Friday, August 28, 2009

Too Tired to Post



Tiredness has really set
Into my aching bones,
At today's doctor visit
Old sawbones yanked some toes.
(which in turn pulled my feet, ankles, shins, calves, thighs,
hip-joints, and a ruptured disc at S1-2 creating bunches of trouble.)

We got home from the doctor
I fell into Big Blue Chair.
Took a pain pill when I could.
Tried to do a crossword there.

Made a couple of phone calls
To some people involved with our boys.
Hopefully we'll steer them toward manhood
Away from "curvy" toys.

Drew a couple of florals
For Jen's use in her new bathroom.
Thought about starting a trinket box
But went back to the puzzle to tune.

The TV was on all of the time
On the old movie channel.
This month has a feature star each day,
Wish I could have been on the panel.

Somedays I've watched it all day long
Not knowing the star in this day's sky.
The movies are so very good
They're the ones that can make you cry.

There's no dirty words or nudey scenes
They still kiss with their lips closed.
Mama and Daddy sleep in twin beds
If someone's nasty it doesn't show.

We'd probably be better off
If we too were in old movies.
Although the problems are the same
They are handled in ways quite groovy.

My favorite musicals have played
Singing the songs was oh so fun.
Liza dancing in the study
Meant in the rain in Spain we could run.

There's been shoot-'em-ups and robberies
Wars between enemies, families and friends,
The cry "Remember the Alamo"
Yul Brenner as a robot, there's no end.

At the end of August I'll go back
To the home and cooking shows,
Dreaming things that won't come true
But praying, only Heaven knows.

Right now it's almost 2:00 a.m.
My sleeping pill is working.
If Pat arrests me for DUI,
Will my blog friends be real perky,

To come and get me out of jail
So that I can go to bed,
Get some really good sound sleep
Grabbing tomorrow by the hair of the head.

Good Night dear friends. This poem was written "on the fly" as I'm sure you can tell so don't hold it against me. I like doing this once in a while just to see what happens. Please know that it is not my plan to desert you. There are just some days that I can't get out to the computer at all. Thank you for understanding,

God Bless,
Mimmy

Monday, August 24, 2009

Christ Crucified and Me

Over the last few days I've not been feeling well and have had a lot of time to think. My thoughts, of course, have been on my pain and some other personal dilemmas we have been facing. Pat and I spoke earlier today of how we don't know how we would get through this period in our lives if it weren't for our faith in God and His ability and desire to sustain us. We know that we will get through and our prayers always contain a statement of "Thy will be done".

Have you tried to put yourself in Christ's place on the night before the crucifixion? Can you imagine the agony He must have been going through? Even though He was a divine being, we sometimes forget He too was human. The pain that He felt from the scourging, the embarrassment from the mocking, the suffering from the crown of thorns being ground into His skull and the agony of spikes being driven through His hands and His feet. Could I have borne the same pain and still looked at those who had inflicted these atrocities on me saying, "Father, forgive them for they know what what they do." I don't think so. Having to answer that question in this manner is hard for me.

The truth of the matter is that I'm not of the same nature of Christ. I wish I were and I do try to be. Some days I get a little closer and some days I take a few steps backward. The one thing that I have to remember is that I don't have to be perfect. There has only been one perfect man to ever walk this earth and He died so that I don't have to be.

There have been more than one occasion in which I was in an audience when a preacher said, "If it weren't for the fact that there are children present, I would read to you an account of the crucifixion written by a physician. It is just too graphic for young ears." Are we doing our children a disservice by saying this? Here too, I'm really not sure. They are hounded every day by a deluge of "stuff" from Satan. Just walk through your local middle or high school to hear and see what they must experience every day, unless they are blessed enough to be home schooled. At one point in my life I felt that homeschooling deprived kids of some life experiences. Today, those being home schooled are being deprived of nothing but being bombarded by Satan and the many things he uses to pull their spirits from our Lord.

Sometimes, I really think that, except for very young children, it would not hurt our kids to hear exactly what Christ suffered for them. If that picture could be instilled in their minds as well as ours, it might not be quite so hard to say "no" to Satan and "yes" to Christ.

