A Fire. A Journal. A Blessing

A few days ago, my daughter sent me this text message: “Do you know when the fire in our home was?” Of course, she could ask me that because she knows about my daily journal writing. It’s a routine that I’ve been quite consistent with for decades. I write about significant details of my day, notable happenings of my family and little nuggets from God in our time together during my devotions. Staci was asking that question because a couple who was at their church the next Sunday after the fire and heard their “victory” testimony of God’s amazing grace, asked for the date. It was a pivotal story for that couple. It touched their lives so much that they starting looking at life differently – with gratitude in the midst of chaos and disappointment.

On this day, when Staci asked about that specific horrific, yet victorious day, I was able to go right to my 2002 journal because I remembered it was when Payton was two years old and Alexia was 9 months old. We received the call that their garage and home in Prosper, TX were on fire. It was a 4-alarm fire caused by a squirrel eating through electrical wires and when they switched on their lights, it ignited the fire. Their home was unliveable because of so major damage.

We lived in Tulsa and we headed right out to retrieve the little ones. My husband and I kept them for two months while the home was being restored. That, of itself, made many pages in my journal! Over and over I’d comment how exhausted we were at the end of each day, but most precious to me were the words I wrote about how helpful Ron (Papa) was with the kiddos. It made me love him even more. One of these days – I’ll just sit, reminisce and re-read all my entries – but there’s no sitting for this gal right now. Too much to do and accomplish before “sitting days” set in!

Here’s the blessings that came out of what could have been a tragic day of monumental proportions. No one suffered physical harm. They were able to retrieve important original music and speaking tracks from Staci’s recordings, Larry’s college rings, Staci’s jewelry, her scrap books and treasured pictures. They ended up getting enough back from their insurance to do some major remodeling in the home that they had been wanting to do. Things that mattered were saved and other things were replaceable.

But here is the ultimate, best news. People were watching them and how they handled a crisis. God gave Staci a song as she sat on the curb while watching her home burning. She experienced the peace of God that passed understanding. I called her and asked her to give me those words for this blog and she sang them to me. With holy chills, I share them with you of what peace looks like in the midst of a fire or any storm:

“Thanks for the joy that You’ve given to me.
Thanks for Your love -- unconditionally.
Oh, thanks for peace in the midst of the storms.
Lord, I thank you. I thank you.
Because, You’ve been faithful, faithful to me.
Lord, You’re faithful. Your mercies I see.
And when I look back on my life,
The message is clear, You’ve been so faithful to me.”

People are watching us every day. What do we look and act like in times of crisis? How do we live our faith out loud? How do we display our faith and character when we’re pinned up against a wall? Who do we turn to in times of tribulation? I don’t know about you – but I like to think that I go to the Rock of my salvation. When all the earth around me is sinking sand, on Christ the solid Rock I stand. When I need a shelter; when I need a friend – I go to the Rock! I just couldn’t help myself. I broke into song when I was typing this! God is faithful and as we stay faith-FULL in the ups and downs of our lives – may we find the blessings in the midst of the fires, the storms, the winds and the waves -- because -- God is faithful!

To Walk Humbly With My Walking Buddies

Hyde Park, Tulsa, OK – I’m back in my beloved T-Town for a few days. What would a walk down Memory Lane be without my good friend who has walked with me here so many times in the past? We were among the firsts to purchase a lot and build here. Only big dirt piles and graded land were here when I purchased. We were risk takers. Who knew if all the promises made by the developer would come true? He kept his promise. It was a struggle in the beginning to entice people to move to this barren land that was adjacent to a “promised” mall nearby.

So what do walkers do to pitch in and help make the dream come true? We walked often around the community and we prayed for the buyers that would join us in our community. We prayed for supernatural publicity. We coined the phrase: “Hyde Park is Holy Property”. Today, we walk among the manifestation of our prayers. So many new homes have been built with so many great residents all over now. It's wonderful.

There is nothing like walking and talking about God's faithfulness. A good morning walk with a good friend, as the sun is rising, is beyond measure. It doesn't matter if we have some personal issues and need someone to listen, or if our job that day is to do the listening. It just seems a walk in God’s creation is the answer. We aren't there to get in a certain number of steps or see how many calories we can burn. We are simply there for the peace that comes from a walk. To slow down. To breathe. To talk. To listen. To love. To be loved.

