Snowy Thoughts

Today was the second day of snow here at our house. We live on the shady side of the street and the snow tends to remain on our property longer than our neighbors. Popa and I shoveled the driveway three times yesterday and twice today, not to mention having to keep the snow off the swimming pool dome. The good news is that I got to enjoy the hot tub twice during the past couple of days of snow, once with Popa and once with the grandsons who live up the street. I am always reminded of the fact that tho our sins be as scarlet the blood of Jesus washes them white as snow. It the knowledge that God the Father sees our lives as spotless as snow when HE beholds us through the cross of his beloved son, Jesus Christ. I am once again compelled by HIS love to choose the pathway of righteousness. HIS love is everlasting, it never comes to an end; HIS love is unchangeable, not based on my behavior but rather on HIS own nature. I am baffled by HIS unstoppable love and yet so comforted by the meaning it adds to my life. I pray that no matter what the weather is outside that you will know for certain the love of an all gracious Heavenly Father on the inside. NONA

Lots of Random Thoughts

Hello you faithful blog readers. I imagine some of you as your read my thoughts and wonder if they touch your heart like they do mine.
1st thought today has to do with being uneasy or not at rest...I believe this happens when our God given directive is stifled. I can only use myself for an example...someone said to me on Wednesday when isn't my life busy? This comment provoked some thoughts within me...I am always busy, hopefully, serving others as that is what God has gifted me to do. I love to serve others, I am not even particular about who it is as long as I can serve them for the sake of the Kingdom. I learned in 2006 as I was caring for my three grandchildren for several weeks in a row that it was much easier if I served them as unto the Lord....in fact it became a joy to Popa and I. That does not mean we did not get tired...it means there became something eternal in the giving of ourselves in the time of need. We are to love our brothers (and sisters) as ourselves. I do not know about you but there is very little I truly deny myself. We live in a very selfish culture and the environment of self-importance has leaked over into our living out what it means to be followers of Christ. A note to young parents...your children are the only thing you can take with you into etenity...please invest in them wisely in the few short years they fall under you parental authority. Do not let your children define you... it is your job to define for them a Godly perspective of themselves. To teach them to love, to serve Christ and others, and to honor the very life God gave them.
2nd thought as to do with our getting weary in well doing...we often find ourselves in a struggle because we assume "this" is all there is. We are at the end of the story. God help us all to stay tune for "the rest of the story".
Our perspective can define us if we let it. God, however, is not done with us. HE has a hope and a future for us. Jeremiah 29:11. It is for good and not evil, HE is at work in us completing HIS good pleasure. HIS work in us is progressive, some trust or hope in horses, some trust or hope in chariots, but I trust or hope in the Name of the Lord. Psalms 20:7. Lately, God has been correcting my perspective, HE is not done with me, there is more to the story HE has designed for my life. I do not know how HE will accomplish HIS design for my life, but I pray I stay tuned in until HE performs all of HIS promises over my life. HIS word and HIS name are trustworty. I am encourgaed in the Lord today and I pray you will be too...God has something better for us than we are currently experiencing. I love the phrase, "always for more, never for less". There is always, always more in God for our lives.
May each one of you find yourselves re-engaging in your God given directive this week. I bless you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

Popa and I were privileged to be in the Portland area twice in three days then to have two wonderful little boys grace our home for a couple of days this week. The pure love of children is a priceless treasure to this Nona' heart. More thoughts later from this random thinker!

