Hope and Encouragement
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Being a Huldah
Huldah is a prophetess who lived in Jerusalem at the time of King Josiah in Old Testament times. Josiah was one of only a few God-fearing kings in Judah. At this time of history, the high priest had discovered the Book of the Law, written by Moses, which had been lost for many years. King Josiah asks his leaders to go inquire of the Lord for himself and his people. Josiah knows the Lord is angry for His people turning away from Him. The king wants God’s guidance for himself and the people he governs. The king’s advisors seek out Huldah, a prophetess. The message Huldah gives the king’s men…
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When God Feels Far Away
A mother sits with her dying daughter and wonders if God really knows her pain and suffering. A young man loses a job for which he worked so hard. Why did God let that happen? Let’s face it friends – I could give you example after example of times when we wonder where God is at the moment. Sometimes it feels like we are in a canoe, frantically paddling trying to catch up to where we perceive God is at. When life hurts, it is easy to feel that our Heavenly Father has abandoned us. When life throws us curve balls and things don’t turn out the way we think…
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The Benefits of a Generous Spirit
To anyone else this pair of scissors in my sewing room looks much like any other. They are part of the cadre of tools I have to make the sewing process easier. Yet, they are not just any pair of scissors. They represent my mother’s generous spirit and giving heart. My mother never had a great deal of money. For many decades she used the same pair of scissors to sew a variety of garments, quilts, and household items – both for our family and for others. When I was in high school, she finally had extra funds and purchased a new pair for herself. I remember how happy she…
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Following the Map
I always find it interesting to seek out a destination on Google Maps. Typically, this app will give two to three routes, with one being the shortest and most direct and the others often quite out of the way. It makes me wonder why the map program shows so many paths to the same destination. Why not just direct us to the most productive and efficient route? Recently, though, the map’s other possibilities opened up an opportunity. When my husband works away, he typically follows the same route home. This particular day he wasn’t coming directly back to our community, but headed to our son and his family’s place to…
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Being Well Equipped
Recently two of my sons went on a backcountry hunting trip. It involved lots of hiking in treacherous places with elevations that require strength and endurance. One of my sons lives in that area and so had been in the territory before. He was able to train for the trip in the place where the excursion was to occur. My other son trained as well to build his strength, but he lives in a different location and his training area was not as arduous. While both made it through the trip okay, one son managed the trip better than the other. The training he did in the local area could…
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Music in our Hearts
I woke up in a grump this morning. It is the third morning in a row where I have awoken in the early hours and sleep is evasive. For whatever reason, worrying thoughts pervade my mind and keep me from relaxing. At times like these, it is easy to focus on all that is wrong or troublesome. Happy thoughts seem far away. God’s word in Ephesians gives us a new approach in times like these: “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:19-20 NIV) Some days the music just…
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Look and Find
Favourite books for my children and grandchildren, as well as my students, are Look and Find books. These books have vivid pictures filled with many intricate details. The objective of the books is to find particular items within the multitude of pictures on each page. I have had young ones fascinated for long periods of time with these delightful books. I must confess – I enjoy searching with the kids. I love puzzles and mysteries and these books are a fun way to do some problem solving. It’s so exciting to finally succeed at finding the hidden object. Sometimes when we are feeling low, it can feel like we are…
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Joys and Sorrows
As I hold my newest grandchild, joy overflows. This new little life is so very precious, a wonderful God given gift. There is so much hope in looking at that little one as I wonder what her life will hold. Within days of celebrating the joy of her birth, sorrow strikes. Without much warning, my dear precious mother went home to be with her Lord. What a contrast in emotions. I went from hopeful and bright to sorrowful and disjointed. Grief is insidious – rising up to bomb a person’s emotions at the least provocation. In the up and down days that follow I move around in a fog. How…
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The Big Three
Some days are filled with such long to do lists or other obligations. When life gets crazy busy, I just want to be directed to the main things I need to do. What can I do to survive and still do what is needed? Well, there is no magic list fairy that is going to tame my to do list or give me an outline for how I should spend my time. As much as I would like some kind of direction, I find I am pulled in many different directions each and every day. Even in my faith life I have those feelings. There are many different agendas out…
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When Being Thankful Seems Impossible
Lately I find listening to newscasts extremely frustrating. There is so much hurt and pain in the world. I don’t think a day goes by without some natural disaster occurring or major accident or political turmoil being reported. At times, the weight of it all lies heavy on my heart and mind. It is so easy to find myself drawn to thinking about all these unpleasant things and letting those thoughts detract from my day. Perhaps you are similar – bad reports all around us drain us of our energy. We can feel powerless as we learn of all these terrible things going on in our world, many of which…