The other thing that we have to remember is that even though Christ went through this terrible suffering and death, it would not be worth anything if He hadn't risen. There were countless people who died on crosses during Roman rule. Yet, they aren't our saviors. The only Savior we have is Christ Jesus and that is because He overcame death and is ruling today right next to our Father. After you have imagined His death, imagine how Mary must have felt when she went to His tomb and there was no body there for her to prepare. The emptiness must have been tremendous. Imagine walking into the cemetery where a beloved family member is buried and seeing their tombstone turned over, their graving exhumed and you have no idea where the body had been taken.

Then, imagine walking down the road and running into the cemetery's caretaker only to find out that it is your loved one. The emotions must have run from one end of the spectrum to the other. Mary must have been terrified, elated, anguished, hurt, angry, you name it she must have felt it in those first few minutes after her arrival. What she must have felt when she first realized that her friend had been risen is unimaginable.

When you say your evening prayers, please remember to thank God, not only for the fact that Christ suffered and died for us, but that He is risen. He sits on the right hand of our Father, interceding for us, explaining to our God what we are feeling and what we need. Also, express thanks for the Holy Spirit who can intervene for us when we don't even know what we need. Those who walk each day in the light of God's truth are truly a blessed people.

In Him,
Mimmy


Mary’s Good News, The Lord is Risen
Mark 16: 9-6; John 20: 11-18


Mary stood outside the open tomb
Weeping with bitter tears.
She knew not where they’d placed her Lord,
She could not calm her fears.


When asked by the two angels,
Why she was crying so,
She said she knew not where to look
Nor where she was to go.


She then saw the lone gardener,
At least that was her thought;
When He called her by her name,
She knew ‘twas He who taught.


He would not let her cling to Him
He sent her on her way
To tell His friends and followers
That He rose as He did say.


She ran as quickly as she could
To give them the good news.
They looked at her in disbelief
Saying it was not true.


We wonder at their lack of faith
When they had been with Christ;
And heard Him say with His own lips,
"In three days I will rise."


Yet have we any greater faith
When we read of all His strife;
His death and His resurrection;
His loving, caring life,


Do we then the things he asks,
Or live our lives for Him?
It seems to me, that we like them,
Have a faith that is quite slim.


We too must listen to Mary
Who said, "Our Lord is risen",
And walk with Him each day we live
To our home prepared in heaven.


Mimmy (Joyce Smith)
January 27, 2006

Friday, August 21, 2009

Happy Anniversary

Today is our 16th wedding anniversary. You may have noticed that my Anniversary Counter turned over. If not, that's OK, I'm telling you all about it.

This is my second marriage and I'm not very proud of the fact that my first marriage ended in divorce. It was not because it was my wish for that to be the case. There is no need to point fingers or cast blame. Nothing is ever just one person's fault but I would have hung in there had I been given the slightest hint of cooperation. Sometimes you just have to let go as long as it is according to God's will.

I said that to say this. Sixteen Years ago today Pat and I stood before God, a host of family and friends and each other and pledged our faithfulness, trust and love. It was a very special day. Joshua, my son, and now our son, walked me down the aisle and gave me away. When asked, by my Daddy, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man", he responded, "My sisters and I". He actually did it without fainting for which I was very proud of him. Walking down the aisle, I sang the love theme from Ice Castles. There is a line in the song that says, "And now I do believe that even in the storm we'll find some light. Knowing you're beside me, I'm alright.". That line was very poignant because from our very first date, and even before, Pat had helped me deal with many of the problems that I was facing in my life. He did everything from reinforcing my very little bit of self confidence to paying off a lot of medical bills that I had. My Daddy pronounced us man and wife, and with one "I do", Pat became a husband, a father and a grandfather.

For the last sixteen years he has filled all three roles in a manner that is quite outstanding. He has given to all of our children and grandchildren a true example of what a Christian man should be. We were given an opportunity that began ten years ago that would test our love for each other and our love for Christ to the fullest. Our grandson Zachary moved in with us. A little over a year later, his brother Dakota moved in also. A year after that, their sister, Hali, joined them. For more than half of our married life, we have had at least one grandchild living with us. One of these days I'll share with your some of the wonderful tales of our time with our resident grandchildren. For right now, this is anniversary day and I just want you to know how very special I think my hubby is.

As you will remember from
here, Pat had a fight with cancer a few years ago. He considered that an opportunity, as he does all of the problems we must face in our life together. He has faced raising three grandchildren, cancer, a knee replacement, losing his job after 25 years of service, and a whole sheaf of other problems with merely a "God has a plan". He is a spectacular man, a wonderful person and one of the most sincere and faithful Christians I know. What more could a woman want in her man?

