Sunday, April 20, 2008

Relationships and God's Goodness

We were at a retreat this weekend here in the Metroplex. It is one we have attended with some regularity over the last few years because it is close to home and we have known many of the attendees for a looooong time.

This year at the first session they opened with a time of recounting God's goodness. Well, if you have been in a semi-funky time for a while and you hear people praising God for family trials, illness and recovery, going home stories, etc, you have to almost be dead not to begin to see how ALL of our lives are touched daily, hourly by His goodness.

I have prayed for many people over the years that they would be blessed with God's goodness which leads to repentance...particularly family members who are the hardest for me to talk
with...they know me too well! Anyway, I was made aware again of how God has shown this same goodness to me over and over again. And, that no matter where I feel that I am in my spiritual life, HE IS GOOD TO ME- period. There is not a breath I take without His permission, not a step I take, not a moment of my life that He is not intimately aware of and mindful of, even when I choose NOT to acknowledge Him.

The circumstances of our lives can do a number on me so easily when I forget that as the psalmist said, "I have been young, and now am old and have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread". Today, I can easily remember the day almost 34 years ago that I knew the Lord showed me that verse...shortly before I got married. All these years, that verse has sustained me, when I stopped to ponder on it! God's goodness to me is wonderful.

As I sat in the meetings, I realized that in this group of maybe 60 people, I knew all but around a dozen or so for at least 20 years. Some I had known for over 35 years. One of the men was a groomsman at our wedding. Another couple are our best friends in the Lord and in the world...learned how to be married together (we married within 3 months of one another), learned how to be parents together, how to disagree and make up, how to walk through the good times and the bad ones, too. God's goodness to me expressed in the relationships He provided for ME!

It was a blessed time, I must say. Growing together as we walk through this life, experiencing His goodness and the relationship with Him and those He places with us on our journey...priceless.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Snow in April

I am home again and am amazed at the diversity of weather we have here in the good old US of A. We were in Minnesota from last Thursday until this afternoon. I am a true lover of the four season deal...although having grown up in Oklahoma and lived there or Texas all my life, I rarely had more than winter, spring and HOT. Some years we would have a little fall when I lived in Tulsa, but not the kind you read about in New England...gorgeous fall leaves, crisp days and nights, yada, yada, yada.

I knew I was in deep trouble when we were landing at Minneapolis/St Paul and I could see snow on the ground in APRIL!!!! (I suffer somewhat from the syndrome where you go a little crazy during prolonged gray nasty days...) I'm good with the snow because it is not on all of the roads or anything, but holy moly, it is APRIL and some of the ponds are still frozen. I told the bearded one I could probably not live in Minnesota where it might snow on my birthday (in April).

But, we did have a little sun on Thursday and Friday, but it was cloudy and rainy the rest of the weekend. This morning while I was packing up to go to the airport there were SNOWFLAKES falling out of the sky. I ran in to TBO and practically screeched the news to him...he already had seen and was not terribly impressed.

It was a good thing to get off the plane at DFW this afternoon in 75 degree weather with sun and green trees and lawns.

We did have a great time though. TBO ministered at a spring conference there and we got to stay with some great friends. All in all, a wonderful time was had by all, but I was glad to come home to the south! I hope I remember this in July and August.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Conference Ows

We just got back from a conference in Branson, MO. The conference was wonderful, so why the title? Those of you who know me are aware of the fact that I have PLENTY of padding on the old caboose...too much to my way of thinking, but anyway, my sitter is pretty well worn out. Three days of listening to some truly great speakers, yet the old adage still holds true...the mind can absorb only as much as the behind can endure. It wouldn't be so bad but we are leaving for another conference on Thursday and it promises to be more of the same...poor tushie!

This conference is one that the man who puts it on says is to introduce the Body of Christ to itself. We have gone 3 of the last 4 years, and it really does do what he says. We have met some amazingly gifted folks we might never have encountered without this conference. Every time I go to one of these I learn something new and am happily amazed that Jesus is still speaking to His children and teaching them about His ways. (Whew, what if He weren't?)

It's been good to be home and I know we will have fun on our next adventure...but we're going to Minnesota and it's still COLD up there. Leaving springtime in Texas is going to be a little harder this week!