My soul yearns for a country I’ve not yet entered.
My memory is drawn to a lane it’s never walked.
My eyes search for a site I’ve not yet lived.
I wonder how I can dream of a place I’ve never been, and then I remember.
We’re not home yet.
We’ve not yet received the decree.
We’ve not yet acquired the dream.
We’ve not yet taken hold of the promise.
We’ve not yet been enraptured by the hope.
But rest assured. It’s coming.
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.
I make my bed in the morning as I think of the elderly woman fleeing who hasn’t slept in 3 days.
I brush my teeth as I think of the young man who lost his yesterday from shrapnel coming through the window.
I fix my coffee as I think of the little girl who is crying for lack of water in the deep dark train tunnel.
I get dressed as I think of the mother clutching the last dress she has, the one she’s worn for the last ten days as she holds her baby tight, wondering if her world is coming to an end.
War. What is it good for?
That’s the old song. It says it’s good for nothing. It says it brings no solution. It says it only brings heartache and decay.
Remind me. What is it good for?
I jump into my car, driving across town, and I think of the men, barely learning the world, crammed into tanks, being lied to about their missions and their cause.
I sit at my desk as I think of the soldier huddled with his gun, waiting for the shot.
I walk down the hall as I think of the many who may never walk back through their door.
I leave for home as I think of the millions who are fleeing their own, never knowing if they’ll return.
War. What is it good for?
That the age old question. It’s said to be a folly. It’s said to be for purpose. It’s said to be the point in which decisions can be made.
Remind me. What is it good for?
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under Heaven.
When you’re grouching on your son, but really, you’re grouchy because you’re still seething from the argument with your man.
When you’re snappy with the cashier, but really, you’re wanting to snap at your little girl who accidentally spilt the chips in aisle 3.
When you’re ill with your neighbor, but really, you’re grouchy because the car seat got ripped; you spilled your coffee, and you just dropped your keys while your arms are full.
It’s the month of love. Valentine’s Day is either loved or hated, depending on who you are…
So, what is this “love” everyone talks about?
Is it really real? Or is it just a fantasy?
Can it actually last? Or is it just a fairytale?
Love is everything they claim it is, and yet, it’s none of that and so much more…
Love is new birth and discovery. Love is exploration and the bloom of a flower.
Love is friendship and honesty. Love is mystery and the patient waiting for an unveiling.
Love is finding each other in the brokenness and surviving the tragedy by sheer determination.
Love is grieving and remembering, laughing and forgetting, holding on and letting go.
Love is acknowledging truth while having eyes half closed and speaking clarity while not saying a word.
Love is a 1,000 tiny miracles that bring two hearts together despite the chaos, the doubt and the criticism of the outside world.
Love is best described by the One who created it, implanted it, and destined it to be…
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
Joey and I have talked about this from time to time, and as I began to blog this morning, I ran across this thought in one of my notepads.
Thought I’d share it for a parent out there who needs to hear it…
There is a great balance in the weight of parenting. It truly takes both parents to survive.
You’ve got to find your niche. Find your balance. One of you will be good at one thing; the other will be better gifted at others.
Here’s a simple illustration:
One of our sons had a project to be done. It was started late, of course. I helped till midnight. I’m a night owl and pretty detailed. I stayed engaged till the job was done, and for this reason, I was very knowledgable of what was needed for the completion. This isn’t bragging; it’s just the facts as we both could see it.
The next morning, Joey dealt with a cell phone issue for another son. There was no blow up. No arguments. He just prompted the convo, said what needed to be said, and it was done. And honestly, it all came out much smoother than I would have ever made it to be!
It takes two. As parents, you have to figure out your weak spots and allow the other parent to balance you. Be honest. You’re not the best in all things, and neither is he.
You don’t have to be all things to your child. That’s God’s job. Be who He called you to be. Immerse yourself in His gifting.
I can’t scream this loud enough: Stop fighting to be “supermom/superdad.” You’re not created to be all things for all moments. If I could shout this from the mountain tops or paint a thousand billboards to make this message clear, I certainly would.
This isn’t a competition. You don’t have to be the best, nor do you have to demean your spouse to make you look better! You figure out what you can do and learn from your spouse on the rest. You don’t have to be the only hero.
When you struggle to be the hero, you only become a narcissistic hinderance in your child’s life.
