tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-111901882024-03-13T23:13:13.620-05:00Never a Dull MomentMy Journey as a Foster and Adoptive Parent.... 12 kids in 12 years.Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.comBlogger7103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-88064014054861959842021-09-16T07:51:00.006-05:002022-06-13T07:00:28.757-05:00What Now?<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Steven Curtis Chapman (SC squared) wrote the soundtrack of my life, something I share with Jason Weber who was one of the MCs for the general session of the CAFO (Christian Alliance for Orphans) summit. I can remember so many of his songs that became a huge part of me and what I was going to. He is only a year older than I am, and he started his Christian music career very young, so he has been with me through the ups and downs of all kinds of seasons.</span></p><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">"My Redeemer is Faithful and True" held me up when the first guy I ever fell in love with decided not to marry me (and you can imagine, with my personality, that I was fairly intense about that marriage happening).\</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">"His Strength is Perfect” was a theme when I headed to take the position formerly known as “Vice President for Student Development” at the ripe old age of 25.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">“For the Sake of the Call” was on repeat in my head as I contemplated walking away from my favorite job to enter the mission field four years later.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">“The Great Adventure” and that whole cassette tape accompanied me to my years in Mexico.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">“Burn the Ships” was playing in the background as I decided to marry a man who had decided to leave the Wesleyan Church to become a United Methodist Pastor… </div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">“When Love Takes You in” was so significant as we went to Guatemala twice to adopt two boys from an orphanage (In fact, that album was released literally 4 days before we left to pick up our son Jimmy)</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">“All I Really Want for Christmas” was a song that motivated and inspired me through many years of recruiting adoptive families for older children.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">“Cinderella” was a constant backdrop to watching our two daughters grow up.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">“Every Little Things You Do” was a constant reminder that providing 17 rides a day to 9 teenagers really was something that pleased God.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">“The Glorious Unfolding” became real to me as I entered my second year at a hard job with Bethany that I really loved l… but had no idea where it was leading me.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">And I certainly needed to hear “More Than Conquerors” during 2016 — my first and hardest year at PHFS.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">And last night again it happened. He sang a new song that I hadn’t heard yet -- the perfect song for this season in my life… a season where my free time is spent meeting CarePortal needs. I have become aware of this whole concept so completely through CarePortal. Jesus is all around us waiting for us to find him and asking “What now?”</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><div>We can KNOW Jesus by meeting the needs of those around us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are the lyrics.</div><div><br /></div><div>I saw the face of Jesus <br />In a little orphan girl <br />She was standing in the corner <br />On the other side of the world <br /><br />And I heard the voice of Jesus <br />Gently whisper to my heart <br />Didn't you say you wanted to find Me <br />Well, here I am, here you are <br /><br />So what now <br />What will you do now that you've found Me? <br />What now <br />What will you do with this treasure you've found <br /><br />I know I may not look like what you expected <br />But if you'll remember <br />This is right where I said I would be <br />You found me, what now? <br /><br />And I saw the face of Jesus <br />Down on Sixteenth Avenue <br />He was sleeping in an old car <br />While his mom went looking for food <br /><br />And I heard the voice of Jesus <br />Gently whisper to my soul <br />Didn't you say you wanted to know me <br />Well, here I am <br />And it's getting cold <br /><br />So come and know <br />Come and know, know me now <br />Come, come and know, know me now <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Powerful, huh?</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://youtu.be/FsnHV23c_5Y"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ncGTERHcE58" width="320" youtube-src-id="ncGTERHcE58"></iframe></div><br /></a></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-28586167242765836962021-05-17T07:21:00.003-05:002021-05-17T07:21:11.822-05:00I preached yesterday .... (in a church though, not just online :-)<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Saturday night my husband got pretty sick with a stomach bug and by 8:30 Sunday morning had decided he couldn’t be away from the bathroom long enough to lead worship and preach.</span><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">And there’s only one person in the world willing to do those two things with 2 hours notice. So I quickly prepared a sermon on the text that her had chosen for the day. (Well actually what the Revised Common Lectionary had chosen for the Ascension, but I digress.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><i>But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">I talked about how this season of COVID has had all of us standing still. We have been, in essence, looking up waiting for guidance — not always from God, sometimes from the CDC and sometimes from the governor. But we had to do a lot of standing and a lot of waiting.