It all began with this prayer journal entry two months ago:

“Lord, would You please add some new venues to my speaking calendar for 2015?”   

The Good Lord answered my prayer through my longtime friend, Jannai, who at the onset  told me her gifting  was to promote  speakers. She began by promoting  me to her pastor at Yosemite Lakes Community Church in Coarsegold, California. He said, “Let’s have Judy do two Sunday morning services sometime this summer.” That’s how my July 12th speech in Central California landed on the calendar.

A week later, I had this note from Jannai: “Judy, I’m going to promote your visit in the area and see if we can arrange more speaking engagements.”

Full speed ahead, Jannai  began contacting friends and organizations within an hour drive from her home in Ahwahnee. Here’s the result of this promoter extraordinaire’s hard work.

Needless to say  each venue required writing  a speech to fit its unique audience. Here’s the plan:

• For the Oakhurst Library: I’ll couple the tale of my life story with my personal experience of  writing and self-publishing  three books
• For the Walk for Life fundraiser: I will give voice to babies who are aborted because they are  broken and to those who are unbroken but unwanted
• For Fresno’s Rehabilitation Hospital: I will talk about my early years in Shriners Hospital, my 50 years of walking on artificial limbs & my amazing life with a disability
• For Yosemite Lakes Church’s two services: I will share my testimony highlighting how human brokenness sets the stage for God to intercept and WOW our lives

​To God be the GLORY is my prayer! And I welcome your prayers as I take on five blessed speaking opportunities packed into the upcoming weekend. Obviously God and Jannai are confident this seventy year old is not a candidate for Couch-Potato-hood YET!

My eyes follow the busy chatter of hungry finches and sparrows breakfasting at their suspended bird feeder outside our condo in Mountain View, CA.

I love bird watching. I savor their sweet bliss… until I discover a feathery black bundle plopped on the ground in the bird seed below. A legless blackbird – unable to stand, a crawler amidst the agility of the others around him.

“Poor crippled bird,” my sad heart whispers. Suddenly his plight  is mine, as I remember my childhood years. Legless Judy – a crawler, low to the ground, envious of the agility of others.

His very presence interrupts my sad remembrance as I hear him shout, “We’re survivors!” Slow-to-believe am I until suddenly his strong wings lift him amidst his feathered friends from the ground to the sky.

He can fly!

We, too can fly, dear ones.

Let’s use our God-given wings today and rise above whatever is causing us to grovel.

Recently the Squier’s and our friends the Evans drove to Lake Tahoe to volunteer at a Joni and Friends Marriage Getaway. Enroute a deer leaped over the guardrail catching our left headlight, bumper. In shock we watched the dead deer’s body spin circles across the wet highway.

Yes, a trip to the auto body shop would be necessary, but thankfully our car was drive able. Not only drive able, but thank You, Lord, the air bags did not deploy and the damage was to the bumper, not the windshield.

We praised God for His protection, at the same time we grieved the dead Bambi. We concluded had we intercepted a second earlier our drive to Tahoe would have come to a screaming halt.

We God’s grace in life’s good and yes, in life’s bad experiences. And His grace goes as far as to bring a smile to our unsettled memories.

Back at home safe in Oregon, we awoke the first morning to a special gift from our Heavenly Father – an alive deer – a spittin’ image of the dead one on the roadside – grazing peacefully on our lush front lawn.

“Behold, I make all things new,” promises the Lord God in the book of Revelation.

​And there’s more: He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.

2015 fleeteth … I can’t believe we’re in the merry month of May! Mom was right: “Time moves faster the older you get.” My birthday came and went with 70 balloons now a sweet memory and two gold shoe birthday cakes long gone!

It’s time to celebrate the safe arrival of Grandbaby #5 – Quinn Elizabeth Belikoff born on April 22. She’s a beauty from head to toe and of course this Granny Goose loves her feet more than anything.

Imagine my surprise when during the first week of her life our son-in-law Beau called and said, “Goose, Quinn Elizabeth has your legs.”

“She has my legs, what do you mean?” While my mind tripped over his words, my stumps grabbed for a pair of dancing shoes.

