Thank God for Praying Friends

 

The past couple weeks have been very hard for my daughter.  She has been anxious and depressed and even tearful at work.  Even an increase in her anxiety medication didn’t seem to help.  There have been many prayers lifted in her behalf.  But I have been amazed by all the calls and emails and cards of encouragement that she has received, mostly from her church friends. 

    But last night blew us away!  One of her church friends invited her to go out for supper — but Sara didn’t know that a whole crowd of her friends would be there.  Not only were the tables full, but several brought cards and gifts of encouragement — even Reese Cups, her favorite.  She had the biggest smile we have seen in several weeks.

     After the meal, we went outside the restaurant and each lady prayed for Sara and for our church — prayer meeting on the sidewalk!  It lifted Sara’s spirits so much!  She said it was the BEST day — she really felt the love from all those precious ladies. 

     It was such a blessing to this momma’s heart to hear all those prayers for my sweet daughter.  She is much better — no more tears this week — and we are both so thankful for praying friends.  

Share the Good News!

  I was checking out the 50% off Valentine candy aisle at Walmart today — the day after Valentine’s Day — when a random guy started talking to me. He said the candy reminded him of the day he was adopted. He said his new parents took him to the store after they left the courthouse and bought him 7 sets of clothes — then they went to the drug store and bought him a bag of candy.  He said that he would never forget that day and he gave the credit to Christ for changing his life. I was so touched by that testimony in the candy aisle and I thanked him for sharing that with me.

Then I was checking Facebook and saw a testimony from a friend that I met thru Disaster Relief. He was praising God for 9 years of being sober — freed from addiction to drugs and alcohol — and gave all the credit to Christ. He is now working full time at one of the Baptist rebuild centers.

These men volunteered their testimony because they had been transformed by a mighty God and they weren’t afraid to share that good news.   When you have such Good News, you want to tell someone!

 

In Everything Give Thanks

I had thyroid cancer over 20 years ago. it came back about 6 years ago in my lung, but I was fine after surgery. Now it has showed up again, this time in lymph nodes in my chest. After 2 1/2 weeks on a very restrictive diet and 2 injections, I drove back to Baptist Hospital for a scan that involved lying still for about 1 1/2 hours. The results were not what I hoped for -- the radioactive iodine treatment would not work. So now on to Plan B -- a biopsy. I wanted to listen to an audio book by my favorite author, Jan Karon, called "Bathed in Prayer" but since I was driving, I just randomly hit a chapter. Happened to be a sermon on the verse, "In Everything Give thanks" -- he said to give thanks even in the hard things. Perfect timing! Here are some things I gave thanks for: That warm blanket they put over me during the scan. The best parking place ever. The end of that diet so I can eat whatever I want. A gazillion people praying for me. A phone call from my friend telling me to get a donut -- and a Krispy Kreme right on my way. Plan B. The best doctors taking care of me. Safe travels for my trips to the hospital this week. Cappuchino on the way home. The last part of the sermon was from Philippians 4 "...Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." The chapter ended with the verse, "I know the plans I have for you, ... plans to give you hope and a future." Wow! That was a Godwink! The perfect message for me at that moment! I keep thinking of that Goodness of God song: "All my life You have been faithful All my life You have been so so good With every breath that I am able I will sing of the goodness of God."

What a Heritage!

I was looking at a couple of my favorite Psalms this morning -- Psalm 61 and 62, when I noticed a verse that I hadn't paid attention to before. Psalm 61:5 said "you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name." I started thinking about what a blessing it was to have Christian parents and grandparents and even great-granparents that I never knew but heard stories about. My great-grandfather, David Frazier, taught Sunday School at the little church out in the country in WV. He picked up other children with his horse and wagon and drove them to church. He and my great-grandmother were charter members at the Red House United Brethren church. The tradition of teaching Sunday school carried on through the generations. My grandan Frazier and both my parents served as Sunday School teachers, and even I taught Sunday school when I was younger. They were all such an example to my brothers and me. My brother became a minister, and his daughter is a missionary. What a heritage! Another verse that popped out today was Psalm 61:6 -- "Prolong the life of the king, may his years endure to all generations." I'm praying now that God would prolong the life of 2 men on my prayer list who are seriously ill, that their years may endure for more generations. I love how the scriptures still bring comfort and inspiration today, thousands of years after they were written.

