Give Thanks

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks unto the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

This song is not hard to understand.  It's easy to remember the lyrics.  It's soothing to my soul.

He's given Jesus Christ, His Son...

Romans 8:32 "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" God did the most unimaginably difficult thing ever in the entire Universe.  Because of that, I am the beneficiary of ALL THINGS for now, and eternity.  I'm given EVERYTHING I need to LIVE and live OBEDIENTLY. (2 Peter 1:3)

Let the weak say I am strong...

2 Corinthians 12:9 "And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'  Most gladly therefore I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."  I have nothing to bring to the table.  No strength, no resources, no character, BUT because of GRACE, I have the Holy Spirit inside me giving me the strength to do what He calls me to do. 

Let the poor say I am rich...

2 Corinthians 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich."

Rich with Ephesians 1 riches!  Jesus set it all ASIDE so that He could share it with ME!

Here's a link if you aren't familiar with the song...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtxmSAqMtDA

Enduring Love

This morning, I had been invited to share our "story" with a ladies bible study at a nearby church.  They had been studying "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things." from 1 Corinthians 13:7.  In particular they asked me to talk about how to love tenaciously, with endurance, as an illustration of "enduring love."  To prepare for my part of the morning, I studied the same passages the ladies had been studying.  I found the study to be challenging and convicting to my own soul as well.  Here's why.

During the teaching time, I learned that this verse, "enduring" is a military term that means to "hold the position at all costs."  This takes courage.  I confess, I do not always feel courageous.  We were asked to choose an example from Scripture who exemplified enduring love.  The obvious choice is Jesus Christ. 

• John 3:16 - This love gave the most precious possession, God's beloved son for me.
• Romans 5:8 - This love sacrificed (to the maximum) for undeserving me.
• Romans 8:35, 38-39 - This love perseveres and is secure through great difficulties and can NOT be removed from me.
• Ephesians 3:17-19 - This love surpasses knowledge and completes me.  It roots and grounds me. 

We were asked to think about loving someone who we used to be close to that is now difficult to love. Gary is not a “difficult” person to love.  Unlike some with Alz. Disease, he is not angry, or upset, or awake all night, etc. But he IS silent, and completely dependent on others for all “activities of daily living.”  He may speak only a few times in a week, and it isn’t always easy to understand what he is trying to say.  Sometimes it is challenging to love with endurance.  It's true for all of us.  It doesn't matter what the cause of the difficulty is.  It can be a wayward child, or unkind spouse, or someone who is the source of great pain.  The reasons may be different, but there are several things that may be universally true for everyone....

• When love is not reciprocated and there’s "nothing in it for me." 
• When there’s no feedback or encouragement to keep going.
• When there’s no end in sight.
• When I'm exhausted.
• When prevented from doing what "I" want
• When Spiritually dry.

So, how DO you love with endurance?  Well, as I said, I was convicted by Jesus' example.  I often fall short. But lately I've been learning 3 things:

• I have to ask God to strengthen me – to understand and know His love – to love others and glorify Him (Ephesians 3:14-21) When I am facing a "giant" of a difficulty, if I try to operate in the flesh, then I respond in the flesh when things don’t work out MY way.  The solution is NOT in my ability to muster up the energy, or reorganize, or plan ahead, or anything I come up with.  Only by really learning and knowing Jesus' love better, am I able to love Gary.  

• I have to ask others for help.  It’s impossible to do it all myself.  When I try to, I get exhausted, anxious and overwhelmed.  I struggle with wanting to be in control of how to care for Gary, and now that he is needing so much more physical care, some of which I am unable to do, so I must entrust him to others.  This is hard for me, but I see it as God graciously helping me to release him in stages.  I can love Gary best by letting others help.

•   I have to remember that Gary is still Gary.  He has a soul that is alive and well and God is continuing to grow him.  He has emotions that feel.  I try to maintain our relationship and respect for him by spending quality time together and sharing my life with him regardless of his lack of responses. This includes asking for his forgiveness if I become impatient, and trying to make decisions in the way he would want. And sometimes, though not often, I still get a look or a touch that lets me know he loves me.

What practical things I do we do to show our love to others?  For us, beyond the daily care...well these are always fun to share.  Here's a few...

• Photo memory books (see blog post called "No time for perfection" 
• Bible verses on 3 X 5 cards (I write out a simple portion of a verse being preached on in church for Gary to hold and read.  I use a sharie pen and write big.  I do the same thing with songs, writing out a phrase or two.  very simple, and big)
• Going for a drive through the mountains, or a stroll through Descanso (Botanical) Gardens, or walk around Bridgeport Lake, or a pastry at Panera Bread.

What struck me, while sharing this morning, as I looked around the room at the ladies, was the fact that everyone there, seemed to be relating, not necessarily to the Alzheimer's disease, but their OWN situations, and the people in their lives that require an ongoing strong love, in the face of difficulty, no matter the cause.  May we all look to Jesus, and beg for strength, never forgetting that He understands our weakness and wants to empower us "according to His great riches in glory." (Eph 3)

Watercolor Journals - Avast, Ye Hearties, Yo-Ho!

I must admit I really like the Pirates of the Caribbean movies!  Maybe because we got to visit the Florida Keys a few years ago, maybe it's the color of the water and the scenery, maybe it's the ride at Disneyland, which was always my favorite!  I love solving (shall I say, "trying to solve") puzzles too, hence the fun of finding a treasure map.  Remember the pirates in Swiss Family Robinson?  They got "creamed" by the entire Robinson clan.  How about the one in The Count of Monte Christo?  He turned out to be an asset!   And everyone remembers the endearing Long John Silver in Treasure Island.  Why are pirates so "loveable" anyway?  They were bad dudes! I think raising 2 daughters, I kind of missed out on some of the "boy adventures" but now, thanks to those 2 girls, we have 6, count em, 6 grandsons! So now I have multiple reasons to talk pirates, cowboys, bull riding, bugs and military aircraft.  I got kind of lost in this painting, imagining finding a treasure map, following the clues to the island with the big red X accompanied by a beautiful bird who makes funny comments and worrying a little about what might be in the kegs!  "By the powers, it be a good thing thar be a dinghy aboard so me matey, Derek, can be gettin from the ship to yonder island to find the booty over thar!  

If you want to see more of these "Watercolorful Name" paintings, click the ETSY link to the right.