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">I mentioned the feeling we have as parents when we look at a group of small children or a group of teenagers (who have much in common) and say “It’s time to go” and they all just look up at us and stare and don’t even start to move.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The passage above clearly states that the disciples were going to receive power and then be God’s witnesses of who He was and what He did. And then he was lifted up and disappeared. </div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">And the disciples kept looking up at the sky until two men in white robes asked them why. Why are you still looking up?</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">And of course, I ended it with a story about CarePortal and said, it’s time to stop looking up and start going out to be witnesses to our community — our Jerusalem — by not only what we say, by what we do. </div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">My final words “Let’s stop looking up…. let’s continue to come to church to learn how to go outside of our walls to BE the church. </div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">So I say the same thing to you. Stop looking up — the Holy Spirit has given you power to be HIS witnesses where you are. Now. Today.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8wKsIR5qlss" width="469" youtube-src-id="8wKsIR5qlss"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-23518915393911608602021-05-13T07:20:00.006-05:002021-05-13T07:20:50.523-05:00Extremes<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The song I’m sharing today is a song that I’ve shared before …. but the one I have shared before is the tame version.</span></p><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">John Mark McMillan wrote the song “He Loves Us” but there are two versions out there. In the song there’s a line about a kiss that is a simile used to describe the love connection between heaven and earth – the Father sending the Son to earth as an action of love.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">David Crowder sings it with the words ‘unforeseen kiss” while Kim Walker from Jesus culture sings “sloppy wet kiss.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">There’s a lot of discussion about these two versions and some say that the “sloppy wet kiss” is too extreme.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">And I got to thinking about that today and thinking about how extreme God is. Have you read the Old Testament?</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">And then there’s Jesus who uses hyperbole often to make a point. "If your hand sins against you cut it off," remember?</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">And think about God’s plan to redeem us. It wasn’t an easy plan — it was actually kind of extreme — sending his son to die a bloody gruesome death.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">So…. all that to say this …</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Sometimes when we are talking about crazy God-sized stuff …. extreme language may be necessary — because we don’t serve a toned-down, watered-down, insipid God. </div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Now enjoy this amazing song as you envision the love connection between heaven and earth as a sloppy wet kiss.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="411" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/geHF1zbA25U" width="494" youtube-src-id="geHF1zbA25U"></iframe></div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-51106144237966221192021-05-10T07:57:00.004-05:002021-05-10T07:57:34.052-05:00Happy Mother's Day?<p>Since I took PTO on Thursday and Friday to get our taxes done (and yes, you can imagine with my personality how fun that was for me) I didn’t get a chance to share thoughts about Mother’s Day before it was over. But I have a few so here goes.</p><div>If everything is pretty good in your world and everything lines up, Mother’s Day is a great thing. But for many folks, Mother’s Day can be a painful day. </div><div><br /></div><div>It’s painful if you happen to have lived through the death of your mother.</div><div><br /></div><div>It’s painful if you are unable to have children for one reason or another.</div><div><br /></div><div>It’s painful if you have a distant or conflicted relationship with either your mother or one of your children.</div><div><br /></div><div>For many folks, yesterday was a challenge at a minimum or maybe you were even crippled with depression.</div><div><br /></div><div>In my world, mother’s day has always been hard for my kids, and thus hard for me. Even yesterday, with my kids now being ages 22-35, there were some stressful moments.</div><div><br /></div><div>I started my day reading a <a href="https://fletcherclan.blogspot.com/2009/05/happy-frickin-mothers-day.html">blog post I wrote in 2009</a> because I needed to read it to remind myself of what the day is like for my kids. I made my own self cry when I read it. It’s worth the click.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The bottom line is this….. God, while our Father, also has many traits of a loving mother and God is always with us. In Isaiah 66:13 we read: <i>As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. </i> </div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">So whether or not Mother’s Day is a positive or a negative trigger, just know that God as our mother is ready to come to us and help us.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">This verse from this great hymn reminds us of this:</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><i>Praise to the Lord, who doth nourish thy life and restore thee,<br />fitting thee well for the tasks that are ever before thee.<br />Then to thy need<br />God as a mother doth speed,<br />spreading the wings of grace o'er thee.