MY STORY IS BLESSING PEOPLE IN DUNWOODY,GA wi -SO SAYS MY HAIRDRESSER!!

  I bet that title got you going, didn’t it?  It shocked me today when I sat down in my hairdresser‘s chair for only the 2nd time, because that was how she greeted me!  She didn’t know that I had had another little stroke on the 15th of March or all the things that God has done for me in between. I am so overwhelmed I am typing with tears running down my cheeks,  when I think of this past several weeks. Some of you know that I am a recruiter and a good one by the grace of God, but sometimes things don’t go your way-not my way, but God’s way is the way it has to go and that kept me from making enough money to pay our basic bills.  I guess I finally had to realize that whatever I have comes from Him our Holy Father and not from what I do-even though I thought I knew that-had already learned that lesson, time and time again. This  time I literally could not make a deal happen for anything and this was the worst of times: I had just moved to a new city expected  really great things coming “back home” if anyone really does that. And then I woke up on March 15th with my left side frozen and unable to communicate with my husband to even help people understand where the new doctors I have were. You’ve read that story, but what happens when you come home from the hospital and you have to see all the doctors and do all the physical therapy and it only seems to make you hurt worse? On top of that you have to get back to work, those bills didn’t stop coming in and now more are coming! What can anyone do? I do what I always do, I put my head down to the ground and I go to my Heavenly Father. He is all I’ve got. Now don’t mistake my meaning here. I have a wonderful husband (Mr Wonderful) and wonderful daughters and son and grand girls. but my Heavenly Father, HE IS IT.  He is the only one who can solve my problems, give me peace, show me what to do next.  And the Lord did tell me just what to do next, which I did and I can tell you that my most pressing need-my health insurance policy payment- is paid through June. I simply could not believe the news when I got it but again, overwhelming gratitude doesn’t begin to cover the feelings. There were others in my own family who saw a specific need and just handled it-so many different people contributing to the whole. And some of you are wondering where did she get the money for her haircut? I got an insurance check yesterday. I found out that you can have supplemental insurance to cover you for the number of days you are in the hospital through AARP/UNITED HEALTH. I wish I had known about it a lot sooner!! But I got a little check  and so here I was sitting in Jennifer’s chair.

Jennifer is also a believer-well I guess  that is obvious- but I didn’t know it when I sat in her chair the first time.  I had looked at everyone’s website within a reasonable driving distance that had a salon when I first moved to town. I was really anxious about choosing a new hairdresser.  My hairdresser from Tampa had taken care of me for about 20 years!  She had become a confidant and friend. I had no illusions about replacing her, I just wanted a decent haircut and hopefully highlights if they didn’t cost me  a week’s groceries. I  looked and looked and then I read Jennifer’s story. She is a 3rd generation stylist-she really loves her work but there was just something special in the way that she wrote about herself that made me call. She couldn’t even take me for like 3 weeks I think, but for some reason, I waited. The day arrived; I had my directions; I started off in plenty of time. I still couldn’t find the salon! They were tucked into the corner of a large shopping center and she had to direct me there when I finally called! I hate being late-even 5 or 10 minutes-but she was so nice, put me right at ease and you know how it is, you just start chatting and when you are me, you talk about things that are on your heart, are important to you, like the Lord Jesus! Oh was she happy and then we were just off to the races! We were sharing stories back and forth and of course I told her some of my special ones.  She told me when I was there then and again today that she always knows when somebody is in her chair that is just supposed to be there and that it is a “God Thing” not to let go of it until everyone is satisfied. And that means with just the sharing or the helping or the whatever.  So I came in using my jazzy cane today and she asked about that and I told her what had happened to me in March. That’s when she told me that my stories were blessing people all over Dunwoody-that she had been sharing then with her clients and her clients were blessed by the story. Isn’t that amazing? Somebody else telling my story and people still getting a blessing? Oh that is such a God thing!!

So I have opened up my heart raw tonight ya’ll not cry poor mouth, but to show you that we all can wind up in serious consequences, not through our own doing and we can not look down on that person or badmouth that person or whatever else you might be inclined to do. My circumstances come from catastrophic health incidents that both my husband and I suffered within 19 months of one another. I have been fortunate enough to have had a job, a passion, a career that I can do with a phone and a computer wherever I am.  He was not so fortunate. His heart was badly damaged which I have also written of before, but it didn’t keep him from being Mr. Wonderful, it just keep him from being employed.  My job, career, passion is always just a deal away from breaking even again.  And that part, thankfully is not up to me, it’s up to God.

Thanksgiving Week!!

We have arrived back home from a week in Atlanta. We so enjoyed seeing everyone and know that this is the right move for us as I announced in my last post. A Pre Thankful is that I have had no reoccurance of the crazy neurological happenings, but we did think that my extremely high coumadine count could have made a little bleed happen? Who knows. But I seem to be fine now. We left a day early because my husband had a bad cold and we knew that we needed to be home should he need a doctor. So as of this writing, my first Thankful is that we got home safely. And he is tucked up in bed with Vick’s and cough syrup.

