Today while on holidays I have finally dug into the depth of my bedroom closet to clean out and re-organize. Wow did I collect a lot of stuff; however I found some treasures in there too. Below is something I wrote in May 2002 and still holds very true today.
I think some of you may have heard the song 'Coat of many Colors' that Dolly Parton sang many years ago. I was thinking of this song a couple of weeks ago and realized that I too have a coat of many colors. You see every piece of colored fabric that is in my coat is a piece of my life. Some pieces are bright and cheery and represent good things in my journey called life. And other pieces are dark and dreadful looking; tattered and torn. Those pieces are when life was rougher. But there is one thing that holds all these pieces together ~ God's grace. The thread that puts shape to my coat of many colors is God's grace.
There have been many times when God had tears in his eyes and a broken heart as he sewed another piece into my coat of times when I chose to walk away from God and do my own thing. Yet ever so carefully he sewed another piece, calling my name as he wove the thread of grace into my coat. And there were of course days his smile filled all of heaven when I walked according to his will and plans for me. I communed with him because I loved him and waited in his presence. Those are the colorful pieces he sewed that day.
In my journey I have learned that I can wear this coat without shame. Others may look at it and say it's ugly, tattered and torn. That I should be ashamed to wear such a garment. But I know in my heart that for every piece of fabric in my coat, God has placed it there. Everything in my life has gone through God's filter.
As for my coat; I don't know if I only have one sleeve or if there is two or even if the body has started to take shape. But I know that God will continue to add pieces of fabric woven by his grace to my coat.
I want to encourage you that if you have a coat like mine that is tattered and torn; wear it proudly but not boastfully. Know that God has a time and place for everything, even when we think we know what is best.
So today when I step out into my day I will be wearing my coat of many colors; will you?
Monday, August 17, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Generational Gap
I think I have realized I am no longer in my 20's!! And I am quickly closing out on my 30's too!!
Last night I was at a friends place as her youngest daughter celebrated her sweet 16th birthday. There was a moment or two or three during the span of the evening that I realized I am getting older. The first moment was when the 5 young girls were all gathered in the living room to open gifts. They were giggling and shrieking over the oddest things. One of the girls would say something that to myself and my friend meant nothing but to them it was hilarious as they giggled with glee. I have to admit it was interesting to watch them; it was kind of like watching a new species of sorts. I observed how they interacted with each other, how they supported and comforted each other, how they made sure that not one hair on any of their heads was out of place, that they wore the oh so perfect outfit and the must have accessories to match. They appeared to not have one single care in the world. I guess with school out it is much easier to live carefree at least for the summer. They giggled about boys, about gifts that were given and even giggled about the gift bag that gift was brought in. (I didn't understand that one at all!)
As the girls stayed gathered in the living my friend and I were in the kitchen. I watched her do her motherly household clean up things before we settled down for a quick game of scrabble. Because you know that is what we 'older' ladies do....we play scrabble! We don't seem to giggle much anymore, the thought of boys doesn't make are faces blush red like it use to. We are careful with the words we choose to say to each other making sure no offense is offered or taken....there doesn't seem to be carefree words spoken much and when it does happen we need to clarify the understanding it was spoken in.
Now we did have times of laughter as we struggled to find words to spell. Do you have any idea how hard it is to play when the first word on the board is JOB!! I say the 'J' cuts off that part of the board from ever being expanded on!!!
At the movie theatre we made sure they didn't sit by us (I am sure you will understand why) and again they did things differently then people my age. Some were giggling (they do that ALOT), some were listening to their iPod even in the company of friends AND were able to engage in the conversation while listening to the iPod. Sometimes when chatting with my friends I wonder if I heard every thing they said never mind multi tasking!
It was an interesting evening to say the least. I think I uttered a few times I wish I was young again (also uttered I am getting old!), but I know for sure I don't want to be younger then 25 in today's world. It is not nice out there anymore. Jobs are not easy to come by, school and post secondary school is more important then ever before. The price of school is out of this world and it takes way too long to pay back the student loans before you get to enjoy the occupation you chose to be in.
See I don’t have children to watch as they go through life but I am grateful that God has allowed me to peak into my friends lives as they raise their children.
Last night I was at a friends place as her youngest daughter celebrated her sweet 16th birthday. There was a moment or two or three during the span of the evening that I realized I am getting older. The first moment was when the 5 young girls were all gathered in the living room to open gifts. They were giggling and shrieking over the oddest things. One of the girls would say something that to myself and my friend meant nothing but to them it was hilarious as they giggled with glee. I have to admit it was interesting to watch them; it was kind of like watching a new species of sorts. I observed how they interacted with each other, how they supported and comforted each other, how they made sure that not one hair on any of their heads was out of place, that they wore the oh so perfect outfit and the must have accessories to match. They appeared to not have one single care in the world. I guess with school out it is much easier to live carefree at least for the summer. They giggled about boys, about gifts that were given and even giggled about the gift bag that gift was brought in. (I didn't understand that one at all!)
