Love letter

If you've followed the blog the last month or so, you know my daughter married last month and we subsequently welcomed her husband into our family with open arms!

One of the most tender moments of the day took place prior to the wedding ceremony and just before Lorie and Phil took their "first look." For wedding novices, the first time the bride and groom see each other on their big day has officially been titled "the first look" by lifestyle photographers.

Lorie and Phil decided to forego wedding gifts for each other, and opted instead to write a card or note to be delivered by the mistress of ceremonies immediately prior to "the first look." The wedding party gals and the two of us moms had finished dressing and we were fussing over Lorie's finishing touches as Phil's card was delivered.

Now I have no idea what that card said, or what words Phil wrote in his enclosed letter, but I can testify to Lorie's reaction as she read that love letter. Her soft smile disappeared and tears of emotion spilled from her eyes as she read Phil's affirmation of love. Her tears were joined with tears all around as we witnessed true love on display.

Throughout the entire day, the love Phil and Lorie share was evident in their expressions of pure joy. Lorie glowed. Phil beamed. Their love: undeniable.

Paul writes to the Corinthians to tell them they are letters. Letters written by God, not on paper, but in their hearts. From 2 Corinthians 3:2-6, Paul writes:

"Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it-not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives-and we publish it. We couldn't be more sure of ourselves in this-that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation. We wouldn't think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves. Only God can write such a letter. His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn't written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It's written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives."

My prayer is this:

Please help me glow with love for you, oh Lord of my life. Write your letter of love in the depths of my heart. May my love for You be evident in my daily expressions of pure joy! Thank you, Jesus. Amen

Adjoining rooms...

Let's daydream a bit. Take a minute to think about one person you would really, I mean really, like to meet. A sports figure. A political person. A movie star. Or in my case, a country singer. Yep, for me, it's Keith Urban. Whoa baby!

Once you've figured out who this person is, picture yourself in a hotel. You've just checked into a luxury hotel and your expansive room is one of those cool rooms which has a connecting door to the room next door. Adjoining rooms. These rooms each have doors that, when unlocked and opened, entitle you to pass through to the other room without leaving your room via the hallway.

You're relaxing in your room when you hear a commotion out front. Looking out your window, you see your person, THE person you most want to meet, walking into the lobby of the hotel. Moments later, you're rocked to find out that your person is staying in the adjoining room!

If you're anything like me, you are itching to open your side of the adjoining doors. You know the other door will be closed and locked, but your curiosity is building by the minute. With your heart beating wildly, you decide to throw caution to the wind. As you hold your breath, you knock softly silently turn the lock and fling open the door only to find the adjoining door...gasp!...OPEN!

There stands Keith. Or Harrison. Or George. Or Angelina. Or Catherine. You hear the words, "I've been waiting for you to open the door. I heard that one of my biggest followers was staying next door. Come in. I'm anxious to meet you."

What a moment.

All it took was the courage to knock.

Jesus tells us to be bold and persistent in our requests of the faith. Jesus tells us in Luke 11: 9-10 that all we need to do is,

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

Who's checked into the room next door?

Inside out...

A Facebook friend of mine posted last week that she went to work and never noticed that she had worn her shirt inside out all day long! This post made me smile remembering the day I went to work with two mismatched shoes on my feet. In my defense, they were the same style, one just happened to be navy while the other was black!

Hmmm, inside out. What if we could focus more on what's on the inside instead of what we see on the outside?

It's silly how much time...and money...women spend on their looks. And believe me, I am including myself here!



Manicures. Pedicures. Hair cuts. Color. Highlights. Then add in the beauty products. Gels. Lotions. Perfumes. Serums. Puttys.


Human beings, men and women alike, are experts at wearing masks.We are terrified of not measuring up. We go to great lengths striving for perfection.

It's as if our true selves are not worthy to be seen.


Jesus is not concerned with our outward appearance. He is interested in the matters of the heart. In fact, he warns us about being concerned about our outward appearance while our insides are rotting. In Luke 11, Jesus scolds the Pharisees with these words: "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?"

The next time I pick up my mascara and eye liner, I need to remember to "dress up" my heart as well. I need to petition the Lord with the words from Psalm 57 (here from The Message):

"Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don't look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don't throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me."

