God's Mighty Hand

I pray this day holds joy for you. Many of us are sheltering in our homes, cut off from family and friends so we chat with loved ones on Facebook. We're even joining our church families on line. On occasion I have had reason to complain about social media, but in these difficult days I am grateful we have it.

This morning, my church live-streamed our Palm Sunday service. The church family was able to worship together, even take communion together. It was kind of miraculous for someone like me who doesn't comprehend how the internet works.

Huddled together on the sofa, Greg and I watched the service on my phone and I kind of stepped back and looked at us. There we were together, one in Christ, savoring God's Word. That moment was not by chance or by our own might, but by God's mighty hand. There was a time that such a moment could not have been imagined.

It's been nearly forty-nine years since I walked down the aisle of my family church. It was my wedding day, but I wasn't certain I even wanted to get married. As I walked toward the front of the sanctuary, wearing my white gown, my quaking hands holding a bouquet and my groom waiting for me, I thought, Well, if it doesn't work out, I can always get a divorce. It is a hard thing to imagine that I possessed so little commitment over such a momentous step in life.

Our first four years of marriage were bad, ugly in fact. In our fourth year, we separated and were headed to divorce court. I was devastated. I loved Greg, though at the time I didn't like him very much. And he didn't love me at all. He had stated that clearly. 

During the early weeks of our seven month separation, a friend of mine introduced me to Jesus Christ. I feigned disinterest, but in my heart I felt as if I were drowning in hopelessness and despair, and I saw Christ as my lifeline. I realized He was my only hope and I placed my life in His hands. 

After that I prayed - for Greg and for our marriage. A strange thing happend. Greg started showing up at my door. Later he would tell me that he'd leave his house heading "somewhere" and end up at my place. He had no idea why. 

After several weeks of a new friendship between Greg and I, he asked me if I would come home and give our marriage another try. I could barely believe what I was hearing. He had stated unequivocally that he did not love me and he would never love me. Could I believe his new change of heart? 

I was afraid. Greg was not a believer. What if I returned to him and his new promises were only temporary. I couldn't go through that heartache again. I prayed fervently and God told me that I didn't need to trust Greg, I needed to trust Him. And he held Greg and I and our marriage in His hands. Still fearful, but trusting I returned home. 

We'd been reunited only two months when Greg found the Lord and placed his eternal salvation in Christ. From that time until now, we have served the Lord together. We raised a family, worked hard, loved one another and have loved God. Has it been a perfect reunion? No. Not even close. We're just people, but we love and admire one another. 

We are together only because Jesus Christ is at the center of our marriage. He is the one who reached down with His might hand and rescued us. There is no other way for two stubborn, hard-headed people like us to remain united. 

There was a lot to forgive all those years ago. An impossible task for two people such as us, but not impossible for God. So as I looked at my husband on the sofa beside me this morning, my heart was filled with gratitude and wonder at how God had intervened in our mess of a life, brought us back to each other, and then held us together.

We've seen many miracles through the years, but the one most precious to me is the one that involved God's love, our broken hearts, and God's beautiful gift of mercy.

I pray you will all see the wonder of God in your midst today. He loves us in a way that is incomprehensible. Even though we do not deserve it, His love never wavers.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

We Are A Miracle

Don't you love it when God does the spectacular and unexpected? 









My husband, Greg, and I celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary on August 14. It was a special day, just the two of us. 

We made a day trip to the coast where we ate fish and chips, watched boats come and go, took in the fabulous views, smelled the salty fragrance of the sea, listened to the deep-throated sound of a fog horn and reminisced about the days when we frolicked in the waves and played with our children on sandy beaches. We also remembered what a miracle we are. 

   

We've shared many precious days as well as some truly terrifying ones. We've held one another in love and we've held on to each other for dear life. We've laughed and cried. Welcomed children and said farewell to them. And here we are still ... together.

It didn't begin well. In 1971 we stood before family and friends ... and God, and pledged to love one another for the rest of our days. I doubt anyone knew that as I walked down the aisle that day I was thinking, "If it doesn't work out we can get a divorce." I wasn't committed. I was scared, and for good reason. God wasn't a part of our lives.

