One of the best parts of vacation days is having a laid back morning.  There's no sound of the alarm. There's no trying to figure out what to wear.  Instead I can head to my favorite recliner to enjoy my coffee and conversation with God.  One of the things I'm learning, still learning at 56 years of age,  is how to trust God.  I certainly believe I trusted God in my 20's when I was learning how to live away from home and settle into a new career at Ashland Elementary in Lexington, KY.  In my 30's I trusted God's Word to keep me as I wondered through various paths in life both personally and in my career.  I trusted God to sustain me in my 40's as I walked through Virgil's battle with cancer and my ensuing season of grief.  Now in my 50's I'm digging even deeper into what does it really mean to trust God with the deepest parts of my heart and soul.  Oh we say...take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there.  Honestly, I'd then pick them right back up and proceed to tell the Lord exactly HOW I wanted all of those areas of my life handled.  Getting to honesties...did I really trust the Lord to work out every single part of life in whatever way He chose , no matter if I didn't like it, was bored with it, didn't understand it or it hurt my heart...could I trust Him and be perfectly at peace with it?  That's where I've been.  That's where I am in my still learning to fully trust God at 56.   Mornings like today are good for my soul...can I say with the hymn writer of old, "It is well with my soul?"  Yes.  Peace like a river comes to my way...a peace that passes all understanding when I trust God and let Him be God.

My Mouth

I've had a reoccurring dream throughout my life that I am out somewhere and my teeth start crumbling or falling out of my head!  That hasn't exactly come true.  BUT over the past several months I have had numerous problems with my teeth.  Who knew so many things could happen to your teeth.  I've had an infection in a tooth.  I've had fillings and root canals.  I've had teeth extracted.  One I supposedly don't even need.  Another is in a place where I do need one so I'm getting a bridge to put a tooth back into that space.  If you recall I even had the dentist accidentally CUT my tongue while doing a procedure The endodontist says there's potentially even more work that needs to be done.  

Could be the cause is overuse!  Talk too much and clapping those teeth together constantly.  Might be eating too much.  But, it's not like I'm eating rocks.  Seriously, how hard can ice cream and peanut butter - my main staples (ask my doctor and my cholesterol labs that just came back) be on my teeth!!!

The blessing is there's only been one time when I've really dealt with any pain.  My new "As much as it is possible live in peace" mantra includes living one day at a time.  My dentist appointment to fix the newest issue is Friday at 9 a.m.  Since I have no pain...no reason to even be upset about it.  I AM praying that it will be a SIMPLE FIX of refilling it and no major story of "we can't restore that tooth.  It will have to be extracted and you'll need a bridge on this side, too.  If THAT'S the case...you can just start calling me Nancy Massett.  I loved that woman.  She loved me.  I think she might have been my best friend when I was a little kid once I was allowed to cross the road by myself.  That's when life was simpler - at least for me.

Perhaps I'll write about going across the road to Nancy's another day.

Shade

There are only a few things better on a HOT summer day than shade trees!  

Today I drove through the Kentucky country side to the Smith Berry Winery outside of New Castle to attend the wedding of my brother-in-law's daughter, Leah.  As some of us arrived a bit early we waited under a few shade trees until it would be time to go down and take our seats for the wedding.  The bride and wedding were beautiful.  Stormy's prayer and dance with Leah at the reception were perfect for a Father's Day weekend.  George's parents' dance and words of wisdom with the newlyweds were precious. 

Today's heat reminded me of the body's need for shade, for cool drink, for relief.  We all need a refuge.  It could be on a hot summer day when the sun is beating down on us.  It could be on a tough day when life's challenges are beating us up.  We need a refuge.  We need a place to go, sit in the shade to relax and recoup until we are ready to resume the scheduled activities of the day.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 91.  Verse 2 says, "I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust."  No matter the scenario; he is our refuge.  In every situation; He is our fortress.   Trust Him to protect and provide.  He's a faithful God.

The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

Who needs just ONE puzzle piece??  Right! The person who has the puzzle and is looking for the missing piece!!  Tonight I found a lone puzzle piece. I’m certain the puzzle isn’t here in the house.  It went home with one of the grandchildren. So without this piece their puzzle isn’t complete.  Is your life’s puzzle complete?

In so many ways my life is like a jigsaw puzzle.  It is made up of various pieces that when all fit together they make the perfect design God intended for my life.  But, if there is a piece that is missing...guess what...I’m really not all that I can be. Neither are you.

All the puzzles I’ve ever worked had the picture of what it was on the top.   God’s seen the box top; He designed it by giving us our personality, special talents and abilities.   How we piece our life together and live it is our gift back to God. The problem? Well, it could be many of us have simply stopped trying to assemble our pieces and live out a life that honors Him.  (Kind of like me giving up on one of those 1000 piece puzzles!) We become complacent and stop trying. Or, many of us are trying to put the pieces together to create that abundant life but are met with one challenge after another and simply can’t seem to find the right pieces that fit together.   Yet, for some of us it could be neither of those. It could be like this lone piece reminded me, there could be a missing piece in your puzzle. Perhaps it’s time to go in search of what’s missing.  

Is it spiritual? Is it health? Is it family? Is it friendships? Is it finances? Is it career? Is it rest?  What pieces of your puzzle do you need to fit into your picture to make it complete? Just ONE piece of a puzzle does you little good.  When you have them all and fit together they make a beautiful picture - YOU!

Did You Get the Message?

Did you have any text messages today?  What about voice mails?  Anyone send you an email?  Hmmm...what about that one from God? I'm certain He sent you several.  Did you see it?  It was there.  The key is are you tuned in to how God is speaking to you each and every day.  He uses a myriad of ways to communicate His plans, His purposes and His will for your life to you.  May I share with you one of His messages to me today?


Today I headed to Louisville for a root canal.  This is the bulletin board that I saw in the restroom of the endodontist!  As I read over the Scriptures I had to marvel at the timeliness of the messages.  I am reminded that God's Word is always on time.  A couple of the post-a-notes were like someone put them up just for me.  It was like they knew I was coming and needed the reminder.  It was as if it was God's love letter to ME.  But you and I know that no matter who came into the restroom today it was God's love letter to them as well.  That is the power of a living holy Word that is active.  I thanked God for His reminder and for showing me why it was worth the drive to Louisville.  (That was reconfirmed after meeting the endodontist, talking with him and having him do the work!)

Two of the Scriptures in particular caught my eye.  One because I have one of the exact same Scriptures on a post-a-note (different color) on the mirror in my bathroom!  Yes, I am paying attention, God!!!  Secondly, another of the Scriptures is an area that I'm focused on right now to make changes.

No.  I do not believe all of this is coincidence.  Yes.  I do believe that God works all things together for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.  Yes.  I do believe that when we as His children live our lives in a way that demonstrates our faith in Him and reflect His Word OTHERS are blessed.  HE GETS THE GLORY!  God can communicate to us in any way He chooses.  Often He chooses US to be conduits of His Word to send a message.

My prayer today is that you will receive a message from God that He is deeply in love with you, that He is a God of peace and has a good plan for your life.  My hope is that each day you will actively seek His message for your life through His Word as well as be a conduit of His love for others.  So, "Did You Get the Message?"