Road Trip...Part Two...The Blessing of Family

Here it is...the second installment of the Idle Family Road Trip, 2013. These posts are very different from my usual writing, but I thought some of you might enjoy the trip!

 For those of you who know our family you may be wondering what happened to Josh(son-in-law-of my heart). He couldn't get off work. We're hoping that he will be able to make the next family trip. We all missed him, but especially Lyndsay and Judah!  

We flew to Virginia but left on our way to Ohio in this beautiful conversion van. What a blessing!!  

We drove well over 500 miles to Bryan, Ohio
in just one day...passing through Virginia,
Pennsylvania, Indiana, and finally Ohio.  

                         I said, "we drove" didn't I?  Let me clarify that, Rod drove. I did this...

I tried to read, but I kept falling asleep. So...I gave up on that and took a few photos...keep in mind these were all taken through a closed car window! 

Barn...one of many, many seen on the road

Allegheny Tunnel, Pennsylvania Turnpike

Typical scenery in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana

So wish we could have stopped and gotten out to take these pics

Judah thought he would take a turn at the wheel.
Well...we let him at the wheel at all the rest stops.
 It was a welcomed break from the rear facing car
seat where he was usually confined during the trip.

                                                                                                    

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go.

Where Judah gets to meet his Great-grandmother Idle...

 We take walks in the neighborhood to enjoy the beautiful fall weather...

 and Judah meets more aunts and uncles and cousins...family is so very important! Don't have room to post all the photos...

 I will say that God has blessed me with a wonderful Mother-In-Law. She has been both a mentor and second Mom to me for over 30 years now. What a blessing to say that there have only been, maybe, two times throughout those years where she and I have had, shall we say, a bit of a communication problem...and that was during a hurricane, literally! Hurricane Charlie in Florida! We were painting rooms in our house and the hurricane was barreling through...needless to say nerves were on edge. We survived the hurricane and mended the small rift. I can honestly say that I love the relationship that I have with 'mom'. We laugh, cook, do puzzles together, laugh some more, go shopping, and talk and talk...and did I mention laugh?  I love you Flo!! 

Mom and Dad Idle have become my second set of parents, especially since my own mom and dad have passed away. I have even found myself calling Dad Idle, daddy at times. They are truly special in our lives!

     

Here is the infamous puzzle...all set up and started when we got there. Brad and Lyndsay helped out...a little. ;-)  They get tired and don't stay at it as long and Mom and I do.  

The men usually take a day or two...or three, to go play golf.    While the 'girls' go shopping!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           I have to say, Bryan is a tiny little town with not much to offer as far as shops go...

I did manage to find these books for Journey's church Library!
5 books for 5 bucks! Great deal!!

We also headed into Defiance to hit Kohl's...one of my favorite stores! I found a new purse for me, sleeper pj's  and a toy for Judah...can't resist shopping for my grandson! :-) 

Speaking of Judah...here are a few more pics from his time at Great Grandmother Idle's...

What a gift from God!! 

Fascinated with the light from the sky light 

Can I help with the table cloth?

So precious...he loved standing and looking out the windows

Mom Idle with Judah and Lyndsay

I am so glad that we were able to make it back to Ohio with the family! Happy to see Judah meet his Great-grandmother and great-grandfather for the first time and feel so fortunate to have spent time with my husbands family...this family that has grafted itself onto my heart.  What a blessed woman I am!!

I hope you have enjoyed this part of the trip.  The final and third part of this road trip series will cover over 3000 miles from Bryan, Ohio to Fernley, Nevada.  How in the world will I get all of those photos in a blog post????  I guess you'll have to check back and see. ;-)

"As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." 
                                                                                         Jeremiah  24:15

Road Trip...Part One...The Blessing of Family and Friends

Sorry for the long lull in posting.  We have been on the road the past two weeks. So...I'm going 'off track' for these next few posts and giving you a glimpse into our lives on the road. Don't worry...I won't use every photo I took! Those of you who know me well know that I take entirely too many photos to make room for those pics...even in a 3 part post. ;-)

Here are some of the things that occurred during the first leg of our trip...

Flying across the country with our family...son, daughter and our 9-month-old grandson, Judah. He was so good even with two flight connections and all the hustle that it takes to get to the gates each time. Not to mention the bumpy ride over the mountains.

At the airport...

Visiting with friends and family in Virginia and Ohio. We are so very blessed to say that our daughter Lyndsay's in-laws are such good friends and are really so much like family to all of us!  We even managed to help out with a baby shower while in Virginia...

Where we had delicious food....

...and I do believe the yummiest cup cakes I have ever eaten...

We played some ridiculously funny games. Don't even ask...

    

and the mommy-to-be opened gifts.

Where Judah got to visit his Mimi and Grandpa Terry...

                                    and just hang out with both sets of grandparents...

