Hey, friends. Thank you for stopping by. My writing journey has been a long one, and I'm thankful I stayed on the path where God has taken me. If you are a reader, thank you so much. As an author, I appreciate you more than I can say. If you're a writer and you've been penning words a long time or just a little while, trust God with your journey. He knows what's ahead.
2
Corinthians 13:14
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
The other
day, I walked Rosie on the little hill behind our condo. Vibrant, red leaves
tumbled to the ground from the maple tree. I’m not sure why my mind works the
way it does, but I stopped and grouped three of the beautiful red leaves
together to take a photo. They reminded me of the trinity—God, the father—Jesus, the son—and the Holy Spirit.
I imagine
God knew I could use a reminder of who He is, for He is not a God of
randomness. He’s a God of order and plans. There is no such thing as
coincidence with Him.
He has
mapped out what I would need in this fallen, broken world. First, I need God.
He’s the love and hope of life. The one who protects and guards my heart. Second,
I need Jesus. He’s grace. The One who covers my sins with His blood. He’s the
son of God who took the sorrow and sadness of the world on His shoulders. Third,
I need the Holy Spirit, the one who fellowships with me. He hangs out with me
on a daily basis. He communicates with God when I can’t and guides me as I seek
help.
I love God,
Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and thank the Lord for His work in my life. I can’t
think of a better way to begin November than with a grateful heart for the One
who created me, redeemed me, and fills me with His joy and peace.
Let’s spend
this month thanking and praising the One who loves us more than we understand.
Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is
my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my
stronghold.
2 Timothy 1:7
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid,
but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
Don't let the hard days win.
I'm in the middle of cataract removal surgeries. About a
week ago, the eye surgeon sucked the cloudy lens out of my right eye. Then he
placed a new artificial lens in so my vision would improve. The left eye will
be corrected soon, but in the meantime, I'm in limbo. The right eye has an
astigmatism. Which means, my eyeball is shaped like a football instead of a volleyball.
Most of the time, people who have lenses replaced for cataracts have clearer
vision in about two days. Not me. Nope. My football shaped eye is better—I
can see clear colors instead of a yellowish cast, but I can't see as well as I
can out of my left eye that still has a cataract. The eye doctor did his job,
but my eye didn't cooperate. So between now and the time my left eye is fixed,
the one shaped like a volleyball, I can't wear my glasses. Once my eyes work
together again, I'll get a new prescription.
I've adapted by using readers and thankfully my left eye can
see distance, but working on the computer and reading are hard. My eyes hurt by
evening and I often have a headache. I'm managing, but I could throw up my
hands and quit until the left eye is corrected. Instead, I'm leaning into God
to help me through this trying time.
Of course, my situation isn't the end of the world, and it
should be better by November, but there have been dark times in my life when I
couldn't see the end. I felt helpless and disheartened, but you know what? God stood
by me and protected me. He always does. God has gifted His people with the Holy
Spirit, who gives us power, love, and self-disciple. Those are the things that
have helped me through dark days, along with my family and friends.
Don't let the hard days win and don't try to navigate them alone. Give them to Jesus and trust Him to send help.
Matthew 4:8-11
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he
said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from
me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him
only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Be prepared.
Sara, James, Ella Cate, and I arrived at Ohio University on
Saturday morning to watch and listen to my grandson, Eli, play trumpet with his
marching band, along with several high school bands and the Ohio University 110
at their football game. The 110 is one of the best college marching bands in
the country. Once we were parked and made our way to the stadium, we met
Maggie, Michael, and Zeke, then found our seats on the metal bleachers. Even
though the temperature sat in the 80s, the relentless blaze of the sun and the
reflection off the bleachers made for an uncomfortable experience.
We watched the pregame performance, which was great, ate
sandwiches and watched some of the football game, then James, Ella Cate, and I headed
to a shady area. The shade from the bleachers provided a respite from the heat.
Just before half-time, we all headed to the end of the field to get a better
view of Eli's band. Somewhere along the way, my body started reacting to the
heat. As the band took the field, my stomach rolled, and I felt faint. After
the performance, James, Sara, Ella Cate and I went to leave. As we rounded a
corner, I grabbed Sara's arm and told her I was going to faint. She calmed my
panic and walked me to the first-aid tent. The wonderful people there gave me
ice, cold-packs, and water and helped me cool. In about thirty minutes, I felt
like myself again. In hind sight, I realize I hadn't prepared for the weather.
I should have worn a hat and used my cooling towel (made for hot weather
events.)
The sun's relentlessness reminds me of Satan. Not just
because of the heat, but because, like the blazing sun, he permeates into every possible space. He
pokes and prods in whatever way he can to get my attention away from Jesus. If
I'm not prepared, or prayed up, as Grammy used to say, I won't be ready for the
fight. Whether I want to think about it or not, I fight a spiritual battle
every day. I choose my weapons—the presence of God in my life, my
dependence on God and obedience to Him, prayer, and the wisdom of the Bible to
wage war on the devil. As believers, we need to be ready to resist the
relentless pestering and not succumb to him.
