The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia

 

With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.  And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all. ~Acts 4:33

We rarely lose our electricity where we live.  Oh, sure, we get a few blips and brief episodes from time to time, but nothing to even make us think that we should invest in a generator for the house.  We are most fortunate, indeed.

Fortunate, that is, until a week ago Sunday.  At around 5:30 that evening, Danny is just getting ready to prep for dinner when BOOM!  Not only do the lights go out, but we sustain some eerie electrical pulses that are downright scary.  Danny rushes to unplug our computers, hoping that said pulses haven't already fried the wiring.  Whew!  Thankfully, they survive the shock, but we are left in the dark (yes, pun intended).

What to do?  Both of us have had a long day and our stomachs are getting restless.  Lunch seems to be light years in the past, and cooking is now out of the question.  Danny declares that we'll simply have to go out to eat if we want to have anything decent.  That's okay by me, except for two reasons: 1) What happens if we can't find a restaurant with power? and 2) Neither one of us is comfortable driving in the dark.

Danny reminds me that while our neighborhood is serviced by Georgia Power, many others in the local environs subscribe to another electricity provider, Cobb EMC.  He is sure we can find some place that is up and running just fine.  The only obstacle now, it seems, is getting our garage doors open without the automatic assistance we're so accustomed to.  Turns out, they are no match for Dan-the-Man with an engineering degree from Georgia Tech!

We drive through our dusky neighborhood, made gloomier by overcast skies and no lights in sight.  But as soon as we turn onto the main road leading to Kennesaw proper, the promise of maintained power welcomes us and fills us with renewed hope.  Danny's original idea is to head toward Highway 41, but when we get to downtown Kennesaw, only a mile or so from our home, we decide to try a new, for us, restaurant whose facade is pictured above.  Yes, it's pricey, but we rationalize not having eaten out for Valentine's Day, and the short distance back to the house, makes this a worthwhile venture in every way.

We are not disappointed!

We split an entree of mahi-mahi tacos and fries - delicious!  And our waiter gives us excellent service without hovering as is the case in some places we have dined.  We enjoy every morsel of our meal and will most definitely return there in the future for a special occasion.

By the time we're ready for the drive back home, we wonder if the electricity will be there to greet us.  Lo and behold, as we enter our neighborhood and see lights in all the houses, it has!  No LED flashlights nor lanterns required, and full stomachs to boot.

What first appeared to be a power catastrophe becomes a powerful memory, and we are so grateful to God for His powerful light shines eternally shines into our lives and our hearts.

Amen!

Grace is a Blessing

 

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus. ~1 Corinthians 1:4

Have you ever noticed that when a word chooses you for the year, you begin to see it everywhere?  When the word Grace takes up residence in my heart for 2025, that phenomenon has occurred with regularity.  What a joy that is!

Pictured above is the daily devotional, New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp, I've chosen to read each day of this year.  From the first of January until today (February 17), Tripp has mentioned God's gift of grace in all but eight of them.  All but eight!!!  I'd say that's like batting a thousand.  And this is the journal I use to record all the grace moments I come across in my daily readings.

In her post for January 20th, Pamela, who blogs at Closed Doors, Open Windows, shares this wonderful acrostic for the word grace that the pastor at her church often uses.

G - God's

R - Riches

A - At

C - Christ's

E - Expense

Many of you may already be familiar with this "definition" of grace, but for me, it is a new and welcomed revelation.  Thanks, Pamela!

It reminds me, once again, that grace is freely given by God, not because I've earned it or deserve it, but because His Son, Jesus, laid down His precious life for us in order to pay for the sins of every man, woman and child, past, present and future.  None of us, I dare say, can fathom the immense cost of Jesus' sacrifice, leaving the joys of heaven to be born, live and die as one of us here on earth.

Yet, because God so loved the world, He did just that.

My signature sign-off here at Meditations of My Heart when responding to comments has been Love and blessings for years.  Now, being inspired by grace, I've decided to wish all of you Grace and blessings instead when you take the time to read and comment on my posts.  Your kind, thoughtful and caring words never cease to fill my heart with gratefulness for each one of you.

