Being Filled
There are days when we might feel hollow… empty. We’ve been drained to where we feel we have nothing left. Have you ever felt that way? Yet, because we are earthen vessels crafted by the Almighty Creator of us all, we just need to call on the One who can fill us again…and sometimes He fills us to overflowing. Could it be that this overflowing is because we weren’t completely empty? Though, we surely can get to the point where we feel empty, bare, dry to the bone. If we could somehow look down into our own vessel, we would be reminded that during Creation and our forming, God placed the soul that resides within us and never leaves us until we pass on into Eternity. The soul is a pretty busy part of us earthen vessels. It communicates with our Father as is His intention. With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, it prays for us when we are at our absolute lowest and seem to have no words. It illuminates our vessel with such joy, love and, at the same time, softly nurtures us as we feel sorrow. When I contemplate the state of us as these earthen vessels, I’m reminded of Henri Nouwen and his writing about the Cup of Life in his book, “Can You Drink the Cup?” Jesus asked his disciples that question before the Last Supper because He knew the road ahead of them. Christ held His cup that God had given Him…and it surely had the bitter taste of persecution, betrayal and suffering. It also possessed the greatest joy of His life being sacrificed for the salvation of mankind. Knowing all, Christ drank His cup offering us the great gift of Eternal life. Jesus has told us in John 7:38 “Whosoever believes in me shall have rivers of water flowing within him.” That is the living water that quenches our thirst and sustains our lives forever. So at our lowest points, when we feel that emptiness, we can recall God’s promises to us that He is always with us and that we are His. Body, soul and spirit. Galatians 3:23-6:18 “Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me, break me, melt me, mould me, fill me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.” Thanks be to...
Read MoreMake Each Day Your Masterpiece
Coach John Wooden, the historic & successful men’s basketball coach at UCLA, spoke one of my favorite life quotations, “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece.” Quite a tall order, but certainly one to aspire to accomplish. It has served as a guiding principle for me for the last 16 years following my breast cancer diagnosis in 1999. We experience days in our lives where we are changed forever by tragedy, loss, disappointment and the thought of making that day…those days a masterpiece seem impossible to do anything but grieve and try to survive. That is being human and those pains and anguish are very real. And yet, we see over and over people getting beyond their great losses and living life in joy. What we don’t see is the way God’s Holy Spirit, the Holy Comforter, is at work in their lives giving them a “peace that passes all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7 KJV) So, thinking about creating masterpieces with our daily lives, there are plenty of days when I think, “OK, this is where I am today, this is what I’ve got,” and I wonder “how on earth am I to make today a masterpiece?” The real truth is that what may seem very mundane or even worthless to us, just may seem to be a masterpiece to someone else in their circumstances. When a smile or showing kindness comes so naturally to us, sometimes it is seen by someone who needed so badly to receive it that a masterpiece was created without our knowing it. A street performer or salesperson who obviously needs every coin or dollar they earn, offers you their “creation” which you don’t need but, out of kindness and appreciation, you give them your money and suggest they give their “creation” to a child who comes along later. In my love and appreciation of God’s creation, as I am in the lovely wetlands of South Florida observing and photographing our wildlife, I try to capture the essence of the beautiful herons and egrets and spoonbills as they court, breed and build their nests in which to raise their families. I look for their beauty, uniqueness and displays of God’s masterpiece to share with others. To inner city middle-school students, some with behavioral issues, they need to know there is beauty and love and respect and hope for a better future out there. When I substitute teach, I usually share three 8 x 10 photos I’ve taken to demonstrate to them that there is another life out in our world and they can live among it. I realize from their reactions they are seeing a masterpiece when looking at my photos. I am humbled. I know it gives them hope to see new things and to realize that finishing school, getting a job and earning the money for a decent camera (not the expensive best) that they too can create a masterpiece with their lives. When I see the joy and hope in their eyes, they, in turn, have shown me their masterpiece moment for that day. Well, I’m sure you can think of all sorts of masterpieces you can create in your days of life. How you interact with people during your day, the reports you write at work, the cookies you bake at home & share, etc. The important thing is to give it some thought and with your awareness, CREATE!!!...