Seek Jesus and be prepared for the battle.
Genesis 1:3-5
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that
the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God
called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there
was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
Glory filled the sky.
The best thing I can say about my week at Goodlit Writers
Retreat is—God
blessed me with a gift. An unexpected—I can't believe I'm here gift. Surrounded
by other people who strive to write for God, I witnessed the beauty of minds
and hearts opening up and pouring out. Folks from all over the country met in
the quintessential small town of Stanford, Kentucky, to better understand the
purpose of God's calling to write.
The different backgrounds and experiences meshed together to
form a group who, like me, wanted to obey and follow the journey God is leading
us on.
On Tuesday evening, Angela and Jess, hosts for the week,
invited us to their beautiful farm. For me, a country girl at heart, the trip
filled me with joy. After a delicious Kentucky dinner, Jess drove the tractor and
pulled us on a wagon (with upholstered seats) to the top of a grass-covered
hill and we watched the sunset. As the light and coming darkness played
together, the pinks and pale blues turned to glorious red and deep navy. Just
before night fell, the sky reminded me how when people come together to create
or work, or live as a family, God can bring harmony to the dance.
In whatever I do, I pray God joins me as I pursue my dreams.
He's the one who placed them on my heart and poured the talent and skills into
me. Angela owns a beautiful soap store in town, Kentucky Soaps and Such. When we
toured the production area, this quote was painted on the wall. "Lord, let
our workspace, whatever that looks like, be our worship place." When we bring the work we do before
the Lord and ask Him to partner with us, we couple with Him and bring Him
glory.
Watch a sunset and let the beauty fill you with joy and a desire
to dance with God.
Matthew 11:29
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for
I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
It's that time of year again.
On Wednesday, the first day of the 2023-24 school
year, I spent the day in Sara's first grade class. Those bright little students
took in a lot of information. They got refreshers on how to go through the
lunch line, play at recess, organize their desks, and they got to pick out
books from the Grammy Penny crates. Sara had them do a drawing activity, that
they'll write about this week, and a fun marshmallow story that showed them how
to be quiet and respectful in the hallway. All-in-all they had a wonderful
first day.
Whether public school, homeschool, private
school, college, trade school, or any other learning, being a student takes
work and being the teacher takes preparation. Hopefully, when the two meet, a
great learning experience happens.
I've worked in the public library, school library,
and college library. My mom always said I never stopped going to school. In a
way, she was right. I'm a lifelong learner, always seeking to gain knowledge
and wisdom about something. Maybe something as simple as what kind of butterfly
or flower I saw.
The most important learning I have ever
experienced is what I've learned from the Bible. God's word teaches so many
lessons, insights, and ways to live. There is no education more important.
Jesus wants me to listen and apply what I've heard and read. I'm so thankful
God prepared a book I could read and study that teaches life lessons, offers
encouragement, shares so many types of literature, tells remarkable stories,
and leaves me wanting more. Some say the Bible is boring, but I disagree. It's
fascinating.
I choose to read a few verses a day and ponder
and pray over it and discover what God wants me to hear and learn. That way I'm
not overwhelmed, and I remember it better. How do you approach reading the
Bible?
Be a lifelong learner of God's word.
Jeremiah 4:3-4
This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem:
“Break up your unplowed ground
and do not sow among thorns.
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
circumcise your hearts,
you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire
because of the evil you have done—
burn with no one to quench it.
An angry sky loomed overhead.
As we drove, the sky turned gray and the clouds rolled. Tim commented
that the sky looked angry. Indeed, it did. No sun peeked through, only gray.
The sky darkened the further we drove, and within the hour the clouds burst with
torrential rain.
I've been reading the book of Jeremiah, which is not warm and
fuzzy. It's full of anguish—God's anguish over Jerusalem and the
Israelites. They had turned their back on God and gave their attention to the
idols they created. As I was reading, I understood and recognized God's deep feelings
for these people.
I write a lot about how much God loves us, and He does, more
than we can comprehend. Along with the emotion of love, God feels all the other
ones, like anger, frustration, and hurt. He made us in His image, with all the
feels, so of course He experiences the same emotions.
God and the Israelites had journeyed together for years.
He'd saved them so many times, yet they turned on Him and chose to sin rather
than follow God. His righteous wrath was well founded and His heart broke over
these people who betrayed Him. Sounds kind of familiar. God sees similar
behavior out of people today that He saw from the Israelites, yet even in His
anger and hurt, He longs for us to turn to Him and seek forgiveness.
