Wind Chimes

My Collection of Wind Chimes

Buffeted, Worn Down, Missing Parts
Needing Repair

I'm not sure when my love of wind chimes was conceived. Sometime after 1985--that's when our present house was built and I had none of these delightful, whimsical instruments at any of our other homes. I don't remember having them at my childhood home. I remember admiring them in gift shops while on vacations. Drawn to them while stopping for a potty break at the Mouth of Seneca Visitor's Center between Petersburg and Elkins on our way through West Virginia--going home to the farm. Looking at them at the Home Depot and Lowes while browsing the garden section (I could spend all day in a hardware, lumber, or garden store). And I do not remember buying my first chime or where I was when I purchased it. All of this is not what is important. The worthwhile aspect is that I finally got one.

I hear them all during the day and night. (They have never kept me awake at night--amazingly!) The only time I do not hear them is when it is perfectly still and no breeze is detectable. But does that mean there is no wind? It just happens not to be where my chimes are hanging. There is always wind.

There is joyfulness in the air when I hear the chimes. The high pitched tinkling of my smallest one matches the high trill of a Bluebird or spring Robin. The deep resonate of the biggest "guy" takes over the woods at the back of my house and fills the trees with music fit for a cathedral. There are all sizes in between and each is distinct and unique in their loudness or demure notes. Some take very little wind to start their musical melody and others need a gust to force open their hidden chords of harmony.

They are my daily witness of the Holy Spirit--if I am willing to stop, take note (no pun intended), and listen. Ah, there's the rub!

My favorite chime is outside my office door. My dear neighbors gave it to me as a thank you gift for looking after their pets while they were on a Colorado ski vacation. It is made up of old, unusable ski poles. They are the ones I hear the most and they have more tones, chords, or notes then any of my other chimes. I love this set of chimes. I have been in the middle of intense work, hear the chimes, and a smile crosses my face. I close my eyes and I relish the small concert...I'm doing it now!

He is here. The Holy Spirit is present, moving, and orchestrating all the notes in my life into perfect harmony. If I'll only listen and then do.

My smallest chime hangs on a trellis that I made. In the spring (in a another month or so), this trellis will be covered with beautiful clematis blossoms. And in the middle of this visual display is this small broken, wounded little chime that use to hold it's own in the sound realm and was a perfect compliment to the eye's feast. Tears come as I think of this broken instrument. That has been me, my family members, my friends, and countless others during the winds of change, winds of trials, and winds of everyday life.

Buffeted, pushed to it's limit, and having parts torn away. It can no longer chime as intended. Yet, miraculously, it still has one pipe and when the wind catches the clapper just right, I can hear the one lonely note still ringing. Still responding to the push of the wind. Still dong what it was made to do--chime in spite of it's crippling. I will lovingly take this broken chime and repair it. It will never be the same because some of the parts cannot be found. But it will regain it's place among the blossoms and once again find more than just one note to fill the air. I will repair it to be stronger, and it will hold a special place in my realm of wind chimes...the "once was broken, but lovingly restored" one.

I have to say in this season of my restoration, repair, renewal, and revival, I am open to the "winds" of the Holy Spirit as never before. His gentle breezes and His turbulent gusts are for pushing me to be His song. I hope to be "a sweet, sweet song in His ears" as well as for those He brings into my life. I desire to join with His other "repaired chimes" and ring for His glory.

New Course and New Destination

Sunrise speaks to me of God's mercies new for each day.
The quiet early morning is my favorite part of the day.

I met with a Life Coach this past week who is also a person that I place within my group of 7 people that I trust explicitly. I value her knowledge, experiences, and skill. I have watched her Christian walk over the years and no one can deny her depth or love for the Lord. She assigned me a book called, "Sacred Rhythms" by Ruth Haley Barton. Add to this book my morning readings from "My Utmost For His Highest" and "Daily Light" scripture passages for the day, I began to understand that even though I cannot see where I am on the rocking waves (see last post), I am headed in a direction that is God's destination. My tendency is to watch the waves and become too engaged with the tossing of the boat instead of realizing I need to keep my eyes ahead or even looking up in submission to where the Lord is taking me. Gazing up and out keeps me from looking down and in which makes me want to figure out how to settle the rocking or change direction to ease the ride. Always wanting to be in control.

I shared with my Bible Study gals yesterday this new place that I find myself in. All my past "comfort zones" are gone. This is a very unsettling place. Areas of pride have been uncovered, self-reliance has been shaken, self-assurance is a vapor. It's a new dawn. In spite of the bombardment of feelings and emotions surrounding this new destination, my soul's desperation and spirit's longing is guiding me into the presence of the Most High. God's workings and presence in my past cannot be taken from me. All of those God experiences are enmeshed within my soul/spirit and resonate that He is faithful. I am ready for this new destination--well, ready or not, I'm going! It's His timing and His plan.

