Laurel Wreath’s Reflections

I know you are thinking I am going to talk about my sons again, granted as a Mom I think they already qualify for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But what I am talking about is the real one.

Did you watch it? Of course you didn’t because you are not in an all male household! So let me give you some awesome highlights that you may have missed.

GOD WAS PRAISED ALL NIGHT LONG. Seriously, I was beyond shocked.

The one man who I want to single out is Art Monk. Art Monk is known for not giving interviews and as his son, who introduced him said, Monk wants to be known for his actions rather than what he says. Oh how many of us Christians can live by that word of advice.

Here is a man who has every reason to boast about his accomplishments, EVERY REASON. He worked hard, he sacrificed, and for several years he was looked over for this reward, but now he is being recognized.

When it came to his turn to speak, which he was the last to do so, the audience gave him the longest standing ovation. These are words that he spoke in front of a live television audience, and a stadium FILLED to the brim of fans:

And even now as a Hall of Famer, the one thing I want to make very clear is that my identity and my security is found in the Lord. And what defines me and my validation comes in having accepted his son Jesus Christ as my personal savior. And what defines me is the word of God and it’s the word of God that will continue to shape and mold me into the person that I know he’s called me to be.

So I’ve learned a long time ago never to put my faith or trust in man, for man will always fail you. Man will always disappoint you. But the word of God says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. And he will never fail you.

And that is what I live by and what I stand on.

I wanted to stand up on my chair and yell praise God. May God be given all the Glory.

Like I mentioned Art Monk should have been inducted years ago, so why the wait? We will never know, but I love Charlie Arehart’s take on it:

So here’s a different take on why his induction may have been so delayed: God’s providential hand. By holding back some of the voters, it made the whole matter take on a much more prominent place in the mind of the media, NFL, and fans paying attention.

And to me it seems reasonable to think that God orchestrated things to happen that way. I’m sure Art himself may see this eventually (if not already) as his “desert experience”: painful in the moment, but with patience and faith, it all works out in the end, for God’s fame. Soli Deo gloria!

Even if you are not a football fan this is truly something to be excited about! Thank you Art Monk for your example of a humble, Godly man especially in the midst of great success. May my boys grow to have the same character attributes.

Irish Calvinist wrote such a wonderful post.

God serves it up in the gospel to his people that they may see the beauty and glory of Jesus after being sickened by their own wickedness.

Head on over there to read it! I know it is a sports analogy, but a good one!

“In our lives the darkest times, the days that are bleak and black, add depth to every other experience. Like the dark bits of color in a mosaic, they add the contrast and shadows that give beauty to the whole, but they are just a small part of the big picture.”

~ Amy Grant~
Mosaic: Pieces of My Life so Far

I did not originally write this post for this weeks quote, but it kind of fits so I thought I would use it.

     Many of you are closing your windows and beginning to settle in for winter, we here in Florida have every window, door, etc…wide open. We are all dancing because it is finally COOL. Not cold mind you, but cool. I know all you that live up North are going to laugh, but as soon as it drops below the 80’s we get our winter boots out, our jeans, and yes even our jackets. We like to pretend like that. The breeze is blowing, the sun is shinning and everyone over the age of 65 is making their way to Sunny Florida.

     I don’t think I could live somewhere where it is dark and cold all the time, but I do have to tell you it is hard to get in the Christmas mood when you are putting up your tree while wearing shorts. Hopefully this year we will have some sort of winter, last winter all we had was January. I will be heading to Phoenix soon, and even they are having cooler weather than Florida, so I will be packing all my winter clothes so I can at least say I wore them once this year. Ha.

     Football is now over in Laurel’s household, we have a wedding to attend next weekend, and then we head to Arizona. I have not shared some very exciting news with you all, I guess I wanted to wait. Any of my regular readers know my sister has two very wonderful girls, both adopted. Before my sister decided to follow through with adoption she and her husband went through every possible method to conceive. You name it they went through it, nothing worked. It was a very difficult, emotional time for her, and I spent a lot of time on my knees pleading to the Lord. But there is beauty in ashes. Through this I was blessed with two nieces who I know were born for our family. And if my sister never had troubles they would not be here. I love them so much. Through this my sister and I grew closer, we were not always close growing up but this pain really deepened our relationship. God did such a beautiful work in my sister also, God broke her (and let me tell you it was painful to watch), but boy what a diamond she is today. Sometimes God has to break us and then build us up for his glory. He did that to me through finances, with my sister it was infertility. Neither one of us would want to repeat any of the pain, but we would never replace it either because of what the Lord developed in each of us.

     So where does today find us? God is faithful. Many times our plans our not his plans, right now I sit questioning that on the selling my home. But here I sit practically debt free (except for one car and my house). And my sister is now 3 months pregnant. It is both ALL GOD’S DOING. Not us. I am reminded that God does things on His timing, and His time is always right. God knew those two precious girls that my sister is Mommy to, were born for our family and she needed to go through some pain in order to get them where they belong.

     I have faith that God’s timing on the sale of my house is the same way. I wish I could say I sit content in this, alas I don’t. There are tears, there is frustration, and even dare I say anger at times. But I logically know God’s timing is best, and I would not want anything differently. So even though I am not faithful, God is faithful. His grace and mercy covers my impatience. And can you join me in being absolutely thrilled for my sister’s pregnancy, what an answer to a lot of prayers.

Elisa at Extravagant Grace is our wonderful host this week.