Later in the chapters, He offers to forgive the Israelites
if they will repent. He doesn't give up on them regardless of how they made Him
feel. God's heart breaks over people, yet He loves fiercely.
Seek God. Turn to Him and give Him your heart.
Psalm 65:8
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
My zinnias are blooming.
This time of year, as I'm driving through the country toward
my hometown to visit family, I roll past fields of soybeans and signs with
sweet corn for sale. Abundant gardens filled with tomatoes, green beans, and cucumbers
catch my eye, and one home offers pick your own flowers. The cosmos and zinnias
dance in the breeze, inviting people to stop by and cut a bouquet.
My daughter, Maggie, and her husband, Michael, grew a lovely
garden this year. From their abundance, she gave us green beans and zucchini,
and I can't wait to see her blue pumpkins. As I sat in my chair and snapped the
beans, I considered how amazing it is that God gave us so many incredible
plants. He offers a variety for us to eat and a multitude to enjoy.
The zinnias I planted from seed have sprouted and bloomed.
Their rainbow of color welcomes people to our door and brings joy to my day.
I am in awe of all God created. From the tiny pea to the
giant redwood, the woods to the rainforest, the ocean to the mountains,
everything He made He gave us to explore, discover, use, and enjoy. God also
gave us responsibility to take care of the earth and the natural resources He
provided. As I soak in the beauty, I long for us to appreciate and care for the
environment we live in.
The whole earth is filled with wonder and I rejoice in God,
the Creator of everything. Even as I love all the plants and animals, I adore
and worship the One who made them, and I'm thankful for the bounty of summer
and the beauty of the season.
Thank God for His gift of creation and rejoice in Him.
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do
not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go.
Playing a sport as a youngster is not for the faint of
heart.
I opened my calendar and spread their schedules in front of
me. Grandchildren in track, baseball, and softball filled the pages, not to
mention Tim’s schedule as a Red’s usher and my author obligations.
We’ve watched our children and grandchildren compete in sports for years. Tim and I even coached our own kids.
I enjoy all kinds of sports, especially when the grands are
participating. Watching Eli throw the discus and shotput was a new experience.
I love his attitude. He’s brand new to the sport and willing to learn. He wants
to do his best. Zeke, in his baseball, has grown by leaps and bounds and this
year, the coach is tapping into his potential. Again, he has a great attitude,
he wants to learn and do his best. Ella Cate, in softball, is the same as are
Max and Aiden in basketball and track and Dylan in tennis. All of these young
folks have approached their sport with an attitude of courage and a
determination to be strong in their sport. They each want to enjoy the game,
but also learn and grow. They know their parents and grandparents are there cheering
them on and encouraging them to do their best.
When God tapped Joshua to take over for Moses, Joshua stepped
up and told the people what would happen next. God reminded him, “As I was
with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor
forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5) Several times, God reminded Joshua to be strong
and have courage. And he did.
Just as we encourage and support our grandkids in their
sports, God reminds us to be strong and have courage as we serve Him. That may
require learning something new, spending time in His word or on our knees in prayer.
God’s courage goes before me as I serve Him and minister to others. He gives me
the strength and courage to do the things I hesitate to do on my own. I’m
thankful for God’s love and encouragement.
Take heart, and be strong and courageous.
Daniel 6:25-27
Then
King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all
the earth: May you prosper greatly! I issue a decree that in every part of my
kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
“For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.
He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
I felt like I could touch the hand of God.
Pretty Place is a place where the reverence of God overwhelms me with peace and hope.
I’ve only visited the stone chapel twice, and both times I
felt the same. I wish I could start my day there every day, but I live in Ohio.
Instead, I seek God through scripture reading, devotions, and prayer. We visit
the woods and sit beside the lake when we can. No matter where I am though, God
is with me. He’s here in my living room, on walks with our dog, in the city,
the country, no matter where I am He travels with me. And He’s with you, too.
Seek God where you are. He loves you.
I see the moon and the moon sees me.
The night sky reminds me I see the same moon and
stars as my niece in England or my friend in Missouri. That brilliant heavenly
body connects me to my family, friends, and folks around the world.
Our youngest daughter and her husband live in
South Carolina and it’s a comfort to me we see the same sky. Even though we are
not close in proximity, we share a similar view. When our family, who lives
close by, sends photos of rainbows or sunsets, and I can see the same ones from
where I’m standing, it’s a joy to know we see the same bits of creation. They join
us with each other and with God.
On Sunday, the praise band led us in the song Same
God by Elevation Worship. The lyrics reminded me of all the people
throughout history who called on the same God I call on today. Moses, Jacob,
Mary, and so many more lifted their prayers to the Father, the same One I speak
to daily. It kind of blows my mind that I’m talking to the same God Noah prayed
to, or Esther. The same One who people around the world take their cares to is
the same one who listens and has listened for centuries.
