God Alone

I'm not much of a singer but love to sing in worship to the Lord. It's not unusual for tears to stream down my cheeks as the words speak truth to my heart. That's what happened last Sunday as we sang one of my favorite worship choruses, "You are God Alone."  I love the words because they are simple, direct, and true:


You are not a god
Created by human hands
You are not a god
Dependant on any mortal man
You are not a god
In need of anything we can give
By Your plan, that's just the way it is

You are God alone
From before time began
You were on Your throne
You are God alone
And right now
In the good times and bad
You are on Your throne
You are God alone

You're the only God
Whose power none can contend
You're the only God
Whose name and praise will never end
You're the only God
Who's worthy of everything we can give
You are God
And that's just the way it is


I like the "that's just the way it is" part, and I'm just simple enough to believe it!

"Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?"  Ps. 77:13

"Don't Forget My Name"

I had the pleasure of meeting a very special young man in church this past Sunday. Usually our family takes up half a pew but I was alone this time. I noticed a family that came in and sit down at the other end of the pew. I didn't know them and should have gone over and introduced myself, but I didn't. Instead, it wasn't long before the young man came to my end of the pew with a smile that creased his entire face. He shook my hand and said "My name is Andrew, don't forget my name." At first I had a hard time understanding what he said. He has a handicap that severely affects his ability to speak, but it doesn't stop him from trying. He was smiling and speaking to everyone around him. He would pound his chest saying, "I hope you have Jesus in your heart." He carried a crumpled notebook that he asked me to write my name in so he could pray for me and he asked me again not to forget his name. He really wanted to meet our pastor and I made sure that happened because it was so important to him. He told pastor that he would pray for him. I could see our pastor's eyes glaze over, it meant so much to him. Andrew left quite an impression on me that I hope will last. I will look at someone like Andrew differently from now on. Andrew has a handicap, yes, but there is nothing wrong with him. After all, he was the one extending the right hand of fellowship, not me. He was the one wanting to pray for others, not me. He was the one wanting to make sure others had Jesus in their heart, not me. I might be able to speak well but I have to ask myself if what I have to say is as important as what Andrew was saying. He was saying I care about you, Jesus cares about you. I heard him loud and clear. I am so glad I got to meet Andrew and I hope I never forget his name.

"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; 

God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."  I Cor. 1:27

Walk/Run/Sit

I have been walking every day even while Gary is recovering from his surgery. I miss my walking partner, but I am not alone. I have been enjoying prayer walks and it motivates me to get up and go when I might otherwise use his excuse as my excuse to stay home and do nothing. I pray as I alternate between a walk, run, and climbing up and down the Hall Road sled hill. I pretend it's my biggest loser challenge and it's a good workout. The first thing I do when I get home is sit right down and take a rest! I started thinking that this exercise routine is much like the Christian life; sometimes you walk, sometimes you run, sometimes you enjoy mountaintop experiences, and sometimes you rest in the valley. We like the mountaintop experiences, but just as flowers don't grow on top of the mountain, but in the valley below, so it is with us. Early in our walk with the Lord we experienced the trial of unemployment. It was difficult for both of us but definitely used of God to strengthen our faith and teach us to trust Him fully.  A favorite hymn of mine to this day is one that meant so much to me then:

Day by Day

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;

Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.

He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure

Gives unto each day what He deems best—

Lovingly, it's part of pain and pleasure,

Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day, the Lord Himself is near me

With a special mercy for each hour;

All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,

He Whose Name is Counselor and Pow’r.

The protection of His child and treasure

Is a charge that on Himself He laid;

“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”

This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,

That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation

Offered me within Thy holy Word.

Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,

One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,

Till I reach the promised land. 

Whether you are walking by faith, running the race with perseverance, or sitting beside still waters, you are never alone.

"As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." Joshua 1:5

Make Them a Blessing ~ Part III

     Our son's career path was influenced by a wonderful, Godly man. Mr. Unseld was the speech therapist in Gary's school district and a very dear friend. He's the man who shared the gospel with us and pointed us to the Lord. For that, we are eternally grateful. Michael always loved and admired Mr. Unseld and chose both his university (MSU) and profession. He became a speech and language pathologist and works in a nearby school district. He is a people person and I'm very glad he has a profession where he can put his best skills to work for the good of others. Michael favors his dad in many ways. They have the same sense of humor and share many interests, but his personality is also a lot like mine. We like everyone to be happy and try to fix things when it's not so. Today, he can help fix problems youngsters have with their speech. 

