These hot, humid days always make my natural curly hair even curlier. Sometimes I feel like Shirley Temple (ps. I cannot dance like she did, but these curls, ugh!) Sometimes on my morning walks I put on a hat. Sometimes, even if it is a sprinkle of rain, I break out the umbrella….all just to protect the hairdo and prevent the crazy curls. Such a silly, non-important thing in life, but inevitably it reminds me of Psalm 18:30
“What a God he is! How perfect in every way! All his promises prove true. He is a shield for everyone who hides behind him.”
I might be shielding my hair with a hat or umbrella, but the big picture is that my Lord is a shield for everyone. No problem for me to admit I hide behind my Lord. His promises are true. He is perfect. I am a sinner and will tuck myself behind Him, always. No doubt His love is unconditional and He is my SHIELD! There is plenty of room for all (even the curly-headed ones LOL) to seek him and tuck themselves behind their Almighty Father.
I have heard people say the only stress we should have is on our abdominal muscles when we are doing sit-ups! If only that were true, I would be totally stress free as I no longer do sit-ups. But alas, the statement is not accurate…we all have stress in our lives. It is unavoidable. We all lose people, maybe have stressful jobs or have financial issues. All are stresses that can lead to other stressful issues. At times of stress, adrenaline and cortisol flood our bloodstream and hinder immune function which can then create illness, another stressor.
How do we combat stress? There isn’t an easy fix, but we can do something to help ourselves. It’s wise to prioritize when overwhelmed and let go of things that are not important. Simplify wherever you can. Take away, don’t add. Take time to regularly review how you are living.
Ask yourself deep questions. Is what I am doing really satisfying? Am I creating more stress? Am I so self-involved I can’t get out of my own way and help someone else? Do I spend too much time worrying about what MIGHT go wrong?
Try being present and appreciating the moments we have. Keep active and moving. Physical activity activates endorphins which lift our mood and keep us positive. I saw this phrase in an article and I thought it was clever and truthful. Motion is the lotion and lack of activity creates dullness and pain and impairs the organs.
Our quality of life is determined by the attitude we choose to have in relationship to it. We always have a choice. Let go of unrealistic expectations from others as they often disappoint you. I’m reminded of the song “Que sera, sera”. Be optimistic that “whatever will be, will be” and find hope in that.
The most important way to combat stress is to pray. This elevates our positive consciousness and gives us peace which is our true nature. Don’t let things disturb your peace. The only way out of stress is IN knowing that God loves us unconditionally and provides us what we need. We only need to ask and believe in Him! Thanks be to God!
What a great word-cacophony. Speaking it out loud almost describes its meaning: a harsh discordant mixture of sounds.
Well, it describes my early Fall mornings here on Lake Champlain. It is time for the Canadian Geese to leave Canada and head to Florida. Just like I am going to do next week. The ducks go also and probably the white and blue herons.
The other morning at about 4:30 AM (way too early for me to wake up), there was a cacophony of quacks, squawks, squeaks and a few yips (the local fox) right under my window. Why do they have to have breakfast so early in the morning? About mid-morning, they take off and find another spot on the lake for lunch. Later, they do return for tea and supper.
Sometimes I see large groups of geese floating together far out on the water where they are safe for the night. They are never quiet! I always know that they are back. There is an early hunting season for geese here, but the geese seem to know that if they stay near a dwelling, they will be safe from the hunter’s gun.
The world has a lot of cacophony right now. It is not as easy to listen to as the noise of the wildlife in front of my house. It is very troubling noise that leaves me feeling helpless, frustrated and sad. It is the time of the Serenity Prayer. It is the time of placing my life and my will in God’s care and trusting the result. It is a time of prayer for the world and its leaders and the people who are bearing the burdens of violence and suffering.
I know that God loves all His children with an unconditional love. I do not know God’s plan. I am ready to surrender each and every day to God’s will for me. God bless you!
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Ron attempts magic on the train to Hogwarts. When the spell fails his new classmate Herminone says to him, “Are you sure that’s a real spell? Well, it’s not very good, is it?” Weeks later when Hermione casts a perfect levitation charm after trying to instruct Ron on the proper way to do it, he remarks, “It’s no wonder no one can stand her. . . . She’s a nightmare.” Hermione retreats in tears. The astute reader detects there is a fiery relationship between the two, one that will take six years and six books to flame into love. That’s real life.
In my pastoral care class I learned that emotional love and hate are not opposites so much as two sides of the same coin. Hate can flip into love, and love to hate. It’s why in the old rite of marriage the couple didn’t promise to love each other but to “plight thee my troth,” that is, “pledge you my faithfulness.” The idea is the partners promise to keep at the relationship even when their feelings suggest otherwise.
