IT "JUST" STARTED WITH SUCH LITTLE THINGS

Writing has been pushed aside for quite a while. This morning I woke very early with lots on my mind and a yen to get something on paper [ok-on computer] not being quite sure what yet. 

Of course nothing happens before coffee, coffee and coffee and a little reading to get the brain cells going.  I went to page 5 of  "The Book of Mysteries" by Jonathan Cahn-today's mystery is-what will the days yet to come bring to your life-and the title of the article is "appointing your days".

 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Psalms 90:12 

The Hebrew word, manah, is explained as meaning to prepare and to appoint.  Would it be that the manna God prepared and appointed to the Israelites in the wilderness is akin to the word manah?

Do you think it coincidence that yesterday my sister, Shirley, and I were discussing our conversations with our loved ones on taking control of their lives instead of their lives controlling them? Of course, we didn't leave ourselves out of that equation and today preparing for our lives is the first thing I read about this morning-coincidence?- I think not.

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Psalms 90:17 

Is it an accident that on top of pages of my writings from years ago is my poem "JUST" dealing with controlling our lives?

--JUST--

It 'just' started with such little things,

'just' a little sneaking around, 'just' little disobeyings. 

'Just' ignoring God's very own commandments,

'just' not putting God first, 'just' not honoring his parents.

'Just' trying that very first cigarette,

'just' thinking  he'd never have to look back in regret.

Then the justs 'just' got easier and crazier-

'just' to have more fun and feel a little jazzier. 

So, then he had to try 'just' a little smoke-

'just' for that higher high he craved when he awoke.

And 'just' to intensify his mood, 'just' help him think-

he began to add 'just' a little drink. 

Now, he's lost his home and family, sees life with disgust

at all the destruction caused by 'just' those 'little justs'.

It is 'just' Satan's greatest fairy tale, 'just' his biggest piece of fiction-

that all those 'little justs' won't destroy us with addiction. 

If we 'just' stand on God's Word, keep all His commandments-

we'll find our true need is 'just' God's love, God's peace and 

God's contentment. 

  Addiction affects so many families, so many children it is heartbreaking, mine included.   

I didn't put a date on "JUST" so not quite sure when it was written-probably early 2000's. I was in a rather prolific writing phase during those years that I haven't been in for a while. Ideas would come to mind and roll onto paper. 

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These promises caught my eye this morning for our old age. We shall bring forth fruit in our old age-ok-if you aren't old yet just skip past these but I like them. The fat and flourishing I wasn't too keen on but that means -vital and green-so YES ! I am vital and green and can bring forth fruit even in my old age AND boy, am I getting old!

 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing

Psalms 92:13-14 

God bless you

Carolyn Wainscott

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Sharing my writings-"SUCCESS"

A lot of life has happened in the last 1 1/2 year since I wrote in  TheAlabasterBox. Maybe one of these days I will get caught up. 

For now the LORD has been impressing upon me to share some of my past writings/poems. 

The poem "SUCCESS" is dated 2000 when it was given to me. I usually date everything so I can remember. It has been on my mind for some weeks now, I looked for it a couple of weeks ago but it didn't jump into my hand.  This morning it kinda, sorta did after reading other things that I had forgotten about that will probably be used  at some point. 

Anyway-here is

SUCCESS

What do you think when you think of success?

Do you think as the world-if you have nothing less

than fast, showy cars and designer dress

and live on the hill so you can impress

all the "right" people with your style and finesse?

Or that you are a failure and filled with distress

because a plain little house is all you possess

and a tee time's a luxury because you don't have access

to the country club and your life's empty unless

you're at the top of the heap in your own business?

 Hmm, what do you think when you think of success?

Would you give it some thought and may I suggest

that you think on The Man who gave us His best?

For though He had little just His nearness

gave sight to the blind and hope to the hopeless.

His goal that we may have life at its fullest

meant a sacrifice no one else could accomplish.

Even nailed to the tree bore us no bitterness

though abandoned by most to His own emptiness. 

So, what do you think when you think of success?

If you'll think on The Man I know you'll confess

the way you live is your greatest success,

sharing with those who have so much less,

giving a child a kiss and caress,

treating others with love and kindness

and being content with God's awesomeness.

Yes, think on The Man who's our LORD, the purest and finest

for when you have Him you don't need all the rest. 

 As the quote from the poem of C. T. Studd:

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

When God calls us home, none of us will take any material thing we have gathered and we leave our legacy behind be it material or a life all yours can look up to and be proud of.

