Redemption’s Heart will be on Hiatus until August while I spend time with my family and convert this blog to a more user friendly platform. Please check back after August 1 to see the changes.
Thank you so much for reading my blog and have a wonderful few weeks.
Do you remember the Byrds? “For everything, turn, turn, turn..” I love that classic song. It’s taken straight from the book Ecclesiastes and it reminds me that there is a time for every season.
I’m looking around and listening to my friends and my own life, and I see a common theme.
Weddings
Graduations
Funerals
College
Camp
Kindergarten.
Almost everyone I know is in a season of letting go and moving forward at the same time. In Bible study, we’re even talking about where we are at, season wise, and what things we are letting go of and moving towards. What things we are excited about, and what things scare us. Camp came up alot.
Scripture says that God nevers changes, but life does – Solomon tells us so.
Over the past few weeks we’ve even talked about letting go of old ideas so that we can make room for God’s ideas. I got serious in a blog post yesterday and people have been asking if I’m alright. And yes, I’m better than alright. I found it in my old prayer journals and am thankful for seeing the changes. Sometimes women (and men) can confuse our cross with someone elses in trying to be that helpmate, or that good parent, or that good employee – and we wear ourselves out, and we harm the other individual. There is a letting go in that as well.
Right now, a lot of us are learning how to let go of our kids. We are learning to let God be God and relax in who we know Him to be.
What are you letting go of today? Would you like to share it?
I’m digging through boxes, searching for books to keep and books to give away. Each new box is like a treasure trove of discovery. Every book I own has meaning and depth to it. Having played some small part in who I am today, each book has it’s own season in my life. Maybe that’s why I want so desperately to be an author. I want to pay it forward in any way I can. God and I are still working out the how in that desire. For now he has planted me at a Mission Start and I love it.
While digging I found a book that I had purchased but never read. Being a bibliophile that is not unusual for me. Being Summer, I thought this was the perfect time to open this gift and so I am reading The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning.
I love it when I ask God to speak to me and he surprizes me with these little things. It’s a simple book really with a haunting question - Is the Gospel Alive and Real to you right now?
Although this book is full of great insight and many quotes to choose from, this one jumps out. Brennan had very rudely dismissed someone one while trying to impress others – she responded with saying “Jesus never would have talked to Mary Magdaline like that.” and then she was gone.
I love his honesty – I love when he askes this question -
How could she believe in the love of a God she can’t see when she couldn’t find even a trace of love in the eyes of a brother wearing a clerical collar whom she could see?
… and they will know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.. or not.
That is a great question for me to ponder today. I can be harsh with pastors – I don’t trust them. My pastor knows that, and we do okay. Actually, we do better than okay, mainly because I already know that I am loved, not just by him, but by God himself.
That wasn’t always the case. There was a day when I would search the eyes for approval. I don’t have to do that today. God is an amazing healer. Just ask anyone who remembers the day when I had to sit on my hands in church so that no one could see how badly they shook. And to make matters worse, my voice shook for years as badly as my hands.
I’m putting that out there, not as a victim, but rather as a woman aware of my scars. And as a woman who wants to heal and overcome.
And my question when faced with Brennan’s truth isn’t, “What do I see?”, but rather “ What do people see when they look into my eyes? “
I don’ t care what you think about his life. His choices or anything else. I grew up with the Jackson 5 playing on my radio. I went to college dancing to Michael’s songs and lovin every minute of it. Michael Jackson is to Pop Music what Elvis Presley was to Rock and Roll. He was an entertainer through and through.
This video clip is by far my favorite song of his..
Be the change, look at the Man in the Mirror
Simplicity, Room for the Holy Spirit
Do you remember the opening song for that old TV show “Cheers?”
“Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.” la da de da..
Well, we needed time to unplug and go where no one really knew our name. We needed time to meet new faces, and new people and see new sights. We needed an adventure without drama. Ever been there?
I plan on writing more about our adventures with Randy and Chris Elrod at later times – along with everything else I’ve promised. But I did want to just write some thoughts for today. I caught myself telling Jeff this weekend that I do not understand the past 12 months. I don’t understand the serendipity of God’s Grace. The doors that are opening. All of it. and I used the phrase, “I’m no body. Why is He (being God) doing this?”
Jeff’s great response was to tell me the first thing I need to do is stop thinking I’m nobody, and start believing that God sees me as somebody. I’m feeling guilty for the Grace. Odd, really.
Do I really struggle with that? Still? Apparently so.
The past seven years, while we worked on dreaming of a church, dreaming of ministry, dreaming of our second life – the life we have post corporate careers and post children has been full of adventure and mixed emotions. I’ve had a lot of healing to do.
It’s just occurred to me really, that I am ending a seven year cycle. One that began on cloud nine with a new church, a new job working in a church, a new “ministry” and a cycle that ended (for me) at the Cove. These seven years have brought me an entire roller coaster of emotions, events, and dreams. I’ve hit every peak I thought possible and more valleys than imaginable. And I find myself sitting again on the precipice of change; wiser and more discerning and still excited.
I find myself searching for words to describe what it’s like to be somewhere where nobody really knows my name with the only two people who did (that being Jeff and God) and feeling known in ways I can’t yet explain.