Read MoreHow Things Change
When I was younger with little ones running around barefoot with a high level of noise and excitement near the arrival of the Baby Jesus AND Santa Claus, I used to answer the question, “What do you want for Christmas?” with the half-giggled response “Peace and Joy!” Oh, brother, did I want Peace and Joy!!!! As years passed, I realized soon enough, Peace, was far off in the distance and, besides, I had always been a glass half-full kind of gal and one who, thankfully, realized Joy often presented itself right in the MIDST of chaos. I had some chaos!! Now, the bare feet are those of grand children adored whether 25, 21,11 or 8 years of age…its just the sound their bare feet create has changed…some pitter patter while others boom-boom actually like the reindeer on the roof. And when I am asked that same question, “What do you want for Christmas?” my response is the same but without the giggle, though; “Peace and Joy!” Now, that desire for Peace and Joy is more like a very sincere prayer. I really do hope for Peace and Joy…not just for my life or my home or my family and friends but for our WORLD. I’m still that glass half-full gal, and I still affirm that there has to be darkness for the Light to shine, I just don’t like to feel that I am seeing more darkness…and its not cataracts because I’ve been there and done that with removal and new lenses. When I watch the evening news, I am totally silent, mostly in dismay over the criminal acts, the expressed strife that so many riots and rebelling represent, the horrific beheading of innocent people by evil doers who claim to be acting in the name of Allah, the never-ending anti-semitic warfare Israel must experience, the countless school, workplace, large public places shootings, bombings, etc. etc. I feel our world is in a state of morph…and not in a good way. So, as NBC has started when closing out the nightly news, they offer a final report that makes the soul smile a bit…I find myself doing my own version of perspective adjustment by adding to my prayer list those identified throughout the newscast in need of prayer. My problem now being a septuagenarian (even though I cannot pronounce it)is, I seem to drift off into another train of thought or fall asleep before I cover the entire prayer list. I do firmly feel that God knows what is in our hearts so I do believe He has received all my prayers whether I was awake or not going down my list. Isn’t God just so amazing!!! Yes, things…even we change. I’m 70 years old. My doctor says I’m shorter. My doctor also says I don’t NEED ice cream. I like her anyway. I don’t stand quite as straight now. I don’t have as much energy. I live alone but don’t feel alone. I love more people. For some reason, I think more people love me. I see God EVERY day and talk to Him off and on all day long. God puts up with me. God orders my steps. I am so thankful. So what about Peace and Joy? If I have Peace in my heart there will always be Joy in my life. The way we deal with the darkness in our world is to shine our Light. Light overcomes darkness…there is NO PUTTING IT OUT! Can you imagine how bright our world would be if EVERYONE would shine his/her light!! Let’s go light our world!!!...
Read MoreMother’s Day
I have been keenly aware of the great fortune of my brother and me, having been born to the parents we shared. Our mother and father blessed us with joyous love and nurturing to last our entire lives. For this, we are so very thankful! When I got married, my parents-in-law were the absolute salt of the earth and loved me like their flesh & blood daughter. I truly felt like I had two sets of loving parents. When we had our own two daughters, my life became so complete, so full of wonder and, again, I realized how fortunate I was. It is truly the greatest honor and privilege to have the opportunity to be a mother. While my daughters were young, I was fortunate to be able to stay at home with them before they started school, fully investing in their development and growth and in my marriage. Raising children is the most awesome job in this world and it not only contributes to them and their development but, I believe, it contributes to the welfare of our world as well. There is a little piece of my heart that is always sad on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day when I ponder the awareness that not all who would like to have had children, could. I also am aware of friends and associates who are estranged from their parents or children and I wish so much that each year as these special days that so many celebrate arrive, those who are not celebrating might just decide to attempt to bridge that gap and give relationships another try. Single people living in a society that is seems focused on couples find it lonely at times and I know that those without children or estranged from loved ones have expressed that same experience at times. Sadly, for some families alienated time may be running out sooner than later due to age or illness. So this weekend as my family and I celebrate Mother’s Day sprinkled across the country (thank you, Facetime and Skype!!), I hope all families can focus on the possible joy and, perhaps, reach out to seek it once more…in...
Read MoreA New Year…FULL!
