Thoughts

Thoughts

This faith walk can seem complicated at times yet over and over again we are told that the real work has been done on the cross. We are asked to do the work of believing. John 6:28-29 reads: "28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." I think it is easy to get full of our selves and create real and imagined obstacles to living out our faith.  I believe we are to hold fast, "to not harden our hearts" and handle the word of God with care.  In John 6:27 Jesus says  ^"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you" and in 2Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."  Is it that simple; to just believe, rest in the fact the work is done, "hold to our original conviction" and to "meditate on God's precepts and consider his  ways."?

Decisions

Decisions

This is a big year for the Cupo's...my 50th, our 25th anniversary, the oldest graduates college, the middle one graduates high school and the youngest heads into high school. Decisions need to be made. Some are fun or easy choices like how will we celebrate. Some are not mine to make and some have John and I puzzled such as where to send Ben next year. For many  families that is an easy one  but for a family who has utilized many different modes to educate our children it is a very challenging time. We have home, cyber, private, public and Wider schooled. All have benefited our children and met various needs. This year as we make this decision I feel a bit of unrest as we look at Ben's gifts and personality, trying to balance what will allow for growth not just academically but in his character and creativity as well as help open doors for future endeavors. Though we are pondering this at great lengths I am not worried and know whatever the choice God will be in it although would love that obvious easy answer.

1, 2, 3.....

1, 2, 3 eyes on me....In a preschool classroom, that is a familiar phrase used to gain the children's attention. In the special education preschool class where I work it takes many different prompts to help them focus on the needed instructions. I sometimes have them clap hands, stretch high in the air, give themselves a hug. Any thing that breaks their wandering gaze. That is very much how I think our heavenly father tries to get us to refocus on his son. I so easily wander from what I learned earlier in the week, day etc. I can experience wonderful truths about how God is working in other  women's lives and soon start to drift into "naval gazing" (a friends coined phrase). Sometimes just like  my special needs kiddos I need more input to gain my attention, a fresh look at the word, a word of encouragement,  a change of posture or a simple move towards obedience. Today, thankfully all that was needed was a gentle whisper...1, 2, 3 eye's on me.

Technology

Technology love it hate it. Frustrated by words unintentionally deleted but love sharing words with others on screens far away.

Tuesdays

Tuesday...one of the days I don't work, a day when Ben is home and the day Avery comes.  It begins early at 7:30 when baby arrives. Smiles, hugs, new skills admired, favorite books reached for and read. All is well, I am confident of this Grandma thing until I am not. We try exploring new songs, games and books but soon they grow tiresome. Lunch approaching and almost done, angel dust dropping away as food is thrown and other normal  toddler behavior emerges. Surprising though is Grandma's shorter fuse, pride thinking I have this down pat. Sinful child wanting her way, but more sad is sinful grandma wanting control. Tuesdays  a chance for the mirror to be  held up to see some ugly reflections,  a reminder that parenting is hard but the process of being sanded by anothers' need so necessary.

Noises

          Shh!Quiet. Shhhhhhh please!
 The noises reverberating all around our house tip the scales many a night; crazy dog barking, music emanating from technology, simultaneous conversations carrying on a midst random  boy noises and TV voices competing in the back ground. Decibels increasing and suddenly mom Shhshing all, hoping for a quiet space, but not really wanting it to stop. The noise does  overwhelm but it also means there is a pulse of life in our home. Time soon enough when one by one the noise makers will move on so this shhsher needs to shhsh herself and listen and remember.




This post inspired by Dani.

winter gift

Many may disagree but this has been a good winter for me. As a type B personality who enjoys a slower pace I have found the snow and cold weather  a bit refreshing. I am not necessarily a cold weather fan but the many days off have provided an automatic rest button from the busy. The frigid temps have also allowed for a hibernation from the world and time slots  that may have other wise been filled with running here and there. The season of rest is so needed yet our culture and values are so opposed to stopping,even if we profess it is good, our body's and minds do not know how. This winter I feel , at least here in the north east, we  have been given a gift from The Gift giver. The gift of staying in doors, huddling with family, reading a good book, and learning to be still.

colds

Blow,blow,blow your nose
gently with a tissue,
tiredly,tiredly,tiredly
life with a cold isn't a scream.
(to be sung to row row your boat in case it wasn't obvious)

ok so not too great on the rhyming or writing today.....

Other Women

I read a book several months ago that has stayed with me. It is called In The Land of The Blue Burqas’. The author is Kate McCord.  It is a true story about her time as an aid worker in a small village in Afghanistan. What struck me the most was her long term commitment to get to know the women in the village and to just listen to their stories. I was also so impressed with her ability to speak life and hope into them without proselytizing. Other stories about the oppressed lives of women from many Muslim nations has haunted me. In light of the recent events surrounding ISIS and the violent acts done in the name of Allah, I again have been thinking of these women and children. Many have no access to public communication nor are they allowed to even go out and worship in public. Knowledge of the things in the world is very limited and indoctrination is very easily accomplished through ignorance.  During a written prayer exercise the other night I felt compelled to pray for these women (we were asked to pray for the city of Reading. I guess I was not listening). Below is my Prayer and am hoping others will pray too.

"Dear Lord I lift up the many oppressed Muslim women and children who do not know you and have no access to you. I pray against fear that would chain them to a hate filled, bitter life. I pray for protection and bravery for those who comfort and preach in your name Jesus. I pray that you Lord would rise up, protect and avenge those who are being persecuted. Lord let your name and goodness be proclaimed in these places. Reach out your mighty hand and give eyes and ears to see your truth and justice. Tie up those who would proclaim evil, enslave and put heavy burdens on their people. Hem in all their evil plans, place road blocks on every road. Awaken hearts and minds, give voices to the oppressed."

