I have a friend. She has taught me much about trusting the Lord. I want to give a shout out to her for the beautiful legacy she is passing on to her children. Several years ago, when her kids were little, she found out she had cancer. Way back then, from the beginning, they were taught that mom's cancer did not make them special or allow them special privileges. They still had to do their homework. They had chores and were expected to get them done. They had to dress nicely and not just throw something on. They knew their manners and were supposed to use them. No excuses.
The biggest thing she has taught them, though, is to honor the Lord. To believe Him. Their family mantra became, "God's got this." I've heard them repeat it thousands of times. They have bracelets and shirts. They even shared it with me when I began my own battle with cancer. It's a testimony, and they tell it whenever they get a chance.
God's got this. No matter how scary or bad things appear, He has a plan. Stage 4 cancer? Certainly not what any young mother plans to have interfere with raising her babies, but my friend will be quick to tell you, "He has a plan and I am honored that he chose me to go through this." Those were words I found foreign and absurd before cancer. However, after you get your diagnosis, you understand and agree. She embraces life. She jumped out of an airplane this summer. She spent a couple of weeks this fall gathering coats for needy kids. She is always looking to help others instead of expecting people to help her. She inspires me. (Don't get any ideas that I am jumping out of a plane. That's just crazy!)
Just last week my friend had another major surgery to remove more tumors and things from her body. Right here at Christmas time. How bad would it be? Would she have to stay at the hospital for a long time? Would she be home for Christmas? Would she even live through it? She came through and is back home with her family to recover and celebrate Jesus' birth.
Today I saw her youngest son at school. His class was in line, but he smiled and mouthed something to me. It was noisy and crazy in the hallway, so I followed him to class.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I said, God's got this," he smiled.
I love this time of year. Time to celebrate Jesus. Time to give gifts and bake and sing and see the trees lit up and decorated. Hey, I even spent yesterday at the mall, of all things! Time to drink hot chocolate and watch the fire. Time to gather with friends and family. Time to remember why we do all this stuff we call Christmas. I wouldn't call myself a Grinch, but my heart grew two sizes today. Actually, it swelled to the point of bursting with love to know that a woman has taught her children compassion and faith. Faith in our God who never fails. Faith that even though we don't know about tomorrow, we know who does. And they allow me to share it with them. I am honored and blessed.
Please keep them in your prayers. God's got this.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Just Another Day
Is there such a thing as an ordinary day? I used to believe that, but not anymore. Now I get up each morning looking for the adventure that God has planned for me. What I have planned and what God has in store for me may not be the same thing. It's definitely better to go with Him.
Today I planned to get up early and start shopping before going to have lunch with a friend. After that I planned to come home and work on Shelter Missions International books for a while and then go take my mother-in-law to physical therapy. It was a good plan, didn't quite work out though. I'm glad, because it's been even better.
As we were getting ready for bed last night, Connally said he had a lot to accomplish today. Something about the way he said it made me realize he meant things here at home, not at work. I asked if he was taking a day off. He was. Two days. A four day weekend! So, I quickly turned my alarm off. No point getting up that early by myself.
After a more relaxed morning at home, cleaning dishes and making beds, I did go and have lunch with my friend. We talked about a LOT in an hour and had a good time together. She even paid for my lunch! Then, though I hadn't planned it yesterday, another friend, who is a stone mason, came to look at my kitchen. I've been wanting an updated backsplash for a while now. Well, they made all the measurements today and will start installation on Monday. YAY! I have worked on the SMI books and have successfully started a process that had intimated me until now. In just a few minutes I will pick up my mother-in-law and drop her off at her appointment while I run get that shopping done that I had planned for early this morning. Not exactly the day I planned, but so much better.
Anyway, this is just a quick little post to remind you that adventures don't have to be huge and detailed to be grand. They could just be slipped into your daily plans and change life up enough to make it a little more fun than you could make it on your own. What adventures did you have today?
Today I planned to get up early and start shopping before going to have lunch with a friend. After that I planned to come home and work on Shelter Missions International books for a while and then go take my mother-in-law to physical therapy. It was a good plan, didn't quite work out though. I'm glad, because it's been even better.
As we were getting ready for bed last night, Connally said he had a lot to accomplish today. Something about the way he said it made me realize he meant things here at home, not at work. I asked if he was taking a day off. He was. Two days. A four day weekend! So, I quickly turned my alarm off. No point getting up that early by myself.
