Time to get serious

It has been far too long, God has done far too much to not write and share. So I am proclaiming this week time to get serious about a few things -


Blogging

Sharing what God has done

Writing about what he is doing NOW

FAITHBOOKING - our meetings and our pages and sharing snippits of both

Living life to the fullest and enjoying God

And seriously having some fun in the process!

I love the quote from Mother Teressa

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come.

We have only today. Let us begin."

Our time is now, so let us begin. . .

We have been working through the Fruit of the Spirit since September in our Faithbooking group. This past Saturday Faithfulness was our theme - what a blessing it turned out to be. I say turned out, because as I was preparing all around me I was confronted with un-faithfulness and was very discouraged. I was having problems formulating thoughts on faithfulness what it meant, questioning it's validity in today's culture? Our culture seems to say if it does not work for me then forget it and move on, marriage seems to be a toss away commodity, families toss troubled youth out on the street, and people do not hold true to their word. I was floundering.. then it came to me PRAY!

Why is it that I do not start there, then proceed, but proceed then get to the point where I HAVE to PRAY because there is not other option... You think that after all these years I would have learned PRAY first then proceed. And a funny thing happened when I prayed, GOD WAS FAITHFUL. I am so thick headed. Thankfully God is faithful and does not tire of gently pointing me in the right direction.

Here is what I wrote for our faithbooking meeing...

FAITHFULNESS

I have seen the faithfulness of God first hand on many occasions,

especially this last week. I have finally received a date for

my upcoming surgery, September 24th. The Wednesday following

our next months, Faithbooking meeting, and hopefully far enough

away from the October meeting that I will not miss any.

I thought hat was pretty cool! It confirmed in my heart that we

are doing something good here, something right. Certainly

evidence of Gods faithfulness, showing he cares about those

things that are important to me. I often wonder if the only time

we see true faithfulness is in reference to God.

I have family & friends that I would certainly say

are faithful & loyal, but even those closest to me have

let me down on occasion, and I am sure I have let them

down as well. In this day and age Faithfulness almost

seems to be a lost art—certainly by “world” standards it is.

Media stories bombard us with celebrities that flit from

one person, to the next with little regard to anyone’s

feelings, no commitment, no loyalty. This is dubbed as

normal behavior. How sad, I wonder how it grieves

the heart of God.

How do we as people of faith teach / learn and model

this attribute for the next generation? The only answer is to look at

the life of Jesus. Faithful to the end, devoted to his life destiny,

he followed to the point of death. So much for us to learn.

So much for me to learn.

Until next time

Blessings
Di

Time flies & The Shack...

I can not believe how much time has passes since I last posted. Not only that but when I look back how much stuff has happened since I last posted. Wow life truly moves at a fast pace. So fast in fact that I think we actually miss the things in life that God intended as important. We hurry through our day, and the to-do list of things we think we have to get done, and we miss the most important thing - that being - true relationship with God and the people he places in our lives.

I know there is nothing that can be done to slow the passing of time, but I do think there are things that can be done that allow us to enjoy the passing of time, and enjoy life as we live it. To have a richer, fuller life. I have been pondering this since reading William P. Young's book The Shack. There are so many things that stand in the way - health issues, accidents, death of family or friend, work, t.v., kids programs, kids, husbands, neighbours, friends, road work, surfing the net... the list can go on and on and will be different for each one of us however no matter the distraction the outcome is the same. We are separated from relationship.

In The Shack the main character is basically mad at God and has severed all relationship there, the story is his journey back. I was impressed with the authors unexpected view of God and how he cares for us, how very deeply he desires close relationship with each one of us. It is a powerful read. It has been a very long time since I have read a piece of fiction that has made me reflect and think about all God wants from me. It comes down to Genuine, authentic relationship! Pretty cool when you think about it.

Spiritual Snapshots

I have just finished reading the novel "Someday" by Karen Kingsbury, one of my favorite fiction authors. One of the main characters, Ashley is a gifted painter who paints life portraits. Much like we as scrapbokers create life portraits in our albums. Ashley captures moments on canvas to be enjoyed and remembered for years to come.

I was struck as I was reading by how Ashley gathers images for future paintings - by taking mental photos of family moments she wishes to capture on canvas. As a scrapbooker I use hard copy photos to create pages and albums however as a believer who scrapbooks, by adding an element of faith on my pages I am creating "spiritual snapshots" that will be there for all to see for years to come.

