Picket Fences

I just want to take a few moments to thank God and say how much I appreciate that I was fortunate enough to have an Uncle Rosey in my life. A few days ago, after a huge physical battle for the last couple of years, my Uncle went on to heaven. That man will be missed by me and many others. He suffered for so long, that he is probably dancing in heaven from the relief of physical pain. I am not surprised when I hear the comments about my Uncle on social media. One thing that is a common thread about my Uncle, is how polite and easy going he was. Favorite saying that I heard him say, “Go with the flow.” You will also hear that he treated people with respect. He thanked people that waited on him and took care of him. His last days he was pretty sick. When I saw him interact with the nurses it amazed me. A constant thank you fell from his lips and no complaints. With all of his struggles, and with the length of time of his struggles, he still considered others. He was the oldest boy...

  Right in front and center of this plant is a weed. The weed is growing so fast and majestically. Within a few days it has reached heights that this flower will not achieve.  To add to it's glory it has fine little thorns that hurt when you touch it.  The weed isn't growing in the pot with the plant. It has taken residence smack dab in front of the pot and it's deep root is between the bricks.  What do you think will grab my attention when I walk up to the plant? The beauty of the flower or the weed that has grown in front of the flower? It makes me stop and wonder, what negative thing in my life, has grabbed my attention instead of seeing the beauty of what is in front of me? I pulled the weed out and now when I look I can see the pretty flowers.  However, the root is deep in the bricks. The weed will come back unless I take the measures to get completely rid of it.  I can take care of this weed. Eventually. Are there things you are focused on that can be...

Luke 12:24-25 "Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than the birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?" (NIV) If there is one thing I do not like is ravens, blackbirds, or crows.  The first word that comes to my mind is "mean". Other words for them is scary and vicious.  Years ago I lived in a neighborhood where there was the battle between the ravens or crows and the people who lived there.  The block was set up uniquely where the road encircled an island of homes. The road was the same length as a track around a football field. It was convenient to go for a quick run or walk with a neighbor instead of hitting the track at the local school.  The blackbirds did not appreciate the people who made it a habit to use the road for their daily activities. They were big and loud, mean birds.  Some sat up high, perched on a lightpost, and cawed very lo...

  I am sitting in my car under the shade of a tree, drinking a coffee, and feeling discouraged. Tired. Hopeless. Frustrated.  Many negative adjectives will fit right now.  Shaking my head, I wonder if certain things are really worth doing if they only cause negative adjective feelings.  What answer can there be to what is stirring in my heart? There doesn't seem to be one. Except one -  Time. Oh, a hard one right now... Love. Sometimes in the fight, time becomes the answer. Whether it is time to heal. Or time to mourn. Restore. Rest. Develop. Finish. And love, love always is part of the answer. When time is the answer it can be hard. Time passes so fast each day, except when something is on my heart and mind, then it seems to drag. The clock seems to go backward instead of forward. The future looks tiring.  My friend had heard that when we worry about the future we usually see it without God in it. Hmmm - Seeing the future without God in it. So wh...

I know how fast life can change - forever. One moment life is going a certain way and the very next second - life isn't.   I remember the day, I walked up to the flagpole at my daughters elementary school, to pick up her up and bring her home after the final bell. I discovered someone's child in Portland disappeared from school. That was the first report. Today is the anniversary of that disappearance.  The boy has never been found. There is a lot of speculation of who did it, but what is most important is, he has NOT been found.  Each day the parents must awaken with the hope to find him. At the end of the day, I can imagine the devastating discouragement and pain when he is not found. It has been 12 years and how can a person ever lay that to rest?  Last week children were at school in a quiet small town. It was just after recess and the teacher found herself in a struggle with the door and a gunmen pushing into the classroom. The teacher tried to protect the ...

Many mornings incredible colors fill the sky as the sun rises to start the day. My husband is one of those who loves to take pictures of the sunrise. I don’t see the sunrise that often, but when I do it is like watching a painter mix and stroke the colors on to the canvas in a fascinating eye-catching way and then, ta-dah - it is a new day. It is so great when the sun is shining and there are blue skies, birds singing, and it doesn’t really matter if it is cold out. A day with sunshine to light up the sky can help a day be better no matter what the temperature. I do get to see the moon rise over the horizon quite often. I have walked in the evening looking up at the sky and tried to take many pictures of the moon and the twinkling stars. The pictures typically do not compare to what I am viewing at the time. There is a place in our neighborhood that I have spent time just gazing up at the lights in the sky while mulling over things happening in my life or others’ lives.   S...

  "We are called to be salt. And sometimes salt stings.” My sweet friend said. Her words spoke truth into my troubling thoughts. Along with being a light, we are the salt of the earth. The Sound of Music has the famous song that goes - A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down The medicine go down, the medicine go down Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down In a most delightful way Sugar looks like salt, but taste and functions differently. In the Bible, Jesus doesn’t say we are the sugar of the earth. We aren’t just to sweeten things up to make things go down easier. Sometimes salt does sting.  I had been troubled by something that I had to do. To not do it would be wrong. However, it didn’t feel very loving. It bothered me. Yes, sometimes salt does sting. My husband Ben’s trick for sore throats or a sore in the mouth is to gargle or swish around a saltwater rinse. The first time I did this I didn’t expect the salt to sting so intensely, and tear...