I can’t help but think of these walks when I read this verse in Micah 6:8. “He has told you what is good and what the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Just as those morning walks are more than the steps, so is walking humbly with our God. The walk is about a relationship. He is our guide. And with Him as our guide, we know we are on the right path. If we are walking humbly with Him, staying in step, we form a beautiful bond that will guide us. We recognize it is not our will, but His that is best for us. What is before us is unknown to us, but not to Him. He leads. He shows the way. He is walking with us through it all. Through the good and the bad. Through thick and thin. Always. This isn’t just one nice walk. This is long term.

This is a relationship. A journey together. This is a commitment. Listen to Him. Depend on Him. His plans for us are far beyond what we could plan for ourselves. Even when it seems like it’s not, we humble ourselves and trust. Walking faithfully with God.. What an amazing way to live our lives. God is our constant walking companion. Let's ask ourselves the tough questions: Am I walking humbly with God? Am I walking humbly as Jesus walked? His humble walk is our example.

💥💥💥💥 2,000 and Still Counting 💥💥💥💥

This day, July 11, 2019 -- is the BIG ONE! The BIG ONE as in posting my 2,000th blog. Pardon the personal high-fives! 🤚🤚 I’m beyond grateful for God's faithfulness to me to inspire, motivate, encourage, drop nuggets of His fresh Word, opened my eyes to see the beauty in each day and to savor the moments when I would get an “aha” lightning bolt revelation to share with you. Most of all, I am so thankful for those who commented or “secretly” sent me private messages about how one of my posts was “right-on” for what you needed for that day. Thank you to those who privately asked me for counsel and advice and to pray for you. The praise all goes to God! 🙏🙏

On April 26, 2010, I wrote my first-ever blog. It was the beginning of the faith journey of our lives and I knew God wanted me to live our journey out-loud to document the abiding and constant love that we knew that the Father would pour out on us. We wanted our light to brighten the way for others who may have been facing similar situations. We were embarking on travels that were not without God's oversight and provision. While we had always considered our walk with Christ to be an amazing faith journey, with its many twists and turns and ups and downs, we were always secure in knowing He was on board with us, come what may. But, this new road we were on, was one that came out of the clear blue, unexpected and we needed to put on our combat boots and gear to handle this one. We were so full of faith, determination and great expectancy. Here is that first blog, just in case you’re interested in reading it:
https://mypeacezone.com/our-great-faith-adventure-begins/

If you read it, I know you might think "Bless her heart, with all that faith, their prayers weren't answered.” Oh, contraire! They were answered when he survived the first surgery which the medical industry says is the most life-threatening surgery there is. They were answered when God gave us a first-class medical team -- second to none. They were answered when we laughed and celebrated in the midst of the pain. They were answered when God supplied our needs during the loss of income times. They were answered when friends and family co-partnered with us in prayer, providing meals, and support. They were answered when doctors, nurses, other patients and visitors were touched by the strong courage we maintained. They were answered when the most incredible peace that passed all understanding kept our hearts and minds throughout the journey. And they were answered as this widow still maintains that wholehearted trust in God's faithfulness.

At that time, I was randomly blogging about our faith journey and then in January of 2011, after he passed away, I asked God what my new mission would be for that year. It was as clear as any message I would hear from someone who was face-to-face with me. God nudged me to continue my blogging in my new season of widowhood – to keep letting His light shine in my every day musings. It was still random blogging until 2014 when I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that I was to make blogging a life mission DAILY, posting before 6 am each day. Not just aimless blogging but mind-of-Christ blogging. Being a social media missionary. Consistently being a light in the darkness. Every day. To start the day. For those who needed some gas-in-their-tank, a fresh word of hope, a breath of fresh air, a reason to live, and the knowing – nothing is impossible with God.

Often, it's all about ME because I need those reasons to start my own day. I know I need to get out of bed on the RIGHT side of being a determined, strong, fearless and powerful woman who believes we were ALL created to make a difference in this world, in our workplaces, in our communities, our schools, our churches and our homes!