More Thoughts or Food for Thought

We had a very busy weekend, but a very rewarding one. Saw more people than I can name at the moment, besides I really want to share my God thoughts with you not lists of names and places. It dawned on me that the greatest need for the survival of mankind is hope. I will elaborate on that thought more as we go along in this particular blog....Back to last week and my thoughts regarding Lot. In order to leave Sodom and Gomorrah Lot had to travel through the valley of Zoar...I realized in further contemplation that in order to get to the mountain top God has designed for us we must travel through the valleys of life...the valley floor is the richest soil, because so many give up and loose their way that their decaying carcasses become the fertilizer for future life. I do not want to become fertilizer I want to be the one who benefits from the fertilizer. Ezekiel was prophesying to the dead bones of Israelites who had lost their hope in God...they gave up on their dreams to be a united people with a land of their own...they let their past...slavery, disobedience and wars define who they were. It is important that God and HIS eternal hope define who we are; not circumstances....the key is to keep moving forward in faith. Faith is best contrasted by doubt. Faith only becomes faith when it overcomes doubt. Don't despair if you have found yourself doubting the promises of God....encourage yourself in the Lord and ask for an abundance of faith to overcome the obvious and reach for the miraculous. I believe Popa is still alive today because his faith rises above his doubt when the physical symptoms present themselves. He encourages himself in his God, he puts his hope in the fact that God says HIS mercies are new every morning. The Bible says in Hosea 2:15 I...will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. It was Achan sin that led to his stoning and the valley was named the valley of Achor or the valley of trouble. There is trouble on everyhand. The scripture even says don't worry about tomorrow, today has enough troubles of its own. The very thing that could destroy you can be turned by Almighty God in a door of hope. There is no one like our God. Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; HIS faithfulness continues through all generations. As parents and spiritual leaders we embrace the goodness of God and his everlasting love, we proclaim to those following us that the faithfulness of God will never end. There is hope in our God. I read Psalm 25 today and was blessed by the Psalmist cry that God remember him and vendicate his plight. No matter where you are today, cry out to God and ask HIM to be your hope and your strength; to give you HIS peace that passes all understanding. That literally means it defies the current circumstances. Psalms 107:1 Give thanks to the Lord,for HE is good, HIS love endures forever. Proverbs 23:18 There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. That is a promise from God, Hope brings strength to your bones. Psalms25:4&5 Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; gude me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. My prayer is that all day long we remember the author and finisher of our faith. HE who has begun a good work in us will be faithful to complete it. Teach me Lord, how to trust in you through every moment of every day. Blessing on you all...may God encourage you with HIS love today. NONA

Focused Random Thoughts

It has been an anxiety filled week of recovery for Popa. The procedure on his eye really fractured his nerves. We are finally on the upswing and things are moving back to normal...whatever that may look like. I have spent much of this week reading and pondering 1 Corinthians 15. The Apostle Paul presents a very convincing argument for the resurrection of Christ. It is the pivot of our faith as Christians. I was extremely aware of verse 19 when it says that if all we hope in is found in this life then we are most miserable. There is an eternity with God that awaits us on the other side of death. I heard someone say again today none of us are leaving this earth alive. Of course, to that I add unless we are still here at the final trumpet call. The truth is we begin moving toward death from the first breath we take. After church on Wednesday evening my friend, Sharon, and I ran into some mutual friends...once again I believe it was a divine appointment and I really enjoyed being out and about till after midnight. Only you night owls would understand the thrill of a late night. It was busy week for us, as we visited with our eldest daughter and her children in Silverton for one evening and then met our friend from China for lunch in Salem, hurried home to meet for a couple of hours with some old friends from Roseburg. Then today, Popa convinced me to attend a Bar Mitzvah of an old friend's son. It proved to be very moving and extremely meaningful for our friend that we were there. It is so good to see the personal growth that takes place in those we know. Tomorrow is Sunday and we will be in Portland with more dear friends to worship and share a meal. We will spend the night with my mother and head home on Monday to begin yet another week. Knowing that God holds all of our tomorrows is comforting. We like the Psalmist say...Only God knows my comings and my goings...HE has designed the course for our lives. May each of you experience his great peace and direction in your lives this next week. P.S. it would be comforting to read again for yourselves 1 Corinthians 15. Much love to you all. Nona

More random thoughts from Nona!

