Hello to you from here. How are you? I’m still really sore but I am in good spirits. Yesterday I wondered about finding dancing in the Bible. I have always loved to dance and to watch it done in all the various ways we do it. Early people expressed their love for God through dance and simple instruments from what I was able to find out. When I really find a song I like and dance to it, it feels like being connected to a divine energy- being close to God. Everything is warm, there is no time and the only limits are how deep the movements go. I’m not as limber as I once was lol! Especially lately. Do you like to dance or do you tell yourself you can’t? Sometimes I just dance with my hands! Just tapping your hand on your body or an object….sometimes I dance with my little Djembe drum lol.
The history of praise dance dates back to biblical times. The first mention of dance in the Bible is in the book of Exodus when Miriam, sister of Moses, took a tambourine and led the women of Israel into a dance after witnessing the parting of the Red Sea. They expressed joy and celebration in their dance after witnessing God’s great miracle on their behalf.
It was a bit rainy (yay!) yesterday so not so many pictures and that’s ok. On the second walk it was gently raining. Link got so wet and was not thrilled to get such a bath but I loved it. It had been awhile since I walked slowly while it was raining. The messages for me lately has been to slow down – as I keep saying, pain is a teacher. You learn yhd lessons or you continue to suffer!
It’s so much better to dance than to weepDaffodils A baby tree being so grown up! Thinking of all the people in my life and the world that are trying to heal and get well…survive day to day. God shows us in such beings like flowers the cycles of existence…there will be blooming times and times there are just bulbs to be planted – potential stored for better times and conditions. I had to acknowledge this beauty – I’m seeing a lot more of them. I wanted to get closer but I try to respect peoples property. There you are!
This morning as I’m still having back pain my thoughts turned to that special state you can get into where your body, time and existence are all synchronized….nothing hurts, there is no clock and your just completely absorbed in doing something what pleases every part of you. They call it the flow state:
Flow is a state of mind in which a person becomes fully immersed in an activity. Positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi describes flow as a state of complete immersion in an activity. Being immersed can be defined as a state of focus in which a person is completely absorbed and engrossed in their work.
While in this mental flow state, people are highly involved and focused on what they are doing.
“The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost,” Csíkszentmihályi said in an interview with Wired magazine.1
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I find lately that I’m able to get into this state when I’m out exploring with Link and noticing the world around me. Taking pictures with my phone. What comes to mind again is Kairos time – for a moment operating in God’s time. I’m a car going on the best Sunday drives ever. I’m learning to cherish those moments when it feels like God makes the clock and pain disappear. Last night I found this song playing in my head again and so I decided to listen to it. I got goose bumps all over me. What a perfect song to play walking in the garden:
Each morning when I open my eyes is another day to be more in love with the one who made me. “I see you seeing me seeing you” This isn’t the greatest picture as cell phone cameras do have limits but I wanted to take a moment with this young tree as it begins to wake up. My neighbors up the street have been working so hard and this is some fruits of their labors. I think they did a great job! Do you remember the picture I took of Smokey all pooped out?! Link is tired but still smiles! I just love seeing what God is doing with the canvas of sky – ever changing as he stands stillThese tulips keep catching my eye. The owner of the yard has been doing some digging but these beauties remain in the seeming chaos around them. Can’t you almost hear Clair De Lune standing here? There is such glory in seeing a tree in the sunlight
The lyrics to this song speak of generations coming up behind me. Where is God in all this chaos every day? Do all I have is myself? From my own experience I know God is everywhere in my life but I can understand how young people can lose hope – think they have to get through all by themselves. This song also speaks of the fight Chadwick put up with his battle with colon cancer. Such a light extinguished way too soon:
I’m always ready for a war again (a war again) Go down that road again (that road again) It’s all the same (it’s all the same) I’m always ready to take a life again You know I’ll ride again It’s all the same (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Tell me who’s gon’ save me from myself When this life is all I know Tell me who’s gon’ save me from this hell Without you, I’m all alone
Who gon’ pray for me? (Who gon’ pray for me?) Take my pain for me? (Take my pain for me?) Save my soul for me? (Save my soul for me?) ‘Cause I’m alone, you see (I’m alone, you see) If I’m gon’ die for you (if I’m gon’ die for you ) If I’m gon’ kill for you (if I’m gon’ kill for you) Then I’ll spill this blood for you, hey
