A Life Interrupted

“A Life Interrupted”

While enjoying our week of R & R at the beach, and while our children are enjoying being with one another, some playing in a baseball tournament, others just hanging out with their buds from back home (many from our school in Nashville~ Christ Presbyterian Academy~ come stay at locations very close in proximity in Destin, Fl., so our children can be together), we received devastating news. One of our friends/students, John “Shep” Case, took his own life. A sophomore at CPA, Shep has been with our school for a year. He was a football player, an excellent student, and a personable young man that seemed to love life and people. We don’t know details, other than the funeral will be taking place tomorrow, while many are still out of town. Details don’t matter; what DOES matter is that Shep’s life was interrupted, and his family is completely broken, as are his friends who now have to pick up the pieces and go on with our own lives. There are no words to say that will comfort…or explain…or fill the void. God can, and will, do that with time, and for that we rejoice. The school will have counselors on hand next Monday morning to work with our students from a Christian perspective on how to begin processing this information. For that, we are extremely grateful. Meanwhile, we parents are trying to find the appropriate words, not to explain the ‘why’; rather to explain the ‘how’ we go on from here.



I want to try and use this time to help my son, Benjamin, understand how precious life is. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem (my sister said that, and I thought it was so profound and true)! Life will be full of trials and rocky rough roads for each of us. The Bible even warns us of that: "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." ~ John 16:33 Then it goes back again to my 2 favorite words in all the Word: “But God…” He has overcome the world! HE is our source of strength when we feel we cannot go on another moment; HE is our peace when we are in total turmoil; HE is the One who will carry us all the way through and be the constant in our lives. And He desperately wants us to bring everything to Him, down to the most minute detail, and trust Him with all of it, whether we can see a way out or not. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ~ Matt. 11:28

Yet I know that right now these words probably don’t mean much to many going through the agony of the reality of his death. That’s OK! God can handle the ‘not understanding’, He can take the questions, and HE understands that WE DON’T understand. 2 Cor. 12:10 says: “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” We are weak humans, on a journey of becoming more and more like Christ as we go; yet, we still have the human component that is weak in trying times like this.

Right now, Benjamin and 3 of his buddies are laying across his bed in our rental condo on facebook, looking at the memorial site for Shep (if you are interested in visiting it and you have a facebook account, the address is http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=83547411208#/group.php?. I know this is part of their processing it all, and that’s wonderful. They are holding one another up; they are nurturing one another by loving in the way guys do; they are questioning, they are struggling, they are reminiscing about being in class with him, they are curious about how things will be when they return to school; they are going through the grief process, and it’s good!

Please pray for Mark and Polly Case and for Shep’s brother, as they face visitation tonight and a memorial service in the morning. Please add them to any prayer lists you are a part of, for daily strength to endure and to carry on life without their precious Shep. And please pray for all of the CPA students, for the faculty and staff and counselors as they assist our children through the grief process; and for us, as parents, as we love our children well and make ourselves available in whatever way we are needed.

Thank-you and blessings on each of you,

Lisa (aka “Lolli”)

Wednesday's Walk down Memory Lane

When I was in elementary school, I attended H.G. Hill Elementary, which is now Hillwood Middle School. In those days it was not uncommon for me to walk with friends to school, as it was only about the distance of 6 blocks. My mother was a stay-at-home Mom, and was very actively involved in my sisters and my school. She was a “clinic Mom”; she volunteered at extra-curricular activities, and made sure to be in the know always. There was a strong sense of security in that for us. However, in spite that, every time I heard a siren of any type pass by the school, I HAD to go to the office and call home to make sure my Mom was OK. To this day, I have no idea why that was of such concern to me. Perhaps because we lived so close by in a neighborhood setting, I just “knew” that, if a siren was in the area, it had something to do with my Mom. It was horrible to live with that type fear. Also, many afternoons my Mom would pick me up from school. In those days we had an old purple car (my sisters and I called it “The Purple Bomb”), a Plymouth of some sort I believe. I was horrified that, when Mom picked me up, my friends would see ME getting in THAT car. I used to beg her not to pick me up and spare me the embarrassment. Didn’t work! And one last elementary school memory: my best friend, Sandra, and I usually walked to and from school together. She lived across the yard from me on another street, and our moms had mapped out the route we were to take to and from school. One afternoon we were strolling along, deep in conversation, as always, and decided to take an “alternate route” so we’d have more time to walk. Mind you, we KNEW where we were and where we were going all along. What we DIDN’T know was just how long it was taking us to lollygag our way home. Meanwhile, our mothers were scared to death; they had both called the school, they had gone out looking for us in their cars, and could not find us anywhere. Can you guess what their next MO was? They called the local Metro police department. About an hour after we were due home, here comes a police car. He pulled up to us, rolled down the window (that’s in the days when it was safe), and said, “Are you Lisa? I said, “Yes, sir!” Then he said to my friend, “Are you Sandra?” She replied, “Yes sir!” He went on to inquire if we knew what time it was and that our mothers were worried sick that we were not home. Of course we had not even pondered those questions. Next thing you know, we were put in the back of the police car and taken to our respective homes! I don’t remember the consequences once I arrived home (if any); but I can guarantee you one thing; that NEVER happened again!

