--There Are No Coincidences With Our Lord~~
--He is Always in Control. We must trust Him at all times. ~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
----MYSTERIOUS WAYS~~

--THE CASSEROLE was in the oven. Our five young children were running around the kitchen. They had been cooped up in the house all day. All of us were tired and bored. My husband, Eric, knew I needed a break.

--"Mom called a little earlier and said her washing machine quit working," Eric said. His mother lived not very far from us. "I'm going to go over and take a look at it. The kids can come along with me. How long before dinner?"

-"Maybe an hour," I said.
Before he and the kids had their coats on, I was already upstairs, crawling into bed. I set the timer on and reached for a new book I'd bought. I'd been dying to read it for weeks. Now I would finally have time to myself while the casserole cooked.

Ten minutes later, I heard a familiar jingle coming from downstairs. 'Does it have to be now, Piper?' I thought, a little annoyed. We had trained our dog, a Pomeranian, to ring a bell by the front door whenever she needed to go outside. 'She probably just saw a squirrel', I decided. I ignored it. Then, a few minutes later, I heard the jingle again. "Okay, okay, Piper," I said. "I'm coming!"

'What's that smell?' I wondered as I made my way down the stairs. 'Is something burning?'

As I neared the bottom step, Piper was nowhere to be found. But I did hear a loud snapping sound. I ran into the kitchen. Sparks were flying inside the over. Smoke was seeping out around its door.

I turned off the oven and reached for the phone to call the fire department. Just then, Eric walked into the kitchen with the kids.

"It was a quick fix," Eric said, putting his keys on the counter. He looked puzzled. "What's with all the smoke in here?"

"Something's wrong with the oven," I said.
Grabbing a flashlight, Eric opened the oven door and discovered a piece of food had fallen onto the heating coil. It had cooked onto the coil and burned a hole through it.

"It's a good thing you turned the oven off when you did," Eric said. "This could have caused a fire."

"You can thank Piper," I replied. "I never would've come down here if she hadn't been ringing her bell."

"Honey," Eric said. "Piper was with us the whole time." --

--GUIDEPOSTS/DS ~~
-[The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them." -(PSALM 34:7)]

---MYSTERIOUS WAYS~~
--MORE THAN COINCIDENCE~

--"MOM! MOM!" My seven-year-old son Jonathan's cries jolted me out of a deep sleep. The sleep of the exhausted. After a long day at work, catching up with my husband and son over dinner, getting Jonathan ready for bed... By the time I'd been able to climb into bed myself, I was totally wiped out. I'd fallen asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

The clock on the nightstand read 2:30 A.M. I got up, trying to shake off my grogginess, and hurried down the hall to Jonathan's room. He never had nightmares; he barely stirred in his sleep most nights. It must have been a really bad dream.

It's Okay, sweetheart," I said, sitting on his bed and taking him in my arms. "What happened? What woke you up?"

In a shaky voice, he told me. He'd dreamed the TV was on and an emergency alert started blaring. He'd woken up, convinced our family was in danger. He knew the sound and what it meant. He's heard it often enough during tornado season. Alerts from the National Weather Service would interrupt whatever we were watching with a series of piercing beeps. Like a lot of kids, Jonathan would mimic the sound after the warning had passed. But there was no way he could've heard it now. The house was silent. Our only TV was in the living room, and it was off.

"Don't worry, Jonathan," I said. "We're all safe. It was just a dream." I held him close, reminding him that God watches over us while we sleep. Then I smelled something. What was that? Hot tea? No. Wait. Burning tea!

I'd thrown some tea bags in a pot of boiling water to steep a few hours before, so I'd have iced tea ready in the morning. I'd forgotten to turn off the burner! I must have been more tired than I realized. "I need to check something in the kitchen," I said, keeping my voice even so I wouldn't frighten Jonathan further.

I ran to the kitchen. The pot was sitting on the stove, wisps of smoke swirling from it. The water was long gone. The tea bags were smoldering. The bottom of the pot was charred black, perhaps seconds away from bursting into flames. I turned off the burner, grabbed some tongs and pushed the pot off the stove.

