From the Desert to the Berry Patch

Each year we go to our favorite berry farm to pick our favorites -- gooseberries, boysenberries and raspberries.  EXCEPT last year, we weren't able to go.  With both of us suffering from severe sciatica and back pain, it seemed the better part of valor to stay home and anyway, we still had plenty of berries from the year before in our freezer.

Yesterday was a different story!

Breakfast was finished.

The convertible was packed for a picnic lunch and with berry baskets.

And we were ready to stain our hands with the delicious juices of those berries.

GO WEST, berry pickers!  GO WEST!

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And west we drove.  About 45 minutes from our home to a lovely place called West Union Gardens.  After we parked and had our containers weighed, we marched with determination into the lovely rows of berries -- row after row after row.

As we walked childish laughter could be heard.  Mamas calling them back closer, and we began to see the color of ripening berries.

Most important on our list of things to be picked were gooseberries, my husband's favorite pie making berry.  So, we found those and began picking the most luscious looking pink gooseberries. Pink, fat, juicy, big, delectable looking berries.  I kept asking how many do we want to pick, and he kept saying, "MORE!"

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Finally, we had enough gooseberries!

On to the boysenberries . . . .

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and what we found was extraordinary in its bounty.  Fat and juicy berries ready for picking.  Slipping into your hands and sometimes falling to the ground.  And ready for eating . . .  you can eat while you pick, you know.

Then it was time to take a break.  After all, we'd been at this for almost three hours.  We had our lunch under a large oak tree and once refreshed the last berries we wanted to pick called us back to the rows.

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The raspberries had just been opened, and there were so many!  It was as if a sea of raspberries stretched before us as far as the eye could see.


The berries were larger than any I'd ever seen!  And it seemed the berries wanted you to come close and pick them.  Again, they slipped right into your hand.  Often they too fell to the ground, and if you were lucky, you could snap that one up and put it into your bucket.

I heard a little one about three years old say to her mama, "Oh, look, mama.  Some of the berries falled down to the ground."  Her tiny voice sounded sad.

Dear reader, don't leave me yet.  I know you wonder where this is going.  And I have a wonderful message not just for you, but one that was meant for me yesterday.

For weeks, or so it seems, I've been traveling in the desert. I even mentioned to my husband that my writing had dried up, I felt parched and worn out, and I wondered why.  Of course, he had no answer for me.

Then, just by chance I reached out to my friend Nikki over at Simply Striving.  Nikki's post on Tuesday talked about discovering worship.  As I read it, I cried.  There was something there I needed and felt a hunger for.  Leaving a comment for Nikki, I told her where I was, or maybe wasn't.

Doing what good friends do best, Nikki reached back to me with a wonderful heartfelt prayer that you can read in her comments -- it may speak to your heart and needs as well.  I could feel something happening -- like an opening was being created.

Yesterday, while in the berry fields, breathing in His air, feeling His breeze, seeing and picking from His bounty, 

God nudged and said to me, "Daughter, where have you been?
Not nearly close enough lately."

"Father, I know.  Life's been so full and so busy with family, and you know, things."

He nudged again.  "How can life be full without Me?"

I hung my head, drew a breath,
and knew in an instant He was right, again.

It was I who had moved away.  Like the children running in the berry fields, I needed Him to call me back closer.  I needed to be nudged.

I wasn't taking time to acknowledge or draw close to Him.  Not the other way around.

I had created my own desert space.  

I had dehydrated my relationship with God.  

I am the one to take the step toward regaining my closeness with Him. 

[L]et us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full
assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us
from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,
for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:22-23 (NIV)

Where are you today -- are you creating your own desert space, or are you clinging to that faith and hope we all profess and that He and He alone promises?

To Heaven and Back by Mary C. Neal, MD (ISBN 9780307731715)

Not too long ago I won a copy of To Heaven and Back by Mary C. Neal, MD, in a WaterBrook Press giveaway.  Therefore, this review is not part of my Blogging for Books agreement with the publisher.

* * *

Whether or not you believe in near death experiences or a return to life after death, Mary C. Neal shares in a beautifully spiritual way the amazing story of drowning to dying on to eternal life, and then back again to live among her family and friends.

The author, also an orthopedic surgeon, knows the emotional nature of death in her practice.  Yet, she is still surprised by her own experience which opens a wealth of spiritual awakening to her.  Although sent back to live again, Mary, like many others, was disappointed that she couldn't stay and share in the joys of Heaven.

However, as we all know, God has a plan for us and obviously He wasn't finished with Mary Neal yet.  In her book, Neal talks about life after death and the various twists and turns it takes for her and her family.  She shares a few of her less than happy experiences but rejoices that she was able to support her family during times of extreme sadness, frustration, disappointment, all because she had experienced something that so filled her own heart with joy.

The reader is greeted in each chapter with a Scripture verse which, in my opinion, fit perfectly with the subject matter of the chapter.  Some verses I saw in a totally different light than I had before reading the chapter.  I don't believe the author intended this as a Bible study or resource book, so not many Scriptures, if any, are found throughout the book.  However, these verses used with each chapter tell me they mean something special to Mary Neal.

