DORIS REFERRED TO HERSELF AS A "CRYBABY"

HE TOOK PETER AND THE TWO SONS OF ZEBEDEE ALONG WITH HIM, AND

HE BEGAN TO BE SORROWFUL AND TROUBLED. THEN HE SAID TO THEM,

"MY SOUL IS OVERWHELMED WITH SORROW TO THE POINT OF DEATH. STAY

HERE AND KEEP WATCH WITH ME."

GOING A LITTLE FARTHER, HE FELL WITH HIS FACE TO THE GROUND

AND PRAYED, "MY FATHER, IF IT IS POSSIBLE, MAY THIS CUP BE TAKEN

FROM ME. YET NOT AS I WILL, BUT AS YOU WILL."

~MATTHEW 26 : 37-39

MY FRIEND DORIS SENT ME AN E-MAIL. SHE REFERRED TO HERSELF AS A

"CRYBABY."

THIS IS NOT LIKE DORIS.....DORIS MAKES THINGS HAPPEN AND SHE IS ALWAYS

HELPING PEOPLE, WHETHER IT BE FAMILY, FRIEND, OR STRANGER.

DORIS IS IN A DARK PLACE OF UNCERTAINTY...HER BELOVED GRANDSON JAMIE

IS ON HIS WAY TO IRAQ, PROBABLY ALREADY THERE. SHE IS SO PROUD TO

HAVE HIM SERVE BUT LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, HE IS SO YOUNG AND SHE ONLY

WANTS HIM TO RETURN HOME SAFE. IRAQ IS A DARK PLACE OF UNCERTAINTY.

I AM IN A DARK PLACE OF UNCERTAINTY OVER AMY'S UP COMING SURGERY.

THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN DARK PLACES OF UNCERTAINTY WHETHER IT BE

THEIR HEALTH, THEIR MARRIAGE, A DEATH OF A LOVED ONE, LOSS OF JOB OR

HOME, OR THE LOSS OF BOTH OF THEM.

WHAT IS ONE PERSONS DARK PLACE OF UNCERTAINTY MAY NOT BE ANOTHER'S

BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW HOW MANY BLOCKS ARE SWAYING BACK AND FORTH

AND WHAT BLOCK WILL CAUSE THEM TO TUMBLE INTO A PIT OF DARKNESS.

HOWEVER, EVEN WHEN I WAS AT MY DARKEST POINT, IF I STRAINED REAL

HARD AND HELD ON TO WHAT I KNEW TO BE TRUE IN MY HEART I COULD SEE A VISION

OF A FAINT LIGHT, THROUGH ALL THE TEARS, BEGGING, PLEADING AND EVEN ANGER.

LORD PLEASE, I NEED AN ANSWER AND I WOULD CRY SOFTLY. THEN LIKE A CHILD THROWING

A TANTRUM I WOULD GET LOUDER AND LOUDER AND WAIL....I WAS THE QUEEN OF

CRYBABIES......ALL I GOT WAS A HEADACHE FROM MESSING UP MY SINUSES...no crown

WHEN I COULD GET MYSELF CALMED DOWN, I COULD HOLD MY BIBLE. SIMPLE

SNIPPETS WOULD COME FROM THE WORD THAT I HAD HIDDEN IN MY HEART.

I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!

JESUS LOVES ME AND IF HE IS FOR ME, WHO CAN BE AGAINST ME

I WOULD SING A FEW LINES OF "SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT"....LOL....

BUT NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SEEMED I WAS BEGINNING TO SHOW GOD MY

FAITH

BY SPEAKING HIS WORD AND AS I DID I SAW MORE HOPE AROUND ME.

THE LIGHT OF HOPE WAS BEGINNING TO BE A LITTLE BRIGHTER EVEN

THOUGH I STILL HAD SOME DARKNESS OF UNCERTAINTY....BUT NOW I

WASN'T CONSTANTLY DWELLING ON THE DARKNESS.

FRIDAY NIGHT IN OUR TOWN WAS THE "RELAY FOR LIFE." THE FIRST TWO

PICTURES DIDN'T TAKE VERY WELL BUT I THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE

PEOPLE WHO ARE IN DARK PLACES OF THEIR LIFE, AND THE PRECIOUS

HOLY SPIRIT JUST QUICKENED IN MY SPIRIT TO USE THE PICTURES.

