Why I'm CRAZY about Sonflowers

Oh and I spelled it that way on purpose!

~F.Y.I~

You will note the spelling of "Sonflower” with an "O" for Jesus, the Son of God.

Why I wrote this:

One hot summer’s day, while talking with my neighbor I was asked the question, "If you could be a flower, what flower would you want to be?" I answered, “A sunflower." My neighbor quickly replied, (with a snicker, I might add.) "Why would anyone want to be a weed?”

I thought about it, and our Dear Lord gave me a revelation on the sunflower; now more than ever I want to be a Sonflower!

Did you know?

Sunflowers, when first sprouting from the ground are not considered flowers at all? They are in fact considered a member of the weed family. However, when in full blossom, the sunflowers bold and magnificent beauty paves the way so that they cannot be denied their place in the flower family. In a sense, I guess you could say they’ve been adopted! ~chuckle~

There are many different types of sunflowers. Each one of them different, in shape, color, size and purpose and yet every one of them resembling the sun.

Some of them are single flowers that in full blossom can reach up to 16 feet in height, 36 in. in diameter. Others grow in clusters sharing the stem that brings them life.

Sunflowers need lots of water and must have full sun everyday to reach their “full potential”. Although sunflowers will not die immediately without the light of the sun, they will not blossom without its light. Although once a sunflower seed that sprouted with “full intent to blossom”, without full sunlight and lots of water, the seedling will remain in its weed state, and eventually wither and die. As a seedling the sunflower needs water daily. As the sunflower plant grows and matures it has the ability to retain moisture and can go a long time between rain-fall. The sunflower from day one, even as a weed, follows the sun, east to west, dawn to dusk.

The sunflower is the strongest and largest of flowers. The harder the weather it has to endure the stronger the stem becomes. Sunflowers seem to grow best in fields of like sunflowers. However a sunflower’s true beauty is only fully appreciated when in the midst of flowers of a different family.

Sunflowers are the most productive of flowers, as well. They have no thorns for their beauty. They provide seed for the sewer and food for the birds of the air, the animals of the field and people alike.

You can find sunflowers wherever the sun [Son] shines for at least one half the hours in a day.

Be blessed as you bask in the Son!

Amy Colleen

Lord

I Want to be a Sonflower

Here I am once again, wondering what should I do
Close my eyes and hope for death? Or keep on pressing through?
Oh how I long to be like Him, my Master and my Friend
Strong, courageous and full of faith, right up 'till the end
My heart it aches to be renewed, with love from on high
But how it groans from all the pain, that makes it's home my life.

Oh Dear Yeshua, how I love you! You are all the joy I know!
Come Holy Master and Create, a masterpiece to show!
Take all the pain, disgrace and despair, that makes it's life my home
Replace it with your love complete, like no one has ever known!
I give you all I have to give, and still some more please take
Please come my precious Yeshua, take me now and make...

A flower bold and beautiful, that can't be overlooked
One that springs forth in surprise beside a trickling brook
Please make me a Sonflower, so there will be no doubt
That without the light of the Son, I could never have come about
A single flower that began as a weed, where it's seed happened to fall
Taking on the likeness of the Son, is it's only call
As it grows so tall and strong, reaching for the sky
Is when it springs forth in surprise, for all those passing by
A Sonflower that inspires praise, to God for all it's worth
For it's magnificent beauty and the seeds of life it births

Yes Lord, a Sonflower is what I want to be
Though at times, it's so hard, to grow up as a weed
I know that if I stay in your light
Drink only of the rain of the river of life
One day when my time has come
I too will resemble the Son
No more wishing this weed were dead
Just the picking of this flower for your centerpiece instead

Copyright January 2001. All Rights Reserved.

By: AmyColleenKlapp

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Time Heals All Wounds

Well, let me start with saying I disagree with the title of my blog. Yes I realize I am the one who titled it - and - NO it is not some kind of bait and switch maneuver to reel you in. I suppose more accurately I  would describe my blog title as just not being entirely wrong just being  an "unfinished title" or perhaps a "beginning without an end" .

