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Articles from April 2015

NANA’S MEMORIES: CONFUSED AND LOST

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I’m in a new season of life now. Gone are the days wrestling with three little boys. Almost gone are the days of wrestling with six fantastic little grandkids. How sad. However, the memories of stories and time spent – and the lessons learned – will last a lifetime. Join me this week as I share meaningful lessons learned from the children in my life…one of those children was even me.

 

CONFUSED AND LOST

 

MASON_WNANA_&_PAPA_JUNE_2009_030“Stay right here in front of Mommy’s chair”, I’d told him. Pointing to the lifeguard and umbrella stand, I said, “We are right here in front of the lifeguard stand so you won’t get lost. Keep your eyes on us, and don’t go into the water without Mommy or Daddy. Ok?”  “Ok Mommy” Brady said. “Four adults and one two year old. How could he have gotten away from us so quickly”, I wondered.

Athletes train for years to try to be the fastest person on earth. But, I can tell you who is faster than the fastest… a two year old with a two-minute head start!

As I ran further south on the strand, I spotted a very tall lifeguard walking towards me with a little boy on his shoulders.”Lord, please…”  Then I recognized my baby’s voice calling, “Mommy! Mommy!”

Jumping into my arms, he cried and told me of looking up from his sand castle to see an umbrella stand down the beach. He thought he had wandered away from us and took off as fast as his little legs could carry him. “I thought I had lost you Mommy,” he cried.

“No son”, I cried with him. “You haven’t lost me – you just ran in the wrong direction because you got confused.”

Jesus is the same way with us. He’s looking for us because He knows we’re lost. He hasn’t moved away from us; we’ve moved away from Him. We don’t start looking for Him until we realize we’re lost.

That’s the only silver lining in being lost.

“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 

I will be found by you, declares the LORD…”

Jeremiah 29:12-14(NASB)

Just as our little one was tearfully searching for his Mom and Dad on the beach that day – we are to search for our Lord, who loves us with an everlasting love. He loves us so much He was willing to go to hell and back to find our freedom.

Have you been looking for love in all the wrong places, and find yourself lost and alone? Then look for Him today! He’s looking for you too!

To get to know Him today…read more

You’ll be glad you did.

Until tomorrow,

Your Traveling Partner,

Brenda

NANA’S MEMORIES: “HEP ME MAMA, HEP ME!”

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I’m in a new season of life now. Gone are the days wrestling with three little boys. Almost gone are the days of wrestling with six fantastic little grandkids. How sad. However, the memories of stories and time spent – and the lessons learned – will last a lifetime. Join me this week as I share meaningful lessons learned from the children in my life…one of those children was even me.

 

“HEP ME MAMA, HEP ME!”

 

FALLEN_TREE_#2I met Marcus Twisdale when he was five only years old. Soon after meeting him, his mom, my close friend Mikki, told me about a Christmas story that happened when Marcus was just a toddler…a spunky, into everything, toddler, who like most, didn’t want to hear what he didn’t want to hear. And the word “no” was one he especially didn’t want to hear.

As Mikki was getting ready for work one morning close to Christmas, Marcus came barreling into the bathroom demanding, “Mom, I want to hold the ornaments and I want eggs and bacon for breakfast”.

“No Marcus”, Mikki said. I don’t’ have time to fix eggs and you don’t have time to hold the ornaments. Mama has to go to work. Now go eat your cereal.”

After the third try to get his Mama to cook bacon and eggs, and let him hold the ornaments, he ran out of the bathroom. Mikki assumed he’d finally taken no for an answer, and was eating his cereal.  Then she heard the crash that vibrated through the whole house. Running into the living room she saw the Christmas tree on the floor, ornaments smashed all around, and a tiny voice echoing from under the fallen tree saying “Hep me Mama, hep me.”

Of course she did. Just like Jesus will do for us. We sometimes make a mess of things and get into situations we can’t handle. Stuck in our disobedience, our life breaks apart just like the ornaments on the Marcus’ Christmas tree. However, God sent Jesus, His Son, to rescue us from our failures and messes, if only we will turn to Him and admit the wrong of what we’ve done. King David knew what it was like to be in a mess and need God’s rescue.  In Psalm 4:1, David cried out,

Answer me when I call to you,
    O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
    Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

God did just that for David. He will do it for us too. Call out to him today!

Until Next Time,

Your Traveling Partner,

Brenda

NANA’S MEMORIES: GRANNY’S FRIED CHICKEN

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I’m in a new season of life now. Gone are the days wrestling with three little boys. Almost gone are the days of wrestling with six fantastic little grandkids. How sad. However, the memories of stories and time spent – and the lessons learned – will last a lifetime. Join me this week as I share meaningful lessons learned from the children in my life…one of those children was even me.

 

GRANNY’S FRIED CHICKEN

GRANNY_S_KITCHENThe kitchen was long and narrow, the farmhouse ceiling low compared to most houses today.  Sunbeams cast a glow over my white-haired Granny as she stood at the sink washing the dinner dishes.  In those days, dinner was our mid-day meal and supper was the evening meal. Her cocker spaniel, Sydney, jumped up on me, licking me in the face. Calling my name as he stepped into the kitchen, Papa snatched me off the floor and into his arms. Immediately I announced, “I’m hungry.”

Nothing unusual there; the munchies always hit as soon as I walked through Granny’s kitchen door. That woman was one more good country cook. She offered me a leftover chicken leg, mashed potatoes and gravy, and my Papa’s mouth-watering tomatoes from the garden.

I asked for a cold biscuit instead.

“Whaaat?”, she screeched. She knew chicken legs, mashed potatoes with gravy and Papa’s tomatoes were my favorites. Using the nickname she had given me at birth she said, “What in the world is wrong with you Dinkie?” My Mama nearly fainted at my answer. “I don’t want the good stuff today” I quipped. “Just a cold biscuit”

How often we are like that in our spiritual lives. We have the fullness of the Word of God readily available every day. We can choose to be nourished with the meat of the Word, the richness of His wisdom, and freshness of His grace.  Instead, we often choose the cold biscuits this world throws us to satisfy our hunger for a rich and satisfying life, leaving us starved for answers to the struggles of life.

 Psalm 119:104-105 (Amplified) says:

Through your precepts, I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. 

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Do you see the jewel in that verse? The writer tells us the reason he hates every false way is that it robs him of understanding that gives him light to maneuver through the tough times.

Hummm…no more cold biscuits for me.

Until tomorrow,

Your Traveling Companion,

Brenda