Tellnard Mountain

Goodness, gracious... It sure has been a while since I've posted here. Shame on me. Linda*Pinda*Designs is where I do the bulk of my online business, so that blog gets a little more wear and tear, but... well... there's nothing like coming home, now is there?

Lent is a really busy time around here. Mike is super busy at work, as he is each year preparing all the music and leading all the rehearsals leading up to Holy Week and Easter. And this year is super crazy 'cause he's at a new church AND he's still helping our daughter Sarah with the rehearsals of the choir at our home parish where he worked 'til Christmas. To boot, our little Hannah is making her First Communion in a few weeks, so there are lots of extra retreats and meetings, etc. Did I mention that her birthday is also on Good Friday, and the kids' school is having a fundraising event for the American Heart Association, and our older daughter Sarah is part of a very special concert at her college this week?

And of course, the dog is overdue for her vet appointment, there is a squirrel making daily visits in my antique tin ceiling... (yes... we know... "he'll get to it"), almost the entire family is camping out in our living room while we attempt to make some changes to the bedrooms upstairs, my dad is away on vacation, I'm trying to build an online business, and Mike is attempting to record another CD (Yes... Sarah will be on this one... LOL!).

Other than that, not much is going on here.

hee hee

So, why am I visiting today? Well... between funerals, Stations of the Cross tonight, and planning all day, Mike's been away... so... I got some housework done and then decided to look for some special blogs on faith and family.

I have been through the gamit of emotions. Excitement, frustration, compassion, humor, joy, and sorrow. There are so many stories... so many journeys. I'm just feeling thankful to be a part of it all. I know there is a lot... A LOT of "junk" on the internet. But I am amazed at how the Lord uses even this for the good. I would never have met some really wonderful inspiring people if it were not for the internet and for the Lord's intervention in crossing paths that need crossin'.

Seems there are a lot of us in this great big world who have placed our lives in the great big palm of His hand.

You know... these are uncertain times, aren't they? Over at Ebay, all the groups are chatting about betrayal, injustice, and no prosperity. Some folks are checking out Etsy, some are joining group websites, some are opening their own sites. Then there's the evening news. Have you heard? We are not in a recession, but you may have to sell your firstborn into indentured service to pay your winter heating bill. And you won't be able to visit him because you can't afford the nearly $4.oo gallon for gas to make the trip. And you'd be too weak to travel anyway because no one can afford to buy enough groceries to sustain a family for a whole week. But the good news is that the choices for president are all pro-choice, so in no time there won't be enough Americans left to have to worry about an economy anyway. Did I just say that? yep... guess I did.

I guess this all paints a pretty dark picture, huh? But you know what? For those of us who've been walking on water all along... this doesn't seem like much of a challenge! My eyes are on the Lord and I'm just marching straight ahead.

We were blessed this past weekend to have a visiting priest at our parish who was giving a wonderful mission on "the journey". We weren't able to go every night, but a few things he shared in his homily on Sunday really stuck with me. He mentioned the fact that many... MANY times in the Bible, God called people to action in their faith life, but didn't give them a clear picture of the plan. He told Abraham to "Go". He told Noah to "Build". He told Moses to "lead".

One went, one built, and one led. Not one of them knew the next step of their journey. Not one of them knew the where, when or how. But they all had faith.

In this world of GPS systems and instant information, we are hesitant to begin any journey without knowing every last detail and having backup plans for all of the possible glitches.

But God calls us still. As He called Abraham, Noah, Moses, and so many others. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. We don't know the whole picture. But if we are very quiet, we can hear His voice and we can feel His "nudgings".

I remember a couple of years ago when I was at my emotional wit's end with doing in home daycare. I felt God urging me to just stop. I kept praying and praying... and PRAYING to know His will so that I could stop and know that everything would be ok. I could feel the Lord telling me that I needed to follow Him in faith. For some reason I just knew that it was the act of faith that the Lord wanted from me and that He would supply as each need arose. I remember telling my husband that I felt as though God wanted me to "step off of a cliff" and to trust that He would be there.

Silly me... Once again I was too stiffnecked to see that God didn't want me to fall and be caught... He wanted me to let go of what was weighing me down, and SOAR.

And you know... we are not rich, but we are still living miracle to miracle and I am building a whole new career that I am enjoying so much more than any work I have ever done before. I'm able to stay home with the children, use my creativity, and even work in my pjs sometimes, which is a real plus for those of us who are not exactly "morning people"!

I suppose this may all be a stumbling block for those who already are struggling to embrace their faith. You mean God wants us to "go", "do", but not know what comes next? Sometimes. It's what keeps us "needing" Him, seeking Him, living in His presence. And it's actually quite freeing.

I'm not the least bit worried about Ebay, Sales reports, recession, or even who becomes elected president. Don't mistake that for not caring. I care. And I am involved in the process. But I am not worried.

An awful lot of people are trying to dig us out of our misery by looking everywhere but UP. They are trying to find their way out of the darkness with everything buy LIGHT. They are fighting evil with anger instead of LOVE.

There will always be wars and rumors of wars. The poor will always be among us. These were/are the words of Jesus. Do we really think we can solve all the world's problems? We are not called to make the world light. We are called to "be a light to the world". We cannot change the world, but we can change ourselves.... and in that our journey begins...

Sorry I "went on" so much!!! Guess I should check in more often, huh?

Love & Blessings... *Linda*