Encouraging Deep Roots

  The past few afternoons Dan and I have had the opportunity to get out and walk at the local Audubon center. It's only about 6 miles from our house and while we could just walk the neighborhood, my sweet husband knows how much I love being out in nature where I can take pictures and decompress. We usually end up walking about 2-3 miles when we go and we generally walk in silence. The reason for the silence is that we are lost in our own thoughts but also want to be able to catch sight of different birds and animals and realize if we are talking, we will miss them.  I spent about 5 1/2 hours at the church yesterday, getting work done and then we came home, changed our clothes and headed out. As we walked I could feel my head clearing and peace settling over me. We were only gone a little over an hour, but it was just enough to get some exercise, get rejuvenated, and ready to face the rest of the day. It does seem a shame that the winters are so long here in the Northeast becau...

  A week ago on Sunday, Dan and I were in the middle of the Allegheny National Forest doing a 7 mile hike. As we hiked, I looked around and was amazed at all the different sights. This one caught my eye. It was a tree that had grown up around a boulder. The roots were draped over the sides of this rock and yet, they went down deep in the ground to hold up the tree which obviously, had been growing for many years. Despite the giant-sized boulder, the tree just bypassed it and grew anyway. It was a good reminder to me that I often come across obstacles and boulders in my path. Rather than curl up and wither, God gives me the strength to find away to carry on the task He has given me even with the boulder in the way. Because my roots are anchored in Him, I can grow spiritually despite the obstacle. Today is Multitude Monday and the time I thank Him for the many ways I've seen Him work over the past week and I'm thankful for those opportunities to grow despite the circumstances. Th...

                      When I was young I would think, "If only I had a boyfriend, I'd be happy." "Or if only I were married." "When I have children." "When I have this job or that job, I'll be happy." But I came to the realization at some point in my life that the only way I'll ever be content is to be thankful with what is in front of me at this moment. I was only able to find that inner peace when I stopped striving for the next thing and look at what's in front of me and be thankful for that thing. Now, I'm not always successful and sometimes I do fall into old patterns and feelings. But I'm learning not to act on those feelings. Until I can learn to be peaceful in the circumstances I'm in and look for the joy in my current situation, I'm not going to be happy with the next set of circumstances. It doesn't mean that I may like whatever position I find myself in, but I most certainly can see God's hand at...

George Washington Carver ~  “Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.”  The past couple of evenings, right after dinner, Dan and I have gone to the local Audubon center to walk. It's only 15 minutes away and there are winding trails through the woods and fields and around ponds. It's such a beautiful and peaceful place to go. Because it's close to dusk when the center closes there are generally only one or two other people there whom we never see as we walk. Last night we sat for a few moments on a bench to watch the herons on the pond. There was a warm breeze blowing and other than a few birds calling there was absolute silence. And I felt peace wash over me. I love these times to be silent and reflect. I have always felt closest with God when I'm out in His creation. As Dan and I walked quietly together, I felt the voices of anxiety and stress ...

Yesterday began our last week of vacation this summer and the timing couldn't have been better. I woke up to a ruckus going on outside our window. Our neighbor on one side of us is building a deck and has hired a crew to work on it. They start at 7 a.m. and there is hammering and sawing and all sorts of noise going on there. The neighbor behind us hired a company to come and remove a tree that is at the edge of our yard, but on his property and they were cutting that down with chain saws at 7:30 a.m. So Dan and I packed a lunch, jumped in the car and headed off in search of peace and quiet. I have an app on my phone called AllTrails and we have found the best places to hike that way.  We went about an hour away, hiked about 3 1/2 miles and were able to take in this sight while we ate lunch.  Ahhhh.....peace restored.  We are off in search of it again today! 

My heart is full this morning and I'm so thankful for many things. Multitude Monday on the blog is a day in which I list those things. This weekly exercise has turned Monday from being mundane or miserable into one that I look forward to each week. I'm thankful for the opportunity to share these blessings here and encourage you to begin to look at how God is at work in your life. Today starts our last week of vacation this summer and so it will be another week of hiking and local day trips. But it's also going to be a week where I do have to work on a talk that I'm going to be giving so it won't be all play. Fall is right around the corner and I'm looking forward to the new season. This week I'm thankful for blessings #3,916 - 3,925. 3916. We got an email from Emily's college saying they reduced her fall bill by $2,400 which is a huge praise for us! 3917. A really good board meeting at church the other night. I can't always say that so I'm thankf...

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ~ When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom.  I decided to know nothing among you except  Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.  My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit,  so that your faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power. This morning as I was reading during my quiet time I felt the Holy Spirit give me a poke. I've read these verses a hundred times, but this time it hit home. Those two little words in verse two, I decided , jumped out at me. Paul was a brilliant man. He was skilled in the Jewish law. He was a Jew who was also a Roman citizen. He was your typical Type A, successful and driven man. And yet, he deliberately chose to not come to the Corinthian church and show off how m...