Thanks for the loofah, Jesus! I'll need it daily to clean my innermost parts!

Northern Michigan Breakfast

Randy and I recently returned from our annual northern Michigan kayaking getaway. Nothing spells R-E-L-A-X-A-T-I-O-N like a few days away in upper lower Michigan. If you're not from Michigan, hold out your left hand and look at the point where the bottom of your fingernail touches your middle finger. That is one place we Michiganders call upper lower Michigan.

The destination for this yearly adventure is a small cluster of cabins situated a stone's throw from the swift current of the Sturgeon River. Our rustic log cabin, while complete with all the necessary comforts of home, has wonderfully charming characteristics. Sloping floors. Mismatched dishes.
Pull cords in place of light switches. A huge field stone fireplace. Curtains made from patterned bed sheets.

The cabin's kitchen is well stocked. Utensils, pots, pans and dinnerware are in abundance. Normally, random items such as coffee filters, toothpicks and salt and pepper are also readily available. We lack none of life's simple necessities.

Randy spoils me on these northern vacations. His special treat for me involves preparing all the meals. He loves making breakfast. He enjoys barbecuing on the outdoor charcoal grill. I literally sit like a queen and wait for my food. I bask in the glory of this small kingdom!

On our first morning, while licking my chops waiting to be served my fried eggs, bacon, sausage and muffin, I decided to set the table and put out the condiments. We'd purchased jelly, butter and peanut butter, so I set those on the table. We bought paper towels to serve the dual purpose of clean up and napkin substitute. Check. Plates, coffee cups, silverware. Check. Check. Check. And then the search began in earnest for salt and pepper. I searched the cupboards. I opened drawers. I peeked on shelves. Then, hiding behind the plastic glasses, I found one little plastic shaker containing...pepper. NO salt!

A home cooked breakfast is, hands down, the best meal of the day. But eggs without salt...now that's an entirely different matter altogether. Those eggs are bland, bland, bland!

Now I'm no salt guru by any means, but I do know that salt enhances the flavor of food. A little sprinkle of salt on vegetables and meat makes for a delicious feast. A dash of salt in boiling water brings out the sweetness in corn on the cob. We even add salt to cookie dough to bring out its sweet goodness! The tiniest amount of salt makes for a great transformation!

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth. We are to spread flavor throughout his creation. We are tasked with seasoning the earth with his goodness. Only by the grace of God are we able to do these things through him. Likewise, Jesus warns us about losing our "saltiness."

Matthew 5:13 from the Message:
"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage."

We were able to salvage the tastiness of our breakfast by using the remnants of sea salt from the jar of North Carolina peanuts we packed along. We're nothing if not creative geniuses!

Let's get shaking!

Wedding plans

I wrote the following post earlier this week and interestingly enough, never posted it!

In the days since, we have become in-laws! Our daughter and her finance were married yesterday in a beautiful ceremony filled with the presence of God. Their wedding party consisted of an an amazing collection of young Christian men and women who seemed to enjoy every minute of the joy-filled day. The reception attendees were a fabulous group of family, friends and coworkers.

The day was blessed from beginning to end. We are thankful for the way Lorie and Phil have centered their relationship in Christ. This fact makes a parent's heart smile.

So without further ado, here are my thoughts from earlier this week:

We have been planning a wedding since mid-November. We are in the final days leading up to the happy event and excitement builds with each passing day!

Planning a wedding means coordinating some pretty big items. Finding an amazing reception venue, securing the perfect photographer and landing a beautiful florist fall into this category. These are all important items in wedding planning, bur for me, I thrive on the little things. Being an anal accountant means I love focusing on the details. Details like hand-stamped thank you cards. Program wording. Bridesmaid dress hangers. Place cards.

I am blessed to have a daughter who graciously allows me to handle these little details! And let me say, I am having a ball!

On the flip side, it has been great fun watching Phil, my future son-in-law, go to pain-staking lengths to make the day special for his bride. He has taken great care in assembling a picture video montage. He's chosen meaningful music for the ceremony and reception. He is being very mysterious about his plans for their wedding night accommodations.

Phil loves Lorie and finds joy in pleasing her. Likewise for Lorie. They both recognize the significance their vows hold and realize these vows mean a life-long commitment to each other. We've told them we have a "no-return" policy!

