Mango chews on her ball like chewing gum.
She looses her ball under the furniture.
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All. The. Time.
She lays there and stares at it.
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She needs someone to help her retrieve it.
Mango needs our physical help to get that ball.
I wonder if Mango lays there and desperately prays, “God send someone to help me!”
She certainly pauses every so often and begs for someone to help her. Pleading with her soft brown eyes and fuzzy perked up golden ears.
::
There was a fantastic post on friendship a while ago on the Allume website.
It reminded me of how “wealthy” I truly am when it comes to friends the Lord has blessed me with.
I honestly believe several of the women that are dear to me were direct answers to prayer.
::
Many times in my life I have needed help to attain what I longed for.
I wanted out of depression but couldn’t attain it without help.
Often we need someone to come along side and help us reach what we can’t seem to reach alone.
I prayed/begged God to send someone to help me escape depression.
I had come to realize that I couldn’t do it alone.
I needed guidance and encouragement from someone not standing in the midst of my storm who could give clarity to things I couldn’t see. God sent along a wise woman named Marlene, who has become a dear friend beyond the walls of the counseling office. She is a faithful prayer partner and is always there when I need advice about almost anything from raising kids to cooking on my glass cook-top stove.
There have been times I have cried out to the Lord for assistance regarding other areas of life and God sent it along, not always right away but eventually, in His perfect timing.
On the mission field, I longed for someone, a mentor, who was a few miles down the trail ahead of me in ministry that I could learn from. A mature Christian who’d “been there, done that”, who could tell of the dangers on the trail ahead because they already hiked that section. Or who could tell me of the blessing of something that may lay ahead on the trail of life. He sent along a veteran missionary who also became a close dear friend. Bon helped me in so many ways to adapt to the culture I was in. She helped me see many things from a different perspective. She and her wise husband helped me take my first steps out of the box I had been living in.
This past year as the Lord was drawing us back to home-schooling, He sent along another wise woman who has home-schooled both of her sons. Barb and her husband have raised two godly young men who are on fire for the Lord, and are leading their own Christ-centered families. I am thankful for this couple who take the time to share nuggets of wisdom that they have found on their hike with the Lord.
This is what mentoring is all about.
It is what discipleship is all about.
Coming along side and helping one grow; and we all need to keep growing in grace no matter how long we have been hiking with Christ.
One thing all three of these ladies have in common that is the best characteristic of all?
All three of them LOVE to study God’s word. And they faithfully apply it to their daily lives.
God is always faithful to send exactly who I need each time I ask for help. Each of the women God has sent along have been tremendous encouragers to me, speaking His Truth into my life, and they have all become dear friends.
No matter where I live in the world, God always sends someone along, and meets that request.
As I watched the (in)RL webcast this past April, this post was forming in my mind. Over and over the ladies of (in)courage repeated this very message during their section about mentoring. (These are a few of the things I had spoken about when Sally of (in)courage interviewed me at Allume last October. Alas, I ended up on the proverbial cutting room floor. Even so, much of what I said was pretty much verbatim what many of the ladies in the section on mentoring said.)
Repeatedly.
Over and over.
So many said the very same thing.
Ladies, do ya think God is trying to get our attention?
Do you long for a mentor to help you grow in your walk with the Lord? Ask Him to send her along.
Is there an area in your life that you would like help with? Ask Him to send her along.
Ask. Him.
I am so very thankful I have. All three of these women have been a tremendous blessing to me, and in turn have blessed my family, as we all hike toward home together.
:: :: ::
I haven’t posted here since May 7… so today this list is a long one! 🙂
1671. chatting under the stars with the Kelly’s
1672. commercial lawn mower from J&J
1673. then J came over to teach me how to tame the beast, what a riot that was!