I fight the world, I fight you, I fight myself I fight God, just tell me how many burdens left I fight pain and hurricanes, today I wept I’m tryna fight back tears, flood on my doorsteps Life a livin’ hell, puddles of blood in the streets Shooters on top of the building, government aid ain’t relief Earthquake, the body drop, the ground breaks The poor run with smoke lungs and Scarface Who need a hero? (Hero) You need a hero, look in the mirror, there go your hero Who on the front lines at ground zero? (Hero) My heart don’t skip a beat, even when hard times bumps the needle Mass destruction and mass corruption The souls are sufferin’ men Clutchin’ on deaf ears again, rapture is comin’ It’s all prophecy and if I gotta be sacrificed for the greater good Then that’s what it gotta be
Who gon’ pray for me? (Who gon’ pray for me?) Take my pain for me? (Take my pain for me?) Save my soul for me? (Save my soul for me?) ‘Cause I’m alone, you see (I’m alone, you see) If I’m gon’ die for you (if I’m gon’ die for you ) If I’m gon’ kill for you (if I’m gon’ kill for you) Then I’ll spill this blood for you, hey
Hey, hey Hey, hey Hey, hey Hey, hey
Who gon’ pray for me? (Who gon’ pray for me?) Take my pain for me? (Take my pain for me?) Save my soul for me? (Save my soul for me?) ‘Cause I’m alone, you see (I’m alone, you see) If I’m gon’ die for you (if I’m gon’ die for you ) If I’m gon’ kill for you (if I’m gon’ kill for you) Then I’ll spill this blood for you, hey
Just in case my faith go I live by my own law I live by my own law I live by my own Just in case my faith go I live by my own law I live by my own law I live by my own
Hello to you. How are you? It’s Friday as I write to you. Almost the end of the month already! I’m still really sore but trying to work with God and my body about it. This morning I thought about my understanding of healing from an energetic perspective. I thought about how pain in the body can be a manifestation of stored unresolved emotional pain. Laying in my bed it was like hearing God remind me of all I’ve been through emotionally the past few years and how I haven’t really grieved fully about it. That pain has to go somewhere if you don’t face it fully. In all the particles that make me a solid being there are many particles of pain. What came to me is to imagine all the places the pain is being stored in my body as doors that have to open so what is living there will be evicted. Hopefully what I’m sharing makes sense to you.
Yesterday I was thinking about a scene in The Chosen where Jesus mentions that not all of his parables will be understood by everyone. I thought about communication and understanding in our world today. There are all kinds of people and devices but even still there is much misunderstanding. The translation of the message from who receives and shares it doesn’t always reach who needs to hear it. Sometimes it’s the wrong language. Sometimes it’s the wrong person or just a message the intended that are not ready to hear – it’s the “wrong” time in their mind even in Kairos time it’s exactly the time….so a seed is planted even without very good soil or water. Seeds can wait for Kairos – God’s time. Ultimately a message will be delivered and received….understanding will follow. The seed will grow if we are only willing to receive it.
Sometimes the best way to reach people and make something hard to understand easier is by telling a story – telling our personal stories in recovery programs is very powerful
Not every person is every persons “messenger.” What I say and write may make sense to some and to others seem like rubbish. Who are the people you listen to about matters in your life and this world? Do you even know why?
Some people have trouble with their own children listening and understanding them and they get frustrated. So then as a responsible parent you must find a way to reach them. Find someone they will listen to and understand. My Uncle John is involved in the Big Brother program for example. He gets to be someone outside of a child’s normal life that spends time with him. Sharing messages by not only his words but by the example he shows the child. A lot of understanding, and I learned this from my dogs, doesn’t come from what we say. It’s how we speak and what we do. A lot of language and understanding as people like the Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan will tell you is founded in our energy. Everything we do to include our thoughts is ultimately about energy:
A wild space in my neighborhood A different color bloom to enjoy Sometimes the sun masquerades as the moonLate afternoon I had to see if this trees blooms had s scent – very subtle You gotta get real close. So soft! Link and I were delighted to see some wonderful chalk art! Pretty balloons Seeing this brought me so much joy inside – kids are amazing. Just the smallest thing can become so awesome. Such a pure thing the gratitude of a child’s heart. They always say hello when we go by! Sometimes I feel bad that I can’t take dogs like this for a walk with me. So many dogs would really benefit from a walk at least once a day. Last nights walk was just magical! The light just made everything I saw look beautiful. A place with messages to be heard and hopefully understood.
Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. I’m sitting here with you with Link cuddled beside me, a hot cup of coffee and the aroma of icy hot cream I put on my back. I am excited as I get to share something I learned about yesterday in my ponderings with God. You all are probably familiar with “divine timing” but did you know there is actually a Greek word for what is considered God’s time? The word is Kairos:
Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning ‘the right, critical, or opportune moment’. In modern Greek, kairos also means ‘weather’. It is one of two words that the ancient Greeks had for ‘time’; the other being chronos.Wikipedia
The world we live in is governed by chronos – a chronological existence. We have clocks, calendars, charts, graphs, simulations, watching people be born and age marking the beginning of the journey with a birthday…a touchstone to come back to each year of being on earth. As modern science is exploring now, time is just a concept…a bookmark in the unfolding of existence. When your God time is pretty meaningless. God operates in Kairos time. There is no beginning and there is no end there just is. Learning about this further helps me understand why answers to questions I ask and prayers I say take so long sometimes to get answered or why sometimes I’m so surprised how quickly an answer comes. It all happens at the appointed time, when and how it’s supposed to happen. One of the best personal examples I have is begging God for three years to bring my dog Sam back to me and feeling like he wasn’t listening. Then there was Dutch, TJ and Link. In Kairos it took all that time and sequence of events for God to show me his love….that he heard me.
As I’ve talked about before, what is what we call a day in our existence to a God not bound by any of our understanding of time. How many moments, decisions….actions have to occur for a single prayer to be answered? I think of variables in an experiment….baking a cake! You have to have all the ingredients and like with baking bread, even the room temperature matters – everything has to go just right or the desired outcome doesn’t happen. When things get forced or rushed to happen that’s when we are not always pleased with the result.
There is lots of information about Kairos. Here are a couple things I found if your curious:
The messages for today in A Woman’s Spirit really kind of connect well with Kairos. One aspect of our time on earth is the concept of change. No matter how much we want some things to stay the same….they don’t. For us time is always passing and things are always changing. We are not powerless in all of the unceasing movement of people, places and things and that is important to remember! What you think – how you think about changes is your choice:
God is the only constant. – Ruth Casey
Change is happening to us every minute. Scientists tell us that all our body’s cells are replaced every few months. We are losing old hair and growing new hair every day. The plant world participated in a cycle of death and renewal every minute. We are surrounded by change. And when it’s change that doesn’t affect our egos, we accept it without comment, or in many cases, without notice.
Change in our personal lives is not so easily accepted. Losing a job can be devastating. Ending a relationship might feel unsurvivable. Moving to a new community, away from friends, can be profoundly lonely and disorientating. We haven’t been promised unchanging lives. But we have been promised an unchanging, always -loving Higher Power. The most fruitful lessons we can learn that God is with us throughout every experience and that change is introduced in our lives only when it helps us fulfill our greater purpose.
I will trust the experiences in store for me today and have faith they are part of God’s plan. (In pencil I had written cyst—2004? In August of 2005 I had a hysterectomy as I kept getting cysts in my ovaries and uterus)
Let’s go for a walk:
Baby cones! The dog wasn’t out in this yard so I finally got a picture of these opened up in the sun A moment “Are we going back out?” I think this tree is amazing. It’s the one I showed you had red buds all over which have become white blooms! This open spot on the walk always gets me to stop and think of what this space could be. A park? A open air interfaith place to pray together? I’m sure the owner of this space has ideas. I hope it won’t just be another house. Aaaaah…..peace for the eyes When I saw this tree I just felt happy! A tree with a cheerful energy about it. “I’m tired! Think I’ll sit with my belly in the cool grass a moment!” Doggy grounding technique! I had to stop and take a picture of these. Part of the amazing life cycle of dandelions. Their lives are never really over. It’s like Kairos time for them if you think about it. Last blooms of the journey yesterday – the trees around here have such a beautiful process of waking up
Scientific DefinitionPhysicists define time as the progression of events from the past to the present into the future. Basically, if a system is unchanging, it is timeless. Time can be considered to be the fourth dimension of reality, used to describe events in three-dimensional space.Nov 26, 2019
Hello to you. How are you today? Well Link and my day began with a knock on the door!