Happy Anniversary Pat!!!

God Bless,
Mimmy


Happy Anniversary 2008

Sometimes it seems like only yesterday
That I walked on Josh’s arm,
Singing my heart out to you
As if no one else could ever do us harm.

We’ve weathered many a mighty storm
In the fifteen years we’ve shared.
Those storms haven’t put one tiny chip
In our love, our destiny and our care.

For like someone I know keeps saying
God has a plan that is true.
If we but trust him to lead us
He’ll surely get us through.

We can never face too strong a wind
Or too bright a lightening flash.
No matter how the thunder rolls
We’ll never lose love’s splash.

Like Gene Kelly singing in the rain
Stomping and dancing in the gutter,
We’ll make it through the storms of life
Holding hands and dancing together.

No matter how down in the dumps
We tend to get sometimes,
You pull me up and I’ll do you
We will never lose our life's rhyme.

God’s plan for us will ever grow
We’ll stay forever in his hands.
The love that he has given us
Will always and forever stand.

I love you,
"Leroy"*
August 20, 2008

(*That is another story for the same place at another time.)

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Clocks, Clocks and More Clocks

Earlier this morning, I was visiting my friend, Margaret at her blog Images In Thought. She also has another blog, The Old Story Tree. It would most certainly be worth your time to visit them both. They are created around poetry and short stories, respectively.

To get to clock, I decided after seeing the one on Images In Thought, that I needed a clock for my blog. There is not any particular reason since once I get on the computer I tend to stay until I'm done or my body shouts, STOP, which ever comes first. You know, we all have to keep up with the Bloggers. (ha,ha) (I hate LOL) Anyway, after having been totally off track for a little over two sentences, it took me over an hour to get a clock on my blog. Not because I didn't know how to do it but because there were too many to choose from. Since this is all still relatively new to me, I had no idea the number of widgets, blidgets, and other idgets there are out there.

The biggest problem was that I was looking for something that would match my blog and my personality. There were several that would have matched my hot pink background but the amount of "bling" was just too much for me. I'm not a blingly type of girl.

Then I saw Alice in Wonderland and it was just perfect. There's enough pink to match my blog, Alice was one of my favorite characters both in book and in movie, and, come to think of it, I'm pretty much like Alice. She likes to try new things, I like to try new things. She likes to "travel", I like to travel. Alice likes tea parties, I like coffee parties. Alice plays cards, I play cards, particularly solitaire. She sometimes sticks her nose into places where it doesn't belong, I sometimes stick my nose into places it doesn't belong, just ask my children. She can get people angry with her by not saying a word, I can get people angry with me by saying words, just ask my children.

Alice also did something else. When an opportunity presented itself she tried to help others. Hopefully, I can say that I too try to help others. That is my intent for this blog. As others read parts of my story and the stories of others that I share, I hope that they can draw from them and learn something that will make their lives better. Yes, it would be nice to have thousands of readers and hundreds of comments, but I was absolutely trilled to find out this morning that I now have seven followers and last week I had five comments on one post. That means seven people think enough of my blog to read it and follow it. That's seven people, plus those that I know read and don't comment, that I can hopefully help in some way.

As I read your blogs, I know that you are blogging for that same reason. You have helped me, and I'm sure you will continue to help others.

Thank you and God Bless,
Mimmy


Let All Kinds of Love Continue


She stood in the line at the grocery store,
Four children crying for candy;
He reached in his pocket, found four-dollar bills,
Friendly love continued grandly.


They sat in a pew their first Sunday there,
It’s the pew that is usually mine,
I stopped for a moment, introduced myself
Brotherly love continued just fine.


The old man came in and sat beside him
In the Bible class on Wednesday night,
When he saw that the old man couldn’t find a verse,
He let brotherly love be right.


A woman too young to be in a chair
And a man too young to be pushing,
Someone opened the door wide for them
Husbandly love came in rushing.


She stood next to me, the invitation given
The tears streamed down her cheeks,
I reached for her hand, she said, "Go with me?"
Sisterly love continued for weeks.


He sat on the couch reading the paper,
His little girl came up to him.
With a book in hand, "Daddy read to me."

Fatherly love continued with grins.

Just a dollar bill , a simple hand shake,
A helping hand from me to you,
Open door, hands to hold, Daddy taking time,
Will make all kinds of love continue.


But where did it start such a long time ago?
It started with hearts in Their hands.
Where Christ Gave His life and God gave His Son,
That’s the place brotherly love began.


