"Trey Tuesday" - December 29, 2015

Holi-dazed?

Have you taken time off work/school this week?  Have your plans of nothing-ness gone smoothly?  Are you sitting around in your PJs for hours on end enjoying the remnants of eggnog and sugar cookies?  No?  Life not going according to your expectations?

That puts you in good company!  The Wise Men had just spent time with the precious Christ Child, presenting their gifts after their long journey.  I can imagine they were looking forward to their return trip home, anxious to tell of their travels.  Plans changed, however, when they were warned in a dream to go home "another way" in order to avoid answering to Herod.  Joseph and Mary also experienced a spontaneous Plan B when Joseph was told in a dream to take his family to Egypt!

God has detailed reasons for our changes of plans, with repercussions well beyond our comprehension.  We must trust His divine wisdom, whether it's a canceled appointment, a sick child, a broken down car.....even when it means the loss of a precious loved one.

Let's finish out this holiday season with open minds and hearts, ready to hear and heed God's will. 

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to Your Word.”  Luke 1:38

"Trey Tuesday" - December 22, 2015

Which One are You?

I look at the Nativity scene and I wonder where I fit in....And I pass on that challenge to you...
Where do you fit in?

 

As a humble shepherd?  "there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night."  Luke 2:8

A wayward sheep?  "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way"  Isaiah 53:6

A donkey?  (No explanation necessary!)  :)

The available and welcoming stable?  "there was no place for them in the inn."  Luke 2:7

Joseph?  "he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him"  Matthew 1:24

Mary?  "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”  Luke 2:19

An angel?  "I bring you Good News that will cause great joy for all the people."  Luke 2:10

A star?  "Let light shine out of darkness"  2 Corinthians 4:6

Each and every one of us has something to offer...some unique way of sharing who we are with others -  a special touch no one else can do.  Take some time right now to listen for how God can use you in the life of someone near you this Christmas.

I'm so thankful for Team Mitlo One and the critical role each person played in the life of Trey, and I'm thankful for you now in the lives of Jay, Rachel, Joe and Bella.
Thank you for sharing the gift of YOU!  :)

"God Himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need."  Acts 17:25

"Trey Tuesday" - December 15, 2015

What's in a Name?

Trey - our Young Warrior.  His name said it all!  :)

Emmanuel - God with us.

"The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call Him Emmanuel (which means 'God is with us').  Isaiah 7:14

What a wonderful Name for that innocent Baby Jesus, born so many years ago!
God with US!  Here!  Now!

His Name says it all!  :)

It's very easy for us to envision Baby Jesus, lying in his mother's arms.  You can even imagine His sweet newborn face seeming like a piece of God brought to earth.

But fast forward a few decades to Jesus hanging on a cross with His mother watching on.
He was equally as innocent then as He was the day He was born.

But it's all Good News!  God is with us now because we, and all our sins, were with Him on that cross!  :)

Emmanuel.

God is with y-o-u.

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”  Matthew 1:21

"Trey Tuesday" - December 8, 2015

The Gift of Jury Duty

Yes, you read that right - I appreciate the gift I received at jury duty yesterday.

Long, wonderful story short, God gave me the gift of Himself yesterday.  I encountered extraordinarily heavy traffic as I drove the 20 miles to jury duty, arriving with moments to spare.  Not sure which entrance to use, I logically followed the woman in front of me who was also holding a jury summons card.  After a very few minutes of small talk, the woman and I discovered that we not only live 2 miles apart, but share our faith, doctors, acquaintances and places of work!  We instantly bonded, journeying through the jury selection process together!  (Neither one of us was chosen, though.)

Will she become a new friend now that life is back to "normal?"  Will we visit and have coffee together?  I'm not sure.  (She's a very busy mom of young children.) However, I view this unusual circumstance as directly orchestrated by God to set us both at ease and encourage us (and amuse us!) in an otherwise stressful situation - a gift we found in the justice system one day.

As I continue to read the comments and experiences that the friends of Team Mitlo One share, I consider you all as gifts.  We may never have a conversation or a cup of coffee together, but I treasure the bond that God has built through the life of our sweet treasure, Trey.

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart...And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."  Philippians 1:3-11

"Trey Tuesday" - December 1, 2015

What's next!?!?

Thanksgiving Thursday

Black Friday

Small Business Saturday

Sunday - a day to worship, rest, and check your bank balance

Cyber Monday

Giving Tuesday

Whew!  All this and it's only December 1!  How will we survive the next 24 days until Christmas!?

Do you ever feel like you live from one hottest fire to the next?  Do you find yourself saying, "As soon as I get out of this meeting, I'll feel better." or "I can't wait until college finals are over"?

