Category: 2012 Posts

Posted on in 2012 Posts

Freedom Isn’t Free…

I am writing today’s blog from 30,000 feet in the air.  I am heading to sunny San Diego to spend a few days with my brother and his family.  The last time I went to San Diego they had the most rain they have ever had in the four days I was there than they had had in the whole year.  Instead of driving to the beach for sun and fun, we were dodging palm tree branches blowing from all directions towards our car as we drove down the narrow streets to the beach.  When we got to the pier it was submerged with ten-foot waves crashing all around.  Mike called yesterday and said that they were putting sand-bags out just in case, knowing that I was soon to arrive!  Hopefully this trip isn’t a replay of the bad weather we had the last time or I will certainly be blamed!

It’s a typical flight–full for a Monday morning.  I imagine most here enjoyed a weekend with their families and maybe their moms but now it is time to do what they do during the week.  I have my laptop on my lap and the guy in front of me just reclined so I am barely able to see what I’m typing anymore.  There’s a lady with a red brimmed crocheted hat that reminds me of Minnie Pearl.  I keep looking for the tag hanging down, but there is no way she bought that in a store!  LOL!  But the person who caught my attention the most is the guy across the aisle one seat up.  As he was boarding, I recognized the all too familiar military carry-on bag.  His polite, “Yes, mam,” to the ticket-taker when she asked if he was willing and able to help others because of his seat location, confirmed my thoughts.  His frame and haircut remind me of my son.  His seat is the first section behind first class so he is sitting there with a see-through curtain pulled in front of him as he watches those up front being served their specialty breakfasts while being treated like kings and queens.

My family has a long legacy of military men in its lineage.  My dad and brother Dick, both served in the Army, my brother Mike the Navy and now my son, Rob in the Army National Guard.  I have a great respect for those who give of their lives to serve our country and keep us safe.   My mind is wondering where this young man going.  Is he scared?  Did he leave a wife and children to go spend a year away to serve his country like my son?  I somehow feel much safer knowing he is here on the flight.  It seems wrong that he isn’t up in first class being treated like a king though; rather than just watching others get the red carpet treatment.  They should at least pass him back a bagel and an orange juice or something.  This may be his last American meal for a while…even if it is airplane food.  He doesn’t seem to mind.  He has granola bars in his bag.  This kid has no idea that I just wrote a blog about him or that I just said a prayer for his safety.  However, as a military mom, I feel God put me in this place today to pray for someone else’s son who may be heading into combat.  As I would hope that others would pray for my son as he travels to and fro, I am privileged to do the same for this man today.

When I get to San Diego, my son is going to try to Facetime my brother so the two of them can see each other and talk.  Mike gets emotional thinking about it because he understands the sacrifice my son is making more than most.  The two of them having served in times of war now have a new bond–one that the guy across the aisle may be able to share with them someday as well.

As I reflect on this, I am reminded once again, freedom isn’t free.  Freedom in America as well as freedom from the bondage of sin all require sacrifice.  Whether it be a sacrifice of time, energy, or even a life, it all comes at a cost.  So as I am reminded today to pray for our military and be thankful for what they have done or are doing, I also reflect on my Savior, Jesus Christ.  He too, fought a battle…single-handedly for you and for me…so that we can live in eternity with him.  No more battles, no more pain for all who believe someday when we get to heaven—just  a glorious eternity with our Savior.

So in closing, thank you military men and women for keeping us safe and free.  May the Lord keep you safe and sound until your return back home.  Ultimately, thank you Jesus, for loving us enough…

Posted on in 2012 Posts

Lucy’s Babies Have Hatched! Let the Fun Begin!

