Jump for Joy!

Jesus went to a wedding with His Mother.  The host was almost out of wine.  Mary did not tell her Son how to solve the problem.  She simply told Him what the situation was.

When the wine ran out, The Mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

John 2:3

At first, it appeared Jesus was resisting doing anything.  He said His Time had not yet come.

However, Mary knew the destiny of her Son.  And she knew it was time.

Mary knew many things about her Son.

Besides what she had seen with her own eyes, she had come to know Isaiah’s prophecy had been about her and Jesus.

Isaiah had said,

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His Shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

The angel had told Mary her Son was destined to be great.

He said,

“He will be great and will be called The Son of The Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His Kingdom will never end.”

Luke 1:32-33

But Mary also remembered what Simeon had said.

Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, His Mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Luke 2:34-35

Did Mary pause before relinquishing herself and her Son into the future to which God was calling them?  Did she wonder how much pain either of them could bear to carry out God’s Will?

Once again, Mary did not tell Jesus what to do or when to do it.  She turned her gaze to the servants.

And she said, “Do whatever He tells you.”

John 3:5

Jesus knew it was time.  The servants did what Jesus told them to do.  Water was changed, not just into wine, but into fine wine!

Now Mother Mary is speaking to us.  When we do what Jesus tells us, miracles are likely to happen.  Get ready to be amazed!

Do whatever He tells you.

John 3:5

Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His Power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!

Ephesians 3:20-21

Thank you for the prayers and many expressions of encouragement  with our recent “remodeling project.”  

I am happy to report Jay has a brand new knee.  So far he has not needed pain meds.  Much to my amazement, he was walking independently the day after surgery … and looking much better than he was before surgery!

We were blessed with an excellent doctor and good nurses.  We also have a friend who is our long time physical therapist.  He began home PT with Jay the day after surgery.

A special thank you goes to our daughter, Jennifer, who provided too many services to list, the most important one being present, patient and understanding of the quirks of her parents.

Thanks also to our son in law and grandson, who also helped us get settled at home.

I’m sure Jay would also like to thank our daughter and son in law for bringing him his favorite Texas Roadhouse meal twice over the weekend!

Now we are trying to reclaim some of the best parts of our pre-surgical life … like working on book three of The Heaven Trilogy.  Remember books one and two are available through Amazon.  And the audio versions are free on my blog site.

carolynpriesterjones.org

We had our dream house built in 1994.  It was perfect for who we were then.  But after many years, some parts of our dream house wore out.  They had to be repaired or replaced.

And some things, we just outgrew.  We changed and we wanted our living environment to reflect that change.  We dreamed new dreams and did fun remodeling projects.

The same is true of the body in which we live.  It suited us well in our younger days.  But as time went on, some parts wore out and needed to be repaired or replaced.

And sometimes, we decided to do something different with our bodies.  Lose weight.  Get a new hair style.  Dress differently.

The bodies we have now are quite different to the ones we once had.  We have made adjustments to fit our current living.

We have found the joy in life has come when we embrace the changes.  Sometimes we get to choose the change.  Sometimes it is chosen for us.  But always, God is in charge of the finished product.  

We have learned God can bring beautiful, wonderful things out of what we may have thought was not so good.

So we are anticipating good things ahead as we enter our new remodeling project this coming week.  Jay is having his knee remodeled with a brand new one!

Prayers please for everything to go smoothly with his surgery and rehab … and that I can keep up with him afterwards!

See I am doing a new thing.  Now it springs forth!

Isaiah 43:19

The celebrations of July 4th often elicit feelings of pride that emphasize what people have accomplished.  People get misty eyed as they sing, “proud to be an American.”  They ask that “God bless America.”  

God has blessed America, in spite of many missteps or actions that have not represented Him well.  

I am thankful to be an American.  

I am thankful to live in a beautiful country where I enjoy the many freedoms we have.  

But even as I give thanks, I remember those around the world who do not have those freedoms.  I remember those both inside and outside our borders, who are not free.  

I enjoy being wowed by fireworks celebrations.  

But even as I celebrate, I remember there are others around the world, who are hearing similar sounds and are being filled with terror, as they hear the heralds of what will kill and destroy.

