Living Loved

I have't blogged lately because a lot has been going on. So, I won't apologize for being all over the place.  It's just how I feel.

As I watch the little birds on my back porch every morning, I realize that I need to become a lot like they are. Every morning they are the same...they come out with a beautiful song of praise... not a care in the world.  They tweet, eat, fly around...totally content to do the same thing each day.  They don't worry about how they look, or how they sound, or what they are going to eat.  They just know! I think they just know that they are loved by their maker. As the scripture says , Not one sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. Luke 12:29.

I just shared my 40th class reunion with my classmates. It was the best one we have had.  We road in the parade downtown on a float, took a trip to our old swimming hole (while still riding on the float), took pictures, talked and talked some more.  We attended the homecoming football game and we won! Whoopee! It didn't matter if we had of won or not, all we went to the game for was to be together and talk.  At the game we honored several of our beloved classmates that were no longer with us. We remembered them as the Class of '75 football players. We cheerleaders stood on the sidelines to watch intently as we had always done in years past cheering them on (even if it was only in our hearts.)  We all got together on Saturday for a good "ole" country meal of barbecue, pulled out the lawn chairs, and sat outside and reminisced. We talked about our fun days in school. Some stories I remembered, some I was "smack dab" in the middle of, and some stories were heard for the first time. There was one thing that was so evident to me during our weekend together.  It didn't matter who did what in school, who was popular and who was not, or who lived in town or who had to ride 30 minutes to school on a dirt road. We were classmates. Vernon classmates of 1975. The ground was level, no pretenses, we all cared deeply for each other.  I wrote on my face book page after it was all over "we enjoyed friends, fellowship and favor from out loving Father God." It was a very special weekend.

Sunday afternoon we curled up exhausted from our busy weekend to watch a movie on our faithful, Netflix.  Greg came across Ragamuffin written and directed by David Schultz. It is about Rich Mullins a  Contemporary Christian Songwriter and Musician and his life. He asked me if I wanted to watch this. It looked interesting enough.  The movie was dark and depressing because of the demons that Mullins faced.  The constant struggle of not being accepted or loved by his father. After years and years of struggling a friend wanted him to listen to a tape that he had from a pastor. The man on the tape said, "I am utterly convinced that on Judgement Day the Lord Jesus will ask only one question, "Did you believe that I loved you?"  That I desired you?  That I waited for you day after day?  That I longed to hear the sound of your voice?" He went on to say that this will define a real believer from the marginal believer.  The religious christian will go on doing their services but never really believe that they are loved by their Father God. My husband and I were so touched by his words. Something else that he said that was worth writing down was, "you are only as big as your own concept of God." The words spoken in the movie were probably from Brennan Manning and Ragamuffin Gospel Quotes. Wow! How powerful! Lord, please remove all the stumbling blocks in my mind that hinder my perception of you and how much you love me

Tuesday morning I was making table decorations for my sister's birthday party when I received the phone call that you pray that you will never receive...ever!!!  Frantically, my daughter said that there had been a car wreck and my youngest granddaughter was in the accident. "Hurry," she said, come to the emergency room. Earlier that day I had read Psalm 91 about God's protection over us, but at that moment, my heart felt like it stopped beating and the lump in my throat grew so large that I felt like I would choke... I began to pray. A small ray of hope flooded my soul when I heard her say through streams of emotion, "my little baby was protected by angels." I am so grateful for my sister and brother-in-law that hurriedly came to be with me while we waited for so many hours at the emergency room.  My loving husband came as soon as he heard when he got off work. We prayed as we watched the mom and dad of the little girl pace back and forth pleading for some information...just any information, but they didn't receive any for hours. Finally, we got some news. It was not good news.  We found out that my granddaughter's precious best friend that was in the back seat with her, was killed and had never made it to the emergency room.  As my daughter had told me hours earlier, my little granddaughter was doing alright.  In my mind I couldn't help but ask the question, "How can one little girl be spared and the other perish when both were in the back seat and both had their seat belts on?" " How could the driver of the car be so negligent, and after being thrown out of the vehicle receive only minor injuries?"  I received no answer, but in my Spirit I knew that God was in control.  There are no accident's and as my sweet nephew-in-law prayed with me the next day said, "there is nothing that happens out of His jurisdiction."  I pray for everyone involved, but especially for little Ana's family. Although, I know that now they can only feel loss and pain but through time I pray that they will draw close to the only one that truly loves them and has a plan for their life.  I pray for my granddaughter and her loss of a best friend and going through such a traumatic experience.  I pray that her Father God will show her how he is the best friend she could ever have.  I pray for my daughter and for her friend that drove the car.  They both made very poor choices and there will be consequences for those choices. I pray that they will come to know the love of  Father God and his tender loving mercies.

  I entitled this blog Living Loved because that has become one of my favorite sayings. It is two small simple words but means the world to the believer. For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son.. because of Jesus and my Father God's great love for me, I am living this life loved. I know how much He desires me. How He waits every day for me to talk to him. He loves the sound of my voice and He loves everything about me.  He isn't disappointed in me.  He knew the things I would do and the things I would not do. All I have to do is simply love Him with my whole heart in return.

Even if things don't turn out like I think they are suppose to...I am still loved!

139 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit or stand. When far away you know my every thought. 3 You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. 4 You know what I am going to say before I even say it.5 You both precede and follow me and place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 This is too glorious, too wonderful to believe! 7 I can never be lost to your Spirit! I can never get away from my God! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are there. 9 If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your strength will support me. 11 If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. 12 For even darkness cannot hide from God; to you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are both alike to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. 15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! 16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!

17-18 How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me.[a] And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!

So, each day, like the little sparrows, I can wake up and thank Him for this beautiful day that he has made.  I can thank Him for His daily bread and praise Him that I am wonderfully made.

Psalm 139 Living Bible 

We are so loved by our Father God!
sammie jean