Tuesday, December 10, 2013

it's time...

I haven't blogged for awhile. Not because I didn't want to. But I just couldn't. I tried. But after my mom passed away, I have been finding it hard to write, let alone do other things. But I miss it. I miss sharing with you what God is teaching me, showing me and doing in me. 

This morning, I find it hard to hear the quiet. Snow is falling and it is so quiet. It falls so gently, so peacefully, so perfectly pure. But God is telling me, this is how he covers us with his love. Gently. Peacefully. Purely.

As I sit here surrounded by white lights on my Christmas tree, I am taking it all in. All the love, all the lessons, all the quiet. My prayer lately has been from Job: "God don't leave me - I will go through whatever you want for me, just please don't leave me".

You see, there are times in our lives when things just don't seem like they should. And not because we are in sin. We are actually pressing in. Pressing in to His Word, His presence, His promises. But yet, you find yourself pressing but no press back, no presence, promises seem unfulfilled. These are the times the quiet seems overwhelming. Almost deafening. So I sit here, listening, believing and knowing how loved I am in the midst of all of it.

It's almost like living in the Song of Solomon experience. Are we in this life just because He is beautiful. When someone asks us "Who is He more than others?", what do we respond? I want to be like the shulamite. In the midst of things just not seeming to be as they should, I want you to hear how much I love His eyes, flames of fire, His feet, His hair that is white as whole, His hands, His glory and majesty. He covers me with Him, this is love. He is love. He covers me with this. I don't want to just tell you what He has done for me, and it is awesome! But I want you to know Him. Because He is altogether lovely and perfect. 

So today as we watch the snow falling so majestically, remember He doesn't leave us, even if things do not seem as they should.

4 comments:

  1. My mother died of end-stage Alzheimer's in early 2008. She'd had the disease since at least 1990. I was a young woman when she began "loosing" her personality. Many years and many stages of grief between 1990 and 2008. My dad lived with us over 11 years for me to care for him. He and I had worked together to care for my mother, then we became the best of friends over this journey of caring for mom. Dad died August 18. It's been a tough past 3 1/2 months. The best way to describe it is just "muddling" through it and hanging on to the Lord.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sunday, November 17, 2013

    WE ARE NEVER ALONE



    WE ARE NEVER ALONE

    I feel that wherever I stand is an alter and whatever room I enter is a place of worship.
    My Lord is always with me, His Spirit ever-present, His love always abounding. How sweet is the song of His name.

    Psalm 31:7
    I am overcome with joy because of your unfailing love, for you have seen my troubles and care about the anguish of my soul.

    Anyone who has gone through the trials this life can bring, and has trusted in God's tender mercies and lovingkindness, can say in sweet gratitude, with the Psalmist, 'for you have seen my troubles and care about the anguish of my soul.'

    There is nothing as sacred as the closeness that comes through a relationship with our Savior: it is immeasurably blessed and personal, comforting and empowering. I grew up with the Lord since ever I can remember. We receive strength to endure, peace in turmoil, comfort in loss and healing whether it be for ourselves or for others. I am a woman of prayer and conviction and I treasure the closeness of my walk with the Lord. I can do nothing of any worth without Him, for He goes before me in everything I do. There is something called grace ~ God's kindness and favor toward those who put their trust in Him. During the times when I failed Him (and we all fail Him in this life) He never left me. He drew me even closer to Him by His faithfulness, mercy, forgiveness, love and grace. He is not the kind of friend who turns around and walks away because we have displeased him. He is 'all in' with us, for the long haul. His mercy endures forever.

    PRAYER:
    We come before you, dear Father, with grateful hearts because you know our needs and our heartaches~ because you know us by name...and are near to comfort us in our darkest hour. Let us feel your presence and your warm embrace. Comfort us in our desert. Shower us with your love. Lead us to your sunlight with your mighty power and glorious promise. We praise you for the hope that you have offered us through your Son, Jesus Christ, who loves us and through His shed blood and resurrection, takes away the sin of the world. Amen
    © 11 - 2013 Carol T. Castagna

    John 15:13 Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
    Psalm 91: 11
    For he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep you in all your ways.