Here’s the deal. Aimless, selfish, my four-and-no-more thinking isn’t why God created us. He created us to be the ones to step up and out of our comfort zones and our comfortable homes and comfortable mindsets. Our world needs "behind the scenes prayer warriors", social media missionaries, powerful living-out-loud faith-filled, devil-chasing, armor-bearing believers who light up their corners, workplaces, homes, churches, schools, and even the marketplaces with God’s presence and light.

Maybe you are being nudged by God today – to begin blogging, or volunteering for your church or community center. Pay close attention. If God nudges, we best get after it! And, as we go, I'm quite sure when we open our mouths, it will be filled with God's wisdom, and the teaching of kindness will open doors to bring healing and wholeness to our world -- being peace-makers, joy-givers, hope-bringers, lovers, and compassionate healers!
See you tomorrow, for blog 2,001!

HELP! If You Have a Great Passage – Send it my Way!

When we are far removed from the turmoil and fear that others go through during storms, tornadoes, torrential rains and now flooding, we pray and give positive thoughts and hopes for them, but still, we’re not in the middle of it. It's not touching us, so we go on about our business.

But this is Oklahoma, where our roots were for over 38 years, so my heart naturally gravitates to my friends and family there. Social media gives us visuals that tenderize our hearts. This photo is of Skiatook, OK (near Tulsa) that is under water right now. The relentless rain has raised the river and lake waters and can’t hold back the deluge. My friend’s drug store is under water. My sister and brother-in-law were helping to evacuate some of their employees because the flood waters are expected to cover their homes and more rain is on the way. Reports are that never has there been flooding so serious as is expected.

I saw a frantic FB post two days ago from a Tulsa friend. Her children were in the middle of the storm. She tagged me in her message. This is an excerpt of this desperate mom: “I can’t even keep tabs on them all, 40 plus tornadoes since Friday, now all over the State of Oklahoma -- homes lost, lives lost, flooding everywhere. Almost to the top of our bridges. Now time to be prepared to go down into our fraidy hole, again! I will be up all night now worrying about all our loved ones/friends and complaining it may seem, but I'm actually just venting and fear-filled, so please guys, pray for Oklahoma! Donna Wheat Wuerch if you have a great passage/message, please send it my way, Thank you and GOD BLESS AMERICA!”

Bless her heart. I did pray. The fact she called out my name put me on the spot of prayer and encouragement. I am humbled and honored that she called out my name while she was calling out God’s name. This is some of my response to her and it is my response to you today because you may be in a physical or spiritual storm and you need words of encouragement too:

“Oh, yes, sweet girl, I know those concerns. We lived in Oklahoma for 40 years and am well acquainted with storms and tornadoes. We knew those violent winds. I remember those times of concern when we went to our safe place in the middle of our home many times. It can be scary but we always trusted and placed confidence in God. We would speak to the storm, "In the name of Jesus, be gone!" I recalled scriptures like this one: "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him." (Jeremiah 17:7) As Jesus did, we spoke to the storm "Peace be still!" And then we'd hover until the storm passed over. Eventually, it did. It's a huge test of our faith to be in a storm and trust in God, but it's those times, we have nothing left to do but to hunker down and trust in His mighty hand. Sweet girl, let peace in the storm be yours. God was always faithful to us and He will be to you, too! I pray for "cease and desist" to those storms now, in the mighty name of Jesus! I read your words: "I will be up all night now worrying…” Precious girl, worrying gets you nowhere, but praying God's Word, believing in His faithfulness and being confident that He is with you and your family gets you somewhere. Here are some to pray:

~ Nahum 1:7 "The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him."
~ Psalm 107:29 "He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed."
~ Psalm 91:1-2 "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
~ Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God."
~ Isaiah 26:3 "I will keep Him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Me."
~ Matthew 8:26 "He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm."

Stand strong for you and your family. Be the faith-talker, God-can-do-anything, nothing-is-impossible-for-Him, mighty woman of God you know you are! God’s peace be with you. Love you much. <3

Dear Jesus, wrap your loving arms around these families and bring a peace that is unexplainable and unending. I pray that a DIVINE sense of your presence invades their hearts and homes right now. Thank you for bringing light and hope to their lives. Thank you for the safety of my family and friends today. In Jesus' mighty name I pray, Amen!

Go Tell It On The Mountain

It's the third Sunday of Advent and it's time we should sing that song "Go Tell It on the Mountain"! Well -- not necessarily from a mountain -- that would mean we'd have to go climbing! Perhaps we can start right here on level ground to be joyful and full of the good news of Christ's coming to this earth for you and me.

