A Letter to the Sisterhood, by Brenda

Hello Sisterhood,

I want to tell you all about my experience of having a daughter and many, many other spiritual daughters over the last fifteen years, and now I have 12 more.

Our daughter Lynn, (now 39 years old) who is one of the original Pitchers (the only other Daisy in our early writing besides me and Sally), went her own way walking fully out into the world when she went off to college. She had always been the Introvert that didn't even want to sleep over at her friend’s house. She transferred to the University of Texas, San Antonio, from a college in Ohio to complete her BA and become a CPA. She has never lived in Ohio since.

When Lynn was 3 years old my mother moved from Ohio to Savannah GA. My mother and I had always been close and we learned how to maintain a fairly close relationship long distance before cell phones and the Internet with e-mail & Facebook, etc.

So when Lynn moved away, we stayed connected. Cards, letters, hours on the phone, just like my Mom and me. I learned that, as a Pitcher Lynn needed lots of surface chat time, before she would open up and talk about what was really going on in her life. God graced me to listen a lot. I thought I would have scars on my tongue from biting it so many times to keep this Basket’s mouth shut. But Jesus showed me she already knew how I felt about her lifestyle and telling her over and over again would only break the connection He was going to use to restore her to Himself.

In those next ten years I prayed for Lynn. A friend gave me a little book, “Praying God’s Will for Your Daughter.” It really helped me. It encouraged me. I quit focusing on Lynn’s problems and seeing her as the problem. I started to see her how Jesus saw her. I filled many journals with prayers for Lynn.

I had prayed all the time she was in San Antonio that God would put a Christian in her life. She lived close to both Max Lucado and John Hagee’s church in San Antonio, but never once in six years did she meet another Christian.

Shortly after Lynn left San Antonio and moved to Boston, Mass she called to tell me the first day on her new job that she had met a Christian. She said she met this Christian guy. Well, the LORD and I had a talk. She had enough men problems. I was thinking more along the lines of a Christian woman. The LORD reminded me that I hadn't been that specific and He knew what He was doing.

She shared with that young man that day that she was raised in a Christian home, had gone to a Christian school and memorized many Bible verses as a child. Later I learned that that young man started praying God would return her to the God of her youth and put a fire in her to serve the LORD with all her heart.

Her early years in Boston were very stormy. She had divorced the man she moved to Texas with after they both had an affair. She moved in with her boyfriend (the one she had had the affair with) and was very unhappy. They worked together in a big accounting firm and made lots of money. They worked long, long hours but we still stayed connected on the phone---listening, listening, listening - praying, praying, praying. We visited, but due to job reasons her father and I moved seven times in the first five years she was in Boston, so mostly our connection continued to be cards and letters and long phone conversations.

Sally and I had started the process of writing V&F and spent hours and hours talking and praying together. We were both in a season of our lives to get away a lot and got away with our dear friend, Harriet Gallaway, to seek the LORD for the book, but also for our life in Him. His sweet presence was with us. Similar to what you all experienced in Hot Springs.

Meanwhile, shortly before our sixth move, Lynn’s grandfather, her beloved “PaPa”, became very ill. And in eleven months he died of a blood disease. During that time Lynn visited him in Ohio seven times. Each time she came she would go home with a desire to be with her family more. Her boyfriend said she changed when she went home and he didn't like it.

She later shared a time when he took her to a rock concert and she was miserable. He called her a name I won't repeat but basically a prude. She looked around and saw her life for what it had become and feared for her future, and the future of the generation to come. She became physically sick. There in the middle of all that represented the rebellion in her life she cried out to God for help.

A few weeks later we visited Boston and one evening Lynn and I did one of our favorite things to do together--we went shopping. She wanted to take me to a store up on the “north shore”. We talked and drove for hours. Finally we realized we were lost. We never did find the store, but Lynn was ready to listen. She wanted her prodigal days to be over. She felt stuck, helpless to do anything, close to a point of surrender.

After we return to Indiana, where we were living at the time. The LORD gave me a word for my daughter and I knew she was ready to hear.

Here is a copy of the letter:

July 1999

Dear Lynn,

After we returned from Boston, the next day I sat down and wrote out my thoughts about our conversation on Monday evening while we were driving all over northern Massachusetts.

This verse came to me:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you

hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray

to me and I will listen to you, you will seek me and find me

when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you."

God does have a plan for you—still even with everything that your life has been or not been over the last years. He has plans to prosper you spiritually. He does have plans to give you “a hope and a future.”

You said that your relationship with us has been one that feels unconditional love, and that is the one relationship you have been successful at. Well, God’s plan for your life no more includes punishment and condemnation than ours does. He wants you to have “a hope and a future.”

God accepts you more than we do. He looks at the past, present and future and sees how it all connects. Like a big grid with electrical impulses that all connects—it is child’s play for God to see how it all sorts out.

I have realized how it takes us a while to get past the time of “chit, chat” until we can really talk (like we did the other night) and get to a level of communication that is deep, personal and meaningful. That is what God desires with us—not just “chit chat” (although God must enjoy that part too). But He waits for the deeper fellowship, deeper relationship, and the intimacy that isn't a stiff, religious life in a box, a compartment set aside. He doesn't want a relationship focused on what we DO or DON’T DO in our lives.

I didn't try to give you pat answers the other night. You know I have been tired of pat answers all my life. People all have ideas, demands, and formulas of how to have an intimate relationship with God. I believe you said, “it didn't stick” for you. How others said it was suppose to work—pat answers of how to have personal devotions, how to pray, how to worship, how to go to church, how to be a “good” Christian.

