THE 'REALLY' NEW YEAR

As many of you know, as my husband’s health declined, I closed the door on my Blog and my studio. It is my goal to end 2012 in a manner that would honor his life and belief in my dream. So here I am in a new location, a widow… nevertheless...BUT GOD.
I find it virtually impossible to step into a ‘NEW’ Year without reviewing the slide show that has been taking place in my heart these last several days. I have prayed, and asked others to join me, as I have pondered what my future looks like.

It feels as though the huge eraser of life swept through and erased people and relationships I was not prepared to let go of. My reaction wasn’t pretty to say the least.

I believe if I were to make a list of all the changes and challenges that have transpired during 2012 it would be staggering. In addition, the other list that would be staggering is my personal list of miracles. Simply put, there are no less than a bazillion.

Things I formerly soooo took for granted as being rated normal or average, for me, became miracles. It is amazing how your view becomes altered from the bottom with your mouth stuffed to overflowing with humble pie.

I believe that it is an inherent characteristic of human nature to believe that somehow as you gossip, fret, cry, rant, rave, walk the floor, and pray over the losses and failures of others…you are exempt. You must not compare your victories, even more, your losses. This is the height of arrogance and pride. You don’t intentionally feel this way, it is just a fact.

The last Women’s Meeting (where I ministered)  the title of my message was, “Giants Have Relatives.” Little did I know the impact those words would have in my own life.

How many times have I prayed Psalm 23 for others, and just last week that was a portion of the prayer a woman of God prayed for me.

This has been a year of more than one hard decision, and more often than not, I felt like the Lone Ranger. If you know me at all, if after praying, I sense I have the leading of the Lord I will proceed with or without a fan club. The ones you begin with are rarely the ones you end with.

Jesus  life was the perfect example. I surmise that there were more of Jesus followers than recorded. Often it is written they followed from afar. I believe they were secret believers in total agreement of His ministry and choices. They just could not withstand the fire and peer pressure that surrounded His life. Although, I certainly am not comparing myself to Jesus, it is His model that gives me strength.

The sure thing I know about the upcoming year is the same thing I need to remember concerning however many years have been granted to me.

ta- ta -for - now 

I still have a dream that needs to be fulfilled!

The Resurrection Tree

This is a true story.

Once upon a time there was a young family...the mommy, the daddy, and two adorable children.  A little boy and a little girl.  The little family was so happy.

They lived in a cute little house on top of a little hill. This cute little house had a HUGE picture window. The front yard had  a HUGE, beautiful pine tree right smack in front of this window.  The mommy loved this tree!

Often times, the mommy would lie in the floor upside down so she could see all the way to the top of her beloved pine tree. 

There was so much life in this one tree. There were hundreds of pinecones...all sizes and shapes. Then there were the bird nests  of the mommy's favorite bird, the cardinal.

The mommy would wonder in amazement as to how the little birds understood their roles in life so well. The daddy bird would go to work and bring the food home to feed his wife and babies. The mommy bird would stay home to guard the home and babies with her very life if need be.

The sunlight would beam in from the tippy top and shine all the way to the bottom. If you imagined hard enough, this could be a year-round Christmas Tree... weathering all of the seasons of life.

This little family experienced all the storms that little families experience. Then one day a HUGER than HUGE storm came.  It HUFFED and PUFFED, and blew their little house in.

When the storm had blown over the little family surveyed the damage.  To their dismay...the daddy had been blown to the other side of life.  The happy little family was not happy anymore.

The mommy had to work much harder to take care of her little house and the two adorable children. The mommy would come home very tired and discouraged, but her favorite pine tree would be waiting to welcome this weary mommy home every day, and provide shade for the two adorable children.

BUT ONE VERRRY HORRIBLE DAY....the mommy came home and her beloved tree was DEAD! 

Overnight a plague of worms had swarmed in and destroyed the well-worn friend. In a matter of hours, the once green epitome of life was now pitch black, not a green sign of life anywhere! EVERYTHING was gone...even her redbirds.  The mommy sobbed.

The mommy tried to save the tree.  She called every tree doctor  she could think of, and they all said the very same thing, "There was no hope...too late....cut it down."  The mommy just couldn't do it.

Somehow deep in this mommy's heart she knew there was still life in the heart of this tree...even if no one else could see it. So every night the mommy would gather her two adorable children, would hold hands, bow, and pray for the now dead tree.  They also prayed for the daddy that had been blown to the other side of life.

