I can't remember a year when it took so long for winter to leave and Spring to arrive! It was a cold winter in Alabama and, I think I can speak for all Alabamians and other Southern folk, and say I'm glad it's gone! Usually, by this time of year, Southerners are laughing down South saying, "Winter over/Summer here"! Not this year!!! Not even much Spring to talk about! Wow, this year has been different and, while it's FINALLY here, (the warmth!), I am happy as a pig in slop. (never seen a pig in slop but I hear it's a sight to behold). Thank goodness all my winter items are put away and I have on my feet the eternal FLIP FLOPS that I am hoping I will wear until November. Now, let's hope this late Spring doesn't mean more tornadoes. I've had it with weird weather. I am a SOUTHERN GIRL and I just want my heat back. Yeah, I'm hot. BAHAHAHA
Terry and I were soooooo blessed to be able to go to Israel several years ago. It was one of the MOST amazing trips in our lives! to walk where Jesus walked/to SEE the Manger/SEE the Crucifixion hill/and ,most of all, to see the GARDEN TOMB. As we approached the tomb, I took in my breath sharply as it was JUST as I had pictured. It seemed from a distance a huge white washed tomb with large White Rock to the side. In reality, and when we got in front of it, it was smaller than I thought it would be. In fact, we had to crouch down to go inside. I'll never forget walking in there. EVER . We were told to "keep walking" b/c soooooo many Christian pilgrims were there, wanting to peer inside also. there, behind the bars, that were put up we peered in and saw a white robe. Of course the robe was put there later, but the effect was staggering. I couldn't help it. I knelt right there. I couldn't move. My eyes were blinded by the sight of seeing NOTHING. Yes, NOTHING was there. And that's the best news of all. no BONES/no body....just a robe. .....When I finally got up, my knees were weak and I touched the stone with my hands as I moved out. I didn't see the other people, I was in my on zone. As I stooped to get out I heard a woman say, "there's nothing to see in there". OMG!!!! What did she want to see??????????? I had to laugh to myself. YES, WOMAN! THE TOMB IS EMPTY!!!!!!! He is RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!
The last 40 days for me have been some of great joys/disappointments/encouragement/laughter/tears/renewal/hope and happiness. ....As some know, I took a hard break from FaceBook for Lent. That was just one of several steps I took , these past 40 days to try and do some changing in my life. I am back to walking more. One reason is for my health, obviously, but even more my spiritual health. It is during those walks around the track/walking trail that I have undivided time with God. Oh yes! you're right, I know what you're thinking: SHE IS DOING ALL THE TALKING! LOL! YES! I do a LOT of chatting to God, but that is ANOTHER thing I'm TEACHING myself. To LISTEN. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! that is EXTREMELY hard for me. I distinctly remember one time running my mouth and daddy saying, "SLOW DOWN!" I laugh b/c it annoyed me but he was right. I needed to back down/SLOW DOWN. Listen more. Talk less. SOOOOO hard for one like me. Like I have had to TRAIN myself to listen more. To weigh situations. To be more HONEST. To be less critical. To be more understanding. Instead of trying to "top someone's story" with one that is bigger and better , to just listen. You know how hard it is to want to say, "yes, I've done that/been there/ate that/saw that/did that". In other words, giving people some attention by listening instead of always responding. LOL! Again, these are things I'm still working towards, not something I have achieved completely. So, I'm a "work in progress" still. And , most likely , will be for the rest of my earthly life! Strangely, I dread the 40 days being up. I really do. I have liked my quiet mornings with no interruptions of social media.Of course, I have a CHOICE whether to go back to the way things were. Will I? I have enjoyed sitting at this very desk with the window looking out over our lake and watching the sunrise and NOT being on the computer. Or if I was, doing something constructive vs mindless. I realized how much TIME I have wasted. time that I could've spent in better ways. It's scary how time slips by. Wasn't it yesterday I was getting married? having children?? Now my children's children are growing up! And I don't want to miss any more time with mindless time but spending that time writing or praying or doing whatever it is that God is leading me to. Not sure where that is yet but plans are forming in my mind. (lol). So, for those who have sent me emails/texts/called and told me they missed me on FB? and want me to come back??? WOW, that touched me so deeply. So, of course, I will return, because that is something else God has told me. Stay connected to people BUT spend LESS time on there and the time I DO spend will be limited and hopefully never critical or pointing fingers or judging others. That's not the purpose of FaceBook. It's a place to connect and show you care to others. So, that's my stand on that..... Again, thank you for caring enough about me to read my blog/read my sometimes crazy and goofy words. You are special to me but , much more importantly, you are special to God. ....(and hey FB peeps: I'll be back after Easter!)! P.S. I made this picture in a beautiful church in Assisi, Italy. I was moved to tears and I was standing there all alone and was able to just worship, right then and there. Yes, as a Protestant, I worship the risen Christ. But, unless we understand and go through the dark day of Good Friday, we can't possibly grasp the magnitude of His great love for us. It's overwhelming and hard to fathom.......YES, HE DIED FOR ME. AND YOU.
