I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "A roller coaster of emotions." Well, I hate roller coasters...especially the emotional kind!
I've never enjoyed riding roller coasters, even though friends have managed to talk me onto a few of them in my life. Maybe it's because I have a fear of heights, or a fear of falling (and the sudden stop at the bottom!) I've never found any pleasure in the anticipation and anxiety of climbing that first hill, or in the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you stare down the opposite side of that hill. No sir, roller coasters just aren't my thing. Turn the physical roller coaster into an emotional one, and it's even more miserable for me, but I have been on one this past week!
When we moved back to the farm, we came to be near Mom and Dad so we could be here to help them keep up these 147 acres. For a year and a half we have settled in and have enjoyed being back around family and friends. Then, I got a call that made me stop and reconsider.
I was offered a chance to be back on the air at the network where I worked before we moved back. It would have been a wonderful opportunity to be a part of the ministry, and would have given us a chance to be around the friends we made there. Of all the offers I have received over the years, this one really grabbed me and made me wrestle it like it was a Grizzly bear.
I fought it on one side and then the other! I could see us staying here and being perfectly happy, but I could also see us going back and still being happy. It wasn't one of those no-brainer decisions -- or was it? That was the problem. I could see so many benefits to each side that I almost think I over-analyzed it and made it more difficult than it really should have been. Yes, we wanted to do God's will, but sometimes His will isn't in the answer that seems to be the most logical. Well, to make a long story short, I wound up turning down the offer. On the surface, it seemed to be perfect and we almost felt like we had no other choice, at least for a short while. In the end, it all came down to answering the question of why we moved here in the first place. As soon as I cut through the emotion and got to the real heart of the matter, the answer was so clear! There was also an overwhelming peace!
I don't know what you're going through, but if you're on a roller coaster of emotion and you're struggling to make a decision, let me offer a suggestion. Get off the roller coaster! Emotions are good, but they can be so deceptive. Don't make a decision based on emotion, PRAY! That's the only way you can know that the answer isn't a "hit or miss" thing. Of course, a little bit of Godly counsel is a good thing, and it can provide confirmation of your answer. Just don't try to use it to give the answer, otherwise you'll end up with a bunch of "what ifs" when the emotions start rising once again! Hang in there, and if you need someone to agree with you in prayer, just send me an email.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A Perfect Gift!
Well, I've recovered from an action-packed weekend! I love hanging out with family and friends, but there was something that happened on Sunday that capped it off in a royal way!
The weekend actually started last Thursday with Becky's oldest sister, Kathy, coming for an "end of summer break" visit. I have to say, it's nice to be able to work from home so I can maximize my time with company while they're here. We had a great time Thursday and Friday, and the fun was kicked into high gear on Saturday when more of her family came to spend the day with us. We had a great time talking and laughing, and the day just flew by. They headed home Saturday evening, and we spent a little bit of time relaxing and getting ready for the big day on Sunday!
I've posted about Damon, Maggie and the kids before so I won't go back into detail about our relationship with them. I'll just say that they are more family than friends, and they were going to dedicate baby number 6, Sidney-Kay, during the Sunday morning church service. We have been given the honor of being her godparents, so that made our being there even more special!
We got up early Sunday morning and headed to Houston anticipating a good time and a wonderful dedication ceremony...but were we ever surprised at how things turned out! I've probably seen hundreds of dedications during my lifetime, but I can honestly say that I have never seen anything like this! It was apparent early in the service that there would be no dedication ceremony! No bringing the family forward just before the message, no simple prayer spoken over the baby and family, no simple charge to the family and the church to raise the baby in the fear and admonition of Jesus! Instead, the entire service was given to sharing how God can use the gift of Sidney-Kay's life to share so much of Himself with us! It was beautiful!
During the message, the Pastor talked to each of the family members and asked them to use one word to describe what SK meant to them. Each one had a unique perspective of what God was revealing to them through her life. The Pastor would take that and expound on it before going to the next one. Before I go any further, I should probably explain just why this is so special.
Sidney-Kay was born on March 4th and was diagnosed with a mild form of Down Syndrome. Even though it's mild, she has still had her share of physical challenges over the last few months. Most recently, she was taken in for tests and the doctors found that she had a hole in her heart. If it didn't heal on its own then they would have to try to patch it through surgery. So many have been praying and believing that God will heal it so she won't have to go through the surgery, and she is scheduled to have a follow-up test soon to find out how it is progressing. Your prayers are very much appreciated! I know He is able to heal and I give Him praise for that!
Needless to say, she is a special baby and is truly a gift from God! Her dedication service was so awesome and I'm still blown away by how God has used a little baby to bless so many people.
After the service, we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out with the family and had a relaxing day! It ended too soon, and I was so wrapped up in the service and the fellowship that I completely forgot to take any pictures. Oh, well -- they wouldn't have done it justice. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but no picture can compare to what God says through friends, family and the gift of a beautiful, perfectly designed baby!
The weekend actually started last Thursday with Becky's oldest sister, Kathy, coming for an "end of summer break" visit. I have to say, it's nice to be able to work from home so I can maximize my time with company while they're here. We had a great time Thursday and Friday, and the fun was kicked into high gear on Saturday when more of her family came to spend the day with us. We had a great time talking and laughing, and the day just flew by. They headed home Saturday evening, and we spent a little bit of time relaxing and getting ready for the big day on Sunday!
I've posted about Damon, Maggie and the kids before so I won't go back into detail about our relationship with them. I'll just say that they are more family than friends, and they were going to dedicate baby number 6, Sidney-Kay, during the Sunday morning church service. We have been given the honor of being her godparents, so that made our being there even more special!
We got up early Sunday morning and headed to Houston anticipating a good time and a wonderful dedication ceremony...but were we ever surprised at how things turned out! I've probably seen hundreds of dedications during my lifetime, but I can honestly say that I have never seen anything like this! It was apparent early in the service that there would be no dedication ceremony! No bringing the family forward just before the message, no simple prayer spoken over the baby and family, no simple charge to the family and the church to raise the baby in the fear and admonition of Jesus! Instead, the entire service was given to sharing how God can use the gift of Sidney-Kay's life to share so much of Himself with us! It was beautiful!
During the message, the Pastor talked to each of the family members and asked them to use one word to describe what SK meant to them. Each one had a unique perspective of what God was revealing to them through her life. The Pastor would take that and expound on it before going to the next one. Before I go any further, I should probably explain just why this is so special.
Sidney-Kay was born on March 4th and was diagnosed with a mild form of Down Syndrome. Even though it's mild, she has still had her share of physical challenges over the last few months. Most recently, she was taken in for tests and the doctors found that she had a hole in her heart. If it didn't heal on its own then they would have to try to patch it through surgery. So many have been praying and believing that God will heal it so she won't have to go through the surgery, and she is scheduled to have a follow-up test soon to find out how it is progressing. Your prayers are very much appreciated! I know He is able to heal and I give Him praise for that!
Needless to say, she is a special baby and is truly a gift from God! Her dedication service was so awesome and I'm still blown away by how God has used a little baby to bless so many people.
After the service, we spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out with the family and had a relaxing day! It ended too soon, and I was so wrapped up in the service and the fellowship that I completely forgot to take any pictures. Oh, well -- they wouldn't have done it justice. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but no picture can compare to what God says through friends, family and the gift of a beautiful, perfectly designed baby!
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