Love is All

Love...does not seek its own, is not provoked. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

This is, of course, Love month. I have been reminded so many times in the last couple of weeks, of the power and need for love. My uncle, who lives far away, fell over the weekend and broke his hip. He is blessed with a dear friend who has seen him through the surgery and is by his side right now.

Recently, through the wonders of Facebook, I have been reunited with a number of former students. We are having so much fun reacquainting and catching up. But, also, wondering what God has in plan for our coming together after almost 15 years or so.

Then there are the golf buddies who stick together through thick and thin.

And...the great fun of spending time with my bestest buddy two weeks ago. Lucy and Ethel time!!

Love comes in all shapes and sizes, far and near, old and new. Love needs to be shared and spread.

Mopping around because you don't have a friend close by...go out and get you one! It starts with a smile at the library, at work, at the store. There is someone out there that needs you and your friendship. Say "hey" to that new person at church.

Those two in the picture are two of our three best friends. That's Lucky (the white one) and Poppy. Remember, there is a friend waiting for you at the animal shelter :).

Friendship is a Blessing

OK, so we didn't win yesterday, we still had a great time and plan on being a team again. That to me is friendship. Take the little bumps and ride over them holding hands. We were in it together, support not blame or pettiness.
Two ideas to think on here, one, together is usually better than going it alone, two, laugh at the little things like Saturday morning golf tournaments, because they help train you to laugh at the bigger things.
I will be away from here for a week, as I am going to visit my dear friend to the north. Talk about two being better than one and laughter. We are such matched souls. I am forever grateful God put her in my life. She is one of my best blessings.
Look to your friends this week. Take care of them. As you do you take care of yourself.
God be with you this week.

"Beauty sustains me in challenging times." p. 117, Walk in A Relaxed Manner by Joyce Rupp

Boy, am I in a golf slump right now or what? Maybe five or six really sound shots a round. Discouraging to say the least. Cannot drive, poor second shots, no short game and putting is a whole 'nother blog! I am wondering why I should make the effort (plus the expense) to go out to play tomorrow.
Then I read the chapter which held the above quote. Rupp is on a pilgrimage in Spain, I am only dealing with a game.
So, what do I find beautiful about golf. First the friends. Even though the golf has been stinky, the ladies have been so much fun. During this down phase the women I have been paired with have been delightful, funny and understanding. Second, the incredible landscape in which our course is placed. Huge blue desert skies. Huge mountains, huge views. Third, great weather. Chilly when we tee off, yet a finish in gentle warmth. Fourth, clean, healthy air to breathe. Beauty abounds.
One of my best friend's husband is going through some serious health problems right now. Yet the humor in his voice and the love that shines through her e-mail updates is beautiful. My challenge is nothing compared to theirs.
God has surrounded me with beauty. It shows up first in friends and family.
Doctor visit later this morning for follow up on routine tests. Have you fellows had your annual blood work done?? Ladies, all those tests we need each year, have you scheduled them yet? It's a new year, how long has it been since your last check-up? Get it done!!

A motive in the human heart is like deep water, and a person who has understanding draws it out. Proverbs 20:5

My Mother's very best friend died just a few moments ago. I know in the very fiber of my being and deep in my soul they are together right now. They loved and totally understood each other. They had different personalities, but absolutely, shared love and beauty in their souls. They were two of the most gracious women I have ever known. The deep waters of their hearts flowed with love.

The motive, or as another translation of this verse reads "the designs in a man's mind" should always be love. With love comes understanding and patience. As we approach Christmas through the Advent season, let's work on that. As we head toward the end of the year, let's put aside the busy, the past, the silly, the hurts. Let's look past the motives of the ego, ours and other's, past the motives of personalities, ours and other's. Let's look for, and find, the deep waters of love with which God has graced our souls. Let's slow down and be still and really look for the Spirit of love in ourselves and know that we will find it in others.

These two women left behind four daughters. May we four look on each other as love our Moms left behind on this side.

