will soak up many years of God's gift to them. 

And I also pray for our Louisiana friends to keep courageous through the "taking away". I pray for their hurting communities to experience hope as they suffer. I pray for their faith when they are so tempted to doubt. I want them to believe that the "giving" will come to them. There will be Light after Darkness. Smiles after Tears. Reaping after Weeping. Sunshine after Rain. It is God's Way. He giveth and He taketh. That's a given. 

And we, in our weakness struggle to praise Him and Bless His name. But we must choose to lift up our hands anyway. Our choice must be to believe in the Giving and the Taking. Our time will come!!

45 Years.....Happy Anniversary to my husband!!

45 Years.........Happy Anniversary to my husband!!!

Proverbs 31:12 "She will do him good .........all the days of her life."

That's my commitment for whatever future God sees to give to you and me.

We have lived and loved, dreamed and watched our castles crumble and been hurt and forgiven. We have soared and we have fallen; we have been thirsty and we have been filled.

But never have we walked away. We've believed that "all" things will work for our good.

I purpose to continue to do you good. I want to please you.I want our relationship to be enjoyable. I want our marriage to produce and be a good investment. I want it to have special quality.  

I can't say our marriage has been a perfect one. It has not even been one where the feelings have always been charged and exciting. But I am committed to striving for a "good" one. 

Good is enough. Love is not a feeling; it's an action. It is a decision to make a choice to give up other choices. It is a good feeling and is freeing!. I am no longer a seeker of someone or some thing to make me happy. When I married, I was in it til death separates us. All my choices revolve around that day I made a vow.

So I keep building good things into our relationship. I commit to more:

Reassuring touches. Hand holding. Snuggles and kisses. Always a good thing!

I will be generous with compliments. Personal ones to you alone. Public ones to show others what a good person you are.  I will make sure my children see you as the special dad and husband that you are. Everyone already knows but it is good to reaffirm it.

I will keep rubbing your tired shoulders, and pamper you and keep your favorite chair open.

I will always serve you first at the table even when guests are present. It is good that others see and that you know that I honor you,

I will find more time to share laughter. Life can be so depressing. It is good to find the funny and see your eyes light up in the midst of it all! 

I will exhibit grace and modest attractiveness in my behavior, conversation and dress! I belong to you and I want you to be proud of me and not ever feel threatened! We both feel good with this security surrounding us!

I will keep making you coconut cream pies to make you smile. I will fold your socks and underwear and reorganize your drawers. I will drop everything and continue to meet you at the door with a smile and a kiss. I will please you.  I will help you. I will forgive you. I will be faithful and I will pray with and for you. 

I will stay committed because I made a good choice 45 years ago. I am your wife and I will do you good every day and all my days! Staying in a marriage and building commitment is the best of "good"!  It's LOVE!

 

I am blessed to have the good privilege of wishing you, the Love of my Life, a Happy 45th Anniversary! I'm still on board!