Precious Memories .... How They Linger

I stopped in a new Christian book store on my walk yesterday, and there was a picture on the wall that brought a flood of emotions and tears. It was a little frame church that looked so much like the church I attended as a child -- and the memories got me all choked up as I tried to talk to the owner. He said many tears had been shed in that store -- I was not the first. My church was the second one in that location. My great grandparents were charter members in the 1800's when it was built. There was no air-conditioning or padded pews or bathrooms except for the outhouse out back. But I have so many memories! I think of the sweet elderly people who sat on the left side in the front. And Mr. Warner who always said,"Wonderful! Wonderful," when the choir or my girls chorus sang. My Sunday School class with the flannel board stories, and later the youth group class where everyone painted their chair and labeled it with their name. The picture in the front of Jesus knocking on the door. Santa coming down the aisle with a bag full of presents for all the kids after the Christmas program where the little kids said their "piece" and the youth put on a play. Youth Sunday when all the teenagers led the service. Revival services -- especially the one when I was 10 years old -- I walked the aisle ond knelt at the altar bench and gave my heart to God. We built a new church after I finished college -- I was married in the new church -- and the old church is now covered with kudzu and falling down. But it was such a special place to me. I can still picture my grandan Frazier singing "Amazing Grace" and my dad leading the choir and my mother's strong alto voice. I picture my brothers and many others praying at the altar. Sometimes I'll admit I sat in the back and read my "Builders" magazine and didn't hear a word the preacher said. But that little church is where I first learned to love Jesus and His people. Most of the people who went to church there are in Heaven now -- and I look forward to seeing them again one day. Those days will live on in my memory -- I am so thankful for that little church between the Kanawha River and Red Rock.

Can’t Steal My Joy!

After months and MONTHS of no choir singing, we have started having socially distanced church choir practice.  It’s not the same as sitting side by side — hearing the voices blending instead of mostly hearing just myself — but it’s a lot better than no singing at all.

We have started working on Christmas music, including one of my favorites — “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.”  As we sang the last verse, I got a little choked up — the words touched my heart.

“ God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail.”

It’s such a difficult time — election attacks from both sides, the endless pandemic of COVID-19, all the cancelled events and closed restaurants, masks and no hugs — and now wondering about Christmas.  Will the Grinch steal Christmas?

But singing the Christmas songs reassured me that nothing can stop me from celebrating Christmas, because God is not dead, nor does He sleep.  He is alive, as near as my breath, and even if we can’t stand shoulder to shoulder to sing Christmas carols, nothing can stop Christmas from coming. And God’s will is gonna be done, no matter who wins the election, no matter how long we have to wear those annoying masks, no matter how many negative headlines we read.  The joy I feel as we sing about Jesus can’t be stolen by a Grinch or virus or politician. There is no darkness in His presence — His words are a light to my path (Psalm 119).

