RE: "I Want To Tell You..."

RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (Full Version)

All Forums >> [General] >> Blog Towne

Message

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (7/13/2008 8:02:44 PM)
“I Want To Tell You…” I have spent 3 ½ days in Branson with my niece and her 2 children. The children are three and seven years old. We went to Silver Dollar City for one full day. I watched those beautiful, healthy children as they laughed and ran and jumped for pure joy doing just what children do—riding rides, playing in the area where they could climb and explore water games, ball games etc, eating junk food and enjoying those huge snow cones. It was hot with a heat index of 97. They did not seem to notice. There were several shows just for kids because it was during the Kid’s Fest. Our little Abby loved the Veggie Tales. She did not move or take her eyes off of the stage. I will never see a veggie the same again. Through the eyes of a child is just simply amazing. I now know who Bob and Larry are. They are really terrific veggies that wanted to have their picture taken with all the little ones which of course we did. Our Zack loved the “Magic of Peter Gossamer.” His question was “how did he do that?” We adults were entranced and so I could only imagine what the little ones were thinking. This was an excellent show as well and totally had the children’s attention. Regardless of where the children were---White Water, Silver Dollar City, the Lumber Jack go carts or the motel swimming pool I saw all of those places a little different because I was seeing them “through the eyes of a child.” With the innocence of these precious children, I could not help but think of this scripture: “Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (7/15/2008 11:45:40 AM)
“I Want To Tell You…” I am trusting a still small voice in my head this morning because I believe that God has something for me to say. Why this particular thought on this particular day? I don’t know but God does. For whatever reason, I have been thinking of a friend that was engaged to be married and her fiancé suddenly died. I remember it just like it was yesterday. It was however, over twenty years ago. Joy was snatched from my friend in a simple heartbeat. This young lady was not a Christian. I heard the news and just could not believe or process what I was hearing. I believe that God’s timing is an amazing thing. I was teaching in the youth department of our church at the time. We were studying (of all the books in the Bible) Job. I wrote a letter of encouragement to my friend Lisa. I told her that I had been trying to understand some of what Job went through and it was impossible. I told her that it was also impossible for me to understand her pain and loss because I had never gone through such a tragedy. What I could tell her was that God’s grace was always sufficient to get us through anything that happens in our lives. I gave her a couple of examples in my own life when God had taken care of me. I did not know anything else to say at that exact moment because she was grieving so. A few months later my pastor told me that he had heard about my letter. He informed me that Lisa had come to know the Lord through her loss. That news came from Lisa’s new pastor. I was so excited and wondered why sometimes a tragedy must happen in order to get our attention. A few years later I saw Lisa in Kansas City on one of my shopping trips. What a great reunion that was. She was married and living in the city. The sorrow was gone from her face and the joy was back. Yes God is good. I often wonder what my letter would have been like if our youth were not studying Job. BUT as I say---God’s timing is perfect! Our all knowing God used a tragedy and maybe even a Sunday school lesson to help one lost young lady to find Him.

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (7/18/2008 11:51:01 AM)
“I Want To Tell You…” His name was Steve Henry. He was our youth minister. He was totally dedicated to his calling. I was privileged to work with Steve for a short time. In that time he demonstrated an absolute faith in God. He stepped out on faith with every decision he made for the youth of our church as well as all the youth in our town. I served on our youth committee and we often shook our heads when Steve had a new idea for the youth that required money. We would say, “it’s not in the budget” and Steve would say “God will provide”. I want to tell you that is exactly what happened each and every time. Steve sang and played a guitar. That is the picture I often see in my mind when I remember him. It could be around a campfire or in our basement where the youth gathered for a social. Steve knew everyone in our community and you could often find him at the local high school at lunch just chatting with young people. He was a husband and father as well. His home was always open to the youth. The bond between Steve and the youth was a beautiful thing to see. He could play with them but he was on a very serious mission and that was to see that all were saved. He made it fun being saved and the enthusiasm oozed from his pores. I never heard anyone say one negative word about Steve. He loved everyone whether young or old. There are so many stories I could tell about Steve. He lived a lot of life in his few short years. On a Sunday afternoon in February, Steve and his wife were driving to Jefferson City, Mo. for the ordination of his brother-in-law and they were in a deadly accident. Steve died that day at the age of 30. His wife was seriously injured but survived. Our youth were devastated and it was all we adults could do struggling to keep the faith as we cried with and held our youth tightly as though we could make the pain go away. The weeks and months following this tragedy were difficult to say the least. God was faithful and provided strength for all of us. Through the years, I have seen our young people get married and have families of their own. I believe that our youth leaders should be chosen with great care. They are one of many who set examples that mold our youth and future leaders of our church. Steve was a blessing to all he came in contact with. I am thankful for the time God gave me with him. I wonder sometimes what triggers memories of lost friends but in this case I know. I was at the cemetery today and saw the stone at Steve’s gravesite. The memories flooded me and when I came home I decided to write a blog about Steve allowing me to remember the wonderful young Christian man he was. I am happy and secure in the knowledge that we will be together again and singing praises to God just like we did here on earth.

