PITHY PONDERINGS!

How doe one survive the storms of life?

(Tim Keller faith in Christ reminder to "rest in Him."

Hope in the One whose name is majestic in all the earth. (Psalm 8:1, 9)

He is "our" God.

In short, to survive the storms of life, stay in the boat with Him!

SATURDAY SHORT!

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

Key Prepositions all about Him---IN, ON, FOR.

Pair with verbs as needed.....even if it's not Saturday!

TRUST! RELY! WAIT! BELIEVE! REJOICE! RELAX!

MOVE FORWARD FEARS!

Move forward in faith----not fear!

Medical fears! How can that be when I belong to the Great Physician?!

The fears I feel, in response to the growing impact of amyloids, stroke, and heart issues are not from Him!

2 Timothy 1:7  reminds me, He does not give the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. Not sure how much soundness is left in my mind......but God, is the One whom I trust even in the midst of these fluctuating medical issues, a "mess" of emotions, a "kaleidoscope of feelings." AKA fear.

Lord, this week I seek to exercise, sound mind----self- control, good & sound judgment, and wise discretion, no matter how I define it. Self-preservation needs to take a back seat to Your glory. I need to move forward in faith.

May I learn to handle my pain/fears with hope because I trust in you.

PLS--PLEASE & THANK YOU----for the power, love and self-discipline you have given me for this season.

NEEDMORE?!

What does one do when her GPS fails? Possibly switching back to God's Positioning System, when one needs more clarity of direction in her life would help!

Even with the latest GPS system, one can still lose her bearing when fatigue & insecurity are factors. Sunday was such a time. I needed more clues and old timey street signs which were still readable to help hubby best navigate the road to return to our new homeplace.

A good reminder appeared on the back of a BiG truck.

When we missed the turn indicated by the GPS we were reminded again that we needed more help.

When one is going in the wrong direction, for me, the answer is obvious.........

As always, I "NEED MORE" of Thee and less of me!

FLATTENED BY FATIGUE: FUEL NEEDED!!

Fuel my prayers, Lord.
Your strength is needed!

Clinging to you Lord!

Your strength is needed! (Psalm 56:3-4)

Use my cries for help and your strength and power to shoulder me up that I might continue to love and serve others well.....whether I feel spent or not!

Fuel my prayers NOT fears. 

Lord, "I will trust in You" alone for all the rest! 

THANKFUL THURSDAY!

THANKFUL THURSDAY !

Let the morning bring me word 

of your unfailing love, 

for I have put my trust in you. 

Show me the way I should go 

for to you I entrust my life. (Psalm 143:8)

Enough said!

GOD WINK EXTRAORDINAIRE!

GOD WINK!

Those moments which so touch us at an unexpected time.

A unique blessing. For many, it's as if God were just winking at us. 

A divine moment. 

Yesterday at the neurologist appointment, I had such an event.

Neurology appointments are always a bit difficult for me....as, my RX diagnosis remans the same. "Make the most of your moments."

Today's check-in gal, Marcie had scripture messages on the wall, given to her by a patient. A great spiritual conversation ensued. Uplifting reminders.

As she scanned my med sheet, she wrote down one a favorite quote from her "Mama."

A message of encouragement for today and forever.

WHEN YOU CAN NOT "SEE" THE HAND OF GOD MOVING

CONTINUE TO TRUST IN THE HEART OF GOD!! 

                            Pleasure to meet

                            Marcie

The pleasure to meet was all mine!

Now I look forward to my next appointment. 

I will go back to her "station" in anticipation of another "God Wink."

3 Rs OF OUR HEARRRT!

Renewed. Revived. Refreshed.

Great inner man descriptors both physical and or spiritual.

Even as one ages Lord, allow us to daily depend on you for strength, grace and courage to endure until we meet you face to face as Betsy so beautifully writes!

Renew. Revive. Refresh............our hearts until the end. 

TRUST

TRUST! Easy to type. Hard to hold on to some days.

Yesterday's phone call from doc had me tightly embracing trust in Him once again.

What a great reminder this was------

But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; 

they shall rise up with wings like eagles; 

they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. 

(Isaiah 40:31)

..........an advertisement that "drives it home"!

*This entry is dedicated to Beth Dixon, who shall one day "walk with the Lord Jesus" in heaven!

Dancing DANCING AGAIN

To all my prayer warriors & encouragers, I want you to know that I appreciate your prayers, love, wit, puns, Encouragement and concern! I am dancing again but this time it is at Baptist East Hospital ICU room 215! Once again the Lord has turned my mourning into dancing! I am just doing it while I am all wired up—figuratively & literally.

Next test will be at 4:30 PM central standard time.

