January Reflections

 

Slow Start

January always seems to be a time where I have ‘settled in’ after a somewhat busy time in December. Early in the month, we experienced colder temps which added to my slowness. On Saturday after New Year’s, we awoke to see three inches of snow flurries on the ground. What we were supposed to receive was not supposed to stick.

Taking Down Christmas

I took down our new-this-year Christmas tree on Epiphany. This new tree, being bigger than the older tree, required more attention. I was used to NOT undecorating the smaller one. However, the new one had to have the decorations removed. I could get it in the box I had used for the other one. I just happened to have some boxes I had saved that were just the right size for what I needed.

Newness In Our Lives

Our local newspaper changed the method of delivering our newspaper to us. In the past, it was delivered by carriers who had motorized routes. As of January 2, the newspaper company has utilized the United States Postal Service to deliver the copies to the subscribers. In order to do this effectively (same day delivery), The company had to alter their print schedule to Tuesday through Saturday. A friend who is on Facebook really does not like the new system. A lot of people commented negatively about the new delivery system.

At least, now, I don’t have to go on a “scouting expedition” to find the paper. Only one day, we did not receive that day’s edition. I called and asked why. The young woman could not tell me. She could have given me a credit for that missed paper; however, I wanted the paper. The next day we received the missed one as well as the one for the correct day.

Writing Efforts

In searching for a paying market that I may submit to, I found one that appealed to me. I chose a topic for their Spiritual Growth section. One email letter told their word count was 1,000 words. The website of the magazine said the requirements were 800-1250 words. At first, I had a difficult time reaching either of those word counts.

I asked a question on a Christian Writers group about how strict a publication could be about a word count. I remembered the woman who started the writer’s group I was in telling us when she taught creative writing, she told her students to “just writ their story” and not worry about the word count. I included that memory in my question. The moderator told me that those word count guidelines were firm. And what I had been told was incorrect. Another member agreed with the moderator. I believe he knows that she is correct; he publishes books.

I submitted that manuscript to that market. I received a response in two weeks. They didn’t believe it would fit their needs. I had a private little “pity party” and realized they may be correct in their thinking. I started reading it again and found some typos. I wound up responding to their notification by thanking them for their time.

A Friend’s Grief

I received a phone call from a friend early one evening. I had just called and talked to her, asking how her middle son was. He had been in the hospital since Christmas, just over two weeks. About a half-hour later, she called me back. Her son had passed away. Her granddaughter had called from the hospital to let her know. He was a few months younger than our son. My friend has a younger son who also is in precarious health. Please pray for my friend; her name is Vicki.

Brrrdy, Brr, Brr, Brr

That is my expression for January cold weather. I haven’t had to use it lately until now.

For about two weeks, we had windchill temperature readings, at least three different times of snow, with accumulation. We have rarely seen the sun. When all this started one of the forecasters said the temperature that night would be the lowest since December 2022. I have a friend who is wheelchair bound and works in our church office. On one particular Friday, she chose to stay home rather than risk something happening to place her in a perilous situation.

A Time of Concentrated Prayer

On the last Monday of the month, our congregation received a prayer request via phone call from the church office. Our pastor was in the ICU at one of our local hospitals. His wife took him to the ER. I knew it was serious. I texted a prayer to his wife that night. On Tuesday morning she gave me some details. A little later, she talked to the neurosurgeon. Our pastor had a mild stroke. On Sunday, February 11^th we will have an interim pastor. We are in a new denomination and did not know how the presiding elder would deal with this circumstance. I am impressed that she acted in such a timely manner. One man in our congregation will fill-in this coming Sunday. 

Please pray for Cross Roads Global Methodist Church and our pastor and wife as God takes us through this circumstance.

March Reflections

 

Spring-like Weather

March came in like the proverbial lamb. March 1^st was a beautiful day (76 degrees). However, the lion appeared and scared the lamb off. March 6^th was a beautiful day. Temps in the high 60’s and low 70’s. Alas, winter weather reared it’s ugly head. I had a birthday this month. Roger was going to come home to help us celebrate it. But the temp was 20 degrees and wind speed about 30 mph. It was snowing the morning he would be traveling. He said he’d come the next weekend. Couldn’t come that weekend either-five inches of “liquid sunshine” (He didn’t make it for Pal Sunday weekend due to the threat of tornadoes.) Hubby bought me a bouquet of cut flowers in Roger’s stead.