 Greg and I  met in 1969 and we fell hard for each other. Only months later he was shipped overseas to the coast of Viet Nam. He was away for 10 1/2 months, and in all that time we shared only one phone call, though lots of letters. There was no internet then. We were supposed to get married when he returned, but I wasn't sure about this man I'd only known face-to-face for a few months. I suggested we live together. He flatly refused and said we could be together married or not at all. I didn't want to lose him, hence my insecure walk down the aisle.

Our first months of marital bliss were anything but. We were both self-absorbed and skillful barb throwers. Four awful years ended in infidelity and separation. The divorce papers were ready. All we had to do was sign them.

But God was at work. His plans for Greg and I didn't include divorce. A friend shared the love of Christ with me, and I believed Jesus had paid the ultimate price for someone as unworthy as myself. 

Changes began.

I prayed for Greg and our marriage. Unbelievably the man who had stated he didn't love me and would never love me started showing up at my door. 

God was at work.

Only months later, Greg told me he loved me. He wanted to try again. I had known something was up, but Greg's pronouncement really took  me by surprise. I was scared, but promised to think about what he'd said and to pray about it. 

I knew God was in this with us and that he wasn't done with us. I returned home. Only two months later, Greg placed his life in Christ's hands.

From ruinous ashes we rose up ... together ... to begin again. It was all the Lord's work, not our own.  

We did our best to obey and stepped forward. 

We've had such an adventure since then. There have been surprises, mountain top experiences and deep shadowy valleys. We have shared love, joy, hope, hardships, sorrows and tears, and we are thankful for it all. We are no longer young, which brings its own special challenges and delights. We can't know what lies ahead, but we know where our strength comes from and we will stand together, trusting in The Father's plan.

Do you have a miracle story to tell? I hope you'll share.


Grace and peace to you from God.

Happily Ever After?

My husband and I recently took part in a marriage seminar and since then I've been thinking about us. 

We were just kids the day we made forever vows. I was nineteen and Greg was twenty-one. Saying forever at such a young age seems ridiculous now that I look back. What did we know about marriage? We didn't have a clue, but couldn't wait to begin our lives together. 

Even with all the heat and love we shared, when I walked down the aisle I wasn't certain I really wanted to get married. I made that long walk thinking, Well, if it doesn't work out I can always get a divorce. 

We were definitely in for a rough ride.

Our early years together were a mess - we were a mess. After four years together we separated. I was devastated and cried most every day. During those dark days I had other devastating losses, which included a miscarriage and the death of my father. Heartbroken, I handed my life over to the the Lord. That's when I started to pray for us.

Greg and I were separated seven months, but God worked in our hearts and we reconciled and started again, only this time as new believers in Christ. 

Children became part of us. We were a family. 

Life hasn't been easy. We've had the common issues that most couples face - financial difficulties, health issues, differences about how to raise the kids ... and a long list of other things.

Our biggest challenge came when I was only thirty-nine and had a way too close encounter with a log truck. My injuries were life-changing. And those changes affected my family, especially my husband. 

I'd been an active wife and mother. I loved to work alongside Greg, and could use a chain saw with the best of the guys. And I wasn't bad at nailing sub-floor, splitting fire wood, and gardening. 

I loved that life. But in a moment everything changed. 

It wasn't easy adjusting to our new life. With much grinding of teeth and shedding of tears we found a way and discovered our new roles. These days, I do what I can - cook meals, buy groceries, keep the house picked up, and I write. My husband works at his job, then he helps me by sweeping and mopping, doing the dishes when I can't and even taking care of the shopping when I'm unable, all with no complaints.

I've been blessed with a good man, but we wouldn't have made it through this journey called marriage without Christ. He is at the core of our success. He is the reason we can still say, "I love you," after forty-three years ... and counting.

Do you have a happily ever after story to tell or a God's grace story to share? 

God is always good.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Quiet Moments With God -- New Beginnings

Do you know who this memorable character is? I'll bet you do. The precocious Anne Shirley of Green Gables.

I love family movies and one of my favorites is Anne of Green Gables. There is a scene in the movie where Anne has an epiphany and says, "Each day is new with no mistakes in it." (At least that's close to what she said.).




This week has me thinking about new days with no mistakes in them and new beginnings. My daughter Sarah was married over the weekend. It's not her first marriage, but it is a day to celebrate, a joyous new beginning. It's a marriage without any mistakes in it . . . yet. The mistakes will come because that's life and she and her new husband are just folks. But what a blessed time when a new family begins, a blend of his and hers. There is so much hope and expectation. And there is opportunity for God to do the unexpected and the exceptional through this unique and loving family.

