A Christmas memory! Family Reunion excerpted from My Journey in http://ashipcalledsojourner.blogspot.com/

As I think about all God has done in my life, I often remember a Christmas celebrated years ago. We had been living in the country. Our home was an old school house that we were remodeling. During those years we began our own family traditions. Each year we had a huge community Christmas potluck and invited all our friends, family, and neighbors to share our love and our table. 

The year we sold our home to move on the boat, we decided to have one last feast in the old school house that had held so much joy. The crowning glory of the day would be that all seven of our children were going to be home. The days before an Arctic freeze hit. Christmas Eve day, we were setting the tables for sixty-five. Our tree was decorated and we had a warm fire in the old earth stove. 

The next day we were going to have Mexican dishes and traditional turkey as well. Many children would be playing around our tree! The phone rang and our pregnant daughter in love was on the other end. Paul our eldest son had failed to pay a fine and he was in jail! I heard Robin’s muffled sobs as she said, “Mom, we won’t be home for Christmas”! My eyes filled with tears as my husband of ten years looked on. He quietly said, “I’ll go”…

Those were the years before debit cards, and personal checks were frowned on, so we didn’t know exactly how this was all going to come about. We prayed and Gary began his Christmas Eve journey. I know an angel went before him as the store in town cashed his personal three hundred and fifty dollar check. Our little Courier pick-up carried him across 250 miles of ice to a County jail in Washington where Gary paid our sons fine so he could join his family for dinner at our Christmas feast. He did for our son what he could not do for himself. He paid the price to set him free.

This story often reminds me of another Father Who had children in “jail” owing a debt they could not pay. He sent His Son on a Christmas Eve journey over 2000 years ago, to a cruel cold world to pay our “fine”. God the Father has a feast prepared for us also, and He wants ALL His children to be there. Through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave, Jesus paid our sin debt in full and all we have to do to receive the gift of salvation that He is offering to us is to accept what He has done on our behalf. Our son, Paul, would never have considered not accepting his father’s gift and neither should we refuse God’s gift of His Son. The Bible says, “To all who received Him, Jesus, He gave the right to become children of God”. The entrance fee to heaven has been paid in full for a grandma like me … or young girl like Tiffany! No matter what our age or the degree of our sin we are free to run with open arms to the One Who HAS paid it all! 

I have told you some of  my life’s journey and I know you have your own story to tell. Each of us is on a course through life. Some may already have made a definite decision to follow God and are on an adventure that will ultimately lead to His Home in Heaven. But someone reading this may not have made that decision. You may be waiting because no one has told you how you can know God and the plan he has for your life. Or you know the way and you have just been waiting the right time. If this is the case I want to give you an opportunity to book your trip plan right now.

Right now if you realizing that God is tugging at your heart,  maybe it is time for you to lose sight of the shore and enter into the “Ocean of His love. Would you want to pray with me? I am going to pray a simple prayer like the one I prayed years ago. If you have never asked Jesus to be your Savior and you want to now, … you may pray silently along with me.

“Dear God, I have come to realize that I am separated from You because of my sin… and I need a Savior…. Thank You, for sending Jesus, to accomplish that which I could never do. I know now it’s because of His sinless life, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the grave… I know He accomplished all that is necessary for my relationship to be restored to You…

I ask you now to forgive all my sins … and I invite Jesus Christ to come into my life and be my personal Savior … Thank You for forgiving me and making me a brand new person! … I ask these things, trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ ... A-men

God hears the softest cry of a needy heart … His word promises that, “If you ask you will receive!  So if you have prayed with me to receive Jesus as your Savior for the very first time … you are now God’s child and I want to be the first to welcome you to the Family of God.

I remember the day we launched our boat. We took her by trailer to the mighty Columbia River. Sojourner had been built in a backyard and until that day she’d never seen water. If she could have talked she would have told you “I am happy to be a back yard project” … but she didn’t know what she’d been created to be! The moment Sojourner left that trailer and settled down in the water my heart sang, “She is free, free to become all she was meant to be”! At that moment I knew a tiny bit of what our Heavenly father feels when one of His children lets go of their fear and takes hold of His Wonderful Forever Hand.

