My Heart 2 Yours

Faith based encouragement and opinion

Author: Georgia (page 3 of 5)

Can’t take it back!

Years and years ago Howdy and I would have a discussion. Well, it was a heated discussion, ok, it was an argument. It was not a knock down, drag out type of argument. It was a “war of words.” Howdy would always win, he was so good with words. I usually ended up crying, running from the room, going into the kitchen and slamming a kitchen cabinet door Did my pride want to win, was I willing to keep silent. No, not me, I had to have my say and by darn, he needed to listen to me, now that is pride.

Words would be thrown into the air, landing we knew not where. Words hurt, they stung, they wounded and they cut to the core of our being.  Once they were out of our mouths, we were sorry, but, we could not bring them back. We could not grab them out of the air and re-eat them. Most times all we could say was, “I’m sorry, please forgive me.” Oh, yes there was forgiveness but the words still hurt and sometimes they wounded to the marrow of bone. We say we forgive but we don’t forget. Well, I’m saying that maybe we should think before we speak. During this entire  election season  I have myself said things that I wished I’d not said. Oh, Lord help me to think before I speak.

Proverbs 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

And then James 3: 9 & 10  “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.”

I’m sorry, I’m just as guilty as the next man or woman. I want to give  encouragement to  men and women.  I want to be one who builds people up not tear them down. Do I tear them down to make myself more important or do I lift them up to encourage them to do better. I want to say, “you are loved, your the best one, you stand tall because the Lord uses you to bless others, your made in the image and likeness of God therefore you are a blessed child. I want to say, ” you did a good job, you did that so well, I can learn from you, oh, how can I help you to help others.”

The tongue is such a small part of such a larger body, but it can do such harm. Lord help us all to stop and think before we throw out words that will hurt others. We have two eyes to see more, two ears to listen more but one mouth to say less. God grant us the wisdom to know when to keep quiet.

More later.

This little light!

As a little girl I remember singing “this little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.” I think almost every little kid that went to Sunday school or vacation bible school sang that song.  As an adult I can still sing it with more meaning. Yes, it is a child’s song but it is still applicable to every adult today.

Isaiah 60:1  This scripture says: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”

Matthew 5:16  “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. ”

I was greatly honored to attend the “home going” service  for a young man last week.  Joel Kaylor  was the son of the Kaylor family, missionaries to Japan.  Joel’s parents,  Leo and Phyllis,  met in Japan, married and have four sons and two daughters. It was their youngest son, Joel that died and stepped into eternity . Most of the family were in Japan but flew into Portland, Oregon to honor their son and brother. Joel was in his early 40’s, married to a lovely girl and they  have  3 children. He was also pastor of a church in Osaka, Japan. Yes, the whole family, in one way or another are pastors or supporting pastors.

As I sat in the church, watching the family, the friends and then the slides put together to honor Joel, I was so touched. My heart was overwhelmed by the faithfulness of this family. Their faithfulness to follow the leading of the Lord to go to a foreign country to minister to its people.  It really started with grandparents and great grandparents years ago.

Sitting in the church listening to stories of Joel, it was heart warming. He was a balanced young man, he laughed, pulled pranks on friends, loved his family but most of all, his  love for the  Lord Jesus. His was a wonderful life lived to the fullest. He had so much energy, so much love for others, so much, oh, so much.

Then I began to question, why Lord, why take Joel, he’s so young, he is so needed in Japan, he is so vital, so full of life. His young family still need his guidance and wisdom.  But then I remember that with my whole heart, I believe that God is in control, He is in charge. Howdy used to say, “God is driving the bus, he is in charge, we are just along for the ride.”

Joel let his light shine in just the 44 short years that he was here on earth.  He did not try to hide it under a bushel basket or a rock. No, he let his light shine. He stepped out of his comfort zone and proclaimed the Lordship and the loving kindness  of Jesus.

Now I’m not saying that we all have to stand up on that rock and preach. No, all we have to do is let our light shine. At the store, talking to a teller at the bank, at the gas station, where ever you find yourself. There are so many times a day that we have the opportunity to mention the loving kindness of the Lord to people. It is amazing how the Lord will bring us to someone who really needs that good word. That loving kindness to minister to their hurts. We can tell them about the love of Christ by not preaching to them but by sharing a kindness. Think of all the places you have been in in the past week. How many times could you have showed kindness? No preaching, but showing love.

Something to think about.   Is your light shining today?

More later.

What do you see?

