A few weeks ago someones Facebook status caught my attention and I haven’t forgotten it.  It was a quote by Gandhi.  It said, “I like your Christ, I don’t like your Christians, they are so unlike your Christ”.  Now I can’t say I’m one to remember the FB status of my friend but this one I have committed to memory.  I really want it to be a challenge to me.  When  people see me, do they think “Christ like”?

For many years I believed that being Christlike meant to be as close to perfect as possible.  A list of does and don’ts that would make others think I had reached the ultimate goal.  But I knew better.  It can not be done.  The best I can do is to hide my imperfections and pretend.  Unfortunately, I am more transparent to others than I would like to think.  And so are we all.   But I think at some point God revealed to me that being Christlike is simply showing the love of Christ through us.  It is more about showing the characteristics of Jesus rather than the do’s and don’ts.  It’s about showing love, being a peacemaker, and granting forgiveness.

I recently heard someone make the statement that when we are saved we no longer do the things we used to.  I’m not so sure about that.  Though there was a change in me, I still find myself struggling with the same old sins.  And many times giving in.  You see being saved does not make me perfect.  I am far from it.  But I do have the influence of a great friend who helps me with the fight.  Walking with Jesus makes me stronger.   And when I fall, He is right there to pick me up.

So I am challenged by Gandhi’s statement.  Was he talking about our list of man-made do’s and don’ts that are  so unlike our Christ?  Or was he referring to our unloving, superior, and unforgiving attitudes?  I believe I know the answer to that.

I know it’s what everyone says, but if you were to ask me what’s at the top of my list of things I’m thankful for, family would be at the top. Days like today are a huge reminder of just that.  If I could have hand picked my children, I would have picked these very ones.  Even down to the daughter in law.  Days like today are getting more and more rare as my kids get older and will eventually have families of their own.  So, I’ll enjoy today and make good memories in the process.

About a month ago, I finally kept my  promise to Julia and allowed her to pick out a new Kitty.  Since we didn’t  have a great experience with our last one I wasn’t very excited about our new family member.  But little Dixie has proven to be a  very sweet and even smart cat.  However, I’m not so happy about the amount of money we have had to spend on her.  So far I have had to have her ears cleaned out twice due to ear mites.  Then of course I wasn’t going to allow a cat to shred my furniture as they often do, so I also had her de-clawed.  It was the lazer surgery so her recovery was quick.

Here is a picture of Dixie but  it really does not show how pretty she really is.

Wow, it seems like you just turn around and a whole month has passed.  I can’t believe that it’s been that long since I have posted.  Too busy I guess.

Okay, so I joined the fitness center about 6 weeks ago and I’m finally starting to see some results.  But I am definitely finding that it’s not as easy as it was when I was in my 20’s or even 30’s.  I also talked Charley into joining with me.  He has struggled a little because of his hand surgery but is able to do a little more every day.

And then Julia finally talked me into getting her another cat.  She was so hurt at the loss of her other cat a few months ago.  This new cat is so sweet and it does my heart good to see her love for her new kitty.  We have already had her spayed and de-clawed.  At least I don’t have to be concerned with my furniture this time.  I’ll post a picture soon.

Charley and I came home from SC on Saturday so we could be at church Sunday.  We knew we would be going back on Monday morning since my grandmother was at the point of death.  She hung on til Monday morning around 6:40.  Just as we dropped our daughter off at school, my sister called me with the news that my Granny had gone to be with the Lord.  Since we were never really sure whether or not she was in pain, it was a bit of a relief.  Because now, we are sure of it.

My Granny was a precious lady and I feel honored to have been her granddaughter.  She was 94 years old and lived alone til she was 91.  She had been in a nursing home for the last 3 years.  This picture was taken about a year ago.

I got a call Thursday morning from my mom saying that my 94 year Granny had fallen again in the nursing home and had been taken to the hospital.  They did not believe that she would make it more than a few hours.  So, Charley and I got caught up on the things we had to have done for Sunday and left Friday morning for SC.  I didn’t believe I would get there before she passed away but Friday and Saturday have come and gone and believe it or not she is still hanging on.  I think she about the toughest lady I’ve ever met.

We are at home now and wait anxiously by the phone for news.  I have resigned myself to the fact that I will not be there when she passes and am okay with it.  I continue to pray for her and she passes from this life to the next.  That her journey will be an easy one and that she is comforted in the arms of her Savior.  God Bless by sweet Granny who has sweetened my life over the years.

I had to change the bandage today on Charley’s hand and was shocked to see how much cutting was actually done.  I guess the Dr. wasn’t kidding when he said it was a lot more work than he anticipated.  Sorry about the gross-ness of the picture.

Things went well with the surgery yesterday.  We went in thinking this was the least  affected hand.  It looked like just the pinky was affected.  A few minutes into the surgery they called me to sign another paper to give them permission to  do 2 other fingers.  So 3 fingers needed to be done.  When the Dr. called afterwards he said it took a lot of work to remove the affected tissue.  Later, he was in a lot of pain but was released when the hospital felt that the pain was under control.  He had a good night last night and has not had a lot of pain during the night.  Now I just have to make him be still and not think he can be back to his old routine the day after.

After several years of Charley’s hands getting worse we have finally taken the step and his surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning.  Little by little his fingers have been closing in.  The Dr. said that eventually it would draw in completely and he would not be able to use it at all if he didn’t do something soon.  According to the Dr. this is a very complicated surgery and will take about 1 and 1/2 hours.  If you think of it, say a prayer for him tomorrow morning that all will go well.  Below is a picture of his hand now.  The other hand will have to be done as well but will be scheduled later.

My last post told the story of a woman who truly knew what it was to have a personal relationship with her God.  But her story is directly followed by the story of a woman that we only know as Ichabod’s mother.  What we know is that this woman was probably living the life she had always dreamed of.  She was married to the son of the priest Eli and was expecting her first child.  I’m sure she was busily preparing for her baby’s birth and making sure she had everything she needed to take good care of a newborn.

But then, her life fell apart.  Her country is attacked by the Philistines, her husband is killed in the battle, and her father in law falls to his death after hearing the news of the death of his sons.  But the thing that seems to affect her the most is that the Philistines have taken the arc of the covenant.

Soon after she gets the news, she goes into premature labor and  gives birth to her son.  Then, she succumbs to hopelessness and dies.

It is easy to draw a couple of assumptions from this story.  The first is that she had not prepared for the difficult times by growing in her personal relationship with God.  For many Christians the habit is to ignore God as long as you don’t need him.  Then run to Him when bad times come.  But sometimes it’s too late.  If we have not let God prepare us ahead of time, we often succumb to the hopelessness too.

These verses also reveal clearly that she is extremely affected by the fact that the arc of the covenant has been taken.  Could this mean she had more trust in it than she did the God it represented?  This example takes me back to my early 20’s when I came to the realization that so much of my spiritual life was defined by the do’s and don’t’s I lived by.  Living by a manmade rulebook made me a good Christian in my mind.  But God so graciously revealed to me that I am truly defined by my personal relationship with Him.  It is in that relationship that God reveals to me the unrecognized sin in my life.  It is there He speaks to me on a personal level. I must  admit that is not an easy place to be.  Seeing myself as He sees me is not so pretty.  But what a privilege to know that I am loved to that extent.  That He takes the time and effort to work on ME!  And it’s all for my good.  Then I will be ready when the trials come.  I don’t want to succumb to the hopelessness that come with the trials.  I want to turn to the one that knows how to get me through those trials.