The Security of a Teddy Bear

On February 15, 1903, Toy store owner and inventor Morris Michtom placed two stuffed bears in his shop window, and advertised them as Teddy bears. Michtom had earlier petitioned President Theodore Roosevelt for permission to use his nickname, Teddy. The president agreed and, before long, Teddy bears were being made by toy manufacturers everywhere.

I read that in “Vintage” Magazine. Since I’m “vintage”, I thought about the stuffed bears that I have. When my husband was travelling a lot, he gave me a 5-ft, stuffed, grizzly bear "Buxley" to keep me company while he was away. He also gave this adorable Teddy girl for Valentine’s. She sings: “L” is for the way you look at me. “O” is for the only one I see. “V” is very, very, extraordinary. “E” is even more than anyone that you adore. Love is all that I can give to you........"

Be still my heart. And, my little white bear was a gift from my granddaughter. There is a science behind a “Teddy bear”. Yes, it’s a stuffed bear with fur, a sweet face and has sentimental value for us for a long time (i.e., ME!) But, it is much more. It is also a transitional object that provides a sense of security when a baby is separated from his/her mom when she goes to work or takes the baby to a daycare or has a baby sitter. Science has proven that children who have a transitional object, like in the case of my grandchildren who needed their “blankies”. They always handled those moments easier than those without it. The theory is like a mother holding and caring for her baby, the baby cuddles his/her Teddy bear or soft item and associates it with his/her mother. The bear or blankie becomes the security and comfort needed when mother isn't present.

It makes sense, but where am I going with this blog today? Seems like a far-fetched stretch of the imagination to segue to OUR need for a sense of security, no matter how old or how young we are. Everyone experiences insecurity at times. I know what's it's like to feel insecure about myself. I grew up as that girl who was shy and not really feeling safe and secure throughout my childhood. My daddy was very sick and I was a latch-key kid. That's why it's very important for me to feel safe and secure in my life now. The good news is, I learned how NOT to live an insecure life. I know it’s God's will for us to be very secure and not to live in fear. He created us to feel safe, secure, and confident. It's part of our spiritual DNA as believers in Christ. The key to living a secure life is knowing who we are in Him, receiving God's love for us, and basing our worth and value on who God says we are, not on what we do.

I define self esteem as having confidence that I am who God says I am. It’s not dependent on my own abilities, but on knowing that God will equip me for the work He has set out for me to do. I was having one of those “I’m not enough” moments a few days ago, when lo and behold, a friend sent me this text message: “I want you to know how much I love you and am so grateful for the beauty of who God made you to be and all the gifts and talents He has given you. Thank you for loving God the Father so much.” WHAT? How did she know I was having feelings of inadequacy? Oh, I know the answer. She knows my Father and He knows me and her. He nudged her to extend her love to me that was just what I needed that day.

I’m long past having the need to have Teddy bears, though I still love them as mementos. But I’ll never outgrow my need for my Father God Who daily assures me “Donna, you are enough for me and I am enough for you." Maybe today you need to hear those words, too. YOU ARE ENOUGH! God said so!

"And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security." Job 11:18

I Wish You Knew

This day, eight years ago, began with the routine we had become accustomed to after eleven months of doctors' appointments, six surgeries, many treatments, infusions, pain management and a host of other daily activities. Each day was a new day with hope and great expectations for conquering the events of the day, without being conquered by those events. I wish you knew how our life changed from “normal” to a “new normal” that was anything but normal. We never knew what to expect – perhaps yet another trip to the emergency room to help manage the pain, the fever, or the discomfort. Whatever each day held, it seemed we were enveloped in a blanket of God’s peace. Aw, God’s sweet, wonderful peace. I wish you knew that peace.

I wish you knew how one can weather a storm unscathed because of God’s peace that passes understanding. I wish you knew how it felt to see others living their lives as “routine” and same-o, same-o while I was thrilled to have one more day to trust God that we would make it through another day.

I wish you knew how it felt to live each day with expecting a miracle – that even on this day, I didn’t think anything except that my sweetheart didn’t want much to eat on this day – that he would rather sleep more which I deemed was because of the medication to reduce the pain in his broken body. I wish you knew the great peace it brought that we had a loving God Who we knew was giving us such peace.

I wish you knew how it felt to recognize that this day would be my last day with him as I watched his blood pressure get erratic. I knew it was time to tell him, “Sweet man, it’s okay to go home. I’ll be okay. I love you so much. I'll see you later. Go ahead and “Push, Baby, push!” I wish you knew what it feels like to be your loved one’s Mid-Wife and help him push through to heaven.