My second Thankful is that I was able to make a lovely lady a job offer which she accepted and that made my client happy. This will make my bank account happy in January! Actually I have been very Thankful for this client this year. As they have grown, I have enjoyed the interaction with candidates and clients alike. I do so love my job and my third Thankful is that I will be able to do it in Atlanta, just as I have done in Tampa for 29 years. Of course, I will not be leaving MRI or my office-simply expanding their borders a bit. And fishing in a bigger pond!

My fourth Thankful was the extremely loving and warm response I got from my children -both grown as you might remember with their own lives- and my brother and his wife and my sister and her husband. In fact, I couldn’t ask for a better response from anyone. My granddaughters were squealing! That was exciting! I know we will be seeing a lot more of them. And I am absolutely thrilled.

My fifth Thankful was really that my girls had turned out so very well! I was so proud of all they put together in the feast that we had on Thanksgiving Day. There were appetizers, then soup, wonderful homemade mushroom soup. And then more food than you could really put on your plate! For the first time in a long time, I truly ate too much and was uncomfortable for quite awhile. I didn’t eat anything the rest of the day and we had started the lunch at 2pm. As I looked at everything spreadout and  the 3 tables set (16 adults) I had a moment when I realized how my mom must have felt when she passed the torch to me. It was bittersweet. I still miss them so much…4 years now. I thought how proud she would be if she were here today.

My sixth Thankful was that as a family, we all know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. Only the very small children have not come to know Him yet. But they do know of Him. Even my 8 year old granddaughter knows how the Lord answers prayers. So I am sure that by now somebody is saying somewhere, come on Cindy, get on with it! So with my seventh Thankful is as of right now I am able to write freely of my love for Jesus Christ. The fact that I am a follower of His, has not gotten me arrested, shut down, shut up, or killed like in so many other countries around the world. I do not take this privilege lightly nor do I expect that we will always have this freedom. The day is coming when you are going to have to make a choice. A choice for Jesus or a choice for the government and the way it plans and wants to do things. You may not see it as clearly as that choice, because too often truth about evil is camouflaged. You’ve heard of a wolf in sheep’s clothing? so here is the same. Be careful of your choices. Jesus says that many will be surprised at judgement, but He will say depart from Me, I never knew you.  This past week as I would monitor email as best I could on my phone or tablet, I saw again Prophecy being fulfilled. Now truly Israel is surrounded by her enemies with Egypt now having a dictatorship instead of a democracy as the people were promised.

And so my eighth Thankful is that I have read the last chapter of the book. I know who wins! And I am already on the winning team for eternity! I know that when one really stops to think about eternity and what that is, what it was before time was started with us. I don’t think that really means very much to the Father. He said that He created us to have fellowship with Him. A relationship with Him. Naturally as He is Holy God, He would want a special, holy, Godly, relationship with us-He didn’t just put us here to watch us struggle while He sits on His throne and laughs about it! No, I would imagine, that when I cry, He cries. That when I hurt, He hurts. That was the point of sending Jesus to become God/Man so that God could know what it meant to be Man and God too. He doesn’t make a mistake in anything He does. And if anyone deserves to say that He does make mistakes, I would be one of them, but I am not. My Abba Father, has a plan for my life to prosper it and to keep me from harm. Oh I could write a lot about my eighth Thankful! But suffice it to know that in spite of all that is going on in my life right now, it is well, it is very well with my soul.

It’s Been A Whole Week!

It has been a whole week since a post from me! Beloved ones, it is not because I wanted it that way, it was that part of the week I was really sick again with the asthma. My precious Lord told 5 people to call me that day to pray for me! I was so surprised!  Each one knew I was ill, but not with what and that they were to pray and so they did. This was Tuesday. It was very difficult because I needed to work–I had made good calls the day before but Tuesday is always followup day. I had been up twice during the night to use my nebulizer 1 am and then at 5-never went back to sleep–knew my breathing was really diminished. I had called the doctor and was told to go back up to 60 mg of prednisone and keep using the neb. I did work all day but God was so good to me. He literally  dropped in my lap 2 people who were great fits for 2 new searches that I had been asked to work with another associate out of Indianapolis. She is going to present them to the client on Monday and I am so glad for her! She seems to be a fine partner, thinks like I do–it’s not guaranteed that every time you get asked to do something by another team, that the relationship will be trustworthy or that you will even like one another! So I am grateful on many counts.

So let’s go back a week to Jeremiah 17:12 Notice the order here-praising and worshipping first, then requesting. 

