God – Long walks and dark chocolate

Daily Prompt: Divide

March 2, 2016 1 Comment

After work today, when I clicked on the Daily post and saw that the Prompt was to write a post using the word Divide, I headed outside. I wanted to park myself in my chair and enjoy this already spring-like SW FL weather and meditate on the topic and see what transpired…..

In this season of political uncertainty, amidst the myriad major issues facing not just our beloved United States, but the entire world, can we just stop for a minute?

Can we take a moment to remove our focus from the voices telling us the numerous reasons we should be divided and instead remember all that we have in common? Social media and the news media are ripe with ideas on how to tear each other apart, but who says we have to buy into the hate and the drama?

We are all humans; we have a heart, mind, body and soul, with warm rich blood flowing through our veins. We all have feelings, even though we may express them differently. We were all created in the image of God, our Divine Creator.

Let’s love one another. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

This may seem a little too maudlin for some, but it’s what’s on my heart. Peace.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. I Corinthians 13:4-8

Filed Under: Inspirational, Uncategorized Tagged With: Daily Prompt, Divide, God, love, political

Storms never last

February 24, 2016 2 Comments

Storms never last

I sit inside in my favorite chair wrapped in a cozy blanket. Its day three of nursing something yet undiagnosed, but I can tell you I haven’t the energy to do much more than sit. I am looking out the window to my left, watching the rain fall down vertically at an angle. I notice this and assume it to be an effect of the wind. I can still hear the birds chirping, which sounds eerie based on the appearance of things out there. I wonder if they are attempting to guide others home or if a mama bird has lost a child. If God’s eye is on the sparrow, I am quite certain they know what to do and where to go in a storm.

Just as God guides His creatures, He will guide us through the storms of life, if we will but let Him. Our problem is that we want to do it our way without help from anyone. Yes, we much prefer to captain our own vessels through the waves and the rocks, the tropical force winds and pelting rain and hail. In the midst of a great storm, direction can become meaningless and we can find ourselves at the mercy of the wind, blowing us where it will. Often, it’s only after we are bruised and battered that we will begin to call upon the Great Rescuer.

So, as I watch the rain drizzle down the windowpanes and I reflect on the many storms of life that His love has carried me through, I cannot help but express my gratitude in praise to Him.

For You have been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat Isaiah 25:4

Filed Under: Christian, Uncategorized Tagged With: God, rescue, storms, weather

Beacon of love

December 21, 2015 4 Comments

Chocolate peppermint cookies

Scarlett hastily scraped up the last bit of cookie dough as she thought, “Yes, that’s enough for one more cookie”. Plopping the last gooey bit on the cookie sheet, she licked her fingers, and then silently wondered if the minuscule amount of raw egg she had ingested contained Salmonella. “Oh well, it’s too late to worry about it now”, she mused. She opened the oven door, slid the pan in and set the timer.

Now, she only had to wait approximately 15 minutes, for delicious chewy goodness. That left plenty of time to address the remaining Christmas cards and perhaps wrap one more gift. She was looking forward to sitting down to watch a Christmas movie, with a plate full of cookies and a cold glass of milk. But first, as soon as the cookies came out of the oven, she was running a nice warm bubble bath. Tonight she would relax; tonight was about her.

“Scarlett, honey, are you home?” Mrs. Avery’s warbled voice pierced the silence at that moment reminding Scarlett of an old worn record that had reached the end of play and needed to be removed from the turn table. Oh no, not tonight. Scarlett seriously considered remaining silent, hiding in her bedroom. She could wait there for Mrs. Avery to turn her support hose ridden little legs planted firmly in their reliable, built-for-comfort loafers, back towards home. Mrs. Avery was patient tonight though. That crazy feline fur ball of hers must be loose again and Scarlett was in no mood to go looking for her.

Scarlett figured she might as well get whatever it was over with so she could resume her night of relaxation. As she opened the door, she noticed that Mrs. Avery’s grey hair was all she could see sticking up from behind the stack of beautiful packages she carried. They were brightly adorned in Christmas wrappings with festive pinecones and sprigs of holly instead of bows. Scarlett immediately felt regretful for her earlier ill-mannered decision to delay answering the door. She had unknowingly caused a frail woman of 83 to stand outside under the weight of this colorful burden.

