Heavenly

WE STILL DO!!

Posted on by pennyjoliver

We still do!

How did it happen? In my realm of reality…I really don’t know. My husband and I were just doing life. Ya know, falling in love, getting married, having kids, kids growing up with college and careers. One day you take a breath, sit back and say, WOW! Actually, I always thought old people stayed married that long – not me. I’m not that old! Well, it’s hard to admit you’re that old! I have been married for 35 wonderful years that sped by like a rocket! Although it is an astonishing feat, one I can’t say is all because of me, I can still think it’s pretty awesome that my husband and I can say, “We Still Do!!”

I sure hope to inspire you too. To let you know that you CAN do it. You can be married a long time and you can have a great marriage! Sure, it won’t always be easy, but it does change as you age. And if you’re willing, you can learn to be more of everything: more content, patient, kind, compassionate, and loving. The older you get, you realize your time here on earth is expiring. What do you want people to remember about you? Don’t you want each moment to be the most awesome it can be with all the people that you love, especially your spouse? He or she is the one you made vows with before Almighty God. You both own the marriage. It is a duel responsibility to make it work. They say a happy marriage is the union of two great forgivers, that a happy marriage requires falling in love with the same person many times, that when you love your spouse you are loving yourself because the two of you are literally one.

Recently, my husband and I had the opportunity to celebrate our anniversary by cruising to Bermuda. We took our kids too. It was a grand celebration! I was also under the impression that our Bermuda cruise was our anniversary gift to each other. Well, I was wrong. He showed up with 7 anniversary gifts, one for me to open each night. I of course, had nothing. Each gift was wrapped beautifully with a bow and a small humorous/romantic note attached. It is by far the most thoughtful, romantic, unbelievable surprise I have ever received from him! And, probably nothing he does in the future will match it! But the best he can and has given me all these years is the best gift of all, himself! He is mine and I am his….til death we do part! It sure doesn’t get any better than that. To be the most special person on earth to someone is by far totally incomprehensible to me, but most wonderful!

Here’s the gifts and the notes which are just too romantic not to include!

The sunglasses…“To see me in a different light”

The perfume with an atomizer, of course, because…” Marriage is a blast”

The “We Still Do” Christmas ornament because… “Every Holiday is better with you”

The Betsy Johnston watch because…“To keep track of the next 35 years”

The black diamond earrings because…“Even when times are dark you shine”

The rose-gold diamond and black diamond earrings because…“Beautiful as Rose, Brilliant as a gem

The coach leather pocket book because…” Loverweave Backpack Level 1000 to carry all your loot!!!!!!

(pocketbook not included in the picture, but my husband is a crafter of bags of all levels for our characters in World of WarCraft. To carry all our loot of course!)

…and then on our last evening, the Filipino waitress sings us a song with her beautiful voice. I am overwhelmed with emotion of the magnitude of our special milestone!

…and then just when things don’t get any better than this, Jesus pops in my head. In the Scriptures it says that,” I am His and He is mine. “(Song of Solomon 6:3) Can we even grasp the depth of these word’s written for us by God so that we might know that Jesus is yours and He is also mine? 2 Timothy 3:16 says” …all Scripture is God -breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” No, I don’t think we can grasp such Heavenly things. It’s probably why Jesus tells us to believe them instead. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”1John 3:1.

Moody Stuart states how God is mine and I am his the best:

God is mine to look upon, to lean upon, to dwell with; mine to bear my burdens, discharge my all my debts, mine to answer all my accusers, mine to conquer all my foes; mine to deliver me from hell, mine to prepare a place for me in Heaven; mine in absence, mine in presence, mine in life, mine in death, mine in the grave, mine in judgement, and mine in the marriage of the lamb!

He laid down His life for me so that Him and I can have all of this…

God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

My heart stirs with deep gratitude and love for my awesome hubby! To be loved is the greatest gift a human being can possess. Yes, my husband and I can say, “We Still Do!” And I am deeply honored. But there has not been a moment since God created me that He has not been doing all the things above, for me! And, He is also doing them for you too! Essentially, there is not a moment that passes by where God is not doing something for you and me too. God is always doing because ” God always does!” Most definitely my hubby and I can say, “We still do because God always does!”

Halleluyah!

love and blessings!

 

GOT BALANCE?

Posted on by pennyjoliver

Got Balance?

God says you do.

And I’m not just talking about balancing on one leg. Or, holding yourself up in a yoga pose for a minute or two. I’m talking about living a balanced life. Holding it all together no matter what life throws at you. Not simply surviving. I’m talking about thriving. You and me as people. You and me in our lives. Can you believe it? God has big plans for you, “…to give you a future and a hope”! (Jeremiah 29:11)

In God’s great book He wrote for you and I, He says that we are not left here to do this life on our own. He wants to help us. He wants to be that solid rock for us. The one that we can stand and build our life upon. He tells us that, “Everyone who hears my words and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on a rock.” (Matthew 7:24) We must not worry either. He also promises that He will hold us up. We must simply trust Him. We must believe in His ways for He says,” My thoughts are not your thoughts. Neither are your ways my ways, declare the Lord.” ( Isaiah 55:8)

And balance we discover in God’s world comes down to rock level. An ordinary, everyday, common object: the rock. God uses a simple object to show His precious,” created in His image” creation  an exceedingly great truth. (Genesis 1:27) Though God’s love for us is beyond what we humans can comprehend, it is as simple, firm and sturdy as a rock in practice!

I am sure that everyone would agree that it gets tough balancing life sometimes. Just like a yoga pose, we start out strong. Before you know it, we are wobbling, crumbling, and falling down while trying desperately to hold ourselves up. Soon we are totally out of balance. We can be strangled with the cares, worries fears and doubts of this life. Life no longer feels free, light, or buoyant or balanced. But, our God never intended that kind of life for us. God came to set us free from a life of burden and the guilt of sin. He says,” I came so that you may have life and live it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Next time you feel out of balance, choose to have calm in your chaos instead of trying to keep yourself up. “…build your life on the rock!”  (Matthew 7:24)

Next time you practice balancing poses, try to remember that “He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand”, (Psalm 40:2) and that, “He alone is my rock and my salvation, He is my fortress I will not be shaken.”  (Psalm 62:6)

Amazingly, God the “rock” is mentioned in 59 Bible verses.

Stand firm. You can have balance. I also know from my life that sometimes it takes a long time to get unbalanced. And so we learn to adjust and accept things that throw us off balance without even realizing it. Soon, we are so used to living this way it becomes our way of life. Thankfully, God wants us to have better. We are His children, after all. The Creator of everything and King of the universe: That is our Father. We are His children. What would you not do for your children in need? I’m only here to remind you. You already know that our Heavenly Father can do anything. Just ask.