</i></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-10910091730041084022021-05-03T07:28:00.002-05:002021-05-03T07:28:36.409-05:00Abide<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">If we hear the word abide, we kinda know what it means … but have you ever looked it up.</span></p><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The definition is to live, or to dwell, or “to continue without fading or being lost.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Apply those meanings to this scripture:</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><i>Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">If we live/dwell in Jesus without fading or being lost, He will do the same for us. Isn’t that an amazing promise?</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Let’s all take time to remember how amazing it is that He abides with us.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Here’s a couple old hymns that focus on this thought. Bonus points if you’ve heard both of them. We used to sing it at old fashioned camp meetings when I was a holiness girl in the 70s.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">https://youtu.be/84YASWe3_2Q</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">https://youtu.be/ZdW03C1qbrA</div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-56510385751167996732021-04-29T07:31:00.002-05:002021-04-29T07:40:18.926-05:00For such a time as this...<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Have you ever been told that you talk to much or that you just need to shut up? I hear that occasionally. I hear about being too passionate or talking about things too much. I hear it from others and sometimes even inside my own head. “Why can’t you just shut up?"</span></p><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The story of Esther shows how one woman who said what needed to be said, saved her people. Do you know the story of Esther? If you don’t you should probably read it cuz it’s cool. Basically God orchestrates it so that one person is in the right place at the right time and her saying what needed to e said woman saved her people.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">One of my favorite verses is Esther 4:13 where it says “</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><i><blockquote>For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”</blockquote></i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span face="system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Wow. God wanted to use her — and basically he was going to get the task done one way or another, but Esther is reminded that relief and deliverance could be her doing. Her words could be the ones that made the difference.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">So who around you needs relief and deliverance? Have you been placed on the earth for such a time is this to talk…. and not stop talking … until that deliverance comes to pass?</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">If you’ve never heard this Wayne Watson song from back in the day (and even if you have) you should listen to it. And it’s based on that verse from Esther.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">So I won't stop talking about <a href="http://careportal.org">CarePortal</a> or Vision 30 (<a href="http://www.visionthirty.org">check out the new website</a>) because as long as their are children and families in our world who needing relief and deliverance, I refuse to keep silent. </div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">https://youtu.be/LXcJUIAJNW0</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-75547106977027497692021-04-28T07:25:00.001-05:002021-04-28T07:25:26.731-05:00and or so that...<p>I<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">f you have been involved in the “child welfare space” as a Christian these words from James 1:27 have become engraved in your heart:</span></p><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #111111; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">These words were motivation for us as we began our foster care journey. I mean if you’re going to have religion — it might as well be a religion that the Father accepts as pure and faultless right? Is any other kind good enough?</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The two parts of the verse seemed disconnected to me, though. I mean what does keeping oneself from being polluted by the world have to do with looking after orphans and widows?</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">And then it hit me. What if it’s because they are mutually exclusive?</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">If you and I are busy looking after the needs of orphans and widows — we won’t have time to become polluted by the world. I would even go so far as to say that the fatherless — the orphan — the brokenness and pain that comes with those situations — are so close to the heart of God that if we are with those folks and walking with them in their brokenness, the world can’t polite us. </div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The word fatherless or orphan is in the Bible 45 times and it is so clear how much God wants his people to step into this space. I won’t quote all of them, but here are a couple of them:</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><div>Learn to do good;</div><div>Seek justice,</div><div>Reprove the ruthless,</div><div>Defend the orphan,</div><div>Plead for the widow.