After a more relaxed morning at home, cleaning dishes and making beds, I did go and have lunch with my friend. We talked about a LOT in an hour and had a good time together. She even paid for my lunch! Then, though I hadn't planned it yesterday, another friend, who is a stone mason, came to look at my kitchen. I've been wanting an updated backsplash for a while now. Well, they made all the measurements today and will start installation on Monday. YAY! I have worked on the SMI books and have successfully started a process that had intimated me until now. In just a few minutes I will pick up my mother-in-law and drop her off at her appointment while I run get that shopping done that I had planned for early this morning. Not exactly the day I planned, but so much better.
Anyway, this is just a quick little post to remind you that adventures don't have to be huge and detailed to be grand. They could just be slipped into your daily plans and change life up enough to make it a little more fun than you could make it on your own. What adventures did you have today?
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
I Went to See Guy, but I Met Nancy
I, like many of you, am a HUGE Guy Penrod fan. I believe that when he sings his faith and belief shine through the notes and the expressions on his face like no one else. My husband knows what a fan I am, so he surprised me this month with a precious gift. Precious because he planned and kept it secret for several weeks just to surprise me. Here's the story...
Several weeks ago my husband called to ask what we had planned for December 4th. I said we had nothing planned, so he told me to keep the date open because he had plans for us. He wouldn't tell me, so I started calling it my Mystery Date. (Didn't you love that game when you were a little girl?) Half the fun of a good mystery is trying to figure it out, so I would occasionally and randomly ask questions like, "What is happening on December 4th?" "Where are we going?" "Is it inside or outside?" My husband is really good at keeping secrets. All he would say is that I could wear jeans but to dress it up a little and that it wasn't in Chattanooga. Hmmm.... that's not a good hint!
I was supposed to be ready to leave home by three-thirty or four that afternoon. When we headed south, I was sure we were headed to Atlanta. Then we turned west and headed down Battlefield Parkway. Now I was sure he was going the round-about way to Chattanooga and we were going to the Christmas event at the aquarium. Nope, we missed that turn. When we turned down highway 193, I was very confused because that road leads to the county, not the city where the good events surely must be. We just drove and drove and drove. It was far enough that he had to turn on Google Maps. When we finally neared our destination, it was beautiful. Mountain Cove Farms is WAY out in the country near the foot of Lookout Mountain in Walker County. There were signs that said, "Welcome to Christmas in the Cove."
Then there was a sign that said, "Meet and Greet at the Manor." Um. Who are we meeting and greeting????? I don't do this type of thing well. He still wouldn't tell me. When we parked to go in the restaurant, he finally handed me the tickets. All I saw was two words. Guy Penrod. Surprised is not even close to the right word. Wow! Then my husband said the sweetest thing, "I didn't buy the meet and greet because I know you don't really like that sort of thing." AWWWWW! Thirty years together and he knows so well that I would be perfectly content at the concert. That's why I love him!
So, we walked into the restaurant, and I obliviously walked straight past Guy sitting at his dinner table. He had his back to the door and was surrounded by his crew. Just a bunch of guys eating dinner. Connally said, "Did you see?" I turned around and just smiled. Dinner was good, but the concert was better. We were close, about four rows back. There were only 300 people there. It was in a beautiful old white barn that had been decorated with white lights. I was excited and ready for the show to begin. Then it happened.
The sweetest little lady came to cross in front of us for a seat. She had a cane and smiled and said, "Just let me hold onto your hand." Her hands were warm - it was a cold night. She told me they had traveled a long way to get there and that she was very excited. She has every one of his albums and takes her daily nap listening to his Christmas CD right now. She smiled constantly. She told me she thought she wouldn't get to come because of some recent surgery and shared with me about some health issues and doctors' appointments she is facing. I shared my story with her. She is the pianist at her church and has been since she was fifteen years old. She loves the Lord and it showed.
As the concert started, Guy came out and led us all in singing old hymns. The Old Rugged Cross, What a Friend we Have in Jesus, Count Your Blessings, Victory in Jesus....you get the idea. It was so powerful because of his strong faith and belief. I cried through a lot of it. Just because of the joy that was flowing from my heart. Listening to those people sing, to my husband sing, those old songs of faith. But the highlight of the night was the look on my new friend's face as she sang one particular song.
