Thank You and Some Other Thoughts (originally posted on FB but added to the blog)

(Originally posted on Facebook)

July 7, 2017

Thank you to everyone who took a moment to post condolences, prayers, thoughts, or stories about my mom.

This is a very surreal time right now and the shock is beginning to wear off. 

Even though my mom's battle with her health issues had been going on for a few years and 2 years ago the doctors said she would only have 18 months left, I was never fully prepared for her actual last breath here.

Her actual exit from this world…

...never to be seen again on this earth.  (that fact is going to take awhile to sink in)

Last Wednesday, June 28th...

I was faced with the reality that my mom was entering her last days and 

I 

could

not 

stop

it.

I HAD to face the inevitable.

It was so painful and frightening to think about, to be honest. 

But there was NO turning back.

I wanted to stay by her side until that last moment. 

I did not want her to be scared. 

Or anxious. 

Or alone.

But here’s the REALITY that I was reminded of OVER and OVER these last few days…

…Mom was READY.

She was 

READY 

to 

LIVE!

To be FREE from the chains of this life!

She had stated multiple times that she was ready to see Jesus. 

In fact, as she was in a semi-responsive state, when I asked if she was ready to see Jesus, she opened her eyes wide and excitedly asked...

“When?” 

I told her she would see Him when God was ready to bring her Home. 

She smiled and then closed her eyes to rest. 

A couple of weeks earlier when I was explaining hospice care to her, I told her that if she chose this option she would be seeing Jesus sooner. 

She once again, opened her eyes and joyously asked...

“Really?!” 

And then closed her eyes to rest.

Her body was SO tired. 

It simply could NOT keep up anymore.

BUT her spirit was READY to soar! 

It was READY to FLY to JESUS 

...and LIVE!

She was NOT scared. 

NOT anxious.

NOT alone.

She had the Holy Spirit WITH her.

She was anticipating her Homegoing.

Can you EVEN imagine?

The HOPE she had was INCREDIBLE!

She had NO fear of leaving this earth.

but 

ONLY the HOPE of ETERNITY in HEAVEN.

And God blessed me with the gift of witnessing my mom's very last breath here.

It was the MOST DIFFICULT thing I have EVER witnessed...

yet the MOST BEAUTIFUL.

While I’m grieving the loss of my mom’s physical presence from this world,

I am rejoicing in the fact that she is finally seeing Jesus face to face…

and probably wearing the 

size 7 robe 

she ALWAYS said she wanted in heaven. Ha! Ha!

Be blessed and encouraged!

Fly to Jesus (originally posted on FB but added to the blog)

(Originally posted on Facebook)

July 5, 2017

"And with your final heartbeat 

Kiss the world goodbye 

Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and 

Fly to Jesus 

Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!"

-Chris Rice (song: Come to Jesus)

Mom passed into Glory this morning a little before 9am. 

My friend, Beth and I were here with her. 

She was so peaceful, and took her last breath after we were talking about her life over the years. 

It was quite beautiful. 

No pain, no discomfort...just breathed one last breath and she was gone. 

She has been ready to see Jesus for so long and she is now dancing with her Father God in fields of grace. 

A celebration of life service will be held at a later date, probably end of summer. Details will come as we figure everything out.

Getting Ready to Fly (originally posted on FB but added to the blog)

(Originally posted on Facebook)

June 30, 2017

The journey with my mom has been a long, difficult, yet beautiful one.

I looked at this flower that my kids gave her for Mother's Day and I first noticed the 

dried up, dead stems and leaves, and the fact that it hadn't been watered in some time. 

Then my eye followed it to the end of the stem where it is still green, which leads to 2 still vibrant, yellow flowers and a new bud attached. 

This hits me so profoundly as I sit with my mom, who is nearing the end of her life here on this earth. 

Her blood pressure is steadily decreasing.

She no longer gets out of bed.

Has eaten one small, solid meal in the last 36 hours. 

Her body may be failing, but her soul is still vibrant and like the new bud, waiting to open up to begin a new journey with Jesus.

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

-Psalm 73:26

Above ALL Things... (originally posted on FB but added to the blog)

(Originally posted on Facebook)

June 14, 2017

As I have watched my mom's health decline and the dementia move in and take over, I can't help but notice how she no longer cares about the things she used to.

She no longer asks about her home.

Her "things".

The jail ministry she began so many years ago and loved with such a passion.

Her finances.

Her friends.

Her family.

The list goes on....

She no longer goes to any doctor or specialist appointments for her myriad of chronic health issues.

...She's tired.

This was the first year she didn't call me on my birthday.

Her grandkids' birthdays went by without a thought.

The things that once made her angry...or happy, for that matter, have faded into the distant background. 

Conversations with her are mostly one-sided and last for a few minutes at most. 

She is confused a lot of the time and struggles to 

breathe. 

eat. 

swallow. 

and has not walked in over 2 years.

