Posts Tagged God

The beauty of God’s creation

Thursday, October 6, 2011

I have been ranting and rambling for the past two weeks how much I am loving the nearing of fall. I think it is here, even though it is still a little warm. This morning on the way to school, the kids and I were marveling at the different shades of yellow, orange and red starting to appear.

Justin made the comment, “We’ve never seen it like this before.” He was right, my little people have not experienced the beauty of the autumn season before. Justin was barely 5 years old when we moved to Las Vegas, Seth was only 2, and Cooper was just a mere 2 months old. Anabelle was not even on the radar.

All they really know is Las Vegas and palm trees don’t exactly turn orange and lose their pawns. And all the evergreens, well, they just stay green. There weren’t enough trees that actually turn great colors for them to have taken notice. This is a special fall for us.

Everyday as we drive to and from home, we get to enjoy some breathtaking scenery. God’s creation at it’s finest. I feel like He has let me in on some kind of wonderful secret when I am looking at it. I am in awe that God could not only create this earth, but create such stunning scenery for us to bask in. 

Here is a wonderful secret for you; He created you with the same breathtaking, painstaking beauty that He did our surroundings.  Talk about something to marvel at. His Word tells us this is fact.

 

This is a road by our house. This view makes me wish I was a photographer. I am going back in about 2 weeks to snap another shot. It will be amazing with vibrant colors.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Psalm 139:14

 

We are blessed to see the trees and the lake every day, multiple times. It is so serene and relaxing.

 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skis proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

 

This is my view to the right as we climb the hill to our home. I have to be careful not to stare too long, as driving into the lake would be frowned upon by all those in the car.

Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jeremiah 32:17

 

 

This looks like the perfect setting for family pictures to be taken. And a good place to build my log cabin. Think it is okay to just build in the middle of a road?

 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Monday’s with Mom ~ Candy Krausman

Monday, September 26, 2011

Do you know that woman in your life that you say, “I want to be her when I grow up” no matter how old you currently are? Candy Krausman is one of those rare women in my life that is both a role model and a friend. Technically, Candy is old enough to be my mother, but I forget that fact 98% of the time, because she is so “young.” She has more energy than any three people I know and I feel more vibrant just being around her.

I am giddy that Candy allowed me to honor her today, because she prefers to be the one recognizing and honoring mothers. Candy has spent the last 10-plus years honoring mothers in Clark County and the state of Nevada. She is instrumental in holding a banquet each Mother’s Day weekend to give recognition to mothers in her community. Several years ago, she teamed up with American Mothers, Inc. Nevada Association to reach out to and honor even more mothers.

Meet Candy. Beautiful inside and out.

Candy lives in Las Vegas, NV with her husband Gary. They have raised two children, Megan who is 36, and Bryce, age 33, and now enjoy being grandparents to two beautiful grandbabies. In addition to being wife, mother and grandmother, Candy is a vital volunteer to her community and a savvy business woman. Simply put, she is amazing in all she does.

 
When Candy was raising her children, she worked one day a week in a medical doctor’s office. After her children were grown, she worked for over 10 years for a non-profit children’s foundation. Throughout that decade, she taught teen pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted disease awareness and fetal alcohol syndrome prevention to more than 30,000 teenagers. She spent 7 years running her own business selling skin care and wellness products, in addition to being a Certified Reflexologist and helping others live healthy and pain-free.
 

Candy (middle) was honored last week for over 25 years of service to the Boy Scouts of America at the Scout Service Center in Las Vegas, NV.

 
Even after the many years of giving of herself, Candy is still going strong serving those around her. In true Candy-fashion, she has taken on a new venture and is having a blast with it. She is a Demarle at Home representative where she holds cooking and baking classes 4 to 5 times each month. The only thing I see surpassing Candy’s energy is her wisdom. Here is what she shared with me.
 
What do you wish someone had told you before you had children?  First, my mother died when I was just 19. She had had four children age 6 and under at one time. What she must have known! I wish someone would have told me that the bigger the child the bigger the problems.
 
What drives you crazy? When a child should see that something needs to be done and they ignore doing it; or not doing a job with excellence. I am big on excellence vs. perfection.
 