As the girls stayed gathered in the living my friend and I were in the kitchen. I watched her do her motherly household clean up things before we settled down for a quick game of scrabble. Because you know that is what we 'older' ladies do....we play scrabble! We don't seem to giggle much anymore, the thought of boys doesn't make are faces blush red like it use to. We are careful with the words we choose to say to each other making sure no offense is offered or taken....there doesn't seem to be carefree words spoken much and when it does happen we need to clarify the understanding it was spoken in.
Now we did have times of laughter as we struggled to find words to spell. Do you have any idea how hard it is to play when the first word on the board is JOB!! I say the 'J' cuts off that part of the board from ever being expanded on!!!
At the movie theatre we made sure they didn't sit by us (I am sure you will understand why) and again they did things differently then people my age. Some were giggling (they do that ALOT), some were listening to their iPod even in the company of friends AND were able to engage in the conversation while listening to the iPod. Sometimes when chatting with my friends I wonder if I heard every thing they said never mind multi tasking!
It was an interesting evening to say the least. I think I uttered a few times I wish I was young again (also uttered I am getting old!), but I know for sure I don't want to be younger then 25 in today's world. It is not nice out there anymore. Jobs are not easy to come by, school and post secondary school is more important then ever before. The price of school is out of this world and it takes way too long to pay back the student loans before you get to enjoy the occupation you chose to be in.
See I don’t have children to watch as they go through life but I am grateful that God has allowed me to peak into my friends lives as they raise their children.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
I will Rise
It is Saturday night before Easter Sunday morning and I am scrolling through iTunes looking for a christian radio station, I have found a few and before I know it I am reflecting on today and what it means to me. The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is a day of hope...a day of waiting....a day of belief or unbelief. On Good Friday God's Son Jesus was put to death for us, on Saturday there was grieving and disbelief but on Sunday just as God's word promised on the third day Jesus arose from the dead. He has beaten death!! Today yes today Jesus is still alive and will never die!!
Yesterday there was a Vernon church ministrial joint Good Friday service at the Wesbild Centre. For the second time I was part of the worship team and that experience in itself was awesome! From my vantage point the service appeared to be well attended. Of course there are always people who complain...it was too cold (people it is a hockey arena...dress for it!), the sound was too loud or not loud enough, it was too dark, we could not see the words, the service was too long or too short, it wasn't traditional enough, different people need to lead the service...and the list goes on. Are people really so self centred that they missed the whole reason as to why we gathered together united as one local church body?!
Pastor Eric Reimer delivered the message and in his opening prayer he thanked God for sending His one and only son for us. Eric and his wife just had a baby boy 10 days earlier and you could hear his voice crack as he realized he could never give his son for anyone and yet God have his ONE AND ONLY son for us, for you and for me. Do we really understand what God did for us....do I really understand what God did for me? It is easier to give a life for someone in kingship or someone who is looked upon highly and yet God gave His son for us, we are sinners; we are not kings or queens, we are not leadership, in fact we are barely known even by our own neighbours and yet He still sent His son!
You know the homeless person you pass on the street begging for food or money, God sent His son for that person too. Some of you gasp thinking you are better then that person and yet really you are not...I am not. There are only two types of people; believers in Christ and non-believers of Christ. If the homeless person is a believer in Christ I am his equal, we are both joint heirs with Jesus, we both have been given the gift of eternal salvation, we both have our sins forgiven and we both will one day be face to face with Jesus! Oh there is so much more that God has for us when we believe in Him, much more then most can comprehend.
So what about the non-believers of Christ? I know there is only one way to have eternal life...one way to have a passport to heaven and that is to surrender completely to God realizing you need Him as your personal saviour, asking Him to be Lord in your life and accepting Him into your heart. Jesus is the only way for us to have eternal life and salvation. In John 14:6 the Bible says Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Yet so many people refuse to believe there is a God or that they have to surrender and repent. They think they can do life on their own terms, their own rules and be accountable to no one. These people are generally very proud self providing and often successful individuals. They don't need anyone else; they can do it all, until their world falls apart around them. Some will turn very quickly to remedies that have worked for them previously and others having tryng those previous remedies for awhile will cry out to God and He will hear their cry. The ones that never cry out are locked into a vicious cycle that they may never get out of.
