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New Year’s Resolutions

Published on by Rebecca GilbreathLeave a comment

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 -photos were taken in a park we found. Middle Row: onion chives I didn’t know were coming back and on the right, a banana succulent that looks like a curtain now Bottom Row: our ash tree stretching up to the sun, a Morning Glory rope I found while cleaning up dead vines, and my trailing Periwinkle


Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find. -William Wordsworth, 1806

A Step of Clarity – Find Your Even Place Part I

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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.

  • Old high school and college photo albums were looked through one last time and while I have great memories, I realized I no longer needed to hold on to them. Photos and saved greeting cards were shredded or recycled.
  • Homeschool material I had kept was shredded or recycled and books were donated that my son did not want to keep. Because he had become a college student, I no longer needed to hold on to all that paper! (I had files of school work and shelves of books from over the years.)
  • My mother’s box of memories that was given to me was just that- her memories. I kept a few photos, my son wanted her 4-H notebook, but anything else in there had no special attachment since I was three years old when she passed away. I realized I was close to my mother’s side of the family and the memories they and my dad’s side of the family share of her meant more to me than her school yearbooks and scrapbooks. That box of her memories had been through seven states and one foreign country and stored in a corner of a closet or garage. It was time to do something with it.
  • Series of books I had loved but no longer read were given to a friend who I thought might enjoy them.  
  • Note: It may seem harsh or unfeeling to ‘dispose’ of sentimental items such as photo albums, old notes from friends, things given to me, but I knew I had to say “enough” at some point -enough of storing things in drawers, files, or boxes left untouched for long periods of time. I wanted to manage what I had well, be intentional about what I owned, and move forward wisely in time spent caring for things.

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:

  • I am stopping all social media. I deactivated my Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. There is a lot of negativity, over-sharing, information overload, scrolling and scrolling on my part, and distracting ‘mental noise’ for me right now. I told my husband the other day I felt my brain was ‘quieter’ since taking a step away. I felt I could be more mindful about my time. I could focus more on me and what I needed to be doing rather than what the masses were doing. I still keep in touch with those close to me through text or through Messenger.
  • I am stopping signing up for new recipes, health news, weight loss helps, gardening tips, etc. E-mails pile up and I never get around to reading all of them. If I need to look something up, Google is readily available.

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.


Grace Goals for July

Published on by Rebecca Gilbreath2 Comments

My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord.

Psalm 26:12

A few years ago on my former blog, I wrote a series of posts about finding balance in life with stuff. We had just made a decision to simplify our work in ministry and my husband made a leap of faith to enroll in college courses to become a full time student. We felt overwhelmed. We felt at odds with ourselves, our finances, and our stuff that had built up over the years. He is now a college graduate, but due to the need to have both hips replaced, looking for work has been put on hold. We are thankful for his veteran benefits due to time served in the Navy. The blog post series entitled “Finding Your Even Place” was written in 2016. Three years later, we still have need for balance in some areas. Over the last few years, we have downsized quite a bit, but lately we have found that we could work on it a bit more. I am finding the more stuff we own, the more we have to manage it, find a place for it, clean it, etc.

In studying through the Psalms that year, I referred often to the phrase which became our new mantra; “My foot standeth in an even place” -Psalm 26:11. 

An even place: balanced, steady, continuous, unwavering.

I did not know where to begin in finding an ‘even place’ or balance with issues that felt overwhelming. There had been so much going on in my mind of things I needed to clear out that were weighing me down, but I had too much that was weighing me down to do what needed doing. All that added stress. And who needs more stress??? And now with my husband facing two hip replacement surgeries and physical therapy, among other life challenges, I am definitely needing a steady frame of mind. Another Scripture verse which stood out to me is in Hebrews.

Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us…and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1

I still think of that verse often as, again, I am going through my closets, desk drawers, papers that need to be shred. Stuff (especially things I do not really need but I have due to various reasons) tends to be a distraction and takes away from a peaceful frame of mind.

While we have made great strides over the last three years in cleaning out items we no longer need, we could do another revision. For July, I am revisiting the old blog posts, renewing purpose to find more balance, and rewriting the posts with fresh perspective.

Coming up next: A Step of Clarity

Grace Goals for May

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“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”

Quoted to me many years ago by my friend Carolyn

What happened to grace goals for May?? Life. That’s what happened. And with life, comes the need for flexibility in plans and in desired outcomes. I have still been writing and sharing different things on Facebook, but have not had the time to do any sort of study theme. And I’m ok with that. I was busy helping my husband (John) and son (Jonathan) to the finish line of the end of the semester, getting ready for my niece to visit us, and keeping the house running. John and Jonathan have now finished another semester and John is a college graduate at the age of forty-seven! Jonathan plans to take summer courses and the next step for John is hip replacement surgery. He is in a tremendous amount of pain and the VA has put in a consult for him to see an orthopedic surgeon.