Read up on narcissism. I guarantee you. You don’t want to go there! 😉
Happy parenting!
I will praise You, for I am fearfullyand wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, Andthat my soul knows very well.
I’d like to ask our modern culture and our “evolved” Christian believers, “When did we get to the place where Truth cannot be spoken for fear of offenses and sin cannot be confirmed for fear of judgement?”
If we are a follower of Christ, Truth is absolute and irrevocable, and sin is sin, not just “grace-filled” or “judgement-filled.”
When did we get to the point where we care more that we not offend someone than we do about their very souls? When did we get to the point where we work so hard to preach grace that we forsake the reality of sin, hell and an eternal death?
If we read the Bible, from the front cover to the very last page, God is so very clear: the wages of sin is death.
We’ve gotten to the place where we’d rather argue, and too often quite hatefully, with our brothers and sisters in Christ over the possible offenses taken or not taken over an issue rather than the merits of truth.
We’d rather drum up dissension over the intentions of someone’s words rather than seek His Word for His truth on the subject at hand.
We’d rather slash the hearts of our fellow kinsmen, and in turn, wound those who are listening and trying to find their own answers, rather than speak with love AND truth and let the Holy Spirit bring forth His conviction and mercy.
It sounds too much like the arguments of old, when men and women would argue over the color of the pews and the length of the choir robes while their babies were battling issues of sex, drugs and rock and roll.
It smells too much like the wayward youth of decades past who fought so hard for their independence and their owns rights that they forsook the ancient boundaries set before them to show them The Only Way.
It looks too much like the sly dealings of darkness who always brings forth confusion, contention and chaos in order to distract, disengage and devour those who are most vulnerable and afraid.
Wake up, Church. Lift up your eyes.
Look upon the One whom we have pierced! Gaze upon His torn flesh, His stripes, His pierced hands and feet.
He was wounded for OUR transgressions.
He was bruised for OUR iniquities.
It was not for someone else but for you and me.
It was for our own prideful stance. It was for our own arrogant words.
Not a one of us is not guilty. Not a one of us is worthy of the mercy and grace He gives.
It is time for us to stop claiming our own opinions and laments as Gospel. It is time we stop doing what is right in our own eyes.
Lives are at stake.
The innocent lie within the balance.
It is time we all repent.
Moses stood between the children of Israel and God’s burning wrath. Moses stood between the children of Israel and the armies of Pharaoh.
Moses cried out to God for their lives to be saved.
Moses was their hero. God was their Savior.
Whose hero will we be?
…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
I saw this posted the other day, and it caused me to pause…
“Cancel telling kids college is the only way to be successful.”
I’d have to somewhat agree a bit, but might I throw a bit of a curveball and some kindling to that line of thought?
Success is an attitude of the heart and mind as well as the actions of the body and emotions.
It’s a lifestyle that begins when you wake up everyday by the thoughts and choices you choose, which in turn, can create successes or failures.
It can last for a lifetime if you think well, choose well and have determined follow through…
So, I guess I’d personally say, “Don’t cancel the thought of “college only”, and don’t cancel the thought of “trade only.””
My suggestion would rather be, the better approach is to decide to be successful by who you are more than what you choose to do, and THEN, what you choose to do, do it well and with purpose and watch successes come more easily!
There was a girl who got through the day with routines, laughter. and some memes...chores, laughs, smiles, and some cats...food, naps, plus coffee too...then yoga for the win... a warm bath, some books, and You Tube📺-hdtj💜
My journey didn’t stop with mere time travel or writing; it led me to become one of the most sought-after empaths, a soulful psychic who reads the hidden depths of the human spirit. I’ve been blessed—or perhaps burdened—with an ability that allows me to feel the emotions of people from every corner of time.
I am a licensed psychologist based in Greece. My love for housekeeping has inspired me to create this blog about home management and family relationships. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing!
Dedicated to movie nerdom, nostalgia, and soul invigoration. In the late 90s, I worked at Blockbuster Video where they let me take home two free movies a day. I caught up on the classics and reviewed theatrical releases for Denver 'burbs newspapers and magazines. Today, while raising two young, beautiful daughters with my amazing wife, I look forward to anything rated R and not Bluey. Comments and dialogue encouraged!
the grizzle grist mill 