Worship as a Child

Do you know how little children are so excited when their daddy walks through the door? Or how they run to him when they are hurt? The daddy does everything he can to reach his children and bring them in his arms and give them hugs and kisses, rejoices with their exultation and comforts them in their need.

The message last night by Pastor Steve Wexler was on worship and he said that when we worship God is blessed, we are blessed and we are changed. One point in particular stood out to me: "He renews your youth -- you're always young in His presence."

I had a picture in my mind of a girl, playing on the mountainside picking flowers, running through the green grasses, rejoicing in the beauty around her and most of all in Her Creator (almost like Maria at the beginning of The Sound of Music). I sensed that our Father in heaven delights in our praise, desires for us to remain in the posture of wonderment and adoration!

As we worship, He is blessed! Psalm 103:1-5 (The Message) "O my soul, bless GOD, from head to toe, I'll bless His holy name, O my soul, bless GOD, don't forget a single blessing!"

We sang the song "Here in Your Presence" and one of the lines is "here in Your presence heaven and earth become one." That overwhelms me...."heaven and earth become one." I picture myself worshiping our God here on earth and Lonnie worshiping Him in heaven with my mom and dad, his father and so many more precious loved ones. Yes, that definitely can bring a childlike dance to my step!

Wow, that's awesome!

Wooden's 7-Point Creed

I was at the bookstore one day and saw this book by John Wooden, the famous basketball coach and one of Lonnie's favorites. He gave this 7-point creed to his son when he graduated from elementary school:

Be true to yourself

Make each day your masterpiece

Help others

Drink deeply from good books including the Good Book

Make friendships a fine art

Build a shelter against a rainy day

Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

(This is found on page 290 of "Wooden on Leadership" by John Wooden and Steve Jamison)

He also said: "Nobody cares how much you know (until they know how much you care)."

And a side note: Want to say that I am so proud of our little four-year-old grandson, Elijah, who is just growing up so fast and had his birthday recently. He is a delightful little boy, is playing T-ball now, learning his Bible verses at AWANA, loves his family and is loved by us all!

Your granmommy loves you, Elijah! Happy Birthday!

Remind Me Every Day

I wanted to share just a few verses that have blessed and helped me through the years. I remember Lonnie saying that different books of the Bible were his favorites as he was reading and studying them. I understand what he was saying. May His Word always be fresh in our hearts, so that we are continually adding to our favorites!

“The joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). I remember riding my bike down Main Street in Miles City, Montana, with a high school friend and singing this song with all my might, feeling the wind blow through my hair and celebrating the presence of the Lord in my life. How carefree I felt at that moment! I believe the Lord would want us to sense His joy every day!

“My soul wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from Him” (Psalm 62:5). When I was in college, I was praying in the basement of the dorm and crying out to God for His leading and direction. This verse ministered to me to look to Him for everything. I made up a little song that went, “My confidence is in Jesus, my security is in Jesus, my identity is in Jesus. Jesus, You are my all.” While in college, my family went through a very difficult time and these words helped me to walk through those days....and they help me to walk through these days too.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5,6). Lonnie and I sought to do this in our life together. It is my desire to trust in Him today and every day forward. Some things I will not be able to understand but that’s just it…I don’t have to lean on my own understanding. Trusting in the Lord is my responsibility. As I trust, I find refuge and solace and peace in Him. I need to do it every day. I have to do it every day. I get to do it every day. Trust!

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22,23). These words were whispered in my ear on the morning Lonnie passed away and have been whispered in my heart ever since. I want to be reminded of them every day. "His mercies are new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness."

“Be strong and of good courage, be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee” (Joshua 1:9). Jason and I were talking about our awareness of the Lord's presence with us in times of sorrow and suffering. He is Emmanuel, God with us....every day! Amazing!

“For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, Fear not, I am the one who helps you” (Isaiah 41:13). Jeremy found this verse written in the front of one of Lonnie's Bibles. It has been a source of encouragement and comfort to me and our family.

"My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:2).

Thank you, Lord, for Your help every day! Every day!

Easter Sunday

I have so many memories of Easter: new outfits, homemade little white jackets to wear over our dresses when we were small, sunrise services in the hills of Montana, on the shores of Oahu, on a foggy morning in Texas, and Lonnie's and my last one in Germany where my Lonnie preached about our risen Savior on that cold but beautiful Easter morning! Such sweet memories with precious family and friends!

There is one Easter that changed my life in the most amazing way. I was 11 years old (about the age of Jennifer in this picture) and I was sitting in church with my family. I had heard many sermons about becoming a Christian and had listened to and responded to altar calls. I would go home and do something that I knew to be sin and I would have doubts. I had consistently been taught about Jesus throughout my young life, but how could I be a Christian, "saved," and be disobedient to my parents or fight with my siblings or do the mischievous things that I was prone to do?