FRIDAY NIGHT WAS A LOT OF FUN UNTIL THEY HAD THE LIGHTING

CEREMONY TO REMEMBER ALL THOSE WHO HAVE PASSED FROM CANCER

AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE CANCER AND THE HOPE TO WIPE OUT

CANCER. A LADY TOLD HOW HER PRECIOUS HUSBAND HAD HELPED HER

THROUGH BREAST CANCER AND 5 YEARS LATER SHE HELPED HER HUSBAND

THROUGH A 2 YEAR BATTLE OF CANCER AND THAT HE WAS NOW WAITING

FOR HER IN HEAVEN.

THE NIGHT WAS BALMY WITH A GENTLE BREEZE....SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE

OPENLY CRYING, SOME SOFTLY, YOU COULD HEAR ONE OF THE DOGS BROUGHT

BY HIS OWNER ALMOST HOWL AS IF HE SENSED THE SADNESS, SOMEONE

WAS LAUGHING, YOU COULD HEAR A TRAIN IN THE DISTANCE AND

I COULD JUST SENSE THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.

THESE TWO LIGHTS AND THE TWO BELOW MIMIC THE LUMINARIES

THAT LINED THE STREET ONE AFTER ANOTHER AROUND THE SQUARE

OF THE COURTHOUSE IN ENID, OKLAHOMA.

AS WE CELEBRATE JESUS....HE INHABITS THE PRAISES OF HIS PEOPLE

AND REMEMBER THAT HE SHED HIS BLOOD FOR US SO THAT WE CAN

HAVE LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY HERE AND IN HEAVEN FOR ALL ETERNITY.

SO WHEN WE

CELEBRATE

AND

REMEMBER

WE ARE ABLE TO

FIGHT BACK

WHILE HOLDING ON TO OUR

ANCHOR OF HOPE

WHICH IS

JESUS CHRIST.

WE DO THIS THROUGH PRAYER, STUDYING OUR BIBLE, SURROUNDING

OURSELVES WITH CHRISTIANS WHO LIVE THE WORD THROUGH THEIR

LIVES, WHO ARE NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL, BUT ARE NOT

JUDGMENTAL OR HOLIER THAN THOU. JESUS IS THE ONLY JUDGE.

AS MY HUSBAND AND OUR SCHNAUZER SAMMY WAS WALKING, I JUST

HAPPENED TO LOOK DOWN ABOUT HALF WAY AROUND THE SQUARE AND THERE

WAS OUR DAUGHTERS LUMINARY. THERE WERE SO MANY

LUMINARIES IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE IF YOU WERE SEARCHING

FOR A PARTICULAR NAME. IT MEANT A LOT THAT WE SAW AMY'S.

THIS IS THE PICTURE OF AMY IN HER NEW RED WIG. SHE IS HOLDING

MY FUR BABY GRANDDAUGHTER AND HER NIECE IZZY. SHE IS A LITTLE

YORKIE WITH THE FACE OF AN ANGEL. SHE IS WEARING HER LITTLE

SEERSUCKER DRESS THAT HAS LITTLE PINK AND WHITE STRIPES

WITH PINK CHERRIES. SHE IS A LITTLE TOM BOY SO I BATHED HER

BEFORE WE WENT TO RELAY FOR LIFE AND SHE STOLE THE SHOW...ALL

THE LITTLE CHILDREN JUST LOVED HER AND SAMMY.

LIBERTY.......

THIS IS A WREATH I MADE FOR MY FRONT DOOR.

I LOVED THE LIBERTY STAR:

WHEN WE

CELEBRATE

AND REMEMBER

WHAT JESUS DID FOR US

WE ARE ABLE TO

FIGHT BACK

AND CLING TO HOPE.

AS WE PRAY AND STUDY GOD'S WORD WE FIND

ALL THE LIBERTY HE GAVE US

THANK YOU FOR VISITING ME TODAY. PLEASE REMEMBER AT

THERE'S AN ANGEL ON MY FRONT PORCH

I WILL ALWAYS BE PRAYING FOR YOU AND YOUR

DARK UNCERTAINTY

TOGETHER WE CAN FIGHT BACK AND

SHED JESUS'S

LIGHT OF HOPE INTO THAT DARKNESS.

HAVE A BLESSED SUNDAY

HUGS

debbie