Joy Comes in the Morning

For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
When I read this verse a few weeks ago, I immediately thought of the times when my children were babies and would wake up at night - sometimes for many hours at night.  Nighttime feedings sometimes seemed to go on and on.  I would think to myself, "If only I can make it until morning, then it will all be alright."

Why is it that if we're tired or troubled or angry or sad, at night it seems even worse?  Why is it that if we can't sleep at night the hours seem to drag on and on, but the daytime hours seem to go so much faster?  I think it's because of the darkness of night.  We can't see much outside and it makes everything seem gloomy. Sometimes darkness seems scary or even evil.

But JOY comes in the morning!  Everything seems better, and often is better, in the daylight.  What we might have been worried about or scared about at night, in the morning may seem like not so big of a deal.  But sometimes it is still a big deal, but in the morning it seems like everything will be okay despite that fact.

If my babies were up in the daytime for hours and hours without napping, I might have been tired, but it wasn't the exhausting feeling that I had during the night.  Joy always came in the morning, with the dawn of a brand new day.  I knew I could make it - no matter what - as long as the sun was up!

The promise of a new day is comforting, even in exhausting, sorrow, grief, pain or trials. It doesn't mean that the problem is gone, but it's just easier to face it and see God's blessings in the light of day.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

 Psalm 28:7

Thank you, God, for your promises.  Even in trials, I will praise you.  Thank you for bringing me JOY in the morning.  In you will I put my trust!

Just In Case You Ever Wonder

To: Lauren....In honor of your graduation from high school.

I love you, Mom

Long, long ago God made a decision - a very important decision.  One that I'm really glad He made.

  He made the decision to make you. 

 The same hands that made the stars made you.  The same hands that made the canyons made you. 

 The same hands that made the trees and the moon and the sun made you.  That's why you are so special.   God made you. 

He made you in a very special way.

 

He made your eyes so they would twinkle.  He made your mouth so you could smile. He made your laugh so you could giggle.  

 God made you like no one else.  If you looked all over the world - in every city in every house - there would be no one else like you.  No one with your eyes, no one with your mouth, no one with your laugh.  You are very, very special.   

And since you are so special, God wanted to put you in just the right home. Where you would be warm when it's cold, where you'd be safe when you're afraid, where you'd have fun and learn about heaven.  So, after lots of looking for just the right family, God sent you to me. (Note from me:  To us)  And I'm so glad he did. 

I'll never forget the first time I saw you.  Your eyes were closed, your fingers were curled in two little fists, your cheeks were puffy and round.  I knew if my heart God had sent someone very wonderful for me to take care of.  Your first night with me I heard every sound you made: I heard you gurgle, I heard you sniff, I heard your little lips smack.  I heard you cry when you wanted to eat, and I fed you.  

You're bigger now and do more things.  You can walk and run.  You can play and talk.  You can eat and sing and look at books.  You're not a little baby any more. But as you grow and change, some things will stay the same.  I'll always love you.  I'll always hug you. I'll always be on your side.  And I want you to know that. just in case you ever wonder.  

Remember I'm here for you.  On dark nights when you hear noises in your closet, call me.  When you see monsters in the shadows, call me.   On hard days when kids are mean and don't treat you like they should, come to me. If your grades are bad and your teacher is mad, come to me.  'cause I love you.   And I always will, just in case you ever wonder.  

Most of all, I'll be here to teach you about God. He loves you.  He protects you. He and His angels are always watching over you.  And God wants me to make sure you know about heaven.  It's a wonderful place.  

There are no tears there.  No monsters.  No mean people.   You never have to say "goodbye" or "good night" or "I'm hungry".  You never get cold or sick or afraid.  In heaven you are so close to God that He will hug you, just like I hug you.  It's going to be wonderful.   I will be there too, I promise.  We will be there together, forever.   Remember that. just in case you ever wonder.

~Written by: Max Lucado~

God's Frame

(One of my daughter's Senior pics)

The past two Saturdays I've had the wonderful opportunities to speak at women's events.  One was a Bible teacher's workshop and the other for a "Sweet Saturday" - a ladies' day event.  The "Sweet Saturday" had a special group of ladies that were in attendance.  It was several ladies who are living in a transition home for women who have previously been incarcerated.

I believe the lesson for Saturday was the hardest lesson I had ever prepared.  I needed to stay away from "Mother's Day" topics (which I'm sensitive about, anyway), but also needed to make sure it was a positive and inspirational message and not one that would cause bad memories or despairing thoughts.  God helped me with the lesson, giving me the right words to say at the right time to prepare them and write them down on paper.

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:13-16

At the first Saturday's workshop, another lady spoke and I was able to attend her class.  She told about an illustration she had heard and it was so neat, so I used it this past Saturday as part of my lesson.  My daughter's picture above shows the illustration.

We are in God's frame.  He created us.  He knitted us together in the womb.  We are fearfully and wonderfully made.  He has your frame hung on his "family photo wall", you might say.  But, you know on some frames when you buy them there's no picture in them, just a blank page with the size and cost?  Or on a Facebook wall when it's just a silhouette because the person hasn't put a profile picture on there yet?  

When we're not a child of God, He still loves us.  He's waiting for us to make the decision to come to Him through His Son.  Your frame is on the wall, but there's no photo inside.  He's waiting for your photo!  But when we're a Christian, our photo is in the frame - hanging on His wall!  We're part of His family!

Just like old photos faded with time or photos are sometimes out of focus and blurry, our framed photo may become blurry as it's hanging on God's "family photo" wall.  Sometimes we need to have a retake like they do on school pictures.  We need a new, updated, fresh photo....one that's more clear and more crisp.  Sometimes we have to refocus our lives and get back on track with God.  That's okay.  His grace is sufficient.

