Y - Yesterday's Gone

 Yesterday is gone, Today is a precious present from God, and tomorrow remains an unknown mystery. When we stand with one foot in yesterday and one in tomorrow we straddle a picket fence, teetering over today, yet missing the present. We can’t turn back the clock and relive our incredible yesterdays, or change our painful yesterdays. We can only learn from the pain, thank God for the incredible, and live with Him in our todays, seeking His will, and being ever thankful for His present.

  Yesterday I stumbled and fell. Today Christ’s has lifted me up.

 

 Yesterday I hurt another. Today I can only seek their forgiveness and that of Christ.

Yesterday another hurt me. Today I choose to forgive them with the love of Christ and seek His tender embrace as I cry.

 Yesterday I made so many mistakes that surely God could never love me. Today I am His beloved child, who He loves with all His heart.

Many yesterdays ago God loved us so much that He gave His precious Son to die for us.

Many yesterdays ago Jesus hung upon a cross wearing my crown and carrying my sins.

 

 Many yesterdays ago Jesus died upon that cross and was buried in a borrowed tomb.

Many yesterdays ago Jesus the Christ rose from the dead so that we may live.

Today, I am saved by His Grace.

Today, I am forgiven by His blood.

Today, I am Alive through His love.

Today, I praise Him.

Today, Tomorrow, For Always,   I will live with Him for all of eternity.

 

 And one glorious day, Christ will return for His Church. For you and I.

Patty Wysong's Amazing A2Z Take2 writing challenge. Only one more letter to go. Where did the time go?! Thank you so much Patty.

X -"Xtraordinary" Experience

Patty Wysong's A2Z Take 2 writing challenge. It has been an amazing experience participating in this challenge these past months. I can't believe we're up to X already. 

 My husband and I just celebrated our thirty- fourth wedding anniversary this past Sunday, the 17^th of June. And being the romantic that he is, Bob, made reservations for us to spend that weekend at Temple Hill Bed and Breakfast in Geneseo, New York. My first response was, “it’s going to cost how much?” My next response upon seeing Temple Hill’s website, and the photos of what can only be called a mansion was, “oh my, do we have to dress up?” You have to understand; I am a born and bred country girl. We live on a farm and have never stayed in a bed and breakfast, let alone one, which looked like a butler, would be greeting us at the door. We did not pack tuxedos and ball gowns however.

Temple Hill Bed and Breakfast

  As soon as we entered the Grand Foyer and were greeted by the owner, my fears of being under dressed were put at ease. Gail, the owner was friendly, gracious, and as down home as my husband and myself. They in fact, are also farmers.

 We felt as if we had stepped back in time, as we were given a tour of the glorious home, which had been Temple Hill University in the 1800’s, and has had only four owners in over 100 years. I had no problem imagining the lady of the house gliding down the spectacular stair case in her floor length gown, or the sound of horses hooves click-clacking up the drive. I could easily imagine neatly dressed servants, scurrying about doing the many chores needed to keep this mansion in pristine condition. And I marveled that we would spend the weekend in this extraordinary home.

One of the 3 friendly cats who welcomed us

 My husband and I spent the weekend being pampered and made to feel like part of the family – family members who did not have to do any chores however. We enjoyed scrumptious home cooked breakfasts complete with homemade strawberry muffins, with fresh strawberries, served on exquisite English china. We sat on the veranda with our morning tea and coffee listening to the birds serenading us. We strolled the grounds and enjoyed the pool. We meandered through the cemetery directly across the road (I love cemeteries) and discovered the Wadsworth Family plot – a prestigious military family who served as far back as the Revolutionary War. We wandered through town and had a picnic by the lake. And when our feet needed a break, we rested in our lovely room. What could be better?

Our lovely room

 My husband and I both agree after our extraordinary experience that we would like to visit more Bed and Breakfasts in the future. We also agreed, and told Gail as much, that our time spent at Temple Hill set the bar very high for other B&B’s, which we may visit in the future. I cannot imagine a better way to have spent our thirty- fourth wedding anniversary.

V - Vignette lives

I have had the incredible opportunity to participate in Patty Wysong's A2Z Take 2 writing challenge these past months. I hope you will check out the other writers as well, simply click on the icon on my sidebar.