I have to say, it's a new morning and I'm looking up. In my readings this morning this was the message:  He is close, He is near, I can come boldly to Him, and He is preparing me to serve Him and others with a truer heart.

Turned On My Ear

Sunsets are a reflective part of my day which speak
so loudly to me of God's majesty and creativity.

God, I'm longing for You. I'm sure it's by design, but my life is turned on it's ear at the moment. All my moorings, anchors, tethers are unlatched or missing. I feel myself bouncing on the ocean and I'm absolutely at the mercy of the elements and the vast amount of rocking water. Is this what the disciples felt when You were crucified? Their elemental first growth in knowing You, learning from You, following You, enduring all they sacrificed as far as family and friends in serving You, was turned on their ears. Their understanding of Who You were, and Your purpose for the future and their involvement with You in the future went horribly wrong--so they thought. They were without their anchor and floating in a mass of a killer crowd. Their minds, hearts must have been a disoriented mess, let alone their fear for their physical safety.

At some point, they all remembered the last thing You said to them and they found their way back to one another in an upper room. And they waited.

I remember Your words also, You have said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." "I am doing a new thing." "Seek Me with your whole heart." "Ask and you will receive..." So in this disoriented place that I am, I wait.

I have to say and I must admit, this is better than a desert no matter how undone I'm feeling at the moment.

Consecration

Two & Three Day Old Chicks

If you have never held a baby chick, you are missing a treat. (Put that on your bucket list!) You cannot keep from smiling when you hear, feel, and hold one of these little hatchlings. I had 18 eggs in the Genesis incubator and these 6 are the result. The other 12 eggs were not fertile eggs--I checked them after I turned off the unit. I went outside and threw them against the tree--if they are runny, they are not fertilized. If there is a glop, then somewhere along the line, the glop stopped growing because something was wrong. All the eggs were runny. I feel better that there were no glops. (There's a lesson in that fact; it'll be tucked away for another time.)

Have you ever had one of those days that you have felt yourself out of kilter. Not being productive in the accomplishing of a task--like unloading the dishwasher and emptying the sink of dirty dishes? The "want-to" isn't wanting to. Neither is the "need-to"! I'll go do it now--be right back! Took 9 minutes! That helps!

Nine minutes. Sometimes that's all it takes to change things. What other things in my life can I change in 9 minutes? Of course, there are the usual housekeeping chores, but I want to go deeper--within.

All the "bits" of time that I spent this morning in reading the Daily Light, My Utmost..., and the lesson in my James Bible Study, have pointed me somewhere. I need to focus. What is it that You are wanting to interrupt my day and have me to GET?

I can't get consecration out of my thoughts. That's not a word I use or think of everyday. It was in my "Utmost..." reading today. Separated. Set apart. For something. I have been consecrated. What does that look like? (I know all the religious answers--I want the bare-knuckle, honest, 21st century picture.) I picture monks, priests in robes, Jesus. And I hear all the voices calling out all the saints in the Bible. I'm not wanting to make this hard--I want to "get" what it looks like for me today, right now, by myself, with my 6 little chicks--in 9 minutes if possible!!! I am set-apart unto the Lord! I reclinith in my computer chair, ponderithing this large spiritual truth! I have all the Vine's & Strong's Commentaries, Lexicons, etc--I can research and dissect, cross-reference all I want. I have all the knowledge. I want the heart of it--His heart for me, at this instant or in 9 minutes!

Is this something that is done to me (yes); am I to be doing something to set myself apart (yes)...then what am I to be setting myself apart for right now? Is it the thinking upon it? Is it latching onto the "how big" that work of God is in my life, so undeserved? Is the meditating and not forgetting that work that He accomplished on the cross, and making those thoughts into a 9-minute offering? Each day I am to offer myself to Him, consecrated to Him--He has done the HUGE work, it is a small thing in that context, that I offer back to Him my day, plans, desires, motives, etc. I cannot consecrate myself...I can only submit and offer. It doesn't even take  9-minutes to do it.

I have to say, I think God wants more of me than just 9 minutes.

Genesis

Incubator with 18 eggs ready to hatch in 3 days.

This is my last day of fasting. I have not watched television for a week and have not missed it one bit. There are some other things that I have done/not done but those are between the Lord and I. I have a wave of melancholy. This has been so different. It has been meaningful.

I've been "mothering" 18 eggs since January 12th. They will hatch this Wednesday. There have been little thoughts that the Lord has dropped in me at times while I've been "fooling" with these eggs. These are nuggets that I won't share because they are just between God and I. When I turned the eggs over today (suppose to turn them 2-3 times a day until the last 3 days and then I leave them alone), the brand of the incubator jumped out at me. Genesis. "In the beginning..." New beginnings. In three days, these eggs will be no more and there will life. Adorable, cute, fuzzy, little yellow chicks that will think I am their mommy!!!