BUT...

she knows when I'm sitting with her. 

She knows she is LOVED.

This is the ONLY thing that matters, when it all comes down to it. 

When all of the so-called "important" things are stripped away and you're left with merely existing day to day...

LOVE is what matters most.

Guess what?

LOVE matters most even when we have all of those "important" things in place.

She claimed Jesus years ago as her Lord and Savior and her Home is in heaven. 

That can not be stripped away from her. 

And because of LOVE, her eternity is secured. 

nothing. else. matters.

Why am I sharing all of this?

Because I'm tired of seeing people tear others down, whether it be 

our President. 

a neighbor. 

or a friend of a friend of a friend on Facebook.

Complaining about this or that.

Severed relationships.

Wanting things to go their way.

People walking away from friendships and other relationships because they just don't want to deal with the things that rub them the wrong way.

People thinking they are better than others.

Shall I go on?

I am not thinking of anyone in particular when I write these things, but am seeing it happen all over.

...including in myself.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

This past weekend, my kids and I watched a guy in the Wisconsin Dells, in his shiny red convertible corvette, wearing his gold chains and no shirt, thinking he's all that, strutting around, screaming and swearing at a mom in a minivan at a gas pump who was taking a little longer than he'd like. 

His patience while waiting behind her in line had worn out. 

Who does he think he is? 

How is he better than her? 

What gives him the right to intimidate this woman and her children? 

Seriously.

My mom no longer sees these crazy things happen.

She no longer thinks about politics.

The state of our country.

Her neighbor.

The hundreds of inmates she ministered to over the years.

Any of her other relationships.

Or even the shiny pink Cadillac she once had as an executive director with Mary Kay Cosmetics.

She no longer cares about having her "Mary Kay" face on or dressing up.

...She exists.

She sits in her wheelchair in her room and has the old westerns playing on her tv in the background. 

She does "participate" in activities such as music time or has coffee and treats with the other residents a couple times a day.

The simple things are enjoyed in that moment...

But then she is wheeled back to her room.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She enjoys watching the videos I show her of Josiah playing the drums or guitar and watching clips from Lydia's baseball or basketball games. 

She lights up, in fact, when she watches (with her eyes closed) and listens. 

Then she dozes off in her chair, labored in her breathing with no conversations to be had.

But she knows she is LOVED. 

Even if for a moment...she knows she is LOVED.

So while we're ranting about what's happening in our country.

Complaining about relationships.

Getting annoyed because we have to wait in line.

Striving to be "successful".

Wishing we had this or that.

Collecting all of our "things"...

we must remember what is most important.

LOVE.

I am so blessed to LOVE my mom by just being with her in the moment. 

All other things have been stripped away and God has shown me that in all of the years she and I did not get along or see eye to eye, there was always...

LOVE.

I was just blinded by all of my own 

pride.

anger.

and bitterness to see that. 

...To see LOVE.

But I am grateful now to have this time with her.

No talk of politics.

No talk of who is right or wrong.

No talk of would have, could have, should have.

Nobody is better than the other.

The ground is level at the foot of the cross.

Grace upon grace.

So....

Love one another better.

Care about others more.

Be selfless even when we don't feel like it.

Be compassionate toward everyone.

Be a loyal friend always...that means through thick and thin.

Reconcile with others whenever possible.

Find joy in the simple things every day.

Put the phone down and turn the computer off often.

Listen well.

Play with your kids even when there are "better" things to do.

Do good at every opportunity.

Lighten up...a lot.

LOVE above all things.

"What's that in your eye?"--For those who have FRACTURED RELATIONSHIPS... Please Read On

This morning I read my devotion for the day and I have to say it really hit home. I have experienced a fractured relationship and God has really shown me over the last few years, the condition of my own heart. It wasn't very pretty. I felt that because I had been hurt by someone repeatedly over the course of my life, I had the right to be bitter, resentful, and even tell others about how I had been wronged and had had enough.  

Well, God has shown me that I needed to take responsiblilty for the way I respond to the offense. "What's that in your eye?"  I also needed to love this person the way He loves this person. I have prayed for that for for years, that I would love this child of God the way that He loves His child....flaws and all. After all, if I look at my own heart, I will find some not so pretty stuff in there too. And guess what?  God loves me despite it all!  That's AMAZING grace, right there.  What if we loved others like that?  Lord, change the attitude of my heart.

We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. ALL, not some. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.  So, with all of that said, I am sharing the devotion I read this morning...

Speck Work (Taken from The Quiet Place-Daily Devotional Readings by Nancy Leigh DeMoss)

"Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is a big log in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your own brother's eye." ~Matthew 7:4-5

OFTEN, AFTER ENDURING THE UNDESERVED PAIN OF another's sin against us, we (the offended) become theoffender in the way we respond to the original or ongoing injustice.  So even though we may have done little or nothing to provoke what first happened, we have now added our own sin into the mix.  And it is our own sin that we must deal with first.