Today if you have asked Jesus to come into your life you too are free to become all God means for you to be. And I can tell you from personal experience, you are beginning the most satisfying journey you’ll ever embark upon. Welcome to the Family of God! AND MERRY FIRST CHRISTMAS as a new born babe of God's own choosing.

Say it isn't so!

We drove across country (from Oregon to New York by car) recently to see our eldest daughter Jacki Lynn and her family. We felt like pioneers on a journey to see our newest great grandson Benjamin Daniel McMinn who was to celebrate his 6 months birthday soon. Only instead of the pioneers of long ago who headed west we were heading east by car.. not covered wagon. But the feeling of anticipation and adventure had to be similar.

Gary and I turned 68 our last birthday and we had never done a car trip across our Nation before. We left Oregon on the 19th of Sept. 2011, stopped in KC for an event at Stonecroft Ministries then back in the car with our hearts turned towards our daughter and our reunion .. I had not seen her in 2 years and Gary had not seen her in 3. We were focused! We arrived on Thursday the 29th. Only hours later our daughter collapsed in the yard because her legs would not hold her! The beginning of a nightmare that has not ended yet! ... Jacki bravely tried to manage her fear and put up a front for us who were left wondering what the heck was going on with our girl! But within 3 sleeps our girl was whisked away in an ambulance in great pain hardly able to move or breathe! What was going on? Oh my gosh the fear and questions racked our minds and hearts!

As it turns out Jacki has Guillain Barre Syndrome! A beast of a virus that captures it's victims in hours to days and hold them captive paralyzing them from head to toe! Most recover but not without months in the hospital. Currently Jacki is on a trach because she cannot breath on her own. She has been in an induced coma for over 2 weeks to relieve her pain and help her breath. ... this story will go on for months .. I am only beginning to journal her journey here.

The outpouring of love and support have been amazing! We could not nor would not want to be on this journey alone! God is with us and her as is her family and friends and so many who don't even know her from Uganda to Clatskanie, Oregon have taken up the call to pray for her! 

Her husband sent out this report only yesterday.

Text from my DSIL: GOOD NEWS!

Just got here. They are doing tracheotomy right now.

I have been calling her cell phone just to hear her voice on voice mail message. Sad.

She is in operating room now. Hopefully can soon.

She is out of surgery. Still not awake. Surgeon said tracheotomy went fine. Looks like plasma exchange is done, as they removed port. Vital signs look real good. No propofol in 3 days now. Temp is up a little. Will text more later. Talked to nurse. She is doing well.

Port was moved to her groin :( so not gone and she will get another plasma exchange on Sunday. They are watching temp. May have a urinary infection. Vital signs real good. She has movement and sensation in ALL extremities. She looks better overall, no more propofol, only oral pain meds via feeding tube. Once more stable she will move to a step- down unit. Almost feel she is out of the woods. I am on my way home now. John

Like I said I am only beginning to journal her journey. But for the moment I am no longer in denial saying "say it isn't so" .. it is so and we will walk the road with her and God who is with us all will do what He does best. Love and heal .. in His time! 

For Goodness sake don't hit the delete button!!!!

Well today one of my worst fears happened! I have always feared having a house fire and losing all my family pictures! Today my fears came to fruition ... no I did not have a house fire but I did hit the "delete button" while transferring pictures from SD card to computer! Gone! All gone in a moment! I had that sick, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, as I saw them disappearing from my view. I could have cried! (well I did a little)

I am a great grandma with a history of Brownie cameras, Polaroid, telephones that are stuck to a wall by a cord. Oh lest I bore you ... the truth is I don't know so much about computers and digital cameras, but I try!