I know you don't look at your mother as a rebel. But I was looking for answers too. Of course, my seeking was different. I tried for a long time to do it everyone else’s way. When I heard that a really deep prayer life was to go into your “prayer closet” to pray, I did and soon I was rearranging the closet and noticing that the wall paper needed replaced and started to rip it off. Then it dawned on me—God wants a relationship with me that is as unique as I am. And God wants that the same with you.

No one can start with God anywhere but at salvation—but it is just the beginning, the start, and it’s easy to get “lost” again. Not lost from salvation but lost from a deeper relationship with God. But just as flowers and grass look dead in the winter, it is just a season. God’s plans have “a hope and a future” for them also—SPRING. Our plans do not have a guarantee for spiritual prosperity (a hope and a future). Only God’s plans do.

If you seek God, you will find Him. He does not hide from us. Our enemy wants us to believe that. But God waits patiently on us as we go through our “winters.” While He waits, He doesn't have a time continuum to wait in, He sees you at 28 and doesn't have to wait until 38 to see you then. He sees it all at once. That’s why He has so much hope for you and your future.

He is proud of who He made you to be. He has so much hope for you. Not the kind of “great expectations” that causes pressure, but the kind that encourages. He is patient and will wait for you.

What a different God He is than so many portray Him to be. Yes, He is a God of justice and His death on the cross took care of that. He does judge sin, but He gave you His righteousness and it’s just as much yours now as it was when you accepted it.

God extends His grace and mercy to His own even before we turn around and seek Him. He gave Abraham 12 chances (the recorded ones, who knows how many more) to develop the faith to ultimately sacrificed Isaac. He failed most of them but God just kept giving him another chance to develop trust in Him.

God allows and orchestrates the sin in the world and our sin to create hard times that will help us see our need to work on our relationships, especially our relationship with Him. That is all part of His plan to prosper you spiritually—it’s how He knows He has “a hope and a future” for you.

A Letter to Lynn from God

For I know the plans I have for you, Lynn, plans to spiritually prosper you. Lynn, I have plans to prosper you. I have plans to give you a hope and a future. I know you will call on me and find me when you seek me. I am waiting to listen and be found by you. You will seek me with all your heart Lynn, and I will be found by you. And I will bring you back from where you have been in the captivity of “the world””—back to the relationship with Me I have planned. You think that you took yourself there—but I took you to captivity and I will carry you back. It won't be a hardship for you I will carry you. This is a trip that you cannot “do” yourself. It is not a struggle or a religious procedure. I will do it—they are my plans. I began a good work in you, Lynn, and I will complete it.

Taken from Jeremiah 29:11-14 & Philippines 1:6

I love you with all my heart my darling daughter.

Mom

She called and asked if Sally and I would meet with her in Lima.

She flew home a few weeks later and Sally, Harriet and I ministered to her for one whole day. The only instructions we gave her when she returned to Boston was to get up in her Abba Father's lap and get to know Him-let Him love on her. She said later that in the airplane on the way back, Scriptures that she had memorized years ago came flooding back into her mind-continuing the healing process.

She immediately called that young man she met her first day in Boston and ask to go to church with him, then broke up with her boyfriend.

Our daughter-in-law told us about this gal that taught awesome Bible studies. So I ordered Breaking Free by Beth Moore. I watched the videos and did the study in one week. It changed me in so many ways. I knew this was going to be the help Lynn needed. Little did I know that Lynn was just the beginning of the ministry God was moving me into--helping young women with men issues, who were in bondage, come to know freedom in Christ.

We knew at that point that knowing who they were, V&F combined with who they were in Christ was the power of the Holy Spirit to transform lives. Lynn went on to commit to be single until the LORD brought her husband.

She met her husband during that six-year period, but God did not reveal him until they both were ready. Three years ago Lynn asked me to be her matron-of-honor. After the wedding a gal from Lynn’s church said during the ceremony as I stood beside my daughter, she saw me as an armor bearer, standing beside her-protecting her with my prayers. The next morning during my quiet time the Lord told me, “Well done. And now your duty is over.” Lynn displayed a copy of the letter I sent her as a part of the story how God healed their broken lives and brought them together.

As I said Lynn was just the beginning. The next year we moved back to Ohio and one morning at church our pastor called for the laying on of hands to send people out in ministry. The word “divorce” came to me. Shortly after that, a man in our small group spoke a word over me. He saw a line of wounded women lined up at my door. I would bring them in and sit them in the lap of Jesus.

During the last 10 years woman after woman came to me and God, through the power of the Holy Spirit and His marvelous Word, has used many people of God--Beth Moore, Neil Anderson, Nancy DeMoss, Craig Hill, and of course V&F to help me minister to these women--many ravished by divorce, sexual abuse, abortion, lesbianism -you name it.

One of these women is the young woman Sandy, (real name-Mitzy) who I wrote about in Chapter One of V&F. She and her husband had gotten a divorce after she got involved in an affair. She was a mess. She worked in a salon of a very dear friend of mine. She brought Mitzy (her Velvet Box /Rose friend) by the hand to my house. We started Breaking Free. (The Lord had been very clear to me that ministry for these women was always to come out of Bible Study). It took us months to get through the study. But one morning I was sitting at the local auto repair shop getting my oil changed. I was reviewing the chapter Mitzy and I were going to cover that day and the Lord spoke to me (as a Daisy this doesn't happen very often) and said “Today is Mitzy’s day!” That day Mitzy prayed and asked Jesus to be her Lord and Savior.

