Hearts in Service

I made New Year's goals and hadn't planned on posting them here, but I think I want to continue to do that each year because it allows me opportunity to go in each month and see how I'm doing and stay on track. Doing it publicly is a bit of a motivation to stick to it.  It's been a strange sort of month because it's been so incredibly busy compared to how January normally is. I had a week long conference, a retreat and day long conference. I got sick which threw me for a loop for about a week and a major mailing to get together for my district ministry for a conference we are having in April.  I didn't spend much time actually thinking about goals so I'm glad I'm sitting down to do this today. When I wrote them out, I broke them into categories and have quite a few categories. Then I started to come up with a plan on how to achieve each goal which fell by the wayside once I got busy. This week I want to actually sit down and work on planning this out. Ju...

I like to take pictures as I walk and hike and I took this photo a few years ago. When I got home and transferred the pictures onto my laptop, I noticed that the wings of this butterfly were tattered and torn. Surprisingly, a butterfly can continue to fly with up to 75% of its wings torn.  Their wings do not repair themselves or grow back and yet, they can continue to function.  It's a good thing too because if they couldn't, they would be an easy lunch for predators. We too can sustain considerable damage as humans and still function.  We have a great capacity to persevere despite the hurt we feel.  We have a wonderful resilience to spring back up when we've been knocked down.  And for that I'm thankful.   I am also thankful that God can actually mend those wounds and the brokenness in our life.  Unlike a butterfly that must continue on with torn and tattered wings, we can be healed from our wounds. I have known so many people that hav...

Happy Birthday to me! I woke up to 60 this morning How in the world can that be? I was once young and carefree But when I look in the mirror Gray hair and wrinkles I see. Each line tells a story Each gray hair shares a tale Of hard times and good, worry and glee. As I enter the seventh decade of me I want to embrace each moment Because I know there are no guarantees Each day is a gift from God who sees He holds our days in His hands He provides for all our needs. Each morning I will rise and say Thank you, Lord, for a new opportunity To serve you each day. Okay, a poet I am not! It's interesting how different birthday affect you differently. I was not bothered by any of the previous ones, but 60 for some reason has left a bad taste in my mouth. Well, not literally, since I still can't taste or smell since having covid last February! 😉 I've been sick for over a week (took a few covid tests and they were negative) so it seems to be just a head cold. But I'm coughing, sne...

Every action of our lives touches some chord that will vibrate in eternity.  ~ Edwin Hubbel Chapin A dear man in our church passed away unexpectedly two weeks ago. He was 60 years old and it was a shock to his wife and daughter, as well as to our entire church. His memorial service was yesterday and it was a wonderful tribute to his life. He was quiet and didn't say much and yet, when he did speak, his words spoke volumes. His life touched so many others and he will be deeply missed. So often we go through life and feel as if we have never made a difference. We may never know when some small gesture we make strikes a chord in the spirit of another person. It's a gift when we do hear of some way we encouraged another or helped to change the trajectory of someone's life, but for many of us, we will never know. I was reminded of an old song by Ray Boltz entitled, "Thank you." You may never know this side of heaven how much your life touches another, but go out and sh...

Revelation 21:6-7 ~ "He said to me: 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.'"   I've read this chapter in Revelation many times over, but never really noticed these verses. There will come a day when God's work on earth is done. We will be with him in eternity and will drink from the water of life. The verse that really stuck out to me this morning was verse 7. He who overcomes will inherit all of this. There are so many struggles and trials in this life. We often wish they would end. We often live and wonder when life will get a bit easier. In fact, we live with a number of "whens".  Life will be better  when  I get married. It will be better  when  I have children.  When  I have a bigger house.  When  I get that promotion.  W...

