by Sharon O | Oct 24, 2010 | Uncategorized
Continuing on the life changing moments theme.
This week was one of the most exciting in a long time.
Our friends at church were waiting for a visa to come through and be approved.
The Scottish preacher named Scotty was leaving to go home to Scotland.
His wife was waiting on her visa. It didn’t come and it didn’t come.
His plane ticket was paid for and he was leaving today to go to back to Scotland.
He hoped she would go too but he couldn’t wait for her because of the expiration date of his own visa.
We prayed and prayed down to the last few days left before he was leaving.
At last her visa came in on Thursday and they finally could book a flight together.
This morning they were loaded on the plane ready to face the new chapter of their lives together.
God is good and awesome and miracles do still happen.
It was an exciting experience to see the prayers of many answered just in time.
The other exciting thing that happened in our church.
We have a young couple who was expecting triplets. YES I said ‘three’.
She is tiny probably around 5 foot 1 inch and her normal weight about 110 pounds.
The babies were growing and she became larger and larger finally she was put on bed rest.
The babies were due the last part of November early part of December.
Last Tuesday she was rushed to the hospital as one of her babies lost some water.
They were able to put her on bed rest again and monitor the babies and wait till they were older and it was safer to deliver.
She was at 34 weeks and really too early to deliver the doctor was hoping for 11 more days.
Yesterday she woke up with severe labor and the C section was scheduled as quickly as possible and at 34 weeks and 5 days the boys were born.
Elliott weighed in at 4 lbs 6 oz, Tucker weighed in at 3 lbs 15 oz, and Oliver was 5 lbs 8oz. They all were near 17-18 inches long and they are healthy and needing very little intervention.
Today two of them have to have help with their breathing using a ‘cpap’ which is normal for preemies and the bigger one is doing fine breathing on his own.
GOD protected them and preserved their health and the health of the mommy.
Life changing moments for a family.
In the matter of a few minutes of time they became parents of 3 precious little boys. Adding to their family with another son waiting at home with grandparents. They will have four babies under two as soon as they all get home and get settled. A busy house full of excitement and fatique they are a ‘new’ family with many blessings ahead of them.
God is in the process of changing people through life changing moments.
We all have these moments where all of a sudden things are different for us.
Life as we knew it is changed forever.
In a moment of time:
One couple was on a plane heading to Scotland thanking God for an answer to their prayers.
The other couple enjoying the new experience of ‘being parents’ of multiples and thanking God for protecting and keeping them all safe through the process.
Life changing moments.
Lord God may we thankful and always lean on you as we journey through the many changes of life as we live it.
For you are the one who we draw strength from and we thank you for caring for every part of our lives as we seek you.
Praise you God for these miracles and moments of knowing that YOU are in control no matter how much we worry and wait.
You are God and we thank you for taking care of us all.
by Sharon O | Oct 20, 2010 | Uncategorized
I have a question for you.
Our Pastor asked us the other day:
Can you identify your life changing moments?
The moments in time when you did a direct turn around and life as you knew it was different.
Remember when I shared my testimony about how God heard the prayers of an unsaved broken little 15 year old.
Who didn’t know how to pray to a Holy God?
He heard the prayer anyway… He listened…He stopped and saw through my empty self and discarded rules about prayer.
He was more concerned about my heart condition.
Life changing moments can be any thing and can be very different for each of us.
We all have had them and it really would be good to take notice of them.
My first: the answer to prayer from a searching heart
My second: the saving love of a Savior to someone who didn’t understand love
My third: the protection and deep abiding compassion of a Savior who cared for me
There are many many more life changing moments but these are just a sample.
Do you remember yours?
Can you write them down and document them?
What were they and how did they effect you?
How old were you when they happened?
I challenge you to remember…it is important to your walk with the Lord.
Just as in the old testament when things were done and recorded we too should record our ‘life changing moments’ so we can tell others.
I am sure the disciples could all identify and remember when Jesus came by them and said, “Come follow me.”
I am sure the women at the well could identify and remember every word when Jesus said to her, “Go and sin no more.”(especially after she realized HE knew her life for what it was).
I am sure the blind man who was given sight could identify and remember exactly how Jesus gave light to his dark world.
I am sure the crippled man who had been on the mat for 30 plus years could identify and remember the words that were said when he picked up his mat and started to walk for the first time.
Life changing… moments in time… where all of a sudden you know this will be a different day.
You remember the words, the conversations, the tone of the moment?
Can you remember them… the ones that forever changed you?
Pastor said to us, “Decide what will hold you back and what will it take to find a new passion for God.” We cannot hold back we must move forward and move past our blocked heart condition.
