If I Had My Life To Live Over by Erma Bombeck

This picture was taken of the parrots in my front yard years ago. Erma Bombeck was one of my favorite writers about being a mom and wife. When I would be overwhelmed with domestic responsibilities Erma would write something that would lighten the heart!

My Journal: It Just Feels Good

I wrote this in my journal on July 11, 1995: In the midst of a storms in our life, our 5 year old daughter Deena asked, Mommy is Jesus here? I answered, "Yes!" She saw that her dad and I were struggling emotionally and asked, "Where?" I replied, "Deena, pretend you are mommy and daddy okay? Now I will be the part of Jesus." I then picked her up in my arms like a baby and carried her around the room. She giggled!

Later in the car, she asked, "Mommy, is Jesus still carrying us in the car?" I said, "Yes, He is!" Deena replied, "I like that." I asked her why and she answered, "because it just feels good."

The Lord is my keeper......Psalm 121:5a

Even though our little girl could see that her mom and dad were struggling, I was able to reassure her that we were trusting God to carry us through this storm and all life's storms in our future.

This picture was taken of my youngest daughter Deena around 1995 when we were at Chucky Cheese.

Is the Family Freak Flag Flying High Today?

 A young married couple came to me with a problem in their marriage. The wife blamed the husband and the husband blamed the wife. The children were present to witness all the hostility and verbal diarrhea from both of their parents. In other words, their family freak flag was flying high that day! They wanted my ears more than my advice but if I had to hear their mess then they had to hear my sermon. (their punishment for such poor behavior) They really didn't want my advice on how to help their situation but instead each hoping I would point the finger at the other and give them all the blame.

One thing I have learned about marriage and that is when you are more interested in who is to blame it's a huge red flag. Who cares who is to blame because there is enough of that to go around in every marriage. How exhausting is it to destroy the ones we are supposed to love? What kind of example are we leaving our children when we fight like adult toddlers with each other? These are the moments that I get why God flooded the earth because of all the evil in the hearts of the people. I am also grateful for his mercy and grace because of His promise in the following verses to not destroy us all when there is still so much more evil in all of us today.      
                                  
  Genesis 8:21-22  And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.

“While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”

 This was taken inside Bethesda by the Sea church May 5, 2012.