A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.   O Lord, the hope of  Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame.  Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the Spring of Living Water.  Heal me,  O Lord, and I will be healed, save me and I will be saved, for you are the  one I praise.

Now everybody don’t get excited all at once! I have prayed for healing before now and I have been prayed for and over. I do believe that I am healed, that it may not manifest itself for awhile or while I am here on this earth.  My Lord and I have done a lot of talking about my body, what’s been wrong with it all  my life, what I am doing now, what I can expect in the future. I really don’t have all the answers except for this. I trust my Lord and Father God with everything that I have and I am. He uses the illnesses or attacks or crazy things I catch to put me in the right place, at the right time, to speak with a particular person-that apparently I needed to be the one to do the sharing and the reaping which is so much fun! I would rather talk about Jesus and all that He has done and is doing not just for me but for so many that I know about–than  just about anything else  I can think of!   I do have to be careful though, there are other things to speak of than Jesus and my work  I know-and I can’t be a good friend, good family member, good at anything else if I don’t pay close attention when needed and wanted.

I did want to say thank you to those 5 people who called me on Tues when I was so sick and the Lord told you to call and pray for me. I was sick and terribly afraid I was going to have to go back to the Hospital and stay again. But God honored your obedience in calling and praying and He answered by keeping me out of the hospital and I was able to work through it.

 This week He made some people who have needed jobs for over a year, or wanted a particular position with a particular company, or always worked toward a company with a future and a position of authority –these people were all happy tonight this week, and today yes it is 3 in the morning. I was so privileged to be a part of all of it. It is one of the reasons I do work hard.

so I  say  Thank you Jesus!                                      

Asthma Again! But He Answers So Many Prayers Today!

Guess what happens when you get just a little big for your pants? at least that’s what my Daddy used to say to me, when I was getting a little smart mouth on me. I went back and read what I wrote last night all of which I certainly meant. But I must have been getting a little too smart mouthed for the Lord, because at 3 am I woke up coughing and wheezing like never before. I don’t wheeze. Everybody knows that. But Today August the 7th, 2012 I wheezed for hours! We tried everything but when nothing worked, we just went to the ER.  I didn’t want to get so sick that I would have to stay again. I just wanted my meds and to go home. Of course I got the doc who doesn’t understand about cough variant asthma again. He was so happy I was wheezing-that he could understand and diagnose! So I got my meds (IV Solumedrol-miracle drug) and also a breathing treatment of their special stuff I don’t have at home and after they had stuck  me a half a dozen times we were able to leave!

I am absolutely dependent upon my God for my very breath and that very breath that allows me to talk and do my work. I acknowledge that in all my words and deeds. I can do nothing without Him, but what I can do WITH  Him is amazing and wonderful to me to be used as I am. Truly tonight I am doubly blessed by what my sharing of His  Word and His Ministry did for others, because they shared it back with me. How wonderful is that!!!

The first story is from one of my candidates, an attorney  who is a believer and because of our shared faith, it has been easy to become friends. When we were first talking about the particular position, she had already had a first interview and really liked the person, already liked everything she had read and heard about the firm; but she asked me-Cindy ..”How will I know that this is the right opportunity for me?”  I told that’s easy. You turn to Isaiah 30:21 and read where  it says that God will whisper in your ear the way in which you are to go. She liked that apparently, looked it up and claimed that promise for herself.  Today she reminded me and said...”Remember when you told me???” 

Yes, I remember. Turns out she’s had this horrendous case for 4 years. Everyone including the senior partners of her firm wanted her to settle -for a $1million-but something in her just said this isn’t right. So she prayed about it and the job possibility as well and then laid down to go to sleep.  Then clear as a bell, a voice said, Don’t settle, you’ll win the case. She said,“Cindy I knew that was God’s voice telling me what to do just like you and the scripture said He would. But if you hadn’t told me that I would have thought it was my imagination and I might have settled. In the meantime, because we are preparing for court, all of the right, needed pieces are dropping in from heaven and we are going to win our case.” Of course I am very happy that she is going to win that case, but I was happier and so blessed by the fact that she would take what the Lord had said through me and do it and of course the Lord  would act-He does not lie- but my thrill was that she brought it back to me to tell me. Oh that was incredible how blessed I felt!

The second story started a couple of weeks ago. I might have mentioned in a posting that I had met someone from London who had introduced me to an attorney in Washington, DC.  This young woman and I are going to be fast friends if we ever get the chance to have a full conversation. Our first one was 15 min-but we did get a lot crammed in there. For starters the most important thing-the way that I could help her right now.  You see, she lost her dad just about 5 weeks ago now. At 3 weeks she was just like I was when I lost my dad-a mess. Even thought you know absolutely where your father is and you wouldn’t want to make him come back for any reason, you still miss him so much. Here it is 3 years later and I still miss him the same. But at least I don’t hurt like I did when I was first grieving-I couldn’t really think straight even. I was such a mess that my dear BSF (Bible Study Fellowship)  friends said you have to go to GriefShare. What is GriefShare? I had never heard of it, but dutifully I went online and found a group that met at a place and time convenient for me and I went.  Of course I went to be comforted.  I needed comfort.  What I found was hurting people who in many instances had no hope at all.  I went to all the meetings and thought why don’t we (our church) have a GriefShare Ministry? I should learn not to think thoughts like that! Because of course I wound up as a GriefShare leader for 2 1/2 years until God took me away from it because of my immunity issue.