These are the flowers. They still look good 18 days later. Isn't that little dog cute? We call him Buffy/

Good Check-up

Had a doctor appointment at the cancer center down the street. Blood pressure was great; weight not so great. They tested me for lymph fluid and I was within range. April is the two year mark since my surgery. I can start seeing the two oncologists here at six-month intervals (tag team style.) I believe the one I will see next has already started this six-month-rotation basis.

Feeling Better

I believe I am feeling better. I don’t know if it is that I found a way to get a good night’s sleep or if my body knows that spring is almost here. Whatever it is, I am very thankful for the improvement. It could be I found the right multi-vitamin.

Reading

I set up a spread sheet to help me keep track of the books I read this year. I had to set it up twice. The first one was on one system that I no longer subscribe to. So, I had to redo it on the one that I went to instead of the one I had. It took a while.

Writing

I am investigating the Freelance Writing field. I have a feeling I may have to go into that area of writing in order to have some other income beyond Social Security.

What I ran into was I signed up to see journalism jobs and I would get information on every other type job in the area, some I was not qualified for. Our city has been “economically depressed” since two major factories closed in the early part of this century. A lot of the ones were in other cities in our region. I have always had to drive to another city or town to work. I would rather have something closer to home or even work from home.

October Reflections

 

https://www.calendars.com.

October Weather

October weather this year has been a gift from God. Bright colored leaves and warm days. A lady from church and I were talking one night, and she declared that this season is her favorite. She also said it was a short one. We have had frost warnings and freeze warnings already.

Our area has not received any rain to speak of. Our area and where our son lives have been under “Red Flag” warnings, (high chance of fire outbreaks.)

Kitchen Project

The painting came along slowly. First painter walked away from the job and could not be reached. With the doors off the cabinets, I saw the need to organize the shelves and get rid of some excess items. Thus far I have re-organized the shelves in our island. I have not started on the other cabinets yet. As of the last week of October, our kitchen has been torn up for five weeks.

Kitchen Decor

We finally decided what to put in my Home Interior ladle. It happens to be burgundy-a redo from when my dad and stepmother moved to a new house. I received it back when we had to clear out my dad’s house when he went to a nursing home.

The ladle now has artificial fruit in the bowl. I have placed some pieces in the bowl and hung it on the wall. It looks nice. I may choose to put something under the fruit to raise the level of the arrangement.

Word for 2023

My word for the year 2023 has two forms. I will be studying the scriptures for how God’s word instructs us on both.

Monthly Themes

I believe I have selected the themes for each month in 2023. Each year, certain months have a special significance attached to them.

Sleepless Night, Direction From God

One Sunday night, I could not sleep at all. I had these children’s songs playing in my mind. I had this happen at least one night before. I believe God was speaking to my heart as a result from somethings I recently said. (These things I said were not bad.) This experience has led me to write in another area. Please pray for me as I pursue this new area.

Balance Class

I am attending a class called,” A Matter of Balance” its purpose is to learn ways to teach us ways to be mindful of and help us prevent falling. It is a class offered by LifeStream (LifeStream Services – For the Young at Heart (lifestreaminc.org) ). Their mission is to help the aging population and those who are their caregivers. As I was looking this web site up, I noticed it is a central Indiana service. Maybe there is something similar where you live.

This is all I have to share with you until next time.

September Reflections

 

www.papertraildesigns.com

Writing

My writing for the past month has been in my journal. I find a scripture that speaks to me and I journal my thoughts on it.

Family Plans

Jim and Roger made plans for us to go down to where he lives the end of September. Jim is from that area. We haven’t been down there since April. We did not get to go. Jim’s health is getting worse. Besides his knee replacement being “on hold” due to his A1C being too high, he has a lot of pain in that knee and other joints. Also, he is dealing with a personal health issue.

Electronics and Me

I recently got a new debit card. I have several features on my computer that are subscriptions for services. One evening, I spent what seemed like an hour trying to get into an account on one of these websites. I did not get the task done that day. I almost had the same experience a second day with a different website. I found out via a phone call that only I could change that information. I apologized for bothering the man. Suddenly, I found the right web page to get me where I needed to be.