I’ve thought a lot about how to celebrate the New Year’s arrival. We’re so surrounded with sickness, sorrow and loss it seems, so it seems a little inappropriate to say to those folks experiencing those things, “Happy New Year!” Though, I do want them to be happy and have a good year. So, my thought process has led me to identifying what really makes me happy. It starts with PEACE…for all… and let it begin with me! JOY…from whence comes your JOY??? HOPE…HOPE is like washing the windows of our minds and souls, wiping out our pain & sorrow, restoring us to the place where we can see beyond and a better day. LOVE. “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” New Living Translation (©2007) So, if everyone…in Statesville, in NC, in the USA, in the world…would live to create peace for all in what we say and do, can you imagine how much more peaceful our world would be? If we could see our words and actions as “fairy dust of some sort” and from all our interactions with others would fall a covering of JOY to the WORLD! Interesting to contemplate. And when we learn of pain and sorrow in someone’s life, a word of caring, acknowledgement, and the gift of our enduring presence with them will spring up a river of hope in their heart…and ours. So, I wish for all a 2013 Full of Peace, Joy, Hope and LOVE…which makes this all...
Read MoreDo What You Can
A great Life Motto, I think. So often, we seem to find ourselves actually putting LIFE off by saying, “Whenever I get….” or “When my ship comes in…” or “Once the kids are grown…” and then years pass us by and we find we haven’t done or developed into the person we know God intends us to be. This is a simple and colorful presentation of this motto from the fine folks at Famous Quotes to Inspire You! Be who you are, work with what you have and create the world you desire…NOW! Spread your own personal JOY dust where ever you are. We’ll all be better off for...
Read MoreHoly Laughter!
One of my best friends…a friend of 47 years, and I live at opposite ends of the state. We ALWAYS have what I refer to as Holy Laughter every time we are together whether it is in person or over the phone. Now, my definition of the Holy Laughter I am referring to is not the charismatic Christian Holy Laughter where uncontrollable laughter goes on during worship services. My referenced Holy Laughter is laughter that comes most times so unexpectedly that it thrills and, in a way, heals us, perhaps of an ailing or tired spirit . This laughter, you’ve experienced it I am certain, is when we laugh such a hardy laugh that we are uplifted in such appreciation for the momentary joy. Were I writing a dictionary entry describing this wonderful enjoyment of the moment, I certainly would include the words “extreme joyous expression of some good-natured occurrence.” My niece has been recovering from viral meningitis over the last month. We have all been concerned about her, having been hospitalized four times during this period. So many prayers have gone up for her and she is persisting with a strong spirit and faith throughout. No doubt, she has inspired many by her faithful patience as her body ever so slowly heals. During this same period of time, I was having numerous medical tests and we enjoyed a chuckle about the fact that we were both having Brain MRIs the same day, wondering if we could get a “Buy One – Get One” rate. We certainly weren’t joking about the seriousness of our both NEEDING Brain MRIs. While I was running errands, she texted me and reported she had had to go back to her doc’s office to get 2 more bags of IV fluids because she had gotten so weak and dehydrated again. Of course, I was concerned. So I parked my car outside the last store I had to go in and gave her a quick call. She told me how her day had gone, what the doc had said and that she was already feeling a little stronger. We shared our faith again and then I needed to tell her something really quick so I could go in the store, finish my shopping and get right home. When I did (sorry, I just can’t put what I said out there on the internet), I wish you could have heard her laugh! Then, I laughed and I am sure the woman parked beside me must have REALLY wondered because this Holy & Healing Laughter continued for a bit. It was so good to hear her laugh like that. It truly made her feel better and me too! So now, I’m in Florida visiting my daughter whose husband has been unemployed for 3 years. You can imagine the struggle with two little children, having lost their home, etc., etc. So she and I were in the grocery store taking advantage on Buy One-Get One Free specials. Looking at this, …”oh no, that’s too expensive.” Oh, this looks good. “Yes, but we’re just not spending that much right now.” OK. Then, as I was looking at something else, from a slight distance I remarked something to her and the two of us practically collapsed in laughter. Two grown women in the grocery store holding theselves up at the meat and dairy cases…and this went on and on…emotional release, obviously. This is what I call Holy Laughter and the two of us felt the joy of being together, of handling the situtation, of understanding one another and ENJOYING this healthy, cardio stress...
Read MoreWhat's Your Passion?
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