by Sharon O | Apr 29, 2012 | Uncategorized
Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud.
Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others.
Love does not count up wrongs that have been done.
Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth.
Love patiently accepts all things.
It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures.
Love never ends.
1st Corinthians 13:4-8 new century version
Joining Deidra on jumping tandem on Sundays ~
{using our ‘favorite beach’ picture}
by Sharon O | Apr 26, 2012 | Uncategorized
The day was miserably cold and rainy
Winnie the Pooh would say it was a blustery day.
It also was a Saturday the day before Easter which most of the time means we may or may not be shopping for dinner and gifts for Easter baskets depending on the family plans.
When it storms like that either you hunker down and find a good book, warm fire and hot tea
or you sit by the windows and just watch it till it goes away.
I remember when he said to me “let’s go to the beach” I looked outside and answered back “are you kidding?”
When I go to the beach my desire is to walk as we listen to the waves, walk more and just bask in the warmth of the sun.
We might grab a travel chair, coffee from a thermos along with a few snacks knowing that Oregon beaches are often cool but very nice and relaxing on most occasions.
This was a storm day and the beach was an hour and 45 minutes away and I was not really in the mood to sit in the car while we drove that long during an intense rain storm.
It didn’t feel like fun or safe to me.
He persisted with the question.
“Want to go to the beach?”
No I really didn’t.
I could see his face and look of disappointment and so I agreed
to ‘go for a drive’.
The rain pounded on our car.
The wind rocked it.
I kept saying, “Why are we going to the beach today?”
He answered back,
“It’s an adventure dear just relax and let me drive.”
The rain storm moved into a hail storm and I remained quiet.
The drive seemed longer than usual.
The only sound we heard was the pea sized hail pounding ferociously against the metal roof of the car.
When we finally arrived at the beach safely I was greatly relieved.
The beach was windy and cold.
Not the kind of weather one would purposely drive or walk out in.
He took my hand and said, “let’s walk.”
By this time my patience was becoming very thin and I did not want to walk in the rain.
I walked with a heart not willing blended with a bad attitude.
After about 15 minutes of walking he stopped and said,
“let’s sit down.”
As I began to sit on a cold and wet log I noticed him kneeling in the sand.
My curiosity peaked and I thought to myself,
“Is he having a heart attack?”
He reached into his pocket and had something in his hand.
He said to me “When we were young and I asked you to marry me, neither one of us knew what that meant”
I am listening now and wondering what he is up to.
“I wanted to create a new memory so when our grand children ask you how it happened you will have a story that has meaning and purpose.”
I continued to listen as the rain dripped down the hood of my coat against my face.
As he moved into a kneeling position on one knee I was thinking to myself, “he is going to get stuck and I will have to call for emergency help” then I watched him pull out a box and I heard him say to me,
“Will you marry?”
As he showed me what he was holding in his hand.
There was a diamond band inside the box.
I was in shock and had no words.
WE had already made it 34 years and we had children and grand children now.
Many years ago we were young ‘teenagers’ saying our vows to each other.
Will you take this man to love for the rest of your life?
Could anyone know what that means at age 18?
To love.
I said Yes to love one more time on that rainy day at the beach.
Everyday I remember when I wear my diamond band
that love is forged through storms that shake us to the core.
Storms rattle us and rock us and
dampen our plans at times.
Storms make us cold and uncomfortable and
we don’t appreciate them
until a sunny day comes along.
It was appropriate to begin again
in the middle of a mighty storm.
To love each other through those times
is like a rainbow that appears after the storm passes.
I said Yes to love when I didn’t fully understand the reason
the first time as a young bride.
I said Yes to love when I did understand the reason
the second time as an older bride.
I said Yes to love the day before Easter
a day for changed hearts and lives renewed
with a new appreciation of what it really means to love.
(we have been married 38 years now and we still love the storms at the beach)
by Sharon O | Apr 22, 2012 | Uncategorized
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.
They must be felt with the heart.
Helen Keller
Have you ever had a special friend who you just love to sit with and enjoy tea and special conversations?
Sharing the heart to heart talking that goes with that kind of relationship?
The most beautiful thing is knowing ‘a friend loves and cares for you’ no matter what you say or do.
It goes along with the risking and the trusting and allowing someone to enter into your world.
Friendship is a gift we can give ourselves.
Are you ready to give today?
Joining Deidra on Sunday at jumping tandem.
by Sharon O | Apr 19, 2012 | Uncategorized
Last week as I was reading other online blogs there seemed to be a theme running through many of them.
It made me pause and do some deep thinking.
Generally when a message is repeated it is a lesson to be learned for a reason.
It felt as if God was trying to show me something through others.
The theme was about trust.
Intrigued by the meaning of trust I looked it up at dictionary.com and it said that trust is:
. reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.
. confident expectation of something; hope.
. a person on whom or thing on which one relies: God is my trust.
. the condition of one to whom something has been entrusted.
Growing up in an environment that was often unpredictable and non relational I learned early on to be very cautious with ‘trust’ issues.
I did not trust easily and still to this day tend to pull back and observe rather than trust fully.
Therapy helped if you can imagine a non trusting person sitting in a room with a person who is asking them ‘to trust’.
It was one of the most difficult things for me to learn.
After going through a half dozen counselors I found one who understood my thought process and who also understood that cautious trust was what I had to have near me at all times.
