.. the world grows strangely dim.. Auf Wiedersehen Facebook... :)

 I am about to take a little break from the social networking scene.. I have loved being on Facebook since I joined in 2008.. it's been a great place of connecting with my family and friends... a great place to connect with people I met somewhere for a little while, and those I never met.. I have been encouraged and inspired, I have felt loved and appreciated, I have tried to build up and support, have laughed and cried with my friends on there.. I have been part of their lives and they have been part of mine.. so really, as I am taking a break, I am not doing this because anything bad has ever transpired for me there...

and yet, over the last few months, more and more I have felt that I needed to step out of the limelight... felt that I needed to focus on where God has me, making the circle a bit smaller..

as my kids are growing up and the connecting is more short intervals of quality time, I have learned to be more intentional about it , more focused...

as the needs in my extended family have been changing, as parents are aging and God has been showing me that I need to embrace my role more intentionally there also... I want to be obedient and do that, as well as I can..

over the last 5 years, while walking through difficulty and turmoil God has used my wider circle of Facebook friends to uphold me..  He has always provided "Christ beside me"..

He has blessed me with a church family, deep connections with Jesus as our foundation.. sisters and brothers in Christ, "getting" me like no one else..

BUT... most of all... He really has shown me that it really, totally is ABOUT HIM...

so, on this journey over the last 4 months, when my nicely constructed house of cards just fell apart one day... I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I needed to look to Him, not even to my fellow believers that much.. as He gave me peace I have learned that I don't need to be out there telling everyone...  (and again, I don't think there is anything wrong with that... )
I have become a little protective of my closeness with the lover of my soul.. as I have been turning my eyes upon Jesus, the world has grown strangely dim...

I don't think I am able to put into words what I really feel... I am just so very, very blessed... so thankful, so full of love for Him, who indeed is ALL we need..
He has put me and uses me in a place where I can find purpose and bring glory to His name.. He has given me a ministry and such over abundant love for the people I get to minister to..
He has proven Himself faithful to me over and over and over again..

just last night and today He "single-handedly" removed the black clouds out of my life.. provided and took care of me like no one ever could...  and so, I am stepping away from the distraction for a while, because I want to give Him all He deserves.. all the Praise and Glory due His Name..

He is marvellous, He is majestic and mighty..
He is all powerful and He is mine..

and I am His...

it doesn't get much better than this..

I am in awe of His love for me
His mercy
His grace..

I love all the people He has put in my life and I will never run out of love for all of them..

because He fills my cup to overflowing each and every day...


It is, and has always been and will always be all about Him and Him Alone..
#SoliDeoGloria

LOVE is ... to know and to be known....

so amazed at our Father in Heaven and the fact that He indeed wants a close personal relationship with me..

when I first found out about that a little over 20 years ago it blew me away... since then it continues to boggle my mind and fill my heart with love..

no matter how long I live I know I will not be able to fully discover what this love He has for me all contains..

He has been my refuge in times of trouble..
He has been my encourager and cheerleader when I think I can't do it anymore..
He has been my provider, my Healer... and most of all He IS the Lover of my soul...

50 years old now I have come to the conclusion that love is to know and to be known by the "partner" in the relationship.. for someone to never tire of hearing from you and willingly sharing what he/she is all about..

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He always wants to hear from me.. this is what His Word tells me about this:

This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. ( 2 Kings 20:5)

The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.( Psalm 6:9 )

 God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer
 or withheld his love from me! ( Psalm 66: 19-20)

The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. ( Proverbs 15:29)

But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ( Luke 1:13 )

and He has given me this book... He is the author and all I need to know is contained in it's pages.. He has revealed Himself and by His Spirit, that dwells within me I can know Him.. intimately..

as I spent more and more time with Him my love for Him is just going to grow and grow as I am understanding more and more how much He loves me... it's all quite amazing actually :)

so even on days like today.. when some clouds on the horizon seem black somehow.. when this weary feeling wants to take over.. when I find myself getting unsettled and sighing more than usually.. I can be sure of that.. He loves me with an everlasting love.. He will never leave me or forsake me and He is indeed all that I will ever need!

SO grateful for that!!!!

... "Fly Baby Bird Fly"... He's got it under CONTROL....

so she has left the nest.. my little baby bird.. the little one, the last one... the spoiled, over protected, unique, precious youngest daughter of mine..

excited for what these next few months will teach her.. she is growing up, and I like what I am seeing.. strong inside and passionate.. she has been making good choices navigating through this rather confusing, at times overwhelming world..

she has been texting, calling and emailing and I have seen a few pictures too... I am happy to see her smile.. praying for exactly that.. just looking at the last picture I got a little sad though...

I think that is one part of what this is.. for the longest time, actually for the her entire life.. I was pretty much around.. well, obviously not all the time, she was always a little busy social butterfly.. but still... not to be around at all is going to be strange.. it's okay.. and, she in her very wonderful letter to say Good bye to me she even said it.. this is a time for me.. not to have to take care of her anymore.. how cute.. and how weird... :)

I know that our God has it all laid out perfectly... the growing up is part of His perfect plan.. for each one of us.. just learned some more of how beautifully, creatively and amazingly He has EVERYTHING planned out..

always liked the story of Naomi and Ruth, her daughter in law.. and Boaz, the Kinsman Redeemer, who, man of integrity that he was, came in and solved all the problems they had... Naomi, wife of Elimelech.. whose faith in His God was not strong enough to keep him in his native land during a famine , fleeing to Moab, a hostile country.. both sons getting married to Moabite women, ( sinning again... ) lost her husband and both her sons in this foreign land and ended up returning to Bethlehem, returning home,  hiding under the protection of the God of her people... bitter and without hope..

but there He had put all those plans and provision  in place for her.. laws about gleaning, ( grains purposefully left behind by those harvesting for the poor, the orphans and widows ) and ultimately the Kinsman Redeemer... redeeming the land that was Naomi's but that she was not able to work, and marrying Ruth ... so the two women were taken care of....

and then.. He, Our Good and Merciful God, who loves us so... He goes even further.. He, who is able to do all things, He "gives conception" to the formerly barren Ruth.. and the family lineage can go on.. "funny" how this son, Obed, ends up to be the father of Jesse, who was the father of David...

what started out as disobedience and rebellion led to a homecoming, back under the authority and protection of Him, who is wise beyond what we could ever even comprehend.. who is forgiving, and infinitely loving.. and He.. He had it all planned out long before.. bringing good from the bad for those that love Him, trust Him and obey Him..

so for all of us letting go of our children.. we can be assured that He has it all planned out down to the most intricate detail... His love for them far outweighs ours ( as much as I cannot get my head around that one ) ... so... "empty nest" mothers and fathers... trust Him and wait expectantly on Him .. He is going to do great things in the lives of our baby birds :)