Your life changing moments were not accidental they were orchestrated by God the Almighty.
Isn’t that enough to bring new passion for Him?
I challenge you today to remember and thank Him for the moments in time that changed you forever.
by Sharon O | Oct 18, 2010 | Uncategorized
I am moving away from my normal blog style tonight.
Felt the need to write something that was pressing on my spirit triggered by a season and time.
I hope for my readers it is not to difficult to share~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A writing…
So many wounded and broken ones in a crowd so large.
Look around… and listen… Look around and see… With the eyes of Jesus.
If it was possible for us to see their aching hearts we could touch their pain~
But in the process of reaching out we scare them away for touch was not an inviting gesture in their day to day’s events.
We cautiously say “we care” and hope that it does not get interpreted as…
“I want something from you.”
We say to them “we will listen” but we know it will take great patience for words are difficult to process and say…
when the wounded ones were supposed to be quiet and never share.
Recovery is slow. Recovery means to move with caution.
Layers upon layers have to be pulled back and healed.
It is a slow ‘Holy Spirit’ moving of a soul
gently tugging and healing the broken heart…
reaching in and bringing peace to a ‘fragile’ place inside to the one who is hurting.
What was once thought to be ‘dirty’ becomes redeemed.
What was once thought to be ‘broken’ becomes whole.
The fatigue of holding in so much lays heavy on ones heart.
It is like a thick blanket smothering the life out of the one walking without a soul…
into the world where everything looks normal.
The ability to pretend becomes more and more less able.
Words cannot come out unless invited.
Words cannot come out unless one is ready.
Words cannot come out unless there is safety.
Prayers are needed for the wounded ones to share.
Prayers are needed for the ones who are listening.
Prayers are needed for hearts of compassion
to sit and hear and not judge or get angry…
in the presence of the broken fractured one
who could be sharing a story for the first time.
Only God can do this work of miracles.
Only God with spiritual hands can reach in and touch~
the broken hearts and souls of the wounded ones.
Church…
A place where the wounded ones can come to the altar without fear…
and be healed.
Church…
A place where the gentleness of Jesus can place an arm across the shoulders of those who fear and don’t understand the gentleness.
Church…
A place where lives can be restored and renewed and
the broken negative tapes in confused heads
can be replaced with praise and worship ones.
Church…
A place where destruction can be replaced with value
and discontent can be restored with hope.
So many wounded ones in a crowd so large…
Look around and listen… Look around and see…
And ask yourself…
Are we willing to be the eyes and hands and feet of Jesus
to a world so desperate for healing.
by Sharon O | Oct 14, 2010 | Uncategorized
Grandma learned something important.
Not long ago I was showing my grand daughter Faith my blog.
She was happy to see ‘herself’ in a few photo’s and she was reading what I had written about her camp and her fair days and her life. She thought it was pretty neat and was even excited to see it all then she then asked me, “Are you going to write about my mom or put a picture of her on your blog?”
I said well I can but I have to ask permission first it is not right to just ‘assume’ she would want me to share her ‘life’ with my readers. Faith looked at me with a puzzled look and said, “Well you didn’t ask my permission.”
Oh wow how true those words were.
I had just assumed that it was alright to post them and technically it is alright with her but she is absolutely sending me a message and teaching me something in the process. I did not call and ask her permission and I didn’t ask if I could post a picture or even talk to her about what my plans were.
This lead me to think about other issues around children.
Have you ever watched people at the store or other places with children?
People will go up to a baby and touch their face or their hair and say, “Oh aren’t you so sweet?”
Why do we feel it is acceptable to touch a child when we would never go up to an adult and touch their face and say, “You are so beautiful.”
We don’t pat them on the head and say ‘Hi’. Why would we not do that?
Because it is a boundary issue and we would be in their personal space.
It is called ‘your personal bubble space’ around you. Others need to stand back and ask first if they can enter your ‘space with you’. It is really disrespectful for us to assume that a child might want us to touch their head or hold their hand. They should be able to say “NO” that is what we teach them when we teach
‘good touch~bad touch’.
So why do we assume that they ‘wish for us’ to be in their space or share part of their life with others?
Children need respect just as adults do.
I was wrong to put Faith on my blog without asking permission first.
She was not mad at me she wasn’t even disappointed but she did make a point in telling me ‘You didn’t ask’. She is eleven and in sixth grade she should be able to use her voice and say, ‘You can share Or not’.
I stand corrected. As a grandma I went against everything my heart stands for.
The protection of children and the right for them to have a voice.
From now on if I share anything ‘personal or show a picture’ I will do my best to get permission from the one who I am writing about.
