annie

"Life on the Road"

2011-10-06T10:36:00.002-04:00

Reminded today of a short story from the past... Enjoy, annie =)

Saturday, September 01, 2007

A little story from ‘life on the road’.

I went in the truck with Ralph a few days ago. I've been going along more often lately and we've even talked about traveling together quite a bit more in the future. In the past few months as we have talked about me spending more time with him on the road I have pondered maybe beginning a life journal about some of the places we travel to and through.

As I have pondered stepping into this new adventure of spending much, more time on the road with my husband I look forward to experiencing the sunrises and the sunsets, the various landscapes and the awe of knowing that it's the Creator who creates this beauty before us. I also have been looking forward to watching people in action. It's an anticipation of experiencing His art in earthly, human and spiritual form.

A couple of days ago when I went with Ralph, he had a run to Sault St. Marie. It's a beautiful drive as you come upon the Mackinaw Bridge. I've experienced the bridge in many different kinds of weather now. The snow, fog and beautiful sunshine. In all of these weather conditions the area is still beautiful and awe-inspiring. I'm always amazed at not only the God-made expanse of the mighty Great Lakes, but also of that immense structure of that man-made bridge. City buildings throughout this country also awe me and the recent trip we made on the Harley to Mount Rushmore was so crazy amazing!

My story from the other day however, is not a land or scenic story, it's a people story. A God-filled, awe-inspiring, people story. There wasn't any interaction with the people on our part, we just watched.
We had dropped a trailer into the dock and hooked to another. We pulled to the side to let others have room to load, unload and maneuver their trucks through that area while we went into the store to use the bathroom and look around the food area for a light snack. After I returned to our cab and as Ralph was checking the truck and trailer I spotted a little guy about the age of 8 or so, on the other side of the loading dock playing in the grassy area. He was studying the most beautiful wild sunflowers growing there. These flowers were taller than he was. They were not the kind with one gigantic flower on a stem but of many stems with one root with beautiful medium sized flowers on each stem.

I smiled as I watched this little guy beginning to pull this flower out. I assumed that he was thinking about his momma. As I watched, he managed to pick this flower and one could just see he was thinking intently. He would take the bottom of the root and gently pound it on the ground to loosen the dirt around the root. He knew if he was going to have a chance to take this flower home he better get the dirt off of it first. He did this several times before he entered the cab of the truck through his father's door. His father was nowhere to be seen at the time, so I assumed he was inside signing paperwork.
The cab of this truck was a small day cab with no sleeper. As I watched him set the flower right in the center of the cab and the flower heads bounded upon the dashboard, I thought how very lovely that cab now looked. But my thoughts were also, "Oh boy, his dad is probably not going to be too happy with this gigantic, dirt bottomed flower in his truck and there's a chance the conversation with his son might not be so pleasant."

Ralph had gotten into the cab of our truck about this time so I mentioned to him what had just happened. He smiled upon looking at the little guy and thinking about him wanting to take this flower home to his mom. As we were chatting about what the dad's reaction might be we noticed him approaching the passenger’s side of his truck cab. We waited in anticipation and a bit of expectancy of this dad's reaction. He must have been far enough away from the side of the truck cab to be able to see this massive bunch of sunflowers spread across his dashboard because it was then that we witnessed his reaction. Priceless! It touched our hearts to see this dad suddenly get the biggest grin on his face and give a light hearted chuckle. The smile continued as he walked around the front of the cab and opened the door. Still smiling he directed his young son over to the passenger’s side as he crawled into the driver's seat. The smile never left this dad's face and as we pulled away we knew we had just witnessed a precious taste of what life is all about. Ralph gave a light beep of the horn and a quick wave as we smiled at this son and daddy team while we pulled away.

This story is life. It's about what the heart of our heavenly Father must feel. We saw first of all the deepest heart desire of a son to give the simple gift of love to his mom. Love was moving in the heart of this little boy to lavish a simple yet beautiful gift to momma. Then daddy came along and added more love by ignoring the dirt and embracing the innocent thoughts of his son, which of course added a new and deeper measure of love in the whole circumstance. This dad's reaction was life-giving. It was a brief moment in my life, yet the impact of the love I witnessed will be with me forever.
© Annie Milliman

He Pursues Us

2011-05-26T21:03:00.003-04:00

Brokenness crushes with the most intense pain
Where tears and sobbing do not cease to come
Yet, in all it's goodness, it refines
Marking a significant time etched forever in your soul directing your destiny

Like a golden ring
Melted by searing fire
Shaped, molded
and finally and engraving etched deeply forever.
A signet ring
A stamp so sealed
A depth of Him etched in you that you would not have sought otherwise

No-one truly seeking Him escapes it
Though many of us miss the meaning
Or maybe we see it, comprehend it,
Yet fear to grasp it and run with it.

But He pursues us,
He loves us like no other
Pure love does not appease fully
Appeasement lacks True Destiny, True Strength, True Freedom, True Promise.

Write the vision down and run with it.
For He does not tarry.

annie <3

scripture references: Daniel 11, Haggai 2 , Habbakkuk 2

....and so we Know and Rely on the Love God has for Us.

2010-10-17T06:35:00.001-04:00

Life is filling up with good things and I'm eager to share tastes of the 'mission fields' God has been allowing me to be a part of lately. God IS Good... always!

1 John 4:13-21
We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in Him and He in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

**AND SO WE KNOW AND RELY ON THE LOVE GOD HAS FOR US.**

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God, " yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And He has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

blessings...
annie :)

We are... because He is.

2010-08-01T11:18:00.000-04:00

Many years ago... this revelation came to me and the five words flowed freely from my mouth to a friend who served the letter of the word, yet had a hard time serving in a relationship with the Word.

I love this statement. :)

Freedom

2010-07-29T22:46:00.000-04:00

Had prayer tonight with my freedom ministry team. All that God has been showing me since joining this team has been such a blessing. I'm sure I'll be sharing many things along the way. For now, I need to sleep and sleep well as I'm taking my mom garage sale'n in the morning and then I have another chiropractic appt. Looking forward to both... and in saying that you have no idea what a miracle I just realize it is... on both accounts. Thank You Lord!

New Hope

2010-07-29T00:10:00.000-04:00

Today I had my first neurologic chiropractic adjustment. I was amazed. I've never liked having my spine and neck adjusted. Just never felt right before, so I avoided the whole thing. One treatment or two and I would be out of there.

While visiting a dr. for natural products for perimenopause I mentioned my hand, arm and shoulder issues. She recommended Dr. Joshua Martens. I have to say I am very impressed by his approach to chiropractic care. What a relief.

I have new hope that I will be able to recover and continue with massage/muscle therapy. Oh the lessons I've been learning in the waiting. God has been speaking. Lord open my ears to hear and my eyes to see. In Jesus name..amen

let's try er again :)

2010-07-28T16:09:00.001-04:00

I'm not new to blogger...this is just a new annie page. I had encountered comp problems with my old computer. We've had a new computer for several months now. I'm looking forward to sharing thoughts and happenings with old and new friends.

Eternity is set....

2010-07-27T23:02:00.000-04:00

I've been writing for years. Ponderings mostly. Journals... my hearts cry to my Creator. Not even 'knowing' Him, I cried out to Him. Eternity is set in the hearts of all mankind. He whispers that Word in our hearts, not just on the paper in scripture. His Word is alive. All men have a knowing, without even knowing Him. He pursues us.... He loves us like no other.

~~annie~~