One month later her ex-husband, Scott, (a Pitcher/Leader) kneeled in the middle of our living room floor with my son, Jeff and I, and gave his life to the Lord. (Both Jeff and Scott are six foot four big strapping men). After much ministry, counsel and Bible Study, tears, confession, repentance and prayer, prayer, and more prayer---Scott and Mitzy remarried. Their two little boys gave their mother away to their Dad. Only God!!!!!!!!

Then there was Diana, divorced for 20years, loved God—a single mom with two older sons and a 10 year old daughter. Diana (Velvet Box/Rose) and I spent two years together as God ministered to her, revealed Himself to her, healed her and released so many gifts in her to serve the Body. Little did we know that she would marry Sally’s son Keith. On their wedding day she wanted me to be with her in the little hallway at the church as I prayed over her one more time and watch another spiritual daughter walk out in freedom.

Then there were Sarah, Peggy, Karen, Sherri, Tracye, another Lynn, Sandy, Vicky, Lori, Stacey, Eva, and sweet little Kayti--the line continues to this day. The two threads that connect to God are the ministry of forgiveness that He used Sally to mentor me in (that’s a whole other story) and V&F. Each Vessel and Flower forgives in a very specific individual way and without forgiveness from the heart, healing cannot come. God has graced me to be a bridge (knew you would love that) -- that ministry of reconciliation to women, mostly young women. All the while Sally and Harriet pray for us, and encouraged me in the Lord.

Last weekend our church had a ladies retreat and my precious spiritual daughter Mitzy was one of the speakers. (She cried when she watched the DVD from the weekend and cannot wait to meet you all.) Eight years ago she was baptized and now she was sharing what God did in her life, but she was very transparent to share the struggles she has had in her life with God. She got hurt in the church and got into a “Jesus and me” stronghold and isolated herself from community. She is just now ready to get back on the front lines in ministry. Many of the women I have talked about were there, as I just sat back (that is where God has me with all of you right now) and realized that here were so many of my spiritual daughters (Sally claims them as her spiritual grand-daughters) and can't wait to introduce them to each other so they can share what God has done in their lives through V&F.

Mitzy wrote a devotional for the woman’s retreat called “The Adulteress Women” I wanted to share a little part with you.

“I came to a point in my marriage where I felt trapped, and soon believed that I no longer desired to be married to my husband. I even convinced myself that my love for him had turned to hate. I was realizing my “fairy tale” life did not exist. Walking this road soon led me to the inevitable –I gave my affections to another man. He said all the things that I thought I longed to hear—and so my affair with him began. I believe the ache in my heart would get better, but the adulterous affair only worsened things.

A very good friend of mine, recognized the turmoil in my heart, encouraged me to go and talk to Christian friend of hers. Desperate for help, I went, and she introduced me to Jesus Christ”.

So as you can imagine having God just “plop” 12 more spiritual daughter into my lap has been an amazing blessing to me. It has been one way of God blessing me in the middle of a very different season of my life. I still meet with a few gals on a regular basis. I get to teach at our church occasionally and lead a “cell group” in our home once a week, but mostly; spending time with my husband as he works out of our home, visiting my 86 year old father at his home and taking him out to Cracker Barrel once a week, visiting Duane’s 88 year old mom and taking her to the Dollar Store, helping my daughter- in-law while she home schools our 5 &7 seven year old granddaughters. (This week I am teaching the Pilgrim Story) and, taking care of 15 month old Gabriel whenever I can. He’s a blast!

Also, I take care of 5 checkbooks and many details for two businesses. I am telling you all this because I know you all know that I am not the Email/ Facebook person in all this that Sally is. It is not that I have let you all go through my Basket, it is just that God has not given me room to put you in my Basket on an on-going basis at this time.

So I will continue to “Blog” occasionally as the LORD gives me reason and time. I enjoy whatever things Sally passes on my way from you all. I do pray for you as the LORD leads and look forward to whatever connections in the coming years the LORD orchestras as He did last week when Alice came to Ohio.

God bless you all, my beautiful, wonderful spiritual daughters, as you grow to know Him better.

A big Basket hug to you all!

Brenda

P.S. I have my beautiful bookmark you all gave us in my journal and read it occasionally just to remind myself of what you all said about me behind my back last summer in Arkansas! Thank You!

All Is Well, by Sally

Several years ago Brenda encouraged me to begin using a devotional book, "God Calling". If you recall, I wrote a blog about this wonderful book some time ago. To me the theme of this devotional is "All Is Well".

Each daily devotional draws you closer to the Lord and closer to realizing that He really is in control. If we walk in His ways, it will be true that All really is Well. I have been so impressed with this phrase, that I use it on my screen saver. These words, "All Is Well" float across my computer screen, reminding me of this important truth.

For several years now God has been leading me on a path to enter into that place that Scripture calls "Sabbath Rest". That place where life swirls around you, but you are protected and comforted by God, no matter what the circumstances.

Awhile ago I started a study of the Tabernacle. It is impressive that each object in there leads you to the Most Holy Place where the Ark of the Covenant stands. On the top are two cherubim with arms outstretched. Especially over the last few years, I have felt that God has allowed me to be in that special place, between those cherubim. There are times when trouble comes and there is no answer, no place to find help, no where to turn to for relief. And at those times, God has lovingly welcomed me in that place between those cherubim to find His peace, no matter what the circumstances.

That kind of peace usually comes after a lifetime of walking with God. Those times when life gets tough and we learn that only God has the answers. That kind of peace also comes through difficulty. All those experiences of trouble, suffering, unfounded attacks, and just about all kinds of problems lead us through a time of growing through that difficulty. It helps us to learn through it all that if you depend upon God, All Is Well.

