Glorified

To those of you who follow this blog, many apologies. It has just been so difficult finding time to keep up two blogs. I still continue to write daily, and you are more than welcome to visit me at Pondering In His Presence.

Today I have come out of silence to share some great news!!!

I read this verse during my time in His Word this morning: “Father, bring glory to your name.” John 12:28

Lord, this has been my prayer since March 3rd of this year. As I have stood by the bedside of my dad after errors in care were made causing life threatening complications to arise. It’s been a weary walk.

As others encouraged our family to take action against the hospital, we offered forgiveness. Does this mean we just accepted the mistakes and continued on? No. We expressed our disappointment in the health care system. We met with those who held influence over future patients care and voiced our concerns. We held hands around dads bed and in waiting rooms and prayed, giving testimony to the one Physician who ultimately was providing dad’s care. Like Christ we prayed for the cup to be passed (Matthew 26:39), but He chose for us to sip a little, and in the drinking to glorify His name.

Friends, I have exciting news!!!

Back on March 27th, I wrote that short of a miracle my dad would not be coming home. Well…we’ve received that miracle!!

In just five more days, October 28th, my dad is coming home! What makes this homecoming a double blessing is that October 28th is my mom’s 84th birthday! What a gift. What a Giver!

Lord, I pray that as we’ve journeyed this unexpected road for almost eight months, daily at the hospital, our lives have brought You glory. I pray our responses and reactions have spoken of You. I pray staff and visitors have seen Your presence.

Father, I thank and praise You now for bringing glory to Your name in dad’s illness and healing. Although his mobility may be slower and he’ll need some assisted care, his mind has been renewed and my dad no longer demonstrates the characteristics of one effected by the medical error made.

Father thank You for glorifying Your name through pain and suffering, through doubt and fear, through confusion and heartache and now through praise and rejoicing.

Thank you to all of you who travelled this road by my side through prayer. We still will have challenges ahead, but God who brought us to this point in time will continue to walk with us, guiding each step of the way.

In my life Lord, be glorified today.

Happy Birthday Holly!

My thoughts are focused across the border today. A sweet friend is celebrating her birthday. It’s funny, I’ve only really spent minutes with her, yet her life has impacted mine in so many ways. Point proven that it's not quantity but quality of time. From the moment I was introduced to her, I saw Jesus.

I see the joy of Jesus in her smile. I hear the hope of Jesus in her words. I sense His love through her life. I understand better His servant heart and tender compassion as she reaches out and pours His living water to refresh others after already drinking deeply herself. I see Him in her courage to be obedient to her Father. I see Him sitting on a park bench in Germany unaware of how in reaching out to one, she is ministering to another. I see Him as she embraces a barefoot runaway. I see Him encouraging her friend to read Ephesians and take up the full armour of God. I see Him as she shares teachable moments with cell phones, cheese balls and pet analogies. I see Him as she honestly confesses to dents in cars. I see Him in her commitment to speak honouring words and refrain from gossip. I see Him in the place of safety she offers as she listens with her heart. I see Him in her text messages (shared on her friend’s blog), e-mails and Christmas cards. I see Him through her random acts of kindness and the fruit of His spirit growing in her life. I see Him as she ministers to my heart.

My Inbox contains precious messages that have so often been God’s voice of encouragement and love to me. Her name may appear at the closing, but it’s His heart I’ve just read. Words that have strengthened my marriage and my personal walk with the Lord, challenging me to go deeper and live louder. She is not content with surface relationship or mediocre faith. Her gentleness is evidenced by all and her smile radiates His love. Eyes, filled with compassion, she is content to humbly stand in His shadow and be used in quiet ways that many will never know.

I pray today that the Lord will bless my friend in many ways. May she know His presence. May she feel His touch. May she hear His voice. May she rest in His love.

Happy Birthday Holly. May His presence be your best present today and always. Thanks for the gift of your friendship. You are loved.

A Sweet Opportunity

Hi Friends,

Just a quick post to offer direction. IF you are visiting here from Wendy Pope's blog, looking for the daily devotional as we read through the Bible this year, please click my other blog, "Pondering In His Presence". What a sweet opportunity Wendy has extended to me. It is a delight, honour and privilege to serve the Lord in this way while Wendy and her family enjoy a holiday. Hope many of you will join us.

All for Jesus,
Joy

My Daddy's Chair

It doesn't look like much. It's been recovered a couple of times to fit my Mom's changing decor. It's not expensive, yet it's value far exceeds it's worth. To any visitor it is ordinary. Although this armchair sits empty now, the prayers that have been lifted from it's frame continue on. This is my Daddy's chair. For countless years my Dad has risen early and found his place here before God's throne. With Bible open on His knee, pen in hand, head and heart bowed, this is holy ground.

