Disappointment Turned to Thankfulness

It's been one of those days...

You know, when you work really, really hard to make things extra special...

And you arrange things just so, thinking it will be noticed and appreciated...

And even the "baby" (Baby Elva) is all dressed up and ready to be noticed...

And Pamela's Victorian Cottage is ready to welcome guests...

And the people come, who are "prospective buyers" for our house, and they kind of breeze through, looking around, but not with the kind of interest and intensity that we, as prospective sellers, would like to see. And then they tell you they are looking for "investment property", to use as a rental...and your heart does a little drop, knowing that this particular house and property are most likely not what they are really looking for...and they really didn't care how "cute" and dressed up things were...they don't plan to live here.

So, you thank them for coming...and you wish you hadn't worked quite so hard and wore yourself out trying to make things look so nice...because they really didn't notice at all...

But, as I sit here feeling sorry for myself, one of my dear friends from here in Blogland as well as Facebook sends me an encouraging message, telling me a story of how when they were trying to sell their house, and they had a really special new house picked out that they wanted, and they were meeting with the builder and making changes to the floor plans, etc, in hopes their house would sell and they could buy that wonderful new house just the way they thought they wanted it...with only two bedrooms since they were downsizing...one very large master, and the other a regular bedroom...but then their house didn't sell and they had to give up on that particular house.  They were quite disappointed.

Then a few weeks later their house finally sold, but that house that they wanted was no longer available.  They ended up choosing another house, with three smaller bedrooms, but it was okay...just not exactly what they thought they wanted.  Long story short, not long after moving into that home, their son came back home to stay with them because of an illness, and they found that they really needed that 3rd bedroom, and were so glad that God had stopped them from buying the first house as it would not have been adequate for their current needs.

My friend then said to me: 

"The Bible tells us to wait on the Lord, that is so very true. We don't know our future but He does. He is leading you through this venture so everything will work out for your best interest. "

Yes, that is so true, and I truly appreciate my friend (you know who you are!) for sharing this story with me just now as I was starting to write this post. It helped change my whole attitude and demeanor from being frustrated and discouraged, to hopeful and thankful again.


Another blogging and Facebook friend posted this verse on her page this morning:

Today's Verse: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” -

1 Thessalonians 5:11

I love how our friends here do exactly what this Bible verse says...You know, we can say a lot of negative things about Facebook and they would probably be true, but there are also many wonderful things about it...and that is the fellowship of friends that we have there, and here, in blogland.  I have met so many wonderful people here, and keep up with many old friends as well, and we are able to bless one another with words of encouragement, often just at the right moment.  I had another friend email me this morning to tell me she would be praying for me as we showed the house today. Again, this is a friend that I met through blogging and facebook.  (and have also had the joy and privilege of meeting face to face as well).

This week another of our friends has been sitting in the hospital with her husband, who has been in ICU.  She reached out to her friends here, and one thing led to another, and she actually called me on the phone the other night and we were able to talk to each other "in person" for the first time, and to encourage one another. The good news is her husband is on his way to rehab today, and appears to be doing much better. Many friends have been praying, and God is answering those prayers.

So, what started out to be kind of discouraging, disheartening, and disappointing, has turned out to be a blessing to me today.  I know in my heart that God is in control, and that He is working ALL things together for my good, (Romans 8:28), and therefore, I will rest in that knowledge and trust in His goodness.  And my hubby and I will just enjoy having a clean house for the rest of the day. I may even go have a little mini tea party with myself and Baby Elva, just for the fun of it.  

God knows when and if this house will sell, and He has just the right kind of people who will come and love it as much as I do and appreciate the special things about this house as they make it into their own home.

Meanwhile, You are always welcome to come for a visit...and I will definitely put the tea-kettle on so we can have a tea party!!

Have a blessed day...and Thank YOU, dear friends, for being exactly that!

Dear Friends!!!

Friday Foto Friends - A Case for Closed Doors, Open Windows

Good Morning Friday Foto Friends!  If you are a Facebook friend, you've already seen this Christmas mug full of my morning tea. I love to sit at my computer in the morning, checking up on "friends" here in blogland, Facebook and email, and sip a cup of tea. Usually the tea gets cold because I forget to sip as I visit with friends...but it's still a great way to start the day. Once I finish this cup of tea we have our morning devotions/Bible reading, and then usually take a walk before breakfast.

