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Dear Foster Child

This week’s post is taking a different format from my usual devotional style. I have written an open letter to foster children. Note: the child in this letter is a compilation of all the foster children who have come into my home – it is not denoting a specific child.

Dear Foster Child
You are such a lovable little person. Oh, how I long for you to believe that about yourself. You are a precious human being created in the image of Almighty God. I hope one day soon you will know that you are special, you are unique and God put His fingerprints all over you!

Can I Pray First?

Jesus Said
Have you ever wondered why Jesus said we are to become like little children to enter the kingdom of Heaven? In what ways? How do I become like a little child? Let’s examine this idea further, by contemplating the obvious traits we can associate with a young child.

Coranky

Many people are angry these days – cranky and on edge. I feel tension in our community. As if people are a minuscule flicker away from exploding.

I confess I have found myself “coranky.” That’s not a typo. I coined a new term – coranky. If someone can refer to an irritable hungry person as hangry, then I can call my edgy frustrations coranky. Coronavirus + cranky = coranky.

Justice

Racist or Privileged
This past week was heavy and weighty due to current events, the sadness of George Floyd’s wrongful death, the peaceful protests, the outbreak of riots, and violent outbursts causing my son to temporarily flee the city he lives in.

As peaceful protestors have brought submerged issues to the forefront, I have reflected, ‘Was I/Am I racist in my thoughts and/or actions?’ I was born of white European descent – those frequently referred to as privileged in the US.

Growing up in a small rural Midwest town, the first person of color I met and knew was in college. I lived with my grandparents during that time and have a vivid memory of learning my grandparents were racist.

Polished Shells

Walking the Beach
I walked the beach enjoying moments of spiritual solitude and inner peace. Rhythmic waves crashed upon the shore. The powerful ocean waves deposited shells and I began to pick them up and examine them, thinking about my life.

My thoughts moved back and forth from praying to pondering all that had recently taken place in my life – a new marriage, combining households, recovering from health issues, four new grandchildren, and my son’s suicide. The raw pain that engulfed me was numbing, but I knew God was real and somehow would get me through all the turmoil.

Bird Lessons 101

The Secret of Birds
Watching birds from my kitchen window or sunroom is a pleasure. Of all creatures God has created, I believe birds exemplify some foundational truths about how we should live. In Matthew 6:25-34 and Luke 12:22-34, Jesus used birds to illustrate the foolishness of worry as He taught the disciples. Jesus told them they were worth more than birds but birds don’t have to plant or harvest–God feeds them. Having a bird feeder or bird bath available has given me a frequent visual reminder of the teaching–God provides. Worrying is a destructive mental habit.

Count Your Days

Carpe diem – a Latin phrase meaning to “seize the day.”

Make Your Days Count
I daily drop a penny into a big glass jug as a visual reminder of two things: first, to thank God for the gift of the day and second, to seek God’s guidance for using each hour well.

Have you ever considered how the terminology for money and time are similar?

Paradigm Shift

I received some wise words in response to my first post titled Attitude Adjustment. If you’re new here or missed it, check it out for context. I shared my personal experience of getting through a bout of loneliness brought on by Stay-at-Home isolation. The Executive Director of Christ-Life Ministries, Jim Hobson, had the following response. I think many can benefit from this sage advice.

Dog Demonstration

“I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
…so our eyes look to the LORD our God.” Psalm 123:1, 2b

Dogs are most appreciated for their unconditional love. All people have a longing for absolute, unequivocal love. We were created with that innate desire and the Lord our God is who will satisfy that need.

I have two small dogs who will sit on command for their food and patiently wait until released before taking a bite. As they attentively wait for me to say the word, they have their eyes fixed on mine and their ears listening to every sound. The dogs exercise tremendous self-restraint, while waiting and their focus is so intent. They don’t want to miss a thing I say.

Attitude Adjustment – part 1

Prevailing Events
In January, who would have imagined the Covid-19 situation we are currently living in, certainly not me, yet here we are. Like many, in the early onset of the “Stay at Home” orders I could dig into neglected projects or extra deep cleaning. But after the first month I got slammed by the loneliness and total isolation. I began to feel intense, over-reactive and at times a bit irrational.

One Saturday afternoon, I took my dogs for a 30-minute walk on the University campus of my town. During that time, I saw one other human being from a block away. That is not normal for this location. It felt like something from a science-fiction book or film. Before seeing the other person, I had a momentary bizarre thought pop into my mind. Are you the only person left on the planet?

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