Borrowed from Scarlett's Blog... How true this is.

" DO IT ANYWAY"

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

~Mother Teresa

Remember this...

all of you "middle agers" (like myself) will remember this, it's just as good now as it was back in 1980-something...

Changes...

I have passed this tree everyday for the past month, thinking that I am going to have to take a photo of that tree it is just too cool. Of course I never stop and do it or I don't have my camera with me or a million other reasons. This morning was different. It hadn't looked like this, it seemed as if the leaves just turned and fell overnight. In the mornings, the leaves are so much more beautiful than in the afternoons, and I knew I had to get this shot before it was too late. It makes me think about the changes that we go through and how significant and lovely each change, each season is. The winter is coming and there it will be stripped bare to endure the cruelty of the cold. How we can all relate to the winters in our lives! The trials and uncertainties, when it seems as if God is just whispering to us or not speaking at all.
I didn't even notice this tree last Autumn, but then I was in my winter, sad and confused, missing what had been home for many years. I guess I had to go through all of that to appreciate the beauty of today, of this morning, of the changing... I thank God for the changes. We shouldn't be afraid of the changes, we should embrace them but only while holding tightly to the Lord. If we do that then we can be a reflection of His Grace and of His Provision through the transition...
I am thinking about Shelley moving to Minnesota... how hard it has been but how wonderful it is to be in the center of God's Will. What a beautiful sight...

another Brooke Fraser song...

Home...

I woke up the other night/morning at 1 am and on my nightstand was an old tattered book that I had bought at a second hand store, Heaven by D.L. Moody. I have been reading it now for two nights and am nearly done with it. Wow what a great book it is! I recommend it to anyone, if you can find it that is. Also another book that has been a mainstay in my life, Hind's Feet On High Places by Hannah Hurnard. This book changed my life, I still equate certain trials and situations in my life to Much Afraid's adventures while pursuing the Good Shephard. What a wonderful lovely book. Today is the first day of October and we have been in Provo for a year now. That is something I never thought would come out of my mouth, uh fingertips. When we moved down here from Louisville it was so difficult on Jessi and on me. I missed my home that I had spent the last 5 years in, the same one we brought Jack home from the hospital to, the school that Jessi spent her entire elementary education in, the place where we have grown our business from one small wedding into what I never thought it would be, and where we had made home. I still miss it and long for it, some days are better than others, but I know that this is the plan that God intended from the very beginning. I keep diaries, very blood and guts diaries, I don't hold anything back. Upon reading some entries recently from when we first moved back about how I was just going to give it up and stop worrying and stop crying and give it to Jesus. I made a promise to let Him have His way, even though I knew He would with or without my consent, it's just that it would be a less painful ordeal for me and , as I have learned the hard way, it would not drag out as it would if I were to fight Him. So here we are a year later after the Lord has changed my heart in many areas and in some cases, turned me on my head. I am still surrendering to Jesus my Will and the fact that it does not matter where i am in this world, I will never be content with anything less than where He is. He has placed Eternity in my heart and that is my real home. Thanks D.L. Moody for reminding me of that, I needed it.

It's been three weeks...

since my healing Sunday... and a lot has changed, thanks be to God. I am so thankful for what the Lord has done I can't even begin to put it into words. I am back to work, I have gained two pounds, I feel healthier, I look healthier, and I don't take things for granted like I used to. Plus, my speech is better, if you get my drift. The Lord really came in and turned this old girl's heart around, I still have a long way to go, don't we all, but I feel closer than I have ever felt. Thank you Jesus!

a little rambling this morning...

You ever notice how we hate to wait? Waiting is so intense, it requires so much of ourselves on every level. I spoke with a friend last night who is waiting on the Lord, there are people pulling to the left and pulling to the right but she is standing firm and she is waiting. When someone comes to me and asks me what i think they should do in a particular situation I always say it is better to wait upon the Lord than to make a rush to judgment and get out of His Will. I have been out of His Will and I have to say that was the darkest time in my life. I scratched and clawed trying to get back to Him after what was one of the more foolish decisions I ever made, but I've learned a great lesson. He taught me through my stubbornness behavior and intent on having my way that it is better in HIS way and timing and now in my older and wiser age, I am much more cautious about obeying and staying within the borders that He has set for me.
The truth is that I have not been the same since that Saturday home from the hospital. Nothing has been the same as it was and I think it took that for the Lord to get through to me. Now I am even more determined to stay with Him. You know those "kiddie leashes" that parents have, you see them sometimes in the Mall, the child is wandering about and from their wrist is a string or leash. When the child gets too far away the parent just tugs on it and the child knows he or she has gone too far. I pray that sometimes the Lord will put me on a spiritual kiddie leash and tug at me when I get too far away from where He wants me to be. Lord I know that You will never leave me nor will You forsake me, You sent Your Son to die in my place... but the fear I have is that I will wander off and I pray that You will not let me leave You and never allow me to forsake You. This is my greatest prayer... "I will seek You in the morning and I will learn to walk in Your Way and step by step You'll lead me and I will follow You all of my days".