Mighty mountains

Today I'm heading to the mountains.  I can't wait to reach their rugged beauty, their splendor, and especially their cool temperatures!

We took this photo in the Alps several years ago.

I began my mountain love affair when I was a little girl.  I'll never forget the first time I saw The Sound of Music.  I was absolutely riveted by the scene in which Maria talks with the Reverend Mother of the Abbey and the Reverend Mother says to her, "Remember: 'I will up mine eyes unto the hills; from whence cometh my help."

At the time, I thought the Reverend Mother was telling Maria that help would be coming from the mountains.  Of course, the Reverend Mother would have known better.  She would have known the next verse.

"My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."  (Psalm 121)

Although I love the poetry of the old King James Version, I like the straight talk of The Message for these verses:

I lift up my eyes to the hills
  From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
  who made heaven and earth.

All too often I'm prone to think that my help will come from different scenery, cooler weather, or the beauty of my surroundings.  But of course then I'm following the age-old tendency to worship the creation rather than the Creator.



This trip, I'm hoping to keep my mind on the One who made the majestic mountains--the One who is the real source of my help.

How about you?  Is there a part of God's creation that especially reminds you of His loving care?

A simple truth about God

For the past couple of weeks I've been intensely studying about the Holy Spirit and the amazing mystery of God.

Meanwhile, our sweet little beagle had to have surgery.  If you follow me on Instagram
(@richellaparham), you may have seen this photo of Snickers before her surgery:

And this one of Snickers just after her surgery. Our pound puppy, Cocoa, was very concerned about Snickers's incision.

Lofty thoughts about God and concern for our little dog have been swirling around together in my mind, and I was reminded of this video.  If you haven't seen it, you should take a couple of minutes to see it.  I promise it will warm your heart.



Isn't it amazing how parts of God's creation reveal sweet truths about God Himself?

Do you have a story about how your pet has revealed the truth about God? Link it up!

The best marriage advice ever (or what I wish I'd known 30 years ago)

Today is an important day in the history of my life.  On this day 30 years ago, I was a starry-eyed bride.

I'm stunned even as I write it: my husband and I have been married 30 years.  30 years!!

As we walked down the aisle together, I was absolutely certain we were heading into our very own happily-ever-after.

Boy, did I have a lot to learn.  Thank God, I've had lots of time for learning.

In honor of this special day, I'm going to tell you my secrets to a good, long-lived marriage. This is what I wish I'd known on this day 30 years ago.  The best marriage advice ever.

It's a pretty short list:

1. Learn to forgive.
2. Seek forgiveness.
3. Practice forgiveness.

That's it. Those are the secrets.

Is there a key to a good marriage?  Yes.  Forgiveness is the key.

It seems that I must learn most things the hard way. One thing I've learned is that you shouldn't take marriage advice from someone who's never had marital struggles.  Perhaps that sounds counter-intuitive, but I've learned that it's true. It's quite easy for people whose marriage is all smooth sailing to THINK they know the secrets to a happy marriage. But I've learned that the best training for good sailing is to weather some storms and come out still afloat.

When I was a bride, I thought I knew the secret to a successful marriage. I was reared to strive for perfection in all that I did. I wasn't very good with forgiveness, because I believed that it would be better to avoid mistakes and not ever need forgiveness. I tried hard never to let God or my husband down, and I really thought my hard work would be the key.

I failed. I failed miserably. That didn't stop me from trying again, though, each new effort more valiant than the last. Stubbornly I clung to the thought that my marriage was different, that my husband and I were special. I just knew that God would honor my efforts and that we would be rewarded with an amazing marriage.

I was wrong. Only after my marriage has suffered some major crises have I finally learned.

I am human. My husband is human. We are learning and growing and trying to be like Jesus, but we make mistakes. Sometimes we make really bad mistakes. And over the years, some of our mistakes have deeply hurt us. I've hurt him. He's hurt me.  

But in the midst of the pain, here's what I've learned: With God's help, there is no hurt that cannot heal. There is no sin that can't be forgiven. God is powerful enough to redeem even the most difficult of situations.

That might sound unbelievable, even ridiculous to you.  And without God's help, it IS unbelievable. It's impossible.  Remember Jesus told his followers "Without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). But we don't have to do it without the Lord; we get to do it with Him.  And the truth is that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).

Of course, there are times when one person doesn't want to be redeemed. I know that's true, and I'm so sad for people who find themselves in those situations. Sometimes there are spouses who must flee a marriage simply to protect themselves or their children.

But for those of us who have spouses who are willing to work with us, I stand by my list.

1. Learn to forgive.
2. Seek forgiveness.
3. Practice forgiveness.

If I could go back and tell my young self what to expect from marriage, here's what I'd say:

Sometimes marriage will be wonderful.  Other times, marriage will be dreadful.  You will falter. You will fall. You will hurt and be hurt. But with true forgiveness, you can make it.

And my prayer for spouses, today and every day, would be this:

We have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fulling pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.  He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9-14)

I did not get my happily ever after.  But after 30 years, I can say that I got something even better.

In any marriage, you will not live happily ever after. You will have times of pain of sorrow. But with the Lord's help, "all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well" (Julian of Norwich).