Oasis: Two Seventy-One thru Two Eighty-One

"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." 

2 Peter 3:18a

Friday, April 8th

271) Completion- Many, many months back a gentleman I was talking to in the Commissary encouraged me to read a couple of Proverbs to our daughter every night before she went to bed. He said that if we continued this practice throughout her childhood years, it would have a lasting affect on her character. He vouched for it, as he had done the same for his three or four children and witnessed the affect on their character development. I mentioned it to Drew, and we began the practice shortly thereafter. Tonight, we finished our first reading of Proverbs. I am excited to start again tomorrow night. There are such wonderful pieces of knowledge, not only for our daughter but also for us, and I believe it has been a beautiful, blessed tradition for our family already. "Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed." Proverbs 3:13-18


Saturday, April 9th

272) Family Time- I thought today was going to be the beginning of weeks where we would have the chance to be a family of three and, oh- how I have been looking forward to that time. There are so many aspects that are missing when Drew is gone, and because of his "in and out" schedule these past few months, we have never been able to really settle down into any kind of routine to help us cope well with life apart. Life has been too much "in flux." However, it doesn't look like my dreams for a lengthier time for our family of three is about to begin, at least not just yet. It has been postponed. It's hard to handle. Some tears were shed as I dealt with the disappointment, but in the end, I am thankful for every day we have had and continue to have together. There are so many who are dealing with the absence and fears connected to a deployment and what I face is nothing in comparison. I am blessed when I remember how precious each moment together is- even if our time has been cut short.


Sunday, April 10th

273) Good analogies/illustrations- When teaching or learning, a good analogy or illustration can really help explain your point while helping others remember that point. Jesus recognized this. We call his illustrations and analogies "parables." Today our minister had several good illustrations. One was about how attending church is important to a Christian.

He started out by stating, "You aren't a Christian just because you go to church, just like you aren't a car just because you stand in a garage." (and from here I paraphrase.) But does that mean there is no value in going to church regularly? Is a car still a car if there is no gas in the tank? We would all agree that it is. However, does a car with no gas in its tank have any power? Does it have the ability to serve its expected purpose? The answer is an emphatic no to both. The same is true for a Christian who does not regularly attend church. You will eventually run on empty and without the necessary power from above, you will become ineffective in your God-given purpose.

Isn't it interesting how easily we all relate to the idea of a car without gas? We all understand the ineffectiveness and lack of power that exists in such a situation, but how many of us had thought or were willing to apply that to our own lives on those mornings when getting up for church just wasn't what we really wanted to do? Good Biblical teaching stretches you; it doesn't necessarily tell you what you want to hear, but it does tell you what you need to hear, and with good illustrations and analogies, hopefully, we remember more.


Monday, April 11th

274) Bills- Every month I sit down to pay our bills two times during the month. Today was one of those times.  As I sat down to pay the bills, I was so grateful that there was no stress involved with the process. I did not have to worry about contingency plans or consider how I would stretch our remaining dollars to help cover our every day expenses because Drew will be paid in full and on time.

While that was a blessing to me, it is not the real reason I consider my bills a blessing today. As I looked through the bills, I saw several that show our outstanding debt- almost all relate to our college education. I love watching the amount we owe go down and I am looking forward to the day I can say we have paid off that debt. Those debts reminded me of another- one which is far greater in size, beyond anything we could measure, and one I could never pay off no matter how hard I try. "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8 God loved me and paid my debt of sin long before I ever considered offering Him the smallest bit of my affections. Only He could do what was needed to cover all that I have done and all that I continue to do along the way, and only through His payment and sacrifice have I found freedom from those sins and the guilt and shame that can go with them.

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete
Jesus died my soul to save
My lips shall still repeat

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow


275) Assurance- Just recently a good friend of my family's, and a wonderful Christian woman, lost her battle with cancer and went home to be with our Lord. It is hard to think that this world is no longer blessed with her sweet spirit or kind words, but I am so grateful for the amazing life she lived- the incredible faith she displayed every day. Her faith was a blessing to everyone who knew her, not only as an example but also as an assurance that today she is resting and rejoicing in heaven. Today, can you and those around you honestly and confidently say, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!"? Because let me tell you, there is no greater blessing for you or your friends and families than the blessed assurance that you are forever in the hands of God. As I sit here right now, it is my personal prayer for you.


Tuesday, April 12th

276) Tried and true tricks- As our daughter gets older, her learning curve is growing at an accelerated rate and with that, she is figuring out my redirecting and disciplining techniques. Sadly that means fewer of them are having an effect and I need to be more and more creative. So when a oldie still works, what a wonderful feeling. Today I tried a truly old trick (well as old as they come for a child that is only twenty-two months old), one I have been using on our little girl since we made road trips between Redstone Arsenal and my parents house (back when our daughter was less than two months old). It's primary purpose was to help me drown out her crying and/or screaming when nothing else worked and I just needed to push through and make it to our next stop. Twenty months later, it still works. Yippee!


