October Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in October

I've thought a lot about death lately and about hearts. This past week I found out mine is strong, free of blockages. After a heart attack scare this means much. I bow and give thanks to Christ.

 

Even before hearing the test results I decided when my time on earth ends I want to die giving thanks to God– with words of gratitude spilling from my lips and thoughts seeping from my heart.

I realize thank you has many forms. Ordinary thanksgivings to God the great giver for His endless giving though creation.  For items like carrots and flowers, now whose going to make one without having a seed first? And emotional realizations and re-creations, too. Yeah, God! You did it again. You let me be figuratively nailed to a cross, then set me free and even rose me up.

My deep thanks cut to the core when I observe real, recognizable events no man orchestrated and I know, just know for sure, the action was God’s. I soar with inexpressible joy. And His signs are ever present if one but looks.

Thanksgiving is humbling. How I appreciate the privilege of being helpful however minutely in someone else’s life. You used me, me? To speak a word of your truth into another person, to thrust a spear into debilitating deception or ignite a dead soul with new life. How privileged to be used to minister to one of God’s beloveds, which is what every human is after all.

Family and friends, what joy! What wild, amazing, God-designed flowers each one is in the garden of my life.

My praise overflows to live in a place I love. I watch rays of the sun shoot from the splendor of God to penetrate the forest. My husband and I share a road with wild turkeys who strut over it as if they paid for it to be paved. Deer lope and lounge in our yard devouring hostas until they’re stumps. Their grace and beauty more than compensates for their culinary indulgence of our landscaping.

 

Love has given me exquisite moments and deep agonies – who ever thought hearts could hurt so bad?  But then comes the wave of peace again, even joy.

Gratitude shocks me at times –surging like a summer storm through my head. I watch with awe God’s power splitting the atoms and making all circumstances good in His way and time.

Whose fish is bigger?

 


John 6:14 "Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."

The Power Of A Great Affection

In the deep South of New Orleans 100 years ago, Brennan Manning writes that the words born again were unknown, but “seized by the power of a great affection” is how people described their personal bonding with the God-in-Three Trinity of Love.

Do you feel that connection? Does it warm your heart? When you awaken to a summer morning in the woods with light and shadow dancing among the oaks for you, do you think of the amazing wondrous God who orchestrated today’s show for you and me and the entire world?

 

Yes, hurry, scurry when you must, but do schedule in time to dwell with awareness on the prevailing, powerful Presence of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

And along your way, look for a heart that may be in progress – a seeker, young or old - who has known only emptiness. Some look at nature and feel nothing but perhaps occasional intrigue, never awe. They're confused by the hoopla about a God they’ve never heard about let alone experienced.

Where is God to be found if one has never known Him? What to suggest?

A starting point, the Presence that pores from the words of Scripture, podcasts that Ravi Zacharias offers dispelling the myth of atheism, connecting with the pastor of a local church for a chat about God. Experience the liturgy of the church, age-old rituals packed with meaning - the sacraments, Mass, Communion that speaks the reality of the cross endured for your perfection.

Go in your thinking to the gate of the Shepherd. Surrender the pride that asserts to fragile, flawed minds we don’t need Jesus, the Christ - “We’re quite good enough without a Savior, thank you.” Wrong.

Seek the humility that can be born in us despite our serious grasping for dabs of human honor. Search for those who far excel us in walking with dignity the trail of Jesus Christ. Study their behavior as models of how commandment-keeping brings freedom and fun and prevents despair and bondage. Drugs, immoral sex, adultery - their cost is huge – sucking away choices and life.

Invite the Holy Spirit with an open mind and readiness to believe if He will but show you God’s reality. Never have I known that request to go unanswered.

To go through life without the awe that comes from being really, truly loved and in love is a very sad existence. Nothing, no one, only God can cut it and keep the pace. Great as human love can be, it’s never enough.

Entertain the possibility of being seized with great affection, enduring and enriching, that will one day bring you through the threshold of eternal joy.

Isn’t this what being connected with the living God through our days of earth-walking is all about. Joshua is eight. He already knows. Can't you just see his joy.