This week has been a bit chilly in the mornings, as you can tell by the steam on the windows...this is where that tea mug usually sits... (Not always on top of that box of Christmas Tea, but that was what I was drinking...wouldn't you like to have a cup of Christmas Tea with me? I'd love to have you join me!)

but because it was the inspiration for this sign above our kitchen sink/windows. Our son the sign-maker (a.k.a. Ben's Wood Signs) made this sign for me a few years ago at my special request...it is one of my favorite things in this kitchen. I love looking out these windows as I wash dishes and prepare meals, and ponder how heaven and nature must be singing...

Back to the morning routine...even on chilly/frosty mornings we still take our walk. Here my hubby is strolling down our road...

He doesn't often need to wear this wool plaid, quilt lined jacket, but this week it has felt good. This jacket is very special to him. It is the one thing he requested from our middle son's personal belongings following his passing from cancer over four years ago. When we would visit our son and his family in Maine, he would always let his daddy wear this jacket when we went out in the cold weather up there.  My hubby was very pleased when our daughter-in-law presented him with this jacket. He now wears it with much pride and love.

Sorry, didn't mean to wander into sad thoughts. Actually, the jacket makes my hubby feel close to our son for a little while.  And that's a happy feeling. I kind of like it too.

Okay, moving along...I discovered something blooming in the Secret Garden today!!!

 This is a very pretty ruffled white camellia!  This particular plant was a gift from our "flower and plant lady" last year, and this is the first time it has blossomed since then!   So pretty! Thank you, Karen!

And...I also noticed these azalea buds starting to open!! These are also plants (that I got from my plant lady!)  that were planted in the Secret Garden last year, and this is the first time they've blossomed since then! I know, they are kind of early, but I believe these are the kind that blossom at different times throughout the year.

 Does anyone else see a little dog face in that blossom above? See the two ears, eye, nose, mouth? I just noticed that! How cool is that?

Again...another of the azaleas blooming in the Secret Garden!!!  There seems to be some kind of face on this one too...the one that is opened up more...am I crazy or can you see it too?   Not sure what kind of creature this one is, but it is cute and is wearing a little flowery hat.  (I am writing this late at night when I should be in bed...that might have something to do with seeing these faces in the flowers...LOL)

Now, if you look really closely just to the left of the porch post right in front of you in the middle of the picture, look out in the weeds across the road and you will see a little black blur. That was one of two bears running into the woods this afternoon (Thursday).  Hubby called me to the window and said there was a bear walking down the road. I grabbed my camera just in time to see not one, but TWO bears run into the woods as a truck was coming down the road and they were getting out of the way. One of the bears was kind of small, so it may have been a mother and cub.  We haven't seen many bears lately, so this was another surprise!

Okay, these next few pictures will be different.  As most of you are aware, we have been talking a lot about moving sometime in the near future, if and when we can sell our current home.    We had been looking at a house for a month or so in the area where we are planning to move, hoping that no one else would buy it before we could have a chance to put a contract on it.  We have taken several rides up to look at this house and property, just to see if it really would be a place where we would like to live. I kind of had my heart set on it, and was imagining how I would place the furniture in the house and what improvements we could make in the yard, etc., when we discovered to our dismay last night that the house now has a contract pending on it. SO...back to the drawing board. But these next few pictures were some that I took in the yard of that house last week. This is a moss carpet on the ground, with some tiny mushrooms here and there. It was such a pretty green, and so velvety, I couldn't resist taking these pictures...

Another view of the moss carpet...

And this toadstool was pretty cool...

It was growing alongside this old tree stump that is covered in lichen and moss.  Yes, this house had a woodsy, shady yard and lots of interesting old flowers and plants. It needed some work around the yard to be sure, but I like a natural woodsy yard.  However...we now know that this is not the place God has planned for us to live, so we will continue our search as we wait for our house to sell. It helps me to have something to look forward to so I can make mental plans for what needs to go with us and what needs to go elsewhere.  God knows what is best for us, and we will rely on Him to guide us to the "perfect" home for us.