This days blog, sufficient to say, is my feeble attempt to "finish the title" or put an "end to the beginning" not only to my blog's title but at the same time lay to rest  this silly (incorrect) age old thought that all we need to do is "let time pass and eventually all our wounds will heal."

Can I just say that time IS important in the healing process. This is true. I will not deny time it's place. I can't recount the number of times the Spirit of the Lord has brought to mind Ecclesiastes 3. (there is a time for everything under the sun).

Today I would like to share with you what the Lord has been showing me specifically about wounds.

I am home right now. I had surgery 7 days ago. I had been sick for awhile. Probably for about 3 or so years I had been having symptoms. They had progressively been getting worse. Nothing I couldn't handle. There was pain, yes. Again, nothing I couldn't deal with. I have a very high pain tolerance. My life is busy. CRAZY busy. Emotionally and with work, family. I didn't have time to think about myself. Just about 6 months ago my symptoms became unbearable. To me.  (To everyone else this is the first they heard of my not feeling well.) So started my trips to the doctors and surgeons. I ended up having same day surgery 7 days ago. To have mass amount of scar tissue removed from all around the inside of abdomen. Apparently it was so bad that the adhesion's had connected my organs to the outside wall of my stomach. It was a twisted mess. Thank the Lord the surgeon said the surgery was a success and he was able to remove the adhesions successfully. Yay!
All better and ready to face the world and all of it's challenges again!!! Right?

Ummm. Not so fast Skippy.
Yeah. I tell ya. I went in and came out thinking okay. Back to work in 3-4 days. The doc says he GOT IT ALL GONE....So I got up on Monday and got a shower and drove to work. I mean, come on. Bills to be paid. ....It wasn't 2 hours into the day and I began to feel the burning pain of the incision. Then deep, deep down inside, I began to feel pain. I became hot to the touch.  I realized I made a mistake coming back to work so soon. Yes the surgeon had done an excellent job of removing the foreign matter that was responsible for causing me all my grief and pain for so long.....but now I needed time to heal.......at home......with my feet up.......geeze...anything else?

You might gather from my tone  that I am not one that likes to just lay around. I actually find it difficult. Especially when I know there is a multitude of things I need to be doing. In this case my healing is needing me to "take it easy". This wound was a deep wound. It needed precise surgical expertise followed by my needing to rest and follow precise doctors orders. If I want to be completely healed I need to follow through completely. If I don't follow the doctor's orders precisely then, even though I may look okay on the outside; should I bump my tummy or over do it I will hurt myself deep inside. Worse yet risk possible infection. I think you get my point?

That was one type of wound. There are many different types of wounds; varying degrees. From minor scratches to cuts that require a band aid with ointment to lacerations needing stitches and anti biotics to deep internal injuries needing hospitalization and surgery. The causes? Let your mind run wild....A few ideas - Scrapes, burns, internal bleeding, gun shot wounds, knife wounds, broken bones, pulled muscles, dis-located joints and concussions. All such different wounds and needing such different treatment for pain relief and recovery. Still, they all need care and attention not just time to fully recovery.

Think about it, lets just say you were to bump into (literally) someone at work, church or on the road some where. Because of the circumstance you ended up with a dislocated elbow. I suppose you could try to ignore the pain and continue on with your life in the hopes that it would eventually "pop" back into place. Maybe it would. If you could live and move with the excruciating pain, perhaps it might. (Have you ever had a joint out of socket before? It is excruciating to move that appendage. I seriously doubt you could ) More likely, you are not going to want to move that part of your body at all and try to go about over compensating other parts of your body to make up for the loss of use of your other body part. However, whether you did or did not, everything would be outta wack regardless AND you will still be in pain. Even if you won't admit it. Because of the wound. The pain.

Let's take another, small more minor example. How about a scrape. Time perhaps can heal a scrape with no help at all from us. We get a scrape. We cover it up. Or not. We leave it alone. Forget it's there. Time will heal it.
What happens next?
Over  a period of time...we are in fact required to help time by actively care for the wound. Daily. Until it begins to show signs of healing. Covering itself up with new skin. If we choose not to, which is our choice, then we risk the chance of infection and the possible need to open the wound up again.

