I Found God In Patience...

Don't get me wrong... I don't actually have any patience left! It's only been 5 days since school let out for the summer and my kids are driving each other (and me!) c-r-a-z-y! If you've ever seen the cartoon, Tom & Jerry, those two characters are the epitome of my kids... 90% of the time they are at each others' throats while the 10% of the time, they are working together in peace and harmony... albeit to gang up on someone else...!

The hard thing about summertime, is that there is too much "dead" time during the day. We do household chores, read books, visit the library, run errands, have "screen" time, go swimming, attend various camps and vacation Bible schools, etc., but there are still HOURS left in some days where there isn't an activity planned... and that's when the whining starts....

"Mom.... Can I.......?"

"Mom... He's wrecking my train track...!"

"Mom... Can I play DS (again)?"

"Mom... He's hitting me...!"

"MOM...! He hit me first...!"

"MOM...!"

"MOM!"

"MOM!"

"MOM!"

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! If someone ever invented a kid-mute button, he/she would be one rich inventor, for sure! Sometimes, I'd just like to envelope my kids in an entire "Mute Bubble" where they could make all the noise they want... but I wouldn't hear it! *wink!*

Of course, I feel guilty as all get-out for even thinking that... let alone typing it on a public blog for the whole world to read!! But it's true... there are days, when I'm really, really, REALLY weary of all the whining, fighting, complaining, and general noise...!

And I wonder if God ever feels the same way? I guess, because he's the LORD, and all, that he doesn't get weary of our non-stop voices in his ear... Our whining, complaining, berating... our thinking that "if WE were God, we'd do it THIS way..." Our tears, our boo-boo's, our admonishments, our wailing, our overall NEEDINESS!

Did you ever see the movie, Bruce Almighty? Jim Carrey gets a chance to "be" God, and the cacophony of voices in his head - the prayers, the begging, the praises, the requests, the noise from everyone in the world - is too much for him to handle let alone decipher and answer! Fortunately, it's not too much for God.

One of my favorite Christian songs is by Matt Redmon entitled "Never Let Go." The lyrics of the chorus are these:

Oh no, You never let go

Through the calm and through the storm

Oh no, You never let go

In every high and every low

Oh no, You never let go

Lord, You never let go of me

God will never let go of you - or send you away - or tell you that you are annoying Him. He can handle your joys, your sorrows, your highs, your lows, your complaints, your desperation, your fears, your tears. God hears you when you beg for help... or forgiveness... or mercy... or peace. Maybe it might be nice for Him to hear you quietly say (in a moment when it's true!) that "All is well, God. I'm good right now. Thanks!" Maybe He'd appreciate sharing a moment of your peace and quiet with you.... because He is the Father of us all.... And all of HIs kids talking at once sure makes a lot of noise!! :-)

Have a blessed day,
:) Mags

I Found God In "The City..."

Don't think less of me, but I went to see Sex In The City with some girlfriends last night. It must be a testament to God's power because in the midst of a movie filled with broken commandments (coveting, adultry, lying, lust, etc.), He was able to carve out a small niche with a message about forgiveness.

Without giving anything away, I'll tell you that in the movie, Miranda is angry at her husband, Steve, and has not spoken to him in about 6 months for a betrayal. For a separate reason, Carrie becomes angry at Miranda, and after 3 days, Miranda is begging Carrie to forgive her for what she has done to hurt her best friend...

Carrie asks "WHY? WHY should I forgive you after only 3 days when you haven't forgiven your own husband after 6 months?"

Miranda tries to counter with "It's not the same thing..."

...To which Carries replies "Forgiveness is forgiveness!"

Forgiveness. Is. Forgiveness.

That can be so hard for us, can't it? We put "weight" on sin all the time... a little white lie isn't as bad as a bold-faced lie... Lusting after another in your heart and mind isn't as bad as cheating with your body... Dishonoring your parent because he/she really deserves it is oooooo-kay....

But in the eyes of God, sin is sin... and forgiveness is forgiveness.

There is a story about forgiveness in Matthew, Chapter 18. Peter asks Jesus, "How many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?" Jesus replies, "Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven."