I will close today's post with one quote from Paul David Tripp about grace:  I need your grace.  Grace to remember, grace to see, grace that produces a heart of humble joy.

Grace and blessings, dear friends!

Forever and Ever

 

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. ~Isaiah 40:8

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, many of you might find yourself scrambling to procure those last-minute flowers, cards or candy to acknowledge your love for that special someone in your life.  Danny and I are pretty low-key when it comes to celebrating all things Cupid.  The last year, and this one, too, we shop together for the flowers we'd like to see on our dining table and our box of chocolates to share.

Now cards?  Those are really special for both of us, so we sneak down the greeting card aisle solo in order to find the one that best expresses our deep feelings for one another.

The flowers we choose are tulips; aside from daffodils, are there any other blossoms that herald the coming of spring perfectly?  Enjoy these amazing photos Danny takes of them.

As lovely and gorgeous as these tulips are, we know it won't be long before they will droop and fade, leaving us no choice but to let them go.  Sad, yes, but we can remember how beautiful they were in the photos Danny has taken here.

I am eternally grateful that God and His Word will always be with us.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and He will never cease to love His creation.

And He will always love us who put our faith, hope and trust in Him.

Forever and ever.

Amen!

Two Are Better Than One

 

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. ~Proverbs 4:9-10

For those of you who have followed my blog since January of 2024, you are likely aware of the medical issues Danny and I have been dealing with, day in and day out.  New readers, you can read the details of this traumatic beginning to 2024 HERE.

Everything goes better than we could ever hope for or expect with the replacement of Danny's pacemaker, but he is saddled with a severe case o medical PTSD as a result.  Both our lives are upended by this in ways we cannot imagine at the time.  No longer does Danny feel safe going anywhere alone, or even staying home alone, so I'm his constant companion.  This disrupts our usual routines tremendously.

All of our appointments have to be coordinated so nothing is a conflict.  Whereas, I haven't been to the grocery stores with Danny for what seems like ages, I'm now intimately familiar with every aisle and items in the several we frequent.  Doing our own thing simply doesn't fly anymore.  Is this frustrating at times?  Of course, it is.  I'd be lying if I told you differently.

And don't get me started on those first couple of weeks after his surgery when Danny's not allowed to drive.  Poor guy!  He's not a good passenger (and will be the first to admit it), and I find out, in the process, that my driving isn't as great as I think it is.  But we survive that time together, none the worse for wear, and now I am so relieved that he's back behind the wheel where he belongs.

However, being in the driver's seat does not mean long trips on busy highways as he used to be able to do, and I could never do with confidence.  That's okay.  We've had our fair share of sweet mountain get-away trips, and now our family members travel to see us.  I'd say that's a win-win for those of us who aren't getting any younger!

Last year (December) on his birthday, I want Danny to know more than anything that all the trials and tribulations we face can be overcome because we have faith in God and in each other.  I need to express my gratefulness to him and to our generous Father who placed our life paths on the same trajectory over twenty years ago.  The decorative pillow, featured at the top of this post, is my gift to him because I think those three little words say it all.  Danny completely agrees.

Yes, two are most definitely better than one, as Proverbs 4:9 states, but when God holds those two souls in His hands, they become the threefold cord that cannot be easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:22).  For as many more years that the Lord has in store for us, Danny and I will hold onto each other's hands and look to God for strength and hope, love and guidance.  I can't think of a better way to live, can you?

Amen!

Light of the World

 

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. ~John 8:12

We wait until Epiphany to dismantle our Christmas decorations.  I'm always sad to lose the ambient glow and warmth that the lights on both our tree and the garland on our mantle give us during this always special season.  This time, though, I take the wonderful suggestion from my friend, Jean, who says that she leaves up her artificial candles in her windows long after Christmas has passed to brighten up the long wintry nights.

