On The Offense

This past weekend, Lawn Man (otherwise known as my husband) was on the march. On the offense against sneaky weeds just waiting to rear their ugly heads come next spring.

The lawn is Don's baby. For the past several years, he's ridden herd over any stray weeds (and there are plenty) that make their way onto our property. His weapon is the trusty spreader pictured above, and his magic bullet is a good supply of Scotts Brand weed and feed. Right now the exact product name eludes me, but maybe Don will chime in with details in the comments section.

The weed and feed offense takes place at our house twice a year, every fall and spring. By taking advice and following instructions, Don learned years ago how to get the upper hand against offending greenery and wildflowers (those pesky dandelions!). And let's not forget the "feed" part of the equation as it protects and strengthens for a better spring lawn. Because of Don's diligence -- and the death blows he deals to the weeds that do sneak through -- we enjoy the beauty of a healthy, uniform lawn.

The Word of God tells us about a weed fight of a different sort. Jesus spoke of a farmer who sowed seed, and some of it "'fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.'" (Matthew 13:7) We may not think of thorns as weeds, but they certainly do the job of weeds, choking out the growth of good plants.

Jesus went on to say, "'The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.'" (v. 22).

Sounds like we would be wise to go on the march, on the offense, against some weeds of our own, doesn't it? Let's think for a moment about the worries we currently face or about the lies the world feeds us where money and the constant need for more is concerned. And don't forget the trap of overextending ourselves financially.

These are the kinds of things that can dominate our lives, robbing us of time and getting our focus off of God, His truths, and His work in our lives. These are the kinds of things that can choke and stunt our spiritual growth.

What do you do to ride herd over these sneaky weeds? What advice or instructions do you follow to defeat them? What weapons do you use? Have diligence and death blows paid off for you? Chime in with an answer to any of these questions. Let's go on the offense together!

**I'll kick it off by sharing one very practical strategy we've followed that protects us from one kind of choking. We don't put anything on our credit card that we can't pay off that month.

A Sheltering Tree

It's just across the street. The beauty of this sheltering tree that awaits my glance each day. It's big, it's lush, and it's...old. A fixture since we moved into the neighborhood 30 years ago, who knows how long it stood there before that.

I hate to admit it, but I've only truly appreciated this tree the past couple of years, since the time I made it a habit to slow down and indulge in an early morning drink of nature. When I take the time to look, the tree sings out with beauty and strength.

It's trunk, ever strong and dependable, is rooted deep and gives rise to a vast network of branches arrayed with evidence of life and fresh growth. As it's shade blesses all below, it offers sweet shelter above to a variety of God's little creatures.

It's got it all -- a place to rest or build a nest, a stage for singing or a playground for running to and fro. This sheltering tree...what a place of beauty, blessing and refreshment. Not a bad legacy for an old tree, huh?

As we grow old (and some of us are getting closer all the time!), let's hope our lives offer much of the same. Strength and beauty. Shelter and shade. Blessing and refreshment. Life and fresh growth... A very good legacy indeed. Oh Lord, help me be a sheltering tree!

"They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green" Psalm 92:14

Expert Help

This past Sunday afternoon our nephew Cody came to town looking for some expert help. Don't worry -- he didn't hitchhike or ride his bike 75 miles to get here. My sister Carolyn drove him up, and Gavin, our younger nephew, came along for the ride and whatever excitement could be found at Uncle Don and Aunt Cheryl's. Thank goodness, we didn't disappoint :)

While Gavin just came looking for fun, Cody actually came on business. Science fair business, that is. And who better to help with a science fair project than Uncle Don? Cody's finding out that it can come in pretty hand to have a mad scientist for an uncle. When his friend texted him the other day wondering what they were going to do about the project, Cody already had his answer -- Uncle Don, the resident family expert in all things biological. Our own little pathological biological maniac :)

Now don't get me wrong. Cody will do his part. Sunday was just the preparation day, the day to do a practice run-through and fill out all the paperwork (and there was a lot of paperwork!). He's also going to have to come back for a weekend sometime to do the actual experiment in the lab with Don and then read the results a couple of days later.

Yes, he'll be doing the procedure, but he'd be lost without Don's guidance, without the expert help. With the help, he'll leap tall buildings in a single bound and subdue every bacteria in sight. Okay, so that may not happen, but we'll all be happy if he just ends up with a successful result :)

For all of us, sometimes things are just beyond us, aren't they? We come up against problems or jobs that we're not equipped to handle with our own capabilities. We need expert help. Someone with training, someone who's mastered the situation, either through study or life experience.

If we're smart, we'll seek out wise counsel during those times. It may be our only hope for leaping the tall buildings that lie before us, our only hope for a successful result. The question is will we, like Cody, be willing to go to the lengths needed to acquire the help and then do the work that's suggested? Will we take care of business? Let's not forget -- sometimes experts aren't so hard to find. Sometimes they're as close as our own family...

