9 May 2022 Hesed and God Moving In Mysterious Ways

Hello to you. How is your day going as you visit here? I hope well. Last night I had another one of those dreams like I recently shared with you. I felt like this energy entered my room and went over me. I could hear and feel it. It was different this time as I spoke to the darkness and was able to say “Jesus!” more than once. Well apparently this crossed over into the waking world and scared Link off of the bed! Not quite sure what’s going on. There are things always going on in the unseen spirit world and sometimes it seems we cross paths with it and we experience things. For me it’s mostly in dreams and I’m grateful for that.

After church these sweet girls passed out flowers to us
Lots of lovely clouds yesterday
Pretty yellow for me!

Yesterday was a really good day. I got myself to church and got to meet two new people! What is so beautiful was these were people I had noticed the Sunday before – one of them in a wheelchair. They were a daughter and her mom who had been going to the other campus for the church in Nampa but decided to start going to Middleton. Our church is smaller ( right now) and the traffic isn’t so bad (yet). It’s funny how God works and to actually experience his love, or hesed, first hand. So many things flit across my mind and heart that lead to moments like I’m describing to you. We are God’s feet. We are instruments God uses to demonstrate hesed. This word was spoken for the second time since I’ve been going back to church. I had never heard the word hesed before:

https://firmisrael.org/learn/the-meaning-of-hesed-hebrew-for-love/

Yesterday spending time with my family to honor my Aunt I saw hesed in various forms:

My beautiful Auntie and cousin having a moment of hesed. Their love goes beyond words.
My cousins husband and Smokey finally get along! They used to hate each other! They just had to learn to communicate.

Some other images from the day:

My Aunt loved her balloon
My Auntie is recovering from knee surgery. It was so good to see her and the family!
Wonderful smells here in a bush in my Aunt and Uncles front yard
My cousins husbands Mothers Day card art work – loved it!!
This is from the story The Help: https://youtu.be/3H50llsHm3k – video clip from The Help
Link helps me feel like a Mom sometimes

Messages:

Thinking about the Holy Spirit
This passage makes me think of how I went from just noticing a woman in a wheelchair to actually meeting her and getting to shake her hand! God works in mysterious and wonderful ways! I didn’t realize this commonly used phrase had an origin other than the Bible:

God Moves in a Mysterious Way” is a Christian hymn, written in 1773 by William Cowper from England.

https://youtu.be/yjPR09kdCgc – God Moves In A Mysterious Way (Hyms of Grace)

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-god-moves-in-a-mysterious-way-cowper

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44028/light-shining-out-of-darkness#:~:text=God%20moves%20in%20a%20mysterious,And%20rides%20upon%20the%20storm.

Light Shining out of Darkness

BY WILLIAM COWPER

God moves in a mysterious way, 

His wonders to perform; 

He plants his footsteps in the sea, 

And rides upon the storm. 

Deep in unfathomable mines 

Of never-failing skill, 

He treasures up his bright designs, 

And works his sov’reign will. 

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, 

The clouds ye so much dread 

Are big with mercy, and shall break 

In blessings on your head. 

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, 

But trust him for his grace; 

Behind a frowning providence 

He hides a smiling face. 

His purposes will ripen fast, 

Unfolding ev’ry hour; 

The bud may have a bitter taste, 

But sweet will be the flow’r. 

Blind unbelief is sure to err, 

And scan his work in vain; 

God is his own interpreter, 

And he will make it plain.

6 April 2022 Shadows in Dreams and Divinely Loved

Hello to you. How are you doing in your world? I’m sitting here in mine with some coffee, Link and a beautiful day. We had another rough night with pain but did manage to get some sleep. A dream that woke me up was of looking at something dark and not being able to say anything but with my thoughts. Whatever I was looking at said without words but with thoughts, “how is it your here?” Then my mouth was free and I said “Jesus!” Then I woke up. The dark being was gone. Stuff of a spiritual nature happens to me mostly when I dream.