I also tried to get into my cellphone to get my voicemail set up. (Long story). Could not get in to get that task done either. My conclusion about my relationship with electronics is that they seem to tolerate me.

A Confession I Made

Off and on for some time, I have been doing research on other houses of worship in our area. There are too many things I see happening where I have worshiped almost 20 years.

I attended a meeting of an ecumenical women’s movement recently and another lady brought up the issue that has her local church (same denomination)is having to make the decision facing a lot of churches in our denomination. I referred to a church website that listed their beliefs. After the meeting ended, I told the woman  in charge that I was considering leaving my church for another one.  Part of the issue is whether the higher ups uphold and obey our governing document and the Bible.

 My best friend has told me for sometime that she has been unhappy about some issues for sometime. No, I am not considering leaving because she is.

Intercessors of Prayer

A lady pastor in our city told me about a group called Intercessors of Prayer. It is based inVirginia. I called and requested information about the group. The group is a part of Breakthrough Prayer line. As I was transferring this to my computer, I called the group again and the woman with whom I spoke said she would call me back. She was true to her word and also told me they 'dropped the ball' and verified my information. The information should be in the mail in two days.

Some Good News

I had a check-up at the radiation doctor’s this month. I found out I have lost 18 pounds since they last saw me in June. I also found out that my compression sleeve is working as it should. (My Lymphedema number was lower.) I see her again in February and in April I will be at the two year mark since treatment and will only have to see her once a year for three years.

Kitchen Project

Our kitchen project has been rocky to say the least. We are considering looking for someone else to finish the job. Personally, I dislike dealing with ANYONE who does not return phone calls.

Children’s Moments Message

About once a month, I am scheduled to give a children’s message as a part of our worship service. I was scheduled fairly early in the month. We had no children in attendance. On another Sunday, the pastor asked me if I could do the children’s message on the last Sunday of the month. I agreed to.

My week before that Sunday turned out to be a very trying one. I kept my promise and gave the message. At one point the adults in the congregation joined in. During the service a lady came up to me and whispered, asking if I could send the message to her. She had never heard of the pledge to the Bible and pledge to the Christian flag. After service, a second woman told me she enjoyed my message and she had not heard of these pledges.

Here is the link to that children’s message. Pledges

Fall Weather

I love the colors of the season. To the north of our home is a street that has the fullest maple tree I have ever seen. One year the foilage was shaped in a prefect sphere and the brightest red I have ever seen. This year, it looks like it will be beautiful again. I plan on watching it closely to see how it develops.

August Reflections

https://lymphedematreatmentact.org/ 

https://www.calendarpedia.co.uk/

Writing

I consented to give a lesson at our church women’s group for September. (I had to ask others to fill in for me for two earlier months.) Usually, I try to connect the lesson to some holiday coming up. September is not fall and is the end of summer. After praying about it, I decided to give a lesson on prayer.

I spent one Sunday afternoon writing on the month’s blog theme, Faithfulness. I needed to do this because I am aware of people struggling with issues in their lives.

I am searching again for paying outlets where I can submit my writing.

Advocacy Efforts

I received an email from one of our U. S. Senators. This particular senator is a co-sponsor of the Lymphedema Treatment Act. He talked favorably about the good the passing of the bill would do. He said he would remember what I pointed out when the bill comes up for a vote.

Town Hall Meeting with our U. S. Representative

On August 13^th, I attended a “Town Hall” meeting in a neighboring town. Our U. S. Representative hosted two in our area on that day. I attended the one closer to our home.

My purpose for attending was as an advocate for the Lymphedema Treatment Act. https://lymphedematreatmentact.org/

The format was that people filled out a card with a question they wanted to ask this woman. A member of her staff read certain questions. (My question was not presented to her.) She was supposed to be there for one hour. She talked for 10 minutes before she started answering questions. She went over her time by 15 minutes. After the meeting broke up, I approached one of the staff members with the fact that my question was not presented. She directed me to a gentleman sitting at a table across the room. After he took my information, he said,”Thank you for the information. I have not heard of this bill before.” Our representative has chosen not to co-sponsor this vital bill.

