The Missing Piece

My children & I spent President's Day laughing at the antics of a dog named "Bolt" in the Disney movie of that title. After our trip to the $2 movies, we headed for McKays (books & movies). They love going there. They usually get about $3 or $4 each to spend there, and walk out with a bag full of stuff!

I, too, enjoy shopping there. I always pick up a few old dollar VHS movies for Tyler & I to watch later. And today was no different. I found 6 movies that looked entertaining, and purchased those.

I also found something else...

A Leapster cartridge.

A what?...you might ask.

A Leapster cartridge...or what I thought was a Leapster cartridge.

Let me explain what that is. About 3 years or so ago, our precious "Nana" gave each of the girls a Leapfrog Leapster. You purchase game cartridges that fit into the Leapster, and the kids play educational games.

The Leapsters are worth their weight in gold. Long drive ahead? No problem! Leapster can handle it...and Leapster can handle your kid. It's an amazing "toy". Hands down...the toy of the decade!!! And you know it's gotta be a big deal for a Mom of FIVE KIDS to say that!!!

So I "found" a Leapster game cartridge today...or so I thought. Unfortunately, the package only had the instructions to THE hottest game cartridge on the market...or rather NOT on the market. It was the "Junie B Jones" cartridge, which is no longer available for purchase at retail stores. And I had the package in my hand, with the instructions on how to play the game. So while I had all the necessary elements for the Leapster unit, one very important thing was missing...the game itself.

We desperately dug through the bin where we found it. No Junie B Jones game cartridge. We asked at the service desk...no Junie B Jones.

Did I tell you that I had been searching on Ebay for Junie B Jones? Yes. And around Christmas when I really wanted that game cartridge, and everybody else did too...it was selling for around $60...USED, and Amazon currently has it on sale for $79. So imagine my initial reaction today at finding the package at McKays for $5.95...
FIVE DOLLARS AND NINETY FIVE CENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, all the searching led to...NOTHING. I was so disgusted!
"God...that would have been such a blessing!" I complained, "Why would you allow me to find that, only to discover that it was missing the vital piece that would make it function?".

And here is what God told me...

"Because you need to realize what blessings you miss out on when you go about your day and leave Me out. I'm the vital piece that makes your day function as it should. You have all the paperwork you will ever need (the Bible). You have all the resources it takes to live and breathe, because I've provided that. Now you need to make me a "habit"...you need to make sure that you have the most important piece of your life in running order each and every day."

See folks...we can have it ALL. We can have all of our needs taken care of. We can live a carefree lifestyle. Money...no object. Power...at our fingertips. Status...right outside our door. But we ABSOLUTELY can't function properly if we're missing the most important piece of all, which is Christ. How frustrating was it for me today, to discover this game package at a mere fraction of the cost...only to find that it was missing the very piece that makes it a game?
.

How do we play the game of life

without the One Who CREATED the game???

We can't do it successfully. We can drag out all the stuff we think is necessary. We can put forth tons of effort. But if we don't have that relationship with Christ, we'll never be able to play the game. We won't REALLY be living.

I was still irritated about that missing game cartridge when we got home. But God reminded me that He has a purpose in that situation. Maybe someone else needed that cartridge worse than my kids. Or maybe it didn't work properly. It really doesn't matter at this point. It's just another game.

And who needs a "Junie B Jones", anyway?

I've already got a

.

Summerlyn B Jones... a

.

Savannah B Jones... & a

.

Scarlett B Jones...

I don't think I could handle anymore...

Lola Ruth (Grandma and Ma)

(Ma w/Tyler in Dec. '90)
Today is Ma's birthday.
(Ma at Holden Beach in Oct '08)
She is 81.
(Ma w/baby Summerlyn in March '98)
What do YOU think an 81 year old woman would be like? I can assure you that she's NOTHING like you might imagine!!! My Ma has always taken care of herself. I don't mean that she works out each day or takes a 5 mile hike.

I mean that, in a sense, she's prissy...even still...at 81.
(Ma w/Tyler at her anniversary celebration)
Here are ways that I know my Ma...