So far I have mentioned open wounds.
What about those secret wounds. Those wounds no one else knows about but you.  A wound that is so deep it has the ability to make your heart stop beating; in fact it has. This is why you have taken that wound and locked it far away, deep, deep down inside. Left it in there in the hopes that time would heal it. In the hopes that you would never have to relive the reason for the pain. It's still there isn't it? Yeah, because time needs your help.

This is the most dangerous kind of wound. By far the most deadly. This kind of wound is responsible for the death and destruction of families, marriages, parent and child relationships, friendships.

Left to itself in the dark recess's  of our heart, this type of wound grows slowly. Never ceasing, slowly stealing much needed oxygen  from our blood stream. This wound, not being visible to the naked eye; makes it very easy for us to ignore. Many cast aside this wound as anything but real. Some walk head long into a state of denial about it's mere existence. Unless we are poked or prodded in just the right spot and agitated just so... most of us will all but completely forget this type of wound exists in our life...in our body. (it truly does seem the easier way at the time)...Trouble is.....THE WOUND IS STILL VERY REAL AND VERY MUCH THERE......and until we face this fact and take/make the time to heal...we run the risk of infection, deep within ...worse yet...death. Death to the relationship that is connected to the wound.

I know it's hard. I really do. I have so many healed wounds.....so many more wounds to be yet healed.  I also know the healer. I know it is possible to be healed of the deepest hurt. The hurt you think no one could ever understand. I am still undergoing healing with the Master. Every day.

This was a difficult blog to write. I had allot of interruptions. I almost just gave up. I hope it wasn't too broken up and confusing!

I suppose I would like to encourage the reader to take time to check back in to their heart. Open up that door that you closed way back when. You know the one - face the hurt. Forgive the one who bumped into you. Yes, it will hurt when you visit that time again. Depending on how deep the wound, how severe the dislocation...you may very well need to feel the pain again to be made whole.
But time alone will not heal your wound. Too much time in fact may only make it harder in the end. Requiring surgery, a reopening of the wounded site, re-breaking of a bone, or worse yet - gang green - death to the relationship. In some cases even death to ourselves. That is NOT what God wants.

God is a God of reconciliation.

He gave HIS only begotten Son to prove this.

Go ahead - set an appointment up with Dr. Yeshua, he's waiting to see you.

Shalom

1/2 Century Old

Wow. So I never really thought I would be here. In life that is. In this place.

I mean I just turned 50. I never really thought about what it was gonna be like before it happened. Not seriously anyway. It may have come up in passing in a general conversation about turning 50. As for me turning 50 and what changes might accompany this landmark year, eh, I honestly didn't expect any. I just figured life would pretty much continue on as it always had. NOT!

Seems like I just woke up one morning 50 years old and everything was different.

You know, I pictured myself with grand kids bought now. (I have them) I pictured myself with an awesome church family (I have a church family) coming over during the holidays and what not. Being active on the mission field. Having my kids friends over during college break. Driving down to visit my grown kids and grand kids. I mean isn't that what you do when you have grand babies?

Well, that is not what happened. Now I know life doesn't always turn out like we plan. For Sure!
Look at the Apostle Paul! - Come on now! - I don't think he was planning on spending all that time in prison when he was running around in his early years as Saul. Or even after his conversion....seriously. THINK about it. Paul was human. Think he may have grown a wee bit weary of those prison cells? All the rats and damp cold, rock hard floors? OK! I know I am NOT Paul! I am not living on the floor of those nasty prisons caves....but....my point here is RELATIVITY....and I am making my point for not just ME but for YOU as well!
You see sometimes life doesn't always turn out like we think it will. Like we HOPE it will. Like we PRAY it will.
Look at Joseph in the Bible. Look at Job. Look at King David. Look at Esther. Look at ANYone in the Bible....really. We as human beings have a way of idolizing people. Making them more than what they really are. Bottom line is that God is the only one who  is good, who is perfect with out the cleansing blood of His Son Jesus....we are sinners all the same. Everyone of us the same! The lives of the people in the Holy Scripture/Bible are in there for us the get encouragement. To help us to walk holy lives before God....by the grace of God in the covering of the blood of Jesus.