In my minds eye,  I see a tapestry. It is a grand tapestry, one with a wonderful uplifting  scene. There is a high mountain,  a deep gorge, fantastic waterfalls, tall pines, a stream filled with crashing cold mountain water. The stream is descending to a small  meadow filled with soft spring flowers. On each side of the stream I see green grass, mossy covered rocks, some wild mountain flowers  and wait, what is that in the distance? Oh, I see it, it is a stag, a majestic, regal stag. His antlers are grand with many points. He is a grand old man standing in this flower strewn meadow. In the sky I see the most beautiful eagle. He is soaring to and fro cbd products prey below.

As I draw closer I begin to see small frayed spots. Again, I begin to see small holes in this beautiful tapestry. You see, this tapestry is a picture of my life. There is a  hole that are labeled unforgiving,  there is another one labeled lack of trust, yet another one is labeled pride. Oh so many holes. More holes than I would have thought. How did they get there, I thought I had taken care of all of them.

Only the Lord Jesus Christ can help me mend the holes in my life. I ask the Lord to help me to learn to forgive, to trust and get rid of pride. It is a daily battle. It seems to help if I read the Word more. Listening to worship music is another answer for me. Praying for those who have hurt me, praying for their success. Praying for humility, to be able to see others through the eyes of the Lord. Sort of through Jesus glasses. In the end I must give all of this over to the Lord, only then will I begin to mend the holes in my life. I can not do it on my own. I can not screw up my will or hold my mouth just right to make it alright. Only the Lord!

What does your tapestry look like today? Do you see frayed spots or true holes. What is the label on each hole? What do you need to do to repair your holes? I will be praying for you as you pray for me. We are able to learn from the past to help us in the future. In the future we see what the Lord wants us to do. To teach, to reach out to others, to learn and to share.

I for one want to mature into the woman that God wants me to be, not just live out my years doing what I want, but what I’m destined to accomplish.

Join me in making the repairs to the holes seen  in my life tapestry and your life  tapestry.

“Muse, Ponder or Meditate.”

Oh, I do like the word, “muse.” It means to ponder or to meditate. It’s a great word to have roll off your tongue. Lately I’ve been musing or pondering just what our lives are all about. How are we seen by others. How are we an example to others.  I have had a hard time getting started on this thought because it is so personal to me. Recently I heard a saying, ” In life if you want a good view, take the moral high ground.”  Think about this, deeply.

During this past year I’ve attended more than a dozen funeral’s, home goings, or celebrations of life. As I sat there I could see a “thread” running  through out the entire sharing of each life. Each and every life was an example of what to do, what to be, what to be an example of or what to be remembered. As family members or friends of the departed loved one shared, we could see that some really took that “high road” and some were just an ordinary person  who was used by an extra-ordinary God.

I guess it is because of my last  birthday and I’m a year older.( “older than dirt.”)  When I was a young wife and mother all I could think of was getting up, packing lunches, getting boys off to school, getting hubby a lunch packed and off to work,  and later, getting myself off to work. Then there was the Kapiolani Community College in Honolulu, Hawaii. Going to school myself, studying, doing chores, cooking meals, doing wash loads, checking the job list, who did what and who didn’t do what. Attending church, Sunday school, just doing what needed to be done, day in and day out. We were so busy just living life.  We didn’t have time to think, “gee, I wonder who is watching me and how I behaved or reacted to whatever.” Now that I’m older, I do begin to wonder.

Several years ago at City Bible Church, after Howdy had died,  a woman came up to me and told me she had watched me for years. She watched how I greeted people, how I reacted to my husband when he led worship. She watched how I hugged other women and children in the church. I was totally surprised at her statement. She said that she wanted to be more like me. Now that I was a widow, she watched me even more intently. Wow! No pressure here! She got me to thinking. What kind of an example am I to others. Do I walk with Christ every step of every  day. Do I act different when I’m in church as to when I’m in my living room or at the store. I hope not! I hope that I react in every way and every day that is pleasing to the Lord.

Titus 2:7 says, “in everything set them an example by doing what is good, in your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about you.”

At my “home going” or “celebration of life” what will be said of me. Will it be positive, oh I do hope so. I do hope that they will say, “she took the high road” to be an example. Will they say that I had been a woman of integrity, a person who was sensitive to needs of others. Will they say that I have been honest and dealt honestly in the market place. Was I kind to dogs and cats, a little humor needed here.

I do want to hear the Lord say to me, “come up thou faithful servant.”

What kind of example are you?

More later.

13 months, 2 weeks and 5 days, but then who counts!

I’ll need to set the stage for you today.

