And, the Oscar Goes To...

Hmmmm... why am I the only one
dressed up for this party??

This past Sunday evening I hosted a little Oscar party. There were only 5 of us there... including an almost 6-week old baby girl :) She was voted Best Dressed at our party!! We had food & snacks & a fun time sharing our opinions on fashion, music, entertainment and movies. We laughed at some things & shook our heads at many other things!

The award shows; such as the Tony's, Dove's, Grammy's & Oscar's; build to a climax until the "best of the best" is announced. The first awards announced seem to be the lesser awards & are often pretty obscure. However, the truth is... it takes a lot of unsung heroes working on a project to make it successful.

Our world & community are like that. Our church is like that too. There are a lot of unnoticed people who work hard to make things run smoothly & efficiently. There are a lot "nobody's - in the eyes of the world" who make the world a much better place with a hug, a smile, an uplifted prayer or a kind gesture.

So today, I'd like to say...
And... the "Oscar" Goes To...

• The friend who has all the "dirt" on you, yet doesn't make you feel like a loser and continually inspires you to become a "better you"
• The woman who faithfully hosts a table at a Wednesday night Bible Study or a weekday gathering for being refreshed from the day to day grind -- even when she's worn out & would gladly settle for a quiet bubble bath or perhaps a morning in jammies at home.
• The grocery clerk who smiles & tells you to have a great day - even when you've made it clear that you aren't in the best of moods. 
• The child care worker who sits on a kid chair to color beside little ones -- bringing smiles to little faces & hearts.
• The sweet little lady at the convenience store who holds the door open for you as you lug in the carseat & your toddler to quickly grab a gallon of milk for dinner. 
• The girl next to you, in Zumba or Yoga or exercise classes, who makes you feel welcome & part of things -- even when you stumble through the new routine. 
• The lady who meets weekly with others to crochet baby hats for the newborns at our local hospitals -- hats for babies she won't even get to see. 
• The friend who replies lovingly to a late night text when you really NEED to hear that someone cares. 
• The "one" who can always be counted upon to bake goodies for this or that event, auction, meeting, etc.

And, just in case you weren't specifically mentioned above, let me say... 

The Oscar Goes To... YOU...

for making this a better world

in your own special way!

Be encouraged... "Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then." Luke 13:30 

What can YOU do to make the world a better place? Who can you thank for making your world a better place? Awards come in different shapes & sizes. Some of the best awards can't be touched but, are feelings that stir deep inside our hearts.

True Comfort & Comfort Foods

On a very cold February afternoon, I was sitting in a non-running 15-passenger van for 30+ minutes... DREAMING about some hot comfort food for this cold weather. Although the air temp was 21 degrees, the wind chill was 8 degrees! It was a gray day with lacy snowflakes floating down... and, I was COLD & hungry.

This time of year evokes many feelings in me. I absolutely love comfort foods on a cold day. Some of my favorites are the easy ones: Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese; Breakfast for Dinner; White Chicken Chili; Beef Stew & Biscuits; etc.  

In an online article by Taste of Home, they list top 10 Comfort Foods & claim like they will taste like they came from Grandma's kitchen:

1. Turkey Potpies
2. Rich n Cheesy Macaroni
3. Melt in Your Mouth Meatloaf
4. Apple Cider Beef Stew
5. Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup
6. Crispy Fried Chicken
7. Traditional Lasagna
8. De-Lightful Tuna Casserole
9. Flavorful Pot Roast
10. Easy Chicken & Noodles 

Lately, since I've added a real job to my volunteering, I seem to be doing a few more slow cooker recipes than usual. If you're on the go & don't have time in the evenings to pull some great meals together, check out these online slow cooker recipes. Even when it's simple to pull together, a home-cooked meal in the winter brings me comfort :)

Winter isn't the only time we need comforted. Life can get crazy... dreams aren't fulfilled, relationships change and sometimes end in flames, loved ones face consequences of choices made while we can only stand by & watch them suffer those consequences. We need moments of comfort and, we need the assurance that comfort will come. The only place for lasting & true comfort is in the hands of God. Even in the worst of times, His comforts are there for each of us -- if we will just open our eyes to them!

God's Word promises us... 

"In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul."Psalm 94:19

So, let's give... 

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us." 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

In the cold times of life... stay warm friends; and, share in the comfort God gives us through each other. Cover each other in prayer. Comfort each other when you can do so.   

