EYE-CATCHING TRUTH!

Words have a way of catching my attention in the most convicting way!

My Word A Day calendar was a gift from daughter Molly. It was probably a way of helping me keep up with what day. Of course, she knows my lifelong fascination with words.  

Desultorily, certainly describes my actions these past few years. It's a course of wandering around and not remembering where or why!

Think metaphorically jumping from one activity or thought to another!

Random.

As frustrating as it is, it's life for me these days. 

Whether it's age-related or brain plaque related.

But God reminded me from 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In everything give thanks."

"His" Word....is the word that counts!

JOYNOTE!

JOY is the BEST Medicine! Hmmm....it's  not on sale at Walgreen's!

Sadly, I have not been singing notes of Joy lately! 

But God, had me start afresh in the Deep Creek parking lot with a message, seemingly just for me.....on a a license plate, no less.

It didn't have a melody, just a note! 

Think JOYNOTE! 

If a spiritual boost is needed, it comes from heart joy! 

Joy found in God's word.... (chara in Greek, simchah in Hebrew) 

• Boosts the psyche.
• Helps relaxation.
• Creates unity with other believers.
• Increases tolerance to pain/struggles allowed by God. 
• Did I hear a giggles aka "note" of laughter ⁉︎

God often fills us with joy through His presence----through His people.

His people rose to the occasion on my behalf. (texts, a memory from 2009, a devotional book in the mail, a neighbor's smile, a special cane to "lift" both my body and my Spirit, Pastor Buddy's reminder...."Keep praying it will keep you staying".....(implying importance of staying right where God has placed you) and shared prayers from prayer warriors, without a specific request from me.   

A cheerful heart is good medicine. (Proverbs 17:22a) Dispensed from the hearts of others NOT from RX though both Karen and Cassie dispense joy through kindness at the corner of 50-US 19.

Joy is more than a moment! Joy is a sustaining anchor seen on a license plate across from my handicap parking place! And.....not for the first time!

.....shout to God with cries of joy. (Psalm 47:1b)

Keep your eyes open for any JOYNOTE God might send you!

CONSIDERING SPARROWS!

Rarely do we find ourselves reading the same book at our house.

But God used "birder" hubby and I who keeps Philippians on many devotional selections each year to join together in reading "Considering Sparrows."  "What Birds Teach Us About Who We are, Where We're Going, And the Joy of Following Jesus" clearly spoke to both of us.

We follow the recommendation of the author as we try to read it together outside when possible. Think a  on a bench at Deep Creek where our seeing often comes through our ears. Hubby knows Carolina Chickadee  one chirps 3 times in a row.  If it's raining we can read on the porch!

A blustery day might have us inside but sitting beside our double open windows and watch birds flit from tree to tree. Just the mountains in the background remind us of God's absolute ownership of all creation in Scripture. "I know all the birds of the mountains, and wild beasts of fields are mine."

Even Psalm 11:1, NKJV reminds of protection: In the LORD put I my trust: How say ye to my soul, flee as a bird to your mountain?"

We take turns reading and we even mark references in the book in green and red depending on bird info or Scripture verses or Biblical analogy's

  

CONSIDERING SPARROWS---I give a 5**** review on the parts We have read sp far!

BE STILL UNTIL YOUR EYES ARE OPENED!

Across the sanctuary screen, words of scripture and song lyrics are written for all to view. Recently these letters were shown......

.....clearly showing a list of letters. Any wordsmith would immediately decipher, based on what his life at the moment brought to mind. What's the first thing you see? 

My pondering---saw the untruth written first.  

If only spaces between the letters were added, those spaces could reinforce albeit, a misconception of words. Pastor Hawes did just that.

The true lesson here is remembering God's truth. GOD IS NO WHERE, even with spaces added, is untrue. God not being seen doesn't mean he is No Where.He is seen in the lives of believers. He is vivid through them. But God...... allows spaces in one's own life to see God.

He allowed Jesus to be seen even when Jesus wasn't visible On the Road to Emmaus, Jesus went with two disciples, who did not"see" Him until He took the bread, blessed and broke it...."and their eyes were opened,"......Jesus had been with them but until His actions opened their eyes, both were unaware. 

Appropriately the service closed with all singing Hymn 502.* From their hearts, "Open My Eyes that I May See" came out loud and clear as we opened our mouths, ears, and our hearts! (Refrain)

We all knew..............

When circumstances have us seeing God as absent, space with Him (in time alone) needs to be added. Spacing is key in our time with the Triune God. 

Seeking Him, He can open our eyes, so with Him we can "live and move and have our being"....(Acts 17:28a)

*

JIGSAW PUZZLE LIFE!

We've all heard various metaphors of life being like a jigsaw puzzle----and for some it's as if many of the pieces are missing. Aging has brought about some fading parts of memory and put in new pieces of misunderstanding. But God, our Master "builder", has a place and purpose for each piece of our life!

Missing pieces maybe why I don't even attempt jigsaw puzzles! Unlike daughter M and friend JPH, who look at 1000 pieces and see challenge. i can't look beyond the straight-edged pieces!

