Picket Fences

 Yesterday I watched a short portion of a movie about Anne Frank. I have read the story, so I know the sad ending.   When there is war, or a battle for power over people, there are many victims. Somehow, (usually very cruelly), certain people will be put in a weaker position than the power seeker. Somehow people are forced to live in a way they do not want to live at all. Their normal daily lives are stolen from them. It starts back in biblical times when the Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians. I can instantly think of some more, for one, after seeing Anne Frank yesterday, the concentration camps for the Jewish religion and those who helped them. There have been slaves throughout history all over the world, even today, such as those who are victims of sex traffiking.  There are those at the mercy of drug lords, due to drug addiction. People dominated and abused in relationships, by a parent, spouse, boyfriend, or friend. I thought of these situations, and the people caught in them

Proverbs 12:25 "Worry weighs a person down; An encouraging word cheers a person up." NLT I really hate that so many people are struggling. It's hard to hear about the violence on the news.  I hate driving down the street and seeing the people who must live in tents on the side of the road.  It is troubling that drugs are addicting, and people are trapped looking for the next high. When I hear about someone kidnapping and killing another person it angers and baffles me that they thought they had the right to interrupt someone's life in that way.  My heart hurts for those who are mourning loved ones who have passed away.  It seems like we have all walked into a big dark hole that has a swirling tornado of sickness, evil, and death flying at us.  It really is a miracle to rise in the morning, healthy, fed, and sheltered and to return to bed at night safe.  Some people can't even trust the very people they live with to keep them unharmed.  What does a person do with a

January can either be a long, dark, boring month after all of the celebrating from Thanksgiving to New Years.  Or January can be a month probably every introvert enjoys, relaxing, refreshing, and renewing.  The one thing that seems consistent in January is; it is dark. They say it is a time where the days start to stay light longer, but it doesn't feel that way to me. It seems dark and the days are short.  Especially after people start taking down their Christmas lights.  When daylight savings time was over, it was quite an adjustment to the darkness that came earlier each day. For a season I can't watch the sunsets, while walking the dogs, after dinner.  The street lights are on, and the porch light is needed in order to see to unlock the front door.  Instead of natural light the lamps must go on so we can see without stubbing our toes or bumping into furniture. Because of that it really was a clear visual for me when I read Matthew 5: 15-16 ESV -“15 Nor do people light