30 days of Thanksgiving: Days 17 & 18 - Stretch Denim & Laughter

Day 17: Stretch Denim

'Nuff said.

Day 18: Laughter
At the risk of sounding a little self-focused, one of my favorite things about me is the fact that I am easily amused. I am somehow able to find the humor in most things (eventually), and a lot of things that slip right by others strike me as funny.For this I am thankful.

Laughter has a unique power that nothing can replicate. It is a healing balm that transcends realms to have a profound effect on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual boo-boo's. Aside from music, I'm not sure there is anything else I can say that about.

Throughout life's journey, my favorite movies, moments, memories and people are the ones that make me laugh. From a little snicker to an all-out gut-busting laugh-until-you-cry moment, laughter is one of our most precious gifts - and the ability to find things and people (and ourselves) funny is something for which we can be truly thankful.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine..."

Proverbs 17:22 

 

He Is Faithful

Music from the Heart: Faithful To The End by Hillsongs

I am often overwhelmed by the goodness and faithfulness of God. When I stop and take account of even some of the countless ways He has proven Himself faithful to me again and again, I cannot help but respond with the tearful silence of a grateful heart that is humbled by His love.

I was in a conversation this week with a co-worker, and I found myself sharing a story from my past with her. It is one of my most precious memories of the darkest, most gut-wrenching time of my life. In the spirit of freedom that comes from genuine forgiveness, I will not share the details here. But the long and short of it is this:

My heart was broken. Everything inside me wanted to run away and hide, but my need to connect with a safe place to heal was more desperate than the intensity of my shame and pain. It was a Sunday morning, and I got in my car, not knowing where to go, but knowing I needed to be in church somewhere. I found myself in front of a church whose pastor I had known since high school and where I had attended several years earlier.

I waited until the service was well underway so I could slip in with as little notice as possible. I did not want to talk to anyone or answer any questions about what was going on in my life that had turned my world upside down. I just wanted to sit and soak in the worship and maybe the message. I literally sat in the last seat of the last row nearest the door and had every intention of making a beeline for the door as soon as the service was over. I told the Lord that if He wanted me to talk with the pastor, then to have him come to me.

As soon as the service was over, the pastor was standing in front of me before I could make my planned exit. He asked me two questions. First, he asked me how I was doing. I lowered my head to hide the tears welling up in my eyes, despite my best effort to keep them at bay. He asked one more question (more direct) and quickly discerned the source of my pain by my wordless response. He then took me in his arms and held me as I cried on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry," he said.

So here it is, twelve years later, and I still cannot recount this story without tears. But now my tears are not because of the pain in my heart, because that has been healed. The tears that accompany this story now are the natural response of an overwhelmed, formerly broken heart to the sweet grace and limitless love of a personal God who gave me what I needed when I needed it. When I felt like I was literally going under, He threw me a lifeline in the discerning eye and fatherly embrace of a pastor who had recently lost his youngest child (a daughter, age 10) to cancer. That was the moment my healing began.

Over the years I have lost count of the times when I have been able to speak into the hurting hearts of broken women with the compassion and wisdom that only come from having walked the path they now find themselves on. It is the faithfulness of God to be true to His character and His word that carried me through a long and deep healing process. When I felt most alone and my days were the darkest, I kept returning to the knowledge that He loves me and He is faithful. He has proven it to me again and again.

And He will do the same for you.

Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
Psalm 115:1

My Little Corner

The following is n excerpt from my journal, dated Sunday, January 4, 2009. I am being consistently reminded these days of the need to simplify my life and my surroundings. Here is a little peek into my world ...

Yesterday I spent most of the day cleaning the bedroom. It isn't quite complete, but very close, and my new favorite spot is a corner I've set up as my personal quiet space.

I've had my eye on this spot for quite some time, and I'm thrilled that it's finally ready. It's in the southwest corner of the room, next to a west-facing window. There is a glider chair, and to my left as I sit here is a bookshelf built by my maternal grandfather. Housed on this shelf, along with pictures and a few other treasured items from our wedding, are a couple of Bibles, some devotional books, my personal Bible, this journal, a lamp, a CD player, and some worship cd's. A of Kleenex sits on my dressing table just to my right.

I expect many sweet hours here, countless encounters with my God, my Friend. I am filled with anticipation as I imagine close and intimate moments here with the Lover of my soul.

