by Sharon O | Apr 25, 2021 | Uncategorized
In life one of the most important things that matter the most to us, is something we so often don’t even think about.
It’s our breath.
The capacity to breathe in and breathe out.
Genesis 2:7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,
and the man became a living being.
Ezekiel 37:5 Thus says the Lord God to these bone: I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live.
It is so important yet we often don’t think about it.
Every day we wake up and breathe, and then go to sleep and still breathe, not even noticing the rise and fall of our lungs.
In church we sing a song that says, “It’s your breath in our lungs, and we pour out our praise.”
I really thought about that when my dad had COPD and was on oxygen.
It allowed him to breathe more intensely and in comfort.
I also remember the only two times in life we record the taking of breath is in life and in death.
When a baby is born, the clock is noticed and recorded. When someone dies, the clock is noticed and recorded.
Time of life and time of death.
Mark 15:39 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last breath.
The bible talks about breath 109 times.
God has the power and the ability to create breath or remove it.
The testimony that breath is so important was noticed, in the New Testament after Jesus came back to the disciples,
John 20:22 When Jesus said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘receive the Holy Spirit’.
It was a power given through breath.
In life one of the most important things that matter the most to us, is our breath.
by Sharon O | Apr 22, 2021 | Uncategorized
When you rest your sleep will be sweet.
Proverbs 3:24 gives us this promise.
When you lie down, you need not to be afraid, when you rest, your sleep will be sweet.
Have you ever had a nights sleep where you woke up and felt so unsteady, so unsettled and not rested?
I think we all have had those nights.
I tend to do this occasionally if my blood sugar is acting up.
I can feel my heart race, my feet hurt, my mind is going a hundred miles an hour it seems.
Oh my we get ourselves into a tizzy sometimes.
I have found if I have a glass of wine about an hour before I go to sleep, I sleep very well.
Now I know they say not to do that, but it’s organic healthy, no sugar and no sulfites.
I cannot have ice cream or other treats because I am pre-diabetic, but the glass of wine relaxes me.
(Don’t worry, my doctor knows about it.)
In my past before I was married, going back a LONG time, I used to not like night time.
It was not safe for me and I tended to sleep very restless.
When you are used to a trauma filled environment; even when it is not present, it can still affect your rest.
I am healed now and it took me YEARS to figure out how to fall asleep and stay that way.
A good routine is helpful. A quiet cool room is helpful too.
We just purchased a new mattress that is amazing and we have cool crispy sheets and a soft comforter too.
Anything one can do to get that rest our bodies need.
I am not into pills, for a while I had a prescription while I was in therapy, but I did not like the way it made me feel.
I like the promise, ‘when you lie down’… not IF… but when.
Because we all know… we must stop and rest our bodies.
I am not one for napping although sometimes it would be a welcome addition to my day.
We have a massage bed and if I am feeling the need to rest, I lay down on that and it works well.
It is a 45 minute warm massage and just what my body needed.
I also like the words ‘your sleep will be sweet’.
What an amazing promise. Sweet gentle sleep.
[When you lie down, you need not to be afraid, when you rest, your sleep will be sweet.]
by Sharon O | Apr 12, 2021 | Uncategorized
Spring is coming soon and I am excited for warmer days and opportunities for planting flowers.
We bought our vegetable plants yesterday but we won’t plant them until the nights are warmer.
I am so looking forward to fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peas in the pea pods.
We also purchased a blue hydrangea, pink and white one too. My favorite is blue.
We have been purposefully trying to watch our diet and finding time for a walk.
Even if it’s just a few miles it is better than none.
I have been increasing my water intake, they say if you weigh 150 you should drink half your body weight.
No wonder I can’t go far from the little room :o)
I also need to get back on the recumbent bike that sits in the garage.
It is so good for us to get our bodies moving and it’s good for our mental state too.
My heart has been heavy with prayer needs for a few friends.
One especially who thought her remission was solid, only to find out she has to do more radiation and chemotherapy.
Another friend has surgery coming up and treatment.
Another friend has leukemia and is stable but it’s always a concern for me.
It is always something and there are always needs around us.
Our neighbor just got home from the hospital with severe breathing issues.
We live in a senior community so there will be health concerns all the time.
I am trying to remain positive and helpful when I can.
God is still one who heals and I know for my friends, he is not going to give them more than they can deal with.
The key is to be a friend and a prayer warrior.
We all could use prayer.
Spring is coming soon and I am excited for warmer days.
by Sharon O | Apr 4, 2021 | Uncategorized
Sunday comes and brings a new resurrection.
The disciples had all seen Jesus die, and taken away to be buried.
They felt the heaviness of the moments that they had just experienced.
He had told them he would return but how could they ever really believe that?
Mark 16:
Very early at sunrise the two Mary’s went to the tomb and they chatted on the way over there.
Who will move the stone for us when we get there. it is too heavy for us to move?