Our pastor once said that Jesus isn't telling us to only forgive 490 times and then on the 491th transgression, give up. He's really telling us that we must forgive our neighbor again and again... as much as it takes for the forgiveness to be authentic. Sometimes, that even means forgiving someone all over again, each day, until you feel it in your heart.

*Sigh*... that's so hard!!! :(

But before I start whining about how "that is too hard to do..." or "that person doesn't DESERVE my forgiveness...," perhaps I should think about how hard it was for Jesus to endure the suffering he did even before he was nailed to a wooden cross... the pain he endured, the humiliation he suffered... all so that you...

and you...

and you...

and me...

could have everlasting life in Heaven. Did I deserve that gift? Do I behave in a way every day that shows I DESERVE that sacrifice? I just told you that I spend nearly 3-hours watching a movie glorifying gratutitous sex, didn't I?! No excuses here - I wanted to see the movie. I'm a super-flawed individual who's trying each day to be a better person tomorrow that I was today (which means based on yesterday's activities, I have no where to go but up, right?!).

Lucky for us - God's forgiveness doesn't come wtih contingencies or restrictions... all we have to do is ask Him. And if we are behaving in a Godly manner, all another person should have to do to receive our forgiveness... is ask.

It's not easy... but worth it. Do you have someone in your life who needs your forgiveness?

Have a blessed day,
:) Mags

I Found God In Persistence...

If you've been reading my blog, you know that I'm a "techie girl" - I LOVE technology... I love my computer (most of my friends live in it!), I love my iPod (all of my music is in it), I love our DVR (all of the dumb shows I watch are saved in it!). So of course, when Mother's Day rolled around, and my DH (dear husband) said he'd get me a new phone, I was ecstatic!

Forget diamonds or pearls, my favorite "bling-bling" stores are Best Buy and Cincinnati Bell Wireless! Hmmmmmmm.... smell the fire wire.... hear the ringing of new phones... feel vibrations of gigabytes working... see the flat screens... taste the, er, never mind... nothing to taste in the electronics store! But, you see what I mean... I'll take a 17" Dell laptop over a new bracelet any day! Give me a flat screen TV over a ruby ring in minute! Unroll me a 10" USB cable instead of a 14" gold chain any day of the week!

So when we ventured into the phone store, I was giddy with excitement - I could upgrade from the simple flippy/camera phone to something with some extra bells and whistles. After lots of hemming and hawing and ooh-ing and ahh-ing, I settled on the Blackberry Pearl 8100 in dark gray and silver. AHHHHHHHHHHHH... It was supposed to sync all of my contacts (complete addresses, phone numbers, and email addys) as well as sync my calendar, tasks, and a memo pad with Microsoft Outlook. Even though I use Incredimail for my email program (I want the fun stationery and smileys in all of my emails), I was willing to type in the details of every person I've ever met into Outlook just to have my own custom "white pages" at my fingertips!

Day 1 - Unwrap phone. Immediately email the picture I want as the screen background to my phone. Attempt to email the Buffy The Vampire Slayer theme to set as my ringtone. That part doesn't work. Install software on my computer. Type in nearly 200 contacts into Outlook.

Day 2 - Buy mini SD card for holding photos and ringtones. Load said "stuff" onto the card. Transfer it to the phone. Set ringtone (Yeah... Buffy!!). Try to sync Outlook. Contacts show up but incomplete. Try a multitude of syncing options. Upgrade software via website. Makes it worse - now contacts are showing up as first names only and it's syncing from Outlook Express instead of Outlook. 4 hours later, I'm no closer to an answer. I'll try again tomorrow.

Day 3 - Try to sync Outlook again. Join four different Blackberry forums to gain an answer. Post queries on eBay Techie thread. Uninstall software and reinstall it. Outlook stops being an option on the Blackberry desktop manager at all. Syncing through a .CSV file only causes more problems. Send off aggravated email to the dude who sold us the phone asking for help (no reply...ever, of course). Contemplate tossing phone out the window and writing all of my contacts down on notebook paper. Pray for help. Go to bed.