</div><div><br /></div><div>(Isaiah 1:17)</div></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><div>‘Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ (Deuteronomy 27:19) Wow. Storng words. </div><div><br /></div><div>So if it is your goal to keep yourself from being polluted by the world, look after orphans and widows. It’s hard to allow the world to grab ahold of your heart, when you are holding a baby, or looking into the eyes of a child, or giving a ride to a teenager knowing that you are diving into their brokenness in order to discover the heart of God. </div></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">I shared this song and video four years ago. I know the family in the video and this song hits me every time. Maybe God isn’t asking you to fly across the waves and bring home a baby from a special needs orphan in China — but he may be asking you to invite a single mom and her kids over for dinner even if it means driving to pick them up in a neighborhood you try to avoid. </div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Whatever he asks you to do - -I guarantee you that it will be much harder to become polluted by the world if your heart and your eyes are on the fatherless.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">https://youtu.be/BBVYBYZXafI</div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-61918766989443502572021-04-24T07:30:00.002-05:002021-04-24T07:30:17.829-05:00Funk<p> I've been in kind of a funk the last week or so. I'm trying to figure out why. I think it boils down to a few things:</p><p>1). I'm very discouraged by the fact that several of my children are dealing with their issues by either drinking or smoking weed. The smell of marijuana is a huge trigger for me (going back to my high school days and being reinforced for the last twenty years or so) and now that is is about to be legal in Virginia the smell is everywhere. But when it is on my property it is very troubling to me. It makes me feel unappreciated and disrespected since we are subsidizing everyone's finances by having them here and it's one of the very few rules we have. </p><p>In addition to me hating it, it makes me sad that instead of going to therapy and resolving the issues that lead them to needing those substances, they cover them. It isn't going to lead to any kind of healing.</p><p>2). A few things that have happened at work (more than likely just misunderstandings) have led me to feeling as though my intentions and integrity are being questions. And if you know me at all that is very troubling to me.</p><p>3). Life seems pretty monotonous and it has been for what? 13 months? Not a lot of variety and not much to be excited about. </p><p>4). I haven't done as well with my food lately and that always messes with my mood. Unfortunately I feel crappy when I eat crappy.</p><p>The nice thing about my personality is that I don't like myself much when I get into a funk... so I'll pull out of it soon.</p><p>But that's how today started.</p>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-79113678977827630572021-04-23T07:53:00.007-05:002021-04-23T07:53:44.047-05:00Definition of the Wicked<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Check out these verses from Jeremiah 5:</span></p><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">For wicked men are found among my people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait.They set a trap and they catch men.<br /><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; therefore they have become great and rich; they have grown fat and sleek.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br />They know no bounds in deeds of evil; they judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless, to make it prosper, and they do not defend the rights of the needy.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Ok, you know me pretty well. What words stand out to me? See if you can guess.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Did you guess “They judge not with justice the cause of the fatherless?”</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Then you were right.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Wicked men miss how important it is to God that we care for the fatherless and fight for justice for them.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">That’s pure Vision 30 people. That is what I get to do at work every day. We are the opposite of these wicked folks.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">We are all serving the fatherless — at camp, through CarePortal, in HFT every day, and definitely through the ministries of our Care Team.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Let’s not forget how important this is to God as we are blessed to be paid to care for those who are closest to the heart of God.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">https://youtu.be/HA_U11B1Ss8</div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-80819603282718274072021-04-22T07:50:00.005-05:002021-04-22T07:50:52.881-05:00All Things?<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">I had another doozy of a morning. Two in a row. I won’t overshare but dang. Today was even more stressful than yesterday.</span></p><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">But I heard a song on my way to work this morning that reminded me of this verse in Revelation 21:</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(0, 19, 32); color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><i>And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”</i></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">And I asked myself, “All things? Really? Because some things it seems are going to never change.</span>”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">And yet the verse says ALL things. Maybe not now. Maybe not exactly how I think he should, but yes, the answer is that some day God will make ALL things new.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Maybe you needed to hear this today as much as I did.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Great song:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #001320; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="437" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4_2aX_i4qpM" width="526" youtube-src-id="4_2aX_i4qpM"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-6770515623059804482021-04-21T08:49:00.001-05:002021-04-21T08:49:07.323-05:00But God<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">My day has not started well. I won’t go into details — and it’s nothing really bad — just a bunch of irritating things in a row. Kind of like last Wednesday but I think I shut my car door this morning at least.