I think you could call this week's "adventure" a case for "Closed Doors, Open Windows"....When God closes a door...He opens a window...so I can't wait to see what "window" of opportunity He will be opening for us, hopefully soon!

Now let us go through the looking glass and travel down the rabbit hole to see what other adventures our Friday Foto Friends have been experiencing this week!!  The gathering place is over at Deb's place, "Breathing in Grace", and you will meet the nicest people there!!!  Have a blessed and beautiful day...I'll be out there somewhere letting "Heaven and Nature Sing"....

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" - Revisited

This is an excerpt from my writings about our early years in the ministry...when we had moved all the way to Ohio from Florida so my husband could attend seminary...and we were a very long way from home for Christmas....and a bit homesick (at least I was...don't think the rest of the family even noticed!)

“I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas…”

Psalm 145: 15-16  “The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season.  You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”

Our first Christmas so far away from home was on its way.  Although we were happy in our home and our work, and John was doing well in Seminary, we missed being near our family for the holidays.  We had managed to get through Thanksgiving by being with other families in our church.  But Christmas was different…everyone had their own extended families to be with and we really didn't want to intrude on that.  We had met another Pastor and family at a conference who also were far away from their own relatives. So we invited them to come have Christmas dinner with us.  They accepted the invitation very graciously. 

Christmas morning arrived cold and gray.  The forecast did not call for snow, but possibly just rain and dreariness!  I was a bit disappointed because I had really been looking forward to having a white Christmas.  But we put on the Christmas music, opened our gifts, and I started getting ready for our company to arrive before noon for dinner.  Around 11:00 a.m. the phone rang, and it was our guests calling to tell us that their children had awakened with the flu, and they would not be able to travel to our home after all! Talk about disappointed!  Of course I understood their situation and certainly did not want them to travel to our house when they were sick, but now what were we going to do?  I just couldn’t imagine having Christmas Dinner alone!  I was having myself quite a pity party as I started slamming pots and pans around in the kitchen and putting back the good china and pretty dishes I had planned to use to serve our guests.  

John and the boys were perfectly happy, perhaps even relieved! 

John and the boys in their jammies, enjoying Christmas
morning...showing off their new headgear and toy guns.

They really did not want to have to clean up the living room and put away their new toys to make room for strangers!  I realized that I was the only one who wanted to have company anyway!

As the hot tears stole down my cheeks, I stood staring out the bay window in our dining room, feeling very sorry for myself.  Suddenly I noticed something different outside our window…something white and light and fluffy descending out of the sky!  It was snowing!  The snow came down haltingly at first, and then in a great flurry of excitement it started accumulating on the windowsill and the ground!  It was beautiful and clean and bright, and my whole countenance lit up as I began to sing and dance and clap my hands in pure joy at this delightful turn of events! We were having a white Christmas after all! I danced back into the kitchen and started getting the good china and silverware back out of the cupboard, and setting the table with the prettiest things I could find!  I realized that my own precious family was the most special and deserved to have the best Christmas ever!  I started singing Christmas Carols and soon the whole family joined in.  As we gathered around the table that Christmas Day we celebrated with the true Spirit of Christmas in our hearts!

Christmas Dinner...boys still in jammies, but
we have the candles lit, and the good china set out!

John  and boys waiting to start eating!
"Could we dispense with the pictures already?"
John seems to be saying...

And after dinner was over...there I am, out enjoying the beautiful snow!

“Joy to the World! The Lord is come; Let earth receive her King;

            Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing,

            And heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing!”

So...all's well that ends well...we had a perfect

Christmas after all...and it was a WHITE CHRISTMAS to boot! 

And I learned a valuable lesson...spending time with my own dear family and making happy memories together...regardless of where we are or whatever disappointments may come our way...those are the moments that define and bind us with cords of love that are not easily broken when the real difficult times come along. I'm glad I learned that early on.

