Thoughts – life reflections, meditations, and prayers
Meeting other brothers and sisters in Christ on WordPress is a great blessing. As I read various other authors’ posts, I have been enlightened, encouraged, challenged, convicted, gained wisdom, and learned more about life and Jesus.
Continue reading “Specific Prayer”
For the past two weeks, I had five of my grandchildren under my care as their momma recuperates from major surgery. I’m not accustomed to the rhythm of homeschooling, meals, laundry, and life with five each day. In the midst of the chaos that comes naturally with kids, pets, and altered schedules, I lost focus a couple of times. But then I cried out in prayer and God answered always showing his faithfulness.
Continue reading “Bless the Lord”
This writing is a repost from my earliest days of blogging. The lesson dovetails well with the theme in my last post Greatly Blessed.
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.
A woman recently asked me, “How do you remain joyful?” A similar question or remark often follows people learning of my story. For new readers, I’m a survivor of two suicides—my son and then later my husband.
My response to the question is always, “By sheer faith, it is not of myself. Christ alone helped me to survive. I couldn’t survive once and certainly not a second time.” The woman gently probed further seeking something more concrete and less cliché despite the truth of my reply.
Continue reading “Greatly Blessed”
Last week, in Changed Trajectory, I shared the family legacy that assisted in bringing spiritual transformation to my dad and subsequently our family. I’m continuing with the theme of prayer, not by my usual style of writing rather through a poem.
Continue reading “Eternal Impact”
Most followers of Christ will agree that prayer has the potential to change things. Not of ourselves but through the power of God. Some deploy prayer as a desperate last-minute option, like using a parachute as the plane goes down. That group will call out to God when everything else has failed or when tragedy strikes them. Many of us may have been in that group before we became devoted followers of Christ. Our “parachute prayer” may have been the first real communication with our Maker and Redeemer.
Continue reading “Changed Trajectory”
Last week, I went on a road trip to deliver and complete the sale of a vehicle. According to Google Maps, my destination was a five-hour drive. My dad followed behind for the transportation back home.
The evening before, I had checked my computer, finding there were three possible routes with similar travel times. I wanted the one which had no tolls, appeared would have less traffic, and was the most direct from point A to point B.
Continue reading “Road Trip Lesson”
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. I have an all too intimate knowledge and experience with suicide. It has left behind an ugly trauma that rears a hideous head from time to time, attempting to erase life and suck away joy. As a therapeutic exercise for myself, I wrote the bulk of the post you read today on Thanksgiving 2020. That day marked 13 years since my son made a dreadful decision to end his life.
Continue reading “Suicide. . . Grief, Healing, and Hope”
I have seen and experienced the devastation and relational destruction of the hoarding disorder. Because of my career in property management, I’ve worked on the clean-up of such homes. I’ve also experienced the relational fallout of a parent who struggled with level five hoarding.
Continue reading “Hoarding”
The title question is the first recorded prayer of Saul more commonly referred to as Paul after his encounter with Jesus. Have you ever wrestled with the question, “Who are you, Lord?” I mean really pondered it or even asked God as Saul did.
Continue reading “Who Are You, Lord?”
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