Did God really just speak to me during Candy Crush?

Go ahead and laugh, I sure did. Have you ever had God speak to you in the most peculiar places? Last night was one of those times. It wasn't necessarily the place it happened at but what I was doing when He spoke. I was playing Candy Crush. Really??

For those of you not familiar with the game, Candy Crush can be quite addicting. I rarely play it anymore, mostly because I have been on the same level since July and can't figure out how to beat it. Anyway, candy crush is a game where you have to get more than two colors in a row to get rid of the squares. Goal: To break all the squares before you run out of moves or before one of the bombs explode. In most cases, you have 10 chances to get rid of the bombs before you lose. So you really have to pay attention and remember how many chances you have before it explodes.

As I am playing this game last night, God began to speak to me. Not gonna lie, I did a God check. Nah, this is just my head rambling in its own conversation. And the more he spoke, the more I realized it wasn't just me. In the game of Candy Crush, you know exactly how many chances you have before that bomb explodes. In life, we don't always get 10 chances and we certainly don't know when the last chance will be. And in the game, when the bomb explodes, I always blame it on something or someone else. I didn't know it was going to explode because the boys were fighting, or I had to check on dinner, or someone called and interrupted me. I know I have 10 chances to get rid of the bombs yet I always want to blame it on someone else.

There are things in our lives (my life) that God has been trying to get our attention on and yet we keep on playing. I know we have all been lucky that we have been given chance after chance and nothing has "exploded" yet. But when will that last chance be? Maybe you've already been given 20 chances with texting and driving, or 10 chances with cheating on a test, or 30 chances of not paying attention to your spouses needs, maybe it's befriending a co-worker that everyone else rejects, etc. Whatever it may be, those chances are soon to run out. And who will be to blame, you. Only problem is, we don't know when that last chance will be. Has God been trying to get your attention on something and you just keep saying, I've got time. I'll do it later. I'll take care of that tomorrow. Don't let your chances run out before it's too late.

I'm telling you, I still think this funny. Comparing life to Candy Crush. But, I guess God will use anything when he needs to get our attention the most.

Living What He Preached

Last week, a wonderful man of God passed away. My grandpa was one of the most Godly men I have ever known. He was always praying, always seeking after God. He loved his family. If ever there was a problem or something we were going through, we could always count on him to pray for us. I've been thinking back over the years of all the awesome memories we all shared with him: camping, fishing, hauling hay, sitting out in the yard talking, church, etc. But I can honestly say, the one memory that will stick with me probably more than anything, is the faith in God he showed during his last days.

Before he got to the point that he couldn't really talk, he preached his last message right there in his living room, laying in his bed. Quoting scripture, giving God all the praise. I wish I could have been there to hear him. But I was able to make it the weekend before he passed and I will never forget it. At this point he could hardly speak at all. If he did, you had to get real close and just try and make out the words that he would say. That Saturday, me, my aunts and my cousins stood beside his bed singing songs that we knew he loved. My grandpa sick and dying in the bed, would raise his hands and say Yes Lord and Amen. It was so hard to get through any song without crying. Watching him praising his Savior even in the bad times. He was truly living out the words he had always preached. Praising God no matter what.

Everyone stayed the last few days with him, taking turns staying up. This gave my granny relief and allowed her to get some much needed rest. And let me tell you, you will never meet a sweeter, more tender hearted woman than her. Anyway, one night my aunt said as she was staying up by his bedside and she heard choir music. No one singing, just the sweet music of the choir. She said, right where that music was, my grandpa's eyes were fixed on that area. She didn't mention the music to anyone because she said, I thought you all might think I'm crazy. lol  Well, another aunt and two more of my cousins heard the same sweet choir music. My grandpa would say raise his hands praising the Lord. I believe with all my heart, this was the music from heaven, welcoming him home. It was only a few days after that, that the Lord took him to the place He had lived his life to be.

We are sad that we won't see him on earth anymore but oh how sweet it is to know exactly where he is. A new body, a new hand...singing unending praises at the feet of Jesus. My grandpa's son, my uncle, preached his funeral. I can't imagine how tough that would be but he did an amazing job. He truly made it feel like a homecoming for my grandpa. Well, that's how I felt anyway. If you left the funeral doubting who God is and the one you should be serving, then you must've been asleep. :)

The one song that played over and over in my head that weekend was:
And on that day when my strength is failing
the end draws near and my time has come.
Still my soul will sing your praise unending
10,000 years and then forever more.

I am thankful that my family has come from amazing faith legacies. Both sets of my grandparents and my husbands grandparents were strong believers and lived it in their daily lives.  We are so blessed to come from such great families!!