"Thoughts and Reflections" from 1995 (RJD Link Up)

Random Journal Day is back! Wow!  Random Journal Day Blog Hop Link Up for November is the place to go if you want to join us in this link up of other bloggers, sharing from their own personal journals.  We used to try and do that every week, but I guess we were running our of journal entries (I was). Now we just do it once a month, which helps me a lot. 

So here goes...This entry is dated Sunday, October 15, 1995, and is entitled:

 "Thoughts and Reflections".

It's hard to believe that we've been in Kansas for two whole months.  We arrived on our 26th wedding anniversary.  After traveling for three and one half days, and a total of 1800+ miles, even Kansas was a welcome sight...since it was the end of our journey.  We came to the little town of _________, Kansas, with high hopes and big dreams.  A dream was finally being realized--my husband was coming to teach at a Christian College.  After years of training and education, we were finally reaching our goal!  Although this particular college was not the place of our dreams,  when the opportunity arose to teach at this little college in the middle of Kansas, we jumped.  At least part of the dream would come true.

So here we are~out in the middle of The Great Plains~a most unique place in the world.  For someone who loves trees and mountains, rivers, lakes and rushing streams, it's a mighty different world! But every place has its own beauty~if you look for it.  The grasses of the prairie are changing from summer's green to autumn's golden hues.  The sky is a most beautiful clear bright blue~rarely a cloud to be seen.  At night you can see every star in the universe~the expanse of sky seems infinite out here where there are no mountains (or buildings) to break up the horizon.  One can actually see for miles and miles and miles.

Everyone here said there wouldn't be much color in the fall~but I think they just really have never paid attention.  True, it's not the riot of gorgeous color of our beloved New Hampshire hills we just left behind~but there are leaves of gold and yellow and a few red scattered here and there.  The autumn sun shines more brightly~illuminating the leaves with its brilliance.  Autumn in Kansas can be beautiful~if you look for it.

What a stark change for us is this small, sleepy country town.  The traffic here is mostly farm-related~the trains roll through town many times day and night taking grain to market.  The constant hum of the grain driers let you know there's more activity going on here than meets the eye.  However, mostly it is a quiet, dusty, and friendly village.  People always wave as they pass by, whether you know them or not.  If walking by they most always speak.  There's an easy pace of living here. No one is in too big of a hurry.  An evening walk around the town seems to be on most everyone's agenda.

Yes, this little town is a throwback to the 40's and 50's in many ways.  "The Town that Time Forgot".  They still do things the old-fashioned way, and maybe that's not bad.

We came here hoping to be an encouragement and "inspiration" to this community.  We prayed for the Lord to bless this college and town, and maybe we were foolish to think that we were a part of that blessing. We believed we were obeying the will of the Lord to come here and sacrifice a ministry in a place we loved, a close bond with our children, and a career in another denomination.  We left all that behind because we thought God wanted us to come here and be a type of lighthouse in a darkened place. These people were groping in a darkness of despair and discouragement.  We wanted to help rescue them. We wanted to give them hope and encouragement.  They appeared to be very responsive and appreciative of our willingness to make that sacrifice-although they really had no idea what it was costing us. 

They made us feel like we were being promised the world to come here~but when the time came to redeem the promises~they turned to dust and ashes. 

Suddenly people turned their heads away and averted their eyes from meeting ours~they knew all along we were being deceived.  They seemed surprised that we ever believed anything else!  Now the warmth of their handshakes has turned cold and lost its grip.  We suddenly feel alone on this wide prairie.  Our dreams have vanished in a whirlwind of disappointment. 

So~we thought~let's go back "home" while there's yet time.  But, alas! Time had already run out.  Those who just a short time ago had cried at our departure and prayed we'd change our minds~had changed their minds! They had determined "to go another direction."  So here we are~feeling very stranded and trapped on the lone prairie.  Suddenly the silence from our "friends" back home seems deafening.  For the first time since arriving here, our mail-box was empty.

Thankfully our Lord hasn't forgotten us.  He understands our plight and knows our hearts.  Perhaps He wanted us to come here to learn some valuable lessons.  I know I'm learning to be more careful about leaping into new adventures.  Yet I always want to be willing and available to obey His call.  I don't think we misunderstood His call to come here~perhaps we just misunderstood the reason why we were to come.  God's ways are not our ways~His purposes are higher than ours.  He is working on a higher plane that we cannot always see or comprehend.  But He IS always in control~even when we don't understand or like our circumstances.