Yesterday I had something beautiful happen. A prayer of mine has been gradually getting answered – getting to know my neighbors. What happened is I was sitting on the porch enjoying various types of music. I was listening to the song We Are Stars by the Pierces and the chorus has the phrase, “I just want to be loved by you…” As I heard this my neighbor came up and offered me a pot of wild flowers that had found their way into her yard! In that moment and those of her showing me her gorgeous little Eden of a yard I felt divinely loved. God does stuff like this! If we are willing we become his body here on earth to do loving things both great and small. So now I have some beautiful flowers amidst all the gravel! It may not seem like it some days. When times are tough it can beg the question, “if you love me God why is this happening?!” The closer you stay with your heart to God the more you will see you are loved no matter what is happening.

Stay willing….surrender. A friend I made on Twitch called me out of the blue this week and she was calling to tell me I was loved! She has been going through an amazing awakening with God. What she has realized is that the harder you fight against God the harder it is for you. That has been my experience too. Lately as I’ve been hobbling around taking pictures, I feel like a spirit with feet. God giving me the strength to be his boots on the ground here.

Remember, no matter what you are facing in your world it’s not about all the things you can’t do….focus on what you can do. Sometimes that might be just one small thing for the entire day! That’s ok! You did something you thought you couldn’t. Be proud of that! Sending you love and hugs through the wires and the winds that connect all of us!

Let’s go for a walk…..

This tree has the energy of a smiling and happy person!
I noticed this neighbor got more flowers! Aren’t they pretty?!
I love seeing the progress my neighbor is making on their massive garden!
Hello beauty! Long locks blowing in the wind
The neighbor who gave me the pot of flowers is an amazing gardener. This Iris of hers just bloomed yesterday!
I think this is a marigold – Orange!!
This is the pot of flowers she gave me! Soooo pretty and they weren’t planted in this pot on purpose she said!
Pansies? Found more Orange!!
Her water feature where she sits and listens to the water and her chimes. Beautiful!
Something going on with the ants here

Last thoughts yesterday:

The closer you get to God the more you see this in the world.
Most of the day was cloudy but the sun did peek out in the evening

https://youtu.be/IWD8b9eIROI – We Are Stars The Pierces

5 May 2022 The Humming Tree and Orange Flowers

Hello to you. How are you today? I am writing to you from bed again. I think I overdid it the past couple days and my back and legs are not happy with me! A ruckus going on in my temple lol!

I had a new friend on Facebook express to me her love of the Bible and that she noticed I had been sharing Bible passage’s. She asked if I have a favorite passage and I said not really. I don’t have scripture committed to memory. Lately when I have questions about things I told her I look to see what the Bible says about my question. She thought that was an interesting way to study scripture. My question yesterday was about bees. I looked at a few different passages and this one stood out as my day had included seeing both flies and bees:

There is a lot more to this passage

Yesterday was kind of magical for me. During the morning walk we stopped to visit with one of my favorite trees. As I stood there I saw thousands of bees working! I thought no wonder the energy from this tree is so happy! They have lots of friends! I tell you the most amazing thing was hearing a tree literally humming because there were so many bees. This picture I took shows the sun with a halo that makes the sun look like an eye to me…looking to see this lovely being. A healthy and happy tree filled with life:

Even the sun paying a visit to this humming tree

Do you remember me mentioning I had asked God for orange flowers? Yesterday there were orange flowers growing by a part of the canal I like to visit! Some California poppies! I don’t have a telephoto lense so couldn’t really zoom in but you can still see them:

Knowing God I will begin to see orange flowers wherever they are hiding!

Here are other moments from walking yesterday:

Link was too hot and didn’t seem interested on exploring so I headed out on my own
Bees bees everywhere wonderful bees! I gave them thanks for their hard work! Little gardeners making the world I see so beautiful
I love what sunlight does – deep oranges in this trees leaves are illuminated
I noticed this little grove by the water. They weren’t budding leaves yet which I thought was kind of odd.
Green flowers
I had to take a moment to visit with this amazing being resting on the leaves of a plant I had never seen before. Love jumping spiders!
This was over at Tsai’s Kitchen our Chinese food restaurant down the street from me
A wasp taking a moment. I notice these guys take care of trees like oak and pine. I haven’t seen them with the flowering trees.
I think this is a California poppy too! Orange!
This was supposed to be the last picture and then….
I have never seen one of these guys before! I think it’s either a swamp rat or nutria. From what I read when I was looking it up on the internet they aren’t very well liked. Considered an invasive species. Sigh.