P. S. Thanks for choosing to read Breathless Minute Meditations. Five hundred plus e-books have gone forth in the last two months. In addition to 300 some sales, over 200 were given away in a special promotion. May they foster intimacy with God in every reader's heart.

Psalm 42:8 "Yet the Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, a prayer to the God of my life."

Thanks God and Thank You!

 Thanks God and Thank You!

Thanks dear family and friends for your many thoughtful greetings as we celebrated our 50^th wedding anniversary. Seeing the wonders of God in Alaska seemed a fitting way to commemorate the wonder of God joining Wayne and I – two strong-willed 19 and 24 year-old naïve adventurers- and keeping us safe through a lifetime of loving, meeting challenges and celebrating life together.

Our children's gifts enabled us to enjoy lots of additional excursions and fun in Alaska, an amazing place. Thanks to Dan and Stephanie (love reading on my Kindle), David and Kathy, Pam and John, and Tamara and Jamie. What a delight to have the legacy of these precious four children and their spouses and our seven grandchildren, Joshua and Anna, DJ, Steven, Jack, Katie, Andrew.

Hiking around the Mendenhall Glacier, gazing upon Denali (Mount Mckinley) the highest mountain in North America, cruising the inner passage surrounded by mountains seeming to rise from the ocean gave us special time to reflect. Over the years we’ve had peak and pit experiences but  always we’ve had Christ, His love and grace to see us through and keep us deeply joyful.

Wayne and I renewed our marriage vows at sea. Our theme song on our wedding day in 1962 was Moon River - part of the lyrics are “we’re off to see the world my Huckleberry Friend and I.” In fact ten years later Huckleberry Friend became the name of our houseboat purchased in the early 70s which we used on our journeys down the Mississippi River and into Canada with our four children. Over the years we have seen lots of the world: Israel, England, Italy, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Turkey, Greece, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and many, many states. 

What a privilege to see God’s creation and beauty both in nature and in human beings in so many locations and at home. How good God has been to us since we both surrendered our hearts to His way and His will for us back in 1974 and made full time Christian service our primary work.

Our prayer now is to finish strong on his behalf alongside our entire family. 

Yes, waiters sang to us on our anniversary. But an earlier highlight in May was Wayne surprising me by dedicating a song and singing to me for our anniversary, Cole Porter's " Night and Day," accompanied by the Sun City Jazz Band in South Carolina directed by our friend Len Watson.

The food was wonderful!

One of the many buddies we met along the way.

Blessings abundant and rich and daily upon you and all those we love and are privileged to be loved by. We treasure our connections. This Scripture from Jude, verse 1-2 is one of our favorites: "I am writing to all who are called to live in the love of God the Father and the care of Jesus Christ. May you receive more and more of God's mercy, peace, and love."

Letting Children Go

Katie, our bride, lovely without and within.

Katie, precious woman, our beloved granddaughter got married this week.

The wedding inspires a memory trek to recall the births of our four children, their eventual marriages and now our legacy of seven grandchildren, four of whom are now grand adults. Katie is the first to be married. Can it be possible?  

I ponder how every child of our family is fruit of our flesh, blood born with ours, God-birthed.

God orchestrated birthplace, chose our unique family, and totally designed each wonder from the hand of God.

 God gifts us with the lives of children and grandchildren, but from day one they’re born to be released.

Aimed by Him through circumstances into a future only He sees.

Their commitment to God we proclaimed as they were baptized, streaked with oil and water poured or pool-dipped. And we inscribed it into their lives with our love that patterned the limitless love of God.

Our children’s childhoods passed with a growing chain of friends, educated year after year in schools and sports, pooled together with strangers, subject to apparently erratic events, yet God-purposed always. Wandering never, confused at times, but always ultimately God-purposed.

Parenting and grand parenting is such an act of contradictions: comfort, push, pull back, coax, send forth, challenge, reassure. All infused with praise and prayer. We impress into children’s brains by our words, and if we’re consistent by our deeds, lessons to be carried through the maze of life and imparted to generations to come.

Loving children is the easy part, showing it by withholding too-easy, too-comfortable pleasure is tough as tears. Speaking love through discipline that denies, correction that won’t accept disobedience or disrespect is hard.