So back to my friend. We talked about her grief and she really was barely hanging on. Oh, how I understood!  So of course I told her about GriefShare and what it had meant to me. I asked her if she were near a computer and she was. I told her to type in GriefShare.org and then her zip code and it would bring up any and all meetings close to where she lived or worked depending on what she needed to be close to. She was so surprised to find a good many. I urged her to call and make arrangement to attend. check in.  And here is my blessing: I called her tonight just to check in with her,  had to leave a message, she called me back. She was at her first GriefShare meeting and was calling me back during their break! She sounded quite happy and said she’d call me tomorrow and then she thanked me again for telling her about GriefShare.

I would love to take credit for being so good at listening and anticipating needs, but I ‘m not. Any Good Thing In Me Is God and He is the one who knows all things, knows all needs. I was once again simply the conduit that He used to do His work.  I am so privileged to be that person.

I do thank each one of you who prays for me. I can’t begin to tell you what that means to me.  Your comments, encouragement, and examples sometimes have kept me going when I just wanted to stop for a while-when I just need a little break. I am going to ask you to pray for something specific for me and my sisters this time. Women of Faith has their annual conference in Orlando in October 12-13. My Orlando sister and I have always gone to the conferences for years! We love them. This year, we’ve invited our other sisters. The youngest one has a 3 yr old and a 2 yr old and of course that means leaving them with Dad.  On a Thurs and Fri night no less.For her to come she needs his cooperation and really his desire for her to come be with us. My Philly sister I am asking tomorrow. I ask that she would want to come to this conference and that it and we would be important to her to come as she is important to us to ask to come. I know my God is big enough to handle these requests, but there’s power in numbers and I happen to know I need the power for these requests to be answered positively.

So please all of you pray I believe it could be life changing for all of us. Thank you and I love you all with the love of the Lord God.

COMFORTED

What a hard week last week was! I thought I was going to close 2 deals on Tuesday-didn’t happen—good thing is, I haven’t lost the deals-just the closings are postponed. I even got new searches from one of the clients. And I got a brand new client who has really good needs.

So why am I so blah? I think I am worn out again…just trying to catch up and still take care of everyone. I am trying to take care of me too. Today, I went back to bed and slept 3 hours! I’ve had to keep my leg elevated because of swelling and some throbbing pain-which my doc and I do not understand—with the amount of Coumadin that I am taking, I couldn’t have another clot…I don’t know. I guess I am a little frustrated…and yet I do know absolutely positively that my Lord God is in charge, directing, moving people, changing hearts… that everything that comes to me has been filtered through His fingers! But I have to admit that between the leg and the re-emergence of the C Diff! yes after 3 bouts of antibiotics! I am worn out, worn down, and just want a break!  I shared very honestly with this friend and because she understands exactly how I feel-because she has been there with some of my own diseases. The Lord has healed her, but she remembers how it feels, and this time I am the receiver of comfort:

“My heart aches for you. Indeed, there are answers in the Bible. God tells Israel that He is our Healer, and David writes in Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” God is in control, and your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Your body is not your own, it was bought with a price, the priceless blood of our own dear Jesus, the Messiah. May you rest in the arms of Jesus as He tends to His friend’s body, and may you bask in Him and His presence. I’m praying for you.

Andrew Murray wrote in “Divine Healing,” “He leads us to understand that if we yield our body unreservedly to the influence of the Holy Spirit, we shall experience His power in us, and He will heal us by bringing into our body the very life of Jesus. He leads us, in short, to say with full conviction, ‘The body is for the Lord.’”

May you reflect on the power of God at work in your spirit and in your body.”

Now do you see why I am so in love with my God and Savior? Even in my “down,”  He reaches out to me from my friends, family and then His Very Own Self.

