Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Excellence
Excellence is not about being the fastest, strongest, smartest. Excellence is competing successfully within oneself. Achieving daily purpose triumphantly, pursuing victoriously the Still Small Voice that says one can when the louder, more persistent ones disagree. That...is when we win. SGKaplan
Fear and Faith
Excitement accompanies the birth of both Fear and Faith.
Fear and Faith are non threatening when young, but are offspring of two distinctly different fathers.
Fear and Faith both get stronger with regular exercise and the more they are fed, the larger they grow.
The longer Fear and Faith are allowed in, the more space they require however, they can never reside peacefully together, one will surely devour the other.
Be discerning in the decision of which to keep, as one is more persistent than the other.
One will steal, kill, and destroy and lead to death.
The other will protect, guide and comfort and lead to life.
You decide which to nurture. SGKaplan
Fear and Faith are non threatening when young, but are offspring of two distinctly different fathers.
Fear and Faith both get stronger with regular exercise and the more they are fed, the larger they grow.
The longer Fear and Faith are allowed in, the more space they require however, they can never reside peacefully together, one will surely devour the other.
Be discerning in the decision of which to keep, as one is more persistent than the other.
One will steal, kill, and destroy and lead to death.
The other will protect, guide and comfort and lead to life.
You decide which to nurture. SGKaplan
Forgiveness
It was a late Friday afternoon when a neighbor called to borrow our horsetrailer. An unusual request coming from someone who didn't own animals.
He must have known what I was thinking, as he went on to explain that his neighbor's donkey had been attacked by a pitull and needed to be taken to the vet.
In a short time, two men pulled into our driveway and jumped out of their truck, one I recognized but the other I had never met before.
"Is that blood?" my husband asked the young stranger who, as I had just noticed was stained a dark reddish brown. Without waiting for an answer we both jumped into emergency mode.
Neither men had ever driven a horsetailer before and we thought now was not the best time to learn.
We loaded up the trailer and followed them to a nearby pasture where a brave little blood soaked miniature donkey, Guinevere, lay, partially restrained and partially supported by two other neighbors.
It took all of us to get the little grey and red body into the trailer but as soon as it was accomplished we set off for the 20 minute drive down the hill toward the vet.
It was decided that three of us would help support Guinevere in the trailer during the drive. I knew the road well but the ride seemed especially long with the winding turns, the rattling of the trailer dividers, and the cold air rushing through the open trailer windows, but I listened as each neighbor filled me in as to the events that had unfolded earlier in the day.
Martin, the young man stained with blood that I had first met in our driveway, had come home elated after a successful job interview following several months of unemployment. It was a beautiful day and he thought he would spend the rest of it with his best friend of five years, his dog. Upon returning to his parents house where he had been living temporarily, he left his dog unattended while he went inside which he now realized was a terrible mistake.
In a short time, the dog's preditor instinct kicked in and Guinevere who lived next door, was his unfortunate target. Martin was near tears as he spoke. He knew now that his mistake could cost his companion his life.
Steve, the other rider in the trailer and was holding to his own mix of emotions. The son-in-law of Guinevere's owner, he told he story of his father-in-law having to put down his own dog for the very same reason. Choosing to attack one of his miniature donkeys a few years earlier.
Weeks passed, but this particular Friday evening continued to plague my thoughts. I decided I would go back to the pasture where we initially picked up Guinevere and check on her progress.
As I drove up the now familiar drive toward an old barn, I saw a woman unloading a pickup. I would introduce myself, I thought, and see if she had any information. After I introduced myself and explained my small role in the events that had transpired a few weeks back, she asked if I wanted to see her horse. I thought it was a peculiar request, maybe she was just being friendly. She must have noticed my puzzled expression and she went on to explain as she led me into the dark barn where a beautiful white Arabian mare stood. "No one checked the other animals in the pasture", she said. The anger and bitterness resounded loudly as she spoke. "Look" she said as she pointed to the foreleg and chest area of her mare.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing, three weeks of healing still hadn't disguised the ground beef appearance across the front of the horse.
As I listened, my mind went back three weeks prior when I wrestled with my own emotions of judgment and empathy as a young bloodstained man came desperately seeking to try to rectify a situation that his momentary irresponsibility had caused. I witnessed how this one act of irresponsibility could have a ripple effect through a community, touching people who had not know each other previously. I was now seeing how unforgiveness could bind someone so tightly captive that their very essence was disfigured.
