Star-fish

     I started reading this book, Soaring Above the Ashes on the Wings of Forgiveness , by Kitty Chappell last night. Thus far, the story is of a woman growing up after the Great Depression and being raised by a loving mother and father who must have been a sociopath. His behaviors were calculating, manipulative, and just plain evil. What's worse is the story is true!      As I watched my husband pulling up some pretty, but invasive plants, I noticed the roots were thick and sturdy. I thought that was interesting because during my walks in the yard these same flowers would begin to grow where they shouldn't and I pulled the little sprouts out easily with nothing but a thread like root attached. But this patch had been left to its own devices for many months and had burrowed deep and spread its roots wide to support many branches in the meantime growing stronger each day.      My mind went back to this story of abuse and living in constant ...

     I'm heading off to a women's retreat with my church today and am looking forward to singing to the Lord, praying with other women, and enjoying time in nature. God is so good that He gives us His creations to rest, regroup, and relax in. My favorite part of being in the woods is the smell. The spicy pine trees and musky earth brings back memories of my childhood. I grew up in Oregon and there is always a place to find trees, streams, mountains, and beautiful green vistas.      I thank you Lord for this time away from the city to reminisce, rejoice, and most of all, remember that you give good gifts and that you are good all the time. You love us and want what is best for us, and what is best is staying close to you, through reading the Bible, prayer, spending time with others that love you and being still and knowing you are God. Psalm 46:10 He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the ...

     I recently finished reading, A Divine Revelation of Hell , by Mary K. Baxter. The book was copyrighted by Dr. T. L. Lowery and Whitaker House publishers in 1993. I happened to see it on the shelf at the local Goodwill Store and once I began reading it, I couldn't put it down. After reading it, I couldn't stop praying for all the souls I know that aren't safely in the loving Hands of God, and saved by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.      The torment of the souls of people who had died without choosing Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord is described in detail by the author who believed God gave her a 40 day tour of hell. It's heart wrenching and soul defining stuff! How could anyone who loves the Lord ever want anyone, even their worst enemies, to suffer the eternal torment that awaits those who chose the Devil over our merciful God for their eternal lives.      Whether this woman's account is true or not is not my point since the Bibl...

     God recently taught me a lesson He has taught me a number of times before and that is that I need Him. I sometimes forget that He's my Creator and as such He knows me better than I know myself. I get caught up in getting something done, regardless...and as the old saying goes, "Haste makes Waste."      We had the carpets cleaned and my husband was golfing when the furniture needed to be moved out of the bedroom. So I proceeded to move some chairs that were heavier than I had remembered, but I got it done. Two days later, after asking my husband to put those same chairs back into the bedroom, he still hadn't done it.       Rather than standing in front of the television and asking for help moving the chairs, I got perturbed and set out to move them myself! The first chair had an errant staple that nearly punctured my finger. After hammering the staple flat a bit forcefully with a metal stapler, my husband was at my side to help. Of cour...

     As I read the words of author, Xochitl Dixon, from Our Daily Bread magazine, a sudden realization filled my mind. Xochitl noted, "I use writing to worship and serve God, even more so now that health issues often limit my mobility. So, when an acquaintance said he found no value in what I wrote, I became discouraged. I doubted the significance of my small offerings to God."      I have been having similar doubts about my own writing. I questioned why I was actually writing in the first place. I had been an educator for years, but my degree was in health education not literature. I had an Associate Professor criticize a story I had written for a college writing course. He made quite a point of picking the piece apart in front of the other students. After class, I confronted him and he apologized and noted he had wanted to write such a piece. All the same, I was deflated and didn't do much writing after that, especially fiction stories.     ...

     A random video of clips showing fathers with ninja like reflexes saving their children from falling off couches, tumbling down stairs, and even near misses with vehicles, cranes and sand slides popped up on my phone today. I was mesmerized by the speed at which these incidents took place, yet the the fathers' were right there again and again keeping disaster at bay.      These scenarios of fathers' saving and protecting their young are examples of how our Heavenly Father God cares for us. The book of Matthew of the Holy Bible  in chapter 7 verses 9-11 notes the following about God as our Father, "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"      God saves us not only from the trials and tribulations of da...

     There have been several stories lately of a lone person being helped, even saved from death, by another person. By ourselves, we are often overcome from either physical or emotional distress, but if another person can come along side us, we often recover. I wondered, Was doing my part to be the friend that helps another up?      I read the following in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 this morning: 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? 12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not  quickly broken.       The old saying goes something like this, "To have a friend, you must be a friend." I've heard people complain about no one being willing to help the...

     I've recently retired which has allowed me to ponder, "What do I really want to be when I grow up?" You might think it's a bit late for this type of reflecting, but retirement is truly its own type of beast. It can call up regrets and insecurities for some, whereas others are looking for new adventures or more time with family and friends.      As I read in Ecclesiastes 3:22 this morning, "So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot," it made me review my working days. I actually like to work, but (there's always a caveat) I enjoy creative projects that have an end in sight. So much of the work that is done, especially for government institutions (no offense intended) seems to never have an end date. Or if you do finish something, you finish just in time for a change to occur in that policy or procedure so whatever you worked on, now needs to be undone.      But the writer of Ecclesia...