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (7/24/2008 7:55:32 PM)
“I Want To Tell You…” Several days ago I wrote a blog about my forum friends. Perhaps even at that time I did not fully understand the depth of your caring. I have now been on the receiving end of your prayer support and encouragement. God truly heard all of your prayers. It truly amazes me that I have found such loving Christian people to share my life with right here on the forums. Your prayers, PM’s and suggestions were just what I needed. As I have so often said “God knows exactly what I need, exactly when I need it. I want to be as supportive to all of you as you have been to me. I will always be your prayer partner. I will do my best to be there for you just as you have been there for me. I will close with a heartfelt “thank you and God bless each and every one of you.” Judy

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (7/26/2008 1:47:47 PM)
“I Want To Tell You…” about my little “Judge” I have noticed that many of you really love your pets. There are several cat and dog avatars. After seeing those it reminded me once again of my little “Judge”. He was a little Chihuahua. He was my baby. Believe me, when you do not have children they can help to fill that void. I got Judge when everyone was using the phrase “here comes the Judge”. Now I know that just dated me again. I was working when I got Judge and because I did not want to leave him alone my Mom and Dad would puppy-sit. He was their granddog. He was such a funny little thing. He weighed ten pounds and was quite mischievous. When I took him anywhere in the car, he would lay around the back of my neck. That sounds kinda silly now but that is what he did. He loved to go anytime and anywhere. He played with an old sock and loved to pull and tug on it and shake it like crazy. He hated to have a bath. He would see me get a towel and he would hide. I don’t think that ever changed. As you can see in my avatar today Judge ALWAYS had one ear up and one ear down. When I started dating my now husband, Judge was so jealous. He would crowd in the middle of Harry and I on the sofa. He would ignore Harry and pout a lot. However, in time they became pretty good friends. Judge was so smart. He knew so many words. He recognized them and responded accordingly. Words such as Grandma’s house, go outside, play ball, and play sock and others that I am having a hard time remembering right now. Judge always seemed to know when a storm was coming. He would sit on the landing of our tri-level home and wait for us to go to the basement for safety. Judge was a thoroughbred. His name was Jack of Diamonds. Now that did not suit him at all and I smile when I think that when I got him the owners thought I should keep that name. My little Judge died at the age of 14. He had heart failure. I grieved for my little puppy. My life seemed so empty without the joy he always brought me. My nieces were staying with us the day Judge died. There were lots of hugs to help Aunt Judy survive. Harry had Judge buried in a pet cemetery. He also purchased a little stone with his name, birth and death date on it. I visited that little grave for a long time. I have not had a pet since that time. I did not want to go through that kind of sorrow again. I still love pets but know I get way too attached to them for my own good. That’s my Judge story. He has a real special place in my heart. I like to believe there is a doggy heaven. Nothing to base that on. Just me being me.