Faithfulness despite feelings is beneficial to all human relationships, especially the church. It would be nice of we always agreed with each, but we don’t. Maybe it’s because we have different want and desires. Sometimes this leads to ruffled feelings among people. What we need is to remain faithful to each other because what really matters is that we are one body in Christ.
May we always keep faithful to each other.
Read Hebrews 10:23-29 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.
Summer is over today and fall begins again as the calendar tells us. Different areas experience different weather during this season, but there are a couple of things that all locals have in common. The days get shorter and spiders come out in full force. On mornings like we have had recently, the dew has been heavy and the spider webs vibrantly glisten in the sunlight, displaying the intricate patterns which seem impossible for something so small to create in just one night, yet they do so.
Arachnids are not my favorite creatures, but I am not afraid of them. Like everything on our beautiful planet, spiders are one of God’s creatures. Often, we think, what are they good for? Why would God have created such a thing? I don’t want them crawling on me, but I find them fascinating to observe. Actually, we all could probably stand to learn a few things from them.
Spiders are industrious, efficient and meticulous in the fast and furious manner they fashion their webs with flawless precision in their design. They are patient in their ability to dangle in their web for hours, waiting to catch that unsuspecting insect in their lair. Spiders are tenacious in their capacity to immediately commence operation on a new web if their old one is destroyed.
The lessons we could learn from these creatures would aid us in the ability to accomplish great things for our communities. If we were as industrious and efficient as the spider, we could undertake works for the greater good of our world. In doing so, imagine the amazing things we could bring about. If we worked meticulously on these tasks, making them for God’s glory, imagine the benefits we could provide for those in need. If we were as patient with others as the dangling spider is waiting in his web, imagine how much kinder we would be to each other. If we were tenacious enough to continue to work on what is upright and virtuous in spite of encountering problems along the way, imagine how much we could achieve for our world.
We can learn from everything, even the spider, if we open our minds to the opportunities presented to us. God’s loves us unconditionally and wants us to love others as he has loved us. Learning from the lowly spider, using our God-given talents and gifts and working as the spider does, we can show our love for others through our industrious, efficient, meticulous, patient and tenacious labors.
This being said, I have yet to figure out what purpose the mosquito serves. Ideas, anyone?
I’m not talking about a “candy-gram”, or the glam gal who pops out of a birthday cake. I could go with the cast member (Disney) idea. If you’re employed at the “Happiest Place on Earth”, you are a cast member – even if you’re flipping burgers. Your uniform is a costume. Of course, the familiar characters are present in the parks, and you can stand in line (of course) to get the photo, and a hug. Cast member/characters are trained to never be the one who stops the hug. Imagine what a gift that is for the child, like a dream come true.
Costumed gifts are also blessings in disguise. Angel visitations (yes, they are real), “God-winks”, unexpected situations. I know a woman who gave thanks for falling. Why, you may ask (I did). When the EMT’s came and took her vitals, they were concerned more than usual about her heart rate. An overnight visit in the hospital confirmed that she had a slight arrythmia. She might have died from a sudden heart attack. Now she can smile and rejoice about God’s mercy, His blessing in disguise. A costumed gift. We can be grateful even in suffering. God knows where our journey takes us. His unconditional love is assured at all times and in all places. Give thanks, dear blog reader!
A few weeks ago, we were blessed with a trip to Connecticut for a reunion with all our family as we celebrated the wedding of a granddaughter. Our own kids as well as our grandkids greeted us with open arms. We talked, we laughed, we ate, we even danced (slowly), and we basked in the warmth of family. God was so good to us.
It reminded me that all of us are part of a family, the family of God. What is the family of God? It’s the spiritual community of believers adopted into God’s family through faith in Jesus Christ, united by love, faith, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Paul writes, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15) Being part of God’s family conveys a sense of belonging and acceptance. Believers are loved, cherished, and forgiven. If belonging to a loving earthly family brought me such joy, how much more I can rejoice in being called into the family of the almighty God.
As a middle school math teacher, I started the first day of class introducing my PROCEDURES and my RULES. There is a difference. Procedures (i.e. how to exit the room during the fire drill, sharpen pencils before class begins etc.). If the procedures were not followed, I repeated them and reminded them again. No consequence for forgetting or not following a procedure. Procedures simply helped the “room” and “time” work more effectively. Eventually the procedures “stuck.” Now, RULES were different, they had consequences. (i.e. Keep your hands and feet to yourself. No talking during announcements. Etc.)