Sparkling clean house, perfectly painted fingernails and toenails, hair always done (or in the curler process of being done-HA!), clothes always neat, indulging her grandchildren, thinking ahead, organized, makeup on (except when preparing for bed), packing up to go to the cabin, coffee ready in a blink, saltines in the Premium tin on the bottom shelf, family taken care of, home cared for, good stories, finger pointed, folded down bags of her favorite snack in the upper cabinet (on the left side of the sink), "Be still!!!", chocolate covered cherries (Tyler developed his PASSION for these from her!), expert traveler, mowing grass, Lola "in charge"-HA!!!, floppy beach hat, camera in hand (the "dern thing"!), reading the latest best seller, little toe issues, beautiful wedding rings, lipstick prints on your cheek, lotion-soft hands, "Oh LORD!", laughing until our sides hurt and we cry, "I gotta take a pill!!!", chewing gum/mints, driving her car.
(Ma & Mom at JET's graduation in June '96)
Only a tip of the iceberg, but these things are snippets of the ways we know her! She is truly a remarkable woman. I love to hear her tell stories of her childhood. She was adopted. And she remembers things from when she was very young. Ma can tell you in great detail about life "back then". And you know as you listen to her that it truly was a different world...much simpler and more focused than what we experience today. Her world has always been focused on "Tommy" (my Pa), her family. Her home. Her kids. Her grand-kids. Her great-grand-kids.
(Ma w/toddler Savannah in summer of '01)
She's that woman who has always enjoyed doing things like "spring cleaning" and doing all the work it takes to prepare for guests. Of course now, she'll tell you that she's too old and too tired for all of that, but if she has any energy...she's up doing it!
(Me, Summerlyn, & Ma)
I'm sure my Ma has enjoyed other things over the years. I have a painting hanging in my hall upstairs that she did years ago. She's shown a passion for various things over the years, but never more so than her family, and friends.
(Me, Ma, & Debbie in summer of '01)
As I searched through my pictures, looking for memorable ones of Ma, I noticed something. Most of the pictures I've ever snapped of her are ones where she's doing something. Rarely are there pics of just her face! It's like my Mom said years ago...when you're the one who always takes the pictures, there aren't many pictures of you! It speaks so much to Ma's service to others. For the first 20 plus years of my life, we always had a big Thanksgiving dinner...we always had money & presents at Christmas...we always had special times when we visited my Grandparents. And Ma was a hard worker for her family, in all of that, and still is when she has the opportunity.
(Pa, me & Ma in summer '01)
Everybody is different...grandparents celebrate their time with their grandchildren differently. I was only able to visit with my Grandparents little more than a few times per year while growing up, so the visits were a highlight to my life, not just to my summer or holiday! It was something that I looked forward to for weeks & months, and
Ma did NOT disappoint during my visits!
(Ma & me)
The pics in this blog are again...only a tip of the iceberg. My memories of her reach much further. Look...nobody is perfect, I realize...BUT...for any imperfections my Grandparents have had, the blessings have abounded more so in my life. Their influence and love for me has made a mark on my life. And those of us who are close to Ma, have without a doubt...in good and bad times...been exposed to lessons and sacrifice that make up a beautiful legacy. We would not be the people we are today, without Ma's touch.
(Pa, me, & Ma 1995)
Lord willing, we will continue to add to our memories and laughter this fall, when we head to Topsail Island on our family vacation. And that touch that Ma has will add to our character even more...HA! We are all looking forward to it!!!

I LOVE YOU GRANDMA!!!

(Ma, Dean, & Luke-Holden Beach-Oct'08)

Today, I praise the Lord that He breathed life into Lola Ruth!
(Having "tea"-Holden Beach-Oct/08)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MA!!!

I'M SO GLAD YOU WERE BORN!!!

Happy Valentines Day!

For God so loVed the world
****that He gAve His
***********onLy begotten Son
***that whosoEver will
***believeth iN Him
******shall noT
***********perIsh but have
*****everlastiNg
************lifE

John 3:16

Tried to get this out a little earlier! Check back for a special birthday blog!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JET!!!

(Handsome Brother!)
Ahhh...having a "baby" brother. The joy! The trouble. And the thrill of watching him get his fanny spanked, while I got off "scott-free" (which RARELY happened!!!).

Today is my brother's birthday.

