God's PROVIDENCE

So, I have had this on my mind pretty much all weekend. I guess providence was my "weekend word."

Prov-i-dence (prov'i dens), n. 1. the foreseeing care and guardianship of God over His creatures. 2. (cap.) God, esp. when conceived as omnisciently directing the universe and the affairs of man with wise benevolence. 3. a manifestation of divine care or direction. 4. provident or prudent management of resources. 5. foresight; provident care. [ME < L providentia foresight, forethought. See PROVIDENT, -ENCE]

God knows that which we do not. He will take care of us for our betterment, even if we are unwilling to acknowledge Him. We don't know the why or the when, however He does. And, He knows the outcome will be to our benefit…even if we don't understand it and fight Him on it. We can ask why. We may not know the answers until we meet Him. What we need to do is to become open to His guidance whether we are experiencing pain or joy. He will guide us on the path of our destination toward Eternity.

Life's Lessons - author unknown

I learn, as the years roll onward
And leave the past behind,
That much I had counted sorrow
But proves that God is kind;
Than many a flower I had longed for
Had hidden a thorn of pain,
And many a rugged bypathLed to fields of ripened grain.

The clouds that cover the sunshine
They cannot banish the sun;
And the earth shines out the brighter
When the weary rain is done.
We must stand in the deepest shadow
To see the clearest light;
And often through wrong's own darkness
Comes the very strength of light.

The sweetest rest is at even,
After a wearisome day,
When the heavy burden of labor
Has borne from our hearts away;
And those who have never known sorrow
Can not know the infinite peace
That falls on the troubled spirit
When it sees at least release.

We must live through the dreary winter
If we would value the spring;
And the woods must be cold and silent
Before the robins sing.
The flowers must be buried in darkness
Before they can bud and bloom,
And the sweetest, warmest sunshine
Comes after the storm and gloom.

Have a Blessed Weekend

The work week (our outside jobs) draws to an end and it is my sincere prayer that it is a blessed weekend for all. God Bless those of you who view this site. May He keep you safe.

ENCOURAGE one another

Whether I am offering encouragement or someone has given me encouragement, it has been on my heart this week. It astounds me how much we all need it some times. I love giving encouragement when someone is in need. I love finding encouragement in the Word. But, I some times find it difficult to allow someone else to give encouragement to me when I need it. I feel as though I am burdening them. This week I did well. I allowed four different people to offer encouragement and I accepted it with grace. This is a big step for me. I need to realize people who offer me encouragement for the very same reasons I offer them encouragement. It lifts one's spirits.

So, when I had some "brain dead" time today, I decided to pull out a binder containing some of my old poetry and the beginnings of stories I had written in school. I remembered this binder after a conversation with someone yesterday. I decided to peruse the pages in order to see how much different I am now. Oh! I am very different in my style, use of words and subject matter. What amazed me most was how colorful and descriptive I was with the stories. I suppose if my current writing warrants it, I still have that ability. It will probably take some practice to utilize it, however. My stories were geared toward young adults, as I was a young adult at the time.
But, the greatest find of the day? I have talent (or so said a note I found). My creative writing instructor placed a post-it inside the contents of the binder with my grade. I had forgotten about this particular note. He said he was impressed with the content of the binder and my talent (gift). The note went on to tell me he looked forward to finding a book with my name on it in the book stores. Wow! What encouraging words. Along the path of my life, I had forgotten how confident others were of my gift. I had forgotten how confident I was about my gift. I allowed life to get in the way and shoved something very precious into the background. My advice to anyone who has done the same is to pick up your dreams, take them to God and pursue them...Whatever your dreams may be.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. – II Thes. 2:16, 17

