Hard Days and Abundant Blessings

Today was hard!

That's all there is to it.

I don't really know what I expected it to be like, but giving someone else the keys to our first home was hard. In the grand scheme of things it's fantastic to have it over with and to move on from having two houses, but it was still . . . hard.

I find myself thinking about how insignificant this really is in comparison to what other people go and are going through. I mean, I should be thankful that I have one house, let alone TWO! And I am thankful, but, for me, right now, this is and has been extremely stressful and, well, hard. I don't know how else to say it (obviously!).

God has been good to us and I am grateful for how he has blessed our lives. I am most especially thankful for Kevin. He acts with wisdom and integrity, and he takes very seriously his responsibilities in providing for our family and being the head of our home. Words cannot express how grateful I am that God has given me such an amazing husband.

After we got finished today I was talking to my mom and she said something about appreciating our blessings when they come our way. That made me think about whether or not I do that. Not just when it comes to selling a house, but every day. Do I really appreciate or notice those little blessings that God sends my way? It's easy to notice the big ones, and even then I sometimes "forget" to be thankful and overlook where those blessings come from. In the craziness of my life, it would do me a world of good to just stop and look around at how truly blessed I am. I think the words to this hymn sum it up nicely. Feel free to sing along . . . 

"Count Your Blessings"
Johnson Oatman, Jr.

When upon life's billows your are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your blessings, see what God hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly.
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Refrain

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold.
Count your many blessings - wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Refrain

So, amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all.
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your blessings, see what God hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.

Thank you, Mr. Oatman, Jr. I couldn't have said it any better than that. So as I close this post I am pondering what blessings I should be counting today. Hopefully you will do the same and, as the song says, "you will keep singing as the days go by." (Of course, that's my favorite line in the song!)

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Long Road Home

I've decided that one of the hardest things I've ever done is sell a house. Between getting it ready to sell, hoping and praying that people will come look at it, getting an offer that fell apart, moving into a rent house NEXT DOOR to the house we have for sale, moving into our new house and getting another contract that looks very promising, this house selling stuff is no fun! It's exhausting and emotionally draining. Selling this house has been a challenge, but letting this house go, for me, has been just as challenging.

Almost 8 years ago I married my best friend and the love of my life. We built a house on Snake Drive (what a great street name, huh??) and there we began our life together. Lots of time, energy and decision making went into building that house and we were both so pleased and excited when it was completed and we got to move in. It took us a while to get things just right (that might have something to do with the fact that we didn't have bedroom or living room furniture until a few months after we moved in), but eventually it really started to feel like home.

Home . . . that's what it was. It was our home, not just our house.

I remember when we moved in and some of Kevin's Sunday school boys came to help us. We had pizza and watermelon on the driveway. A few weeks later we saw some unusual looking sprouts in the yard. We soon figured out that they were our watermelon seeds that had taken root. Wouldn't that have been interesting to have in the front yard! Not quite the landscaping we were going for!

I remember decorating for Christmas the first year we lived there. We had the perfect window to put a Christmas tree in front of. It was beautiful! And I got to put my ornaments on my very own tree which made it even more special.

I remember MANY hours of watching college football (which I quite enjoy!).

I remember breaking our brand new iron when I knocked it off the ironing board and then doing the exact same thing after Kevin got Target to replace it! After I broke the first one Kevin called home and when he asked what was wrong I said, "I'm mad because I broke the iron." He must have misunderstood because he replied, "You're mad so you broke the iron??" I said to him, "No, I'm mad BECAUSE I broke the iron." This is still one of our favorite stories to tell and a memory I have from our home.

I remember when Dixie became a part of our family and I instantly became a "dog person."

I remember getting our Johnny Johnson scripture picture that we hung above the fireplace. "Be still and know that I am God." I would often find myself reading those words and being grateful that we had that reminder as a focal point of our home.

I remember waiting for the baby ducks to start appearing on the pond each spring. It was so fun to watch them following after the Mama duck and to feed them. We found a nest of ducklings right behind our back fence one year. We were so afraid that they would get mowed over that we roped off the area and put a sign out that said "Duck Habitat: Do Not Mow." It worked and they grew up to be very happy ducks!

I remember being snowed in and Kevin wanted to go sledding. The hill behind our house made for a very good sledding hill and he picked up so much speed that he zoomed right on to the ice-covered pond as I was frantically yelling "STOP!". Well, the ice broke. Kevin began sinking and Dixie tried to play rescue dog and took a little dip herself. It was quite a sight I'm sure. Have no fear, we all made it back safe and sound although two out of three of us were soaking wet. Brrr . . . 

I remember coming home from work and opening the garage only to find my husband sitting on a new motorcycle! I quickly responded "Well, I guess we better go get that red washer and dryer I've been wanting." I still love that washer and dryer even though some people think I got the bad end of that deal!

I remember learning how to make Christmas candy with Mamaw. That was such a fun day with Mom, Aunt Cindy, Alisha, Lacy and Tina. I'm determined to carry on the candy-making tradition.

I remember lots of laughter and some tears as well through the years, but mostly I just remember it as home. Comfortable, safe, perfect!

It's a great house and now it will belong to someone else, and I wouldn't have it any other way. God has truly blessed us and I am so thankful that he has given me a passion for "home." Home is very important to me and I look forward to many years of memories in the new home he has provided for us. However, I will always remember the years we spent and cherish the memories we made in the house on Snake Drive.