I am a self taught, fair to middling artist. I dreamed of, and finally succeeded in learning how to paint sceneries the way the late, Bob Ross, did. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent glued to the television watching this kind, gentle man create mountains, trees, waterfalls, incredible sunsets, shimmering lakes and billowing clouds, all with tools  which looked like something you would paint and spackle a house with . I however cannot complete a painting in an hour like this sweet man, mine take three to four days – depending on how many mistakes I make.

One of my favorite paintings was a winter vignette scene. The entire painting was done in varying shades of blues and soft whites, creating a winter wonderland, complete with a rustic shed, partially frozen pond, and lacy ice tipped trees. What I loved most about this painting was how the scene flowed from center into soft, diffused edges, creating a lovely oval. The diffused edges drew the attention into the center of the painting. The snow, water, rocks and trees came into focus and jumped off the canvas, while the edges of the painting faded, causing an ethereal effect.

Bob Ross' vignette, I gave mine away

 As I began thinking about this form of painting, it brought to mind our lives. We often want people to see clearly the positive aspects of our life. Our accomplishments, our “perfect” families, our lofty goals, our faith. But the less than perfect parts of our lives, those things that do not bring us pride, our mistakes, our “imperfect” families, our secrets, our imperfections, we want to fade into the background. We want them shrouded behind a lovely gauzy veil casting them into an ethereal haze while drawing the positive to the foreground. Our life becomes a vignette.

In some sad cases, with a person with low self-esteem, or a person quick to point fingers, the vignette becomes reversed. All the negatives, all the mistakes, all the imperfections and secrets become central. All attention is on them. While the positives are pushed into the diffused back ground, barely visible even to the person who accomplished them. 

 Our life is not a vignette. Either all good or all negative with the rest hidden behind a delicate haze. Oh, we would love to have a life filled with good times and all positive, no negatives allowed. But just as in nature, one lends life to the other. A majestic mountain cannot achieve such beauty and grandeur without sharp cliffs, craggy rocks, and harsh conditions.
A shimmering lake also has a shoreline of mud and unruly vegetation. The most glorious sunset often lives after the worst storms. The bare branches of a dying tree add a dignified sense of age past to the vibrant green of trees full of youth.

 God’s creation, whether in nature or human lives, is a magnificent masterpiece. We need not shamefully force our negatives behind a shrouded veil, hiding them from sight. We are the person that we are, because of  the less than perfect aspects of our lives. Strength comes through adversity, compassion through pain, faith through times of questioning, and wisdom through mistakes.

In the form of painting, which I have done, the beauty is appreciated only by standing back and seeing the entire scene from a distance. When you stand nose to canvas, inspecting each and every brushstroke or highlight, the eyes see what appear to be flaws.The temptation arises to scrape hours of work from the canvas and start again. It’s usually after working on a particularly difficult painting, that I am able to step back, take my nose away from the canvas, sit peacefully with God, and appreciate the beauty. Flaws and all.

My full canvas painting - flaws and all

 God’s masterpieces are full canvas creations. 

Let’s live full canvas lives.

U - Unknown Worlds

So, how many of you are Trekkies? I’m not a Trekky, I however, grew up on Star-Trek and the Star Ship Enterprise. Well, let me rephrase that.  I grew up watching Star-Trek and the adventures of the Star Ship Enterprise. Captain James T. Kirk sitting in his captain’s chair, surround by his unique and varied crew, including the always logical, pointy eared Vulcan, Spock - all wearing skin tight shirts, and pants that look like they are expecting the next great inner-galactic flood - setting out on yet another mission – “ To go where no man has gone before.”

They never knew what awaited them just past the second star to the right, or on the surface of a planet from which a distress call has signaled. Will they encounter friend or foe? Will the distress call be valid, or a diabolical scheme to ensnare the Enterprise and all on board? 

 Each week, each 

forty minute episode, (commercials you know), found our crew traveling at warp speed into distant galaxies, exploring unknown worlds, fighting unknown enemies, and at the end of the forty minutes, the Enterprise may be banged up, the crew battered, but they lived to take us with them next week, into even more unknown worlds.

Well, we don’t live on the Star-Ship Enterprise and Captain Kirk, or any of the many other captains, isn’t directing our way. But we travel into unknown worlds on a daily basis. First day of school, entering High School, graduating High School, 

College, First job, Marriage, Pregnancy, Giving Birth, Raising Children, Buying a home, Moving away from home, Watching our children move away, Retirement, Illness, Impending death – Seeking God’s plan in our lives.