I'm not sure why God allows some things to happen and prevents others, but it was not in the too distant past that my own irresponsibilty did damage and effected others, but by the mercy of God, a lot of "what ifs"...did not.
Sadly, I learned that Guinevere was put to sleep a week following her attack due to unreparable nerve damage in her front leg. Martin's pit bull also was put down.
The beautiful white Arab's flesh wounds are still on the mend but it is often the wounds that we don't see that hurt the most and take God's healing hand to relieve...we just need to ask.
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus said to him, I say not to you, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22
He must have known what I was thinking, as he went on to explain that his neighbor's donkey had been attacked by a pitull and needed to be taken to the vet.
In a short time, two men pulled into our driveway and jumped out of their truck, one I recognized but the other I had never met before.
"Is that blood?" my husband asked the young stranger who, as I had just noticed was stained a dark reddish brown. Without waiting for an answer we both jumped into emergency mode.
Neither men had ever driven a horsetailer before and we thought now was not the best time to learn.
We loaded up the trailer and followed them to a nearby pasture where a brave little blood soaked miniature donkey, Guinevere, lay, partially restrained and partially supported by two other neighbors.
It took all of us to get the little grey and red body into the trailer but as soon as it was accomplished we set off for the 20 minute drive down the hill toward the vet.
It was decided that three of us would help support Guinevere in the trailer during the drive. I knew the road well but the ride seemed especially long with the winding turns, the rattling of the trailer dividers, and the cold air rushing through the open trailer windows, but I listened as each neighbor filled me in as to the events that had unfolded earlier in the day.
Martin, the young man stained with blood that I had first met in our driveway, had come home elated after a successful job interview following several months of unemployment. It was a beautiful day and he thought he would spend the rest of it with his best friend of five years, his dog. Upon returning to his parents house where he had been living temporarily, he left his dog unattended while he went inside which he now realized was a terrible mistake.
In a short time, the dog's preditor instinct kicked in and Guinevere who lived next door, was his unfortunate target. Martin was near tears as he spoke. He knew now that his mistake could cost his companion his life.
Steve, the other rider in the trailer and was holding to his own mix of emotions. The son-in-law of Guinevere's owner, he told he story of his father-in-law having to put down his own dog for the very same reason. Choosing to attack one of his miniature donkeys a few years earlier.
Weeks passed, but this particular Friday evening continued to plague my thoughts. I decided I would go back to the pasture where we initially picked up Guinevere and check on her progress.
As I drove up the now familiar drive toward an old barn, I saw a woman unloading a pickup. I would introduce myself, I thought, and see if she had any information. After I introduced myself and explained my small role in the events that had transpired a few weeks back, she asked if I wanted to see her horse. I thought it was a peculiar request, maybe she was just being friendly. She must have noticed my puzzled expression and she went on to explain as she led me into the dark barn where a beautiful white Arabian mare stood. "No one checked the other animals in the pasture", she said. The anger and bitterness resounded loudly as she spoke. "Look" she said as she pointed to the foreleg and chest area of her mare.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing, three weeks of healing still hadn't disguised the ground beef appearance across the front of the horse.
As I listened, my mind went back three weeks prior when I wrestled with my own emotions of judgment and empathy as a young bloodstained man came desperately seeking to try to rectify a situation that his momentary irresponsibility had caused. I witnessed how this one act of irresponsibility could have a ripple effect through a community, touching people who had not know each other previously. I was now seeing how unforgiveness could bind someone so tightly captive that their very essence was disfigured.
I'm not sure why God allows some things to happen and prevents others, but it was not in the too distant past that my own irresponsibilty did damage and effected others, but by the mercy of God, a lot of "what ifs"...did not.
Sadly, I learned that Guinevere was put to sleep a week following her attack due to unreparable nerve damage in her front leg. Martin's pit bull also was put down.
The beautiful white Arab's flesh wounds are still on the mend but it is often the wounds that we don't see that hurt the most and take God's healing hand to relieve...we just need to ask.
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus said to him, I say not to you, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Submission
Ew. Just the sound of the word makes the skin crawl of one raised in a "I can do" society. But as I listened to her story, the wisdom from someone half my age astounded me.
She told the story of wanting to go to her best friend's wedding overseas but her husband thought it more wise to invest the money in the purchase of a home. She knew the more logical answer but she could not deny the desire of her heart and did not want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. Out of obedience to her husband, but mostly to God who created order, she and her husband bought their first home together.