Yesterday as I dusted the shelves and their contents, I found myself praying a prayer of dedication of this special place to the Lord. I told Him that we will have many wonderful conversations here. This will be a place of revelation, of refreshing, of peace and communion.

How divinely precious is my little corner of the world.

Christmas Blessings

Tonight's Music from the Heart: Josh Groban - I'll Be Home For Christmas

It's Christmas Eve, and I'm at my brother's house, awaiting the arrival of my nephew, Tyler, who has just been released from the hospital. He was admitted last week with a staph infection. The details aren't important at the moment, but it all stems from a foot injury he incurred this past summer. We were initially told he would not be home for Christmas, but today we were surprised to learn that he will be.

We'll be starting soon, so I'll keep this post short. I'll write more soon about our Christmas. In the meantime, I'm wishing a Merry Christmas to one and all, and a very blessed time with those you hold dear. May the Lord abundantly bless you and yours, and may He wrap his love and protection around those who are spending Christmas in the hospital with loved ones who are ill or injured, those who are working away from home, and those who are serving our country in foreign lands defending our freedom.

Merry Christmas.

Love,
Rachael

Pumpkin Pie, Twinkle Lights & Peace

It's been ten days since my last post, and what a ten days it has been. Thanksgiving came and went, and we had a full table with friends from church who joined us for dinner. We ate too much, tried to justify it with a walk around the neighborhood, then came back and stayed up too late talking over pumpkin and cherry pie. All in all, it was a wonderful evening that I would not trade.

As is my usual tradition since David and I were married, I used the long weekend to put the tree up and decorate the house for Christmas. I have this secret love affair with little twinkling lights, and to me, the more the merrier. I have placed white lights in the kitchen (laid on top of the cabinets so they create a soft glow near the ceiling), in the dining room (draped on the baker's rack to help illuminate the nativity scene that now resides on the shelf), and all over the tree, where they are joined by a couple of strands of multicolored lights. I still have a couple more places to put them (living room on top of the entertainment center) and in the office window (the only window in our house that faces the street). As I said, the more the merrier.

It's been a rather relaxing weekend overall, having no particular schedule to adhere to and not being one to take part in the black Friday craziness that has permeated our culture. I did do a little shopping, mostly online, the rest as I stumbled upon a few gifts items while I was picking up more decorations for the house. David and I watched a lot of Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel and ate Thanksgiving leftovers. Relaxation reigned in our house this weekend.

This morning at church, Craig had several couples and individuals share what they were thankful for this year, and almost invariably, despite whatever difficult circumstances, hardships or losses they were introduced to this past year, the underlying theme was peace. Peace in the face of uncertain economic times, serious illness, loss of loved ones, and other unnamed personal struggles. We are a people thankful for God's peace.

Regardless of what we face as individuals, families, communities, or as a nation, let us all be thankful for the sweet peace that we enjoy day after day, moment by moment. For tonight's music from the heart, I am leaving Rachael Lampa's Blessed up a little longer. The lyrics are simple and powerful at the same time, as is the peace that we are so blessed with.

As we run full-speed ahead into this holiday season, please remember to take a few moments daily to be thankful for the simple things, for little daily blessings, and for the most precious gift we received two-thousand years ago when the Prince of Peace arrived on the scene and changed everything.

"The God of peace be with you all.
Amen."
Romans 15:33

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

Tonight's Music from the Heart: Rachael Lampa - Blessed

With Thanksgiving being a week away, our thoughts are turned, naturally, to all the things that the holiday has come mean in our fast-paced modern culture; things like The Dinner (planning, shopping, cooking), travel, decorating, a few days off of work and school, and of course - Black Friday.

Well, indulge me, if you will, as I rebel against the modern interpretation of Thanksgiving and construct a short list of just some of the things for which I am truly thankful, and encourage you to do the same.

Here they are, just a few of the things I am thankful for:

(1) The priceless gift of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice, making it possible for me to embrace a rich and personal relationship with the Creator of all.

(2) My husband, David, the man who pursued and captured my heart and now shares my life and is the object of my love and affection.

(3) A safe, warm house to come home to in a world that is cold in more ways than one.

(4) Every moment with the people I love.

(5) Memories that live on long after the people in them have passed through or passed on.

(6) Laughter.

(7) Music.

(8) Friends who know me well and love me anyway.

(9) Babies.

(10) Parents and grandparents who taught me to give generously, receive graciously, hug often, laugh heartily, and love deeply.

What are ten things for
which you are truly thankful?