"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." Proverbs 15:22

Marking Time

Believe it or not, this past Thursday marked my 2-yr. anniversary as a blogger, and over 200 posts later, I'm still blogging away. As of the end of my second year, I've had hits from all fifty states as well as 53 foreign countries, including places as surprising as Cameroon, Morroco, Bolivia, and Malaysia. Through the blog, I've met many new friends, encouraged and blessed others, received encouragement and blessing in return, and grown as a writer as well. When I took the plunge into the blogging world, I had no idea the blessings that awaited.

As I thought about my 2-yr. mark as a blogger, I began thinking of other identity markers in my life and thought it would be fun to chronicle them here. So here we go:

*54 years as a daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, and cousin
*50 years as a friend and neighbor to various people (Susan in Arma, KS, is the first friend I remember)
*47 years as a Christian and church member (gave my heart to Jesus at the tender age of 7)
*42 years as a poet -- of sorts :)
*40 years as a choir member (to the best of my memory)
*39 years as a driver -- became a shopper about that time, too. Imagine that! :)
*36 years as high school graduate
*36 years as a voter
*36 years as a sister-in-law -- Debbie started that role by marrying Keith :)
*34 years (in December) as a wife and homemaker
*34 years as a daughter-in-law
*32 years as a college graduate
*32 years as an aunt (34 if you count aunt by marriage)
*30 years as homeowner (the last 4 of those with mortgage paid off!)
*29 years as mother (and all the jobs that entails...)
*28 years a Bible study group participant or leader
*21 years as a preschool Sunday School teacher
*14 years as a writer (on various stages of that journey)
*12 years off and on in various part-time caregiving roles for my mother-in-law
*7 years as a great-aunt
*6 years as an empty-nester
*5 years as a missions committee member
*3 years as a mother-in-law (yay!)
*2 years as a blogger
*1 year as a Facebooker (use the link to connect to me!)
*3 1/2 months as an Angel Tree coordinator
*1 month as a mother of the bride -- again!! Yippee!

Okay, so that's way more of my identity markers than you ever wanted to know, but once I got started it was hard to stop. Sorry :) Of course, there are a host of things that I couldn't nail down to a specific time -- like chocolate-lover, prankster, and nut for example :), -- and then other things that were temporary roles like student, secretary, teacher, prayer ministry leader, etc.

We all fill a multitude of rolls throughout our lifetimes, don't we? I just hope at the end of my days, I'll be able to say, like Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7). And even sweeter would be the blessing of hearing the Lord say, "...'Well done, good and faithful servant!..'" (Matthew 25:21a)

I'd love to hear how long you've been in some of your roles or which of these you share in common with me. Let's have some fun. Leave a comment and let's see what we can learn about each other!

Flickr photo by Marionaire

Surprise Audience

Last week as I was indulging in another early morning drink of nature, I did a quick survey of my surroundings (as I always do) and saw that no one else was in sight. Good. I was free to give actual voice to my worship and sing my praise --albeit quietly -- to my Creator and King.

Looking heavenward, favorite praise choruses flowed from my lips. After all, it was just the two of us. Just me and the Lord. Or so I thought.

In mid-melody, I glanced down and found, quite unexpectedly, that I had an audience. A neighborhood cat had slinked in from behind the bushes and was sitting there on her haunches watching and listening to me as if she had purchased a ticket to a show. I couldn't help but smile.

So as not to disappoint, I continued quietly singing and found myself watching the cat and wishing I had my camera. I'm not sure how long she would have sat there if I hadn't broken the concert spell I had her under, but I couldn't help it -- I had to try to get a picture. I inched my way into the house, but of course by the time I returned, the moment was gone, and the cat had moved on to a more exciting adventure. Digging under the bush. My surprise audience had slipped away.

My early morning encounter with this neighborhood kitty reminded me that just when we least expect it in our lives, we may discover that someone is watching. We may have a surprise audience.

We, in fact, have people watching us all the time, don't we? What will these unsuspecting ticket-holders see before they slip away? Let's hope they see something of our Savior. Let's hope they see something of Jesus...

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him." 2 Corinthians 2:14

Flickr photo by fazen

Squeezing In a Visit

My Facebook status this past Thursday morning read, "Meeting one of my best friends in Joplin today for a visit before she moves 7 hrs away. Yay for the visit, boohoo for the move!" And there we are in the picture -- squeezing in one more visit before the distance between us nearly tripled. Let me say it once again -- boohoo!

Jeneal and I have been friends now for around 23 years, and most of that has been spent long-distance. Before her move a few days ago, she was living almost 2 1/2 hrs. away, and that proved to be too far for us to see each other very often. Last time, in fact, was early December. A couple of times she has lived as close as an hour and a half away, and we felt positively spoiled then.

