PRAYER REQUEST!
My cousin Stacy’s son is having surgery tomorrow. He has scoliosis. This surgery is to put a rod in his spine. It will help him not need a brace, will keep his spine from resting on his heart, and will relieve pressure from his lungs. He has been wearing this halo for the last three weeks. Ayden is 12 years old. Please pray that all goes well, and for Stacy as she is SUPER nervous. This surgery is a big deal.
‘Tis my faith that every flower enjoys the air it breathes!
William Wordsworth
Anyone who has a yard to tend to or a garden to keep up with understands that it is a LOT of work. It is constantly watching for bugs out to harm your precious growing things or minding the feeding, fertilizing, and watering. It is brutally hot here in the summer and I have to get up early if I want to do any work in the yard while the weather is tolerable…and some days I just do not feel like it! But the yard is important to me and since I enjoy the flowers growing and seeing the grass come through, I must put my work clothes on and get out there and do the work. Yesterday morning, I was out pulling weeds, trimming dead roses off the bush, and cutting off dry mums. If I didn’t do the work, I would certainly miss the opportunity to see beautiful things in the yard, smell wet grass after I have watered, or hear the birds sing after I have filled the birdfeeder.
It has been a while since I have shared a “stray gifts” post, so I thought it was time to put together a few photos I have taken and show you a few that have been put in my path.
From left to right, top to bottom:
Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.
-William Wordsworth, 1806
It is not the load that breaks you down; it is the way you carry it.
“Use your leg muscles, not your back muscles.” This is an essential rule in movement. Lifting heavy objects improperly may not affect our back the first few times we try it. But over time, injury occurs due to too much wear and tear on the back muscles. The power and stability come from the legs which should be doing most of the work. When we feel strain due to too much back pressure, it can cause a lack of balance and result in suffering.
Using the legs of faith which are grounded in Christ is an essential “must” for movement with the weight of life’s burdens. Trying to journey through illness, loss, and heartaches by ourselves will cause damage to our overall health and wellness. Christ doesn’t want us to carry our trials alone. He wants us to come to Him often, boldly, and willingly – trusting that He will continue to give grace and supply us with strength and wisdom.
Psalm 55:22, “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
Perhaps the opposite of faith is not doubt, but fear.
Ann Voskamp- One Thousand Gifts
I call myself a “believer”. I believe that God sent His Son to die on the cross for my sins, that Christ rose from the grave, and that He came to save me. I was saved at a young age and one would think that I, on the sunny side of 49 years old, would have no trouble trusting that God is a good God. I trust the Savior for salvation from sins, yes, but do I trust Him for the salvation from fear? A lot of setbacks, a few surgeries for John (a shoulder one coming up in June), some changes in plans, and the question marks about the next year have caused a bit of worry. Is God surprised by these things? My mind says, “No”. My heart is wary.
Much (if not all) of the apprehension in my life over whether or not God will take care of me (us) has proven a waste of time. If I had stilled the doubts and waited for God to prove He is the “I am” in everything, I would have had a better way to use up my energy.
“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:29
Stress and questioning God seem easier than trusting. Fretting and fearing are a lot less work because they require no discipline, no training of the mind to do the hard thing, no letting go of control. They cause the heart to be lazy, forgetful, and wild. Anxiety never brings joy. The work of God for me is to believe on Him, to believe Him – that He is watching, that He is in the making of our future, that He is able to care for all the details in life. With a trusting heart, I can thank Him for salvation from sins to salvation from fear and worry – whether or not I have answers about what the future holds.
“Can God be counted on? Count blessings and find out how many of His bridges have held…Trust is the bridge from yesterday to tomorrow, built with planks of thanks…I can walk the planks – from known to unknown – and know: He holds.”
Ann Voskamp – One Thousand Gifts
Faith gives us the courage to face the present with confidence and the future with expectancy.
Having faith in God recognizes that He puts things in my path for a reason. Each small thing, each step forward in life, each moment adds up to His drawing me closer and helps me face a new day with confidence. John and I have had a lot of changes over the last few years and have some major decisions coming up which include shoulder surgery, a career change and a possible move. Facing the present with confidence is not easy somedays, yet nothing is a surprise to God. He is in the business of working out all things for His glory. My feet can hit the floor in the morning expecting that His plan is not for evil or for
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13
You are never a number with God. With Him, you are always at the head of the line.
Countless times I have been waiting on the phone to schedule a doctor appointment for my dad. Most times, I am unable to talk to anyone immediately and receive an automated response, “Please hold. The next available operator will be with you shortly. You are number 6. Thank you for your patience”. With God, I am never on hold. I am never a number waiting in line until He is available. At this moment, He is ready with an instant ear and a willing heart to hear the voice of His child.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1
Faith makes things possible, not easy.