4 May 2022 Not Alone

Hello to you. How is your today? I hope this finds you doing well and if not, if you are having a rough time mentally, physically and or spiritually I want you to know your not alone. Whether it be good times or difficult times….things will change. With our personal power of perception we are empowered to influence the direction of that change.

I have said and heard other people say “I feel so alone!” This morning I am reminded that No matter how it feels sometimes, I’m not alone. God doesn’t just see through human eyes but through all creation. For example the other day I was walking Link and felt like I was being watched. I look up and there was a dove on a power line looking at me. Lots of birds, small animals, dogs, cats….flies, bees and wasps! Let’s not forget trees and plants that don’t have eyes in the way we do but they do sense and emit energy like that of feelings. It’s in all this, even the sun, moon, clouds and gentle winds! The drops of rain that fall….each drop full of life. If you start to experience life from an energy perspective, to me one of the universal languages of God and creation, you quickly will realize you are never alone. In some way, some how, God is always letting you know this. Least that’s how it is for me!

I wanted to share a couple things today for those experiencing pain in all it’s forms. I’ve been listening to this and though it’s short, it really helps. This is just one of a bunch of these I have found – if you enjoy Bible scripture they have those too on the Abide channel on You tube:

https://youtu.be/L3-SlMJHrms – Chronic pain meditation – Natural pain relief – Relaxation for pain (Generation Calm)

https://youtu.be/TVLMeKPhoXc – I will be with you – Bible sleep talk down (Abide)

Something that I often see that’s missing is Hope – hope in God can help fill the voids in spirit

Again Link and I were able to get out in the neighborhood real slow and these are some of what we saw….God through so much beauty taking away pain and loneliness. Another thing is sharing with my parents and others who can’t get out much some beauty:

My neighbor a couple doors down has been busy! Looks so good!
This tree is literally a birdie high rise apartment! I stand, listen and watch and so many little birds love this tree!
I saw these lovely hydrangeas across the street and just had to take a look!
This picture doesn’t quite do justice to what my eyes were seeing. The light was just right on the flowers.
Hello sun!
After walk happy Link face “I’m literally pooped out Mom!”
Poofy clouds and afternoon sunlight
I had been God to see orange flowers and these are close. I’m wondering if there are any orange wild flowers that grow here
It’s hard to tell from this picture but I was trying to show you three different wild grasses growing in the same spot
We had to go over and see this purple princess!
So much going on in just one pine cone: You can grow pine trees using seed in pine cone scales that are harvested from female cones. Female pine cones are considerably larger than their male counterparts. Mature pine cones are woody and brown in appearance. One cone produces about two seeds beneath each scale.Jul 26, 2021
A view of all things, Arbor street. As a tree lover, I think that’s a cool name for a street!

I will remind myself that God makes no junk each time I doubt my value to those around me. – A Woman’s Spirit –

Tanpura – 1 hour meditation music – https://youtu.be/GUPHaaVG_zo

3 May 2022 Who Is Your Boss?

Hello to you. How are you today? I’m writing to you from my bed. My lower body is still not happy with me. Mornings are the toughest part of the day but through the course of the day things loosen and warm up. Yesterday was a really good day. The gravel install went really well and the men did a wonderful job. I’m so grateful to them. Such hard working people that I could even hear whistling as they worked! Doing that kind of work has to take a toll on the body. I prayed for them and their bodies.

This will make things a lot easier for me!
My neighbors thought the crew did a great job too. My neighbor works 40-60 hrs a week and has a child. She doesn’t have much free time or energy for yard maintenance. She’s thinking about having these guys fix her yard too. With drought conditions also it’s a good move.
These words really resonated thinking specifically about the men working here yesterday and others I see splashed over headlines. Generated a question as I observe much of the world and what it’s going through – who do you work for? Who is your boss? Ultimately who do you answer to with the work and other things you do? For me, God is my boss. God gets the glory not me.

