Random Ramblings and More (or less?)

We have been enjoying our new spring days here. The newness of everyday with the sun warming up and shinning through the house, the flowers blooming, the children "sneeking" outside (field experience classes?), laundry drying outside, and little kittens playing peek-a-boo around the corners of the house. The laundry pile is bigger, there are dirtier faces, but I am hearing the laughter and seeing the sparkly eyes. I am enjoying this spring, and seeing it's warmth so much more than last year. Norm & I have discussed often, how last year at this time seems like such a fog. What did we do? I am thankful for the "blurs" of our grieving, that the pain does not seem quite so sharp, and not only can we see the light at the end of the dark tunnel, we see the stars in the sky, and the blooms of the flowers on the ground.

Norm and I have been attending a GriefShare class. This has been very enlightening and interesting, and as Norm said tonight after our class, something we probably would not have been able to thoroughly do a year ago. Our GriefShare class is quite small. The leadership is between a pastor who has not gone through a close loss, and an older couple who lost a son many years ago. Right now we are going through a movie series, put out by the GriefShare organization and cover the following topics including, When Your Dreams Fall Apart, Seasons of Grief, Emotions of Grief, Growing through Grief, and Where is God? There are well known speakers from the Christian community speaking, including Dr. Joseph Stowell, Elizabeth Elliot, Joni Erickson Tada. You can go to the website to see more details of this, but I share this to bring awareness of this group for my readers or friends or relatives. I also believe non-Christians would benefit - and possibly and prayfully, find Jesus through this.

Going along with this theme, I will be sharing in the next few weeks some more books I've been reading. Right now I am reading an excellent, excellent book by Michael Card called, A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament . I first found it in our local library and began reading it, and it struck me so, that I knew I needed to have one of my own to be able to mark and re-read. I will write a review on it shortly, but you might want to find one for yourself or a friend. It's one of those books again, I wish I could give to everyone and anyone! It will help those who are hurting, and friends of those who are hurting.

This past Sunday our pastor spoke from I Peter 2:19-25. Again, I heard that still small voice, as though God was say, "See I AM here . . .I understand". I think what struck me most was in these two verses: "But if when you do what is right and suffer for it, you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps . . ." I am certainly not saying by any way I've done this right - but it seems at times when we are trying so hard to do right, it all comes slamming down on it. Do we complain and rebel like Job's wife, or do we patiently endure it? God says we will go through these hard times, the suffering, just as He did, and if we do patiently endure it, we will find favor with God. WOW. If God would have just left that one little word out, patiently, then we probably could endure it. But we are suppose to PATIENTLY ENDURE it. And then, He says we have been called to this purpose. WHY? Is it because others are watching? Are we a living testimony as we walk or stumble over these trials of life? How do others perceive our enduring this? I know I have failed many times, yet, I know God picks us up, gives us so many more opportunities. What opportunities lie ahead?

Well, I've rambled tonight. These have been some thoughts on my heart for the last several days, and wanted to share it. In the coming weeks I will be sharing some more book reviews and also a special ANNOUNCEMENT. It has to do with my blog, and possibly moving to a new site, but I can't share anymore than that, right now. I am excited about it, and have the support of my husband with this new endeavor and being able to share with more people things on my heart, and prayfully towards encouragement, during the trials and glories of life.