Miracle Maker

We all have areas in our lives that only the Father can heal.  Most all of us have some situation that calls for a divine intervention and healing by the hand of the Miracle Maker.  No matter the smile one might wear, and no matter how well put together a person may appear, there is some need, some where that will only be met by Him.

Sometimes it takes a stirring of the waters to put me in a place where the Father can do His work without my constant interference.  It is then and it is there that I recognize that only He can fix things right and fix things wholly.

“I'm waiting here for my life to change,
When the waters stir You can rearrange me.
Just one touch is all I need, I've nothing much but the wounds I feel,
I've come to find the hand of the miracle man.”

Sometimes all I have to offer are the wounds and the hurts that life seems to love to dole out, yet I come knowing He is all I need. It is His touch on any situation that brings healing and restoration.  It is a place of humble humility, recognizing He is the only source of hope and healing. To know that access to the very throne room is mine, is overwhelming.
I found myself watching the rains fall on the water at the lake today and I thought how His healing rain falls on my soul. It moves things around, rearranging, flooding and bringing life giving water to areas that are starved for the oxygen of His spirit.  And that’s when the healing begins, when He takes control. I go from looking for the hand of the Miracle Man to standing with the faith of my Miracle Maker…

The Miracle Maker

I'm waiting here for my life to change,

When the waters stir You can rearrange me.

Just one touch is all I need,

I've nothing much but the wounds I feel,

I've come to find the hand of the miracle man.

Holy, You are holy,

Who was and is and is to come.

Holy, You are holy,

Saviour, healer,

I'm standing at the feet of the miracle maker.

I'm holding on, with Your life in mine,

Living water's come,

And You've rearranged me.

You are holy, You are holy,

Who was and is and is to come.

Holy, You are holy,

Saviour, healer,

I'm staring in the face of the miracle maker.

Holy, You are holy,

Who was and is and is to come.

Jesus, precious Jesus,

Thank you, Saviour,

I'm walking in the shoes of my miracle maker.

Holy, You are holy,

Who was and is and is to come.

Jesus, precious Jesus,

Thank you, Saviour,

I'm standing with the faith of a miracle maker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd7TtJiuNqE

Teachable Moments

Pondering life and human nature; at times I fail others. At times others fail me. I’ve given this a bit of thought lately. When the soul is hurt, there is a personal choice to be made. That choice defines whether I will be chiseled away at or if I choose to let a situation be a catalyst to a better me. Hurt can easily turn to anger.  Anger if not guarded, can easily turn into a grudge. Grudges simply do one thing and that is turn into poison for the body, mind and spirit. It’s truly a battlefield in the mind and heart. Not holding a grudge isn’t always the easy choice but it’s the right choice. Hurtful times can become teachable moments. Teachable moments add wisdom,  the kind of wisdom that comes with living life through its ups and downs  I see that more clearly the more the years roll by. When the ugly side of human nature rears its head, I’m reminded to talk to my Father. With no doubt, there isn’t a situation I will ever face, that He didn’t face before me. I find myself asking: “I know there has to be a lesson in here somewhere. What are You trying to teach me?” Lately, I’m certain I’m being reminded how I should treat others. I can take those teachable moments and let it sink in to try to never let my behavior or my words make another have to choose: Anger, or teachable moment?  For myself, I’ll try to look at those who cross my path, who dish out hurt and accept this teachable moment is showing me exactly the type of person I cannot be, if I wish to honor Him.

In the Heart of the Thicket-A Bucket List Moment

Mark another one off my Bucket List. The forest floor below the towering pines offers a padding or bed, if you will, of pine needles so thick that even in thirty degree weather, one will not feel the cold that has firmly gripped the ground. It's a reminder of the days of childhood long since faded off into the mist of adulthood oblivion. Today was that day. 