He understood that he could not just say to me ‘Trust me’ he had to prove to me he was trustworthy.
He was very patient and understanding.
It was a journey we ‘both knew’ had to take place in order for real healing to happen.
It was not an easy or simple process for us.
We worked hard together to build the foundation of trust so the painful feelings about the way I grew up could come out and the healing of my heart could take place.
On paper I could write them in poetry or story or drawing form.
It was not easy for words to describe the pictures that were frozen in time.
The pen in hand did not always show the depth of hurt but the imagery using my written words helped.
Slowly I had to begin to trust and allow the walls surrounding and protecting my heart down.
They could not be blasted down.
They had to be removed inch by inch.
With the reassurance that my counselor would always be there trust began to happen.
He tried to be available whenever I needed him and returned my calls as soon as he could.
He would often tell me, “I will never leave you…unless I die… if that happens there is nothing I can do.”
I often would pray he wouldn’t because I couldn’t bear another ‘deep’ loss to my heart.
The theme lately has been trust and my question to God is why?
In the midst of my dad being very sick and some relationships showing some changes.
It feels like I am being asked one more time to trust.
God is my trust and I must stand firm in the knowing ‘only He knows the reason why’ the message keeps coming to me.
What do you do when you realize a theme is taking place ~ do you listen and take heed or do you choose to ignore it?
by Sharon O | Apr 17, 2012 | Uncategorized
Relationships can be very challenging at times.
Whether that is within a marriage or a close relationship such as family or friends.
We all need people in our lives who are willing to be honest and open with us.
It is a love that isn’t afraid to speak the truth.
It is a love that is not based on condition.
It is a love that is looking for the best in and for each other.
It is a love that loves enough to risk the necessary words to bring life and health and perhaps wholeness to the relationship.
Sometimes in a relationship someone has to risk more by sharing deep feelings from their hearts and spirit.
It takes work and effort to create a good healthy relationship.
Relationships are to be valued and treasured.
They are not to be taken lightly even when they change like the weather sometimes.
When they change that is when we challenge and encourage each other to be stronger.
Even Jesus had friendships who were special to him.
Remember when he met Mary at the tomb entrance and said her name?
He knew that was what her heart needed to hear to bring her hope.
Remember when he addressed Thomas and said to him “touch me”?
He knew the real part of the relationship was meeting him where he was emotionally.
Within the context of his doubt.
We are not any different.
We were never meant to live our lives alone.
It is a part of ‘who we are’ and who we were meant to be.
God made Adam to not be alone so he gave him Eve.
It is an emotional part of us as well as a spiritual part of us.
We need each other.
Do you have a special someone you can share with pray with or encourage?
To risk is to love with an open heart and an open hand and be willing to receive from a new emotional depth perhaps for the first time.
It is in the giving and taking and learning to understand within the relationship that bonds us.
Sometimes it is the process of reaching out and opening our arms towards one another and then asking ourselves the most important question.
Are you willing to take a risk today?
by Sharon O | Apr 15, 2012 | Uncategorized
A well worn Bible is a sign of a secure heart and a love that will last forever.
Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path. (ASV)
When we choose to know Him we choose to know His word too.
It is a life choice. A life changing experience.
A path we will never regret.
Joining Deidra at jumping tandem on Sundays
by Sharon O | Apr 11, 2012 | Uncategorized
The days after Easter seem like the calm after the storm.
I often think of the story of Mary when she got up early while it was still dark and looked for Jesus.
It would have been quiet and her heart would be restless.
Wouldn’t that make sense?
If you loved someone and they passed away you would want so much to say one more thing to them, to look into their eyes, perhaps hug them.
So much left undone and if you could see them one more time it would help.
You can’t blame Mary for missing her very special friend.
Her sorrow and grief weighed heavy on her heart as she walked to the place where they laid him.
When she arrived there she found the stone rolled away.
On Sunday morning while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.
Startled and deeply saddened she lost hope that she would ever see him again
not even knowing where or who would have taken him.
Mary Magdalene stood crying outside the tomb.
She was still weeping, when she saw two angels inside.
They were dressed in white and were sitting where Jesus’ body had been.
One was at the head and the other was at the foot.
The angels asked Mary, “why are you crying?” She answered, “They have taken away my Lord’s body!
I don’t know where they have put him.”
As soon as Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there.
But she did not know who he was.
Jesus asked her, “why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener and said, “Sir, if you have taken his body away, please tell me, so I can go and get him.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
He said “Mary” in a way only she would recognize with his familiar voice and style using her name in a personal way.
Can you imagine?
You are waiting
You are looking
You are weeping
You are feeling hopeless
and you hear ‘YOUR NAME’.
If we want to get someones attention we use their name.
Anyone who has children knows this to be true.
Perhaps Jesus wanted to get ‘her attention’ and let her know
“I am here”… “I have never left you.”
Perhaps he wants to get our attention too.
What would our reaction be if he were to say to us ‘our name’
In a gentle quiet way.
Would we be listening and open?
{verses from John 20:11-16}
by Sharon O | Apr 8, 2012 | Uncategorized
God’s People Will Celebrate
12When you are set free, you will celebrate and travel home in peace.
Mountains and hills will sing as you pass by,
and trees will clap.
Joining Deidra on jumping tandem on Sundays.
(Photo by Larry O)