I love what David says in Psalm 17. He calls on
God, who answers, turns His ear, and hears our prayers. Then he asks many of
the same things I seek for myself and my family and friends: keep me close,
protect me, hide me in your wings. Praying to the same God as my ancestors
fills my heart with comfort and joy.
Keep praying to the same God who remains
steadfast and faithful.
Ephesians 1:7-10
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished
on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us
the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he
purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their
fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
I’d put off cleaning the bathroom.
Confession—I don’t like to clean. Oh, I love the
results, a shiny sink, sparkling toilet, and glistening shower, but I need
motivation to make it happen.
After I gave Rosie May a bath, and I got as wet as she did, I
scrubbed the shower, shined the mirror and overall cleaned the bathroom. We
have a beautiful crocheted rug, in a hue of rainbow colors, a friend made for me.
I tossed that one and the shower mat in the washer. After everything sparkled,
I laid the rugs on the floor. The difference between the dirty rug I washed and
the clean rug I pulled out of the dryer was remarkable. The colors shone and
brightened the room.
At times in my life, my heart resembled the dirty rug. Muted
colors replaced vibrancy. Like the dirt, sin darkened my joy and sucked the
life out of me. Then Jesus took my sin, my filth, the garbage in my life, and
washed it all away. He carried sin to the cross and died with it there, but the
beautiful thing is, He rose on the third day and with open arms offers a way
out of negativity, addiction, sorrow, suffering, mistakes—you get the idea. In Jesus,
there is hope. Through Jesus, God wants to lavish His grace on us. His grace
cleanses the soul and restores vibrancy with joy and hope.
I’m thankful Jesus loves me more than I understand.
Seek Jesus and ask Him to cleanse your soul.
Psalm 23:6
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
I’ve been thinking about the word goodness this week.
Goodness is listed as a fruit of the spirit in Galatians
5:22. The dictionary tells me goodness is moral excellence, a kindly feeling,
generosity, and virtue.
When I think of pure goodness, I remember the sweet faces of
my girls as newborns. Looking into their eyes, I saw the purest elements of
humankind.
When God created the garden of Eden and all the beautiful
natural elements, He said, “It is good.” Everything shone with goodness, before
the wretched snake (Satan) slithered in and tempted Adam and Eve. Once they indulged
in the fruit of the tree of life, the goodness faded. Sin scarred the purity of
the earth and the moral excellence.
Yet God had a plan. He had given the humans the freedom to
choose, and He knew they would choose poorly.
When I worked in the elementary school library, I would ask
the students about good and bad choices. “Was it a good choice to leave a
library book in the rain?” “Should you leave your book where the dog can gnaw
on it?” You get the idea.
Years ago, I made the choice to accept Jesus as my Savior—best
choice I ever made. With Jesus as my Lord, I have goodness in my life. I’m not
perfect, I sin, I make mistakes, but God pours His goodness over me. He keeps
showing up. His goodness and love follow me all the days of my life. And I’m so
very thankful. With His goodness in my life, I continue to grow as a believer.
I have confidence in His salvation, and I have the hope of heaven.
Let God’s goodness pour over you.
Proverbs 24:3-4
By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.
I’ve lived in 14 different homes in my lifetime.
When I was young, my parents sometimes took us for a Sunday drive to look at houses. We rolled along rural roads and through small towns. From that experience, I learned to appreciate the architecture of older homes. Some with fancy ginger breading and others with simple porches attracted my attention. To this day, I enjoy seeing some of the interesting houses in our travels.
Of the 14 different houses I’ve lived in, some of my
favorites were the old farmhouses. They have so much character. I loved imagining
what stories they could tell. From the farm wife toting in eggs from the
chicken coop to the child sitting on her dad’s lap at the end of the day. Life
was breathed into the home. Love, laughter, dinner around the kitchen table,
cousins piling in, and the dog laying by the hearth. My mind weaves a tale of
joy. However, I also know some houses heard the rough voices of arguing and
anger. They felt the trembling of fear and sorrow. Those homes break my heart.
I also see the houses, who abandoned over time, have the
life sucked out of them. They look tired, run-down, weary, and sad. I wonder at
the stories they could tell.
As I compare a house or home to life lived, I see the same
thing. Many people are filled with joy, peace, and love. While others may be
angry or fearful or live a weary, sad life.
I could have been any of those three. We all could, but when I
accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow and love Him, my life found the joy, love,
and peace I longed for. Even in times of sadness and difficulty, Jesus’ love
carries me. I no longer live as a slave to fear, anger, sadness, and sorrow.
Instead, Jesus poured His love and grace into me and loves me more than I could
imagine.
I want my home to be a place of love and peace, reflected in
Jesus, just as I want my life to shine for the Lord.
Does your home reflect Jesus’ love? Does your life?