Then there is the generally "good" people, ones who live healthly lives, hold down great jobs, raised their children to be good citizens of their community. You've seen them...the soccer mom's, the family that is always at the park together laughing and having a blast. The ones with the nice house who invite you over for coffee or sometimes a BBQ. You never hear them swear and you never see them drink alcohol either so on the outside they appear to have it all together. But what about the inside? What about the condition of their heart with their creator? If they were to die tomorrow would they go to heaven or hell? Both places are very real, heaven will be a glourious place to live, hell will be torture. Do "good" people need Jesus? YES!!!
And the total opposite side of the coin are people who don't think they are good enough for God and Jesus. Oh how they are being lied to by the enemy of this world! You know people like this you see them everyday. Sometimes they look a lot like the ones who are "good" people but all too often they wear their shame and guilt like ratty old clothes. Sometimes life has just handed them one bad deal after the other and they feel as through they brought it on themselves. They are constantly beaten down by lies of being told you will never grow up, you can't do this, you are not good enough, you will never be anything, why were you born? These people don't know what unconditional love feels like, most of their lives love has had strings attached or hoops to have jumped through. Do these people need Jesus? YES!!!
Do you know that Jesus died a criminals death? In fact there were two criminals crucified with Jesus when He died. God's son hung NAILED to a cross between two other crosses that had criminals NAILED to them. Jesus a man who knew no sin, who was born innocent and sinless died like an everyday ordinary criminal. He was sentanced to death and yet commmitted no punishable crime!
As for believers there are many types of them too unfortunately. Some believe they only have to read and obey parts of the bible, usually the parts that already fit nicely into their lives without having to make a whole lot of changes in their lives. Often you will hear them say "oh God won't judge me after all He knows my heart". If you are that type of beleiver becareful as God cleary says in the Bible if you are lukewarm He will spit you out!
Some believe that because they accepted Jesus into their heart as a child or even a young adult they think they are ok, that God won't forget them when He takes His children home to heaven. If that is you how can you be sure God won't forget you? Unless the bible backs up your thinking or belief you too must becareful.
I realize some of my family will read this and I know we are not all on the same page when it comes to God. We are a blended combination of everything I have mentioned above and even things not mentioned. I pray for my family often and my heart aches at times for them. I know I cannot force them to make a decision just as I can't force any of you who are reading this. I do know that God's word will not return empty and I know my family has heard His word spoken over the years. I love my family...each and every one of them!!
It is now dark outside much like the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I know tomorrow when my eyes open that I will be going to church to celebrate, praise, worship and adore my saviour who IS risen from the dead!
So as the title of this post is 'I will Rise'...I will one day rise with Him!
Amen.
Yesterday there was a Vernon church ministrial joint Good Friday service at the Wesbild Centre. For the second time I was part of the worship team and that experience in itself was awesome! From my vantage point the service appeared to be well attended. Of course there are always people who complain...it was too cold (people it is a hockey arena...dress for it!), the sound was too loud or not loud enough, it was too dark, we could not see the words, the service was too long or too short, it wasn't traditional enough, different people need to lead the service...and the list goes on. Are people really so self centred that they missed the whole reason as to why we gathered together united as one local church body?!
Pastor Eric Reimer delivered the message and in his opening prayer he thanked God for sending His one and only son for us. Eric and his wife just had a baby boy 10 days earlier and you could hear his voice crack as he realized he could never give his son for anyone and yet God have his ONE AND ONLY son for us, for you and for me. Do we really understand what God did for us....do I really understand what God did for me? It is easier to give a life for someone in kingship or someone who is looked upon highly and yet God gave His son for us, we are sinners; we are not kings or queens, we are not leadership, in fact we are barely known even by our own neighbours and yet He still sent His son!
You know the homeless person you pass on the street begging for food or money, God sent His son for that person too. Some of you gasp thinking you are better then that person and yet really you are not...I am not. There are only two types of people; believers in Christ and non-believers of Christ. If the homeless person is a believer in Christ I am his equal, we are both joint heirs with Jesus, we both have been given the gift of eternal salvation, we both have our sins forgiven and we both will one day be face to face with Jesus! Oh there is so much more that God has for us when we believe in Him, much more then most can comprehend.
So what about the non-believers of Christ? I know there is only one way to have eternal life...one way to have a passport to heaven and that is to surrender completely to God realizing you need Him as your personal saviour, asking Him to be Lord in your life and accepting Him into your heart. Jesus is the only way for us to have eternal life and salvation. In John 14:6 the Bible says Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Yet so many people refuse to believe there is a God or that they have to surrender and repent. They think they can do life on their own terms, their own rules and be accountable to no one. These people are generally very proud self providing and often successful individuals. They don't need anyone else; they can do it all, until their world falls apart around them. Some will turn very quickly to remedies that have worked for them previously and others having tryng those previous remedies for awhile will cry out to God and He will hear their cry. The ones that never cry out are locked into a vicious cycle that they may never get out of.