Memories of Vacation Bible School

        Vacation Bible School has sure changed since I went to VBS in my little town in West Virginia about 60 years ago.  My home town was mostly built on the narrow stretch of land between the road, railroad and the mighty Kanawha River. We pretty much made our own fun, mostly playing Hide and Seek, Kick the Can, football, and softball in my grandparents' yard. We played baseball for a while, but after hitting the ball into the McDade's house, we had to switch to softball.  There was also a bookmobile every two weeks, and I always checked out as many books as I could carry.  There were no theaters, no swimming pools, no Dairy Queens or any other restaurants for miles.
       But for a week during the summer, we had Bible School at our church.  It was wonderful!  We made crafts with popsicle sticks and macaroni alphabet letters, heard stories told with a flannel board,
and raced to find and read the verse called out during the Bible Drill. Everyone brought a Bible, and those with a finger index seemed to have an advantage but sometimes I could still find the verse first!  We sang "Hallelu, Hallelu, Halleu, Hallelujah! Praise ye the Lord!" and "Deep and Wide" with lots of enthusiasm -- until we reached the age of being too embarrassed  to do the motions.
       There was also a Baptist church in our town, and we went to their VBS too. That was the only time I was inside the Baptist church, and their pastor was known as Brother Mickey. I can still remember starting with "GOOD MORNING BOYS AND GIRLS!" in his big booming voice, and we replied "Good Morning Brother Mickey!"  Bible School was in the morning in those days, and almost all the leaders were women, because the men were all at work. I always think of Brother Mickey when we sing "Onward Christian Soldiers" because we sang that after the pledge to the Christian flag. And "Wonderful Words of Life" followed the pledge to the Bible.
       Years passed, and after I was married and had a child, I volunteered to help with Bible School at the Army Chapel in Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska. I don't remember much about it, except for the Worst. Craft. Ever.  My friend Donna Miller and I were told to lead the children in making a cross out of sugar cubes and Elmer's glue. When I tried it at home, it seemed simple -- took about 3 minutes and I was worried about what we would do for the remainder of the craft period.  As it turned out, that was not a problem.  It was a disaster. Some ate part of the sugar cubes and didn't have enough to make the cross. Others used so much glue that the sugar dissolved.  Since then I have never volunteered to help with crafts, especially if it involved sugar cubes!
       

      Bible School today has a theme -- our is "Shipwrecked" and we teach the children that Jesus rescues us from our problems.  The volunteers include many men and women who spend days making props.

                        

      We have screens and videos instead of flannel boards, and they serve an entire meal instead of the cookies and Kool-Aid we had back in my childhood. The songs are not the hymns and choruses I knew, but have a rap or rock beat, and lots of bouncing and dancing around.  It is very different.

      But the message is the same.  Last night, the children heard the story of Jesus and the cross.  They were given a strip of a black rag, and as they thought of things they had done wrong, they hung their cloth, like their sin, on the cross. Jesus still rescues us from our sin.

     I am so thankful for volunteers and parents who realize the importance of giving time during the summer to teach our children about Jesus. VBS experiences have stayed with me for all these years, and I hope that it will make a difference in these young lives.

Soles of Hope

   This morning was the 5th annual  "Soles of Hope" at my church.  It was started to honor the memory of a little boy who died of cancer, and I have been blessed to take part in this ministry.  We served breakfast to over 1000 people, gave away over 600 pairs of sneakers, and each family took home a big box of groceries.

   My job was to help the little boys find the perfect pair of shoes at the 5 - 7 1/2 size table.  Some came in with flip-flops or no shoes at all, and as I put socks on dirty little feet, my heart was full of joy to be able to put a smile on the face of boys and parents. One grandma said she didn't know what they would have done without our help. Another burst into tears as she explained that she had just moved here yesterday --"You don't know what this means to me" she said.
    Although our table was stacked high with shoes at 9:00, by 10:30 we only had a single pair of sizes 5 and 7, so I quickly drove to Walmart and bought more, getting back just in time to make more boys happy!

     I was also happy to see some of my former kindergarten students -- so sweet to get hugs and smiles as they recognized me. I loved those kids.
     While the media is full of reports about that small group of racists demonstrating, I prefer to think about the large group of loving people bending down to tie shoes on feet of every color. There are lots more people serving God by serving others than there are of the hateful groups that get all the attention. And I'd much rather be on my knees tying shoes than waving signs and yelling hateful words.