As a child I would often peek through the door and watch in silence. I knew I was eyewitness to the sacred. God spoke and my Dad listened and obeyed. Direction was sought and received. God's Word came alive and active in my Dad's life.

Over many years Dad's prayers for me brought life, encouraged character development, enabled me to handle peer pressure, petitioned God for my safety, earnestly sought a godly husband, offered forgiveness, endured hours on his knees during both piano and school exams, cried out to God through every disappointment, longing to take each of my heartaches on himself and taught me to always trust His heart.

His chair was a place of refuge from the storms of life. A place of communion with His Father. Although his chair sits empty, as Dad still remains in a hospital, and short of a miracle he'll never daily sit in this chair again, it is a symbol of my heritage. A heritage of a praying Father. Endless conversations were offered in silence and always heard by a loving God. A tattered Bible gives evidence of God's responses.

The chair is aging, and so is my Dad, yet both still hold firm to their foundation. Memories are held in my heart and echo treasured stories of events long passed. I have never for one moment doubted Dad's love for me. His life has made believing in a loving, Heavenly Father so natural and easy.

I don't ever remember my Dad raising His voice, except in praise and excitement. He is a refined, educated gentleman, but also a great tease, who loves to impersonate others, much to my mother's chagrin. Until this last illness, he embraced life to the full and lived each day with vigor.

Just yesterday while visiting Dad in the hospital I discovered a new note in his handwriting. He wrote, "I love all 4 of my girls. One really without measure, the mother of our lovely children. May her dreams all come true. May all that takes place be the perfect will of God and the foundation of my family and HIS WILL. PRAY. PRAY. PRAY. Thank You God! I love all my girls. It is the mother I love and she has never changed!!"

Here at 83, with mind now wandering and health failing, he still expresses such love for his family and for his God. His chair is empty, but his heart is full. Lord, please bless my Daddy today. Thank You for letting me grow up in the security of a father's love and under the umbrella of a father's prayers.

Happy Father's Day Dad. Love ya for always and forever,
"Bells"

My Dad and my Husband. The two men I celebrate with today.

My Daddy

It is with a heart overflowing with emotion I sit here today. There are times when no words are adequate to describe the joy one heart can hold. Some things are simply better 'felt' than 'telt', as my mom would say.

This morning something happened, that I quite honestly wondered would ever happen again. I sat in church beside my Daddy. Just writing that causes a stream of tears to flow. Although he wasn't beside me for long, as his bones were aching and he struggles to sit still, for that brief time, we were worshipping side by side. I was his little girl again. I'm sure my smile and excitement was announcing the joy within my heart. I felt like Shirley Temple in "The Little Princess" when she found her Daddy after he had been lost at sea, and within the shadow of his presence she announced to Queen Victoria, this is my Daddy.

(You must watch this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyCzOTRbPug . Scroll over to 1:29:15 and watch the last 4 minutes, it so picturesquely displays my heart.)

Although Daddy still has so many challenges ahead and the bad days often overpower the good, today Daddy sat in church with me. He was out of the hospital on a Day Pass.

I'm sorry I haven't been posting often. I know so many of you are still praying for my Dad and I appreciate it so much. The struggles continue to be many and the heartache great. I find myself too exhausted emotionally to continue writing updates. To put into words the sadness that surrounds my heart just pulls me down, so I have abandoned writing here over the past month. (I do still post daily on my "Pondering In His Presence" blog, and I trust some of you will chose to visit me there.)

Today, after our family shared a special lunch with Dad, I gave him a gift. Originally I purchased this as a Father's Day gift, but my excitement could not contain my desire to give this to Dad today. Dad will undergo a procedure again this Tuesday at 2:00pm. He again will be subject to anesthetic and medication. He again will have a scope to check for further cancerous cells. Not knowing next weeks outcome, I wanted to give my gift to Dad today...on a good day...on a happy day...it was afterall still a "Father's Day".



When I was a little girl my Dad would let me climb on top of his feet, and holding his hands he would dance me around our living room as the music played. I first heard this song by "Point of Grace" this past Christmas Day. I dissolved into tears. They were singing about my Daddy and me. I couldn't wait for the CD and book release. I was able to present Dad with that book today.

Please enjoy both the links below. The first is a link to a video of the song, "King of the World"; the second is the story, "Dance Me, Daddy" being read by the author from "Point of Grace", Cindy Morgan. Just a warning...go get a Kleenex before viewing either. You'll need a few.