Day 4 - Deep breath. Start over. Completely remove any software, program, or file with the name "BLACKBERRY" associated with it from my computer. Insert disk. Re-install. Try again. Somehow, a whole new screen appears with lots of syncing options (I swear - I NEVER saw this over the past four days!) - including Microsoft Outlook. Tentatively, holding my breath, I press sync. I pick up my phone, click on "Contacts," and view the results... IT WORKED! WHOO-HOO!!

Names, addresses, phone numbers, and emails are all there! Phone rings the Buffy theme when someone calls me! Background says "MAGS" (so there's no mistaking that it's MY phone!).

And I'm reminded of a quote I once saw by Calvin Coolidge:

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”

God tells us to Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4 NIV)

I'm not sure I felt "joyful" as I was struggling to fix my techie-issue. But, I can say that I felt an immense feeling of satisfaction (ok...it was more of a gloating "I BEAT YOU, BLACKBERRY!") at solving this problem without hiring an expert...! While I would have preferred it to work properly the first day, sometimes the fruit of our efforts is all the sweeter when we have to work for it. God didn't drop a boat down to Noah - he told him to build it himself! Likewise, when we put in some extra sweat (and sometimes tears!), we can accomplish great things - and when we include God in our efforts... those great things become miraculous.

In April, our church, along with another church, built two house frames for Habitat for Humanity. A couple hundred volunteers of all ages came and helped build the walls that would frame two four-bedroom houses for two needy families. The effort was immense - but the rewards were greater. The planning started months before. Even our Children's Ministry got involved with their Sunday offerings (which yielded enough money to build more than 2 walls!). The result was two fully-framed homes ready to be transported to their sites!

God will reward your persistence... your job is to never give up!

I Found God In Some Dumb Bunnies...

My first grade son came home with a poster he'd created for Language Arts. It was a book report on a book called "The Dumb Bunnies." He had to write what the theme or central message was; this is what he wrote:

I think the author's message is if you're too dumb,

you can get in a lot of trouble!"

No kidding!! :)

You could say that when we are "dumb" - that is, when we make decisions separate from God or choices that go against God's Word, we can land ourselves in a heap of trouble. For example...

• Adam and Eve - who disobeyed God's only order, ate from The Tree, and opened a whole can of worms for the rest of us!
• Jonah - who was gobbled up by a big fish and spit back out on the beach when he tried to hide from God.
• Sarah - who did not believe God when he said she would become pregnant.
• Egypt's Pharoah - who held captive the Israelites and endured plagues upon plagues until he finally believed Moses and set them free.
• The Prodigal Son - who thought he knew better, and squandered his inheritance only to return, shamed, penniless, and asking for forgiveness.
• Samson - who, in a weak moment of lust, gives away the secret of his strength - only to have it used against him.
• Lot's Wife - who disobeyed and looked back at the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah... and was turned into a pillar of salt.
• Judas - who betrayed Jesus which leads to his crucifixion

There are countless others - in fact, my husband is sitting beside me as I type this post listing off more and more!! :)

The Bible tells us lots of things about choices and wisdom; here are just a few I found in Proverbs (The Message translation):

Proverbs 16:16 - Get wisdom - it's worth more than money. Choose insight over income every time.

Proverbs 16:21 - A wise person gets known for insight; gracious words add to one's reputation.

Proverbs 16:22 - True intelligence is a pring of fresh water, while fools sweat it out the hard way.

Proverbs 17:21 - Having a fool for a child is misery; its no fun being the parent of a dolt!

Proverbs 17:28 - Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise; as long as they keep their mouths shut, they're smart!

Making a wise decision requires being informed. You wouldn't go out and buy a house or a car without doing the necessary research, would you? When you buy a house, you interview mortgage lenders, do home inspections, check out the neighborhood. You test-drive a potential car, get reviews from friends who've owned that model, read Consumer Reports. In everything you do, being informed will help you make the best possible decision. And when it comes to living the best possible life, being informed means knowing the guidelines God has set forth for you - it means knowing what's in the Bible.