God bless you

Carolyn Wainscott 

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS-Sharing With Ladies @ Urbancrest Church, Lebanon, Ohio

I had the honor of sharing some of my life with our ladies in the women's ministry at Urbancrest Church in Lebanon, Ohio in October, 2017. 

Our "Rejuvenate" luncheon meets on the second Friday of each month. If you are in the area you are welcome to join us. 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month and when my thoughts all made it onto a notepad it dawned on me that I had experienced each in this lifetime of mine. 

Here is what I shared that day. With Youtube time restrictions my wordiness had to be broken into shorter time segments. 

PART 1

"I am a caffeinechocoquiltcraftbargainfabricholic"

PART 2

"caught in the 1964 measles epidemic"

PART 3

" things are different from a few months ago when I was first asked to speak. 

The last six months have been heartbreaking since my 2 year old great, granddaughter, Charlotte, was diagnosed with leukemia. Lots of prayer, lots of tears, lots of sleepless nights. She is in remission now in  her second round of intense chemo. "

PART 4

"For Such A Time As This"

I have faith and hope in my God for Charlotte to be completely healed. She has had 3 harrowing events that God has brought her through and I believe He will continue His work in her and in all those around her including me.

 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Phil 1:6 

9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

Luke 11:9 

Please pray for our Charlotte Ann-thank you.

God bless you.

Carolyn Wainscott

OCTOBER IS PREGNANCY & INFANT LOSS AWARENESS MONTH

Sweet thought for those of us who have babies who were born to heaven. 

It brought to mind poems I had written years ago so I pulled them out of my notebook. My notes on the poem tell me the first was written on March 26, 1999. I stopped to write the poem as I was getting ready to go to the hospital to be with my niece, Debbie, for the birth of her first baby. I was joining the watch with my sister, Debbie's mother, and her sister, Cathy. 

The previous four months had been dreadful. Debbie had been told  this baby would not survive. Many, many prayers had been said. I guess this prayer was another plea.

--The Baby With No Hope--

The doctor paused outside the door,

for words she had to grope.

To tell the young expectant mother  

that her baby had no hope.

The child she'd long awaited

kept a smile on her sweet face,

that changed to a look of unbelief

and then, "Maybe you've made a mistake?"

A second and third opinion

confirmed that she'd have to cope

and face the future without

this baby with no hope.

The baby's nursery looked like

a piece of heaven back at home,

Mom and Dad and family waiting

with lots of love to be shone.

We went to our Father,

the source of all our hope

and told Him we were so broken hearted

and how we love this baby so!

You created this world with your Word

and raised Lazarus from the dead.

With just a Breath, You can heal this child

and give it hope and life instead.

Ross Burnett was born twice on March 27, 1999-once to earth and once to Heaven

Then over a month later on May 5 these words came:

NO HOPE?

And life He gave but with so much more worth.

For this child was not to be bound upon this earth.

The angels born him quickly back to whence he'd come.

Back to be with Jesus, in His safe and loving arms.

Back with others like him to be kept on Jesus knee,

'Cause Jesus can take so much better care than even we.

Back to be sung to sleep by angels, play peek-a-boo with God,

catch fly balls hit by Jesus, play tag on holy sod,

fly kites so high they touch the stars, do everything you'd want them to.

For those of us whose child is there, Jesus keeps them for me and you.

We don' t know what life here for that child would be,

but we do know that God does give life abundantly.

And how much more abundant than to be with Him from the start, 

and not have go trudge through life's hurts and broken heart.

How selfish 'twould be on our part to keep that child bound here

than lose him to the freedom of heaven to save ourselves a tear. 

For, in time, we will be greeted with "Momma, Daddy, I'm so glad you're finally home!

Come over here and see what Jesus and I have done!"

Then that child we missed so much will take us by the hand

and those years will just fade away as he shows us that heavenly land.

We'll tour all his grand works of art that were saved for us to see

and won't have missed a thing because we'll have all eternity. 

So when we're told earth's bad news with which we'll have to cope

we just have to keep in mind that heaven is our hope.

On New Year's Eve, 1959, my baby, Larry, was also born to Heaven. I never got to see him or hold him but will one day. 

God bless you

Carolyn Wainscott

#TeamCharlotte-Being Home

On July 13, 2017 Charlotte Ann was air lifted to Children's Hospital in Cincinnati and her journey through leukemia began. For more background information see previous #TeamCharlotte articles. 