Then there is the generally "good" people, ones who live healthly lives, hold down great jobs, raised their children to be good citizens of their community. You've seen them...the soccer mom's, the family that is always at the park together laughing and having a blast. The ones with the nice house who invite you over for coffee or sometimes a BBQ. You never hear them swear and you never see them drink alcohol either so on the outside they appear to have it all together. But what about the inside? What about the condition of their heart with their creator? If they were to die tomorrow would they go to heaven or hell? Both places are very real, heaven will be a glourious place to live, hell will be torture. Do "good" people need Jesus? YES!!!
And the total opposite side of the coin are people who don't think they are good enough for God and Jesus. Oh how they are being lied to by the enemy of this world! You know people like this you see them everyday. Sometimes they look a lot like the ones who are "good" people but all too often they wear their shame and guilt like ratty old clothes. Sometimes life has just handed them one bad deal after the other and they feel as through they brought it on themselves. They are constantly beaten down by lies of being told you will never grow up, you can't do this, you are not good enough, you will never be anything, why were you born? These people don't know what unconditional love feels like, most of their lives love has had strings attached or hoops to have jumped through. Do these people need Jesus? YES!!!
Do you know that Jesus died a criminals death? In fact there were two criminals crucified with Jesus when He died. God's son hung NAILED to a cross between two other crosses that had criminals NAILED to them. Jesus a man who knew no sin, who was born innocent and sinless died like an everyday ordinary criminal. He was sentanced to death and yet commmitted no punishable crime!
As for believers there are many types of them too unfortunately. Some believe they only have to read and obey parts of the bible, usually the parts that already fit nicely into their lives without having to make a whole lot of changes in their lives. Often you will hear them say "oh God won't judge me after all He knows my heart". If you are that type of beleiver becareful as God cleary says in the Bible if you are lukewarm He will spit you out!
Some believe that because they accepted Jesus into their heart as a child or even a young adult they think they are ok, that God won't forget them when He takes His children home to heaven. If that is you how can you be sure God won't forget you? Unless the bible backs up your thinking or belief you too must becareful.
I realize some of my family will read this and I know we are not all on the same page when it comes to God. We are a blended combination of everything I have mentioned above and even things not mentioned. I pray for my family often and my heart aches at times for them. I know I cannot force them to make a decision just as I can't force any of you who are reading this. I do know that God's word will not return empty and I know my family has heard His word spoken over the years. I love my family...each and every one of them!!
It is now dark outside much like the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I know tomorrow when my eyes open that I will be going to church to celebrate, praise, worship and adore my saviour who IS risen from the dead!
So as the title of this post is 'I will Rise'...I will one day rise with Him!
Amen.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Coldest winter in 15 years!!
I heard on the news tonight that this March is the coldest Vernon has had in 15 years!! I moved here in February 1994 and don't remember seeing this much snow still on the ground on March 10! Usually by now we can see grass and think of dusting off the golf clubs but not this year.
I personally can't wait for Spring. I can't wait to see the new blooms, the smell of fresh cut grass, the 'ping' as the golf club hits the golf ball, the slow pitch games to watch in the evenings and of course the anticipation of warmer days ahead. My shorts and tank tops have been packed away far to long now. I look forward to wearing those clothes this year as I am 35 pounds lighter then I was last spring but I am not sure they will fit; I'll deal with that issue later. I have 5 pounds that keep coming and going so some days I am actually down 40 pounds....I need to convince those 5 pounds to stay off and to take some more with them!!
I am excited to see what God has in store for my life as we approach spring. It is the season for new growth and I really feel God is birthing and growing some great things within me.
I can't wait to plant the grass in the pots on the deck. My lawnmower is a pair of scissors if you can imagine! I just love seeing the pots of green grass growing and the smell of fresh cut grass even if it is cut by a pair of scissors.
Hurry up Spring! You're late!!
I personally can't wait for Spring. I can't wait to see the new blooms, the smell of fresh cut grass, the 'ping' as the golf club hits the golf ball, the slow pitch games to watch in the evenings and of course the anticipation of warmer days ahead. My shorts and tank tops have been packed away far to long now. I look forward to wearing those clothes this year as I am 35 pounds lighter then I was last spring but I am not sure they will fit; I'll deal with that issue later. I have 5 pounds that keep coming and going so some days I am actually down 40 pounds....I need to convince those 5 pounds to stay off and to take some more with them!!
I am excited to see what God has in store for my life as we approach spring. It is the season for new growth and I really feel God is birthing and growing some great things within me.
I can't wait to plant the grass in the pots on the deck. My lawnmower is a pair of scissors if you can imagine! I just love seeing the pots of green grass growing and the smell of fresh cut grass even if it is cut by a pair of scissors.
Hurry up Spring! You're late!!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)