Encouragement ...

I love reading books on marriage!  Especially the ones that drive me to a new and deeper place with the Lord.  When this happens, my husband is always blessed to find a new and refreshed wife waiting for him when he comes in the door.

The latest book I just finished is "Alone in Marrige" by Susie Larson.  It is so good that I couldn't help but put a few of my highlights from the book below. 

Underneath our anger is a certain mistrust of God.  Somewhere the way we stopped believing that God is a God of love and justice.  If we truly believed that our lives, our hopes, and our dreams were in God’s hands, we wouldn’t be quite so shocked when imperfect people hurt us or let us down.

Our ultimate goal is not our happiness or even getting our way; our goal is the high calling of becoming more like Christ.

Our spouses are married to women who need Jesus’ refining in our lies just as badly as they do.

Be real.

God never changes and He’s not going anywhere.

Whenever I took the time to take my thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ, I found clarity, peace, and even motivation to do something about my circumstances.

Refuse to allow your thoughts to control you.

Lead me on.  Amen

An undisciplined, self-willed life is puny; an obedient, God-willed life is spacious.  Proverbs 15:32

The way to grow through pain is going thru it, not around it.

To engage in self-pity is to make an idol out of our self-adsorbed viewpoint.  When we give more weight to our perspective of our spouse and our marriage than we do the promises of God, we make an idol out of what we think we know.  Making this mistake offends the heart of God and will keep us from posessing the best of what God has for us.

You are set apart by God to affect the world around you.  Ask for the mind of  Christ – ask for a perspective that matches His.

Instead of clenched fists and low perspectives, bow low, open your hands and look up.

A woman wrapped up in the love of God will be a vessel used by Him no matter where life finds her.

What I’m actually called to do is to take this Sword and cut everything out of MY life that offends God.

To survive is to completely wrap ourselves around the Vine and hang on for dear life.  When we resolve that we will be Christ followers in everything, something rises up within us and declares that Jesus Is Lord of even our circumstances – He is Most High God – high above our perspective – and this is when our disappointment becomes direction.

Stand up and fight!  Get your land back!

He will turn your disappointment into a dance floor!

Run toward women friends who challenge your faith and tell you the truth.

The heavens are pregnant with promise. God wants to establish us as a people who know Him well enough to trust Him and wait for Him.  The problem is, we are so busy grabbling for ourselves, we never give God a chance to give us His best.

Lean, wait, listen, expect.

Ask for a renewed perspective and a fresh wind of faith to blow thru your home.

It’s all too easy to lose sight of who we are and what we are called to, but we must not. Even when we simply feel like wives who are overlooked, overworked, and in need of a good haircut, even then we are representatives of the Most High God.

Anyone can seem holy alone in a cabin up in the mountains away from anything that is living and breathing. But to walk along with imperfect people who personally affect your life, and to love them when it is easier not to, is to follow in Christ’s footsteps.

There are limits to what our earthly eyes can see, but the horizons cannot contain the awesomeness of God! Lift up your heads. Look up! DARE NOT TO walk through this earth as a bruised beggar, when you are armed with heaven on your side!

At some point we have to settle the issue that God is good and He wants to bless our lives more than we can imagine.

Go on a frantic search for God and His promises.

We were made for love. And when we look too long at ourselves or our spouses, we despair, because instead of love, we find selfishness there.  But when we look to the Lord, we see something different. We see a Servant-King, one who depleted Himself that we might be filled.  He didn’t fight back. He didn’t grab for His rights, He laid Himself down for love.

Love will change us, heal others, and fix what’s broken. 

You are held, loved, guided, and protected!

Good Morning Little Bird (Part 2)

Every morning Jerry and I say "Good Morning, Little Bird" as this little bird greets us by trying to get into the house. 

He will do all of the things below as I try to grab my camera and take his picture.  It seems he is a bit camera shy.

• tap on the glass door and make lots of noise
• grab on to the screen door  and just look in
• sit on the door handle and chirp
• sit on the chair next to the window and look in

I'm still not sure if he is saying any of following things:

• Let me in this is where I belong.
• Wake up it's time to praise the Lord. (I like the music I hear inside)
• I'm nosy, what are you up to today? 
• Beware of the enemies around us!
• I'm a cute little pest and I like bothering you!  (He even followed me to the living room and tapped on the front door!)

Anyway, our little bird needs a name.  All suggestions will be considered!

Little Bird Where is Your Home

There's a little bird that keeps trying to get into our house.  She sits on the edge of the door screen peering in and pecking for the glass siding door to open.  When the screen in closed completely, she tries to get in through the side window.    (She's hard to see in this picture -- she's right below the handle.)

• What is she seeing as she looks in that looks appealing? 
• Doesn't she see the smudges on the window left from our 6 grandchildren or the dirt I have not washed off?
• Where does she think she is going and what is she going to do once she gets there?
• Doesn't she know how many dangers are in this house and that she could not survive?