Shortly afterward, God, knowing her heart, blessed her for her obedience and provided a way financially for her and her husband to attend the wedding anyway.
I thought of my own situation, in my 23 years of marriage how I often, with an "I can do" attitude have contradicted my husband's wishes and had done things the way I sought fit instead. I had a lot to learn.
I know God is a God of order. To take Him at His word correctly we have to know that when He ordained the husband as the head of the household He was establishing His order, not a dominion. Wives were to be a helpmate, helping their husbands to be all that God had designed him to be and husbands were to love their wives, enabling her to be all that God had designed her to be.
I certainly was not holding up my end of the design.
I was determined to make a change. It was going to be a tough exercise for me but my husband, by perfect design would be, as he should be, the head of our home with my support.
This came to my mind rather forcefully one cold winter day in December while I was going through our budget looking for ways to cut costs so there would be more paycheck left at the end of the month to pay off looming loans.
I found that by reducing our auto insurance coverage we could have a little less going out each month.
As I picked up the phone to call the insurance company I was reminded that I should first call my husband.
He disagreed. WHAT?! how in the WORLD God do you expect me to follow someone who just doesn't UNDERSTAND?! UGH!! I'm the one that pays the bills, I'm the one that knows what we need....I pleaded my case....to Someone who already knew what we needed, the plans for me, for my family. Things that I didn't, couldn't understand. Trust.
Trust. Listen. Obey.
He never asks us to understand, He never says, nor implies that it will be easy. But the blessings will always far outweigh the cost.
As always, that day came and went and I actually forgot how angry and disappointed I had been.
I answered my phone in the middle of Costco on the other side of town expecting to joke in typical fashion with my witty neighbor when I was informed by her panicky voice that our horses were out by the highway near our home.
I dropped everything and raced for the car knowing that it would be at least 20 minutes before I got there. I felt helpless.
Please my God. You are the ruler of all creation, your creatures obey your every command. Please turn them away from the highway. PLEASE ALMIGHTY GOD do not let anyone or anything die or become seriously injured because of my negligence.
Early that cold crisp morning, I had turned the horses out into the lower pasture knowing full well that it was not completely fenced. I reassured my concerned husband that they would be fine.
I picked up the phone to call home.
With a house full of young adults that were never home, especially on a Friday night, I prayed that someone would be. By God's mercy and grace there was...a houseful. My husband, my two daughters, my son, my son-in-love, and three horsey girl friends, all jumped into action grabbing halters and lead ropes to look for 7 horses running somewhere between our home and the highway in 80 acres of filberts in the dead of night.
The cliche describes it well. It felt like an eternity before I pulled onto our street and into the orchard, where the previous rainfall created a sucking mud that prohibited my van from moving any further. Again I felt helpless. My husband must have seen my headlights as he pulled up behind me as I was getting out of my car.
Upon seeing his car, I burst into tears. The windshield was shattered and the hood dented. I did not want to know how it happened. Please Lord, I need you!
Just then I got a call from my daughter saying they had five of the horses and were headed for home. I needed to find the other two.
My husband and I returned to the pasture where I had mistakenly turned them out that morning and anxiously called into the cold night air, and prayed, and listened. A soft nicker arose in the black of the night and my trusted 23 year old mare appeared out of the darkness. The relief of seeing her was overwhelming and following closely behind her was the youngest horse in the herd. Thank you Lord...thank you.
With everyone safely back in the barn we went over each horse to find a few superficial wounds but nothing serious, again, thank you Lord.
But the car...
As the story goes, one of the horses spooked in the darkness, jumped between the headlights, fell onto the windshield and slid to the ground. How in the world would I explain this to the insurance company?
I gasped. I couldn't remember if, in my anger, I didn't just go ahead and cancel our full coverage on our vehicles.
Later that month we received a check for the value of the car, and, by the grace of God, were able to pay off one of those looming loans that I had been so concerned about. And, with a new windshield, the car is pretty much back to the way it was, with the exception of a few reminder "tap dance" marks on the hood.
I still have so much to learn, I count myself privileged to be able to serve a God with unlimited resources, wisdom and knowledge. He helps me to change through His power and Who is gentle in His rebuke and patient with me through the mistakes. Praise to a Loving Father.
She told the story of wanting to go to her best friend's wedding overseas but her husband thought it more wise to invest the money in the purchase of a home. She knew the more logical answer but she could not deny the desire of her heart and did not want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity. Out of obedience to her husband, but mostly to God who created order, she and her husband bought their first home together.