(Alert.....in the end she needed 1 more piece. Eventually her dad found it deep in the carpet! Sounds a bit like life---sometimes what is lost desperately needs to be found!) 

I, on the other hand, look at 48 extra large pieces and seek help from my youngest grandson JLK.

I am grateful that in God's design there are no missing pieces!

Everyone who has Jesus in his/her life is complete!

BLURSDAY--THURSDAY!

I don't know if it's plaque on the brain, age-related or the COLD Winter Weather alert for the past week, but I rarely know what time it is or what day it is! Thanks to Renee B. & my squad, I have been receiving pix lately that give me reminders. Grateful for those early morning hints! I pray for my daily folks before I even get out of bed.

Today, I was very late getting to my prayer chair and noticed that my "Word A Day" was still on Monday. I knew it wasn't Monday but after that my memory was a bit hazy! "Word A Day" was a gift from "My" Molly who understands both my memory lapses as well as my "grammarian bent" of love for words and their usage.

Voilà!!

There it was! Who doesn't know what Blursday is!

How grateful I am to be able to laugh at myself and all my maladies!

As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1, there is a time for every matter under the sun. Today at my house there was building up, laughing and dancing!

Glad you could join me!

SEARCHING FOR THE SACRED

Many understand how difficult it can be to move away from the home, street, town, state, and church called home for 46+ years. 

Familiarity is a thing of the past.

But God in His love and mercy has been easing me into this new place of grace allowing me to sense His Presence anew. It has become a place of grace with new joys at every turn.

Today, unloading more books, I came across a devotional book, autographed, no less! 

As I started thumbing through it, I became aware of its emphasis on seeing everything as special. 

Think God-filled. Not ordinary! 

Sacred!

Scripture is interwoven with creation's unlimited beauty, prayer and relationships---sounds like a hope-filled life to me. 

WEARY ONE!

Running, as seen below is no longer in my vocab. Those days are long gone. 

Sometimes even walking, without my cane, can become falling.

Reading Isaiah 40:31 was making me feel "less than" and weary.

They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.     

But God, has shown me there are ways to "run" other than physically. I can go to my prayer chair for others. I can "run on" with encouraging words in a text, an email or a card. Hopefully acts of kindness or a relatable blog entry can make others soar as an eagle.

She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. (Proverbs 31:26, ESV)

Thanks be to God who allows me to "run" alongside Him even as I sit in my prayer chair.

SOLACE FROM PSALMS!

Looking to the Lord for help can be as simple as a glance from my prayer chair out the window and up past the treetops to the mountains.

The help can come from the One who made those mountains.

What is God's help and why do i need it? 

Simply put, I need Him as I am praying for others.

Assistance. Reassurance.

I will raise my eyes to the mountains;

 From where will my help come? (Psalm 121:1, NASB)

I know He provides help.....needed spiritual refreshment. 

Think shade. In His Presence, He keeps, guards and protects. (Psalm 121:5)

Praying for others whom we love can be draining. But God can lift us as we look to Him. 

Solace is found. A cool breeze from the refreshing shade, only He can provide.

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. 

OUR CREATOR!

On this misty mountain morning, I would feel lonely except for the Presence of the Lord and the blessings & prayers of friends from afar! 

Anne Brewer--November Calendar

For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, 

for the love which from our birth, over and around us lies. 

Lord of all to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

 

Even with the chill of the mountain air, I feel warm inside. The sun brings warmth to my toes. They are tapping. I feel like dancing....a ridiculous idea from someone who has trouble staying vertical on most days.

But God.....in His love and mercy has me considering dancing as I hum to quiet my soul. Humming to diminish the  noise in my head and heart, especially for dear ones!

Delighting in the presence of our Creator, I now begin to pray for others!

May we hum and toe tap together, in a "dance" of sorts, wherever God has us today! 

PSALM ON SHIRT!

Traveling quite a distance with hubby to a Carolina Hand & Sports Medicine clinic, we took a quick left onto Old Balsam Rd. It was the beginning of a couple of God winks!

The place was packed; the staff were plentiful and helpful. Still lines existed to taste the apples and buy sweet "apple" treats of cider, turnovers, fritters, cookies, loaf cakes, apple pies, slushies  etc. 

But God, in His love and mercy took it a step further to a spiritual realm.

H, our check out gal, had a sweet spirit and a Psalm on her shirt. 

Front and Back. 

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. (Psalm 42:1) 

Conversation ensued. Leaving us more prepared for the upcoming doc appointment! If that's not a "God Wink" I don't know what is!

Soul strengthening is reason we stopped there again as we headed home. H had us laughing and sharing Elvis stories....though we did purchase a few turnovers and fritters to share with godly but ailing neighbors!

All because of a Psalm on a Shirt!

MEASURING UP!

Words of scripture are written to encourage us.

She is clothed with Strength and Dignity and she laughs without fear of the Future. (Proverbs 31:25)

Until they make us question ourselves as a bookmark (gift) did to me.

When I turned it over, I saw the measurement “ruler”—-AARGG!

Conviction trumped encouragement.

Weariness had set in. I no longer had strength. I wasn't measuring up!

I was no longer clothed without fear! I seemed to daily put-on fear.