Yet day after day she comes and tries to get in. 
She flies by the window, into the window, sits of edge of the screen, sits on the handle, flies back and walks around the chair near the door like she's figuring out a new plan on how to get in.

The birdfeeder is 4 feet from her.  Beautiful fruit trees abound in our yard.  Green grass with black dirt and slimy worms are abundant.  The sun shines its warm on the earth and the evergreens protect from the wind.  What home could be better for this little bird.  Peace, protection, deliverance are hers and she should be content.

Perhaps she is curious.  Perhaps she is rebellious. Perhaps she is crazy. 

What do you think?

Help me write the end of this story......


May 2022 -- by Sandy Blanes

Birds are very curious, I would choose that as the first "perhaps". There has to be something that is attractive to him. A sunflower seed under the table or stand?  A shiny handle or button? It's hard to know with birds.  

Why in the world wouldn't the little bird go to what we think would be the perfect world for her? 

Sometimes I think that we are like that: knowing would be a perfect place, job, friend for one of our loved ones or even casual acquaintances.  We make suggestions (to our bird) what we think would be just right for them and are disappointed when they choose a different direction.  Maybe later we will see or learn something about "our bird" that will help us to understand them, and then, maybe not.

One thing is for certain, God knows the hearts and minds of each one. He knows why they are looking in the forbidden door or window, He sees the whole picture.  

 

The Bible says in Psalm 37:5 

 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

I don't know if that includes birds, but for me, that will be the way I will go

The Right and Wrong Kind of Company

Someone came to visit last weekend.  They had been hanging around for some time wanting to visit and they knew when the time was right to come in.

I could easily excuse his visit; saying I was overtired, or my neck and shoulders are full of pain, or I've been overly busy every weekend with events and people.  I could justify his visit and make it seem right; but the truth is I opened the door and let Selfishness in. 

Just like  a two year old having a temper tantrum to get his way, selfishness came in and took over.  I wanted my way.  I wanted control.  I wanted the script to read my way.  I, I, I.  It's all about me!   Selfishness looks through only one lens; mine.  Selfishness pulled up old mindsets.  They resurfaced like shells washed up on the ocean, ones I thought had been washed away; but they were there, and they brought along a friend.

Guilt is a best friend of selfishness.  He comes in and says "you are ugly' you are not worthy, and you have no value - but haha, you invited us in and we want to stay."  Guilt wants to hug me and bring his cousin Shame along to have a party.  Shame is dancing around, it's getting dark.  They want to keep the party going until Destruction comes.

"I DON'T WANT TO DANCE!"  I shout.

There is another visitor at my door.  His voice is tender but His knock is persistant.  I open the door and welcome Forgiveness.  Forgiveness is the opposite of my other guest.  Forgiveness gently instructs and takes my hand and leads me to the path of light.  He gives healing words to say to the ones me and selfishness have hurt.  He turns me on the path to healing.  He brings along his friend called Grace.

Grace holds me. Grace lets me cry.  Grace reminds me I am loved, I am worth it, I am valuable.  Grace calls my name.  The sound of Grace and the touch of Grace brings back Joy.  Without realizing it, I had let Joy take a vacation.  Joy came back.  Joy said, "let's dance".  We danced and Praise came along.   We danced some more and Freedom joined us.  This dance is going to go on and on. 

Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise,
who shout on parade in the bright presence of God.
Delighted, they dance all day long; they know
who you are, what you do—they can't keep it quiet!
Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—
you've been so good to us! We're walking on air!
All we are and have we owe to God,
Holy God of Israel, our King!   [From Psalm 89]

Grace Has Called My Name  by Kathryn Scott

Peace as elusive as a shadow dancing on the wall
life swallowed by the pain of yesterday;
Left broken by the shame of things that I had done,
No freedom from the choices that I’d made;
But with one touch You made me clean;
You met me in my deepest need.
Grace has called my name,
when all that I had left were just filthy stains;
Grace has called my name;
when hope had all but faded far away,
Grace called my name.
Wounded by words that left their mark upon my soul,
dreams overturned by empty promises;
Well intentioned things I’d heard a million times before
just left my heart to grieve alone again;
But with one touch You set me free;
You met me in my deepest need.

Wildflowers .... beautiful & full

Looking for a refreshing and uplifting novel?  "Wildflowers from Winter" by Katie Ganshert is just that and more.  This is a book you will not want to put down!  Everyday I looked forward to my break time so I could rejoin the characters Bethany and Evan in their everyday simple yet complicated lives.  This is both passionate and powerful yet so true to heart.  I know people on the same roads that are trying to heal from their past, have shut off their hearts to a God who wants to love them deeply, and finally seeing the wildflowers bloom to bring beauty and joy to their worlds.  The characters develop throughout the book and it's real life and real questions and real responses. I did guess how it would end but in no way did I want to miss any chapters but I couldn't wait to be right there enjoying the new found freedom and faith with the characters I'd grown to love!  This book will have you smiling and close to tears.  


This is the debut novel from the author and I can't wait for the next book. 


I received this Advanced Reading Copy for free from Waterbrook Press.