Yesterday my cousin and I got a chance to talk on the phone and she mentioned my other cousins husbands mom had a stroke. My cousin and I are about the same age (50’s) and we are noticing that there is a whole generation of people, for us in their 70’s that are going through a lot of “body stuff” all at once. I felt sad when I heard about Naomi Judd and her battle with and ultimately succumbing to mental health issues. She was in her 70’s. I know from my own journey that mental health can be a potentially fatal condition. Suicide being the big part of it. What happens with our mind affects our entire existence. What I see in the news about all this doesn’t talk about what I see in the dis-eases of the mind and body. For all the proclamations of faith we are a very sick country spiritually. You can’t put tangibles…things of a material world in the soul. That space is just for God. All the pills, self help modalities, treatments and spa days in the world aren’t going to help a broken soul. This is what I have had to learn and relearn for most of my life.

https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/mental-health/3474366-naomi-judds-death-spotlights-a-national-mental-health-crisis-worsened-by-covid-19/amp/

Millions of Americans struggled with their mental health well before COVID-19, but the pandemic hasn’t made shouldering mental illness any easier – an issue brought to light over the weekend after the death of country music star Naomi Judd.

Who is your boss? Do you even really know? When I was in the military I had a boss all the way to the President! A lot of different people telling me, ordering, what to do each day. Through all the voices, expectations and demands I had to understand that ultimately I answer to God. When all is said and done in this life no one here on earth is going to matter to you. Who are you allowing to feed your soul?

Time for a walk, Link and I have been going even if it hurts! We just go really slow!

Another princess….
Purples
I looked this up and I think it’s going to be an Iris!
This place gives me a rest – love the running water
So vibrant! Had to stop and admire this!
One of these walks I’m going to remember to bring money so I can try food from this little food truck!
Hello sun!
Doesn’t the sun look huge lol?! These are shops when we take the longer walk – pizza, tanning and s laundromat
This is a musician I spent time listening to yesterday – mentioned him here before – Astravert aka Justin Carter. I realized yesterday when he smiles he reminds me of my younger dad when he would smile and laugh! He’s back in Omaha Nebraska with his parents for a couple months to save money. Some times trying to live off of A Twitch salary is rough! Watch https://twitch.tv/astravert with me on Twitch! astravert

I was exploring yesterday. I had been hearing an instrument in some music lately and discovered it was the Tanpura! You can really sing with this instrument – so soothing! It’s a very distinctive sound in music from India:

https://youtube.com/shorts/t-Tf-YP5Ttk?feature=share

https://youtu.be/Qh67dka7a5I – Drone Music, Briefly, All you need to know about Drones

https://youtu.be/DGhN2O6Eh6g – Dead Can Dance The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove

I noticed music from The Chosen has the sound of the Tanpura in it also!

1 May 2022 Something We Have In Common – Dancing to Music

https://youtu.be/wh3i3vWgPyk ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) All Over The World

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.

https://classroom.synonym.com/praise-dance-history-12080860.html – article you might find interesting on the subject:

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 weep
Daffodils
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!

Probably my favorite scene from The Chosen:

https://youtu.be/IiStHMNE16Q – The Chosen Jesus Saves Mary Magdalene

28 April 2022 Kairos Time

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:

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/what-does-the-greek-word-kairos-mean-in-the-bible.html
https://www.theologyofwork.org/the-high-calling/blog/living-kairos-life-chronos-world
A passage from the Bible that is great for thinking of Kairos, what time is like for God in relation to us.

A couple videos I found yesterday that might interest you:

https://youtu.be/HGPeL0tNz8Y – Kairos Living in a Chronos World -Donna Marie Duffy TedxWilmington

https://youtu.be/OWlv7SQY12s – About Time (the difference between chronos time and Kairos time in Christianity)

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

https://www.thoughtco.com › what-i…

What Is Time? A Simple Explanation – ThoughtCo

27 April 2022 Can We Peek Into Our Own Multiverse Through Dreams?

Hello to you. How are you today? My back and legs are still in pain but better! With the help of a back brace Link and I got a short walk yesterday as you will see in the pictures today. Yesterday I read that Pope Francis has been suffering with pain in his right leg. Seems it doesn’t matter who we are in this life – pain plays a part in the play! I hope he gets relief. Leg pain makes life really challenging! Speaking of that thank you for praying for my Mom and her surgery yesterday – all wet well! Hoping the same for my Aunt and her knee surgery today.

