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Something Beautiful
My heart is breaking. As I sit in the depths of the night and watch my dear daughter suffer, my whole being is wracked with a mixture of fear, sadness, and uncertainty. As the hours trickle by and we still have no definitive answer as to the cause of my daughter’s intense pain, I cry and I pray. All I can do is lay my hurts and those of my daughter at the foot of the only One who can get us through this. In the wee hours of the morning the answer comes – a life-threatening condition, but with solid treatment options. We are grateful for a plan but…
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Things Can Change
The man runs with fervor hoping to escape his captors. His breath is heavy as he runs hard and seeks to find a place of refuge. After years of living in servitude, he is done. The penalty for being a runaway slave may be death, but he has to take that chance. Freedom is imperative to him – so much so that he steals money from his master in order to expedite his getaway. His journey takes him many miles from all that is known and familiar. He has no friends or family to rely on. How is he going to manage to build a safe life somewhere else? Unknown…
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No More Hunger or Thirst
In this post Halloween week, I have witnessed the effects of too much candy on a number of my students. I have seen kids with lunch kits filled with large amounts of sweets and kids comments about how they ate candy for breakfast. All of this leads to students who function at less than their full capacity. What we fuel our bodies with is critical for our well-being. Our bodies are so intricately created by our Heavenly Father. It amazes me how each part intertwines with another and works in seamless function to keep our bodies going. This can go awry though when we do not nourish our bodies properly.…
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Conquering Obstacles
In times of difficulty the following Scripture verse is often tossed our way: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV) Okay, so God works things for my good. Then why do I feel so lousy? Why is my life so messed up? Why do I hurt so much? The disconnect occurs when we think that God is going to make everything work out for us the way we want. That is not what this Scripture verse says. What this verse does say is that God is working for our…
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When Our Boat is Overloaded
As I work through my planner, I am overwhelmed with the number of things to do in a short space of time. Teaching is always busy, but these few weeks are extraordinarily so with extra parent meetings, student led conferences, report cards, and additional school events. Basically, if my life was a boat right now it would definitely be loaded to the hilt and slowly sinking with all the weight. Add to that some other life events that have occurred and I feel like my ship is being pummelled with fierce waves. It is easy to feel set adrift in times like these. Life gets crazy for a variety of…
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Getting Your Racing Shoes On
The runner is breathless at the end of the race, but very satisfied to have made the grade and completed the run to the end of the course. There is a great sense of accomplishment to take on a task and see it to the end, no matter what the obstacles. Hebrews talks about our lives being a race: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV) Typically, running a race requires preparation. It…
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Make Time
Would you like to have more energy? Would you like to improve your overall well-being? Would you like to prevent burnout and increase your productivity? Would you like to reduce your levels of stress and anxiety? I’m sure the answer is yes! So how do we go about it? Personally, more energy would be a blessing these days with my busy classroom. Each day I am run off my feet with little chance to recharge. I am definitely open to ideas to make my situation better and I am sure you are as well. The solution is a relatively simple one – make time for what you love. I know,…
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Can Steadfastness be a Reality?
Her face is etched in pain. Usually a happy, vibrant person, it is if the light has been snatched from her life. The grief washes over her as she comes to grips with the terrible diagnosis. Her husband of many years is dying and the doctors predict it will happen quite soon. How do we move forward when life is turned upside down? Where do we find solace and strength when turmoil reigns in our lives? It is a subject I speak of frequently as none of us is immune to the effects of sin in our world. We need constant reminders of how to deal with life’s challenges. Anger…
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In my Father’s Arms
It was a joyous day yesterday as my children and grandchildren took me on an excursion to a heritage village museum. It was a place we had toured together when my children were young and it was restorative to spend time together there again. Our day took us through many old buildings and farm sites and we had great fun rambling through the extensive site. One of the members of our party was my three-year-old granddaughter. She did really well throughout most of the day, but as the heat increased and the steps taken were many, my granddaughter began to wear out. In her grumpy state her mother picked up…
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In the Zone
I sit at my desk, cheerily answering the phone and attending to the myriads of duties that go along with my receptionist job in a bustling youth ministry organization. The position has a few challenges, but for the most part, I function with ease. I definitely am in a safe, secure comfort zone. After having left a difficult job prior to this one, I’m not looking for anything to ruffle my feathers. I am happy and content to go about my work. Within a year after taking on this job one of the directors quit and the executives were on the hunt for a replacement. The job requires strong communication…
