Sunday Afternoon Walk

Sunday Afternoon Walk

Walking a new path I pushed upward cursing these extra pounds and wishing these lungs would fully expand. Oh the thorn in my flesh as my heart thumps faster in my chest. I looked at the freshly cut lawns, well-tended by men and women accustomed to lives busy with no seconds to stop and smell the roses.  Keeping busy outside as we all struggle to find our breath as the world has come to a seemly never-ending halt.

Making my way up the hill my legs took me down new roads as the southern sun showed no mercy on the shade empty path. I watched as few cars drove by, providing relief in the form of wind. I stop to allow a painters van to turn and waved hello, like the world was normal.

 As I came toward the end of my journey acutely aware of the slow pace and the lack of miles, I turned down a dead end. A man stood toward the middle walking two small warriors as they made my presence known. We exchanged a smile and then a laugh as I declared his warriors fierce.  I rounded the end of the road and watched with glee as a man my father’s age flew a kite of many colors. We smiled at each other and I thought what a great thing to do on a windy day.

The warrior’s handler stood where I left him and his army charged closer. Forgetting the social distance rules, I leaned down and ask permission, surrendering to wiggly tails and soft fur. We talked a few minutes before parting and I struggled with tears as the visions of my walk closed around my throat.

A child laughing as parents chased him in the yard, a young couple out for a bike ride, a kid shooting hoops alone, a man flying a kite with no grandchildren impatiently waiting their turn, a woman throwing ball to her someone hidden from view behind a wooden fence, and a man in pajamas walking his furry best friends.  I walked harder, no longer caring about the miles or the time it took to walk them. I wanted life to resume and yet I wanted this life to replace the busy. I wanted to see grandkids playing all day after church on Sunday’s as America takes one day to be family. To walk neighborhood streets, dust off the Frisbee, the football, the basketball. To smell hotdogs on the grill and listen as horseshoes clang and family cheer in awe. This is the part of this disease that I want to hold on to. Family dinners together, kids teaching mom and dad new dance moves, and family game night that last all night.

As I breathed hard up the last hill home with just over two miles, my Savior whispered, I will never leave you or forsake you…. And I know He hasn’t. He is provider, protector, healer…. He is all we need.

Philippians 4:6-7           

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Blind Eye

Blind Eye

Acts 18: 17

Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and best him before the judgement seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.

Do we turn a blind eye to injustice? Do I? I sat reading in Acts about the spread of the Good News and I read this passage. The background is that Paul is brought before Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia because the Jews have risen up against him, again.  As I read the last verse, I couldn’t help but think of the judged. The sinner whose sin shows outward or the person who is judged for the skin our Savior designed for them. Think about that, our Savior designed each one of us.


Admittedly, I don’t understand all the things I see but I do know it’s not up to me to understand. My only purpose is to love unconditionally in the way my Savior loved me. To spread the gospel with love and to speak when the Holy Spirit gives me guidance. Reading through Acts I learn that the apostles spoke when the Holy Spirit gave them guidance, not when they witnessed something they didn't like. They also did not address what they saw as sin with the unsaved. They just taught the Good News.

I want to just love people today. I want to show the love of Christ without judgement. This is my prayer today for myself that I will see past the differences between myself and others and learn to love first, speak only when the Holy Spirit gives me guidance, and not to turn a blind eye when I see injustice.


Can we rise above the hate, the discrimination, the fear and give love chance?




Father God, as we navigate this new normal, I praise you for dinner with my whole family, for movie nights, yard work complete, home projects done and more time with you. For all the things our busy lives left neglected, now resurrected. For the love our neighbors show as they work tirelessly to provide for those in need. I pray you calm the storm Lord. Be with the business owners, the unemployed head of household, the struggling college student, the teacher that learns to teach in empty classrooms, the parent working full time and taking care of kids, the healthcare worker, the trucker, the essentials worker that prays they don’t bring this virus home, the tired care-taker and for any I have not listed, I pray Lord, your hand and mercy be upon them. Amen

Leap of Faith

Leap of Faith

Sitting in a lonely jail, damp and cold, Paul writes to his beloved son, Timothy, in Christ Jesus, a gentle reminder……

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:6-7

                Many summers I have watched as each of my children boldly walked the tall staircase to the high dive staring down at the water, uncaring about the line of fearless divers behind them or the encouraging chants of, Jump, Jump, Jump, from below. Sometimes they would go for it and other times they would walk back down the steps, defeated by fear. Now, only my freckled-faced boy remains and the high dive no longer looms over him in fear. He jumps like its natural using his gift of swimming to overcome the fear, his power in knowledge that this dive is exhilarating to overcome fear, and the love of the thrill it gives him to, yes, overcome fear. 

