For Rod

"But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

'Look', he said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.' " (Acts 7:55-56)

Please pray for Rod, his family and their friends as we share our 'Goodbyes' in person and in our hearts.

* I go on a "technology fast" each Sunday. On this particular Sabbath,  I shut off my computer for 24 hours to go to my prayers and commend my precious friends into God's care as they lean on the "Everlasting Arms" of their loving Heavenly Father.

                           And especially to precious Rod, with all my love, Laura-Lee

 

Plan of Salvation: JESUS & YOU

PLAN OF "SALVATION":  (all you need to know)

Jesus First Comes to You

 

You Respond by Acknowledging Jesus

"Come Home to Daddy!"

(Together Forever)

"Why?"

Because Jesus loves you, He is God and God is good.

Fathers' Day Message (2015)

"a man's enemies will be the members of his own household."
             Matthew 10:36


I had 2 Fathers: my biological father and my surrogate father I grew up with. 

The first, made no secret of his apathy towards me my entire life.

The second, pretended to love me for 47 years, then demonstrated his hate for me by never communicating with me again (without warning or explanation).

Both have died and left me not even the smallest item to remember them by, except a broken heart. Yet I still love them both and truly  believe we NEVER love in vain.


If you are a father, PLEASE take this Fathers' Day to COMMUNICATE your true love for your child. Express it openly and revel in it. Then do it one more time (for those of us who have been ignored or betrayed by a Father's "love").


As for me, this Fathers Day, I offer my gratitude to my Heavenly Father, who has proven His love for me without restraint or  conditions.

~~ Love Always, Laura-Lee

" ... Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love.." Song of Solomon 2:4

"Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed [holy] be Thy Name. "

Love Laura-Lee

POEM (Repeat 2015) "When God Wants a Man"

‘When God Wants a Man’ 

When God wants to drill a man and thrill a man and skill a man…
When God wants to mould a man to play the noblest part;
When He yearns with all His heart to create so great and bold a man
That all the world shall praise,
Watch His methods, watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects whom He royally elects; how He hammers and hurts him,
And with mighty blows coverts him into frail shapes of clay that only God understands.
How his tortured heart is crying and he lifts beseeching hands....
How He bends but never breaks when His good He undertakes.
How He uses whom He chooses…. with every purpose fuses him;
By every art induces him to try His splendour out
God knows what He’s about!

When God wants to take a man and shake a man and wake a man…
When God wants to make a man to do the Father’s will;
When He yearns with all His soul to create him large and whole…
With what cunning He prepares him… how He goads and never spares him!

How He whets him, He frets him and in poverty, begets him…
How often He disappoints whom He sacredly anoints!
With what wisdom He will hide him;  never minding what betide him…
Makes him lonely so that only God’s high messages shall reach him…
So that He may surely teach him what His heavenly Father planned.

When God wants to name a man and tame a man to do His heavenly best….
When He tries the highest test that His reckoning may bring…
How He reins him and restrains him so his body scarce contains him…
When He fires him and inspires him, keeps him yearning, 
Ever burning for the tantalizing goal.
Lures and lacerates his soul… sets a challenge for His spirit;
Draws it highest, then he is near it!
Then makes a jungle, then he clears it;
Makes a desert that he fears it, if he can…
So does God make a man!

Then to test His Spirit’s wrath, He throws a mountain in his path, 
Puts a bitter choice before him and relentlessly stands o’er him…
Climb or perish, so He says…. But watch His purpose, watch His ways!
God’s plan is wondrously kind… could we understand His mind?
Fools are they who call God blind!

When his feet are torn and bleeding; yet His Spirit mounts unheeding…
Blazing newer paths and finds....
Lo, the crisis, lo, the shouts that would call the leader out…
When the people need salvation does he rise to lead the nation;
Then does God show His plan… and the world has found its man! 

Author Unknown 

How to know when you're a "Partington"

As many of you know, I met Rod when I was a teenager and we both lived in Vancouver, BC, Canada back in the mid 1980's.
He and his first wife, Karen & Jessica (once she arrived) lived in the basement suite of the house where me, my mother and my brother occupied the upstairs. Plus we all attended the same church.

At one time there were some Missionaries visiting our church for a couple weeks and the Partingtons invited them over for supper. Since we lived upstairs and were part of the same church, they invited us to this supper too. It turned into a two family pot luck type of thing. 

My family went downstairs about 20 minutes before the Missionaries arrived and we brought the buns, a casserole, some brownies and the napkins (if I remember correctly). By the time the Missionary family arrived the table was set, the food was ready and we all went to greet them at the door.

It was a good visit between all three of our families. But this Missionary family had somewhere else they had to be later that evening, so supper had been on the early side and after about 3 hours they had to say their "Good-Bye's" and "Thanks You's".

Rod's wife, Karen said, "Oh, it's too bad you have to leave right now. I was just going to put on a fresh pot of coffee because the Rahns brought some brownies too." (Karen had also supplied dessert) But they said they just couldn't stay and so they left. 
Right after they walked out the door my Mom and Karen disappeared into the Partington's kitchen. 

Suddenly Rod took off his tie, grabbed the TV remote control, jumped on the love seat by the TV, stretched out, turned on the TV set and said,
 "Good. There's still some time left in the hockey game."

You know how it is when you've been on your best behaviour for company and then they leave and everyone gives that sigh and relaxes. It was that type of feeling.

About 3 minutes later Karen & my Mom come walking out of the kitchen with the coffee and the brownies and Rod, who was still stretched out on the love seat with the game on, put down the remote control, swung his feet around and started clearing room on their coffee table for the brownies and coffee. 