Encourage One Another Daily

   I get a message from my friend Denise almost every day on my Fitbit saying something like,"What are you doing today to reach your goals?"  Many times I am sitting in my overstuffed chair doing NOTHING until I read that message. She reminds me that I do have goals, and her reminder is an encouragement to get up and get started.
   My scripture reading today was from Hebrews 3. "Encourage one another daily so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."  I was thinking about how important church is to my state of mind. After another few days of Facebook posts and news reports of violence, racism, demonstrations, ranting and raving about political leaders -- I NEEDED to go to church and see smiling faces, get hugs and handshakes, sing songs of praise, and hear prayers and a message about love. I can't make it a whole week -- I need the midweek gathering too. So when I read in my Bible that Paul said "Encourage one another DAILY" -- I knew why he thought that was important.
   It doesn't take a lot to encourage someone -- even a "like" on Facebook or a short message on my Fitbit makes me feel better about things.  I actually wrote a note to an old friend, put a stamp on it and mailed it this week -- my friend doesn't do Facebook -- because I was thinking of her. I don't do that often enough. It is easy to start feeling isolated when you don't have a job that requires you to leave your house, and my church friends and Chorus friends have become even more important than before.  I was grateful for the opportunity to share my story with the younger ladies Encouragehers Sunday School class last week -- and I hope my experiences were an encouragement to some of them.
    This Saturday our church Family Life Center will be full as we invite the community to come to Soles of Hope -- we will give new shoes to all the children, breakfast and a big box of groceries to each family. Life is hard sometimes, and we find joy in being able to give to others. The big smiles that come with the new shoes give us all a lift. It is such a blessing to see so many from church here to serve and help children find new shoes.
     So encouragement works both ways -- whether giving or receiving -- all are blessed.

Can't Change It

    As I was driving home on I-40 this afternoon, I came to a "one lane ahead" construction area. As I inched along, I was reminded of a podcast I listened to recently.  The speaker, Hal Elrod, has leukemia, but he told his listeners that his perspective made all the difference. If you can't change your situation, then instead of getting upset and frustrated, use the opportunity to add value to your life or to the world. So instead of complaining about the slow traffic, use the stop and go moments to change the music on the radio/cd player or enjoy the flowers planted in the median.

There are things in life that you can't change, that seem unfair. But if you just say CAN'T CHANGE IT and look for a way to use the situation to add value instead of getting mad or anxious or frustrated, your life will be better.

      Recently one of my friends was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. As I held her hand and encouraged her, I was actually grateful that I could be a comfort to her because I had that same surgery nearly 20 years ago. One of my favorite Bible verses is Romans 8:28 "All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose."

There are times that I surely don't understand His purpose.  But I do believe that good can come from anything if we just look for it. Maybe you lost a job -- but then got a better one.  Or were late for work at the Pentagon, like my friend Bob -- and avoided the 9/11 tragedy.  Or couldn't get a visa approved to go back to Jerusalem as a missionary, like my nephew Zachary, but then got called to serve as senior pastor at a church where his sermons are broadcast on the internet and he is able to reach many more for Christ. Or, like my husband, got wounded in Vietnam and airlifted out the day before a big battle where many of his fellow soldiers were killed. All these bad situations were examples of God working things out for good.
        It was certainly not fair that Jesus suffered and died on the cross. He was totally innocent and did nothing to deserve that. But because of His unfair treatment, we can have an abundant life.  So whether we are stuck in traffic, or diagnosed with a dread disease, let's look for the good!

God Blessed America

  I love America. As we celebrate the birth of our great nation, I've been thinking about blessed we are to live here.   I have been lucky enough to have opportunities to travel to many places in the United States.  The south has white sandy beaches and tall palm trees and it is always exciting to drive there.  We loved the rocky coast of Maine and watching the lobster traps being hauled aboard the boats.  Alaska was breathtakingly beautiful with the snow covered mountains and it was a thrill to catch a glimpse of the moose and grizzly bears.  The Midwest had miles and miles of flat farmland -- endless cornfields.  The Grand Canyon was so incredible, and I loved seeing all the Joshua trees in Nevada and Arizona. My home state of West Virginia has beautiful hills and valleys and rivers that I love, especially in the fall when the leaves are spectacular.
I wonder how some people can think for a moment that there is no Creator.
Oh, Lord my God,
When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made...
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee
How great Thou art!

