Today's God Wink- June 8

Summer time.  A season of renewal. A time to rest, relax, and rejuvenate. A time to rejoice.  It's what this girl has needed.   I seriously NEED this time.  My family needs it.  I need it to remind myself who I am, Whose I am, and what truly matters. I aim to reclaim and redirect.  So many re's...  But thankful for chances to start over.  Thankful for second, third, fourth chances. 

We started off with a bang- a spontaneous beach trip.  Literally last minute!  I love living like this- Impulsive should be my middle name! Usually, it gets me in trouble, but this time, we reaped the benefits.  It was such a fun, beautiful trip.  Exhausting, but wonderful.  Time spent with my mom, grandma, and sister-in-law, and the kids will be treasured forever.  I was especially delighted that my grandma got to come with us.  My grandma, of whom I have so much of her in me, who has taken me on countless journeys, making unforgettable memories- oh, how I love her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't wait to watch the rest of the summer unfold, making more memories and spending time with my family.  We are so blessed.  But of course, I can't help but think as I do all of these fun, exciting things, that I don't have my dad to share it with.  I often think of him,  wishing I could call him to tell him about our fun days, or see his sweet smile one more time. 

We had an amazing group come sing at our church this morning- Adams Call.  The woman sang  "In the Shelter of His Arms," and it was breathtaking.  It was what I needed after thinking about my dad lately. 

 

The words:

 

 

 

When my soul was disturbed with sorrow
When my heart was burdened with sin
Jesus opened His arms of mercy
And tenderly took me in

There are storms that we all encounter
Do not fear they will do you no harm
In the Lord you will find protection
In the shelter of His arms

CHORUS:
There is peace in the time of trouble
There is peace in the midst of a storm
There is peace though the world be raging
In the shelter of His arms.

 

I'm so thankful for the shelter of His arms.  Today, for the first time, I took one of my dad's Bible's to church with me.  I probably shouldn't do it, because reading what he has written within the pages really stirs me up sometimes, but nonetheless, today I brought it.  So tonight, Bro. Billy opened with a verse and some thoughts about grieving the death of a loved one.  He quoted 1 Thessalonians 4:!3, " But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."   God speaks, always.  It never ceases to amaze me.  I went to mark this verse in my dad's Bible, and I came across this:

 

 

Wow.  I'm again stunned by God's amazing mercy, to send little gifts like this to me during times that I'm really missing my dad.  I love this.  "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." And then Dad's words...If I should die before I wake... I mean, seriously.  How cool is this?  Right above a passage called "Our Heavenly Dwelling." I'm in awe that I have this priceless gift, this fervent reminder of my dad's unwavering faith. He knew where he was going.  He knew what was important.  And of course, ultimately, finding these words, both from my earthly father and my Heavenly Father, was an undeniable reminder of where my heart should be also. 

Thank you, sweet Daddy, for writing things down that I can cherish forever.  Thank you for giving us the best inheritance ever- the unwavering faith that we know where you are and who you loved.  Thank you for giving us hope. And thank you, my sweet Heavenly Father, for the ultimate book of letters and words of wisdom, for the perfect guidance for this crazy life.  Thank you for this undeniable God wink, as Mrs. Sharon calls them.   

 

Speaking in the Sweetest Moments

The thunder scared him earlier, and he came running to me. I asked him who was always with us when we're scared. He said,"Jesus, but He's not a mom." haha. It was a perfect opportunity to remind him that Jesus is far greater than mommy could ever be. And there's no doubt that all of this was perfectly orchestrated by Jesus to remind me of the same exact thing. My trust needs to remain in Him, not in anything else. He's far greater than any earthly fear or worry. It's a lot to grasp for a 3 year old. And far too often, it's a lot to grasp for this 32 year old. But I know who holds tomorrow. And I know who holds my hand. I'm thankful for a God who speaks to me in the sweetest moments, in the times just when I need Him most.