a rescuer

It had been a few days since we'd seen her.  Not unusual for a cat though.  They are, after all, notoriously fickle creatures.  But, when there weren't even sightings at feeding time after a couple of days, we thought she had enough of mouse patrol in the basement and made a break for it.  Cats may be fickle, but they at least feign interest in humans long enough to get fed.
Then, I heard it--a faint meow coming from....the crawl space???  No, not in the crawl space.  Well, maybe I imagined it, and she did indeed run away.  This was the dominant theory until the meowing was heard again today, and Jeremy found her.....in the wall of the basement!

What a picture of every single one of us.  We are trapped.  We cannot get out on our own will, power, or efforts, and staying trapped will mean our death.

We stand in need of a rescuer.  A rescuer who came to seek and to save that which was lost.  A rescuer who came to set the captives free.

His name is Jesus.  He sets the captives free.

Amen and amen...a thousand amens!

fourteen years (!)

Not long ago, Sam asked me what being married meant.  The simplest answer I could give was it's making a promise to one person and keeping that promise for your whole life.

Here's to 14 years of keeping a promise.  14 years of life together.  ❤👫

4 year Samiversary

Today is a big day around these parts.  It's the day we celebrate FOUR years home or as it's affectionately called, "Samiversary."  So, today, we give thanks for a little boy who stole our hearts with one glance at his picture all those years ago.

He's the boy who causes every flower in the yard to shiver on their stems because he picks them all for his Mama.

He's the boy who paints the cat's tail with White-Out in an attempt to turn her into a skunk.

He's the boy who prefers the penciled-in look for beards.

He's the boy who isn't confined to Halloween when it comes to dressing up.

He's the boy who gives the cat a bath and comes away without a scratch.

He's the boy who relishes the daily opportunities to practice his sparring skills.

He's the boy who was sent Special Delivery from Heaven, by way of Korea.

He's the boy who's always good for a laugh.

And, he's the boy who's a constant source of encouragement to his imperfect parents.  

Sam, being your parents is the greatest joy of our life.  We are thankful that God gave us the best little boy on the planet to be ours and can't wait to see how He uses you!  Happy Samiversary, sweet boy!!

We're not only celebrating the homecoming of our sweet boy but also the One who's adopted us into His family through the blood of Jesus.

To God be the glory!  Great things He has done (and will do)!

darkness or light

What a year.  A year of the valley.  Oh, how easy to give into the sadness and darkness, especially now that it's time for decking the halls and fa-la-la-la-la.

There are moments when I let the darkness overwhelm me, but then there are moments when I fight back and run toward the Light, choosing joy over sadness, choosing light over darkness.

I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  Matthew 28:20

The other night, with A Charlie Brown Christmas playing on repeat and Christmas decorations strewn everywhere, I was at the crossroads.  There it lay before me:  sink into the darkness of despair OR grab joy and run toward the Light.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

 

Wavering between the two, I looked up and saw this:  

Joy it was.  Because of grace.

Glory to God in the Highest

Time, where did you go?

Pictures from Sam's first summer home......I am just not sure at what point in time this turned into 

THIS!!!!! 

A kindergartener already???

As we begin this new milestone, may this be practiced now & always: "The key is not in spending time, but in investing it." Stephen R. Covey

calling for help

{Months ago, I taught Sam his address, how to call 911, and what to do in an emergency.}

Yesterday, the neighbor's puppy found his way under our car tire, and little did we know that to Sam, this constituted an emergency.  A 911 kind of emergency.

After profusely apologizing to the deputy, reassuring Sam, and moving past the embarrassment that I felt for leaving out the "for people only"  did I hear the Holy Spirit whispering to my heart.

Sam saw an emergency and needed help.  He called the one number he knew that would send help.  There was no running around like Chicken Little.  No tears or panic.  He just went and got my phone to get help.  (I kinda wished there would have been some Chicken Little behavior, so I would have had a clue into his thoughts and prevented the call...)

When I am in a difficult situation and in need of help, I should do like Sam and calmly call on the One who can send that help.  Instead, I run around like Chicken Little making the situation worse or trying to fix things myself.  Only after failing at my own attempts do I call the One who promises the help that I need.

I like to think that I am teaching Sam all sorts of things--like what to do in an emergency.  Really though, God is using this child of mine to teach me all sorts of things.  God is using motherhood to hold a mirror up to my heart and show me more about myself and Him than I thought possible.  Thankfully, He is a gentle and patient teacher, all wise and all knowing.  He not only has hindsight but foresight that is 20/20.



Note:
The puppy looks like he will be okay after a week or so of taking it easy!

Sam now knows that 911 is for people emergencies only.

repost: 209 years of marriage

Since writing the post below 4 four years ago, only one of these precious couples are still together on this side of heaven.  Whether here on Earth or already in heaven, they remain shining examples to Jeremy and me of what "I do" really means.

209 years of marriage: an incredible feat

In a culture where marriage vows are discarded with surprising ease, we're thankful for those couples who have kept their commitments to one another, even when the storms of life surrounded them.  They are beautiful examples of what marriage should be like.  God has surrounded Jeremy and me with some of these couples, and we are so thankful He did!!

Lives of ease and comfort have not kept them together.  Actually, these couples have not had lives of ease or comfort; they have battled more than their share of storms--financial hardships, serious illnesses, job loss, economic downturns, the challenges that come with raising children, grief and loss of family members.  What keeps them together is the love and commitment they share with each other, and a rock solid faith in their Creator.

So, as we get ready to celebrate 9 years of marriage on Wednesday, we say THANK YOU to the One who created marriage and to those who live it out so well for us all!!

(My Uncle Dale and Aunt Linda eloped, so I don't have  an actual wedding picture. They were married  for 46 years until death parted them in 2007.  I know Aunt Linda is waiting in heaven for my Uncle Dale.)