The emergency alert had sounded in my son's dream just in time. Or was He awakened by Someone who knew we needed to stop a house fire?

--We must always count our blessings. The Lord works in ways that we do not even realize. He's with us at all times. Let's be sure to listen to His 'still small voice.' ~~

--In His Arms~~

--MYSTERIOUS WAYS --/ MORE THAN COINCIDENCE~~

--IT was January. The holiday season was over-- and our Bible study group was already gearing up for the next year's festivities. We organized a kind of prayer reminder, "Private Prayer." Each person in our group was randomly assigned another member of our large congregation. We were to pray for that person the whole year, then reveal our identity and give them a gift at the church's next Christmas party.

My 'Private Prayer' was someone I'd never met. That wasn't unusual in a church of our size, though. I studied the name on my card. Ana. Simple enough. But her last name was 11 letters long and mostly consonants. I had no idea how to pronounce it--but I was certain that God did. So I tucked the card into my wallet and prayed for her daily.

Then in May, I got some bad news. I needed surgery. The doctors didn't know how extensive it would be until I was in the operating room. I was admitted to the hospital the day before.
Initially I felt at ease about the operation. Then the sun set. My husband and kids hugged me and kissed me good-night before the nurses asked them to leave so that I could get my rest. As I lay alone in the dark, my thoughts started racing: What is going to happen tomorrow? Will the surgery go well?

I would've given anything to see a familiar face at that moment. I prayed, "God, I need a sign that everything will be alright."

A few minutes later, the night nurse came in to check on me. She was a tiny little thing with a calming presence. She got me an extra blanket and tucked me in, making sure I was comfortable.

"This is a pretty routine procedure you're having tomorrow," she assured me. "Your doctor is very experienced. It's all going to go just fine. Get your rest."

I appreciated the encouragement and the warm, confident smile that went along with it. They made me start to feel a little bit better about what the next day would bring.

I peered at her name tag. Her first name: Ana. I can remember that. And her last name? It was 11 letters long. I couldn't pronounce it, but I knew it almost as well as I knew my own. This was no stranger after all. Here, right in front of me--even though we'd never met before--was just the familiar face I needed. "Thank You, Lord." ~~

--Guideposts/GM

--OBSCURED BY CLOUDS~~

"We fix our eyes not
on what is seen, but
on what is unseen."
--(2 Corinthians 4:18)--

--We all know God is unseen but eternal. We gaze at the clouds and sky. The beautiful earth and all it's splendor, we must remember, "In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
The Creator of all things visible and invisible, is also the first born of all creation.

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. --(see Colossians Chapter 1 verses 13 thru 29). The entire Bible is true History from Genesis through Revelation.
While we are on this journey we can enjoy music and Creation. We enjoy the mountains, oceans, rivers, forests, and animals.

We enjoy being with people. We must remember, however, that we are on a journey to the Celestial City, to spend eternity with our Lord Jesus and all the saints. Stay focused. Jesus is coming soon.
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning, and the end.

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright and morning star."
--YES, I AM COMING QUICKLY!" --(REVELATION 22:12-21). "
"Amen, Come quickly Lord Jesus." --CLICK ON THE LINK TO SEE A BEAUTIFUL VIDEO
--WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD/ SUNG BY: LOUIS ARMSTRONG~~ /<https://youtu.be/p-T6aaRV9HY>
--------------

----MYSTERIOUS WAYS~~

-[MORE THAN COINCIDENCE = GOD IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL~]

--I wanted my son's funeral to be a celebration of his life. Patrick was only 26 years old when he died of an accidental overdose. There's no grief like that of a parent who's lost a child. But I didn't want that grief to overshadow my love for my son. I wanted to remember Patrick as he'd been before addiction took him from us--a kind, funny boy who was willing to help others.

We'd scheduled the funeral Church Service on Halloween, which was one of his favorite holidays. We encouraged guests to wear orange and black--a nod to the day, as well as the colors of Patrick's beloved football team, the Cincinnati Bengals.