I hope this gives us all something ‘new’ to think about.
Have you ever shared something or told something about someone without asking permission first?
If you did how did you deal with it after you realized your mistake?
by Sharon O | Oct 11, 2010 | Uncategorized
In keeping with the topic of the seminar I went to a few weeks ago.
I was searching through my notes that were taken during the sessions and found a few tidbits that are worth sharing.
The speaker said, “There are three voices that will keep you away from God and His purpose for you.”
The ‘chatter of comparison.’
The ‘insane scream of perfectionism.’
The ‘whispers of the illusion of control.’
Each one of these resonated with me.
Comparison is really hard because often times I see a house and I say, “wow I wish ours was that nice and pretty outside. The presentation is so welcoming. I wish we had that type of entry way, I wish our kitchen was bigger, I wish we had that much room, I wish….. ” continuing on with my discontent.
When I say that out loud I am becoming less thankful and less content for the home we have and live in. It is a nice home.
It is peaceful.
No it is not updated to ‘todays’ standards of granite counter tops and elaborate decor but it is adequate and comfortable and it is ours.
I feel safe here.
When I compare I lose sight of how God has blessed us.
Perfectionism was something I had to put down and let go when we first got married.
My mother was a perfectionist and very compulsive… every thing had a place and nothing was ever messy. Nothing was ever out of order. Our home was perfect and immaculately clean.
We were not happy though so the trade off was not so ‘good.’
In time I realized in order to have a peaceful happy home I would have to lower the standards. I realized that perfectionism is a strain on relationships and can hinder a peaceful home. (Admitting that sometimes the standards have really lowered to a messy state at times)
The illusion of control is also a big one. When one is raised in a ‘home’ that is unsafe or in today’s lingo dysfunctional the one thing that is needed is control and order. I still have to have some sort of control in some things. It is not easy for me to step back and say ‘ok you do it’…
maybe it is a trust issue maybe it is just a process that will always be with me and a part of who I am.
In order for me to feel safe I have to have some sort of order in my day and some sort of ‘idea’ of what is happening around me.
When the illusion is formed that ‘I can be in control and I can handle all this’ it is exhausting to one’s soul. The most peaceful process is realizing “you are not in control and you never will be.”
When I finally grasped that… it was like a big sigh of relief. There are few things I am actually in control of and that is good.
God is in Control of our lives and what is given to us is what HE feels we can handle.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed or over loaded with too many ‘things’?
Take a break and evaluate what is causing all the chaos in side the ‘over whelmed feeling’.
Is it comparison to others that you or your life can’t or don’t match up?
Is it perfectionism that cannot be quenched or managed and that is why you are tired?
Is it the need to be in control when you can’t be and shouldn’t be?
I ask these questions for myself as well as those who are reading this.
Something new for us to think about.
The questions for each of us to ask:
What is keeping us from God and all that He wants us to become
and how can we be more open to what that process will look like for us.
by Sharon O | Oct 11, 2010 | Uncategorized
This turtle was given to me by someone when I was a little girl. I have kept him for a lot of years and he has survived many moves and many changes. I remember at one point in time I named him Herman. Why? who knows maybe from the Herman Hermit show? (they were a singing group in the 60’s) When I first showed this to my grand daughter Faith she didn’t like him she said ‘who would give you a sad turtle?’ from a little girl that was a profound question because who would give a little person a sad turtle? The answer has never come I don’t know where he came from or who gave him to me just know he has always been here.
This little dolly is another ‘child hood’ collectible. She has never had any clothes on and she is always smiling the silly smile. Kind of reminds me of Lucy on Charlie Brown. I have no clue where she came from either just know she has been a part of ‘life’ for many years. I let the grand kids play with her since she is not really breakable. The little one I babysit loves to pack her around because she is small and easy to carry.
I find it interesting that I would have a very sad turtle and a silly smiling doll. Kind of makes you wonder how ‘crazy making’ our lives were back then.
These are just a few of my ‘collectibles’ from the past. I am sure I will find more.
God is challenging me to ‘explore’ many things these days and as I continue the path to ‘de-cluttering’ I am sure more will surface. For now my turtle will go back in the bedroom and the dolly back in the toy box.
Do you have a special toy or book from childhood?
A special doll or teddy bear?
Just something to think about.
by Sharon O | Oct 7, 2010 | Uncategorized
Continuing on our topic of simplicity from the Selah conference.