We so enjoyed visiting with our friends and family in Virginia...

as well as seeing old friends at Church on Sunday morning! You know they say that the best things in life are family and friends...but I say it's even better when friends are like family and family are like friends! (Tweet this)

God is so good to us!

Monday morning we left bright and early for our second leg of the trip. This time we drove this beautiful conversion van that has been gifted to us.

                                                   Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

This will really come in handy for our Mexico Missions team at Journey!! They drive to Mexico every other month...now this van will be a huge blessing!!   Our  Journey Women's Ministry will be using it for trips as well!!  

Thanks so much for letting me share this leg of our trip with you. I hope that you will join me in the next post, where we will be visiting with family in Ohio. Stay with me through the third and final post and you will get to see some of the great pics I took while driving across this great and beautiful nation!  

But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and His righteousness with their children's children...Psalm 103:17

Your Voice Matters

About two weeks ago I received a message in my Facebook inbox from a woman I had never met.   She was asking me how I created some of the pins I had posted on Pinterest for Mary DeMuth's book launch team.  (As I mentioned in my last post, I was blessed to be chosen to be on Mary's launch team for her latest book that is due out in October. The Wall Around Your Heart).

As it turns out, this woman was also an author, getting ready to launch a new book. So...being the book lover that I am and intrigued by the title of her book, I offered my graphic design services for peanuts and an advance copy of her book so that I could read it and mine the depths for great quotes.  She took the bait! ;-) Rats! I should have asked for chocolate!!

And the rest, as they say, is history...or rather her-story.  I have a  beautiful new friend that I want to introduce to you. Her name is Jo Ann Fore. I won't go into the details of her life but you can find out more about her here...Jo Ann's Story.  I now know her as a woman who cares deeply about her friends, new and old. She is a woman with a burning passion to reach out to those who are hurting and broken. Her heart is to see them healed and whole. I am so very thankful that God has allowed our paths to cross. 

Now I want to introduce you to her book When A Woman Finds Her Voice.  No...not the book itself, at least not yet.  But to the things within my heart that have been awakened in the reading of her words.  

I am now a part of a community of women who have a desire to use our unique voice, each one of us,  to usher in hope and healing in the lives of other women. Those women whose voices have been stifled...from shame, threat, pain, fear...or whatever has caused them to shut off a part of themselves to the world, to their own family and friends.  Many in this community want to reach out because we have found healing for ourselves. Healing for wounds that were buried...buried just beneath the surface for some, and very deep within the spirit for others...soul wounds. 

I haven't quite figured out exactly how I am going to participate in this particular journey...though I have been reaching out to women for many years sharing stories from my own past...stories of brokenness and redemption. I have experienced so much throughout my life...the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I witnessed the sexual abuse of my childhood best friend. No child should ever have to experience the betrayal and abuse that she endured...and as a young girl, I didn't even know how to put words to scenes I had witnessed.  I have experienced loss through the death of many family members and friends through the years...beginning with my father when I was just 10 years old, my very best friend in high school...and more death...continuing on throughout my life. My husband and I walked, cried, and prayed through two traumatic brain events with our son, almost losing him both times, and we are still traveling the road of recovery with him.   I have been married for 30 years...to the same amazing man, whom I love dearly and who continues to love me in spite of my quirks.  But I will tell you that not all of those years was he 'so amazing'...but then, neither was I.  

I guess you can say I have scars...lots of them from the hurts of life.  But....they are scars, not wounds. Scars are an indication that healing has taken place.  

I love to share stories of healing.  Jesus also loves healing and redemption. He loved us enough to share his wounds with us...those scars in His hands and feet.  The very proof that He understands us in our hurts. He understands rejection and emotional pain. He chose to walk the road that led to hurt, pain and rejection...even a cruel death on a cross for you and I. Oh how thankful that He walked that particular road so that we don't have to. He walked that path of woundedness so that we could find hope and complete healing...wholeness!

We all have scars of some kind. We live in a broken world; broken as a result of sin entering the world. But Christ came to give us life. To heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds. Allow Him to heal your wounds, and let the scars that are left behind become the proof of the healing work of redemption and restoration in your life. When you begin to let that truth sink in...the truth of your worth to the God of all creation, the truth that you are loved beyond your wildest imagination, sweet sister...that is when the healing begins.  As Jo Ann says in her book,

Those thin places

where truth seeps through—

those are the places where Jesus walks, the places we find healing.

Won't you join us on this journey? Won't you find your voice?

God..."heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."                                                                                                ~Psalm 147:3

I am linking up with Jo Ann and other beautiful women every Wednesday to talk about finding our voices...sharing our stories.  Not to rehash the past...or to commiserate over our wounded-ness but with freedom and joy and purpose to share our hearts and allow God to use us...our voices...to make a difference, to help women find hope and healing. 

