By Leeny | August 13, 2008
The house is quiet once again. I love the late hours more than I should, but it is so refreshing to my spirit to unwind in the quiet sounds of night time. To all of you early morning risers… I admire you, and hope to be more like you one day, but I do love the moonlight. :)
August in NC is unusually mild this year, much to our enjoyment. What a pleasant surprise to have relatively cooler days and nights than usual! Gardens and produce fields are fairly bursting with their abundance of fruits and vegetables. It’s incredible how much food I have processed for almost no price, from apples in my neighbor’s back yard to blueberries and strawberries from Dad’s awesome patch (thank-you, Dad, for all your hard work in the gardens and your generosity with the outcome!), to corn and melons in our own garden, tomatoes from the local produce farm, etc. We are blessed beyond words. Last week, I spent the day with two friends, making veggie soup. We had a virtual blast filling a tub with gallons and gallons of all sorts of vegetables and meat and broth. We squealed with delight when the last of 60 quarts were filled and when we divided the cost after all our garden and pantry donations, it came to about 4 dollars each! What an incredible blessing that soup will be this winter. It is a joy to be physically able to do all this, too. I hope I will never again take my health for granted.
Thank-you, God.
Yesterday was a somber time of reliving memories of when our dear brother friend Isaac drowned in Honduras 5 months ago. We ask ourselves, what have we learned? Has Isaac’s life and death done in our hearts what God intended? Have we responded in a way that our own hearts are more conditioned for life and death?
As I pondered, I realized that we cannot even see all that God has done in our hearts through this tragedy. But my own personal response is overwhelming gratitude for Isaac’s life… the things he taught me while he was here. Some of you will understand… but I just want to mention a few things that I’m deeply grateful for.
Thank-you, Isaac…
For teaching me so much about the value of genuine honesty,
For showing us what true friendship is; for examplifyng compassion and care at its best,
For teaching me so much about true intercession and faith, inspired by eternal love,
For your quiet, gentle voice,
For the way you loved little children, and showed us how to yearn to be like them,
For your artwork and photography, sweet treasures to our aching hearts,
For forgiving,
For searching,
For living your life with purpose,
For seeking your purpose,
For finding your life in Him,
For making a difference,
And for leaving us with a vibrant hope of eternity.
I love to think of you now… completely at rest in your spirit, no more worries, safe with God Himself. I love to imagine you stepping from this life into LIFE eternal, with wonder and delight in your Heaven-filled eyes. I love to think of your faith becoming sight at last. Isaac, I hope God lets you see the reality of how much we love you, and how grateful we are for who you were here with us. You changed my life for eternity.
I miss you…
I am thankful, too, for all the sweet friendships shared with those of us left waiting our turns. So many friends have grown dearer than ever as we are bonded closely in this journey of deep grief. Then there are some precious new ones that I cannot imagine life without today. Thank-you, God!
Topics: Family | 4 Comments »
A Day On The Lake!!
By Leeny | August 6, 2008
You don’t know how much you need a break until you take one. We left our house early Monday morning with my sister and her hubby who were visiting us, and spent the day cruising a beautiful lake, enjoying the water and each other while roasting deliciously in the sun. As I stretched out on the comfy boat seats and gazed at the sky, I felt myself relaxing from the inside out. We needed this day. My hubby grinned from his position of driver… he was totally enjoying his birthday bonus. He deserved it.
The girls enjoyed their day on the water immensely, too. EG and Jaime loved the tubing and especially jumping from the tube to swim to the boat… anything for some time in the water.
A few other pictures.
Topics: Family | 7 Comments »
As heard from one friend to encourage another…
By Leeny | July 21, 2008
“ Here I go with my hard sayings again, but I keep thinking of a little seed we plant. It grows first of all maybe one a beautiful flower and while it is there nobody sees it much but it can see an feel the warm sunshine and feels a measure of safety and familiarity. When the flower starts fading, that little seed is ready for something, but first of all it gets stripped away from it’s hiding place either by the wind or some strong hand;
However it happens, that little seed has a lot of potential that will only be fulfilled one way…So into the ground that dear little thing goes, buried beneath the cold unforgiving soil where it can no longer see the hand that buried it and the warmth of the sunshine is distant at the most. How forsaken it must feel! I wonder what it would say if it could speak… Do you think it longs to see or at least feel the sunshine? But it’s left to a lonely death with no evidence that there is any future ahead—
Why does a seed even begin to grow out of such a miserable state? How can it? If you will notice= it doesn’t begin either until a bunch of rain (trials? tears?) dumps on it… more misery, we think. And why does the gardener smile when it rains?
