Tattooed!

It was a fall in 1969. I was a sophomore in college. I was covered in tattoos. Oh, how I wanted them removed, but as everyone knows it's incredibly expensive as well as painful to have tattoos removed. I was so miserable, I hated myself.

Yes, I was a sophomore in Bible College, does that surprise you? Oh, no.... no one else SAW my tattoos............they were well hidden, a dark secret known only to me and to God! My heart was covered with tattoos.......scared and ugly by all the "hidden/ugly" sins(pride/self centeredness/ etc.). I "looked" so good on the outside... Who would judge me? But lost, oh, so very lost I was. Just as lost, hurting, and lonely as any other soul who may perhaps wear his tattoos on the outside!!

It would be painful and expensive to have my tattoos removed, far more so than any outward ones ever would. Someone would have to pay! Someone would have to suffer pain! I found that SOMEONE!! That SOMEONE found me! He paid! He suffered! He erased them every one of them!! Not only did He erase them from my heart, He gave me a NEW HEART!!

I thought about all this as I read aloud this morning from Matthew. So many people from so many different walks of life, so many and varied needs, so many different ways of expressing their faith...... A leper worshiped him, a Centurion whose faith rested in just the spoken Words of Jesus, a mother-in-law, the demon possessed, a man with the palsy whose sins Jesus chose to forgive before healing him, a Ruler whose faith towered high enough to request and get the resurrection of his daughter, the poverty stricken women(due to medical bills) who had enough faith to believe that just a touch of Christ's garment would be enough, Matthew who immediately responded to Jesus simple Words, 'Follow me!', and the publicans and sinners with whom Jesus ate!!

Surely one would say that Jesus was non-discriminatory!! His love embraced all!! His power of healing and redemption reached all!

So today, when you see the "tattooed," the poor, the hurting................see them through the eyes of Jesus! See them as redeemed!! That's way He came! That's why He died! That's why He LIVES!!!

That's WHAT He did for me!!!

Raggedy Anne and Jesus

It was one beautiful Easter weekend....

The grandmother gathered her little one up and took her to a large church which was presenting a vivid passion play drama...

The crowd was large so the grandmother and her little one had to sit toward the back.. The grandmother was so proud of her sweet little girl...dressed out in her Raggedy Anne pinafore and her golden curls.

The scenes progressed with breathtaking reality.... The little girl had sat on her grandmother's knee by the hours and listened to stories of Jesus... Now it seemed as though the little one was lifted from those pages into the moving drama.... To her....it WAS Jesus!! Struggling to see better, she stood up in her seat...clutching tightly to her grandmother's shoulder.

Then a touching scene....Jesus and the little children of Galileec...left the stage and began to proceed down the long aisle... The spotlight was upon them as they drew nearer and nearer...

The little one now reached toward the approaching Christ....her arms outstretched....calling, "Jesus!! Jesus!! Jesus!!!"

As Christ and the children reached grandmother's aisle, the spotlight caught the vision of the little Raggedy Anne figure straining and calling out..

Jesus stopped... the crowd seemed to hold it's breath...

He reached out his hand, "Come to me, child..." he spoke. Without any hesitation... golden curls bouncing...the little one scrambled from her grandmother's embrace and ran to Jesus..

Now as the spotlight followed Jesus and the little peasant children around the aisle...He now held a little girl in a pinafore by the hand...

It was a gripping moment...the past met the present... and HE WAS ENOUGH!!!

Tears were pouring down the faces of those in the crowd...

At last Jesus walked the little girl form this present age back to her Nanny..... Erica's face was lit with a heavenly glow... She had seen Jesus!!

The crowd burst into applause....

WE HAD ALL SEEN JESUS!!!

Loved

Love expressed so beautifully...

Yesterday, Hubs was so bad that I had to cancel his visit with his neurologist.... Pretty bad when you are too bad to go to the doctor. He was just so wracked with pain, and his balance was so bad...

Today...I sat in my recliner...knees hurting too badly to get up...neck hurting too badly to lay my head back....

Sweet Hubs...struggled from his chair, went to the bedroom and brought me my neck pillow...

I KNOW what that cost him..

It cost him...

Far more than a dozen red roses.
Far more than a meal at Outback.
Far more than a huge box of chocolates.

It cost him....he gave...all he had, everything he had...

I'm loved. And I know it.

This Land is My Land, This Land is Your Land

This World My Grandchildren have to grow up in...

The news is frightening. i care. i vote. But I didn't realize how much in my thinking that it was just "out there" somewhere.

Reality hit me hard in the face Saturday...
Erica is flying to her folks in Mass. over spring break. For the first time she is leaving from Charlotte. Charlotte just recently passed a law that legalized all bathrooms to be "gender free," that is, no longer do you have a choice of men or women's restroom.

My dear granddaughter brought this up and her fears of what she might face. Granted, this is her departure destination, So her mother will be with her there. But what if that were the law at the other four airports she will use before she arrives home?

A young 16 year old young woman....facing who knows what in a restroom. Now this is so much more that a news clip on my pc. This is reality!! This is now!! This is MY GRANDDAUGHTER!!

My heart is sick.... This is my land, this is your land....
Return America!!

Bring Back the Apron: Whatever Happened to the Apron?

Bring Back the Apron: Whatever Happened to the Apron?:       Aprons.  They used to be a big thing in our culture.  Women wore them 24-7 whenever they were home,...which they were most of the time...

Casey

 As many of you know, I love dogs and have almost always had one. But with my health, it has been increasingly difficult to even care for one. With my fibromyalgia, I could barely stand much weight on my lap.

On Jan. 4th, I got a little 4 week old, 12 ounce little Chihuahua. We named her Casey and it didn't take long for her to erase all the bad things Jon had heard of and feared about getting me a Chihuahua. Needless to say she has bonded with me and loves Jon as well. I haven't posted any pictures on Facebook because I truly felt there would be folks who just wouldn't understand.

But I'm going to share a few here...for all you dog lovers who do understand.

Casey is now 13 weeks old and weighs 3 pounds.

Casey loved to ride in my pocket like a little Joey. She didn't mind any bouncing and when she got tired she curled up in the bottom of my pocket and went to sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Counting Springs...

The winter seems to be rolling up its carpet and preparing to file it into the archives of history.

Spring appears to at last be serious about bursting into color, nest building, and "window open" days...

I thought about spring.... I'm 66 years old and if perhaps I'm given the gift of longer life.... I'm still at the point in life of possibly counting my springs....

God says life is life a vapor, like the grass that springs up and quickly fades away...

Winter, Christmas...time seems to have flown by ever so quickly.

I moved my bird feeder from the deck today where I had placed it for easy access during the cold months. I took the second one from the shed and placed them both back by the flower box where the hyacinths and crocuses are blooming. I took the birdbath from the garage and put it back among the budding tulips...

Only a brief time later I sat on the deck and the little maple tree by the feeders was filled with brilliant cardinals. Chickadees were already feeding freely...

The singing birds...the gentle breeze lifted my heart and spirits to the heights!

Counting springs.... despondent? No, I didn't feel that way at all. I was only contemplating my mortality...

This spring is special!!! This spring is mine to hold.... to breath in...to relish...to treasure... This is my moment...to live, to love, to laugh....

My heart was so full of rejoicing..... Thank you, God, for this gift..

This "my spring!"