Worship Behind the Vail: Five Minute Friday

It's Five Minute Friday again. This week we are linking up with Lisa-Jo over at (in)courage. Most of you know the routine...and you know that almost every FMF post I tend to go over just a tad. This has become more of a word prompt that helps me be more disciplined with my writing.  If you aren't familiar just scroll down to the bottom for the rules.
This week's word is...
 Worship
Go...

It was Sunday morning and here I was sitting by the bedside of my 13 year old son. He was in the children's rehab hospital, in a vail bed...zipped in for his own good. Unable to walk without assistance but unable to make the discernment on his own that he could not walk.   I unzipped the vail, the mesh net covering around his bed, and crawled in next to my son.

 Oh how I wished that we were both sitting in church, worshipping together and hearing the words that God had given the pastor to speak that day. To sing with the congregation the worship songs that my son loved and adored.  He's never been much of a singer...but oh how he can worship with abandon!!!

Still unable to speak coherently, he let me know he wanted to 'have church' right there.  This mother and son bond had become so strong in the previous weeks of hospitalization that I had begun to almost read his thoughts. I had become his translator to the world, his fierce advocate.  Yes...I knew what he wanted, his favorite song at the time, and I began to sing...

My Jesus, my Savior
Lord, there is none like You
All of my days, I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love

My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name

(Read more: Zschech Darlene - Shout To The Lord Lyrics | MetroLyrics )

He began to sing with me.  When he could not put four words together to form a sentence...when we were playing countless games of 'twenty questions to figure out what he was trying to say to us...he sang. Every.Single.Word!!!  Oh how good is our God!!!  His word and the words of His inspiration do not depart from us...even in the face of brain injury through stroke.

As the words sank in, I felt him relaxing and sinking back into my arms, still singing. Finally, when the song came to an end, he sighed and said, "Now I feel like I've been in worship!"

Worship...it can occur anywhere. Even in the vail bed of a Rehabilitation hospital!  We need only lift our hearts and our eyes to our Father in heaven and acknowledge that He is God and we are not! He holds us in His arms and carries us through this journey we call life.

Doesn't He deserve our worship? Our adoration? Our love? I believe, I KNOW, that He does!

Where were you the last time you worshipped, really worshipped God?

"The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever"

Isaiah 40:8

Now it's your turn...

1. Write for 5 minutes flat - no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. 

Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community...

Grace...It Is Enough...One Word Challenge

Grace.

A word we all use.  But is it a word we fully understand? 

What comes to your mind when you hear the word 'grace'? 

Most of us understand this word or concept in connection with the grace that God has bestowed upon us in the plan of salvation. This undeserved favor of God. The forgiveness of our sins so that those very sins can be removed. Forgiven. Redeemed. Bought back with the very lifeblood of His son, Jesus.

Grace...One Word Challenge

The favor of God is best understood through His grace. (click to tweet)

But there is more to this word, even though the grace of the forgiveness we receive from Him should be enough. Philip Yancey expresses the concept of grace beautifully.  Grace"...contains the essence of the Gospel as a drop of water can contain the image of the sun."  What a picture of the depth of this word. I love this!

As I began to dig deeper, delving into its original language, both in the Old and New Testaments, I was touched deeply in the awareness that this word that we use, so glibly at times, has such richness in meaning throughout the Bible.  Honestly, my head began to ache trying to process it all. So I will share the short version of what I have gleaned.

The Greek word for grace is Charis...meaning grace, favor, thanks.  It has its roots in the word charisma, which means gift. Going further back the roots of the word charisma connect to a verb meaning, ' I rejoice or I am glad.'  So grace not only indicates favor on the part of the giver but also thanks on the part of the receiver.   Grace is a free gift, an undeserved gift of God, but there is also an eagerness denoted in the word. Wow! God is eager to bestow His forgiveness and favor upon us!  That blows me away!

Grace...

"...it signifies the unmerited operation of God in the heart of man, affected through the agency of the Holy Spirit. While we sometimes speak of grace as an inherent quality, it is in reality the active communication of divine blessings by the inworking of the Holy Spirit, out of the fulness of Him who is 'full of grace and truth'..." Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology 

All that we have, as children of God, is this gift of grace that is dependent on the free gift of God through His son, and flows, from Him, to and through us by the inner workings of the Holy Spirit. We accept this gift from our Heavenly Father as a child accepts the love and provision of her father.  Completely dependent on Him for His provision of every gift...the forgiveness we receive as well as the strength to extend His grace to those around us. Yes...even those who have wronged us.

Grace...makes me think of the words from the old hymn...

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace...

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within

Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Oh how very thankful I am for this wonderful word! 

Do you hear Him? In His great love and eagerness, He is calling you!! Either to accept this grace or to allow it to flow through you to bless others! Won't you answer His call

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came through Jesus Christ.       ~    Romans 3:23-24

If you would like to see the other posts for words and pictures that I have created for friends taking the One Word Challenge click here, and scroll down to the list of words. 