A Matter of Perspective

 

 As I was leaving church Sunday, I was stopped by a 90-something lady. She took my hand and said, "I was watching you bounce up the aisle this morning and thinking how I wished I was young again!"  And I thought,"YOUNG? I am almost 70 years old!" I am glad she thought I still had a little bounce in my step -- and I was thinking about that as I trudged around the track on my morning walk.  Notice I said TRUDGE -- because unlike church, exercise is a chore and most mornings I don't have much spring in my steps unless I listen to music that gets my mind off what I am doing.
    I've been working on researching my ancestors lately, and as I walked (no music so had time to ponder some things) I thought about just stopping and going to my air- conditioned car and quitting early.  But then I considered my 3rd great grandmother. Her name was Ann, and she came over from Wales on a ship in 1863.  Her husband was already in America, and she was following with her 4 small children, including a baby born after her husband left.  The voyage was probably more than a month long, and some of the children got a "fever" -- 2 of them died, including the baby. She tried to hide the little bodies in a trunk, but she was forced to bury them at sea.  After arriving in Baltimore, she had to go by wagon to Pennsylvania where they probably got on a flatboat and rode down the Ohio River to Ohio. So there she was, new country with a different language, no air conditioning or car or Walmart. I can't even imagine what that was like.  When I had to cross the ocean to follow my husband to Germany, we flew and arrived the same day and I was exhausted.  Obviously my Welsh grandmother was much stronger than I am.  Here's a picture of her daughter Mary -- she came over on the boat when she was about 3 years old.

   

    So I thought about my ancestors, and walked a while longer.  The meaning of "difficult " or "old" is a matter of perspective. This is the day that the Lord has made -- let us remember where we have come from and REJOICE! Put a spring in your step!

Not Sitting in Darkness

As I was reading in the Old Testament book of Micah today, I came to his verse that really stood out to me.  You see, I spent a few moments sitting in darkness this week when I got the results of my last blood test.  When I had my lung surgery last year -- recurrence #3 of my thyroid cancer -- I hoped I was finished.  The blood tests every 3 months didn't show any sign of thyroid tissue growing, and I thought I was out of the woods. But no! This test showed an elevated number -- going up instead of going down. So I spent a few hours thinking about writing a will and other depressing thoughts before the LIGHT brightened as I realized that my life has always been in His hands, so I'm not going to start worrying now.  I talked to my doctor, and we decided to test again in 3 months before we get too excited. The number was only 5 points higher than last time, so I intend to enjoy my summer and live it to the fullest.  I think of the song, "He Knows My Name" and the words that tell me He will pick me up when I fall, so I am depending on that.  No gloomy thoughts -- I refuse to sit in darkness thinking about what might or might not happen.  The Lord will be a LIGHT to me!

Serving God by Serving Others

    Rick Warren once wrote,"The only way you can serve God is by serving others and helping others in need."  I have personally experienced the love of God as my family and friends have helped me this week following my lung surgery.  So many wrote on Facebook that they were praying for me, sent cards, called, and visited -- it really gave me great comfort to know that God was hearing from California to Massachusetts to Florida and even Ukraine. Prayers were answered and the surgery went well.
    I came home from the hospital on Saturday and found more cards and flowers and a "Welcome Home" cookie.  Sam gave up his recliner so I could have a comfortable place to sleep. I made a list of things I needed to do -- I am a list-maker -- and my daughter saw the list on the table and quietly checked off every task as she completed it. I decided to try sleeping in our bed on Sunday night. Sam was afraid he would disturb me, so he made a bed on the floor beside me so he could hear me if I needed anything. At 3:00 a.m. I had to wake him to get my pain pills and he kindly brought me the pills and water. I told him to get in the bed, but he said he had slept in a bunker before and didn't mind sleeping on the floor a bit.
    The next morning he brought me a hot cup of cappuccino while Sara whipped up some biscuits and gravy and brought it to me in bed.  This afternoon a couple from church came over and brought a big pot of soup, corn muffins, and blueberry biscuits.  Someone else is bringing supper tomorrow, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed by all the expressions of God's love.
       I even had a FaceTime call from my son in Memphis -- he wanted to let me watch as he set off fireworks for the 4th of July!  It seems that everyone is contributing to my recovery, and I am so grateful to be the recipient of so many blessings. I think God must be pleased to see his children offering their time and talents to help someone in need.