Low-intensity Tornado

On Monday, August 1^st. Parts of our end of our city received high winds, at first thought to be straight line. Several trees were taken out at a city park not far from our home. That immediate neighborhood had downed trees blocking the street. Several houses still had trees down in their yards on Sunday. Our church yard, two blocks east, had four trees uprooted. The tornado also picked up a plastic playhouse out of our playground and smashed it against an outbuilding on the property. The people of the church and one person connected to one of our outreach ministries cut up the trees.

I am feeling better.

I have been able to try to get some things done here at home. I even started writing sort of a story about our times. I am also working on 2023 blog themes and scriptures.

I need to make out a cleaning schedule as well as a writing schedule to follow. I used to do a writing one but I wasn’t faithful in following it.

Home Project

I have wanted to do something to give our kitchen a face-lift. Jim said something earlier to the man who does our handyman work for us about painting the kitchen cabinets. We recently decided it was time to act. I did not want the cabinets and cupboards to be white again. We went and picked out paint. I chose a shade of light gray. The next project he has in mind is to lay new flooring in the kitchen.

Surprises For Me

The end of the month, Jim went to the grocery store to get two items. He came home with several grocery items but forgot to get what he went for. One of the extra things he brought home was a dozen roses for me. He didn’t give any reason. They are in a vase on our coffee table. When I get flowers, I try to keep them for as long as possible.

As as an added surprise. He purchased some serving bowls. We needed them. He purchased several of them. I don’t know why he got so many but they will be nice to have.

June Reflections

 

Etsy 

 

   VBS 2022

   We had Vacation Bible School for three nights the middle of the month. It was a small school, but the children seemed to enjoy the different activities. The decorations were outstanding.

             However, there was one glitch. Our Children’s Ministries Director works a full-time job at a group home. On Thursday, the residents were all sick. Friday, our Children’s Director called my best friend and said she had COVID. That night, all the adults working with the VBS pitched in and did a little extra to help. 

            I have been dealing with congestion since then.  I have had two “good days” this week.

 Husband’s Health

Jim has been dealing with a knee problem. He is going to have a TOTAL knee replacement. This did not surprise me. We were to see the surgeon but had to reschedule because he had the onset of pneumonia. .

His surgery will be in early August. Please keep us in your prayers. 

 

 A New Ministry Effort

 

In our church, we have had several people lose an adult child to death. One elderly lady lost her son last December and a month later lost her husband.

 

Some of us felt the need to begin a Bereavement Visitation Ministry. My best friend and I ordered some very well-written pamphlets to share with those we visit. Due to my being ill and some other things. We have not been able to do any visitation.

 

 Writing Efforts

 

Sometime ago, I found a forum for Christian writers. I joined the group. For some time, I chose to access it for the fellowship. I was questioning myself after I did not do well getting my book into people’s hands.

 

I recently started posting a few things I have written and have gotten positive responses from the other members.

 

From time to time, I search for a (paying) outlet for my writing. I have not been able to find one that is of the Christian genre that I feel comfortable with.

 

A Possible Blog Break

 

I will take a blog break when Jim has his surgery and during his recuperation. I don’t know how long he will be unable to get around. I will let you know more as I learn of the procedures involved.

  

March Reflections

 

Wallpaper Safari

 

March Weather

 

March came in like a lamb, but that lamb got chased off by a lion.

 

 Reading

 

I have been reading, when the mood strikes me A.W. Tozer’s book, The Essential Tozer, it contains three of his books. Some days I just don’t feel like reading. I realized I had only read one book this year. So, I picked up my copy of “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” and read it. I had forgotten that the author included the apostles in that book. I found that quite interesting.

 

 Blessings

 

In my journal, each week I have a page where I list three praises/blessings for that day. One of the nicest blessings I have received in a long time was my neighbor, a shut in, called to me as I was going into our house. I have had little contact with her, but she took the time to stick her head out her door and greet me. I pray for her daily.

 

 St. Patrick’s Day

 

Our church has a new tradition. On the Sunday before St. Patrick’s Day, our praise band plays Irish hymns with authentic Irish instruments. This year, the church had an Irish Soup Lunch. The proceeds are going to the high school band boosters. Our praise band is composed of young musicians from our high school. The praise band is led by the band director at the school.