Pray With Me Friday: Psalm 9:10

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

Most loving Creator, Living Christ, Great Counselor hear our prayer.
You have surely blessed us with a beautiful day. Whether we have crisp, cold air, rain, snow, clouds or sunny skies we know You are there. We are blessed with the breath we take in, the sights of our eyes and the beat of our heart. Thank You for life. Thank You for a friend or many friends, for we know you have put them in our lives.
Lord, in those times we forget You or think we cannot feel Your presence, help us to remember this Psalm. You never forsake us. You are here with us now and will be with us forever.
Lord, let us be a light to this world, that those You bring to us see You shining in our lives and faces. Put in our mouths the answers to their questions about You. Let us turn no one away from You, because of our actions. We who know your love want all to know it.
In the name of our Living Christ, AMEN.

Walk In The Light

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1John 1:5

Sorry I have been remiss in writing. I was visited this week by my oldest and dearest friend. "Oldest" meaning longest, don't want problems in our friendship over terms! She came to town to play with me in a golf tournament. We had a great time. Lots of golf, food, laughter, talk. We wore ourselves out. That's the good news; I twisted my ankle and fell two days before all this happened, so my golf was pretty stinky. Hard to swing the club when you are anticipating the jolt of pain that will inevitably be visited upon you. Until you hurt your right ankle, you tend to forget how much weight you place on your right side :( Oh well, you always need an excuse when you don't win a tournament.
So today, after I run a couple of really necessary errands, I am going to have some devotional quiet time. First I am going to meditate on 1John 1:1-7. I am not going to beat myself up, however, I am going to look over the past week to see where I slipped out of the light. Either by getting too involve in what was going on around me and forgetting or by letting my frustration make me a little edgy so I was not as "nice" as I could have been.
I love my Creator and want to always keep that first in my sight. But I slip into forgetting so often. I will not dwell on lost opportunities while I go over this today, but I will remind myself how easy it is to slip into the shadows of life's walk. We are human and we lose our light every now and then, but God doesn't. That light shines on us all the time, we just have to step back on to the course.
Shine your light on me today, O Lord, and I will run to get into it.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I have my date already for my mammogram. Have you made yours or has your wife? Do it!

Check out http://www.birdiesforbreastcancer.com/. Get involved and bless someone with your care and concern.

Love ya and Birdy on.

Work For The Correct Food

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the son of man will give you. John 6:27

This weekend the spouse and I played in a couples golf tournament. We were paired with a couple we had not previously met and were expected to "work" together to win the prize. It turned out we were a good team. When one of us faltered the other three picked up the load and carried on. We matched weakness with strengths, with laughter, understanding, and you know what we won!
Now winning a golf tournament is not something that is going to help us too far along the path towards eternal life. But the use of team work sure will. We used all the positive qualities and abilities God has given us to achieve a goal. We can take this same pattern and use it for much bigger things.
How beautiful if we would all pull together to work for the "food that endures". Jesus says that that work is "to believe in the one he has sent". If you are finding it hard to work alone on this job, then find a group. Get yourself a team. Join your seeking with others, the work is easier and certainly more joyous.

Scattering Among Your Neighbors

Love does no harm to its neighbors. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:10

My friend Judy and I were playing a twosome the other day and I brought my camera along. We had our usual fun and laughs, a little serious talk, and some conversation about applying Bible study to our everyday walk. I always come away from time spent with her with such a lovely feeling of peace and friendship. Real "you can talk about anything" friendship. She makes it easy to love your neighbor.

The picture above could be used for all sorts of Bible truths and stories. For Jesus talking about scattering seeds over the ground, or Old Testament stories about grain and planting. I have a better picture for those on another day. This sign is guiding us to drive the golf carts into grass that is not so worn. Scatter into other areas that have not been so well traveled.

It is usually pretty easy to love your family and those friends you choose to keep close around. OK, not always, but usually. However, what about our neighbors that are strangers, or those folks that look at first glance to be unlovable? How do we start, in a first step sort of way, to love these people as ourselves?