I resist pledging allegiance to the flag, an inanimate object, even when it represents the republic.  But I am not a public rebel.  

So I participate in the pledge and I pray that we will truly become one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.

I remember those in our country who were not freed by the Declaration of Independence nor the pledge of allegiance.  Their freedoms came much later after hard battles at great cost.

When I stand and place my hand over my heart, I do so remembering that He Who created my heart also created the hearts of those who some would call our enemies.  

I remember Jesus’ command to pray for our enemies and do good to those who despitefully use us. 

I pledge allegiance to Jesus and resolve to continue working to fulfill His Mission that we all be one, as we were created to be.

I am constantly awed at the diverse beauty of this country.  I could easily vote to have “America The Beautiful” as our theme song.

Katherine Bates was a teacher at a Colorado college during the summer of 1893. 

Later she remembered:

“One day some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to 14,000-foot Pikes Peak. We hired a prairie wagon. 

Near the top we had to leave the wagon and go the rest of the way on mules. I was very tired. But when I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse.”

She hastily wrote in her notebook the words that would become the lyrics of a a song of praise to God, Who created the beauty of America.  It was also her prayer.

Her prayer is now mine too.

“America! America!
God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law…

“America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.”

It was discovered before I entered first grade that I was very near sighted.  The addition of glasses opened a door into an unlimited world of reading.

I was a frequent flyer at the town library.  I saved my allowance money to buy books and magazines.  I lived far beyond the confines of a small town.  

My escape into books put me beyond the confines of even myself.  I could go anywhere and be anyone through my books.

My parents were creative and imaginative.  They encouraged it in me.  My father was endlessly curious about the world around him.  My mother would read wonderful stories aloud to me.  

She did all the sound effects and different voices.  But she added one important twist.  She stopped before the story was complete.  When I would try to encourage her to finish it, she would smile and say, “You finish it.  How do you think this story should end?”

She would applaud, as I came up with all the endings my childhood fantasy brain could concoct.  She said, “Don’t let the world finish your story.  You tell it!”

And so the day came when I began, not only finishing stories, but writing them from start to finish.  The seeds of imagination  started through reading what others imagined.  

Those seeds were watered by creative parents.  And my fledgling private stories ultimately grew into other expressive writings.

From play writing to nursing journal articles to book publications, it has been an amazing ride.   But our expansion into audio books has been the most fun.

I discovered audio books some years ago.  I especially enjoyed when the book was read by the author.  It was exciting to hear the words as they had first came from their source.  Subtle inflections can change the whole picture!

As we got into book publishing, we discovered many people were not readers, but they enjoyed listening.  So it was an easy expansion to record our books.  

It also warmed my heart to know I was able to share with people who could not read.  And I have delighted to be able to present what I wrote in the way I would say it!

We are wrapping up recording our recent book, Heaven On Earth, Your Mission.  We invite you to check it out.

Go to my blog site.  Select the book title at the top of the home page.  Enjoy!  And of course, I welcome your comments.  You are a part of the ongoing story!😘

In September, 1925, Pearl, a young Georgia born teacher, headed for her first teaching position in a small town in South Carolina.  She was just 18 years old.

She stayed at a local boarding house.  The meals were served family style in the dining  room.  She met the other boarders at supper the first night.  

Among them was a young postal worker named Horace.  He had grown up on a farm out in the country, but had relocated to town after he started working for the post office.

In those first months, they dated other people.  But as winter turned into spring, Horace could not stop thinking about Pearl.  

He wasn’t sure she would be interested in him.  She always seemed busy.  If she wasn’t going somewhere, she was absorbed in grading papers.  And so many people were at the boarding house, having a private conversation was impossible.

So Horace went to the post office and called the boarding house and asked for Pearl.  He asked her if she would go for a Sunday afternoon ride with him in his Ford Roadster.  She agreed, if he would help her grade papers when they got back.  He agreed.

They went for a ride.  He helped her grade papers.  And the rest, as they say, is history.

As spring came to a close, Horace found a  private corner in that boarding house and asked Pearl to marry him.  She said yes, but to be proper, they knew they needed her father’s blessing.