Karen sees him and says, "Rod. What are you doing with the TV on?"

He responded, "I wanted to see the score. What's the problem? The company's gone."

Karen responded, " The company is not gone. The Rahns are still here."

Rod responded to Karen, "They're not company."

Then he looked around at the 3 of us and said, "You guys don't mind do you?"

I was just returning into the living room from where I had been and said, "Please say you don't mind and don't say we're company!"

Everyone turned and looked at me and I continued, "Because if we're 'company' and Rod has to put his tie back on, then that means I'll have to put my panty-hose back on!"

And I let my panty-hose dangle out of my right hand where I was holding them all scrunched up after removing them while I was in the bathroom.

So we all laughed, watched the rest of the hockey game and ate the brownies, with all of us lounging and relaxing around the living room. From that moment on we were one family instead of two.

But it was also obvious that Rod and I had a similar way of viewing things. So I'm not surprised it's survived all these years - even though we've been out of touch for so long.)

It has been my privilege to feel like a member of the Partingtons past & present. My prayers and love (and some tears) are with them all tonight as Rod is back in the  hospital. 

God's World (Rod Partington's North America)

I just posted an UPDATE at the "GoFundMe" Campaign page for Rod (Partington) because today he received the money order of the donations raised for him and his family. But I had a few more personal things I wanted to add and it seemed more appropriate to say them here.

In the envelope with the money order, I included a list of the Dona-tors and the town or city where each one lived. I was struck by the fact that we come from places as far away as Port Alberni, BC to (me here on) the prairies of Alberta, all the way to Rod living in Florida, USA - and 17 other points in between.

I don't think Rod will be offended if I say that he isn't exactly the most well traveled person. I mean, he hasn't dedicated his life to "seeing the world". Nor is he very old. Yet his friends live from one end of the mighty and vast continent of North America to the other. 

Being a "history buff" I couldn't help but think of all the people and sacrifices it took to tame the continent of North America. Yet Rod has done it already in his brief life so far. How can people not see tohe hand of God in that? How can we not realize the potential?

We meet Rod someone along the path of our life and within not that much time we are all spread out. Jesus referred to his disciples as "salt" and "light". Both being good and necessary things that have  something in common: a little goes a long way.

 If our brief contact with Rod effects us and then we are scattered by our circumstances, like dandelion seeds scattered by the wind, what could we possibly accomplish by "meeting" Jesus, then staying true to following Him. To being committed to God's purposes right in the place He has currently placed us. 

All the peoples, years and sacrifices to tame this continent. How much easier has God made it to "win a world" for Christ?  Jesus asks us to "remain faithful in the 'little things' " and He will take care of the big picture. He tells us that we can "move a mountain" (literally) with a very tiny amount of faith ("small as a mustard seed").

It's strange, and I don't know where I picked up the notion, but I always thought what Jesus wanted from me (aka. God's will) was a "big mystery" to be figured out. In fact I viewed it as the  Big Mystery of my life. But if you (or I)  had something that needed doing, we enlisted the people to do it then said, "But I'm not going to actually tell you what I want you to do. You have to guess. Na na na na na na na [= childish taunting]."  That would make us not just sadistic but a big idiots. God is neither.

Then I /read) one of the principles writer/Pastor Charles F. Stanley has on his list of  "30 Life Principles" :  "God will move Heaven and Earth to let you know His will."
Then it suddenly hit me! ZOINK! "Well of course. God wants me to know His will. It's going to take a considerably longer time to 'get it done' if I have no idea what it is or my part in it". 

Perhaps I won't know the entire "big picture". Maybe God doesn't explain every detail to me of what He is doing. Maybe I wouldn't understand it if He did explain (even if He said it very slowly and had the aid of puppets). But once I wrapped my mind around the fact that God VERY much wants me to hear Him and be in on The Plan , things started to change for me. I set aside quiet time to actually listen and said a simple prayer, "Okay. I'm listening. What do you want me to do?" Then things in my relationship with Jesus and my Christianity started exploding. I discovered that God had a LOT to say to me. Like water from a fire hose He started communicating with me in both big and little ways.

If Rod Partington in his few years can have an impact on people across a continent, what will God's impact be on this world if we are simply quiet, listening, available and obedient?

I started this Fund Raising Campaign for Rod because I've spent a lot of time in hospitals and I know a little about the costs. I set up the Campaign thinking maybe someone would want to add something to the few bucks I was planning on sending. The first goal of only $500 (which I thought we'd never get near) was reached in 5  hours.  I once again realized I was limiting God plans in my attitude and actions. So God took over, others did their part and God got something done. (Oh. Why don't we always make things that simple?)

 With all the "Thanks you"s and gratitude the Partingtons are spreading around you'd think we had dedicated the remainder of our lives to carving Rod's face on Mount Rushmore.
 But we each gave what we could , from where we are and it made us feel good in the doing of it (which is usually what happens when we get in sync with God's will).
 I got much more "out" of it than anything I put "in" to it.


So I end this particular "God given task" with words that are becoming much more frequently said by me:
"It has been 'my pleasure'."

Love always, Laura-Lee 

P.S. There is another more detailed UPDATE at "GoFundMe" and this particular Campaign for Rod Partington will be closing by tomorrow. L-L

UPDATE: Rod Partington

The Donations received through "GoFundMe" were couriered to the Partingtons on Friday (June 5) and the Xpresspost envelope is Tracking as across the border and in Customs now. They should receive it within "1-3 Business days" (as of 8:35 AM today - Monday, June 8, 2015).
Go to the Link/Widget above (with Rod Playing His Guitar) to see the detailed UPDATE by me.
 ~ love L-L