At this point we are searching to discover if we can get back closer to home.  We miss our kids we left behind, but we don't want to be in their back yard~just close enough to see once in a while. 

On a different note, we learned that the wife of one of our pastoral friends has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. This really grieves me to hear of her having such pain to go through.  I wish I could be near her to help in some way, but my prayers will have to suffice.  I pray God will send someone to be a special friend to her, who will be an encourager and comforter..."Lord, You know their needs~please be there with them and send your ambassadors of love and mercy to carry them through this time. Amen". 

My problems seem small when I think of what my friend must endure.

To wrap this up, we did go back "home" to be near our kids just before Christmas.  It was a difficult homecoming. Although some of our faithful friends were there to welcome us with open arms and strong backs to carry our furniture in through over three feet of snow (truly!), things had changed.  We could not pick up where we had left off.  Our position was gone to another...we were very much on our own to find a way to survive.  But that's another story for another day.  Suffice it to say, we did survive...in more ways than one. God was very gracious and merciful and provided for us in ways beyond our comprehension at the time.  I will be forever grateful for that. But it was a hard lesson learned. 

Isaiah 55:8-9 says:

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Amen.

Sweet Fragrance, or Putrid Stench?

"To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me."  Psalm 25:1-2

I was just reading some heart-rending revelations from one of my dearest facebook friends, and it has left me feeling a bit perplexed.  This precious friend has endured some of the most severe trials a human being can ever experience on this earth, and yet she lives to give praise and glory to God and to encourage others in their walk of faith.  How does she do it? What has made the difference in her life so that she can be such a sweet fragrance to God and to her fellow man?

Who among us has not had sorrows and tribulations and pain in this life?  The truth is, whether or not we have yet gone through disturbing trials, sickness, disappointments or pain, sooner or later we will.  No one escapes this life without some measure of difficulty. 

I don't mean to be a pessimist or prophet of doom, but just a realist.  No one escapes this life without first dying.  Whether or not that death is peaceful or painful, we really can't predict or plan.  It is all in God's hands.

So, how do we deal with this fact?  How do we handle the trials and heartaches that come our way?  We have two choices as far as I can see...

1. We can choose to go through our tribulations kicking and screaming, cussing and fighting.
2. Or, we can choose to go through our tribulations blessing and forgiving, trusting and praying.

Perhaps we have to experience the kicking and screaming method of coping before we are able to reach the ability to bless and forgive, trust God and pray for our enemies.  For some, the very thought of forgiving and praying for our enemies is anathema...God forbid! How could we?

I can hear some of you saying,  "Are you crazy?  You obviously haven't been through what I've been through or you could never suggest such a thing..."

No, I probably haven't suffered as much as many...I have led a very blessed life...and yet...there have been things that could have very easily destroyed my life, my faith, and my hope.  There have been things that most of you don't know about (and I hope you never do) that I have had to walk through...and I had (and still have in some cases) lots of questions, doubts, and fears...I've asked God, WHY? many times.

"For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." 2Corinthians 2:15



As I see it...we have a choice...we can be a sweet savour, or the fragrance of Christ to God and to His kingdom here on earth...or we can become a putrid stench in God's nostrils (and the world's). Which attitude leads to abundant life...both for myself and for those around me?

This is what I come back to after all the disappointments and heartaches and sorrows are sorted and categorized and pored over...

"To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.  O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me.  Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause." (Psalm 25:1-3) (This is what God's Word says...so it is ok to feel this way I guess)

This is what I pray...Psalm 25:4-5  ~

• Show me Your ways, O Lord
• Teach me Your paths.
• Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For YOU are the God of my salvation;
• On You I wait all the day.

Lord, Help me be that sweet fragrance of Christ, both to YOU and to my fellow sojourner on this earth. Help me to not become a putrid stench in your nostrils...keep me sweet, even in the face of my enemies.  I will trust in You...and I believe You will not fail me.  Thank you. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.