He's 31. Gee-whiz! What does that make ME???!!! Not funny, JET!!!(when I was pregnant w/Tyler...JET was Summerlyn's age now...11 years old)
I barely remember the day he was born. I was eight. I've wondered through the years, how my children have such great memories for being so young. It seems that they can remember and talk about things from the age of 4 or 5 (at least SCARLETT can, as she's only 6 now), and I can barely remember things from when I was younger.
(Jet w/Tyler)
I remember Mama & Daddy coming by my elementary school to say "good-bye", when they went to the hospital to have my brother (his name is Jonathan Edward Thomas...JET). I think I remember my Mom sitting on a towel or a towel in the floorboard of the car, and I think the car was dark blue. That sounds silly except that my Mom's water had broken, which would make sense. I'm sure I've probably seen pictures over the years to "help" my memory.
(Carmen-8 yrs old)
And I think the reason that I don't remember more from those younger years, is that Daddy gave me too much NyQuil to help me go to sleep...JUST KIDDING! (My Mom is probably having trouble breathing right now!).
(JET's kindergarten picture)
I remember being at my friend Sandra Gilbert's house, when her mother told us that I had a new baby brother. I didn't really comprehend that at first...just couldn't understand what that meant. All I knew was that I was getting to play at my friends house and we were going to have a sleepover!
(Dad purposely raised us crazy...)
My next memories of Jonathan consist of this little baby (if you call 8lbs, 8oz. LITTLE!) in a sleeping gown in his crib, which had the matching crib sheet. So I could barely tell where little baby brother stopped and where the crib sheet began! He had a sweet head and dark hair. And he was definitely on the chubby side! And Mama & Daddy kept showing me a special spot on the top of his head that was soft. Something about not poking it...(now you know what really happened!)...HA! I don't remember a lot of things that others might...like the first time I saw the "he" part. Or how he sounded when he screamed. And I don't remember what I really thought of him, only that I struggled with some sibling jealousy initially. But I DO remember how cute he was...he was the cutest baby I'd ever seen. With dark eyes, a button nose, and chubby cheeks...well...chubby everything! He smelled good, too.
(JET at 10)
And I DO remember the time that my hamster's escaped from their cage...and how one of them ran RIGHT INTO Jonathan's nursery. My Mom was panicked, and I felt horrible! Of course, I don't remember how the hamster's escaped...but that's not important! What's important is that we found them all (I think there were 3), and returned them to their cage.
(Jet at 11)
It's funny how your memories get stirred up. As I started having children myself, I remembered so many things about when Jonathan was little. How he looked as he stood inside his crib, holding on to the rail and chomping down on his itchy gums. How he would push baby food out of his mouth when he didn't like the taste. And later on...when he was a toddler...how he would constantly move his hands. I'm sure he was probably ADHD...but they didn't know about that stuff way back then!

(JET's football pic)(After JET's surgery...I was pregnant w/Luke)
I'd love to show you pictures of that yummy little baby boy, but Mama has them "packed up" somewhere, and I don't have any myself, despite the fact that I was like another mommy to him. I just wasn't into picture taking at the ripe old age of 8! Over the years, I've certainly felt like I mothered JET in some way...except that at 8 years old, I couldn't possibly have birthed him! AND...he did irritate me and get me extra spankings as a child...which definitely makes him a bratty little brother. But without a doubt, God blessed our family so much with Jonathan...and here's my birthday wish for him...

(Mom & Dad...don't worry...they don't look like that now...!)

"Honor your father and your mother,

as the LORD your God has commanded you,
so that you may live long
and that it may go well with you
in the land the LORD your God is giving you." Deuteronomy 5:16

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONATHAN!!!
I'm so glad you were born!!!
(Papaw & JET...I think JET is 22)
(JET & Tyler...JET is 20)

Following Christ

Do you think of "following Christ" in terms of giving up the "bad stuff"? Or for those who are more devoted to the calling...staying away from specific sins? No more wild parties...no more alcohol induced rages...no more porn...no more drugs...no more selfishness. Sounds harsh, I know...But as Christians, sometimes we think living out the Christian life means leaving out the obvious sins that are so damaging. Laying down a sinful lifestyle is definitely part of having a relationship with Christ. However, we face a serious problem as believers, if we define ourselves as His followers but only focus on the obvious sinful behavior...when the devil snookers us with the subtleties of sin. We must realize that Christ calls us to much more than just laying down sin...He calls us to a change of heart AND life.

He calls us to be "fishers of men".