 

 Something Funny Happened to Me

 

An author, a Facebook friend whom I have met, celebrated his 70^th birthday. His wife and daughter asked most of his FB friends to send him a birthday card. I didn’t get the message. He said for anyone who didn’t get the message that he would still accept greeting cards. I sent one of those that had a matching envelope. I received a FB personal message from him. He had received a beautiful envelope from me that had been torn but had no card in it. He thanked me anyway for the thought.

 

 Writing

 

I wrote a poem about Jesus. I call it “Jesus Arose” I may post it close to Easter. It felt good to be able to write poetry again.

 

 

It was my turn to give a Children’s Moments message this month. I always try to tie my message to the season or to an upcoming holiday. I chose to tell them that on that day spring was OFFICIALLY here. The adults in the congregation liked the sound of that thought. Several of the adults gestured or said they liked my message.

 

I spent one evening researching and most of the next day writing on this month’s (April’s) theme. It felt good to be able to do that. 

 

Working On

 

I am scheduled to be hostess for our women’s circle in May. We seem to focus on holidays of the months we meet. I will give the lesson on Hannah, the mother of Samuel. I have done some research about her. I also will try to have some sort of table decorations in the vein of celebrating mothers.

 

The Spiritual Fruit- JOY.

In March, I spent time reading and blogging about joy. I enjoyed the lessons I learned through the study. Joy and happiness are not the same thing. Joy comes from Jesus within us. Happiness comes from outside sources. Joy is lasting; happiness is fleeting.

 

 

February Reflections

 

Etsy

 I realize this is a long post. I apologize for that. I tried to edit it down. Please forgive me. I will try to do better about this.

Snowy and Cold

 

Winter got here this past month. Phil predicted six more weeks of winter, no big surprise to me. Before we had snow, we had cold temperatures. When the snow came, we still had cold temperatures.  We had three visits of winter to our area The last time, we had ice and freezing rain before the snow.

 

Physical Therapy

 

Per my Radiation Doctor, I started physical therapy for lymphedema, a side effect from the lumpectomy. I saw the therapists three times a week from the middle of January for  six weeks.

After one session and a day of home exercises, I felt better that I have in quite a while. Good sleep and the absence of pain were causes of the change. However, the morning after session two, I felt a lot of pain. I finally figured it out. I needed to wear my fleece jacket over my sweater etc. Once I did that, my arm stopped hurting.

 

I received a compression garment that extends from my wrist almost to my shoulder. It felt like a cast on my arm. I wore it 23 hours a day until my compression sleeve arrived.

 

 My “New Normal”

 

I received my compression sleeve and glove. I also got some news I wasn’t expecting. I will have to wear this sleeve and glove until Jesus calls me home. At night, I wear the compression garment and hand piece, also until Jesus calls me home.

 

I texted those in my local prayer group and told them the surprising news. My best friend texted back that this sounded like my ‘new normal’, hence the heading of this section.

 

An Invitation to a Poetry Group

 

I am a member of a Christian writers’ forum. The site recently went to another server. The result is a crisper page and reformatting the appearance of the pages.

 

When I logged on the second time after the redo, I had an invitation to a poetry group awaiting me (for those who write read or enjoy poetry.) I used to write poetry and am considering writing some again. It may help me to get out of my “writers block”.

 

 Some Pleasant Surprises

 

On the day before Valentines Day, it was my turn to give the Children’s Moments message.

I chose to have a Valentine message, bringing out the love of God. I used the blog entry of February 14^th and edited it for children. The Children’s Director thought it was good. After Church, I had two women tell me it was great.

 

Our Sunday school class leader was back with us that day. She gave me a gift, a book entitled “graceland” by Ruth Chou Simons. It is a devotional book with added scripture readings and the author’s artwork. As I looked through it, the artwork echoed the scriptures. This book is interactive. At the beginning, to get the most out of it, the author suggests certain auxiliary items to enhance the experience.  The book is divided into four sections, one for each season. I have added this book to my pile to read.

 

 Valentine’s Day Mission

 

Last year, our church presented our neighboring nursing home with Valentines etc. for 90 residents. This year, our pastor announced that the church has been asked about doing it again. The congregation brought in enough items for 103 residents.