    New Testament, Holy Bible NKJV
    Old Testament, Holy Bible NKJV

    NOTE: I AM SENDING TWO BLOG POSTS ...MAY THE LORD COMFORT YOU...CAROL CASTAGNA

    Posted by mrsrevvincecastagna.blogspot.com at 7:06 AM

    ReplyDelete
  3. Monday, November 11, 2013

    THE BREATHING OF ONE JOY

    You believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.
    I Peter 1:8 (1)

    The Breathing of One Joy:

    When my Grandmother, Rose DeLucia, closed her eyes toward her journey to awaken on Heaven’s shore, a big part of me just fell to the ground. My world was shattered. Nothing was the same. I was down for the count.

    I was hoping I could manage well without her – but I didn’t fare very well at all. I lost a dear friend. Grandma was the one with opened arms, a ready welcoming smile, a warm embrace, a ‘Hello Dah'ling!’ Not only did we share laughter, we breathed one joy ~ and it was that breathing of the same joy that was my constant. Together, we breathed in the joy of the Lord, the joy of laughing and conversing, the joy of seeing each other and the joy of anticipating seeing each other again. She was the first one with whom I felt a spiritual connection. She knew who she was in the Lord and in this world. Even-tempered, slow to judge, slow to anger, quick to heal, to cover a wound, quick-witted and wise, she was my friend. How much like me, was she! I found someone in this life who understood me without my having to explain! And now, she was physically gone. It's not that I was unaware that she must leave this earth, some day. It was that even though we think we are prepared to say our final good-bye, we simply are not prepared. Oft times, my Grandmother's understanding was in her eyes or in her smile. It was that palpable! And her hands, the hands of a seamstress, were as gentle as her character was strong. She held the Holy Bible and turned its pages as though she were sifting through gold – and she was – Truth’s gold. The truth of the Christ of Calvary, the cross, the Resurrection and the opened tomb, Redemption, and Eternity flooded those hallowed pages. I never really worked through the loss of her, thoroughly, though – the loss of my maternal Grandmother, this woman of God.

    It was lonely for a long, long time after Grandma passed. It was during that time that the Lord gave me the lyrics and piano melody to Sonnet of Hope (on last week's JOY PSALMS! entry). I play the music and read the words 'till today and I am comforted. . One day I will see her again…the promise of eternity will come to pass and the breathing of one joy will resume brighter and more alive. Heaven’s great splendor will blaze with the light of our Lord and Savior in our midst. With loved ones surrounding us and Heaven's symphony resounding, earth's sadness will be but a disappearing pebble erased from memory's stream. It will be replaced with 'joy unspeakable and full of glory.' (2)

    Prayer:
    Thank you, dear Lord, for your promise that one day all tears shall be wiped away, that all things will be made new, that the days will need no sun because you, Lord, will be our bright and shining light.
    In Jesus name, Amen ….

    © Nov. 2013 written by Carol T. Castagna

    New Testament, Holy Bible NKJV
    The Celebration Hymnal, Joy Unspeakable (c) 1997 by Word Music/Integrity Music, p.740
    Posted by mrsrevvincecastagna.blogspot.com at 9:12 AM
    Email This
    BlogThis!
    Share to Twitter
    Share to Facebook

    ReplyDelete
  4. So precious is the homegoing of a saint, even if they only knew Him for an hour before dying.... Two things come to mind: claim fruit from their seed falling into the ground - BIG FRUIT, regional fruit; and, offer the quiet sacrifice of joy. JESUS has you lying beside still waters with His Hand on your back. He has you covered with His love and He is restoring your HOPE. It is okay, every moment of your walk. I have been there too. Thank you for your blog!

    ReplyDelete