We'd rented out a hall for friends and family to gather afterward. My husband, Brian, and I sat at one of the folding tables. Neither of us was very hungry, but family members had insisted that we eat. I was picking at some potato salad when I looked up to see our friend Steve coming toward our table. He was sporting a Bengals jersey. If anyone could understand our pain, it was Steve. His own daughter had died a few yeas earlier.

"Check it out," said Steve, spinning around to show us the back of the jersey. He'd modified the name with duct tape. Instead of the original player's name it said PATCH. Patrick's nickname. He'd also used tape to make new numbers...a two and a four. 24 ~

"Why did you put that number 24?" I asked him.
"Because it was Patrick's age...um...." he said. Wasn't it?"

"No, he was 26, I said.

Steve looked horrified. "I'm so sorry, "he said. "I didn't mean------"

"No, don't be sorry," Brian cut in. "It's just.....24 was Patrick's favorite number. It was Ken Griffey, Jr.'s number. Patrick chose it for all his baseball and basket ball jerseys."

Not only that. ever since he was a little boy, Patrick had claimed 24 as his signature number. It was tacked to the end of all his e-mail addresses and passwords. When asked to pick a number at random--any number--Patrick always chose 24.

It may have been just a simply mistake, but I don't believe that. I know it was Heaven's way of letting my husband and me know that our Patrick was safe in Heaven. ~~

--GUIDEPOSTS/JW~
--["Now You Belong To Heaven"/ Mari Olsen / <https://youtu.be/pFjAXHmjxQk>
~~~~~~~~~~~

---"MEET ME AT THE GOLF CART~"

--Who would have guessed it would be the secret to our happy marriage?

--THE Christian Camp where my husband, Frank is operations director is open year-round. It's a big job. Sometimes it takes all five of us--Frank, me and our three sons--to keep it going. We host all kinds of groups. Who wouldn't want to spend time in a lake house, surrounded by 78 acres of rolling hills? It's a relaxing getaway for our guests. For Frank and me, it's hard work. Especially during the summer, when we run our own children's camp. In the evenings, we're lucky if we manage an "I love you" before falling asleep.

Yet somehow, after 20 years, we're as close as ever. How do we do it? The answer lies in six simple words: "Meet me at the golf cart."

The golf cart came to us our very first summer at the camp. There was so much to do and so much to learn. There was barely time for a quick hug before we had to go off in different directions--sometimes miles away from each other. Frank and I were working together ever day, yet I'd never felt so distant from him.

"You don't have to tell me," my friend said. "I spent summers at that very camp. There's just something so peaceful about it. It's my absolute favorite place on earth."

After a pause, my friend asked, "Tell me, how is your husband getting around such a a big place?"

"Well, he has the camp's old pickup," I said with a laugh. "But that truck is not even roadworthy. He's mostly getting around on foot."

A few weeks later, my friend sent us the golf cart. Frank and I no longer had to walk miles every day. When we needed to see to something on the grounds, we just hopped in the cart and zipped off. We were still busy from morning till night, but at least we weren't quite so exhausted.

One day, I went to Frank with a question about a food delivery. I wasn't the only one who needed his attention. He was surrounded by campers and counselors. Even one of our sons had something to ask him. Frank and I would never get enough time to have an actual conversation. Then I got an idea, "Hey, babe," I said, "let's grab the golf cart."

Frank smiled, immediately understanding my reasoning.
"Sorry, guys, he said, "but we need to run an errand."
We climbed into the cart. "Where do we go?" he asked.
"Somewhere nobody will be waiting for us," I said.
Frank drove us up to the top of a hill. By the time we got there, we'd already worked out the delivery question, so he and I just sat there quietly for a long moment and looked out at the grounds.

"There really is something so peaceful about this place," I said. "When you get a chance to enjoy it, that is."
"From now on," Frank said, "this spot will be our place. Just for you and me. Whenever one of us needs it, just say the word and we'll get in the golf cart and go."

A few minutes later, we drove down the hill and back to our busy lives. But those few minutes changed everything. It wasn't just the beautiful view. It was knowing that, no matter how busy we got, we could find a minute for each other.

All I had to do was lean over and whisper in Frank's ear, "Meet me at the golf cart."
~~GUIDEPOSTS

--"Love Lifted Me" (lyrics/speakers needed ~)//Kenny Rogers//<https://youtu.be/7XNrdRCIzxI>
~~~~~~~~~~~~