My Aunt and Uncle being at my door this morning made me think of Hebrew’s 13:2 – about angels You can’t see his wings but they are there. I love and am so grateful for this man. My beautiful Auntie making sure I got something to eat. She was worried about me this morning and she’s having surgery on her knee tomorrow!! She is such a blessing in my life! I have always felt like she is one of God’s earth angels! I love her so much!
I have been asking God to heal me and there has been relief from the pain but I think there hasn’t been complete healing because he’s trying to get me to slow down – to accept help!
This small message resonated with me yesterday. With healing there is more than just our physical bodies to be mended!
The message from A Woman’s Spirit seems to speak to what I’ve been reading about with young people of today and the concept of joining the work force. A lot of places that employ entry level people or places that pay low wages are really having trouble getting young people to work for them. I think there is a growing awareness that being happy and fulfilled in life is important! Working in some dead end job with toxic people and employment practices just isn’t worth it:
Many of us think that attaining status and financial success will make us happy. – Helene Lerner-Robbins
May be we have to attain status and material wealth before we realize that it doesn’t fulfill us. If we grew up in unhappy homes, we may have thought that material objects would change our lives. To discover otherwise takes wisdom, and we are only now seeking that.
The attainment of wisdom gives us the happiness we have sought everywhere else in our past. All that we longed for comes to us when we stop the rush to attain things and focus instead on the miracle of our spiritual being. Life is full of wonderful paradoxes; utilizing the tools of this program helps us discover them.
Let’s not mislead ourselves. Having status and financial success doesn’t preclude happiness; it just won’t guarantee it. Finding God and settling for wisdom does.
I don’t need anything special to be happy. My reliance on my Higher Power will give me lasting happiness.
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I wasn’t able to get on a walk yesterday so I focused on other things that make me feel close to God:
Hallelujah view of the sky I love his sweet smile I knew I couldn’t go for a walk but I COULD go and sit on the porch and admire the setting sun“Not all who wander are lost….”
The phrase is referenced with a reversal of the usual meaning in J.R.R. Tolkien‘s poem, “The Riddle of Strider”, originally written for The Fellowship of the Ring:
All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Riddle of Strider, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
It’s hard to believe it’s been about 3 years since I broke my wrist. My wrist is crooked but it is healed and a physical reminder of what happens when our spirit moves faster than our feet! Have you ever really stopped and looked at your hands? Thought about all we use them for? What an amazing tool! I was trying to get a picture of his paws and instead he did this – showing me how valuable paws are! My little healer….
Hello to you. How are you? Today is another day of learning for me. The past few days I’ve been more active than usual. Yesterday I decided the yard work couldn’t wait and I really hurt my back doing it. I used to be able to take care of a front, back and side yard with weed whacking no problem just a couple of years ago! All I have now is weed whacking a little yard in the front and wore myself out! I’m so frustrated with my body….this getting older and limitations.
This morning I was reminded of a conversation I had with my ex once about being grateful I could do laundry. Some people with various physical and cognitive limitations can’t do it! They would give anything to be able to do it! This morning it was all I could do to get myself dressed! The other thing which is hard for me is asking for and accepting help! Thank God for my Aunt and Uncle this morning. They made sure I had something to eat and help for the pain. My Aunt used a massager on my back and left a cane and heating blanket for me! They helped me when they have their own things going on. My Aunt goes for her knee surgery Wednesday!
Pain is being my teacher. New, old and refresher lessons. I am reminding myself today to focus on what I can do and that my body is not meant to be a prison. What I’m going through will pass and new days will come. Hopefully mostly pain free days!