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (7/29/2008 6:42:04 PM)
“I Want To Tell You…” Our little city will really be hopping in about a week. It is time for the Missouri State Fair. When I was a youngster that time could not come soon enough. We would watch as the rides were assembled at the carnival grounds and could not wait to get on them. We watched as the vendors prepared their carts to sell us hot dogs, pineapple whip (an ice cream of sorts), snow cones, cotton candy and other "not so good for you" treats. One of my favorites was hot peanuts. There was excitement everywhere. Horses, cows, pigs, rabbits and even chickens were brought in for judging and competition of some kind. There would be equestrian shows all week too. We had a horticulture building with wonderful flowers to be judged and Mom always loved that display. All of the 4-H projects were on display such as wood crafts, sewing, cooking and fruit and vegetables to be judged. There is always entertainment at the grandstand in the evening. This is a ticketed event with big name country singers. Each night there is a huge fireworks display at the end of the show. The entertainment usually brings in a large crowd. Elvis Pressley came to our fair one year and actually walked through the carnival grounds. I remember doing a double take just to be sure it was him. That was then and this is now. I don’t think we live in that same world now and the only place we see the stars is on stage. On the weekends there are auto races and that is a crowd pleaser too. It is always so hot during the fair. As a child that was okay. I view that a little differently now. One thing that usually happens during the fair is rain. It was almost a joke around here. If we could hold out until the fair, we would get rain. One of the worst tornado’s in our area was at our fair. I was just a little girl when that happened and do not remember it but a local restaurant had pictures and I still remember those. Years ago, people would come to Sedalia and stay in rented rooms. We did not have large motels. Now with a new Holiday Inn Express and Comfort Inn, everyone prefers to stay there. People went from $25.00 a night to $119.00 a night just to come to our fair. I wonder how it will be this year. It is hot. Gas is high. Over night stays are expensive as well. I drove through the fairgrounds today and there are tents everywhere. The water fountains are painted and ready to go. The grass is cut and flowers are blooming. Some of the buildings are getting some new paint and even new stairs. The grounds are coming alive right before my eyes. The 18 wheelers are coming in with carnival rides. I guess it does not matter how old I am. there is just a little tingle of excitement even now as I remember and look forward to yet another Missouri State Fair.

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (8/3/2008 7:08:27 PM)
“I Want To Tell You…” If I were to say to you today---Ten years ago did you think your life would be what it is today? What would you say? This is the very topic my husband and I were discussing recently. We had to admit that no it is not what we expected. We have received so many blessing from God and are grateful for every one of them. We have had our share of disappointments too. It was enjoyable to look back over our years together, good times and not so good times. I think of the early married years and know I didn’t have a clue about God’s plan for me. Each day just seemed to turn into another and before I knew it, here we are thinking about “how did we get here?” Well, I guess we were growing and hopefully learning from our mistakes and rejoicing in our victories. I don’t know why I do this but it is so easy to see God’s hand in everything AFTER the fact. Sometimes I will go through something bad to get to something good. I don’t always get what I want but I definitely get what I need. People, places, things are not always lasting. God puts them in my life for a time and for a reason. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:l There is no doubt that God knows what is best for me, I just forget that sometimes. I get caught up in so many changes and trying hard to make things right for myself. Not that I am surprising God---He knows exactly what I will do at any moment. For years in all of the different churches we have belonged to, there was one declaration that was always the same. “God has a wonderful plan for your life.” I do know that it is a wonderful plan of God’s for me to NOT know what is going to happen with each day. Who could handle that? Not me, that is for sure Ten years ago I would never have believed that my new love would be Southern Gospel Music. Forums, blogs, chatting on different threads here? Never! I am just excited to see where God leads next. We are traveling and spending time with really great friends and have so much to look forward to. I’ll just keep trying to keep focused on what God wants me to do. As I am thinking back, it is not so important how I got here. It’s about the journey. I realize God has a plan for me. I am going to keep on keeping on and not think about how I got here. By the grace of God, I am going to keep focused on where I am going.