In this familiar passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus emphasized the importance of dealing with our own sin before trying to deal with others' failures.  This isn't to minimize what our "brother" may have done but rather to affirm that it's hard to be objective about his sin when we've got a beam in our own eye.  It's hard to help him deal with his own issue--not to mention hypocritical on our part--if we haven't confessed our own sin, even if it was a reaction to his sin in the first place.

So, be honest: Has someone else's sin begotten sin in your own life?  Then confess it--to them, if possible and appropriate.  Not in a way that excuses you, not in a way that blames them for pushing you to it, not in a way that leads you into even more sin by stirring up your anger against them,  Take full responsibility for your own sin.

"But I'm only 5 percent responsible for this whole thing!"  Then assume 100 percent responsibility for your 5 percent.  Humble yourself.  Clear your conscience.  Seek forgiveness.  Then let God use you to minister grace to your brother in need.

Do you have a fractured relationship with another person?  Is it possible that you have been overlooking your share of the blame--just as you feel the other person has done?  What might an honest evaluation expose in your own heart?

It's HERE!!! It's finally HERE!!!!

So, many of you know that for the last month I have been reading the pre-release copy of Jill Savage's book, No More Perfect Moms. Well the time has finally come!!  It is available now and I can not recommend this book enough for all the mamas out there! Truly! The following is a review I wrote for it....

"Are you tired of yelling at your kids to "Stop yelling at your sister (or brother)!!"??  Why do I expect perfection from my kids, my husband, my friends, etc. when I am far from perfect? Unrealistic expectations can deflate someone very fast, including myself! No More Perfect Moms is not your typical parenting book. Jill is the real deal and she lays it out "perfectly" for us. We need God's grace each and every day, sometimes moment by moment. When we truly live IN His grace, we are able to pour that same grace out onto others in our lives. You will not be disappointed in this book. It's great to read in a group and/or on your own. You will be amazed, relieved, and even cry as you discover that you are not the only one out there who has what Jill calls the "perfection infection".  Learn that it is okay NOT to be perfect, to have the perfect body, perfect kids, perfect marriage, perfect home, perfect friends, etc. No More Perfect Moms is a MUST read and a MUST share!"


There is even a free video curriculum that goes along with the book. 
Video clips and discussion questions. Just click on the tab for the week you are on and view the video clip. If you scroll below the video clip you will find a link to discussion questions as well as links to other great resources.  

Real people, living real lives, with real "stuff" and there is real encouragement along the way. 


Where can you purchase a copy or 5 or 10????? ;)
Amazon paperback
Amazon Kindle version
Barnes and Noble paperback
Barnes and Noble Nook version
Christianbook.com paperback
Christianbook.com eBook version

But Wait!! Or actually, Don't Wait!! See below for information on bonus resources you will receive if you purchase this week!!

_________________________________________________________________________________

Everyone loves a good investment…especially one that comes with a big bonus!  This is one of those investments that you don’t want to miss!

Purchase Jill Savage’s new book No More Perfect Moms anytime between February 3-9 (online or at a store…and yes, electronic versions such as Kindle and Nook count too!) Send a copy of your receipt to NoMorePerfectMoms@moody.edu.  Scan it, take a picture of it - just be sure to send it to the email! You'll be given access to well over $100 worth of resources that will help you on your mothering journey - absolutely free! 

(Note: If you purchase multiple copies for a group, you will be able to email each person the link for all that is listed below.)

What will you receive?

6 Sixty Minute Audio Workshops (MP3 format) from Hearts at Home

·       Desperate for Wisdom - Dr. Juli Slattery 

·       How to Fight for Your Marriage - Dr. Juli Slattery

·       It is Well with Your Soul - Jennifer Rothschild

·       Multiple Intelligences - Dr. Kathy Koch

·       Ten Stress Strategies Every Mom Needs - Jill Savage

·       The God Who Sees You - Tammy Maltby

4 Printables from Hearts at Home

·       10 Stress Strategies Every Mom Needs

·       “Love Is”—I Corinthians 13 for Parents

·       Mom Rules

·       How to Fight Fair In Marriage

3 Free E-book’s (including PDF, Kindle, iPad, and Nook editions!) from Moody Publishers

·       Live Free by Kendra Smiley

·       Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larsen

·       Real Moms Real Jesus by Jill Savage

1 Contest Entry

You will be entered in a drawing to win hotel accommodations and two Hearts at Home Mom Conference registrations for you and a friend at a conference of your choice! (If unable to attend a conference, a Hearts at Home Conference To-Go will be substituted for the winner and a friend.)

This offer is available for this week only (Feb 3-9)! Grab a copy of No More Perfect Moms, scan your receipt, email it, and start enjoying your new book PLUS all of the extra bonuses you’ll receive!  It’s “mom university” delivered right to your computer!