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.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace
of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Shopping for jeans raises my anxiety.
After a hot summer, I’m ready for the cool air of autumn.
With the change in temperature comes the need for new jeans, part of my
standard retirement uniform. I’ve worn out the ones I bought a few years ago, so
I gathered my courage (because I need that to try on pants) and went to the
store where I bought my last pair. The bins and racks oozed with denim, but
every pair I looked at either had pre-ripped holes (I’m too old for those) or
buttons instead of a zipper, again, too old. No classic jeans existed. As my
anxiety rose and my frustration with it, my daughter, who came to the store separate
from me, saw me and creeped up on me and scared the beejeebers out of me (of
course we laughed about it—later.)
The whole shopping experience made my anxiety go through the
ceiling. I vowed to wear my thread-bare jeans and forget shopping. Then Kohl’s
dinged my inbox with a 40% off coupon. Could I try one more time? Yes, I did,
and I came home with a pair of classic “mom” jeans and a cute Peanuts t-shirt. I’m
thankful that despite my anxiety, I tried one more time.
I laugh now about the ridiculousness of trying to find a
pair of jeans, but the anxiety I’ve dealt with throughout my life isn’t funny. The
truth is, being anxious leaves me exhausted. I’m so thankful Paul addresses it
in these verses. God understands. He reminds us to stop and pray, ponder on
thankfulness, and He’ll pour peace into our hearts and minds. Without doubt, I
know this to be true.
Full disclosure: I have a medical issue that causes anxiety
and with the help of medicine, I am much better. But I also know that without
God, I’d be in a heap of trouble. My go to is prayer, always. I’m so grateful I
can talk to God about everything, including a frustrating shopping trip. Philippians
4:6-7 is one of the verses I cling to—to get me through life.
Pray first, always.
Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not
for human masters, since you know that you will receive an
inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are
serving.
My grandson floated back to his seat on a cloud
of joy.
I’m a loyal fan of the Cincinnati Reds. Twenty-twenty-two hasn’t been their best year, yet they still show up and work hard. Due to decisions from management, we lost some good players, but the ones left on the team, like Votto, Farmer, and India put in the effort and play their hearts out.
They work out, practice, and show up, even through injury,
and use their God-given talent to play the game. Recently my daughter, Maggie,
and my grands, Dylan and Zeke, and I attended a game. Zeke loves baseball and
plays on a summer team. As he and I entered the stadium, he hoped to catch a
practice ball from the opposing team. He not only caught one, the player for
the Marlins signed it. Then when he saw the Reds players in the dugout, he
hustled over and thought he might have a shot at an autograph on the ball he brought
with him. He held the ball out and none other than Joey Votto autographed it. Votto and the Marlins player didn’t have to autograph anything, but they took their job beyond what was expected.
In Colossians 3:23-24, Paul gives a directive that whatever
we work at, whether at home, at a job, or in the church, work as if it is for
the Lord. God has given each one of us different talents. We can use those
talents to glorify Him by doing our best and going beyond what’s expected. It’s
easy to get discouraged in a job, but sometimes we have to choose to do our
best despite the circumstances. I worked for many years in libraries, where I
was challenged and frustrated at times. When that happened, I had to pray or
the discouragement would overwhelm me. The same with my writing. I doubt
myself, but have to remember God is the One who called me to write.
In whatever I do, I strive to work with all my heart and do
my best.
Work with all your heart to glorify God.
Psalm 147:3-5
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit.
The gash on my leg hurt.
Medical folks mend the brokenness of physical bodies. God
heals the brokenness of souls. Oh, how the spirit cries when someone leaves
this world. My heart breaks over the losses caused by COVID, cancer, and any
other tragedy. Yet, even in the midst of the hurt, the anger, the frustration,
the inability to understand, God gives hope. He holds His hands out to the
broken, wraps His arms around the weary, lifts up the fallen and binds the
wounds.
The doctor wrapped a bandage around my leg, gave me a tetanus
shot and sent me on my way to be healed. God wraps His arms around me and keeps
me close. He embraces me as He heals my heart.
A wounded soul takes time to heal, it’s a process. In the
healing, scars may form and remind me of the pain I experienced, but they also
remind me of the One who loves me more than I understand. I am limited in my
understanding of why life happens the way it does, but God, the Great
Physician, understands and knows the outcome. My hope lies in His wisdom.
Ask God to bind the wounds of your heart.
Tim and I traveled to Lake Erie recently.
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not
giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but
encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
I didn’t care about fashion. Shopping left me exhausted, and my hair style skills stopped with braids.
Growing up, I was a tomboy. I’d rather climb a tree or tromp
through the woods, than primp and play with make-up. Then God gave me three
girls. Instead of focusing on their appearance (although they were always beautiful)
I made a point to instill in them the importance of encouraging and loving each
other. Many times through the years, I gave a speech reminding them their friends
might come and go, but your sister will always be your sister.
It’s been a joy for me to see my girls grow close to each
other and support one another. Despite my inability to raise girls in a girly
way, God helped me teach them a love for truth, independence to know they could
accomplish what the Lord set before them, and the desire to encourage and help
others.
There is a meme on social media that says something like, “Be
the woman who fixes another woman's crown without telling the world it was
crooked.” Men and women, we all need to encourage each other with kind words
and heartfelt gestures. Don’t point out the difficulty, instead quietly lend a
loving hand and encourage your friend, family member, or even a stranger.
The Hebrews writer says to urge each other to love. What’s
that look like? In 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 we find love is patient, kind, thankful,
humble, unselfish, calm, and doesn’t carry grudges, rejoices with the
truth, protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. That’s quite a list, but if
each of us would embrace the love God outlined, we’d build each other up and
find the world a kinder more considerate place.
As Jesus’ followers were not called to judge and fight, we’re
asked to remind others of their worth to God. He created every one of us in his
image. An image which includes loving others. He knows our hearts and has a
desire for us to love Him and the people around us.
Encourage one another with kind words and heartfelt gestures.
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| Dale Chihuly glass art |
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| U.S. Life Saving Station, Marblehead, OH |
Seek God. He wants to give you a second chance.
Tim and I hiked through one of Kelleys Island's
nature preserves. We trekked along a grass and dirt path until we reached a
boardwalk, made of recycled plastic, that rambled through the woods and over
the wetland. On the other side, the trees opened up onto a lovely little beach.
White sand, created from waves breaking up tiny white shells, sparkled in the
sun. As we wandered along the water's edge, we searched for treasures. Not gold
or silver, but pretty rocks, pebbles, and lake glass. Lake Erie did not
disappoint. We found pink, red, and interesting green rocks along with white,
green (two shades) and brown lake glass. As we wandered along, some children
playing nearby showed us their finds, including a live turtle they were
watching. What a fun trip!
The treasures that fill the home should also fill the heart.
Proverbs 27:19 As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.