The love an earthly bridegroom has for his bride pales in comparison with the love God has for us. In fact, the Bible compares God to a bridegroom and us to his bride. Imagine that! Daydream a bit, and allow yourself to ponder the great plans God has for us, and how painstakingly he's chosen the details of our union with him!

Isaiah 62:5 says, "As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you."

Are you ready to say, "I do?"

Best Laid Plans...

Today is Monday. First day of the work week. A day I planned out just like any other day, because, you see, I am a planner.

I had my day planned out by nearly an hour by hour time frame.

Today, my best laid plans went awry at 7:25 a.m.

My daughter, Lorie, and I have developed a morning work day ritual. She calls me on her commute into work and we chat. Lately, our conversations center around wedding planning. But today, it centered around the rainy weather and how ridiculous people drive during a rainstorm.

Today, at 7:25 a.m., one of those very people pulled from a parking lot directly into the path of Lorie's car. Her shriek and the simultaneous sound of a crash brought my throat to my toes. Thankfully, we never lost contact. Tearfully, she described what she could in her shocked state. Pain in her chest and legs. Airbags deployed. Windshield cracked. Random car parts in the road.


After a trip to the ER via ambulance and multiple tests and x-rays, Lorie was declared whole. She is stiff. She is sore, but she is whole. We give our thanks and praise to God for protecting her.

Tomorrow, Lorie will be back in her classroom, teaching her students.


Tomorrow, I will attempt to relinquish control of my day. Tomorrow, I will wake up and ask the Lord to bless my day. I will ask him to be the center of my day. Tomorrow, I will leave the day in the Lord's hands.

Tomorrow, I will try to live in the day and cherish it as the gift it is.


Number 6:24-26:

""The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace,""

26 

Hickory Dickory Dock

We have lived in our home for twenty three years. During those years, we've had the occasional mouse in the ceiling. We've had an occasional mouse in the wall. But to my recollection, I don't think we've ever had a mouse running loose in the house.

That is, not until last night.


My husband and I had just finished watching the latest episode of  "Duck Dynasty" on my laptop, and I was logging off when a flash of gray caught my attention. A not so tiny mouse dashed across our living room floor, stopped abruptly, turned about-face and exited out toward our dining room.

"There's a mouse in our house!"

Upon hearing my cry, my husband came down from our second floor and told me he thought he saw something run past him when he opened the garage door as he was locking up for the night. He looked around briefly and seeing nothing, thought he had imagined it. Not so.

This furry foe was now touring our home. And so the hunt began. As I skittishly tip toed around our main floor, opening doors and turning on lights hoping for a chance glimpse of our new house guest, Randy was downstairs, doing the same. A few minutes later a "found him!" was called up from our lower level. "Jerry" was hiding under our desk. Armed with a broom, I joined Randy in the basement.

When Randy poked the broom under the desk, Jerry made a bee line under the couch. Shrieking and dancing, the two of us took new positions for surveillance (mine happened to be atop the coffee table). Randy and I were a good tag team, but we needed a third partner for sure fire success. I ran upstairs to grab our trusty flashlight. Thinking we had him cornered, Jerry outran us and scurried under the door to our work room. Score one for Jerry!

Our workroom, slash junk room, slash catch all room, had lots of good hiding spots for Jerry. Flashes of the movie, Mouse Hunt, came to mind. Needless to say, we spent the next half hour moving junk, cornering Jerry, losing Jerry and moving more junk. All the while, I managed to find the safest high spot from which to observe.

In the end, the trio of husband, wife and flashlight spelled DOOM for Jerry. We were victorious and poor Jerry lost in a valiant fight to the finish. Alone, it would have been hard to defeat Jerry. As a pair we had a definite advantage. Armed with a beacon of light, we were sure winners.

As Christians, our lives mirror that of last night's game of hide and seek. Alone, we are vulnerable and can be under attack. When we share our walk with other Christians, we can fight a good battle. But when we are armed with the light of truth, Jesus Christ, we cannot be broken. We are sure winners.

The following is a passage read often at weddings to portray the bond of husband and wife whose lives are Christ-centered. These verses from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 are an encouragement for all Christians seeking fellowship with other believers:

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor; if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."