I mean this post as a dialog really. But I’m at a loss how to start it. So I’ll simply ask this have you ever thought you were nobody and found out that you were the world to at least somebody?
I do not particularly like the powerpoint that goes with the song but I love the song.
Newsong – Can’t keep a good man down.
What song speaks to you?
I promise you, I have no intention of grabbing a guitar, jumping on my bed and singing about raindrops or kittens ala Julie Andrews today. There is enough violence in the world without my tuneless singing.. I do however want to share with you some of my newly discovered favorite places to be or people to listen to. In no particular Order.
1. Tulsa Garden Center - the place to hang out with your family or learn about what grows in Oklahoma.
2. Blotanical - the web page where all the garden bloggers bloom.
3. Creating Culture - Randy Elrod. I just met Randy last month in Nashville. He has the most amazing blog – huge following too. You need to check him out.
4. Michele Cushatt - another blogger I met in Nashville. What an amazing heart.
5. Michael Hyatt- Publishing CEO, Michael Hyatt shares all kinds of great stuff on writing, publishing and twittering on his blog. Check him out, I have. What a gift to writers to have this resource. I’m thrilled he is doing this.
6. How to Handle Criticism by Steve Erry – great post
7. Camp Lutherhoma- right here in Tahlequah Oklahoma. This camp is run by John and Joan Busch, Kristy Haines, and a bunch of other staffers – my kids have gone there for years. They are growing and changing by the day. Your kids will have a blast, learn about Jesus and be loved through and through. They will come back changed. Mine always do.
8. CJ Rapp- Blog tour coming soon. CJ is president and CEO of Unfading Beauty Ministries. I’m presently reading her newest book, “I AM says You Are…” It is a 30 day devotional that speaks God’s truth to the very heart of women. I’m a 43 year old Bible Teacher – and this book speaks over me in ways that made me cry. In a good way of course. Great read.
9. This Ain’t Prettyville- Chonda Pierce. Maybe you guys all know who she is, but I honestly had never seen her until five years ago at a Women of Faith conference. I’ve since had the privledge to work with her, behind the scenes, as one of her Turbos. Turbos are women (and men) who work hard, love well, help promote the show and coordinate volunteers. Her story rips my lungs out. Her life, speaks of hope, forgiveness, love, and an amazing God. She is also hilarious to boot.
10. Don’t Give In, God Wants you to Win. – Thelma Wells. Another amazing woman of faith, with a story that blows me a way, and a mothering spirit I had no idea I craved, until I met her. She has a conference coming up in May. You will not want to miss this.
So there you have it. My favorite top ten right now.
I’m going to the dentist tomorrow for a root canal. I’m thinking after that, I just may post my ten least favorite places to be. 
Starting with that one.
Before then though – would you please share with me one of your favorite places or people?
Thanks.
It turns out that losing three of my four rosebushes wasn’t the end of the world. I still have a beautiful climber in the back yard, and I got to go shopping. There is a local nursery in town that supports people with developmental disabilities. They run the nursery and the money earned there, goes back to support job training, housing, and whatnot.
My roses died close to the end of planting season in Tulsa, so the nurseries were pretty picked over. I was however able to find lavender, a fir tree, and a beautiful yellow forsynthia bush as well as a barberry bush. I then moved some of my Iris’s from my back yard and added several annual pieces, like sweet potato vine, for color.
I found this beautiful plant at Westlake Ace Hardware on Memorial Day weekend. They had a close out on thier potted arrangements. It turned out to do really well in the heat and looked great with the rest of my plants, but it didn’t come with a lable and I have no idea what it is. I’ll take my garden scrapbook with me this Spring while I shop around so that I can lable it and know what to buy.
With all of the sandy loam and sawdust left behind from my pine trees – ants moved into the new territory. I don’t like ants and after we sprayed the tar out of the garden,I started putting in plugs to keep them away. The plugs worked.
I let my new bed grow for the season while I focused in on building up my other new garden spots. The results ended up a little “over done” by the end of summer, but for a first year garden, it really wasn’t that bad. Not a bad second start. I spent my fall pulling out the annuals, trimming back the lavender and pitching the barberry bush (it died under the vine – my bad). I’ve added several new perenial pieces from SpringHill Nursery and I’m looking forward to seeing what blooms this Spring.
Sitting to the side, in the white pot is a magnolia “bush” I also purchased in the Spring – I really need to stay from on line catalogs. I didn’t read the small print and the “bush” arrived as a bare root plant that will require several years to mature.
This was another one of my “oopsies” last year. I thought I was buying THIS.
Spring Hill showed it as part of a “sunny garden spot foundation garden set” that can be purchased as a group and I thought it would be perfect in front of our living room window.
I’m fortunate to have a husband who likes to read the small print and dig in the yard from time to time. While we were planting the new garden set, he read the little box this root came in. It turns out my cute little bush grows to a height of ten feet.
THAT – will not fit in front of our living room window. See what I mean?
I added building out a new bed to my fall clean up and plantings. I wasn’t planning on doing that yet – I was going to build those over the winter and plant in the Spring, but she needed a home and my South fence needed some covering, so that is where we put her.
