Link to the Q-Tipping Mom

IAs I mentioned in a previous post, I have begun a new job as the principal of Legacy Christian Academy and at one of our meetings for prospective families, I gave a little talk about saving money and how to afford a Christian education for your children.  Of course, "couponing" was one of the standards, but I sensed that some of our younger generation was not sold on that idea UNTIL a certain lady started coming to our area and teaching us about coupons and how to make it work very successfully.  I am including her link her so that you can start learning about this great money-saving tactic as well...

The Q-Tipping Mom

Daddy's girl...

I began a full time job this week. It was definitely a meandering path that brought me here. Lots of twists, turns, disappointments, prayers, tears … I know I SHOULD trust the Lord’s timing … I do believe that His timing is best … just hard to grab hold of that some days.

The journey for this job began about a year and a half ago. I had just left a secretary position at my church and decided to re enter the education field. I realized January was probably not the best month to do that so I had prepared myself not to really get a job until the next school year. I continued a little eBay business I had started but the further I got into applying for a teaching job, the less time I had to devote to that. Finances were a real problem, adding a large amount of stress to the situation.

About April, I began applying in earnest, widening the range of my search considerably, both in physical distance and in the type of job. I am a school library media specialist by degree. I applied for those jobs, teaching positions, library aides, reading positions, well, pretty much anything that paid something. I was willing to travel long distances. I had LOTS of interviews. I received some beautiful rejection letters … but no job offers. I struggled on … finances still in awful shape … sold LOTS of “stuff” … survived Christmas … New Year looked really bleak … thinking McDonald’s jobs looked pretty good about now …

January brought a new challenge … my dad, who had been living with us for five years, was diagnosed with lung cancer and began daily radiation treatments. Now the picture was a little more clear … my little family was the only family Dad had nearby … I took him to those treatments and often thought, “What would I do if I had a job?”  I was thankful to be able to help him during this difficult time in his life ...

I also began meeting with a group in our community about the prospect of forming a new Christian school … and something started tinkling in the back of my mind. The school finally had a Board of Directors and they initiated a search for an administrator/principal. I started praying about this … and asking the Lord for a “sign” ~ I know, a little baby in my faith but I was pretty shattered from the financial strain of no job along with the reality that Dad’s life was probably not going to last much longer. I also held tightly to the verse, "He remembers we are just dust," so I asked the Lord for one of the Board members to mention to me the possibility of the job … didn’t happen right away … but about a month later TWO of the Board members asked me during a meeting would I consider applying … wow, would I ever …

The rest is history. I went through the application process and was hired. The picture became really clear at that time … my timetable was just not my Father’s and His was best, of course. The meandering path finally led to Legacy Christian Academy and now I am trying to trust the Lord with His timing and plans for this school of His…

My dad went to live with Jesus on April 21st of this year. I had started working part time with LCA in March. About a week before Dad died, I was going to work and his wonderful sitter had come to stay with him. Dad was in his recliner and we knew the end was close; he could hardly talk. As I was going out the door, I went over to tell him bye, let him I know I was working and Jimmy would be with him. Dad nodded and managed to say, “You on pay woll?” much like my two year old grandson would have spoken. I replied, “Yes, Sir,” and he grinned and nodded his head.

Through my tears, I know this gave Dad some of the peace he needed to let go … he had tried to take care of me my whole life and he had been so burdened that I could not find a job … now the Lord’s plan allowed him to know I would be okay … not the same without him, but okay…

You know, I was so blessed to have a daddy that did everything he could to care for me and I AM so blessed to have a Daddy-Father that does everything He can to care for me … even when from my perspective, the road was winding, full of pitfalls and so rough to travel, He knew the path was straight, narrow and exactly where I needed to go. Yep, I’m a Daddy’s girl …

 My dad and me one Christmas while in France ...
definitely a Daddy's girl

Things I learned from Cindy ... Well received!

My dear friend Cindy has been living in Heaven with Jesus for over 3 months … I still can’t believe it! I learned so much from her life here on Earth … I do regret not telling her these things while she was here … the LORD is trying to teach me to be an encourager and one thing I’ve learned is to tell people more often how they are blessing my life so I am using this venue to “tell” Cindy…

Cindy was one of the best “receivers” I’ve ever known. She delighted in a surprise. I do so poorly at remembering to get gifts for special occasions and it dawned on me one Sunday that Cindy had just graduated from college. She went back to college as a mom, just like I had done several years earlier, so she was special to me, and I forgot to get her a gift! UGUGGGGHHHH! But I quickly recovered and offered to take her family out to eat after church one Sunday night. I still felt pretty lame but wanted to do something. She was thrilled and told me how much she loved surprises. Not a lot of “oh, you shouldn’t have” or “that’s is too much” or anything like that. She appreciated the gesture and used her gorgeous smile to let me know. I’ve never forgotten how good she made me feel by accepting my surprise with such genuine delight.

She was sick awhile before she left us and people wanted to help her. I remember one time a mutual friend said she was coming from town, was there anything Cindy needed ... Cindy replied with an order for a fish dinner she loved. Of course our friend was so happy to get Cindy something she liked. I admired Cindy because she was willing to accept the gift and bless the giver by allowing her to give. Others gave her certificates for the ice cream she loved; she just beamed telling me about it. There were so many more that gave to Cindy. She received each gift and act of kindness with such graciousness that it just blessed your socks off to give her something or do something for her.