Going down memory lane today But before I do, I saw this beautiful photo I made in Italy and it reminded me of the verse in the Bible about wineskins. (YES, peeps, Jesus drank wine! HELLO!). Anyway, I knew the verse was there and I found it. And I researched it and read about wineskins. So interesting! And since I love a glass of wine made even more special those verses. Interesting that I would suddenly recall time with the Youth back when Patrick/Katie were in high school..... What an incredible Youth we had!!!!!!! One reason was because of our incredible Youth minister. He was amazing with the kids and they loved him. And he loved them. I am so thankful Patrick and Katie were youth when he took over the job of Youth Minister.{ * FYI :Now Steve is a UMC pastor, DR>STEPHEN STRANGE and is pastor of a UMC church. But, we were lucky to have him "before he got famous"} . LOL! I was lucky to have gone on several Beach trips with the youth and Steve back 12-15 years ago We had a HUGE youth group then. It was amazing times with our youth! He was so great with ALL the kids but he would let them know when he wasn't pleased with them! He would encourage them/fuss at them/laugh with them/play with them/Pray with them and for them.Mostly, he would love them. He LOVED them to Jesus! I fully believe that. And b/c the kids all loved him so much, they wanted to please him. It was a win/win situation. I would get so tickled when Steve would tell the kids on mission trip "Hey, it ain't about you!" , b/c there were many days they would complain, as teens do, about doing certain tasks/Bible Study, etc. and I would hear his booming voice, halfway across the beach , "IT AIN'T ABOUT YOU! GET OVER IT!" He would get so mad b/c the kids would do something great for the cause of Christ and then, just as teens (and adults, too!) they would sometimes drop the ball. Case in point: One summer trip the kids were playing basketball outside our motel. We were in Panama City Beach, Fla. Some other kids came up and wanted to play basketball. Kids a little "different". Our kids blew them off/actually ignored them and unfortunately for OUR kids, Steve witnessed it. OMG, he almost blew a gasket. Immediately Steve screamed for all the youth to "go upstairs!" to our meeting room where we were staying.. He told the kids, "You have been doing so great, but what I witnessed just then, ruined it all. You didn't want those other kids to play. You all sang songs this morning and prayed and yet went outside and you ignored some kids who you could've witnessed to. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??? YOU MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY!!!!!!" IT AIN'T ABOUT YOU! What are we here for???" Oh he went on and on. They cried and apologized but I can guarantee you one thing---those kids invited everyone without shouting distance to play ball and join them on the beach the rest of the week after that!!!! AND, later on in the week, during one of the big bonfires they used to have on the beach at night, our group of boys and girls sang songs till past midnight each night with so much excitement for Jesus and so many life changing moments happened. Right there on the beach. Each night we would have this huge bonfire and get in a circle and they sing their hearts out/give testimonies and/or pray with and FOR each other. And guess what? Other teens would come. Some would stare. Some would walk off. And some, well, some would slowly come and timidly walk towards the group. . And our kids, well, how proud I was of them? What did they do? They opened their circle. . They accepted those whom at first they didn't want to invite. Our kids got the message. The kids that came out of that youth group, I might add, are some of the most amazing young adults now! Several went into ministry. Almost all that I know of, are active in their own church, wherever they are. I am so proud of them. And proud that Steve kept pushing the kids to do what's right and with prayer and love for all the kids together with the Holy Spirit, those kids are making a difference, TODAY, in the world. I am forever grateful. New wineskins, you might say........ !
