Because of Grace we Press On
Have you ever glanced at something, and in a flash had a creeping feeling of dread? How can a split second of visual make such a powerful connection with your brain that, in a snap, moods are altered? This morning, I bounced down the stairs to my office – not in a falling down the stairs bounce, but in true Tigger fashion, a joyful bounce. As I turned on the light my eyes were drawn to an open magazine article with a huge elegantly printed title “Desperate for more” – …
‘When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.’ This is what friends do.
Don’t give up! Have you ever listened to someone’s story and heard these words, “Fine for you to say, but you don’t know what I’m going through here.” When we listen at heart level, we become aware of problems people are going through and they are traveling the path right beside you. We can relate to being thrown into the spin cycle of problems that never dry out. How many times have you thought, “If I had a towel, I’d throw it in?” There are many reasons not to throw …
Do you ever worry? This morning, I told a friend, “I’m feeling anxious and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s worry for some reason. I’m not sure.” I recognize the signs because I’ve been here before. Maybe you have too. I know what happens when worry is allowed to fester. So, in case you ‘re wrangling with worry too, let’s dissolve it together, before it has a chance to rob you of your hope and potential of this day and maybe tomorrow. If today is one of those days entered …
Yesterday I noticed a commercial on TV for a new movie. My breath caught when I heard the title, This Is Where I Leave You. How often over the past few weeks have I thought about the void of an empty room, the hollow feeling a trailing wave, the finality of a closed door. Have you ever spent time with someone you love, seizing every moment before their journey takes them one direction while yours takes you another? Have you known the words were coming but didn’t want to hear …
“It’s hard being so far away when things like this happen.” Those words have been on repeat this last week. When someone we love is thousands of miles away and we can’t go to them, helplessness is its own form of trauma. Waiting through a medical procedure, wondering but hoping the prognosis isn’t as bad as once thought. Standing by while decisions are made about ‘what happens now’. Fearing the outcome of attempts at reconciliation. I don’t know about you, but I feel pretty powerless when I want to do …
HOPE: a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen According to the dictionary, that’s what hope is. Expectancy. Something better is up ahead. Anticipation of good things yet to happen. After all, when was the last time you heard someone say, “I hope my car breaks down.” or “I’m planning my next vacation in Hawaii. I hope I get disgustingly sick on Maui.” Seriously? When we hope, our minds overflow with ideas of something better yet to come. We say things like, “I hope you love your …
Have you ever been through a major life change? Well – maybe not even major, but some change that prompt friends to ask, “How did it go?” I’ve been asked that by many of my friends. When a major change takes place in life, friends you’ve confided in want to know “How did it go?” and what else can we say except, “It’s different.” That’s a good place to start. I saw a book once titled, Change is Good. You Go First. That about describes it. Sometimes change is forced …
Recently while talking to a friend who has been thinking of writing devotionals, I remembered studying through a devotional “Inspired for Greater Things” by Linda Pulley Freeman. In it she talked about our need for a balance of work, exercise and rest. Funny how our minds work – that prompted a memory of conversation with a friend at church about when God created the Earth, on the seventh day, he rested. God rested. Interesting point #1. From there our conversation wandered into the verses where he made man from dust, …
As I sat down to write about this book, From Crisis to Calling: Finding your Moral Center in the Toughest Decisions by Sasha Chanoff and David Chanoff, an online article in the Huff Post grabbed my attention proclaiming Afghan Refugee Crisis Worsens. It seems the news is dominated by more and more crises related to refugees who are suffering greatly in violence–torn regions. This book would have been much more uncomfortable to read had it not been for the authors’ presentation of the storyline through the moral compass of each person …