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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Help, I've fallen and I can't get up...

Well, I'm guessing you could probably figure out my age by the title of the post today; you have to be a certain age to remember this phrase. It was originally in a 1980's commercial for Life Call, a company that marketed small touch devices that would "call" emergency services for you. Although as a maturer adult, it doesn't seem quite so funny (guess I'm thinking, "That could happen to me!") I remember laughing so hard when I was younger. Not really at the lady who fell but at all the parodies that came out; I even think there was a Saturday Night Live episode about it.

All this talk of falling brings to mind a scripture...

"for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity." Proverbs 24:16


My last post was about a dark time in my life. I wrote it about a month ago and I am doing better. I don't think I am completely in the light yet, but the dark days are definitely fewer.

I find comfort in the words of Proverbs 24. It assures me that righteous people do fall. For whatever reason: sin, sickness, depression, heartache, weariness, family trauma, financial strain, etc. I guess it really shouldn't surprise us that there will be dark days. The most comfort for me comes from the getting up part. Yes, we will fall, but we will rise again. The LORD will sustain us, walk through the rough times with us (Isaiah 43), guide us and comfort us. I am so thankful He walks through with us, does not desert us in our dark times.

The end of the verse says that the wicked are brought down by calamity. I can certainly believe this because I don't know what I would have done during the dark times without the LORD. Yes, there were people who cared and reached out to me, but in the darkest night, there were just the LORD and me and that was enough. I guess the one thing I have learned over and over is that people can help but ultimately it has to be just the LORD and you, that has to be enough. God is gracious enough to provide family and friends to help, but HE is the source of all our needs and HE has so proven Himself to be true to me.

During the dark times, that is tough to remember but at the end of the day, it is the truth I need.

I will fall, I will get up and the LORD Himself will sustain me. Enough. And as Kim Darby said in True Grit, "And enough is a feast."

Thank you, LORD, that You are always enough, enough to sustain me, provide for me, comfort me, love me... enough for whatever is my need. I am glad that I will get up because of Your steadfast love. Thank You that you did not design me to stay down but at times allow darkness because I need to reach out for You, only You. You are amazing, Faithful and True.

It's getting dark earlier...

***Please note: I did not write the following to obtain pity (I only invite a very few to my pity parties, you know who you are and thanks for coming and not judging me while you were there); it was something I felt I needed to write to be real, true to who I am and I feel better in my spirit for having done so. Thanks for your understanding.***


During a particularly dark time in my life, the song, Blessed Be Your Name, became my anthem. These anointed lyrics were penned by Matt Redman. The following are a few lines:

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name...

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name...

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name...

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name...

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Well, I did list more than a few... but they spoke to me SO much then, especially...

the desert place...wilderness... a place not of my own choosing

road marked with suffering... my soul and spirit suffered greatly

pain in the offering... some days it was really HARD to praise...

darkness closes in... very dark but a glimmer of light was always there...

still I will say...Blessed be Your Name...

You give and take away... so, so true ... never felt it so much

Still my heart will choose to say, "Lord, blessed by Your Name!"


Lately it has been dark again, LORD, and I am thankful You have reminded me of Your Word through Job and Matt. Not the same circumstances at all but still just dark. Thank You that there are so many more light days than dark days. Thank You that You allow me to especially take care of myself during dark days. Thank You that Your Word is full of folks like me that had dark days, too. Thank You that You are the Light. I know the dark days probably will not cease immediately but they will pass and I will choose to say, "Blessed be Your Name!!" Even in a dreary place.


{Job} said ... The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed (praised and magnified in worship) be the name of the Lord! In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly. Job 1:21-22