People ruin their lives by their own stupidity, so why does God always get blamed?
(Proverbs 19:3)

It's easy to blame God when things go wrong. But, when things go wrong, is there any possibility that some decision you made was on a pathway apart from God? Certainly, that's not always the case - BUT, if so, you need to gather yourself up, and reset yourself along the right path, and start again.

Being a "dumb bunny" only leads to trouble, remorse, heartache, and misery. Following God's Word will not totally exempt us from those things - BUT, it will certainly help make things easier for us! Don't have time to read the WHOLE BIBLE...? Start with Proverbs - it's packed with tidbits of wisdom that will help you lead a better life...

To ask a moron to quote a proverb is like putting a scalpel in the hands of a drunk. 26:9

Hire a fool or a drunk and you'll shoot yourself in the foot. 26:10

As a dog eats its own vomit, so fools recycle silliness. 26:11

Discipline your children; you'll be glad you did - they'll turn out delightful to live with. 29:17

A fool lets it all hang out; a sage quietly mulls it over. 29:11

An honest answer is like a warm hug 24:26

I hope you found some honest answers today!

:) Mags

I Found God In Toilet Paper...

If you have children, you know that venturing into a public restroom with a little one can be a small nightmare... kids are too short to use the facilities without draping their little bodies all over the seat or toilet edge, and they touch everything! *shudder!*

Over the last several years, our kids (ages 7 and 4) have learned that it is

BETTER

TO

GO

AT

HOME!

At best, they have me taking them to a public restroom. Covering the toilet seat with toilet paper (if they have the "big" job to do), shielding them from touching anything. At worst, they are stuck with my dear, sweet, wonderful, germ-a-phobic husband; I suspect that my hubby would rather face an angry mob of 3-year olds buzzing "It's A Small World After All" on kazoos than enter a public restroom with a kid. If he doesn't bust out a full haz-mat uniform to shield them from the toxic waste that lurks in men's rooms, the kids consider themselves lucky!

So you see, my kids know the "routine" for a public restroom - at least when they are going in one with Mommy or Daddy...

what they do when nobody is looking...

well..... who knows...?!?!?!

Which is why I was stunned last week when my four-year old had to do B-I-G business at the fitness center. He had already left the kids' area, but we were still close by. I figured that there was a lesser chance of nastiness in the kiddie toilets so we checked back into kiddie-land, and I let him in the boys room... solo. Waiting outside, I started to hear this "Ow! ow! ow! Mommy, HELP!" I went in (asked permission first from the workers!), and my heart swelled with pride... The "OW-ing" came from him scraping his little knuckles on the toilet paper dispenser as he had piled up wads of toilet paper all over the seat by himself!!

The coverage was crude and lopsided - sparse in some places and clumped up in others - but what I saw was my son doing what he had been taught... and he was doing it WHEN NOBODY WAS WATCHING HIM!!

And here is how I connect this little experience to God... despite the perceived deafness that all kids seem to have when it comes to listening to their parents, the fact is that they ARE listening to us, and our actions speak even louder than our words! All of those trips to the restroom where my husband or I had covered the seat with toilet paper to buffer their bums from toilet-seat germs had sunk in! The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not turn from it

This is true in more than just "church business." Model the behavior you want your children to exhibit, and exhibit it, they will. Whether it be...

• restroom procedures...
• or how to treat others...
• whether or not to smoke...
• or cheat,
• or lie,
• or cuss,
• or quit,
• or avoid...
• Whether they show compassion,
• or kindness,
• or perserverence,
• or integrity...

Whatever YOU, the parents, have shown them, over and over again, will be their guide - their beacon leading them down the windy way of life decisions. If you have trained them up according to God's Word, when they grow up, they will not turn from it. These children are on loan to us from God... and at the end of this life, we will have to answer to Him on how we raised His kids. Fortunately, He has provided us with a How-To Guide... an instruction manuel the best life-guiding principles around. Have you opened your Bible lately and read what God has to say about rearing your children?

Ephesians 6
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Train them up right, and you will have done right by them AND God. :)

Have a blessed day!