Please keep my Aunt in your prayers and my Mom. My Mom is having hip replacement surgery Tuesday!
Last night on The Chosen livestream psalm 77 was mentioned. I waited to read it this morning and it’s really perfect for what I’m experiencing with chronic pain. Especially the crying out to God for help part!
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 I cried out to God(A) for help; I cried out to God to hear me. 2 When I was in distress,(B) I sought the Lord; at night(C) I stretched out untiring hands,(D) and I would not be comforted.(E)
3 I remembered(F) you, God, and I groaned;(G) I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[b](H) 4 You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak.(I) 5 I thought about the former days,(J) the years of long ago; 6 I remembered my songs in the night. My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?(K) Will he never show his favor(L) again? 8 Has his unfailing love(M) vanished forever? Has his promise(N) failed for all time? 9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?(O) Has he in anger withheld his compassion?(P)”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.(Q) 11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles(R)of long ago. 12 I will consider(S) all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”(T)
13 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God?(U) 14 You are the God who performs miracles;(V) you display your power among the peoples. 15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,(W) the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
16 The waters(X) saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed;(Y) the very depths were convulsed. 17 The clouds poured down water,(Z) the heavens resounded with thunder;(AA) your arrows(AB) flashed back and forth. 18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,(AC) your lightning(AD) lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.(AE) 19 Your path(AF) led through the sea,(AG) your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.
20 You led your people(AH) like a flock(AI) by the hand of Moses and Aaron.(AJ)
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Some pictures – no second walk yesterday!
Brand new leaves! Normally these are in the shade. Not sure what this plant is. Layers of different trees Sometimes when I pass this house a man is sitting in the chair. A peaceful little spot to meditate on things. Poor Smokey! He got tuckered out! The way he looks in this picture is how I feel lately! Linky looking at me with a look that seems to say “I’m sorry your hurting….you overdid it again! “No clouds and hazy view of the setting sun A lot of furry and feathered beings visit this tree out back “It’s not about what you can’t do but what you can do.” Sometimes just playing with the sun has to be enough
A couple timely messages from A Woman’s Spirit today:
Healing is learning to trust my own wisdom, my own intuition. -Mary Zink
I am wise. I’ll know what to do today in every situation if I open my heart to my Higher Power.
Hello sun Hello! Hi there! It’s the weekend so make sure you don’t work too hard! Did you look outside yet today?
Hello to you. How are you doing today? It’s Saturday as I write to you and looking like it’s going to be a really nice day here. Sometimes I almost feel guilty to be so blessed with the life I have! Even with some of the things I’ve got going on, I’m so grateful for my life.
Yesterday I was curious what scripture there would be about clouds. Lately I’ve been asking questions like that so I will explore the Bible more. So that I can connect my current life and experiences to what is the past. It’s really kind of amazing how such ancient messages can still be relatable to life today. So yes, there are messages about clouds! Clouds have been around a loooong time! One place that I thought was really interesting to read about them was in Job 37:11-13 in particular:
11 He loads the clouds with moisture;(U) he scatters his lightning(V) through them.(W) 12 At his direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever he commands them.(X) 13 He brings the clouds to punish people,(Y) or to water his earth and show his love.(Z)
Being able to access the Bible online has made finding answers to my inquiries really easy but it’s still nice to hold the words in my own hands.
Connecting my now to the understanding Biblical people of the past had about how God works in nature
Todays messages from A Woman’s Spirit are so good I want to share the whole thing with you:
To show great love for God and our neighbor, we need not do great things. – Mother Teresa
We don’t have to invent a cure for cancer or lift the burdens of a friend to prove our worth to other people. Being considerate of someone’s feelings is quite enough, and it is something any of us can do. It takes only a moment’s thought and the willingness to treat others as we’d like them to treat us. The real blessing is that we feel much better each time our heart guides our actions.
Loving others is perhaps the simplest of all actions we can take in this life. It requires no planning, no money, no muscle power, no problem solving. It’s a simple decision we can make daily or hourly. Every person we encounter, every situation we face, is an opportunity for us to hone the skill. And every loving act or thought makes the world a better place.
