February 11, 2013
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The Sunshine In My Soul
Hello! The snow is melting in our neck of the neighborhood. The sun is shining brilliantly. A brisk walk might have to be done on the treadmill/clothes hangar. Yesterday was not a bright and shiny day and I felt like I’d run into an oncoming train. Where did that pain come from? Is it because I am FiftyHmm? Saturday was fun though. We babysat our 5 Grandwonders and they were the biggest to littlest blessings in our day. One of these days, the littlest guy will have a hole in his cheek because I will have lost control and eaten a chunk out of him.
When certain people randomly pray for you or they pray for you because they have felt that certain unmistakable nudge, things happen. Sometimes you don’t get to see or know the results right away, but God is always doing something! I have seen it and felt it. I’ve been the random praying person and the Felt the Nudge praying person. I have also been the one who has been prayed for and have received the blessings from those prayers. No, we didn’t win the lottery. We didn’t buy my dream puppy. We didn’t get a new house or even a new fence put up. Nothing at all big in the material world sense. Money is tight and we’ve still bought groceries and have 2 more grandchild birthdays in the next 2 weeks. We get by. We talk about how to generate income. He has attempted several things despite his limitations. God provides as long as we are diligent. We are blessed here in our granny house. Hubby still does not have any special spoken words for me but is considerate and loving in other ways. I have to choose to ignore his stubbornness. I am certainly not perfect (though we ARE saints!)! I do “speak” his love language, because I truly care about that. This is all nothing compared to what all is going on in the lives of some of our friends and acquaintances and I have to focus on being thankful, and then reach out to encourage other people.I bravely ventured to Wallyworld with hubby today. That wasn’t easy because we both generally avoid going there. We knew, however that prices would be lower for the flour and Hershey’s cocoa and hairspray (I really can’t go without that). Everybody and their cousin was there. I ran into people (friends and former co-worker) I hadn’t seen in awhile and was nearly blown away by one particular gal who blessed me (my spirit!) with her loving, positive, encouraging words. Jesus came through, oh absolutely. I got choked up and teary eyed and hugged her and thanked her. I know she has NO IDEA how much that moment touched me. Then shortly after, my sweet daughter-in-love texted me with more encouraging words. My GOODness! I wish everyone could feel this way!So, this is Monday. Once upon a few years ago or more, I hated Mondays because hubby had to go back to work. Now, I love Mondays because, hmmm, I guess it just feels like a beginning to the real world week and we make our real world look more like what living with Jesus is about. Don’t worry, I’m not dillusional…not everyday looks like a Jesus is IN this day! But none of it is pretend. All of it is where we realize we live in Grace, not in legalism…in Love, not in judgement (oo-oo-oo, that one is really hard sometimes!) We are holy because Christ IS our holiness. We want to “grow in the expression of holiness in our thoughts and attitudes and even in our actions” (Steve McVey)…We want to act more like the person we already are…Christ Jesus in and through us!Valentine’s Day makes me sweat anxiety bullets but this year, I believe I am focused enough to do something special for my parents and sister who have now lived here almost a year and a half. A meal that looks expensive but isn’t would be nice. A small bouquet of rosemary from the garden with maybe 3 flowers in it…candles on the table with Grandmom’s pretty dishes, romantic music….and a heart shaped cake. I hope that all works out! It feels really nice to be in the place in my heart where I like to do things to make them feel loved and I no longer feel the old fear that being with them brought up in me. What a relief! Negative fear is from the devil.The clouds have hidden the afternoon sun but the bright outline is glorious. Good-bye!
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Comments (10)
i’m so glad you feel encouraged today. i just want to say that jan. 1st my husband agreed to read a devotional (the love languages one) every night at bedtime. this is a big step as it involves praying together (something we’ve never really done before except in certain circumstances) so far we’ve been keeping up and it has been a blessing. valentines day jeff and i are going to the dollar store with $10 each to spend on each other. i thought it might be fun and interesting
–karen
@lifeontheWink - I am smiling right now. What a blessed hope there is in what you and Jeff are doing. I will be praying you through and ask that you would do that for me and hubby, too! Hugs to you my dear friend.(I love the Dollar store idea!)