How about the step mentioned in today's verse from Romans...do no harm. Maybe you cannot, yet, find it in your heart to let them into your closest confidence, nor greet them with open arms. How about just doing away with the negative thoughts you might harbor about them, how about not joining in the talk about them, how about giving them the benefit of the doubt. Start with do no harm, then work up to doing something good for them. A smile, a kind word, a help. The type of love Paul is talking about is agape. A service, helping kind of love.

Scatter among your neighbors, near and far, and bring a helping kind of love. God revealed love through Christ, you and I reveal Christ's love through our actions. Scatter love, please, into some new paths not so well worn.

Once Again With the Love Your Neighbor

...love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19:18

Played golf yesterday for the third time since the summer travels. One of our Thursday group won the day's event. It was as much fun to have her win, as it would have been if I had won. She said it had been a number of years since she had taken that specific prize. Good going, friend!
As I think about the various threesomes and foursomes that played, it was a very mixed group of people. Religiously, economically, politically, ages, each one different. Some people paired together are so happy to get to play with each other. Some groups have a little tension, maybe a past hurt or slight, former misunderstandings or embarrassment over different skill levels. So how do you bring "love for your neighbor" into one of these groups? How do we bring our peace and calm into the situation?
I have noticed that usually during the round of golf there is a spot of laughter, a little smile, a time when one player sincerely compliments the other on a good shot. Maybe, these are little openings where the path to love your neighbor can start. Maybe it starts with one little step towards sharing a good moment, one little space of time where we can let down our guard and bring a little peace to the situation. Hopefully that one "piece of peace" can grow into a longer space of getting along, into a step towards understanding that we are all God's children.
I hope so. I have faith that that is what we are supposed to do. I will still work on it.

Fellowship

Let us not give up meeting together,... Hebrews10:25

Yesterday I had beautiful and blessed fellowship in the mountains about two hours from this desert valley. A very dear couple, who happen to be retired ministers, invited me to tag along with them to meet and study with another retired minister in Hill Top, NM. What a treat and joy. We spent about two hours discussing two articles from the publication "Weavings" and some time at lunch.
One of the questions posed was do we put more of our attention into private prayer and meditation or sharing our time in fellowship. To which do we feel more drawn? I guess we need to be equal as we are called to do both. However, I had to say I am much more drawn to quiet, private study, to the still moments of prayer and meditation.
On rethinking this this morning, I believe I need to balance the two a bit better. Not lessen my private time, by make more time for group fellowship. Develop a deeper appreciation for get togethers in the Body of Christ.

Martha and Mary

"Martha, Martha" the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her."

I still cannot play golf!! My back is slowly getting back in shape, but it is going to be at least next week before I will be able to try to swing a club. On the good side, no big housework tasks can be taken on either, just small ones. This forced down time has got me really missing my golf buddies. Two of my golfing sisters are going though some rough times right now. One with her daughter's health and one over her aging father. I wish I could be right in the middle of it helping them in some practical way. I know the two of them are wishing they could do something to "fix" their loved ones. We are all three good Marthas. We do good work, we are helpers, fixers, doers.
I did too much on my trip and did too much when I tried to move something 30 minutes after driving 950 miles in 13 1/2 hours. Now I have time to do nothing. Not really. Now is my Mary time. I have spent a week and two days reading, meditating, praying, getting my thoughts and priorities straighten out. I see so much ego-will in the last two months, not enough of God's will. I see too many of my fixes, not enough of God's.
My back pain will go away, it will heal. I will be physically healthy soon. But, more importantly, I have something better, something that cannot be taken away. I am deeper into my walk. I am slowed and mindful of the moments. I can "do" something very special for my two golf buddies. I can hold them in God's love through prayer. I can hold them in my heart and let the Holy Spirit take it where it where it is supposed to go.

Home

The name of the Lord is a strong tower. A righteous person runs to it and is safe. Proverbs 18:10

Home to the towering mountains of southern New Mexico for a week and then back on the road. My sister and I started in Missouri, traveled to New York, then down to Florida, and across to New Mexico. We will head back to Missouri Sunday. I will be there a week with two of the grandsons and then back here. What a lot of travel and time away from home. It could not be done without the blessings and goodwill of my spouse. He understands the need for my sister and I to spend time together and for the family visits along the way. God bless him.