Preparing them for adulthood has been doable only by grace. It requires supreme courage because each new victory moves a beloved child farther from the nest.

Oh the heart-wrenching agony mingled with joy that ensues when that occurs. Joy and pride that a child is ready to begin world-stepping independently, yet sorrow, too, that our closeness will never be completely the same.

But then what is parenting and grand parenting but a series of unfolding steps, sending children into new situations, urging confidence, offering a profusion of praise, instilling hope because we know each child is God-purposed and must be encouraged to grow in heart and mind as well as body.

The effort to parent well is worth persevering through, visible today as our bride wearing white walks into her future leaving behind every parental control. Choice-maker extraordinaire she and her new husband shall be co-designers with God of their unique world.

Letting go is all that’s required now from Katie's parents and grandparents, the love has been poured, the life has been set free.

And God says, "Fly."

All is very, very good.

Alex, the Groom, putting together floral bouquets.

Grandpa Wayne  helping while watching the golf tournament on TV.

Pam (Katie's Mom) and I filling Candy Favors

Jeremiah 29:11 I (God) knows the plans I have for you, plans to give a future and a hope.

Pure Silly Fun

I've written lots of serious blogs lately. Since my blog is titled Thoughts on Fun, Faith and Family I believe it's time for a blog about pure, silly fun.

Creative movement is a delightful way to help develop children's imaginations and engage their physical energy. The ideas below I designed for toddlers and preschoolers, but they're absolutely wonderful to do as a family activity with children of all ages side by side with parents and grandparents, too. (They're from my book Parent's Treasurebox of Ideas for Preschoolers published by Tyndale.)

Be sure you're in an area with lots of room - out on the lawn or in the largest room in your home. An adult or older child can facilitate by calling out the next creative move. Do each movement a couple of minutes. Add more animals if you like, or machines, whatever. Get ready to laugh. God delights in families having fun together.

Psalm 126:2 " Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing."

Extraordinary!

A quote by G. K. Chesterton that I don’t want said of me is, “You Christians have such an extraordinary faith, yet you lead such ordinary lives.”

Ordinary, no way! I want my life to be extraordinary, don’t you?

When we receive the Holy Spirit we experience the indwelling Christ within us.  We are wired to thrive by the power of the Holy Spirit.

You’ve heard this numerous times but have you "hearted" it,  made it a live by this forever truth? 
Does it permeate your thinking?

We're supernatural beings, living within a natural plane of existence. Yes, supernatural, in the image of our supernatural God. What does that mean?

God has given each of us gifts through the generosity of His Spirit that enable us to live lives of impossibility - deep-rooted peace, joy, whatever our circumstances.

I have a recollection of not knowing the Lord, many memories of living a less than happy life because I was ignorant of His principles for me that would have brought me better balance and joy. And sad to say I have some memories of ignoring Him in little ways, and some big ways.

Colossians Chapter 3 is so foundational.  Christ followers are to be fully alive like Christ, we are to know the whole truth and tell it in love.  Christ's breath and blood flow through us. 

There are countless opportunities to live the kind of life God calls us to.

We live in an imperfect world but needn’t be dragged down by it. We may experience pain in cold, cruel situations of sickness or loss, but we are NEVER alone or without hope. We sense our beautiful, tender, good God in the midst of whatever we walk through.

God promises, God delivers. He will supply all our needs as we place our trust in Him. In addition we help one another enhance faith as we connect with others who treasure God as well.

Our extraordinary life is not restricted by the limitations of earth. 
As a Christian counselor/author I’ve worked with pastors of various denominations Episcopal, Catholic, Charismatic, Evangelical, Lutheran, etc.  They all profess the extraordinary power the presence of Jesus makes in a life. Catholics start prayers with “In the name of the Father, and of the Son and the Holy Spirit,” Protestants end their prayers with “In the name of Jesus.” Same recognition of the power of our amazing God inflaming the faith of the body in living action.

The body of true believers is very important to God. But even more important is every individual living a life of extraordinary faith exuding His joy.