Immediately I went looking in my recycle bin, roaring to every place I thought they might have gone. Then when all else had failed I sent a text to my 15 year old tech guru grandson saying "Is there any hope?" .. as I explained to him what I had done. His sad reply came back on the screen of my i-phone .. N-O-N-E! (sigh) I had really done it. No house fire .. even when our house had had a fire in 1990 our pictures had been spared!!! But today ... no such thing. They are gone . I did it ... now what? Like my friend Mary said to me on facebook this very day ... "pick up your big girl panties and deal, Faye!!!"

As I often do ... after ...I have tried all my own resources, I turned to the Lord and asked that He would teach me "yet again" one of His lessons on redemption from all of this. Bring beauty from ashes, Papa?

This is what He said ... "I have a delete button too!" "Speak Lord, I am listening." ...

"Faye Marie, all your sins have been wiped clean, .. past, present, future. I remember them no more." Though you remember them ... I do not! Stopped me in my tracks ..

The blood of my Son on Calvary's cross was for you ... and for anyone who will come to me and confess their need of a Savior .. His blood was shed .. for all ... it wipes the slate clean, I remember them no more!"  Jesus Christ came and did for you what you could not do for yourself. He stood in your place to pay the penalty for your sins so you can stand in His place forgiven.

God my Father was letting me know yet again .. that though "I" often remember the bad things I have done ... I do NOT need to ... He is not remembering them! I am forgiven! I have a Savior whose shed blood "deleted" all my sin and it's penalty" ... I can not in any way add to that nor can I find a way to undo it. My sins are gone never more to be dredged up or used against me!!!

Now because of God's gift to me ...  it is my privilege to take "more pictures, as it were" ... to fill my "memory card" up with that which is beautiful, lovely, pleasing and worth remembering. I can also give that gift to others. By forgiving them ... before they ask, by not holding an account of wrongs,  and by thinking and speaking about them in such a way as to give them hope.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had a "delete feature" on the bad memories, angry thoughts and bad things we have done? Being human we seldom do that easily. But the bible teaches me that God gives us the desire and the power to do all things. I can do everything through Him. If I will always remember what He has done for me with His "delete button" I will grow in the likeness of the One who gave all for me. I can set the camera of my mind and heart to forget ..

"Set your mind on things above .. not on the things of earth, for you have died Faye and your life is hidden with Christ in God" ... Romans 6

I will miss the pictures I lost they were some pretty ones .. but the neat thing is I have this day to imprint more and better memories. I have this moment to remember.

Love Covers ...

Forgetting past "issues" and "not worrying" about the future does not seem to be something we women generally do well.  My mom often told me "don't remind your partner, or anyone else of past errors, misjudgments, or sins." Otherwise don't harp, grieve, waste time in fruitless activity that only brings sorrow. The bible even says should not remind ourselves of what WE have done wrong. "Love covers a multitude of sins."... "Set your minds on things above NOT the things that are on earth!"

Do you live in the "what ifs" and the "if onlys" do you tend to mentally head for the past or the future, forgetting we only have grace/strength for the now. If we use it (grace for the now) wisely and learn to rehearse and memorize scripture instead .. our heart will begin to rejoice in God and our real enemy (bad thoughts) will flee.

THAT is the truth .. but often we need to remind each other and ourselves to live by faith and not "feelings"

When I was a new believer I was so traumatized when my feelings would crash .. I felt condemned and hopeless until I learned the little word "fix" in the bible. "Fix ... your thoughts on things above, not on things of earth." Fix is a ...nautical term. I think of it ... like when (or if) you are lost at sea you find out where you are by focusing (taking a fix on the stars) not on the water and endless waves ... but on the stars that never are out of order. Fix is something we do apart from feelings. We fix or (set) our sight on what never changes .. not on the changeable nature of our womanhood. The things that never change are God and His word. In the long night hours if we have our heart full of God's word we can fix our thoughts on the word of God and meditate on it ... and the mind conversations will flee. Taking a fix is an act of our will. Thanks girls/guys I was just rehearsing this for me. Had a big change in MY plans and direction this week and needed to "fix" my thoughts on God's plan and not my own!!!