Looking at Quinn’s legs, my soul smiles at God’s kept promise from Joel 2:25 – I, the Lord, will restore the years the locust has eaten…

It’s been seven decades since I arrived without thighs or knees and with five toes missing in action; now seventy years later the Belikoff family declares that their daughter Quinn bears my legs. For me their declaration means God did what He promised. He squelched the locusts of exclusion, hurtful stares, missing out, the decade of not having children because my birth defect might be genetic, the years of performing the legs-job- motherhood-tasks – without legs. All the above and more He not only squelched, but redeemed – using my disability for His good purpose and for my good as well. The bottom line: He made the pain and shame of my missing pieces worth it and more. Two generations later Elohim, Creator God, has brought my incomplete legs to completion. Yes, my soul smiles at what is humanly intangible, but made tangible by God.

As you celebrate with me I want to celebrate with you. Let’s begin with the question: What have the locusts eaten in your life? Your dreams? Your plans or hopes for yourself or someone you love? Your health? Your youth? Your retirement funds? Life as you’ve known it?

In this very pit of heart ache is where God wants to meet you. He is there. You are not alone. Are you ready to release your tight grip, and receive His promise: ‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’ – Jeremiah 29:11 NASB

His plans include a life hidden in Him, daily feasting on His words in the Bible and fellowshipping with others who long to know Him and to be known by Him.

Little by little you will see His footprints and surprises in the last place you would expect. So grab your I-never-thought-I’d-wear-you-dancing-shoes and let Jesus whirl you around on the dance floor of your life. Lean in close to hear Him whisper, “I’m wild about you.”

As you lean into Him, receive His hug with the words of one of my favorite songs:

Decade birthdays are not for the faint of heart.  Just the thought of my 60th birthday a decade ago paralyzed me. I told my three daughters to expect to find me comatosed that birthday morning. Daughter Elizabeth arranged a limo (not a hearse) to transport me (not to the cemetery), but to a surprise gathering of many friends at Lisa’s Tea Treasures near our home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

One of the friends at the party, Mary Schaller, gave me a customized birthday gift of 60 footprints, inscribed with “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things.” (Romans 10:15) Her gift jolted me out of my self-centeredness to the realization that God had grown me spiritual feet which she said “would run others right into His presence.” And didn’t El Elyon, the Most High God choose 36 inch short  Judy to carry His Good News to the disabled in Romania, and ultimately to Thailand and Brazil and throughout the USA? Proof that footless folks can have beautiful feet.

Now I’m carrying Mary’s foot idea into my seventh decade. Upon request, hubby David made me 70 copies of our grandson Finn’s footprint. One for each of the seventy people who have left their footprints on my heart. Each foot represents a family member or friend, who has helped me, heard me, held me, held me accountable and heralded me on.  To each and every one I am eternally grateful  that you allowed God to use you to mold me into who I am today.

Now I must ask: How about making a list of your own containing those who have left footprints on your heart? Not one of us makes it through this life solo, do we? Adam had his Eve, Moses had his Aaron and Hur, Ruth had her Naomi, Jonah had his whale, Job had his 3 friends (with friends like that who needs enemies?) and Jesus had his disciples.

Instantly certain prize people will come to mind. I listed them chronologically. But what about those we’d nominate for the booby prize. Booby-prizers did not make it to my poster, though God uses each experience and each person to mold us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. No thing and no one is wasted in God’s economy.

Just so you know Footprint Number 1 for me is Elohim – the Creator God Who met me in utero and over the past seventy years has proven my birth defect was no fetal fluke, but holy design. And Footprint Number 70 is Yeshua – the Hebrew name for the English name JESUS. Yeshua  has companioned with me in the pit of those early wilderness years. He’s walked with me, carried me when necessary – my Forever Escort from the womb to the tomb.

“How do you pronounce the name Yeshua?” I asked a Jewish Christian friend recently.

“YeShoea,” she answered with the emphasis on the middle syllable.

“YeSHOEa. Shoe? Shoe!” I was overjoyed to discover the correct pronunciation of Yeshua tied in so perfectly with my story. I met Him, thanks to my orthopedic shoe. And His redeeming love (Go’el the Redeemer) turned the shame and pain of my birth defect gold. My gold shoe is proof of that.

As we see the Lord’s footprints throughout our story, He becomes the love of our life. I love Him and I also love feet and shoes. I love shoes of every kind and my shoe collection keeps growing.  High up on the top shelf of my closet (since I can’t wear them) are a pair of  pearl- bedecked high heels from a friend in Texas, pink cowgirl boots from a little girl in Michigan, a bronze penny-loafer from a shoe-lover in Nebraska and a pair of rooster slippers, that I couldn’t resist at Goodwill. My life is filled with an ever-growing number of shoes as people see God in my gold shoe story.