God's not into ordinary, are you?

To enrich your prayer life, order Breathless Devotionals for Connecting Your Heart With God’s @ amazon.com by Judith Rolfs available on Kindle or Nook.

Colossians 3:1-2: 

"So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective." Quoted from The Message Bible

A happy, harmonious home, isn't that what all parents want? I wrote these rules on raising children to help parents know what expectations will help their developing children be content and responsible.  

21 Non-Negotiables for Raising Children

Dearest Children,

We’re privileged by God to parent you. Your good behavior is not negotiable, it’s an expectation, always essential and required. We choose to protect you from physical as well as emotional and spiritual danger by having you observe these non-negotiables. 

God created a world of order. Order and discipline are needed to participate in the world. Self-will doesn’t rule in our home or in life. There is to be order within your hearts and within our home. Emotions as well as behaviors must be in order.

You’ll be stretched to observe these 21 rules at times, but you’ll feel content and satisfied when you do. Best of all God will be pleased when you live by these godly principles which are all based on obedience and love.

We’ll discuss these 21 Non-Negotiables with you when you sit at the table, when you go to bed at night, and we'll post them in our home. Deut. 4:6.

1. When you receive discipline know that its source is our love for you. We will not allow you to be a brat.

2. You will not be allowed to shame yourself or our family by bad behavior if we can prevent it.

3. Getting your way is unacceptable if it differs from our way or God’s way. Also excuses or lying are equally forbidden. You will be truthful at all times.

4. Being selfish and self-centered is not acceptable; it won’t win you friends but a humble and generous spirit will serve you well.

5. Food will not be used as a reward for good behavior.

6. You’ll eat the healthy foods prepared for family meals without discussion or silently prepare a bowl of cereal for yourself.

7. Prompt disciplinary action can be expected for any deviation from these non-negotiables. No need to be surprised or complain.

8. Treat your possessions and those of the family with respect or they’ll be removed from your use.

9. Keeping your room in order is essential.

10. Work diligently and obediently in school.

11. Complaining shows lack of gratitude, which displeases God and parents.

12. Going to church/Sunday school with a cheerful demeanor and open mind is expected.

13. Giving eye contact when an adult speaks to you is a good habit that will benefit you all your life.

14. Be respectful and helpful to siblings at ALL times.

15. Reading and learning at home will happen in equal or greater proportion to time spent on computer/TV.

16. Choices are not negotiable when they’re bad. Bad choice is any choice that goes against parent’s wisely thought out desires or wishes.

17. You’re not going to be our friend until you are between the ages of eighteen or twenty-one. Being a parent differs from being a friend.

18. You’re expected to obey any person we place in authority over you.

19. Participate in keeping our home orderly by putting away anything you take out before taking out something else.

20. Know that you are precious and treasured, but you are a child and we are adults required by God to teach you and train you to be a responsible person.

21. Mom and Dad work all day. Our job is not to pamper you. Instead we will work together and play together as well as enjoy personal time to develop our own interests.

These 21 Rules are not beyond the ability of  5 and 6 year olds and work marvels with teens. Children are far smarter than adults realize and will be so much happier with set rules and firm, loving guidance than with being out of control.

“Let the little children come to me [Jesus], and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:15-17.

A Woman's Guide 52 Ways to Choose Happiness and Fulfillment  discusses more ways to nurture children.

Mary, Most Amazing

Mary, most amazing Mother of God. Were you scared when Jesus was born? How was it to touch Him? I mean I could barely handle my newborn first child without fear and awe, or the second or the third or the fourth. So fragile, so dependent, on ME. I wondered every time if it wasn’t a mistake for the Lord to entrust these lives to my shaky hands and way too imperfect soul.

Did you ever feel that, Mary? You who cared for God Himself with His tiny toes and fingers. How many times did your hands touch His, soothe Him to sleep, nurse Him. Were you overcome with wonder? Did you ever forget even a second that here was the living son of God placed into your responsibility?