</span></p><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out this cool verse from Acts:</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text Acts-7-9" id="en-ESV-27114">And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><b> </b></span><span class="text Acts-7-10" id="en-ESV-27115">and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom </span></span></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;">The story of Joseph is so cool because even though all kinds of bad things happened to him, God was with him.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;">So if your story is starting out bad today — or this week — or this month — little irritations or something huge and awful — remember those two words.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;">but God.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;">It may seem hopeless now… but God.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-size: small;">https://youtu.be/1t1mUHbFCGg</span></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-36998476074782508242021-04-17T10:05:00.001-05:002021-04-17T10:05:38.084-05:00Saturdays.....<p> So here's my brain dump for a Saturday morning.</p><p>Since I don't write emails to my staff with devotionals on weekends, and since I don't typically link these weekends posts to Facebook, these are posts that are similar to what I used to post 10 or 15 years ago.</p><p>But I'm not feeling too whiny today, so that might be good :-)</p><p>I'm still door dashing and learning a lot from the experience. I like doing it because it puts me into a different category than I am usually in. People often look at me like they feel sorry for me -- because I'm old and fat and the stairs take a long time. I am not often in a position where people pity me. I keep it as my secret that this isn't my only job -- because it's good for me to not feel important or significant sometimes. Typically I just get the boys to do the running, but when I do it myself and Bart drives, it's a good exercise for me.</p><p>It also is taking us to parts of town where we have never been before and it makes me very well aware of the needs of people around me. It also makes me feel very very grateful. </p><p>For example, CVS now has this thing where you actually go in and shop for people and then deliver with door dash. So I delivered baby bottles and a nose syringe (that thing you use to suck out boogers) and a pregnancy kit to section eight housing and when I met the girl she was very nice to me. But my heart went out to her and I kind of hoped she wasn't pregnant again already. Life is so hard for a lot of people.</p><p>It also gives Bart and I time to talk without the distractions of the other kids or grandkids or other temptations in the house. So I'm enjoying spending time with him. And our adventures give us stuff to think and talk about as we get to know our city better. It's like the Amazing Race except you get paid and you don't have to scale high mountains.</p><p>I am also trying to decide how to spend my PTO. I've been short tempered at work lately, and realizing it's probably because I should use some of those 6 weeks of PTO that I have accumulated. I have taken about 3 or 4 days so far this year and it's almost May. So I took of yesterday and I am taking off Monday and Tuesday, except I have a few work meetings I can't miss, so I'm not totally taking it off.</p><p>We are taking two weeks to go to Minnesota in June to see Sadie's new baby girl (going to be born in May) and to attend the wedding of Rand and Amanda who have been married for a year. I know, I know, the complexities of COVID-19.</p><p>We are also contemplating a trip to Utah in the fall and possibly another trip somewhere else this summer. It's our 25th Anniversary and we were saving for a cruise but that doesn't seem to be on the horizon any time soon.</p><p>Our friends Mike and Kari are on their way to Virginia and we are having lunch with hem in an hour. Pretty excited about that.</p><p>And then Jimmy wants to door dash. He's the most fun of the kids to go with because he doesn't argue or tell me how to drive.</p><p>That's all for today!</p>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-85860807230408636652021-04-16T07:23:00.001-05:002021-04-16T07:23:15.595-05:00PTO :-). or :-(<p> I confess that I am not good at taking time off. First of all, I absolutely love what I do. So that makes it hard to walk away from my work.</p><p>Also, I do not have any thing I would rather do. So I have to force myself to find things that I can do to get the mental break and often I'm at a loss.</p><p>My boss has intervened and insisted I take more PTO so I am taking of a few days. </p><p>I'll get started once I get caught up on my email. :-)</p>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-30946011886073584622021-04-15T07:22:00.002-05:002021-04-15T07:23:57.579-05:00Blessed Be (and what I did last night)<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Several years ago … more than ten now — I was blessed to attend a family camp for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. We have several kids who have this and it is really a hard, hard thing. For no fault of their own, these people’s brains were messed up by alcohol before they were even born. </span></p><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">At that camp, Jason Grey entertained us. He’s a Minnesotan and this was before he hit the big time. He impressed me so much with the way he handled the kids and how much the songs he shared that night were so appropriate for those kids and us as their parents.