Please click on the "Wednesday's Walk" link on the right side bar if you would like to read other people's memories and/or would like to join in the fun!

As promised, I am continuing on this week with the weather theme. Today was absolutely gorgeous! Clear, bright and sunny skies, with no clouds in site. Just a slight breeze blew, enough to keep one from getting too hot. Suffice it to say that, in the 3 hours I sat out there, I got too much sun. Now, I am burning, with no one to blame but myself. It was just so good to see the sun; I wanted to bask in it for a long time. I feel refreshed when outside, soaking up some rays. I feel happy when I see the clarity of colors in nature~for example, the emerald, turquoise, sea green of the waters today is a color no artist can re-create! I know, because as a watercolorist, I have tried! Only the Master Creator can duplicate that exact color, and it is breathtakingly gorgeous! I enjoy the clean fresh air at the ocean’s edge, and the clean white sand beneath my feet. I came in late in the afternoon refreshed and relaxed from being in the sun all afternoon And…while out there re-filled my spiritual tank with lots of the Son!





Our pastor, Pete Wilson, challenged us to spend the 28 days before Easter reading one chapter of Matthew daily, leading us into a time or preparation for the celebration of His resurrection from death. I fluctuated from that to the book of Ezekiel that I’m reading “just cuz”….I’m preparing my notes on Acts 5-7 for my Sunday evening community group, AND studying Beth Moore’s “Esther” for my Tuesday morning study. So, you see, truly I was filled on the outside with sun and the inside with Son. What more could I want or need?





Weather-wise this was the type of day we all would like to have all the time! No real waves, no clouds, clear skies and water, lots of sun coupled with much rest and relaxation! I know there will be other days not so bright; and this I also know: the Holy Spirit is my constant, no matter the peripheral circumstances of my life! So, enjoy the photos below and: welcome to my world this week!





Love and blessings,

“Lolli”

No Sun but lots of Son!

Continuing on with the weather theme today~here in Destin, FL. It was overcast when I got up this morning. Occasionally the sun would peak out, as if to taunt me. Then the clouds would return with a vengeance. With the warm 70 degree temperature, pop-up thundershowers in Florida this time of year are not unusual. There was a stillness in the air and the clouds, while dreary, were steady…until late in the afternoon. Gradually the skies turned a gun-metal gray and the showers began, lightly at first, then suddenly hard rain fell, drenching the earth with puddles formed quickly on the roads and in grassy areas. Driving visibility decreased to nearly zero; it was next to impossible to see the lines on the highways; and as the torrent continued, so did the angry attitudes of drivers on the road!

I have experienced many days like today, feeling like it almost was not worth it to even get out of bed. No matter where I went, what I did or didn’t do, it was as if a dark cloud was following my path and raining on my every parade. I try to remember my favorite two words of the Bible during those times: “BUT GOD…” No matter the complaint, the circumstances, the pressures, the anxieties, the frustrations that I experience GOD is still on the throne and He is STILL IN CONTROL!

