Women attending a function, shower, conference, first day of class, party, movie, etc. . .Will often say, “Watch for me?” It’s always a question that begs for answer. “I will.” And there is security in knowing someone that knows you will watch for you (even in a large group of people).
And then there is that known dynamic of intimacy in a small or large group when your boyfriend, husband or best friend is in a room with you. They keep you within their circumference of awareness as people circulate. You know where each other are at all times.
As we walk the shores at the beach, we watch for that precious find. A rare shell that washes up glistening at the water’s edge. It elicits a jump and a squeal to snatch the treasure before it washes back or someone else sees it!
So, is Psalm 59:9, a pretense of a promise? We are told that God makes promises and keeps his promises (Biblical Flood and His Rainbow). (Have not seen an Arc passing through our beach waters). It’s a promise. Let’s take the intimacy of His watchas a promise.
He watches for when, where and why you show up. He keeps you in the circumference of His protective eyes-scope. At every opportunity, He watches for you to wash onto the sandy shores of His thoughts for you. Scoops you up AS HIS RARE TREASURE.
That is what you are a treasure worth watching, waiting and working for. . .”Did you let that go in?” (Murphy Toerner) “As far as it will go?”
It took a couple of days to talk Georgia down from the palm tree. It seems she liked the view from up there and felt secure hidden in the branches. She is still struggling through the lost and separation trauma.
Alyssa, the little girl that found her, was the only one who could talk her down with a soothing, gentle, coaxing voice. Now,Georgia has joined in our family fun and will soon be sporting a deep south, southern bronze.
Welcome, Georgia to the family “beach time.” We hope you like to stay up late/sleep late, watch movies, play card/games, play mexican train, eat round the clock, try new recipes, revisit old favorites, enjoy having two little fur balls run over/under/around/through you, and a little sea air and sand just might get into your trunk.
I see you are wearing sunglasses and sunscreen, a must this time of year. Good girl!
I am highly intimated, by a sensitive nature, by strong masculinity. So for me to wake feeling inspired to write this. . .
Well, let’s just say, it’s a God thing!!!
I woke up this morning, thinking about the men in my life.
God gave me a vision of this strong linked chain. I heard Him to say:
“The men forge strong links that bond life in families, communities and His Kingdom. The women love into the links, lubricating them to move smoothly and cleanly in families, communities and Kingdoms. One cannot work without the other.”
Let’s share some personal examples without names, with exception of my dad and my husband. I’m going to do my best to honor these examples with “less words are more.”
*My Father linked his passionate love and seeking of excellence to me. Dr.Merle Flagg Warren.
*A science teacher in middle school told me I was working below my potential and challenged me to up my academic efforts.
*A family member brought me to the circus.
*High school boy—friend gave me the security of his friendship during a pivotal time in my life.
*A family member gave me freedom with my first car and sorority dorm life.
*A veterinarian took care of my first babies and furry babies to come and enriched our family life through pet care.
*A carpenter worked his way into my heart through ceiling beams and prayers.
*A young man lived with us for a while, and lived into his faithfulness to us and my daughters.
*A teacher/student leader brought one of my girls through her challenge on the mountain.
*A teacher/student coach lead our family through peer challenge and conflict with faithfulness.
*Two family members stepped into conflict (instead of out of it) and kept our family strong.
*New Christianity sparks grow of true God-given masculinity in a loyal friend.
*Test messages link strong bonds.”
*Neighbor trusts.”
*Husband, Dr. Rodger H. Elofson II, purposes his strength to link our weaknesses into a chain of God’s healing and goodness.
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Men: The Choice is Yours:
Link Lives With Your Strength or Break Lives With Your Weight:
If you are single woman, God’s Best for you, is worth the wait. Accept nothing less. . .
If you are a married woman, God isn’t finished with your husband yet, Your husband is worth the wait. . .
If you are a single man, live to touch a woman’s life so you will make her heart list. . . .
If you are a married man, live into your destiny. What are you waiting for. . .
A young elephant was found wandering without his mother in of all places, Atlanta Georgia by a young lady, now famous for her find, named Alyssa. It was recused from dire straights and was immediately assessed for dehydration and internal injury. The young lady has named him Georgia and the young elephant is expected to make a full recovery in it’s proper habitat with lots of TLC.