I wonder… what could ever grow up out of such conditions? But it does. What is inside that little seed? A promise, a life, a future beautiful and perfec t(it can’t change into something less)… Why then must it go through this death process so brutal? But something stirs deep inside as the sun begins to draw life through the dark soil. The sun is there, unchanged, warm and faithful- real, alive. The seed can’t feel it’s direct rays but it knows somehow that it’s up there somewhere.
Brave little seed, you will grow if you reach for the sun… You feel forsaken, but you are not. The sun is warm and true above your cold coverings. You will see it soon if you yield yourself to the Hand that tends you. Oh, how He must long to uncover you and protect you from death. But He knows it would ruin you… and so He waits for the rose.
Hey, and just for your encouragement, I see a little seed hurting like crazy all cracked and splintered cause there is new green life bursting up from inside of him… COURAGE, my friend! We love you very much.”
Topics: Family | 5 Comments »
By Leeny | July 18, 2008
“A GOOD MARRIAGE IS MADE OF TWO VERY GOOD FORGIVERS.”
It’s true.
Out of all the good forgivers in the world, how did it come to be that mine is the best? I’m not worthy, but I’m thankful to God, and to him.
Topics: Family | 3 Comments »
Kindness
By Leeny | June 30, 2008
- People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
- If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
- If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
- If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
- The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
- Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
- For you see, in the end, it is between you and Him.
- It was never between you and them anyway.
-mother teresa
Topics: Musings | 8 Comments »
My prayer today…
By Leeny | June 21, 2008
Lord, teach me how to let You love through me fearlessly. Teach me how to trust You to keep my heart pure and my motives right in every circumstance You allow. My heart is bleeding, God. How must Your heart bleed much more. Here we are, living in America where Christianity has subconciously become a form to many of us. There are so many faces here, faces that are caught in the swift current of activity and the spoil of instant plenty. Behind those faces live hearts… so many broken hearts, because of broken lives- broken by sin and the great famine of true love in our land. Many of those faces have become a facade of happiness… just a facade. I think of Your Son Jesus, and I know if He would be here, He would be going about touching those hearts with such a profound love that the tears would finally release, and He would bring healing through His eternal love and forgiveness. Oh, God, how can so much pain and fear and rejection remain buried and uncared for when so many profess Your love with their mouth?
So please, God, please make us willing vessels of Your love, sanctified and full of Your Spirit and wisdom! Please make us willing to walk humbly and quietly like Jesus did, and not fear the devil’s darts of suspicion and misunderstanding around us. Help us to love quietly and deeply, ready at any moment to lay down our life for those You love. Thank-you so much for Your distinct call to be a friend to sinners. Thank-you for loving me, a sinner.
In Jesus’ name I offer this prayer…
Topics: Family | 8 Comments »
Popping in for a little joy release…
By Leeny | June 6, 2008
Looking at that title, I feel a twinge of guilt. How quickly things can change. I should admit that yesterday I was just plain grouchy and I didn’t like myself at all. I don’t know all the whys, but I do know that it was the first day home after a flying trip to PA with just one of my girlies. The other two were cared for by cousin and aunt at home, so we were all having quite the day blending our lives again yesterday.
But, after some TLC for all four of us, and some spontaneous tears for all four of us, some nice long naps, and Daddy’s good solid presence in the evening… my heart was once again thankful and dislike for myself just inspired me to gratefulness for Who God is in my life. And that is why I am out to express joy this morning.
Sometimes I feel like a special needs child in the eyes of God. I learn slowly and mess up so often, but He never gets impatient with me (unlike me with my girls). He just loves me and remains what He always is… a strong tower and refuge for my heart to run to and find strength to go on in faith, in spite of circumstances. He doesn’t deny my sin either, but when my heart is overwhelmed by its fickleness, He stands by with forgiveness in His heart, grace on His lips, and love in His touch. My heart responds with humble gratitude when I see Him for who He is, and once again, I love Him more deeply than before.
Thank-you, Lord, from the depths of my heart. I want to be more like You.
Topics: Family | 9 Comments »
A new little angel…
By Leeny | May 30, 2008
My little cousin has battled with leukemia for 1 1/2 years now. This morning, she got home ahead of us, and is now safe in the arms of Jesus. It’s not hard to imagine her being scooped up in Isaac’s arms as well, and hearing his gentle words, “Hey, what’s going on, little girl? Who are you?” I wonder what he’ll say when he finds out that Janelle’s big cousin was sort of his big sister. I bet he will keep tabs on her just because…
Once again- joy and pain so closely intertwined, they are one…
Please pray for Janelle’s Mommy and Daddy and her brothers and sisters who love and miss her so much (Darren, Rodney, Becky, and Sherilyn).
Click here to see a slideshow of Janelle and her family
Topics: Family | 6 Comments »