What are you most passionate about concerning being a mother?  When my children were young, I was passionate that my children became individually responsible for their lives and decisions.  I tried to teach them that God set the rules and I was under covenant to Him to teach them proper behavior and adherence to His laws.  Cecil de Mille, the Director of the 1956 movie The Ten Commandments, said, “You cannot break the Ten Commandments, you can only break yourself by not following them.” 

How do you feel about your role as a mother?  It has been the learning experience of my life.  It is easy to be patient when everyone is doing the right things or I can close the door on the neighbor child’s behavior. It is quite another adventure when I have to dig deeply because it is my child in my home pushing my buttons and my patience is evaporating fast!

What is the one thing you would tell a new mother?  Try as hard as you can to live in the present.  Stages pass and the day often comes you will long for some of those times again you wanted to “get past.”  Never be afraid to discipline a child because there are things they must learn in life.  It is better they learn from people who love them than the world or a boss who really doesn’t care about them. 

A fabulous, fun mom and grandma!
 
I am thankful that God divinely intertwined mine and Candy’s paths 7 years ago. She inspires me to continue to grow and learn as a woman and a mother, she motivates me to lean heavily on my faith in God and serve those around me, and she reminds me that my first mission field is my family.
 
It is rare that we are privileged to learn so much from a person, not by the words they say, but the manner in which they have lived their life. It is an example I am grateful to have.
 
Thank you, Candy, for sharing a glimpse of your insight with us and for living your life in a way that encourages everyone around you. What an exceptional treasure you are. Or to put in your own words, “You are too divine.”
 
 

 

Monday’s with Mom

Monday, September 5, 2011

Happy Labor Day! Today is the start of something I wanted to incorporate into my blog each week - a highlight of an amazing Mother. Believe me, there are many out there to choose from, and I know I will never run out of subjects. My wish is that each Monday, you can grab a cup of coffee and rest for 2 or 3 minutes while you meet a new Mother much like yourself each week.

I had a couple of ladies in mind to kick this off, one being the Mother that made me conceive this idea in the first place. But as life does what it does so well – happen – I didn’t get the information exchange in time. Sickness overtook our household, conquering now 4 of the 6 of us, and I found myself out of commission longer than I have been in years.

During my sickness, a significant date came and passed for me. August 31, 2011. It is the 4 year anniversary of my Grandma’s passing. I had planned to blog a tribute to her that day, but I was too sick to get out of bed. As I said before, recovery has been slow and I was upset that I was unable to pull together the information on the Mom for this week. Now I think it may have worked out the way it was supposed too.

I can’t think of a more appropriate way to kick off Monday’s with Mom than to highlight my Grandma.

This is my Grandma, May Belle. She was a nurse for several years. Then quit to focus on her family and home.

I love this picture of her, I think she looks so pretty. She was very proud of her accomplishment of becoming a nurse, and she looks happy in this picture. She had two daughters follow in her footsteps and become nurses, also. She always said that my mom was the best nurse she ever worked with. They went through LPN nursing school together, and Grandma loved working with her daughter.

 Even after Grandma quit nursing, she still cared for people, especially the elderly. Because I lived with Grandma off and on, mostly on, until I was 19 years of age, I went along on these visits. Grandma was in her 60′s and 70′s, and she would say we were going to check on an old lady down the street. We’d go to see Mrs. Hunt, Mrs. Sumpter, Mrs. Webb and countless other names I have long-since forgotten. We took plates of food, pies or cakes and spent time visiting and asking questions about them. They were painfully boring visits for me at the time, but I am so thankful that she dragged me along. Grandma lived her faith. It is a legacy I am thankful to have.
 

This is Grandma in her 60's. We were still playing one on one basketball until she was about 73. She was an All-County Guard in high school, in the late 1930's.

 I was 11 years old and living with my grandparents, when my Grandpa suddenly died. They had been married for 41 years when he passed at the age of 58. I asked Grandma what she thought when she saw Grandpa for the first time. She said, “I thought he was cute. And a smart-aleck.” She always had a twinkle in her eye when she talked about their early years.

