In prospective

Since September first, it has been eye awakening lately, just how fragile life really is. Let me begin by expressing my prayers that are going out to The Campbell and Rouff Families. Amazingly Just two weeks TODAY, I was sitting with Angela and Donna while our group was talking openly about the necessity of being grounded in growth of the King during a study with sisters; and beginning a very uncertain path of our own. Life has seriously changed, Angela lost her daddy; whom I used to clean their home just a few years ago. Then Donna went home to be with Jesus after an accident that effected her family and the driver of the automobile who hit her. Beautiful Mom K is taking each day closer to walking on the streets of gold herself fighting renal cancer, not knowing what the next day holds. We need to be ready each and every day with passion. Passion to be restored by the Potter. I used to sign my letters and emails; "The very tender clay in His Grip," and after today and all the reflection, my heart aches for the lost!

Angela shared Jesus through her daddy's passing to two brothers who need to come to a fullness of Christ. Donna, like I said just two weeks ago sat in our study time together to share that she "Likes studies like this because they hold us accountable to reach deeper" not realizing that she herself would be with the King in less than two weeks. Mom K shared, "Kent, I am not afraid to die, I am just afraid of leaving my family behind." And she fights her cancer that is quickly traveling through her body. Just four months ago we were walking with her and laughing about how she "buzzes" making even Kent look like he is slow. ;-D Because up until that point she was walking nine miles a day before seven a.m. in AZ. Life in prospective is about reaching out and giving the greatest gift of all: The gift of Eternal Life in Heaven. Time is fleeting. It is moving way to short to not reach out and touch someone with Passion. With fervor. Through OBEDIENCE to the submission of a Savior who walked this earth over two thousand years ago because of His LOVE for YOU and ME!

I realized I am going to go back to where I began dreaming. Knowing that I need restoration by the Master Designer to do what I am created to do - Live and Love for HIM! As Mitch Kruse said and is being adapted from an article I just recently read about his upcoming book, The Restoration Road; "It doesn't take much to imagine such a similarity between the original design of a car's creator and the which Christ had for us. Unfortunately, sin interferes in our lives from the day we were born, which eventually brings most of us to a point in our lives where we hardly recognize what God intended us to be." In his book he makes the analogy between restoring cars to its original condition and our lives being restored to the design God intended for us. We are like that lump of clay, creating a masterpiece made, molded refined and displayed by The only engineer who makes no mistakes. With time after our birth, the wear and tare of the worlds temptations, our chosen path of impatience and following our sin nature & corrosion, we need to be made new again. The only way to do that is through studying the "original design." And allowing our heart to be taken apart piece by piece, then allowing him to clean, refurbish and lovingly reassemble the parts in to the whole, piece by piece. That true restoration can only be done by the authenticating hand of God by surrendering to the original designer for His glory, His purpose, His Harvest, not our own. Our hearts cry out,

So keeping in mind, here is my old salutation of farewell. Below is a great acrostic that Mitch Kruse uses to remember the authentic restoration process comes from the inside out: and keep it in prospective of what really matters.

Confess to God our proud & sinful hearts of shifting sand & hard stone

Learn His design for our lives from the BIBLE

Apply what we learn from Scripture to our daily tasks & relationships.

Yield the outcome to God.

Yours Sincerely ~ The VERY tender CLAY in His Grip,

Ana-Maria

Proper fear in respect

The only fear that is healthy is the Fear of the Lord. For He is the sustainer of Life and the creator of all!

Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, soul, mind and strength and the other is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. These are the two greatest commandments. So let us revere him as we respectfully fear Him.

Fear and what it is not

Oh yesterday was a wake up call. The man of my earthly heart spoke from his to us all. We all have fears but we need to face them. There is only One Fear that is necessary in our life and that I will tell you about later.

Sadly before he walked out the door, her heart took a double beat, maybe skipped a beat than it may have been an irregular rhythm. What is going on? Why is it reacting like this? There is nothing to fear but we all carry them. She tried to fathom the depth of his statement. "I am coming home, then I am going to leave because I don't know how much longer I will have her." She knew how it must pain him. She grabbed him, tenderly kissed him and said a very quick prayer. Its' been three weeks in a row. Time is fleeting with the goodness still left to enjoy. A deep breath, a sigh then a small tender tear meanders once again down that Spanish cheek - there is still joy in the midst of pain, The hope for return to be sweet on both ends whom receive him. She needs them, all five of them her lover and children. Her strength for now is what is lived day by day. She is relaxing, resting her soul. He grabs his suitcase, his Taylor, and His man bag with all the reading literature along with his ultimate favorite book for strength.