A photo update of Georgia the elephant is seen below, climbing a tree at the beach. The trauma incurred in it’s lost adventure, called for a beachy vacation in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
I have two amazing Horizon Hits to share with you. If you love beauty, creativity and kitchen workings, this is for you! I have a new friend and her name is Heather. These pics are shared with her permission. Now, I need you to go to her website, and get a free gift. A a lovely hand-lettered recipe card by her friend, Lindsay of Linsday Letters.
This is more fun than I can stand on one moment. Wait until you see these printable recipe cards. They are beyond delish and delightful! Here’s my thought for the July Fourth. Make them red, white and blue. Mix up, blueberry jam and raspberries. Or raspberry jam and blue berries! How fun, easy and elegant. I’m going to make the lemon cake first and freeze the rounds for easy hostess put together on the serving day!
Thank you Heather for sharing, thank you Lindsay for lettering and thank you the combining your creativity in a gift for us. I’m passing it on to you! Hope printed mine, gorgeous and so fun. Heather and Lindsay, I’ll never be satisfied with any other recipe card again. Rotten spoiled!
*I stole baby Jesus from His manger scene and brought Him home in my pocket. (So I started my divine love affair early 😉 My mother made me return Him!
*I broke my mother’s vase and tried to fix it by taping it together with bandaids and I stand reminded, I told my mother, “I cannot tell a lie, Ooochie did it!!! (My sister Lucie)
*I broke a friend’s mother’s post on her four poster bed swinging on it
*I got married in a treehouse at the age of 9.
*I pretended to take a bath, ran water, got the bath mat and towel wet
*I was driving my car, (my brother graciously gave to me) speeding in the rain, hurrying to an appointment, lost control of my car and broke the front axle in half when I hit the curb but stopped right before the light pole.
*I got so mad (thanks Sally for the kind reminder), I looked in my closet, picked the least deadly shoe, and hurled a tennis shoe at my husband’s head. Just for the record, I intentionally missed and hit the wall next to his head.
*I kicked my dog when he snapped at Hope’s baby face.
*I fed my children undercooked chicken fingers one time, and thought I’d beat myself to a pulp before time demonstrated their tummies were just fine.
*I’ve misjudged, and denied God’s warning and gave a letter that was terribly misunderstood.
*I’ve sought to impress rather than bless until I learned the difference.
*I’ve forgotten God in the really great times, and clung like His ONLY best friend when I’ve needed Him.
*I’ve listened to really “good” gossip. And then prayed twice as long for the people as a penance.
*I’ve said, “I’m sorry” because it was easier than the humility standard of asking, “Do you forgive me?”
*I’ve hidden my real self to “maintain” an appearance of everything is great
*I’ve allowed myself to selfishly be offended when it was the desperate hurt of the other person that was doing “the talking.”
*I’ve been too lenient and too strict with my daughters, but they do know they are loved.
*I’ve allowed me thoughts to control my feelings to control my actions, when taking my thoughts to be obedience of Christ would have averted misbelief for me and pain for those around fear.
*I’ve listened to worldly lies rather than seeking God’s Truth about my identity in Christ.
*I’ve not made my health a priority and neglected my faithful husband.
*Today I allow fear to take hold, rather than hope to take flight.
Learn from your mistakes and be better because of them, not in spite of them.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covered a multitude of sins. 1Peter 4:8
My mother use to always say, “love covers a multitude of sins” and then I found it in the Bible. Indeed, it does thank you, Jesus. This post is dedicated to my mom, Melba Smith Warren, a gifted wordsmith, especially with poetry.
Welcome my Belarus readers. I’m learning some World Geography 🙂 Enjoy 🙂
This youtube is dedicated to Hope. She will know why as she watches it 😉
I was given a gift. . . (Thank you Gayla/Curtis for arranging it): A “Stander” It pumps me up to a standing position with support. I started last week with only 4 to 5 minutes standing. Over tiring with ALS leads to safety issues, so we have to be careful. But more research is showing the importance of movement, muscle memory and work even with ALS weakness.