Now you think of anyone you like. There are too many for me to list. I am certain they did not expect their  lives to turn out the same way  it did....
i.e. "The way it did in accordance with the word of God."
For when God has your life in His hands...God always has His way.
 and it is always the  better way. Sometimes we get in the way and that can slow thing down a bit. However if we humble ourselves before God and make things right with Him, HE WILL turn things around for our good and get us back on track again. That is a promise to us from Him.

So, no. I didn't expect to be here. Where I am. Instead of being in the mission field myself I am praying for and supporting those in the mission field.  I do have grand kids. Although I have yet to hold or see them in person. This is heart breaking, I won't lie. This is where I need to draw strength from Our Great Comforter - Holy Spirit and from the comfort that I receive comfort those that also mourn in like heartache. My house is becoming emptier by the day which is the opposite of what I had pictured in my heart. (children and friends and grand children visiting) So in faith my house will be a house of prayer and I will open it up. It is hard when you have a broken heart to reach out to help heal another.  I do, have a church family, then again I am not close to anyone there either. THIS is where I have decided what better way to fill my empty heart and house with laughter than to open myself  and my house up for the holidays!

Writing this was not easy. That's okay. As I have said more than once on here.
When I write this blog it is not for me. I know there is someone else who needs to hear this!

I will leave you with a Psalm of comfort!
Blessings of Shalom peace in Yeshua HaMashiach
AmyColleen


A song of ascents.
Psalm 121


 ¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
   where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.
 ³ He will not let your foot slip—
   he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.
 ⁵ The LORD watches over you—
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
   nor the moon by night.
 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
   he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forevermore.

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

a song

Sleepless nights the Lord spends on you.

 Watching and waiting to see what you'll do,

 When times get tough to see where you'll go,

And all the time, all the time, he wants you to know.

That, sleepless nights the Lord spends on you.

 He's always there to see you through.

 Neither slumber nor sleep will He ever do.

Because; the Lord is watching over you.

***

When you think it's over and you've given your all.

 Just look to the Lord and give him a call.

  He'll be there for you.  He'll see you through.

  He never sleeps.  He never sleeps.

  He's too busy watching over you.

***

Sleepless nights the Lord spends on you.

 Ever keeping all harm far from you.

 Watching your life.  Seeing you through.

 Yes, the Lord is watching over you.

  The Lord, he's watching over you.

Copyright June 2001 All rights reserved         

                                                                                   By: Amy Colleen Klapp (song)

It's Not Always a 12 Step Program

Hello,  normally everything I post on here is an "AmyColleen" original...or perhaps at the least is something like a song that is  borrowed and sandwiched between something I am writing to make my point.

However I read this this morning and felt that it was more than worthy of a re-post.
With a full credit of course.

October 22/23

Forsaking Anger


Ephesians 4:30-32

A righteous life has no room for lingering anger, whether in the form of rage or resentment. Fury that hardens in our hearts becomes a stronghold for Satan.

The fleshly method for "curing" wrath is to either let it out (rage) or suppress it (resentment). Neither is effective for solving problems or making an angry person feel better. God's way of dealing with this dangerous emotion dissolves it and sets the believer free. As today's passage reminds us, we are to "let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from [us], along with all malice" (v. 31). But to do so requires that we recognize it's there.

Whether we are annoyed at ourselves, another person, or God, we have to own that feeling. Pretending that the emotion doesn't exist or that we've somehow risen above anger is useless. If you're angry, admit it and then identify the source. Knowing who or what ignited the initial fury can prevent people from misdirecting irritation onto the innocent.

Here are some questions to help in identifying a source of anger:

• Why am I angry?

• At whom am I angry?

• What caused me to feel/act this way?

• Where or when did this feeling start?

• Have I been angry a long time?

Once we know the source of our anger, it's time to forgive, no matter what. Fury and unforgiveness often go together, and they're heavy baggage that will drag you down. God calls us to set them aside and take up love and kindness instead. Forsaking anger means walking in His will with a light step.

For more biblical teaching and resources from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org.

                      Used with permission from In Touch Ministries, Inc. © 2009 All Rights Reserved.