gratitude – Page 5 – Jesus is for the Wounded

Something Good, Green, and Pretty

Published on July 17, 2014July 17, 2014 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

I’m headed to the gardens on Saturday, this time for the Garden Walk at the Allen County Cooperative Extension Office in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This year I’m volunteering in the Everlasting Cutting Garden as part of my role as an Advanced Master Gardener, however I’ll be wearing a different hat this weekend. Lord willing I’ll host a table in the Woodland Garden’s first artisan display. Yes, Trinity Jewelry by Design is on the road again!

Here’s a sneak peak at some new items I’ve added recently, getting creative in the middle of the night! The black leather bracelet has already sold but we have more styles in the Leather Wrap Bracelet section online at: Trinity Jewelry by Design. I’m also working on a cool adjustable necklace collection that integrates the friendship bracelets from Threads of Hope with colorful rondelle beads (think Pandora) and hemp cord. You are invited to follow me on Facebook for the latest designs and special offers by following this link: T J by D on Facebook.

If you’re in the area be sure to stop by between 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Take care, Just Julie

Threads of Hope triple-wrapped friendship bracelet

Handmade and adjustable double leather wrap bracelet

Handmade purple Chevron amethyst leather wrap bracelet

The small things matter too

Published on July 7, 2014July 8, 2014 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

My holiday weekend will be measured by small things, small joys. And these are no less than the big trips, celebrations, fireworks, and gorgeous mountain views from my friends on Facebook. Here are the things that matter most to me:

A view out a bedroom window that captures the emergence of the giant hibiscus flora.

The sweet look of concern from our furry friend when she knows what’s up and how to love with her eyes.

My beloved who can live in the moment with me no matter what life brings.

I made it through the time that needed to pass while awaiting a medical appointment on Tuesday.

The creative block with Trinity Jewelry by Design broke through with a new bracelet design and a bunch of cute variations with more to follow soon.

Tending to the William Battin roses that exceeded my expectations early this Summer.

Witnessing the promise of a bumper crop of cucumbers to redeem the poor showing with the cool Spring last year.

Time to relax with Steve at home, to review, to plan, to talk, to enjoy meals together.

A couple of phone calls with my brother who is making the most of a frustrating recovery from a stroke.

Long moments dwelling with my Lord in His Word yielding encouragement and refreshment for my soul.

A firework display from the comfort of our kitchen table, compliments of the neighbors next door.

Yes, the small things matter too whether you are recovering from a serious illness or not. I’ll bet you can think of a few special things too? I’d love to hear about them Gentle Reader. Your words encourage my heart and I’d like to get to know you! Take care, Just Julie

You bring me joy

Published on June 21, 2014June 22, 2014 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

How about playing a little tune while enjoying the view that encourages me these days: my beloved and my garden. Enjoy!

Song to play:

Pictures from my heart of gratitude. Thank you Jesus. You are so good to me. JJ

My beloved and me at Lakeside Rose Garden, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Our first compost pile in what used to be the dog pen. Sorry Elle! You'll have to share! — Our first compost pile in what used to be the dog pen. Sorry Elle! You’ll have to share!

Lavender in the veggie garden bringing on the bumblebees. Yes!

Looks like the Knock Out Rose bush is going to make it after all!

Bears Rule

Published on June 19, 2014December 3, 2016 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

Yes: bears do solve some kinds of problems! While in the comic strip above it appears that sometimes they can cause them too, this is not the case with a “bear” I happen to know personally. I just picked this cartoon because it has a furry creature in it of the grizzly variety. The one of which I am particularly fond is my River Bear: my beloved Steve! He’s my hero and an amazing athlete too (cycling and kayaking).

Steve in his Mohican surf ski at the 2013 Wildcat Creek Race

I am grateful to the Lord to be blessed with a man after the Lord’s own heart, smart, respected, handsome, personable, athletic, and loved by many especially his four children. He is my kinsman redeemer: the one whom the Lord provided as my husband, my intended beloved for the rest of my days. Steve has risen to the challenge of helping me through some very ugly aspects of a biotoxin illness. Amazingly while he feels for my suffering it never seems to affect his love and care for me. Sure he may be tired from staying up late with the wretched episodes but I never feel any less loved. His care and confidence in me never changes. His devotion transcends our situation. He is my Jesus with skin on for sure and I am exceedingly grateful.