I am glad that God has worked this throughout my life. I have been unhealthy for some time and finally got it looked into, and had several tests. In the meantime special friends prayed for me and claimed that it all would end in "A Good Report." Last week I finally got the results, and I had to face the truth that I have a third stage of cancer in my uterus. (Sorry to all you men who are reading this.) But that is where it is.

I will admit that it knocked me for a loop. I just sat there and stared at the Gynecologist. She looked at me and realized I was zoning out and reached over and took my hand and she PRAYED FOR ME. Then she hugged me. It did take awhile, but I realize that after a life time of walking with God it was easier to get to that place of peace than in my earlier years. My surgery is the first part of November. I am expecting that it will end with A GOOD REPORT.

A lot of times when people ask me how I am, I respond with "I am wallowing in Sabbath Rest. " Little did I know that I would need that place so soon. Over the last few days an old hymn keeps going through my mind. I sing it to me occasionally.

"When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrow like sea billows roar.
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is Well, It is Well with my soul."

It is well with my soul. Because All Is Well.

Blessings to you all.

Unusual Places, by Sally

This hasn’t much to do with Vessels and Flowers, but I want to write a few blogs about me. About my unusual life and here is one about the unusual places I have lived.

They were just a few words spoken during prayer, but they meant a great deal to me. I am talking about a time when we were in Mesaru, Lesotho, Africa. We had been there for about 5 months, serving with Mission Aviation Fellowship, and had been asked to move to Umtata, Transkai to restart a flight program there.

A few of the MAF ladies had met at my apartment to pray for me and for our move. While a dear friend, Judy Holz, was praying for me she said these words, “And dear Lord, we pray for Sally, who has already been to the unusual places of the world.”

I have often wondered if Judy realized just how meaningful and powerful those words were to me. “The unusual places of the world…” It really started me to thinking. I sat there and thought of Sentani, Irian Jaya; the islands of Yap, Guam, Ulithi in the Micronesian islands; not to mention the many, many places we had lived in the United States.

To date we have moved 59 times since we were married. Many of those moves were job or mission related. It usually had something to do with an airplane. During Deputation we moved many times to be in a place for a while in order to speak to several churches. While on staff for MAF we lived in several of their mission homes.

After that stay in Transkai, Africa, we moved again to Botswana, Africa. When we came back to the States, we lived in several more places. Again they were all job related. I have no idea how many more moves God has for us. I just enjoy looking back at the “unusual places’ we have lived. They are all filled with interesting memories of unusual places and unusual people.

Thanks God. I have learned so much about people and about You in those unusual places.

Blessings.

Yes, Prayer Changes Things, by Sally

During the early years of our married life, after reading the book, Jungle Pilot, my husband came to me and said that God was calling him to be a missionary pilot. And of course, being the sweet, nice, Christian, young wife that I was, I said "NO WAY!! " I had visions of me pounding clothes on rocks in a faraway stream.

My husband, Maurice, had been a flight instructor and aircraft mechanic for several years. After reading of Nate Saint's life and commitment to God, he was moved, and God did call him to serve Him on the mission field.

Besides the pounding clothes on a rock thing, I had other problems. We had three little boys that I dearly loved and was concerned for their education and welfare in a faraway land. Also, when I was in my early teens I saw a missionary film of a missionary couple walking off into the jungle, leaving behind their two little children in the hands of the native nannies. The kiddies were sobbing, with hands held out to their parents, and their parents just turned their backs and trotted off into the jungle. I never forgot that. There is no way I would do that to my precious sons.

And of course, there is the bug thing. I envisioned big, creepy, crawly bugs everywhere. So NO, I would not be a missionary. Maurice could go and send a postcard occasionally, but not me and my little guys.

My husband is a smart man. He is a Vase. A Vase is a director and always, now I am saying ALWAYS, has forward motion. For some it is a slow forward motion, but forward nonetheless. When we talk about a picture for a man's temperament, people usually say it should be a steamroller. That is very accurate. Men Vases usually like to CHARGE ahead. However, in this case, Maurice just waited. He waited and prayed. And prayed. And prayed.

He never bugged me about it. Occasionally we would talk about it, but he never gave me the feeling that he was pushing me about it.

For a year God and I struggled. He would gently convict me. I would loudly say NO. He would wait awhile and gently convict me again. Again I would say No. Then No. Then no. After a year of this I was beginning to want it to end. So the inevitable happened. I had gone to our Sunday eve service at church and saw a missionary film about a Dr. Carlson who had died in Africa at the end of the Mao Mao rebellion. At the end of the film an alter call was given for missionary service. God had me in a place of knocking anyone down that stood in my way of me and that alter. I had come to a place of giving in no matter what. No matter the native nannies, no matter pounding clothes on a rock, no matter even the bugs. I was ready to surrender. And I did.

All that began another huge adventure of being part of two lovely mission groups and going on three missionary journeys. And it didn't take me long to find out that missionaries now had modern washing machines to do their laundry, besides very good house help for those tasks. Bugs are controlled by wonderful Tupperware. I never turned my back on my boys and walked into the jungle. Instead, we stood and watched the planes lift away that carried those precious boys off to the dreaded Boarding School. Now that is another blog story. But even in that discomfort and pain, God provided.

I am so grateful that my husband had the wisdom to leave me alone and just pray. My Velvet Box would have exploded if he would have pushed me. What is so unusual is that neither of us knew then about Velvet Boxes and Vases. But God did. He knows me and he knows Maurice. God knew that it would be the faithful praying of my faithful husband to get us to our desired goal, being in His will.