As soon as it arrived, Trey would study the Target or Toys R Us Christmas catalog, day after day after day.  He wasn't worried about the prices or the availability or the shipping fees.  He lived 100% (maybe 110%!) in the present moment.

The birds of the air are loving this 50 degree weather.  They are not fretting about when this "warming" trend is going to break.  Even my little green plants still think it is growing season, and they're growing!

Take a deeeeeeeeep breath.  Yes, Christmas is coming, but it's not here yet.

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son"  Galatians 4:4

"Trey Tuesday" - November 24, 2015

Ponder lately?

We live in such a fast paced culture, we rarely have/make/take time to look back on the events of our lives.  Summer vacations come and go so quickly!  Weddings, graduations, birthdays - poof! - over!

My phone has such a small memory I am constantly going through my photos, pondering/considering which photos are "worthy" of keeping and which get deleted.  It is fun to scroll back through and remember people, places and events which have quickly vanished from my mind as soon as I turned the calendar page.

Thanksgiving is a good time to ponder.  Ponder the many blessings we have.  Ponder the way God has provided when there seemed to be no other way.  Consider the people who have entered your life this year, those you never could have imagined knowing so well.

Before you leave this post, take a quick moment to ponder your day today.  God is so very faithfully weaving together a journey to show you His love.  Jay is always so good at sharing ponderings of God working through our Young Warrior.  What do your ponderings reveal?

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord."Psalm 107:1,2,43

"Trey Tuesday" - November 17, 2015

Storytelling Social Media style

Facebook, Twitter and the rest of social media can most definitely have a bad reputation.  At just the click of a key, news can spread faster than any old fashioned gossip chain!  Yes, bad news travels fast on social media. Weird news seems to travel even faster!  Imagine the potential impact we have via sites like YouTube!  In 5 days, GoPro dad has clocked 5,464,517 views of his 4:17 video.  This equals over 23 million minutes = Almost 48 years!!!

I hope you stop to consider though, the many good aspects of being connected with "friends" and family around the world!   What power we have in 2015 to share GOOD NEWS!  :)  God calls us to remember His provision and faithfulness and to praise Him!  Psalm 105:1 "Give praise to the LORD, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done."

As he mentioned in his latest website post, http://jaymitlo.com/still-dealing-with-death-and-life/, Jay would like his family to participate in some storytelling about "Trey week" - the many experiences and testimonies we encountered during the most difficult time after Trey's passing.  Will you please pray for us as this unfolds in the very near future?

Here is a sneak peak into the many ways God sustained us:

Trey Tuesday for November 11, 2014:

God's Faithfulness....

We must remember.
We must remember.
We must remember.

God has shown His faithfulness over and over and over again throughout Trey's life.
And God has shown His faithfulness over and over and over again throughout Trey's death.
And now each one of us must trust God's faithfulness as we reenter into the everyday...

We MUST remember God's faithfulness!

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful."
Hebrews 10:23

I had the most blessed opportunity to spend the past week with Joe and Bella (and Jay and Rachel and many, many other Mitlos!)  :)  It was Bella who began our week long journal which is entitled:  MIRACLES ABOUND!  It started when Bella spotted a rainbow in the sky on Thursday afternoon.  Just one day after losing her brother, this precious princess gasps and shrieks, "A rainbow!" with the most innocent joy!  J-O-Y!?!?  Yes, joy!  :)

Joe's first miracle came in the shape of boy's size 14 slim pants that fit perfectly, found within 2 minutes of shopping!  M-I-R-A-C-L-E!  (Joe said his clip on tie was the perfect size, too!)  :)  Joe and I spent a few minutes in the arcade at the mall.  Can you believe that a teenager approached Joe as Joe was counting the tickets he had earned, handed Joe a huge stack of tickets and said, "Here, you can have these."  Joe looked at me as if he had just hit the lottery, "Miracles Abound, Aunt Cathy!"  :)

Countless, literally countless other miracles abound, but I must at least mention a few miracles of love like the lines of Team Mitlo One friends waiting to pay their respects, the endless trail of tears, the desperate embraces, the powerful leadership and preaching of Jay, the ever so beautiful and strong Rachel, Joe and Bella's friends supporting and distracting them, the humble and thoughtful accommodations of Hebron Church, the intimately embracing Faith Community Church, and even 60 degree sunny skies as we journeyed to the cemetery and then later for my trip (with a full tank of gas!) to return home.

 

 I am building my Ebenezer.  The photos and stories of this past week will forever be a testimony of God's faithfulness, a lasting gift from our Young Warrior....."Thus far the LORD has helped us."

"Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us."  I Samuel 7:12