As they arrived closer to the tomb, they realized the stone was already moved and inside they found a young man clothed in white,
sitting on the right side. The angel told them, “don’t be afraid or alarmed, you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth and He is not here.
He has risen from the dead. See where his body had laid down? He is gone.
Go tell the disciples, especially Peter, that Jesus is going to Galilee. You will see him there.”
I would imagine he mentioned Peter specifically because he had denied Jesus three times.
It would be Peter who would be deep in grief and deep in repentance, should he see Jesus in person.
The angel mentioned him; so I think that is very significant for this part of the story.
The women fled, it said they were trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.
When they found the disciples they told Peter and the others as the angel had told them to do.
After Jesus rose from the dead Mary Magdalene was the first to see him.
She didn’t know it was him until he spoke her name.
Can you imagine? Her love for him so deep and she thought he was gone, and now right before her,
he says her name in a way only he could say it.
Such love, such tenderness.
She told the disciples he was alive but they did not believe her.
Later it says he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together.
He rebuked them for their stubborn hearts and unbelief.
Thomas did not want to believe it unless he saw the nail marks in his hands and his wounds on his side.
He told him to come look, come see for yourself.
He then told them to do ministry in his name.
He stayed with them a short time, then returned to the Father in Heaven.
Sunday comes and brings a new resurrection.
by Sharon O | Apr 2, 2021 | Uncategorized
The three day wait begins at the start of good Friday, leading into Sunday the resurrected Easter.
We are not told anything about Mary and how she responded, or even Joseph.
They knew the birth of Jesus was significant and miraculous and they also knew it was going to end.
No one is prepared for a death on a cross. No one is prepared for the death of a child loved.
Especially a parent who has watched their child grow and mature and do ministry that they understood, but maybe didn’t.
Mary knew he had abilities to perform miracles, she had seen it.
I cannot even begin to imagine the horror of seeing YOUR child however old he is, being killed in a chaotic crowd.
The disciples disappeared fearing for their own lives.
The intensity of the cross was all too common in the time and era, but Jesus was different.
They drug him through town, he was brutally beaten and then mocked.
The cross was horrific in every sense. Not one part of the body was ignored.
Pain and sorrow were hand in hand as the followers watched him hang there.
At noon the word tells us that Jesus called out with a loud cry, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?”
It was all a part of the original plan, but the reality was so intense and so isolating for him.
When he finally died the temple curtain in the sanctuary was torn from top to bottom.
Witnesses observed and said, “This man truly was the sun of God!”
Darkness covered the entire area in a very surreal way.
Those who were there knew something was different.
Even the thieves on the two crosses beside Jesus, before he died, knew he was different.
It was a sorrowful day.
The man called Joseph of Arimathea was allowed to remove his body and prepare him for burial.
The two Mary’s watched and followed, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus.
The leaders were unsure of Jesus power, so they placed a very LARGE stone in front of the entrance of the tomb.
The three day wait begins at the start of good Friday.
by Sharon O | Apr 1, 2021 | Uncategorized
The week of Easter for Jesus had to be one of intense loss and anticipation.
He had built a relationship with the disciples and soon that would be ending.
He knew his time was coming to a close just as it was meant to be.
The last supper in the upper room was in a way his closure.
Mark 14:17
[In the evening Jesus arrived with the twelve disciples. They were at the table eating, Jesus said,
“I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me.”
Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one?”]
Then he went on to a teaching about the wine and the bread and the significance of it’s meaning.
He had established a betrayal, He had spent time teaching them, He had a hymn to share with them.
It was all a part of the final story and the final night.
Soon he would go into the garden and pray to the Father for another way.
“Father let this cup pass from me, take this cup of suffering from me.”
A different way was not possible.
He told them, [“My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. stay here and keep watch with me.”]
He prayed to the Father three times in the garden.
Intense prayers, blood spilling prayers.
He knew his betrayal from everyone was coming and also the intensity of the crowds.
I am not sure anyone could be prepared for that kind of chaos.
Emotions ran high on that night, as Jesus was taken away.
The disciples ran away and hid, fearing for their own lives because of their association with him.
They deserted him.
Then Peter was close enough for them to ask him.
[“You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.”]
Peter denied it. Not once, but three times.
Then Peter broke down and wept.
Jesus had told him that before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.
It was a prophecy fulfilled, just as many others would be as this story unfolds.
The week of Easter for Jesus had to be the hardest for him.
by Sharon O | Mar 30, 2021 | Uncategorized
The week of Easter had deep meaning for Jesus.
I would imagine HE knew this was his last few days to do ministry.
He spent time with the disciples. He tried to teach them what was going to happen.
In the home of Simon a man who was healed by Jesus, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume.
She broke it and poured it all over Jesus head. The disciples were upset with her and scolded her harshly.
Mark 14:6
But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me.
You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me.
She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time.