Then she said, “I thought, ‘I’ll show you. I’ll just marry you!’” And she did.  I made her tell me the story of their elopement hundreds of times. I am sure they had their fights, because all couples do, but their marriage was strong and they treated each other with love and respect. While I lived with them, I watched both of them do little, nice things for the other. They were small acts of kindness, but they were big. I was young, but I remember that part well. I’m thankful I do. It has made my own marriage better.

Grandma worked very hard on her home and land. And she taught me to work beside her. But she always took time to play with me. She even taught me how to play poker and we used matchsticks to bet with. When I was in high school, we would get hedge apples from the bush across the street of our dead-end lane. We would line up the hedge apples like bowling pins and roll another at them. It was our own country-style bowling alley. That memory is as vivid to me as if it happened yesterday, instead of almost 30 years ago. She was never short on energy or creativity when she spent time with me. It makes me want to be better at both with my children.

Grandma loved my children. We were over 1,000 miles away by the time my only girl was added to my brood of boys. John and I didn’t have a name chosen for a girl when she came into the world, we were expecting more blue. When the doctor held up our little pink daughter, we both were speechless. We had to come up with a name, quick. I knew instantly that I had to name her after Grandma. So from May Belle, we had ourselves an Anabelle. Grandma cried when she was told. I can’t think of a better gift I could have given her to show her how much I loved and appreciated her.

Anabelle was 4 months old before we could make it back home to share her. This is the first time Grandma was able to hold her name-sake.

 One of Grandma’s favorite hobbies was crotcheting and quilting. She started me a hope chest when I was just 5 years old. And over the years she added towels and cloths trimmed in crotcheted lace, hand-sewn quilts, and pillow cases beautifully embroideried. In addition to the treasures of these items, she crotcheted baby booties, hats and jackets for my own children someday.

This picture was from Anabelle's baby dedication. She had a sweet white sundress, that went perfectly with the jacket, hat and booties her Great-Grandma had lovingly made for her decades before.

 Anabelle’s baby dedication was a very special day. We had 4 generations of women together for the first time, Anabelle, me, my Mom, and Grandma. It meant a great deal to all of us.

There are many pictures of us together through the years. Usually, I am sitting on her lap, even as an adult. We had a lot of fun together. I do love this picture, even though I am not sitting on her.

I hated living so many miles from her, and treasured the times I did get to see her. We talked almost every day on the phone, usually while I cleaned the breakfast dishes. Sometimes we only talked for 5 minutes, sometimes for over an hour. She was the best listener that I have ever had in my life. She began getting old after 85 years of age, and her health began to decline over the next couple of years. The Lord was so generous in allowing Grandma to celebrate Anabelle’s first birthday with us.

This was our last picture taken together. I know she didn't feel well physically, but I also know she loved celebrating Anabelle's first year of life.

 Just 5 short weeks later, at the age of 88, Grandma slipped quietly into the arms of her Savior. It has been 4 years now and there has not been a moment that has gone by that I have not missed her beyond description. I miss hearing her call me “Doll” and I miss at the end of every conversation, exchanging the words with her, “I love you the mostest.” I could gush on for infinite hours about all she did for me, how she didn’t miss a single basketball game my senior year or the long walks we ventured on. The stories would be endless.

I am humbled that the Lord has allowed Anabelle to possess Grandma’s spunk, strength, humor, sass and generous love. I cherish that. I am so grateful to God that He allowed Grandma to see all 4 of my children and to have her as long as I did. Everyday I still need her advice and encouragement, but I am committed to carrying on her legacy and teaching my children the values I learned from her. I can only hope my legacy is half as strong as hers.

Sunday Sermon

Sunday, September 4, 2011

 Grace Church in Overland Park, KS. Pastor Tim Howey.

The last in the Rebuilding Series, this sermon title is Rebuilding the Awe. These are my notes.

By faith, I can have a brand new perspective of God.

Isaiah 6:1-9

Isaiah is the first of the 17 prophets, of the last books in the Old Testament. Isaiah had a ministry of 60-plus years, so he had a long ministry. He began his ministry while King Uzziah ruled. As King Uzziah grew successful he became arrogant and stopped following God.