                Is this not the way we are in life as a new adventure conquers fear of the unknown? Like walking into a new office as eyes advert or packing up everything and starting new. Fear in the form of anxiety can keep you awake at night but more upsetting, it can stop you from trusting our God and Father and doing what He has gifted you to do. Fear tells you to google the likeliness that you will achieve your dream but God says, even if an ocean full of it-can’t-be-done gets in the way, I will part it for you. Fear says the work is too big for one person and God says my strength will knock down the giant amount of work with faith the size of a small stone.  

Paul, in second Timothy, goes on to say in the next scriptures to not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of him, but share with him in the sufferings for the gospel. Think of this, Paul is in a prison because of his teachings of Christ. It’s cold, damp, disgusting, and rat ridden. Yet Paul is still encouraging others. He knows that there are those that will use his imprisonment to further their agenda to dispel the Good News, yet he tells Timothy to carry on without fear and in love.

                Webster defines fear as, anxiety caused by real or possible danger. Does the thought of going out into the world and using the gift God has given you, cause anxiety? Now if you answered that, listen to what Webster defines power as….ability to do or act. The ability to do or act….. Does God give us the ability with our gift to do or to act? Yes, He does. Now how does Webster define Love? Strong affection or liking for someone or something. Do you have a strong passion when it comes to the gift that God has entrusted you with?  Now to define sound mind, let’s look at the word sound. Webster defines sound as, free from defect, damage or decay.

Paul is in prison and he is encouraging Timothy to continue using the gift God has given him. One must wonder if fear was seeping into Timothy’s thoughts as his mentor was now imprisoned.  What then is it that keeps you, my friend, from using the gift God has given you? Me? Well for me it’s a lack of confidence. I fear that I will put sentences together wrong or misspell a word? Maybe I use too many commas or don’t put enough, O’s in the word too....

The enemy will use your greatest fear to side rail your greatest accomplishments. That, my friend, should empower you. When the enemy comes at you hard, when you can’t breathe from anxiety, when sleep alludes you, when others call you crazy but you can’t hear anything over the resounding words of the Savior that is when your power is the strongest. That is when you have the ability to do or act upon your great accomplishment.  When the enemy tells you how hard it will be remind him who your Father is. The same God that parted the Red sea is the same God that gave you a gift. Do you really believe he gave you this gift just to see you fail?

So what is the enemy using against you? Finances? A family that depends on you? Your sinful past? Fear of speaking in public? Your appearance? Past failures? Your friends? Lack of education?

Let me ask you this….are you happy? Do you have joy in what you do? Do you want it? Do you want to wake up every morning knowing that you are living the dream God gave you? Then do it my friend. Trust completely in the Savior and write that novel, sign up for that class, start saving for that mission trip, agree to teach that Sunday School class, sign up for foster care classes, adopt that child, knock on your neighbors door, take that first step, leave a mark on society, break free from the tradition that binds you, go forward in power, love and with a sound mind. Because the truth is we are all in our own prison when we are too afraid to use the gift God gave us.

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice

Awake before nights wintery blanket unveils the earth, I snuggle deeper into warmth, listening to the purring of comforting fluff buried deep within the curve of my unmoving body.  I ignore the urging voice of Savior, rise up , you’re going to miss it, and disturb purring ball of fur, readjusting in hopes of a few more Saturday morning winks, before submitting my feet to cold stained oak.

Christmas tree on, coffee brewing, and furry criers fed, I sit waiting on the cinnamon Christmas brew. Picking up my portable encyclopedia, I google, Winter Solstice.

The Winter Solstice, also known as midwinter, occurs when one of the Earth’s poles has its maximum tilt away from the sun.