My adventure was more than a dream come true. We weren't in a huge concert hall, there were just a handful of believers there that night. We were joined together at Christmas to celebrate our savior's birth with one of the biggest names in gospel music. But he made it personal for us, leading us in worship and sharing from his heart.
I am so grateful for my meet and greet with Nancy. She touched me in a way that few in this life have. She loves Jesus with a depth that makes her face glow like the purest crystal. She didn't quit smiling all night. I didn't either. Even as the tears flowed down my face singing about my Lord who brought me through this year and continues to lead me down new paths of unexpected people and adventure.
As we were waiting on the shuttle to take us to our car, Guy was standing just a few feet away talking to a friend. Connally said, "Want to go over?" I didn't. But on the way home I said, "In light of my new blog, next time, buy the meet and greet."
Several weeks ago my husband called to ask what we had planned for December 4th. I said we had nothing planned, so he told me to keep the date open because he had plans for us. He wouldn't tell me, so I started calling it my Mystery Date. (Didn't you love that game when you were a little girl?) Half the fun of a good mystery is trying to figure it out, so I would occasionally and randomly ask questions like, "What is happening on December 4th?" "Where are we going?" "Is it inside or outside?" My husband is really good at keeping secrets. All he would say is that I could wear jeans but to dress it up a little and that it wasn't in Chattanooga. Hmmm.... that's not a good hint!
I was supposed to be ready to leave home by three-thirty or four that afternoon. When we headed south, I was sure we were headed to Atlanta. Then we turned west and headed down Battlefield Parkway. Now I was sure he was going the round-about way to Chattanooga and we were going to the Christmas event at the aquarium. Nope, we missed that turn. When we turned down highway 193, I was very confused because that road leads to the county, not the city where the good events surely must be. We just drove and drove and drove. It was far enough that he had to turn on Google Maps. When we finally neared our destination, it was beautiful. Mountain Cove Farms is WAY out in the country near the foot of Lookout Mountain in Walker County. There were signs that said, "Welcome to Christmas in the Cove."
Then there was a sign that said, "Meet and Greet at the Manor." Um. Who are we meeting and greeting????? I don't do this type of thing well. He still wouldn't tell me. When we parked to go in the restaurant, he finally handed me the tickets. All I saw was two words. Guy Penrod. Surprised is not even close to the right word. Wow! Then my husband said the sweetest thing, "I didn't buy the meet and greet because I know you don't really like that sort of thing." AWWWWW! Thirty years together and he knows so well that I would be perfectly content at the concert. That's why I love him!
So, we walked into the restaurant, and I obliviously walked straight past Guy sitting at his dinner table. He had his back to the door and was surrounded by his crew. Just a bunch of guys eating dinner. Connally said, "Did you see?" I turned around and just smiled. Dinner was good, but the concert was better. We were close, about four rows back. There were only 300 people there. It was in a beautiful old white barn that had been decorated with white lights. I was excited and ready for the show to begin. Then it happened.
The sweetest little lady came to cross in front of us for a seat. She had a cane and smiled and said, "Just let me hold onto your hand." Her hands were warm - it was a cold night. She told me they had traveled a long way to get there and that she was very excited. She has every one of his albums and takes her daily nap listening to his Christmas CD right now. She smiled constantly. She told me she thought she wouldn't get to come because of some recent surgery and shared with me about some health issues and doctors' appointments she is facing. I shared my story with her. She is the pianist at her church and has been since she was fifteen years old. She loves the Lord and it showed.
As the concert started, Guy came out and led us all in singing old hymns. The Old Rugged Cross, What a Friend we Have in Jesus, Count Your Blessings, Victory in Jesus....you get the idea. It was so powerful because of his strong faith and belief. I cried through a lot of it. Just because of the joy that was flowing from my heart. Listening to those people sing, to my husband sing, those old songs of faith. But the highlight of the night was the look on my new friend's face as she sang one particular song.
He Hideth My Soul
1 A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.
Chorus:
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.
2 A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day. [Chorus]
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength as my day. [Chorus]
3 With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,
And filled with His fullness divine,
I sing in my rapture "Oh glory to God
For such a Redeemer as mine!" [Chorus]
And filled with His fullness divine,
I sing in my rapture "Oh glory to God
For such a Redeemer as mine!" [Chorus]
4 When clothed in His brightness transported I rise
To meet Him clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love
I'll shout with the millions on high! [Chorus]
To meet Him clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, His wonderful love
I'll shout with the millions on high! [Chorus]
My adventure was more than a dream come true. We weren't in a huge concert hall, there were just a handful of believers there that night. We were joined together at Christmas to celebrate our savior's birth with one of the biggest names in gospel music. But he made it personal for us, leading us in worship and sharing from his heart.
