I've been having my morning coffee on the back porch as much as possible lately. Most days I am scurrying around, trying to get out the door to work on time and there's just not time. There would be if I got up earlier, but since I'm a night owl that's not likely to happen.
This morning, though, was a Saturday, so I spent some time praying and listening on the porch this morning.
It was cool out this morning, and a gentle breeze stirred the trees occasionally. It was refreshing, that breeze. I would have missed out on that if I had my time with the Lord inside on the couch, like I usually do.
I heard a buzzing sound, and looked over to see honeybees in the bush by the porch. They were not interested in me. They were doing what God created them to do, pollinating the plants. They were minding their own business. They had no plan to come and sting me at all, I'm sure of it.
But I moved to the chair on the other side of the porch, just in case.
I continued to listen and watch. Birds were singing and flying here and there. Little white cottonwood seeds from the neighbor's tree swirled around and around on the wind and finally floated down to the ground. Squirrels scampered in the trees. I looked up and saw the moon, still visible through a gap in the tree limbs above even though it was daylight. Five minutes later, I looked up again and it had moved farther west. I could barely see a bit of it behind the tree limb.
What's the point of all this? I asked myself the same thing at first, but then I realized a profound, simple truth.
I felt a breeze. I heard and then saw bees hard at work. I saw birds and heard their sweet songs. I watched the snow-like cottonwood seeds ride the breeze. I saw a glimpse, just for a moment, of the moon on its daily path.
I experienced these things because I stopped and took the time. Sure, they don't seem significant in themselves. They are normal, everyday occurrences. But God spoke to me in those daily, ordinary things that don't seem to matter.
I noticed nature this morning because I got still. He promised to never leave me, so I know He is with me always. He is always and forever right by my side. But....how many times has He had something to say to me, but I wouldn't be still and listen?
Lord, forgive me for being too busy. I am listening now.
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 NIV
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Mothers Day
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| Mama in her 20s |
I've written about my mom on here before. The most recent one was 4 years ago, though, so I thought it might be nice to post a small tribute to her. She was a devoted mother and grandmother, and her children and grandchildren were her life.
I was a stay at home mom after my youngest child was born until he started first grade. We were a one car family and my husband drove it to work. It was common for Mama to show up and let me take her car to run errands while she either went with us or stayed with the kids. She was such a help and friend in those days.
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| Mama and her grandkids in 1986 |
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| 1994 |
Mama and the kids started playing board games when they were old enough. I still have the Monopoly game that they just about wore out. She was delighted to have them come and stay the night with her. They would play games or watch movies and just have a great time.
I never considered it before, but perhaps this is why we love movies and love to play board games so much.
Happy Mothers Day in heaven, Mama! <3
"Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: 'Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.'" Proverbs 31:28,29 NASB
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Blessings in Disguise
I gave a testimony at church recently about something good God did for me, but ever since that night I've been wishing I had said some things I didn't say. Something about the whole church suddenly listening to me makes me nervous. So, what I said was praising God for taking care of me, but I didn't give some very important details. How I wish I had a platform for expounding on my testimony....Oh wait! I guess that what a blog is for.
A few weeks ago I noticed a piece of metal in my front driver's side tire. I didn't try to remove it because I've learned from experience that sometimes that's what is holding the air in. So even though the tire never did go down any, I took my car in to the dealership where I bought it because it's under warranty. I was annoyed thinking that maybe I might have to buy a tire.
After about 30 minutes the mechanic came and got me and told me there was a problem. It seems the coolant hose had a leak in it and I was almost out of antifreeze. I asked about the tire, and he said it was just a piece of metal wedged into the tread but it didn't puncture the tire. So that was a relief! Now I had another problem, though, with the coolant system. I was set to go out of town to see the grand kids the very next day. Since they couldn't get it done before my trip, the mechanic gave me a container of antifreeze to take with me. I thought this was a very nice gesture.
I made it there and back to see the grand kids with no problems; there was very little antifreeze leaking. Apparently it was a slow leak and had been there a while. I took it in to have it repaired the next week and the whopping cost was: $0. One of the perks of having a newer car is the warranty. Car payment, yes, but....warranty. It balances out for me.