I do most of my shopping at walmart not just because hubby works there but because that is really the only place to shop the country mart is to expensive to even think about it is just crazy expensive I can almost get double the amount of food and stuff at walmart but usually I cheat and have Jeff pick up what I need or send Shannon….I am so bad,,,
I have been keeping you in my prayers God has been poking my shoulder saying pray so I do he does that to me quite often I do what I call mini prayers it might be just something simple like Lord Bless Gail in her day or it might be more in depth Like when I was praying for my friend Jans health I just let Him guide my thoughts so basically I pray off and on all day about many things and many people Earlier as I was clearing out some things I saw a card a friend had sent and I prayed for her and the phone rang and it was Whit and she said were you praying for the poor old non believer again lol you know I had to giggle cause I felt like I had been busted like someone told on me…I think someday she will be a believer I think she is getting closer everyday
@SisterMae - If I could hug you right now, I would!!! You are so wonderful! Thank you for your prayers! Isn’t it amazing and so, so cool how that praying thing happens? I have even stopped in my tracks and said “Dear Lord, I just know somebody is praying for me right now.” And sure enough, I find out later that yes, somebody WAS praying! I love it! As for shoppin Wallyworld,,,,I have asked hubby at times if he’d go there and pick up a few things (because I know it’s cheaper and I am trying to be a good steward) and he’ll go…and then come home with a Safeway bag. He didn’t want to go to Walmart and be in there “with all those people”, so he’d go to the high dollar grocery store instead. Oy VEY! I don’t blame him, really, especially now with all the sickness going around and there are fewer people at Safeway in the evening. I hope your hubby gets some kind of employee discount!
So after reading through the previous comments….are all your commenters married to a Jeff? Do you have to be married to a Jeff to comment?
If so, then I am safe to comment. Haha!
You are such a neat person. Always so upbeat and encouraging. I’m sure you blessed those friends and co-workers you ran into too.
What lucky little grandbabies you have, their Grandma loving them so much!!! I know your son and daughter in law are thankful they can leave their children with grandparents they know love them and want to spend time with! That is something I am very thankful to have, my parents and Jeff’s parents. (I had to mention my husband’s name, since this is a Jeff commenting page
Happy Monday to you Gail.
XxOo
@Elizabethmarie_1 - You’re adorable and funny! I have noticed the Jeff theme here and think we should celebrate Jeff day in some way and I shall rename my hubby so that he can join in! We do love our Grands…I want to be the grandparent of the century (just kidding). No, I have seen bad grandparenting through the years and knew that when the day came, that is NOT how I would be with my Grands. I must say that one of the reasons they are so lovable and easy to be with is because their parents have been so good with them! That is truly (I love saying truly, don’t you?) a blessing! HUGE blessing.
I don’t know what all has caused you pain in the past but all I know is your tender heart to keep giving, despite the hurt blesses and inspires me! I’m so glad to have you in my life, gail. XOXO
@Hutch5 - The good thing is, you don’t need to know. Thankfully, God knows. And he loves beyond everything. I’m so grateful that he has put certain people in my life to inspire me to keep on taking steps forward, literally and figuratively. He has also put in my heart an intense desire to not let the devil win the war. Oh, I may forget to put some of my armor on and “feel” like going away by myself…but then WITHOUT FAIL, JUST in the NICK of time, somebody does something, or says something, or PRAYS something, and I find my self sitting in the glow of love and grace. God really and truly comes through. We mustn’t rush through, letting our hormonal feelings dictate our actions! YOU have been an inspiration to me. You make me smile and think! Hugs!
I love that ‘flower’ pic.
Live in Love, not in judgement (oo-oo-oo, that one is really hard sometimes!)
Defnitely!!^^ God’s been teaching me that too! It’s hard for me to understand where judging is and where discernment comes in. It does say we will know them by their fruits…I’m thinking we would have to judge a good fruit vs. bad. It’s hard to understand sometimes.
How fun to get to spend time with the grands!
Hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
“He has also put in my heart an intense desire to not let the devil win the war.”
amen! i hear ya, sister~