Small...The Lie....Five Minute Friday

I am coming really late to Five Minute Friday this week and I thought about skipping this week altogether, except for the one word....SMALL. It seems to be a recurring theme popping up a lot this week so...even if I miss the linkups here goes…

Quote from Mary DeMuth's new book, The Wall Around Your Heart.
www.marydemuth.com

Go...

I think at one time or another every person, every woman, every writer, or whatever your profession or role in life, struggles with the feeling of being small...

A teeny tiny fish in a big blue sea.

Just one tiny petal clinging to a gargantuan puff of clusters creating a large and lovely flower.

Only one insignificant person in this vast universe.

Sometimes we feel small because of the wrongs we have committed and sometimes it is the wrongs that have been committed against us. Those wrongs that make us feel broken, fragmented...small.

This smallness holds us back from stepping into the future that God has prepared for us. The enemy of our souls wants us to be lost in the feelings of being small...insignificant...unimportant. Or whispers into our ears that because of the sins committed against us we can never do anything of real importance in this world.

LIES! ALL LIES!

God tells us in His word that He wants us to have an abundant life! John 10:10 says,

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they many have life, and have it to the full.

To the full...abundance! More than enough, because He is more than enough!

A full life does not mean no pain, disease, warfare, or even death...but it does mean a good life because walking in obedience to God's Word brings about fruit in our life, and fullness. It can be hard at times, but it is still good, because God promises to bring us into a good land in our lives and that good land produces good fruit for His glory.  You can touch the lives of so many others who feel small and insignificant because God will produce in you the glorious fruit of His Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.~Galatians 5:22-23

If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you are a son or daughter of the King of kings and Lord of Lords! That makes you a Prince/Princess, and heir to the Kingdom.!

And that, my friend, is no small thing!

Stop!

NEWS from Gay at Captive Heart...

I created the photo at the beginning of this post using a quote from Mary DeMuth's new book, The Wall Around Your Heart. I have the privilege of being on the launch team for the book so you will be hearing more about the book in future posts. I've only just begun reading the advance copy of the book, but it is already proving to be a book worthy of my library shelf!  Oh and so you know...this post was not a review of the book.  I will be posting the review next month closer to the release of the book.



"And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

  Now it's your turn

1. Write for 5 minutes flat - no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you &encourage them in their comments. 

Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community...
*This post contains an affiliate link.

Alone...and Lonely. Five Minute Friday

Yesterday was Five Minute Friday and the prompt for the day was, LONELY.  I am coming a bit late to the game, but as this has been my discipline to get me posting more regularly I feel I must post this today...late as it is. So here goes.

Lonely...

Go...

There she sat, all alone on a sunny day.

The playground was alive with children's laughter.

The sound of iron on iron provided a constant rhythmic grinding noise. The children squealed with delight as they yelled to their partners to push harder, swinging ever higher into the air. Fingers wrapped around the chains as if in a death grip...legs pumping to help the swing move faster and higher, swaying back and forth, over and over in dizzying delight.

The sound of rope slapping the ground, over and over, with the rhyming chants of "Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack" as the other girls jumped rope.   She could hear the pealing laughter and giggles as they stumbled and began again.

The sound of bats cracking, children yelling and running...
Sounds of fun and games...as children clumped together in different groups across the playground.

But there she sat...alone...and lonely. The feeling of being unwanted a heavy weight descending down over her...almost as if there were clouds right above her head...muffling the sound of children in the background of her thoughts.

Stop! 
My five minutes are up, but, of course, I can't stop there.

Can you picture that woman...or child in the woman, in the words above?  Are you that woman? Have you experienced that feeling of being alone in the midst of a flurry of activity? Wondering...who will come and take your hand...invite you in...???

Let me come alongside you...take your hand. You are not alone! I would venture to guess that there are millions of women out there feeling, at times, that lonely ache in the midst of a flurry of activities.  The lack of intimacy in their lives...the feeling that, "no one gets me"...no one really cares.
God knows...He knows that feeling.  His own Son had to experience rejection...to experience those closest to Him not really getting Him...and finally to experience the darkest day of His life on the cross. Rejected...His own Father turned His gaze away. But He experienced this so that you and I would never have to feel that rejection.

We never have to experience that severing of fellowship with the One who loves us most. (tweet this) He promises that He will never leave us or forsake us.  He left this earth but lives on in His children in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Never. alone. again.

But still...there are times...we forget what we have. No...WHO we have with us, within us. Ready to guide, protect, and comfort us.  We just have to take His hand.

Are you willing to take His hand?

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will  never leave you not forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged..." Deuteronomy 31:8

    Now it's your turn…

1. Write for 5 minutes flat - no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands, or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you and encourage them in their comments. Seriously! That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.

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