Burnt Offerings...

"See, it stands written before me;

I will not keep silent but will pay back in full;

I will pay it back into their laps---

Both your sins (acts of evil/wickedness) and the sins of your fathers, says the Lord.

Because they burned sacrifices on the mountains

and defied me on the hills.

I will measure into their laps

the full payment for their former deeds." Isaiah 65:6

My friends....whatever you wish to call it; karma, justice, righting a wrong, the grace you give out comes back to visit, the evil you dole out comes back to haunt...of this I am convinced.

Yin and yang...balance in nature, in spirit, in the physical world...oh it comes dear treasures, no matter what you may see with your eyes, hear with your ears, study in your mind on the frustration of justice and its gatekeepers, it will rain upon their heads one day.

"Why should I fear when evil days come,

when wicked deceivers surround me--

those who trust in their wealth

and boast of their great riches?

NO man can redeem the life of another

or give to God a ransom for him--

the ransom for life is costly,

no payment is ever enough--

that he should live on forever

and not see decay." Psalm 49:5-9

I think often on being rich, somewhere in between and poor...a wise man once said "I've been rich and I've been poor, I like being rich better." Bob Mumford.

Same...been so broke finding a bill on the ground was like winning the lottery...when the tiniest of things meant everything...when joy was found in popping the kernels on the stove like my mother taught me, snuggling down with my children and watching a movie...when grace and mercy and respect meant something...when kindness was handed out freely through understanding and compassion of our own foibles and follies, once again there but for the grace of God go I.

Been rich...standing in wonder at the grocery store the first time I bought whatever we wanted, not needed...standing in tears in realization of a worry, a burden lifted from shoulders used to juggling bills and needs and wants, sacrificing for wants and need for the beautiful souls I called my babies....every mother and father out there know of what I speak.

Looking around as in a dream...still feeling slightly guilty buying that expensive purse, for no reason other than it was a work of art and I wanted it...remembering walking through west ed mall knowing that we were in this place of comfort and abundance for no other reason than God being faithful...

The in-between is where I feel I am now...and it's ok... but, and hear my heart my friends, I pursue more, I chase dreams turning them into goals and soon into achievements for the love of the craft...the money is the bonus, the icing on the cake, the grand finale, the Stanley Cup...and oh it is lovely to be free of worry, of fear of where the next meal is going to come from, or how I'm going to fill the gas tank to drive the kids to school each day...it is wonderful to know I can hop a plane and fly to every strange and fascinating country on my list and then some...to go to a foreign land and meet the PEOPLE...the souls who make that country how it is, the passion and dedication to their ancestry...oh yes, to sit in an Irish Pub and raise a tankard to each one there and hope for a craic to form, then sing along at the top of my lungs...

Most assuredly God is Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Light in the Darkness, Promise Keeper...not only for making a way free from abuse but also to serve up your dreams, your hopes, your thoughts for a future filled with love and laughter...He makes a way...each day, every moment within that day belongs to Him. He watches, He SEES dear hearts...and he sits with you, in an everlasting unconditional LOVE that beats the hell and gone from the mind, from the heart, from the broken spirit residing in your chest right this minute...

He knows...and oh I believe with all my heart and mind, soul and spirit that He cries with us, wraps us up in His arms and holds us close in our darkest times.

How do I know? I have felt inimitable peace surround me in the craziest death-is-hovering-over-me moments...fears steals away...a calm descends blocking you from the worst of the pain, from the hardest of hits, both mentally and physically...I have felt this, over and over...as I cried out to God to send rescue, HE CAME and sat with me, covering my head...sent his angel to hold off the mighty blow that would have ended my time here on this beautiful thing we call earth...I have seen and known and bear witness to the miraculous.

I beseech you dear lost ones...seek His face and know peace...seek His company and know grace and courage, strength and wisdom...

"A man who has riches without

         understanding

is like the beasts that perish." Psalm 49:20

"Within your temple, O God,

we mediate on your unfailing love." Psalm 48:9

May your steps lead you home...free from the ills and tempest that besets you...

May your heart lead you to God's arms of Love...

May the God who formed you so miraculously, sit with you in your pain and sorrow...may you know the heart of God for you...He sees you perfectly perfect and loves with the heart of a Father.

Grace be with you this day and each day forward...grace and courage to fly free....

Wise little birds full of hope and joy, fly free to find your place, your forever people...

It awaits your leap from the nest of vipers nipping at your heels...spread those beautiful wings and trust in the one who created you just as you are.

Love be with you this day and each day forward...a love that heals, that soothes, that comforts, that understands and holds closely with tenderness, kindness and compassion.

"Be as wise as serpents, harmless as doves," and make your way up and out of the hole he (she) has dug for you, throwing refuse upon the head of a queen (king) meant for better, for more, for life filled with laughter, with acceptance and grace.

May God walk with you this day and every successive day to follow...