Popa had an outpatient surgical procedure done on his right eye this week. The retinal specialist deposited a steroid via needle into Popa's eye to try to stop the bleeding and swelling. It was a very anxiety producing experience for Popa. We arrived home with an instruction sheet that dictated eye drops every hour on the hour and the head of our bed raised for 2 days. Not much sleep happening the first couple of days, but we are improving in that area now. We are very hopeful that it is the doctor's skill that God will use to bring a ready solution to this health dilema. Craig's sister has been put on a kidney waiting list as she is in kidney failure. It seems like a continual battle to keep these two physically well. I pray God intervenes in 2008. This blog will be rather lengthy as I try to articulate my thoughts regarding God for the past several days. I have had thoughts that have raced throughout scripture so brace yourself; here goes.....
1. Unity is not one mind - it is one heart for the things of God. Romans 15:5
2.You can be obedient to God and be going through hell - look at the disciples, Jesus told them to go to the other side of the lake - they were obedient to get in the boat and found themselves in a fierce storm. Of course, they encountered the divine walking upon the water. May we all encounter the divine in the storms of life.
3. Genesis 19:16 it is the story of Lot procrastinating against what God had told him to do. verses 23-26 says that Lot's wife looked back from behind him and was turned into a pillar of salt. verse 30 God says to Lot to go through the plain (the valley) to the mountain top. We aren't meant to live in the plain/valley. David said in Ps. 23 tho I walk through the valley...Ps 121
I look to the hills from whence cometh my help. God designed us to live on the mountaintop, the valleys are for passing through. Take heart, there is help in the storms...Jesus comes walking on the water -there is a way of escape! Look up, look ahead, keep moving don't camp out in adversity. The mercies of the Lord are new every morning. If we are continually stuck in the past we are likely to miss our future. We wait patiently on God to move us to the next mountaintop of our lives. Thank you God for 2008, it is 365 new beginnings.
4. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. John 10:27 says "my sheep know my voice" Because of the wording "know my voice" we associate this with hearing, but I am more and more aware that it is a spirit to spirit connection - a sense of knowing HIS will and connecting with it...I pray, Lord, I want to be beautiful in your sight, soften my heart, strengthen my faith and fill me daily with a great measure of your spirit....may the purpose of my life be to please you.
5. I know you are tired, but just a couple of more thoughts, ok maybe a couple of long thoughts.....Being one of Jesus' sheep is followed in Scriptrue by the fact that HE knows us (John 28); so often we put the emphasis on knowing HIM, but it is all encompassed in the fact that HE KNOWS US - the knowing from a female mind has a lot to do with conversation...so we engage in talking to God about ourselves (as if we could enlighten HIM on anything) HE already knows our lying down, our rising up; the intents of our hearts...what if it is simply about us listening to HIM as HE makes Himself known to us?
6. Job 13:15 "though HE slay me, yet will I hope in HIM" Hope is the paste that sticks the fabric of our lives to God. Never to be torn away. Isaiah 46:10-11 says "MY purpose will be established, and I will accomplish my good pleasure. I will bring it to pass, I have planned it, surely I will do it. God's good pleasure being brought to pass is dependent upon HIM....HE declares "I will do it" This bring great comfort to my life...it is about HIM using anything and everything to bring me to HIMSELF in greater revelation. I am truly being conformed to his image. Last thought I promise
7. Ps 4:6 "who can show us any good? Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. Phillipians 4:8 Finally brothers, whatsoever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about these things." As Kingdom people, we must quit being enticed by the dark shadows and be totally enraptured by the lgiht of God, HIS character, HIS nature, HIS love and finally HIS enternal victory....please help me advertise that we are more than conquerers in Christ. Thanks for reading and listening with your spirit. NONA

Nona's Thoughts about Popa's Birthday

My original blog regarding Popa's Birthday somehow did not get published or saved as a draft. So, I quess it was not to be! Popa's birthday ushered in his 57th year on this earth and our hopes for a blessed new year in health and spirit. We celebrated with friends from Portland, our youngest daughter and her family and one of our cohorts on our trip to China. Daugher #1 was here in the a.m. and her family helped Popa say goodnight to 56 on Wednesday. It was a great day and Popa got some really cool gifts some of which he will purchase for himself tomorrow. Look out, he is getting the surround system he has wanted for a very long time. Wednesday of this week he will have a minor eye surgery to try to stop the retinal bleed he has had for the past several months. God knows and we rest in HIM, the author and finisher of our faith. We are excited as we move forward in Christ; knowing HE will provide for all of our needs and that we are an extension of HIS life in us. Middle daughter is in Charlotte for an interview and then onto Louisville, Kentucky for another interview and then to New Orleans for 2 more interviews.....we are praying for God's perfect placement for her as her residency begans in the fall. God is always faithful and we are excited about HIS hope being released afresh and anew in our lives. Press on in the faith and continue in the way of our Savior and Lord, His mercies never come to an end. Nona