Saturday, May 30, 2009

Reflections of Daniel and King David

Last Wednesday, as I was getting to leave for house sitting for the night I took a glance at my mom. She was doing Beth Moore's devotions. My eyes caught the name Daniel. Daniel...had been long my favorite name and book of the bible. I always wondered why? What was about Daniel that I loved? Mom and I fell into a conversation about the men of the bible and how God used them.
I did not relate to Moses, Abraham, Elijah, Elisha, as well as I did Daniel and David. To be sure I learned much from the other men, please do not mistake that I am passing them by. No...simply Daniel and David have longest held my attention.
As I talked with mom I made an astonishing discovery. Was it perhaps I relate to Daniel because of his faith? Daniel had FULL confidence in God. If Daniel had full confidence in God, he must have known grace. Because with faith there must be grace. Daniel's relationship with God I believe was a foundation of faith, grace, and love. How else could he have stood up to Nebrazzarah; willing to risk everything, but his relationship with his Father? I began to think of Daniel a grace filled man because of his faith.
My equation may be wrong. When you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, you experience love. From love come faith, and faith grows into grace. You can not have one with out the other.

David...the second king of Israel...a man after God's own heart. As usual I am always amazed, at the thought of God calling David a righteous man and a man after his heart. How awesome, how great that is. Just IMAGINE! David, who had faults just like me was called a righteous man.
What I have learned from David is...you will mess up and you will fail. BUT... when you find where your mistakes lie...turn to God. You can't fix your mistakes on your own...it's IMPOSSIBLE, however, He understood that with God that he can overcome his weaknesses. David wanted God's heart, he yearned for it.
Despite David's short comings...God gave him one of the best gifts. The Messiah would come from the line of David. David...knew what he wanted and He recieved God's heart.

I can't express what I am trying to say...my writing is probably all in shambles. But I hope that you get what I am trying to say. Daniel, who understood faith was a man filled with grace. David...longed and yearned for God's heart. God loved him in return though he was not perfect.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

My Mom

Soft, Bright blue eyes twinkle in mirth and joy. Her curly brown hair gleams almost reddish brown in the sun. Her 'average' height of 5"4' barely an inch taller than her baby daughter, made her perfect to play games of all sort. Her lips part with laughter.
Even if I wanted to...I could not photograph my mom's beauty. A sound recorder would not do justice to her laughter. No stories can contain her goodness and love she has for me...for her family.
When I was younger...I vowed I'd take a picture that paints her inner beauty. So I did. Eagerly, I set to capture my mom. I painted her face, made her hair curly brown. Her eyes seemed to glisten in laughter. Excitedly, I made her a frame as well as a 10 year old could. Glittered covered every square inche of the frame in making. When I gave it to her... I waited breathlessly to see what she thought.
She smiled broadly and hugged me. I ran off to play. When I came back, she had hung it in the laundry room. She explained to me...that way when I do laundry I can always see it. Every time we opened the doors...I'd see my picture right there. Boy...I was proud of the picture.
Then one day...I noticed. I had forgotten her nose. My mom would not let me remove the picture although her nose was indeed missing. She loved it...for it was my first attempt of painting her.
Once more I tried to make something to describe her. For Christmas...I made a book of poems for her. I search for hours and hours...trying to write and find poems which could describe her. I wrote each poem down carefully and drew pictures to illustrate the poem. Delightfully, I pictured her face as she opened the present. She cried in happiness and read through the book over courses of days. Treasuring each poem and drawings I did. When I got older in my teen years, I read through the book. There was so many mistakes and the drawing...of a little girl. But as I read through I remembered how I wanted everything to be perfect for my mom.
This year....my mom was sick for close to three months. My dad had to work and Chris was working and doing college. Dearest Kate was in college an hour and a half way. I tended to my mom, clean the house, did shopping, prepared meals, a basic Secretary, hostess for life group, and started my first semester of collage. When I finally went to bed, I was dead tired. I murmured to myself...How on earth does mom do it?
She raised my best friend and sister along with me to be godly girls with a passion for Christ. Every chores...she taught us to do our best. If we lost it...we paid for it....we wanted it...we paid for it. She encouraged us in our walk with God. And let us know...no matter what we could always come to her....even if we sometimes/rarely disagreed on whatever topic we need advice on. She's not perfect...but she's my mom.
My mom has taught me so much, more than I can ever dream. What she has helped taught me the most is value, commitment, balance, understand responsibilites, and love. I only hope that I can help raise my kids along with my husband for God as well as my mom did.
Like I said before....no picture can capture my mom's beauty. No sound recorder can capture my mom's laugh. No story would be big enough to tell of her love and goodness.