So do what you can every day of your life
To share the love Christ gave to you
Share it with others so they can be saved
Let's let all kinds of love continue.


Mimmy aka Joyce Smith
August 17, 2008

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Not Me Lord

My time at the computer yesterday and today has been spent primarily in getting caught up on my reading. As I read the Williams Family Blog, I found myself feeling very ashamed at my attitude over the last few weeks. There are times that I get so caught up in my own disabilities that I fail to realize there are a lot of people in this great, big, wonderful, crazy world who are a lot worse off than me.

Little Jonah, who is the subject of
this blog, is afflicted with EB which is Epidermolysis Bullosa. This simply means that the very softest of touches can result in a blister that his parents must lance. The skin covering it sloughs off, in most cases, and makes a horrible, raw, runny sore that has to be carefully bandaged and monitored. When I first read this and began following this blog, it did not seem to me to be too serious. All you would have to do is be very careful when you touch him. Well, that was a great big lie I told myself. Consider for a minute all the times you have to touch a baby in a day just to provide him with the most basic of needs. Also, those touches cannot always be "gentle". Feeding, diapering, holding, loving, bathing, changing clothes...

Then, you have to take into consideration all of the times a baby touches himself or, rubs against something in their ever growing development. Playing, discovering his face, fingers, toes, mouth, tummy,...and all of the other wonderful places that babies find while learning about their bodies and their senses. Then, take into consideration the fact that all of these blisters have to be covered with bandages which means that Jonah has spent most of his life covered in bandages from his neck to his toes. Right now all that is exposed to this world is his face and his hands.

Then you have to think that Jonah cannot wear anything with elastic, snaps, buttons, zippers. You try shopping for baby clothes with those restrictions and see how down you may get.

Then, stop and think that all of your friends are having healthy, happy babies whose skin is as smooth as a you know what. Then, every day you must look at your baby who has terrible, oozing sores all over his body. If I were in their shoes, I'd get pretty mad at God, on occasion.

What right do I have to complain because I have to spend most of my day sitting in a recliner, crafting, reading, writing, telephoning, and doing the other wonderful things I love to do. My day is not spent in bandages. My day is not spent wondering if a child of mine will develop a new blister in the night just because he rolls over or bumps into the side of his bed. My days don't have to be spent entirely inside because getting out in the heat makes the blisters run more.

Boy am I lucky. Yes, I do have to deal with a lot of pain. Yes, I can't get up and just walk where ever I want to go, but I do have an electric wheel chair that helps. Yes, I do sit in a chair or am in bed about 22 out of 24 hours a day. Yes, there are times that I wish God had not permitted me to be the one to deal with my disabilities. However, I don't have to deal with all that Jonah and his parents do, so that is an even bigger blessing for me. Lord, help me to remember every day that my trials in this life are minor compared to others and help me to count my blessings every day. In His name, amen.

Please visit
Jonah and let his parents know that they are in your thoughts and prayers. Right now they are having a pretty rough time as Jonah is not eating and is having a lot of trouble with reflux when he does. He needs to have a lot more calories than the average baby because of the energy his body extends in healing.

When you do visit them, thank God that you do not have to experience their trials, and praise God because he knows that Jonah's parents have enough faith to make it through. Only the very best are chosen to be parents of a disabled child.

God Bless,
Mimmy



A Special Baby Boy


Jonah is a special child
A champion for our Lord.
Through his trials he’s taught others
To carry a mighty sword.


His eyes light up an entire room.
His face is as bright as the sun.
He holds your heart in his little hand.
He lets you know he has won.

His mother is a precious soul
Who loves her Savior and King.
She carries her heart on her shoulder
Letting others hear it sing.


His dad is one in a million
Who shares in the tasks they must do
Brought on by a demon called EB
That gives them trials, not a few.


This family is blessing their whole world
With their grace and faith ever shown.
They sometimes get down and weary,
They never put God off this throne.


Share your faith with this family.
Let them know that you pray and you feel.
They need all the help we can give them.
They need us to help them heal.