In Matthew 4:18-20, Christ told brothers, Peter & Andrew, to "Come follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men". And they did...just like that! The Bible says they "immediately" left their nets and followed Christ. The first thing I notice about this testimony is that Christ didn't say, "Stop committing sins against God and THEN follow Me". He didn't say, "As soon as you have given up the bad stuff, THEN follow Me". Jesus realized that the core of our Christianity...that is, being a follower of Jesus Christ...does not depend on how well we can harness our sinful nature. If it depended on that, it wouldn't matter that He died on the cross to pay for our sins! Jesus knew that the most important thing about being a Christian, was for those men to follow Him and to serve others. And when He called them to do just that, they immediately obeyed Him.

Christ calls us to follow Him and to serve others, and He gives us many examples of each. Christ obeyed His Father and He led & taught by example. Some of the greatest advice for our Christian walk He's ever given us are found in Matthew chapter 5...

"Those people who know they have great spiritual needs are happy, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Those who are sad now are happy, because God will comfort them. Those who are humble are happy, because the earth will belong to them. Those who want to do right more than anything else are happy, because God will fully satisfy them. Those who show mercy to others are happy, because God will show mercy to them. Those who are pure in their thinking are happy, because they will be with God. Those who work to bring peace are happy, because God will call them his children. Those who are treated badly for doing good are happy, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them." vs 3-10

Christ tells us exactly what the Christian life is all about...what the cost is for those who believe in Him, follow Him, and serve others. He explains to us that we have great spiritual needs...there are times we will be sad in which God will comfort us. He calls us to be humble and to do right. He calls us to show mercy and be pure in thought. And we are to work on bringing peace to ourselves and others. And He sees ALL things, and He WILL reward us! Notice He also says heaven is ours! God will comfort us...He will fully satisfy...He will extend mercy...we will be with Him...He will claim us as His own!

In verses 11 & 12, He promises this...
"People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do, you will be happy. Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you."

So how can Christ say that when we're persecuted...we'll be happy...?!!!???

Because He knows that the most important thing in our life is to follow Him and serve others. In following Him, we'll be participating in a relationship with Him. And that is the key to happiness...joy...in this life. He doesn't promise us that we'll be happy due to our circumstances. He never said our happiness depends on how our day, week, or year goes. He says that we'll be happy if we follow Him...if we have a relationship with Him...and we'll find joy in serving others.

Simply put...the Christian life is
more about taking action to follow Him
and serve others...being "fishers of men",
than focusing on being "good".

We can't be good, anyway...no matter how hard we try! So He calls us to follow Him...

And guess what?

The "bad stuff" won't be as tempting if we're walking daily with Him...it just won't taste good.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." Psalm 34:8

Weeks, Wills, & God...parts 1 & 2

Last week was a bad week.

Out of our 5 newborn lambs...2 died. Not because they were too little or it was cold. One died by jumping into the water trough and drowning, and the other died because Basil (our dog) broke her neck (whether by playing w/her or "herding" her...we don't know). My heart was broken over these sweet little lambs! The one that Basil killed was one that we had brought into the garage to bottle feed, after her mommy sheep refused to care for her. We were so looking forward to the opportunity to raise this lamb, and the experience it would be for the girls.

My Friend from SC called one night...her neighbor's husband from Charlotte, NC had died from kidney cancer. He was diagnosed last October (yes, 3 months ago), and died last week, leaving behind an 8 year old daughter and a 20 year old son. Such a depressing situation, even though he was blessed to be able to say all the things he needed to, for his family's sake.

Last Thursday, my adorable little 2 year old son, fell into a rock fireplace and cut his mouth. That required a few hours in the ER, and 3 stitches! He's going to be just fine, though, and while it was draining afterward...it really wasn't a stressful or panicky situation. It was, however, "coffee morning" with friend and neighbor, Erica (the ball-cap lady)...but we wound up having our fun in the presence of ER doctors and a very loopy-and at times-very mad...Luke!

All that, and I'm battling the feelings that come from having a 2 yr old as your closest companion. I'm feeling some isolation, due to a lack of adult interaction. Considering that I'm at home nearly 24/7, that would be an issue!

So that's what I have deemed "a bad week".

As my girls and I were crying...hard...on Friday afternoon, after Basil had broken the lamb's neck, I started questioning God.

I mean...He could have prevented Basil from doing that, right? He IS in control after all...right? Why DO bad things happen? He has ultimate control over everything. I just didn't understand why that baby lamb had to die. It was the culmination of a busy and frustrating week. And it boiled down to the death of that lamb. So I asked God "the question"...