I was very excited this morning to look out and see some furry feathered ball of fuzz peaking out over the edge of Lucy’s nest! Do you see it?
There’s no deadbeat daddy to these little ones! Dad is taking his job seriously!
This is gross but if I’m reporting the story, I have to tell all. Apparently the parents remove the fecal sacs deposited by their little bundles of joy, swallow them, and then spit them out somewhere else outside the nest. I don’t know about you, but #1 I could never imagine eating anything on the floor of my kids’ rooms, #2 I could barely smell a dirty diaper let alone swallow one, #3 In my wildest dreams, I could never be a bird.
Although there is only one mouth here, I have seen at least two at one time. I will let you know as time goes on if there are more.
Uh oh, I’ve been spotted! If looks could kill, I’d be dead!
This reminds me of a few teenagers I used to know! LOL!
The kids have been fed, the nest has been cleaned, now it’s time for momma to take a break. I hope none of those babies are claustrophobic!
Posted on in 2012 Posts

Stripping Away The Layers (Part 1)

Have you ever had a home where you had to remove wallpaper?  We just moved as most of you know and this house is filled with it!  I have stripped walls for days and am going to be doing it for weeks before it is done, I fear.  I’ve tried all of the tricks and there is nothing that makes it fun or easy.  For that matter, I am thinking I’m going to go to congress soon and order a new law to be put in place.  I don’t think anyone should be able to sell a home without removing all of the wallpaper before it transfers to the new owner.  It’s a simple as that.

I am always thinking about my next blog and what I will write about as I go about my week.  As I was laboring every free minute I had on my wallpaper this week, I thought this is really going to be a boring blog.  I have nothing to write about but wallpaper.  It is my life, it is consuming me and I will be obsessed until the job is done.  I know this about me.  It’s a flaw.  But once I get something I focus on, it becomes an obsession until I accomplish it.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a baptism service at our church.  I always shed tears of joy each time another person chooses to follow Christ and is baptized as an expression of that new life.  It caused me to reflect on the day when I was baptized.  What a glorious day it was. I did it out of obedience never realizing the blessing I would receive in return.  As I came up out of the water, I felt as though I would never be the same.  My old life had been washed away and the new life had begun.  Literally!  I was also reminded of my early days as a Christian and the hard work and dedication involved just to stay on the path so to speak.  I had developed bad habits and a lifestyle that needed to be changed if I were going to be obedient in my newfound faith.

Then my thoughts went back to my walls.  In my warped mind, I started imagining how my walls must have felt being smothered by this horrifically ugly paper for twelve long years.  It may have dreamed of seeing the sunshine, breathing a fresh breath of air and simply being released from the bondage this paper held on it.  As I steamed and scraped, it seemed like some pieces of paper just fell off the wall; no problem there.  However, other pieces shredded into tiny pieces as I pulled and seemed to be extra hard to remove.  I worked diligently all week, steaming, scraping, and tugging, over and over again.  A little at a time, I am beginning to see the walls as the builder created them to be when he built this home twelve years ago.  Ahhhh!  They can breathe again!  Hehe.

My thoughts then returned to those who were baptized and of how their new lives will be similar to that of my walls.  They have been in bondage and sin and now in their new lives they will begin to pull away the layers of the old life so that can finally see the true being God created them to be.  Some areas of their lives will be more easily unpeeled than others.  There will be those things in their past that will want to hang on and actually shred into little pieces as they are being pulled away making it more difficult to be freed from them.

If you are that person, feeling that you’ve still got some layers to unpeel, don’t give up.  Ask the Holy Spirit to give you some extra steam so that you can understand what you have to do to rid yourself of that issue forever.  Even if each piece comes off in shreds, it’s OK.  Each person is different.  God allows us each to move at our own pace as He patiently peels away the layers one by one.

This week as I am steaming and peeling away at my layers on my walls, I’ve decided not to grumble and complain.  Rather, I am going to be praying.  Praying for those who are still struggling with the old life for whatever reason.  I’m going to ask God to remove those things left over from the old life that aren’t pretty while helping my friends find the real beauty underneath.  I pray that His scraping will be gentle but effective and when steam is necessary, I pray that He do whatever it takes to remove this hindrance from their lives.  For having been there, done that, I understand the worth of a little steam here and there to get it out of our lives once and for all!

So for now, wallpaper removal seems like a worthwhile task.  That is, as long as I look at it through God’s eyes and include a lot of prayer!  Be sure to send me a private message at JustTryingToBeABlessing@gmail.com if you have a “layer of the old life” you need to have unpeeled.  I would be glad to add you to my prayer list…I certainly am going to have a lot of time to reflect and pray with this big job ahead!  Have a great week!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV) “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Philippians 2:14  Do all things without complaining and disputing,

2Corinthians 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.