     He used to call me on his way to work and sometimes close by saying, 'okay, off to change lives.'  This statement came to being at the end of this school year. The 5th grade class creates a video and each student has a chance to share something. One little girl who Michael worked with over the last few years struggled to articulate the letter 'v'. This year she finally got it! I wonder if she was teased by kids for the way she said certain words, I hope not. He said she is quiet and shy so he was surprised when, on the video, she said, "Thank you, Mr. McGuire, you changed my life." WOW, he said it brought him close to tears (he gets that from me too!) 

     Once again, bless them and make them a blessing. They go hand-in-hand. When you think about it, we all have the opportunity to influence someone - one way or another.

"But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; 

consider what great things he has done for you."  I Sam. 12:24

Make Them a Blessing ~ Part II

Our daughter followed in her father's footsteps and is a 1st grade teacher in the same school district as him. Megan is a lot like her dad in many ways, both are no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is people. They are also both tender-hearted and passionate. Her influence in the classroom is different than his, being that her students are so young and impressionable. She knows how I love listening to her classroom stories. My favorite was a mother's perspective about the impact Megan had in the life of one of the two little girls that they adopted from the Ukraine. The youngest girl was placed in Megan's classroom. She could not speak English and there were many challenges. Megan loved her!!! Recently she shared a note with me that she received from the mom because she knew it would be a bright spot in my day. It was so sweetly stated and powerful:

"I will always think you are simply divine. You were the very brightest part of (daughter's) introduction to life in American schools. I think she will always give every teacher the benefit of the doubt because you planted the seed of kindness of American education in her very soul and for this I will always be your biggest fan."

As our firstborn, sometimes I think I expected a lot of Megan. Today, I get a lot more than I expected. It truly blesses my heart to know that God is using her to be a blessing to others.

"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, 

and establish the work of our hands for us."  Ps. 90:17

Make Them a Blessing ~ Part I

Morning prayers for my family usually end with this - "bless them and make them a blessing." I find out from time to time how God answers those prayers. At the end of each school year, the honor students are asked to recognize a teacher for the contribution they have made to their education. I hope this isn't bragging, but each year Gary is invited and I wish I could go!!! When he comes home, it's like pulling teeth to get him to tell me what was said. He knows I like the 'he goes - she goes' so once in a while he tells me. I am proud of him and that's okay. After all, I'm his wife and biggest fan! I do manage to come across thank you cards from students and the theme is similar with comments like "I have been inspired by Mr. McGuire, he has had a big impact on my future career, he is so dedicated to his students, I have learned so much from him, he is the teacher I hope to be some day." I guess I can shorten my prayer to "make them a blessing" because when you are a blessing to someone else, it's like a boomerang - it comes right back at ya!

"O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you."  Ps. 84:12

Where do you turn?

It hasn't been a particularly great week so far. Gary had surgery on Monday (our anniversary) and it didn't turn out to be as simple as (at least I) expected. The procedure went fine but he was very sick for the rest of the day. That evening he experienced a complication that we didn't expect that took him into the next day with added discomfort. As tired as I was after waiting at the hospital all day, I was not able to sleep at all that night so I felt like a zombie the following day. Then this morning I learned that our sweet baby granddaughter awoke with a viral infection that has kept her miserable all day. Knowing she was not smiling as usual actually made me sick to my stomach. I went for a nice, long prayer walk this evening. I'd like to say that I am faithful and consistent in my prayer life but it's not always true. I know it and God does too. God is so gracious because whenever you do turn your attention to Him, it's not that way. He is always there, always ready to listen. I received a Christian magazine in the mail today and it was all about - what else, prayer, entitled "Can You Hear Me?" I didn't get a chance to read all the articles yet but in my brief overview I learned that we need to learn to be helpless in prayer by coming to Him empty-handed, weary, and heavy laden, bringing your helplessness to Jesus. That's what makes prayer work, it works because we are helpless. I was helpless to do anything to make my husband feel better and helpless to make my granddaughter feel better either. But I do have a weapon - prayer! It's amazing how when you put your mind to prayer, you don't run out of things to prayer about. I started out praying for baby Madelyn, prayed for many other folks in need, who I know are facing difficulties that make my week nothing by comparison. Then I ended the walk by praying again for Madelyn, asking my Heavenly Father to touch her body, break the fever before bedtime, and give her a peaceful, restful sleep. I no sooner sat down in my chair after returning from this blessed prayer walk and I received the following text message: "Fever has finally come down, she is happier, praying for good night sleep, it's been a day."

