"Streams in the Desert"

Here is a book that I wish I could personally give to each of you who are hurting right now. 

It is called "Streams in the Desert"

The book was given to me last summer when I experienced an unexpected miscarriage.  Actually the whole pregnancy was unexpected but we became very excited that God had given our family another child…"a gift" to us.  We are still waiting to learn what "the gift" is that He has given.  

It's times like these that I remember some advice a good friend shared with me years ago.  She would say "Carma…don't forget in the darkness what God has told you in the light"  Such wise words.  

These daily readings from "Streams in the Desert" are rooted in scripture and amaze me with the way they weave together the heartbreak of this life and the triumph of God.  Encouraging us not only to survive through life's trials and dark moments but to LIVE there in them so that the "sense of God's presence can become the unwavering possession of our souls, enabling us to continually say as the psalmist wrote. "You are near oh, LORD" (Psalm 119:51)

Maybe you, like me, have had a physical illness that has sidelined you.  Maybe you have lost a baby or feel the pain of not having one.  Or maybe cancer is a daily discussion in your family. (my step dad is still pressing on, Amy is engaged the battle and doing well..thank you for your prayers) I have a friend who is walking through the pain of being abused as a child…feeling alone and helpless.  I have a friend who just lost both of her parents in an accident this weekend.  I have another friend who turns another year older this year and so wants God to provide someone to share this life with.  

I can't fully imagine what your pain is today.  I just pray that you will reach for the truths of the Bible.  That you will hold tight to the truths that God gave you in the light…when all was beautiful and felt good.  He hasn't changed…He is still here...it may be dark in your world for a time but you are not alone.  

Oh how I wish we could sit, have some coffee and read together...   

A Tribute Larry - Thanking God for you!

Yesterday I got the kind of call you don't want to get.  One of my childhood "Father" figures passed away after battling liver cancer.  


It's all kind of surreal as several people I love are battling cancer and I'm not sure how to manage it all in my heart and brain so tonight I am sad...but I am choosing to celebrate a man whom I loved and looked up to as a little girl.  Below is a paragraph from something I've been writing from time to time.  

"Here in Lincoln Nebraska,  I grew up being the little white girl in a neighborhood of many cultures, ethnically, and economically.  My mom worked a lot to pay the bills so my "second home" in the neighborhood was the Rodriguez family that lived two doors down the street.  As the story goes...I was 4 years old the day we moved into our new house and that day I "walked to Rodriguez's house in my mamma's high heel shoes and never went home".  Their house is where I learned about Mexican culture.  I grew up eating homemade tortillas every day and prided myself on being a part of their family… especially in the summer when my skin would get extra tan and I looked even more like them!  Their home is also where I learned that I had a hole in my heart that only Jesus could fill.  I love the Rodriguez family for taking me in, making me a part of their family and caring for me."

Our family moved out of that neighborhood when I was in 8th Grade.  While time has gone on and we have grown apart I cherish the childhood memories I have shared with them and I honor them for what they have taught me.    


So today I thank God for Larry and his life.  I sit in awe at how fast time has flown by - Thirty years has come and gone... It seems like just yesterday we were planting that tree in your front yard, holding baby Gina Marie, testing out the hot salsa on Friday nights and eating deer jerky from that deer you hung in the garage for days!  I remember you helping us carve pumpkins, pull out my teeth and watching a ton of baseball together.


I guess the beautiful thing about time passing quickly is that there will be a time, not too far away, when there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more death...  when we will be reunited with Christ in the clouds and all will be fully well again.  What a day that will be!

Cold Weather Encouragement - For Those Who Hurt This Morning!

"Lord, I need this to go away..NOW please!"

(This picture could only be more perfect if it had a mound of cold snow on top of it!)

I don't know about you but this morning when I woke up this morning I felt like this cactus.  Then, when I looked outside and everything is white and cold I thought…"Lord, I need this to go away..NOW please!"  Not only am I naturally a warm weather outdoor girl but for those of us with autoimmune issues (and probably past physical injuries)  the change in barometric pressure and cold often bring a lot of pain and fatigue.  

There are actually scientific reasons.  When the barometric pressure changes it actually affects the pressure on our bodies and joints causing them to ache.  There are also autoimmune syndromes like "Raynard's Syndrome" which is essentially a big word for really bad circulation in the fingers, toes and the ability to feel warm.  

For me, I just can't regulate body temperature.  I'm always cold.  My feet, my fingers.  I pretty much feel chilled 24/7 and it just makes me want to sleep.  And when I sleep I hibernate..not much can wake me up. 

So what do you do when you wake up feeling physically exhausted before you even get out of bed?  (other than move to Australia of course because I'm told that is where there are the least changes in environment!)  

Well - I look for re-enforcement.  I lift my head toward God and say (after complaining of course :) )  "What do you have for me today in this cold, uncomfortable place"   


I pick up the Bible or in this mornings case a book that my great friend Amy gave me and read.  It reminds me of truth.  Truth that I can hold on to throughout the day.  I wanted to share some of it with you today that you may be encouraged!

An Excerpt from:  Streams in the Desert: 366 Daily Devotional Readings [STREAMS IN THE DESERT]

2 Cor 7:5  " We are harassed at every turn"

Why is it that God leads us in this way, allowing such strong and constant pressure on us?  

One of His purposes is to show us His all-sufficient strength and grace more effectively than if we were free from difficulties and trials.  "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show us that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us (2 Cor 4:7)

Another purpose is to bring us a greater awareness of our dependence upon Him.  God is constantly trying to teach us how dependent we are on Him - that we are held completely by His hand and reliant on His care alone.  

This is exactly where Jesus Himself stood and where He desires us to stand.  We must stand not with self-made strength but always leaning upon Him.  And our stand must exhibit a trust that would never dare to take even one step alone.  This will teach us to trust Him more.  

There is no way to learn of faith except through trials.  They are God's school of faith, and it is much better for us to learn to trust Him than to live a life of enjoyment.  And once the lesson of faith has been learned, it is an everlasting possession and an eternal fortune gained.  Yet without trust in God even great riches will leave us in poverty. " 

So this today, if you are hurting physically or just plain hurting…let us remember the truth that there are eternal purposes at work…things gained that will last forever.  A God who loves you and has a plan and holds out hope that will carry you through until the sun is shining and warm and your hurt has faded away!