Help Others

Written 2016:

All of us have had to endure some type of hardship or pain in this life. We can take that negative emotion or pain and hold on to it, be bitter and never heal. One of the best remedies to healing our pain and sadness is in helping others. We are better equipped to help others when we understand what pain and suffering is like for ourselves. Otherwise, it is difficult to understand the needs of others without it.

Writing these blogs is easy for me when I have pain in my life because I am driven to search the scriptures to understand what is happening to me personally. I am burdened by the idea that others are hurting in the same way and how I can help them through their pain and difficulty. I want to encourage others and bring hope when all seems lost because I know God can change everything.

Hope is what everyone is looking for in each crisis. When hope is lost it makes everything seem dark and life not worth living. Hope comes from God and we can find it all through the Bible. Our human minds cannot always comprehend hope in the dark hours but the spirit that lives within us when we have trusted in Christ certainly can restore our hearts and minds.

Whatever circumstances you may be in today no matter how hopeless ~ look around to find someone else who is hurting that may need your understanding today! Difficulty is everywhere for everyone. Reaching out to someone else is the beginning of our journey towards HOPE ~

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12

This is a picture taken in the gardens at Bethesda by the Sea on May 2012.

Don't Worry!

Matthew 6:31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?"

We know as Christians that we shouldn't worry if we trust God but there is plenty to worry about for everyone in this crazy world. The problem is how do we not let that worry defeat us? In the scriptures above, Jesus is giving us some examples of what we worry about such as our health (what shall we eat & drink) and our possessions (what shall we wear).

Some people believe that these types of worries are only for the poor but actually the rich worry too. The poor worry about how they will get these things, the wealthy worry about losing them. Actually there are so many things we could spend our days worrying about in our relationships, job security, family, health and the list is endless.

Worry is stressful to our mind, body and soul and can make us physically sick. It can also take away precious time from our life if we spend too much time worrying; such as hours, days, months and even years. Is there really anything good that comes out of worrying? I can't think of a thing!

If we want to stop worrying then let's begin to take action steps to change this unhealthy pattern. First of all we should pray....then we need to ask others to pray for us too.  Once we have given that worry over to prayer we should begin enjoying creation and taking the time to look at what is beautiful in the world. The ocean is the place where I like to take my worries and my sadness because I feel God's presence; and I pray that I am able to leave them there! 

God has provided so much beauty around us to be able to enjoy and see His goodness. He provides us with His Word to give us hope of uncertainty. He provides us with good people to help us sort out the chaos and assist us in making sense of what is truly important. 

We cannot control those things around us....and most of the time I can't even control my response to those things.....but God has a way of guiding, teaching and comforting while in the midst of the worry....

I took this picture October 2013 of the typewriter in our office that I have used since the early 90's - I love the wheelwriter 10 and get a kick out of it when young people come in here and look at it as if it is something out of Jurassic Park.

Where Is God In The Hard Times?

This is a picture I took of my brother when he visited me in Florida.  I wrote this blog in 2013 during a difficult time.  I was claiming Gods promises in the midst of my own grief and sadness. As I reflect on that difficult time I see that God did bring me through and kept His promise to me. He gave me HOPE in the midst of my hopelessness! He helped me work through and overcome my circumstances.

The Pain of Grief written October 31, 2014

This past weekend we celebrated the life of my sister n law who recently passed away. It was a beautiful celebration for someone who gave herself to her family. When I married my husband she treated my children from my first marriage as if they were her own kids. These past few years we were getting together weekly to spend time with our granddaughters and do some special things. Just before she became ill we had made plans of all the things we were going to do with them in the upcoming months but we are not promised tomorrow. I am eternally grateful to her and for the memories she provided for myself, my kids and grandkids.

Grief takes over the mind and spirit when there is a death in the family or anyone close to us. The grief comes in different forms such as deep sadness, anger, numbness, and anxiety.  It will manifest itself in different forms physically and mentally. When we are at our weakest is when Satan and our enemies become more vigilant in their attacks. With God's help we have to guard our hearts and minds when we are grieving.  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

Grief causes the mind to imagine the worst and feel as if we are in a choke hold. The pain from grief is deceiving and the imagination of all is lost can be overwhelming. We can't resist those emotions and feelings on our own. We have to draw near to God who will give us what we need  to renew our minds according to James 4:7-8a Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 

This picture was taken of my sister n law Glenda fishing with her granddaughter Mackenzie. A great reminder that life is like a vapor which appears for a little while and then vanishes away...James 4:14

Feeling Worthless?

