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)

————————

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

23 April 2022 Connecting Now With Then

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.

—————-

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.

https://nypost.com/2022/04/18/i-lost-92k-in-an-internet-dating-scam/amp/ – another cautionary tale about the hazards of online dating! I’ve pretty much given up on it. So many scammers online! I’m trying to let God be my dating coordinator!!

22 April 2022 Earth Day

Hello! How are you today? It’s Friday here and Earth Day. I kind of think about holidays of this sort like this: “Why just a day?” For me every day belongs to the earth….without the earth there are no days. This morning I am thinking about the first garden and the first trees:

In Genesis 2:9 we learn about the tree of life and it’s purpose

Genesis 2:9New International Version

9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees(A) that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life(B) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.(C)

When I’m out walking around, as I’ve mentioned, I feel like I’m in a garden. Each tree is doing unique things to make it’s leaves. There is a tree that captured my attention and I shared with you that is now making tiny little red buds all over it even after making leaves. Some trees are still in the process of waking up of have no leaf buds at all yet. The purple flowers I’ve shared with you have spread to several yards….the two little wild pansies have become a whole cluster of them! In ever nook of earth “things are doing things!”

Last night before bed I was talking with God and as I spoke I realized I sound a lot like my Grandma Schmidt! I began to remember and think of her with so much love. She and my Grandpa taught me early on about nature and the connection of nature to knowing and loving God. She loved her garden and grew such amazing flowers! Big white Kennedy roses. I loved going camping with them. My Grandma Becker and I shared a love of trees. When we walked together she would show me her favorite trees who she thought of as friends. Each one expressing itself in a unique special way. I’m so grateful that the early people in my life taught me what a precious gift this earth is.

Everywhere I look I see intelligence….the wisdom of the master gardener of all creation. For me, each day I get to draw breath is earths day:

Tulips
Isn’t this one a pretty color?
Every time I see these I think of the blue bonnets in Texas….I think of Sam. He was my little bumblebee. One time after he walked through a yard of blue bonnets, I later found one in our backyard!
I counted the rings, this one was about 8 years old before it was cut down….a baby in tree years
I mentioned to God that we hadn’t seen any blue flowers yet and the next day….blue!
This is howGod works with me lol – I thought there were just two wild pansies and God will say how about a whole bunch of them?!
Lots of tulips right now in various yards growing in many different spots
We got a little bit of rain again – I love seeing the sun peeking through the clouds
Smokey getting some time out on a walk – he goes a lot faster than Link does so not much time for pictures lol!
A Eden in our times – all the elements to life here
This part of our walk makes me think of where I used to go play as a child
Link is so patient with me and I with him. He likes to stroll which is great for when I want to get pictures
Link is so excited Smokey is visiting

A couple messages from todays A Woman’s Spirit book:

In celebrating the good in me that was always there, I will continue to flourish. – Jill Clark

Improving a small part of me at a time isn’t too much work. Cultivating my assets in this way promises that today will be good.

Did you know:

The oldest LIVING tree is called “Methuselah” and is 4,765 years old. This tree is nearly 1,000 years older than any other bristlecone alive today. It lives in a secret location in the White Mountain range of eastern California. The oldest known tree named “Prometheus” was cut down in 1964 by a doctoral student.Feb 24, 2015

https://www.nps.gov › learn › nature

Great Basin Bristlecone Pine – Bryce Canyon – National Park Service