Serving God by Serving Others

    Rick Warren once wrote,"The only way you can serve God is by serving others and helping others in need."  I have personally experienced the love of God as my family and friends have helped me this week following my lung surgery.  So many wrote on Facebook that they were praying for me, sent cards, called, and visited -- it really gave me great comfort to know that God was hearing from California to Massachusetts to Florida and even Ukraine. Prayers were answered and the surgery went well.
    I came home from the hospital on Saturday and found more cards and flowers and a "Welcome Home" cookie.  Sam gave up his recliner so I could have a comfortable place to sleep. I made a list of things I needed to do -- I am a list-maker -- and my daughter saw the list on the table and quietly checked off every task as she completed it. I decided to try sleeping in our bed on Sunday night. Sam was afraid he would disturb me, so he made a bed on the floor beside me so he could hear me if I needed anything. At 3:00 a.m. I had to wake him to get my pain pills and he kindly brought me the pills and water. I told him to get in the bed, but he said he had slept in a bunker before and didn't mind sleeping on the floor a bit.
    The next morning he brought me a hot cup of cappuccino while Sara whipped up some biscuits and gravy and brought it to me in bed.  This afternoon a couple from church came over and brought a big pot of soup, corn muffins, and blueberry biscuits.  Someone else is bringing supper tomorrow, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed by all the expressions of God's love.
       I even had a FaceTime call from my son in Memphis -- he wanted to let me watch as he set off fireworks for the 4th of July!  It seems that everyone is contributing to my recovery, and I am so grateful to be the recipient of so many blessings. I think God must be pleased to see his children offering their time and talents to help someone in need.

I Am Not Brave

    I. Am. Not. Brave.
     There are lots of things that scare me.  Speed, heights, snakes, rats, airplanes -- even little mice. This week I picked up a big ol'snake in my driveway with a shovel and put it in the empty trash can nearby, and people called me brave.  But I am not brave.  I was too scared to let it crawl around in my yard, and too scared to kill it because then there might be 2 pieces of snake crawling toward me.!! Beside, I didn't  want to see snake guts either. So I shoveled it up and dropped it into the trash can to wait until my for real brave husband to come home and get rid of it.  So no, I am not brave.
     And now I am facing a very scary surgery next week, but with 3 days to go, I still have an incredible peace. I am not lying awake at night or hyperventilating -- it is the strangest thing!  The only explanation is -- God.  There are lots of people praying for me -- not just saying it, but really sincerely making a commitment to pray.  And as I have been working through my journaling Bible, there are so many verses that seem to be written just for me.
        One of my husband's favorite actors, John Wayne, said "Courage is being scared to death...but saddling up anyway."  John Wayne, by the way, also had lung surgery. So, I am saddling up, facing what has to be done, but with a peace that passes understanding.