Just as we receive "spiritual snapshots" when we read the Bible. Stories and images that jump off the page and form a "snapshot" in our minds of how things were, or maybe what we should be or who we should become. These Snapshots add depth to our lives, give us a reason to soar.

Snapshot: Jeremiah 29:11 One of my all time favorite verses. "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

Last summer along with my family we attended Creation Fest North West, a great Christian music festival that takes place at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington State at the end of July each summer. While there I purchased a bracelet that had Jer 29:11 paraphrased on it - This past Saturday I gave it away, that was the plan that God had in mind the whole time.

When I purchased the bracelet, I felt the overwhelming need to buy that particular bracelet, but also the feeling that I would be told to give it away. I loved the bracelet, loved the verse & the daily reminder however this past Saturday as I was sitting and listening to the testimony of a dear lady, I knew the bracelet was for her. So I gave it to her, telling her that her sharing had blessed me and that God told me to give her something.... I shook her hand and slipped her the bracelet and walked away. I was Blessed Beyond Measure because I litened to the little voice in my heart! That is a spiritual snapshot I will carry in my heart forever. And I will Scrapbook a page telling the story!

SUFFERING

Dear Faithbooking Friends:

The subject of suffering has been on my mind for the whole Easter season. The reason being of course on how our Lord Jesus Christ suffered on the cross for our sins, and also because of my mother-in-law Florence.

Florence entered the hospital at the beginning of February for what was supposed to be a simple skin graft operation to help "repair" a ulcer on her leg that was not healing after many months. The operation was successful, but unfortunately the skin graft did not work, and she developed gangrene in one leg. At one point the doctors were talking about amputating both her legs above the knee...a "bilateral" amputation they called it. Poor woman! During this time, Florence was in extreme pain, and had to be put on morphine. My husband said that he had never seen his mother be in so much pain before. After many consultations with the doctors, and 6 weeks later, on Easter Monday, Florence endured a 6 hour angioplasty procedure to remove a blockage in her upper thigh area. The blockage was removed, but unfortunately, less than 48 hours later, Florence died of renal failure. She was 80 years old.

The truth be told, Florence had suffered most of her adult life. He first born son, died in a tragic bicycle accident, at the age of 8 years old. She also suffered from a mental illness (bipolar disorder), until the day she died. She was a good mother. She never complained. She endured her sufferings quietly.

What I have been thinking about, and what I have learned is that God permits suffering in our lives. This is definitely a mystery. At the same time, suffering is a sign of God's love for us, as well as healing is. Jesus is God's answer to our suffering and the need for spiritual and physical healing. Whenever Jesus cured, it was first to heal spiritually, either by giving or increasing faith. Spiritual healing meant that the relationship between the person and God the Father was restored. The person would then be better able to carry the cross that God had allowed to be present in his or her life. The person would be able to live with joy and peace, and find meaning in life even in the midst of suffering.

Wow!!! While I was typing this out to you, I just had an epiphany on my own life and suffering. God is good! Remind me to share it with you when I see you.

There is no doubt in our minds that Florence is with our Father in heaven, and she is also reunited with her beloved son and her husband. Through all the sorrow of losing Florence, who was also a loving grandmother and great-grandmother, we know that God is good, and there will be graces received from her death. She is finally at peace now.

I am inspired to start on my new faithbooking layout for April. Dianna has once again picked out some beautiful papers and embellishments to play with.

Thank you for listening to me, and I look forward to our next meeting.

May the peace of God be with you.....
Your sister in Christ,
Pam

Prayer

Karen C sent this to me via email after Satruday's meeting. It is something that resonates with her, and maybe it will strike a chord with you.

Prayer is often something we struggle with, we often are too distracted by so many other things, that even taking time to pray we need to ask for help to pray. I know that I have been there.

PRAYER by Marie Howe

Every day I want to speak with you. And everyday something more important calls for my attention-the drugstore, the beauty products, the luggage.

I need to buy for the trip.
Even now I can hardly sit here

Among the falling piles of paper and clothing, the garbage trucks outside
Already screeching and banging.

The mystics say you are as close as my own breath.
Why do I flee from you?

My days and nights pour though me like complaints
And become a story I forgot to tell.

Help me. Even as I write these words I am planning
To rise from the chair as soon as I finish this sentence


Blessings as you begin a new week.
Di