Coincidentally, just this past season, I purchase a set of four battery-powered LED candles for our home (A big shout out and thanks to Linda for letting her readers know about these!).  Two of them are featured in the header photo.  Yes, Danny agrees it's a marvelous idea to keep them "burning," too.

The candle "flames" certainly appear realistic, and their lights make our living room so cozy and comforting.  I do love that they run on AA batteries and their timers really do work as advertised.  When we decide to put them away, they are easy to disassemble and store away for next winter's long, dark and dreary nights.

When we find ourselves in moments when all feels like darkness and hopelessness closing in to crush our spirits, may we turn to Jesus, allowing Him to fill us with His eternal light.  Only He has the light of life and the infinite grace to give it.

Amen!

What Are You Waiting For?

 

Wait on the Lord.  Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart.  Wait, I say, on the Lord! ~Psalm 27:14

In today's fast paced society, it seems, "wait" has joined the dubious family of four-letter words.  I love to wait in line at the grocery store, at the doctor's office, on the phone, at a traffic light, said no one ever.  And unfortunately, our cravings for instant gratification, wanting our wants immediately, is incessantly fueled by our internet connections and smart phones.

I'm old enough to remember the days of land lines and television networks that went off the air at midnight.  You didn't have the option of seeing a show you missed because of other obligations you had to meet.

I learn that lesson early in my childhood years.  There is a favorite kids' show on a local station that airs every weekday at 5:00 p.m.  I never want to miss it, especially since my mom and dad are strict about how much television my brother and I are allowed to watch.  Imagine my dismay, not to mention disappointment, when we return home from a late afternoon dental appointment, only to discover I've missed it!

What do I do?  I grab our old analog clock off a side table and promptly turn the hands backward to before 5:00.  When my mother sees me in action, she snatches it back from me, saying, "Turning back the clock can't change what time it actually is.  You'll just have to wait (there's that word) until tomorrow when it comes on again."

Yes, whether or not I like it, I have to wait.

That is then, but this is now.  Today, I can record favorite shows to stream at my leisure, and pause a program in progress if I need to something else at the moment.  The best part about this is, when I do get back to it, I can race through all the mindless commercials to get to the meat of the broadcast.

Is this just another first world convenience?  You bet!  And I'll venture to say I'm not the only one reading this who doesn't enjoy 21st century perks.

But in other ways, not having to wait has its downside.  How can we learn patience unless conditions impose the need for us to wait?  And how can we wait productively when a desired time or place seems woefully out of reach?  My answer?  Prayer!

I confess, it's taken me many years to arrive at that revelation, but God . . .  Talking with and listening to Him is something for which we never have to wait.  He will strengthen our hearts and give us courage to face the challenges and wait-times we encounter each and every day.

And with the grace of patience seemingly in short supply these days, we can pray that we will once again come to realize its dignity, virtue and worth.  

So what are you waiting for?  Go to God in prayer today.  He will never put you on hold.

Amen!

Let It Snow!

 

He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes. ~Psalm 147:16

Yes!  We finally get snow!  Our last decent storm occurs in 2017.

In 2020, we do get enough of the white stuff for granddaughter, Virginia, to enjoy for a while, but it melts away all too quickly.

This time, our snow is predicted to begin falling around 7:00 a.m. Friday of last week.  I'm an early riser, so Danny insists that I wake him should this forecast be accurate.  For once, the weather gurus get it right!  Watching the snow descend softly, silently, and witnessing its rapid accumulation is magical, indeed.

This last daytime shot is what our driveway looks like.  We are at home for the long haul!

At night, Danny captures the wonder of icicles clinging to branches, illuminated by outdoor lights.

Saturday, the cloud cover and low temperatures keep melting to a minimum.  Sunday, however, the sun makes its return, and oh, how the ice-coated trees glisten and gleam gloriously.

As I write this on Sunday afternoon, I can hear the persistent drip, drip, drip of ice and snow as the sun travels in its arc across the clear blue sky.  Our fabulous snow days may not have lingered long, but our amazing memories of it will.

Amen!