Gullible and Naive

Today I was having a discussion regarding how gullible I am or can be. I asked if this is such a bad trait. The response was no. But, some times I feel it can be due to the fact that there are some who prey on it. Others are turned off by it because they see an adult who should understand a joke.
The other issue is my “child-like” excitement over things that some might think the enthusiasm is a little too strong. I get excited when I meet someone new and find similar interests. I “go overboard” in my eagerness to befriend them. Then, they are turned off because of this.
My friend stated these are signs of a pure heart. I don’t think of myself as being pure of heart. But, perhaps that is because I feel as though I am not the great person God believes me to be. I don’t have the same image of myself that God and people who do come to become my friends see.
I think there are many of us in the world who have issues of seeing what others do. We have trouble believing God sees us purely and unhindered. He knows our hearts, souls and minds.
So, if there were only some way I could learn to not become so over-exuberant as to turn off others … Or perhaps God made me this way merely to help me weed out my true friends from those who would not be healthy for me. I am not sure. I have always been this way and I doubt I will ever change, no matter how hard I try.
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. - I Peter 1:22

Maybe I am crazy

Just kidding about the title. But, tonight I am sitting here thinking about being "forged by fire." That is what the last couple of weeks have been like. I am hoping that is a positive outlook. Some may think I lack insight into the positive. Especially if I vent. My poor friend listened to me vent for 15 minutes. Her response: "You need a break honey." Okay, perhaps so. I just don't know if there is a break in my forecast. So, I trudge on, saying to myself I will be made stronger through this. I don't know that anyone's life is a bed of roses all the time. I had so many cheerful months recently. Now, is just a small blip on the radar of life. I know God will get me through it. I am not Job, however I find myself turning to the words in the book of Job for insight from the Lord. He knows what is happening and He knows what the end result will be. In the meantime, I am ever-grateful for the constant prayers of those who care about me. I am ever-grateful for the sweet, loving words of my children and most of all I am ever-grateful I have the Father to turn to for comfort.

So It's Been a Long Day

Today I had seven stories due by 10:30 a.m. and when I generally arrive at the office around 8:15 after picking up a police report, seven can be a lot. Thought I was doing good by typing three at home last night. Wrong! My morning was thrown off by three shootings that occurred during the weekend. I had to make three different calls to the PD. After turning in my last story at 10:45, thought the day HAD to get better. NOPE! Lord, help me but I had two night meetings tonight after typing up three stories for tomorrow's edition. May not seem like a lot. But, when you don't have lunch, one can get weary. Spent two and a half hours listening to our local school board and city council members discuss gang activity and school related issues. I AM tired. But, the mind is busy.
How many ways did the Lord bless me? That is my current question. Well, I was enabled to meet some people today whom I had spoken to via phone for years and/or months. I am probably the most informed parent who is not a board member or city council member in my community. And, my oldest son was able to sit with me through the regular school board meeting as I wore my hand out writing notes. :) There is something to be said in even the most tiresome of moments. We tend to take the little blessings and disregard them. What we should do is cherish them no matter how insignificant they may seem to the average person because we ARE NOT average. We are blessed children of God, chosen by Christ and loved so deeply that we will never really ever be able to grasp it.

A little fodder for the soul

Today's entry is inspired by Max Ludado's Grace For The Moment. For April 20 he has given thought to The Fire of Your Heart... He asks what ignites the fire of our heart and give several examples. For me, it is writing. What is it that you love to do? He asks us to seek out the things that are important to us and pursue them. I have chosen to pursue my dreams. Have you? The scripture reading of the day for this particular inspirational thought is: My God, I want to do what you want. Your teachings are in my heart. - Psalm 40:8 Perhaps, God has created the fire in your heart and you are afraid to succumb to it. Seek His wisdom and He will guide you through that fear. He knows what will happen just as He knew what would happen with His Son. He knows what is best and we need to always keep that at the forefront. He loves us. May you feel His hand in yours, helping you along the way in each step you take toward the fire of your heart.