The speaker said, “Ladies a seed has to die so it can grow.” Your collectible self must die down and allow something else to mature. Meaning our need for order and space must be the final end result from the purging and cleaning process. She said, “It is a process that cannot have shortcuts. In order for you to have a de-cluttered home and space that is free the desire for more stuff has to die and be put in its rightful place.” (this is not a direct quote I often say things need to be put in their rightful place)
All this has led me to think about and question whether there is a real meaning behind my different collections. This tea dessert set was given to me by my grandmother. She had a set of six royal doulton Old Country Rose dessert plates and she asked me if I wanted them. Of course our house is decorated in a rose theme and these were beautiful and they were hers and when she asked me I said YES. This particular set is not made any more. When it was time for us to purchase china which was a wish of mine for holidays we stayed in the same theme of these dishes instead of having a hodge podge collection. The final count in the china hutch is a set of 16 thinking that each ‘child’ would get a service of 8 if something were to happen to me or us. If you know anything about this collection it is not cheap. Most were purchased on sale… some were not. There are creamers, gravy boats, platters and even salt and pepper shakers for the table has to be complete when set for the holidays. This is my first example of an emotional collection I could come up with as I process this topic of collecting. The speaker asked us to search out the reasons why we collect the ‘stuff’ and explore the emotional attachments to them. The emotional attachment is: grandma gave them to me. I have very few keepsakes from her so this is an important keepsake ‘collection’ to hold onto. When I told grandma what we did after we purchased more to match the set she gave us she became very angry saying, “If I knew you were going to spend that much money on a plate I would never have given them to you.” The question after she blasted me with the words was ‘why would it matter to her?’ I chose to purchase more.
It was not about grandma’s gift it was about me.
The speaker said, “Ladies your soul growth begins when you actively embrace yourself. Who you are and who you want to become.” She said, “Real control is knowing who is at the center. When we let God intercede and bring order into our lives everything will fall into place.”
The key is to know why you collect and what is behind the collections. She said, “It is a prayer of healing, life change, reorder, surrender, obedience and love.” I will continue to press forward in the topic of collections for a short season and as I do is it ok to ask for prayer in this process?
This may become more emotional than originally intended.
by Sharon O | Oct 5, 2010 | Uncategorized
Continuing on the last writing about the Selah conference I attended two weekends ago.
The one about Simplicity and discovering that less is really more.
One of the things the speaker talked about was how one has to change their thinking before one can change behavior.
When it comes to collectibles and things to go through she said, ‘It is not about stuff’.
It is deeper.
She said ‘de-cluttering’ needs to be a lifestyle not an activity for the day or week.
It is something you continually work on, it is not something you tell yourself,
‘I will arrive someday’.
I certainly have said many times, “when I get this closet cleaned out, or this messy spare room clean…. then peace will take place” or my sense of accomplishment will be finished or…whatever I might add to the ‘final goal’.
She said, “Ladies if you think you will arrive you will be disappointed.” She said, “It is a new habit of order not disorder. It is growth in the process of action. It is not blame or bad self talk it is investing in yourself… your peaceful place and your calm home.”
She said, “In order for you to de-clog the clog you have to be a student of yourself.”
Learning how or why you keep and not throw away or give away is critical to this process. She said, “The patterns of your life are the issue not necessarily the stuff.” She said, “Ladies you can put behind you what doesn’t deserve you.” Whether that be a pile of books you have wanted to read, or that sewing that never gets done or that clutter than never gets removed.
It is the process of reprogramming faulty thinking.
She said, “The process of taking back spaces and changing a room, is about order. It is about taking back your life.”
She said, “Let your environment serve you not enslave you.”
The first thing is to make room for what matters.
Then the rest needs to leave. Purge. Clean and remove. Give it away and remove it before you change your mind. In the process of removing and cleaning pay attention to the triggers surrounding the process. The triggers are very important as they teach us what is really behind the collecting.
My counselor said it is about attachment.
The speaker said there are three programs of life management we all work from:
i am what i have
i am what i do
i am what others say about me
Can I ask you today which question fits for you?
Let us encourage each other in this new process of simplifying our lives as we press forward to a new direction of freedom.
by Sharon O | Oct 2, 2010 | Uncategorized
Last Saturday I went to a ladies gathering.
It was called Selah.
Looking up the meaning on dictionary.com and it says: an expression occurring frequently in the Psalms, thought to be liturgical or musical direction, probably a direction by the leader to raise the voice or perhaps an indication of a pause, “to pause, raise, lift”
The first speaker of day said we are to live intentionally and move from an overwhelmed order to a transformed order deep inside ourselves. Like pushing a reset button to align yourself to God’s order. She said it is a revival of the heart.
She said ‘disorganization is more than piles, it is an internal ‘dis-order’ that manifests itself into ‘piles’ to work on. She said ‘disorder imprisons us/order frees us.