The point of this story is this: Sometimes we get upset when little things threaten to spoil our plans. I was irritated that I had something in my tire (I thought) and had to address that issue before I traveled out of town. But in reality, I believe God allowed that piece of metal to get stuck in my tire so I would go in to get it fixed and the coolant leak would be discovered. God kept me from having my car break down on the 7 hour round trip to and from my daughter's house. It was actually a blessing that I thought I had a tire problem.
Next time something doesn't go as you wanted or some of your plans get changed, thank God in the midst of it. Sometimes God uses life's little inconveniences to take care of us.
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
A few weeks ago I noticed a piece of metal in my front driver's side tire. I didn't try to remove it because I've learned from experience that sometimes that's what is holding the air in. So even though the tire never did go down any, I took my car in to the dealership where I bought it because it's under warranty. I was annoyed thinking that maybe I might have to buy a tire.
After about 30 minutes the mechanic came and got me and told me there was a problem. It seems the coolant hose had a leak in it and I was almost out of antifreeze. I asked about the tire, and he said it was just a piece of metal wedged into the tread but it didn't puncture the tire. So that was a relief! Now I had another problem, though, with the coolant system. I was set to go out of town to see the grand kids the very next day. Since they couldn't get it done before my trip, the mechanic gave me a container of antifreeze to take with me. I thought this was a very nice gesture.
I made it there and back to see the grand kids with no problems; there was very little antifreeze leaking. Apparently it was a slow leak and had been there a while. I took it in to have it repaired the next week and the whopping cost was: $0. One of the perks of having a newer car is the warranty. Car payment, yes, but....warranty. It balances out for me.
The point of this story is this: Sometimes we get upset when little things threaten to spoil our plans. I was irritated that I had something in my tire (I thought) and had to address that issue before I traveled out of town. But in reality, I believe God allowed that piece of metal to get stuck in my tire so I would go in to get it fixed and the coolant leak would be discovered. God kept me from having my car break down on the 7 hour round trip to and from my daughter's house. It was actually a blessing that I thought I had a tire problem.
Next time something doesn't go as you wanted or some of your plans get changed, thank God in the midst of it. Sometimes God uses life's little inconveniences to take care of us.
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Psalm 37:23,24 NLT.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
All Sufficient Grace
Most of my life up until I was about 40 I was not really organized. I wasn't necessarily disorganized; I just didn't have any special organizing abilities to speak of. I felt disorganized, raising 3 kids in a 900 square foot home, but I think that was because there wasn't enough storage and therefore not enough places to put everything away. Seriously, is there ever enough storage for all the items you need with babies and children?
Two distinctive things happened within a year before and after I turned forty: First, two months before my 40th birthday I had a life-changing, crying and sobbing on the floor God experience when I gave Him my heart. From that moment on, at 12 noon on Oct. 31, 1994, I have never been the same. Second, about a year after I turned 40 I lost my brother and my mother within 3 months' time.
This was a traumatic time in my life. My brother died on Dec. 3, 1995 at only 55--too young to die. It was devastating to my mother, who was 77 at the time. I don't think she ever really recovered. Not quite 3 months later, on Feb. 28, my mother died suddenly. Even though she was in ICU already from a heart attack a couple of days earlier, they were unable to revive her.
And so I was left the sole survivor of the family I grew up in. My dad had passed in 1983, so I was the only one left. I didn't see how I could possibly get through this and bear these losses. It didn't occur to me until recently that He knew I could bear these losses. He sustained me through it all and gave me the grace I needed. It was all part of His master plan.
This brings me to the point of this post. He got me through this difficult time emotionally with a peace that passes all understanding. I can't explain it, I just knew I would come through ok. What I didn't know was how much God was about to change my life.
Suddenly, I had about three weeks to get my mama's apartment packed up and moved to storage until I could get a yard sale together. No pressure at all.
