babbles online

Daddy Dearest

One morning a week my Dad takes me out to breakfast. I meet him at his office and then we drive downtown to a quiet little bakery/café and take the same table we do every week. My Dad and I are two peas in a pod; creatures of habit and we like things to be done well. I enjoy this time with my Father, and I realize that most grown daughters don’t get this opportunity, so I will relish it as long as I have it. We park in the same spot, see the same people and order the same thing, oatmeal! I let my brothers higher his cholesterol with omelets and french toast from “Jim’s” I figure since he looks out for me I should look out for him.

This past week, I overslept and at five minutes to seven, the time I usually meet with my Dad, I stumbled into the bathroom. Bleary eyed I looked at the clock and then I remembered what day it was. “Oh no Babs, you are going to miss your weekly breakfast date with Dad!” I rushed into my closet, desperately searching for a clean pair of jeans. I threw on an outfit faster than superman spins, before you know it I was out the door, hair in a pony tale and a bit of mascara. For those of you who know me you know this is not my favorite look. I rushed to the office, “Oh please, oh please don’t let him have already moved onto another meeting.” There is always someone calling for his attention, they need answers and 99% of the time he has answers. I hurried down the hallway to his office and when I turned the corner there he was in his chair, working but waiting, “ I figured you over slept” he said moving to grab his coat so we could go.

I love that fact that my Dad is like our Heavenly Father in this way, you may miss your appointment, you may forget what you are doing, or not come through but He will never miss, never forget and will always come through. His duty, his word, his dependability never depends on you and your dependability. Just like my earthly father will be there week after week to meet with me, so will our Heavenly Father always be there to meet with us.

Luv Ya,
Babbles

True To Form

Sometimes life is mid-spin. The preparation to begin is finished and past but the ending not near enough to engage in. It is at this moment that we are to just hold form. Mid-spin is not full of anticipation or gratification it’s just work. However if we are faithful to hold to our work we will, when the time is right, receive the blessing of accomplishment in Christ. I find some of the hardest work of the mid-spin is keeping our thoughts in line, focused and unhindered. Unhindered is key because the momentum that came at the start must be able to flow through to the end if we are to fully rotate and finish that which we started. Things that hinder us are the questions, doubts and distractions that come to us. “Should I have ever started this? I didn’t think it would take this long? I thought that… Where do I fit? Do I fit? Maybe I should have done that instead.” All of these thoughts cause us to break form, and breaking form hinders our momentum. Holding form is keeping in line our thoughts, our efforts and our eyes. He who called me is faithful to do it (1 Cor 1:9), He who started a good work in me will be faithful to complete it (Phil 1:6), For we are HIS workmanship (Eph 2:10), Do not grow weary in doing what is right (Heb 12:3). All of these thoughts are “holding form”. We seek at each moment in mid-spin to do what is right, even when it seems monotonous. If we hold a true form we will emerge from mid-spin facing an audience truly appreciative of our work, our Heavenly Father.

Holding True to Form,
Babbles

Crash, Bang, Praise

I am writing to you from my work computer, not my laptop and not the computer used for editing, but from the computer I use everyday to build and run Refresh Life. Why is the clarification so important? Because over an hour ago, my computer would not turn on, it simply crashed. I know the fact that I am typing this entry to you now is a total answer to prayer. Currently I am preparing all the details for the training day Refresh Life is hosting this weekend, many of the sole computer files to much of the material is on this machine. For over a half an hour the computer would not do anything. I sat here and listened to the fan whirring while it cooled the processors to a hard drive that would not work. Finally we started pulling out the recovery software to see what parts of my hard drive we could save when in one last effort the power button was pushed for the umpteenth time. At first nothing and then about a minute or so later, the glorious sound of a hard drive booting up filled the room. I know however that at that time or maybe a few minutes before my Mom had been praying at home. Answered prayer!

