Family Christmas, 2009

It's early morning and as I sit here writing this it occurs to me how another Christmas has come and gone. We're at my mom-in-law's for the week and have been enjoying spending time with her and other family members. We had a great Christmas! Craig's cousin Paul, wife Aida and their two kids, Christopher and Kasandra, who are on break from college joined us for Christmas dinner. We exchanged gifts and had a wonderful time of fellowship and laughter. Paul offered up a beautiful prayer of Thanksgiving to the Lord for all His many blessings to us during this year and gratitude for His wonderful grace in each of our lives on a daily basis.

I am so humbled by all the lovely gifts that were given to me this Christmas. I'm amazed at how God shows His great love toward us through the many blessings of friends. Two gifts especially touched me this Christmas; a pair of beautiful, delicate pearl earrings given to me by my dearest friend Lis and a lovely pearl bracelet from my good friend Alice! Pearls happen to be my birthstone which I'm sure is why they chose them. It was as though Lis and Alice had gotten together and decided to get me pearl earrings with matching bracelet! Of course, that isn't true as one friend lives in Missouri and the other here in California and they don't even know each other, but certainly the Lord worked it out in His loving and divine way. :) When I think about the love God showed me through these gifts and others I received, I can't help getting tears in my eyes. Doesn't the Bible tell us that our Heavenly Father loves to give us good things? (James 1:17).

We spent yesterday afternoon at Paul & Aida's house, meeting an uncle of his on his father's side; Bob and his wife, Sue along with Bob's step-mother, JoAnne who is 90 years old! She was so sweet, so bright and told me how good she feels. After being introduced, I really didn't get a chance to talk to her again as she and my mother-in-law were looking at Dorothy's (my MIL) yearbook. Dorothy graduated in 1940 and JoAnne in 1937. Both had graduated from the same high school and discovered they had a couple of mutual friends in common. Paul's sister Laura was there, too. Craig and I hadn't seen her in several years and she looked great! The above photo of us is ~ (Front row, L to R: Me, JoAnne, Dorothy. Second row, L to R: Craig, Sue, Paul, Laura (Craig's cousin and Paul's sister), Bob, Aida. Last row: Christopher).

This morning we got up at 4:45 am and hit the road for L.A.! We've never left at such an early hour, but getting a head start proved to be worth getting up in what seemed like the middle of the night ~ we were back in L.A. by 11:00 am and beat the heavy holiday traffic. It's been a relaxing day and tomorrow it'll be back to the usual routine. But how good it is to spend time with family and to get caught up on each others' lives, talk about the "good old days" and make plans for the future. Merry Christmas and the best New Year of all!

Titus 2 Women

I have been thinking about the women in my family who’ve had such a great influence on me in my spiritual development and walk with the Lord. I’m sure we all have those special women of God in our lives, whether a relative or maybe an older woman we’ve known who has helped shape us spiritually. My mother comes to mind most of all. After all these years, I’m still learning new things about her! I didn’t find out until a couple of years ago that when I was about 3 years old (picture above is of Mom and me, circa 1954) she, my dad, my grandmother and Aunt Cliffie (with me tagging along, of course!) would go to the jail in Fayetteville, AR on Sunday afternoons and Mom would hold a service for the incarcerated men. She would begin with praise and worship, then bring a short message of some kind that would always include hope and the love of Jesus for each one. Mom was greatly influenced by the Bible college she attended in Cincinnati, OH. It was a wonderful school who, in the last century, hosted the great Oswald Chambers as a special guest lecturer for a short time. One of the things Mom and her friends did on a regular basis was hold street meetings. They were led by a preacher from the school named Bro. Jeffers, who my mom and her friend Martha (my godmother) still admire and speak of to this day.

My grandmother was another wonderful lady who was a living example of Jesus to me. She daily exhibited the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit living in her. She grew up in the mountains of Arkansas where church services were few and far between in those pioneer days, but at the age of 17 she sensed the Lord wooing her and was saved one night as she knelt by her bedside.

There have been other women in my family who have left their spiritual mark on me ~ my Aunt Joy, cousin Jewel, among others but it would take up too much time and space to write about them all. They’ve all been Titus II women to me. May God bless each one. Some are in heaven now and when I get there someday I want to have a long talk with each one to tell them how much I love and appreciate them and that I wouldn't be the woman I am today if it hadn't been for them.

My Worn, Precious Bible

The following portion of text is from my Beth Moore Esther Bible Study workbook. I immediately identified with what Patricia Raybon said about her Bible and what it means to her, how it comforts her and its preciousness to her. I've never heard it expressed so exquisitely! I have done all those things she mentions with my own precious Bible ~ in my case, it is worn, been pasted together twice (maybe three times) and loved beyond measure. I have several Bibles, but my NKJV Spirit Filled Life Bible is my favorite and most cherished of them all. I've written important dates in the front of it such as my day of salvation, baptism, family "Homegoings" and the day in 2003 when our beloved Pastor Scott Bauer suddenly went home to be with the Lord, the day I joined my wonderful church, and other dates I want to remember. I have special verses underlined, notes written in the margin, dates of healing and promises from God written next to scripture, etc. I'm sure you have these kind of things written in your Bible, too. Such precious memories and promises of hope. Doesn't it give you a warm and special feeling thinking of these times of communion and fellowship with Jesus and how He's seen you through everything in your life?

"Author Patricia Raybon described a time when she sought the presence of God in a hospital chapel while her husband underwent life-and-death surgery. 'I picked up a Bible. I waited for that nice rush that comes from holding a worn, loved copy of the Scriptures. Bibles like that have their own heat. They've been prayed over, cried on, sung with, stroked and gripped and loved so hard they just emote - just by being touched - that human loam and steam and hope that faith gives off.' ...Glance over at your Bible. Think what you've been through with God in those pages... Think of the hope, guidance, assurance and affection you've sought. Think how thankful you are that God wrote something you can hold to your chest, rocking back and forth, when your heart is shattered and your sight too blurred to read. Every Bible is the Word of God, but with no ears to hear it, hearts to love it, or hands to warm themselves by the fire of it, man is tragically lost to it." (BM)

The Fragility of Life

Carol Ann passed away yesterday. I didn't know her very well, in fact I'd only met her twice at the new home group Craig and I are now a part of. We had just seen her at our group traditional Thanksgiving dinner last month. She had fallen at church on Sunday, December 6th and an ambulance was called, but she refused to go to the hospital saying she was okay. Later that day she was in a car wreck and ended up in a coma and on life support. It seems she had struck her head when she fell earlier in the day and this caused her to black out while driving. We received an email last night saying she had gone home to be with the Lord. I was so sorry to hear of her passing, but as always when someone knows Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, I am happy that she's now with Him in glory. I can't help reflecting on how fragile life is. Little did we know that the last time we saw Carol Ann would be only a few short weeks ago and before the next meeting she would be with Jesus, seeing Him face to face. Thinking on that causes me to shout in my spirit, "Glory to God!" Just think of it. Finally seeing the One in person who died for us, who shed His precious blood for us. Praise His Name! I think it's always good to remember how short life is and how important it is for us to be ready to go at any time. Psalm 103:15-16 says "As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone. And its place remembers it no more." Knowing this, my prayer is that I will always be kind, generous, patient and loving toward all those I encounter.

Beginning My Blog

Hello, family and friends!

I thought it would be fun to post some weekly or monthly happenings to share with all of you. I will post anything that I think will be of interest or sometimes I may just share some random thoughts or memories that come to mind. In any case, I hope you won't be bored!