During the time Howdy was in Japan and Viet Nam I kept having this re-occurring dream. No it was more like a nightmare. I was in my living room and watched as two Marines along with an officer walked up to my front door. As I opened the door, I was told that my husband was dead. He had given his life for his country. My nightmare took me through a funeral in Arlington Cemetery. Howdy casket was on the horse drawn cart. My sons and I walked behind the cart. It was cold, rainy and bleak. I would wake up crying. I had several of these nightmares. But…I clung to the Lord, I just knew that Howdy would be home soon and safe. He had been gone for a year and now had just about 6 more weeks before he would be home.

It was about 5 am on a Sunday morning in early October, 1966.  I was sound asleep when I heard the phone ringing. I ran down the hall and into the kitchen to grab the receiver. I said , “hello” and all I heard was “Georgia, I love you, Georgia, I love you.” The phone went dead. It was Howdy’s voice, he was yelling, oh, what was wrong? Was he dying and he just had time to put a call through to me? Was he injured and got his one call out of Viet Nam. At 5 am I was in a fog and now it was a heavy, wet fog. Oh, what was going on?

I went back to bed but couldn’t sleep. Finally got up and got the boys up and fixed breakfast for us all. The boys got ready for church and I got dressed. I was to teach the 7th and 8th grade Sunday School class. I was a mess. Got to the church and as I was telling the pastor and his wife about the phone  call, I started to cry. I cried and cried, eyes red, nose running, cried. I just could not stop. Of course someone else took over my class. The pastor asked the people to pray for me as he told them about my 5 am phone call. Pray for Georgia and pray for Howdy.

Now I must take you back some hours. It was, I think, a Sunday night in Viet Nam. Howdy was now stationed at a place called “Chu Lai” just north of “Quang Tri” and “Hue” located on the beach on the South China Sea at the mouth of the Gulf of Tonking. Howdy was billeted in a 4 man tent called a “hooch.” The tent was raised off the ground on a platform. Each man had a corner of the tent as his own.

That Sunday night Howdy was sitting on the beach in front of a bon- fire with about 8 other Marines. They all had had more than enough to drink. (not iced tea) All of a sudden the communications officer yelled at Howdy, “hey Sligar, let’s call your wife.” Howdy says, “why the he– not, let’s do it.”

Now here they sit, on the sandy beach in South Viet Nam, in front of a roaring fire and the communications officer wants to call me. This officer has the old “krank” style of phone. It is a field phone and he begins to krank the phone. He gets the operator in Danang. He say, “this is an official call, patch me through to Manila, Philippines. When the operator in the Philippines came on the line he said, “this is an official call, patch me through to  Camp Hansen, Okinawa.” Then the operator in Okinawa asked if this was an official call, he said, “yes, this is an official call.” Next he asked the operator in Okinawa to “patch me through to Honolulu,  Hawaii,  Headquarters Marine Corps.” He then asked the Headquarters Marine Corps operator to patch him through to Andrews Air Force Base operator in Virginia.

By now the men sitting around the bon- fire were all leaning towards the communications officer. They could not believe what was happening in front of there eyes and ears. Here they sat on the beach at Chu Lai, South Viet Nam and listening to a phone call being set up to go to the east coast of America.

The operator at Andrews Air Force Base came on the line. She was told that this was an official phone call and she should get the operator at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, North Carolina.  The operator at Cherry Point came on the line and the communications officer said, “this is an official phone call, connect me to a local phone number in Havelock” He turns to Howdy and says, “Hey Sligar, what’s your phone number.” The Cherry Point operator dials our phone number. It is 5 am and I’m sound asleep. I ran down the hall, grab the phone and all I hear is, “Georgia, I love you, Georgia, I love you.” At that point, the operator at Andrews Air Force Base came on the line,” Sir, this does not sound like an official call.”  The communications officer answers back, “like he– it’s now, the whole world is listening.”  THE PLUG IS PULLED!

Needless to say, this was not an official call but this officer knew all the right words and the right wires to pull to get this call through from Chu Lai all the way to Havelock, N.C. Back on the beach these men are laughing and laughing at what had just happened. Howdy was now the most famous man on the beach that night. He milked this tale a lot. He probably could have been court- martialled  for this but all the men would have had to be court-martialled.

Until I got the letter from Howdy telling me about the fun they all had, I was a mess. I just knew something really wrong had happened. He still had about 6 more weeks before he would return to the United States. I went between being so happy he was alight and being mad as he– that he had pulled that stunt on me.

Howdy came on home on December 1, 1966 and all was forgiven.

More later.
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