So they took the train to her Georgia home and Horace asked if he could have the eldest daughter of the family’s hand in marriage.  Pearl’s father said he thought they were a little young, but he gave his blessing.

And speaking of “proper,” my father enjoyed telling everyone they had “lived together for nine months” and then decided to get married.  In 1926 and all the years that followed, this sounded very improper to my mother, and she always hastened to tell the full story, while my father laughed.

On June 27, 1926, Pearl and Horace were married in the parlor of her Georgia home by the family minister.  It was a simple wedding, but one whose union would prove to be just the beginning of a love story that would last 71 earth years and unlimited years in Glory.

In the century that has passed, Pearl and Horace’s family has expanded further than they could have ever imagined.  

They were married for ten years before their first child was born.  Then another eleven years passed before their second child was born.  Twelve years later their first grandchild was born.

The grand tally now is two children, four grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, four great, great grandchildren with another one due in July.

Additionally there were daughters in laws, sons in laws and step children.  Pearl and Horace never saw “in laws” or “steps.”  If you were brought into the family, you were family and that was that.

While Pearl and Horace stayed close to their roots their whole life, those who came after them lived diverse lives that reflected a worldwide influence.  Three family members actually grew up in other countries.

I share this today as once again I am amazed at what effect one or two choices can have on a world now and in the world to come.  That should give us all pause about the decisions we make.

Today I am happy to be remembering my parents, Pearl and Horace Priester who made a wonderful choice 100 years ago today.  Happy Anniversary, Mother and Daddy! 💖💞💖

Having a loving earthly father made it easier for me to understand my Heavenly Father’s Love.

Daddy was interested in everything I did.  He watched.  He asked questions.  He actually saw me!  I was not a distraction or an irritation.  He made me feel important.

When I was victorious, he shared in the joy.  When I failed, he helped me get back up.  He did not criticize.  He simply showed me a better way and assured me I would get it right the next time.

He wanted to be with me.  Even when he could have done tasks much faster and easier without my little girl help, he found ways to include me.  

Daddy showed affection in a healthy way.  He held my hand.  He hugged.  He kissed me on the cheek.

He told me he loved me.  He did the same with others he loved.  He said it plainly.  He said, “I love you with all my heart.”  I knew it was true. 

Daddy was fun.  He was a prankster.  But all his pranks were good, clean fun, designed for laughs for everyone, even the one being pranked.  April Fools Day was a treasured holiday for him.  He planned for it all year.  And the rest of us had to be on guard all day!

Daddy was kind and compassionate.  He loved to share with people.  Whether it was harvest from the garden, or a good joke, he gave all of what he had.

He had a deep respect for all people and he instilled that in us.  Everyone was welcome in our home.

In spite of the numerous ways I tried his patience, he never ever hit me.  He raised his voice.  He redirected.  He taught.  But he never gave up on me.

He knew there was evil in the world.  He did not dwell on it, but he did warn me about the things he did know to avoid.  He protected me as long as he could.

Daddy connected me to my ancestors.  He told me stories that made the grandparents I never knew come alive.  Daddy was honored to be a part of the family line and he wanted me to always remember I too was a part of a larger family.

Daddy used examples of things I could see to show me things I could not see.  When I could not get the hang of riding a bike, my father sat on the bathroom floor with me and rolled a quarter across the floor.  

He demonstrated how as long as it kept moving it stayed up.  He told me that would work not only for my bike, it would work for me too.  He smiled and said the key to life was never to give up and keep moving.  He was right!

Daddy prayed for me in a way that I felt transported with him to Heaven.  Not only did I feel God’s Presence, I felt The Presence of that great cloud of witnesses Paul talks about.  Our ancestors joined us there too.

Physical parting was hard.  Even though Daddy got to stay on earth for 96 years, I was not ready to let him go.  He was ready.  He anticipated a great family reunion and he assured me that when my work on earth was done, they would all welcome me in heaven.

One of the last things he said to me was, “I love you with all my heart.  Don’t forget me.”

Not a chance of that, Daddy.  I see you sometimes when I look in the mirror.  I see you in my brother.  

I hear you as I repeat your stories and jokes.  

I feel you very near when I need someone to pray for me.  