I wish you knew how absolutely at peace you can be and know how it feels to be vastly in control when everything around you is out-of-control and out-of-your-ability to do anything to alter God’s will being done on earth as it was in heaven. I wish you knew how resilient we can be in the most storm-tossed seas of life.

I wish you knew how it feels to have spent 49 years of loving your childhood “crush” to him becoming your life-long lover, best friend, sweetheart, and darling husband. I wish you knew how much I still love talking about him, even on this day. Even after all these years later, it makes me smile to hear you tell stories and remind me how he impacted your life. Saying his name is one of the most comforting things you can do for me and my family.

I wish you knew how it feels to be in a room full of couples who love and respect you but you feel like the 3rd or 5th wheel all alone without your person, but putting aside those feelings to living with gusto because of the Big Wheel Who keeps you confident, living with destiny and purpose.

I wish you knew I was not always as strong and inspiring and brave as it looked – that sometimes I was simply a determined survivor. Telling me how strong and confident I was all the time simply made me feel like I had to look and be a certain way to continue being "an inspiration." And, you know what? I did become strong with the desires to be inspiring and brave and not just being a survivor, but a thriver.

I wish you knew that people aren't replaceable and new chapters don't mean we've forgotten or stopped loving them. What's new is new, and it's amazing and beautiful and provides new stories and life, but has nothing to do with the memories that will stay with you forever and the memories that made you live a worthwhile life of making a difference in other people’s lives.

I wish you knew the difference of being a weeping, whiny, and wailing widow to a confident, peace-filled widow who doesn’t forget the past but realizes all the times of the past that made her the capable, faith and peace filled woman she is today. I wish you knew not to waste your life because time is so very short.

I wish you knew how grateful I am for those of you who lifted us up in prayer, who still lift me up in prayer, who do life with me and encourage me with your words of cheer.

I wish you knew that life is worth living until we get to experience real life forever on the other side where we’ll meet up with our loved ones who are cheering us on from heaven’s grandstands.

I wish you knew this peace I know. It's yours for the taking: Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on You because they trust in You."

I wish you knew.......

They Leave the Nest -- But They'll Be Back

They Leave the Nest -- But They'll Be Back
For those who have followed the tales of my dove family who took up occupancy on my fireplace vent on my patio several weeks ago, I'm pleased to report the babies are on their own and have left the nest. I couldn't check on them until Monday morning since I had been away for a week and didn't get home until Sunday night. The nest was empty so I knew they had finally learned to fly and had left the nest. I saw the poop and debris left behind and determined to get out my super-powered cleaning solution and remove the nest and all the other gunk. But to my surprise, as I sat on my patio, I saw the "teenagers" (Yikes! I was surprised to see, how in just a week's time, they had grown so much!) come back home. I'm acting like a proud grandmother because I couldn't help but show you their photo! LOL! They must have remembered the kind homeowner who checked on them daily, and they were fine with my visit. I am unceasingly amazed at God’s creation.

Of course, the spiritual and natural connotations hit me in these tender moments. All of us develop, mature and become confident enough to leave the "nest" where we were nurtured and where we developed the sense of being able to make it in this world on our own. Maybe it was when we went to college or joined the armed forces, or got married, or were simply ready to tackle the world on our own. But, like those birds, many of us enjoy going back home for a while. We need that cozy, warm, safe place where we didn't have to make our own way. There were hugs and cheers and encouragement when we went home, and for many of us, we needed much more than just a short visit, we needed to stay a while and regroup and rethink where we'd go from here. We needed to get our confidence back.

Our relationship with God is similar to the birds AND us returning to our nests. Oftentimes, we're strong, making it just fine on our own, handling life and all that it throws at us. But then there are those times of disappointment, discouragement, fear and these strong spiritual beings find ourselves languishing and we need a pep talk and a shoulder to cry on and the familiarity of someone we love and trust to wrap their arms around us and tell us "Everything's gonna be alright!" We can count on our loving Father every time for that assurance, but after a little coddling, He gives us a nudge out the door (or the nest) to resume as the strong, determined, full-of-faith children He raised us to be. St. Paul said it like this: "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11

God gave us everything we need to be strong, mature, powerful and empowered overcomers in this life. He gave us every tool, every promise, every key we need for success through the cross of Christ and His Word. Romans 8:29 says "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." God lovingly welcomes us to return to His nest when we need a refresher on how much He loves and cares for us, but His Gospel message brings more than good news to us. It bids us to fly AND it gives us wings to do so!