:) Mags

I Found God In UN-Fairness...

Our church is doing a sermon series on Six Things I Want My Children To Remember. This past Sunday, the discussion focused on Life Isn't Fair!

I thought it was very interesting that, apparently, nowhere in the bible, does God say that life will be fair for each of us... God tells us that He will be there for us, that He is with us, that we can turn to Him in times of trouble. He does not say that he will make life fair and square for each of us!

I remember that when I whined as a kid about something being unfair, my Mom would always say, "Life were fair, I'd look like Bo Derek!" Boy, she sounded like a broken record after awhile (and I didn't even know who Bo Derek was anyway), but that lesson was demonstrated to me throughout my life, over and over. I'm sure you can find many examples in your own lives when you felt that life wasn't treating you fairly - and life will continue to be that way. Learning to accept and move on with your life when unfair things happen to you is a critical skill to surviving this world!

During the Sunday sermon, my thoughts flitted to my LEAST favorite story of the Bible... the story of the prodigal son. I know and understand the main points to the story:

1. That God will take you back no matter how far you stray,
2. That forgiveness will be extended to you when you ask for it,
3. That if God can forgive even your greatest transgression, surely, you could forgive your own neighbor for a wrong-doing.

However, I always found this story frustrating... because in my life, I would consider myself to be "the other brother..."

"The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. The son said, 'Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!"
Luke 15: 28-30 The Message

I've often felt like that "other brother" felt... anger and aggravation towards another who flaggrantly disregarded "the rules," did whatever he or she wanted, and then expected to be "saved" again and again when it didn't work out. I struggle with this story often because of those feelings. But this sermon on unfairness spoke to me... It wasn't "fair" that the prodigal son could squander away his inheritance and still be welcomed back with as much love as the son who stayed and toiled for his father.

BUT, perhaps forgiveness is more important (and more valuable) than fairness.

And if we're whining to God, the Father, about life not being "fair" - instead of my Mom's answer of "If life were fair, I'd look like Bo Derek," couldn't you imagine God frowning at us and saying (in a Godly-way, of course!):

"If life were fair, then my perfect, SINLESS Son would not have been
arrested,
stripped,
whipped,
and crucified
to ensure your eternal life!"

Kind of hard to argue with that logic, isn't it?! :)

BECAUSE life wasn't fair,
BECAUSE Jesus took our sins upon His shoulders,
BECAUSE He gave up His life for us...

WE are given the amazing gift of eternal life.
WE are forgiven.

THANK GOD that life isn't fair!

God Rocks!!! I Found God In L-O-U-D Music...

My more conservative friends tell us that we go to the "rock-n-roll" church now. After 10 years in a beautiful Methodist church (the church where we got married), we left 2+ years ago and went "church shopping." Four churches later, we found Christ's Church At Mason - and I discovered something about myself...

I discovered that all the pagentry, organ music, robes, recipricol prayer, and traditions drove me crazy!! I hated it! No wonder I couldn't feel God there - for me, this was a language I did not speak... did not understand. But when we went to our first "rock-n-roll" service, I found Him... I did not even know this rock-concert-style of worship even existed - and I was nearly stunned with the power of it.

God came in many forms:

• The voice of the lead singer, bathed in spotlights - pouring his heart and soul into every song,
• The harmonies of the Worship Team singing in tandem,
• The swell of the music created by the band (drummer, guitars, keyboards, once an electric-violin!) - all of them church members and volunteers,
• The lyrics of each song that touched something deep in my heart,
• The vibrations from the speakers (we sit only three rows away) echoing through my body,
• The energy of the Pastor in his sermon and the powerful message he delivers,
• The people - strangers, at first - who reached out and welcomed us,
• And did I mention the MUSIC...?! :)

Fast or slow - all of it is loud and powerful. We sit so close to the speakers (by choice) that we can often feel the drumbeats in our bones, the buzz of the guitars in our joints, and the lyrics in our hearts. We are not just listening to the music... but are IN the music as well.