--Put Our Hope and Confidence in Our Lord Jesus~

--On The Bubble ~~

--"You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you...into his wonderful light." --[1 Peter 2:9]

---A news article in May 1970 contained one of the first uses of the idiom "on the bubble"." Referring to a state of uncertainty, the expression was used in relation to rookie race car drive Steve Krisloff. He's been "on the bubble," having posted a slow qualifying lap for the Indianapolis 500. Later, it was confirmed that his time--through the slowest of those who qualified--allowed him to compete in the race.

We can feel at times that we're "on the bubble," uncertain we have what it takes to compete in or finish the race of life. When we're feeling that way, it's important to remember that in Jesus we're never "on the bubble." As children of God, our place in His kingdom is secure (John 14:3). Our confidence flows from Him who chose Jesus to be the "cornerstone" on which our lives are built, and He chose us to be "living stones" filled with the Spirit of God, capable of being the people God created us to be (1 Peter 2:5-6).

In Christ, our future is secure as we hope in and follow Him (v.6). For "[we] are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that [we] may declare the praises of him who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light" (v.9).

In Jesus' eyes we're not "on the bubble." We're precious and loved (v.4). He is our Chief Cornerstone! ~
--ODB/ROS~ --"Cornerstone"// Leon Patillo/ lyric video//<https://youtu.be/jUScdfiOdMc>
~~~~~~~

--NO COINCIDENCES WITH OUR LORD~~

~~~~MYSTERIOUS WAYS~
--GUIDEPOSTS~

~~MY HUSBAND, Luke, and I didn't expect to stay in our first house long. We were young, with big dreams and small pockets. It was the perfect starter home, one we planned to trade in for something bigger when we could.

But life had other plans: Our son, Bernard, and our daughter, Samantha. By the time we could afford to move, it was too late. Our little house had worked its way into our hearts. So we put our savings back into the home for some much-needed renovations.

Our latest project was our son's bedroom ceiling. It had darkened and cracked with water damage. We'd been eyeing industrial-chic concrete ceilings for a while and decided to test out the new style in Bernard's room before using it in the rest of the house. Workers installed a metal framework, then smoothed wet concrete over it.
I inspected the concrete finish. "It'll look better when it dries, I said.

"I hope so, said Luke. "It looks a bit unstable."

He turned to Bernard. "Are you sure you want to sleep here, buddy? You could sleep in your sister's room tonight."

"No!" said Bernard, with all the stubbornness of a 12-year-old. "I want to sleep in my own room!"

"Don't worry. The installers knew what they were doing," I told Luke. We put the kids to bed, each in their own room, and turned in.

CRASH! I jerked awake. The first thing I saw were the glowing numbers on my alarm clock. 4:57. The second was Luke, racing out of our bedroom.

"Bernard!" he yelled.
My body tensed. Oh, no. The ceiling collapsed!
I hurried to Bernard's room. Luke was scrabbling through the debris that covered our son's bed. "Bernard!" he cried. "Can you hear me?"
"Mom?"

I spun around. Bernard stood in the hallway, clutching his sister's hand. I gathered both kids into my arms.
"Where were you?" I asked.
"Sammy's room."

"What were you doing there?"
"The mosquitoes in my room were bothering me. They woke me up."
Mosquitoes? .... They'd never troubled Bernard before, certainly not enough to wake him and make him flee to his sister's room. It was more than mosquitoes that saved my son that night.
It was the One who sent them. ~~