All of this mommy's friends and relatives thought she had flipped her wig, and made fun of her for believing what she did.  She didn't care.  The faith in her heart told her the truth.

Every night they prayed, and every day it didn't look like anything had changed. The date to have the tree cut down drew closer and closer.

THEN ONE DAY SOMETHING MIRACULOUS HAPPENED.... as suddenly as it had left...LIFE CAME BACK  INTO THE TREE!!!! Really, it did!

Every part of the tree that once portrayed death was NOW more alive than ever! The tree was much greener! The tree had twice as many pinecones! The mommy's favorite redbirds moved back in and so did the daddy that had been blown to the other side of life.

Over the years, as I have faced impossible situations, the Lord would speak gently to my heart and remind me of the miracle of my pine tree.

 

I cannot tell my true story without being reminded of another true story about a tree.

Matthew 28:5-7 ⁵But the angel said to the women, Do not be alarmed and frightened, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, Who was crucified.

⁶He is not here; He has risen, as He said [He would do]. Come, see the place where He lay.

⁷Then go quickly and tell His disciples, He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.

With God nothing is impossible.


         t-t-f-n (ta-ta-for-now)

Walk A Mile In My Shoes

I recently have been reminded of a long ago experience that carries a very relevant 'NOW' message.

In the beginning of my walk with God there were many older saints that did as the scriptures commanded for the older women to teach the younger, and took me under their wings.  One such woman that I will refer to  simply as  "Miss Lorene", left an indelible  mark on my mind and my heart.

We sat on opposite sides of the church for many, many years, but always connected via a Sunday wave or would throw each other a kiss. In the early days of ministry she was one of my faithful cheerleaders.

My young family had hit an unusually harsh, private storm.  I felt as though I was going down for the third time, and being fairly new in the things of God, wondered if I had been forsaken. Of course I hadn't, but I was asking the Lord for reassurance.

He answered my request with a dream...not mine...but that of  "Miss Lorene's."

She was a very tall, stately woman. Her presence exuded the love of God.  Her soft auburn colored hair was lightly streaked with gray wisps of wisdom. That particular Sunday morning, her hug felt like a safe harbor for my weary, five-foot-four,  beaten little ship to land.

Her voice was so soft you sometimes had to strain to hear her speak. She began by saying, "Cathy, I had a dream about you last night... 

You were on a very narrow path. Not only was the path narrow, but it was made of very sharp jagged rocks.  In addition, there were many huge boulders strategically placed at various intervals that represented seemingly impossible obstacles.

You had stopped and sat down on one of the larger rocks.  You were weeping because your feet were bleeding from the journey.  I appeared on the path and took my shoes off and offered them to you. I knew they were not your exact size... too big for you, nevertheless, they would help you complete your journey."

God had answered my prayers and quieted my fears of abandonment.

Over the subsequent years, the symbolism of those shoes have taken on a variety of meanings, and more precious with each step in my spiritual journey.

In a world of hopelessness, despair, broken dreams, disappointments, and

bleeding feet... Who needs 'YOUR' shoes today?

      t-t-f-n (ta - ta - for now)

Oranges and Okra

Parallel to our table was a party of four, the three women clearly related. Linked by their full moon faces, clear blue eyes and flawless skin. One man, the husband and father, rounded out the seating.

The adults were served first. As they began eating they also began blending into the background. The smallest family member took center stage without much to-do or fanfare.

This miniature doll was dressed in a very simple black and white flower print sundress. Her sun streaked hair was accessorized by an enormous black bow. Her bright white sandals made the outfit complete. If any amount of color happened to be lacking from her ensemble it emanated from her personality.

Trying not to be obvious, I was more than amused when the waitress delivered this little girl’s order. She was served a heaping bowl of perfectly cut orange slices. The fruit was so bright, it looked liked the sun had been quartered and delivered to her table. Her eyes were bright with excitement. She clearly believed she had won the dinner time prize.

The fragrant smell of the oranges momentarily transported me back into the safe haven of my grandmother’s kitchen, the sweet, sticky orange juice running down my chin. Emotion welled up in me. The child in me wanted to share her bowl of Florida’s delight and forget the adult portion roast beef dinner now placed before me.

Before the heaping mound of oranges could be polished off, the waitress appeared with her second course. Of all the vegetables available, this little “Southern Belle” had opted for a kid size portion of deep fried okra. (Again, a food related to memories of Sunday dinners with my grandmother). Her waitress turned and winked at us, also amused. We were probably both wondering how this eclectic mix would fit into the context of the food pyramid.

