Lisa M. Buske's Blog, page 37

O What A Day...

I looked for a photograph for today's blog and when I saw this I smiled. The sun brightening the clouds behind the snow-covered woods is breathtaking.

I do enjoy living in Upstate New York and the beauty of the snow BUT seriously, beauty can snuggle in for a long Spring and Summer's nap until Thanksgiving.

I look forward to taking a warm walk to the lake after work, walks with the puppy, and sitting on the deck.

As I wait, I'm determined to focus on the beautiful pictures God is paining outside our windows. What about you? Life is full of choices. We can focus on the mud to come or be thankful for the winter cleanse and purity of the snow, right? 

Finding the positive isn't always easy but it's always worth it. Where do see positives today?

FREE on Kindle TODAY

Need I say more?
The books I have on Kindle are FREE today. Yesterday I shared this gift with other families of the missing. Today I want to extend this gift to anyone in need of a little hope and encouragement today.
Have a great Sunday! Thank you for following the blog and remembering Heidi...my gift to you.

We Thank YOU...You Encourage Us

Thank you doesn't seem like enough yet these two little words are sent from our family to all of you...Once again you all overwhelmed us with your kindness, compassion, love, encouragement, and prayers for Heidi and the family.
Over 400 people shared Tuesday's blog! Wow!

I can't speak for all families of the missing or even for all of my own family yet I'll guess, to know so many people still remember our missing family members is the encouragement and support that gets us through the tough days.

I know quite a few of my family members checked back to the blog and the Facebook posts throughout the day to read your words. Your words provide the strength and reminders we need on the difficult days.

We will never give up hope!! 

The most beautiful aspect of your outreach is most of you have never met Heidi, or the other missing person's you remember in your prayers and on the anniversaries of their disappearances.
You are a testament of God's love for everyone! Thank you, may God bless you in return!

April 3, 2018...8766 Days Missing

Yesterday was Easter and tomorrow is April 3rd...
24 years since Heidi's kidnapping.
​Will you join me in prayer that this is the year we find Heidi...Amen."

Hello everyone! Thanks for taking a few moments from your day to remember Heidi and our family throughout the years, and especially toady, on the 24th anniversary of Heidi's kidnapping. She remains missing and we remain hopeful to give her a proper burial one day. Love is bigger and stronger than hate and evil.

The quote above is my Facebook post yesterday. The positive, hope-filled, prayer-filled, and encouraging post overwhelmed me, and other family members as they checked in throughout the day.

If you are one of the people who took time to leave a word of encouragement, hope, love, and faith for the family in honor of Heidi, we want to send you a thank you and you are blessings we count. I know some aren't on FB so I shared this post again.

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Philippians 4:8 NLT

I try to focus on the positive and not let the negative and non-family-friendly comments get to me. But then again, I'm a human with a heart and I believe a big heart at that.

The majority of people following the blog and the Where's Heidi Page on FB do so out of love and concern. Then there are others who follow for other reasons. To read their posts, I often wonder if they follow just so they can say hurtful things and take jabs at Heidi's family.

These negative posts are the minority and some of you even respond to these people to defend Heidi and the family. We thank you. I try to ignore them and understand some just need to vent their frustrations in ways to hurt Heidi's family and friends.

As I read some of the comments yesterday, I was overcome with hurt and discouragement. It was a tossing-n-turning kind of night until I remembered something...TRUTH WILL PREVAIL!

I choose to "carry my umbrella" and not let the jabs of others steal my joy, faith, and love. To everyone who encourages us, WE THANK YOU ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT YOU POSSIBLY COULD KNOW. Thank you, thank you,  thank you.

I pray God touches the hearts of everyone following the blog and on FB. May everyone share their thoughts to encourage, uplift, and spread joy. Heidi's family, friends, and community thank you.

On that note, let's do the Hokey Pokey. This is dedicated to some special people in Heidi's life...you know who you are.
Thank you for remembering and praying for Heidi...May this be the year she is found! She is forever loved...

Choose JOY and HOPE!

