Time Does NOT Heal All Wounds

It is no secret that our family has traveled some rough roads in the past.  I am not in the secret business and tend to bear my heart in my blog.  But let's face it, rough roads and hurt are not unique to our family.  The Bible tells us that in this life we are going to have troubles.  

It is just part of our sinful world.  Sometimes those troubles are self inflicted and other times not, but regardless, they are very often painful and life altering.

A job loss.  

A death.

An unexpected move. 

An ended relationship.
An illness.

Regardless, we can be rocked to our very core and have to fight to recover.   Praise God we have friends and family that help in that fight, that stick by our side to comfort us, love us, and affirm us.  

But here is where we get stuck sometimes.  We look to people for healing and here is what they tell us- "time heals all wounds."  I have probably been guilty of even saying it once or twice.  But I have also had the opportunity to really meditate on it lately.  Here is what I have found.

Yes, with time, things may get a little less painful or a little more bearable or even a little more manageable.  But healed?  Nope.

So then what?

Here is what I found in my search for answers to the then what...

Psalm 34:18

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Imagine that- the Bible had the answers I was seeking! ;)

You see, time does NOT heal all wounds.

God does!

If you are hurting, I would encourage you to not look to time, but to look to God instead.  Only He can heal.  In His time and His way.  

Until then, we trust and hope in Him.

Blessings,  

Dolphin Tale 2- Review

Have you heard the buzz?  Dolphin Tale 2 is getting ready to be released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on December 9th on Blu-ray combo pack, DVD and Digital HD in stores across the country.  ($35.99) Pretty exciting stuff for the millions of fans that fell in love with the famous dolphin, Winter, from Dolphin Tale!

 If you are one of the few like me that have not see Dolphin Tale, let me catch you up a bit.  (Lucky for you, my kids have seen it!)  Clearwater Marine Aquarium  is a true to life facility dedicated to the rescue, rehab and release of injured marine life.  Winter, the feature dolphin, came to the facility severely injured and eventually had to have her tale amputated.  While fictitious in some ways, the movie tells the story of how she was rescued and then rehabilitated with the help of a prosthetic tail.

The movie became an instant hit and inspired people all over the world, not only for animal rehab, but for people who had lost limbs as well.  Winter became a symbol of strength and determination, and she inspired amputees to live life to the fullest.  A special webcam was even set up so people could watch Winter from their own home.

Enter Dolphin Tale 2!  In it, Winter has lost her companion, Panama, and has lost interest in food and socialization.  Because of laws meant to protect dolphins, if she does not find another compatible dolphin to reside with, she is at risk of being moved to a different facility.  That's where Hope comes in!

Hope is a tiny female dolphin that was rescued by Clearwater Marine Aquarium much as Winter was.  Their story is one that will have you cheering and wanting to visit them!  So sweet!

One of the first things that stood out to me about this movie was that while a sequel of sorts, you can watch it without ever having seen Dolphin Tale.  Not that I would recommend it, of course!  But is is possible.  It may take you a few minutes to figure out how some of the characters fit together, but you will be able to follow the story well.

The second thing I loved about this movie it that it truly is family friendly.  We are pretty strict about our movie choices here and this one passed with flying colors.  Ages 7 to adult watched and we all loved it!

The last thing that stood out to me was that this is a movie that shows compassion played out as well as the acceptance of others.  In the movie, as well as in the special features that shows live footage, amputees are a natural, yet powerful part of the story.  I would imagine that, especially for younger kids, seeing someone "like" them would be reassuring and inspiring.

All of the original cast returned for this sequel, to the delight of those that loved them in the first movie, and a special appearance is made by surfer Bethany Hamilton.

“Dolphin Tale 2” Blu-ray Combo Pack contains the following special features:

·         Dolphin Tale 2: Underwater Magic Dolphin Tale 2: True Story

·         Look Who's Running The Show

·         Bethany Hamilton Meets Winter

·         Dolphin Tale 2: The Mission

·         Cozi Zuehlsdorff - "Brave Souls"

·         Gavin DeGraw - "You Got Me"

·         Blooper Reel

Good music, good theme, and two dolphins that will capture your heart.  It is no wonder that the release of Dolphin Tale 2 on DVD is so eagerly awaited!  This would make a great addition to your Christmas List for friends and family!

You can find Dolphin Tale 2 on Facebook!

Where is your hope? 52 weeks of family scripture memorization

After a trying few weeks on several levels, I am beginning my day with hope.

How about you?

God CAN and will give us hope- share that good news with your kids today and have a blessed weekend!

Blessings, Michele

Do you have hope? 52 Weeks of family scripture memorization

God's ways are perfect and so is His timing.  Every. Single. Time!

Part of this week's verse is actually a continuation from a few weeks ago.  I thought we needed to finish the thought so here it is...

This week two words really stood out to me about this verse- TRUTH and HOPE.

First of all truth.  In a world of lies, deceit and sinful people it is often hard for us to trust the people around us.  Sad, but true.  Even if they are not specifically trying to be dishonest, our sinful nature gets in the way.  My prayer this week is that I will learn to trust people more, but more importantly to trust God.  He is never deceitful.  I just need to listen.

And then there is hope.  Do you have any?  I needed some this week and a little bit shone through and it washed over me like a refreshing rain.  Reminding me that God IS hope and that again, if I keep my eyes on Him and not the confusion and madness of the world, He will supply.  Just the right amount at just the right time.

Why would I doubt?  I certainly do not want my children to doubt.  I want to teach them that God is our hope and we need nothing else.  Let's share this verse and watch our lives be changed!

Blessings,