Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love the family getting together. The delicious smells showering my kitchen. The turkey browning in the oven. The laughter and chatter even while washing the dishes and scrubbing the pans. I smile with the memories of past holidays with loved ones now in heaven and still in our hearts. And of course, the side dishes. We will have my sister in law's sweet potato dish. Katie's homemade pumpkin pie. My mom's crockpot dressing. Good ol' green bean casserole and our family joke about needing the recipe to make it just right (We don't really but we always cut it out of the magazine ads each year and send it to each other) And cranberry jello the grandkids request and we all enjoy. Gratitude for all God's gifts overwhelmed my heart this week as I got out the recipes and made these plans for Thursday. Thank you for family. Thank you for the ones not in our near bubble we can't be with this year. We miss them. Thank you for … [Read more...]
Hello! November 21 is World Hello Day!
Hello! A simple delightful greeting we all say. I didn't know though until recently that November 21 celebrated this word. November 21 is the 48th annual World Hello Day. The purpose of this day is simple – to encourage communication and dialogue between people of different backgrounds in order to achieve peace and understanding. And we all need peace and understanding especially in turbulent times like we have experienced this year. World Hello Day began in 1973 as a simple response to the conflict between Egypt and Israel. The conflict was called the Yom Kippur War. Two brothers, Brian McCormack and Michael McCormack, founded World Hello Day. They mailed 1360 letters in 7 languages to encourage world leaders to participate. Today it is a global expression of peace in 180 countries. Did you know that: This is one of the first words a baby says. My kids started with Da-da but learned early on how to wave hello and bye-bye.Thomas Edison was the first to say this word … [Read more...]
Ever hear of Yahrzeit?
My dad died on November 12, 1966. At the end of October as I flipped the calendar to November, the 12th jumped into my attention, piercing my heart once again. Funny how anniversaries of the death of those we love echoes in our souls, aggravating the scar left by their love. Grief is a roller coaster that brings unexpected twists and turns that jar our spirit, awakening memories. Memories bringing comfort, joys, and smiles. Memories dosed with regrets, and what if's too. The spiritual practice of remembering is powerful and life-giving. Ever hear of Yahrzeit? I hadn't until I read about this practice the other day. Yahrzeit is a Yiddish word that means anniversary of a death. Our Jewish friends light a special long-burning candle on the anniversary of a loved one's death in their memory. Isn't that delightful? Many traditions believe that the candle is the symbol of the soul. This is loosely based on Proverbs 20: 27. The spirit of man is the candle of … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings – What I Learned in October
October brings multiple colorful gifts. I love God's Palette this time of year and mused about that observation last week. The October trees also share their lessons about letting go – a spiritual practice I wrote a series on in 2017. The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go.” Anonymous Each month I look back at what I am discovering, learning, and exploring in life – I call these my monthly musings. Capturing these special moments gives meaning, depth, and delight to life. Let’s wake up to the wonders in the ordinary all around us. I record what I notice on the pages of my Monthly Musings Journal. You can use anything, scrapes of papers, a journal, or a calendar. Copies of my Monthly Musings Journal are available on Amazon and are a convenient way to keep track of the little things in life we often miss. Or if you want to click the button at the end of this post to get a FREE copy of my one sheet Monthly Musings … [Read more...]
God’s Palette – Colors of the Season
God's palette of brilliant colors ignited the trees in northwest Ohio this month. Autumn exhibits meaningful messages if we pay attention to her music. "Of the four seasons, autumn is by far the most paradoxical. Wedged between an equinox and a solstice, it moors us to cosmic rhythms of deep time and at the same time envelops us in the palpable immediacy of its warm afternoon breeze, its evening chill, its unmistakable scentscape. It is a season considered temperate, but one often tempestuous in its sudden storms and ecstatic echoes of summer heat. We call it “fall” with the wistfulness of loss as we watch leaves and ripe fruit drop to the ground, but it is also the season of abundance, of labor coming to fruition in harvest. " Maria Popova I gaze at trees gathered together like patchwork quilts across auburn fields of corn, showcasing their pigmented performance. They blend together in a murmuration of color. God's palette contains some colors that on their own are not … [Read more...]
Linger Longer in Love
I wrote this following the funeral of a good friend who died unexpectedly last week. If I had known last Sunday would have been the last time I saw you on this earth, I would have looked a little deeper into your eyes. I would have lingered longer in love. I would have paused and been present. Listened, cherished each word. Shared with you how much your faith in God inspires me. Acknowledging how much you mean to me as a friend. I wouldn't have rushed off to get things done before the service began. To do's that don't seem so important now. If I had known I would have broken covid social distancing guidelines and hugged you. Until we meet again, good buddy. Until we meet again. If I had known…and yet every encounter holds this possibility – of being the last time together. Precious, precarious life. I remember giggling with a friend about our husbands' snoring when a few weeks later, her husband suddenly died. She told me later she would give anything … [Read more...]
Searching for Certainty in Uncertain Times
Searching for certainty? Aren't we all seeking solid ground in this crazy upheaval of a year we are living in? Searching for certainty, if I am honest, has always been a need of mine. How about you? Shelly Miller's Searching for Certainty Searching for Certainty is the name of a new book, released today, by my friend and fellow writer, Shelly Miller. Searching for certainty always leads me back to the certain, faithful God of all. I read an early copy of Shelley's book and her words made me realize how often uncertainty has influence my thoughts and behaviors. She shared her shaky times in her life and then surrounds her story with wisdom and grace. Each chapter ends with amazing thought-provoking questions to take to God through prayer and journaling. Ironically Shelly wrote this book long before the pandemic arrived at everyone's doorstep - God prepared her heart to share these insights just in time to provide strength, wisdom, and encouragement for all … [Read more...]
Discernment in the Midst of Multiple Options
Discernment is difficult, especially in a time with multiple options. Choosing what to do or where to go next is like finding just the right cereal in the grocery store breakfast aisle. Lots of great tasting choices and many healthy selections. Me? I want a clear, easy, quick decision. I want God to flip on the directional sign from heaven showing me where to go. Just tell me, Lord. The discernment road isn't always smooth. The path shrouds in fog and we get weighted down in mud as we slough through a decision. Sometimes it's our fault. Sometimes it's an act of obedience to keep moving forward building our spiritual muscles. Sometimes I hear God plainly and other times, struggle to hear my own voice. Discernment isn't easy. To discern mean more than to understand or to make a decision. Dis mans apart and cernere mean to separate. Thus from all the options before us we ‘separate apart’ those that seen uniquely suited to us. We do that when making a decision … [Read more...]