Childhood Flasbacks

Without a doubt, I inherited my family's bad memory. I kid you not when I say that I have very few specific memories of my childhood (ok, of last month even). One of my friends can remember everything, even her first outfit for kindergarten. Needless to say, this saddens me. So when I decide to do this Memory Meme on a blog (linked at the end), I was afraid of how little I would recall. However, this was so much fun! My heart was warmed by the memories these toys did bring up. Thank you for the small reminder of where I've come from.

Rainbow Brite and her fun sidekicks- there was a time when I thought boys were yucky and all I needed was a good horse to survive. :-)

And of course some furry friends to hold close! (Popples and Pound Puppies fit nicely) Needless to say, the white Popple I had got dirty, often.




A friend and I would color in the Garfield comic books like this one. I promise I rarely defaced books. In fact, I do remember being very upset with my little sister for scribbling inside one book, maybe my Wuzzles book.

Much of my childhood was spent dreaming up stories with Little People and Barbie dolls. I think a good many of these toys were actually my aunts' old toys, but they were a wonderful joy to me. Just looking through some of the pictures on Ebay brightened my day!

I know this Barbie motor home was not bought for me originally and it showed much love in the form of wear and tear by the time I out grew it. It may have been this toy that sparked the beginnings of my love for travel.

What travels are complete without a boat house? This Fisher Price
Little People boat house experienced so many tales from me
and my family. Still makes me long for the lake!


Again with the travel theme, I loved (!) this hotel. In fact, I waded through pages of Ebay pictures to find a pic to post. This Holiday Inn even had a turning doorway like fancy hotels and hospitals!



Speaking of hospitals, this one had a working elevator
(ok, so it was powered by a hand crank- still neat for a child nonetheless.)



So I have always known I am a princess (after all my Father is the King of Kings). But this castle and the PINK dragon firmly planted the idea of Prince Charming and Cinderella in my mind. (Though I do remember loving the pink dragon as much as any prince!)


Ok, so we are down to some of my all-time favorite memories. He-man and She-ra. One of my childhood friends was the son of a close family. I remember loving to go over to play with our action figures. His He-man and my She-ra toys made for a great play date every time.


So maybe when all is said and done, this is more my version of "Cinderella's castle." I do have such fond (though vague) memories of She-ra's castle. So any He-man's out there may apply here.

My Isaiah 40:28-31

How could I forget? How could I not realize? The Everlasting God, my Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding of me, of my situations, of my weaknesses is inscrutable- far too great for me to know. He gives strength when I am weary. He gives me power when I am lacking, when I just cannot go on. Even youths (me and the people I am so tempted to depend on) grow weary and tired, and vigorous people stumble badly.
But (oh, thank you Lord for this small word!) when I wait on the Lord, my strength is renewed. I will mount up with wings like eagles, I will run and not get tired, I will walk and not grow weary. I will survive the times of trials and the desert days.

Meet me here.

Wordless Wednesday

Being Known

"What matters supremely, therefore, is not...the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it- the fact that he knows me. I am graven on the palms of his hands. I am never out of his mind. All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative in knowing me. I know him because he first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when his eye is off me, or his attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when his care falters.

This is momentous knowledge. There is unspeakable comfort- the sort of comfort that energizes, be it said, not enervates- in knowing that God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love and watching over me for my good. There is tremendous relief in knowing that his love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench his determination to bless me.

There is, certainly, great cause for humility in the thought that he sees all the twisted things about me that my fellow humans do not see (and I am glad!), and that he sees more corruption in me than that which I see in myself (which, in all conscience, is enough). There is, however, equally great incentive to worship and love God in the thought that, for some unfathomable reason, he wants me as his friend, and desires to be my friend, and has given his Son to die for me in order to realize this purpose." from Knowing God

Psalm 139:1-6

O Lord, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my every thought when far away.

You chart the path ahead of me

and tell me where to stop and rest.

Every moment you know where I am.

You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, Lord.

You both precede and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to know!

Ready?

Wordless Wednesday

Taxes Tuesday

A little humor to ease the pain...