We've gotten quite a bit of snow the past two days and it's been hard to want to do much of anything. Winters are difficult and I do struggle with a bit of depression due to lack of sunshine. However, I find things to keep me busy and I know it will be over in a couple of months.  I've been puttering around the house and went to the church this morning and did get quite a bit done there.  Twinkle lights left up to help get through the winter blues. Not sure it's working. 😉 I'm always doing something in the kitchen and I do find I want to cook and bake more when it's cold outside. Sunday after church I made two batches of chicken potpie and apple crisp. I delivered one to a friend and kept the other for our dinner.  I had herbs growing on my front stoop during the summer and thought they would probably die over the winter. However, the thought occurred to me that there is a window in the garage and they are heartier herbs (thyme, oregano and sage). So I put them...

I am going to turn 60 years old next week and it's a bit of a jolt to realize that the amount of life I have left to live is shorter than the amount of life I've already lived. Yikes! I'm thankful for the things that I've experienced in my life. They have made me into the woman I am today and God has used all of them to mold me and He has allowed me to be effective in the ministry I have.  It's been a good life. Years ago, I made the decision to quit my full-time job and stay home with my children. I endured many people who thought it was foolish and I struggled at times with my decision as well, but I am thankful I did that. I wanted something different for my children than what I had.  Much of my adult life was spent in care of my family. For many years I taught my children at home, made ends meet on one income, and ministered alongside Dan in church ministry. It was hard at times, but my schedule was my own, I was available not only for my own family, but for my ...

I just spent the past 5 days at a conference in Ohio for denominational missions leaders from around the country. Some of our international workers were there too, sharing what is happening in the various countries they serve in. They were long days and I'm fairly wiped out today, but I came away from that time with a renewed vision for my ministry. I spent time in fellowship with old friends and new friends.  We spent time worshiping together. A couple of us ended the last night with a very sweet time of prayer together. I loved each moment that I was there despite my weariness. I took away valuable information in my role as district director, but also information I can use in my own church. But more importantly, I took away a renewed hunger in my heart to see spiritual renewal and growth happen in my own life and in the life of the women I serve. I came away with better ways that I can provide soul care to those I serve. I am bringing home a renewed confirmation of God's call...

There have been a few times in my life when I have clearly heard the voice of the Lord speaking into my spirit. As a teenager, I remember sitting on top of a boulder in the Catskill Mountains where I was raised. It was on the few times when I heard the the Lord calling me into ministry. Another time was as a college student returning back to the dorm from an evening of ministry in New York City. As our van full of students drove back late at night in silence, I remember gazing out of the window and seeing all the lights in apartment buildings. I clearly heard the Lord telling me that many of those people represented by lights didn't know Him and hearing Him calling me to reaching people for Christ. As long as I can remember, I have felt compelled to serve the Lord. At times, I get sidetracked by "life", but always have that underlying drive to offer myself to Him to be used as He sees fit on a daily basis. I'm thankful for confirmation along the way that my calling ha...

After a week of blogging on my website instead of here, I've discovered I don't like it! I lost the ability to have people leave comments and respond to them. I've seen my blog link on other's blogs disappear and I feel disconnected. So I've found out a way to have people who go to my website be directed here for the blog and then be able to go back to the website via one of the pages on my left sidebar. And those of you who come directly here to my blog can also check out the website the same way. Phew! I feel like I'm back home again and I'm sorry for all the confusion I may have caused. :-) And if you would be so kind as to leave a comment here I'll know that you found me again. 

As I sat on the tarmac, waiting to take off, I looked out the window at the very cloudy sky.  It was dreary, overcast and a light mist had been falling.  It was early about 8:00 a.m., but looked much earlier because of the dark skies.  The pilot's voice came over the loudspeaker and said the take-off was delayed for a few minutes so they could de-ice the wings.  That's not something you really want to hear when you are nervous about flying anyway! The time finally came when we were given clearance to leave and the plane barreled down the runway and up into the sky.  The higher we climbed, the thinner the clouds became until we were above them.  The sun was shining brightly, the sky was blue and it was breathtakingly beautiful.  In fact, as I looked down at the top of the clouds they were so thick that it actually looked like a snow-covered tundra. The thought occurred to me that our lives are often like this.  We struggle and face many o...