Yes, prayer does change things.

Blessings.

My Twelve New Daughters, by Sally

I have enjoyed my life of raising three wonderful sons. They are a delight. I must admit that I even enjoyed being the only gal in the place. I even enjoyed the locker room atmosphere of our home, from living around the US to living in Sentani, Irian Jaya and on the Micronesian island of Yap. Our house was always noisy with lots of activity from these lads.

I have a wonderful story of a time when we lived in Sentani, Irian Jaya. One day my friend, Eloise, who has three daughters, was over for an afternoon chat. All of a sudden our three sons came home from school. They hit the house with activity and noise. They made their way to the kitchen and were rough housing around with our houseboy, Jusak. They were laughing and loud. All of a sudden Eloise announced that she just had to go home. It was just too noisy for her. I think I looked at her in astonishment and asked, "What noise??" I didn't notice it.

Awhile later I was at her home when her three lovely daughters came home from school. They walked quietly into the house, but were grumbling with each other. I heard comments like, "Mom, you know what Kim said to me today?" "Mom, Barb hurt my feelings today." etc., etc. After awhile I announced that I had to go home. I couldn't take the whining any longer.

Get it?? We were use to the complexion of our homes around the three children that God had given to us. I have always been glad that I have sons.

I do love girls. I have wonderful daughters-in-law and wonderful granddaughters, a great-granddaughter and even a great-granddaughter on the way. Over the years, I have met and counseled with many lovely young ladies and have enjoyed their friendship and have looked at them as Spiritual daughters.

Last weekend God gave me twelve new Spiritual daughters. Brenda and I spent the weekend with twelve lovely young ladies who love Vessels & Flowers, love each other, and most importantly love Jesus.

They found V & F in different situations and fell in love with finding out how wonderfully God had created them. At the beginning of the weekend we asked them to tell us how they learned about our book and what it meant to them. In each case the book met a specific need for them. Each had something they either didn't like about themselves or something they couldn't understand about themselves. And V & F answered that question for them. They all found out that God had created them this way and it was okay to be who they really were.

Another marvel that I saw was that these 12 gals honestly respected and loved each other. It was a true Sisterhood. Some of them were meeting for the first time, but they accepted the other with love and respect. We played a game where one by one we turned our backs on each other and the group would tell nice things about that person. I noticed that there was no silence. No one had to think up something nice to say. They immediately began to praise each other. That is rare in a group even of Christian young women. That impressed me.

And most importantly, these gals loved Jesus. They loved talking about Him. They honored Him in all that was done. Yet they had fun. Even amidst all the hormones there was so much laughter and joy.

I will never forget this last weekend. I will never forget these wonderful gals. It is a friendship that will last into eternity.

I love you Sisterhood gals. I love knowing you and I love learning from you. Yeah!!! I now have 12 special daughters!!!

Huggies,

God Calling, by Sally

Several years ago Brenda introduced me to the book, God Calling. A. J. Russel edits it. Two English women, who call themselves the “Listeners”, originally wrote it. They do not identify themselves. It is explained at the start of the book. Two women chose to pray and listen to God for a year. This book is a compilation of what they felt God was saying to them.

It is difficult to explain this book. Each day as I read the short daily devotional, it seems to me that God walks in the room, sits down, takes me by the hand. I sense that God has listened to me, to my heart, and answers me. The devotionals are put in a way that help me to see the caring heart of God. Now that my husband is retired we read this devotional together each morning.

Another strange phenomenon is how the reading that particular day just FITS. Many times I have thought something, or had an experience, and then I read the devotional. It is as if God knew all about me, and had that devotional that day just for me for this particular time. Many other people have told me that this has happened to them also.

Over the years I have given this book to many people. It is comforting to me to know that we are all reading the same word from the Lord together.

This book is published by many publishers, and comes in different styles. It is in several different price ranges from a few dollars to pricey. Whatever edition you happen to get, you will enjoy this time with the Lord as you read, with me, God Calling. Blessings.

A Special Set of Dishes, by Sally

In my last blog, "Yes, Jesus Loves Me", I told the story of my friend Peggy, and how God really does love us. One of the reasons this is important to me, is because after being on three missionary adventures, it amazes me that women all over the world struggle with the fact that Jesus really does love them.

During all of my missionary endeavors, I met the most lovely, intelligent, godly women. And yet, they still struggled with this issue. They get it that Jesus loves Susan or Barbara, but not themselves. I guess we see all that is within us, and still struggle with realizing that God sees that too, and yet He still does love us. Truth is, yes He does. He even loves us in the little things.

One of the times that God really did show that to me was when we were on deputation for our assignment to Micronesia with the Liebenzell Mission. We planned a speaking engagement at my home church, First Baptist, in Flushing, Michigan. I had accepted the Lord there and had been taught Christian principles there in church and in their Sunday School program. I had accepted Jesus as my Savior during a Sunday School lesson one Sunday morning.

This was a special speaking engagement for us. At that time our sons had also decided that they wanted to be baptized, and they had chosen to be baptized in that church that same Sunday. At the end of the morning service they had gone forward to publicly acknowledge that they desired to be baptized. That evening, after our presentation for our work in Micronesia, they were baptized. It was a special night. But I did not know yet just how special.

Earlier the church had asked for a list of what we would need on the field. They shared that list with their parishioners. People gave gifts that were on that list at a lovely Missionary Shower after the service that night.