You'd never guess I was psych major from South Carolina, huh?

That I might know you...

Lord, it belongs not to my care
Whether I die or live;
To love and serve Thee is my share,
And this Thy grace must give.

If life be long, I will be glad,
That I may long obey;
If short, yet why should I be sad
To welcome endless day?

I don't know that I've ever heard this hymn by Richard Baxter- it was in Knowing God by Packer, which I've recently begun reading. But that is my prayer today, that like Paul I would desire to know God (Phil. 3:7-10). So much so that nothing else matters. That though I may take up my cross to follow Him, it would never become the decider of my attitude or countenance. I want to know God so fully that I reflect the "joy unspeakable" instead (1 Pet 1:8).

Packer states "those who know their God are sensitive to situations in which God's truth and honor are being directly or tacitly jeopardized." He also plainly challenges our prayers to and praises of God. Daniel demonstrates the prayer of a man who truly knows God. Packer asks if God's "holy majesty, his moral perfection, and his gracious faithfulness keep us humble and dependent, awed and obedient, as it did Daniel?" So today, I am praying that my life and my prayers would show more and more of my desire to know God, greater peace and joy beyond any circumstances and heartaches, increasing energy to pray for God's cause, and further boldness for God's glory to be praised.

Wordless Wednesday

Tumbleweed is to Montana as
Kudzu is to South Carolina.

"What does love mean?"

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 Year-olds. The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." Billy - age 4

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri - age 4

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." Bobby - age 7 (Wow! how insightful)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate," Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet- I could learn from her myself)

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." Chris - age 7

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." Jessica - age 8

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her Toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." Rebecca- age 8 (I think this is my favorite)

Easter

Easter is almost here. My church's Maundy Thursday service last night included a drama of the 1st Lord's Supper. In the midst of introducing the disciples, "Jesus" comes in and the actors got to really ask Him about how to follow Him in today's society. It was actually a pretty creative way of making the story relevant to today.

I was reminded of two things. One, often I hear people talk about the good old times. We seem to think things were better at some other time in our life or in human history. My mom occasionally talks about how much more freedom she had as a child- going off all day to play in the woods or at various friends homes. Riding bikes all over the neighborhood. When I was little, in the same neighborhood, I got to ride my bike in the driveway. That was it. And I was never allowed to leave the yard (much less roam all day). But I've never really looked at my childhood as wanting for anything. My own heart has however struggled with looking back on my 'flirting with disaster' high school/college years. So I understand this tendency, and try to assure my mother that she did a wonderful job despite a different atmosphere than her own childhood.

The second thing last night's drama it is our constant struggle to be devoted followers of Christ. Often, it seems that the society we live in (including at times even Christ's church) presses farther and farther from God's best for us. What was once forbidden is now not so bad, what was questionable is now on every street corner. Sin has the ability to blind us to its ever-increasing nature. So perhaps there were good old days after all? No, God still calls us and equips us to be his disciples. It seems it's not a matter of strength, but of obedience. Lord, I pray that will not be like the fickle crowds that on Monday cheered your triumphant entry into town only to call for your crucification later that same week. Help me to tap into the power of the resurrection this Easter and follow you as you have called.

Abba, Father

Part of my study this week focused on Jesus being the first to refer to God as “Abba” literally calling him Father or Daddy. This is always a great encouragement to me as the daughter in a nearly estranged relationship with my own father. Regardless of the misconceptions and hurts I may carry as a result of this relationship, I am comforted by the knowledge that God desires to be my perfect father. How humbling to know the God of the universe thinks of me as His precious daughter.

Interestingly, I learned today something about Barabbas, the criminal that the crowds chose to release instead of Jesus. The name Barabbas means “son of the father.” How ironic that he was released and the true Son of God (of our Heavenly Father) was sent to His death. How easily we are lead astray and fooled by false men!

This week, coming upon the greatest event in all of human history, I am both humbled and captivated by God's love for us. Truly- how great is our God! Despite my growing awareness of the depth of my unworthiness, He gently reminds me that I am more cherished and more accepted that I could ever comprehend.