I’ve always thought I handle tragic moments fairly well. I seem to instantly steel emotions and jump into action that needs to be addressed. This has been true through my career in education and with family members who were critically ill or passed away. However, when someone you love–friend or family–ask how you are doing or you just hear their kind, concerned voice, I lose it.

I’ve always known my wife Kathy has been a gift from God to me. It is easy to love someone you know has been a gift like this. Love, on the other hand, has been something I’ve kept somewhat superficial when it is intended just for me. I easily love my kids, grandkids and many friends, but to receive it is another thing. However, these past couple of days have been a genuine awakening for me in both opening myself to love in showing it for my wife and receiving it from others who care.

God is just never done helping one grow more and more into the person He created us to be. I do love our Heavenly Father!

So the journey continues with unexpected outcomes. As we delved into the Black Friday shopping yesterday early morning, I got a call from my oldest daughter who was with Kathy and the granddaughters. Kathy was acting very strange which had been somewhat noticed that morning and even the evening before. We all met at the hospital only to find that she had had a stroke. All of us were at the hospital all day yesterday as they ran many, many tests. My youngest daughter and I spent the night with her in the hospital so I write this in her room as she is quietly sleeping.

The stroke seems to have centered in the part of the brain where language is handled along with thinking. Her symptoms have no paralysis, only confusion and the lack of ability to express herself, unable to find words that fit what she wanted to say. She was also quite unaware that she was even struggling.

This morning as I had my devotional time God reminded me that He will use all things as I surrender them to Him. He has already used this time to bring some family together that were keeping themselves distant. I told God I knew Kathy and I both would thank Him for using this moment in time to strengthen our family’s unity. God is so AMAZING and I never want to lose sight of this!

Today’s journey has a major goal to complete–taking grandsons black Friday shopping! As soon as I complete this entry I’ll be waking each of them. They spent the night so we could get our early start. We have been doing this for over 20 years. Kathy takes the granddaughters and I take the grandsons. It is always a fun moment in time and then comes the nap later in the day!

Yesterday was so enjoyable with the laughter and joy of everyone seeing our oldest grandson who had flown in from his station in the Air Force. He had only told grandma and me since he stays with us when he comes. God is so GOOD!

The joy of family, the anticipation of the glorious meal today provides, the happiness of grandkids laughing and playing with one another–all of this and more only begins the list of THANKS today provides. I can’t even begin to write all that my thanks would list as I’d begin to describe my glorious thanks for Christ Jesus, His patient work in my life, His Holy Spirit’s constant guidance and in all this, leading me to my Heavenly Father Who intimately loves me and created me for love and purpose.

I spent 50 years working in the field of education. I have no regrets for any of that work. I loved every moment of it. Deep within me I always hoped it would be enough to be worthwhile for Jesus’ love for me. Today, getting to serve Jesus through this counseling program, seeing and experiencing people’s hope returning in their lives, watching bondage disappear and be replaced with freedom is nothing but an amazing miracle. Only God Himself knew how to take one’s bondage and turn it into His tool to be used for His glory! This is my greatest THANKS for today–this day of THANKSGIVING!

I don’t know about you who are reading this, but I find myself wondering how to express the gratitude in my heart for all that God has done for me. Last night we had close friends come for the evening. One of them is losing ground due to her cancer. In spite of one’s aching heart, we laughed over and over as we played games we all love. As I began to journal this morning I didn’t know how to pray for this friend. All of us want her to live! Yet, all of us know this decision is in the hands of our loving God. He reminded me of the heartache of sinful flesh and death is the final straw of its effect on us. The glory of life beyond this flesh is so much more rewarding. It is only in selfishness we would want someone to stay in their flesh. Experiencing the reality of this once again, I am able to adjust my prayers to “Thy will be done”.

The JOY of the Lord is our Strength! This Thanksgiving season I want only to find this JOY in all circumstances. Knowing all that is going on in our own lives as well as the lives of our world will someday end and Christ will reign supreme, is the foundation of today’s JOY. I’m staying in this awareness this season of Giving Thanks!

There are days when I am at the point in my journaling and ask Jesus what he wants for me to know this day, He asks me the question, “Is it well with your soul?” I’m always a little taken back with the question for He already knows the answer, it is I who doesn’t know at the moment. Yet, He wants me to know. This morning I could honestly say that it is well with my soul. My soul is very grateful for the friends who arrived yesterday to stay with us for most of the week. They have been gone for 8 years and it is so nice to have them here for this little while.