This was not an easy task to think of what you would need in the next several years. I had to figure out sizes for all three boys and just what would be sensible to ship overseas. On that list I had put a set of stoneware dishes. Earlier I had seen a set at a Montgomery Wards store that I had liked. It was blue, and I liked the color of the ecru with the pretty country blue. However, I didn’t tell anyone of that color combination that I had liked.

That Sunday evening, after our presentation, and the boys baptism, we walked back to the room where the Missionary Shower was, and I was shocked when I saw several tables laden with all kinds of goodies for us. But what shocked me most was there in the middle of a table was a set of stoneware that was very close to the one I had admired so much before. It had a lovely design of blue tulips on the dishes. I was overwhelmed by God’s love for me. Only He had known my color preference and taste. This set was perfect. They even had given us a double set.

I am amazed by God’s love and care even though I had not particularly prayed for these dishes, let alone prayed “specifically”. It made me so aware of His love for me even in the little parts of my life.

How about you? Do you have a "story" of how God has answered some little prayer that no one knew but you? Want to share?

Sometime it takes a life time to get that truth of His love seeped into all of our being. Keep at it. Keep believing that He especially does love you.

Blessings.

God’s Watchful Care, by Sally

This really doesn't have too much to do with Vessels and Flowers. It just has to do with walking with the Lord and seeing Him work in strange ways in our lives.

Maurice had just graduated from a one year Bible course at Multnomah School of the Bible in Portland, Oregon.. We had been accepted into Missionary Aviation Fellowship’s Orientation Class.

We had left Portland, on our way to Fullerton, California to begin our missionary adventures with MAF. We had everything we owned in our green van and borrowed homemade trailer. While driving down an Oregon highway, early in the morning, a car sideswiped our trailer and it and all its contents fell down an embankment. All of our belongings were strewn down the hill. We had some decisions to make. It happened that our son, Steve was sick and was getting sicker. He had a high fever and we were worried about him. I know it doesn’t make sense, but I did not want to be left alone on the highway while Maurice took Steve to a town nearby for a U-haul trailer and to take Steve to some doctor. So I opted for us all to go and prayed God would somehow watch over our belongings.

It took some time to get into a nearby doctor. He gave Steve some antibiotics and we then realized we were all hungry. We had little funds after a school year at Multnomah, so we drove to a grocery store and looked to see just how much funds we had. Besides the food and gas we would need on our trip, we now had an extra expense of the doctor and a rental trailer.

When I looked in my purse I saw an envelope that one of Morrey’s fellow students had given me at his graduation. I just thought it was probably a graduation card. It was, but it also had $50.00 in it. Wow!

We bought a few groceries, rented a trailer and drove back to our “accident” site.

When we arrived there was a gentlemen sitting in a lawn chair, smoking a pipe, and watching over our belongings. He said that he saw our things and was concerned that a salvage outfit would come along and take pick everything up believing it was abandoned.. He told us that a salvage company had come along and he had told them that we were not there then, but were coming right back. I have no idea how he knew that??

Of course, we profusely thanked him and in a second, he was gone.

It was an exhausting evening of getting the borrowed trailer to a station where it would be reclaimed by its owner, and gathering up and repacking all of our belongings.

When it was finally done and we were driving away, I wondered if Guardian Angels smoked pipes???
God does the most unusual things for us some times. Has He brought comfort and care for you lately? Want to share??
Blessings.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me! by Sally

One of our several missionary adventures was in the Micronesian Islands. We lived on a small island named Yap. My husband flew people and things out to a smaller island named Ulithi. There were several American peace corps folks who lived on Ulithi, who taught at the American system high school. I enjoyed a friendship with the wife of the superintendent of the school named Peggy. Besides teaching at the school, she occasionally baby-sat a cute little gal named Beth. Beth's Mom was also a teacher at the school. On one of my visits to Ulithi, Peggy couldn't wait to tell me her story. Peggy told me how she liked to sing to Beth before she took her nap in the afternoon, and occasionally Peggy sang the song, "Yes Jesus Loves Me". Peggy told me that one day she was beginning to rock Beth to get her to calm down for a nap. Beth told Peggy, "Please sing that song, 'Jesus Loves Peggy.'" Get it?? Not Jesus love me, but Jesus loves Peggy.

I think we all think that a lot. Sure Jesus loves Barbara. Barbara is so cute and adorable and nice. And Jesus loves Susan. Who wouldn't ?? But Jesus loves me??? Have to think about that. We look at others and see the bad, but mostly the good. We look at ourselves and are less forgiving. We know all that we have done and thought.

In earlier blogs I mentioned that V & F helps us to understand others and ourselves. Now I want to help us get a picture that V & F helps us to understand God better. I know that we will never, on this side of eternity, ever completely understand God. But one thing we can know is that Jesus does love us. We can start with John 3:16. His love caused Him to give us an opportunity to eternal life with Him. He has wonderful blessings of His grace, His forgiveness, His protection, etc., etc.

And also He was the one that designed just who we are. He chose what family we would be part of. He chose the color of our eyes, our hair, our complexion, and on and on. And He chose just what type of temperament we would have and what would be the way in which we would function. He chose that and knitted us together in our Mom's womb.

All of the information instilled in V & F leads me to realize just how much God does love me. He wants me to know my identity and how I am fashioned. During the journey of creating and writing V & F I came to realize that the Vessel that I am is a Velvet Box. I could write at least 6 blogs about how that has changed my life. I finally understand who I am. I finally understand me. And I can't help but understand how Awesome God is to love me this much.

He created in you a specific temperament. And He fashioned a way in which you would function. And now because of V & F you can know that temperament, and how you function. And begin to understand yourself, others, and God better.