We have been kept safe on this journey by the many prayers of friends and family. Like a strong tower with a light sweeping out to follow us, God has had us in His sight the whole trip.

Relax in The Presence

...and made him glad with the joy of your presence. Psalm 21:6

Two days of golf and I am done in. Hot, tired, stiff and very, very happy. The last two days I played with 6 of the nicest ladies I have ever played with. Funny and laid back. When I am in the presence of such nice people it makes my golf better. I was so relaxed and at ease, I couldn't help but play better golf. My swing was easy, I wasn't tense on my putts, it was like a dream. That is not to say my usual group is not fun nor nice, they are both. However, you tend to take that for granted and that is not right. I should never forget to always appreciate the regular weekly play group.
God blessed David and gave him joy in his presence. That's the way we should live every moment, blessed with the joy of being in the presence of our Creator. I tend to take that for granted, also. I forget how relaxed and peaceful it is to really be aware of God's presence. I get too busy, to focused on something else. Then I loose my peace, my calmness. But, you know the best part, God is always there waiting for us to wise up, waiting for us to remember where we are and in whose presence we are. Always there to fill us with peace and love. I will stop and remember that now.

Cleaning Out The Never Ending Dust

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! Psalm 133:1

No golf today. The group is scattered and it is too windy anyway. Windy, windy, windy. That translates to dust, dust, dust.
Yeasterday I cleaned with a vengences. I mean I got into places that had been ignored for weeks... OK, months. I cleaned, threw out, put back what was left and then cleaned some more. Now you have to think of something while you clean, so I did some attitude cleaning. I took out some relationships, looked at the dirt that had accumalated around them, cleaned them up and then looked at them as new and shiny.
I don't find it easy to live in unity with my friends and family when there are rough edges or little dirty spots adhering to the surfaces. I know the relationships are good and clean and pure under the fuzzy stuff I let get in the way. So periodically I need to clear off the dirt and dust that has gotten in the way. Maybe dirt is too harsh a word, but I cannot think of another right now. Anyway, yesterday I sorted out a lot of thoughts in my mind that were getting in the way of love. Fortunately none of them were huge, just little spots that were not needed nor useful. As I did that I of course found that a lot of those spots were imaginary, of my own making.
Now today there is more wind and I can see a fine line of dust on some surfaces. But, as you get older and see the dust build up, you realize that it is a lot easier to clean when you first see it. Don't let that dust build, on your shelves or your relationships. Clean it all up. Then you can function in unity. In clean, pure love.

Let the Joy Shine Out

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy...Galatians 5:25



Only three out of our usual seven gals were here to play this morning. We only played nine holes because of the wind. We had some crazy shots into, through, around, under and over the gusts. There was a lot of laughter.

We have some good chances to talk about religion and spirituality while we play. Not too often, but now and then. Our group has some believers, some strong, some thin and some non believers. Our discussions can be interesting.

Other people should be able to recognize that we are believers by our general happiness and love for each other. So, when in your groups, remember to let your joy shine out. That way others will want what you have and usually ask "How do you stay so happy?" The Holy spirit will continue to fill you up as you pass on the laughter, joy and love. Open up and let the Spirit fill you, then pour it out.

Praise

"...so that in all things God maybe praised through Jesus Christ." 1Peter 4:11



Praise, who doesn't love it! I played in a golf tournament this weekend. Gents verses the Ladies. We had a great time. So much laughter and teasing went on it was hard to catch it all. And praise. As I passed different foursomes it was gratifying to hear the compliments and praises being offered. Some of them hidden in a joke or tease, many of them out right admiration for a great shot or putt. Partners building up partners, opponents appreciating another's skill. You could see the joy praise gives by the look on the receiver's face. It seems to take us to a higher level. Some players just glowed to hear something nice said about them. When you give praise it makes you feel so good to see it's effect in the body language of the other person. Good for both. And it spreads. It is so much more fun to build up than to tear down.