Happy Easter 2018...

Rather than a long blog,
​I'm spending time with family and relaxing.
I hope your day is as restful.
Happy Easter everyone!

Holy Saturday: The Upper Room

Holy Saturday PrayerBy Kerry Greenhill
This is the hardest time to pray:
after the drama and catastrophe,
before the angels and the big reveal.
The passion, the agony, the desperate grief
have given way to numbness
and absence
in this time in between.
God seems to be offstage,
preparing for the final scene,
taking care of ancient souls in other worlds
or clothing the hidden, broken body
in resurrection glory.
So let our prayer this day be plain
and to the point:
May God be with us in the waiting,
and may we wait with hope,
today
and every time in between.
Amen.
Permission is granted for use in corporate setting.
​Copyright © 2012 The Upper Room. Used with permission.
Kerry Greenhill is a Deacon who serves as Field Coordinator for Imagine No Malaria in the Rocky Mountain Conference (UMC), and as Communications Manager for the health care advocacy organization Family Voices Colorado. 
Take time to be quiet, reflect, & pray.

Good Friday...Darkness to Reflection

I've attended many churches for Good Friday in my life. I think the most memorable was many years ago. My in-laws invited us and at the time, we weren't necessarily going to church but out of love and respect, we joined them for service. It was more than a service, it was a living message of Good Friday. We all left silent, humbled, and thankful.

This must have been Jesus' darkest day or was it? 

Holy Thursday...Washing of Feet

Read John 13:1- 17

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 
so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing,
and wrapped a towel around his waist. 

After that, he poured water into a basin
and began to wash his disciples’ feet, 
drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
“Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what
I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you,
you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied,
“not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus answered, 
“Those who have had a bath need
only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.
And you are clean, though not every one of you.”

For he knew who was going to betray him, 
and that was why he said not every one was clean.

When he had finished washing their feet,
he put on his clothes and returned to his place. 
“Do you understand what I have done for you?” 
he asked them. 

 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so,
for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 
I have set you an example that you
should do as I have done for you. 

Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, 
nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 
Now that you know these things,
you will be blessed if you do them.
John 13:1-17

Have you ever humbled yourself to let someone wash your feet?
Or to share God's love & wash theirs?

​Share an experience below...

A Wonderful Wednesday to...

Good evening everyone! I hope you are finding the end of March a smooth transition from Winter to Spring. Each day I take our toddler puppy, now a year old, out for a walk I notice the grass is greening and the aroma of Spring fills the air.

This morning as I drove to school there were more than a dozen white-tail deer in one field and a robin someone's yard a little further down the road. The drive to work has given me the opportunity to put on sunglasses and even crack the window to let the fresh air in. Spring is a beautiful time of year.

It's hard to believe Easter is this Sunday. Does anyone else feel this way? For most Christians, this is Holy Week. Starting tomorrow evening, there is a service leading each evening leading up to Easter.

As I reflect back more than two decades ago, I can only thank God for the way He's healed the hurts and drawn me closer to Him. He used a child, my peers, family, and friends and continues to do the same today. Joining others in the journey of Holy Week offers encouragement, inspiration, humbling, and hope.
Do you attend services during Holy Week? If so, do you have a favorite?

Working the Abs Standing Up

This is what I'd look like after two crunches. I'd give up and take a nap, thankful for alternate ways to achieve the same results. My cousin shared her experience with this little gem, the "twist board" or whatever the official name is. I call it my "twist board". Anyway, she told me it requires a lot of balance and coordination. Ugh, these are things I struggled with as a youth, more or less as an aging woman. As much as I wanted to try it, they are expensive but when I had the opportunity to get one for less than $20 (one month at the gym), I purchased it.

I started with twisting for 30 seconds at the beginning because it was a challenge for me to just "stand". I'm up to 1 minute of twisting. I rotate between the ab lounger, squats, and this exercise. As the weather warms up, walks outside are becoming more common as Spring arrives.  As I twist inches away and strengthen my heart muscles, what are you doing to keep your heart and body healthy?