Just as the clouds remained steady all day, God’s presence, His love and concern, His forgiveness remain steady. “BUT GOD…” Scripture reminds us that “His mercies are new every morning”. The clouds will roll away in the sky; tomorrow is a new day and the prediction is for sun! Even in the clouds of my life, the SON is always predictable: He’s there by my side, facing every new day and whatever that day holds. All I need to do is armor up (Eph. 6:11) in preparation, usurp any attempt on the part of the enemy to thwart God’s plans for my life for that day, and live victoriously! “This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it!” (Ps. 118:24)

One more blessing from today: in spite of those clouds in the sky, look what the Lord brought to my line of vision, right in front of my condo:

This morning I sat on the balcony of my condo in Destin, FL., before the rest of the area woke up (well, at least the area in MY condo…aka teenage boys and my sister!) The hypnotic effect of the tumultuous waves sent me into an almost subliminal state of thought;analogies of the ebb and flow of the waves of life invaded my thoughts. As I gazed at the horizon, the waves seemed fairly gentle and calm. The future for me, as I know it, seems much the same~nothing much to contemplate, let alone be anxious about. Closer into the shoreline the waves contained a bit more activity and strength. It appeared as though the wind strength determined the ferocity of the waves. Yet I realize this was but an illusion, as the wind strength was constant. In the Word “wind” is associated with the Holy Spirit. No matter who I am or what I do; no matter where I am or when changes occur in my life; and no matter why life comes against me and how that is manifested, the Holy Spirit is the only person in my life that always remains constant! The wind over the ocean is constantly changing. As the water below the surface swiftly churns, the waves mount, eventually reaching a peak, then toppling over, losing form and strength as they flatten, become foamy and disappear into the sand of the shoreline. Eventually the turbulent circumstances in my life will lose their shape and disappear into the fabric of my life, as well. As I am walking through those times, however, I want the Master Weaver to weave beauty from the disorderly into the tapestry of my life!



In the midst of this methodical thinking, I also saw the red flagof “warning”~danger, water is not safe! No swimming or surfing! Enter at your own risk!” Within moments, as if no forewarning had been given, there were swimmers heading straight for the water~not unlike us, when we ignore the warnings of the Holy Spirit and continue down a precarious path of life. We may know the warning, understand the way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13), and still be determined to enter those raging waters anyway!



As the day wore on the temperature continued to rise, the wind calmed a bit, and the rough waters receded if for a while. Eventually the horizon was concealed by threatening thunder clouds, and the forecast rapidly changed. The remainder of this week calls for “isolated thunderstorms” certain days; others may bring severe storms, and the prediction may be accompanied by a ‘watch’ or ‘warning’. Again the similarities of the forecast and life are amazing. I will continue with this theme throughout the week.



Just below our condo stands a flagpole with an American flag blowing in the wind. Late this afternoon it was framed against a backdrop of the bright, beautiful sun. I am again reminded of the freedoms we are privileged to enjoy in this country. And, again, as the wind gently blew that flag I am reminded of the words of THE SON: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” ~ Heb. 13:5b. Even in the midst of and in spite of the storms of life Jesus will be with us always (Matt. 28:20) Our God is an awesome God indeed!

Emerald Coast

It's Spring Break 2009 and my sister, my son Benjamin and his friend, Sam, and I are in Destin, FL. for a week. This photo is what we see standing on our balcony! I know, it's tough, but somebody HAS to do it! For the past 18-years or so we have been bringing my children down here for Spring Break. Many families from the school come down here, as well, so they have lots of friends to hang with on the beach. That has always made it so much fun for them, and makes it much easier for my sister and I. We can relax and do our own thing, knowing that they are safe and close by. Our normal routine is to rent a 15-passenger van, have them take out the middle seats, make a pallet in the floor, complete with a foam mattress about 5" thick for the boys to sleep on (please don't tell the police! It's hard for them to sleep with no seat belts in the floor!) We pull out of our driveway in Tennessee about midnight and drive straight through for 8 hours while the children sleep. By the time we arrive in Destin, we have to awaken them to eat breakfast. The Lord has always blessed us with the privilege of being able to check in the condo way before normal check-in time (due to "snow birds" checking out about Spring Break time). We unload the van, let the children stay here and play while we go grocery shopping. Needless to say by bedtime that first night (tonight) Dinah, my sister, and I are ready to crash! The view is absolutely gorgeous, and the R & R we receive is so needed and such a blessing! It allows me time to be creative (scrapbooking, watercolor paining, working on my altered book, working on my Bible studies, reading, etc.) I'm no longer the sun-goddess I used to be (much to my chagrin...now I'm paying for it!). I just love getting away from my normal routine of life and relax in the beauty and majesty of the blue and green waters and snow white sand of the Emerald Coast.

