June Celebrations

June holds a special place in my heart. I am grateful to be celebrating two incredible blessings this month.

 Many years ago, I sat in a church service in need of salvation. I sensed the prodding of the Holy Spirit to yield my life to Jesus Christ. But I could not make my legs stand and walk to the front of the church for prayer.

 After a week of wrestling with the Holy Spirit’s conviction, I made the trek to the front and knelt, as was the custom in this church. Choosing that path was the best decision I have ever made, and I have not had a single moment of regret. But looking back, I wish I had accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior sooner. His grace and salvation brought about a remarkable change in my life. This month, I celebrate fifty years of walking with the Lord. I am grateful for His constant presence.

 June brings another important date—an anniversary celebration for my husband and me. I met Kenn at the church where I found the Lord around the same time as my coming to Christ. We both visited the same revival, continued to attend that church, and got baptized on the same evening in October. I believe the Lord meant for us to get together! We had our first date in November. We got married the following June. This year marks our forty-ninth anniversary.

 On Facebook, Kenn came across a touching post about a couple who celebrated in a fun way. In anticipation of their fiftieth anniversary, they planned to make the entire year, leading up to their big day, a series of smaller but special occasions. We plan to commemorate our fiftieth in the same way.

 Each month leading up to our golden wedding anniversary, we hope to create lasting memories. Whether we take a spontaneous day trip, an extended vacation, or have a cozy meal at a fancy restaurant, we will rejoice in God’s goodness and blessings upon our marriage. We would not have made it without the Lord. He deserves all the credit.

 A romantic dinner at our favorite steakhouse will mark our forty-ninth anniversary. From there, we have a few trips planned, along with new experiences. Kenn has traveled to every state in the US. I still have a few to add. Our goal is to get to those over this next year too. And a cruise may be the ideal way to celebrate our fiftieth anniversary next year!

 Do you have any recommendations for a monthly celebration leading up to our golden anniversary? Please share in the comments below.

 And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God
has given to you and to your house . . .
Deuteronomy 26:11a (ESV)

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Photo by Kendall Scott on Unsplash

The Past Seven Weeks

Since my last blog post, we moved into our new home and traveled to Ohio to visit my family. The past seven weeks have been busy, and this blog post is long overdue.

God is good. He’s blessed me several times with a view of cows from my dining room window. My youngest daughter joined me on the back patio one afternoon while I watered my orange and yellow gerbera daisies. A sound nearby brought a smile to my daughter’s face. “Was that a cow?” Poor city girl—her first time to hear a cow moo.

We’ve met many friendly neighbors. The first was a young boy, about ten years old. Cody came to our door to introduce himself within hours of our closing while we were cleaning. I thought he was such a sweet young man. Later that afternoon, we met another neighbor—an adult from down the street. We told him we’d met Cody. He said, “You met Eddie Haskell.”

What I remember about Eddie on Leave It to Beaver was his sweetness to adults but his sneakiness away from them—an instigator of trouble. So that’s our Cody? Time will tell.

In Ohio we met my sister, her husband, grandson, and two foster boys at a park in Toledo. Kenn and I walked along the paved trails while we waited for them to arrive. We enjoyed the park so much that we returned three more times during our two-day stay to walk and talk. My favorite spot was a covered bridge along our path.

We also visited my brother and his wife and gathered with nieces and nephews for a mini family reunion. The two foster boys surprised me with hugs when they arrived. When they left, they and my sister’s grandson did the same. Three sweet young men.

Another highlight occurred when we attended church with my sister and her family and chatted with our former pastor after the service. This was the man who preached a message during a revival forty-seven years ago that woke me up to my need for a personal relationship with Christ. He, along with his wife, taught me of God’s love and forgiveness. She played matchmaker in getting Kenn and I to date, and this pastor performed our wedding.

God has blessed us for the past seven weeks. I am grateful for His goodness and the people He has placed in my life. I pray that I’m able to share that same goodness with others.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100:5, NIV

Benedictions and Farewell Greetings

In previous blog posts, I mentioned that the word bless can signify a prayer of benediction. One of those is Numbers 6:24-26. I love the way it reads in the New Living Translation.

May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.

You’ve possibly heard a pastor say this or another version of it at the end of a worship service. They are speaking a blessing over you for protection, and for the Lord’s mercy, favor, and peace to rest upon you. Receive these words and hold on to them with your whole heart.

One of my pastors often shared this benediction at the close of a service.

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21, NKJV

The writer of Hebrews used this benediction in his closing remarks. Paul, Peter, and John spoke blessings in their farewell greetings to the churches too. These are available for us to pray or speak over others and even for ourselves.

Paul ended his letter in 2 Corinthians 13:14 with this verse from the New International Version.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Christ’s grace, God’s love, and fellowship with the Holy Spirit are ours.

As 2 Thessalonians 3 wraps up, Paul gives this greeting in verse 16 from the New King James Version.

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

He’s offering peace and reminding us that the Lord is near.

Here’s my farewell greeting for you today:

May you find peace, joy, and comfort in the Lord. May your walk be blessed with God’s guidance through whatever situations you face today. May you be filled with His wisdom and love.

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Photo by Frank McKenna - Unsplash

Personal Blessings

The Lord poured out a big blessing upon me. Another book released, and for that I’m thankful, but there’s much more!

Twelve years ago, we left Nashville, our two married children, and our grandson. We moved 1200 miles away to Albuquerque, New Mexico, with our youngest daughter. For the past five years we could have moved back to Tennessee, but we didn’t want to pull her away from her high school. After graduation, she had no intention of moving back and leaving her friends, but she said we could leave her. We didn’t feel the time was right to do that.

My daughter asked me why we didn’t move back and let her stay. The primary reason to move was to be together again as a family. If she weren’t with us, that wouldn’t happen.

I’ve prayed over these past several years and asked the Lord to put the desire in her heart to go with us. Living so far away from our two other children and three grandchildren breaks my heart.

Two weeks ago, my prayers were answered. My daughter said she was ready to move back. Praise God! He worked a miracle in her. I’ve prayed and waited for this day for five years. Time for a happy dance.

I love New Mexico, and I’ll miss the view of the Sandia Mountains, the low humidity, and amazing deep blue skies. I’ll experience a personal loss when I leave my friends, Bible study ladies, writer’s critique group, and my chiropractor (God blessed him with healing hands). And there’s almost nothing more beautiful than the pink-orange sunrises and sunsets.

But my heart is in Tennessee. I’ll be home when my ten-year-old granddaughter visits and we make cookies together, my six-year-old grandson crawls into my lap for a story, or my almost adult grandson laughs at hubby’s silliness. Those happy encounters will beat a sunrise or sunset.

God has blessed me above and beyond all that I’ve asked or thought, and I am so grateful.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV

What blessing are you praising God for today?

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Photo by Jp Valery - Unsplash