It turns out you didn’t need wings.  Somehow you became a part of me and you are with me always.

You were so humble you might have been embarrassed to know I spent a week writing about you.  But if it brought joy, smiles and love to others, I know you would be pleased.

I’ll love you, forever, Daddy … with all my heart!

Daddy was a man of prayer.  When I got up in the morning, I always knew where to find him.  He would be on his knees in front of a chair in the living room.

He always said the same thing when he got up.

“It would take more than 24 hours a day to thank The Lord for our many blessings!”

Fresh from prayer, he was still overflowing with gratitude.

He prayed before every meal.  He called it “saying grace.”  Sometimes he prayed familiar prayers that had been written and said by many.  But sometimes he prayed totally unscripted prayers that were filled with gratitude for more than food.

Even though my father was my wise counselor, he never gave advice without first checking it out with God.  He advised me to do the same.

Daddy freely admitted sometimes he simply did not know what to do.  I was blessed to see his genuine humility before God and in the presence of the rest of us.  He may not have known what to do, but He knew The One who did.  And he asked Him.

Daddy always emphasized how important it was to pray with an open mind.  He said we should never come to God with our mind already made up and ask God to just endorse our wishes.

Daddy said faith is really believing God has the Best Plan and being willing to follow His Plan when He reveals it.

And He lived it all the way through his life, even as God’s Plans involved big adjustments in Daddy’s Plans.

He prayed through the loss of my mother.  He prayed in the isolation that followed.  He prayed even as he left his home of many years and went to the nursing home.

He prayed all the way to Glory and beyond.  And he left all of us a legacy in revealing what would always connect us.

He said, “Prayer is the biggest Power we’ve got!”

When I pray, I feel I am talking to both of my fathers.  God my Heavenly Father and Daddy, my once earthly Father, are both listening!🙏😍

My father gave me many gifts.  One of them was the gift of curiosity.  Daddy wondered about everything.  

He actually saw the world around him.  He marveled at how things were connected.  He puzzled over things that did not connect or were out of place.

Sometimes when he would ask me questions about things I simply had no interest in, he would gently chide me by saying, “Don’t you have any curiosity?”

Once when we were in church, the preacher was delivering the sermon with his usual vim and vigor.  Daddy appeared to be intently listening.

At one point, he leaned over to whisper something to me.  I expected some great revelation.  Daddy said, “Look at that woman on the end of the front row in the choir.”

I looked.

Daddy said, “She sure has a long neck.”

Before I could ignore the dirty looks of my mother, he added, “God sure is creative in how He makes different people.”

That was the best sermon I heard that day.  And now, more than a half a century later, I look around and think, “Yes, Daddy, God is very creative!”

Daddy’s curiosity was not limited to just his immediate world.  Television opened up a whole new world of wondering.  

He wondered who the actors were, how old they were, where they were from, etc.  He was somewhat frustrated that his trusty collection of encyclopedias could not give him the answers.

But one Christmas, his ship came in when someone gave him a book of all kinds of current information, including the ages of actors.  He renewed it every year, so he could be up to date.

He never got the answer to his most pressing question.  He wanted to know how he could still watch Lawrence Welk when he knew Lawrence had died.  Now that Daddy is in heaven, he and Lawrence can work that one out.

I would love to see what Daddy would do with today’s internet.  As I am busily researching random thoughts at 3 AM, I think of Daddy.  I have the urge to tell him, “Yes, I have plenty of curiosity!”

And when I see anyone with a long neck, I always smile and think how creative God is!😘

My mother cooked. My father washed the dishes. I dried.

After years of this arrangement, my parents decided to look into getting a dishwasher.

Daddy asked the salesman all kinds of questions about this new fangled machine that was said to be able to wash and dry dishes.

Finally he asked the salesman how much he would give him for the old one.

The salesman asked what condition it was in. Without missing a beat, Daddy said, “Well, it’s old, but it has always been reliable.”

The salesman then said, “ Well, I would have to see it to really make an offer.”

Daddy then laughed and said, “You’re looking at it!”

My father had a wonderful sense of humor, and I am glad we got to have a new dishwasher without giving up the old one!