-"Thank You, Lord, that You answer our prayers even before we ask. Bless your holy Name, Jehovah Jireh, our Provider."
--GUIDEPOSTS/AW~
--"Help Is On The Way"// (lyric video) Amanda Lindsey Cook //<https://youtu.be/SrZzfRgNYY4>
~~~~~~~~~~

--WHAT PRAYER CAN DO ~~

--"Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them;
how much more valuable you are than the bird!" --[Luke 12:24 NASB]

--Winged Messenger ~~

--TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS. That was my motto as a Marine; now it was the motto of my small trucking business. I'm a man of action. But there wasn't a thing I could do about my current situation.

A driver at my company's Casper, Wyoming, location had gotten into an accident that totaled one of our tractor trailers. Business in Casper had come to a halt. I sat at my desk at home in Washington, helplessly studying an Excel Spreadsheet. "The insurance won't pay out the full value of that truck," I said to my wife, Catherine. "Profits were already down. How are we going to keep going?"

"'Look at the birds of the air,'" Catherine said, quoting from the Bible. 'They neither reap nor sow...yet your heavenly Father feeds them.'"

I knew the verse well, I'd tried to imagine myself as a bird trusting God to protect me. As an ex-Marine, I didn't identify with sparrows or swallows. Maybe a hawk or an eagle, like on the Marine Corps emplem. A bird of prey, of action. But those didn't seem to be the kinds of birds Luke was talking about. 'Lord, please show me how to rest in your care. Right now it feels impossible. All things are possible with You, Lord.'

To take my mind off business, I took Catherine out to dinner. A storm was coming as we left the house. By the time we finished eating, the wind had become a gale. We drove home in a downpour. The storm flung branches across the road and pummeled our car with sheets of rain. Finally we pulled into our driveway. I parked behind the camper, which was tucked away beneath a carport.

"What's that?" Catherine asked.
I peered through the windshield. The headlights showed something perched on the camper hitch, just under the carport. "It's a Cooper's hawk!" I said.

"He must be scared in all this wind," said Catherine.

I looked closer. "He's not scared at all," I said. "He's fast asleep!"

The wind, the rain, the headlights--despite and the chaos, the Cooper's hawk was unruffled. If that bird of prey could trust God to protect him in a storm like this, maybe this old bird could too! I knew to trust in Him.~

--GUIDEPOSTS/MM~
--"Thy Will" // (lyrics/ Hillary Scott & The Scott Family) <https://youtu.be/nRBmoRa9cjo>
~~~~~~~~~

----MYSTERIOUS WAYS~~

~~"All things work together for the good to those who love the Lord." --(Romans 8:28)

--MOM'S favorite color was purple. Most of her wardrobe consisted of shades of lilac and mauve. Every year for her birthday, we'd order a huge sheet cake with purple buttercream flowers to share with the other residents at her assisted living facility. Mom loved a get-together even more than she loved purple.

Mom lived a good, long life and died in her late eighties. The entire extended family gathered for her memorial service in Virginia. It was my sister Vicki's daughter, my niece Laurel, who suggested we ask everyone to wear purple. For those who forgot--or didn't have anything purple--Laurel made pins out of purple ribbon. A bright, happy color to celebrate the life of a bright, happy woman.

A year later, I still missed Mom. Vicki and her husband came out to Colorado to spend a week with my husband and me and take a trip with us to Yellowstone National Park. It was the first time my sister and I had seen each other since the funeral.

That first day, the guys went off to check out something in the garage. Vicki and I were in the kitchen. I was at the counter, getting dinner started, when Vicki said, "What's that?"

I looked where she was pointing. Lying on the floor was a ribbon. A purple ribbon. It hadn't been there before. I was sure of it. "Where did that come from?"

"It's not yours?" Vicki asked. "From Mom's service?"

"No," I said. "I didn't wear a ribbon. Neither did my husband. We both wore purple."

"So did I," said Vicki.
"Maybe Mom knows we're together," I said. Vicki nodded, overcome with emotion. I picked up the ribbon and tucked it in my china cabinet.

Later that week, we were packing for our road trip to Yellowstone. "Lynda!" Vicki shouted from the guest room. "You have to see this!"
I don't know what I expected, but it certainly wasn't what Vicki was holding up to show me. Another purple ribbon. "I found it in my suitcase," she said. "I don't know how it could have gotten in there. I haven't used this bag since my trip to Holland. That was four years ago."