The verses from Mark about "new wineskins" reminds me that changing our ways of thinking , sometimes to actually hear something different is about opening up our eyes/ears and mostly HEART. The religious leaders in Jesus' time called him a "blasphemer". Back in His day, if you put new wine (which hadn't fermented) , in an old container, it would eventually ferment and break the container it's in. He was trying to illustrate with that story that He was bringing a new way of thinking. They didn't like it. Example: Some of the older folks in congregations don't like "the new way of worship". I' know it's true b/c I've heard it! LOL! Even the church I attend , lots of folks don't like the "new way" even though the church is radically different than most mainline churches. I love history and tradition . I ALSO love new praise and worship songs. Can I do both--love the old way and the new? Of course I can!!! And I try to be open on different ways to worship. And less on pointing fingers. It annoys me to no end folks who love to hit others with Bible verses to make a point on an issue or to make a verse "fit" a situation. While I'm on a roll: "Bible quoters" might annoy m e the most. Not the scripture, the person delivering the scripture! That and putting verses on FaceBook trying to make a point. Pet Peeve? Ya think? LOL...I think some of the old pointing finger folks ,that still love to judge others, need a lesson from YOUNGER kids. Like the teens on our Florida trip. The shed their old wineskins for new. And the new wine poured out....... . I'm going to end with some words that I had scribbled in the side margin of my Bible that I LOVE: "We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by SHOWING them a LIGHT that is so lovely that they want, with all their hearts, to know the source of it"--Madeleine L'Engle, Walking on Water
Well, another week to add to our lives. I was thinking: What did I do special this week???? Hmmmm, sad that I had to think about that one! LOL! So, what did I do? I had to LOOK AT MY CALENDAR! (my calendar: my whole life spread before me). Well, I didn't do anything, but my HUBS came home! He has been on a Mission Trip to Jamaica (heard that before from me, huh?) . Yep, Terry can say HE had a great week! helping those less unfortunate. ME? Not so much. Well, if you consider babysitting helping the unfortunate, ha! BUT, maybe so! While I wasn't rocking the mission world, I was being a "missionary" here at home. Keeping the "home fires burning" and helping out as I was able to. I guess making some cards to send to folks might be just under that radar, too. But, that's not enough and I know it. SOOO, how can I help others during the remainder of Lent (and forward), that would make an impact on them by using my gifts and talents???? I don't know, I'm asking you! LOL! Seriously, don't we all want to do that wonderful thing for the CAUSE OF CHRIST but don't know what so we just walk away from the idea?? I know I do! I feel I answered that call a few months ago leading a Bible Study. I loved it. I felt fulfilled/excited/overwhelmed and at peace , knowing I was doing that which I was called to do. Then, I felt likewise when I began penning a "book" that I hope one day to get finished on creative Bible Study lessons. And then.........ROADBLOCK! Back to me just plugging along aimlessly each day without a purpose (not really, but some days it seems that way!) and just letting time slip thro my fingers like the hourglass the witch was holding for DOROTHY in the WIZARD OF OZ! (I KNOW you are seeing that visual , right this second! LOL!). YES! The Wicked Witch was laughing in her annoying voice about how much time Dorothy had left! YIKES! But, that's almost how I feel sometimes! That HOURGLASS is being shown to me, too! Only by the devil (yeah, maybe the devil DOES look like the witch from Oz!) and saying, "SOOOOOOO, Janice! How much time do YOU have left, my pretty???" UGH. Better get to making better use of my time. Or else the house might fall on ME! (Just please, Lord, give me some RUBY SLIPPERS , first?)?!