THIS IS THE STUFF!!!

This is the stuff that drives me crazy....this is the stuff YOU use!!

Stuff happens, but it seems like it starting piling up these last few weeks. Someone decided to use my credit card to charge $96 to I-tunes. I belong to a wonderful credit union that immediately credited my account, but still there's alot of stuff that has to occur now - stopping the card, waiting for a new one, being fearful to use the new one on-line, etc. I also lost some stuff at home, looked everywhere for it, found it on the floor of my car several days later. How did I miss that? My car is not that dirty. Our schedule has been so hectic and work has been overly busy, so they call every morning to see if I can work that day. I love my co workers, and if I could go to work on those days, it would make life easier for them, (if they would come to work on the days I work short handed, it would be easier for me), but we all have lives to live too, so we deal with the short handedness on some days. My very pregnant daughter got put on bedrest and I have not been available to help her..... Grrrr! Some announcements that I can't mention from other members of my family add to a bit of a mental strain. My dear mom is slowly slipping deeper into dementia and can't remember how to do laundry, how to cook, how to clean, how to have a conversation, etc. This STUFF is hard. BUt,

This is the stuff that our lives are made of. Without this stuff I wouldn't know that Jesus can handle this way better than I can. This stuff helps me to seek after God in a fresh new way, to call out to Him that I can't handle this. So as I worship in church on Sundays HE speaks to me in a loud, clear voice. As I listen to Christian radio, He speaks to me in a loud, clear voice, and as I read His Word, and be still before Him, He lets me know that in the past He has been able to handle every situation in ways I could never imagine. This life of ours changes everyday, but HE never changes. He waits with open arms for times such as these to comfort, encourage, and lift us up to better serve Him.

If I could write song lyrics, I hope I would have written a song just like "This is the Stuff", it says just what I feel on some days. So with a smile on my face I will carry on, I might need reminding now and again that God is good all the time, all the time God is good....but that's what fellowship is all about.
Loving life, Kim

That son of mine!!

I have written so much about my son, but he has done it again. As I am praying for him, my Lord and Saviour points the whole situation back to me. So, some day I will have to thank Ryan for all the wonderful devotions I have had because of him!!! :)

It started because I had a horrible dream about Ryan last night. So, as my feet hit the floor this morning I grabbed my Bible and my list of verses to pray over him. (Thanks to my SIL Debbie, for providing that list!!) I chose this morning Prov 20:7, the righteous man walks in his integrity, his children are blessed after him. (As you may have guessed, I am not seeing the blessings in Ryan's life at the moment :) So I began asking God to please, please bless Ryan's life by saving him and keeping him from evil ways, by getting him involved in his family, and on and on. That verse in Proverbs leads to Ex 20:5,6 which is the part of the 10 commandments that talks about not having any idols before the Lord - thus the righteous man!

Oh my, so as I am praying for Ryan and asking God to change his heart and his life, my prayers suddenly change to, Lord forgive me for the idols I have put before you, and one confession after another. The quiet voice of MY Lord thru His scripture assures me of His love, His grace, and His forgiveness. I can once again start this day with full confidence that God is working in ways I cannot imagine and keeping His Word for me!

A sign on a church near our home says: "God gives and forgives, we get and forget!!" Isn't that about the truth.

My sweet boy, isn't always that sweet, but when I look at him thru the eyes of the Lord, he is such a precious human being that I just want to kiss and hug on him----and I do, but that makes him mad!! ha. Ha. I do it anyway!! - Blessings, and BTW take care of yourself in the righteous department if you haven't already!!! - Kim

Spring?

The calendar says it's spring, but the weather has been CrAzY!!! Furnace on, furnace off, A/C on, A/C off. That on/off thing reminds me alot of many other things in my life as well!!!

Just 6 years ago I graduated from nursing school this month and I was a mess. Stressed to the max, an eye twitch that I thought would never go away, and about to start the hardest job I had ever had in my life. My, oh my, the God of miracles has never disappointed me. Life is good, so good. It was a huge step of faith for me to walk out of my comfort zone and into the world of the unknown. The memory of that graduation will forever be etched into my memory during the month of May.

Today I spent the better part of the day with my parents. Dad, a cancer survivor, still fighting, and now caregiver for his wife who is mentally ill with dementia, needed a break. It took both of us to get mom out of the house and into the Northwoods Mall. The lady who would drop everything to go shopping, now must be urged, prodded and lied to, to get her out of the house. Her clothes were all wrong for this chilly day, so back in the bedroom she went. Now her purse didn't match her shoes and she couldn't find the other purse so she said she would just sit in the car. We have finally learned to just go along with what she says, because in 5 minutes she has no idea what she just said. She is forever angry, at us, at the world, but really at this disease that is taking over her thoughts and actions. She doesn't know why she feels the way she does, and why she can't remember anything, or why in the world she doesn't love the things she used to love. I watched her hands today during lunch. Those hands mean so much to me. Those hands have faithfully played the organ at church for some 50 years now. Those hands used to cook the most delicious meals and bake some scrumptious desserts that she was proud of. Those hands would lovingly sew and craft fun things for her kids and grandkids. I looked in her eyes today and couldn't find her....couldn't find my mom who raised me. Her eyes were so tired today and such a blank stare. I know she is there, but she is confused and hurting and angry. It is a wicked disease.

She loves to be home, in her house where she feels secure and not threatened, with her husband that she trusts. So our outing was over and we took her home. Tomorrow she won't remember we went shopping today, she won't remember whose little girl clothes those are in the sack, whose birthday is coming up, and who to sign the card for. Thankfully, she will remember that she is loved and cared for. Oh Lord, don't take that away from her, it's all she has.

She is a jewel and I miss her.