So here I am in all my workout excitement, a full 10 minutes, standing today watching the above you tube I shared with you. I’ve always had a thing for keys. Especially old ones that have no known key hole. It goes back to one of my favorite movies still, “Secret Garden.” So I share with you the glorious grandeur of Delores Develde and Alberto and Kimberly Rivera and the simple ten minutes of my day investing in life.
My words to you are going to take a bit longer. (Any where from two hours to three days depending on where God leads us!) In my sacred imagination, I’ve got an old large key ring, that holds the secret keys in my life. They all await just the right key/lock combination to unlock the answers to my secret questions. I keep it near to me in my deep and large “prayer pocket.” I never know when I might need to take a key off the ring to try in a lock or add a new key that awaits. . .
The sound we all know well. The sound of a key opening a lock to open a door to open a space to open a room to open a dream to open a future to open a Truth. It started me thinking about our secrets: The Truths. . the futures. . .the dreams. . .the rooms. . .the spaces. . .the doors . . .the locks. . .the keys that remain yet. . .
Did I really think I could organize a New Horizon’s Sunday School Class retreat and anyone would want to come?
Why did I always try new recipes on guests with calm nerves? (Well, maybe I have this answer: Bucky had the pizza delivery place on redial!)
When I helped with a Season’s Bible Study, did I know it was only for a season?
Where did God get the idea of me playing a ditzy angel in our SIP Summer Study?
What does friendship play sound like in heaven’s gardens?
Would I have fathomed the honest and trust in a group of women with Pure Hearts Workings?
Are the colors in heaven infinite in intensity?
Could I ever have imagined the redemptive giftings from the devastation of a untreatable disease such as ALS? (Such as the faithful 24/7 service of my devoted husband?)
Does God keep all of our creations for His Glory for perfection in heaven like a gallery of our love?
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One of my favorite verses:
Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Morning Has Broken Steven Curtis Chapman featuring Caleb Chapman
Speaking of legacy: After the death of his baby sister, listen to Caleb sing forth faith in this offering. Beautiful. Steven, well done daddy, to the glory of your High King.
This Statue is found in the Boston Public Garden. The artist was a former student of the local School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Bashka Paeff. Please see the following link the Website: http://www.publicartboston.com/content/boy-and-bird-fountain
Dear Papa,
I am a mess!!! It’s not pretty, God, I’m sorry. . .on the inside or on the outside.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
I still love you and pursue obedience in what seems the most difficult challenge of my life.
I knew a “solid” faith. As things heat up here. . .it melts into a fluid mess: Pouring, seeping, dripping, rushing, rolling, spinning, flowing, trickling, flooding, splashing. . .
I have an angry faith, a respectful faith, a tumultuous faith, a hopeful faith, an expectant faith, a quiet faith, a doubtful faith, a growing faith, a fearful faith, a fighting faith, a tired faith, a tenancious faith, a feeble faith, a trembling faith, a mustard seed faith, a challenged faith, a fragile faith, an honest faith, a fruitful faith, a Truth-Based faith, press of faith, a threadbare faith, an obedient faith, an intimate faith, a flying faith, a shared faith, a smiling faith, a frantic faith, a numb faith, a seeking faith, a forging faith, a set-apart faith, a defiant faith, common-place faith, a narrow-gate faith, a lost faith, a passionate faith, a life-filled faith, a messy faith, a sobbing faith, a feisty faith. Still, I’m keeping it. It’s mine, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. . .It’s mine. . .we are in this together, right?
I do not like how my circumstances move my faith around, like pieces on a chess board. I want to be like Paul, content in all circumstances, but I am not. I will not pretend otherwise. Is there anything wrong with my fluid faith? My faith is fighting and that brings on every emotion I have about life. It’s rarely a feel good, warm and fuzzy faith right now (which I miss :(). It is a fighting faith that grows with every failure and every victory?
You are not surprised or disappointed in me. You anticipate. You know. You fight for me? I feel my faith needs space to move as needs change, challenges mount, and hope ebbs and flows? My faith needs to move to grow? My faith needs to drive obedience to fight a good fight? I can’t help but ask, for this to be easier on my husband and my girls?