One purple ribbon could be written off as a coincidence. But two? It was more than that. ~~

--Guideposts/LV~~
~~~~~~~~

--It Is In Giving That We Receive ~~

--"It is more blessed to give than receive" --[ACTS 20:35 /KJV]

--OUR trusted slogan "travel light" was unexpectedly challenged when we set out on a trip with our friend Brother Andrew. This was in the 1960s, when it was "impossible" for Christians from the West to meet with Christians behind the Iron Curtain. For years, however, Andrew had been doing just that.

This was to be a short trip, just into East Germany for a few days to watch him in action, so my husband John and I brought only a single small bag for both of us. Andrew was packing when we arrived at his house. Into a large suitcase on his bed he was putting shirts, sweaters, jackets--most with the store tags still attached.

"Why so many clothes for four days? John asked.
"Oh, I won't be bringing any of this back," Andrew said.
The people we'd be visiting, he explained, like all believers behind the Iron Curtain, paid a tremendous price for their faith, forgoing good education, good jobs, good housing. "They have so little that even a pair of socks can make a difference." All he brought back from his trips, he said, was a satchel with his soiled clothes. "so the customs inspector doesn't get curious."

I looked at the faded sweater Andrew was wearing. "You look like you could use a few new clothes yourself," I said.

Sure, he agreed; he'd buy a new sweater one of these days. "But you know what? I won't enjoy it half as much as I do buying a sweater for someone else. It won't be mine the same way. The only things you have forever are the ones you give away."

It's wisdom as we travel through life, too, I thought. Our talents, our experience, our time, our things--they don't mean much until they're shared. ~~

--"Lord Jesus, what am I clinging to that You want me to give away? Lead, guide and direct my steps through this brief journey of life."

--Guideposts/ES~

--"God Who Listens" // Chris Tomlin (ft. Thomas Rhett) //<https://youtu.be/m1khJCXGcUI>
~~~~~~~~~~

---MYSTERIOUS WAYS ~~
~~More Than Coincidence ~~

--THERE'S a reason I always buckle up when I'm behind the wheel--and not just because that's what the law says. It's because of my father and the dream he once had.

~~Dad was a young man in 1961. He'd just enlisted in the Air Force and been ordered to report to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. He planned to pack his things and drive cross-country from his parents' house in Michigan. He was looking forward to the road trip. Then, a few nights before setting out, he had the dream.

He was in his car, a used Volvo, driving across the desert at dusk. He had never seen a desert before, but this seemed so real. The sky was bruised purple by the sunset, casting an eerie light on the empty road. The car approached a curve. Suddenly Dad lost control. The car spun out, then rolled over and over, bouncing across the desert scrub. That's when Dad woke up.

He'd rolled out of bed and onto the floor, heart pounding. He spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, trying to get the dream out of his mind and go back to sleep. Yet as the sun came up, he was still awake.

"That dream really scared me," he told me years later.
At the time, seat belts weren't mandatory and Dad's car didn't have them. But that morning, Dad went to a local auto parts store and bought a set. He and his father installed them in the Volvo the night before Dad would be leaving for the service.

Setting out for his new base, Dad felt better now that he was buckled up. But the trip was long and mostly on two-lane roads. Near the end of the third day, he crossed the state line from Utah into Nevada. He'd been driving through the starkness of the desert all day and hadn't seen another car for miles. As the sun set, his eyes grew heavy. Suddenly he was struck by a vivid sense of de'ja vu.

Ahead of him lay a sweeping curve. The car hit a patch of gravel. Before Dad could react, the car spun out, then rolled. It came to a halt, headlights illuminating the desert scrub. The car? Totaled. Dad? Unhurt except for a few bruises. Dad couldn't have been more grateful, and he let God know. He prayed thanksgiving, to the Lord.

