It's A Love Revolution - Baby!

I just returned from a women's conference in St. Louis where more than 10,000 women gathered to join hands and hearts to worship God, enjoy fellowship, and hear what we needed to hear. And that something was to let go of selfishness (what about me) and start a revolution of love in our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities and even more so to those who are enduring the rejection and pain of abuse, human traffic-ing, and starvation. We can no longer turn our backs on those that don't fit into our self-proclaimed molds.

God calls us to eagerly pursue love, but it took me along time to understand what love really is. That was because I didn't love myself until I was well into my adult years.....middle years. That was when I finally got it!!!!! Love was not a feeling, but a verb. Love is a thing of action. The passion to do something for someone else because I chose to. Not because that person deserved it, but because I had received real love from and acceptance from Jesus Christ. I had tried to earn love from doing good things, but my heart was still closed off. Why? because I wasn't perfect and I never felt worthy of being loved.

Two broken marriages later and years on my knees praying for God's help, He spoke to my heart and I understood. God had opened my eyes to what real love is. It is accepting someone as they are and reaching out to them with comfort, help in their trials and friendship. I no longer expected my family to measure up to my sense of perfection. I let go of all my religion and put on love (an act of my will) and out of that love I began to give. I gave money at first, because it was easy. But then as time went on, I discovered that people need to be loved much more than they need money. Oh, I still give money sacrifically to the causes I think God would want me to. But, I also give my time and my talents (we all have some)to help someone else. This was a real life changer. A miracle of peace and purpose came to me.

For many years now, I continue to experience peace and happiness! A sense of purpose fills my heart everyday. My purpose is to love God and love others by offering help to someone, encourage someone, and be a friend to someone everyday day. This includes family! Hubby is first, then kids, then parents, etc. etc.

Here's a RX in lieu of medication, when I wake up with a blue mood, I find a need in someone else's life and fill it. Once I complete this little RX, my blue mood disappears. Imagine that!

Think about this....If the greatest thing in the world is love, and if everyone in the world would concentrate on loving people, then wouldn't the problems of this world disappear? We can make a difference, one person at a time.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Time Marches On

Hubby and I will celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary on September 1st. We are still very much in love, but as time has gone on we have discovered new levels to our love that surpasses physical attraction and the mystic of getting to know each other some 14 years ago.
Love takes on various forms and we are very fortunate in that we truly like each other. A real bonus I think because we are the closest of friends and love to travel and entertain family and friends. Our family is so important to us both and we make family gatherings a real priority. We both enjoy the PBR (Professional Bull Riding), NASCAR, Colorado, Horse pulls at the State Fair, singing worship songs, and dancing. Dancing is how we met. Hubby was the teacher and I was the student. I was completely infatuated with his ability to glide me across a dance floor while smiling down at me the whole time. Our song is Keeper of the Stars by Tracy Byrd. We even named our ski boat "Keeper of the Stars".
God blessed me with hubbyman 14 years ago when I really needed a friend. I was a single mother struggling with starting life a new. When we were dating he fixed every broken appliance in my house (he was really working to impress me ;-), and played video games with my son. He sent me flowers every Friday even though he couldn't afford it. Yep, he swept me off my feet.
Honey, this is my tribute to you...the song, our song, that you used to sing to me while we danced. Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

Keeper of the Stars by Tracy Byrd

It was no accident me finding you
Someone had a hand in it
Long before we ever knew
Now I just can't believe you're in my life
Heaven's smilin' down on me
As I look at you tonight

I tip my hat to the keeper of the stars
He sure knew what he was doin'
When he joined these two hearts
I hold everything
When I hold you in my arms
I've got all I'll ever need
Thanks to the keeper of the stars

Soft moonlight on your face oh how you shine
It takes my breath away
Just to look into your eyes
I know I don't deserve a treasure like you
There really are no words
To show my gratitude

So I tip my hat to the keeper of the stars
He sure knew what he was doin'
When he joined these two hearts
I hold everything
When I hold you in my arms
I've got all I'll ever need
Thanks to the keeper of the stars

It was no accident me finding you
Someone had a hand in it
Long before we ever knew

Growing old ain't for Sissies

Growing old ain't for sissies was the very recent conversation I had with my Mom and Daddy (pictured above) as we prepared for my Mom's his replacement surgery which took place this week. There was some anxiety about the pain she would go through and other health issues which would complicate her recovery. The decision to go ahead with this surgery was a tough one. It took many months for Mom to decide to go through with it and she nearly backed out more than once. She had already been through a hip replacement and has arthritis in both knees and her lower back. She has been in constant pain for a few years now causing her to live in the very small world of their home, unable to do the things she loves like flower tending, playing the piano, going out to dinner with friends. Yes, growing old isn't for sissies.

I was born when my mother was 19 and my Daddy was 23. That's their wedding day picture above. They looked forward to lives together and building a family of their own. They were married August 15, 1952. I came 2 years later while Daddy was in the Army (Korean War) and we lived in an attic appartment. Daddy brought me home in his Jaguar! They weren't rich, but Daddy loved cars and could rebuild engines, so he had a cool car as a young man. My mother was very beautiful, smart (honor roll in high school) and the life of every party. Our home was always filled with activity. Her friends would stop by for a visit (people did that a lot back then) and I loved to hang out with the adults who came to visit, sitting in a quiet corner of the room to hear their conversations.

When my mother was a young teen, she taught her self to play piano. She lived on a farm in the middle of Kansas and there was a barn dance every weekend. They needed a piano player so she learned. She could play honky-tonk Hank Williams music to Floyd Cramer's Last Date. She could sing beautiful harmony and write gospel songs. Truly a talented lady. As I was growing up she made every holiday special because she loved them so much. We celebrated the typical ones in the traditional way, but Mom also celebrated ALL the other smaller holidays like Valentine's Day and Saint Patrick's by decorating our home with home-made decorations and table arrangements adorning the dining and coffee table. And don't forget the homemade cookies and desserts! Mom loved to make her family treats for every season. We were her life!

I enjoy remembering my mother like she once was, because it is so hard to see her go through the pain of severe osteo-arthritis which has crippled her so much that she can't participate in the family gatherings and activities like she once did. This chronic pain has brought long bouts of depression and hopelessness to her. I miss the Momma I once knew when I was young, but more than that, I hate seeing her suffer. The body isn't built to last forever, but thankfully, through Christ, our spirits are. Thank you God for the blessed hope that in eternity there will be no more pain or sorrow.

Forever Friends

I recently was reunited with a couple of "forever friends" I had not seen in a decade plus. The joy of having these girlfriend-sisters in my life so many years ago has never been matched since. We served together in church ministry back in the 1980's and early 90's and shared so much through that work and in our personal lives, that when a new life course began in my life took me away from them, it left a whole the size of Texas that I continued to feel until recently. Thanks to Facebook, I was discovered through the proactive persistence of one, which caused me to look for the other. Within 48 hours, I was reunited with my dear friends. All three of us have experienced some BIG heartaches in the past 15 years, but no matter what, I still love these two women like sisters. Let me encourage whoever reads this post to look up the dear friends you have lost touch with. You may be surprised to find them missing you too and living in your corner of the world. Find them, have lunch, catch-up and reunite. I have a cheerful feeling down deep in my soul that makes me smile.