My Kind of Crazy

Not that my life is a life of chaos, but I have to admit if you compared my brain to my husband's brain, my mind would look a bit chaotic. It would have swirls, mountains, valleys, dizzying colors and a whole lot of drama. That's just inside the brain. Thankfully, I still have a filter, (well, half a filter) so that the world is not tormented with my crazy.

Yesterday, I had a wonderful 2+ hour coffee with a friend at the breakfast joint. Literally, it is called the Two Hippies-Breakfast Joint. Great place if you are even in Phoenix. Anyway,It was such a wonderful time of encouragement, prayer, edification and a plain ol great girl time. As we talked and shared what's going on in our lives, I found it so amusing that we are quite similar and have very similar husbands. What a joy it was to talk about the men we love and all their strengths and how much they mean to us. I think I even made a comment at how refreshing it was because there are many times when one might listen to women who have nothing good to say about their husbands. So, on and on we went about our wonderful men.

The greatest insight and thankful point I had from that visit was how grateful I am to my husband and to God for bringing me together with a man who is so wise, has such clarity, so able to love and forgive and above all (and this is the main one) he has the amazing gift and ability to see through my chaos. My chaos, that I sometimes can not see through myself. He looks straight past my ups and downs and just sees me and loves me just as I am.

He sees through the fact that the house is not clean this week and sees that we live in a house of love, prayer, faith and hope. He sees through the pile of laundry in the hallway (ok, two piles) that couldn't fit in the laundry basket and sees that I am tending to bible study, transporting kids, visiting with friends and doing the things that really matter. He sees the beauty of my heart through the chaos of my day, my mind, my ups and downs, my bad hair day, my no shower day. He just sees me and loves me.

Thank you Lord for the wise, clear minded, godly man that you have given to me to lead this family in faith towards You.

A Good Day To Be Found

There is a saying at my High School Alma Mater. . ."It's a good day to be a Bronco". Today I found myself saying "It's a good day to be found". Was I lost? No, not really, but let me walk with you my morning.

Since moving to the Phoenix area, I have found myself taking up hiking. I have the official camelback backpack to hold my water. All the hikers out here have one, it's essential. I now have my official hiking boots, low rise, as to blend in to the mass of native Arizonians.

Today took me to Camelback Mountain. I have hiked it several times and each time I make it about 2/3 of the way to the saddle. Basically by the time I make it to the saddle, I'm tired and I'm ready to turn around and I tend to be short on time. But, today I made it to the saddle with ease and had plenty of time to leisurely make it to the top, so I persevered. Each step begging the question. . . "Why, what are you trying to prove" And each step replying "I will conquer Camelback, I will persevere and not turn back."

Even though the last 1/3 of Camel back is more like rock climbing up a straight wall, I made it with a little encouragement from fellow hikers and the passing Mountain Ranger.

I made it. I stood on top of Camelback where the air was blowing and I could have full view of the city and the surrounding mountains. What a view. I stood there admiring the birds below and some above, floating and others simply hovering on the wind. It was a great sight and well worth the climb up.

(All I have to say about this picture is that I was so dazed and confused)

It was the climb down that I was not looking forward to. Going down, I definitely felt like the old lady sliding down the mountain on her behind, I could feel my legs quivering with each and every step. Then I heard the Radio call from the Rangers above me. . ."I have a rescue in progress, a rescue in progress". I though to my self, who could be in trouble. I even said a quick prayer in my mind for that person and for the quickness of the rangers. I found myself not wanting to move in case they needed to rush down past me. I wanted to keep clear.

Slightly after the radio call and the quick thinking on my part. I heard the ranger call down to me and say "Hey, you are off the trail. the trail is up here. You need to climb back up here and get on the trail." I was shocked. Were they talking to me? Yes, they were. I was the rescue. I was the lost hiker in need of rescuing and I didn't even know it. How long would I have continued on my way down that mountain before I would have realized that I was lost? Thank goodness for Ranger, for the Shepherd's that have an eye and a heart to seek and save the lost.

So, how many people are out there just like me. How many people are out there on the wrong path and don't even know it? How will they know how lost they are if we don't radio in to our Father in heaven and then throw them the line, the gospel, the saving truth?

What a joy we have been given, what a calling we have been entrusted with, to go and make disciples of all nations. How will they know if we don't tell them, How will they know that they need Jesus, if we don't shine His light on them. How will they experience mercy if we don't share it. How will they know?

Youth Impact

I just returned home from an awesome time of worship leading for a youth group. It was a group that had just spent the several hours before serving and doing ministry work. Was I as encouraging to them as they are to me, I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if our youth know how impactful they are, how the works of their hands, the fruit of their hearts really reach and inspire others to think outside of themselves. I wonder, I just wonder.

I guess as I get older, I realize how little I know and how much I have to learn. Growing up as a child (and young adult for that matter) who had very low self-esteem and tended to be pretty self destructive, I find myself so amazed and encouraged by young people who are active in their church and are reaching out to someone besides themselves.

I see them learning what I learned a lot later in life. Oh, to imagine what my life would have been like if I would have learned what I know now at a younger age. Regardless, I praise God for journey, for the grace, for the mercy cause I received a whole lot of it.

Thank you God!

Micah 6:8 he has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.