Charlotte is a busy little bee, always has been. While in the hospital she watched a lot of "Cat In The Hat" because she just didn't feel like moving around but as she began feeling better the activities room was her fave place. She did  a lot of painting and playing with playdough so that has continued here at home as she gains her strength and mobility back. 

In the last couple of weeks she is walking. Where before she always had to run ahead, now she wants to hold a finger for stability and is taking steps without holding onto things. 

She has to be checked weekly at the hospital but minimal meds. [I don't even pretend to keep up with that-my job as her great, grandmother is to hold/love/enjoy/paint/playdough/read]. 

When she is having a great time she has a squeal and infectious laugh that is coming back. You can know how good that is to hear. 

We read her cards from Her Treasure Box. The bottom photo is from the little girls across the street that she plays with

  

She and Hannah baking cookies [yep-that is just the way my girls helped-sitting right up on the counter]

Playdough time

 Charlotte won't wear anything on her head so I thought if she painted her own visor she might-all the kids painted their own-it's a start-now if I can just get her to wear the beautiful feathered head bands I ordered! lol

 Painting with daddy

She received a package from HOPPS, Helping Our Pediatric Patients Smile, with lots of interesting things to do. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month-and Charlotte did smile-especially when she discovered a chapstick in the box-the child is wierd-kinda takes after her great, grandmother

This has been a harrowing time and Charlotte is leading us through her journey. 

a little child shall lead them.

Isaiah 11:6

Please keep Charlotte and all the other children who are battling cancer in your prayers. Thank you

God bless you
Carolyn Wainscott

#TeamCharlotte-Going Home

Charlotte Ann was released from the hospital on Tuesday, August 29, 2017-just 5 days after her open heart bypass surgery. 

She can't be lifted normally under her arms because that would hurt her chest area. She has to be handled very carefully by placing your hands under her little butt and lifting. That is a near impossibility for us oldies-especially since she has gained so much weight because of the steroids. In order to hold Charlotte, I have to sit down and Travis places her on my lap. As he picks her up, she curls over with her head into his chest.

On Saturday, Sept. 2, the home health care nurse came out to make sure Charlotte was getting her meds properly-the entry tube has to be scrubbed 30 seconds, let dry 30 seconds, pills put into liquid form, injected slowly [Erin and Travis take care of all this twice a day] and her environment clean. Everyone in the household has been put on notice to handy wipe their hands and to leave shoes at the door before coming into the room. A note is on the door to remind and a table with handy wipes is at the door, don't give her anything that hasn't been cleaned and don't be in her face.

Charlotte enjoys playing with the kids. Before she got sick she played outside with them and the little girls across the street. This is an octopus her great aunt Jackie [MamJack] crocheted for her in orange that stands for leukemia.

Her great uncle, Jeff, thought she might like shells he found while he was fishing and she loved them. He took special care to clean them thoroughly. 

Her doll house is one of her favorite things. 

She loves to paint. She did a lot of that in the activity room at the hospital and of course her side kick, Hannah, is always right there with her. 

and she is still getting special things. Mamaw Melinda brought  a Cloud Pet in that we have to learn how to use

We are all having to get used to a new normal of Charlotte Ann's fragility and keeping her environment safe for her. I just thank God that we still have her. We came near losing her twice in just a few weeks. 

Many thanks for all the prayers for her. 

God bless you

Carolyn Wainscott

#TeamCharlotte-Charlotte's Little Star Box For Her Special Things

Several weeks ago I bought a memory box to put things in for Charlotte to have when she gets older and to see what she has gone through. 

I chose this one since she is such a star- not what I had intended on getting but this is perfect.

Her Team Charlotte shirt is already in the box along with the special head band her great auntie, Jackie made for her. The little bear came today but Travis will take it to the hospital tomorrow for her to see. There will be copies of the #TeamCharlotte blogs. 

Here is the head band with the special orange ribbon both made by my sister Jackie. The ribbon has a piece of our mother's jewelry on it so Charlotte has something from her great, great grandmother. If Mom were still alive she would be one of Charlotte's most fierce prayer warriors. 

I take many, many photos and videos and they are being put on this flash drive that will be kept in her box that tells an almost daily story. 

There are things in her hospital room that will be placed in Her Little Star Box. 

  

like the card she was enjoying above

Many thanks for the many prayers, encouragements and well wishes for Charlotte and the rest of us. 

If you would like to send Charlotte a card that she can see and would be kept in this box for her you can pm me @ quiltngrin@hotmail.com for her address. 

God bless you

Carolyn Wainscott