“Come in, please. Let me help you with those packages. Where are you going with all of this?” asked Scarlett. “Oh, they are all for you my dear. I probably went a bit overboard wrapping mostly food stuff, but I wanted to bless you”, replied Mrs. Avery. “Go ahead and open them up as they will need to be refrigerated.”

As Scarlett opened boxes containing homemade meals, complete with desserts her eyes filled with tears. “You did all of this, just for me?” she asked. “Well, I see you getting home after work every day and most nights you have to rush right back off for class. I know you don’t eat right because I see you cleaning out the fast food bags from your car. I thought the best gift I could give you was the gift of time, so I prepared a couple of weeks’ worth of meals so you will to be able to just relax and enjoy yourself when you do finally get home. I know your family is far away and you aren’t going to make it home this year. I pray for you every day and I wanted to bless you.”

Scarlett was overwhelmed with shame that she had even considered ignoring this beacon of light. She was also suddenly reminded of what Christmas was all about. She thought about the Christmas plays back at home and her dad reading the Christmas story from the big black bible. Jesus came to give the greatest gift. Scarlett had received that precious gift of salvation as a child, and she was thankful that Mrs. Avery had reminded her about what this season was really all about. She made a mental note to find out what time the Christmas services were at her local church and see if Mrs. Avery had plans.

For now though, the timer was going off on her oven, so she excused herself to remove the cookies. As she returned, she said, “Mrs. Avery, were you doing anything special tonight?” Mrs. Avery smiled and said, “No, I was just going to go home and call a friend and perhaps do some reading or watch that new Christmas movie”.

“That’s great!” said Scarlett. “I have warm cookies, just out of the oven. How about I change into something more comfortable and bring them over and we will watch that movie together?” Mrs. Avery squeezed Scarlett’s hands in both of hers and said, “Yes, come on over, that would be delightful, my dear”.

That night began a new chapter in Scarlett’s life; her friendship with Mrs. Avery continued for many years until her precious friend left this earth to be with Jesus. Scarlett would always remember the tiny little woman, full of life and faith and love and she would always try to be “Mrs. Avery” to someone.

Filed Under: Christian, Family and Home, Uncategorized Tagged With: God

The Old Green Truck

December 14, 2015 1 Comment

Deer, Big Cypress

My post from yesterday made me begin to ponder pride and I thought about other times that mine has caused me to feel bad or to make others feel bad (or both). This brought to mind an old green truck.

As I have mentioned before my dad was a commercial fisherman and stone crabber for most of my childhood. It was seasonal; there were some times of feast or famine and I even remember once when my stay-at-home mom had to get a part-time job to help out when Dad suffered with a ruptured disc in his back. I think Dad’s pride hurt more than his back did then as mom had never worked, but that’s another story.

This story stars an ugly old green truck with multiple compartments on the sides. I don’t remember where my dad got it or why, but I hated it. It was the ugliest old truck I had ever seen in my life.

Dad worked hard, but on the days he got home early enough, one of his favorite things to do was to load his family up and go for an early evening ride on one of the neighboring dirt roads. My brother and sister lived for this kind of stuff as they got to ride in the back and let their hair whip in the wind. I enjoyed it too, but I didn’t want anyone to know that. I think I was around 12 and maybe hormones played a part; maybe I was just a brat.

We would all pile into the truck with me finagling a way to ride in the front when I could. Many times I got my way since my brother and sister actually wanted to be in the back. Our first stop would be at Mrs. Watson’s general store about a mile (if that) from our house. One of the highlights of stopping here was talking to Mrs. Watson’s mina bird, Sam. The other highlight was the candy.

Dad would get his beverage of choice and we always got to pick our favorite candy. Mom would always tell us we were silly if we got anything other than chocolate (her favorite). My sister would usually get chocolate too, but my brother and I often ended up with wax candy bottles filled with juice, gobstoppers, or Laffy taffy. My sister says we always wanted what she had, but I don’t remember this. I will have to take her word for it. Often, we would all get Astro Pops. Remember those? I learned an interesting fact about them today. They were created by Rocket Scientists working on the space program in El Segundo, CA who decided to quit their jobs at Rocketdyne and create the Astro Pop®, modeling the pop after a three-stage rocket. They were very pointed and had wax around the bottom. We used these to poke each other after we licked the tips until they were even sharper than they came. We had to be very discreet about our pokes.