I can't wait to see her sweet, happy face!
Thank you Father for your faithfulness in answering prayer. I don't know where I would turn if not to you!

"The eternal God is your refuge, and 
underneath are the everlasting arms."
Deut. 33:27

Food for Thought...

Do you ever have a thought that leads to several other thoughts? That’s what happened to me when our sweet daughter-in-law left a pretty green apple at our house recently. Andi is a sweetheart by all accounts. She makes us laugh when she’s not trying to be funny. She laughs at herself which makes it fun for all of us. Her and Michael are a busy couple, I suppose like most newly married, working couples. Often times we see them on the fly but even the short visits are precious to all of us. What mother-in-law would not be pleased to hear that a visit was ‘like a breath of fresh air’ knowing that she means it sincerely?

Back to the apple. She was busy getting ready to head off to a work related dinner and took the apple out of her purse (that Michael calls the black hole) and left it on the toilet top in our bathroom. I found it that evening and smiled. I thought about how we prayed and prayed for God’s choosing of a wife for Michael. 

A similar story exists about Megan and her wonderful husband, Ryan. I’ll be honest, there were times that I (not my husband, who never doubted) didn’t think our prayers would be answered and it scared me. But being that God is faithful, our prayers were answered in Ryan and Andi and now they are both a special part of our family tree. God knew both our children better than we did and eventually led them to the one whose name was written on their hearts from the very beginning.
For young moms who wonder about matters such as this, I believe God answers the earnest prayers of parents’ hearts. Pray and believe God for your children for whatever it is that concerns you. The one who knit them together in your womb, or blessed you through adoption, loves them even more than you do (hard to imagine, I know) and knows them infinitely! All I can do is praise Him!

Father's Day

Today is Father's Day and tomorrow is our 36th anniversary! I am so thankful to be happily married to my one and only true love and for the amazing father he is to our two children. I am proud of my husband for many reasons. He is a school teacher. He knows so much about so many things but never makes the learner feel any less knowledgeable. He is a Godly man whose daily bread is the Bible. He devours it! He loves to teach it to others and raised our children according to its precepts. As adults now, I think they both apply those lessons to their own lives and in raising their own children. He has a special relationship with both our daughter and our son and loves our son-in-law and daughter-in-law as his own. There is no denying his love for all of us. We are blessed to have you - Gary, Dad, Papa!

Happy Father's Day!

Why Blog?

That's a great question! Honestly, I didn't really understand what blogs were until our daughter created a family blog to journal the growing up years of her children and create memory books for each of them. We enjoy reading her blog and look forward to it every day! I've found that blogs are a wonderful resource for families, especially those who have faced troubled times and don't have the strength to contact their family and friends with daily updates. Also, it's great for staying in touch with special events, photos, etc.

I have always been a talker. I have a twin sister (and another sister and brother too!) and we are famous for never shutting up! In grade school our report cards would always say 'talks too much.' My father would get so upset and say "can't you wait until you get home to talk?" knowing that we were talking to one another. The short answer - no, we couldn't. Not much has changed, I still like to talk. Even as an adult my Dad could never get over it. He once said, lovingly of course, "When Bev calls, it's like turning on the radio." I'm sure it was music to his ears :)

So, my purpose in starting this blog is because along with talking, I like to write. Often thoughts run through my mind, I put them down on paper and that's the end of it. With this, maybe one day one of these posts will serve as an encouragement or word of hope to my children and/or grandchildren. Maybe they will learn something they never knew about me and their father/papa. If not, they can just turn on the radio and listen for a while...