Secondly, I am so grateful for Lois, my prayer warrior. I went to see her yesterday afternoon to update her on a couple of the ones coming for counsel. She diligently prays for them and these two have had recent breakthroughs I wanted her to know about. I also wanted her to know about the help I’d had last week with the two troubling events I had come to mind while taking this class on-line. I still revel in the miraculous way God showed Himself in it. Sharing this with Lois, I could still sense the awe of the moment. It also gave me the assurance that there is nothing God doesn’t care about in our lives. I can use this technique with others who need to find freedom from past trauma. His timing is always perfect in providing His help if I will “wait on the Lord”.

This is the season for Thanksgiving. I raise my arms reaching out to heaven in gratitude to our Wonderful Savior and Lord! “Give thanks with a grateful heart!”

Jesus is the sweetest name I know. As I type this little sentence there is so much gratefulness I want to capture in it, but sometimes, I just have to let it speak for itself.

The devotional message this morning was focused on having no other gods before me. I have jokingly said that my rototiller is my other god. I do love any type of gardening and a rototiller is the symbol I’d use to represent it. But, when it comes to worship and gratitude, my ONE TRUE GOD is Jesus Christ. Being set free from the bondage of sin coupled with the bondage of lies about one’s self-worth is nothing less than a miracle only Jesus Christ can perform. Then, along with all of this, God gives us His Holy Spirit to live within us to nudge us beyond ourselves so we can offer an example to others of His Great Love.

This morning I just want to write–JESUS is the SWEETEST NAME I know!

Yesterday was one of those days when all that was planned in it fit together like a glove. However, as nice as that is, there is one part that stands out this morning. This is what I want to write about today.

The morning started with an early counseling session for a young man who has been coming for over a year now. When he started, he was addressing suicide. Today, he is smiling, walking with his head held up and eyes looking forward. He is proud of his work, enjoying his marriage and all three of his little ones. He has been working out of area for a few months staying in touch on weekends and through emails and texts. Yesterday was our first face to face meeting in a while. God had nudged me to start the session by asking him what positives were taking place presently for him? Always before we were addressing the negatives he believed and thought were true. His response to the question occupied the entire hour.

As the hour was drawing to a close I asked him if he’d thanked God for all of the positives which had taken place for him? The look on his face was puzzling. His response was, “Well no, but maybe I should.” He was so glad to be on the upside of life and was feeling good about getting there. The credit was primarily going to himself. When I reminded him of the verses we had addressed over the past several months reminding him that God had created him in his mother’s womb and that he was fearfully and wonderfully made, etc., he smiled big. The gifts God had given him were now being used in life instead of being doubted. Yes, this was about him, but the source of strength to turn all of this around he was able to see. He was going to give thanks he said.

I’m sitting in front of my computer keyboard pondering which topic running through my head is the right one to write about? Taking heed to the message in God’s Word is a “must do”. I write this here to emphasize the critical side of working with man. When I was in education we learned what we “must” teach as critical to learning how to read and how to grow in math, etc. We would separate the must do’s from the may do’s. The scripture I read in part this morning was really speaking loudly to me. It comes from the 2nd chapter of I Corinthians. Paul was talking to the listeners telling them to be very careful what they spoke as truths. What we say will be measured one day. It will be placed upon the foundation of God’s Word and tested with fire. We, the speaker, will be saved, but those led astray may be lost. This is a very sobering message and one I want to be very conscious regarding.

It is so important to reinforce the source of the message we share. God Almighty is our foundation and is demonstrated by His Son Jesus who was given to us for eternal reason–man cannot come to God on his own. We will fail every time. Listeners need to be pointed to the Cross of Christ and shown the importance of taking any message heard from man to Christ. This has to be part of our message to man and show them how we do this ourselves. We plant seeds, we water plants, but God Himself is the very substance of each one He created. God’s Word is a “must do” and keeping folks pointed to Him.

It is incredible to me just how much God cares about each one of us–His creation. For so many years I wondered why God didn’t care, didn’t show Himself when trauma hit, didn’t lend a hand, didn’t stop the issue? Little did I know then what I know and understand today. The wall of protection I’d built to protect me from hurt (emotional, sexual, physical) had also steeled me away from any help one would/could offer–including God’s. I easily understand this today. In fact, I often hear similar statements from ones I now counsel and ones I sit with in share group during our Celebrate Recovery time.

It is incredibly important to find where God is when we experience stress, trauma, fear, threats, abuse and more. In my past I would never allow myself to go there because I had already determined what I’d find out–“I didn’t matter to Him.” What a lie I had learned to believe. It has taken me years and years to let go of and abolish the walls of protection I’d built. In so doing, I’ve learned beyond any shadow of doubt that God Cares and is always present.

Helping others to take the tiny steps into trust and believing is such a privilege. Helping them to allow the walls built to be disassembled so they can find the Love and Intimacy awaiting from God, is a Gift I would never have thought I’d experience. How rewarding and humbling it is!