WHY?

Why didn't God heal that Daddy from kidney cancer?

Why didn't God prevent that lamb from jumping into the watering trough?

Why didn't God prevent Luke from falling into the rock fireplace?

Why didn't God prevent Basil from killing the lamb we were bottle-feeding?

WHY does God allow bad things to enter into our lives?

I was so frustrated as Dean and I talked about this before drifting off into dreamland one night. Dean answered me with truth, but it was still frustrating. He said, "It's a sinful world". Okay, yes...sin plays a huge part in all of this...but God is still God. He's still on the throne. He can prevent anything He chooses to...so why not prevent something so simple as a dog from killing a lamb?

"Because that's the natural state of a dog, Carmen" Dean replied, "Dogs naturally kill smaller animals at some point because that's their nature."

Okay...I can see the animal thing...sort of. The lion can't lay down with the lamb in this sinful existence. That will only happen in Heaven. Okay...got it.

But God could still choose to prevent "the natural state of a dog". He's GOD!

"Carmen...God NEVER INTENDED for life to be this way" Dean said, "This life is NOT His plan...everything changed when we screamed for our independence from Him waaaaay back in the garden of Eden. When Adam & Eve chose to disobey God, it led to the life we now live. And just as things have gotten worse since Adam & Eve's day, things will continue to deteriorate in our day, until Christ comes back."

I started to understand what he was saying. My rebellious side was screaming about how God could have protected a little innocent lamb, though. But that's just the point! Nothing is innocent now. It hasn't been for all of existence beyond Eden. It's not an innocent existence. It's a sinful one. And bad things happen because of that.

And while God can choose to do anything...yes...He IS God, after all. He sometimes chooses to allow the bad things to happen because that's what this world and the people in it, experience most often. And if we as Christians can't relate to this world and the people in it, then they are doomed to a Godless existence forever. Because WE are the ones with the truth...WE...those of us who have repented and come to that point of salvation, which is-falling to our knees in repentance and asking Christ to be Lord of our hearts and lives. WE know the truth. And in order for the world to even give us the time of day...to take us seriously when we bear witness to our Holy and Mighty God...we must relate. Only then...when we can say "I know exactly how you feel"...can we then say "and I know what Christ did to save me and what God did to change me".

At the threshold of my perspective change, which was a profound one, I picked up the book that I'd laid down months ago, entitled, "The Shack". And guess what the next several pages included? They included answers to...

The Question.

"I still don't understand why Missy had to die." (Main character, Mack, was asking the angel/woman this question concerning the death of his 6 year old daughter, who had been murdered by a child predator)

Her response? My answer...

"She didn't have to. This was no plan of Papa's (God is referred to as "Papa" in this book). Papa has never needed evil to accomplish his good purposes. It is you humans who have embraced evil and Papa has responded with goodness. What happened to Missy was the work of evil and no one in your world is immune from it."

So while I was grasping this perspective, I picked up my personal study guide for the "One Month to Live" challenge that we're doing at church. And here's what the verses were:

"Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:2-3

and...

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

WOW!!! Way to go, GOD!!!

I've been weary of studying this challenge because I feel like it's depressing. But I was blown away at how God pulled last week's trials together with the verses from the challenge for last week!

He's nothing short of incredibly amazing,
and even that can't touch the truth of Who He is!

To be able to study this challenge and gain a whole new perspective on why we suffer and why God allows bad things to happen, is an absolute miracle. It's a miracle!

My perspective changed at the end of my bad week.

I have always known that God can do anything. I've always believed that God seeks to prosper us, and He does. But I've always thought that this world really belongs to God and that the devil just plays around here. And while God is God...His power is limitless...the devil has never and will never hold anything over God...we must remember that when we demanded and took our independence from God, back in the garden of Eden...He gave it over to us, and He will not forcefully take it away from us. Our free will is a gift and our independence is ours. And that's the way it will be until Christ comes to take us home. Then...the world and all the people OF IT, can HAVE themselves. And we can finally be free from sin's influence in & on our lives...free from the very act of sinning against our precious Lord.

And "the question" won't be a battle...a war...any longer. The dog won't kill the lamb. Cancer won't touch His children ever again...and stitches won't be a requirement for healing!

The Lion will lay down with the Lamb.

And weeks won't even exist...especially bad ones.