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Last night my awesome friend Kari posted the link to one of his songs on Facebook. I read it after my family and I had just worked together to entertain a family of five who now live in James Crossing that I met through CarePortal. She is 21, he just turned 18, and they have two babies together, one is 11 months and one is 2 weeks old. She also has a daughter who just turned 7 that she had back when she was 14 and legally free for adopted…. except that nobody adopted her. </div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">We met last May through Care Portal and since then we have been through many ups and downs. She’s been in and out of jail. She has been in and out of the hospital. Their relationship has been up and down. But over time we have been there for them …. not every day ore even every week… but when they need us. So yesterday my daughter went shopping to buy a gift for that beautiful little 7 year old. Her car was the only one big enough for everyone, so she drove down to Greenfield Drive to pick them up. My sons Dominyk and Wilson helped to clean the house…. and we ordered chicken from Moore’s Country Store because our son Jimmy is the cook there and he wanted to be part of things. Our granddaughter Gabby set the table and cut the strawberries. We had the dinner that she requested — fried chicken, homemade mac and cheese, green beans, rolls and strawberry shortcake. And the night was complete with a JoJo Siwa outfit, complete with lots of shiny stuff on the skirt.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Tying this all back together, when I heard the song it made me remember something that my friend Patrick mentions. God lives with the broken. We had a great night…. I held a two week old baby. I got to watch my kids and grandkids caring for others. And I recognized that Jesus was at the table with us in so many ways.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The song is taken from the beatitudes in Matthew 5. it’s so interesting to see who Jesus says are blessed.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The poor in spirit.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Those who mourn.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The weak.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The hungry and thirsty.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Wow. The broken are the blessed. The Losers.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Here are the lyrics to that song:</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><div style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Losers<br />All the lovely losers<br />Never thought you'd hear your name<br />Outside<br />Always on the outside<br />Empty at the wishing well<br />But time will tell</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Chorus:<br />Blessed Be<br />The ones who know that they are weak<br />They shall see<br />The kingdom come to the broken ones<br />Blessed be</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Thirsty<br />Like you're drinking from a salt sea<br />But one day you'll be satisfied<br />Hungry<br />For the taste of mercy<br />Aching just to have your fill<br />One day you will</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Chorus:</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Not for the strong, beautiful the brave<br />Not for the ones who think they've got it made<br />It's for the poor, broken and meek<br />It's for the ones who look a lot like you and me</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><br /></div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5em; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;">Blessed Be<br />Losers<br />All the lovely losers</div></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">https://youtu.be/1MzrLQTjNxI</div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-71084241931695695662021-04-14T14:19:00.004-05:002021-04-14T14:19:58.177-05:00I almost forgot to blog today<p>Very very seldom do I forget a staff devotional -- I did today. It's been a very very busy day.</p><p>But let me tell you this.... it's been a day.</p><p>I left my car door open when I came into work and a coworker did this with the picture and sent it to everyone on staff.</p><p>It's been a day.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-noQW8Xh-xj0/YHdAShUmY9I/AAAAAAAAJqQ/dU4qUwmit8orrkn7cbH_jTWnmdzvGQ6yQCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/IMG_7401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="388" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-noQW8Xh-xj0/YHdAShUmY9I/AAAAAAAAJqQ/dU4qUwmit8orrkn7cbH_jTWnmdzvGQ6yQCLcBGAsYHQ/w517-h388/IMG_7401.JPG" width="517" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-57080379101999522022021-04-13T06:13:00.002-05:002021-04-13T06:13:10.202-05:00God's Still Good and He's Still Got it All In Control.<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">It’s #WAYTOOBUSYTuesday complete with 7 hours of pure undefiled budget crunching joy.</span></p><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">(OK, so we might get done early but that’s what’s on my calendar for today).</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Listen to this great song. Heard it for the first time this morning.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="352" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ASw-I8s-yzc" width="424" youtube-src-id="ASw-I8s-yzc"></iframe></div><br /><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-7297595940402508572021-04-12T06:45:00.005-05:002021-04-12T06:45:44.668-05:00Peace be with You<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">What kind of weekend did you have?</span></p><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">I hope it was relaxing…. restarting…. regenerative…. pleasant.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">If it wasn’t, these thoughts may be just what you need. And if it was, i’m sure you can relate to those whose weekend was anything but those things. Because all of us have times when things just aren’t great.