Hebrews 1 and 2 Part 2 From the Hospital Stay

In Hebrews 2:9-18, God gives us the reason for the whole plan. This is terrific. I will quote a little and try and explain a little (at least to my understanding now)

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.  a note here is very important. When Jesus was on that cross, God turned His back on Him and They were separated for the first time in eternity. God The Father in Heaven, could not look upon the sin that Jesus took upon Himself as the scapegoat. And as the scapegoat He was paying the sin debt for every human being ever born, whether the gift was accepted or not.  In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God  for whom and through  everything exists, did you get that?  Think about that little phrase and what it means! we’ll get back to it another time. should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. So we called brothers and sisters in Christ, because He has made us holy-When God looks at me, Jesus is standing right in front of me and I look holy right now, even though I am not yet holy as I will be in heaven. But all because of Jesus, God’s wrath is not upon me, His eyes are full of love and compassion and He knows my heart, the deepest longings, and because the Holy Spirit lives in me and is God and knows; He can pray for me in spiritual prayers when I have no more words.  He says, I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises. And again, I will put my trust in Him and again he says,  Here am I and the children God has given me. Since the children have flesh and blood he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is the devil–and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death…For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and that He might make atonement  for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.  So the Lord has given us the exact reason that He implemented the whole blood debt payment, who would pay it (himself as Jesus) and that because Jesus took on what the Father asked of Him separation by the weight of the sins of the world and then death for 3 long days, the Father elevates Him so that (back to chapter 1, vs 8-9 your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever and righteousness will the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness, therefore, God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. He also says in the beginning , O Lord you laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands…Through these scriptures, I don’t think you can get more validation than what is so clearly written here;  along with the reasons that God chose to do it that way. Our God who really shouldn’t have to explain anything, but I ask Him to all the time…

The other part I wanted to go back to was where He has become our merciful and faithful High Priest. I have heard it said many times that because Jesus has experienced life as a human being, He can also explain that feeling back to God our Father  in a way that He knows exactly because they are one …. I believe He can actually transfer or make the Lord God feel the same things He is feeling as the Son.  That is what a High Priest does-he takes my place. He knows my heart, my feelings, my sin and because I have accepted Jesus as my Savior, Lord and High Priest, he can literally feel it from me to Him. Not that our God needs to be burdened with every little thing, but He says He does. He says He knows the number of hairs on my head. I am sure  He knows my thoughts, because I can barely speak them to Him and He can be answering me back.

So many may be saying okay for you or it’s easy for you to say.  No it isn’t. It has been hard-won. I hate the wasted years, they are my fault. But Glory to God that it’s never too late. There is nothing you or anyone can do that would turn His love away from you except that you reject Him.  I can’t even imagine such love and yet I think I am full of love because I am full of Him-but that is how much He loves you. Think on these things. If nothing else, be sure that you are right with Him before you meet Him face to face-because like me, you never know. He said be ready. I am. He’s coming soon.

A Familiar Passage John 14:7-14

I can’t begin to do justice to this passage. It is so deep with meaning in different directions-but I am following just one today early as I read it and tonight before I sleep as I read it again. Key verses for me are  if you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.  Philip said, ” Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”.  Jesus answered” don’t you know me,  Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say ‘Show us the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? The Words I say to you are not just my own. rather it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name so the  Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.

So for me, the parts that made the Holy Spirit in me stand up and shout were:I am in the Father and He is in me. And that seeing Jesus is seeing the Father, knowing Jesus is knowing the Father. This is a huge concept even today!  We get up every morning and go through our days and pay some attention hopefully to the Lord in some way, shape or form-we have dinner, play with the kids, bath routine, bed routine, and tomorrow it starts all over again. What for? We know Jesus. We claim to. He says that knowing him is knowing the Father. The Father, Our creator of heaven and earth, who by His very thought keeps everything together and in motion. So what ? Well, if you plan to go to heaven instead of hell you might give some thought to getting to know the God of the Universe, King of all Kings. He is a BIG GOD. He is not a benevolent old man up there administrating heaven! He is a HOLY God and He says we should be HOLY as HE is HOLY. How can we do that? That’s like telling me to quit drinking water. I can’t talk without it. How do I be Holy?

And then there is the final part of that passage.  the Son wants to bring glory to the Father, period and as long as what you ask is going to bring glory, he says you may ask me for ANYTHING in my name and I WILL DO IT. This is where you find out what brings Him glory-sometimes its the smallest thing, because it pleases Him to please us/me. This is where you learn trust. Because you believe that He will do what He says He will do. For me this was a harder road than I would have ever believed. I thought I trusted. But I didn’t. God knew I didn’t. He told me so. And then He said…but you will. I would tell you it is so much easier to do it His way in the beginning than your own way. You will find in searching for that peace and trustworthiness in every other place but God’s House, that it was right here waiting for you all the time.

One other thought-when we answer that door and invite Him in. the Holy Spirit comes in to stay. This is where again, you trust, because your mind can’t get around the idea of the Trinity. But this is what I know. the Holy Spirit is God also. So just as the Father was in Jesus and Jesus was in the Father, so is the Father in the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit in Him. And like Jesus, all things are said and done to glorify the Father who sits on the throne of the Godhead. Now think about this, don’t miss it; the Holy Spirit which is in the Father and the Father is in Him is also in You. That means that the Father is also in YOU. This is truly the greatest of all gifts that the God of the Universe, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, our Creator of all things could give, He is IN YOU. He makes you able, Jesus says to do things even greater than He did. I am not talking about those things this morning-just His indwelling and the miracle of it all-but do you see now why He would say Be Holy as I am Holy?  You are my Righteousness? Your body is the Temple of God? this is all why.