Spring in February?

photo by T. Getz

There are some wonderful hints of SPRING today even in the middle of February...

the fresh smell of the air, 

the warmth of the bright sun, 

seeing the grass (even though it's brown), 

a few birds singing...

What a blessing to see hint of the coming spring in the months of the year where we, in Indiana, know that SNOW is just a cloud away.  

Sometimes the HINT of something good gives us strength to face the day. And, lest we forget the origin of all blessings... all joys... Is it due to our hard work or our efforts?

"Neither he who plants is anything,

nor he who waters,

but God who gives the increase."

1 Corinthians 3:7

Another translation says, 

"It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow." NLT  

We can play a part in God's plans. We need to play a part in His plans, as He directs. What we must recognize is that the value of OUR help comes from being used by God to bring His plans about.

12:06am

Just like last night, the day has come and gone... and I am awake. Just like last night, I'm worn out from the day but, yet wide awake. Just like last night, I am comforted by the sound of the LOML's breathing as he deeply sleeps.

But, tonight is different...

Tonight I hold a sleeping 4- week old little girl who is doing her own version of snoring. Tonight, a once estranged child lies beside me on the other couch -- sleeping more peacefully, I suspect, than she's slept in weeks. There won't be drama in the morning... just coffee made by her daddy & farm-fresh eggs scrambled by her mom... and jammie-time in front of the fire while fashion trends & gardening techniques are discussed on TV.

Tonight, I watch the glow of the embers of a fire & hear the sounds of a late night show in the background. A small light barely illuminates the room... the small lamp that we received nearly 25 years ago as a wedding gift.

And, how long will this moment of Peace on Earth last? Moments of sheer peace are hard to find in the hustle & bustle of this world. They are moments to be cherished... moments that stop the hands of time... moments that are treasured forever.

This moment rests in the hands of God. He knows how much the mom needs her rest. He knows the love of the father & grandfather to be willing to sleep upright in a chair to be close to "his girls". He knows the fulfillment of the mother & grandmother's heart to allow her joy to flow onto the written page and to hold this precious sleeping baby.

Joy comes in the moments. And, joy in the moments stays with us... for eternity.

HIS WORDS:

• "For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning." Psalm 30:5
• "The joy of the LORD is my strength." Nehemiah 8:10b
• "In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul." Psalm 94:19

I'm Old Now

My FAVORITE hat!
My new name.., DeeDee :)

I wear a few hats. One of my favorites is the "hat I wear" of volunteering for my church's Worship Arts ministry. Weekly I try to pull together information about the weekend meetings (Saturdays 6pm & Sundays 9am & 10:45am) to share with those interested. I usually conclude the weekly Worship Arts note with a section that I call "THOUGHTS OF THE DAY." Here's what's been on my mind lately...

I'm old. YES, those are my thoughts of the day... in this moment. I'm a grandmother now, you know :) And, in my thinking of years gone by, being a grandparent was a true marker of being old. Come to think of it, being "old" isn't all bad! One of the best things about being old is that I have experienced God's faithfulness over & over & over again. I've had many opportunities to learn from my mistakes... or those of others around me.

Another thing about my being old is that I have a wonderful heritage in the hymns of the church. In nights when sleep escapes me, I often recall hymns I learned as a child.  One such hymn comes to mind as I face the future of uncertainty...

1. TRUST & OBEY (written by John H. Sammis in 1887 - a few years before I was born, I'm not THAT old)
2. 
   
3. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
   What a glory He sheds on our way!
   While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
   And with all who will trust and obey.
   • Refrain:
     Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
     To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
4. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
   But His smile quickly drives it away;
   Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
   Can abide while we trust and obey.
5. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
   But our toil He doth richly repay;
   Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
   But is blessed if we trust and obey.
6. But we never can prove the delights of His love
   Until all on the altar we lay;
   For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
   Are for them who will trust and obey.
7. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,
   Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
   What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
   Never fear, only trust and obey.

  

The journey I walk today, although bathed in JOY, is still full of some legitimate concerns about the future. But, I am choosing to trust in God & obey His Word.

HIS WORDS:

• "For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The LORD will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right." Psalm 84:11  
• "Who among you fears the LORD and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God." Isaiah 50:10
• "In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul." Psalm 94:19

(2/16/13 I just realized that I wrote this on my mother's BIRTHDAY, February 9th.)

Linking with Ann Voskamp - A Holy Experience today...