I remember walking into her apartment and looking around the room thinking "where do I start?" And then God spoke to me. It was life-changing to me, but some of you will have heard this if you watch reality TV shows by professional organizers or read their blogs. Bear in mind, though, that this was 20 years ago; internet was just getting started and there were no reality shows on TV. Professional organizers were not really a thing yet. So even though what I felt He was saying is very basic and logical, it had escaped me my whole life. I had never thought of this or heard it from any source. I felt strongly impressed to do the following:
"Focus on one thing at a time. Do not worry about all the other stuff in the room. Just deal with what's in front of you."
That may not be earth-shattering to you, but it was revelation knowledge to me back then. Essentially what the Lord showed me was to start at the doorway and move clockwise around the room until everything had been dealt with. For instance, I took a dresser drawer in the bedroom and focused on its contents using the "keep, toss, sell" directions like the organizers do. I boxed it up or threw it away and moved on to the next dresser drawer.
You may be thinking, "wow, she's cold-hearted and unfeeling." However, I am very sentimental. This was a daunting task, and if God had not helped me I could not have done it! But by the sheer grace of God, I was able to detach myself emotionally from my mother's belongings so that I could sort through it and get it ready to give away, sell, or throw it away. Some of it did go into storage until I could decide, but I was able to decide on most of it during that process.
It took me 3 weeks, going after work and on the weekends, to box up her apartment. We rented a storage building and stored her furniture to put in a yard sale when I had a chance to get that together. I had some help at times from my husband and kids, but I had to make all the decisions about the stuff. No one could do that part for me. It was mine alone to do, and I knew it.
Because my dad was a photographer, and both he and my mom kept virtually everything, there were a lot of pictures. A LOT. I was finding random pictures in every drawer, nook and cranny and I began to feel the need to organize them chronologically.
Then I felt strongly--probably the urging of the Holy Spirit again--that I should put the photographs in plastic containers. Maybe this would seem like common sense, but it had never occurred to me until I was in the middle of it. I went and bought large clear plastic storage boxes and sorted the pictures into them. In April 1996, three weeks after I turned in the key to my mom's apartment, an F-3 tornado came through our town and ripped part of the roof off the storage building where her furniture and personal belongings, including all those pictures, were stored.
It was over a week before we were allowed to go in and check on our storage, because the storage building was in a heavily damaged part of town. Trees and power lines were down and houses were reduced to splinters. When we finally got in there, a lot of the furniture was ruined due to the rain that continued all night after the tornado went through our area, and a lot of the boxed items were, too. However, the pictures, safe in their plastic containers, were unharmed. Every one of them. I'm so thankful I listened to that still, small voice that told me to put the pictures in plastic containers.
It's been 20 years this month since I was in the middle of cleaning out my mother's apartment, but through the years I have retained my God-given ability to organize and deal with all manner of "stuff." There are times when I still walk into a room and wonder where to start, but I simply ask God to show me and He does. Every time. Maybe He allows me to feel overwhelmed sometimes to remember that He is my source, I don't know. I do know this for sure: I give Him all the glory for my organizational abilities. I could not do it without His guidance and His all-sufficient grace.
“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT.
Two distinctive things happened within a year before and after I turned forty: First, two months before my 40th birthday I had a life-changing, crying and sobbing on the floor God experience when I gave Him my heart. From that moment on, at 12 noon on Oct. 31, 1994, I have never been the same. Second, about a year after I turned 40 I lost my brother and my mother within 3 months' time.
This was a traumatic time in my life. My brother died on Dec. 3, 1995 at only 55--too young to die. It was devastating to my mother, who was 77 at the time. I don't think she ever really recovered. Not quite 3 months later, on Feb. 28, my mother died suddenly. Even though she was in ICU already from a heart attack a couple of days earlier, they were unable to revive her.
And so I was left the sole survivor of the family I grew up in. My dad had passed in 1983, so I was the only one left. I didn't see how I could possibly get through this and bear these losses. It didn't occur to me until recently that He knew I could bear these losses. He sustained me through it all and gave me the grace I needed. It was all part of His master plan.