1674. finishing the lawn in two hours- the ENTIRE lawn!! (about 3 acres)
1675. sound of water rushing down the creek nearby
1676. full double rainbow
1677. the women God brought together for our last Bible study group (1,000 Gifts DVD study)
1678. her pointing out the difference between now and when I first came to her Bible study in 2011
1679. freshly cut grass perfuming the air
1680. tulips bursting colorfully in the Governor’s Palace garden, Williamsburg, VA
1681. one stray crimson tulip stretching upward at the end of the driveway
1682. tadpoles on the kitchen counter
1683. God answers prayerful questions and gives understanding;
1684. …Pastor Josh preaching on Acts 15&16 especially the circumcision of Timothy;
1685. …that understanding quenching fiery darts- finally
1686. Gorgeous formal found cheap!
1687. her radiant smile
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1688. double rainbows
1689. golf cart racing
1690. white wisteria
1691. fluffy goslings
1692. laughter of girlfriends
1693. their facial expressions when listening to me read aloud
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1694. waterfall
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1695. their adventurous spirits
1696. hiking as a family
1697. my oldest son playing the part of the hoodlum in the Spring drama
1698. such expression in her voice and on her face as she performed her “reader’s theater”
1699. youngest singing out strong and clear
1700. youngest son playing his instrument with confidence
1701. enjoying Rita’s with Beverly
1702. R & J exploring the creek with pant legs pulled up
1703. juicy pears
1704. his tears for a loved one’s salvation
1705. overtime
1706. early morning fog
1707. her text message that I missed my calling: Dentistry
1708. A’s lost her second tooth
1709. she wants “to learn more about Jesus” when she “grows up”
1710. stink bug in the light fixture
1711. …that we have working light fixtures
1712. his feet hurt…
1713. …he has a job
1714. …he is working overtime
1715. Julia’s mercy toward J
1716. wind making waves of green like the waves of a stormy sea
1717. hummingbird coming close to stare at me
1718. dew glistening in the sunlight
1719. flowers loaded with pollen
1720. daddy-long-legs resting atop blossoms
1721. early morning sunshine
1722. wet grass stuck to bare feet
1723. water droplets flying off Mango’s tennis ball as it bounces in the dewy grass in the early morning sunshine
1724. R brings in dinner plate sized maple leaves
1725. sapphire blue nail polish on toes
1726. quiet morning while kids sleep
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1727. the clicking of zippers and snaps spinning in the dryer
1728. their excitement anticipating summer’s arrival
1729. Mango licking Carmel’s face, the young taking care of the old
1730. he buys himself his very own coffee cup- Peanuts
1731. …and gets me one too all blue and dainty!
1732. having a ‘wow’ moment where God did something just for me (see #1717)
1733. female cardinal balancing on the crepe myrtle branch and checking me out, sitting close to the window
1734. …that she came closer and clung to the screen to get a better view
1735. the mess the birds are making on the deck- they chose to grow their family on our deck
1736. stretching rectangles of light reflecting on the floor
1737. Neh. 8:10 “the joy of the Lord is your stregnth”
1738. time with BL over the last few weeks of school
1739. AC stopping me in the store to tell me she has seen a “tremendous” difference in me, encouraging words that I’ve moved in the right direction
1740. spending time with her friends as they helped decorate the fellowship hall for graduation
1741. super soft puppy fur
1742. the scent of honeysuckle
1743. Him quizzing the kids on U.S. History or rather Stan Freeburg’s version of it
1744. rainbow sprinkles scattered across the table
1745. the sound of laughter around the table
1746. MG noticing and pointing out that I hadn’t written in this space in a long time
1747. the quietness of being out on the lake early in the morning
1748. the songs of a multitude of birds
1749. laughter of friends gathered around our table
1750. the sound of bowling pins clattering to the wooden floor
1751. paddling in sync
1752. bald eagles nests (two!)
