thehereandafter

Communication is hard for me. I want to communicate in the right way but I fail often. For the last couple of weeks I have been reading a book that God has used to bring some key issues to me and I want to share them. Keep an open mind and pray that the Lord will speak to your heart as he has done for me. " No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:43-46 These passages of scripture are very powerful. " For out of the overflow of our hearts our mouths speak"... word problems reveal heart problems. The people and situations around do not make us say what we say; they are only the occasion for our hearts to reveal themselves in ...

Okay folks...reading some of my posts you probably feel like my life is full of drama. Actually, not really or at least not up until about the last three or so years. It was one big event that just seemed to spiral out of control. My loss of serotonin, my daughter's near fatal accident, the months spent in the hospital, rehab, the at-home therapy, loss of my husband's job, loss of medical insurance...near loss of sanity! Well, at times it felt like we were hanging by just a thread. But God is merciful and hang on we have. A couple of weeks ago while reading my bible the Lord gave me this scripture ..."and God will restore what the Locust have eaten." Joel 2:25. God has not only been faithful to restore to us our daughter but he has restored my health, my husband's job, our income, and our joy and peace! God was preparing us months before my daughter's accident and the seemingly downturn of our lives...every week a friend and I were getting together to pray. ...

Over Labor Day my husband and I celebrated our anniversary. During our much needed, restful looong weekend I had a chance to look back over the years that have so quickly passed by. Over the years we have experienced, like most couples, highs and lows. God has blessed us with a strong faith, with my husband's long and respected career, the birth of our biggest blessing...our children, our children growing into wonderful, loving adults, seeing our son get married, and thus gaining another daughter. God has also seen fit to bless us with a wonderful home in the country that is such a retreat to see the majesty of our Father. We have had the opportunity of  being able to live near both sets of parents,siblings, nieces and nephews.We have experienced the love of  loyal friends,and been blessed with a wonderful church family...basically a life filled with joys! We have received in abundance both blessings and mercy, love, loyalty, compassion, and growth. But loo...

On May 24,   some Christians were predicting that the world was coming to an end. Today, is June 1 st , I’m writing this, you’re reading this, so I guess the world didn’t come to an end!   It was quite the topic on the news and talk channels for the week prior to May 24 th . I listened intently as people, Christians and non-Christians, were interviewed. The question posed was if this was your last day and you knew it, what would you be doing? The comments were pretty standard…spend more time with family, party hardy, do the thrill seeking things on your bucket list (jumping from a plane, race a Nascar, go zip lining…etc.).   To my dismay, I heard a lot of answers except for spiritual ones. I didn’t hear anyone say they would fall to their knees and pray, “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord”. Psalm 22:27 , or that they would spend the day telling a...

Last nite, my husband, daughter and I were searching for some special people on facebook. We found a resident that was a vital part of our lives when my daughter was in the ICU @ MCG. Angela is her name and we have always referred to her as "Dr. Angela". Even after three years out from the date of the accident, Dr. Angela comes into our conversations quite often. We talk about her between ourselves pulling little details from the time she was part of the intense time in the ICU. Both Amanda and I have also repeatedly spoke of her at our Patient Family Advisor's meetings that we attend @ the hospital. Dr. Angela came into our lives at the very beginning of Amanda's accident. She was and is smart, confident, compassionate, pretty, and unique. She was the first intern/resident that I had ever seen who wore cowboy boots with their scrubs. I also remember a furry vest that she wore several times over her scrubs (the accident was at the end of January). Of course, the boo...

When I started this blog way back when, I was trying to figure out where my life was going. I have muddled my way through the children going off to college, myself going to college, losing all my Serotonin and becoming a zombie, my daughter having two bad accidents (one almost costing her life), my son getting married, my husband losing his job and being unemployed for almost a year, and finally my mother breaking three vertebrate in her back and struggling to get healed. I sure didn’t expect all these trials, in fact, I was concerned that I wouldn’t grow and stretch and that life would be a big void. Well, the void part certainly didn’t happen! After some of the dust settled following my daughter’s accident, I had a thirst to hone in on my purpose in this part of my life. I felt as if we were going through so much that I wanted and needed not just to get through life but to live it with purpose….as much purpose as I had when I was raising my children and home schooling them. I found t...

This week most of us are busy thinking about our Easter preparations. If you are a list maker, you probably have several lists by now. Even if are not a list maker I’m sure you have made several mental lists. There is a lot to think about, a lot to ponder…every thing from food for Easter dinner to clothing for the family to items to fill the Easter baskets. This week will be spent lost in a sea of thought and busyness preparing for a full blown spring celebration. Take an hour or two think about what Jesus might be doing this week. After his triumphant procession into Jerusalem, opposition started to mount and Jesus knew his death was coming soon. I’m positive he spent many, many hours in heartfelt prayer with his Father drawing strength. He would need it to shore himself up to the Father for the “week ahead”. We know what the week before Easter holds for most of us but let me remind you what it held for Jesus. He was very busy teaching his disciples, some who knew his true identity so...