Yes, Jesus does love me. And He loves you too.

Blessings.

DISCLAIMER

From now on our blobs will have information that is about people's temperament and how they function. That is what Vessels and Flowers is all about. We will occasionally mention such things as Vases, Baskets, Roses, Dogwoods, and Pansies. These are all discussed in our book. Sometimes when we discuss this information it sounds like we are speaking another language. If we mention something that makes no sense, I guess the best thing is to purchase Vessels & Flowers to figure it out. You can do that at www.vesselsandflowers.com.

Blessings,

Sally Pickard

Why Can't You Be Like Me?, by Sally

Just think what the world would be like if all people were just like me!!! We would all be an introvert, needing to ponder many things before making decisions, a muller, complicated, wanting to encourage rather than confront, a bit touchy. Come to think of it, maybe that's not a good idea. What are you like?? Do you want all others to be just like you?

Since writing Vessels and Flowers and being involved in the seminars and discussions with others about the material, it seems to me that people fall into two categories. There are those that would rather have others be just like them. They are the temperaments and functions that are stronger and feel that they are right most of the time. When they make a mistake, they tend to think, "Oh well, better next time." When someone else makes a mistake they tend to say or think, "If it were me, I would have....." Just for discussions sake I will call these folks Directors.

And there are others who seem to react in a way that they wish they could be more like other people. They are more focused on their own mistakes, and are more forgiving of others when they do err. When they make a mistake they tend to say or think, "Why did I do that??? I wish I could be like her. She is better than me." When someone else makes a mistake they tend to say or think, "She probably has a good reason for that." And again, just for discussions sake, I am going to call these folks Actors.

One might think that the difference between the two is Extrovert and Introvert, but I don't think it is. I have known many a Pitcher(who is an introvert) to think others should be or do what they see as correct. We see these two attitudes during our seminars and discussions about V & F. Directors tend to see others as in need of being like them. Actors are more prone to see their own mistakes and wish they could be like others.

For Directors, when they hear about the other temperaments and how they are made up, it is a real discovery for them. For the first time they realize that God did create others in a way in which they may have previously seen as lazy or weak. I know of a case where two brothers, who are a Pitcher and a Vase, always saw their Golden Pouch brother as lazy and not able to make decisions. The info of V & F showed them that he was not lazy, but pensive and more careful than they were.

I wish I had a nickle for every time I have said that I wished I would have known about this before I went on the mission field. I saw many instances where a stronger temperament and a softer temperament would disagree about doing something important like preach the Gospel to another culture. The stronger would want to go charging in and let those people know that, "You need Jesus!!!!" While the softer would want to carefully, kindly, lead another to Christ.

For Actors, it is a monumental enlightening. Because the stronger folks are more vocal, many Actors think that there is something wrong with them and they wish they could be more decisive as the Directors.

When we begin to describe each of the five temperaments at our seminars, Brenda and I have seen many an Actor start to cry. They are amazed that their characteristics are valid. So many have been shocked at how well we are able to describe not only their characteristics, but their challenges as well.

The challenge for the Director is to be accepting of each of the five temperaments. They can come to the conclusion that probably Miss "Softie" will never be able to do what the Director finds so natural. We are each made differently and in God's plan.

And the challenge for the Actor is to finally realize those traits and characteristics that she has have been shaped and molded by God. He decided that she should be a softer woman.

The task for both is to look at their characteristics and accept what God has created and chosen for them. And also look at the challenges that she has, and ask God to help her in her daily walk to grow into His likeness.

Then there is the principle of understanding. We can not only understand ourselves, as related in my earlier blog, "Understanding Me, Myself And I", but we can begin to understand our sister, our mother-in-law, our teachers, etc. When we realize what temperament and function they are, we are better able to understand why they do and say what they do and say.

In Romans 15:5-7 it says, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."

Blessings to you all.

Understanding Me, Myself, and I, by Sally

The information in V & F is about identifying what temperament you are and how you function. An example of a vessel is used to give a picture of that temperament, and an example of a flower is used to give a picture of how you function. When you can see that flower in that vessel it is another picture of who you are. Many properties of the vessel and flower are properties of what you are like. But why is that important, especially why is it important to me?

Am I selfish or egotistical because I want to know more about myself? Is it any help at all to understand this about me? Well, of course, I certainly do think it is. And here is why.

First of all, it helps me to accept myself as God created me. In Ps. 119:73 it says, "You have made me and formed me." So, God formed me. Wow! So it is all His fault. My freckles, my awful voice, my short stature, etc. are all His fault. He made the decisions of what I looked like, where I would live, and whose family I would be a part of, and on and on. He decided all of that either before or during my being formed. Now that brings on a myriad of questions. Why, why, why""

Sometimes it is a process to go through to look at all of this, and finally come to the conclusion that God knew what He was doing. His decisions were the right ones and hopefully we can come to the conclusion that God loves us and chose just the right properties of who we are correctly.

In "The Beginning" I mentioned that it took Brenda and me quite awhile to find just the correct vessel to describe what kind of temperament I am. But it finally did happen. The vessel that Brenda found was a Velvet Box. That is me. All of the properties of that vessel fit just who I am. So how does it help me to understand that??

It is very helpful to me to accept myself when I know that God chose that kind of a person for me to be. No matter which vessel you are, many times you begin to think that there is something wrong with you. While living among other people who are other vessels, sometimes we look at them as normal, and what we are as unusual. The one part of our seminar that Brenda and I always enjoy is when it dawns on women that it is all right to be who God created them to be. So many women are astonished at how accurately we can describe just what they are like. When I know that God created me just this way, there are many other women just like me, I can begin to accept myself in spite of all the flaws that I know I have.

