Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Abundant Blessings


Photo courtesy of crosscards.com
For me, “Thank you!” often seems so inadequate when it comes to expressing my overwhelming feelings of gratitude towards someone who has lovingly cared for me in a way that required effort on their part—

--Sent a well-chosen card of encouragement
--Brought a meal
--Patiently taught me a skill
--Took over a task I didn’t have time to do
--Connected me with needed professionals
--Drove me places
--Sat with me at the hospital
--Unpacked my kitchen after a move

The list could go on and on and on.

The problem is, while saying “Thank you” seems like the least I could do sometimes I don’t even do that. I put it off and then forget, I don’t know how to put it into words or show my appreciation so it never gets said, and sometimes I am just so self-focused it completely slips my mind.

While contemplating this, God led me to a post on my friend’s blog, The Write Soil. Dawn has started a card ministry at her church and is sharing her tips. Thanksgiving seems like a good time for me to begin—by catching up on some long-overdue thank you notes!

My lapse in showing appreciation is especially true when it comes to giving God thanks for what He has done, and continues to do, for me. So, in following Dawn’s advice to be intentional, I am taking a few moments to give God thanks for just a few of His blessings, even as inadequate as a simple "Thank you" really is:

  • First and foremost for Jesus, who gave His all for me. You are my Savior, Companion, and Friend. I don’t know why you love me, but I am so grateful that you do! J 
  • For a loving, devoted, husband, who is perfect for me—we are the truest of friends, lovers, and laborers together in God’s field. Thank you, Lord, for Dicky Wiliams, my heaven-made soul mate.
  • For the gifts of a son and a daughter of whom I couldn’t be prouder—they are both such loving, responsible, and committed individuals. Thank you, Father, that I can call them not only my son and daughter, but, now that they are grown, I can call them “friends”.

Again, I could go on and on—my loving extended family, my dear friends, my perfect job at Hillside Farms, my writing that lets me pour my soul out through my fingertips, and so much many more of God’s abundant blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you. May your cornucopia of life also overflow with the fruits of God’s blessings!

With love,
Pam 

©2014 Pamela D. Williams

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Aha!

Aha! image from Bing.com
“The Lord Jesus will appear from heaven with his mighty angels, with a flaming fire, to punish those who reject God and who do not obey the Good News about our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious might, when he comes on that Day to receive glory from all his people and honor from all who believe.”
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10

I know that I have read this scripture many times before, but it never jumped off the page and into my mind like it did one morning a few weeks ago. I had been searching for a Scripture to share with my teen Sunday school class that explicitly stated the consequences of unbelief. And God led me to 2 Thessalonians 1. Aha! It doesn’t get any clearer than that!

I have found that when I dig deeper into the Bible to find references to back up the truths I blithely spout off, God often takes me down a road of discovery that culminates in an “Aha!” moment—that awesome instance when He sheds new light on His Word and brings verses alive that I previously have glossed over. Preparing to teach Sunday school frequently does that for me—it’s one of the main reasons I teach.

God also brings about “Aha!” moments when I set aside time for quiet conversation and listen for Him to speak to my heart instead of bending His ear with my never-ending list of requests. A few months ago I was pouring out my woes to Jesus, whining about being so far away from my kids and grandkids, my mom and siblings. I was bemoaning the fact that I can’t be with them when they go through struggles or celebrate victories. “I love them so much, Lord! They need someone there with them,” I lamented, and then sat in silence.

Suddenly God spoke to my heart. “They have Someone with them, Pam. I am always with them. And you can be assured, I love them even more than you do.”

Blessed peace flooded my soul and has remained with me ever since. I realized that going round and round in my thoughts trying to figure out how to “fix” things was pointless. I could not change my situation, nor could I change theirs. Stressing about it did them no good, and certainly didn’t help me. But God IS there with them! And His capacity for loving them far exceeds mine! That “Aha!” set me free. Yes, I still miss them terribly, but God showed me my loved ones are in His hands and I don’t need to fret.

Don’t you just love those moments of clarity? Where have you found a spiritual “Aha? What “Aha!” has stuck with you? Wouldn’t you love to read each others?

"Your word is lamp to guide me and a light for my path."
Psalm 119:105

Blessings!
Pam

 ©2014 Pamela D. Williams

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Veteran's Day


My husband, my son, and my daughter all served in the Air Force. For some reason, this Veteran’s Day I heard and read more expressions of gratitude to those who have sacrificed to ensure our country’s freedoms than I have other years.

The words touched my heart and, as feelings triggered memories, my thoughts traveled back to the mornings Dick and I watched first our son and, five years later, our daughter follow in their Dad’s footsteps and leave for basic training. During those bittersweet moments I remember wavering between beaming with pride, praying for safety and success, and aching with grief. With a flurry of last minute instructions, endearments, and hugs, we tearfully said our good-byes knowing our grown child would now be far beyond our daily contact and guidance.

In previous conversations with our children, we had discussed the influences they might encounter in the world. As young children, both had trusted Jesus as Savior and throughout life had been taught Christian values and morals. As each took flight (quite literally!), Dick and I had to trust God to care for them. I remember clinging to the scripture, "The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you." (Deuteronomy 31:8).

After the first ten days, Seth was allowed to call home. "Mom, you know how concerned you were about the kind of influences I would run into? Well, you don't need to worry," he said, "God is taking care of that."

He excitedly told us that he had been to church with two Christians he met in the barracks and they shared the same taste in Christian music. At a time when Seth really needed the support and fellowship of Christian friends God abundantly provided for him.

Erin often called and asked for prayer—that a friend wouldn’t “wash out” of basic training, that she and others in her flight would pass the many, many tests associated with their job training in the medical field, and that relationships strained by anxiety, peer pressure, homesickness, and lack of sleep would be mended.

Dick and I thank God for answering our prayers for our children. Where we had expected negative peer pressure, Seth had met other young men dedicated to serving God while also serving their country. When distance and circumstances separated her from our guidance, Erin never lost her trust in the power of prayer.

Is your son or daughter serving in the military? Are you struggling with releasing them to the unknown? Be assured, we do not send our children out alone. God is right there with our sons and daughters, encircling them with His love, offering them opportunities to grow closer to Him, and exerting His influence, as only our Heavenly Father can.

Thank you to all who have given of their time and talents, their hearts and their souls, in the military, so that we can live freely. God bless you, every one.

Blessings!

Pam

©2014 Pamela D. Williams