God’s Plan? For many of us that is an absurd unknown. After all, we know what our future holds, what our plans are.  We will graduate High School, go on to college and get our degree, while leading an outrageous social life. (Or perhaps the military and serve our country)    

Our Incredible Son

 First day after graduation we land the career of our dreams. We will then meet the perfect person, marry and have 2.3 children. We will live in the perfect neighborhood, and have two cars in the garage. All this leading up to our retirement with a hefty retirement package, which will allow us to travel the world. Sounds like a plan – right? What’s God got to do with it?

 

 Oh, how God must laugh as He hears us spout our plans. And how disappointed and sad he must be when we completely leave Him out of our life’s plans. Seeking God’s plan in our life may possibly be one of the most mysterious, and confusing unknowns out there. It involves placing our faith in someone other than ourselves, or our degrees, or our work- all tangible, visible things. Seeking God’s plan means placing our faith in what is unseen, and unknown. It involves prayer, patience, faith, wisdom, more patience, trust, and a complete belief in a being we cannot see with our human eyes.

God’s ultimate plan, His big plan is not unknown. He loves us and wants us to have a relationship with Him, to love Him, and to be with Him for eternity in His Kingdom. He loves us so much that He gave His only begotten son that we can live. He gave us His word so we can grow closer to Him, read His word, and know His love. His big plan, for those who seek Him is absolutely known.

 

  It’s the intricate, everyday life plans that become complicated. Oft times possibly causing us to butt heads with Him, or scratch our heads in confusion as we await clarity as to His plan in our lives. His plans can sometimes come through our most difficult times of pain and healing – times when our questions out number the answers - times of great loss and sorrow. It can also shine through the pure gentle smile of a child.

 

 His plans often take us out of our comfort zones, and into the unknown zone. His plans can give us butterflies in our stomach and a sense of anticipation like never before, and when we get done butting heads, a joy and peace beyond compare. Okay, there may also a little trepidation as well. After all we are stepping by faith into an unknown world. But we do not step into this world alone.

T - Trust The Pilot

Patty Wysong's A2Z Take 2 writer's challenge. Click on the icon on my side bar to read other articles by fantastic writers.

 

If you have read my last few posts, you have likely deduced that this past month or so has been a difficult journey for my family. We have experienced the pain of a loved one. We have watched him grow in faith through his arduous walk. We have encouraged, uplifted and prayed during his times of weakness, confusion, healing, and even anger. We know that God has a plan, and that we must continue in faith. 

We have placed our faith in a God we cannot see, and a plan which shows itself in bits and pieces.With the human eye it would appear as if door after door is slamming shut, God's plan seems questionable at best. Yet with every closed door, a window has opened. Our 20/20 eye sight has leaped to the foreground as time continues, and we and our loved one continue the twisting road he is traveling, placing our faith in the one who holds our lives in the palm of His hand.

Our loved one this past month or so has, as he says, spent more time in the air than with his feet on the ground, due to job related traveling. It was on one particular flight that the thoughts of trusting an unseen pilot and trusting God began playing out in his mind. I am sharing the words of our loved one, as he wrote them. I’m honoring his wishes however in allowing him to remain anonymous to all but us. Here are his thoughts.

As we took off for our flight to Las Vegas I have a thought about our assent and all the past flights I have been on in my life

Many times when we board an aircraft we never see the pilot, the person who we will entrust our lives for the upcoming journey. We have never met, nor seen him, but he will speak to the passengers throughout the flight.

As the plane takes off the speed can be felt. It’s bumpy and for some people scary. The plane then becomes airborne and you can see the ground rushing away from you, and all the hustle below. Soon the plane will enter the clouds, which is like a fog, you can’t see anything so you have to trust the pilot. Sometimes the clouds are dark, sometimes not, but almost always there is some light in the fog.

Finally, in the right time, the plane emerges from the clouds into the vast, clear and beautiful sky. No more fog. No more hustle. No more confusion. Just peace. Yet, many times we still can’t see the ground.

 Now various times you’ll hit turbulent weather, or more clouds, and it’s time to again trust the unseen pilot and that he will do everything to get the flight through safely.

 Sometimes on the journey, when you glance out the window you can see through the clouds a little; and other times the clouds disappear and the ground is revealed. And in these times, from that height, the point of view is much different than what we are used to. You won’t see people, cars, or anything specific.

In the end all the passengers make it safely to their destination, because they trusted someone they never met; and even though some of the flight was in blindness or turbulent, the trip was worth it to reach your goal.