Thank you and God Bless the Williams family.
Mimmy – August 15, 2009

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Mimmy's Thankful Thursday

Today is Thankful Thursday in the MckLinkey world. It is being hosted by Elyse in her blog, Following Him. In a previous post, here, I told you about a daily devotional book which is published by our congregation. It is entitled "Daybreak". That title was selected give us a break every day. {FYI - Our editor has placed a limitation of 200 words for each writing. The article or poem must fit with a specified column size. However, I have become notorious for waxing poetic much too long and giving our poor editor fits. This will be important later.}

During our hectic schedules we can get so caught up in life that we fail to take a break and let God speak to us every day. In turn, we need to take time to speak to Him. These avenues of conversation are two of the things for which I am faithful. Without God's word to "listen" to Him and prayer to talk with Him I'm not sure how I would survive. Do I spend as much time reading and praying as I should? No, of course not. There is so much in His word to garner and so much that needs to be shared with Him, that if I spent all day every day in conversation with my God it would not be sufficient.

The list of other things for which I am thankful is very, very long. Trying to decide what to share is difficult. Do I talk about my extended physical family, my church family, my children, grandchildren, friends near home, friends far away, former co-workers, blogging and bloggers, my home, food, clothing, pain, problems, finding answers, not finding answers, where do I start?

Since there will hopefully be many more Thankful Thursdays during which I can share, I think today I'll just give you a poem that I wrote for "Daybreak", that lists these things and further explains why I am thankful for each. Next week, I pray that I will feel better and will be able to pick just one from my thankful list and share with you all of the wonderful reasons they/it is a part of my list.

Thank you for sharing your list of Thanksgiving. It is wonderful to see that others believe in God and are thankful for his wonderful blessings. It is my plan to share more of my faith and the reasons for it as my blogging days continue.

Take care, God Bless and keep being thankful.

God Bless,
Mimmy


I’m Thankful For...
Colossians 3:15


I’m thankful for the world God made,
The beauty and creatures therein.
I’m thankful God knew man would fall,
That He made plans to redeem from sin.


I’m thankful Jesus came to earth
Lived and died and rose again,
So if I’ll walk within His light
A home in Heaven I’ll win.


I am thankful for the Bible
That tells of Jesus’ love,
It gives us all that we must know
To guide others to homes above.


I’m thankful God gave me a family
Who believe in Him and His grace,
Who help me walk the narrow way
Who cheer me while running life’s race.


I’m thankful for three grown children,
The grandchildren they’ve given me.
I pray they’ll all find their way back home
Before we all face eternity.


I’m thankful for my dear husband
And the support he’s been to me,
God in His wondrous knowledge
Sent us grandchildren, one, two, three;


To share our home and the love there,
To do the very best we can,
To prepare them for the day ahead
When we’ll all take our final exam.


I’m thankful that I live in pain
So much others must push my chair,
‘Cause it’s always there to tell me
That others have many more cares.


I’m thankful for my great church home
They have never left us in need.
All we must do is say the word
Soon we know that they did heed.


I’m thankful that God has given prayer
That I can thank Him for all
The wondrous things I’ve mentioned above,
Many others both great and small.


For if I had to list them all
In this book I’m also thankful for,
Our editor would at the very least
Let me write for this work no more.


Mimmy aka Joyce Smith
October 4, 2008

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

A Loving Heart

As I was going through my poetry "library", this one struck me. Right now, I can't even remember the event that prompted it. That's not a good thing. From here on out, I intend to make a note at the end of each poem if it's written for a special occasion. That having been said, the event really doesn't matter. What does matter is that there are more good things in this world than there are evil. We just have to search.

If I'm not careful, I can easily get caught up in the difficult situations in my life rather than looking at the blessings God has given me. Looking back at those blessings is what is sustaining both Pat and me through this time of financial uncertainty and my health problems. There have been so many times in my life that I would walk through the front door after work and be afraid to flip a light switch. The fear that the power had been cut off was very real. There were very few times when I found myself in this pickle that the money to pay the electric bill didn't come from somewhere without me having to ask. God already knew what was needed and took care of it. Isn't He a wonderful Father?

There is one blessing given to me by God which shows there is never anything too small for God to take care of. At the time, this didn't seem so small though. Monica, our oldest daughter, was already two weeks overdue. She ended up waiting a month past her due date to make her appearance into this big, wide, wonderful world. The doctors kept telling me that I must have miscalculated my dates, but when she was born with a very, very, full head of hair, wrinkled face, hands and feet, holding up her head and taking a full 6 ounces of formula at a feeding they decided I had not been mistaken. She was already a month old. Monica had just decided she didn't want to leave the comfort of Mommy's "tummy".