And one more thing: thank-you so very much to all of you who have visited my blog and left treasured comments. I have tried to reply to each one of you; however, when I try to link up through your site, many of you don't have contact info listed. So, I appreciate each and every one of you and are trying to bookmark your sites and visit each of them regularly. I would LOVE for you to come back and visit often (or become a follower/friend!) May you be blessed as you so richly bless me!

Much love,

Lolli

"You've Got a Friend"

Have you ever had a song just get in your mind,you have no idea where it came from, and it seems to be on "replay"? That happened to me the other night! For some reason I was singing James Taylor’s’ “You’ve God a Friend”. Don’t know if I heard it when I was in a store somewhere recently or what….but it played in continuous mode in my head for some time. Then for some reason (and I believe it was the Holy Spirit whispering in my ear, “Hey, Lisa, listen to those words) I pondered the words, and though I don’t believe James Taylor coined the lyrics to be a “spiritual” song, read the words:

“When you’re down and troubled and you need a helping hand and nothing, whoa nothing is going right. Close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there to brighten up even your darkest nights.

You just call out my name, and you know wherever I am I’ll come running, oh yeah baby to see you again. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call
And I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah. You’ve got a friend.

If the sky above you should turn dark and full of clouds and that old north wind should begin to blow. Keep your head together and call my name out loud and soon I will be knocking upon your door. You just call out my name and you know wherever I am I’ll come running to see you again. Winter, spring, summer or fall all you got to do is call and I’ll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hey, ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend? People can be so cold.
They’ll hurt you and desert you. Well they’ll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don’t you let them.

You just call out my name and you know wherever I am I’ll come running to see you again. Oh babe, don’t you know that, winter spring summer or fall, Hey now, all you’ve got to do is call. Lord, I’ll be there, yes I will. You’ve got a friend.
You’ve got a friend. A’int it good to know you’ve got a friend. A’int it good to know you’ve got a friend. You’ve got a friend.”

Now, I doubt Jesus would say “ain’t”, unless there’s a Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic complement to it! But, isn’t it true that we’ve got a friend in Jesus? (there’s actually a hymn written by that name—“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”; another one starts “I have a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me; He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul…). Jesus is constantly knocking on the door of our hearts, wanting us to let Him in. Rev. 3:20 says: “Look! I am standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me.” (NSV) So, as a bumper sticker I once saw says, “If you feel like you aren’t close to Jesus any more, guess who moved?” We are never alone; we are never out of His care; and we are never without a friend! Think about that for a moment! He doesn’t want to just be our Savior, our Redeemer, our Lord…along with all of His other awesome attributes, He wants to be our “Friend”! John 15:13 says: "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (NASB) Have you many friends that would truly lay down their life for you? Jesus already has! He so longs to be our friend, our confidante, our husband….not just a mere acquaintance, or a historical character that we obtain head knowledge about and that’s it. HE wants RELATIONSHIP with YOU! He wants it all day every day of your life! Can you wrap your brain around the fact that the God of the Universe truly wants a relationship with you? How awesome!

He doesn’t just want that relationship when things are going well in our lives, though He certainly loves and desires our praise for that! He wants a relationship with us when we are in the pits of life, when we feel no one understands, when we think we can’t go on…
"Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest. Place my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest for your souls, because my yoke is pleasant, and my burden is light." Matt. 11:28-30 (ISV) Do you know what the “yoke” referred to in the Bible is? Jesus was also called “Rabbi”; “Rabbi” means teacher, but in the case of Jesus, it means “one who teaches with authority” (learned this from my pastor, Pete Wilson).
His “yoke” was His teaching; so from the Matthew passage we see that Jesus’ teaching, His yoke, is pleasant, and we are to put it on and learn from it.” Our friend, Jesus, wants to be there to hold us up, to guide us along, to bring us “through it” if He brings us “to it!” Truly, “what a friend we have in Jesus!”