She was such a good giver that I never expected her to receive so well. Many with a giving spirit are hard pressed to receive. I have learned through Cindy and others that we steal people’s joy when we don’t allow them to do what God has called them to do. We should be generous in giving and receiving …

Not that I seek or am eager for [your] gift, but I do seek and am eager for the fruit which increases to your credit [the harvest of blessing that is accumulating to your account]. But I have [your full payment] and more; I have everything I need and am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent me. [They are the] fragrant odor of an offering and sacrifice which God welcomes and in which He delights. And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:17-19 Amplified Bible)

Jesus was such a giver and still is but I truly love the example He gave us when He was a receiver …

Now when Jesus came back to Bethany and was in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to Him with an alabaster flask of very precious perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, For what purpose is all this waste? For this perfume might have been sold for a large sum and the money given to the poor.

But Jesus, fully aware of this, said to them, Why do you bother the woman? She has done a noble (praiseworthy and beautiful) thing to Me. For you always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me. In pouring this perfume on My body she has done something to prepare Me for My burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news (the Gospel) is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be told also, in memory of her. (Matthew 26:6-13, Amplified)

Lord, You are the great Giver and I am the grateful receiver. Please forgive me when I have not received well, Your gifts or the gifts of others. Thank You for the gift of Cindy; it sure seemed short to me but I know Your time line is just not mine. I do appreciate the memories, Lord, You are gracious to let us keep those sweet times in fond memory until Eternity. Thank You for Your examples of giving and receiving. May I bless others by doing both in Your Name. Amen.

Silent Saturday

Yesterday was Good Friday, the day that we remember the death of our Lord Jesus on that cruel cross. Even in its most horrible moments, that day is truly good for us because it provided our salvation.

Tomorrow will be Resurrection Sunday, Easter as many call it, and it is a really great day because the empty tomb proves that Jesus lives!!

But what is today? As I think of the Disciples and other believers, I wonder what they thought of today, the day between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday ... what were they talking about? Were they in hiding wondering what the past three and a half years were worth? What had they given up and how could they make it? Why didn't Jesus do something about it? Why hadn't He come off that cross and put everyone in their place? Why did He allow this to happen? We do know they had lots of time to think because today (Saturday) in their time was the Sabbath...

"Then they went back and made ready spices and ointments (perfumes). On the Sabbath day they rested in accordance with the commandment." Luke 23: 56

We know they were together on Sunday; we know the ladies had prepared spices for His body so they were thinking He was still in that tomb...expecting Him to be, well, dead...

But Saturday, their Sabbath, had been so quiet, no word from their Lord ... so many questions unanswered. Surely their faith was troubled...

But what was Jesus doing? What was going on on the "other side?" Jesus was doing the work required for our redemption ... He was strongly working on our behalf ... but "our side" had no evidence of that yet. To them, it was just a horrible Sabbath day, questioning all that had transpired...

Just a word of encouragement ... when it feels God has left you alone, if you are questioning what He has told you, when you cannot "feel" His presence ... remember He is working on your behalf, maybe in a way you could never comprehend, but He has not gone away in this "silent" time, He is working for you ... and Sunday is coming!!

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." ~ Hebrews 12:1-3

LORD JESUS, thank You for working on behalf of me and those I love; please forgive my doubting heart. I thank You for enduring the cross, despising the shame, rescuing me when I am so unworthy; I bless Your Name and Your unfailing faithfulness, even when it seems You are silent. I will choose to trust Your word ... You will never leave me or forsake me. I love You and adore You!

Mirror, mirror, on the wall...

I have just passed a BIG milestone in my life...I have reached 50 years of age...never imagined what 50 would be or look like...it's a time when mirrors are no longer our best friends, especially those magnifying ones that make things look so big!!! Remember when we were younger and got a zit on our face and thought it shouted to the whole world, "Look at ME!!" Now, I kind of feel like that looking at wrinkles. In fact, I went back to contacts because I thought the little cute glasses I had actually magnified those wrinkles under my eyes!

A lot of focus on the outside, huh? Makes me think of an episode of Berenstain Bears (can you tell I have some GRANDangels??) where Sister thinks her ears are big...Mama tells her that what's on the inside is important; just like Grandma used to tell me, "Pretty is as pretty does." Didn't make much sense to a 10 year old...wondering why she didn't just say it like Mama Bear...sorry, Grandma, not really comparing you to a bear...

A familiar scripture from I Corinthians 13 talks about mirrors... "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror..." Wonder what it would be like to have a mirror that could see inside...kinda like a X-ray but only for attitudes, intentions and motives....

Sometimes I don't even want to think about my actions much less my motives. It takes time and energy to think about why I did something. It's pretty easy to diagnose my ugly actions...usually jealousy, envy (can't believe you got that promotion when I deserved it!), revenge (you hurt my feelings, I hurt yours.), trying to be God (Um, you need some consequences to that sin, Girlie, and I am just the one to give it to you!) and on I could go... But do my good actions reflect the LORD? If I am generous, do I want someone else to notice? If I am kind, is it so I can get something good in return? If I read my Bible every day, is it so I can be sure folks in my Sunday School class know it?

And if we "see through a glass darkly," can I really even know my motives? I can't trust them all the time but I am beginning to trust them some of the time. This helps me:

And as you would like and desire that men would do to you, do exactly so to them. Luke 6:31

Do exactly to others as I would want them to do to me...not what was done to me or mine...not as I think they "deserve"...not so I will look holy...pretty simple...don't have to worry much about steamy mirrors or ugly motives with that one...

Dear LORD,

Thank You again that Your ways are simple, Your Word is true. Forgive my wrong motives, intentions, thoughts and actions. May I reflect Your love by doing for others exactly what I would want them do to (or think about) me. And please help me to be honest about that.

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