On this third Sunday of Advent, the priest wears a rose colored vestment and the third candle, which is pink, in the Advent wreath, is lit. That pink candle symbolizes JOY and JOY is the theme and the scripture that Paul wrote in Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always: again I say rejoice.” Can you imagine that he wrote that scripture from a dark, cold and damp prison cell? No matter where we are or what we're facing....we can find JOY in the good news of Emmanuel....God with us -- right smack dab in the middle of our circumstances.

Of course PINK would be the color of the day. Typically, PINK is girly -- we put our little girls in pink dresses or outfits with a pink bow in their hair to declare "It's a GIRL"! (In my case, my little Staci had NO hair so I scotch-taped a little bow on her head -- I know that's hard to believe when we see that massive head of hair she has today! LOL!). Sorry -- I took a rabbit trail from my train of thought about Advent. Back to my thought.....pink isn't just about girls. Hot pink, pale pink, rose pink are all shades of pink that God painted into a sunrise. And, like the various shades of pink, our expressions of joy can be so different. Joy can be exuberant -- that jumping up and down little child at the prospect of something that excites them so much, or MY daughter when she opened some of her birthday presents. JOY is also that calm and peaceful experience of God's faithfulness. It can be calm confidence in His sovereignty, or pure delight as He expresses His love. I felt that peace and calmness last night as I cuddled with my youngest grandson, here in Austin, for over an hour, watching a Christmas movie. I felt it when I laid beside him in his bed as I told him another "Super Brennan and Super Bryson" story.

Joy AND pink is also about survival. Oh, the sweet joy we feel when one of our friends expresses "I've just had my last treatment of chemo!" I loved hearing how on this Sunday, when PINK is the color of the day, one church celebrates breast-cancer survivors and women in the parish are given a pink flower in honor of the women who survived and are reminded to be screened regularly. That is a beautiful custom to have. Celebration of survival has truly come to be linked with "Pink" in our culture.

Bringing PINK back around to this 3rd Sunday of Advent, PINK is also about a BABY BOY that brought so much JOY to this world. That joy that should never be determined by how we feel, but on WHO God is. The joy of the Lord can thrill us AND it can make us steadfast in the secure knowledge of God's presence with us -- Emmanuel. Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 to be joyful always and Jesus tells us in Mark 9:24 "With God all things are possible." THAT combination of trust should help us.....carry on from this 3rd Sunday of Advent to EVERYDAY being JOYFUL!

God's Faithfulness is New Every Morning

I often take a meal to Mom's for us to share and "catch up" on what's going on in our little corner of the world. Last week, we had our usual conversation, drew cards from her Bread of Life Promise Box which contains various scriptures, which by the way, she has all memorized. I started reading the one she pulled for me, and she quoted it right along as I read it. She's had that Promise Box for as long as I can remember, and it always seems the promise we draw, are "right on" for "the word" we need for that day.

I looked up at her little corner stand by her kitchen table and took in the sweet photo of her and Dad alongside that beautiful scripture and song, "Great is Thy faithfulness," taken from Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

I think back on the faithfulness of God for this precious couple. Though they went through many storms of life in the natural, physical and spiritual, those words were always those that they held onto. Those words on that plaque held true for her and Dad when the devastating tornado blew through their home and destroyed everything around them, except for the shower stall they were standing in -- the faithfulness of God brought them through it without even a scratch on them.

I always enjoy seeing Facebook's "On This Day" that comes up each day in our timeline (that is, if you've agreed to have it come up). Since I only started using FB in 2009, that's as far back as my "On This Day" goes back. (By the way, if you'd like to see your "On This Day" posts, just go to www.Facebook.com/OnThisDay and yours should pop up. I remember when, in 2009, how much FB annoyed me. It seemed it was just a haven for people complaining or whining about stuff, so I avoided it. But, then, when my sweetheart became so ill with Stage 4 Kidney Cancer, I knew it would take on a whole new meaning for me. It would be my daily journal to show the faithfulness of God during what was the toughest, yet the sweetest time of our live. God's faithfulness took us through it all. I know that because of FB's "On This Day" and I'm reminded how sweetly God carried us through those days.