There are so many other important parts in this particular passage, but these spoke to me today. How long do I have to have those quiet times with my Lord in the morning? either because He has come for me, or persecution has-and I’ll be the first to go. Because we are so close-on the very edge of eternity. I am so ready for this and then I think of beloved friends and family that I know don’t know my Lord Jesus and I think, tarry, just a little while more…surely they will come. if you are that person, don’t wait another day, another hour, another minute. Don’t take the chance. He’s standing at the door and knocking still, may I come in???

A Tribute to My Dad re-written almost 4 years later

I am Cynthia, soon nicknamed Cindy, the first born of the Hungerford clan.  I was the first girl in several generations in the family and so a big surprise for everyone.   My dad cared for me in those first months of my life as he was finishing his PHD and my mom was working as a designer in Knoxville.  I’ve carefully read my baby book and believe that for the first time in his life my Dad experienced unconditional love with me. He wouldn’t have characterized it as such, because he didn’t know what it was nor had he experienced it aside from my mother’s love. But as I grew up and until he went to be with Jesus, Daddy and I had an understanding and a special relationship. 

I believed everything he said and tried — until my teens anyway — to do everything he wanted me to. In first grade, I told my teacher that my dad said the moon was made of green cheese. She said absolutely not! But I argued with her and got sent to the principal’s office. I explained that my dad said it—so it was true! Poor Daddy, he had to go down to the principal’s office and explain and apologize!

When Dad died, I had all these flashbacks of him and me. At six, my first Christmas I remember the handmade doll furniture for my doll. My first bike and teaching me to ride without training wheels. A Halloween parade where he made me the most a awesome tail that curled and pitchfork for my devil costume—this was before we knew any better!

When I broke my arm playing Tarzan and Jane and he ran all the red lights to get me to the hospital. The weekend trips around Texas, to San Jacinto Memorial, to New Braunsfels where I rode my first horse.

Of course in my teens things changed a lot! I wanted to be a part of the crowd. Dad didn’t want me out there at all. I seemed to get grounded all the time. When I was 15, I was grounded and had to ask him to please let me go with my boyfriend to his prom-he relented and let me go. But I had to be home by 1am and couldn’t go to the beach with everybody or have breakfast with them. I didn’t understand why? When I was 16 and had my birthday party at home and the kids started dancing—he shut it down. I was mad at him for a long time. I didn’t care that our church preached against dancing and he was a deacon—and needed to adhere to the church’s doctrines. But that was Dad-at that point in his life he was still about works and earning his salvation.

Life with my dad was not easy as a teen, but after I married my Dennis at 29, I seemed to finally grow up and when we moved toTampa in 1984, I purposed to have a closer relationship with both my parents. This led to much visiting and really getting to know my father as a person. For this, I really have to thank my husband. Because it was to him that my dad opened up. Dennis is a little older than I and studied and read quite a bit about World War II. I guess he encouraged my dad to talk, because talk he did! I would be around for some of it, but I would use that time to take my mom out to shop, do her hair, nails, etc. So Dennis would fill me in when I questioned him about the rest of the stories!   For the first time, I heard about his early life and his war years. I finally understood why he was the way he was—military straight, absolutes because of his nuclear physics education and lack of love in his home growing up. When he stood at my mom’s funeral and said  that she was the first person to love him unconditionally-he was being truthful.  I am glad that I had come to love him unconditionally long ago.  First in obedience to God‘s word, but then simply because I loved my dad and could never stay mad at him long!

After mom’s funeral, he came to stay with Dennis and me for three weeks.It was a precious time I am so thankful for now. We talked about his salvation experience and his great regrets in his life. How very much he loved his children, but couldn’t express it. How proud he was of everyone for their teaching their own children about Jesus. That we, his children were believers. That was his greatest legacy.                                          I was sent a card by one of my staff at work.  It said  “Remember that your father left the world a legacy in the good and caring person that you have grown to be. And in this time of sadness may it help comfort you to know that he is still a part of all you are and do.

I had thought to write a Father’s Day tribute, but this one which I tweaked a little from the eulogy for him is the best one I could have ever written for him. The Bible has a lot to say about Fathers. They are to honored.  We are to heed their instruction. In fact it says several times to honor and to heed. At least in the last years of his life, my dad knew I loved him-even on the day that he thought that he would lose my love if he told me his story. All I cared about was that he had a story!