It’s human nature to treat others as we are treated. If each of us becomes willing to offer the hand of love to someone else today, we will indeed have done a great thing!
I can make a worthwhile contribution today. I can be kind to a stranger.
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Now let’s go for a walk together……
This is that tree I was talking about that has leaves but as made these tiny red buds all over! It must take so much energy to do this! Doesn’t the sun look amazing? I guess I got the angle just right so we can see the rays of light spoking out around it. A street with my Grandma Becker’s name! I think of her whenever I see it! A beautiful view of Carol street. Grandma would love this tree! As you can see the street names are all ladies lol Something interesting here. I was lucky to get this little one out and about and then later something weird – in my news feed were all kinds of articles about lady bugs! Coincidence or an algorithm picking up on the image on my phone?! I loved seeing those two big trees by the waters edge….my eyes go aaaah when I see scenes like this one! There have been lots of poofy healthy clouds lately. It’s interesting to see the layers of clouds. Sometimes I imagine angels traveling in a cloud ship sight seeing when I see hallelujah clouds like these.
Hello to you. I hope this finds you well. It’s a sunny morning here – beautiful day for Easter. In a little while I plan to go to and share with others the good news of this day. Can you imagine what it must have been like to see Jesus after all he went through? I bet the sun was shining that day too! These words resonated this morning:
John 8:12 NIV
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
NIV: New International Version
Yesterday we were blessed to get some much needed rain! So grateful! There is water rushing through the canals again. Here are the pictures from yesterday:
Cheerful yellow blooms Enough rain to see pools of reflection Moss and lichen- thinking of the day my Mom taught me what lichen was during a visit to Pipestone South Dakota when I was a young girlI love seeing water droplets sparkle in the sun After the rain and storms it all gives way to glorious lightThis one made me smile. It’s like the sun has hair of clouds! Purple fit for a King God put on quite a show last night with views like this and so many birds were out! A huge crane, a hawk, ducks, geese and so much more. The miracles of water. Link checking out one of the canals on our amazing walk yesterday. We walked farther than normal and got to see and chat with other neighbors. One mentioned her taking care of a brother in Rapid City South Dakota! Since I’m originally from Sioux Falls that was pretty cool! This one….this one made me think “Hallelujah!” I can just see angels and glory.
This song came to my mind this morning. It’s about a love that stretches through the expanse of all existence. I think of God’s love for us:
We are Stars by the Pierces
We are stars Fashioned in the flesh and bone We are islands Excuses to remain alone We are moons Throw ourselves around each other We are oceans Being controlled by the pull of another
And I just wanna be loved by you Yeah, I just wanna be loved by you I see nothing worse Than to sail this universe without you
When we met I was pulling an angel out of a liar We forget Satisfaction kills our desire We are dreamers Wishing upon what we were born from We made plans Kill them ourselves And then we mourn them
And I just wanna be loved by you Yeah, I just wanna be loved by you I see nothing worse Than to sail this universe without you
I just wanna be loved by you Yeah, I just wanna be loved by you I see nothing worse Than to sail this universe without you (I just wanna be loved by you) I see nothing worse Than to sail this universe without you (Yeah, I just wanna be loved by you) I see nothing worse Than to sail this universe without you Without you
Hello to you. How are you? My thoughts this morning are all over the place to be honest! There is just so much going on in this world. The news isn’t good but I am trying to remain conscious that good things are happening. There are so many good people. For all of the awful we are being bombarded with at every turn, there is good. I remind myself that even though I am powerless to stop and change so much of what is going on, God is not. There will be justice….there is justice we can’t see with our eyes but know with our spirits. My request is God’s justice for atrocities such as this:
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Todays message from A Woman’s Spirit is a great reminder about the power of time….it passes. Whatever the trial or tribulation we are experiencing we can trust it won’t last. We wish we could hold on to the good stuff that happens as much as we want to let go and forget the bad stuff….the length either stays is where we are empowered outside the rules of time:
Everything passes, as I flow with this river of highs and lows, I become calm. I trust my experience and the life force guiding me. – Ruthie Albert
Everything passes. There is perhaps no greater comfort when we’re caught in the throes of trauma than the knowledge that this too shall pass. We lived many years without this knowledge as we struggled to change the i changeable. Unfortunately, the only thing that changed was our level of frustration: it got higher. Now we know that we can patiently wait for a situation to pass. Nothing lasts forever.