There is another excellent event expected tomorrow. My dear daughter-in-law and my son will enter their local hospital where Brandi's labor will be induced. Prayerfully in a matter of hours the newest member of our family, Cy, will be born. What a grand new beginning for Cy--his first look at the world. For Paul and Brandi -- life will never be the same.

As is often the case, God uses the daily events in my life to whisper His truths to me. My thoughts returned to the day I first believed--the day I met my Lord. Oh, what a day! It is like no other! It was a new beginning. I became a new creation.

How amazing it is to be brand new with no mistakes, clean, pure and unblemished. It's nearly impossible to imagine such a state after so many years of mistakes, heartaches, survival. But God promises if we seek Him we will become more like Him. And His mercies are new every morning.

The blood of Jesus washes away our sins. And we are "White As Snow." Because of His mercy the blemishes of this life will not be carried into the next.

How incredible it is that we are given new beginnings. It is only because of the love of a merciful God.

Kelly and Sarah, cherish the opportunity. "Be all you can be." And baby Cy, I am giddy with anticipation at your new beginning. I am already praying for you.

There are all sorts of places in life where we get to begin again. Is there one that comes to your mind? Think on it. Cherish it. Be thankful for it. And then . . . share it, if not here then with someone who is dear to you.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Relationship: A Wedding or a Marriage.

My mind is on weddings. My daughter Sarah married the man of her dreams today--Robert Spencer, a good man. But a wedding is just the beginning of a journey.

No matter what kind of relationship we are part of we need to ask ourselves, "Is this a wedding or a marriage?" There is a profound difference between the two.

When a couple plans to wed there is a lot of hoopla about the wedding. And sadly, the focus is often more about the wedding than the marriage. There's nothing wrong with planning a memorable wedding. Weddings are fun. There are enchanting decorations, gorgeous clothing, handsome grooms and stunning brides, as well as meaningful promises, dancing and merriment. A wedding is a grand celebration. It should be. But weddings last only a few hours. And it's more about present happiness and fun rather than the promise made for a lifetime.

Marriage is living in the trenches . . . together with people we love. Good times and bad are shared between a man and a woman who love one another and are committed to each other. They count on their partner to stand with them in the midst of the storms as well as the joys of life. It is a lifetime commitment, not a party. It's not just about merriment, though there is that. There is fun and reasons to celebrate, beautiful moments and unexpected joys, but there are also disappointments, sorrows and suffering. When we are pledged to another we are assured that we will not make our journey on our own--it will be shared.

There are all sorts of relationships--Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, friend to friend, even a child and their pet or neighbor to their neighbor and of course there is God's commitment to mankind. When we consider these relationships what do we see a wedding or a marriage? And what do we want?

A marriage makes life richer. It offers what really counts . . . love. 1 Corinthians 13 says,"Three things will last forever--faith, hope and love--and the greatest of these is love."


I pray the relationships in my life will be more than just weddings. How about you?

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Topic Of The Day -- Can Your Marriage Last?

Today, my husband and I celebrate forty years of marriage. Often people are surprised to hear we've been married so long. In today's world long marriages seem to be the exception rather than the rule. I think that's sad.

So, how did Greg and I make it this far?

It wasn't us. It was God. Without Him we wouldn't be together. Thirty-six years ago, we separated and Greg filed for divorce. He told me he didn't love me and never would. Life was awful. I cried a lot and thought I'd never find happiness.

Greg and I were a wreck of a couple, even from the very beginning. The day of our wedding, I walked down the aisle thinking, "If it doesn't work we can always get a divorce." Clearly I had little faith in us.

But God had plans.

Grieving and trying to learn to live on my own, I found Christ. I started praying that God would restore my marriage. Greg, for reasons he didn't understand, would stop by to see me . . . more and more often. Over several months friendship was restored and Greg discovered that he did love me after all. One surprising day he asked me to return to him. I was scared spitless, but knew that being at Greg's side is where I belonged. We were reunited and only two months later, Greg gave his life to Christ. Since that day, we've followed a Christian path together. There have been valleys to walk through and mountains to climb, but we've stuck together.

There is no magic formula. It's Christ. He is at the heart of our relationship. And when we chose one another for the second time we made a commitment to never throw in the towel. The "D" word was not allowed in our home.