What is it about those times that seem so crushing and disappointing, yet they become the most victorious and purposeful times of our lives? It's the faithfulness of a loving God Who displays His sufficiency in the midst of our insufficiency, His peace in the midst of our chaos, and His grace in the midst of our being so lost.

God's faithfulness -- strength for today -- hope for tomorrow -- and unwavering love that causes us to sing "Great is Thy Faithfulness". Knowing that, it sure makes the journey so sweet.

Pennies From Heaven

When I was almost to Austin on Monday, Ryan called to ask me to meet up with him at a business in downtown where he was in a meeting.

While I was with him at the business meeting, I went into the ladies room and I was amazed when I saw the floor. It was literally made of all pennies. The big deal about that wasn’t the thought about the painstaking process it must have taken to lay out all those pennies, but immediately, as I do whenever I see a penny on the ground, I picked it up because I know it’s God’s reminder for me to trust Him more. After all, each penny has “In God We Trust” on it.

While I was in that restroom, I said it over and over, “In God I trust; in God I trust; in God I trust.” In these unsettled times we live in, perhaps one of the greatest signs from heaven that everything’s gonna’ be alright is to find pennies or simply when we’re pulling a penny out of our pocket or purse to step up our faith game and remind ourselves….”No mere man can be the answer to everything, but our all knowing and all loving God can."

Just maybe there really is something to the famous quote “Pennies FROM Heaven!” God is constantly sending reminders of His faithfulness to us.

He Didn't Say "Yes, Dear!"

Day 221 of Photo Inspirations -- He Didn't Say "Yes, Dear!"
#TBT We were married just a couple of months when a friend convinced us we needed to let him send his vacuum cleaner salesman over to show us his "super duper electric dirt scooper" -- the AMAZING Filter Queen.  Being friends who cared about friends, we set up the appointment for "his guy" to come by.  He did, and with a convincing demo and an easy payment plan, we signed up for our almost do-it-by-itself vacuum.  The easy payment plan included....if we find other friends who would invite our salesman into their home, every time one of those friends purchased, that month would be free for us.  That sounded so easy that we signed on the dotted line.  Only thing was, we found out who OUR friends were....or were not.  So that $17 a month payment was a load of stress on our already overloaded budget.  I'll never forget how much faith it took to get that $17 a month bill paid.  Little did we realize it would be the first of many and far greater faith opportunities in future years.

It's amazing how far we've come since those early days.  That payment is a drop-in-the-bucket now compared to the lofty purchases and payments we made along the way.  But, that little $17 seed experience showed us God's faithfulness in the SMALL and the HUMANGOUS things we encountered.  It's all about trusting God with all our hearts -- no matter what our needs are....He promises to meet them as we wholeheartedly serve Him and lean on His understanding and His abilities working in and through us.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."  Proverbs 3:5,6.

But my vacuum cleaner story doesn't end there.  After several other vacuums through the years, ten years ago we needed a lighter and easier one to maneuver.  I was pleased with the one I found -- a reasonably priced model that would do the job just fine.  But, that wasn't my husband's plan.  He was convinced that we MUST have the ORECK vacuum -- a  lightweight, upright vacuum with incredible suction, a HEPA inner bag, furniture-friendly moves and a LIFETIME WARRANTY. The price for it was over $700.  With as many persuasive moves that I could muster up for negating this costly idea, my husband would not be moved.  He made the decision against my wishes.  I'll admit I sulked at spending that much money for a vacuum.  I reasoned that I could buy 4 vacuums for the one he purchased.  That was 10 years ago and 10 years of enjoying this fabulous vacuum.   I must say...."It was one of the best purchases we ever made."  It is light.  It moves automatically with very little pressure from me.  It's so light I can load it easily into my car or carry it up the stairs.  The least little thing needs repair -- it's free.  Annual maintenance check and cleaning is free.  The moral to this story is yet again....."You get what you pay for!"  I'm a bargain shopper with the best of bargain shoppers.  I am a great steward of my finances.  I love a deal.  I go to sale racks before EVER going to the full price racks.  But, there are just times when wisdom is the best pursuit -- in decision making, in purchases, in relationships and in overall experiencing life.  That purchase was just ONE of those times, he DIDN'T say, "Yes, Dear!"  And I'm so glad he didn't.