Give Him Grace --
This phrase (and variations of it) has come to be very meaningful to me in recent years.
I don't feel like I had much of a handle on what "grace" meant until I was a young adult in college (mid-1980s). A couple of very dear friends of mine, in large part, started me on my journey of learning much about the grace of God (thank you Billy King and Jim Carter)..... and it is a journey I am still on.
There is another kind of grace that I am also learning about though. And that is the grace we extend to those around us. I was keenly reminded of this a few weeks ago while having dinner with some great friends. The younger son was mildly getting into "trouble" -- "no son, don't do that..no". To which older brother AJ replied to his parents "give him grace". Oh...did I mention my buddy AJ is five (5) years old???? My 5 year old friend had just reminded his parents that little brother might need some grace offered to him.
After being quite taken back at the astute comment of this young friend of mine, I got to thinking more about that statement. I began to think about how much better our relationships with one another would be if we could remember, as AJ encouraged, to "give him grace".
The fact is -- people are going to mess up. Friends will disappoint and hurt us. But God is helping me learn more about it means to extend grace in these situations, to those around me. Forgiveness. Keeping short tabs. Letting people "off the hook". Letting things go.....That's certainly what I want when I screw up. Grace.
God has already given me HIS grace -- and continues to extend that. And I am eternally grateful for that grace. Thank you Lord. I hope we can learn as HIS people to be grace-givers as well. Thank you AJ for that reminder. -- "give him grace".
Be There.
KathyC
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
the storm has passed.....
I was napping this afternoon and woke up to a severe thunderstorm alert on TV. I went outside to roll up my car windows and looked up at the sky. While a bit cloudy, I was a bit skeptical about us having a thunderstorm. Well, I’ve been wrong before….in just a few minutes the clouds were heavy and the sky was black. Although only about 5PM, it looked like nearly night. And the rains came. It rained hard and even hailed for 20 minutes or so. Now we really don’t need any more rain for a while; we’ve had our share. And in my mind, we never need hail, but I digress…..
Within the hour the rain and hail had stopped, the sky had brightened and the sun came back out. I needed to work out so I headed outside for a walk/jog. As I walked along, there was still evidence of the hard rain, but there was also dry ground already. In some cases, there was little, if any, evidence that we had just come through a storm.
I was reminded that the sun always follows the storm. It may be a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days, but the sun shines again after the storm. Actually the sun continues to shine behind the clouds even during the storm – just hidden from our view. But the light of the sun comes back into our sight after the darkness. So it is with the “storms” of our lives. The day, the light, always follows the dark times of our lives. Sometimes very quickly, sometimes more prolonged. After the night comes the day. And just as the sun is still shining behind the clouds, so the SON never stops shining. He continues to light the way. Sometimes He is just harder for us humans to see.
While I like watching thunderstorms and the darkness followed by the light, I don’t do nearly as well with the dark times of my life. But God has promised that HE never leaves me or forsakes me and that “joy comes in the morning”. I hope that I will remember that as I go through the storms in my life.
I like the sun a lot. But I’m forever grateful for THE SON!
Be there.
KathyC
Friday, May 30, 2008
the trip
Hi folks,
It's me -- Bailey -- and I'm filling in for mom tonight. She's tired from her trip so I'm taking care of things for her tonight. And that's what I want to talk about -- her trip.
I knew something was up last Monday.....she got that stupid big "box" out of the closet. She unzipped it and put a bunch of her clothes in it and then zipped it back up and set it by the door. I got real suspicious. It seems like whenever she gets that "thing" out that she disappears shortly after that. I hate it.
So I started my pathetic look. I just kind of laid around and looked extra cute and gave her my sad eyes look. But it didn't work. On Tuesday morning she left anyway.
At least she got the babysitter than I really like -- our friend Sherie. And Sherie came by and talked to me and petted me and fed me. She knows how to do all that stuff just right. I don't know how she knows just what to do - but she does. So I talked to her and gave her lots of attention and was very affectionate with her. Then she told me Thursday night that mom was coming home on Friday. Well, I got really excited....but I had to play it cool.
So tonight when mom got home, I met her at the door and acted like I didn't know who she was. I gave her a nominal rub against her legs and walked on off. She tried to pet me and cuddle with me but I just gave her a passing glance.
She's been trying to make up with me all evening but I have been giving her the cold shoulder for the most part. I usually want in her lap when she has the computer on the couch but tonight I'm just sitting over here in this hard folding chair all by myself. I can tell....she's feeling really bad for leaving me. She just called my name while I'm working on this...but I made her call me three times before even turning my head. She'll think twice about leaving me next time.
I really use the time she goes away to sleep and eat a lot (well, that's what I do all the time) but I want her to think that I lose my appetite and have insomnia while she's gone. I hope Sherie doesn't tell her how much fun I have when she comes to see me.
But I really am glad she's home. I miss her a lot when she's gone. And I think she misses me too. I hope she doesn't have any more trips any time soon.
I wonder if I could get rid of that clothes "box" somehow....then she would have to stay home.
Hmmmm -- I'll work on that one.
Maybe I can get mom back to blogging for herself this weekend.
bailey
It's me -- Bailey -- and I'm filling in for mom tonight. She's tired from her trip so I'm taking care of things for her tonight. And that's what I want to talk about -- her trip.
I knew something was up last Monday.....she got that stupid big "box" out of the closet. She unzipped it and put a bunch of her clothes in it and then zipped it back up and set it by the door. I got real suspicious. It seems like whenever she gets that "thing" out that she disappears shortly after that. I hate it.
So I started my pathetic look. I just kind of laid around and looked extra cute and gave her my sad eyes look. But it didn't work. On Tuesday morning she left anyway.