What do you look like?  What photo of you is in God's frame?  He wants your photo on His "family wall".  He has had your frame there since the beginning of your life - in the womb.  Is He waiting on your photo?  Is He needing an updated and more clearly focused photo?

Reread Psalm 139:13-16.  Dwell on it today.  I love those scriptures, don't you?  What an awesome God we have to live for and to serve!

The Chronicles of Biscuit - A Very Sad Day

The Chronicles of Biscuit:  Stories about our youngest son, Tyler, whose nickname is Biscuit.  But this time I'm telling it about him as Tyler :).

If you read my post last week about my friend, Tonya, you know that it has been a tough few days for our small town.  This morning is Tonya's funeral.  We dismissed school for the funeral, because most everyone from school will be attending the service.

Last Thursday night I got a Facebook message about Biscuit.....Tyler, our youngest son.  It was the sweetest message we could have gotten from one of his teachers about the very sad day:

Just so you know, your sweet son let the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes in prayer today on the playground. It was touching and heartfelt and very much needed when we, the teachers, were at a loss of words to help comfort our students. I comment MaKenna (our niece, Tyler's cousin) for organizing the prayer circle and for Tyler leading it. I was proud to be a part of it.

I got some other messages from this teacher saying he checked on her after school and the next morning to see if she was okay, and his homeroom teacher when he took a jar of money he had collected from us that was going to be given to Tonya's family.

Tyler knew how sad his teachers and friends were at school.  He knew how sad I was, and has given me even more hugs and "I love you's" since last Thursday morning.

God knew how special little children were.  That's why He tells us to be as little children.  Sometimes we worry about how little children might handle something and want to shield them from the sad things, but just like in this sadness, the children comforted the adults.

Children are special, and yes, our Tyler (Biscuit) is special.  He's always had a tender heart and a deep thinker, but also has a special gift of connecting with others - especially adults.

On Friday, our church family fed the junior high, high school, and faculty of our school.  Tonya's children came to school that day.  They wanted to.  They needed to.  As her two oldest came through the line, I told them I loved them.  When the only daughter came through and I said that, she said, "I'm so glad you got to see her that night."  She meant the night before she died, when I had gone out to their house.  I said, "Me, too."  We smiled at each other, but my heart inside was breaking for that sweet little girl who would miss her sweet momma.

Children are a gift from God.  Let's not ever forget that.  In fact, let's strive to be more like little children ourselves. 

People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:15-17

Bad Hair Days

I remember my friend calling me many times, but a few times when she called she would say, "Lori, I read through Facebook and see all of these people complaining about their hair and other things.  They're having a bad hair day or they don't like their haircut.  These people need to quit complaining and realize their blessings!"  I would agree with her and we'd go on to something else......mostly talking about faith, the Bible, our kids, school events, and Disney World.  

And we would talk about something else.  We would talk about her cancer treatments and about her hair falling out or coming back in, or even her wigs that she frequently gave 'haircuts' :).  What a blessing having a friend who was so optimistic in her trials!  What a blessing to have a friend who proudly proclaimed to all who knew her that she still had faith in God and His promises.  

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3

Yes, Tonya believed that God could heal her - even up until the moment she passed away this morning.  Her mother told me just last night that Tonya still talked about her faith.  She knew God could heal her if it was His Will.  She also knew that it might not be His Will.

Tonya was a blessing to all who knew her.  She was a wonderful wife and mother.  She leaves behind four young children in grades 3, 5, 7, and 9.  Her death has affected our whole small town and the school students and faculty.  We'll all miss her tremendously.

The last time I talked to Tonya she was heading to MD Anderson the next day.  She said then that she was thankful she had been able to help so many people who were taking cancer treatments and going through what she was. What an inspiration she was to others!!! She was to me. 

Last night I went to Tonya's house.  She was asleep, but sitting up on the couch.  Her mom and I talked, the oldest son was near her.  The other kids helped me carry in food.  The youngest boy tried to wake Tonya up to talk to me.  He would poke her on her shoulder and say, "Mama, mama, wake up!"  I told him not to worry about it, that when she woke up, to tell her I loved her and was praying for her.  It was sweet what he did a little later....still wanting her to wake up.  He rubbed her head and said "Wake up!"  It made me smile, seeing her short dark, curly hair that had grown in recently and thinking about those "bad hair day Facebook complaining" phone calls.  Oh, how I'll miss those phone calls and conversations about spiritual life! 

Tonya learned something very important during her battle with cancer. I remember when she called me and said she had cancer almost five years ago. She said then that she believed before that she was a "good" person....she believed in God and believed in Jesus, but she said that before the cancer, she hadn't fully dedicated herself to God and she believed that was why she was 'given' this trial - to proclaim the message of Him. Her faith grew stronger and stronger throughout her struggle.  In fact, she never considered it a struggle at all.

My sweet friend spent the rest of her days praising God, telling of Jesus, and encouraging others to do the same - to not believe that just being good is what God wants. She knew that God wanted her to live out her faith for others to see. Her faith never wavered, even when she began to have pain.  She read the Bible....studied the Bible....shared scriptures and inspiring messages on Facebook.  She worshipped with her church family when she felt good enough to be there and got her family to do so, as well.  She was an inspiration to all who knew her and to those who just heard about her. 

I pray that Tonya's message will not be forgotten.

When you have a bad hair day, a 'bad' day in general, or a trial come up in your life, think about my friend Tonya.  She never complained.....never felt sorry for herself.  She was always thankful for all of her blessings and was positive each and every day.  Let's all strive to be more like Tonya.  The world needs more people like her.  And after all, is a bad hair day really that bad?  No, not at all.

The last Facebook message Tonya posted herself, she ended with this message:  GOD IS GOOD.  She believed that.  So do I.  I pray that you believe that, too.

Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10