He’s Rock Solid

I had written this post and then in my City of Frisco "Waterwise" email for yesterday was this paragraph: "Solid as a Rock". The long, hot, dog days of summer are upon us! Rain is less frequent and the high temperatures are taking their toll on our landscape. For many people not familiar with life in North Texas, the sight of their clay soil developing cracks is cause for concern and they start to wonder, “how will this affect my foundation?”

I love how God gives me a "thumbs up" to let me know I'm hearing from Him. But "He's Rock Solid" is a statement I've heard made about someone who is stable, reliable, confident, unlikely to change or fail. They have a moral compass that keeps them grounded with doing what's right and you know you can count on them -- at a moment's notice.

In the real estate business for years, we would confidently say about a property's foundation "The foundation on this house is as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar", and about a man, we might say, "Joe is such a dependable guy. His word is as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar.”

You may be scratching your head to try to think of who those people may be in your life. But my point is -- not WHO those people are, but are WE considered to be "rock solid" when others are asked that question about us?

If not, and if they see us as temperamental, moody, indecisive, unpredictable, and we shift from sad to glad and grumpy to happy like the changing of the wind, we can change that. Yes, we can!

We can be determined to be "rock solid" in our faith, our commitment to love others, our determination to be trustworthy and being reliable and unwavering in our attitude of who a true friend is -- and then being that friend who others can count on -- at a moment's notice. Every day is a new day to be the best version of ourselves that we can be, for ourselves and for others.

The best news ever, there is One who IS not just "rock solid", but He is THE SOLID ROCK that we can always count on . He is “the ROCK that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2). He is reliable, strong, immovable, eternal and unchanging. In Him, we can find that place of comfort, shelter, peace and, above all.....the faith and strength we need to carry on -- strong and determined and with great expectation for joy and victory in our todays and our tomorrows!

Psalm 62:5-8 "But I stand silently before the Lord, waiting for Him to rescue me. For salvation comes from Him alone. Yes, HE ALONE IS MY ROCK, my rescuer, defense, and fortress—why then should I be tense with fear when troubles come? My protection and success come from God alone. He is my refuge, A ROCK where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust Him all the time. Pour out your longings before Him, for He can help!"

This photo of my two little guys and me in Cabo San Lucas was taken just a week after my sweetheart went to heaven. I can't begin to tell you, from personal experience, how much God was my ROCK then, and continues to be my ROCK today.

And His Name Shall Be Called Prince of Peace

“And His name shall be called…………Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:7

Of all the scriptures that we hear during the Christmas season, this is one of my favorites. That’s because I have first-hand experience of knowing that peace that can only be found in knowing the Prince of Peace.   He has kept me calm, assured, peaceful and confident during some of the greatest challenges in my life -- dealing with loved ones' illnessses, financial crises, having to make critical decisions and handling day-to-day responsibilities  -- both personally and professionally.

When all seems chaotic and questions loom, and I wonder, “What do I do now?”  -- the light comes on, and, once again, the scripture, "Him (or Her) I will keep in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Me (my Prince of Peace)." Isaiah 26:3, comes to me.  I fix my mind on Him, and His peace always pervades my world, my circumstances, my home and my heart.  Any time anxiety, concern and distraction tries to overtake me, I put on praise and worship music, and the atmosphere is replaced with calm peace and assurance that God has me and all my cares in His control. God knows about this life journey we are all on. He even knows the outcome!

So why should we worry, fret or be concerned?  As 2015 is fast approaching, we may have questions about what our future will look like.  No doubt, we'll encounter our share of ups and downs. But, let's listen, and take to heart the words of Jesus, our Prince of Peace, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

While we can’t know all that 2015 will hold for us, we can know the peace that the Prince of Peace provides and He is able to sustain us through anything that might come our way.
#PrinceOfPeace #GuaranteedPeace

Fear NOT....STAND and See the Salvation of the Lord!

Are you facing some insurmountable challenges today? At the end of your rope? Here's a great word for us -- straight from headquarters! "Fear not: stand still, be firm, confident, undismayed and see the salvation of the Lord which He will work for you today...the Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest." Exodus 14:13,14

These words contain God's command to us when we are facing extraordinary difficulties. We can't go forward and we can't go back, and doors are shut on the right and on the left. So what can we do? God's word says to "stand still."

There will be those who tell us to "give up -- throw in the towel -- it's too great a feat", but God promises that HE will fight for us, so we can just hold our peace, rest, and stand still in confidence that He is working it all out for us! And when we let Him be in charge.....He ALWAYS works it for our good! What a comfort that is!