1753. JG scaring SK so much that he jumped out of his chair
1754. swallow nests under the bridge- more than I could count
1755. huge carp- flash of silver in a cloud of silt
1756. lake like glass
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1757. the brilliant blue of the neighbor’s peacock
1758. fresh cut hay striping the field
1759. C being baptized by Pastor Seth
1760. to see a water lily up close
1761. water droplets as silver glitter scattered across large leaves
1762. a clean attic
1763. early morning chatter of the kids playing
1764. babbling brook throughout the miniature golf course
1765. the loud bang of fireworks
1766. feeling the bang in your chest
1767. fireworks that look like weeping willow trees and dandelions
1768. pansies
1769. dahlias
1770. God sent an “angel” named Matt, who was a mechanic, to stop and change my tire on the busy interstate
1771. …the gap in heavy rush hour traffic that God provided for me to get from the far left lane, across four lanes of traffic, to the right shoulder
1772. twenty years of wedded bliss
1773. Carmel’s smile when I scratch her chin
1774. …her white face, she has been with us through half of our marriage and has lived through so many changes
1775. hydrangea blooms from dark purple to deep pink
1776. listening to the steady downpour of rain…
1777. while sitting outside on the porch…
1778. river of water that has formed in the side yard
1779. snuggling on the loveseat with A, J, & R first thing in the morning
1780. lego strewn across the living room floor
1781. two days of the kids being creative, building with legos from their own imaginations
1782. central air conditioning
1783. Emily Wierenga- how God has used her so many times to challenge me to reconsider and seek God about many legalistic opinions I had developed over the last 20 years
1784. Peach Mango scented dog shampoo
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1785. mountain of soft dog fur brushed out of Carmel’s coat
1786. morning sun streaming through my windows
1787. softness of cotton
1788. the sight of my dad reading his Bible
1789. cold watermelon
1790. A. looked at me and said, “We can wear shorts.” matter-of-fact-ly as my Dad read a morning headline that said, “Thou shalt not wear shorts” in the Washington Post
1791. a bunny, as small as my hand munching on backyard clover
1792. well kept gardens in Sea Isle
1793. sand under my feet and between my toes
1794. the laughter of girls, giggling quietly after lights out
1795. the quiet thudding of the sound of bugs hitting the window outside, we have windows
1796. SH, his love for God and his wonderfully-crazy, outgoing, on-fire, personality
1797. green toenails toenail polish
1798. morning dove
1799. rooster in the distance
1800. morning sunrise at youth camp
1801. fog filling the valley before the sun arrived
1802. sound of a tractor chuggin’ in the distance
1803. mango’s eyelashes
1804. the scent of the Garden Hideaway Yankee Candle, sitting nearby and not even lit- but I still caught a whiff of it
1805. … the scent of it stirs my memory of going to Wood’s Florist with my mother when I was a little girl. I remember the flagstone floor and the greenhouse to the right and the intoxicating scent that I could never breath in deep enough.
1806. water droplets hanging on the crepe myrtle buds
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1807. learning from the children that if you squeeze them it pops open and the flower comes out like a pompom
1808. the sound of water rushing in the creek
1809. cool sand under my bare feet
1810. …perfect night air, cool but not cold
1811. morning sunlight streaming through the blinds of the front room of the cottage
1812. the smell of the salt marsh
1813. J didn’t get but a small scrape when he fell head first down the attic steps
1814. blueberry cobbler flavored coffee
1815. the school bus lumbering by… while my children are still snuggled warm in their beds
1816. we are back to homeschooling again
1817. he still has a job
1818. deer munching on berries in the backyard
1819. texting/chatting with Julie Nevue
1820. recognizing our son’s laughing out in the hallway
1821. TC coming and spending a day with me
1822. A likes school so much she does 2 days worth in one! So thankful she is happy about homeschooling
1823. eating lunch on the porch with the kids
1824. doing flashcards with the boys…
1825. …on the porch
1826. …enjoying the light breeze and cool air
1827. overtime- an answer to prayer
1828. house plants / green and growing in every room downstairs
1829. white hydrangeas / memories of a beautiful wedding
1830. thick fog
1831. silhouettes of trees emerging from the clearing fog
1832. scent of fresh laundry
1833. early morning sunlight falling across the counter, reflecting off the glass lampshade on the candle
1834. starfish lanterns glowing in the living room
1835. he does school when he can’t sleep
1836. R buries his face in her soft furry neck
1837. God enabled me to fix her blog menu
1838. …her joyful scream of happiness that it worked (yes, I screamed too! so thrilled that it worked!!)
