A JOYFUL NOISE

Many of you, my friends, go to Covenant Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg.   Those of you who were able to hear our prospective lead pastor preach this past Sunday, He taught on Psalms 23.   All of us, at one point have heard this Psalms and have probably memorized it.  We probably have heard it preached on as well.   But I have never heard it preached  in the fashion and depth he brought it this past Sunday.   As I sat there, hearing him, I sat absorbing the words spoke through him by the Holy Spirit; I wept silent tears as I was hearing him answer the question "How does the Lord answer our fears?"   So often, I've shared with you my fears and restless heart.  Why has my health been so deteriorating?  Why has there been no answers to all this pain, but just MORE pain and more issues coming up? Why did my grandmother have to die during the period of time when I wasn't feeling well at all and when traveling was ...

Words that hold so much meaning, so much value, so much depth to me over the past few months.  My heart has been so restless the past months..... but more so over the past few weeks.   Trying so hard to grasp the meaning and the truths it holds.   Oh, how much faith it takes just to praise God, even in trials.  It's the now that we need to look at; not the "then", it's not the "yesterdays",  and not the "what ifs"....it's RIGHT NOW,   Learning slowly.......

Last week (6/16-6/23), I spent the week with my sister and my nieces since my brother in law had to go on a business trip to Las Vegas for a business trip.  Miranda is doing well after her surgery 3 weeks ago, although there are still times she has pain and needs to lay down and rest.  She had her 8th birthday on the 17th.    She had two of her best friends over for cup cake.  The two girls in the middle belongs to Katie,  She is a friend of my sister and me.   Interestingly enough,  Katie grew up with us in the same church long time ago.   God in his providence brought my sister and her back together in Richmond and they became good friends again.   I've gotten to reconnect with Katie as well through Facebook, email, phone, and texting.   What a wonder modern technology is!   Katie's parents, Jim and Karen, goes to Covenant Presbyterian as well Katie'sr sister, Nicki (a...

I love going to places and I love planning vacations, get-aways, etc  But in all reality, I plan ahead but I also know that there is a possibility that something (like my physical stamina) might come up and I can't go.    Things have been rough the past few weeks both physically, but most of all emotionally and spiritually, where at times I seem as if I can't find God anywhere.   I'm thankful for friends who have been praying for me and with me.    Lately, for the past few days, this song has been stuck in my head every day and sometimes for almost the whole day.    What a wonderful message it brings to my heart and soul.   God's love is so perfect and unending.  When I think I've lost my way, I wasn't lost;  I just needed a reminder that I needed Him every hour of every day; through every situation I go through. I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord; No tender voice like Thine can pea...

  This morning was a rather "good" morning for me.  It was nice because I got to see one of my good friend, Liz and her two little children.  We met in Staunton which was a good mid-meeting place for us.  I love her kids so much as they easily pull my heart strings.   This "aunt" will do almost anything for them.....when Mommy says "no", auntie will probably say "yes" but what aunt doesn't?  But, of course, I do also honor Mom if it's something she really doesn't want them to have.   It's an aunt's job, right?  Throughout the day, I kept hearing "Auntie Becky" over and over again and I just smiled and smiled.    After the waitress gave us our brunch, I whispered to her to help me surprise Mia with a sundae and sing happy birthday (she is 2 now--her birthday was last week).   I'm not sure what she thought.   She stuck her hand into the bowl and got the whipped c...

Another test---- clear, negative .   Good news, yes.  Thankful.  Yes.    Frustrated still.....yes. I continue to face chronic pain and it's debilitating effects it has on me.  Sometimes it makes my whole world stop and frankly, I hate it.   These past 2 weeks  has been a odd week for me.   I've had a re-occurrence of severe nausea and pain that has led me to eating a lot less and when I do eat, it is painful.  I drink fluids when I can, what I can, but because of how icky it makes me feel, I've not been very good in my food diet.    On Thursday, I started to have a different pain in my upper mid abdomen that was bothering me but I've had that before and nothing came out of it; Friday it got worse and move to my back, I was running only a mild fever, but it didn't warrant my protocol to go to the ER.  Just popped in some Vicodin (that my pcp gives me for pain)  and hoped for a night...

One of the things we automatically do as human beings is that we put ourselves in to a rut….a schedule.    We get out of bed, we head for our morning cup of coffee or tea with breakfast,   wash up for the day and head to our morning chores (or whatever order you put it in)..    For years, this has been my pattern.    My day would start off with coffee in my hand, heading then heading out to door to work or school.   Maybe I would throw in some ingredients in a crockpot for dinner so it will be ready when I would return from work..    Well, as you all know, the “rut of life” changed back in 2010 when I became ill and unable to work. “WHY GOD….WHY ME?” was (and honestly at times STILL IS) my constant question.    Questions after questions encompassed my brain….EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.   It continues to encompass my brain as I continue to physically decline with a great amount of other physical issues showing up….increased pain ...