Today, I celebrate my Mom.

Laura Laverne Lee Cleary

I celebrate her 39 years on this earth.
I celebrate that I spent 9 years and one month of those days with her.

I see her, everywhere.

I see her in my sisters-
in Tina- determined to go against the odds and rise above the situations in her life.
in Marsha- the "clean" freak, always liking things clean and orderly.
in Sis- a hard worker, working from a young age to help provide for her family.
in Karen- the no-nonsense, "let's get this done" attitude.
I see in each of them- Mom's mannerisms: how she walked, how she talked, the shape of her hands, the shape of her legs.

in my brothers-
in Mike and David, I see both a desire for stability and security- and making it happen.

I see her in my nieces and my great nieces.
I see her in my nephews and my great nephews.
Jessica looks like Mom when Mom was younger.
Lindsey parents like Mom (and she's a lot like Karen) no-nonsense, but fun and is steadfast in how she mother's the girls.
Ricky's Elora is how I picture Mom as a young girl!
I also see Mom in Addy, Dustin's daughter.

And of all my children, I guess because she is a girl, I see Mom most in Allison.
The structure of her face.
The tilt of her head.
Her hands are my Mom's hands.  She has her grandmother's hands.
She's a homebody, just like Mom.
She loves her home, taking care of her family and finding peace and security in being home.

Maybe someday- I, too, will see Mom in the faces of one of my granddaughters.
I do pray they each receive the steadfastness, perseverance, hard-working, "will do what it takes to get things done" attitude- a love for their home and family.

Overcomers!

Reading through the Scriptures I have yet to find Jesus speaking these words:

I cannot overcome.
I did not overcome.
I will not overcome.

But I did find this:
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.- Jesus (John 16:33)

Jesus- THE Overcomer!

Have= past tense. Done.

Overcome:
Definition: I conquer, am victorious, overcome, prevail, subdue.
3528 nikáō(from 3529 /níkē, "victory") – properly, conquer (overcome); " 'to carry off the victory, come off victorious.' The verb implies a battle" (K. Wuest).- HELPS Word-studies

And I found this from John, the beloved- who had experience many many trials and tribulations because of the gospel:

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.- 1 John 2:13-14

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.- 1 John 4:4

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?- 1 John 5:4-5

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.- Romans 8

If you are a believer, you too, are an overcomer because THE Overcomer lives in you!

Set you mind and heart on this truth today!

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Trying to get back in the swing of things....

Well, I guess you could say...trying to get back in the running of things : )

Resurrection Day! A Resurrection LIFE!

I'm sitting outside this morning, a pale pink dawn.

It's beautiful. Warm, a slight breeze.

"Oh to see the dawn of the darkest day." Friday, the darkest day. Took our blame. Bore our wrath. Bearing the awesome weight of sin. Every bitter thought. Every evil deed. Crowning Your bloodstained brow. You became sin for us.

"Finished!" The Victory Cry!

"Oh to see my name written in Your wounds for through Your suffering I am FREE!"

"Death is crushed to death!
And Life is mine to live!
Won through Your selfless Love!"

Jesus, if it wasn't for You- dear One, I have nothing. I am nothing. Thank You for saving me. Saving me from sin. Saving me from hell. Saving me from death. Saving me from Satan. Saving me from the world. Saving me from temptation. Daily saving. Moment by moment saving.

Save- 4982 save, heal, preserve, rescue.
deliver out of danger and into safety, God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sin – and into His provisions (safety), saved/rescued from destruction and brought into divine safety.

Thank You for saving me from myself.

"Up from the grave He arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er His foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
and He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!"

"“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

"I have come that you have Life, Starla, and have it abundantly. The only Way you can have Life, true Life, is through Me. I am Life. I am Abundant Life. If you will trust Me, I will overflow in and through you, a river of Living Water flowing from your innermost being. I am your Rescuer. Your Savior. Your Healer."