As we praise God's creation we please and praise the Creator. How do I know? If you praise me about a scarf I knitted for you, I am so happy to know that you are happy and that you appreciate the time and work that went into my gift. And in whose image are we made ?? When we compliment or praise a fellow creation of God, God is praised. So, praise God through your prayers, songs, and thoughts. But also, don't forget to praise God by lifting up his people with compliments and praise.

I guess I have to tell you about the outcome of the tournament. The fellows won. Just wait until next year guys, us ladies have plans !!

Strengthen me

"encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2Thessalonians 3:17

I am home. I arrived Wednesday about noon to a loving husband and two happy dogs. My time with my friends was beautiful. We talked until we were worn out and then we talked some more. So when I got home I was very grateful to have a husband who encouraged me to relax and slow down. He fixed lunch, listened to my tales and then let me sit and ponder for a while. That was nice.
Yesterday, after doing the wash and some straightening, I headed to the course to hit some practice balls. Did I tell you it was windy? The weather report used the word breezy, I think they were trying to be nice. When I got up on the practice tee the wind was blowing so hard my sunglasses blew off my visor. Since it had been over ten days since I had practiced I decided to hit some balls anyway. When you play in the wind you have to hold steady and get your balance from the strength in your legs. You have to have a firm foundation, yet you cannot fight the wind. It is like a flow coming out of a solid foundation. You gage where the wind is coming from and adjust your aim. You also get a lot of sand and dirt in your hair! The better your swing is, the closer to the ideal swing, the better you can hit in the wind. If your swing is in the groove, the right path, the strength of your foundation will sustain you.
Through the fellowship of our retreat we gathered to us God's grace and strength. We filled ourselves with knowledge, wisdom and love. We gathered the"eternal encouragement and good hope" also mentioned in verse 17. When we are faced with life, our words and deeds will be enhanced as we look for the good. As we look for the correct path (as in grooving my swing) we will be strengthened and encouraged by the ideas, conversations, wisdom and love we found God infilling us with.
Out of the strength of our foundation, we can face the wind of life. We can aim for the good and flow with our Creator's love and eternal encouragement.

Longing Fullfilled

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 12:12

We have longed for this time together for a year. It has been worth every minute of waiting. We have again stretched each other out of our comfort zone so that I can see seeds sprouting. The seeds we plant in each other will grow until next year.
I am turning the blog over to the Las Vegas sister for her take on this time of fellowship.
How to begin to understand such a blessing of fellowship... You couldn't plan to make such special friends. You couldn't dream of the different personalities, backgrounds, ages and tastes coming together to share the most intimate stories of our lives with full acceptance and love. Tonight we are thinking of eating ice cream with no judgment and guilt associated , just finger lickin pleasure as we had as little girls. Then the discussion turns to going home, our next year get-together and our hopes and plans in between. It has been like the most fun summer camp complete with arts and crafts, lovely treasures to take home to remind us of our time together.
I can only encourage other women to make a circle of 3 or 4 girlfriends and spend one or two or four days of uninterrupted time together. No matter how long you have been friends, even if it is a short time, the connection runs deep and propels you into a place of understanding that you could get no other way. We all owe it to each other.

Grace

We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace. 2Corinthians 1:12

We had about 5 to 6 hours of discussion today. It was beautiful. We discussed two of our books and got about half way through another. The deepest point for me was a time of prayer. As it is said, when three or more of you gather in my name...we gathered, we prayed and the Presence was with us. It was one of the most amazing gifts of grace I have been involved in. We truly were one. I hope tomorrow one of my soul sisters will tell you more.
When you look at yourself with no one else around, when you get into that quiet space of your soul you can find out so much. When you then take what you have learned and place it before your friends it can be scary. Not so today. I have very rarely felt so safe as I did today. God is so good to give us friends who make you feel safe. SO, the topics we discussed were meaningful, insightful, thought provoking. But the essence of our group had the sweet smell of love, the feel of trust, the touch of concern, the sight of beautiful faces, the hearing of the word.
Tomorrow.