My most recent shoe was a gift from 90 year young Alice who attended my Living in the Names of God Retreat. She accompanied this prize Rogue River rock with a piece of paper containing these wise words:

​This year I’ve added The Master’s shoe to my collection. But please excuse me. I have to go now and blow out my 70 candles before they burn the house down. And the cake?  A carrot cake with cream cheese frosting in the shape of my gold shoe.

Oh so many winters ago, lonely, broken-at-birth Little Judy filled endless week ends sitting at our family’s piano playing hymns. Living for Jesus was a favorite, though I secretly wondered: “Lord, will there be a blessing with my name on it?”

Three score plus ten years later my life overflows with blessings beyond measure so that I’ve declared 2015 the jubilee year of my life!

If jubilee means celebration, festivity, gala, I say ‘bring out the balloons’ as I celebrate 70 years of God’s faithfulness. For out of His Fullness we all received one grace after another, spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, even favor upon favor and gift heaped upon gift. (John 1:16 AMP)

Indeed His Majesty showed up in the wilderness years turning my missing legs into spiritual limbs – His Masterpiece. I’ve progressed from living for Jesus, as the hymn describes, to living in Christ, to living in the names of God as described in my Living in the Names of God chapter and Bible study books. And in 2015 my focus turns to ‘living my legacy.’ What do I want to be remembered for? What do you want to be remembered for?

Dr. James Dobson answers that question in his new book Your Legacy: Your Greatest Gift, in which he encourages us to make our highest priority introducing our family and friends to Jesus Christ. Dr. Dobson describes legacy as what we do in someone versus an inheritance being what we give to someone. For me, what I do in someone is based on what Jesus Christ has done in me. Jesus and Judy, we’re a team.

Recently I realized, I’ve already written my LEGacy! My life story – a life lived in relationship with Jesus – fills the pages of His Majesty in Brokenness and Living in the Names of God. Hmmm, it’s interesting how God chose me, the lady with no legs to encourage people to identify their LEGacy.

Each one of us is living our legacy right now. How are we going to preserve it? Make 2015 the year you collect photos and write short stories that highlight God’s presence in your life. As you savor the memories be on the lookout for a key picture that conveys your life message. Be forewarned: The photo may land on the front cover of your book, like mine did.

Maybe you are a person of few words. You might be thinking, “I can’t even fill out the grandmother’s or grandfather’s memory books. How can I write a book?”

• Do you sew? Make a life story quilt out of fabric or if you don’t sew –create it out of paper.
• Design a map of your life with emphasis on your spiritual milestones.
• Fill a shoebox or hope chest with memorabilia that tells your story.
• Make a list of your 100 Favorite Bible Verses to give to your family. (My friend Terri is currently making a butterfly chain containing her much loved verses. Can’t wait to see it.)
• Make sure you are writing names and dates of special God-moments in your Bible margins. Our worn Bibles carry our legacy.
• Record how the God with oh-so-many-names has shown up in your life. (My cousin Sue compiled a list of her favorite Hebrew names of God and how they have appeared in her story. Her adult children received the list as a 2014 Christmas present.)
• Make keepsake CD’s or DVD’s of your life. (David and I are thankful we did this before our parents died to keep their voices and their stories alive for ourselves and the future generations.)

On and on go the ideas.

I’ve decided to do something unique this year to commemorate my seventy years. David will print 70 copies of our grandson Finn’s tiny foot on which I will record the names of individuals who have left their footprints on my heart.

What about you? Are you ready to take on the challenge? I’d love to hear what creative ideas Elohim and you come up with to archive your legacy. Contact me at judysquier@gmail.com.

Have you seen Him yet today?

I love seeing God in everyday places.
Just last week I saw Elohim (Creator God) as I enjoyed His magnificent Pacific
Ocean outside our beach house vacation spot; Upon returning home,
I thanked Jehovah Jireh (The Lord will Provide) for His umbrella of grace that
protected a cardboard box of my books left out in the rain by the mail carrier;
And daily I rely on of El Shaddai Who replaces my Never Enough (energy, patience, creativity) with His More than Enough.