This brings me to the point of this post. He got me through this difficult time emotionally with a peace that passes all understanding. I can't explain it, I just knew I would come through ok. What I didn't know was how much God was about to change my life.
Suddenly, I had about three weeks to get my mama's apartment packed up and moved to storage until I could get a yard sale together. No pressure at all.
I remember walking into her apartment and looking around the room thinking "where do I start?" And then God spoke to me. It was life-changing to me, but some of you will have heard this if you watch reality TV shows by professional organizers or read their blogs. Bear in mind, though, that this was 20 years ago; internet was just getting started and there were no reality shows on TV. Professional organizers were not really a thing yet. So even though what I felt He was saying is very basic and logical, it had escaped me my whole life. I had never thought of this or heard it from any source. I felt strongly impressed to do the following:
"Focus on one thing at a time. Do not worry about all the other stuff in the room. Just deal with what's in front of you."
That may not be earth-shattering to you, but it was revelation knowledge to me back then. Essentially what the Lord showed me was to start at the doorway and move clockwise around the room until everything had been dealt with. For instance, I took a dresser drawer in the bedroom and focused on its contents using the "keep, toss, sell" directions like the organizers do. I boxed it up or threw it away and moved on to the next dresser drawer.
You may be thinking, "wow, she's cold-hearted and unfeeling." However, I am very sentimental. This was a daunting task, and if God had not helped me I could not have done it! But by the sheer grace of God, I was able to detach myself emotionally from my mother's belongings so that I could sort through it and get it ready to give away, sell, or throw it away. Some of it did go into storage until I could decide, but I was able to decide on most of it during that process.
It took me 3 weeks, going after work and on the weekends, to box up her apartment. We rented a storage building and stored her furniture to put in a yard sale when I had a chance to get that together. I had some help at times from my husband and kids, but I had to make all the decisions about the stuff. No one could do that part for me. It was mine alone to do, and I knew it.
Because my dad was a photographer, and both he and my mom kept virtually everything, there were a lot of pictures. A LOT. I was finding random pictures in every drawer, nook and cranny and I began to feel the need to organize them chronologically.
Then I felt strongly--probably the urging of the Holy Spirit again--that I should put the photographs in plastic containers. Maybe this would seem like common sense, but it had never occurred to me until I was in the middle of it. I went and bought large clear plastic storage boxes and sorted the pictures into them. In April 1996, three weeks after I turned in the key to my mom's apartment, an F-3 tornado came through our town and ripped part of the roof off the storage building where her furniture and personal belongings, including all those pictures, were stored.
It was over a week before we were allowed to go in and check on our storage, because the storage building was in a heavily damaged part of town. Trees and power lines were down and houses were reduced to splinters. When we finally got in there, a lot of the furniture was ruined due to the rain that continued all night after the tornado went through our area, and a lot of the boxed items were, too. However, the pictures, safe in their plastic containers, were unharmed. Every one of them. I'm so thankful I listened to that still, small voice that told me to put the pictures in plastic containers.
It's been 20 years this month since I was in the middle of cleaning out my mother's apartment, but through the years I have retained my God-given ability to organize and deal with all manner of "stuff." There are times when I still walk into a room and wonder where to start, but I simply ask God to show me and He does. Every time. Maybe He allows me to feel overwhelmed sometimes to remember that He is my source, I don't know. I do know this for sure: I give Him all the glory for my organizational abilities. I could not do it without His guidance and His all-sufficient grace.
“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT.
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Look Out--No, Really...
This is not your normal Valentines post. I'm past the kicking, screaming, and hating the day. Please hear me out.
So, here we are again in February, the month of Valentines. I was just going to repost last year's post, but I feel like I need to share what's on my heart. Tonight I have a few thoughts on the subject, so here goes.
It's no secret that for many years I hated Valentines Day. It can be a very painful event for single people. Valentines Day focuses on relationships and we find ourselves yet again single. Over the years, though, it has become less painful for me and easier to tolerate by the sheer grace of God. I was just thinking the other day how good it feels not to be in pain emotionally.