This can be a lesson for everyone. When God grants me success, I cannot begin to think I did it on my own, become arrogant and believe I can be successful without God.

The year that Uzziah died, Isaiah was given a vision of God. That is what Isaiah chapter 6 is about. Isaiah received this  vision of God, was cleansed and given a new commission. Isaiah gained a new perspective of God. I love the description Isaiah gives us of God, the glimpse of heaven and our future.

(It is too great not to type part of it for you to read here.)

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” (vs 1 – 3)

When is the last time you had a true sense of how high and lifted up God is? God wants to rebuild that awe, that respect with you, like He did with Isaiah. The foremost characteristic of God revealed to Isaiah was God’s holiness (“Holy, holy, holy.”) Holy means to be set apart, to be pure, clean. This signifies God’s purity of character and separation from sin.

Verse 5 says, “So I said: Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.” A true picture of God changes your view of yourself. Pride is gone and humility reigns. When is the last time you had a profound encounter with God that you experienced true joy and brokenness all at the same time?

If you see who God really is, you will see who you really are. (Referenced Psalm 113:5-6; Exodus 3:5-6; Hebrews 12:26-28; and Ephesians 2:1-12) Over time, life can deaden my sense of Who God truly is. God humbles us to reconcile us to Him.

If you see what God really did, you will do what God really wants. (Referenced Esphesians 2:4-13 and Luke 6:46) When you admit your sin to God in a specific area, God will heal you in that very area. In verse 5, Isaiah said he was a “man of unclean lips” and in verse 7, his lips were touched and his “inquity was taken away.” However, many times we will continue to feel guilt over sin that God has already forgave us for.

Verse 8 says, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” God called Isaiah to serve and immediately his answer was yes. Isaiah had no idea where he was going, what he would have to do, how much it would cost him, what he would endure physically…no details. But yet, his answer was “Yes! Send me!”

Do you have that type of surrender to God? Will you answer His call without details? Follow God today, to whatever He would ask you to do. Surrender to Him.

I ended my notes from the Pastor’s sermon by writing at his prompting the following: Lord, here I am sitting before You. Send me. Send me on whatever mission You have. Lead me. Guide me. It’s time for me now.

I am praying over those words of surrender and commitment, that I can mean them whole-heartedly. As well as have a fresh vision of God’s awesome holiness. His majesty. I will continue studying over Isaiah, as well to help me have that new perspective.

You can listen to the sermon for yourself at: http://www.visitgracechurch.com/mediacenter/index.php and scroll to the bottom under Rebuild. (Until I get that super-techie friend I mentioned last week, I won’t be able to download the media directly in my blog!)

Divine appointments

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Isn’t it exciting and humbling to experience God’s divine appointments? Some people like to call them coincidences. I believe it is simply God’s divine hand lining up blessings.

We have found a new church-home now and are ready to plug in, make friends and be involved. Joining a women’s Bible study is my first step in that. This morning was the first of the Bible study sessions and I was anxious to get started, but a little nervous because I didn’t know anyone.

I had already told myself I was not going to stop and get Starbucks on the way and even brought a bottle of water from home. About 5 minutes from the church I passed a Starbucks on my left. For some reason, I pulled a u-turn, drove back, and pulled in the parking lot to go inside. I got in line behind this beautiful mother with 2 precious little girls. I began talking to her 4 year old, Annie.

As we continued to chat while waiting for our coffee’s, the mother said to her daughter, “We need to go so we aren’t late for Bible study.” I asked where she was headed and it was my new church. Of course it was! We were excited at our discovery and she told me to follow her to the church so she could show me where to go. What a blessing.

Although she is taking a different study than I am, her class is right across the hall from mine. She walked me in and introduced me before going to her class. How sweet she is! I sat down at the only open seat, only to find myself, at yet, another divine appointment.

The person to my left grew up in Oklahoma, only 10 minutes away from where we used to live. The person to my right was in need of some help in an area that I have 12 years of experience in. And she just happens to have about 12 years of experience in a field that I am needing help in. The Lord truly leaves me speechless sometimes.