My niece will be with us a few more days before friends visit and then my brother and sister-in-law and their crew of four kids are coming. I see no study themes in the near future, and again, I’m ok with that. I may post short things here and there as I have time and share on the blog a few things I have already put on Facebook over the last month. I choose the grace of being flexible! I am still noticing the stray gifts and am so thankful for new mercies every day.

Words Unspoken

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“She is confident in her abilities and how she manages life.”

“He knows he looks great in that shirt.”

“She realizes how important she is to everyone around her.”

“He is aware of how brave I think he is for following his dreams while struggling with chronic pain.”

“She feels no fear and always does things with confidence.”

“He believes in himself and the choices he makes for his family.”

All things I think about particular people but never tell them.

Surely, they know.

They must.

But, not necessarily.

Words go unsaid. “They know how I feel”, I think. But what they see in the mirror and what I see may be two different things.

What if I shared the words I think? Words of encouragement and hope. A compliment. What if I gave something meaningful for them to hold on to? Something true, lovely, of good report (Philippians 4:8) from me to them about them. Because deep down, I don’t know what a difficult day they may have had- the health struggles, the worries. Nagging questions, fear, and crippling doubt could very well be hidden behind the closed doors of a brave front.

Words unspoken help no one.

Words unspoken spark no joy, offer no hope, and give no warmth.

Say the words. Give the compliment. Share a warm, ‘Hello’.

It might make all the difference in the world.

#gracegoals2019

Other “Grace Goals 2019” for January Posts:

Valuing Our Veterans (8 Helpful Resources)

Published on by Rebecca GilbreathLeave a comment

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”
– George Washington

Living with 2 veterans, one Army (my dad -Vietnam War) the other Navy (my husband), men who fought for our country are close to our hearts in this house. We go to the VA often and see men and women who have given their lives for this country. Everywhere we go, if we see a man or woman in uniform, we say, “Thank you for your service .” Many respond with surprise and respond, “Thank you for your support!” And when we see an elderly gentleman with a baseball cap with embroidered letters with the war they fought in, we thank them, too. It doesn’t take long. And you can see by the look on faces that it means something. You never know who needed to hear those words on that particular day. 

Veterans, thank you for your service. We pray for you and for your families who stand behind you. We support you and we appreciate your sacrifice.

From Veterans Day misconceptions to the Veterans Crisis Line, here are eight websites with helpful information.

1) Five Facts to Know About Veterans Day:

https://www.defense.gov/explore/story/Article/1675470/5-facts-to-know-about-veterans-day/

2) What Is Open (and Closed) on Veterans Day 2018:

http://fortune.com/2018/11/10/what-is-open-closed-veterans-day-2018/?fbclid=IwAR146YSGuu23t3qbfwISS-cVV3NqR7_YVnI8V4VY-YOtvLR5LXeOY1isRt0

3) Where Military Members Can Eat for Free 2018: 

http://fortune.com/2018/11/09/veterans-day-2018-free-deals/

4) 45 Ways to Honor a Veteran: 

https://www.wallawalla.va.gov/misc/honor_veteran.asp

5) Ways to Give Back to Veterans:

https://www.military.com/veterans-day/ways-to-give-back-to-veterans.html

6) 7 Simple Ways Kids Can Thank a Veteran on Veterans Day

https://themilitarywifeandmom.com/kids-can-thank-a-veteran/

7) 5 Payers for Veterans

https://www.guideposts.org/how-we-help/military-outreach/5-prayers-for-veterans

8) Veterans Crisis Line 

https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/about/what-is-vcl

 

I Don’t Want To Forget

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Psalm 119:16, “I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.”

When I feel discouraged, I will not forget God’s word and the many men and women in the Bible who have found victory through trusting in God’s ways.

When I feel angry, I will remember that God’s word tells me there is a right way and a wrong way to handle a matter.

When I feel confused as to which way He is leading, I will remember that from the beginning, God said that if His people who are called by His name seek His lead, He will show the way.

When I need a friend, when I feel happy, when I am anxious, when I know sadness, when I lose a loved one, when I am battling against the powers of this world, there is guidance in God’s word. Have I failed to remember? Do I neglect to keep God’s precepts in my mind and heart? It’s all there and profitable for “doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2 Timothy 3:16). In this day and age, if we cannot find a helpful Bible verse manually, we can “Google it” and find what we are looking for and even a Bible commentary helps. The key is to keep looking. Keep remembering that “there’s a verse for that”.