Second, understanding brings freedom. I have spent many a year being sad at who I am. I don't like my looks, I don't like my reactions, etc., etc. The information in Vessels and Flowers has taught me all about who I am. I still reread about a Velvet Box. That so describes me and what I am like. And now I know there are many other women just like me. Complicated, touchy, private. All of the properties that I am, I have found out are natural for that particular vessel. I can finally be free to be who God created me to be.

In V & F we give many characteristics of each vessel and flower. We also address the challenges to each one. It can be very exciting to read about the accurate characteristics of each one. But we also caution that we all do have challenges. Just because it is natural for a Vase to be direct and want to move people to "get going", doesn't mean she should do that unkindly. We all have challenges in our natural reactions to line them up with God's Word and Christian principles.

So now when natural reactions come, like wanting to be alone, I can understand them and accept them. I can now even understand the reactions that are challenges. Before when I would get touchy over something said or done to me, I would feel bad that I am like that. Now I know that it is a natural reaction for a Velvet Box. So I have to begin the process each time by stepping back and taking the situation to the Lord and having Him help me deal with myself and others. That process give me freedom. The situation is no longer my master. God is.

And third, I have permission to be me. Me. Sally, in all her glory. I can finally understand what I am all about. It all makes sense to me, finally. I can give myself permission to fail, because now that I understand I can pick myself up and fix the problem with God's help. I accept who I am because God created me just this way.

I surely do not understand just why He chose all of this, but He did. So many problems of accepting myself and going on with the Lord are solved.

I love the verse in Eph. 1: 4 that says, "For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight." He chose us. He chose me. So now I can choose to accept me too.

I do pray that this helps you to know that God chose you before the foundations of the world and He formed you with His own hands. You are very precious to Him. God bless you.

The Beginning, by Sally Pickard

Brenda Dulmage and I were friends in our local church in Lima, Ohio, and were in a Bible study together. We each taught it at different times. It seemed that Brenda usually taught about our personalities, our temperaments, while I was usually interested in how we were motivated and how we function. Some time later my husband and I had moved to Coshocton, Ohio and I invited several friends to a ladies getaway. We had rented a lovely large, four bedroom house. There was plenty of room for us all. During the weekend we ladies were around our dining room table discussing these subjects of temperament and function. Brenda and I were again chatting about our view of how these two parts of who we are were important. And then one of our friends spoke up and said, "This is so interesting, you two should write a book about it." I sat up straight and rolled my eyes. Brenda exclaimed, "Sally, when do we start!"

Brenda and I had seen the two important parts of who we were differently then other authors and speakers. There are several good books about our temperaments. Most see the two different parts of who we are as having two temperament types. However, Brenda and I could see that we each have ONE temperament type, but there is another part of us that really is the way we function. Those are the two parts, temperament and function.

Shortly after this I attended a ladies retreat that changed my life. The speaker was a well known author and a good speaker. I am in no way putting her down, but I noticed that this retreat ended up like most retreats that I had attended over the years. Everyone thought that she was Wonderful! However, there was no meat to the event that you took away that made you better or closer to the Lord. When I got home I called Brenda and told her about my experience and we decided that we had information that was beneficial and would change women's lives.

We could see that our temperament was like our base of who we are. The way we function was like an object that is set inside of that base. We talked and prayed and both agreed that the best format was to choose four vessels that would be the base. And then to choose seven flowers that would be the seven ways in which we function. We could see that when you put that flower in that vessel it is a beautiful picture of who you are.

And Hooray! Vessels and Flowers was born.

After that came wonderful times via email, letters, get-togethers of planning it all. We had wonderful times of prayer and God helped us to choose just the right vessels and flowers to portray these subjects. Once we had it all together, our dear friend, Harriet Gallaway, invited us to present our material at a ladies retreat at her church. I still have dear love and appreciation of those good women who sat through our very first presentation. God bless them.

However, we had a problem. All information on temperaments list four of them. The problem was I didn't fit in any of those categories. Of course, I wanted to be the one that was fun-loving and happy. Who wouldn't ? But that was not really me. I am more complicated than that. And once again I realized I didn't fit anywhere. Brenda and I knew that there is another temperament. We knew what that temperament was like, however we could not come up with a vessel that fit that category. Then one day it happened. I got a call from Brenda, and she told me that she had just found me on a bargain table at T J Max. She found the appropriate vessel that completely explained just who I am. What an event. That particular vessel will be discussed in later blogs.

Vessels and Flowers seminars were then off and running. We wrote our material and published a lovely workbook that we used at our seminars. However, at every seminar, women encouraged us to get this into a book. There is so much material that at the end of them, our tongues would hurt from talking so fast and trying to say so much. We realized we did need to write a book. It took us about a year and a half. It was the most fun I have ever had doing anything. Brenda and I would meet at each others home, at my sister's home while she and her husband were wintering in Alabama, and at a friends cabin in Tennessee. It was such a wonderful experience. Days and nights of discussing this subject. Finally the manuscript was complete.

We submitted our manuscript to an organization that puts it into the hands of Christian publications. We have several good responses. For a year or so we tried to get it published with no good results. There were a couple of known publishers that almost took it, but in the end would bow out. It ended up that we had so many women that wanted the book, that we self-published.

So this is my story of how Brenda Dulmage and I wrote Vessels and Flowers. We love the subject. We love giving seminars. We love helping women see how wonderfully God has created them and was so personally involved in deciding just how they would be knit together for His glory.