🥰 & hugs to all! I hope you dance! It’s the life of abunDANCE. I know that for sure exclamation

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways  acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

  

CHOOSE: HOPE

God's Word says it well. (Romans 15:13)

When I choose hope, I choose from within. 

I choose God, my source of hope! 

FEARLESS

The fearless have courage.  They are the brave ones.
I am more likely to possess that trait in the daylight hours.

The "fearful" talk that I  hear in my head between 2 and 4 am seems to come down from the ceiling---similar to a night in a ER hospital room when I heard announcements for a doctor, or a code blue.
A jolt of words that seem to "rattle" me and stay with me. Hard to get out of my head.

I, like a few other folks, need to fear less and trust more especially during the night watch. Those hours when the thoughts in one's head can resurrect fear.
More often than not, they are thoughts of which I have no control over the outcome---think worry. (Philippians 4: 6-7)

To be fearless in the wee hours, I need to fear less of those things which I cannot control and trust more in the One who controls everything.

Tonight's bedtime story will be the twenty-third psalm---

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

Thrust of Trust

This summer has been a time of transition, concerns and difficult decisions for many of my dear ones, both friends and family: Farming friends rushing to get hay in before the rains; Special needs births, both here and in Mexico; A distressing cancer diagnosis for a young mom; Joblessness; A child's poor decision resulting in life altering consequences; Housing needs/renting/ selling/buying; Impending surgeries; School needs for children when money is lacking; Marital disappointment/discord, here and abroad; Ministry decisions; End of life approach for one's sibling. 

Today's Jesus Calling (7/15) once again speaks to me right where I am in my concern as I seek to pray for these difficulties. Sarah Young writes" "Throw off this oppressive burden with one quick thrust of trust,"

Do you, too, need a thrust of trust? If so, here's a trove of my favorite "trust" verses to help you in your thrusting.

• Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9, NIV)
• But I trust in your unfailing love; (Psalm 13:5a) 
• Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:7)
• But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."(Psalm 31:14)
• O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. (Psalm 84:12)
• Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Keep on thrusting; It increases trusting.

Twis-TEA---Curvy paths

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

Twis-TEA---Turvy paths----life is full of them as today's Jesus Calling entry reminded me. But God....is there.....if we "dare to walk on the high road with Him. The low road is circuitous: twisting and turning in agonizing knots." Trust is the direct route to the Lord; the straight path to heaven. 

Before you go out to face your day, choose to sit with a cuppa and your trusty (trus-TEA) Friend. Then, watch as this trustworthy One will straighten those twis-TEA-Curvy paths....even if you're walking them in mid-matched shoes.

NOT a staged picture.
Just the result of a twisty-turvy, distracted mind going to appt with Dr. H.
& not even noticing, until sitting in the office. Hey, at least both are black!

SATURDAY RE-BREWS: TEAch-able

1/18/14 Weekends are times for wandering.....so for a season, the Saturday blogs will be a re-brew. A Re-write. I hope to re-write some blogs from the last 5 years. More concise. More focused and in the same format.

TEAch-able will be the first cuppa.

But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you. (John 14:26, ASV)

Re-reading my 2/28/09 blog entry today, had me asking myself, "How teachable am I in 2014?" 

"Why do I seem to continue to need re-teaching, especially in the area of trust?" Remedial trust classes?" Or.....maybe be sent to "time-out" to see if "being still" can make a difference in my recall of God's word and all He has done in my past to prove His faithfulness.

In 2009, my classroom was a cancer diagnosis with a grim prognosis. An initial surgery could last 18-22 hours. Possibility of 8-10 surgeries spanning over a year. A good chance of losing my gums and having to rebuild my sinus cavity with titanium. Such a medical foreboding had my listening ears perked. I desired to "hear" more from the Lord, knowing that though "he slay me," as Job said, I was ready to praise HIm.
Suffering can bring one into a TEAch-able position---prostrate before the Lord.

Psalm 23 is a psalm of trust and confidence in the God for not only the moment but for all one's future moments as well. Psalms---a good place to go for re-teaching IF one has a TEAch-able spirit.

anxie-TEA

 "Fret not.........Fret not.......Fret not.." (Psalm 37: 1, 7, & 8, ESV)

Anxie-TEA. Not a tea to recommend. Certainly not a tea to sip and savor. Bitterness is left with every swallow. Dregs of regret, self-pity, frustration and fear are left sticking to one's insides. Why does one keep swallowing it?

What happens when one pours herself an anxious cuppa? 

Tea with Thee indicates the need to turn to the one on the throne of one's life. Is it Me? Or Thee? Decide. Then, turn inward to self and more fretting or upward to the One who offers peace.

Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. (Psalm 37: 4-5)

Time for a re-brew. Choose a new cup. Fresh water and new tea leaves. Discard the dregs and bitter "over-brewed" remnants. 

Sip afresh and "fret not."