Today, I look back over the years and see a long list of things we've done wrong, but so much of our life has been filled with richness and joy. We love each other more today than we did on our wedding day forty years ago. Greg is a good man and I'm so grateful God placed him in my life. And thankful for God's mercy and His greatness.

Every couple struggles--expect it. But don't give up. Instead give yourselves to God. He's in the business of restoration. Believe in Him and know that He can do it.

Grace and peace to you from God.

Bonnie

Quiet Moments With God -- I Believe In Miracles

Friday my husband, Greg, turned sixty. We set off for Central Oregon to celebrate his birthday with our son, Paul. We had a great time--good conversation, good food and lots of laughs. Greg and Paul even managed to get in some golf.

As is often the case I spent time reflecting on life. And I realized that Greg and I met forty-one years ago. We were so young--just kids. It doesn't seem possible that through all the years, with their valleys and mountain tops, that we're still together. It hasn't been a bed of roses--unless of course you remember that there are a lot of thorns among the shrubbery. :-)

Greg and I met during the Vietnam War. He was in the navy and only a few months after our first meeting he set off for a ten and half month West-Pac cruise. We hadn't known one another long, but we were in love and already engaged to be married. While Greg was over seas I planned our wedding.

A month after he returned we were wed. It was a nice wedding with the usual stuff--a white gown and a tux, the well rehearsed vows, a sacred church filled with friends and family. However, something was missing, or I should say someone. Sadly, neither Greg nor I knew who it was. We'd left out the most important guest--Jesus Christ. We didn't know Him and so we began our journey together as husband and wife without Him.

It wasn't surprising that our first four years together were tumultuous and unhappy. The love we felt was buried by hurt, anger and bitterness . . . and in our fourth year we separated. There was so much sorrow between us that it would have been impossible to even hope for reconciliation.

God had other plans.

In a miraculous way, he drew us both to Himself and restored our love for one another. We became new, and the ugliness that resided in our hearts was replaced with love, mercy and forgiveness. We've been together ever since.

A lot of miracles happened back then, none of which we deserved. What is especially astounding to me is that we did nothing to make any of it happen. It was simply God in us, working out His power and grace. God stripped away the uglies and we loved each other.

Here we are after all these years, celebrating a sixtieth birthday. We still love each other, admire one another and pray we have a lot more years to spend together.

It's a miracle.


Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Quiet Moments With God--Colliding Rivers

When reading through scripture it’s not okay to skip over the difficult verses. Today, I read from Ephesians 5:22, which says, Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

My guess is that this verse has raised more than a few disputes in churches and households across our nation. I’ve struggled to understand just what God is saying to me as a wife.

My personality is not conducive to submission. My sister Myrn once compared me to one of two rivers that run through our community. The first is a small river called Little River and the other, the North Umpqua, is large and powerful. The two collide, meeting head on at a place we call Colliding Rivers. It’s an unusual phenomenon. In my discussion with my sister, she said, “Bonnie, you are like the Umpqua and I’m like Little River.” I was floored by her statement, mostly because I didn’t view our relationship that way or see her as “a little river".

If I'm going to be honest with myself, then I must agree with my sister's perspective of my personality. I tend to be strong-minded, which can be a good thing, but sometimes not so good.

So . . . when the Lord says I’m to submit to my husband, Greg, it’s like fingernails on a chalk board. Why should I be the one to submit?

Read on to verse 25. It says, Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Hmm. That sounds sacrificial. After all, Christ gave his life for the church.

I’ve been given a husband who is to love me unconditionally and sacrificially. Greg doesn’t get it right all the time, but he tries. He’s loved me when I haven’t deserved it and he's given much of himself to me in our thirty-six years of marriage. Why then, does it rankle me to submit to that kind of love?

The answer is easy; because I make it about me.

My husband and I are both imperfect. We struggle and sometimes just like the two rivers in our community we bump heads. More often than not we mesh and continue downriver working together in harmony, being a team just as God intended. And sometimes when we get it really right we become refreshment to those around us, just like the cool waters of the river that flows into the valley.

God is wise and His plans are admirable and reasonable. If we would only listen and obey we might be surprised at the beauty that can be created between two people, neither of which is better than the other, but who are linked by honor and love and submission to each other.

When we truly love another it always comes back to bless us. So, may you love well and be blessed.


Grace and peace to you from God.

Bonnie