As I'm sure you all realize, it takes real effort to maintain a long-distance friendship. Ours has been no exception. Email has made it easier the past several years, but phone calls and the occasional in-person visit have been important in helping us feel close and stay connected.

Friendship, whether long-distance or not, requires investing in the relationship, and Jeneal and I chose to do that one more time after she found out rather abruptly that she would be moving. We met at a half-way point and gabbed as fast as our lips could fly, making the most of our few hours together.

Yes, it went by all too quickly, but I'm so thankful we made the time to see each other. And as our long-distance friendship is put to an even more challenging test, at least we're heading into it fully loaded with that one last visit.

Think for a minute about friendships of yours that may need a fresh investment right now. Any relationship crying out for a little attention? Send that email or make that call. Is it time to squeeze in a visit? Go for it. Take it from me, though -- just be sure the ole lips are in flying condition... :)

"Do your best to come to me quickly..." 2 Timothy 4:9

*Want to connect with me on Facebook? See you there!

I'll Be Your Wall

Dizziness. Vertigo. An injured foot or leg. Any one of these things can find us reaching out to someone or something for support. I've been there before, and I'm sure you have, too.

A friend of mine, in fact, copes day in and day out with a medical condition that makes it challenging for her to walk at times. Not long ago during an outing together, a bad spell struck. The distance to a nearby bench loomed large, but with great effort and the help of the cane she carries for just such times, she managed to make it.

After resting for awhile and taking some medicine to ease the symptoms, she felt ready to attempt the next leg of our journey. I had parked the car as close as to the building as possible, but now it felt miles away. Once again, with concentration and slow steps, she moved forward.

At one point, she paused to regroup and said, "If I just had a wall..." I answered instantly, "I'll be your wall." I knew she just needed a steadying influence on her side without the cane. With her characteristic good attitude, she made light of the situation, and I joined in. By the way, no matter what we get ourselves into, it seems we always end up laughing about something. I love that about our friendship.

I was glad to be her wall that day. Happy to be her steadying influence. Heaven knows, she's been mine time and again. But I guess that's what friendship is all about, isn't it?

And let's not forget, we have another Friend always ready to be our steadying influence, always standing by. Next time a bad spell of discouragement, heartache, or pain strikes you, just turn your thoughts to Him. I bet you'll hear Him whispering, "Don't worry. I'll be your wall..."

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Isaiah 41:10 KJV

Flickr photo by Pink Sherbert Photography

Family Love

Since I've been enjoying a weekend away visiting family this Labor Day weekend, let me share some wonderful thoughts on family and love from some folks of the past. Some things just never get outdated, no matter how long ago they were first uttered or written. Enjoy these quotes -- and your family!

"There's no vocabulary

For love within a family, love that's lived in

But not looked at, love within the light of which

All else is seen, the love within which

All other love finds speech."

--T.S. Eliot, 1888-1965

"Love is of utmost importance. Once you have set your will that you will learn the way of love, then there is no flaw or irritation in another person that you cannot bear....If this one commandment were kept -- 'Love one another' -- I know that it would carry us a long way toward keeping all the rest of our Lord's commands." St. Teresa of Avila, 1515-1582

"Sweet is the smile of home, the mutual look, when hearts are of each other sure." John Keble, Anglican priest and poet, 1792-1866

*p.s. The photo above was taken last summer during our family reunion. From left to right -- nephew Gavin, great-nephew Samuel, nephew Cody, daughter Kelli, and son-in-law Shawn (married to daughter Kristin). What's one of the favorite times you've shared as a family?

Behind the Clouds

One morning last week as I stepped out my back door to enjoy an early morning drink of nature and worship its Creator, this is the sight that caught my attention. I spotted a glimmer of light and hope for a brighter sky as the day progressed. I saw the sun shining behind the clouds.

On most dark and gloomy days, I don't think of the sun at all, except for missing the light and beauty and lifted spirits it brings to our world. On this day, however, the Lord parted the clouds at just the right moment and penetrated their melancholy presence with a reminder that no matter what the sky looks like from my vantage point, the sun still shines. The light is always there.

My thoughts then went to friends and loved ones faced with dark and gloomy days of a different sort, far more serious than temporary cloud-covered skies. Several have been enduring life problems that hold no quick fix, and I wonder how long it's been since they've spotted a glimmer of light and hope for brighter days. I wonder if they remember the sun is shining behind the clouds.

My prayers go up for them and others like them today -- that even though all they may see right now are clouds of despair, disappointment, or discouragement, I pray the Lord will penetrate their darkness and allow them to see that He is there. I pray that they will be reminded that the Son always shines behind the clouds...

"...the Lord turns my darkness into light." 2 Samuel 22:29b