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Take the disciples for instance.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">They had quite the weekend. Friday they watched the man they had been following around for years, devoting their lives to, killed at the hand of his enemies. They spent Saturday in shock, trying to figure out what to do. Sunday morning some of them said they had been told he was no longer dead, and that was just weird.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">That night they are in their favorite hangout and Jesus shows up. Knowing what they had been through that weekend, what were his first words to them.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Peace be with you.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Peace. </div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">That was his first word.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">And so regardless of what is happening in your world today, this is my first word to you.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Peace.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">a couple songs that are worth the listen if your weekend was less than peaceful — externally or internally.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">https://youtu.be/6kj8pzDLcc8</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">https://youtu.be/D73UGGK1EJE</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">(Note: As is typical on Mondays, these thoughts were brought to you via a great sermon I heard yesterday :-)</div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-42286571896863148502021-04-11T19:55:00.002-05:002021-04-12T06:43:08.575-05:00the only oneI almost posted this on Facebook but it kinda makes me sound needy and like I’m begging for sympathy but I’m not. <div><br /></div><div>But I am weary of the role of being one of two people in the world who will still love our kids no matter what happens because when they are angry I get the brunt of it. </div><div><br /></div><div>So .... if my only role is to be that person then I guess I’ll play it but it isn't fun. </div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-20694655563274115762021-04-10T18:36:00.001-05:002021-04-10T18:36:18.891-05:00for the first time in my lifeI am relying on tips to determine the hourly wage my boys and I get when we door dash. <div><br></div><div>People who don’t tip are ... well I have no words to describe the feeling. </div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-54385166347145463342021-04-09T07:50:00.002-05:002021-04-09T07:50:47.402-05:00Give to Everyone Who Asks of You<p> Yup, that's a Bible verse in Luke 6:30. Pretty intense huh? I can already hear you saying "but what about......"</p><p>I've struggled with this verse many times in my life, particularly when living in Mexico where there were always so many folks who were asking. Beggars on every corner, small children, single moms, homeless and distraught, asking for a few pesos.</p><p>I've also struggled with it as a clergy spouse when we are asked as a church or as a couple to give to someone who needs a hotel night's stay or a ride somewhere. Many times we knew that there was a chance that we were being scammed but we gave anyway.</p><p>I struggle with it now whenever a CarePortal request doesn't go quite as planned because I want resources to go to people who will be able to move forward in their lives because of the gift.</p><p>But I have realized in all these situations that I might be missing the point. What if the verse was nothing to do with the recipient and everything to do with the giver? </p><p>What if the point is that God wants us to give because he wants us to get the blessing that comes from obedience, regardless of whether or not the recipient will do what we want them to do with the gift.</p><p>Thoughts to ponder on a Friday.</p>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-4635819496126095422021-04-08T09:31:00.001-05:002021-04-08T09:31:08.458-05:00A unique prayer<p> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Just a short thought to share with you today.</span></p><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">I was in a meeting yesterday where an older pastor prayed an interesting sentence that I’m not sure I ever heard prayed before.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">It reminded me of this verse in Matthew 6:8:</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><i>"your Father knows what you need before you ask him."</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">He said:</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 6px;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85); font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 6px;"><i>don't forget to give us the things for which we forget to ask...</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Isn’t that a profound thought? That God knows what we need and sometimes he give us even the things for which we forget to ask.</div><div><br /></div><div>Keep that in mind today.</div></div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-33112842844092119772021-04-07T09:35:00.003-05:002021-04-07T09:35:24.813-05:00Grateful<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p18eRB1HlAA/YG3DGyMqdyI/AAAAAAAAJqI/dVw-pS1SM9Ii9rUo8xyk0ZqlIBVtcNw2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s720/messeduptoyota.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="335" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p18eRB1HlAA/YG3DGyMqdyI/AAAAAAAAJqI/dVw-pS1SM9Ii9rUo8xyk0ZqlIBVtcNw2QCLcBGAsYHQ/w446-h335/messeduptoyota.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><br />This happened yesterday. Bart's car. Nobody injured.<p></p><p>He feels fine today though the experience was traumatic.</p><p>We have insurance and have a rental to drive for a while.