Was I measuring myself by the world's standards?

But God in His love and mercy used truth to remind me that the only true measurement we need comes from the shed blood of His son Jesus. 

John 15, a fave chapter of Scripture for me, was the needed reminder......

apart from me you can do nothing. (v. 5) Doing for Him is not measuring up. That's more self-credit. Walking with Him in His grace displays His strength, NOT ours.

...In quietness and trust is your strength... (Isaiah 30:15b) More than just alliance, it's reliance. (G. A. Smith, The Book of Isaiah, 1:128)

Leaning in---relying on Him alone! 

As I was typing these thoughts, the melody of the hymn, "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less" sealed it for me.

1 My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

2 When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil. [Refrain]

3 His oath, his covenant, his blood,
support me in the whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay. [Refrain]

4 When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found:
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain]

Words of scripture written to encourage me/us that have me humming & tapping my toes while sitting in my prayer chair!

BUT GOD.....AGAIN YOU SAY!

I know......... I already have "But God" ringing in your ears but I want all to know the pattern of the Christian life for all of us!

We are the tellers of His story!

AGOG! A Grid of Grace makes it possible. His Grid compels us

RING A BELL PHRASES

BUT GOD blog entries, probably most of any---approx 150, always ring a bell when I hear that phrase! His love and mercy reminders spring forth!

Family and friends often share phrases and acrostics to "ring my bell" metaphorically to trigger my memory. Those ring loudly---think Terry @ Bryson City FBC LOUD!

Don't settle for safety; Jesus offers security. Amanda McElrath

God's Grace 

Keeps Pace 

with what we face. Brother Buddy

Gaze at God! Glance at all else. Carolyn W.

Let's let Acts go through us. 

Togetherness (fellowship) fulfills a longing for belonging. Son Buddy

W atch

A nd

I ncrease 

T rust        Bernie

Use Roundup on your bitterness rather than fertilizer. Scottie Smith

What I make much of is much to me. Andrew Beach

Be kind to one another. Nō-ah who was "fō-ah" 2008 (Eph. 4:32) 

PERPETUAL PRAYERS!

Perpetual prayers so easily come forth for peace as we face life or pray  for others who relish such prayers as well. 

Recently, alone on a damp precipitous perch while hubby and grandson, Owen. hiked near-by, I left behind all the petitions.

Praises came forth! For me, circumstances too often lead to pleas/petitions. I needed to be still and allow the Lord to touch my soul that praises might come forth from my inmost being. (Psalm 103:1)

Reflecting this morning on that time on the "cliff", a knock on the door got me out of my prayer chair. Neighbor, John, had found a letter in the grass----damp from several days of due. But God used it to bless me greatly. It was answer to one of my perpetual petitions and it prompted praise. I had been anxious for an update from her and here it was!

Petition ▶️ Prayer  ▶️ Praise ▶️ Prompts 

▶️Perpetual Prayers & Praise Together

May praises for Him always be on my lips! (Psalm 34:1)

BUT GOD!!!

Once again, I sense that I have been sent to time-out.

But God in His love and mercy has been there with me!

He has given prayer warriors who stand with me! Some lead me with encouragement. Others stand behind me ready to catch me If I fall.

"But God" is in control of every aspect of life's disappointments!

But God, the greatest short phrase uttered in history!*

God's mercy flows from His own loving heart......

....not from anything I have done to deserve it

Hallelujah!

*uttered by Paul in Ephesians

ANNIVERSARY TURNING POINT!

Today is the first day of autumn. A turning point in the autumn equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. It arrives at 2:19 EST in our town. I'm ready.........

The leaves of the dogwoods on our side of the  mountain are starting to turn. Hopefully, a refreshing "nip in the air" will come soon!

Today, for us, is the first anniversary of our residency in North Carolina.

Admittedly, it has not been an easy turning point for me. But God in His love and mercy has been with me in every distractible moment. 

Acts 17:26: has been my reminder......God has determined allotted periods and the boundaries of (our) dwelling place.

 

We are here, in this very location, for a reason. 

His reason!

A grace place of sorts.

May others see Christ in us, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27).....as

In Him we live and move and have our being. (Acts 17:28a)

A true turning point regardless of where we live or how distractible my mind has become.

KEY TO PERSEVERANCE!

Moving! Think to another location.

Uprooting and relocation are easier for some than for others.

I am one of the others! Many in the last season of life might say that.

But God....in His love and mercy can provide grace needed for any of our uprooted moments when relocating. He has given us Himself!

Allow Him to change your new address into a "grace place" of refuge.

Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come. 

(Psalm 71:3, ESV)

Truth in His word provides refuge......the key to perseverance!

BUT GOD.....1

Blue skies. Green trees. Milder temps.

All magnified by a phrase from God's word on a car in the parking lot.

Walking slowly holding hubby's arm and  praying for friends who last week were labeled wives and this week are leaning into the LORD even more as widows who will be attending the funeral of their late husbands this week.

Though all around them circumstances have changed, both have clearly understood the importance of "but God" who in His love and mercy has provided many prayerful saints as their prayer warriors and helpers.

O Lord continue to be their "refuge and the strength of their heart and portion forever."