Simple Trust

5/1/13 Sometimes it just takes a "hand" to provide all the trust that is needed. As Lucy left church Sunday with Pop-Pop, I was reminded of the Psalm 37:24 verse....

When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. 

That truth is the basis for simple trust for all of us.

DO YOU TRUST ME???

6/14/12 “Do you trust me?” was the question “Unky” (aka Bill Gurner) would ask my kids as he held them at arms length off the ledge on the deep end of the pool. Of course, he would always let go---that was part of the fun of the game.

But this past year that question has taken on a more significant meaning. It all started when my friend, JoLynn related a tough situation and sensed that the Lord was asking her, Do you trust me in this, JoLynn? 

After that, for me, the word trust began “jumping off the pages” in devotional books, especially Jesus Calling. I began to mark each with a † in the middle of the u---as my reminder of the Lord asking, Do you trust me, Dotsy?

Yesterday, my “last minute call” to join the women’s mission team and leave in 6 days for central Ukraine moved from being willing to trusting. Not long after the wobbly knee-excitement and the unbelievable provision of a cleared calendar, needed RX and funds for a pricey airline ticket began to settle, the need for more trust surfaced. Even after all the clear indicators that my participation was God’s will, I needed more assurance.

Some folks asked hard questions---things I needed to consider, but not as fun as the thought of just going and serving. Even the ticker tape rolling across under the news was foreboding. Strains between Russia and US as military assistance was provided by Russia for Syria. Problems of violence at the Euro Soccer championship esp. between Russians and Poland---right near where we will be.

But God….in His mercy used prayers and provision of others to bring me back. God-centered. Daughter reminded me of how God knows me inside and out and this “last minute” (to me) decision was His way of alleviating weeks of worry (not spiritual, I know) because I have no time to worry----I just need to start packing.

Lots to do. Yes, but today I’m trusting* Him to work out the details.

*Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

How do you dance?

5/11/11 How does one dance when decisions loom and clear direction is anything but clear? Today is "Weeping Wednesday" thus a time of confession. My confession was uppermost in my mind when I started my computer----confession of uncertainty, fear and a lack of trust. All of that spells u-n-b-e-l-i-e-f. I believe God, help thou my unbelief. (Mark 9:24) I had to ask the Lord to supply His strength and wisdom in these defects in my faith. A 12:45 am wake-up started the fears festering and relief seemed to be beyond my grasp. Relief must not have been the answer. Trust is the answer, but in the wee hours it was in short supply even as I tossed verses about in my head.
Part of the answer came when my computer opened up to GOOGLE. Today's animation showed dancers moving across the screen and that's when my anxiety cleared up. I just needed to once again get up and stretch out for the Lord & allow Him to lead me in this "new" dance. A dance that requires me to let go of a loved one not long for this world and hold on to His hand. The rest of the answer came when I talked to hubby and he told me he was coming home today.

SPEED BUMPS AHEAD

2/18/11 Baby Boomers Alert----It’s not easy being in one’s Medicare application year. So many unknowns loom and the volumes of information alone just add to the confusion. It’s disconcerting when the doctor no longer sees you as agile but notes that you are “spry.” Isn’t that a term for old folks? Hm-m-m. Even more disconcerting is when a doc won’t even see you anymore because you are on Medicare. “At your age” is another doc response when one questions certain ailments.
I’m not exactly speeding through life at this juncture, though the years do seem to be flying by. Plus, I seem more likely to tumble over the bumps that keep popping up in my path----like the riser on the HHS stage. In front of the “All Shook Up” cast I went careening to the floor after tripping on it. It’s just my new season.

Actually most “new” seasons in one’s life need to be approached with caution. There are bumps in the road---some are needed so that we don’t fall headlong into disaster.* Speed bumps are there to slow us down with an awareness of what’s ahead. What if we don’t really know what’s ahead? (Many times we don’t, even if we think we do.) Parenthood comes to mind. So many variables. First-time parents can’t even begin to imagine all of the twists and turns and challenges and delights ahead.

The final season, regardless of age, might come speeding in without warning---the death this week of a friend’s 27 yr. old grandson is proof of that. Another has a short final season--- “3 month” prognosis. Others, like Daddy and Mommar begin a memory slide that makes the season especially hard for family, while others their age are traveling, playing bridge or e-mailing, "skype"ing, and downhill skiing.

So what’s the answer to the fear of the “bumps”? How does one make the most of life’s seasons? TRUST---whether the bumps sneak up on you or you’re sailing through life at a “perfect” speed, the answer is found in trusting the Lord in the midst of your own season.

The steps of a man are established by the LORD,
And He delights in his way. 
24 *When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. 25 I have been young and now I am old,
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
Or his descendants begging bread. (Psalm 37:23-25)