I am humbled beyond words when He answers a prayer I didn’t even utter. He divinely opens doors, places new friends in my path to bless me and that I can bless in return. Jesus knows I have not been able to meet people or make new friends since moving here. I knew Bible study would give me that opportunity, but He helped me to make a friend before I even arrived at Bible study.

Sometimes I think He uses appointments such as today just to remind me that He is God, The One True God, and He really does have it all under control. It makes me feel silly that I ever fretted about anything when I see how seamlessly He works everything out for His glory. I stand in awe of Him.

I know I am not the only one that God lines up divine appointments for. He does it for you, too. You are just as precious to Him as anyone else is. It can be easy to fall into the trap of deception that God only blesses other people, not you. Especially if there is a particular need or concern you have had for a while. Today was a reminder for me that He is big enough to handle even the smallest details of our lives. And I want to remind you the same.

Be ready, expecting your divine appointments because they are coming. When they do, I want to hear about them. And we can knuckle bump and praise the Lord for His wondrous works together.

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this.” Psalm 37:4-5

A large helping of Peace with a side of Joy

Monday, August 1, 2011

My oldest little pumpkin just recently went to spend a week with Grandma and Papa. This was the first time he went without at least one of his siblings. He was really excited to be the sole-attention-grabber for a whole week. I called him half-way through his visit and asked him if he wanted me to come get him early.

His response was, “Mom, I am in paradise. Just let me enjoy it for a few more days.”

He experienced another first this week as well. Golden Corral. I don’t remember the last time I set foot in a Golden Corral, but I know it was many years before he was born. Apparently, this place is a young boy’s dream come true.

 ”Mom, you would not believe it!” He gushed to me. “We went to this place called Golden Coral.” Yes, he pronounced it as coral instead of corral.

“They had these separate concession stands set up where you just walk up and get food for free. And they had all kinds of different foods. And you can get all you want.” Deep breath so he could continue to gush words as fast as possible.

“And they even had shrimp. Oh my goodness, Mom, it was like the best shrimp you have ever had.” Obviously his palate has not developed yet. “And you can eat all you want of it. And they had desserts too. They were really great concession stands.”

Yes, it is apparent to me too, that we need to expose our children to more….things….buffets…variety. But taking them to Golden Corral would mean we would have to eat it also. That is a problem to solve for another day. But his Dad and I did rather enjoy his story.

This morning during my Bible study though, I thought of his story. I pictured him having all these choices in front of him. And picking and choosing what he would take. Sometimes carefully choosing, other times not picking something because he didn’t know it was even there or he didn’t know that it really did taste good, and was good for him.

I am studying the peace of Christ. He is the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 calls Christ the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. I read in four different verses in the Gospels where Jesus said, “Peace be with you.”

One of my biggest problems/sins/setbacks/difficulties/hindrances is that I am a worrier. I worry. Too much. A lot. Matthew 6:25 says, in red I might add, to “not worry about your life.” And verse 27 goes on to say, still in red,”Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

In fact, worrying can take hours from your life. It is a proven cause of many disesases, because worry is stress. But what it does for me is steals from my quality of life; worrying steals my joy. I am at a table of all God has promised to His children – and I am His daughter – and I am not accepting what He is offering me. I am treating it like a buffet line, picking and choosing. That is not what He intended.

I do not have to worry, because He is the Prince of Peace. I should be casting my cares on Him every day, every hour. (1 Peter 5:7 and Psalm 55:22). And how I am learning to do this is by meditating on the scripture in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that says “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” When I am not practicing taking every thought captive to Christ, I worry. And I am not obeying Christ.

In Matthew 6 Jesus goes on to say in verses 33 and 34, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

The devil will pitch a tent my mind when I am not taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ. The devil sets up camp and I sin with constant worry. I am definitely a work in progress. But when I feel myself weaken in my resolve to capture the worry and cast it on Christ, I remember one of my mottos: Don’t allow anything in your life you don’t want reproduced in your children’s lives.

I guess today’s lesson was written by me and for me. But I wish you worry-free days, Girlfriend, filled with peace and joy.