You might say the newly installed seat belts saved Dad's life and ultimately made mine possible. I give credit to the dream that Dad (and I) never forgot. ~

--The Lord goes with us every where we go. [Psalm 23] ~

--Guideposts/SC~
--"There Was Jesus" (lyric video) // Zach Williams & Dolly Parton <https://youtu.be/3CNqhpRycfY>
~~~~~~~~~

---WHAT PRAYER CAN DO ~~
---[Power In Our Day-To-Day Lives]

--"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." --[PSALM 23:4]

---Wrapped In Love~~

--Joshua 1:9 commands us to be strong and courageous. That verse, along with the support and prayers of my friends and family, had gotten me through two weeks of radiation treatments for MALT lymphoma near my thyroid.

Then my oncologist ordered a PET scan for my six-month follow-up, and my courage seemed to leave me completely. "We need to make sure the tumor is still shrinking," the doctor had said.

I texted everyone I knew for their prayers. One reply stood out from the rest. My sister sent me a photo of an infant swaddled in a cozy blanket. "This is how I picture you, Paula," she wrote. "Wrapped so tightly in God's love that nothing can touch you without going through Him."

I loved that image and looked at it often in the days leading up to the scan. Still, I knew I needed to steel myself for battle like Joshua, a warrior. Strong and courageous.

"Do not be afraid," I repeated to myself as I walked into radiology to do the follow-up scan. "For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

I would feel braver if you could give me some sign that you're with me, God, I thought, climbing onto the table for the scan.

The technician reminded me that I would need to lie down with my arms over my head during the procedure.

"I don't think I can hold that position," I said. "I had a rotator-cuff injury."

"No problem," the tech assured me. "You can keep your arms at your sides as long as you don't move."

I must have looked doubtful because he smiled and said, "Don't worry. I have a way to keep you stable."

The tech threw a blanket over me and tucked it underneath my body. Then he wrapped wide elastic bandages snugly around the blanket, securing me all the way down my chest, stomach and hips.

"Just like a swaddled baby," I said.
That's when I realized: I had my sign. God would be with me, no matter what the scan showed. I had never felt more courageous or more loved. I was sure to thank the Lord Jesus, and my sister. ~~ Jesus is always as close as the mention of His name.~

--Guideposts/PB~