There are many reasons people feel they are worthless. I know in my own life there have been times when I have carried the feelings of worthlessness. At those moments of utter disappointment and sadness I run to the Lord who picks me up, dust me off and shows me that I am not worthless. He helps me find my worth in His Word or at church from some sweet saint. Some times God will bring the perfect book into my life for me to read and reprogram my mind to undo all the harm done. Other days, it will be a sweet card in the mail, an unexpected visit or a kind word from someone. 

Dear Lord, I want to always be an encouragement to those around me and never destroy their spirit with my words.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

This picture was taken after the afternoon rains on July 2014.

Help Others

Written 2016:

All of us have had to endure some type of hardship or pain in this life. We can take that negative emotion or pain and hold on to it, be bitter and never heal. One of the best remedies to healing our pain and sadness is in helping others. We are better equipped to help others when we understand what pain and suffering is like for ourselves. Otherwise, it is difficult to understand the needs of others without it.

Writing these blogs is easy for me when I have pain in my life because I am driven to search the scriptures to understand what is happening to me personally. I am burdened by the idea that others are hurting in the same way and how I can help them through their pain and difficulty. I want to encourage others and bring hope when all seems lost because I know God can change everything.

Hope is what everyone is looking for in each crisis. When hope is lost it makes everything seem dark and life not worth living. Hope comes from God and we can find it all through the Bible. Our human minds cannot always comprehend hope in the dark hours but the spirit that lives within us when we have trusted in Christ certainly can restore our hearts and minds.

Whatever circumstances you may be in today no matter how hopeless ~ look around to find someone else who is hurting that may need your understanding today! Difficulty is everywhere for everyone. Reaching out to someone else is the beginning of our journey towards HOPE ~

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12

This is a picture taken in the gardens at Bethesda by the Sea on May 2012.

Don't Worry!

Matthew 6:31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?"

We know as Christians that we shouldn't worry if we trust God but there is plenty to worry about for everyone in this crazy world. The problem is how do we not let that worry defeat us? In the scriptures above, Jesus is giving us some examples of what we worry about such as our health (what shall we eat & drink) and our possessions (what shall we wear).

Some people believe that these types of worries are only for the poor but actually the rich worry too. The poor worry about how they will get these things, the wealthy worry about losing them. Actually there are so many things we could spend our days worrying about in our relationships, job security, family, health and the list is endless.

Worry is stressful to our mind, body and soul and can make us physically sick. It can also take away precious time from our life if we spend too much time worrying; such as hours, days, months and even years. Is there really anything good that comes out of worrying? I can't think of a thing!

If we want to stop worrying then let's begin to take action steps to change this unhealthy pattern. First of all we should pray....then we need to ask others to pray for us too.  Once we have given that worry over to prayer we should begin enjoying creation and taking the time to look at what is beautiful in the world. The ocean is the place where I like to take my worries and my sadness because I feel God's presence; and I pray that I am able to leave them there! 

God has provided so much beauty around us to be able to enjoy and see His goodness. He provides us with His Word to give us hope of uncertainty. He provides us with good people to help us sort out the chaos and assist us in making sense of what is truly important. 

We cannot control those things around us....and most of the time I can't even control my response to those things.....but God has a way of guiding, teaching and comforting while in the midst of the worry....

I took this picture October 2013 of the typewriter in our office that I have used since the early 90's - I love the wheelwriter 10 and get a kick out of it when young people come in here and look at it as if it is something out of Jurassic Park.

Where Is God In The Hard Times?

This is a picture I took of my brother when he visited me in Florida.  I wrote this blog in 2013 during a difficult time.  I was claiming Gods promises in the midst of my own grief and sadness. As I reflect on that difficult time I see that God did bring me through and kept His promise to me. He gave me HOPE in the midst of my hopelessness! He helped me work through and overcome my circumstances.

The Pain Of Grief written October 31, 2014

This past weekend we celebrated the life of my sister n law who recently passed away. It was a beautiful celebration for someone who gave herself to her family. When I married my husband she treated my children from my first marriage as if they were her own kids. These past few years we were getting together weekly to spend time with our granddaughters and do some special things. Just before she became ill we had made plans of all the things we were going to do with them in the upcoming months but we are not promised tomorrow. I am eternally grateful to her and for the memories she provided for myself, my kids and grandkids.

