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When Clutter Confuses and Distracts
Piles of stuff annoy me yet somehow I seem to end up with them in call kinds of places. I try to be neat and orderly but I sure can’t claim a 100% success rate. In our moderate sized home, clutter can make areas feel too close and overwhelming. Some days, I just long for space to breathe. I always had things everywhere when my children were young. Why does a multitude of stuff create havoc with me now? It has been an interesting thing for me to learn that researchers have proven that clutter can lead to higher stress particularly in women. A study out of Princeton University says…
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Who Is Telling the Truth?
Some days the media drives me crazy. Information on the same topic can have so many angles. It is difficult to determine which content is really the truth, if any of it really is. People are paid big dollars to put a particular spin on things to forward their cause, without a regard for what is true. Frequently things are blown out of proportion and cause havoc and confusion. As I have been researching my health issues I find the same thing. Everybody has their own angle as to what is a good treatment or protocol for a particular ailment. There are so many ideas out there. How does a…
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The Challenges and Joys of Leaving our Comfort Zone
As I sit at my desk, I am working diligently answering phones and tending to all the bits and pieces that make up my receptionist position. As a young woman, working in a bustling youth ministry is invigorating and I am content serving my Lord in this capacity. For the most part the position is one I can handle easily and I am definitely in a safe, secure zone. Things changed when a year later one of the directors leaves the organization and the search begins for a replacement. The job requires strong communication skills and making cold calls to ministry contacts. I certainly don’t consider that to be my…
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Dealing with Change and Identity
As a new school year begins and I am not in the classroom I feel a deep longing to matter. There is emptiness where once were days filled with purpose – educating young minds. There are moments of great loss of a career that I deeply love and that has been my focus for so long. During the summer I was doing fine as I always have had my summers off. But this week, when kids are back in school, the roar of change is great. My emotions slide to all extremes. Some days the ache to be in the classroom is great. Other times I am rejoicing in the…
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Seasoning Our Speech with Salt?
The first words that come to mind when I think about salty speech is that of a Hollywood image of an old-fashioned seafaring man whose language is certainly colourful. He often has no regard for the thoughts and feelings of others, but barrels his way through conversations. His talking style is not usually the type one wants to emulate. God asks us for a different kind of salty speech: “Let your conversations be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6 NIV) How can our talks with others be seasoned with salt? No one wants to listen to a dull,…
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Calming Our Anxious Thoughts
For the umpteenth time I remind myself to trust in God. He’s got this. I say that in many of my blog posts. My head knows it is true. Why can’t my heart get the message? We can be well grounded in Scripture, be in worship, fellowship with believers – but still have those moments of doubt and uncertainty. The devil loves when he can get his digs in and upset our lives. Some seasons of life just seem to promote anxiety in various forms. For me, it has come with some life changing decisions that need to be made. It has been months of back-and-forth feelings – from relief…
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How To Be on Guard in a World of Chaos
Some days I just don’t want to watch the news anymore. Frequently it seems like society is simply falling apart. Norms that kept us safe are being challenged. Values that helped keep families strong are no longer considered valid. We are encouraged to take care of ourselves and go after what we want, frequently with disregard for the needs of others. I see it in how my students have changed over the years. More so than ever in the past, I have a number of students each year with considerable anxiety. They struggle to process their world. I have also seen a rise in students who insist on their own…
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Our God Carries Us
The experiences of the Israelites as they prepared to and then left Egypt has always been a fascination for me. This group sees mighty miracles that lead to Pharaoh letting them leave Egypt. They walk through the Red Sea as God makes a safe path of escape for them. There is no doubt that it is God at work in this situation. His mighty deeds are recounted to many as they share what the Lord has done for them. Fast forward to when the Israelites get to the edge of the actual Promised Land. What should be a time of hope and delight is not. There is grumbling. There is…
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The True Measure of Success
I really wasn’t sure about writing a post this week. I’m definitely in a somber mood. Mother’s Day is just around the corner – my first Mother’s Day with both my precious mom and mother-in-law not being here. How do I feel about it all? I cannot even define it. Sometimes it is such an empty feeling as I consider all that has been lost in my life. I had such a terrific relationship with both women. Not having them to talk to is an ache that doesn’t seem to want to go away. At other times I can rejoice that they are in heaven and they suffer no more.…
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Paving the Way for Great Things
A shepherd wanders through the wilderness tending his sheep. His life is simple and uncomplicated. He is a man of faith and lives that out in a quiet way with family and community. The land of his birth is a thing of the past and he seeks to make a productive life where he is right now. But God’s plans are different. Unknown yet to this man is the fact that God has handpicked him for an enormous task. God has been guiding him throughout his life to mold him into the leader that He needs him to be. One day while checking on his sheep, he sees a bush…