I am so grateful for my meet and greet with Nancy. She touched me in a way that few in this life have. She loves Jesus with a depth that makes her face glow like the purest crystal. She didn't quit smiling all night. I didn't either. Even as the tears flowed down my face singing about my Lord who brought me through this year and continues to lead me down new paths of unexpected people and adventure.
As we were waiting on the shuttle to take us to our car, Guy was standing just a few feet away talking to a friend. Connally said, "Want to go over?" I didn't. But on the way home I said, "In light of my new blog, next time, buy the meet and greet."
Thursday, December 4, 2014
A New Outlook on Life
It's been two weeks since I changed the name and look of my blog. Today is the first day I am sharing it publically. (The web address is now www.vicki-livingtheadventure.blogspot.com.) It's been a little longer than that since I started thinking about such things. I love writing and appreciate so much all who read. My prayer is that whatever you read encourages you to walk closer with the Lord and deepens your sense of identity in Christ. Thus, the change. Let me explain...
My former title was Living Transformed. Even though it is a perfect description of my life, totally transformed from my life before Jesus, it left me wanting more. I wanted to project to you that living out your identity in Christ is a daily adventure. And that if you are careful to watch, you will go places you never dreamed of going. So, for several weeks now I have intentionally gone through my day looking for adventure. And God has been faithful to take me there. I have so many things to share with you! Some days are one long adventure. Others, like yesterday, are a mini-series of adventures. When you look on life's interruptions as God's adventures, life becomes more fun. Here is an example of one adventure we have been on this week:
Monday night we had just finished watching The Voice. We were getting ready to turn the TV off and head to bed when my husband's phone rang. It was his cousin who lives about an hour away from us. Immediately the expectation was bad news. Who calls at 10 p.m.? What was bad news for them was adventure for us.
Cousin and eleven of his church friends had been to Pigeon Forge for their yearly shopping trip. They had made it as far back as Ooltewah when their van wouldn't go any further. After unsuccessfully trying to call rental companies and get a van to take them home, they finally called us. God had brought them close enough that we could easily get to them and take them home. So, we got ready and headed to our own church to get our own van. We had to clean it out (because the teens had apparently used it recently) and fill it up with gas (because the last driver left both tanks empty.) Finally, we headed to Ooltewah and set out on our adventure.
This van is old. The dashboard is cracked, the speakers are taped into the door, the air/heat works or not on any given day, the back window doesn't latch shut, there are rattles and noises coming from everywhere...but it runs and gets us where we need to go. We loaded up our cousin and eleven new friends and headed to their church, now about two hours away (because we had to go the opposite direction to get them.) Wouldn't you know it! Rain. And fog. Lots of fog. Heavy, dense, at times impossible-to-see-where-you-are-going fog. Of course, tonight the defroster was barely blowing. But God provided us a roll of paper towels with which we wiped the windows in desperate attempts to see where we were. Sometimes we slowed to a crawl. We have made this drive many, many times over the years, but tonight it took F O R E V E R to get to Floyd County.
Our passengers just kept telling us how thankful they were. We all agreed that God had gotten them to the right place to get help. As we drove, the ladies chatted about this and that. At one point they started talking about all the deer that had run out in front of them on this long, dark, country road, who had hit one, who had barely missed...not stories you want to hear when you have the memories of Todd and Michelle's deer story. The men made occasional comments about the fog. Connally and I worked together to see where we were in the road. Finally, after missing our turn because the fog was so thick, we turned around and made it to their church. We unloaded, handed everyone their shopping bags, and said our good-byes. Then it was time to go home.
We decided to go back a different way where the roads would be better lit. Still the fog was heavy. So, I just said, "Lord, please part this fog for us and clear the way." You know what? HE DID! Immediately our windows cleared, the road before us was plain to see, and we were rejoicing for answered prayer. It's really a cool thing when you see an immediate answer to prayer!
More comfortable now, we drove our familiar route and headed back home. We arrived around two a.m. and fell into bed exhausted. It was an awesome adventure!