 For the past 25 years I have lived my life in the names of God.
Living in the names of God. What does that mean?
I’ve written two books about it,
however, my five-year-old granddaughter Brianna answered the question
in three short sentences recently.
“Mom, where is God?” popped out of her mouth one morning
as our daughter Elizabeth was driving her to school.”
“In Heaven,” her mom answered.
“No, mom, He’s sitting in the front seat next to you.”
“Good Morning, God, how are You?” her mom replied.
“Mom, He says He loves you,” was Brianna’s inspired response.

 As Christmas 2014 draws near and the New Year 2015 rounds the corner,
I want to help others experience His presence.
Therefore, I am making available my Living in the Names of God books
as a gift option for family members and friends on your Christmas list.
The books contain God stories and Bible study lessons designed:
To help the reader fathom the reality that
God is in the front seat next to them,
He loves them and is even their Personal Cheerleader.

 Case in point:

I learned of Sherry’s story just yesterday through a mutual friend, Darlene, who told me of Sherry’s recent ordeal with severely swollen and pain-ridden hands. Weeks of testing resulted in a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Come to find out Sherry is a lover of teddy bears, frequently giving them to hospice patients that she visits. So no one was surprised when she bought herself a teddy bear to accompany her to her many medical appointments. She named her companion bear RA for rheumatoid arthritis.

When friend Darlene heard the RA teddy bear story, she was excited to tell Sherry about my JEHOVAH RAAH chapter in my Living in the Names of God book. “Jehovah RAAH, RAAH, RAAH is the Shepherd God who cheers on His little lambs, when we hurt or are afraid,” Darlene explained to Sherry.

Immediately Sherry switched the teddy bear’s name from RA to RAAH, as she recognized the presence of her Shepherd Cheerleader in her arthritis journey. Cognizant of His presence, Sherry was able to replace the RA (rheumatoid arthritis) with RAAH, the cheers of her ever-present God, Who wrapped her in His Promise: Fear not, Little Lamb, I’m here with you and everything’s going to be alright.

Sherry’s spirit is calmed as she connects the dots, Shhh…It’s Him.

And that’s my prayer for you, for your family, for your friends – that you all will catch yourself saying “Shhhh….It’s Him”  as you recognize His comforting and empowering presence in the days ahead.

I am offering my two books – Living in the Names of God
and its companion Living in the Names of God Bible Study for $20 per set.
That includes FREE gift wrapping. I look forward to personalizing them
with the name of the recipient and with your name as the gift giver.

Payment Details

You may place your order and make your payment as follows:

1. Via Paypal at my website: judysquier.weebly.com/payment.html
2. Or via US Post office:  Send order to me. Make your check payable to Judy Squier. Cost is $20 + $4.50 Shipping & Handling
   Note: Be sure and provide the recipient’s name and address along with your own.

​An Evening with Joni Eareckson Tada, Kara Ferris, and Shirley!!!!

Definitely in the Top Ten of my life experiences!!
I LOVED heart to heart conversation with a humble servant of the King –
and two hours of sharing war stories and WOW stories…
It felt afterwards like I’d just been to the prom…

​Who would have thunk the golden years would be this full. The long, lonely hours of writing books have been replaced by the exciting opportunities of speaking around the country.

Then all of this is now punctuated by glorious grandma-moments with daughter Betsy’s 3 children half an hour away in Southern Oregon and monthly visits to care for daughter Emily’s new son in Northern CA. Some aspects of grandma-hood however are not for the faint-of-heart as seen in this short video clip.

Dear God, keep this grandma strong for the climb!

As the summer temperatures top 100 this killer-July in southern Oregon, I am cooled by an eyelet-clad doll standing on a shelf in my office.

She was a gift designed and created by a dear lady in a retirement home where I spoke not too long ago.

Two things about this little Judy doll touch my heart.

1. She has no legs, just like me.
   
2. And the designer chose curly blond locks in place of my white hair.

Yes, it’s true I have no physical legs, but thankfully, God has crafted me strong spiritual limbs, that run others right into His presence as I distribute my three books and give speeches to young and old.

And my kewpie doll’s blond curls validate Psalm103:5b from the Message Bible: You’re always young in His presence. (A promise that I value more and more!)

Grateful am I, this hot day, for the wise octogenarian, who is now with the Lord, who gave me a tangible reminder of how cool God’s love is.

And I’m claiming God’s promise in Isaiah 46:4 to turn down the heat on the aging process: Even to your old age I am He, and even to hair white with age will I carry you. I have made, and I will bear; yes, I will carry and will save you. (Amplified Bible)