Grabbing a blanket, I unlock the door and walk into the night with visible breath, I look to the sky. Almost too bright to look directly into with sleepy eyes, the moon floats in dark navy with dancing attributes scattered about. Hugging the blanket tight, I walk to a space unhindered by man’s power and gaze…. How, I ask, do you shine so brightly when today you are as far as the East is to the West from the sun? Your light, is but a reflection of the might of the sun, yet on the longest night, your reflective light shines bright into the dark.

I stand as long as the cold allows, listening to night stalk the trees, air and ground. Sounds of darkness whisper around, yet I feel no fear, only joyful peace fills my soul as I thank my Savior for rising me from slumber. Walking toward the warmth of walls, my mind becomes pen……..

Through our longest night, when hope is lost and prayers mislaid, are we not like the Solstice moon? Perceived tilted far from the listening ears of our Savior? Yet, it is in this moment, we hold fast to every voice of hope written in scripture. We go deep into the Word, searching for God in the storm, and with each passing hour our reflection of the Son grows stronger, a beacon of testimony to others……

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many (various) kinds, because you know that the testing of faith produces perseverance.

James 1: 2-3

On what feels like the shortest light filled day, when darkness is long and you ache for the warmth of the risen Son, remember the reflective moon, shinning bright on the longest of nights….far from its source of light, persevering in the coldest of winter nights.

Never forget my friends, the passage to your longest darkness is the beginning of lengthened days in the sun……………..

Father, I thank you for the wakeup call this morning. I lift up my sisters and brothers as they endure perseverance building trials.

Afternoon Thunder clouds and Blueberry Tears

Afternoon Thunder clouds and Blueberry Tears

Bag loaded with fresh cucumbers, zucchini and squash, I wipe my humidity soaked brow and look back at the darkening sky. Lord, let those clouds produce rain, I muttered out loud, while my expired tennis shoes crunch over red clay. Walking toward the house I picture my husband on a church softball field and think of the much different prayer those dark clouds release from the tongues ball wielding men and women.

Taking advantage of the cooler air, I refill squirrel eaten bird seed and take a seat on brick and mortar. The sky continues to grow darker as the wind wipes through the trees and the clouds produce low rumbles within their mystery.

Thinking back to the softball field, I walk slowly to my small blueberry bushes. Lord, how many contradictory prayers must you hear? How do you decide whose prayer to answer? Whispered words from my Lord enter my soul, I answer them all, He speaks, as I see a ripe blueberry nestled in a cluster of greens and pale gray. Smiling, I pluck my prize, clean it between my fingers and allow my memories to dive back to a small freckled faced boy standing with pot in hand, looking forward at a blueberry tree that stood high above his little face. Pawpaw stood with us, as we began to fill those pots and a small voice cried out, “Pawpaw, I not see one blueberry, not one.” Pawpaw with child-like words shook his head and said, “Son, there are blueberries everywhere.” As he used his hands to guild the freckled face upward. “You just have to look.”

Tiny drops of rain glistened my arms as tears rolled down my cheeks. Oh for just one more moment, one sweet moment….. 

Savoring the first ripe blueberry of the year I turned my salted cheeks upwards and relived that moment while understanding my answer from God. We tend to look straight ahead, into the problem, like my boy looked at the barren spot on the blueberry tree and gave up all hope of finding more berries, when all he had to do was look up. We tend to only look at what we can see instead of having faith in the unseen. If my sweet little one had looked up his hunt for blueberries would have yielded more fruit than his little pot could hold! Like us, if we only look for the perceived unanswered prayers, we lose sight of the way God answered our prayer.

God answers all prayers, we just need to look up to the Father to see the many blessings, glory, and Joy, in the way He is answering.

 Some days when I write, I find myself in a sort of God moment, where I write out words that just flow out of the pen… I wrote this after my moment by the blueberry bush. All while the rain drizzle flowed over me.

Christ found me- in my unhappy, busy, self-defeated place. He turned a memory into a lesson – He lifted my eyes to the heavens, with a storm baring down and washed away the deep sadness, through redeeming tears. Crying done on brick, relief came in the storm.

You don’t have to wait until the storm is over to feel relief. Grieving and healing can be accomplished while the darkest of clouds, the strongest of wind bends the trees, with rain drops wet on your skin.

Being in the storm doesn’t have to mean a state of constant grief. God doesn’t leave us in the storm. He is there, riding out the storm with us.

