Philippians 1:3

Since being home from the hospital, I have been humbled by the outpouring of love from family & friends. They have showered me with cards, flowers, gifts and meals. I think Harlan has only made a couple of meals since I came home two weeks ago. One of my gifts was this plaque that I have displayed in our family room. This verse says exactly how I feel about each one of my friends.

My friend, Kylee, came over on Tuesday afternoon and weeded my flower beds. To her it was a small act of kindness but to me it spoke volumes of her love for me. We had a wonderful time visiting over those weeds as I sat in a nearby chair watching her pull away.

To each one of my friends, I thank my God every time I remember you!

For better or for worse

I came home two weeks ago from having two surgeries and spending 10 days in the hospital. As is the case with most hospitals, it was understaffed with nurses to adequately care for all the patients on the floor. Due to this under staffing, I was not receiving the care Harlan wanted me to have and what we felt I needed in order to be well enough to leave the hospital. On day three, after the second surgery, Harlan rarely left my side. He half jokingly wrote on the board in my room that he was the nurses aide.

One morning when he found me dehydrated, he marched down to the nurses station demanding to speak to the head nurse. He told her of my lack of care, was my advocate for getting what was needed to rehydrate me and requesting that the previous night nurse never be my nurse again. I don't want to say the nurses weren't good. For the most part the nurses took good care of me and there were times they took time to visit and really listen to my needs.

Another morning, Harlan was helping me freshen up for the day. Unable to shower due to the IV, Harlan put the special shower cap on my head that washes the hair without having to rinse it. He also took great care in washing me. I asked him if he ever thought he'd be doing this when he said his wedding vows over 33 years ago. He said "no, but I really didn't know what I was saying back then." What I realized at this point was that it didn't matter if he had thought about it back then. What mattered is that he was doing it now.

The only part of my whole hospital ordeal that makes me emotional is when I think of how Harlan cared for me. And he continues to take care of me now that I'm home. It's through his great care that I've gotten stronger everyday. Even with his care, I know that my Heavenly Father is taking even better care of me through not only Harlan but also the wonderful family and friends He has brought in to my life.

Over the next couple of weeks I hope to share more of God's great care for me. May we never be so busy that we can't take some time to be like Mary. To sit at the feet of Jesus and feel His great love and care.

A Balanced Life

The event recorded in Luke 10:38–42 makes it clear that Mary and Martha were quite different in their personalities. Martha was the worker, the active one, while Mary was the contemplative one who sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to His word. Jesus did not condemn Martha’s service, but He did rebuke her for being “torn apart” by so many things. She needed to have priorities and center her activities on the things that God would approve. As an old Wesley hymn puts it, we need to have a balanced life:
Faithful to my Lord’s commands,
I still would choose the better part:
Serve with careful Martha’s hands
And loving Mary’s heart.
We would expect Martha to rush out to meet Jesus while Mary sat in the house, weeping with her friends. Since Mary later echoed Martha’s words of greeting (John 11:32), it is likely that the sisters often said these words to each other as they waited for Jesus to arrive. While there may have been a tinge of disappointment in the statement, there was also evidence of faith, for nobody ever died in the presence of Jesus Christ. “If” is such a big word! How futile it is to imagine what might have been, if—!
Martha was quick to affirm her faith in Jesus Christ (John 11:22), and Jesus responded to that faith by promising her that her brother would rise again. He was thinking of the immediate situation, but she interpreted His words to mean the future resurrection in the last day (Dan. 12:2–3; John 5:28–29). Here is another instance in John’s Gospel of people lacking spiritual perception and being unable to understand the words of Jesus.
Our Lord’s reply is the fifth of the I AM statements. It is important to note that Jesus did not deny what Martha said about the future resurrection. The resurrection of the human body is a cardinal doctrine in the orthodox Jewish faith. But in His great I AM statement, our Lord completely transformed the doctrine of the resurrection and, in so doing, brought great comfort to Martha’s heart
Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (Jn 11:17). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

Keep Still!

I'm nearing the end of reading "Having a Mary Spirit" by Joanna Weaver. I read this the other night in the chapter on "Speaking Love" and thought it worth sharing.

"Keep still! When trouble is brewing, keep still! When slander is getting on its legs, keep still! When your feelings are hurt, keep still till you recover from your excitement at any rate! Things look different through an unagitated eye.

In a commotion once I wrote a letter and sent it, and wished I had not. In my later years I had another commotion and wrote another long letter; my life had rubbed a little sense into me, and I kept that letter in my pocket until I could look it over without agitation, and without tears, and I was glad I did - less and less it seemed necessary to send it. I was not sure it would do any harm, but in my doubtfulness I learned reticence, and eventually it was destroyed.

Time works wonders! Wait till you can speak calmly and then perhaps you will not need to speak. Silence is the most powerful thing conceivable, sometimes. It is strength in its grandeur; it is like a regiment ordered to stand still in the mad fury of battle. To plunge in were twice as easy. Nothing is lost by learning to keep still"

~ From "Streams in the Desert & Springs in the Valley"

Silence really can be golden, and the simple fact that I have an opinion doesn't mean I have to share it. I think this is a novel idea for the quiet-impaired like myself °Ü°

Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. ~ Psalm 141:3

April Showers.....

Happy Spring!

We've been having our April showers and the first flowers to bloom in our yard are always the daffodils. After the showers on Friday, the sun came out and we headed outside in search of a rainbow. Sure enough, we found one! We love the promises of April showers bringing May flowers and rainbows. Enjoy!

Seven wonders of the world

This is awesome! Turn on your speakers.

Blessed are the Balanced

I love this! This is what I'm talking about! The following excerpt comes from Warren Wiersbe's book Be Compassionate. This excerpt also pretty much sums up Joanna Weaver's book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. I hope it speaks to your heart as it has mine.

"Worship is at the heart of all that we are and all that we do in the Christian life. It is important that we be busy ambassadors, taking the message of the Gospel to lost souls. It is also essential to be merciful Samaritans, seeking to help exploited and hurting people who need God's mercy. But before we can represent Christ as we should, or imitate Him in our caring ministry, we must spend time with Him and learn from Him. We must "take time to be holy."
Mary of Bethany is seen three times in the Gospel record, and on each occasion, she is in the same place: at the feet of Jesus. She sat at His feet and listened to His Word (luke 10:39), fell at His feet and shared her woe (John 11:32), and came to His feet and poured out her worship (John 12:3).
Mary and Martha are often contrasted as though each believer must make a choice: be a worker like Martha or a worshiper like Mary. Certainly our personalities and gifts are differnet, but that does not mean that the Christian life is an either/or situation. Charles Wesley said it perfectly in his hymns:

Faithful to my Lord's command,
I still would choose the better part;
Serve with careful Martha's hands,
And loving Mary's heart.

It seems that the Lord wants each of us to imitate Mary in our worship and Martha in our work. Blessed are the balanced! We are ambassaadors, neighbors, and worshippers, these three; and the greatest of these is worshipers. Blessed are the balanced."