This is the only church I've attended where I miss it when we aren't there on a Sunday... where I look forward to being there every week. Of course, we don't attend just for the music - we go there for Worship - but the music was the hook that reeled us in. Just as Jesus called to Simon and Andrew to become fishers of men, CCM is casting out their lines and bringing more and more people to Christ. When we started at this church, the average attendance was about 1,200 people in a weekend. Fast forward two short years, and we are averaging over 2,000 worshippers in that same time span!! Talk about a great catch!

Have you found God in your church? Do you feel Him each Sunday? Do you hear His messages to you? Maybe your style of worship is along the more traditional route. Maybe you need the robes and the chants and the routine. Maybe you are like me and crave the concert-style worship that also has you singing along in the car to the same tunes. Regardless of your preferred method, there IS a style out there that will tune itself to your own personal rhythm - that will make you feel like you have, indeed, found a church HOME.

And coming Home, is the best feeling in the world...!

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. (Mark 1:16-18 NIV)

I have added an iMeem playlist to my blog - you should be able to control the play-vs-not option yourself. I hope you enjoy some of my favorite songs!

♥ Mags

I Found God At A Wedding...

See the sign? Isn't that so true?!

You ever notice that we invite God... even drag him, sometimes, to a wedding... with all of the "Love is patient, Love is kind" readings... the hymns or Godly songs... the pastors... the churches...

And then...

AFTER the vows are said,

and the toasts are made,

and the songs are played,

and the cake is cut,

and the gifts are opened,

(or returned!),

we FORGET and try to navigate this incredibly new and tough adventure called MARRIAGE all alone?!?!

We may attend church - we may even be "Christian" - but have we asked God to come INTO our marriage? To help, to counsel, to temper arguements, to provide advice (the Bible), to strengthen, to listen... do we ask Him into our marriage at all??

Last year, my husband and I attended "A Weekend To Remember" - a Christian Marriage Retreat sponsored by Family Life. Our marriage wasn't in any "trouble" - but we had good friends who had gone a few times and couldn't stop talking about it. Still, I was skeptical... what would this weekend be all about?!?! Could I really endure 3 days of Bible-beating sermons? What had I gotten myself into?!

I shouldn't have worried...it was fantastic! It was a weekend with witty and FUNNY speakers, open communication between my husband and I, and a date night! - It was kid-free, work-free, stress-FREE! And it focused on just my husband and me and what things we can do to strenghten our marriage, our faith, and our lives. One of my personal favorite passages (and one that was read at my own wedding!) is Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 (New Living Translation):

Two people are better off than one,

for they can help each other succeed.

If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.

But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm.

But how can one be warm alone?

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated,

but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.

Verse 13 adds this in:

Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

What if you imagined that "3rd" person being GOD?

How much stronger could the cord of your marriage be if you allowed God to be the 3rd rope? If you asked Him to weave Himself into your lives and your marriage? Any marital problems you may have will not "magically" disappear - but you will share this immense and complicated task called "marriage" with the Lord... THE LORD!... who you invited to the marriage ceremony and who is more than willing to join you and your spouse step-by-step, walking side-by-side with you... a third strand in your marriage cord... making you all the stronger. Invite Him over! He'll be an excellent houseguest, for sure! :)

Take care of you this week!
:) Mags

Sign graphic courtesy of http://members.tripod.com/~charmer51/images/bbintro.html - THX!

I Found God In My Heart

During some Internet surfing, I came across this poem by e.e. cummings called I Carry Your Heart. I had been reminded of it watching ER - because during Abby & Luca's wedding, Abby had recited part of it...

I carry your heart in my heart.
I am never without it.

Anywhere I go... you go, my dear.
And whatever is done by only me... is your doing, my darling.

I fear no fate - because YOU are my fate, my sweet.
I want no world... for, Beautiful, you are my world.
My True....and it's you...are whatever a moon has always meant
And whatever a sun will always sing
Is You.

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows...
Here is the root of the root,
And the bud of the bud,
And the sky of the sky,
Of a tree called life.
Which grows higher than the soul can hope,
or the mind can hide,

And this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart:

I carry your heart. I carry it in my heart.

