Hello, God

Hello, God - it's me. I took this picture of your artistry the other evening just before sunset, but I guess you already knew that, huh? Anyway, it occurred to me that I don't tell you "thanks" often enough for all the beauty you bestow upon this earth. There's no artist in this world who could even come close to painting such scenes with this much grandeur and majesty! And, this is just one small sample of all the beauty surrounding us on "this side" of Heaven.

I sat looking at the sky for just a little while before snapping this picture and, in my mind's eye, tried to imagine what it must look like on Your side of Heaven. I'm so glad I'll be on "Your side" when I finally get to see it, though, because I know that if I saw it now it would be so overwhelming that my heart would simply stop beating!

As mind boggling as I know it will be to view those streets of gold, walls of jasper, gates of pearl, the crystal river and all the mansions, I'm certain these will all pale in comparison to being afforded the priceless opportunity of finally being able to see You face-to-face. I suppose You can also see the goose bumps on my arms right now as I'm typing this, huh? Wow! What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see, when I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace! I love you, Heavenly Father!

Beauty Around Us

After living in the mountains of western North Carolina for nearly 30 years now, I've come to realize how all too often I take the beauty around me for granted. It didn't used to be that way. When I first married and moved here, I was daily amazed at the beauty and majesty of these mountains. But, the older I'm getting the more I'm realizing how very important it is to take some time and really enjoy God's creation.

Since there was no church on Easter Sunday night, we decided to take some chicken and fixins' and go up on the Blue Ridge Parkway to watch the sunset. What a glorious view! And, other than the price of the food and gas to go up there, it was totally free.

I've never stopped to notice how perfectly quiet it can be up there so high -- away from the traffic and noise of the world below. With the exception of a few passing cars on the road below the overlook, the only noise we heard was the magical singing of all the birds.

How relaxing it was sitting there on the blanket on the ground watching the sun descend slowly behind the mountains -- and what an awesome site to watch! To put it in the words of a friend of mine, "Can you imagine, if it's that beautiful on this side of Heaven, what it's going to be like on the other side?" No, friend -- I can't even begin to imagine. But, this much I know -- one day I will find out first-hand!

Thank you, God, for your blessings on me!

Wow! It's been quite some time now since I posted anything on my blog. So much has happened in my life since December 2009. One of the most sobering things has been that my mother was diagnosed on January 29, 2010, with breast cancer. I've talked to many, many people over the years who have received the horrid news of that "C" word; however, I've never actually had to deal with it on a very personal level.

Much to our relief, though, mamma's cancer is only Stage I and was found in the very early stages. She underwent a lumpectomy on February 9th and on March 10th will start a series of about 35 radiation treatments. She will also be on an oral cancer medication for the next five years.

God is so very good! We realize that cancer is no respecter of persons, so we will hold God's Almighty hand as we walk through this valley together. It's wonderful to know that cancer in God's eyes is nothing more than just a rotten cold! Whatever God's will is in this matter, we are willing and ready to accept!

Yes, cancer has a whole new meaning to me now, and suddenly all of my petty little problems seem so very trivial!!

I Am Lowly

I am but a lowly beast – a donkey is all, you see;
But on that special journey, I carried royalty!
A young girl rode upon my back and lying inside her womb
A babe whose first bed was a manger and whose last bed was a tomb.
I carried them as gently as my little hooves could trod;
That humble little mother and the precious Son of God!

I am but a lowly beast – a camel is all, you see;
But on that special journey, I carried royalty!
Upon my back a wise man rode with precious gift in hand,
He went to see a newborn King in another distant land.
When we arrived I gently knelt to lower him to the ground,
To present his royal treasure to the tiny King he’d found.

I am but a lowly one – a simple man, you see;
But on that special journey, I carried a cruel tree.
The man was badly beaten, his blood so greatly lost.
A soldier yelled quite hatefully – “You, carry his cross!”
And, so I knelt beside this man, the precious Son of God,
I took His cross upon my back, up Calvary’s hill I trod.

I am but a lowly beast – a white stallion is all, you see;
But on that special journey, I will carry Royalty!
At the end of time when the Father says, “It is time, dear One.”
It is I who will have the honor of carrying God’s Son!

Written by: Dawne Coward
December 1, 2009

Mid-Life and Menopause

What is it about getting to the "middle age" part of life, combined with the "menopause" part of life, that makes us go temporarily insane at times? That's what happened to me a week ago today when I had a "moment" and got all my hair whacked off! But, you know what? It's a change from the same old thing I've had for the past 10 years or so, and I really like it -- at least for now. Who knows? My next "moment" may result in the GI Jane look!!!

Oh well, I'm not too worried -- it's just hair and mine grows like it's shampooed with fertilizer. So, if I get weary of this style, I won't have to be weary of it very long -- that's for certain!

The Puffy Little Puppy

This is my 10-month-old little girl, Belle, last Friday, 10/23/09. But, it looks nothing at all like my beautiful puppy! That's because she was either bitten or stung by something (we don't know what) and this was what happened as a result. Talk about scared! I completely stopped breathing when I walked in the house and saw her almost unrecognizable face. Of course, it was after 5:00 PM, and of course we had to make an emergency trip to the vet's office for shots to reverse the effects, but man was I happy to get some medicine in her little system. She was about to claw her own face off because it was itching so badly.

Now, $103 later, she's back to her normal skinny little face and long nose and I hope this doesn't ever happen again!

From Terror to Tranquility

Picture a wee little girl asleep in her bed in the middle of the night Then, imagine an extremely LOUD train coming down the tracks right past the little girl's house, horn blaring fiercely. All of a sudden, the little girl sits straight up in the bed, hops down on the floor and makes a mad dash to her mamma and daddy's bedroom screaming, "It's gonna get me -- I scared! Can I peas seep wif you?" Oh, what a warm comforting feeling to crawl into their bed and snuggle up all safe and sound away from the mean old choo-choo train! Well, that little girl was me -- oh so many years ago in a small town in South Carolina. Night after night after night that train came through, and night after night after night I ran as fast as my tiny little feet would carry me to the safety of my mamma and daddy's bedroom.

Now picture that same little girl who is all grown up at the age of 48. How ironic is it that I would end up living my married life 3 hours away from the little town in South Carolina, yet a similar set of train tracks runs right past my house nestled back in the mountains of western North Carolina, and a train chugs along those tracks every single day? Only now, it's amazing how much joy and tranquility a train brings to my life! I can't wait to see/hear it coming down those tracks. It's actually makes for quite a beautiful motion picture as it glides along through the lush green trees of spring and summer, the colorful trees of fall, and the snow-laden trees of winter.

Amazing how the clocks and calendars of the aging process have a way of changing our outlook on certain aspects of life and move us along from moments of sheer terror to moments of pure tranquility! More amazing still is what you can see in the picture above that I took on my cell phone at lunchtime today. The train was making its way past my house as I went home for lunch. I wonder if the shadow of a telephone pole, which just happened to somehow get into the picture (and which I didn't notice at all at the time I was taking the picture) was God's way of speaking sweet peace to my soul? After all, that shadow sure looks like a cross to me -- a symbol that God paid the supreme sacrifice and, because He lives in me, I have nothing to fear! Sorta makes cold chills run up and down my spine. Our God is an AWESOME God!!!