Then the Lord reminded me that is still not the case for many of the singles out there. For many, it is still Single Awareness Day, pointing out to them and the world that they are not in a relationship. For those of you who are still hurting because you are in need of that special someone, I offer this small encouragement, though I know from personal experience it is not what you want to hear: God loves you. Turn to Him and ask Him to show you His heart for you, and He will. I know this to be a fact, because He did it for me.
It's no secret that for many years I hated Valentines Day. It can be a very painful event for single people. Valentines Day focuses on relationships and we find ourselves yet again single. Over the years, though, it has become less painful for me and easier to tolerate by the sheer grace of God. I was just thinking the other day how good it feels not to be in pain emotionally.
Then the Lord reminded me that is still not the case for many of the singles out there. For many, it is still Single Awareness Day, pointing out to them and the world that they are not in a relationship. For those of you who are still hurting because you are in need of that special someone, I offer this small encouragement, though I know from personal experience it is not what you want to hear: God loves you. Turn to Him and ask Him to show you His heart for you, and He will. I know this to be a fact, because He did it for me.
"...may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:18,19 NLT.
It doesn't matter why you are single. You may have never been married. You may be divorced. You might have lost your spouse to death.
"For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." Romans 5:4 NLT.
The point is there are a lot of people who don't necessarily enjoy Valentines Day to some degree. Some are not necessarily upset over being alone as much as how society views singles; as though all of us--of course--are looking for love and not finding it. By some, we are seen as somehow incomplete because we are not part of a couple.
This post is for those people. I'm here to tell you I feel your pain.
I'm in the category of those who are single because of divorce. I have struggled with my singleness and moved past merely accepting it to actually loving it. I am finally content for the first time in years. I do enjoy being with family and friends, but there is a time to be with people and a time to be alone. I know that now, and I'm not afraid of it anymore.
The Lord has shown me when I need to be with my family and friends and when I just need to be alone--and He gives me the grace for whichever He is leading me to do.
This year I am being led to "look out" and turn my focus outward to show the love of Christ. You don't have to look very far to find hurting people. So I challenge you to join me in making this a good Valentines Day for someone who is hurting. It doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. It may not cost a dime.
Here are some ideas:
Here are some ideas:
Visit someone in the hospital or nursing home.
Spend a little extra time with your kids; snuggle with your little ones and read a book or watch a movie together if you are fortunate enough to still have one or more small children at home.
Call your mother, dad, or a grandparent or neighbor who lives alone. A phone call can be a treasured gift to an older adult. (Note: If any of my children happen to be reading, this is not an elaborate attempt to get you to call me. This is truly what I believe God would have me write.)
There are many ways to show someone you care, Ask God to show you how to reach outward this year, and I promise He will. The best way to forget your own pain and problems is to help someone in need.
Happy Valentines Day!
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Living Life
January is almost over, and I am just now writing my first post of the year. In fact, I haven't posted anything since October.
So, we have left 2015 in the past and have begun a new year. As with any year, it had its good and bad moments. It started off good with my 60th birthday in January, when all 3 of my children came for the surprise party even though they had just been here a month earlier for my college graduation. I was absolutely blown away to see a room full of my friends and family with my children and granddaughter standing among them. It was the best birthday ever.
I flew to Arizona in May to see my sweet daughter-in-law graduate with her Masters Degree. That was a great trip; I wrote a blog about it in June.
Everything else was pretty blah until November. That's when my grandson decided to come at 36 1/2 weeks, weighing 5 lb. 9 oz. but in perfect health, thank God! I took several days off work to help out, and made another couple of trips to see him as well.
My youngest son and his wife came for Christmas and spent a week with me. It was awesome. We had a great visit, which included seeing several movies and getting him and his wife caught up on the current season of Doctor Who so they could watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special with me on Christmas Day. We even went to see their new nephew while they were here, with a detour to see Crystal Bridges on the way back. The only thing that kept Christmas 2015 from being perfect was the fact that my oldest son couldn't come home.