Braver, Stronger, Smarter

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!   (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

 

Today I found myself thinking of and praying for a very dear friend of mine. She recently called and asked me to pray for her and her family as they are facing some very trying and difficult situations. I jumped at the chance to pray for her and encourage her because, you see, she has done that for me so many times before. She has called me, prayed for me, listened to me, shared meals with me (and MANY Dr. Peppers!), and has basically been an incredible support for me.

As I was thinking of her I realized how God puts people in our lives exactly when we need them. I know . . . this isn't some earth-shattering new concept, but as I pondered this today I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Gratitude to God for caring so much for me that he knows just who to send my way to help me through every life situation. He also gives me ample opportunities to do the same for others. For me, this is an even bigger blessing.

You know, it occurred to me that I need to be really aware of how God might be using me in someone's life right now. Think of people that you know who may have never realized that they were who you needed at just the right time. Or maybe they had just the right words of advice or encouragement. GOD DOES THAT!

My heart is overwhelmed when I think of times that God has been able to use me. It's not always easy to know what to do or say in some situations, but I've learned that just being there, even in silence, can speak volumes. 

My husband has taught me a lot about showing compassion for people and not being afraid that you won't know what to do or say. In fact, when we were dating (well, barely dating . . . but who's keeping track!) my grandfather was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and it came to a point where we knew he would not live much longer. I requested prayer for our family in Sunday School and later that week my Papaw went home to be with Jesus. The morning after he died I called Kevin to tell him the news. When I told him what happened he didn't respond with, "Let me know if you need anything" or "I'll be praying for you." No. He asked me where I was (at my apartment) and told me he was on his way. He knocked on my door and when I opened it he just wrapped his arms around me and let me cry. Nothing else he could have said or done would have been any better. He basically spent the rest of the day taking care of me and letting me work through my grief. He brought me lunch and dinner and offered to drive me to meet my parents if I needed him to. THAT is when I knew that I was going to marry this man! It sounds funny, but it was so tangible to me at that moment.

God is so good and he knows our hearts and minds better than we do. He created us with thoughts and feelings and emotions. Laughter and joy and celebration are wonderful things, but we also go through the times of trial and tears and sadness. Thankfully, God's Word reminds us of this truth:

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Power is perfected in weakness? Wow! Only God could do that!

In my life, I have not had to face a multitude of trials and for that I am grateful. I know that is not the case for all of you who are (hopefully) reading this. I pray that Christ's power may be perfected in your weakness and that he will send you someone to help pick you up.

I found this Winnie the Pooh clip and thought it would be a nice way to end this post because "You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

Take Me Out to the Blog-Game!

I finally decided to give blogging a try. I have wanted to start a blog for a while but I think I was just waiting to see if I could come up with some fabulous "reason" for creating it.  My thought process went something like this . . .

I could do a blog about crafting. I love to stamp and make cards and quilt. My latest is furniture painting, but most of what I know about all of those things I got from someone else's blog. I would have a blog full of links to other blogs. I don't think that's what I am going for.

Strike 1!

I could write a blog about teaching. That's it!! I have a thousand funny teacher stories and lots of memories from my years in the music classroom. Plus, I could give expert teaching advice to all you other educators out there. And . . . PLEASE! Somebody stop me! Don't get me wrong, I love my job, I just don't want to spend my down time writing about it and frankly, I don't think there are that many people who want to read about it either!

Strike 2!

Okay, okay. WHAT am I going to write this blog about? What am I good at? What am I passionate about? What can I write more than one post about? And what am I going to call this blog anyway?

Should the name have to do with music? Crafts? Hobbies? Family? Faith?

I felt like I was standing at home plate and strike 3 was headed my way. Forget it! Obviously this blogging stuff isn't for me.

THEN . . . it hit me! (The idea, not the ball!) I spend so much of my professional life in preparation for something. Whether it's a lesson plan, a program, a concert, a choir musical, or any number of things, I feel like I am so often in "rehearsal mode" and when I reach the end of one thing I'm already preparing for the next.

So how does this affect my life on a more personal level? What does it mean to have "no time to rehearse?" And why am I going to write a blog about it?

All that time I spend in preparation and rehearsal gives me the opportunity to fix and adjust things about a performance before it is presented to an audience. I get to work out all of the little problems so that when it is performed it is as close to perfect as it can be. 

When I paralleled this with how I live my life I was struck with the fact that the only audience that should truly matter to me is an audience of One. The One who created me, loves me, and saved me. The One who gave me the gifts, talents and abilities that I am blessed with. The One who knows my thoughts and my heart better than I do.

Herein lies the idea that when I am learning to live my life for Jesus, my Savior, my audience of One, there is no time to rehearse and work out all the imperfections. There are no dress rehearsals or script changes. And the best part is . . . I'm NOT the director. I'm not in charge and I don't have to write the script, stage the choreography, create the costumes and pick out the songs. Nor do I have to make it perfect. I just have to follow the direction given by the Lord and know that "he who began a good work in me will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)

That's it! No Time to Rehearse. That's what I want to blog about. I want to chronicle how I am learning to live each day, through my job, my hobbies, my relationships and life in general for an audience of One. I did say LEARNING! This is by no means a how-to manual on living a Christ-centered life. It's a process and there will be lots of mishaps along the way, but I am determined to do my best.

Baseball is a team sport and just like the players need each other in the game, we need one another as we go through life. So, I don't know if this blog will be a home run, but I pray that it is at least a base hit to help make part of your journey a little easier.