After talking to whoever we might have encountered there, we were off for our backroads drive. Dad would crank up his country tunes and make me sing along and we would see our share of wild animals and a beautiful sunset. My husband and I take the same drive sometimes and I now understand why it was so relaxing to my parents.

The part of this memory that brings me pain is my hatefulness about the old truck. I remember one time in particular that I really did not want to go on one of these outings; I wanted to be left behind at home. I made up every reason in the world, but my dad finally discerned that I was embarrassed to be seen in the old truck. He was absolutely correct, even though I denied it vehemently. I remember the look on his face when that realization set in that his eldest daughter didn’t want to be discovered in the old green truck by one of her friends. I don’t remember the outcome on that day, but I am 99% sure, knowing my dad, that my high-and-mighty little backside was parked in the back of the truck with the rest of the family.

When I look back, my despicable behavior was rooted in pride; the same pride that caused me not to want to be seen at church in yard shoes. Looking back, of course it was incredibly silly as I know none of my friends would have thought any less of me and probably would have loved to be doing the same thing with their family.

Surely I am not the only one who had these types of struggles and I am thankful that I have learned from them by the help and grace of God. I try to be transparent here in hopes that perhaps something I say may resonate with someone or spur a conscience. It is a great truth that if we can learn from our mistakes, there is potential for growth in our character. The lessons we learn can be considered a gift that keeps on giving.

Filed Under: Family and Home, Inspirational, Uncategorized Tagged With: God, Home, Parenting, pride, selfishness

Who is in control?

November 24, 2015 5 Comments

found on picturequotes.com

On a day like today, I want to be able to elaborate on my sentimental thoughts about Thanksgiving and the coming season; I want to watch romantic Christmas movies and bake. My post should surely be all warm and encouraging. I want to be writing things about the cool breeze and the scent of spices and cinnamon in my house, about using my new Kitchen-aid appliance and about the anticipation of family gathered around the table on Thursday.

But the truth is, I just can’t today. My heart is overwhelmed and I’m teetering on the brink of a major downpour of tears. I have two friends going through major surgery, other friends who lost family members this week, and yet others battling cancer. I could go on and on but you get my point and that isn’t even to mention the chaos all around us.

What’s a girl to do? I can sit here and let myself get tossed to and fro and feel my stress level begin to rise. I can succumb to despair and panic or get angry or dismayed. OR, I can lead myself to the Rock that is higher than I.

Always, but especially in times like these, on days like this, God is my Rock and my Fortress, my Strong tower and my Deliver, my Healer and my Sanity, Lover of my soul and a God who is moved with compassion. Where do I put my trust? I place it exclusively in Him because ALL others have failed me at times.

So, I will cast all of my cares upon Him, who can bear it all and trust Him for all outcomes. I will leave my problems at the foot of the cross and not pick them back up again. For I know, in the midst of trials, storms, and seemingly immovable mountains, my God is still in control.

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31

Filed Under: Christian, Inspirational Tagged With: God, overwhelmed, refuge, Rock, Stress

To Paris with love

November 14, 2015 3 Comments

eiffel-tower-paris-moulin-rouge-show-and-seine-river-cruise-in-paris-150305

As I sit here in the cool breeze, with clear blue skies, and birds flying overhead you would think I am the picture of tranquility. Deep inside, in my spirit-woman, I am. I have that profound sense of peace that passes all understanding. I know I live in a fallen world and I believe that God is still sovereign, in the midst of chaos and tragedy.

However, my emotions are another story. I mourn for the victims of yet another senseless massacre. I think of the multitude of family members who are finding out today that the people they love won’t be coming home. The husbands, wives, children, parents and other loved ones who will get a phone call or a visit that will change their lives forever. The numbers of the fatalities keep changing; 100, 120, 148 and although high; the victims are considerably higher. They will all be in my prayers today.

Let us also remember the others, numbering in the thousands by now, who have lost their lives due to acts of terrorism. Many countries have been affected and as we focus our prayers and thoughts on France today, let us not fail to pray for the World and for our governing authorities to have wisdom in dealing with this situation. We need strong leaders who listen to God for instruction.