The day that we cleaned out his apartment and we were on our way home coming across I-4. I was crying and praying. I asked the Lord for a sign that Mom and Dad were up there with Him and singing and dancing… I knew (or thought I knew, I was wrong) that God didn’t give signs but please God give me a sign. I need a sign so much. And just a minute or two later, here comes a little red plane buzzing by our car and then up in the sky he goes and begins to draw…a … smiley face…and then he is writing…Jesus…loves…you! well, there was my sign. How else could an airplane draw up by our car, then do draw a smiley face and write Jesus love you-right after I have asked for the sign? to read a sign in the sky, you have to be in just the right place as we were. I called all my sibs and told them. I think they were just as happy to hear this as I was to see it!

There have been a lot of changes in the family since Daddy died. My youngest sister has had 2 little boys a year apart. My oldest granddaughter has accepted the Lord Jesus into her heart.And she has a new sister who is now 3. A couple of my brothers kids have graduated high school and started college and he and wife Lesley had one more little girl  and my sister’s kids-Anna graduated college this year and Beau started this year and made DEAN’s list. Dad would have been proud.  He would have been thrilled with all the babies! He might have had a hard time interacting with children especially as he got older and couldn’t hear, but there was no one that loved having his family around more than he did.

I am better with my grieving now of course than I was even a year ago. But I still cry and I still miss him-and my momma too of course. I had no idea that they were so much my foundation–but in losing them, I found my God who said He would now be my father. He would be my Rock and my Foundation. He would provide for me, protect me, care for me, teach me all things-including trusting him implictly. Hard lesson to learn but wonderful peace to have. Not that He was not there before, but now it is only Him. I love you, Daddy.

A NEW AWARD “THE MRS. SPARKLY’S TEN COMMANDMENTS AWARD”

Well, you could really knock me over with a feather tonight when I saw this  new award. I really, really appreciate and treasure each award. For me it is telling that I am on the right track saying and doing exactly what my Father wants me to do. This week has been full of those validations. I didn’t realize that I needed them so much! But my Father knew–and made sure that I got just what I needed-just as He always does.

Last night I spoke with one of my candidates. His father had passed from this life to eternity on Saturday. I spoke with him very briefly Sunday and he had mentioned that he had thought of me when he was with his father in his last half hour of life. I didn’t quite know what to make of that. But then when we spoke yesterday he explained. You see, often when you are speaking of someone’s hopes and dreams, you speak of faith as well if it is important to the person and to him it was important.  So we had exchanged a few stories over the last 2-3 months we’ve been talking-one of them was about my dad who has also passed on. It seems our dads were alike.  We commiserated with each other a bit, but I also had told him about how I had found out 1 week before he died exactly what my dad’s story was. I asked because I was afraid that he had not story at all. Instead he had quite a story-a brilliant mind (he was a nuclear physicist) regardless of what the Bible said, he still thought he needed to earn his way into heaven –he tried for over 60 years! When I finally got him to tell me about it. He said, “I’ll tell you, but you won’t love me anymore”. You see my Dad still didn’t understand unconditional love or grace. Even after he “gave it all up” as he called it and knew that at that moment the Holy Spirit truly came into his heart-He still had a very difficult time believing that anyone would love him unless he behaved a certain way, or acted a certain-even me.  I, of course, simply put my arms around him and told him how much I loved him –that I had always loved him even when I was mad at him. I didn’t stop loving him. He still asked me if I was sure that I still loved him-because his life had been a lie and he had been a hypocrite. I just looked at him through my tears and said, “that’s why Jesus came, Daddy.”  A little over a week later, he was gone, gone to be with my mom and Jesus in heaven.

So somehow in sharing my story and maybe other stories –I never know later what we’ve talked about-just that we’ve connected. I know my candidate a little better, they know me a little better. So whatever I had shared apparently helped this young man make absolutely sure that his dad was going to make it to heaven as well.  I am in awe of a great and mighty God that puts people together to help one another-sometimes when you don’t even know you are helping–but God knows-because He knows the future and everything that is going to touch me in any way, shape or form and it’s got to be filtered through His fingers. I am comforted by that knowledge.

So now we are going to talk about the Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments Award

The “Mrs. Sparkly’s Ten Commandments Award” has to do with a woman of the same name, known for being very elegant and having high expectations, and who is committed to maintaining integrity, good manners and behavior, as well as a rich sense of humor. I have been told  that I am elegant. I have been told that I have too high expectations of me and others. I have been told that I have integrity, good manners, and good behavior (thank you, Mama) But I don’t know about the rich sense of humor. I often don’t get the jokes. I do take things too seriously even when people are trying to ‘lighten up’. But I am trying to be better and ‘lighter about everything’. So again, I am grateful for the award and will try to live up to its name and keep its commandments.

 

RULES:
The rules for this award are that you must answer the following ten questions and nominate five-ten blogs that you think deserve the award.

