Sad Days and God's Grace

We have had a very difficult time the past few weeks, 3 to be exact.  My much beloved brother-in-law, and husband, father, uncle, son, and brother was taken from this life, in our eyes, much too early.  

We cannot understand God's ways, they are much higher than ours, we only know how much we miss him, and feel we need him here, and although on this side of heaven this tragedy will never make sense to us, we trust in the One True God who knows all and is All.  This is what faith is all about.  We have faith in the God who creates, who takes away, and who gives all we need in trying times.  He knows best, though we can't always understand.   

We celebrated Kelly's 40th birthday this past January, and had such a good time with family and friends.  God has given us wonderful memories which we will treasure always.

Funny, loving, helpful, intelligent, giving, humble, professional, and one of the best tuba/euphonium players in the world, Dr. Kelly Gene Thomas will be sorely missed. 

As we seek and focus on God during these trying days, I ask for your continued prayers for our family, but especially Jana and their 4 children.  We do not understand why God took Kelly when in our eyes we needed him more, but we trust and have faith in Him to uphold Jana and his children with His mighty right hand.

We cannot thank you enough through the giveforward fund to the food tidings meal schedule that has been provided, and oh my goodness! The visits, gifts, food, shelves, playing with children, listening, and help in soooooo many areas!  We are ever grateful in this time of extremely hard eucharisteos.  We still give thanks in all things, because as difficult as this has been, we have seen the love of Christ shown through so many people.  

We love you all!  

            We are thankful for you all!  

We are grateful for you showing God's great love in all you have done for us and for Kelly's wonderful family!

Always Experiencing Him,
Jody

Open and Release to Him Who is Able

I look up, straight up, toward that bright globe in the sky.  I try and shield it with my hand, I block it with my camera, and the rays continue to stream down on me.  Too bright to look at, I ponder the fact at how much brighter the Son of God will be to look upon.  If we cannot dare look into the sun of the earth, how will we be able to even take a glance at the Son of God! 

Focus, my word for this year.  I wear this word on a bracelet.  I keep fiddling with it, keep turning it so I can see, so I can focus and be reminded of what is important.  And, when I sit in the doctors offices, and listen, I touch that word and remember to focus on Christ, because He is the One we must lean on, turn to, pray to, trust in, and rely on with all we have.   

So, we bow, bow before the throne of the Holy One.  We come into His presence on bended knee, lying prostrate before Him, for only He is worthy of the worship we so desire to give.  

When those hard eucharisteos come into our lives, we lay low, and open our hands wide, to give, and to receive what He desires for us to have.  What will make us strong for Him, what will give Him all glory and praise.  If we grip too tight, we may not receive the blessing He has in store for us, and we open and release all to Him, to Him who is able, to cleanse, to heal, to turn, and to bless those He calls His own.  

"Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  Heb. 4:16

"God, no matter when or where, Your Word is our sword against the pain of this world.  And as I go out in the power of Your name, comfort me today with Your reassuring whisper that I am always safe in the strong protection of Your shielding grace."
(One Thousand Gifts Devotional -Ann Voskamp)

Always Experiencing Him,
Jody

And, Spring is Here!

Our God is THE great and mighty God!  He is THE Great Physician!  Does God still perform miracles?  Do we believe He can still release His power of healing?  I believe He does and I believe He can!

I have been absent from this blogging scene lately because we have been at the hospital with my Dad.  Long story short, we are looking at pancreatic cancer.  He has a tumor on the head of his pancreas.  He has also been diagnosed with diabetes.  Type 1 or 2, is still debatable at this point, but he is on insulin.

Back here on the farm, the grass is beginning to regain its color, the fields are getting brighter, and the early spring flowers are blooming.  I just love going for walks on beautiful spring days, always so much to be grateful for.  Continually focusing on what Christ has done and is doing for us.

These pics are from a week or two ago; now the fields are even greener, and the red buds and dogwoods are in full bloom!  Absolutely beautiful!

By the time my sister talked dad into going to the ER, he was feeling so bad he did not care.  He was extremely jaundiced, which we did not realize until my brother-in-law noticed!  We were at the wonderful UT Hospital, and underwent an ERCP, to put a stint in the bile duct.  His color is very slowly getting better.

My dad is a very strong man, an extremely hard-working farm man.  A man who can fix anything, and if he can't, he will try and find out how; a man who everyone depends on, from getting rid of snakes, skunks, or raccoons, to helping with cattle, fixing machinery and vehicles.  He also is a man other men come to to talk with, to get advice from, and not only about farming.  He helps keep peace within families, and simply has a way with people others do not have.  Compassionate and caring is my dad, he always wants to be there for families who have lost loved ones, or in hospitals, he and mom always taking food by, talking with, and listening to their cares.  But, his health finally got the best of him, and we are now trusting in our God, and the doctors, to help him.

We just got home today from another procedure, an EUS, where the doctor took a biopsy, and we will find out Monday exactly what we are dealing with and begin a course of action.

I asked our many friends today to pray for a miracle of Biblical proportions.  I know our God is able to accomplish that, but I also recognize God has a plan.  His plan sometimes is different than ours, and I pray we will trust His will, no matter how difficult it may be for us here on this earth.  As hard as it may be, we can still praise Him in the storms of this world. 

"Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
In that day you will not question Me about anything.  Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.
Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full."  John 16:22-24

I am praying for God to allow the Holy Spirit to pour out His power on my father, and to "also help our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."  Romans 8:26  

I ask for Jesus to intercede on our behalf; in Luke 22:32a, Jesus says, "I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail."

Knowing Jesus is praying for me, interceding for us, is enough to give us a peace that passes all understanding.  Even in our struggles, the trials we encounter, we can have a joy that is only found in having a relationship with the God who created all, who holds our lives in His Almighty hands.  There may be tears, but we still depend on the One who gives and takes away, and has prepared a place for us, that is beyond all our comprehension. 

"Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  

If you ask for anything in My name, I will do it.

If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."  

John 14:13-15

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights."

James 1:17

"For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

Romans 14:17

So, I pray your last couple of weeks have been uneventful, unless filled with exciting news!  I would love to hear how your days have been, and if by chance, you are struggling, I would love to pray for you as well.  

Remember, our joy is only attained by remaining in God alone, and abiding in fellowship with Him.

Always Experiencing Him,
Jody

SEEK Him

A post from the archives - In October, I still choose to SEEK, to use my one word I chose for this year of 2 0 1 4...

When the boy-man makes slings out of an old leather boot and paracord with just the right colors for himself and his sisters; they seek the perfect rock to throw.  And when the same boy-man or his sister, the lady, makes a wrong note on the piano during a song, they seek the right note, the one that sounds.just.right.  

So, my one word for this year of 2014 is SEEK, to seek Him in all things.

There is faith and rejoicing; "In the beginning..."  Yes, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."  John 1:1.  I go back to the beginning, seek the beginning, and He is there, the Word is there, was there, and the Word.Was.God.  I seek the One who was, and is, and is to come.  

Deut. 4:29 says, "But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul."  

If I seek Him, I will find Him.  Yes.I.Will.Seek.

We seek the Light in the middle of the night, not just the light switch, but The Light we pray to, and seek, when my sister has miscarried and we rush to the hospital, and seek the dear friend who experienced this same trial at 15 weeks not just 9 months ago, and who can pray and cry with my sister because she knows, she understands, she loves.  We seek the One who can give strength during this time, when my sis is hurting, physically, and emotionally, from holding her 18 week old baby, Kelton Gene, whom God has determined needs to be with Him this day.  We seek why God would not allow us to have the joy of holding this precious gift, but we know God's plans are so much higher than ours, so we seek Him, we trust Him, we love Him, we have faith that He knows best, and we.simply.trust.  Faith.Just.Faith.In.Him.Yes.  And, as we have the burial service, and his siblings read His Words, Words of comfort, as the daddy reads The Words, and as cousins sing 10,000 Reasons, Amazing Grace, and Jesus Loves Me, we seek Him, always seeking Him for His peace, that only He can give, and we give thanks, thanks to the One who loves and does NOT leave us, who stays, and comforts those who grieve.  Thank You, Jesus, for this peace that only You can give.

"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."  Col. 3:1

Jesus is the Light; the love of Jesus is the Light of the world.  The Light will dawn in your souls and Christ the Morning Star will shine in your hearts.  

"Sow with a view to righteousness,
Reap in accordance with kindness;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the Lord
Until He comes to rain righteousness on you."
Hosea 10:12

We seek Him as we hear another person in our community has cancer, and the cousin with incurable cancer waits on God to take him home, the neighbor who is in a hospital in KY waiting on the specialist to help him, another with incurable brain cancer, the family members who wait with them, the cousin who lost her mother this past year and the three ladies who became widows all within a year in our community.  Oh, how we seek You, Father!  How we seek Your hand to uphold us in these days, to be an encouragement to all around us.  Father, we SEEK Your arms, Your loving arms to hold us, to comfort, to give grace, Your grace.

"I love those who love me;
And those who diligently seek me will find me."
Proverbs 8:17

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
Matthew 6:33

We do this, this seeking; seeking Him who can help and guide us along the paths, along narrow paths, the paths which lead to life everlasting, paths He has given to bring us closer to Him and to His ways, closer to whom He has for us to become, to be, to live for Him, to shine His Light throughout our world in which He has placed us, to be a light for Him.  And, we give thanks, for food, for prayers, for friends, for more food, for love and understanding, for kind words, for hugs, we give thanks for all.

As we seek to live for Him, to know His ways, to trust His paths, to obey His will, we know, "The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:5

And I keep counting, keep counting the gifts, the good, the hard, the eucharisteos, giving thanks in ALL things, it helps, brings comfort, knowing God always gives, gives what we need, what makes us stronger for Him.  Nearing 4000 gifts, I keep on, are you counting?  Get a journal and write, write what you are thankful for, the good and hard.

Seek to live for Him, seek to know His will, seek Him in the trials and temptations of this life, and He will give you ALL that you need.  

God is God, God gave God, He gave All, He will bring you through.  Trust His All.

How have you sought God this day?

I would love to hear God's blessings on you...

How do you choose to thank Him?

Always Experiencing Him,
Jody