Mary, was it always clear what to do next, I mean I’ve so often wondered if I was doing the right thing? Sending each of our sons and daughters to the best place to learn? If the sport they’d begun to play would help or hinder their development? I can only imagine decisions you made. What friends to encourage Jesus to keep, squelch, was carpentry the best use of Jesus’ gifts. Omigosh, dealing with the giftedness of God, what a thought!

Was your heart beating wildly when you left Egypt? Did you have that sense, I’ve known a few times in my life, that God’s hand was all over this, and you needed only show up and take the next step?

It seems you might have been frantic at times having charge of God Who created the universe and all that is within it in your midst. You were a human momma too, so you may have had times of trembling like me.

Thank you, 1000 times for being faithful, for living holy and passionate for God so that you would be the chosen one. For assuming confidence when perhaps you had little. You did it! You gave our Savior safety as long as you could. And you ravished Him with love, and He you, how easy that part would be, permeating all you did every day. I bet gratitude seeped into every moment. And awe.

But then being a Mom to any child of God is a mysterious, sacred undertaking. I thank God daily for trusting me and gracing me with His help that alone kept my knees from buckling at each new event of parenting. And now for allowing me to GrandMom seven more world-changing creations of His.

Thanks, Mary, most of all for walking with your child, Jesus, all the way to the cross and showing us to do the same for our children if necessary, loving them all the way. I so can’t wait to place my hand in Jesus.’ To touch His brow. To watch His smile spread over me.

Happy Mom’s day to Mary and my awesome earthly mom, my daughters, and sister and moms the whole world over who daily take up the challenge to spark these life buds assigned as our offspring and aim to glorify God through every exciting or humdrum moment. There’s nothing like being a mother. And praise to those who parent with total dedication the fruit from another womb as moms, teachers, nurses, neighbors. To touch the life of a child is to shape the universe itself. Aren’t we blessed! Happy, happy day!

 

Mary

Holiness undefinable,

Sweetness personified,

Instigator of miracles,

Model of dignity,

Inspiration worthy of honor.

Spiritual mother to the masses,

And holy Mother to me.

From Breathless Minute Meditations©Judith Rolfs

John 14:23 "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, 

and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

Hands I Love

With Mother's Day then Father’s Day fast approaching might you like to honor your husband’s hands with a picture and poem? Please feel free to adapt my poem below to fit your man and share the idea with friends.

[I asked my husband to let me take a picture of his hands, which inspired my thoughts about what his hands have done.]

MY MAN'S HANDS 

Your hands snuggled, comforted and disciplined our children who carry your blood and cell structure into the next generation.

Your hands have been laid upon family and friends while praying for sickness or sadness to leave our bodies.

Your hands held steering wheels while driving several hundred thousand miles across America and foreign countries.

A million golf swings have been made holding a club in your hands matching the flight of eagles and the straightness of spears as a PGA golf pro, who taught thousands of others to do the same.

Your hands have patted and hugged friends and acquaintances with gracious reminders of their value.

Your hands have reached for my hand every night to say the Our Father prayer before we sleep.

Your hands are raised often in worship of the God who made them.

Your hands have prepared soups, shakes and salads and crepes for loved ones.

Your hands have torn down and built rooms and roofs and planted and nourished gardens and trees.

Your hands have worked for and protected our family.

Your hands have touched me with love through ­­­­­­­all our years.

They’ve gnarled a bit, and become spotted from holy wear, but they’re still strong and true.

Fantastic hands…

 

[Would this be cool printed and framed on your man’s workbench or desk!]

Acts 6:6 "... who prayed and laid their hands on them."

A Breathless 2012 Poem For Every Mom and Dad:

How Big?

How big is my world?

God alone decides.

Is it one room, an island, a country?

Impact is not measured in size,

Love isn’t determined by return,

Life isn’t scored by points.

Significance comes from connection,

Linkage to the Master Planner

Destiny comes from His design,

Not mine.

www.judithrolfs.com

Art, Writing and the Holy Spirit

In the legendary English mystery writer Agatha Christie’s book The Hollow a character tells what’s it’s like to be a sculptor. She says an image of a work she’s about to create begins to get at her, nag and haunt her, until she must sculpt it.