So, as you can see, I was busy living life and couldn't find the time to write. I am happy to be busy. I am blessed to have family and friends and we have so much to do and say when we are together. I think that's how it should be.
That was my 2015 in a nutshell. The new year came in quietly as most years do in the last few years; just the cat and me. I watched the New Years Day Rose Parade like I always do, and fixed blackeyed peas and hog jowl for supper on January 1.
I promise the next post will be more interesting. I am already working on it, but I wanted to recap last year and officially welcome 2016.
Stay tuned for a post in the next few days. It is one of those that is like a "fire shut up in my bones." I think God is up to something.
So, we have left 2015 in the past and have begun a new year. As with any year, it had its good and bad moments. It started off good with my 60th birthday in January, when all 3 of my children came for the surprise party even though they had just been here a month earlier for my college graduation. I was absolutely blown away to see a room full of my friends and family with my children and granddaughter standing among them. It was the best birthday ever.
I flew to Arizona in May to see my sweet daughter-in-law graduate with her Masters Degree. That was a great trip; I wrote a blog about it in June.
Everything else was pretty blah until November. That's when my grandson decided to come at 36 1/2 weeks, weighing 5 lb. 9 oz. but in perfect health, thank God! I took several days off work to help out, and made another couple of trips to see him as well.
My youngest son and his wife came for Christmas and spent a week with me. It was awesome. We had a great visit, which included seeing several movies and getting him and his wife caught up on the current season of Doctor Who so they could watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special with me on Christmas Day. We even went to see their new nephew while they were here, with a detour to see Crystal Bridges on the way back. The only thing that kept Christmas 2015 from being perfect was the fact that my oldest son couldn't come home.
So, as you can see, I was busy living life and couldn't find the time to write. I am happy to be busy. I am blessed to have family and friends and we have so much to do and say when we are together. I think that's how it should be.
That was my 2015 in a nutshell. The new year came in quietly as most years do in the last few years; just the cat and me. I watched the New Years Day Rose Parade like I always do, and fixed blackeyed peas and hog jowl for supper on January 1.
I promise the next post will be more interesting. I am already working on it, but I wanted to recap last year and officially welcome 2016.
Stay tuned for a post in the next few days. It is one of those that is like a "fire shut up in my bones." I think God is up to something.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Seasons
A few weeks back, I was reflecting on my life on a Saturday morning, and suddenly I was journaling about it. I have felt for a couple of weeks that I should post it, so that's what I'm doing. The following is taken from that Saturday morning-with-coffee time of reflection:
There are some things I have learned about myself over the years.
Fact #1--I can't function in chaos. Right now there are various items on the kitchen table, where I am seated, that do not belong here. Some mail, mostly junk, that never made it to the bill rack or trash can. It has to be sorted though, because there are some pieces of this that I need. There's a half full water bottle for some reason. My Bible case. Pens and markers. Ugh. It is really distracting and I have to do something about it today.
For whatever reason, I need a clean table or desk to properly sit and write in my journal or on my blog. The same goes for my desk at work. I have rearranged my desk top several times in the last couple of months trying to have a cleaner surface so I can work efficiently. As of yesterday, I'm finally happy with my desk.
I don't know why this is. I'm just happy that I finally realized this about myself.
Fact #2--I have to have my Saturdays to re-charge my "batteries" so to speak. I used to run and do stuff every weekend and somehow had the energy and stamina to work all week and run all weekend. Not anymore. Except for the occasional weekend trip, for which God gives the grace and energy, I am a hermit on Saturday.
I have come to the the realization that God gives us the grace and strength for what we need to do for a season. Part of it is the aging process. I am 60 now, and don't have quite the energy level I had when my kids were in high school and I ran all the time doing stuff with them. However, part of it is just this: God gave me the ability to run with my teenagers, work my main job all week, and work a part-time job in a fast-food restaurant on nights and weekends at a time in my life when it was needed. More recently, He gave me the motivation and energy to go to college and do homework every night and weekend well past the age when most people are in college.