I left the restaurant pondering all that I had observed. Wondering why I had been so caught up in a stranger’s meal. I understand that much wisdom is to be gleaned from our small teachers. If we observe closely, they will teach us how to take the practical and turn it upside down. They will remind us to experience joy in the simplest pleasures of life, even in a bowl of oranges and okra.

After all, isn’t that the way life should be? We definitely should have our fruit first.

      t-t-f-n  (ta- ta- for-now)

Jeremiah 29 Revisited

If you have read one or more of my Blogs, you well know by now, that I have reoccurring themes other than produce. My grandmother’s fifty plus year-old rosebush being one of them. As we speak, it has been dug up again and is being hauled two-hundred miles back home in the back of my husband’s F150 truck. Dodging thunderstorms all the way.

Has the Lord ever required you to let go of something that was so near and dear to you that it had become engrafted deeply in your heart? It could even be considered detrimental to your health to remove it?

If you said no, then pardon my French, “Liar, Liar, pants on fire!”

For fourteen years now it has been our every intention to relocate to the land of our grandchildren. We made all the necessary arrangements to do so. I sent my grandmother’s rosebush ahead to reserve us a spot.

Due to a myriad of circumstances beyond our control that dream seems to be on a permanent hold. I could not bring myself to entrust one of my grandmother’s prized possessions into the hands of strangers who might or might not care for this pale yellow wonder.

The truth is… my heart has been kicking and screaming over this one. You know the old saying, “Keep a stiff upper lip?” Sometimes that simply is not easy. About the time you think you have a grip, your lips start quivering and you look like an Elvis Impersonator. It may become necessary for two of your most trusted friends to stand at each corner of your mouth with a case of super glue.

There were many incidents in God’s Word where God’s greatest men needed assistance to sway the battle. Exodus 17:12 Amplified “But Moses' hands were heavy and grew weary. So [the other men] took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other side; so his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”

It was not a sign of weakness that Moses needed help, but a life lesson of agreement, keen discernment, plus, the give and take between leadership.

The Lord gently reminded me of one of my former Blogs/teachings dated August 10th, 2010. (Don’t you hate that?) He told me to dust it off. I have included bits and pieces that pertain to today.

Jeremiah 29: LETTER TO THE EXILES – EXILES!!!

1a. This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.


4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."


10 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. [b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

Babel was not only a place of exile, but a place of "confusion." The word 'CAPTIVITY' means, "A FORMER STATE OF PROSPERITY!" CAPTIVE means, "ESPECIALLY IN A DISGRACEFUL SENSE!" Hello, this means your disgrace is going to be on display, made public for all of your friends, family and otherwise to see! Often times God is a God of ifs (requirements) before you can inherit the blessings.

"UH-OH!" PLEASE PASS THE ICE PACK - AND THE SHOVEL - AND THE POTTING SOIL! I looked these passages up in many translations hoping this would say something different. Don’t misunderstand – my roots run deep where I live, very deep, and I love my heritage, but I thought my future was somewhere else.

Can we really trust God when it appears we have lost all manner of control?

As I have chewed, and chewed, and chewed....I have determined that captivity may be far more involved than a prison sentence. Captivity could be our marriages, our health, our finances, our relationships, even our ministries. Captivity could be traditions of men, evil imaginations, strife, and offenses, addictions or unfruitful cycles or fears. Only you can identify the cell block of your soul.

A-h-h-h the wisdom of a rosebush….

They never forget what color they are supposed to be. They never forget their purpose. They are always mindful of their season. Regardless of what storms they have weathered, they can grow in the harshest of circumstances, even when they have been neglected. A little tender loving care, pruning, and water can create an atmosphere where the most timid of plants will venture a bloom once more.

The roots dictate the actions of the rosebush. Roots are roots no matter how you split them or where they are transplanted.

Honestly, when the rosebush arrived home today it barely resembled the pictures I received this past spring. The full blooms were replaced with dry dead leaves. It looked like the life was slowly draining out of it. I remembered when my grandmother once commanded me to get one of my rosebushes out of the garbage because I thought it had died.

I planted it anyway. If the timeless rosebush is anything like my grandmother was… it will just dig its roots in deeper.

At the end of the day I choose to trust my Maker with my future, and trust He knows where the rosebush needs to be planted in order for it to survive and bloom again.

To quote one of my favorite people, “Nevertheless, not my will…..”

t-t-f-n (ta- ta- for - now)