One key result from my recent readers’ survey was we all struggle with hearing and experiencing God. There are times everything seems to fall into place and we have a profound encounter. Other times we feel restless, distracted and strain like our ears and hearts are plugged with cotton. I believe God is within us and around us all the time. But at times I just can’t quite tune him in. Busyness diverts my attention. Worries and fears fill my head instead of his voice. My mind races ahead to the next project, missing the blessing in the present. To be honest there are times, my morning moments with God is another item to check off my to do list or another “why can’t I do better?” ego never good enough thought. A Sacred Space. I have a glider in my office that I sit in for my moments with God. My Bible and prayer list are nearby. The table holds my journal, pen, the God Box (to put in the prayers that I seem to cling to and not leave in God’s hands) and whatever daily devotional I … [Read more...]
How to Recognize the Unseen Heroes in Your Life
Ever suddenly realize the heroes in your life? Who they are? That they were there all the time and you never really notice? Or maybe you did see them, but unexpectedly the gratitude of their presence overtakes your heart and you know this relationship is something special and priceless. We just returned from a wonderful week in the Outer Banks. Yes, lots of beach, sun and surf. Fun and relaxing, but more importantly time spent with lifelong friends. Friends who entered and impacted my life at different crossroads of time - all intersecting together for a week in North Carolina. I spent the week with three friends from various points in my life. Being close to the same ages, we share common milestone events – weddings, birth of children, graduations, marriages of children, grandchildren and now even retirement. Yet more than just experiencing these same life stages, I noticed something unique about our friendships. All three of my friends were present and walked me through key … [Read more...]
Twelve Travel and Trip Thoughts
I’m on vacation this week – relaxing on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I am breathing in deeply fresh ocean air and listening to soothing waves. Yep, I am loving this. But didn’t want to leave you all out. So I gathered some photos from past trips and some thought filled sayings about traveling to share with you while I’m gone. Please share them on Pinterest or Instagram other social media. Enjoy! What's your favorite vacation spot? … [Read more...]
Thresholds – Book Review
As a spiritual director one of the most frequent topics I hear from my directees is about making decisions at significant points in their lives. Discernment, uncertainty, worry and/or fear of change, the unknown and mystery of what will happen if…affect all of us throughout our lives. Knowing this is a huge issue for many people is what attracted me to Sherre Hirsch’s new book, Thresholds, How to Thrive through Life’s Transitions to live Fearlessly and Regret-free. I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review, but am excited to share it with you today. Sherre Hirsch is a Rabbi who weaves wonderful Bible story examples and contemporary illustrations into her writing. She is easy to read, encouraging, engaging and empowering with this message. This book would benefit anyone facing life transitions or those who help others in those challenging times. One section that made me smile is titled: "It’s Time to Stop Using the F word." Using Moses as her … [Read more...]
Hands – A Gift from God
Hands are a miracle gift from God. The human hand has long fascinated me. The Human Hand Did you know: The human hand is composed of 27 bones plus numerous tiny sesamoid bones that are in the hand’s tendons. In order to have the hand work in a coordinated fashion add in 29 joints and at least 123 named ligaments. 34 muscles are in charge of moving the fingers and thumb: 17 in the palm of the hand, and 18 in the forearm. 48 named nerves: 3 major nerves, 24 named sensory branches, 21 named muscular branches. 30 arteries and nearly as many smaller branches are named. I am sure you know that no two human beings in the world have similar fingerprints. The fingerprints of twins can be indistinguishable in some respects but still they never match exactly. The palm and the skin on the underside of the fingers is a unique area of the human body. For a start, it has no hair and is composed of tough durable but incredibly sensitive skin. Did you know you can’t get a … [Read more...]
Breaking Hearts – Building Compassion
His name was Aylan. The memory of seeing him lying facedown on a beach in Turkey, then later his limp body being carried off seared into my heart and mind. Three years old! Three! Not much younger than my twin grandsons. This heart breaking story came quickly on the heels of an earlier story about 71 people found suffocated in a truck in Austria. Aylan was one of five children reported dead from a group of 23 Syrians traveling to Greece in smugglers' boats with the hope to start a better life. I wept. The world wept. God wept. Due to the conflict in Syria and other parts of the world we are seeing one of the largest refugee exoduses in history. More than 3 million people, more than half are children like Arlan, have had to flee their homelands in search of safety. Something many of us take for granted. I heard an interview of a family in a camp in Hungary waiting for permission to travel onward through Austria to Germany. The family of … [Read more...]
What I Learned in August – Monthly Musings
Several blogger friends post a summary of what they learned each month. Emily Freeman originated the idea and I love reading different people’s lists – always full of tidbits of wisdom, innovative ideas, and resources. My blogger friend, Dolly, does this also. Emily writes on her blog: “I’m a firm believer in the importance of looking back before we move forward.” And I certainly agree with her. This simple practice has helped me live a more reflective life and to capture those moments/tips/words of wisdom that mean so much to me, but too often I forget in the daily busyness. This method appeals to me because it is so hard to capture and remember good moments when life is moving so quickly and with so much noise. So I wanted to do join this growing trend for monthly reflections BUT…would always forget!! Soon it would be the end of the month, I would be reading their posts again and thinking where did the time go? One more month of not gathering the precious thoughts I … [Read more...]
Back to School We Go – Lifelong Learning
September always reminds me of going back to school. I love to learn and this time of year I search out for new tidbits of information or new tools or techniques to stimulate my mind. What can I learn this year? On a side note: September floods my mind with childhood memories of getting new clothes and pens and pencils and paper and all those goodies. As a mom, I loved taking each child on a one to one date where we shopped for clothes and pens and pencils and paper and all those goodies. Now as a writer, September lures me to shopping once again. Funny how the calendar tempts me to buy, buy, buy. Now working out of my home except for my church job requires less fancy clothes but the writer in me loves to hit those school supplies aisles for marker, papers, and post it notes. Take me near a Staples or Office Max and my hubby knows I am a goner for at least an hour - wow they are as bad as bookstores for me! But I digress… Back to learning – lifelong learning. “I’m a big … [Read more...]