At least she got the babysitter than I really like -- our friend Sherie. And Sherie came by and talked to me and petted me and fed me. She knows how to do all that stuff just right. I don't know how she knows just what to do - but she does. So I talked to her and gave her lots of attention and was very affectionate with her. Then she told me Thursday night that mom was coming home on Friday. Well, I got really excited....but I had to play it cool.
So tonight when mom got home, I met her at the door and acted like I didn't know who she was. I gave her a nominal rub against her legs and walked on off. She tried to pet me and cuddle with me but I just gave her a passing glance.
She's been trying to make up with me all evening but I have been giving her the cold shoulder for the most part. I usually want in her lap when she has the computer on the couch but tonight I'm just sitting over here in this hard folding chair all by myself. I can tell....she's feeling really bad for leaving me. She just called my name while I'm working on this...but I made her call me three times before even turning my head. She'll think twice about leaving me next time.
I really use the time she goes away to sleep and eat a lot (well, that's what I do all the time) but I want her to think that I lose my appetite and have insomnia while she's gone. I hope Sherie doesn't tell her how much fun I have when she comes to see me.
But I really am glad she's home. I miss her a lot when she's gone. And I think she misses me too. I hope she doesn't have any more trips any time soon.
I wonder if I could get rid of that clothes "box" somehow....then she would have to stay home.
Hmmmm -- I'll work on that one.
Maybe I can get mom back to blogging for herself this weekend.
bailey
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Well, I'm on my second blog. Don't know if anyone except Chris is reading this, but I'll assume maybe some people will find it along the way.
I guess I will write about my tag line that I plan to use for this blog "Be There". Thank you Bob Stephens for this story; I hope I do it justice.
This phrase, as I understand it, comes from Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family), based on an interaction he had with basketball great, "Pistol" Pete Maravich. Rather than try to tell the story myself, I have found the essence of it on the internet and have copied it here. (http://www.huntington.edu/news/oldnews/dobson_quotes.html):
"...Dobson related the story of Pete Maravich, "one of the top five basketball players of all time." Maravich’s fame and financial success did not bring him happiness, Dobson said. For many years, he tried to find satisfaction in wild living and heavy drinking. It was not until after his retirement from basketball that Pete Maravich found true happiness in Christ. "He gave his heart to Jesus Christ, and for the next five years, he was on fire for the Lord," Dobson said.
Learning of his conversion, Dobson invited him to appear on his radio program in 1988. After the interview, they played a game of pick-up basketball with several others. When the game ended, Dobson turned to Maravich and said, "Pete, you can’t give up basketball. This game means too much to you."
Maravich explained he had experienced pain in his right shoulder for more than a year, but now it had disappeared. "I feel just great," he said.
Those were his last words.
Maravich collapsed on the basketball court, and minutes later, died in Dobson’s arms.
"Later that day, I sat down with my son Ryan, who was 17 at the time," Dobson said. "I told him that what happened to Pete wasn’t an isolated event. This is the human condition. This is all of us. It will happen to me some day."
Two years later, Dobson suffered a heart attack on the same basketball court.
"Pete Maravich didn’t have an opportunity to speak with his family one last time. But I want to tell you, be there. On resurrection morning, be there. I will be looking for you then. Nothing else matters. Be there."
That is my hope and prayer for each person who reads this -- "Be There". Ultimately nothing else matters in this world, except what we did with Jesus and where we are on Resurrection Morning.
To each of you --
"Be There".
KathyC
I guess I will write about my tag line that I plan to use for this blog "Be There". Thank you Bob Stephens for this story; I hope I do it justice.
This phrase, as I understand it, comes from Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family), based on an interaction he had with basketball great, "Pistol" Pete Maravich. Rather than try to tell the story myself, I have found the essence of it on the internet and have copied it here. (http://www.huntington.edu/news/oldnews/dobson_quotes.html):
"...Dobson related the story of Pete Maravich, "one of the top five basketball players of all time." Maravich’s fame and financial success did not bring him happiness, Dobson said. For many years, he tried to find satisfaction in wild living and heavy drinking. It was not until after his retirement from basketball that Pete Maravich found true happiness in Christ. "He gave his heart to Jesus Christ, and for the next five years, he was on fire for the Lord," Dobson said.
Learning of his conversion, Dobson invited him to appear on his radio program in 1988. After the interview, they played a game of pick-up basketball with several others. When the game ended, Dobson turned to Maravich and said, "Pete, you can’t give up basketball. This game means too much to you."
Maravich explained he had experienced pain in his right shoulder for more than a year, but now it had disappeared. "I feel just great," he said.
Those were his last words.
Maravich collapsed on the basketball court, and minutes later, died in Dobson’s arms.
"Later that day, I sat down with my son Ryan, who was 17 at the time," Dobson said. "I told him that what happened to Pete wasn’t an isolated event. This is the human condition. This is all of us. It will happen to me some day."
Two years later, Dobson suffered a heart attack on the same basketball court.
"Pete Maravich didn’t have an opportunity to speak with his family one last time. But I want to tell you, be there. On resurrection morning, be there. I will be looking for you then. Nothing else matters. Be there."
That is my hope and prayer for each person who reads this -- "Be There". Ultimately nothing else matters in this world, except what we did with Jesus and where we are on Resurrection Morning.
To each of you --
"Be There".
KathyC
Friday, May 9, 2008
Trying New Things
Well, I've been threatening to start a blog for some time now and tonight seemed to be a good night to do it. I have a number of blogs that I read regularly and decided that I want to give the blogging world a try. We'll see how it goes for a while and decide if I'm cut out for this or not ......
Be There.
Kathy C
Be There.
Kathy C
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