Many discount stories of near death and return to life from death.  This doesn't seem to dissuade Mary Neal from sharing hers.  I admire her willingness to tell what she believes to be her own truth and the impact it had on her and her family and her practice.

At the end of the book, the reader can enjoy some Q&A where the author answers a variety of questions posed by readers.

This book was a quick read for me, finished in the span of a busy weekend travelling back and forth about 5 hours each way.  I can highly recommend it to the reader who wants to know what it's like to go "To Heaven and Back."

Promises Made, Promises Relied On

Attribution Unavailable

As it happens so often, I stumbled upon the verses from Isaiah found in Chapter 35, verses 1-10.

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them;
and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.

It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon;
they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.

Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

Say to them that are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, fear not.
Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense;
He will come and save you.”

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue
of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall
waters break out, and streams in the desert.

And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land
springs of water; in the habitation of dragons, where each lay,
shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called
the Way of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it,
but it shall be for those; the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon;
it shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion
with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain
joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

(emphasis mine)

 Instantly, I was reminded of my sister-in-law who died some years ago after a struggle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.  These verses and a song our choir sang at the time, based on these verses, gave me great comfort that upon entering Heaven she would be able to walk and talk again, her body would be restored, and she would rise up and praise our God.

Funny that I've not often thought of these words in Isaiah nor the song lyrics. . . .

UNTIL this weekend.
We were visiting my husband's brother and his wife.
Bob's brother suffers from a rare and serious form of dementia,
which has stolen the core of his being from us. 

His eyes show little light or recognition.
His tongue and lips have been quieted
except for a rare word here and there.
His body doesn't cooperate the way it has before,
and he sits or lays most of every day,
unable to move under his own strength.

The words from Isaiah and from this song have once again spoken to me.  I am reminded that one day my husband's brother will be able to sing, speak, see with recognition, and walk as He becomes one with our God in Heaven.  It is hard not to be sad as we watch him slip away so quickly from us.   

BUT God's promises are true and on them I rely.  I pray the same trust and reliance on Him for you.

Simply Sunday -- Letting Go

Humbly let go. Let go of trying to do, let go of trying to control,
let go of my own way, let go of my own fears.
Let God blow His wind, His trials, oxygen for joy's fire.
Leave the hand open and be. Be at peace.
Bend the knee and be small and let God
give what God chooses to give
because He only gives love and whisper a surprised thanks.
This is the fuel for joy's flame. Fullness of joy is discovered only in the
emptying of will. And I can empty. I can empty because
counting His graces has awakened me to how He cherishes me,
holds me, passionately values me.
I can empty because I am full of His love.
I can trust.

(emphasis mine)

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
by Ann Voskmamp

Attribution

With Barbie at Freshly Brewed Sundays

and with Deidra in

and linking up with L.L. Barkat at 

Simply Sunday -- Psalm 100

Psalm 100
New King James Version (NKJV)

A Song of Praise for the Lord’s Faithfulness to His People
A Psalm of Thanksgiving

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing
Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

A moment's reflection:

As a young girl, I was required to memorize these verses in Sunday School.  I haven't attempted to recite them in decades.  And yet today, for some reason, they resonated in my heart as I gazed upon the most glorious day in this sodden region of Oregon in a long time.  

Did these words speak to me because it was a beautiful day?  Because the sun shone high in a blue sky?  Because we were able to work in the dirt and plant flowers and vegetables?  Because we were celebrating a dear friend's retirement?

No, most likely it was because the Lord has been good to our family in times of distress, financial hardship and sorrow.  His mercy has covered us more times than I can count.  Lastly, I'm sure it was because our mom taught us that His truth would last forever and reach to all who came into our family until the end of time.

Image credit:  Aspiring Servant 

Linking up with Barbie at Fresh Brewed Sundays today:

and also over at Jumping Tandem with Diedra:

Reluctant Like Maggie?

Meet Maggie.  Our little tuxedo girl.  Adopted a couple of years ago.  Our hearts won in an instant.

A few things to know about Maggie.  She loves heights (note we're on the refrigerator!).  She loves to sleep at the foot of our bed.  She waits patiently for a chair to be emptied for her.  And she's one heck of a lap kitty.

One thing she doesn't like -- being left at the kennel for any length of time. 

Last Friday as we prepared to be gone just overnight we decided Maggie could have the house to herself.  No kennel for our girl -- on her own.  We even told her she could party.

Just as we were ready to walk out the door, we couldn't find her.  My husband looked under her favorite hiding place when she has seen her carrier, and sure enough she was hiding there.  Evidently our bags had been hint enough.

We told her she didn't need to hide.  That all would be just fine and she was on her own.  But there she stayed as we locked up the house.

As we pulled from the driveway, I realized that too often I'm like Maggie -- reluctant to step out.  Especially when God has decided on something new for me to do in His Kingdom.  Are you ever like that?

He knows my life and abilities so much better than I do, and when He calls, I always duck my head and turn away for just awhile pondering the service He's calling me to do.  Why?