How dreamy the moment is to lie on this bed of pine needles. The minute my head sank into their cushiony depths, the scent of pine wafted up and became an aroma that not only could put one almost to sleep but teased the nostrils with the tantalizing scent of nature at its purest. A pine thicket has a smell all its own. And oh the sounds one will hear here, as the trees blow gently in the wind, allowing the trunks to sing their own melody. Nature's violin. I've always loved to stop to listen as the trees cross trunks and branches to make their own stanza to the bow and the break of the breeze. This is a dreamy place. To lie on one's back and look up through the swaying canopy of green, the blue of the sky transforms into an image of topaz mixing with emeralds! Maybe I'm a hair on the dramatic side but this is the way my mind sees nature in all her glory.  

I lay there and just tried to absorb it all. It's a place in time, I would like to stop still and just stay there. Stay there and hide from all worries and all care. There's a magical quality to the dimness of the thicket, especially when you look beyond the towering trunks to the outer edges. The hues of color seem to come alive and wake the senses! 

The soul is not the only thing that will find shelter in such a place. If you sit quietly, and long enough, you will see others who find solace in the shelter of the pine thicket. Deer are in abundance here. Some resting, some munching on a patch of grass here and there and some simply meandering about with their fellow deermates. In the trees one can hear the call of the red-bellied woodpeckers. Shortly one will begin to hear the persistent sound of beak on wood as the red-belly searches out her lunch.

It's in the magic of the thicket that you will see the wonder of nature and so much that she has to offer. If you're quiet enough and wait long enough, the rewards of visiting here are simply too much for words. I invite you, find a thicket and let time slow down to a crawl. You might just come out of here feeling like you have a new lease on life.

Fifty Years and More

The following is Taylor's final speech for her speech class. There is no doubt the love and the respect my girl has for her Mimi and Papa has no limits. This is just a glimpse into the heritage these two have sewn into their family.
                     
  Today we are celebrating a bond that two very special people have held together for fifty years. These special people are my grandparents. These two people have been inspirational to many people’s lives. They have been outstanding examples of people who know what it means to live and what it means to love.

 

            I have looked up to these two people my entire life. They have shown me as well as many others what it means to love one another. During their marriage they have continually treated each other with utmost respect and loyalty. These are the ingredients to a successful marriage. Every marriage has its downtimes, then is when we see just how strong a bond between two people is. They have proven that their bond cannot be broken, it can withstand anything. They have stood beside each other through thick and thin. They have shown us that sometimes it is better to fix something when it is broken rather than throwing it away. They have maintained a happy and healthy marriage by doing so.

They have also shown how to love others besides themselves. Anyone who knows them will find that they will do absolutely anything to lend a helping hand. They are the first to show up and the last to leave. They are the type of people who would give the shirt right off of their backs to someone without a second thought. They have been examples of what it means to be selfless.

            Spiritually they continue to grow daily in their beliefs and have made it the rock of their marriage. They stand firm on what they believe and have not let anyone ever stray them. They live solely by what they believe and have proven to me as well as many others that it is not as complicated as it seems. I have full respect for their beliefs for the simple reason that they do not push their beliefs on anyone. They do not need to, what they believe is conveyed within their day to day actions. Anyone that is around them for even a short time will see it.

            My grandparents have always inspired me to become more than I already am. They have always worked hard and fully earned what they have been given. They are always grateful and carry themselves with dignity. They have been perfect examples of what a gentlemen and a lady should be, from how they talk to how they walk, sit, and stand.

            In my honest opinion, I believe these people have lived the most close to perfect lives possible. I look at them as if they hold all of the wisdom in the world. They are true inspiration. How they have lived and carried themselves is why they are who and where they are today. This is for all of their years they have spent together and to the more that will come. 

                                                                                                                                        

Hannah's Dream

This video contains the session we captured with Hannah a few days ago. Hannah loves, did I say Hannah LOVES Keith Urban? This session is one I will remember until the end of my days. What a special angel Hannah is. Thank you to Hannah's parents Mike and Gail for bringing her to her session and helping so much. A huge thank you to Hannah Serritt for bringing her horse, Lucy and items to decorate the set. Also, thank you to Martin Real Estate for the use of their lot and Lavender Mountain Hardware for the hay bales to complete her set. This was a very special session that took a lot of things coming together to create HANNAH'S DREAM!