Now I know it was for a season, and it's over. It's over. Funny thing is, I'm not upset about it. I am grateful to get to be home most nights and on Saturday. It's my favorite place to be. I have projects around the house I enjoy working on like my pictures, writing my blog, and learning to live a minimal lifestyle.
So those were my thoughts that Saturday morning as I sat with Bible, journal, and coffee. I was left with the impression that it's time to clean up my environment--physically, mentally, and spiritually--and get to what God has called me to do in this season. For one, I know I'm drawn to writing in this blog. It makes me happy, but most of the time I don't feel like I have anything to say. I have to depend on Jesus to show me what is "share-worthy" in my life.
In other words, I need to sort through the stack of "mail" in my life--the necessary stuff and the unnecessary stuff--and figure out what is junk and what is not. That may not make sense to anyone else, but the analogy is very clear to me. Aside from the junk mail, none of the things on the kitchen table that day were unneeded; they were just out of place. I love to organize. I am excited about this challenge. God will show me how to sort everything out according to His plan.
My main reason for writing is to encourage others and point them to Jesus, who is the only answer. If you are facing a new, uncharted territory in your life, maybe it is just a new season that God is bringing about. Don't be afraid; He will equip you for what He has called you to do.
I embrace the season that God has put me in. With His help, I know I can do this.
"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT
There are some things I have learned about myself over the years.
Fact #1--I can't function in chaos. Right now there are various items on the kitchen table, where I am seated, that do not belong here. Some mail, mostly junk, that never made it to the bill rack or trash can. It has to be sorted though, because there are some pieces of this that I need. There's a half full water bottle for some reason. My Bible case. Pens and markers. Ugh. It is really distracting and I have to do something about it today.
For whatever reason, I need a clean table or desk to properly sit and write in my journal or on my blog. The same goes for my desk at work. I have rearranged my desk top several times in the last couple of months trying to have a cleaner surface so I can work efficiently. As of yesterday, I'm finally happy with my desk.
I don't know why this is. I'm just happy that I finally realized this about myself.
Fact #2--I have to have my Saturdays to re-charge my "batteries" so to speak. I used to run and do stuff every weekend and somehow had the energy and stamina to work all week and run all weekend. Not anymore. Except for the occasional weekend trip, for which God gives the grace and energy, I am a hermit on Saturday.
I have come to the the realization that God gives us the grace and strength for what we need to do for a season. Part of it is the aging process. I am 60 now, and don't have quite the energy level I had when my kids were in high school and I ran all the time doing stuff with them. However, part of it is just this: God gave me the ability to run with my teenagers, work my main job all week, and work a part-time job in a fast-food restaurant on nights and weekends at a time in my life when it was needed. More recently, He gave me the motivation and energy to go to college and do homework every night and weekend well past the age when most people are in college.
Now I know it was for a season, and it's over. It's over. Funny thing is, I'm not upset about it. I am grateful to get to be home most nights and on Saturday. It's my favorite place to be. I have projects around the house I enjoy working on like my pictures, writing my blog, and learning to live a minimal lifestyle.
So those were my thoughts that Saturday morning as I sat with Bible, journal, and coffee. I was left with the impression that it's time to clean up my environment--physically, mentally, and spiritually--and get to what God has called me to do in this season. For one, I know I'm drawn to writing in this blog. It makes me happy, but most of the time I don't feel like I have anything to say. I have to depend on Jesus to show me what is "share-worthy" in my life.
In other words, I need to sort through the stack of "mail" in my life--the necessary stuff and the unnecessary stuff--and figure out what is junk and what is not. That may not make sense to anyone else, but the analogy is very clear to me. Aside from the junk mail, none of the things on the kitchen table that day were unneeded; they were just out of place. I love to organize. I am excited about this challenge. God will show me how to sort everything out according to His plan.
My main reason for writing is to encourage others and point them to Jesus, who is the only answer. If you are facing a new, uncharted territory in your life, maybe it is just a new season that God is bringing about. Don't be afraid; He will equip you for what He has called you to do.
I embrace the season that God has put me in. With His help, I know I can do this.
"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1 NLT
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