Last night I had a very vivid dream that seemed like I was peaking into the life of an alternate version of me. The dream began by me having sleep paralysis and I was looking at a small apricot colored poodle and trying to speak but I couldn’t so I was thinking to them, with my eyes “please help mommy.” Then I was out of the bed in a room that looks like my actual bedroom but it wasn’t – the light was different. I was adjusting the bottom sheet of the bed and the sheets were the same as I actually have on the bed right now. As I was adjusting the sheet I was startled because at the foot of the bed was what seemed to be a shadow at first. Then the shadow took the form of a man I guess I knew in the world I was in. He waved his hands at me and I woke up.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had a dream like this where I will find myself in a dream and the place I’m in is “like” my real world but not exactly the same. One dream I had was dreaming of being in a house that was slightly different than my actual house and following a man with horn rimmed glasses into a glowing blue television set. Anyhew…..dreams like this make me wonder if I’m not traveling in my own multiverse to other versions of me. Logically being in a dream state would definitely make that kind of journey possible. Consciousness moving without a physical body. Have you had this kind of experience?

The messages from A Woman’s Spirit today may resonate with you:

At times fear grips me and I can concentrate only on the anxiety. Then I realize I am in God’s care and I need only trust and the fear subsides. -Michele Fedderly

Remembering God in the midst of a fearful situation is often extremely difficult and at times impossible. But when we can bring God to the forefront of our minds, we sense immediate relief. Practicing reliance on our Higher Power will strengthen our use of this profoundly powerful tool. Our fears will be much more manageable when the use of this tool becomes second nature to us.

As we grow in our understanding of this program, we can look at fearful moments as opportunities to get closer to our Higher Power. Many of us came into recovery with little understanding of a loving God. More than a few of us felt betrayed by God. We may still be like babies learning to walk. But our walk will grow confident. With time and practice we will join the women who turn to God for guidance throughout their day. And as a result, we will know peace.

I will let God help me in every situation today. If I ask for help, I will get it. This is God’s promise.

———————-

If your experiencing debilitating things right now I want you to know your not alone and lots of people you may never know in this life are praying for you and hoping you will get through whatever your facing today. It may not seem like it when we are facing all the various trials this life throws at us, but God is with us! Much of the time God speaks in a whisper we are just too loud to hear:

“Are we going to go for a walk today?”
Clouds in interesting formations milling about
View from my lawn chair – sitting there felt good for my back
That’s what the clouds were up to! Rain!
Feeling the gift that water is in my own hand
A healing place of rest – the heating blanket my Aunt brought over has been so wonderful on my back. My cousin gave me that pillow when I first got to Idaho! Love the simple message – when your in pain don’t forget to take deep breathes!
Yep, still raining out front!
Still raining out back!
The rain moves on, the clouds part and there is glorious light. That’s a lot like it is when we are going through things in this life.
I put on the back brace my Aunt loaned to me and Link and I hobbled out for a short walk. I was delighted to see these purple beauties that seemed to just appear from one day to the next!
All the sudden this white flower has started to appear! I am amazed at the wild flowers this spring!
Isn’t this a beautiful tree?!
A huge cloud forming off in the distance – things are doing things all the time!
Another lovely passage from the book of Job. If you think you are in the worst of the worst read about Job! No matter what God is with us and knows us by name. I like this part because it talks about God the way I understand him best – through nature.

26 April 2022 Earth Angels and Finding Lasting Happiness

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….

25 April 2022 Pain is a Teacher

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!

Psalm 77New International Version

Psalm 77[a]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

I cried out to God(A) for help;
    I cried out to God to hear me.
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)

I remembered(F) you, God, and I groaned;(G)
    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.[b](H)
You kept my eyes from closing;
    I was too troubled to speak.(I)
I thought about the former days,(J)
    the years of long ago;
I remembered my songs in the night.
    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

“Will the Lord reject forever?(K)
    Will he never show his favor(L) again?
Has his unfailing love(M) vanished forever?
    Has his promise(N) failed for all time?
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.

In case your interested (season 3 is in the works right now): https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen