Feast of Purim

March 15 - what the world views as "The Ides of March", but it is so much more than that - especially for me.

This date was acknowledged in the Old Testament in the book of Esther, as a day of celebration. There had been a plot - a holocaust against the Jews, much like what we saw happen in Europe in the 1940's. Queen Esther, with the help of her Uncle Mordecai, helped uncover this plot to wipe out their people, and it was completely turned around to become a day of victory and celebration for the Jews. They conquered those who were opposed to them, and the Lord tells us in Esther 9:21 - "Have them celebrate annually on the 14th and 15th days of Adar (March for us), as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month of when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration".
9:28 - "These days should be remembered and observed in every generation, by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendents".

I'd read this book many times, but it wasn't until after my dearly beloved Daddy went home to heaven, that I read it with a whole new perspective.
You see, my daddy DIED on March 15, 1984. This was surely a day or mourning for me that lasted many years. Each year I would fall into deep depression at the emptiness at the loss of this man that I adored. It's hard to believe that tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of that horrible event.

I had no idea how I could ever turn this day of mourning into a day of celebration, as it states in Esther 9. What could possibly occur in my life that would bring about such a change?

Nineteen years after my daddy went home to heaven, I got my answer, and this is how the story goes:
In December 2002, I met Bill, and when he proposed to me, he said it was up to me to pick a date for our wedding. I quickly found a calendar and checked to see what day of the week March 15 was going to fall on in 2003 - SATURDAY! Perfect- I could have a real wedding, with all the kids and grandkids!
When he asked why I picked "The Ides of March" to get married on, I was able to explain to him what that date meant to me, and also tell him the story from the book of Esther.

My sweet husband to be made sure that this was the most special day of my life. He took care of all the arrangements for the wedding, and I got to pick out the most beautiful bridal gown I'd ever seen - I was getting a wedding in a chapel, and a gown to boot - something I didn't get the first time around.

So tomorrow I will surely remember my daddy, but it won't be the day of sadness and emptiness I had felt for 19 years - it will be a day to celebrate a new man in my life; a day of happiness....or as it says in Esther - "a day of sorrow turned into joy, and a day of mourning turned into celebration".

My Precious Daddy - see you in Heaven!

March 15, 2003 - Mr.& Mrs. Bill Hurt

Be Back in a Few Days

In about 12 hours, I'll be finishing "puttin on my face", and heading out the door for my 6 hour drive up to Ft. Benning.
I've been in shorts and a tank top today, and am going to where it's in the 20s in the night and early morning, and only warming up to the 50s w/ rain in the day....
Ya know what though? They could have a full blown blizzard, storm, or anything else, and I'd sit through it, just to see my boy graduate from Basic!
In talking to him Saturday night, he just sounded SO grown up - he has a sense of pride in his voice that I've never heard before.
And it was just yesterday that he was my little boy who was asking Santa to bring him a bike...
Yes girls, they grow up ALL to quickly, so my advice to you who still have little ones at home: ENJOY the loudness, ENJOY the messes they make, ENJOY EVERY MINUTE you have with them....you'll blink, and they will be grown and gone.
I look forward to reading your blogs when I get back, to see what memories you've been making with your children in the next few days.
Be blessed in every way................
Janelle

He Touched Me

Good Monday Morning!
I hope everyone had a blessed weekend, and that their new week has started off well.
We visited a church yesterday that I had gone to years ago when I was a teenager. I saw some familiar faces of older folks that were friends with my mother and stepfather, and was happy to see that one of my childhood friends was now the pianist there.
It's a small church of about 200 hundred people, and I would love to visit again and see if that's where God wants us to be a part of.
The music were some old familiar hymns, and "He Touched Me" was one of them. That's one of those songs that brings me to tears everytime - I can sometimes almost hear my mother singing along. She had a beautiful soprano voice, and would sing hymns around the house all day, every day, as she did her housework.
I wanted to share the words of that song today, and will get back to my study of Jeremiah tomorrow.

"Shackled by a heavy burden, 'neath a load of guilt and shame
Then the hand of Jesus touched me, and now I am no longer the same

He touched me, Oh He touched me
And oh the joy that floods my soul.
Something happened, and now I know - He touched me and made me whole

Since I met this blessed Savior
Since He cleansed and made me whole
I will never cease to praise Him
I'll shout it while eternity rolls

He touched me, Oh He touched me
And OH the JOY that floods my soul.
Something happened, and now I know - He touched me and made me whole"

If you are burdened today, as the song says - I pray that you will let the hand of our dear Lord touch you and free you from those things that have you feeling guilty, empty and less than whole. He says in Revelation 3: 20: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me". That's the Lord speaking to each one of us and letting us know that he so desires to have close fellowship with us.

May your week be blessed in every way

Janelle

Direction

Amy Grant has both written and sung some beautiful songs, and this was one of her first "hits" as a Contemporary Christian artist.
It comes from Psalm 119:105: "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path".
We all know what it's like when we've had to get up in the middle of the night and stumble in the darkness, only to run into something that caused pain. Had we of put a light on before getting up, we would have prevented that from happening, but for one reason or another, we decide that we can do this without the light, perhaps many times before learning the lesson of "don't do that again".
That's what this passage is trying to teach us. The world can be a dark place, full of what I call "roadblocks" or "rocks in the road", and without the light of God's Word for direction, we're going to endure some kind of injury, whether it is physical, spiritual, or emotional.
God cares about every little detail of our lives, and wants us to ENJOY the life he's given us. He simply asks us to come to him as a child does a parent, and ask for his wisdom and direction in our daily comings and goings. He is all knowing, and can see what's ahead of us, and wants to give us the light on our path of life so we make the right choices.
Just like getting up and trying to find our way in the dark time after time before we learn that there are sometimes painful consequences of that, we all have the tendency to go about our daily business with the same mindset.
The Lord Jesus said, "I am the light of the world". Ask him today to light your path and walk beside you, so he can move those "rocks in the road" out of the way for you. You'll be amazed at how differently things look when His light shines on them.

Have a great Wednesday!
Janelle

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!

Twenty six years ago today, Heaven opened its doors and blessed me with my son, David Thomas White, Jr., aka "Dude". Every mother should be so blessed to have a son like mine - he's compassionate, loving, tender hearted, and a peace maker.

This picture was taken this past Christmas, when I received a call on Christmas Eve from my son, saying he was in the neighborhood to bring my dog his Christmas present. Now that might seem like nothing out of the ordinary, but in this case, my son had driven all night from Nashville down to central Florida to surprise his mom! Never have I gotten such a wonderful Christmas present - I miss him so badly with him living so far away, and he knew what joy that would bring to me to show up like that.

That leads me to a verse in Proverbs 29:17

"Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul".

Discipline is vital in raising our children - they don't have the ability at a young age to make certain choices, and it's up to the parents to apply proper discipline and correction to ensure that they are spared physical and emotional harm.

My son had to learn his lesson a few times in growing up, but now as a 26 year old man, he has made me very proud by enlisting in the Army National Guard. Am I scared? Heck yeah - but I gave him to the Lord when he was a baby, and I know that God is watching over him and will keep me at peace about the situation.

He has truly been a source of supreme joy in my life, and I pray that one day, I'll get a grandson just like him!

I LOVE you Dude! Happy Birthday my beautiful boy!

Mom aka Janelle :)