The experience of my fluid faith changes. . .but my faith remains. . .It is my assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Lord, in the name of your son, for all of us out here with a fluid faith. . .grant us a faith that grows. Help us accept our faith and feelings and bring them into the obedience of Christ. Mature our faith to honor and glorify you. Keep us assured and convicted of that which we cannot see. Amen Your faithful and floating, t-bird
P.S. Welcome to United Kingdom, Poland and Thailand Readers.
I hope something of God’s worth blesses and inspires you.
John 14:21 He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Since God is love, and we all are unique in how we need to be loved, surely He has a unique love language for each of us. Some people report or voice, a whisper, an awareness of a presence. Some people have trustingly told me they have never heard from Him in any way they can describe. Often, this is accompanied by an unspoken. . .Sometimes, bravely asked in a corner after a small group discussion. . .
Is there something wrong with my faith? Does God not love me because I don’t hear Him like that other woman does? What can I “do” to hear him better? Is my faith just immature? And many other honest, vulnerable questions. . .
The first thing I want to say is. . .
Do you know how pleased God is that you are listening? That you want to hear from Him? Your longings tug at His heart like it would a loving daddy with his daughter, wanting his attention? And nothing is “wrong with you or an immaturity in you or lack of faith!” It’s a personal thing that is experienced very differently. But there is not a right or a wrong, or a higher or lower achievement in hearing from God. If there was a formula, it would not be faith, it would be math class.
Awareness can help you get to know His languages/The Ways He Speaks: Nature, The Bible, Worship Music, Sermons, Books, Godly Conversations, Art, Beauty. . .
In a small book, recommended to me by a dear pastor friend, The Practice of the Presence of God By Brother Lawrence. A conversation is referred to in which Brother Lawrence referenced an experience he had with God:
That in the winter, seeing a tree stripped of its leaves, and considering that within a little time the leaves would be renewed and after that the flowers and fruit appear, he received a high view of the Providence and Power of GODm which has never since been effaced from his soul. That this view had perfectly set him loose from the world, and kindled in him such a love for GOD, that he could not tell whether it had increased during the more than forty years he had lived since.
Below is a direct link for you from amazon for this small book. It’s $5.29. You’ll pay too much for shipping unless you qualify for free shipping 🙂 But looking at it on Amazon will allow you to get a feel for the book.
It’s very important to remember He speaks to us in a love language that manifests His presence in infinite ways.
Some of my own personal experiences with God:
God was in the sky and nature as a child, since I was pretty much “unchurched.” After my dad died at seven and my mom went into a serious depression, I found my heavenly Papa in our Bible in the 23rd Psalm. I’ve experienced God through the way my sacred imagination interacts with the character of God: Slipping into Worship music, peeking out as a little girl from the folds of His robe, through red balloons, where sea meets sky, delight in me from a friend, OLD grape vines in vineyards, a tearful smile, warm bread, Wizard of Oz/The Play in London, Design Team work at conference, the breath of a puppy, prayer on my face in a child’s room, books from authors like Ken Gire, C.S. Lewis, Dallas Willard, and Randy Acorn, the smell of a rose, a cotton-candy sunset, breaking open a large sand dollar to find the doves inside, a plane takes off, the compassion of a resident during grand rounds, a game of hide and seek, an old cathedral in New York City, shopping at my favorite Christian Bookstore, playing tag in my car, the Bible verse that you’ve read over and over but never saw that “word” in it, the light’s on my Christmas Tree, a snow capped mountain, playing Cannon in D on the violin, the births of four baby girls, Beth Moore‘s “Stepping Up” Bible Study, a second marriage to the the same husband 😉 in renewal of vows, a friendship fountain garden, Fourth of July Fireworks at the beach, a hand-written note, meals, yes decadent chocolate cake (thanks Kris Ann), the “swoosh” sound of the robe of Christ, warm water therapy, text messages that come with beauty and God’s Truth, during a quiet prayer time: the “calving” sounds from a glacier, laughter from the dining room table, recognition no one could earn, cold water at a funeral, the first steps of my 8 month old, words “in my head” that could never be my own, holding my husband’s hand, Amazing Grace/The Movie, my first step off the boardwalk at the beach into the sand/as numerous as His thoughts about me. . .
Bottom line is. . .be open. . .
God can show up anywhere, anytime and anyplace to make His Presence known to you.
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