Friends, thanks for your continued care and love. Our family is only finding strength right now through the prayers of many. Several of you have e-mailed me asking how you can pray for us right now. Certainly we would appreciate your prayers for this Tuesday. We are also longing to have Dad settled permanently. We are on quite an extensive waiting list for a long-term care facility. Our desire is to have Daddy moved close to home. Even more than these requests, our heart's cry is to see Daddy happy again. He struggles with depression and because of his lack of discernment and understanding, presently some days are extremely difficult. Please pray the Lord will guard his spirit from the attacks of the evil one.

Today the Lord gave me a treasured gift. I sat in church with my Daddy.





"King of the World" song lyrics by Cindy Morgan

Spinning around on the tops of his feet
Smiles of the angels could not be so sweet
Wide blue eyes and piggy tail swirls
She's her daddy's girl

'Cause he knows the jokes that always make her laugh
Takes her for ice cream instead of her nap
At the end of the day by the light of the moon
They turn up the music in their living room

And she yells, "Dance me. Dance me around till my feet don't ever touch down There's nothing better than being your girl
And if I am your princess then, Daddy, you are the king of the world."

It's funny how life moves in circles of time
To think not so long ago that face was mine
Houses get smaller, we take different names
But some things in life stay the same

Some day she'll go off and find a life of her own
And marry a good man and make a happy home
Until she comes back and sees with those same eyes what time can not disguse

She walks through the door with that look on her face
'Cause Daddy's brown hair has all turned to gray
They talk for hours
They cry and they laugh

Watching old movies and thinking back
Just as she turns to go, she says
"Hey, Dad, how about one for the road?

"Dance me, dance me around till my feet don't ever touch down
Dance me, dance me around till my feet don't ever touch down
'Cause there's nothing better than being your girl
Oh no there's nothing better than being your girl
And if I am your princess then Daddy, you are the king of the world
King of the world."

Spinning around on the tops of his feet
Smiles of the angels could not be so sweet

Praying For My Mom

"I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart...I am on the verge of collapse..." Psalm 38:8,17

I heard these words just two days ago, coming from the overwhelmed heart of my mother. The stress of the past ten weeks has been taking it's toll on her. She is completely broken as she watches the love of her life for 65 years become a stranger in many ways. I can't begin to imagine the loss as a wife. I only know it as a daughter.

Mom has been a tower of strength and the pillar of our home. It's difficult to watch her suffering now. A time of life when I wish she could just relax and enjoy the blessings of family and friends, she is burdened with the incredible weight of countless decisions and unfathomable heartache.

Growing up, our home was a place where I always felt secure and loved. Mom used every opportunity to set a godly example to let me see the reality of Christ. Even when my sister and I would argue (which wasn't often!), Mom would burst forth in a chorus of "To be like Jesus", making it difficult for our disagreement to continue while being sweetly serenaded with God's truth.

No doubt these teachable moments were a direct result of mom's daily, consistent, personal time with her Lord in prayer and Bible study. As long as I can remember, Mom has been rising each morning by 4:00am to spend time with the Lord, studying His Word and lifting her family and loved ones to Him in prayer. As a child, my days began and ended with prayer. Mom would kneel beside my bed each morning committing my day to the Lord. Then joining hearts and hands around our dinner table at the close of the day, time would be given to read His Word during "Family Worship". I can recall praying for everything and everyone, often stopping in mid-prayer to ask a question or give a hug, but Mom never seemed to mind. I learned early that I could talk to God anytime, anywhere, and He became my best friend and Saviour while watching mom model such an intimate relationship with Him.

Mom is faithful, not only in her quiet times, but in all areas of her life. She is a faithful mother, wife, grandma, great-grandma, sister-in-law, mother-in-law and friend. Her daily letter writing is just another example of her committment to those she loves. It has been the 'norm' for dad to drive to the post office every morning, mailing numerous letters, notes, and little words of enouragement to those the Lord happened to place on mom's heart.

As a godly woman, mom's quiet countenance, gracious nature, open hospitality, discerning spirit and tender heart have always made our home a haven, not just for her family, but for all who enter. A knock at the door, and in no time, the kettle is boiling, as she shares a hot cup of tea, a smile or a tear. She provides a listening ear, encouraging word and prayerful support, ministering God's love.

Perhaps one of mom's favourite past-times, besides a trip to Tim Horton's for coffee with a friend, would be her love of reading! A good book, a hot drink, and a cozy place is mom's personal refuge. She enjoys quiet evenings, needlepoint, fresh white handkershiefs and peanut-buttered toast. She is happiest when her family is happy.