               

Cloud covered Mountains

Cloud covered Mountains

I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on

to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippian’s 1:6

Back coffee steaming in a borrowed mug, family members gathering in the kitchen and I sip the too hot brew while staring at the Blue Ridges of North Carolina’s mountain tops. The first signs of morning touch the sky in coral and blue grey clouds, as dense fog blankets the sleeping town below.

Wrapped in a blanket, with a cool breeze across me, I look at the cloud covered mountains, search for the familiar Grandfather, hidden in coral shadows. I think to myself, these mountains my God can move if I just have the faith of a mustard seed. I stare, silently willing that faith of small seed to start moving the mountains in my own life, when a fly buzzes in my ear, and it’s gone. The faith I try to find is silenced by the fast world around me. Family begins to come to the porch and early morning rituals begin of coffee and laughter. 

Like our lives that move quickly and cluttered with too much, “To Do”, on our list and too little peace, our mustard seed faith vanishes as our prayer time with the Father is less and less to make time for early morning work outs, early morning commutes, afternoon practices, dinner, laundry, homework, Television, streaming, etc.. etc… etc.. 

His promise does not falter under the pressures of our life. He hears our prayers while we drive into work, as we sit at soccer practice and as we read a short devotion or a scripture or two in the mornings.  As I looked across the mountains on that morning, I saw mountain peaks of all sizes and I felt a peace ascend as I realized, just because your mountain is slow to move, doesn’t mean God isn’t moving it. He will be faithful to completion, as His Word declares. Hold to that mustard seed and breathe deep in the knowledge of His fulfillment.  

About this entry:

I wrote this while on vacation with my entire family.  A few of us early risers would enjoy the first pots of coffee while sitting outside on dew covered chairs. It was while sitting in the quiet and watching the clouds move around the mountains that I began to write this. I had just enjoyed a small devotion and God began to speak. 

I take advantage of the quiet times, as those are the times I hear my Lord speaking. It can be in the car while driving on my long commute or sitting outside before the family rises. When is your quiet time? Do you ever just put your phone down and listen to the stillness? I recommend mornings with steaming hot coffee.....and maybe a mustard seed in hand. 

Lord, I lift up the readers today and pray they find peace and stillness in you. I ask that you are with the ones in need of a mountain moved, whether it's a wayward child, healing of the body, mental peace, whatever it is, I ask you to move their mountain. Amen.

The Builder

The Builder

Hebrews 3:3-4

For Jesus is considered worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the Builder has more honor than the house. Now every house is built by someone but the One who built everything is God.

Do we praise the Builder or the created?

In today’s economy we see homes go up in as little as 90 days – which makes it hard to appreciate the designer. A neighborhood is no longer filled with various home designs, as all homes have the same basic 4 or 5 styles, with “add-on” additions. You end up with homes lined together in cracker- jack neighborhoods and yards just big enough for a patio. Other than a little brick here or rock front there, the homes look the same.

The inside of each home is also the same basic design, minus a bedroom or bonus room, but with open floor plans, large Master bedroom with a large bathroom and walk in closet. The colorways are all the same for walls, carpet or hardwood floors. This is the popular design and most everyone wants the same thing.

Is this how we view our Builder? Creator God… Provider, Healer, Designer? Do we see God only loving cracker- jack people that look the same, dress the same, speak the same, and worship the same?

God our Builder, took time to create an archeological marvel with every person that has ever been conceived. Our features are different from our hair color and texture, to our eye color, body shape, complexion, accent and our attributes are all different, from:

How we think…

How we love….

We have different views and opinions. Our laugh is different, our smile is different, we worry different and we have different fears. We decorate our homes and bodies different, from paint, to tattoos, to clothing, shoes, etc.

We also, all sin different. This is why God sees all sin the why Christ did not come to the world to judge it, but to save it. The next time you see your neighbor do something “unchristian like”, remember the log in your own eye, before you judge the splinter in theirs.

What I am trying to say is that we all do not fit in the same box. When you see someone different, someone that has a different view from you, love them. Share Christ with them through your love for them. You may be the only Christ they ever see.

Father, we all thank you for loving us enough to create us different. To give us differences to love from and grow as a society. As we go into the world, let us be a light sharing Christ love and leave the judgement to You. Amen.