Trust Our Pilot

 The flight path is much like life and the Christian walk. Many times we get so caught up in the hustle, it’s hard to see God’s plan. Then as we go through life we encounter fog and turbulent times. But if we can trust God, He will get us through and many times His plan will be revealed. But if not, in the end we make it.

 Our loved one is still placing his trust in our Lord and our pilot. Even through turbulence and times of fog. 

R - Random Events

Patty Wysong's A2Z Take 2 challenge, letter R. This has been a fun challenge and I can't believe we're nearing the end. Click on the icon on my sidebar to check out other writers works.

 I have discovered these past few weeks that God lives in the random acts, or random events. Or should I say, seemingly random. It could be a song on the radio, a bumper sticker on the car in front of you, a TV show, a wrong turn down the right street, a scripture, or even words from a complete stranger.  In our times of confusion or pain, God uses anything and everything, events that appear to be random, to get our attention or answer questions.

 I was speaking to someone about a week ago, and he told me about three specific, random events that occurred to him during one particularly stressful day. Many people may have dismissed these random events, but he did not. Each event, each random act, answered a question or addressed an anxiety he had experienced that day. I could hear the quiet awe in his voice as he related these events to me, and I could only praise our incredible God for speaking to this young man in this way.

I don’t believe in coincidence. I believe in God’s plan. I know that God hears our every thought, He knows our every need, and He listens to our cries and our praises. Absolutely nothing is impossible with God. Even when we can see no way out, God has a plan, and He talks to us in so many creative ways. Yes, even through seemingly random acts and events.

What have been some seemingly random events in your life that have spoken to you?

Or has there been a time when you feel you may have been someone’s random event?

Q - Questions?

Patty Wysong’s – A2Z Take 2. It has been fun and challenging taking part in this challenge with other writers. Check them out by clicking on the icon on my side-bar.

Asking questions, seeking answers, has been a part of our lives since toddler-hood on up. Why is the sky blue? Why do I have freckles and Johnny doesn’t? Where do babies come from? That’s a biggie.

  As we grow from a young child to pre-teen and teenage years, we begin questioning everyone and everything. Our looks, our parents, authority.  The world screams around us, peer-pressure consumes us, wanting to be liked, to be one of the crowd confuses us. 

All bringing more and more questions, and sometimes very few answers.

 Then we reach adulthood, the time we all craved when we were kids. A time when we would be able to stay up as late as we want, watch whatever we want on TV, and in general do whatever we want. No more school. No more tough questions. Only it doesn’t work that way.

 

 The questions become all the more confusing and serious. Lives, careers, marriages, our children’s welfare and our eternal welfare begin to be questioned. We seek sound advice, and many times the answer we hear is deafening silence. Our questions may lead us toward truth and God’s wisdom or down a different road all together.

 These past few weeks have been a time of intense questioning for a loved one of ours, and our entire family. With the questions have come anger, confusion, discouragement, and grief - as well as growth, learning, wisdom, and a sense of unconditional love. Our minds and hearts have been opened to the big picture, which hovers beyond the pain of the possible smaller picture. And our loved one has grown so much closer to the Lord through his questions and is honestly teaching me a thing or two.

It’s during our most difficult times that we question the most. Why? – Being a question most asked.

  During these past few weeks, during the days gut-wrenching grief God’s very existence was questioned. “If there’s a God why did he allow this to happen?  Why can’t I hear His voice? What’s going to happen?” Over the weeks, God in His infinite wisdom has been slowly answering these questions and more, and ultimately renewing our loved one’s faith.

When we are children we ask our parents the tough questions, trusting that they will have all the answers. Then comes the time we question the very parents we once trusted, knowing somehow that they will love us in spite of our defiance. As we continue our journey we question ourselves, our actions, our motives, the world, and God.  During our times of questioning, it is vital to take time to listen for the answer. 

The world, as my loved one reminded me, is loud, it screams in your face. God’s voice is whisper soft – we need to focus on it to hear it.

  God speaks to us and answers our questions in so many ways. It may be kind words from a friend, a pastor’s message, a song on the radio, a movie, or a book. God is creative in how He chooses to speak to us. And when we turn our hearts and ears to Him answers will come. Sometimes the answer is no, sometimes be patient, sometimes His answer is to tell you how much you’re loved. So ask your questions. Scream your questions if you need, that’s okay He has big shoulders.

 And then – listen.