Safe behind an island called "Destruction"

Sailors fatigue drove us to look for shelter from the wind and waves we'd been battling on that summer day in 1983. We were sailing our 34 ft Trimaran ... north to the San Juan Islands. A few days before we'd left our mooring in Westport, Oregon. A mooring in which we'd lived for 2 years with our family on board our sailboat. Our charts of the Pacific told us just ahead there was an island that would afford us needed rest and protection from the wind and buffeting seas. But I didn't like the sounds of the name of the “shelter” ... Destruction Island? Back then we didn’t have the Internet where I could just ‘click’ up an explanation so I was left wondering why this ‘shelter’ had such a name. Did we really want to anchor behind an island called “Destruction?”

Soon I was so tired I could care less what its name was ... I just wanted to sleep! We sailed in behind the island and Gary dropped anchor. We would take turns through the night keeping “watch” while the other slept. He told me to take a fix on the "light" on the island with the hand held compass and if we drifted to let him know. We did not want to end on... the rocks. As I set in the cock pit I often imagined the waves on the rocks sounded closer. But I would point my compass on the light ... sure enough it never moved.

I learned that night to trust my “instruments” not my 'feelings' or vain imaginations. That compass when fixed on the lighthouse on the Island always confirmed our boat was right where it should be. 

Likewise God has given me instruments to navigate the sometimes turbulent seas of my life. Trusting them and not my frail "feelings" is imperative.

The first is talking and listening to Him in prayer. 
Another is reading, memorizing and meditating on His words in the bible. 
Also vastly important is trusting what His word says … and proving it by applying its truth to my life. As I do I am led by the quiet inner voice of the Holy Spirit in my heart in the direction God wants me to go.

Sometimes in the business of my life it “feels” like I have drifted and my anchor “seems” not to be holding. So like that night at sea I take a fix with my “compass” on the word and hear it say … “Behold I will never leave you nor forsake you!”

Maybe presently you are caught in a current which seems to be pulling you away from the Light. God may be directing you to purpose to take a fix with your inner compass on Jesus the “Light” of the world. Drop your anchor and trust your instruments. Together let's put our trust in Him Who will never let us down. He will keep us from drifting into the "rocks of life." 

A favorite song of mine …

THE LIGHTHOUSE

THERE'S A LIGHTHOUSE ON THE HILLSIDE
THAT OVER LOOKS LIFE'S SEA.
WHEN I'M TOSSED IT SENDS OUT A LIGHT,
THAT I MIGHT SEE.
AND THE LIGHT THAT SHINES IN DARKNESS NOW
WILL SAFELY LEAD ME ON.
IF IT WASN'T FOR THE LIGHTHOUSE,
MY SHIP WOULD SAIL NO MORE.
EVERYBODY THAT LIVES AROUND US,
SAYS TEAR THAT LIGHTHOUSE DOWN.
THE BIG SHIPS THEY DON'T SAIL THIS WAY ANYMORE,
THERE'S NO NEED OF IT STANDING ROUND.
BUT THEN MY MIND GOES BACK TO THAT
STORMY NIGHT, WHEN JUST IN TIME I SAW THE LIGHT,
OH THE LIGHT FROM THAT OLD LIGHTHOUSE
THAT STANDS UP THERE ON THE HILL.
AND I THANK GOD FOR THE LIGHTHOUSE,
I OWE MY LIFE TO HIM
FOR JESUS IS THE LIGHTHOUSE,
AND FROM THE ROCKS OF SIN;
HE HAS SHONE A LIGHT AROUND ME
THAT I COULD CLEARLY SEE
AND IF IT WASN'T FOR THE LIGHTHOUSE,
WHERE WOULD THIS SHIP BE?
AND IF WASN'T FOR THE LIGHTHOUSE,
WHERE WOULD THIS SHIP BE?