 

A Different Type of Writing

 

During my physical therapy evaluation, the therapist explained something to me about the cost of an essential item used in the treatment of lymphedema not being covered by Medicare. She has been to Washington D.C. and talked with senators about the importance of having this item covered by Medicare. There are people, women, and men, who would benefit from this bill being enacted into legislation. I felt the need to do something to try to help. I wrote three letters, one to each of our senators and one to our representative about the importance of this act to those who are affected by this condition. This neglected act is named, Lymphedema Treatment Act.

 

There is a website for this bill. One page lists activities people can do to help garner attention of the government about this need. One item was that each person with this condition write their story about lymphedema. My physical therapist encouraged me to do it. I did just that.

 

Substitute Teaching Sunday School

 

Due to illness in my Sunday school leader’s family, they had their family Christmas celebration on January 2. I knew ahead of time. We were between study books. I chose to be daring and teach a lesson based on one of my blog entries, (NEW).

 

 

Book Review: Fight Your Fears

Bethany House Publishers.

Trusting God’s Character and Promises When You Are Afraid.

By- Kristen Wetherell

Kristen Wetherell explores fears and the anxiety that accompanies them. In ten chapters, she guides her readers through several instances of the fears that can beset even the most devout Christian believer. She shows us that we can overcome our negative fears by learning to trust God more. She examines each type of fear we can encounter like a jeweler inspects a diamond.

At the end of each chapter, Ms. Wetherell gives the reader ways to put into practice what he or she has learned. She calls these pages “Learning To Trust” Each page has scripture to memorize, a couple of questions to think on, ways to prepare for new growth in the LORD, and a prayer.

Ms. Wetherell has included scriptures throughout each chapter and has thoroughly researched this topic of fear. In the appendices, she includes a list of recommended books the reader may want to use to continue study on certain topics touched on in this volume and some scripture memorization cards of the passages she used as foci in each chapter.

The topics include: the attributes of God, holiness, the Bible, and fear.

I would recommend this book to those seek to break free from fear and worry. This would be an excellent addition to the library of one who has a counseling ministry.

I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. All they asked of me was that I give a good review.

My Plans for 2020

Freepik

Writing Plans for 2020.

Last fall, I found myself thinking about the Apostle Paul and his imprisonment in Rome. I started a piece about how a member of the Praetorium Guard got to know Paul better and that guard’s thoughts and impressions of him. (All this came to me as I was preparing to teach a Bible Study on Philippians.)

My word for 2020

I thought about several words. I have chosen “PRAISE.” I will write more about it as the year progresses.

 Blog Topics and Frequency

Each fall, I consider the topics for my blog for the next year. These usually are related to the time of year, Lent, Advent, Thankfulness, advent, etc.

I will still write and post entries on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Writing Group

That new writing group that I was invited to join chose not to meet in December. It is scheduled to start up again this month. The group plans to meet once a month.

Searching for Markets

From time to time I search for markets to which I can submit. Presently, I have a few in mind to investigate and see if I can create something appropriate for some of them.

Reading List

I have yet to decide on books I choose to read this year. I will spend time this month making decisions about this.

Devotional Reading

   

The Sunday school class I am in uses devotional readings as a springboard for discussion about the message. I also will be reading the Daily Guideposts devotional book.

Goals List

I have returned to making a list of goals. I have used the “S-M-A-R-T” format, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

January Reflections

January, named for the god, Janus. Pictures of this god show a face of a person looking to the left and to the right. I remember hearing that the illustration told was of one who looked forward and back in time.

This January has been almost uneventful for me. The weather has played a part in my inactivity. I stayed in from church two weekends in a row due to the snow and then the snow and ice. I have been able to do some writing on next month’s topic. I also found myself editing a script and turning sections of it into Lenten blog posts.

I also post certain blog entries as columns to the LiveAsif.org website.

I always start out the new year with great, almost grandiose, plans. This year was a bit different.Back in the fall,  I chose my word for the year, faith. I plotted out my blog topics for each month, some of them never change. I also reinstituted a practice I used to have. I chose a devotional book to use for the year. This year’s selection is “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers. An added discipline I am pursuing is I plan to journal each day about that day’s message. So far, I am current with the readings and the entries.

I received an e-mail notification that I had won a writing contest on a writing group’s website. My prize is a tee-shirt with the group’s logo on it. My story was a piece of flash fiction. I had done much flash-fiction writing in several years.  Here is that story. The picture at the top of this entry is the one that we were to write about. I hope you enjoy it.