On my blog, I have quite a few drafts that I had started writing a year or so ago and had intentions of posting someday. Now that I am home more due to the ‘social-distancing’, I have been reviewing the drafts. What I wrote two or three years ago concerning a Scripture verse still is relevant for today. I am reminded that God’s Word is timeless. I do not remember the circumstances that surrounded the Fixed on Faith #16 a few years ago (for reference, I have up to twenty-six Fixed on Faith posts total at present), but, “Faith makes things possible, not easy” sure can apply to today. My husband was in the process of applying for work after his two hip surgeries and now with uncertain days ahead, we will trust God to work out the timing and our finances. With our son’s college being on lockdown and classes only online the rest of the semester, we will trust God that it can be done and be done well. We have a church across the border in Juárez, Mexico and the border is closed to us crossing. We will trust God that the man He has placed there during my husband’s recovery will continue to capably lead the church. “Trust God” may sound trite or too easy of an answer to the question, “What do we do?” And yet Christ simply says, “Come unto me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Courage: the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear
Dictionary.com
Life can be scary right now. There is a lot of uncertainty and fear of the future. I believe faith has more power than fear and even though some things may not be easy, convenient, or pleasant, I can determine to keep a quality of mind that will enable and not cripple. I cannot do anything about curing this virus, but God can, and I will do my part in staying home. I will pray for those who must go to work and who face this thing head-on. What I can do, too, is to live every day with courage, with my thoughts on the Savior and not on the situation …even through the hard things.
Through God we shall do valiantly: for he is it that shall tread down our enemies.
Psalm 60:12
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27
When I hear advice about what to do during this ‘quarantine’, I hear, “Don’t listen to too much news”, “Get outside in nature”, “Enjoy learning a new hobby or language”, “Stay calm”, “Bake!” and the list goes on. Here in our house, we are working on a few projects such as cleaning out the shed, tidying up the yard, planting wildflower and sunflower seeds. Indoors, there are few things needing to be cleaned, aired-out, and organized. Each day, we commit to being productive and
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.
Max Lucado
New Year’s Resolutions….why am I writing about this now, in March? I am finding that amid this coronavirus pandemic, I am able to work on my resolutions and thought I’d share. But first, a family update.
I wrote last year about my husband John needing two hip replacements. The right hip was replaced in July, the left hip in October. He is in physical therapy still and is recovering more and more. We are now concerned about his right shoulder which has a full tear in the rotator cuff (due to an old injury). Right now, his doctor wants him taking anti-inflammatory medication, but we know that is just a bandaid of sorts for the time being.
Our son Jonathan is a senior in college. Due to the coronavirus, he will be taking the rest of his classes online for this semester. His major is History and lately, he has been leaning toward the field of research.
My dad’s health is stable at present.
As for me, I am finding more time to work on my resolutions for the new year. I want to spend more time outdoors. I also intend to read more, create more, and stay off social media more. I purpose to add beauty to my life by keeping fresh flowers in the house, by lighting candles at night and having a lit candle on the dinner table during the meal. I plan to look at beautiful photos or take them myself. I mean to listen to music more. Because we have been staying home, I am able to accomplish these things.
One activity we are adding as a family is walking for ten minutes after each meal. We clean up the table, put our walking shoes on and go in the backyard to walk. I set a timer and we walk around the yard, play with the dog, and notice each and every bloom and bird. It is a perfect time to do so because our plants are starting to bud and the weather is perfect. It gets us outdoors and looking at all the growing things.
The book I am currently reading is “Holy Noticing: The Bible, Your Brain, and the Mindful Space Between Moments” by Charles Stone.
As far as creating goes, I love to make my own greeting cards. I have been working on organizing all my craft paper and gathering ideas for more cards. I would also like to get back into writing, sharing more of the “Fixed on Faith” posts I have, more “stray gifts”, and a few inspirational quotes and things that come across my path.
Did you make any new resolutions this year? If so, are you keeping up with any of them? Stay safe and well out there!
Stray Gifts: Top Row: daffodil photos taken when John and I went away for our 25th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago -p
Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find. -William Wordsworth, 1806
In The Journey to Less Stuff, Stable and Satisfied, and Grace Goals for July, I have written about my need to declutter, get organized, and own less ‘stuff’. I went through this process a few years ago and made great strides.
My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord.
Psalm 26:12
When I went through this process a few years ago, I had the theme in mind of finding an “even place” or a balanced perspective. It became increasingly difficult to ‘bless the Lord’ when I felt overwhelmed. There was so much I possessed that I did not need anymore. I felt indifferent to a lot of things I had been keeping for one reason or another. I had a difficult time, though, in knowing where to start. I lacked clarity of mind to make that first decision on what to empty, throw out, or donate first. What I started with back in 2016 was not in finding a place to start, but in figuring out what to stop. I wanted to articulate what was adding stress or more pressure. I needed space to breathe, to think, and to restore. And things that were taking up space which took my breath away due to frustration, I needed to clear.
I am at that place again, so I am revisiting what I had done a few years ago to make more headway in clearing space- whether physically (in a closet, on a shelf, etc.), emotionally, or mentally. And I do believe clearing space affects my spiritual life as well.
The first place to find some balance is with internet ‘stuff’ and this is how I am seeking clarity:
While it is a meager start, it is a start nonetheless. It is where I began on the journey to find level ground a few years ago. When I stepped away from social media, I felt a nice quietness to my thoughts. When I started cleaning up the e-mails, I was able to see clearly the messages which needed a response.
There is more to come on clearing up space in my next entry: A Step of Consistency – Find Your Even Place Part II. For this week, though, I am stopping a few things that are distracting from my work as a wife and mom and seeking clarity of mind.
If you are seeking for clarity, maybe instead of looking to start something new, consider STOPPING something first–something that may be hindering your focus on what really matters in your life. Take a step back. Evaluate what is important. Clear some space. Breathe.
