Hearts in Service

2024 was a good year and one in which I was able to stick with my plan and accomplish most of my goals and I'm looking forward to 2025. I sat down yesterday and came up with some goals moving forward, but found it more difficult than I imagined it would be. Some of that is because I'm a little uncertain about this year and feel foggy about my future. I usually have a good amount of clarity, but this year feels like I'm surrounded by fog. I don't like when I feel that way because it's unsettling when I'm not sure what the end result will be or where I'm headed. However, I do know that I'm going to remain faithful to what I am doing already and keep trusting the Lord as I move forward. In the last blog post I mentioned that thrive is the word I'm focusing on, but I want to continue to keep that in the context of connecting. I'm not ready to let go of that just yet. So as I came up with goals that centered around thriving they also include connectin...

 In 2024 I wanted to work on staying connected in three areas of my life - to the Lord, to others and to the purpose He has given to me. In John 15, Jesus uses an analogy that his disciples would have understood very clearly - that of a grape vine. Throughout this passage he uses the word, "remain."  He tells his disciples the following 5 things: Branches that don't remain connected to the vine do not bear fruit and are thrown away.  Those branches that do bear fruit will be pruned to make them even more fruitful.  Jesus reminds them that His word must remain in them in order to be fruitful. He lets them know that they must remain in God's love as they go out and love others. They can't love in their own strength. If they remained connected to the vine then they would produce a lasting fruit that would stand the test of time.  My goals and activities all centered around the idea of staying connected and while I did have some distractions, I did a fairly goo...

This picture is of a rare moment when I sat down and just rested over the past week. It was a busy few days and our Christmas celebration is over. I loved every minute and do think this was one of the most enjoyable Christmas celebrations we've ever had.  Dan came over to me and gave me a hug last night and thanked me for all I did to make it enjoyable. Mothers do put a lot of work in behind the scenes to create beautiful memories. Sometimes things go as planned, and other times, not so much. But I am thankful this year was one of the good ones. However, this in-between week is truly one of my favorite times of each year. We are still in the Christmas glow and relaxed state. There is still New Year's Eve and New Year's Day which we look forward to celebrating. There seems to be this random week in the year where time feels like it is standing still. But my main reason for enjoying it is that this is the time when I sit down and start reflecting on some goals for the new yea...

There are just two more sleeps before Christmas! The anticipation has been building like a crescendo and I'm looking forward to the quiet reflection tomorrow night during our Christmas candlelight service at church and then the raucous celebration on Christmas day. I often reflect that Jesus came into this world on a dark and quiet night and yet, we have ramped up this holiday crazy loud chaos. At times, it doesn't feel like it really would be Christmas without the craziness. I often wonder, "Could I still feel the same joy during Christmas without all the noise?" However, as I read the passage in Luke this morning something new struck me. I realized it probably was not as silent a night as we think.  Luke 2:8-20 ~ That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t...

This was prior to the service while the worship team was practicing. My weekend consisted of decorating, cookie baking, a Christmas play and banquet and preaching at our church. Dan and I have been taking turns giving the message through the month of December and it's been nice to work alongside my husband in this way. When we got home yesterday, he told me how much he enjoyed seeing me using my gifts. It was a busy weekend and by the time I got home yesterday afternoon I was feeling wiped out. But while my body was tired, my mind was busy replaying all the aspects of the morning and my heart was full. It was wonderful to see so many visitors yesterday, including two families - a young couple with their child and a single woman - who are refugees that we've been working with once a month. Because I knew ahead of time that they were coming I was able to translate my message and give it to them so they could follow along.  I had the children come up and sing 4 songs. The majority...

  I've been doing a lot of reflecting lately on how often the Lord shows up in my life and gives me good gifts. And yet, so often I keep focusing on what I think is not going well or where things are lacking.  When my focus shifts to scarcity rather than abundance, I tend to tightly cling to the gifts the Lord has blessed me with each day. However, when I approach my life from a place of abundance and I'm focusing on how much I've been given, it causes me to live my life in a way that brings Him honor and glory.  The gift I can give back to the Lord is to wake up each day and see how I can serve Him. Some of that service comes by being the person He has created me to be and using the gifts that He has given me. Some of those God-given gifts are the gift of creativity. I love to express myself through a variety of creative pursuits. He has given me an abundance of energy. I have the capacity to do many things and do them well. God has gifted me with the gift of hospitality...

  Glittering lights, Christmas bulbs, colors of red, green, gold and silver. These are all signs of the holiday season. We decorate our houses, purchase gifts, bake cookies, run ourselves ragged to try and create a postcard-perfect picture of our lives. Yet, all of these activities can cause stressed-out lives become even more anxious and chaotic. If none of these activities bring enjoyment then we are doing them for the wrong reason.  Are we trying to live up to someone else's standards? Are we attempting to fulfill another's expectations? Do we think that the flurry of activity and Christmas trappings will somehow bring joy? Some of these holiday decorations and activities do, in fact, bring joy to the season and can enhance the celebration. But when we cross the line from enjoyment to a deep-in-our-gut anxiety, than it's time to sit back and re-evaluate what we are doing.  I told the Christmas story in children's church yesterday to two little preschoolers. I have a ...

I predicted this back in October and November when we were having one of the warmest and most beautiful falls I could remember. We live near two of the great lakes and the water is warmer than normal which means that when the cold weather did come pouring in the lake effect snows were going to happen. It's been snowing all week and we have more on the way through tomorrow. Despite the snow and cold, I have been making myself get outside and go for walks. I  wear my hiking shoes which have better tread and I'm cautious so am not walking very fast. However, I'm so thankful I've been getting out because the fresh air and movement lift my spirits. The lack of sunshine really affects me so getting outside helps. The Christmas decorations are up and some Christmas cookies have been made. But this year is just has a different and weird feel to it. Prices for everything are through the roof and it's depressing to go to the grocery store. I couldn't believe how high my g...

It's hard to believe that we are coming to the end of another year. This year flew by and was jam-packed with events including a bridal shower and then a wedding for our daughter.  It has also been a year of open doors for me as I tried to settle in and work on my connections to the Lord, to others and to the purpose God has for me. I've been thankful for these doors because they are all so interrelated. I would say that the past two months have been the hardest as different unexpected circumstances have happened which caused a disruption in my life. But then again, the Lord reminds me of the desire I had to do a better job of connecting with other people which includes my family. And I'm also reminded that sometimes things happen beyond our control and it's how we deal with those interruptions that either strengthens or weakens us. I had a bit of an epiphany last night as I realized that I was doing a lot of anxiety-ridden activity and trying to solve problems in my ow...