 

 

1. Describe yourself in seven words.

 

Christ follower, Bible Student, Wife, Mother, and Mimi (grandmother0 

 

2. What keeps you up at night?

sometimes it’s God telling me to pray for something specifically, sometimes it’s reading too many blogs, sometimes, its writing too late., sometimes it’s my asthma.

 

 

3. Whom would you like to be?

 

Me. I am finally satisfied and at peace with who I am, and what my “perfect” body  is to God

 

4. What are you wearing now?

 

Jeans and a knit top my daughter gave me

 

5. What scares you?

 

is not standing up for my God and Savior enough or if it meant my life-could I do it-like others are having to do in the world today.  I used to be scared of dying of an asthma attack but the Lord cured me of that!

 

6. What are the best and worst things about blogging?

 

the best- is reading what God puts into the minds and hearts of others that so reasonates with me, that you form true bonds, friendship, love and caring for these people you haven’t physically met, but that doesn’t matter because you KNOW them. the worst thing is not having enough time to read all the blogs I want to read. I could read 24/7 for a week I think and still only mabe make a dent.

 

7. What was the last website you looked at?

 

One of my client’s websites

 

8. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

 

I would not talk so much

 

 

9. Slankets, yes or no

 

No….if  Diane said no, then I’ll say no.

 

10. She is absolutely so loving and giving. She is always concerned about the other person-not herself. I am not surprised that she is constantly be awarded  because she is such a dear, sweet, giving person. She listens, if she can help fix something she does-she’s the best editor I’ve ever had. I love her. She’s Diane and would you all join with me in tell her to put up the website called writerwannabe…because she already is, right???

 

 

A CHILD OF MY HEART

Brand new 2 (Photo credit: Andreas-photography)

I was recently asked to write about my experience with adoption. I had written a little of this in an earlier post, if it sounds a little familiar. 

In  1974, I was 22 years old and had an emergency hysterectomy. I was told how fortunate I was that I was already married and had a child. But I didn’t feel very fortunate! I had wanted 3 or 4 children, now that was obviously not to be. I wasreally confused. I thought that I had done everything in the world that would make God choose to bless me. He Had with the miracle birth of our daughter who was 13 months old at the time, but I couldn’t understand what I had done wrong. Oh I had so much to learn!!

 But then in January 1976, in my quiet time of the morning, He spoke to me through scripture and told me to “prepare for the child He was going to give us!” I was thrilled, excited, overwhelmed and yes, scared all at the same time. Scared because what if I was imagining this? And if it is true, how were we going to pay for it?—minor details I hadn’t worried about when I was praying my desire! Still, I did what God said to do. I prepared.

We got down the crib and the baby clothes from the attic. And I washed and ironed everything. Put the clothes and blankets away in the drawers. Had the crib all set up, made curtains for a nursery and created that room for the baby to come. I know everyone thought I was nuts, but humored me.   

 Then in April I got a phone call from a friend. She had a friend who was pregnant and wanted to give up her child for adoption. Would we be interested??  Oh yes! We would be interested I told her and explained exactly how prepared we were and would she please tell the birth mother this. It might make her feel better knowing that this child was not an accident, but planned for me.

 Our daughter was born in the early morning of August the 8^th.  She came early by a couple of weeks, so I was surprised when I got the call from our attorney (who was the go between). He said your new daughter looks just like you! She has dark hair and eyes and dimples in the same place as yours! He was amazed because of course there was no matching, but here was a baby who looked more like me than my natural child (blonde/blue eyed, and tall-she does have the dimples too). And let me insert here that years later, I am 5’4 and she is 5/2 ½ while my oldest is 5’8. My natural child has a very laid back personality and goes with the flow, but the child of my heart? We are just alike! Emotional, extroverted, service oriented. She has her own story to tell of how she has arrived at 35, almost 36 a professional nanny who specializes in ADHD children and multiples; who finally got everything straight with the Lord who protected her from the moment of her conception-because He had a plan for her life; who has been on 2 mission trips in South America to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and this year will go to Haiti.

 I could tell you that raising a child of your heart is easy, but I do not lie. And unfortunately for my child, her adoptive father left and divorced me when she was 2.

I married again when she was almost 4 and my husband has been her dad for the most part. She tried very hard in her teen years to live with her adoptive Dad, but there were so many issues on both sides, that it didn’t work. When she came home again, she brought the same problems with her and I certainly hadn’t learned the lessons I needed to learn that I have learned by now. So we all struggled, but we all loved, there was never any question of that on either side. I just kept praying and holding on to God’s promises that He has a plan for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11) I knew He had saved her life for a special purpose. It may be to be that all important nanny. It may be that all important person who leads a seeking heart to Jesus. I don’t know. I do know The ONE Who Holds The Future and I am convinced that nothing can separate us from Him and His plan for us and His commitment to finish the work He began in us…whatever it takes.