The good times pass too, of course. We hope to hold on to them, but the same principle applies. The minutes tick by, carrying is to new experiences. What we need to learn will become known to us through both the good times and the struggles. They all will pass, having prepared us for the high and lows that wait to serve us.
I am at peace with the knowledge that everything passes. My needs will be met today.
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Here are pictures from yesterday’s adventures:
Morning light trying to happen- “dwell in me Lord, be strong when I am weak…” Setting up for Good Friday service at Millcreek Elementary SchoolI took this going in to help set up. In the evening one of our parishioners children handed me a flower just like this from the same tree. Children and trees…….Lots of extra chairs in anticipation of Easter. The Good Friday service really meant a lot to me. There was a good turn out.Something that reminds us of the pain Jesus enduredMemories new and old in a moment When I saw this moment I wanted to capture it for their Mom. I also thought of my Grandpa and what it must have been like for my Mom and her family to help Grandpa prepare for such occasions. These moments are so fleeting, thank goodness for cameras! Gorgeous flower on our walk that I hadn’t seen beforeSweet beautiful boy we encountered on the walk. He wanted to come to me so bad but Link wasn’t having it! I hope he is home safe and loved. My little bear Link getting my attention! Found out yesterday that my brother Jerry is a Grandpa again! This is one of the red tulips I shared the other day. More of them have appeared and I was able to get a closer look! I love the fringes on the edges! Vanity….you would laugh at how many tries it took me to get this! Sometimes it’s nice to see a face that goes with words. I hope the best for you – no matter what things seem like now it’s all going to keep moving on. Stay focused on the helpers….do what you can to be a helper. Remember that no act of kindness is too small for God.
Hello to you. How are you today? In a little bit I will be going to join some others to help set up church for tonight’s Good Friday observance. In light of what is being remembered, I’ve always had a hard time thinking of this day as good. A good man was tortured, he suffered and died on a cross with criminals. What could possibly be good about that?’ What I’m reminded is good about today is he went through all that for us….so we wouldn’t have to. He took all of the world on himself out of love for both his father and each of us. It’s truly a beautiful thing to think about someone loving me that much to go through everything he did.
the Friday before Easter Sunday, on which the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ is commemorated in the Christian Church. It is traditionally a day of fasting and penance.
Last night I was restless and wanted to watch something. I was pleased to find and watch (finally! My cousin and his wife recommended this to me over a year ago!) The Case For Christ. It was the story of author Lee Strobel an atheist who after a journey of discovery and love found his way to believing in Jesus Christ. The movie did a really good job of showing what having a believer and an unbeliever living in the same house with children can really cause disruption….division. Test a marriage. My ex-husband and I went through some of that strife. If you haven’t seen it and are curious, I saw it on You tube.
As you can see by my note and the date I’ve struggled with sleep for a long time. This is another scripture of comfort. You can talk to God about anything you need help with!
Todays message from A Woman’s Spirit is a good one for what we are remembering today….forgiveness:
Work for justice. Struggle for forgiveness. Choose love. -Patricia Benson
Justice, forgiveness, and love sound far loftier than they are. Developing these qualities requires only that we live as we think God wants us to live. It’s as simple as that. Admittedly, when we have wanted to punish a significant person in our lives, we have often preferred “justifiable” anger or resentment over love. However, the emotional hangover that has followed the expression of our outrage has diminished any pleasure we might have gained.
Our inclination to forgive other people and ourselves, coupled with our decision to love rather than punish those who irritate us, seems to grow daily. Our changed perspective comes from our willingness to grow in recovery. We can be as peace-filled and as loving as we want. We’re in charge!
I will stay in control of who I am today. I can fulfill God’s wishes.
In all the mysteries of mysteries there is light both seen and unseen. Matthew 5:16 New International Version
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others,(A) that they may see your good deeds(B)and glorify(C) your Father in heaven.
To be 