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An Internal Peace

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Jeremiah 12:1-6 ~ You will be righteous, Lord, even if I bring a case against you. Yet, I wish to contend with you: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the treacherous live at ease? You planted them, and they have taken root. They have grown and produced fruit. You are ever on their lips, but far from their conscience. As for you, Lord, you know me; you see me. You test whether my heart is with you. Drag the wicked away like sheep to slaughter and set them apart for the day of killing. How long will the land mourn and the grass of every field wither? Because of the evil of its residents, animals and birds have been swept away, for the people have said, “He cannot see what our end will be.” (The Lord responds:) If you have raced with runners and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in a peaceful land, what will you do in the thickets of the Jordan? Even your brothers—your own father’s family— even they were treacherous to you; even they ...
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Happy Hump Day Musings

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I've been super organized this year and on Monday morning was able to get all of my fall decorating done. Usually it doesn't happen until sometime in mid-September. I think the cool temperatures have definitely put me in the mood for autumn decor. We had a family picnic at my sister and brother-in-law's home and had a wonderful time. It was the first time in a very long time when we all got together and just had fun. The past couple of years have been very hard as we dealt with things with my mother-in-law and father-in-law. So it was nice to just enjoy each other's company. I'm plugging away, canning tomatoes, and today's plan is to pick up another half bushel and do tomato sauce. I love this time of year and being able to preserve fresh food. I try and get out and walk each day and I've also been doing some crafting and sewing.  This morning I was wide awake at 3 a.m. (ugh) and made my way downstairs to have my quiet time. As I'm sitting in my recliner...
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August - Out With a Bang

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It's September 1st and August seemed to fly by and yet, I packed a lot into that month. It went out with a bang as we enjoyed fireworks last night. We had company for dinner and Dan, Nathan and Stephen and some of our guests walked down the street and up into the park where they were having them. My friend and I sat in our backyard to watch them there. The trees blocked a clear view, but we saw enough to enjoy them. I spent the weekend canning tomatoes. I used up a half bushel  of them making jars of diced tomatoes and ended up with 16 pints and 4 quarts. I still have another half bushel to go and will be making tomato sauce either today or tomorrow. I have cabbage fermenting in jars and once that happens (about 7-10 days), I'll be canning these. I have a fall retreat I'm putting together for women in our district which will take place the last weekend in September so I've been busy working on that. This may be my last fall retreat as my role as district Alliance Women...
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Taking the Time to Connect

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I started my walk this morning with a head full of buzzing worries and concerns. They were interspersed with swarms of thoughts about this thing that needs to get done and that issue that needs to be addressed. I asked myself, "How in the world will I be able to handle this all? Why is this life such a struggle?" However, as I kept up my brisk pace, my thoughts settled down. I started to pray, reflect and focus on what God was saying to me. As the raucousness inside my head started to settle down, I began to see things I would have otherwise missed.  I began to appreciate the beauty around me. As I was alone with God and creation, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. And as I peered at the beauty around me, I saw my problems in a new light. I gained clarity and insight into different situations.  I discovered hidden gems.  I received insight into how to come at something from a different direction. I saw beauty in little things and felt my creativity come alive.  W...
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Look to the Light

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My eyesight has always been bad and I've worn strong glasses since I was a small child. The past few years my eyes have gotten worse and I'm noticing that it's more difficult to see small print. I finally caved in and purchased a magnifying glass with an LED light in it. That has made a huge difference in my ability to read without holding the book to my face. What really made the most difference is not so much the magnifying glass, but the light which lights up the page and allows my eyes to see the words.  I was reading Psalm 36 this morning which starts as a lament about the acts of the wicked and their constant scheming. David lifts himself out of this negativity by lifting his eyes and reflecting on the Lord's faithfulness. He reminds himself of the Lord's watch and care over the righteous. And then he makes the statement that God is the source of life and it's only by looking at God's light will we be able to see light.  In other words, if we keep our ...
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Mom-Vibes

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  I received a text this week from a woman from a local agency who works with those who are in need. She said they had a client who was looking for a church connection and could use some mentoring. She wanted to know if this was something I would be interested in. Of course, I said, "Yes!" and to be honest, was thinking that it was neat that she thought I would be a good mentor to this young lady. But then she said something that made me laugh out loud. She said, "She really could use a mother figure in her life." So my so-called mentoring  skills  were really more about me having a mom-vibe! 😀 I admit it. I do exude "mom" probably to all I meet. In fact, my sister-in-law said I'm like Kanga in Winnie the Pooh. I know I'm happy when I'm caring for others. In fact, I recently did a personality/work assessment that said one of my natural gifts is coming alongside others and helping them accomplish what they need to get done.  Anyway, I've de...
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When the Corn is High in the Field

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The older I get the more I realize how quickly life flies by. It's mid-August and the corn is getting high in the field. Because we've had so little rain this summer the leaves are starting to change color and fall off the trees already. It seems as if summer will be over in the blink of an eye.   In the spirit of my last post, I spent Saturday just puttering around my house and enjoying the small things. If I had a thought about something that needed to get done that was work-related, I wrote it down and got it out of my brain. This way I was able to stay in the moment. I made a pot roast for my family and homemade dinner rolls.  I processed the oregano from my garden that had been drying and then I went out and cut some more herbs to dry.  I read a book. I worked on a rag wreathe. I went for long walks.  I carried that "in-the-moment" spirit to church yesterday. Usually I'm barreling around the church on a Sunday morning preparing a bunch of last minute stuff....
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