A Little Taste of Heaven

     I drove from my home in North Carolina to my childhood home in West Virginia this weekend.  The event was my 50 year high school class reunion.  It has been 10 years since the last one, but there were some who had never come to any of the previous reunions, so we had not seen them since graduation 50 years ago. It was a wonderful evening of renewed friendships. There was a lot of laughing and hugging -- we spent the evening sharing memories and catching up with each other.  Some were hard to recognize, but some didn't seem to change at all. One boy who was a total goof-off in high school came over and shared his testimony with me then sang "Blessed Assurance" to me. God had certainly changed his life since high school!
       Some had lost children and spouses, some had lost their health.  And there was a chart with the names of the 27 who have died since graduation.  It was hard to see all those names of boys and girls from our class who were gone too soon.
       Many of us had come a long way -- Florida, Missouri,  North Carolina, Louisiana -- and we were disappointed that many local classmates didn't choose to come.  There were name badges waiting for some who were not able to come at the last minute, because of sickness or death in the family.  We signed cards and taped a video to share with some of those.
       A couple of my friends and I were still talking while the restaurant was being cleaned. We met again today and talked for over 3 hours, then continued the talking at one final gathering tonight. We were all so glad to be together again.
        As I was driving home, I was thinking about what heaven must be like.  I wonder if there will be hugging and laughing and celebrating when we see our loved ones.  Will we be sharing our testimony  about how God brought us through? Will we talk and talk to those loved ones without thoughts of a meal? Will we sing, "This is my story, this is my song..."  Will we feel disappointed when  some friends are not there? Or regret not giving a personal invitation to those who didn't know how great it would be?
        As much fun as I had this weekend, I know it can't compare st all that God has prepared for those who believe! But I felt like we experienced a little bit of heaven tonight!

Strengthen your Brothers

          I read a verse in my Bible today that I don't remember reading before.  It was when Jesus was talking to Peter in Luke 22, fortelling his denial, and he said, "And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."  Jesus knew Peter was going to go through a difficult time when he denied Christ, but when it was over and he was forgiven, Jesus wanted him to "strengthen your brothers." Peter's failure was devastating to him, but today's believers are encouraged and strengthened by reading how Peter overcame this failure and became such a strong disciple.
         This made me think of the times in my life when I was going though some really difficult spells, but later I was able to "strengthen the brothers" by sharing my story of overcoming trials.  At the time  I was going through each stressful period, I had to do a lot of praying and was often very discouraged, but the Lord always heard my prayers and restored my soul.
          Our years in the Army gave me lots of stressful times. Watching your husband go off to war is a hard thing. Not only do you have to deal with fear for his safety, but you also have the daily life struggles of the broken washer or flat tire or sick kids to handle alone.  But after I had been through it a time or two, I was able to comfort and counsel other young wives.
         My sweet but impulsive ADHD kids gave me lots of trials -- I could write a book!! But my experiences raising them helped me encourage other moms who were struggling with the same problems. I knew what it was like to get bad notes from teachers -- I had been there -- and because of those experiences, I was a more understanding teacher.  Parents of my problem kids listened to my stories and it gave them hope.
          I also know what it is like to face cancer, Alzheimer's, and the death of my parents.  Those days were so hard -- but again, because I have been through it, I have been able to empathize and provide some comfort and encouragement to others who are facing these difficult times.
          It would have been nice to live a life without problems, but it looks like God expects us to use our hard times to help others get through their hard times.  Psalm 30 says, "Weeping may tarry for the night, but JOY comes in the morning."  And in Psalm 46 I read "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."  God has been with me through every situation, and if my problems can help me strengthen my brothers, then that is a blessing for both of us.

Still missing my Mother

You would think I would have stopped missing my mother by now. She was 70 years old when she died in 1997.  That's 17 years. I don't cry when I pass the Hallmark Store around Mothers Day anymore, But I still wish I could send her a card or call her on the phone.
I'd tell her how proud I was to be her daughter.
 I'd thank her for faithfully lifting me up in prayer. I think that's one thing I miss the most -- knowing that someone is praying for you every day gives great comfort.
I'd ask her about a few recipes -- I always used to call when I was fixing supper and forgot how to make one of her yummy dishes.
I'd thank her for always fixing all my favorites at Christmas, even when she wasn't feeling well.
I'd tell her all about her wonderful grandchildren. No one thinks they are as special as their Grammie. She would be so proud of them.
I'd thank her for all the times she came to see me -- even in Alaska -- even when the chemo had sapped all her strength. Just having her at my house, even when she was too sick to get up -- just filled my house with sunshine.
I miss her celebrations and picnics, and her voice in the church choir, and the fragrance of "Passion"  that she always wore. I miss the big family gatherings around her table  -- and laughing until we could hardly breathe. I miss her soft hugs. I miss the stories she read over and over to the grand kids.
I miss seeing her reading her Bible every morning when we got up -- she was always an early riser.
I wish I could ask more questions about trees and flowers and family history.  She knew so much!
She was such an example to us -- always encouraging -- and alway ready to go shop or eat out or go to church. She truly had a servants heart, but she also had mine. I am thankful for the promise of Heaven! A mother's love it truly a gift from God.

