I just officially joined Wordless Wednesday ! This is my first WW.

Believe in the Lord. Have faith in God above.

These are the things each of us has heard at least once in our life time. Not being brought up with religion in my home as child, I try hard to encourage belief with my own children. Attempting to do the right thing by them I have been taking the kids to church. Many times when we are going to the English mass Grandma will keep the little one with her. Grandma prefers the Spanish mass.

This past Sunday Amber went with us. She is 19 months old and is very independent. My husband calls her a firecracker. She is full of life and bubbly laughing all the time. In church she is often too loud and I need to take her to the quiet room. Not this week! The experience is something I wonder if I will ever see again in my life time. A miracle is the best way to explain. God reached out and touched my little Tooka. After not being in church for around 3 months she was an angel. She seemed to be filled with over whelming joy. Her eyes glowed. Amber climbed into my lap and gave me hugs with such warmth. As if God was hugging me himself. She in turn gave one to her sister Kaytlin and each person in our party. She returned to my lap, placing her arm around my neck; cuddling with a smile I cannot describe.

I felt in my heart that she could feel God’s presence; He filled her with joy. Watching her share the peace with our neighbors in the front pew was my greatest blessing Sunday. I don’t think I have ever seen God working like this before in my life. I pray I will again, and soon.

A man was exploring caves by the Seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn’t look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him.

As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could. He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!

Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had l eft.

Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

It’s like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn’t look like much from the outside. It isn’t always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it. We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.

May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them.

A friend of mine sent this to me. I am so glad she did. I wonder why people cannot see past the clay. Why many people see themselves as better than others and/or treat others as if we are just that clay rocks with no worth. We all have a worth and many of us are priceless. Too bad these other people will be like the man in the beginning throwing away a treasure. It is their loss and our gain. Tell me about a special treasure in your life.

I have been thinking about my life a lot the last few days (ok weeks it has taken me this long to get the words almost right). My dad witnessed a small airplane crash flown by someone he knew. It has touched him in a way that will forever be with him. For me – I could have lost him! He was so close that along with another friend they ran to the plane when it crashed. It blew up a few seconds later. As far as I am concerned it could have landed on him or blew up while he was to close.

Than a day or so later M2’s friend (Gwen) who she has know all her life had a major life changing loss. Her husband left to stand with GOD. Even though he was 67 years old it may seem to some that he lived a full life. What about those who he left behind. His wife who was (I believe) around 15 years his junior. Gwen has to wake up each morning missing him with her heart. I do not want to even think about the evenings or when it is time to go to bed. This is my own personal greatest fear. I have seen what it can do to you. Kim was the first and far from the last I regret. She lost her husband of 16 years with two young girls to raise. It was so rough for her. I wish I could have made it better for her. I always want to make people better but it doesn’t always work that way does it?

AARRRHH! I just can’t get what is going on my head into words. Instead I am babbling. What I really want to spit out is about how my journal for my mom has helped me. I started it when she passed away 10 years ago this November. I was so lost without her. Just as I know Gwen must be now about her husband. I started to write to my mom what was going on in my life just as if I was talking to her. It turned into a memory book. Every thought of her it was added; filled with the emotions of the laughter, tears and events we shared together.

As others have lost their parents, spouses, friends, or anyone who has touched our hearts. I would try to share the comforts I found in the journal.

Today I happened to find the journal. Having not written in it in a while since it was not needed as much. Touched by the words I found in my journal; I think of Gwen. I am grateful all over again that I have these words saved to share with my mom’s grandchildren.

Still feeling all in knots about Gwen’s loss wishing I knew her personally; though I have heard stories about her over the years. I want to reach out and hug her with all I have. I want to embrace her and give her a part of me. Share the words that will make her pain go away (I know that there are no such words. Still I want to tell her them).

In Gwen’s husband honor I will go home today and share my mom’s journal with my children for the first time. Explain to them how important it is to live each day to the fullest.

I really feel her pain and I wish it on no one. My prayers are with Gwen and everyone who her husband’s life has touched. I pray for Gwen to have strength as I know she does. I send many blessings to all those that have loved and lost.

Yesterday was here
Now it is gone
Today is here to stay
Tomorrow is always a day away

Yesterday was your mistake
Today is a mistake
Tomorrow is to plan not for the mistake

Live each day as it comes
Since each has a Yesterday, a Today, and a Tomorrow.

Written by a 16 year old me.