Now I've had this poem stuck in my head for the past few days.... mostly wondering if I could read it from the perspective of God to Man... or Man to God...

I think God, for sure, can easily say that for each and every one of us, he carries our hearts in His... we are His creation... His masterpiece... even if our choices don't always reflect our fullest potential. *sighs ruefully*

The greater question is whether or not we carry God's Heart in ours...

Remember the old Vacation Bible School Song "I've Got The Joy?" It went something like this:

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, (where?)

Down in my heart, (where?)

Down in my heart.

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, (where?)

Down in my heart to stay.

And I'm so happy! So very happy!

I've got the love of Jesus in my heart!

And I'm so happy! So very happy!

I've got the love of Jesus in my heart!!!

I remember singing this song with joyful abandon - not caring that, sadly, I cannot sing in tune! Believing with that "child-like faith" that I had Jesus, literally!, inside my heart did bring me joy! And inviting God into your heart can not only bring you joy, but peace, fullfillment, happiness, companionship, and more.

At our church, to become an official "member" you need only to invite God into your heart and speak this aloud: that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, and to demonstrate this committment to living God's Word by Baptism. Once you've let Him in and openly acknowledged that He is living in you, you CAN live as this e.e. cummings' poem (with a few key word changes):

God... I carry Your heart in my heart. I am never without it.
Anywhere I go, You go, my God.
And whatever is done by only me, is Your doing, my Lord.
I fear no fate, because You are my fate, my God.
I want no world, for God, You are my world, my Truth.
And it's You... are whatever a moon has always meant,
And whatever a sun will always sing... Is You.

You are the deepest secret we all should know...
You are the root of the root,
And the bud of the bud,
And the sky of the sky,
Of a tree called Life.

Which grows higher than the soul can hope,
or the mind can hide,
And this is the wonder that keeps the stars apart:
I carry Your Heart, Lord,
I carry it in my heart.

Have a blessed day,
:) Mags


PS
I found some beautiful fan videos using the poem on YouTube - one for the poem in general and another talking about a couple from One Tree Hill (watching the actual TV show is irrelevant - the video is a great demonstration of of the poem). I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! :)

I Found God In A Homecoming...

One of my favorite parts about a vacation is returning home to my house.

Yes, there's the never-ending laundry, the unpacking, the shaking the sand out of everything (if we went to the beach), collecting the dog and paying for a week at the kennel, and adjusting back into our normal routine - BUT, there is a peacefulness that comes with returning to our home... sleeping in our own beds... using our own showers... scavenging in our own pantry! The familiarity of our own home is soothing and a relief after the hustle and bustle of a family vacation.

I wonder if when we die, returning home to Heaven is like that...? Will we have that sense of relief and peace... just at a higher magnitude? Will we say to ourselves, "Wow... Life was a great vacation... but I'm so glad to be HOME! Hey... God! What'd I miss while I was away?"

At this moment, our closest friends are at a funeral. Their neighbor's 4-year old son, an only child, has been battling fast-growing brain tumors for over a year and finally succumbed to his cancer on Wednesday. This, of course, is a devastating loss to his family... you can never prepare yourself for losing a child... no matter now much time the doctors tell you is left... no matter now often hospice is called in. And while the family is grieving, I wonder if Joey is joyfully bouncing into Heaven calling, "Heeeey, Goooooooooddddd.... I'mmmmm baaaaack! Did ya' miss me?!" From the side of Heaven, his homecoming is a cause for celebration. In returning Home, he is healthy and whole, and will patiently wait while his parents, family, and friends continue their "vacations" on Earth. The hole in his family's hearts is wide, jagged, and painful... but they will be healed when they are reunited with their precious son... grandson... friend... in Heaven. And that Homecoming will be the sweetest of them all.

Dear God,

Please bring comfort and peace to Joey's family. Fill their hearts and minds with the knowledge that their precious child is healthy, happy, and safe in your care. Let them know that a reunion in Heaven is only a moment away in Joey's time, and give them the strength to continue their life on this Earth... living this earthly "vacation" to its fullest, until they join you and Joey in a joyous homecoming in Heaven.

Amen.