Becoming ordered is about releasing, the disconnect.
So in hearing all that I was thinking about myself. What disconnect am I not aware of that makes my ‘messy’ places so messy. Oh I gather myself at times and deep clean and purge and accomplish a ‘place of order’ only to have it reclaim itself months later.
SELAH… to raise my voice to God and pause.
Does that sound like a prayer?
The speaker said the preparation principle is this: “Sometimes before you advance you have to be still and let him work in you so you can begin to live by his purpose and priorities.”
Be Still and know that HE is God…that would be the pause part of the work.
She said, “‘Ladies it is not about blame or bad self talk it is about investing in yourself to have peace and calm in your home.”
So for my faithful readers I will show you what I am working on.
The first picture is my desk. It is messy. That is how I focus and think. I have piles of notes, papers, assorted books and other must haves in order for me to write. Now before you think wow she is really a messy person I want to show you the other side of the room that is not so messy. I am able to have order in my own strange way the next picture is across the room. This is where my 369 early readers are stored. Yes I did say that many. They are all cataloged in the computer by name and date issued. They are early readers in the Dick and Jane style from 1920’s to 1970’s with most of them in the category of the 1950-1960’s era. I love the pictures and stories. This part of the room is organized and nice.
The other part of the room is not so nice. My goal for the new year… (yes it is only October) is to get re organized again so that this won’t happen any more in my pretty den. I will need prayer.
Can you tell I dislike paper work? The bills get paid and I throw them on a pile. Looking forward to the day when I can toss them all into the fireplace and burn them. Only to have the new year start again.
I would welcome suggestions if anyone has any.
I do get overwhelmed with the ‘stuff’ it is not a part of my organization skill. Part of this blog is learning to become vulnerable and sharing what the Lord is doing in this quiet little world of mine. This is a side of my ‘messy disorganized world’. I hope you still like me… :o)
by Sharon O | Sep 29, 2010 | Uncategorized
When I think of belonging…
I think of a decision that had to have taken place in order to belong to someone or something.
Such as when one chooses to get married to the ‘one’ special person or one chooses to have a baby. It is a decision that says you belong to me and I care.
Dictionary.com says belonging means a secure relationship.
When we belong to something we are giving ourselves to that commitment whether it is a family or a group. I read in a study book one time: Belonging will cost us something. We can be a private person wanting to belong but never letting anyone in to see what’s really happening inside or we can be a public person sharing with others our real selves. Being public empowers us to move beyond just showing up (in the relationship or group) it frees us to participate in the act of sharing our hearts our hurts our pains or our dreams. It is a willingness to divulge the most personal issues bringing intimacy and transparency into the relationship or group. There is a cost for us to belong. It is a sacrifice and takes effort to make it important.
When one belongs they are always mindful of ways to be together and enjoy life together within a safe secure relationship.
In a marriage situation it is having the freedom to say, ‘today I feel sad … or scared… or bored’ and knowing it is safe to say that.
In a secure relationship there is no threat.
Understanding and trust takes place when the ‘transparency of our heart can heard.’
It builds the relationship into a secure one.
Do you have good friends whom you ‘belong’ to in relationship?
We connect when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable.
We connect when we allow ourselves to be real.
We connect when someone says to us, “how are you today?”
and we feel we can say how we are back to them honestly.
We connect when we choose to be in relationship with someone.
It should not be a light hearted decision.
When we have the desire to commit to the relationship or group we can connect on a deeper level and on a prayerful level. God does not want us to stay on the surface.
He is always digging deeper into our hearts condition and pressing in on us to become more intimate and open.
I have learned through this last year that feeling secure is important to one’s journey.
When my husband’s mother was in her dying process often times I would walk into the room and I would have tears in my eyes. In that room it was safe to feel what I felt in the moment which was so unlike the way it was for me growing up.
To cry was never something I could do or feel.
It was hidden under covers in the night so it would not be heard.
For the lesson was told “if you are going to cry I will give you something to cry about.”
So the logical choice would be to hide.
I do not hide anymore.
This last year has brought many different hurtful things in my life and if the tears could not come then sickness would.
For the body must let go in some way.
Choosing to belong is saying: I believe in you, I will walk with you, I will support you and you are safe. When a relationship hurts us we often go running to the one’s who didn’t hurt us for they are safety and security and validation for that particular time in our lives.
Isn’t it awesome that we always have a secure place with our Lord?
If we were to look really hard we would see Him reaching out waiting for us to run into his safe loving arms as a father would wait for his children.
We will always belong to him if we have chosen to follow him.
Lord help us to feel secure as we rest in the knowing we belong to you.