I love you Steve. And I thank you Lord for your incredible blessing in my Stevers. Lead him and protect him, grant him wisdom and your grace as he fulfills the call you have placed in his life. Strengthen him, sustain him, and help him to continue to shine for your glory. In Jesus name, amen.

The How Long Song

Published on May 20, 2014May 21, 2014 by Jesus is for the WoundedLeave a comment

¹¹With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. ¹²We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2Thessalonians

You just never know who might be praying for you at this very moment. If you have let your needs be known to anyone who is faithful to pray on occasion, it is very likely that at some point in time you are being lifted up before the God of the universe for His gracious care. We might never know when that moment occurred or what was said. We might feel a lightness in our human spirit or we just many never feel much of anything except our suffering. But we can know this for certain: that the God of the universe, the one Who made you and me, was listening at that moment. His heart moved with compassion as your name came before His throne of grace that day. And His thoughts towards you then and now outnumber the grains of sand on the earth (Psalm 139:18). He loves you and me so much more than we can ever, ever imagine . . .

Our Heavenly Father has His hand on us. His hand both reaches out to us and carries us through the mire in our lives. We know that all things work together for good for His own, even the suffering. Sometimes we get to see this in our lifetimes and sometimes we do not. Our awareness doesn’t change the truth of the matter. He is in charge and will use our suffering for His glory: a greater purpose than our own lives (Romans 8:28). Wow. We may be relieved, blessed, redeemed, or justified too as he pours out His goodness. We must hang in there for we cannot know what the next moment or next day may bring. Even when the troubles continue on and on, in the words of Job to the Lord,

²“I know that you can do all things;
    no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
³You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
    Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me to know.

⁴“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.’
⁵My ears had heard of you
    but now my eyes have seen you.
⁶Therefore I despise myself
    and repent in dust and ashes.”

This is such an incredible witness of humility coming from a man covered in oozing boils, having lost all of his earthly possessions and children as well. I cannot imagine such suffering even on my worst days. Despite the episodes of wretchedness that continue to plague most of my mornings, afternoons, and evenings I will remain faithful to my call to love Jesus and trust in His plan for my life. Otherwise this journey of mine could be deemed meaningless. Suffering for nothing is the alternative. Holy cow, that would never get me out of bed in the morning! A searing post-seizure neck headache and global pain puts the creamy taste of even the best bulletproof coffee down the drain every time. NO WAY! Only the promises and reassurance of my Lord and Savior are enough at these times.

The only way for me to endure the stress of my life at the moment is to let Jesus take the wheel. Sometimes I just sit and stare for many minutes at a time. Sometimes I am not “productive” in a day until what others would call dinnertime. And sometimes I get a few things done then go back to bed for a long time. Graciously there are a few other times of late when I can get up earlier while it is still morning and remain out of bed for the rest of the day. Hey, I might be getting better after all! I used to go to bed between 3 and 5 in the morning! That pattern is generally broken and for that I am grateful. Like my Grandma used to say, I’m getting there, “slow but sure.”

The How Long Song must leave my vocabulary. Like the Ann Lander’s article quoting Robert Hasting’s article called The Station, we will “get there” when it is time. Life is about the journey dontcha know? Further, we will “get there” when the Lord wills it. My job is to endure well, the journey I am called to take, seeking His will and keeping an eye out for His fingerprints along the way. Let me not miss any measure of His sweetness in the sound of a calling bird or the bloom of a wildflower in unexpected places. He will never lead me astray (Hebrews 13:5) and never require more of me than I can handle (1 Cor 10:12) with His grace. He is with me now and until the end of the ages (Matthew 28:20), the end of my life. That is reassuring indeed.

I’ll close with an unexpected blessing that has come right in the thick of all things stressful over here. Twenty minutes of bliss. Cool beans, eh?