I don’t want to forget.

The Difference Between a Rut and a Grave

Published on by Rebecca Gilbreath2 Comments

“The difference between a rut and a grave is the distance.”

I heard the above quote while watching an old western with my dad a while back. Some of the old westerns have really good life lessons portrayed in them and this particular quote got me thinking. Sometimes we feel “stuck” in a rut which hinders progress in life.  We feel as if we cannot make one move forward or even backward. Most of the time, it takes a lot of hard work to get out of it. Add to that some creative thinking and clever solutions. But one thing is for certain, a rut is merely a temporary location for a season and not a permanent residence.

“Rut” (definition): a long deep track made by the repeated passage of the wheels of vehicles; a habit or pattern of behavior that has become dull and unproductive but is hard to change.

Whether the long deep tracks are set from repeated mistakes, or whether the habits I have created become unproductive for a grace-filled life, I need to recognize quickly that some changes need to be made:

✔️ When I feel stuck in a rut and am unsure of God’s direction, I will readjust my focus from what I cannot change to making one right decision at a time for things that I can. (And take note: Am I resting enough? Am I eating enough healthy foods? Am I praying/reading my Bible/ practicing thankfulness? These things matter to help with a ‘reset’.)

✔️ When I feel stuck in a rut of insecurity, I will remember that I am not alone. No one does everything perfectly, no matter how a life is portrayed on social media. I will not compare because it takes away from seeing the blessings that I have. (And take note: Do I spend too much time looking at other people’s lives on Facebook/Instagram/etc and not enough making things happen for myself?)

✔️ When I feel stuck in a rut and am surprised by life’s twists and turns, I will resolve to keep going, keep waking up to look for the stray gifts in life, keep showing up for my family, keep being useful in my community/church/relationships. (And take note: Am I willing to be flexible when God calls for a change? Am I too proud to ask for help? Am I too distracted by the way I think things should go and not letting God or someone else wiser lead?)

A rut is only temporary and needs time, patience, and a whole lot of God’s grace to make it through. In the old westerns, when a wagon was stuck in a wagon train, everyone worked together to get it unstuck. And sometimes, things had to be left behind because ‘stuff’ was too heavy to keep going productively.

God is still writing His love and sharing His redemption through our pages of life. He is still restoring, renewing, and giving grace after grace. When we feel stuck in a rut, we can be encouraged that it is merely a temporary location for a season and not a final resting place.

Psalm 34: 17-19, “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”

 

Rearview Mirrors

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God reveals Himself in rearview mirrors. And I’ve an inkling that there are times when we need to drive a long, long distance, before we can look back and see God’s back in the rearview mirror. Maybe sometimes about as far as heaven- that kind of distance…then turn and see His face. -Ann Voskamp

I may have used this quote in a previous blog post or two because it is one of my favorites. In thinking of God’s provisions, He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and He is the God of me. His love has never waned, nor his promises been forgotten. He carried and delivered His people yesterday and He will do the same for me today and for always.

When I am tempted to doubt if God has any plans to lead, guide, and protect, I can look back and see where I have come from and know that He has been there. Through faith, we can look in the rearview mirror of life and see the road behind us. Not always pleasant or easy, for sure. But we made it. We are here for a reason and God will not let us go. We cannot always answer the question, “Why?” in things that happen to us or to those around us, but each day and for forever, He promises to bear us up, carry us through, and deliver us onward.

Even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” Isaiah 46:4

 

 

 

Wings to Soar

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 Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Isaiah 40:31 is a verse I have heard all my life as it is one of my dad’s favorites. I wrote this post originally last year when I was thinking about strength due to the bad cold I had that had left me physically and even mentally weak. When looking at a particular Bible verse, I like to look around it to see what was said before and after. I love verse 28, “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary..?” The Creator of the ends of the earth never collapses and never is tired. How amazing is that? “He giveth power to the faint: and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” (vs 29) He gives power! He increases strength! Incredible.

Are you feeling faint? Are you weary? Wait on God. Pause. Linger a little while to listen for the still small voice. If we rush, we might miss something important and sustaining. If we wait, we are promised strength to renew, wings to soar, endurance to run, and courage to walk.

In reviewing this post from last year posted on Facebook, it is a great reminder to keep focus. He wants me to remain in Him to still my heart, to let His strength power up my faith, and to trust in Him to increase my endurance.