I tell you the truth, wherever the good news is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
He was aware and KNEW his death was coming and the meaning of the oils and perfume was a prophecy of what was to come for him.
Around the same time as this Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priest to arrange to betray Jesus to them.
He began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus because the leaders promised him money.
Can you imagine? I am sure HE did not understand or know what was to take place in just a few days.
What would cause someone to betray someone, who you had been following for a while?
He had seen the miracles. He had full views of the many things Jesus had said and done.
The sad part of this story is Jesus knew too.
He knew someone would have to get the leaders angry and HE knew it had to happen soon.
Betrayal is such an evil thing.
The week of Easter had deep meaning for Jesus and the story of the cross.
by Sharon O | Mar 28, 2021 | Uncategorized
Palm Sunday the week of Easter.
The final entrance of the story that Jesus had been preparing.
Christmas was the story of his birth. Mary and Joseph used a donkey to get to Bethlehem so he could be born to fulfill prophecy.
Palm Sunday also used a donkey to bring him to a place of ministry and purpose.
I remember the days before quarantine and covid the churches would sing songs of his triumphal entry.
“Praise Him blessed is HE who cometh in the name of the Lord.”
I always find it interesting, that the same people who cheered him on and who welcomed him with palm branches; turned on him not barely a week later.
Mark 11:
As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethpage and Bethany on the mount of Olives.
Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden.
Untie it and bring it here, If anyone asks, “what are you doing? Just say. “The Lord needs it and will return it soon.”
The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”
They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it.
Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields.
Jesus was in the center of the procession and the the people were shouting, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”
I remember in church little kids would have large branches, and they would spread them down the aisle, while other children would sing and walk over them.
The final entrance of the story of Jesus. The reason He came and the reason He had prepared for.
Palm Sunday the week of Easter.
The welcoming triumphant entry of Jesus.
by Sharon O | Mar 25, 2021 | Uncategorized
The month of March is almost over and wow it’s been quite the month.
Weather issues caused lots of problems around our area as cold ice storms surrounded us.
Many homes and businesses had lot’s of tree damage with branches broken to the ground.
We had to remove a large tree in our back yard because it was seriously damaged.
We had to clean up and estimate how much was done to the yard.
I use the word ‘we’ very loosely my husband and his brother did the work, I watched from the patio window.
Our plans for a new tree will happen sometime, as soon as the root ball from the old one dies.
We have had birthdays and I even sewed a quilt for a grandson, each grand child gets a quilt on their 13th birthday.
I am looking forward to spring days where sunshine is mostly what we see.
The daffodils and hyacinths are blooming and a sneak peak of spring is arriving.
Soon it will be Easter and I am not sure what we are going to do.
In years past we had family gatherings and meals shared, but this year is very different.
I have been making a mental list of things that need to get done around the house.
It seems I am a very good procrastinator and what is pending… still is.
Each little project takes time and energy.
I am beginning to do more focusing on my writing too, there is so much more that I can do.
It seems like each day moves into the next day and soon the month is almost over one more time.
I guess that’s what happens when we get older and life is just a continuation of the last month.
I am enjoying our home and I am enjoying our time together.
Retirement is nice.
The month is almost over and I am looking forward to better days ahead.
by Sharon O | Mar 15, 2021 | Uncategorized
Three years and six days after our son was born we were expecting our second child.
It was to be a surprise and we didn’t find out ‘who’ was joining us till the birth.
Our son was very excited to be a big brother, but also very determined to not have his birthday crashed.
I didn’t have normal labor with him, it was rushed and hard, so with this second baby I was aware of contractions but not to a point of concern.
I had gone to a doctor’s appointment that day and had an ultrasound picture in my purse.
The baby was breech, head up, and very comfortable. The doctor said, ‘snug as as a bug can be.’
We were invited to a birthday party of my husband’s brother and we visited, and had cake and ice cream.
I remember heading home in the car and feeling a bit uncomfortable but not too bad.
By nature I have a high pain tolerance so for me it has to be HORRIBLE in order for me to complain.
We watched some TV and put our son to bed.
I ended up in bed and as the night progressed the pains progressed.
I finally woke my husband up and said, “can you time this?”
I was having very regular very strong labor.
We called grandma and she came in the dark of the night.
We got into the car and headed for the hospital.
By that time I was pushing and really having a difficult time.
Of course the baby was facing the wrong way and as soon as we got to the hospital, they realized it was urgent.
I was rushed into surgery, a C-section as my husband was out waiting to sit beside me.
It was again a rushed time of anesthesia and Iv’s but thank God they could give me a block.
It was urgent with a breech baby to get the surgery done.
At 5:13am we were parents again after about 8 hours of mild to hard labor.
Three years and six days after our son was born we were blessed with a daughter.
She had dark hair and olive complexion. She had a round head and was beautiful.
Tiny, too all of 5 pounds. We named her Sarah.
Three years and six days after our son was born, we were parents again.
.