My Father's eyes

I heard a song today called my father's eyes by Amy Grant. Genetically I do have green eyes just like my dad and have taken great pride in them. This song however hit a deeper note as it talked about seeing with God's eye's, having compassion, seeing the pain and seeing the good in things" when good is not around".  It was a great way to refocus on God on my way to work (this morning's quiet and bible time already fading). I prayed and have prayed in the past that I would have eyes to see the need around me and the action to follow through in obedience. Unfortunately the wonderful sentiment only lasted for the 20 minutes until I arrived at work and the immediate "needs" pushed all things spiritual from mind. I think that it is easy for me to want to negate the emotion that was stirred by the song and become discouraged at my short memory but I believe that the Holy spirit is at work in us and so all these "little" moments of awareness of God and His desires continue to work away, making new genetic imprints in us.

Lent

   What is Lent and is this something  I should be participating in? I have friends who are Catholic who receive  ashes on ASH Wednesday and fast for 40 days. According to one sight (The upper Room) ,"Lent is a season of the Christian Year where Christians focus on simple living, prayer, and fasting in order to grow closer to God." I have been praying for a newness of purpose and a revival in my own walk. As I read this simple description why would I not participate in this. According to Mathew 4:1-11 Jesus was sent into the wilderness by the Spirit. He fasted and prayed for 40 days. I have also been reading more about living a surrendered life. Can I forgo some little pleasure, some sort of comfort for my faith? I am not one for becoming legalistic and most certainly not talking about trying to win some favor with my sacrifice. I have fasted in the past but am feeling tugged towards releasing the need to gratify my cravings and so am choosing this year to participate in Lent.

 "But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Mathew 6 17,18

 "All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us,God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." Ephesian 2:3-5

12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[c] 1Corinthians 2:12-13

The prospective professor and his protege'.

The prospective professor and his protege'.

    Today I got to observe my eldest bonding with his niece. He is graduating this year,soon to head off to graduate school for his PhD.  She is a 19 month old toddler exploring and soaking all things around her.The sheer joy of watching this precious interaction as he simply reads her a book, helps her take puzzle pieces out and naming objects all around her. She glows whenever he sings "head, shoulders, knee's and toes" or begins to sing a familiar Raffi song. These are pictures to be mentally snapped and stored and blocks for building relationships.  I am reminded that they are simple investments but so needed in this hurried, hurting world.

A moment of silence

                    

      Not much to say in light of the       
murder's of the 21 Coptic Christians..      
                             
   A moment of silence to remember and pray...

The Body

The body

At church today the teaching was on Psalm 133 and unity. I have contemplated how the body works the past several years, having been given a mental picture of being a vertebrae. One scripture that stood out today has me thinking once again about the symbolic body and the church body. The word vertebrae had frustrated me for quite some time but it has a way of growing on you. The pressure to be something else such as legs and arms or hands and feet is loosening its grip as I am learning (always in process) to rest in being a support bone stacked up with other bones. I am also learning to better value the other parts letting go of any envy. I can appreciate my weakness in light of someone else's strength. I love how it says the parts cannot say "I don't need you" as all parts are indispensable. Thoughts to think upon; How can we appreciate each of the parts, How can we better understand how to work in harmony with one another and how do we stop pride from letting us be utilized in even the "lowliest" places. 

1 Corinthians 12:12-26 ^"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.²¹ the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."

Mom

I was so blessed the other day by just a few simple words..."that's my mom".

 These words are a common occurrence from my children living at home 

(still very precious) but from this other person a true honor. 

My "daughter  in law" had been telling me about an acquaintance and as this 

person, my foster son and his wife began to list mutual acquaintances my 

name came up and in the space of a few moments my role and title were 

officially conferred  with three little words "that's my mom".

Gluten free dreams

     If there was a next life on earth I would want to be an Italian chef (and not gluten free). I would  relish in stretching elastic, glutinous dough, forming it into heavenly pizza crusts. I would make home made pasta with delicate sauces. I would enjoy tasting all my pastry creations, filling up hand rolled cannoli's.  But alas I only have this life so I will make the most out of gluten free(GF) pizza dough, seasoning and topping with care. I will work with brown rice pasta praying it does not turn to mush in my soups and  dishes. I will sing praises for Betty Crocker and Pamela's GF flour mixes when baking. I will be thankful for ovens, hands that can cook, money for groceries and Gluten free food to eat.

Hearing and Seeing.

3 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen[c] the One who sees me.”                  14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi[d]; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. 15 So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Genesis 16

17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation". Genesis 21

     Today a woman at work broke down and just began crying in the midst of serving her Headstart kiddo's their lunch.  Where did this pain come from and how long had this dear sweet woman been struggling? The teacher had no idea nor did I.  It took us by "surprise" but what if in my 15 minutes a week interactions with this woman I would simply say "hey how are you doing or how was your week?".  I am not beating myself up or suggesting that we become mind readers but "what if... I took notice a little more, extended myself beyond my immediate circle of friends at work. What if I listened and looked with more purpose and compassion. God see's and hears us, do we see and hear his creation? God is gracious because I did get an opportunity to pray over her and listen as she recovered.

"Lord forgive me the days when I have walked past others hurting, not seeing or hearing, I pray for ears and eye's to be open and willing".