I grew up in a family when you were called every name but your own. I have three sisters and all our first names start with T’s so it was normal for Mama or Daddy to be calling to you and call down the list of siblings until they hit on the right one. We always thought it was very funny and jokingly gave Mama and Daddy a hard time about it. As for my daughter, Amanda, forgetting her name is another thing. My daddy had a senior moment recently when he was speaking to us. He was busy, distracted, and tired. In the middle of his sentence he grappled for Amanda’s name, waved his hand in her direction, shook his head, and then with frustration in his voice referred to her as “what’s   her name”.   Amanda was very hurt with her Grandpa. She shared with me that it would not have bothered her if he had called her by one of the other granddaughter’s names but to be just “what’s her name” …what’s with that!? Thank goodness, Amanda and her granpie have a very close relationship and now i...

As Christians, we have heard over and over how special each and every one of us are. How God himself choose us, has a plan for us, and gave his life for us. Yet, we are human, and at times, can't help but judge our worth by looking at the lives and talents of others. Sometimes I feel that I have no purpose in life, that I have not accomplished anything that is of any importance. Oh, I know that I have been a stay-at-home mother and wife and that is important, but what have I REALLY DONE?! Having the world swirl around me, I begin to doubt that God is using me...after all I don't have a degree, little less a masters, I don't have a career outside my home (I always have to remind everyone that being a full-time wife and mother is a career) or even a home business that brings in a paycheck, I am not up to receive any awards, and I am not a facilitator or leader for any groups, studies, or projects. All these things are accomplishments to be proud of and very good...I'm jus...

Two days ago someone told me about a conversation they had with a friend. She told me that religion came up in the conversation and how badly their talk went. They are both committed Christians and very close friends. The person I was talking to told me that, with that person, she will probably not broach that subject again. I then shared this conversation with my daughter and the first words she uttered were that you should never bring up religion with your friends. She has decided, from experience, talking about your faith with friends only causes problems. And they weren't even talking about different religions...they were discussing their christian faith. This isn't the first time I have heard this. Have others of you had this experience? What is the world is wrong with us as Christians that we can't talk about what should be our heart and soul? And especially with friends who are other believers? What is wrong with our brotherhood/sisterhood in Christ if we can't...

Last month was the 3 rd year anniversary of my daughter’s near fatal accident. The healing physically, mentally and spiritually for all of us continues and each day is more precious than the last. There are still some days my memories are so vivid that I feel like the accident and the prayers that were so desperately prayed happened just yesterday. The desire for my daughter’s life and her healing were all consuming, just as they would be for any parent. As I go back over the urgent prayers, the all-consuming desire for my daughter to live, and the pleading with the doctors to do all they could, I now rejoice in not just her life but her healing.   I know, also, that God is rejoicing in her healing…God rejoices when any of his children are healed! Our Lord wants each and every person, young or old to be healed, to be whole, and to be able to praise him just as I do now. ““ You restored me to health and let me live. Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your...

On Epiphany Sunday, our pastor brought some thoughts to mind that I would like to add my thoughts to and share with you.  This post is a culmination of my thoughts and his thoughts. All too often, especially in this day and age, during the Christmas season we want everything to look perfect and easy. Our houses are beautifully decorated, we offer guests plates of delicious Martha Stewart's best home baked cookies, and we spend a fortune on packaging gifts to give to our family and friends. A lot of time, effort, and stress goes into these things behind the scenes. Another things that is prominent during the Christmas season is the Nativity scenes. Now think a minute....have you ever seen a Nativity scene with a big pile of cow manure in it? Don't laugh! How about hay stuck together and smelling of urine? Have you ever seen the costumes of the wise men tattered and dirty? How about the costumes of Mary and Joseph? Have you ever seen any Nativity scene that was anything e...

Sunday in Mass we sung a hymn that got me to thinking . Part of t he words are as follows: As with joyful steps they sped To that lowly manager bed, There to bend the knee before Christ whom heaven and earth adore; So may we with hurried pace Run to seek your throne of grace.  The words that stood out to me were the words "joyful steps they sped" and "may we with hurried pace run to see your throne of grace".  During this Christmas season, not only for me but probably for most of you, there was a lot of "speeding steps".  During the month of December we have a lot to pack in...Christmas shopping, parties, trips to the post office, extra church activities like live nativities, school activities, Christmas plays and concerts, trips to see Santa Claus, hay rides and Christmas lights to see, just to name a few. We run ourselves ragged trying to fit into our lives everything that the season offers .  Look to the second to the last and last lines..."s...

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I have started on my list.(not necessarily in this order)...lose some weight, eat better, pray more, spend more time with family, save some money, call my big sister more often, be more patient, get more rest, only say postive things... Most of us during the new year make a list, either on paper or mentally, of all the things we want to do differently in the coming year. There is something about a starting a new year...it is like the slate is wiped clean and it gives us renewed hope for a better year ahead. We make all kinds of well meaning promises but if you are like me, those promises don't last too long! I try hard, I really do. Little by little I break those well meaning promises. Life seems to get busy and most of the things I promised myself I would change go by the wayside. Do you find the same thing happening to you? As I was thinking about the new year and making some promises to myself, I got to thinking about the promises that don't get broken ye...