Did Jesus give us procedures to follow or rules. Personally, I think there are both. If we try to follow the PROCEDURES of a life with Christ, we might fall short. You asking forgiveness and our Lord granting forgiveness is a gift He offers, lovingly. Perhaps the Ten Commandments were considered RULES. Commandments meant: the core moral rules. Let’s see: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife. Hm? I think David might have skipped over that one. What’s the point? Being loved unconditionally and knowing Jesus died for ALL of our sins means His forgiveness is real. Wooohoo! Let’s break all the rules. Nope, that’s not His plan for you. The Bible gives you a plan to study, procedures to adhere to, and rules to follow. Sinners that we are, we are definitely going to stumble and need reminders. I John 1: 8-9 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God’s Holy Word spells life out for you. Guidelines are repeated. Why not check it out? Start reading His Word. You will be happy you did.
Last week, I happened to be flying home from my latest trip to Vermont. The date just happened to be September 9 and I was flying out of Boston Logan airport. The idea that I was flying out of Boston on the 25th anniversary of 911 was not lost on me. I felt the weight of history in a way that I can’t really express in words. I’ve never feared flying but I have to admit, I felt a little apprehension that day.
When I arrived, the airport was its usual place of movement. People were arriving, departing, and rushing toward their destinations. While I was putting my bag on the conveyer to take it through TSA, everything came to a screeching halt. Of course, it was momentarily frightening and there was an audible gasp, but in seconds the loud speaking system came on and announced there would be a moment of silence to honor those lives lost 25 years ago on this very day.
As the moment of silence began, the familiar sounds of the terminal softened. For that brief time, the travelers from different backgrounds and walks of life stood together in remembrance. No one was rushing anywhere. All machines were shut down, and it was like a holy moment. I found myself thinking not only of the nearly 3000 lives lost, but also of the families, first responders and countless people whose lives were forever changed.
There was something deeply spiritual about standing in that place of departure and remembering those who never reached their destinations. In this silence, it felt like more than just a remembrance, but like a collective prayer. It was peaceful and heartfelt and a reminder of our shared memories this day. God was present as He always is and I certainly felt His unconditional love for us in His presence at the moment.
Twenty-five years later, the memory of that horrific day remains. We can still pray for those people left behind to grieve their losses. I was reminded that even in the midst of sorrow, faith and remembrance can help us find peace in God’s love and presence. He is our Heavenly Father and our guide for a life filled with love for others. Thanks be to God!
I am thinking about sleep and what a gift from God it is. Now, don’t laugh. I know that my friends are rolling their eyes and thinking, “Yes, we know that you think about sleep!”
I do enjoy sleeping and do it whenever I feel the need. This summer has been especially restful for me. I stopped doing water aerobics (3 times/week at 8:30 AM) that ended up at McDonald’s for about two hours. No practices to attend. Few doctors’ appointments, and I play Mahjongg only once a week.
It’s been great to rise at a reasonable hour and take on the day. Of course, my reasonable hours don’t coincide with many folks. I have been like this since childhood. Oh, I would get up early as a child. We had a bus to catch. High School meant being ready for a 45-minute ride that left at 7:30AM. College was more flexible, but work life and children slapped reality back in my face.
So, retirement and being able to sleep late or take a nap in the afternoon are true gifts from God. Sleep is wonderful example of the wisdom of God. It is during sleep that your body repairs, grows and regains energy for the upcoming day.
For those who have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, I wish that I had a magic answer. I have had those nights, usually when I have something important going on early in the morning. They are distressing and frankly, very tiring.
What about God and sleep? Well, we know that He rested on the seventh day of creation. Even the “all powerful” had to take time to repair and reflex. Perhaps more as an example to His creations than a reality for God himself. Jesus is found asleep in several New Testament passages with a clear message to His disciples of His human need to rest and recover from the ongoing ministry that was leading to His death.
The Bible frequently portrays sleep as a gift from God, essential for physical restoration and spiritual peace. Psalm 127:2 states, “In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for He gives sleep to His beloved,” emphasizing that human effort is insufficient without God’s provision and that sleep is a divine blessing. I am so grateful for this blessing in my life.
The Bible teaches that sleep is not merely a physical act but a spiritual opportunity to surrender worries and rely on God. Sleep reminds humans of their limitations and encourages trust in God’s care, offering both rejuvenation and spiritual reassurance. Verses like Matthew 11:28–30 invite believers to find rest in Christ, linking physical sleep with spiritual renewal. Gregory Norbert’s beautiful hymn uses Matthew’s words as lyrics to portray this point. Listen to the hymn and know that God is always with you.
So, it seems to me that sleep in the Bible and in our daily lives serves multiple purposes: it is a divine gift for physical restoration and a symbol of trust and peace in our God who loves you unconditionally awake or asleep. Sweet dreams!