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (8/6/2008 1:08:21 PM)
“I Want To Tell You…” I suppose when you start traveling frequently it is inevitable that you will come upon a wreck. On our last trip we were three hours from home and the traffic stopped. All three lanes were dead still. Of course with all of the large trucks we could not see ahead to know if it was construction or an accident that stopped the traffic. We inched our way along for almost an hour and going less than a mile. We heard a helicopter overhead. We saw an ambulance fly by with the words “advanced life support”. Finally we could see red light flashing and it appeared that traffic was being directed to the nearest exit. When we reached the exit we noticed that the red lights were gone and traffic was starting to move normally. It was several miles before we saw the problem. There was only one vehicle that caused the stalled traffic. It was an 18 wheeler and it looked like it had been blown up by a bomb. The cab was completely burned and there were several men transferring the load from the trailer. That picture has stayed with me and even to the point of dreaming about it. I remember thinking and saying to my husband "oh God how could anyone survive that?" I was so thankful we did not witness such a terrible accident. I have made a practice in the past years to pray and ask God to travel beside us as we head out on a lengthy trip. It is not like I don’t know He is already there. I just need to acknowledge His power to protect us and even if something terrible is allowed He will never leave us or forsake us. He will be right beside us. I have not told this story to make anyone sad. This venting was for me. Maybe by putting my thoughts in this blog I will be able to have the peace I seek.

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (8/16/2008 7:03:17 PM)
“I Want To Tell You…” On May 10, 2008 I had a blog about my on line devotions. It was something that had worked for me for a long time. I recently found myself “stuck” in a negative thinking mode. A very dear friend could hear in my voice, see on my face and could tell by my actions that something was very wrong. He spent time with me and pointed out what I was doing. To make a long story short I will just say that the devotion I was using was ALWAYS talking about the enemy (devil) and that was all that was on my mind each day. A real battle with the devil is a very emotional drain every day. The one I was trying to resist was getting his way in my life through the devotions. He was getting way too much of my time. I have removed my name from that on line devotion and have signed up today for the “Crosswalk” daily devotions. Because of my friend I now am dwelling on my God and the wonderful blessings He sends my way each day. I recognize that the devil is very real BUT he cannot hang around the way he has been. Everyone will interpret the content of a devotion differently. I know it was not the intent of those writers to ever cause me to stumble. Yes, I still want to turn on my computer, go to my email and the first thing I see is my daily devotion. A change will be exciting and I am looking forward to the new adventure with Crosswalk.

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (8/20/2008 3:52:04 PM)
“I Want To Tell You…” Are you ever amazed at how God works and answers prayers even though we pray very specifically? For me it can be a very simple matter or a very complex one. I have experienced both within a week. The good news is that God took care of both situations. I am not surprised but I am in awe of such clear answers. I will not question how God answers prayer. I just want to be thankful and aware that He does answer. Many times I know the answer without asking. Some things are made very clear in the bible and do not require asking or answering. At other times I need to simply turn situations over to God and let them go. It is certainly a faith builder when I recognize that God is at work with the perfect solutions. The "simple" matter was taken care of before I had time to even worry about it. Yes, that w---y word is back. God provided and I am grateful. The "complex" matter is not so complex after all—at least not to God. He answered today and I am excited. I am not sure this blog makes a lot of sense to you my readers but it was something I felt deeply about and wanted to put into writing as much as I could. I just wanted to give God the glory and say I am so filled with joy knowing how much He cares for me.

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (8/24/2008 3:38:42 PM)
“I Want To Tell You…” My Harry is a serious bike rider. He purchased a “Specialized” bike called a Tarmack a few months ago. This is a street bike. That makes me nervous to begin with. Prior to this bike Harry always rode on the Katy Trail. This is a bike trail and quite safe. He has ridden to St. Louis from our home which is approximately 200 miles. He would then take the Amtrak home. I never worried about him on the trail. Several months ago Harry took a very serious fall on his street bike. He was not hurt but his helmet was broken and his bike was a twisted mess. I got a phone call that I was needed to get him home. It is a beautiful day here in Missouri. The morning started out cool with very little humidity. It was a perfect morning for a ride. Harry did not call me this time but when he came into the house and I saw him I said “oh my gosh Harry, what happened?” His face looks like we had a fight or something. He was hurting in his back and just really looked pitiful. Well, needless to say, Harry took another fall. He was going uphill and because of gravel on the rode lost control of his bike. He went over the handlebars of the bike into a ditch head first. I cleaned the places on his face and put antibiotic cream on the roughed up spots on his head and face. I think he will be okay and I think I will be too. The reason I am telling this story is because of the good Samaritans that Harry had contact with this morning. There were a total of 4 different men who stopped to help him. Some were in their vehicles and a couple were people in their homes that saw him. He had all kinds of offers of help. Now how wonderful is that to know good Samaritans are still alive and well? I am very thankful that they were there to help my Harry. I am also thankful that God took such wonderful care of him yet again.