Written by Ronnie Hinson Copyright 1971

Tiffany's story ...

Excerpted from "My Journey" ...

Many years ago our beloved fifteen-year old granddaughter, Tiffany, was diagnosed with 4th stage Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer. Tiff who was at that time leading a Bible Study for her peers … began a journey, which was to include chemo, radiation, and finally remission. Two years later she was diagnosed once again with cancer, this time with Leukemia. Her only recourse was to receive a bone marrow transplant. Oct 3, 2003 Tiff began a 3½-month sojourn in Doernbecher Children’s hospital in Portland, Oregon that would end Jan. 24th, 2004 with her graduation to heaven. I would be beside myself if I did not know I would see Tiffany again! But when she was 8 years old she had given her life to Christ at my dining room table! I had been doing the homework for my Bible Study and the lesson told how you could know God in a personal way. I shared this with Tiffany who had been setting watching me as I worked on my lesson. She very simply and easily accepted Jesus as her personal Savior! Hours later as we were riding down the road in my car, I looked over and saw tears sliding down Tiff’s cheeks. I said “Oh honey, why are you crying?” She said in a voice just above a whisper, “Oh grandma, it should have been 'me' on the cross!” As young as she was she had understood that Jesus had stood in her place on the cross paying the penalty for her sins so she could stand in His place forgiven. Tiff was a new creation!

Years later as her cancer progressed she had surrendered herself and the disease to Christ for whatever that was to mean! Do I miss her? You bet, more than life itself! But now she knows personally, what we only can experience by faith!

During my journey with God I have seen good things and what often “appear” as bad things, intersect in our lives. But I am learning through them ALL to “be still and know that God is in control” Then I am able to experience God’s peace even in the storm. His word that says I will never, no never, no never, leave or forsake you has become my anchor and stay! I don’t know about tomorrow, but I do KNOW God holds my hand, and He is in charge of the journey now…

In the hands of a Master Carver

Just so you know my friends .. my gift in the Lord is encouragement and exhortation which means ... when "I" learn something everybody "gets" to hear it. :(Sorry) But once I write it it goes deeper in me and writing it keeps me accountable to you who have read it.

Another example of from trash to treasure ...

When you see a peach seed what do you see?  I see garbage but my honey because of his uncle Milt sees .. "peach seed monkeys" and other wondrous things. Milt passed down a family secret .. How through patience a man can take a pocket knife and a peach pit and transform it into a darling little monkey sucking his tail. Gary is one of the most patient people in the world and when he wants to learn a new talent he develops patient endurance until he has it figured out. Gary has carved these little guys all his life. He has also been given an eye to see there can also be a little squirrel and a darling piggy in the same peach pit. He has even taken a apricot seed and made a basket. And just tonight we remembered in 1978 he carved "the praying hands" out of a peach pit. He gave the only one he ever carved to a former Pastor .. Jim Edmunds at his graduation from bible college. So Jim if you ever happen to read this dear old friend ... you have a one in the world. I asked Gary tonight to carve a second for our family. I just bet I get to see one soon. :)

Pictured here are some of the "peach pits and an apricot pit" that have been "transformed" by my very patient carver husband. I think the objects of beauty that come from his hands ... remind me of the work our  Heavenly Father ... is also doing in our lives ... We are His kids and are ... in His time being ... "carved" by the circumstances of our lives ... into the likeness of His Son. Our "job" or part is ... to be like the pits in Gary's hand ... " just to be still and know" ... know what? That all the pain of the Master Carvers knife is necessary and though we can't see or understand  what we are becoming.... when Father is done with His work ... we are going to be knock outs! We will be in the likeness or image of Christ. All heaven is watching what He is doing with the sons of men.

He is with us and He will be exalted in all the earth. Ps 46

Maybe just maybe the lesson I learned from Gary's peach pit monkey's will be a visual to you too. Be still in the hand of the Master Carver ... He is doing a work in us and when He is finished we are going to shine like gold in the Image of His Son.