She is the Founder of "There-there's"! Unexpected gifts, large or small, given for no other reason than to simply say, "I love you." We never required a special occassion in our home to wait for a parcel. Often little surprises greeted us on our dinner plates, under our pillows, in lunch bags, tucked away in suitcases and now even on doorsteps. Mom is a generous giver.

Mom invested in the life of her children, making sacrifices for us, and she did it with passion. I cannot thank her enough for making the life-long investment in training and shaping me. She provided the colour and shading that brought depth and dimension to my life. In my growing up years, and still often today, I find time for everything and everyone but you, Mom, and yet, would any of the others have done for me what you did? I don't know how many times I could have made you happy by simply saying, "I love you, mom."

Our relationship hasn't been perfect. We have our differences and we don't always agree. Mom is an eternal optimist, refusing to see any negative and believing always in the good of everyone. Extremely sensitive, her responses have at times received rolled eyes and judgement from this daughter. She goes to great lengths to please others and longs for everything to always appear right and well. Her home is immaculate. Her clothing pressed. Her dinner always prepared. Her floors cleaned. Her windows washed. Her perfume on.

Since becoming a mother myself, I appreciate and love my mother in a deeper way. Being a mother. What a calling. What a responsibility. What an honour! I esteem my mom for the perseverance she continually displays in daily taking the time and effort necessary to ensure that she leave a healthy and godly heritage, a heritage that I now strive to pass on to my family.

Today as I celebrate being a mom, I also celebrate the memories and moments shared with my mom. Treasures in my heart that will never wear out or fade away.

Linda Weber, in her book, "Mom You're Incredible!" writes:

"Motherhood is not an entry-level service position for mindless, insecure and second-class citizens. It is the noblest of callings. To be entrusted with the very life, health and well-being of a tiny human person is a great gift and honour. To realize this small child reflects traits and characteristics of you, your spouse, and your families is a mind-shattering and heart-rending realization. To invest your time and best efforts into a child and to watch him grow, develop, and excel is to be part of the creative majesty of life itself. Never let anyone denounce motherhood or dissuade you from experiencing it. It transcends all other experiences."

As Theodore Roosevelt said, "No other success in life - not being President, or being wealthy, or going to college, or writing a book, or anything else - comes up to the success of a man or woman who can feel that they have done their duty and their children and grandchildren rise up and call them blessed."

Mom, today I rise up and call you blessed, as I am blessed by having the delight and honour of being your daughter. I wish right now I could remove all the pain, loneliness, decisions, misery and distress. I am doing what I can, but it feels like so little as I watch your head bow, your body shake and tears flow.

Today Mom, I am praying for you. May the Lord tenderly hold you. May you feel His arms surround you. May your heaviness lift. May your helplessness be replaced with great courage. May the clouds of darkness dissipate. May His peace, that passes understanding, reign and be a reality in your heart. May your fear and insecurity vanish. May His love carry you...just for today...and then all your tomorrow's. I love you mom.

Love For a Lifetime - Celebrating 65 Years!

"You have given me greater joy..." Psalm 4:7

Today is a day of greater joy.

Today is a day of celebration.

My Mom and Dad celebrate 65 years of marriage today. A wonderful milestone has been reached. Sixty-five years of covenant living and loving.

Their love has climbed mountains, endured desert dryness, walked paths of pain, forged valleys, battled storms, soared over unexpected wonders and lingered in gardens of delight, always side by side.

Firm believers in never allowing the sun to set on an unkind word or misunderstanding, short accounts were kept and a lifestyle of forgiveness was modelled. Their love was and is anchored firmly in the Lord.

Married in their late teens, now in their 80's, any observor would forget their age as they walk hand-in-hand and arm-in-arm.

"Dorf" and "Demf", as they lovingly call one another, still embrace like newlyweds. Mom will ask, "Who's your girl?" and Dad will respond without hesitation, and with exclaimation and a twinkle in his eye, "You are."

Cupping Mom's face in his hands, he still speaks words of endearment, cherishing her beauty. He adores her completely.

They were first love and only loves.

The following picture was taken about nine months ago.



Most of you know that my Dad is struggling with health concerns right now. We are hoping to enjoy a little time of celebration today. Please pray that it will be a special day for all our family. Ten weeks ago I questioned the arrival of this celebration. The Lord has been so gracious as to give us all "greater joy" and more treasured moments with my Mom and Dad.

My sister, her son and I went to the hospital last night to decorate Dad's room to surprise Mom today. Dad enjoyed being in on the planning and he was directing our every move.



I hope to be back later today to post additional pictures.

Today I'm celebrating...and I have greater joy!