Encouraging Deep Roots

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" ~ Philippians 4:4 Really, Lord? In these circumstances? Surely, this is an impossibility.  A mountain of concern and anxieties buzzing daily and at times, feeling like they will overwhelm me. Rejoice not just in the good, but the bad? Always??? How can one do that? Paul, the author of this letter, certainly must have been superhuman. This is not possible for us regular people. "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near." ~ Philippians 4:5 How can I be gracious or gentle when I am overwhelmed on a daily basis by my own  issues? And there is the some of the problem. Focusing on my  problems prevents me from extending a hand of grace or mercy to others. When I'm consumed with me  there is no room for others. And there is that little sentence, "The Lord is near."   A reminder. It tells me that God is waiting for me to hand off those anxieties to Him. He has my back and is never ...

My new year got derailed as I was down with the flu for a few days. Today I feel like I'm on the mend. Unfortunately, Dan and the boys are sick so now they are under the weather. The hazards of living together! I decided to go ahead and post some of my 2025 goals here and just leave out some of the more personal ones.  My word for the year is Thrive, but I also don't want the connections I worked on in 2024 to go by the wayside. So I'm incorporating thrive into connecting. 2025 Goals Word for the year: THRIVE Theme verse Psalm 92:12-15 ~ The righteous THRIVE like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they THRIVE in the courts of our God. They will still BEAR FRUIT in old age, HEALTHY and GREEN, to declare: “The Lord is just; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” My goal this year is to thrive in every area of my life and walk in the path God has for me. Thriving happens when I stay connected to Him and ...