To say the least, I was making several trips to the bathroom each day. We were out of toilet tissue and money. Payday wasn't until Friday. This was Tuesday. When I went out to the mailbox Wednesday morning, what should I find but a full sized roll of Charmin. It was a free, unexpected, unsolicited, but really needed sample. See, God can even take care of toilet paper. If He can look into my life completely enough to give me toilet tissue, He knows me well enough to provide for me both financially, physically but most of all spiritually.

My challenge to you is to look around your world, count all of the blessings God has given you and see if you can find something "small" that he has taken care of for you. The big things we always see. Sometimes we forget to thank Him for all of the little things in our lives he takes care of each day. Ever need a loaf of bread, think you have no money, be searching your car and sofa, reach into your pocket and pull out $5.00. I have. Aren't God's blessings quite wonderful?

If you don't have a toilet paper story in your life I'm quite sure that you can find another little blessing from God. Take a look and make sure that you have a Heart full of love for our Heavenly Father while you do.

God Bless,
Mimmy


LOVING "HEART"

Hope and Health, Home and Happiness
Happy faces with turned up smiles;
Hurrying children and quick Hellos
Heavenly golden miles.


Eyes full of laughter, Ears to hear it,
Endless lists of friends we love,
God’s Earth and all that’s in it
Eternity with God above.


All God’s children, All God’s words,
All God’s loving care,
All God’s blessings, All God’s beings
All good everywhere.


Relatives with which to share,
Running children, Racing thoughts,
Rules that God has given
So we know what’s good, what’s not.


Tears of laughter, Tears of care,
Tons of friends with which to cry,
Truth, Tranquility, Thankfulness
A Trustworthy Savior who died.


These are some things that we should love
But only just a few.
God has been so good to us
A full list we can’t do.


If we’ll try and love these things
At least we’ll have a start.
We won’t have very far to go
To a truly loving HEART.


Mimmy aka Joyce Smith
November, 2004

Friday, August 7, 2009

A Speial Visitor

This week, our grandson Trey has been visiting with us. He has been an absolute joy to have here. His poor legs will never be the same. Running errands for me has been has biggest pass-time.

Trey is a very special young man. He recently turned 15 and will soon hit 6 feet tall. We wish this was a blessing, but he is taller than average because he suffers from
Marfan Syndrome. Marfan's causes more than average height and most of those who suffer from it have an arm span that is greater than their overall height. They also have very fragile joints that can become "dislocated" with very little provocation. Trey has learned how to reset most of his joints independently, although any major joint dislocation still required medical attention. Thankfully, as he has grown, he has learned the tactics required for prevention rather than cure.

The major symptom, and the one that fears us most, is the fact that the aorta can expand beyond it's limits and burst. This generally occurs in the mid to late teen years, but the last scan that Trey had did not indicate any growth over the one prior to it. For that we are thankful.


Besides getting me glasses of water, fixing my breakfast and just generally keeping me company, we have played "Upwords", at which Trey excels, done some crafting and watched old movies on TV. He also went to Vacation Bible School every evening and helped out with the young children's classes. Didn't I tell you he's a super kid.

Today, I'm going to share with you the poem that I wrote for Trey on his last birthday. If you are interested in a photograph of him, visit my post introducing him to you, here.

Trey, thank you so very much for all of your help this week. We will truly miss you when you go home.



Happy Birthday Trey

On this the day you turn fifteen
You’ve grown so very tall
That we can hardly face the fact;
Seems only yesterday you were small.


You’ve grown into a special “man”
Though not quite one in years,
Remember as you grow in height
To listen with open ears,


To the scriptures as they tell you
The best way to walk in life,
If you follow in Christ’s footsteps
You’ll have a much happier life.


As you celebrate this birthday
In what ever manner you choose,
Remember that we love you
And our love you’ll never lose.


Mimmy 5/26/09

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

VICTORY

Today as I read through the blogs I follow, catching up on days I missed, I was astonished to find that two of those blogs were being pummelled by some of their readers. As I do not know the details, I'm not going to address specifics. That would be impossible, since I don't know them.

Coupling this with yesterday's post, I just want to address the fact that each of us, every day, has to fight many battles put in our paths. Sometimes those battles are fought against circumstances, like my fight against weakness and pain. It is the ones that are fought against others that are filling my thoughts at the moment. Especially those that must be fought against those who injure us, either in word or in deed. How do we fight them? Do we, like those mentioned above, throw unkind words in response to something with which we disagree? Do we use the tactics of military forces throughout the world and try to be bigger and better than everybody else? Or, do we fight our battles as Christ did asking our Father to forgive those who have offended us in some way.