This, the mystery of the gospel, CHRIST IN YOU, the HOPE of GLORY.

Thank You for taking me to the cross with you! Thank you for raising me with You!

💕Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.- Romans 6:3-11

Good Friday

As I sit here- looking out my "study nook" window and see the sunlight streaming through the trees, the Joseph's Coat rose blooming, the chickens in their little home, the mini straw bale garden, the smell of cut grass, the birds joyously singing their song-I think to a day- a Friday, 2000+ years ago when One was being putting put to death.

I understand now that so much more happened than I may ever know when Jesus was falsely arrested, beaten, whipped, scourged, mocked, stripped naked, nails put through His hands and feet to be hung on a cross- to die.

"I have come that you have life, and have it abundantly," He told His disciples. Then Life was put to death. (John 10:10)

What happened to this Abundant Life? The One who claimed:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19)

The very One who said to Martha:

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
The sun came up that morning 2000+ years ago. Just like every morning. The roses bloomed. The birds sung their sweet song.

And yet that day, Love was put to death. "For God so Loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

In a culture that tells us that we should get what we want and what we’re entitled to, and that we ought to live our happiest, best life, it definitely goes against the grain to dwell on something sorrowful. And yet, the words of this hymn invite us to take a journey through the last days and hours of Christ’s life. We join the crowd huddled on the sides of the streets, or at the foot of the cross, or in front of a sealed grave. We are brought together because of our trembling and our tears, but also because of our knowledge of why our beloved Savior had to die. Geography, time, culture – none of these hinder our togetherness in the body and blood of Christ. And so as we sing this hymn, we gather with Christians around the world, remembering. We lift our voices with our brothers and sisters, our voices filled with mourning, but also with hope. For we know that the journey of Good Friday ultimately ends with an open and empty tomb, where the earthquake causes us to tremble in awe and praise.- Hymnary.org

1 Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord? 

2 Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? 

3 Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? 

4 Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when God raised him from the tomb? 

Psalter Hymnal (Gray), 1987

Vacation

When I was growing up we never went of vacation. Honestly, I don't know if I knew what "vacation" was. The "vacation" I knew about was summer break from school and Vacation Bible School. We didn't, at that time, have fall or spring break. We did go camping a couple of times- and at one time my Dad had a boat and we spent a couple summers going to the lake and spending the day.

I remember one summer Dad let us work on Sunday- picking peppers, so we could spend Monday- his birthday, July 4th, which was always a fun day for us, at the lake.

We went to Kings Island a couple of times. Karen and I went to Mammoth Cave with our cousin Steve and his family- and our 8th grade class went to Mammoth Cave.

But I never felt as if I missed anything. I guess, how do you miss something you never really knew about? At times I'm sure we were bored...but we were always doing things with our friends, we would go swim at the creek or the lake, we went to the fair- going to our sister's houses (in Kentucky or Cincinnati).

I never felt like it was something that I was supposed to have or should have and my life wasn't complete without it. I still don't. If we get to go on "vacation" somewhere- that's great- we save up for it and go. We've taken our kids to Pawley's Island some - that was in the early 2000's but...after that money was just too tight. When the kids became teenagers, instead of vacations we went on summer mission trips with them. In 2014 Nick and I got to do a 10 day trip to Ireland for our 25th anniversary (11 months after our anniversary! LOL).

Sure, I'd love to really travel. There are some places I would love to see. But I don't have to. My life isn't incomplete without it. There are so many things we can do locally on a day trip that is just as much fun- and NOT spend as much money!

When I look back on my life I want to look back on things that mean a lot for Nick, and me and our family. What did I do with this one life? Did I love and receive love, on a daily basis? Did I enjoy life on a daily basis? Not always having something to look forward to. I lived like that at one time...always trying to have something to look forward to. I wanted the day to go quick just to get to that one day I was looking forward to...and it went by so fast.

Enjoy today. Enjoy the moment. Find joy in today. Find joy in the moment.