Genesis! This fast has been my genesis out of the desert. Tomorrow will be my genesis with the Lord without fasting. Each day after that is another genesis day with the Lord. I'm smiling over those thoughts.

Remember that neighbor that I apologized to? She and I talked today. She hasn't changed, but I have! Jack and I talked about that whole situation and I said a quick "burp" prayer for her. I pray that she'll have a genesis one day.

During this fasting week, God connected me with several significant people in my past who have had huge influences and impact on my spiritual growth--Kathy started it! Then my 70's Bible Study gals. The timing of these reunions has been God showin' up and I've seen HIM. God's reminder through these reunions:  His sustaining work throughout the years--through these dear friends lives as well as my own. Lots of genesis happening through the years with all of these friends.

In two weeks, my Wednesday Bible Study gals & I will start a new Beth Moore study, James. I know there will be some genesis happening there! This is God's present work--the working out of my sanctification with and in front of these gals who hold me accountable and I them! We will be "genesising" together!

There are three more people that I need to add to this list who are very much connected to any and all of my genesises (is that how you spell more than one genesis) and have been a part of my fasting week. My daughter, Shelly, my sister, Laura, and my best friend, Dell! They have been my deepest confidantes. I will start crying if I write anymore. These three know my heart and my life more than any other humans on this earth. They are alway part of any genesis in my life. The lesson here:  I AM TRULY A BLESSED WOMAN.

What happens to this blog now? I've no clue. It may have a genesis of it's own.

Now, all I have to say is...AMEN & AMEN.

Idolatry

My friend is on her way to the airport. She's off to a place to face her biggest fears and to come out of her captivity. I know I'm up this early to pray for her. She is consuming my thoughts. As I got my cup of coffee just now, I think the Lord put in me the feelings that she is having. Around my heart it feels like sharks are swimming--holey moley--the fear and angst is unbearable.

If I were God, I'd heal her RIGHT NOW! If I were God, I'd fill her with all those things that she has needed all her life. If I were God, I'd give her every answer that weighs heavy on her. If I were God...

That's been MY problem...I've been playing God in my life. I've been the biggest idol that has replaced my Lord and Savior. What a two-fold insight within 30 seconds. Talk about God showin' up!

This last day of fasting kinda feels like You are going to come quickly with some things, Lord. Forgive me for committing idolatry. Even though Jack and I have Welcome Center at church today, show up and don't let me miss You.

What do you have to say today, Lord? Help me & my friend to hear it...Amen!

Furnace People...Not What You Think

The Original 70's Bible Study
Cathy, Cathy, Pauletta, Kerry, Juanita, Dottie

The neatest thing happened today. The Bible Study that I was in during the 70’s had a reunion!!! There were 6 of us. The last study we did together was in 1977 or 1978. I don’t know if we all stepped back and were in our 20’s - 30’s or if we all stepped forward to the present...probably a little of both. The ease, trust, love, and familiarity picked up where we left off. We had a brunch, laughed a bit and then started into the serious part of catching up our lives.

One thing was obvious: our life trials revolved around husbands, kids, or grandkids. God chooses our family. These relationships that are the closest to us have been the crucible of God’s refining. Half of the gals are no longer married, the other half have at some point wished they weren’t! All have grandchildren except for one. And all have been or still are entwined with their grown children’s poor choices or life devastations of which no one is to blame. As we laughed and cried through each gal’s story we felt what that time was like for her. Some kept in touch and went through the “fire” with them; most of us lost touch and had no idea of the ordeals. The six gals who sat around that table could have given Oprah a run for her money as far as heart wrenching show stories. Not a single one of us would have picked any one else’s “fire” to go through. As the three Hebrew children came out of the fiery furnace, there was not a singed fiber or hair, not a twinge of smoke, and no burn marks anywhere...the same was/is true for those of us around that table. If the stories had not been shared, you could not have detected a furnace experience. I love these fellow-furnace survivors.

I asked God to give me insight for this reunion and how it relates to my fasting. I’m going to start writing because I’ve not formulated any revelations up to this point...let’s see what happens!

--Going through horrible life experiences doesn’t mean God isn’t part of it--He is the biggest part of it.

--If but for God...

--Laughter is medicine.

--Tears are a great detox.

--His timing is everything, but not necessarily liked.

--Trust Him

There could be an endless list but I’m not going to get bogged down into trying to “get it all”. I want the Spirit to drop new nuggets of this reunion into my thoughts whenever He wants. I’m sure He’ll use some of today’s experience to fill my corners that He has had access to during my fast.

Today was refreshing. Today was a rekindling of important spiritual foundations laid together with these ladies. My sisters in Christ. My traveling companions, whether near or far, as we make our way through this life into the next. These gals are the forerunners of my present day Wednesday Bible Study gals. No one can replace my Original Bible Study. We were together at that time because, quite frankly, that’s how God planned it.

I have to say...God is good...so very, very good...all the time! Glory!