~~~~~~~
--"Your Presence Is A Promise"// (lyric video/Mack Brock) // <https://youtu.be/qipJcM5k_mI>
~~~~~

--Gratitude to our Lord Jesus~~

--"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"
--[1John 3:1 / NIV] --

--You should try it," my husband said.

"I don't know."
We were on a date in our favorite small town where Main Street means old-fashioned candy shops, antiques stores, and boutiques filled with lovely, unusual things. We walked hand in hand, sipping coffee and window-shopping, until I saw the blouse. It was a delicate floral print of deep blue and white. I knew we couldn't afford it. Tiny vintage buttons trickled down the front.

"I'm sure it's expensive," I said.
"Let's see," Lonny said. He held the door and ginned wide.
A few moments later, I admired the blouse in the dressing room mirror. It was perfect.

"Beautiful," Lonny said when I pulled back the curtain.
Then fast as the fondness came a barrage of thoughts. Two boys needed soccer shoes. One needed a jacket. Another grew overnight and had high-water jeans. The blouse was an extravagance.

I shut the curtain, worked the tiny buttons, and returned to the hanger. But as I slipped back into my own top, Lonny's smile and the love in his eyes came to mind. It made me think of God's love for me. It's extravagant. It's rich and lovely and beyond what I can ever deserve. He knows my heart and loves me anyway.

I opened the curtain once more. "I'm going to insist,"Lonnie said.
"I adore it," I replied. "Thank you."

Besides a sweater that my boys bought me years ago, the blouse is my favorite thing to wear. ~~

--"Lord, Your extravagant love covers me. Thank You. Thank You for all the extra blessings you give me that I do not deserve, but so appreciate it. In Christ's Name."

--"Gratitude"// Brandon Lake (lyric video) <https://youtu.be/LDHCzm0mhuk>
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--MYSTERIOUS WAYS ~~

--More Than Coincidence ~~

--I called to confirm I'd be babysitting my two-year-old granddaughter, Ella, that afternoon. Though not quite noon, the day was already sweltering. Maybe that was why I'd been feeling light-headed all morning despite the air conditioning.

"Grammy!" Ella shouted. "You and me go to s'pool." That's what she called my neighbor's swimming pool. The request surprised me. Ella never suggested anything, let alone so enthusiastically.

"Ella, you have to ask nicely," my daughter-in-law, Amanda chided.

"We go to s' pool today, peeze!"

"We'll see, sweetie" I said.
I work from home and had a few tasks to complete. I hoped Ella would forget about the pool by the time I got her. Still, I put on my bathing suit underneath my clothes, just in case.

Trying to shake off my brain fog, I finished up my work e-mail. I was on my way to my son's house when I realized I'd forgotten my towel. Ella and I would have to stop back at the house. Maybe then I could convince her to paly with her dollhouse instead.

Ella greeted me, dressed in her swimsuit. Amanda had even applied sun lotion. "Grammy! We go to S' POOL!

Well, that settled it. I'd have to pick up my towel. But what was up with me?

As Ella and I dipped our toes in the water, my phone rang. It was another neighbor.
"Polly, You're all right !?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Your house is on fire!"

The fire department said a gas leak of unknown origin --perhaps methane from an old well--might have been building for some time. That could explain why I'd been feeling so fuzzy-headed and strange lately. When the automatic pilot light for the water tank switched on, an explosion tore through the basement, bringing the first floor down. Now I understood what --or 'WHO'- had made Ella insist on going to the pool. ~~

--"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." - -[1 Thessalonians 5:18]
--Guideposts/ PA~

----CHRIST IS ALWAYS WITH US~~

--"In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
---[1 Thessalonians 5:18]

--"If I rise on the winds of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me. Your right hand will hold me fast."
---[Psalm 139:9-10/ NIV] --

----Handing me a pocket card handwritten with the words above form Psalm 139, my Mom said, "Remember, wherever you go God is always with you." I was on summer break before my junior year of college and leaving to fly to San Francisco to visit my sister Carole and her family.

That was a first major trip and those words became a life verse for me. I love the imagery that rising on the wings of the dawn and settling on the far side of the sea creates in my mind. And I cherish the promise that even on the far side, God is there.

Through the years, I have enjoyed traveling to some far side places in our world. One of the most remote was to see the glaciers in Patagonia, Argentina. At the time, the almost two-hundred-mile trip fro Rio Gallegos was mostly over gravel roads followed with a boat trip the next morning through field of icebergs to the glaciers.

It is easy in such places, surrounded in majestic beauty to sense God's hand. And my awareness of His presence is especially strong when I am far from home and all this is familiar. But far side moments also occur at home--when I am struggling with a situation that has taken me to the outer edge of my comfort zone. No matter what place I have been to--geographically --the words on the card my mom gave me years ago have always proven true. God is with us, guiding and helping--wherever we are !
--"I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
"Thank You, Lord Jesus for always being with us, Your people.'"--[Matthew 28:20]
--Guideposts/JD~
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--Remember Blessings From our Lord ~~

--"Set your minds on things above, not on things that are on the earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." --

~~"THIS HOUSE IS IN YOU PRICE RANGE,...and it's been on the market for a while." The realtor ushered us into a dark kitchen. Battered avocado-colored appliances were wedged against a grim brick wall. A strange plastic sliding barrier outline a tiny eating area..

The bathroom had an ugly green sink and tub. The whole house looked dingy and forsaken. But when we stepped into the living room on the back of the house, we stopped short.

Beyond the ample backyard, the water of a public pond rippled in the breeze. Ducks swam , willow branches bobbed, and beyond the pond a protected wetland held native grasses, reeds, and endless trees. My husband and I looked at each other and knew this was our new home.

We spend years remodeling, first the main floor and then the basement. When the work was frustrating, we'd stop and look out the window. The beauty energized us to keep going.

Sometimes the view is everything. Life can be dingy, cramped, and ugly more times than we'd like to admit. The work of our hands is often repetitive and seems unrewarding. Relationships can wound us like rusty nails. Loss and grief can darken our vision like a blown fuse. But when we set our gaze beyond, the glimpse of Jesus's glory carries us through. No matter how ugly our present circumstances, we can focus on where He is guiding us--to beauty beyond imagination. ~~

~~Keep your eyes on Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith. [Hebrews 12:2]~~

--"Gratitude"--Brandon Lake // <https://youtu.be/LDHCzm0mhuk>
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