I was going to write to you about Chuck E. Cheese, Bolognese, Fed Ex and Russian seamstresses, but we can save all that for another day because I think what all of us need to know today is that we have a living and powerful God, who knows the details of our lives and acts in our behalf. The story behind the story is that last night at bible-study I asked for prayer for the anxiousness I was feeling in my chest over this upcoming weekend. I asked both my bible-study group and the prayer team to pray for peace. Look here is what I wrote to my team:

“I have been tense and a bit anxious and my heart/ chest is starting to hurt again. I would like to have the testimony of his Peace through this weekend; that is the gift I am praying for, a peace that I cannot explain.”

Last night my study group specifically prayed over me and I know the prayer team has been praying. Here is a response from one of the prayer team members:

“I will be in prayer over those, and will be lifting you up, that He would fill your chest with his peace and gentleness and calm.”

When my computer crashed, I didn’t panic, I was In complete peace. My heart didn’t race, it didn’t get frustrated I just had this overwhelming peace that whatever the outcome everything was going to be ok because God was in-control. That was the true miracle. I am a girl who tends to get wound up over everything and anything… my brother even bought me a t-shirt that says, “drama queen”. Today however the only drama was God and the computer, not me! I guess sometimes things get darker so that we will only see the light more clearly. If I ever dared to think this training day was of my own effort God just made it very clear who will be running the show come Saturday.

Praise the Lord, let us give him the glory and honor that is due him. God, I will not miss this opportunity to applaud you! I asked you to show me your glory and indeed you have!

Luv Ya,
Babbles

Secret Sisters

Have you ever looked for something only to find it was right under your nose the whole time? Sometimes I can’t find what I am looking for because I have not been looking for the right thing. This past holiday season I got to experience some moments that will be some of the most dearest and blessed memories for me. I had planned my holidays one way but at the start of the season my plans unraveled and in tears I sat on the floor dreading the weeks to come. God however had a beautiful plan in mind far greater than anything I could have ever dream up.

Part of God’s plan was the Secret Sister project I had taken on for Refresh Life. After a week of covertly passing off gifts to my secret sister, I revealed myself to her by picking her up for breakfast and window shopping on the weekend before Christmas. Roxy, my new little sister (and no that’s not her real name, but when do I ever call anybody by their real name on this blog) was the biggest treat to me this Christmas. God had laid her on my heart as my secret sister this year and I think she blessed me more than I blessed her. When I went to pick her up, she had a gift for me, even though she didn’t know who I was going to be. We went to breakfast and gorged our selves on the world’s largest cinnamon roll and then when we were on a complete sugar high we went and put in our most sought after opinions on the current teen trends being sold at places like Old Navy and Tilly’s.

After my style lesson, (seriously if I was 13 I would be way out of style) Roxy and I went for some coffee at the local ‘bucks. For a young teen, my new little sister has an amazing heart for the Lord; we had a great conversation about choosing to live life as “His” daughters and not as the world’s daughter. This is a concept I am still coming to fully understand and yet Roxy was tracking right with me. I was so blessed to hear her speak of her desire for the Lord and the faith she already exhibits encouraged me to continue to walk strong and resolute. I want to be a good big sister, a good role model for my sisters in the Lord.

A week or so later Roxy, a friend of hers and I went ice-skating to bring our holidays to a close. The day we went to the rink was beautiful. It was clear and the sun was shining (which was nice because the rink was outdoors). Little children dotted the ice but that didn’t seem to keep my championship skaters down. They managed their way around the rink quite well. Their giggles and screams made me remember the joy the Lord wants us to live with; light-hearted but not carefree, not careless but caring and joyful. It sounds impossible in the world we live in, but I beg to differ. The little girl who was skating around the rink was a living testimony to the joy of our Lord. Roxy was overflowing with laughter and joy and yet if you were to know the details of either of our lives, you would have not thought such a cheerful time would have been possible that day.

Luv Ya!
Babbles

Babs and Roxy on Ice

His Sweetness

I won't explain the full story behind the e-mail containing the following passage of scripture, but to say that a dear sister in the Lord sent it and I was able to read it exactly when the Lord knew I would need the encouragement. It seemed as though the Lord had leaned down and sweetly kissed my cheek with his words, as if to say, "I am here".

Psalm 62:5-8
I wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor come from God alone.
He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.

O my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him,
for God is our refuge.

Yes our God is so good!
Luv Ya!
Babbles