Don't you wish sometimes that you had a magic wand or could wrinkle your nose like Samantha on that old television show Bewitched? You know...like when you are in the middle of cleaning closets and everything is drug out into the middle of the house and stacked in piles... then your pastor calls and says he and his wife are in the neighborhood and are stopping by in a few minutes... dinkle*dinkle*dink! and everything is back in place, the house is spotless, you are no longer dressed in ragged sweatpants and torn t-shirt, and fresh cookies or cake is just about to come out of the oven. Ahhhh... too bad that EASY button doesn't really work... I'd be over at Office Depot right now so I could pick up a couple dozen!
2010 is shaping up to be one of the hardest experienced in a very long time here at the Kyzer Compound. Both boys have had some "personal" problems. True to form, my mother instinct kicked in just like when they were little and I wanted to gather them into my arms, sit them on my lap, and hug and kiss the hurt away. I tell you it doesn't work as well with men as it does with little boys. Add to the mix a cancer scare, deployment to a war zone and the economic pressures experienced by most businesses, but in particular by small, family-owned businesses.... and well... you can imagine... the stress and pressure.
Those of you who know me personally know I can be a tad-bit high strung at times... but in a good way... and that Jimmy is so laid back that nothing ever gets to him. While I will sometimes get on my soap box and rant and rave... he stays calm, cool, and collected. I don't think I have ever even heard him raise his voice. It is what makes us a great team, the perfect couple... but last night... he kept sighing... over and over again, when he thought I couldn't hear him. The stress is now getting to him as well and it breaks my heart wide open. Winter is always a little tough on us and it seems we are not quite to the end of this season of trial in our lives and so we bathe each day in prayer and look toward Spring... it is always better in the Spring.
I might not have an Easy Button or a wand or be able to wrinkle my nose and make everything all better but I do have a power that is much better, much stronger than anything we see in a movie or on television... and that is the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! It is the ability to stand on the Rock...the solid rock which is the foundation of our faith... knowing that the old saying "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" is indeed a true statement. As we are refined through the fire we, as a family, will walk by faith and not by sight, knowing all the while that on the other side of these trials... we will be stronger individuals, a stronger family, stronger Christians.
2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we walk by faith and not by sight."
2 Corinthians 12:9 "And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
It is during these times when all we can do is give it all up to Him who is able to do more than we ask or more than we can imagine. For truly how will we know just how smooth the flight through life is...if we never experience a little turbulence?
Ephesians 4:19-21 "And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. A-men."
Psalm 5:3 "My voice shall thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up."
Palisade Mountain Sunrise Submitted by: Darrell E. Spangler
It never ceases to amaze me how God works. If we just keep our eyes open we can see Him working in and around us almost on a moment-to-moment basis. The sad thing is we, humans, are such an emotional lot that if we don't feel His presence we think He is not around... when realistically HE IS EVERYWHERE!
It has been a pretty stressful two-week period of my life. Issues, stress, and tragedy come and go in people's lives all the time. It is life... the process... the journey. Though, personally, I prefer my life skipping through the daisies, watching the little birdies fly... you know like some Disney movie.
Sometimes, I find myself walking the tightrope of life... suspended by whatever particular circumstance that has become my reality for the moment. On one side the Godly action, reaction, or decision...on the other the worldly... There may be a safety net below but there is no guarantee that the fall will not result in serious injury. So as any good trapeze artist, I keep my eyes fixed firmly forward... watching my partner (which in this case is my Savior) obeying his command.... inching ahead, step-by-step until I am almost to the end of the journey where I quick-step the last few paces and leap into His waiting arms.
As the dawn breaks this morning, I once-again, find myself waking up with a prayer in my heart. Not just for me and the temporary situation which causes me stress and fatigue but for so many others facing so much more difficult events... always with praise and the acknowledgment that the He is in control...and then the peace comes... for the solution was already on the way before we even new a problem existed!
In the midst of all our trials and tribulations... all we have to do is look up... keep moving forward... keep the faith, walk the walk... and whether we feel His presence or not... we can take assurance in knowing HE IS PRESENT and HE IS ABLE!
Like his father, my oldest grandson has the sweetest, compassionate heart. He has been like that his whole life. They lived next door to us when he was little. As a toddler he would bang on their door and yell when I drove up. Of course, Granna always had time to stop in. When it was time for me to leave he would sometimes, most times, cry this heart breaking cry and hang on to me...I couldn't stand it. I would pick him up and take him to my house for 20 or so minutes then he was fine. This went on until he started school. I used to say he chose me but I realize now it was just an outward expression of his inward love... his tender heart.
He and his little brother stay with me a couple of days a week after school. I love that part of being a grandmother. Though, they are already beginning to eat me out of house and home! Sometimes, on Sundays after church he opts to come home with us. He knows more than likely Papaw is going to fall asleep in the recliner and Granna is going to lay down for just a little while and without his little brother there is not much to do except watch movies or play on the computer.
Now that it is football season we watch football movies...Facing the Giants and Remember the Titans are our two favorites. I'll never forget the first time we watched Remember the Titans, he cried because of the car accident and subsequent death of football player, Gary. However, recently, that nine-year-old had another revelation...and was appalled. For the first time he caught a glimpse of the hate that underscored the picture of teenage boys coming together as a championship team. He saw the obstacle the team faced but did not understand racism at all. Needless to say not much napping went on that Sunday afternoon.
He began with the incensed statement: "I can't believe people would treat each other like that just cause they are a different color!" Then the questions began... "That's just not right is it, Granna? Were you alive then, Granna?" Sigh...no it's not right and yes I was alive ...sometimes history is just plain ugly.
I was really fortunate. My parents shielded us from the repulsive part of the racism that took place while we were little. We heard about Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr... we celebrated the Voter Rights bill (my mother still registers voters to this day and she is 77!) and we mourned the loss of great leaders in the battle to change the south. Though really, we were much to young to understand until we were older. How much do you tell a fourth grader? Especially one who has never even noticed skin color?
And so, I breathed a prayer and started with the Bible. 1John 4:19-21 " We love because He first loves us. If anyone says 'I love God' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."
We talked a little about slavery, about Lincoln and Frederick Douglas and fast forwarded to Dr. King and voter's rights...we talked a little about Central High School and desegregation. We talked about the hate of man handed down generation to generation and how it was hate that fueled a whole country to mistreat, abuse and neglect an entire population of people... and unfortunately some people still have it.
We finished with the love of Christ who sees sinners and saints - good people and bad people and that the color of their skin does not matter to HIM what-so-ever! That he is lucky to have friends of all colors and that it is up to us; Papaw and Granna, Mama and Daddy, and he and his friends to make sure that it is the love of Christ that we hand down generation to generation.
I caught a glimpse of the realization of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream in the indignation of that nine year old's reaction to the discrimination he saw in the movie. It is my prayer that we Americans, we Christians especially, have finally arrived at the point in time where we truly judge men based on the content of their character and not on the color of their skin.
I heard a politician say one time, "There is nothing wrong in America that can't be fixed with what is right in America." and I believe that. What tradition are you passing to the next generation?
I'm to answer the following 8 questions made up by Susan, make up 8 questions of my own, and then tag 8 of you to answer my questions. So here I go....
#1. If money were no object what would you like to do that you've never been able to do or have always wanted to do? I would open a place called 2nd Chance Ministries. I would help women get ready for the work place. It would have a used book store and a place for their children to come while the women were in classes. The children would have puppet shows or the story lady would read to them.
#2. If you could have "do overs" what is the 1 thing you would never do again? And why? I would never have done drugs or drank when I was young. It was such a waste of time. Guess that's why the call it getting wasted, huh?
#3. If you could have "do overs" what is the 1 thing you would want to be absolutely, positively sure you did again? And why? Marry my husband. First of all, because he taught be about the Lord and secondly, I never knew love like this ever existed before.