Heavy Heart

It was a difficult day. Difficult to keep my focus. It seemed every little detail was being picked apart by me, my editor, life. I even had my toughest interview ... The kind I had only heard about. And, she was the one to request the interview! But, I felt God holding me together. I felt him as I talked to my aunt for the first time in close to 18 years. I talked to my cousin, too. I told them how sorry I was for allowing life to get in the way of my contact with them. I told them how sorry for the loss of my uncle. My aunt assured me she knew I loved them and so did my uncle. She said they had not exactly been the ones to pick up a phone and call. But, we all kept track of each other via my grandparents. So, God allowed me to feel the forgiveness and love He has for me through her kind words. My cousin was more upbeat than I expected. But, she always was an optimist. And through her optimism, I was reminded that life is too short to dwell on the past. After exchanging contact information, I turned to my Bible and read through Psalm 147. How comforting it is to know He heals the brokenhearted and bandages all wounds. It is a promise we all know in our minds, but reading it seals it in the heart. The pain and loss is only for but a short time in the great patchwork of life as God has granted it to us. He will take us home and that moment will be but a thread in all of eternity.

Thumbing Through History

Have you ever taken a good look at some old photos? Well, I decided to tonight. I received some sad news. One of my mom's brothers evidentally took his life this past Thursday. He had cancer, unbeknownst to me. He went in for surgery at the beginning of the month and as a result of his pain medication, he became depressed. Even more unfortunate was his wife was a couple of rooms away and I can only imagine what she is going through. I don't know if my uncle was truly aware of himself or his circumstances that fateful night. I only know my family is deeply saddened by his loss. Seems I have had to face a lot of that the last year or so. My dad's parents left the earth last year. G'ma had cancer and her treatments left her vulnerable to infection. She contracted a lung infection. She lived two months longer than the doctors said she would. G'pa was depressed over losing his wife of more than 60 years. He took his life four months later. It was a hard hit for the family. PRAY and pray more is what I find myself doing. Anyhow, looking through the pictures, I found some fun pictures from my past. Some fun pics and some pics I would rather not exist. I thought I might share.

Reconnecting generates an education

I wrote this for the April 20 edition of the Daily Sun News

Since reconnecting with a former schoolmate, I have been reading a new set of novels based on historical events, learning some blogging techniques and gaining some insight on creative writing skills.
I can’t use all these new creative writing skills at work, but I have been inspired.
The former schoolmate is the sister of a member of my graduating class. I remember her very well and always had admiration for her.
She is an inspiration to me in that I have been reminded to follow my dreams and not give up. Tricia has also inspired me to remember I can’t get there alone.
This woman amazes me. She is a published novelist and a woman of faith. She always was kind to me, but the new dimension in which I have come to know her, broadens my respect for her.
Tricia has a great life story. She was much like I was, growing up. We faced a lot of the same struggles in our small hometown. But, she found God during what could have been one of the most difficult times in her life.
Through her faith, she met people who encouraged her and helped her to become the person she is. She met people who helped her realize her worth because God led her to them.
I strongly believe He led me to reconnecting with her. I know He has plans for me. And, if He uses her to help me realize my dreams, I couldn’t be happier.
I am grateful for the friendships I have developed in my life. I am grateful for the encouragement I receive from those friendships. This connection is different, but it doesn’t detract from those special bonds. I am only richer for knowing there is someone else with whom I can relate.
Oh! Those historical novels are awesome, too. They are so rich in the struggles of various people who lived through World War II. I think the best part of reading them is developing a greater appreciation for our history and the fact that I have not had to face the torment that was placed upon so many people during WWII.
Blogging can also be an interesting tool. It is a great way to gain insight and perspective. Several people on the blogs I have been visiting have such a potpourri of knowledge and experience.
It amazes me to find so much support is out there. I am looking forward to learning and growing even more than I thought possible.
You never know when you might find yourself in a situation of reconnecting and gaining much more than you ever anticipated. So, don’t be afraid to check out an old classmate or friend.

Just Bear With Me

Okay, so here is my first blog post. I am trying to learn the ropes as I have begun to make a lot of changes in life, lately. I am trying to expand my horizons and set my sites on the dreams I once let fade into the background of life. I realize, God won't let me give up as easily as it may have seemed. He has His plans and He has given me gifts that I will not be allowed to ignore. No matter what I may struggle with He is there. He will lift me and He will guide me. He has led me here and I cannot turn away in spite of myself. Fear ... I must not allow it to take hold of me. It is not of God. God is a God of hope. I will struggle. But, He will be there to mold me and shape me through the struggles. So, just bear with me as I traverse this path He has set me on.