Friday, May 30, 2014

Change

My very first vlog!
Please be forgiving,
and forgive my early morning, high pitched greeting.
I'm learning.
 
And remember,
God sees, and you matter to Him.
 
So very blessed by you,
Shelli 
 

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Stumps

 
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I ran over another one," he said shakily.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, but the blade is bent."

**

 Five beautiful treed acres
 

can be intimidating
on that riding lawn mower
for one good reason -
tree stumps.

 
Hitting those stumps is unnerving.
And they seem to outnumber the grains of sand.
 
After the last soaking rain,
the ground has softened.
The stumps' surrounding soil shriveled causing the stumps to be more prevalent ...
more dangerous.
And he took fire to as many tree stumps as he could find.
 
 
After a good burning, monitored closely,
the stumps fell apart.
Taking a shovel, he removed the fragments.
Thankfully, due to the storms, the softened ground made for easier removal.
Those stumps will never be encountered again.
 
  
The tree stumps in our lives are present.
We think we have resolved problems in our lives
only to discover unresolved roots still present.
The tree has been cut down,
but the stump remains.

Bitterness
Anger

Yeah.

Mom and Dad divorced when I was a child.

Yeah.
 
They often lie dormant until life's rains fall.
The stump's surrounding fragile foundation shrivels,
and the stump raises its ugly head.
 
We run into them.
We stumble and fall.
We are bent and broken.
 
If we don't allow God
- the owner of our life's property,
our sure foundation -
to handle issues,
after the storms,
 while soil is soft,
setting holy fire and getting to the root,
we'll fall apart with the next good stiff breeze.
 
  
One of life's greatest feats is overcoming life's defeats.
 
 
 


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Sweet 16


She rode all the way to her grandmother's house
sandwiched between her grandfather and her grandmother
in the front seat of that Buick Regal.
She squealed, "Ma-Maw, your squashing me!"
And her grandmother laughed herself silly.
Never had she heard anyone use the word "squash" as a verb.
(And her grandmother never let her forget it!)
Oh, the minute the car drove up the long, sandy driveway
- the sand that had felt so good and cool between her toes -
bypassing the baseball beaten mailbox,
Charlie-horse, the cows and guineas, the peach trees,
and pulled up to that
old frame house on that Texas county road,
she pelted out the car door,
threw open the front door,
made a bee-line to the bedroom,
pounced on the old handmade, quilt laden twin bed,
and joyfully exclaimed,
"Home, sweet home!"

***
 
The house - gone.
The quilts and beds - burned in the fire.
But the memories - live forever.

Oh yes ...
there is nothing quite like home.

 
 
 
Even with all the critters hanging around ...
 
 
View from inside the house.


Side view as it moved to door frame.

And this is one little critter I love to see hanging around this home ...
 
 
 
 
She's "Sweet 16."
Oh, yes she is.
 
 
 
 
Over sixteen years ago,
I thought I might never have a family.
But God gave us Karalee.
 
Years prior to that,
my surgeon stood over my hospital bed
and said that I'd have a 50% chance of conception.
A family - out of grasp.
The tears cried - countless.
Having a family was my childhood dream.
 
My husband had always wanted to adopt.
We took a step out in faith.
That step felt good ...
so good.
 
I clung to God with my every breath.
He rescued me -
I discovered that knowing Him was
my true childhood dream.
It felt so freeing to say:
Your will, not mine.
Close the door; keep it open.
What a roller coaster of a ride!
 
Praise God! He threw open that door! 
 
One year old, 1999
 She has made our lives so sweet.
She has made our lives "home, sweet home."
She has driven our lives with laughter,
pounced our hearts with love,
made a bee-line to give us memories to last an eternity ...
a journal full to forever bring laughter and joy.
And she loves blue, Jesus, and children.
 
It's hard to think of her pelting out the door to leave home one day.



 
But I know God has a plan for her life ...
His perfect path for her ...
an amazing ride ...
starting on this Texas county road.
And, from every angle, I have peace.
Wherever God leads her ...
I'll go!
(just teasing! Well ...?)


Sisters celebrating birthday at Disney World

He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord.
Psalm 113:9

 

 


Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Doubt

Standing in the church parking lot,
with a dear friend, through tears,
she cried, "I'm not sure."
Only in her twenties,
nothing else mattered in that moment but
her eternal security.
With mascara streaks staining her distressed face,
freedom from doubt was her deepest desire.

**

As a child, I accepted Christ as my Savior.
Details became vague as years progressed.
Did I say the right things?
Did I mean it in my heart?
"Mom, please refresh my mind of the details." 
Doubt.
 
What does "doubt" mean?
I'm not sure? I don't know? Maybe; maybe not? 

When we aren't walking with God, inevitably, doubt creeps in.
God never leaves us, but we often leave Him. 
When we leave God's side,
we won't believe what we know is true. 
Doubt.

The doubting drew me closely to God.
He helped me realize -
victory over doubt is achievable.
The cure to doubt is to draw securely to God's side.
God time.

Since walking with God,
grabbing hold of that relationship offered so many years back,
and delving into His Word ...
my heart doesn't doubt ... my heart doesn't ache for security.

The relationship with your earthly father is a perfect example
(use another relative/friend as an example if you need to) --
 
You know he's your father.
You communicate.
He's made it clear you are his.
You don't doubt it because ...
it's truth ...
it's your life ...
it's who you are ...
it's your relationship ...
why would you doubt it?
You don't have to doubt.
 
**

The word "doubt" seems misspelled, doesn't it?
What letter doesn't belong?
"B"
 
When we doubt, like the letter "B" ...
there may be a silence in our lives that doesn't belong -
a lack, a void ...
lack of God time ...
lack of Father time.
 
The enemy swarms, hiding in shadows, stinging with silent whispers:
"You couldn't be saved."
"Could you really be saved?"
"You can't be sure."
"You'll never be sure."
"You will never be secure."

Beware.



 
 When we draw securely to God's side,
without a doubt,
we will be secure.
 
Why?
It's truth ...
it's your life ...
it's who you are ...
it's your relationship ...
why would you doubt it?
You don't have to doubt.
 
Doubt Only Undermines Biblical Truth
 
Without a shadow of a doubt -
 
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified,
and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 10:9-10 

Believe.
Be sure.
Be secure.
 
 

 
 


Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Grace


Once upon a time
there was a
mother.
She made a catastrophic decision
to build her home here ...
 
 
 
 
The house was darling.
Right on the instruction manual,
the house was declared to be danger free.
But, unbeknownst to the mother,
 it was a dangerous place.
It was intended to be a tearoom, not a home.
The structure was weak,
and the location
left them vulnerable to predators -
predators that would steal, kill, and destroy.

There were three little ones.
Then there was one.
And now the little has been abandoned.
It will never thrive.
The End.
 
 
 
 
As mothers,
upon close inspection ...
the mistakes are many.
 
 
 
 

Peer more closely to see
mistakes that have hurt
ourselves,
our children,
our families,
our futures.
Costly mistakes.
 
 
 
 
Closer examination reveals ... 
the past can't be changed.
But the future can.
 

 
 
This Mother's Day,
offer grace to your mother.
Offer the same grace that you need extended.
 
And ask for grace.
We all make mistakes.

Don't miss the opportunity to give and take grace.
 
 
 
 
Resentment and bitterness are predators
that steal and kill.
They'll rob your heart,
your peace,
your joy,
your family.
They'll "turn and tear you to pieces" (Mt 7:6).

But ...
make no mistake,
purely and simply,
grace is a "happily ever after" beautiful gift.

How will your story end?

May your Mother's Day be graced.