#4 What is the worst fear? That is a hard one. Technically, I consider myself fairly fearless but I guess secretly I fear loosing my family.
#5. What is your greatest joy? No doubt, loving and serving my Lord... my family is a very close second.
#6. What is your life verse, or if you don't have one, your favorite Bible verse?
John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
#7. What church do you attend? And why? If you do not attend a church, why not? Right now, First Assembly of God in Lonoke, because that is where our son and grandsons attend. It is a fairly new church and is growing and they have no fear of ministering to the community at large. Their motto: Every Soul Matters...how can you NOT want to be a part of something like that?
#8. If you knew you only have 1 year to live, what is the first thing you would do? Now that really is a hard one. I guess I would make sure the people I love knew with out a doubt that I loved them.
Now for my eight questions.... 1. What do you think your greatest personality trait is and how do you use it best? 2. What brings you the greatest joy?
3. Who has been the biggest influence on your life and why? 4. What is your life motto?
5. What is your favorite Bible verse and why? 6. If you had to sacrifice one thing in order to serve the Lord, would you and what would that be?
7. What is your favorite praise and worship or old-time gospel song. 8. If you could change one thing either in your community or the world at large what would it be? [World Peace does not count Ms. Beauty Pageant Contestant!]
1. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if … The finance committee refuses to provide funds for the purchase of a chandelier because none of the members knows how to play one.
2. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if … People ask, when they learn that Jesus fed the 5000, whether the two fish were bass or catfish, and what bait was used to catch 'em.
3. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if … When the pastor says, "I'd like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering" and five guys and two women stand up.
4. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… Opening day of deer season is recognized as an official church holiday.
5. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if... A member of the church requests to be buried in his 4-wheel-drive truck because "It ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get out of" (Love it!)
6. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… The choir is known as the "OK Chorale".
7. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… In a congregation of 500 members, there are only seven last names in the church directory.
8. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… People think "rapture" is what you get when you lift something too heavy.
9. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… The baptismal pool is a #2 galvanized " Wheeling " washtub.
10. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… The choir robes were donated by (and embroidered with the logo from) Billy Bob's Barbecue.
11. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… The collection plates are really hubcaps from a '56 Chevy.
12. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… Instead of a bell you are called to service by a duck call.
13. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… The minister and his wife drive matching pickup trucks.
14. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if… The communion wine is Boone's Farm "Tickled Pink".
15. You Know You're in a Redneck Church if... "Thou shall not covet" applies to huntin' dogs, too.
16. You know You're in a Redneck Church if… The final words of the benediction are, "Y'all come back now, Ya hear".
What cha doing, Daddy, huh? Can I do it? Can I, huh? Huh? Please!
Waiting on Dad to go hunting.
Too early for Granna to get out of bed but I wanted a picture anyway!
Go Boilermakers!
Momma said there'd be days like this!
How many shots at a golf ball does it take to make it on the green?
He was just smiling...what happened?
Rabbit Football 4th Grade Style
QB Kyzer after second win...
still undefeated
Erick Ivan
Newest member of the Kyzer Clan
Fishermen (and woman) all in a row.
Life Lessons During Fishing
Psalm 118:23 "The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes."
Acts 4:20 “For we can not help speaking about what we have seen and heard” ~NIV
Proud to be an Army mom!
Jake and baby Erick
Thanksgiving 2010
Remember only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you Jesus Christ & the American Soldier. 1 died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
Who is Theresa Main-Kyzer?
First and foremost... I am a blood bought, died in the wool, sanctified, Bible totin', scripture quotin'...child of the Living God, the great I AM!
I'm a wife, mother, grandmother.
I did time in the Navy and spent twenty years in the tourism industry before retiring.
Now, I read, write a little bit, and sometimes teach.
Life is good!
Pray, learn, submit, go, teach, do...Will you make a difference for all eternity?
Matthew 28:19,20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen ~NKJ