Thanksgiving Of The Soul

In the dark stands a row of bicycles chained to iron railing. Water drops from the rain pelting down, run rivets across the frames and onto the ground.  Men, women and children, file into the chapel to hear a Thanksgiving message. Here, the décor is clean, pleasant and simple. Inviting.  In this chapel, you hope enough folks file in so that you won’t even have a seat.  

Here, in this chapel, you won’t sit down next to someone and wonder "What is the brand of that tantalizing cologne?" Here, your nostrils will come alive to the scent of humanity.  Folks are vocal and voices of “Amen!” can be heard. The rafters ring with “I’ll Fly Away” and the solemnity of “Amazing Grace My Chains are Gone” drifts into the city streets. In this chapel, a soul finds rest and receives a message of hope, simply stated, and presented with such clarity it will stop you in your tracks. Here, in this chapel, I feel sure my Father walks the isles with a kind smile, knowing, someone has gathered His sheep.

At night’s end, folks shuffle out, into the rain and return whence they came. Some leave on foot, and some leave on bike. The rain continues to pelt. The cold and the wet you can feel to the bone. But, there’s warmth here, that outdoes the cold. They don't leave the same. They came hungry and they came cold. Here, nourishment is offered for body and for soul.

He said to him the third time, “Shim‛on, son of Yonah, do you love Me?” Kĕpha was sad because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Master, You know all, You know that I love You.” יהושע said to him, “Feed My sheep.-John 21:17

"Frederick is My Name"

Three men.  The common thread shared among them is blatantly obvious.  Ten feet and the distance is closing. It's too easy to just nod and walk on, averting our eyes from the heartbreak of humanity. That man with the plastic bag of groceries? That's all he's got. Sometimes, just talking to people, people who have a story to tell will leave you feeling like your very soul has been ripped open. People are lost. People are searching. People are hurting.

Nineteen years old. Daddy- already dead. Nineteen years old. Mama-dead, gone.  A young man stands alone, too old for the system, yet too young to have a foot hold in life. Too young and no one to show him how to rise above the hand of cards life has dealt him; the circumstances born in. The cycle begins:  Alcohol, drugs, homelessness. LOST. The next thirty four years will bring little change. He extends his hand, a hand worn by age and hard, hard living. Rough, rough skin. A face withered from living life in the outdoors breaks into a toothless grin. The stench of alcohol escapes with his greeting of “Hello ma’am”. I raise my eyes to his. I try to peer beyond his sunglasses. I know why he wears them.  My soul literally feels broken into a million pieces as this “Black Sheep” as he calls himself, shares bits and pieces of his story. “Frederick” he says. Not Freddy, that’s the other guy…not Fred…”Frederick”.  That’s the name he makes sure I know. The name he wants brought before my Father.  The name he repeatedly says “Always, remember Frederick in your prayers ma’am.” This man, who seems so much older than his fifty three years, wants to make sure “Frederick” will be lifted up, not forgotten.

 “Frederick”, sir, [Black Sheep]  sir, my Father, MY FATHER searches out the lost sheep, that ONE sheep who isn’t safe in the fold. Are you a believer Frederick? Do you know the Father?”  He says he does. He folds his hands to represent prayer , looks up and points up with his hands still folded and talks about “God”.  He knows who his Creator is. Still, Frederick wants to be on someone’s prayer list.  “Every day pray for Frederick. Say my name.” The prayer list grows, to include Frederick, Freddy and the third man too.

I fought tears walking back to my car. I don’t fight them while remembering this man and his friends.  I let them fall. They solidify that the hurt of humanity is raw. I hope it doesn' heal. I don’t want to forget…

Th

 Luke 15:1-7 Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.