Did you see all the miracles as you read? Instead of that van breaking down in Pigeon Forge, they made it to within twenty minutes of our house. That old, rattling van made the trip once again. Even in the thick, murky fog we had safe travel to deliver our new friends home. God answered prayer and immediately cleared the way for us to return home. That's huge because by this time it was after mid-night and we were really tired. We noticed when we got home that only one headlight was burning, but we were still able to see the road before us. Everyone involved was safe and sound.
It could have been a burden, and unwelcome interruption to our nightly routine. We could have complained and grumbled about the whole thing. Instead, we went on adventure with God and were able to minister to a group of people who were stranded with no options. It may sound crazy, but we had fun!
What adventure is God leading you on today?
My former title was Living Transformed. Even though it is a perfect description of my life, totally transformed from my life before Jesus, it left me wanting more. I wanted to project to you that living out your identity in Christ is a daily adventure. And that if you are careful to watch, you will go places you never dreamed of going. So, for several weeks now I have intentionally gone through my day looking for adventure. And God has been faithful to take me there. I have so many things to share with you! Some days are one long adventure. Others, like yesterday, are a mini-series of adventures. When you look on life's interruptions as God's adventures, life becomes more fun. Here is an example of one adventure we have been on this week:
Monday night we had just finished watching The Voice. We were getting ready to turn the TV off and head to bed when my husband's phone rang. It was his cousin who lives about an hour away from us. Immediately the expectation was bad news. Who calls at 10 p.m.? What was bad news for them was adventure for us.
Cousin and eleven of his church friends had been to Pigeon Forge for their yearly shopping trip. They had made it as far back as Ooltewah when their van wouldn't go any further. After unsuccessfully trying to call rental companies and get a van to take them home, they finally called us. God had brought them close enough that we could easily get to them and take them home. So, we got ready and headed to our own church to get our own van. We had to clean it out (because the teens had apparently used it recently) and fill it up with gas (because the last driver left both tanks empty.) Finally, we headed to Ooltewah and set out on our adventure.
This van is old. The dashboard is cracked, the speakers are taped into the door, the air/heat works or not on any given day, the back window doesn't latch shut, there are rattles and noises coming from everywhere...but it runs and gets us where we need to go. We loaded up our cousin and eleven new friends and headed to their church, now about two hours away (because we had to go the opposite direction to get them.) Wouldn't you know it! Rain. And fog. Lots of fog. Heavy, dense, at times impossible-to-see-where-you-are-going fog. Of course, tonight the defroster was barely blowing. But God provided us a roll of paper towels with which we wiped the windows in desperate attempts to see where we were. Sometimes we slowed to a crawl. We have made this drive many, many times over the years, but tonight it took F O R E V E R to get to Floyd County.
Our passengers just kept telling us how thankful they were. We all agreed that God had gotten them to the right place to get help. As we drove, the ladies chatted about this and that. At one point they started talking about all the deer that had run out in front of them on this long, dark, country road, who had hit one, who had barely missed...not stories you want to hear when you have the memories of Todd and Michelle's deer story. The men made occasional comments about the fog. Connally and I worked together to see where we were in the road. Finally, after missing our turn because the fog was so thick, we turned around and made it to their church. We unloaded, handed everyone their shopping bags, and said our good-byes. Then it was time to go home.
We decided to go back a different way where the roads would be better lit. Still the fog was heavy. So, I just said, "Lord, please part this fog for us and clear the way." You know what? HE DID! Immediately our windows cleared, the road before us was plain to see, and we were rejoicing for answered prayer. It's really a cool thing when you see an immediate answer to prayer!
More comfortable now, we drove our familiar route and headed back home. We arrived around two a.m. and fell into bed exhausted. It was an awesome adventure!
Did you see all the miracles as you read? Instead of that van breaking down in Pigeon Forge, they made it to within twenty minutes of our house. That old, rattling van made the trip once again. Even in the thick, murky fog we had safe travel to deliver our new friends home. God answered prayer and immediately cleared the way for us to return home. That's huge because by this time it was after mid-night and we were really tired. We noticed when we got home that only one headlight was burning, but we were still able to see the road before us. Everyone involved was safe and sound.
It could have been a burden, and unwelcome interruption to our nightly routine. We could have complained and grumbled about the whole thing. Instead, we went on adventure with God and were able to minister to a group of people who were stranded with no options. It may sound crazy, but we had fun!
What adventure is God leading you on today?
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