I understood perfectly. Sometimes the process of writing feels similar. An idea forms inside me and won’t leave and stirs about until I feel I must get it out to get some peace in my mind again. It’s disturbing and challenging at the same time. And usually delightful.

Later I was still thinking about the arts when I picked up the Christian classic by R. A. Torrey, The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. (Usually I have a book of fiction and non-fiction going at the same time.) I started connecting artistic inspiration with the work of the Holy Spirit.

What about the nudges of the Holy Spirit? Often people tend to think of Him as purely a force to guide us, but the Holy Spirit is a Person. He gets inside of us, enlightens and directs and doesn’t leave. He stirs us up inside until we feel a holy compulsion to follow His leading. It’s mysterious and exciting and fulfilling. The impulses within us created by the Holy Spirit have other-world dimension, life-changing potential, divine capability. We derive deep satisfaction from responding to Him and rightly so.

And through it all the Holy Spirit is utterly relational, fine tuning us, our gifts, while infusing peace and joy. Cool beyond words!

Read about nudges of the Holy Spirit in Love Always, Mom available as an e-book on amazon.

Happy Easter Thoughts

                Blessed Easter!

A Few Easter Thoughts on Churches and Crosses

Churches, why do so many people go?
Do you ever wonder if you don’t?

I mean... 

Pass a church and see all the cars.

What do people find in such a place?

Do they really believe?

Or only hope there is someone in whom they can believe?

Do they go because they’ve glimpsed

if even for a moment a seeping joy,

Sensed an invisible but certain touch on this thing named soul.

Do you ever enter and sit among them

And wonder have they really seen Him with heart eyes

This Jesus all the fuss is over.

Who is this Him, this God plus Man reaching out and reaching within. 

How could this God care so much? 

And does He, or has the myth simply gone on and on?

How can you know? Unless you go…

With eyes of thought, mind bright and seeking truth,

A breath of His and your breathing changes forever.

This Spirit called Holy, the joygiver, patience maker, wisdom worker,

Will make a change within, in ways you know you couldn’t.

But how will you know unless you go…

And do you ever wonder about crosses?

Crosses, crosses everywhere.

Metal crosses with clean, sharp lines,

Wooden crosses with carved, intricate symbols,

Crosses of ceramic, collectors of dust on walls,

Whose owners have ceased to see them.

Ornamental crosses hanging around necks

Filled with meaning or meaningless?

Invisible crosses carried throughout lives

With dignity and determination.

Holy crosses that serve as reminders

Of one sacred cross carried

And a precious life sacrificed --

The cross that made kingdom dwellers

Of common people like you and me

Because God was glorified upon it

The Calvary cross brings grace to us.

 (c) Judith Rolfs Breathless 2012

The Three Keys

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Savannah, Georgia parade second in size only to New York's and Georgians think that's debatable.

It's also spring and weddings are in the air. I've been pondering what advice to give the soon-to-be-marrieds among us  like our granddaughter Katie. 

I think I shall say:

Marriage is only hard if you want to stay engaged in a love affair. If you choose to settle for less than a dynamic intimate union you can take the emotional walk into separateness, at least on certain issues. Life on the surface may be easier. If you’ve known the excitement of emotional oneness it’s never as fulfilling.

Plus God doesn’t like lukewarm marriages any more than he likes lukewarm relationships with Him.

So what’s the answer? It comes in three. Speak through pain, love through anger, listen rather than run.

These are the three keys to making a real marriage. Not just one that works, but one that does honor to the God who designed this fantastic union between frail, flawed men and women  - and even sacramentalized it.

It helps to know God has a blanket of love big enough for two, when one of you temporarily hasn’t enough to keep the other warm. You can stay under and re-energize as you use the three keys to re-connect.

The best advice of all is from Psalm 119:25-27. "My life is down in the dust; give me life through Your word. I told you about my life and you listened to me; teach me Your statutes. Help me understand the meaning of Your precepts so that I can meditate on Your wonders."

Isn't a good marriage always a wonder of God! Feel free to share these thoughts with those you love. 

 (c) Judith Rolfs 2012

You may also want to check out the Intimacy Reviver in A Woman's Guide To Keeping Promises available on amazon.