</p><p>Everyone is safe. Cars can be replaced... or repaired .... or fixed. </p><p>He's the best and any thought of losing him makes panic rise in my throat. And we're only 57.</p><p>Wonder how married couples live into their 80s and 90s wondering when they have to say goodbye? </p>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-82126427964105864922021-04-06T06:27:00.004-05:002021-04-06T06:27:56.340-05:00What do these stones stand for?<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Zq-PZQa0Hg/YGxFo7u4cxI/AAAAAAAAJqA/-76HjWXUwx0-F8RjYLU1guSssPG0DYy7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s243/clutch.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="243" height="237" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Zq-PZQa0Hg/YGxFo7u4cxI/AAAAAAAAJqA/-76HjWXUwx0-F8RjYLU1guSssPG0DYy7gCLcBGAsYHQ/w355-h237/clutch.jpeg" width="355" /></a></div><br />When I was in high school I had to drive a car that looked a lot like this except it was older and uglier. By the time we got it it was at least 15 years old It wasn’t quite as ugly as the rusty royal blue station wagon that it replaced, but harder to drive because it was a three speed with a clutch. And before you say that I should have been lucky to have a car, please realize that the one vehicle was shared with four drivers, (my parents, my brother and I) and so most of the time I road the city bus to work.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">But the car has a story. And that story is a powerful one.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The blue station wagon died one day. I remember sitting at the dining room table, hearing of her death. My dad announced that the mechanic had said there was no way to fix it again. He solemnly let us know that he wasn’t sure how we were going to get around because there was no money for a new car. (My parents lived on a very small income and always prioritized tithe and giving to mission BEFORE groceries, so we often didn’t have meat with our meals during weeks where there was a surprise expense (but they never missed paying their tithe and the missionaries always got the monthly pledge)</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">After my dad’s announcement, my mom said, “Well kids, I guess we’re just going to have to ask God for a car. And my dad, as he often did, said in his prayer that night, “We commit our ways to thee now.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The very next day my mom got a call from former neighbors. They said to my mom, “I’m not sure why, but I think God was leading me to ask you if you want the car we have in our back yard. It runs fine, but we don’t need it any more and we will sell it to you for a dollar.”</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Check out this story from Joshua 4 (EXV)</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><i>Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">In Scripture this kind of monument was referred to as an Ebenezer, now defined as a "commemoration of divine assistance”. It’s something we point to when it’s time to remember what God has done.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">The old 3 speed clutch car became one of the many Ebenezers of my childhood. Many times when we were running into hard times, someone would say, “Remember, God when gave us a car for a buck?”</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">In essence we would ask the question “what do these stones mean to you” and our parents would tell of all the things God had done for us.</div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;">Do you have an Ebenezer but didn’t know it? Take a minute to look back today on something you can point to when your friends, or your kids or grandkids wonder if God can do as he promised. </div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><i>Here I raise my Ebenezer<br />Hither by Thy help I've come<br />And I hope by Thy good pleasure<br />Safely to arrive at home</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;"><i>https://youtu.be/EYrTqBioaZ4</i></div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-63030654173388593442021-04-05T06:02:00.003-05:002021-04-05T06:02:22.652-05:00Don't be alarmed!<div style="font-family: Arial;">Even after all of the Easter sermons I have heard over the years, until yesterday when an excellent preacher I know helped this thought to stand out to me,</div><div style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial;">In Mark 16, the women come to the empty tomb and find a man dressed in white who says:</div><div style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial;"><i>Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee.”</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial;">If you consolidate the first message given by what we assume was an angel to the distraught women who found the empty tomb, here is the message.</div><div style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial;">Don’t be afraid — he is going ahead of you.</div><div style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial;">Whatever you are facing today, don’t be afraid. He is going ahead of you.</div><div style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="371" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yqtf71mILwY" width="447" youtube-src-id="Yqtf71mILwY"></iframe></div><br /></div>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11190188.post-74840680441950640352021-04-04T05:56:00.001-05:002021-04-04T05:56:36.263-05:00so you have soup in your bedroom?<p>I just noticed that we do. Tucked on a shelf near medications, books and boxes of Q tips are two cans of soup. </p><p><br></p><p>Why? You ask. Because Bart likes soup. And if it is in the kitchen someone will eat it. Or possibly someone will pour it into a bowl, stick it in the microwave and then leave for work without remembering they were going to eat. </p><p><br></p><p>so yeah. We have soup in our bedroom. </p>Claudiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02057662343562530495noreply@blogger.com0