KINDNESS COMMENTS AND BEYOND!

How rewarding to receive a special gift from a dear couple who have been longtime friends! A kind gift---a book I had never read! A book full of kindness woven into life's complexities. The book had me at the humor on the dedication page all the way to the PROLOGUE! 

Did I mention even a gift offering at the end?

Theo of Golden, published in 2023 when I had an occipital lobe stroke & I was unable to read without audio help. This timely 2025 gift became for me a book to savor. 

Often I saw examples of where joy and sorrow could co-exist. It reminded me of 2 Corinthians 6:10 phrases "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing but possessing everything."

"Sadness and joy can co-exist" as seen in the lives of some in Golden. Theo's "friend" Asher believed "for anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. He then asked Theo how does one know if something has love in it? Theo responded ".....That is the question, isn't it? And I'm not sure I know the answer either. But God does. (Theo of Golden, p. 129. Emphasis mine)

Amen. God knows the answers we need!

Throughout the book, I sensed Theo's wisdom was sadness can make one bitter or wise. 

Hmm-- Sadness can make one bitter or wise.

Metaphorically, I'll take that one step further......

The choice is ours! But God knows the best answer. 

AUGUST 20, 2016 Embracing Joy in the Midst of Sorrow

Grieving is hard but needful. Family, friends and the household of faith coming alongside helps the process. God's word also helps.

Saturday morning before hubby and I left to drive to Kentucky for the funeral of a dear friend's mother, the verse from my morning devotional was so apropos.

In the midst of the sorrow of losing her mom, Cheryl and her family were able to rejoice because their mom (grandmother and great grandmother) was with the Lord. As the family shared about her life as a WWII widow with 2 young girls, (Cheryl and Sylvia) I was so aware that her life of hardship personified the rest of the verse. She might have struggled as a single mom getting her college education but her children were rich in their handmade clothes, fun times and good, and often funny, memories which they shared. Her legacy of diligence and determination continued through a second marriage and a son to add to this BIG family mix. The pews were filled with family---all of whom, possessing a strong faith, were celebrating Mrs. Gresham's life well-lived.

as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, 

yet possessing everything. (2 Corinthians 6:10)

Loss brings grief. Grief can lead to mourning and sorrow. 

But God showed me once again-----

Sorrow and joy are not mutually exclusive. 

God's Word and the August 20th celebration of Nancy Jane Terry Gresham's life proved that!