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (8/26/2008 12:23:47 PM)
“I Want To Tell You…” Yes, I am totally aware that it is not Mother’s day but when I see our own Christi I feel like I always have---Every day should be Mother’s day! A Mother’s love for her child is one of the most beautiful pictures I can have in my mind. My Mother gave her entire life to nurturing and loving her children. It never entered my mind that she did not love me. The news is filled with children being neglected and abused. My heart is heavy when I see and hear those things. I look at any and all little children and wonder---“how on earth can anyone hurt a little child?” The absolute opposite of that picture is what I see and read on the forums. I see Mother’s both single and married that love their children more than life itself. I hear the struggles that they face trying to do the best they can to have healthy, happy and well adjusted children. I picture our Lord with little children and know that He is pleased with these Mothers. What if all the world had the Mother kind of love toward each other? You know the kind of love that is unconditional. The very same love that our Lord has for us. Today I will pray for all of the Mothers that are working so hard to be good Moms. I know in my heart that your efforts will not be in vain. God will bless you as you love and cherish your children each day. To Christi and Tink and all the others that I read about, I admire and respect the love you have for your children. I will pray for peace and wisdom for all of you. I don’t want to leave the men out, so for Sam, Santa, and James, I see the love you have for your children and your grandchildren. It always warms my heart to see real men loving children. I will pray for all of the men both mentioned and not mentioned that are working hard to be good Dad’s and Granddad’s. All of this is coming from a gal with no children. I love all children and can only imagine how it feels to be responsible for those precious little lives. I will stop here and just say “Thank you guys so much for sharing your pictures and stories of your children”. I enjoy them very much. God bless all! Judy

sosing2me -> RE: "I Want To Tell You..." (9/5/2008 3:57:48 PM)
“I Want To Tell You…” While in Branson, Mo this past week we were able to spend quality time with the Soul’d Out Quartet. They have all become very special friends to us and they are just a really great group of guys. We were invited to dinner with the Quartet plus Tanner’s fiancée Ashley, her Mom Wendy and Dad Monty. We were going to celebrate Michael’s and Dusty’s birthdays. Wendy arranged for Dusty, Michael, Matt and Matt to sit at a round table and the rest of us were next to them at a separate table. Now that round table had a quality that the guys did not know about. It was a “rising table”. Very slowly the table rises as the customer is eating. It is so slow you hardly notice it until it is near your chin or you need to lift your fork a little higher to get to your food. I think Michael noticed something “strange” first. Of course the customers in the restaurant began to laugh and cheer. All of the guys were loving the joke played on them. They are quite familiar with jokes. I know because they play them on me. The waitress then gave all of the guys a certificate that said they were members of the “Rising Table Society”. She told them the only way to get the table to lower was for them to sing. Now, as you can imagine, the joke was on her---She didn’t know they were a Quartet! Needless to say the guys sang and “knocked ‘em dead” in that restaurant. Just the look on the employees’ faces was worth it all. Yep! free mini concert is what they got. Well, we had a great time and enjoyed the fellowship, laughing and celebrating with Soul’d Out. They are away from family so much as most of the groups are. They miss their families and we talked about that. They tuck their children in by phone. They do enjoy what they do and have fun while on the road but it is a tough life for sure. They have told me that there is no way they could do what they do if they were not one hundred percent sure they were within God’s will. I have written about the guys because I so admire their faithfulness to God. It is a world that I did not know existed. A lot of people travel with their professions and draw a very nice salary. I have known that but when you travel for love offerings and are out there serving the Lord, it is about trust. Totally trusting God to supply all of their needs. I believe God has allowed all of us to become really good friends. I believe I have a job to do concerning Soul’d Out. It is to pray, encourage and support the guys as God directs me to do. I am that same girl that has said repeatedly that I do not believe that things “just happen”.

Page: << < prev 1 2 [3]

Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.5 ANSI