Shortly afterward, God, knowing her heart, blessed her for her obedience and provided a way financially for her and her husband to attend the wedding anyway.
I thought of my own situation, in my 23 years of marriage how I often, with an "I can do" attitude have contradicted my husband's wishes and had done things the way I sought fit instead. I had a lot to learn.
I know God is a God of order. To take Him at His word correctly we have to know that when He ordained the husband as the head of the household He was establishing His order, not a dominion. Wives were to be a helpmate, helping their husbands to be all that God had designed him to be and husbands were to love their wives, enabling her to be all that God had designed her to be.
I certainly was not holding up my end of the design.
I was determined to make a change. It was going to be a tough exercise for me but my husband, by perfect design would be, as he should be, the head of our home with my support.
This came to my mind rather forcefully one cold winter day in December while I was going through our budget looking for ways to cut costs so there would be more paycheck left at the end of the month to pay off looming loans.
I found that by reducing our auto insurance coverage we could have a little less going out each month.
As I picked up the phone to call the insurance company I was reminded that I should first call my husband.
He disagreed. WHAT?! how in the WORLD God do you expect me to follow someone who just doesn't UNDERSTAND?! UGH!! I'm the one that pays the bills, I'm the one that knows what we need....I pleaded my case....to Someone who already knew what we needed, the plans for me, for my family. Things that I didn't, couldn't understand. Trust.
Trust. Listen. Obey.
He never asks us to understand, He never says, nor implies that it will be easy. But the blessings will always far outweigh the cost.
As always, that day came and went and I actually forgot how angry and disappointed I had been.
I answered my phone in the middle of Costco on the other side of town expecting to joke in typical fashion with my witty neighbor when I was informed by her panicky voice that our horses were out by the highway near our home.
I dropped everything and raced for the car knowing that it would be at least 20 minutes before I got there. I felt helpless.
Please my God. You are the ruler of all creation, your creatures obey your every command. Please turn them away from the highway. PLEASE ALMIGHTY GOD do not let anyone or anything die or become seriously injured because of my negligence.
Early that cold crisp morning, I had turned the horses out into the lower pasture knowing full well that it was not completely fenced. I reassured my concerned husband that they would be fine.
I picked up the phone to call home.
With a house full of young adults that were never home, especially on a Friday night, I prayed that someone would be. By God's mercy and grace there was...a houseful. My husband, my two daughters, my son, my son-in-love, and three horsey girl friends, all jumped into action grabbing halters and lead ropes to look for 7 horses running somewhere between our home and the highway in 80 acres of filberts in the dead of night.
The cliche describes it well. It felt like an eternity before I pulled onto our street and into the orchard, where the previous rainfall created a sucking mud that prohibited my van from moving any further. Again I felt helpless. My husband must have seen my headlights as he pulled up behind me as I was getting out of my car.
Upon seeing his car, I burst into tears. The windshield was shattered and the hood dented. I did not want to know how it happened. Please Lord, I need you!
Just then I got a call from my daughter saying they had five of the horses and were headed for home. I needed to find the other two.
My husband and I returned to the pasture where I had mistakenly turned them out that morning and anxiously called into the cold night air, and prayed, and listened. A soft nicker arose in the black of the night and my trusted 23 year old mare appeared out of the darkness. The relief of seeing her was overwhelming and following closely behind her was the youngest horse in the herd. Thank you Lord...thank you.
With everyone safely back in the barn we went over each horse to find a few superficial wounds but nothing serious, again, thank you Lord.
But the car...
As the story goes, one of the horses spooked in the darkness, jumped between the headlights, fell onto the windshield and slid to the ground. How in the world would I explain this to the insurance company?
I gasped. I couldn't remember if, in my anger, I didn't just go ahead and cancel our full coverage on our vehicles.
Later that month we received a check for the value of the car, and, by the grace of God, were able to pay off one of those looming loans that I had been so concerned about. And, with a new windshield, the car is pretty much back to the way it was, with the exception of a few reminder "tap dance" marks on the hood.
I still have so much to learn, I count myself privileged to be able to serve a God with unlimited resources, wisdom and knowledge. He helps me to change through His power and Who is gentle in His rebuke and patient with me through the mistakes. Praise to a Loving Father.
Sweetly Broken
Thankful to a Mighty God, Who will always redirect, with the power that it takes to reclaim a life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NkzxwpQlXA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NkzxwpQlXA
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