On this particular Easter Sunday, Pastor Smith spoke again about Jesus Christ dying on the cross and said that Jesus paid the price for my sins. He probably said "our" sins but it became so personal to me as I listened. "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." My heart leapt within me to think that there was nothing that I could do or had to do to earn my salvation. I knew I couldn't be good enough. It was a gift and it was my choice to believe and receive what Jesus did for me on the cross. God's gift....His Son.....my heart rejoiced as I understood that my sins were gone as I put my faith and trust in Jesus....He died for me and rose again! He conquered sin for me!

He is risen! He is my Rock and my Salvation! He is my Savior and my Redeemer!

Oh, how that young 11-year-old girl rejoiced...and many years later, she still is rejoicing in her risen Savior!

Psalm 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and my shield, in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults and with my song I give thanks to Him." I am safe in His arms.

In Search of a Mountain

There is a big mountain out here in the northwest. I have seen pictures of it and I must say I have seen it on past trips to Washington. I arrived here the end of February and this time here has had its share of rain and clouds. When we had sunny days I would look off in the direction of Mt. Rainier and all I saw in the distance were clouds....no mountain. One sunny afternoon I went for a ride for the purpose of getting a view of Mt. Rainier. I was sure I would see it this time and I was told there was a certain turn on the highway where the mountain becomes visible if you are looking for it. Well, I was ready to see it, but again, it was not to be seen, only clouds in the distance.

Last Friday evening, I was driving to a meeting and was listening to my favorite CD. The CD started up in a "random" place from where I had been listening with Stella and Judah earlier that day. As I listened to our beautiful daughter Jennifer and her incredible husband sing, the song "Dear Daddy" came on and then I heard Lonnie's sweet birthday greeting to his pretty precious daughter. As his message was ending on the CD, I looked off to the east and there it was, clear as day, Mt. Rainier.

I looked up at the sky above me and there were clouds everywhere but off in the distance the skies were blue and Mt. Rainier gleamed and its snowy appearance was suddenly visible to me. I was stunned. So many days before I had searched for just a glimpse and then, as I heard Lonnie's words, there it was. I wondered why it happened right at that moment and I felt an assurance that this was an awesome blessing from the Lord! This was not a coincidence.

I tried to pull over off the major highway and take a picture of the mountain, but the trees blocked my view and then I was in a valley where I couldn't see because of the hills. I determined that it was a moment for me to remember....maybe not digitally on my phone....but in my heart. What an awesome God we have! Oh, how He loves us!

Things at times may seem hidden from us and we may be seeking God for answers or for Him to reveal His way to us in our situation. Although we do not always see Him and His answers may not always be obvious, we know He is there....we'll keep seeking His face and His ways.

Also, I want to keep noticing His blessings....one of my new favorite quotes came from a little Dove candy last year: "Blessings only come to those who notice!" Thank you, Lord, for Your blessings and for creating such an awesome world.

Thank you for allowing me to see Mt. Rainier at just the right time!

"When You Know--Go!"

These simple words were spoken to me by my oldest son yesterday. These words mirror what the Lord spoke to His disciples. First, He told the disciples to "tarry in the city of Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). They waited on the Lord and then they were obedient in response to His command, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit!"

Sometimes this command seems daunting to us but then we remember Jesus showed us how to reach out to people. He did it one person at a time, in small groups and in large crowds. He spoke to the woman at the well, revealed the amazing truth of God's love to Nicodemus in the night, healed the blind man, brought truth and guidance in word and in deed to his disciples. Oh, and the huge crowds heard His words and were fed miraculously by Him both physically and spiritually. He blessed and loved the little children.

We simply need to be obedient to His command and not be frightened or overwhelmed with it. He said, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20)

Lord, I wait on You for direction and as You lead me, I want to be obedient to You and go where You want me to go and be what You want me to be.

In the book of Numbers people were assigned to take care of the ark even to the point of how to carry the frames and posts and sockets, etc....Numbers 4:32 says, "You are to assign by names the items that each man is responsible to carry." Oh, Lord, I pray that I will be faithful in the assignment you have for me to "carry" and do today! Help me to realize that nothing is too small or too big! The most important thing of all is to be faithful to Your task and command for me today!

Oh, and He says, "Trust Me!"

No Limits

The other morning I woke up with this prayer on my lips, "Oh Lord, I hope I never did anything to limit or stifle the dreams you put in my precious husband's life. Please forgive me if I did." I reflect on different aspects of our life together daily. We would often discuss possibilities and we had many dreams for the future and thoughts of what we would do when he retired from the Air Force. My prayer continued, "Please don't let me stifle or bring limitations to what You would do in our lives."

Shortly after that, a precious person called me and told me of an opportunity that they were pursuing which included an amazing blessing but also great commitment. I knew that the Lord had dealt with my heart earlier in the day. I believe God was preparing my heart for this news and my response. I would not want to limit what God would do in this person's life even though it will involve great dedication, unselfish love, perseverance and sacrifice.

When God calls us to something, may we pursue Him with all that we are, knowing He will do what He wants to do through us and most of all, make us who He wants us to be. We have no idea where it may lead, but let's allow Him to surprise us and be "confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil 1:6).