Most likely fear of not doing exactly what God needs me to do, fear of failure, fear of stumbling.  And yet there's no need for me to fear. 

I think the next time God calls I'll likely think of Maggie's hiding when it wasn't necessary, and perhaps that will push me forward a little bit more than usual.  What about you?  Can you be nudged a little stronger?

If you have a time when you've been reluctant, consider sharing in the comments section below.

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, "Do not fear; I will help you."

Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

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Why Worry?

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Why do we worry?  An age-old question to which no one has come up with a satisfactory answer.  Speculations include anxiety or fear, stress, negativity, insecurity, and any number of other issues that might bring a person to the threshold of worry.  There are indeed some good reasons perhaps to worry, among them some faced by people in our society today:  homelessness, hunger, joblessness, loss of retirement savings and others.

My mother was the consummate worrier.  She worried about things that were already past and whether she could have done something differently.  To those worries, she added those thing that had not happened yet.  And to the top of that pile, she added her worries for today.  Mama was a hand-wringer, had a quick Irish temper, and yet a faith as strong as Gibraltar.  

She would have told you that the verse above from Matthew 6:26,

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

was something you could take to the bank and rely on as long as the earth spun on its axis.  Yet, she continued to worry and unfortunately her worrying taught each of us three kids to worry and even some of the grandkids.

I wish I knew the answer to the question of why worry, but I don't.  I do know that God placed in my life a man who has the ability to remain positive no matter the circumstances.  We married 30 years ago, and slipping the wedding band on my finger didn't change me.

www.hearttoheartweddings.com

During the first few years of our marriage, my husband gently and softly guided me into understanding just how much energy and how much of myself I was giving away to worry.  Just like mama, I worried about yesterday, today and tomorrow, even though tomorrow was still on the horizon.  Over time, I understood that he loved me so much that he wanted to see me give myself more to God, our family and especially to him and our partnership. 

I'm so glad I believed on this verse in Matthew, and I'm so glad that more than once my husband said to me, "You know you're behaving just like your mama, don't you?"  That would do it!

Q4U:  What do you worry about, or are you able to turn things completely over to God?

God's Palette

The Pacific NW rarely experiences vivid fall colors on the leaves, and the evergreen trees far outnumber deciduous trees in many areas.  Yet this fall has been on fire!  The colors have been vivid, varying from tree to tree in ways that reflect an artist's palette, and for this year it took God's palette. 

I can see God reaching for the trees and touching each one into vivid reds, oranges, yellows.  Then reaching out to turn the next leaves to deep, full browns, rusts, purples.  And He doesn't fail to leave a hint of green to remind us that these trees represent a cycle of life -- life that falters, and wanes, and catches hold again, and once again flourishes.  All because God's palette has touched life into being.

As we've driven or walked the sidewalks, we have witnessed this amazing cycle all around us.  If we would only pause, we would witness this same cycle at work in us.

"The Lord is good.  His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness
continues to each generation."  Psalm 100:5 (NLT)

A Heart Overflowing (Counting One Thousand Gifts #7 (184-194)

The closer we come to Thanksgiving celebrations next week the more it seems we think about giving thanks and showing our gratitude.  Yet, we can count these blessings every day, and for me doing so has sharpened my senses to the many small things I often overlook as gifts from God.  This last week it's been impossible not to give thanks:

184.  Ann's writing of their Compassion International experiences.
185.  Compassion International and the work they do around the world.
186.  Freedoms fought for by our veterans and current military.
187.  Nature's fall decorations.
188.  Calls from our kids.
189.  My husband's slow, loving smile.
190.  Time with friends sharing a meal.
191.  Breakfast out.
192.  Mosaic seen in leaf-covered sidewalks and roads.
193.  Children singing and playing bells in church.
194.  God's incredible fall palette.

http://www.aholyexperience.com/

"New Every Morning"

Today I'm linking up with Beck Gambill over at Beck Far From Home.  Beck always shares amazing insights on her blog, but I especially enjoy Thursday's at Beck's place as that's the day that we come together as Sisters to share our faith together as a family.  Our word for reflection today is "new," and I immediately knew what would be the basis for my post.

Lamentations 3:22-23 are some of my favorite verses from the Bible.  As I read them, I feel washed again  each day from those trappings that layered on the day before.  Trappings of the world that I let take hold by keeping silence when I should have spoken up, by ignoring those in need when I should have helped, by shunning those who believe differently than I do.  The world's trappings . . . not supposed to be a part of me.  I'm a child of God.



But in Lamentations 3:22-23, we read, "Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (NIV)  And his love and faithfulness are great enough that each morning we can open our eyes and face the morning knowing that his mercy, faithfulness and love will rain down on us again and again as we need to be made new again.  Like the dewdrops on the grass, each part of me sparkles as I start the day ready to serve him and blissful that he has made me afresh for this new day.  New, newness, newly made . . . don't you just love those three letters n-e-w?  They say so much about our relationship with our God when we believe on his Word.

http://www.brokenman.wordpress.com/