Sunday, March 30, 2008

Spring Cleaning

It's that time of year again.The time of birds singing their joyous songs of praise each morning as dawn creeps silently into town as if on little cat's paws.Of flowers waking from a long wintery slumber under dark,rich earth.The season of sunshine yellow daffodils.Regal looking purple crocus.And cotton candy pink cherry trees.It's also the time that we as humans often begin the annual ritual of spring cleaning.We clear out flower beds so each delicate beauty can shine in all it's God-graced glory.We remove the last bits of the previous Autumn's dead and decayed leaves.Or maybe we attack that closet that sits awaiting our attention.We open it's door and shine light on things long hidden inside.We rifle through piles of old magazines,outgrown clothes and photos desperately needing to be in an album.And we give away or throw away or organize these things long past their usefulness.Things we don't need.Things that are no longer serviceable to us.I did just that very thing this week.And it felt good.Though our calendar shouted that spring had officially arrived recently the weather outside was singing a much different tune.Skies were leaden and pored rain,then hail,then snow.Then the sun would shine.And it was cold.It was as if winter did not want to release it's icy grip on our little part of Oregon.It's chilling fingers wanted to continue to shroud us in darkness and clouds.It wanted to pummel us with it's ice pellets as if to shout"I'm here and I will not let you go."And so I stayed indoors and cleaned and organized.And as I worked I thought.Alot.I do that.I imagine you do to.I thought about life and trials and God's goodness.And yet somehow winter still wanted to keep my heart,my soul,wrapped in it's frozen grasp.Feelings and emotions churned.Discouragement tried to creep in.Big time.It seemed it was going to crowd out recent memories of God's goodness and provision.And it almost won.And I realized that I needed a spring cleaning in my soul.In my heart.That much as our physical lives often need a fresh cleaning and organizing,so do our hearts and souls and spirits.Clutter in our outer lives can often cause clutter in our inner lives I think.And it can weigh us down.Keep us mired in places we should not be;at least not permanently.And for me it often feels like a loss of flow.Loss of the flow of His Holy Spirit at work in my life.Loss of vision.A sense of almost hopelessness.It is then we need a good cleaning.A time of refreshing.Of opening the shutters on our windows and our hearts wide.Of cleaning up those dark and dank places that have slumbered too long in winter's bed.It is then that He can once again move and flow in our lives.And it is then that we once again feel renewed and full of hope and optimism.And we once again feel clean.Spring clean.
Blessings~Sharon
~Image courtesy of www.freestockphotos.com ~






Sunday, March 23, 2008

Happy Resurrection Day !



May God grant each of you a most blessed Resurrection Day filled with joy and fun times with your family and friends as we celebrate our Savior's triumph over death itself!
Blessings~Sharon
~Image from SOJ Graphics~

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Great Things Part 2 !



I received another unexpected gift from God this week.I was not expecting it.It was in the form of a phone call.A call telling me that due to changes in the federal poverty level my insurance was being reinstated!I had not expected things to go this way.I was shocked.And happy.Well,kind of happy.It is a bittersweet victory in a sense.In order for it to stay reinstated I must give up getting paid for the day care I do watching Hope,our granddaughter.Some have thought it odd that I would get paid to watch my own granddaughter.If we were in a better place financially I would agree with them.But not all Grammas are rich.God has allowed us to be in a very humbling place since my husband had to quit working due to heart issues.Though I do not believe it will always be like this for us for right now we are still in this place of humble circumstances.But even so I still consider this life a gift.And though this most recent gift came with a price I will still rejoice in His provision and goodness.And His grace.God's word says he reisists the proud but gives grace to the humble.So,if you too find yourself going through humbling times,rejoice for you may well see His grace in amazing and abundant ways.
Blessings~Sharon

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Great Things!

God is so good and I just have to praise Him publicly here for what He's done for me!About a year ago I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea.This diagnosis required that I begin to sleep with a bi-pap machine at night along with some extra oxygen via an oxygen concentrator.This was not a problem as I had Oregon Health Plan insurance to cover the over $200.00 a month expense.This January I lost my medical insurance due to being $3.00 over income.This was likely due to my husband's yearly cost of living raise on his disability checks.I now had no way to cover the expense of my life saving machines.But God came through.After much prayer and some phone calls I had a used bi-pap in good working order donated to me by the company that makes them!I also just got word yesterday that the oxygen machine I have been using is now mine,free of charge!The company that rents them out said that basically the insurance company already had paid the cost for the machine and so they have donated it to me.They are losing out on the$194.00 a month rental fees but I am getting to live and have asked God to bless their business for the kindness to me!I also found out this week that some of the meds I take will be covered by Med Assist,a free meds program.Though I would not wish our present circumstances on anyone else I have seen miracles of God's provision.He has made a way where there seemed to be no way!He has done great things and we are indeed very glad!He has provided what was needed for us and He will indeed provide for you as well dear readers.
Blessings~Sharon
~Image courtesy of SOJ Graphics~





Tuesday, March 04, 2008

He Bids Us Sing

The world does not bid you sing,but God does.
Song is the sign of an unburdened heart;
then sing your songs of love unbidden,
ever rising higher and higher into a fuller
concept of the greatest,grandest fact
on the stage of time-
God is love.
~Oswald Chambers~
"The Love of God"
~Image courtesy of SOJ Graphics~