Although I have not blogged long enough to have garnered any enemies, I hope that I would choose to fight as my Master did should the time ever come that my blog, its content or its intent are ever questioned. The only time we have recorded in scripture in which Christ became angry enough to react whether than act, is the episode in which he overthrew the money changers' tables in the Temple. That reaction was not with regard to an act done toward him but regarding an action taken toward God, our Father. Those at which Christ was angry were desecrating God's temple, not yet injuring Christ personally. If I am ever to get angry, let it be because of some enemy of God's acting in a fashion in disrespect to Him, not in disrespect to me. My feelings are of little concern to most of those on this earth. However, the feelings of God should be of concern to all. If they are not today, they will be one day. When we all stand before God at judgment, every knee will bow, and I am sure, no harsh words will be spoken, either in my direction or in God's.

If you must fight, please fight for the right. Save your angry words for something of value and then, be sure you are not fighting just to be fighting or to make yourself of some importance. Make your energies count. Just don't throw out words in an effort to fulfill your agenda. Let God's agenda be in the forefront.

Last year, I was asked to write a poem about victory based on the scripture found in Ephesians 6:12-18. The following is that writing. Please choose your battles carefully. Your entire future can rest upon that choice.

God Bless,
Mimmy



BATTLES FOUGHT, BATTLES WON
Ephesians 6:12-18

A war is a series of battles
One fought then the next in rows.
Valiant soldiers are winners of many.
In others they face only woes.


Life is a series of battles
Between us and Satan’s horde.
Fighting the bad and winning our souls
With the good given in God’s word.

Each of us must put on God’s armor,
Be ready when the battles do come,
Stand firm in the path of evil ones,
Never fail midst the battle drums.

Buckle belts of truth around our waists,
Put our righteous breastplates on,
Shod our feet with the Gospel,
We’re now ready for a battle won.

Add to this the shield of a great faith
That will block Satan’s flaming spears.
On our heads put salvation’s helmets,
In our hands, Spirit’s Swords for years.

This great Sword, it is the Word of God
That will guide us in all our ways,
As we pray at many different times
With different requests each day.

We’ll face each battle ready to fight
Satan’s evil army of foes.
We’ll have the VICTORY God intends
Today and as eternity goes.

Mimmy aka Joyce Smith
September 8, 2008



Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Change of Schedule

Boy, I've missed you all. The past week to ten days have been pretty much devoted to trying to reduce the pain in my back and leg to levels that could be somewhat tolerated. There were several days that the only trips out of my chair were to the bathroom. If it weren't for my hubby, Patrick, I don't know what I would have done. He really continues to spoil me. Patrick, just in case you read this, which I know you will, (because you always do), thank you for taking such good care of me. I LOVE YOU!!!

My poetic entry for today speaks to the change in my life's schedule that has taken place over the last few years. It's not a change that I asked for, nor did it go from work to chair over a matter of a few days. This has been a journey of years. Not one that I would wish for anyone to have to take but one that the Lord knows I can handle. Sometimes I wish that he didn't have so much confidence in my ability to handle pain, but knowing that he does is what often gets me through.

Thanks to those who checked on me. Enjoy today's work and I'll be reading all that my blog friends have written since I've been gone.

Take care and God Bless,
Mimmy


Change of Schedule

The alarm would buzz quite early.
Through the traffic jam I’d drive,
Working for my employer
From eight o’clock until five.


Then home to see my dear family,
Pass hugs and kisses around;
Fixing supper then washing clothes,
Do the dishes, go to bed, sleep sound.


That’s how I spent most all my days
Until a few years ago.
It’s what I wish to be doing,
This time in my life, you know.


Sitting in my blue easy chair
From break of day until night
Is really not the thing I’d choose
But that is what is in sight.


Instead I spend most every day
Deciding just what to do.
A craft, a crossword or word search,
Read a book, a note or two?


Whatever that I choose to do
To while away the time,
There’s nothing I like any more
Than to write down words that rhyme.


Sometimes I share them with others
Sometimes they’re just for myself.
One thing I truly know for sure
You’ll never find me on a shelf.


As long as my mind is working
There will always be a way
For me to put my thoughts down
Saying what I want to say.


Mimmy aka Joyce Smith
August 4, 2009