The Decisions to Be Made

He found himself walking along the beach. He mulled over the difficult news. Before he realized it, he discovered he was on the point, that spot where his life could have ended. He sat on the bench, letting his mind reflect on earlier times. His thoughts took him to a time when he was a young sea-faring man He envisioned the schooner, his ship, Point Reyes, resting on its side.

The Point Reyes had a short history. She had been christened a year earlier. A storm came up. The windblown water flooded the deck. The captain could not see the jut of land. It ran aground at this very spot. The vessel lurched with such force that the crew members were thrown overboard. He, the lone survivor, settled in the area in order to care for the site. He married and raised his family, always telling them of the crew members who were not as fortunate as he.

“God has been good to me.” He bowed his head and thanked God for all the wonderful things he received over the years. “He saved me from my sins. He guided me as we raised our family. He gave me a job that I enjoyed and was able to retire from. He also gave me precious friends.”

His children, four in number, all relocated to inland cities and towns. Susan, his oldest, lived in Atlanta, was a physician’s assistant. Jeremy lived in Nashville, pursued a career in the music industry. Heather, their globe-trotter, lived in London, England and taught at a university there. Michael, a clergyman, lived in Phoenix. Their mother, Shirley, went home to the LORD three years ago.

The doctor had run test after test. The diagnosis was not good. His prognosis was not easy to hear. The doctor shook his head and said,” I’m sorry.”

“Father God, please help me as I inform my children of this latest news. You know what happens next. I place all my anxieties in Your hands. You were there when Shirley went through her illness. I felt Your presence then. I would like my children to feel it during this time. I have decisions to make. I ask your guidance as I make them. Amen”

He rose from the bench and headed toward home to contact his children. The bits of grass looked a deeper green. The sun warmed his face and he could finally smile. The LORD would see him through as he made these decisions. He believed that with all his heart.

End of August Thoughts

http://www.2018calendarwithholidays.com/august-

I sit here writing this post with excitement mixed with some fear. I have built a website for my writing ministry. I chose to do this in order to further establish my branding as I try to build my writing platform.

My website is entitled Cecelia Lester Author; its web address is cecelialester.com I have been working on it off and on for a month, trying to add sections to it that are attractive and informative about me and about my writing. I have cross-posted a few of my entries from here. I have to decide on a posting schedule.  I hope and pray that you will visit my new home as you can.

In September, I have two speaking engagements at area institutions, a nursing home and an assisted living facility in my immediate area. I also have contacted a couple of other places in search of finding opportunities to share God’s word. I will be using some of my blog posts and the columns I have written for another site.

In November, I will be giving a “Children’s Moments” message at our church. I haven’t done anything like this in quite a while (think years). Our Children’s Ministry Director has some added stresses with family illness.  Some of us know the stress she is under doing both and wanted to relieve a bit of it.

Book Review: Journaling for Discovery and Delight

Amazon.com

A blogging friend Dawn Paoletta from Enthusiastically, Dawn has written a book on journaling. She describes her book as a “self-paced writing journey” that “uses a variety of prompts to explore and discover the possibilities available with journaling to impact all areas of life.”^(1.)

Dawn gives her readers some valuable tips for their journaling activity.

·         Journal Keeping,

·         Writer’s Block,

·         Perfectionism.

She also includes tips on ways to get the most out of the reader’s journaling.

·         Consider the Season of Life,

·         Carry a journal with you,

·         Keep it Simple,

·         Keep it Private, (but be with a mind to sharing, when the time is right)

·         Give ourselves permission to write about what we want.

She has interspersed writing challenges throughout this guide. These are forms for the reader to use to “reflect on and write about” the reader’s “experience with this book.” ⁽²⁾

Dawn is very dedicated to her craft. She encourages those with whom she has contact to keep writing, planning, and journaling. 

I believe this book will help any journal writer to gain from the tips and pointers Dawn shares. I wish her well in this endeavor.

I purchased this book myself. I chose to review it. I chose to give an unbiased review.

 

1.)        From the back cover of the book.

2.)        From page 17 of the book.           

I will be on a short break and a trip with Hubby. I will return here Monday, June 11, 2018.