Wednesday, April 13th

277) "Bloom Where You're Planted"- When I was growing up, I attended the yearly Mother-Daughter Banquet at our church with my mother, sisters, grandma, aunt and cousins. I must admit though that I don't remember much about what was said by the speaker, except one year. That year my grandmother spoke and I remember she talked about blooming where you're planted. That thought has come back to me often over the years- whenever I felt like throwing a pity-party because I was not perfectly happy with my circumstances. I have been placed where I am for a reason and it is up to me to bloom where I am planted. The thought has returned to me again this week- not because I am unhappy here in Albuquerque as a whole. It is something a little closer to home, but no matter what the setting or reason, I need to remember to bloom where I am planted. That is my plan as I move forward from today. Thank God for each day He has given me, in this place He has placed me, and make the most of the time I am given.


Thursday, April 14th

278) Protection- It's amazing how quickly a day can completely change directions- from a simple day of running errands to a fender bender. It's not the first time I've been involved in a car accident; it's not the first time I've been rear-ended, but it is the first time since our daughter was born. Funny how differently you look at things once your life is not the only one involved, especially since she was closer to the incident than I was. (I was rear-ended, not vice-versa.) There are times when we have discussed owning small vehicles like the Smart cars because of their high gas mileage. Of course we have always turned it down as a viable option because there is no place for a car seat in a Smart car, but it's at a time like this that I am thankful for the extra protection and cushion of the large trunk that we have on our vehicle. Even more so, I am thankful for the constant and continual presence of our Heavenly Father. Even if we had a Smart car or some other tiny-trunked car, his presence is really where my comfort lies. He is the one who watches over us every step we take, each turn on every errand, every road trip and every flight, and every time we lay down to sleep."Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6


Friday, April 15th

279) Substitution- While I was in school, I remember it always seemed like kids would be excited if they heard we had a substitute teacher. Either that meant the workload would be very lighter or we could count on something different and interesting; whichever it was, we were happy. Lately I have embraced the idea of substitution when it comes to recipes, both to accommodate our daughter's allergies and Drew's palate. Again, substitution has been a boon, allowing us to continue to enjoy a wide variety of foods without giving up much flavor all the while not endangering health or gag reflexes. But the greatest of all substitutions occurred centuries ago. It is something many of us celebrate on a yearly basis and we are approaching that time once again. In fact one week from now, many people will have a day off from work for Good Friday. What makes that day so good? The answer is quite simple- the greatest substitution, and thereby the greatest blessing ever, is celebrated on that day. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21; "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;by his wounds you have been healed." 2 Peter 2:24 With that substitution Good definitively and irrevocably defeated evil and the grave! Praise the Lord- what a glorious blessing!


Saturday, April 16th

280) Design- Lately as I have been experiencing additional soreness and pain from the accident and watched as others in our house have been sick, I have thought about the beauty in the design of our bodies. Most of the time, the design works so seamlessly we do not even think about all the systems and intricate interactions that must work together so we have the energy to function and can go about our days without pain and in good health. Of course many of us experience frequent pain or deal with illnesses because of something that isn't working correctly within the original design; from something as simple as a bacteria or virus to an uncontrolled growth of an abnormal cell (cancer) or the suppression of our immune system, all are changes to God's original and perfect design for our bodies. This may seem like a flaw, but there is beauty even in the face of these often devastating circumstances. Thanks to the Lord's beautiful and wonderful design for us, scientists and doctors know what to expect from our bodies, so when something isn't working the right way, they can find treatments, medications and look for cures for otherwise debilitating or even life-threatening situations. While God may not have saved us from the repercussions of a fallen world, He did provide us with a beautiful means to continue to thrive and understand that world instead of living in chaos, and that is a blessing.


Sunday, April 17th

281) Our patio- Now that spring is here, I have wanted to get out more and enjoy the warmer weather, but in Albuquerque, spring weather also means unpredictable, insane winds. Every time I have ventured out to the park with our daughter, we have come home beaten up by the winds and sand. For the past couple of weeks, our little girl and I have take advantage of our walled in patio each afternoon and I am loving it! By late afternoon, a majority of the area is shaded from the sun- which is perfect for our very pale skin- the weather is beautiful, and we can still enjoy a light breeze. Our daughter gets to play outside, dig in some dirt and explore the plants that we have in the area. She loves it and I find the time peaceful and relaxing. It has really become our little "metropolitan oasis."