In the times we are living in, it’s more imperative than ever that we all remember that tomorrow is never promised. Do whatever God has called you to do, today. Forgive that person, send those flowers, show that love, pick up that phone now; don’t delay. Do not live in fear, but make the most of every moment.

Obviously, I am a Christ follower and I would encourage you to glean your strength from Him; the only Omnipotent, Omnipresent strength I’ve ever known.

Praying for Paris ❤

Father God, I pray for strength, wisdom and comfort for all of those touched by this senseless tragedy

Let them feel Your Divine love and that peace that only You can give

Touch each and every loved one as their hearts are broken today

and touch every worker at every scene and give them the strength they need to continue their work.

Give the leaders in Paris and those around the world the insight and wisdom needed to handle this catastrophe

Help us to love in word and in deed as we mourn with those who mourn

In Jesus’ name, amen

Filed Under: Inspirational Tagged With: France, God, Paris, prayers

A perfect morning

June 26, 2015 2 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “The Golden Hour.”

The prompt asked, “6:00 AM: the best hour of the day, or too close to your 3:00 AM bedtime?”

My alarm goes off at 5:30 am on the mornings that I haven’t already turned it off and began my day. Sometimes I grumble to myself as I stumble into the bathroom to begin my morning routine. My last stop in on the way to the kitchen or should I say on the way to my Keurig, is at my scale, which is something I’ve done for so many years, it’s a more of a habit than anything. It’s reading doesn’t make any difference in my mood; it just lets me know if I should lighten things up.

Coffee done, in goes the sugar and half and half; some things I just will not give up! Holding one of the lovely cups given to me by friends who know my love of coffee and tea, I make my way to my favorite spot. Before I sit, I open the blinds where I can watch God display the colors of a morning sunrise. The birds are waking too and sing to their Creator with unabashed fervor.

After sufficient sips of hot java, and enough blinking where my eyes begin to see clearly, on go my cheaters and my bible is opened and on my lap. Feet up and feeling so peaceful, I began to receive my daily spiritual nourishment. After prayer and meditation on the Word, my day can continue with me feeling strengthened and ready to take on anything.

At some point in my morning, usually a bit later, my husband wakes up and comes to find me to give me a morning hug and kiss. This happens every morning without fail unless one of us is travelling and it is one of the highlights of my day. I smile when I hear him walking toward me, thankful that this is still our reality after 21 years as husband and wife.

I have described the perfect morning at my house. It varies from time to time, but if any of this is missing, the day seems to sputter and I falter and things just don’t go as smooth. Yes, for me, the perfect morning is described above.

Opportunities are like sunrises, if you wait too long, you miss them.

William Arthur Ward

Filed Under: Inspirational Tagged With: Coffee, God, morning, morning person, thankfulness

Sunday morning Word

May 24, 2015 4 Comments

Captivating clouds

Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: God, nature photography, scripture

A little longer

May 21, 2015 3 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Linger.”

Tell us about times in which you linger — when you don’t want an event, or a day to end. What is it you love about these times? Why do you wish you could linger forever?

There are many times I dare to linger

To stay when I really should go

When it’s time to bid loved ones farewell

My heart yearns, but the clock is my foe.

In a garden resplendent with dew

Where the scent of the rose doth abound

Where the butterflies light on the leaves

And all manner of beauties arise from the ground

My most beloved place to linger

Where I know all is well with my soul

Is in the presence of Almighty God

As His love makes me feel pure and whole

by: Lisa Daffin

Filed Under: Poetry Tagged With: Butterfly, Daily Prompt, garden, God, linger, poetry

Monday musings

May 11, 2015 2 Comments

Why did I cook homemade cornbread today? I initially told myself it was because I love my husband and I wanted him to have something special to go with dinner. In reality, I wanted it. My motivation for making it was two-fold; I was in the mood for some fluffy, sweet bread and making it would kill two birds with one stone, because my husband would also appreciate it. Two large pieces later, I am questioning my judgment.

When I wrote Check My What back in November, God was dealing with me about checking my motives and looking at the why behind my actions. I’m still doing that and I still recommend it.

I even find my faith increasing as I learn to trust God completely and not try to fix things myself in the background (like He can’t see exactly what I’m doing anyway). When I open myself up completely, no hidden agendas, no hidden motives and I just pour out my heart; God loves that. It’s so real.

Have a blessed Monday! And if you want a good cornbread recipe, go here.