Memories of my Memaw

      Today I drove to Charlotte to take some cake decorating tools to Andrew at college.  It was a pretty drive with lots of white and pink trees in bloom along the highway,(AAHH_CHOOO!)  But occasionally I would catch a glimpse of a purple Wisteria -- my favorite.  Every time I see one, it reminds me of the Wisteria in my Memaw Frazier's yard.  Memaw has been gone for nearly 50 years, but I had a couple hours to think about her as I drove, and I realized that I have talked a lot about Grandan to my kids -- he was still living when the girls were little, but Memaw died while I was in college and I really haven't told them much about her.
      She was the oldest daughter in her family -- she had about 10 younger brothers before the only other girl was born, and she had a pretty hard childhood, helping raise all those boys.  Then she married Grandan and had 5 children of her own -- the 4th one was my mother.
       I was her oldest granddaughter, and we lived close to her, so I probably have more memories that the rest of the grandchildren.  Memories of muffins and cookies and feasts at her house. Memories of her coat with the fur collar that she wore to church -- Grandan teased her and said it was mouse fur.
      I remember her pet groundhog, "Chuckie" who lived under the house.  My mother caught him one day on the way home from church, and gave him to Memaw. She tamed him and he would crawl up on her lap and around her neck.

Memories of her working in the garden wearing this sunbonnet.

The Bible she gave to me when I was 11 years old, after I was saved and baptized.

I carried it with my bouquet on top when I got married.

When I turned 18, she gave me this gold pin as an heirloom to give to my oldest granddaughter when she turned 18.  It was made from a $10. gold piece that was in her dad's pocket when he died.  But since I have no granddaughter, I get to keep it a while longer!

          She said she wanted me to have her good dishes, so Grandan gave them to me after she died.  I really don't know how she managed to have all these pretty dishes -- none even chipped or cracked -- or where she got them.  And there is no one left to ask.
           Memaw started showing signs of memory problems when I was in high school.  I remember Grandan calling Mother late one night because Memaw didn't recognize him and was upset at the strange man in her bedroom.  It gradually got worse, and  Grandan had to put a lock on the inside of the door because she was always trying to "go home" even though she had lived in that house for about 25 years.  She would say,"That old man (my grandan) won't let me go home and my daddy is going to be mad at me!"  Soon we had to have someone -- usually my younger brothers-- stay with her all the time that Grandan needed to go somewhere. It was so sad -- every time we told her that her parents were dead and she couldn't go home, it was like the first time she heard it.

Grandan was thrown from a horse when he was in his seventies -- what a man!! -- and I went to live with him after college.  One day I was snooping around -- as usual -- and imagine my surprise when I saw this written in this old book!

   It is full of recipes and poultices and cures for everything from a cold to Gonorrhea -- I don't plan to ever use that one!!  Written in 1887 and such a treasure!

 
        While I was living with Grandan, I often used Memaw's wooden spoon -- it was perfect for stirring, and I told Grandan how much I liked using it.  When I got married, he wrapped it up with newspaper and a rubber band and gave it to me.  Another treasure.
         I am grateful for my memories -- isn't God good to bring someone to mind after all these years?  Memaw went to Heaven such a long time ago -- next week will be 48 years.  But as I look around my house, I feel blessed to have all these things that spark memories of my sweet Memaw  and her beautiful Wisteria bush.