He bends down, embrace her with emotion and warmth. His tender lips leave its imprint on more than her lips ~ her heart. He departs. He calls, "I need you to grab my extension for my cell." Her smile of his return and a chance to take a picture JUST BECAUSE. She feels his pain, but she is his help meet as his mate, his best Friend, his lover and remains strong. They pose for the picture but there is so much more for they are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, they are one and now the strength of three cords is not easily broken. Although they are apart they beat as one. She will pray continuously for his travel mercies. A smile captivates her as she knows He is being carried by the most tender of all hands. He will sustain his thoughts and his heart.

Lover, I LOVE YOU - make the most of your moments for we are with you!

rain and a dream

It's raining. Fall is here. Ah, smell the fall. Pumpkins, autumn drinks, College football in the fall weather, It's raining.

The sweatshirt weather that warms the soul. A nice fleece jacket, wassail or hot cocoa, a wonderful hug from your Lover. um, Fall. It's raining today.

Dance in the rain, splash your bare feet, run to the indoors. It's Fall. Or as I used to say it Is Autumn and I enjoy this short season. It's still raining outside.

I would take tons of pictures, capture each moment to "remember" another Autumn day. It's still raining. I like rain, to dance, to run, to kiss and remember my first one with the only one I have ever kissed - all while in the rain, to hug, to remember the sweetness in the "rainy days" of my personal life. I remember a sweet rain in Wyoming with all that it brought at NebWyoDak sitting in the Rockies. Rain - is snuggle weather, a good book, a warm cup of a hot drink, sitting in your happy place. For some it is a time to take a rest and reflect. Burn a candle, light a fire pit, or ignite a chimney. It's still raining today.

Enjoy your Saturday today and if it is raining thank the good Lord of lords for giving a drink to the earth so you may enjoy His creation ~ then Dream!

Dream Big because it's raining today here my home town.

oh my heart

My mind is racing, My heart is pounding, My dreams are returning. My visions are becoming less hazy and more driven all with the reflection of a special life.

Reflection through time has come knocking on my hearts door because of Mom K's life. I have had only a short twenty five years. Why didn't I take more opportunity to _____ fill in the blank?

Why? I remember my first encounter with her and her entire family showing up at an NCC Basketball game and taking my breath away because I cared for her son, her first born. My heart accelerated at a NASCAR neck breaking speed. My body went numb and clammy all at the same time. If my glands could have went berserk it was then. They came in through those east doors entering the gymnasium; Mr and Mrs. V. Klundt, Keith, John, Julie and Keith's then "girl friend" Tabitha, who resembled me in an odd kind of way, semi look alike. I didn't know them until she said they are from out of town to see their son play basketball. I proceeded to inquire who their son was. When they announced their name I couldn't think clear let a lone give them their correct change back. YIKES, this is "his" family. The rest is history. :-) She captivated my heart when I saw her wonderfully bright blue eyes. They were a handsome family, If I could have crawled under the smallest grain of sand I would have. Then came the moment she and I had a "talk" when we were going to become "family" to ask her if I may call her "Mom K" and letting her know that I desired to call her my "Mother in LOVE." not "in - law", because I desired to have a positive relationship with her. :-) Yes it has been almost twenty five sweet memory years I have had this family as part of my hearts strings while Dad K and she: they have had forty four years testimony to marriage. Four weddings, many anniversaries, graduations of many kinds, twelve grandchildren, two grand - weddings; our life has created an incredible tapestry in our family "quilt/blanket"! Created stitch by stitch, laughter, quiet, tears, silence, in depth conversation, many "moves", surgeries, you name it we have traveled it together.

Her children can call her blessed and Can say Thank You for our life as a family. Dad and Mom K we love you! We are praying like mad for His sustaining comfort and a time to come together to live another day as a FAMILY bonded by those gentle blue eyes, touched by those soft hands, and to be here for you!