Grief takes over the mind and spirit when there is a death in the family or anyone close to us. The grief comes in different forms such as deep sadness, anger, numbness, and anxiety.  It will manifest itself in different forms physically and mentally. When we are at our weakest is when Satan and our enemies become more vigilant in their attacks. With God's help we have to guard our hearts and minds when we are grieving.  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

Grief causes the mind to imagine the worst and feel as if we are in a choke hold. The pain from grief is deceiving and the imagination of all is lost can be overwhelming. We can't resist those emotions and feelings on our own. We have to draw near to God who will give us what we need  to renew our minds according to James 4:7-8a Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 

This picture was taken of my sister n law Glenda fishing with her granddaughter Mackenzie. A great reminder that life is like a vapor which appears for a little while and then vanishes away...James 4:14

Feeling Worthless?

 There are many reasons people feel they are worthless. I know in my own life there have been times when I have carried the feelings of worthlessness. At those moments of utter disappointment and sadness I run to the Lord who picks me up, dust me off and shows me that I am not worthless. He helps me find my worth in His Word or at church from some sweet saint. Some times God will bring the perfect book into my life for me to read and reprogram my mind to undo all the harm done. Other days, it will be a sweet card in the mail, an unexpected visit or a kind word from someone. 

Dear Lord, I want to always be an encouragement to those around me and never destroy their spirit with my words.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

This picture was taken after the afternoon rains last week, July 2014.

Where Is God In The Hard Times?

This is a picture I took of my brother when he visited me in Florida.  I wrote this blog in 2013 during a difficult time.  I was claiming Gods promises in the midst of my own grief and sadness. As I reflect on that difficult time I see that God did bring me through and kept His promise to me. He gave me HOPE in the midst of my hopelessness! He helped me work through and overcome my circumstances.

The Pain of Grief written October 31, 2014

 This past weekend we celebrated the life of my sister n law who recently passed away. It was a beautiful celebration for someone who gave herself to her family. When I married my husband she treated my children from my first marriage as if they were her own kids. These past few years we were getting together weekly to spend time with our granddaughters and do some special things. Just before she became ill we had made plans of all the things we were going to do with them in the upcoming months but we are not promised tomorrow. I am eternally grateful to her and for the memories she provided for myself, my kids and grandkids.

Grief takes over the mind and spirit when there is a death in the family or anyone close to us. The grief comes in different forms such as deep sadness, anger, numbness, and anxiety.  It will manifest itself in different forms physically and mentally. When we are at our weakest is when Satan and our enemies become more vigilant in their attacks. With God's help we have to guard our hearts and minds when we are grieving.  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

Grief causes the mind to imagine the worst and feel as if we are in a choke hold. The pain from grief is deceiving and the imagination of all is lost can be overwhelming. We can't resist those emotions and feelings on our own. We have to draw near to God who will give us what we need  to renew our minds according to James 4:7-8a Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 

This picture was taken of my sister n law Glenda fishing with her granddaughter Mackenzie. A great reminder that life is like a vapor which appears for a little while and then vanishes away...James 4:14

~Feeling Worthless?

 There are many reasons people feel they are worthless. I know in my own life there have been times when I have carried the feelings of worthlessness. At those moments of utter disappointment and sadness I run to the Lord who picks me up, dust me off and shows me that I am not worthless. He helps me find my worth in His Word or at church from some sweet saint. Some times God will bring the perfect book into my life for me to read and reprogram my mind to undo all the harm done. Other days, it will be a sweet card in the mail, an unexpected visit or a kind word from someone. 

Dear Lord, I want to always be an encouragement to those around me and never destroy their spirit with my words.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

This picture was taken after the afternoon rains last week, July 2014.

The Pain of Grief written in October 31, 2014

 This past weekend we celebrated the life of my sister n law who recently passed away. It was a beautiful celebration for someone who gave herself to her family. When I married my husband she treated my children from my first marriage as if they were her own kids. These past few years we were getting together weekly to spend time with our granddaughters and do some special things. Just before she became ill we had made plans of all the things we were going to do with them in the upcoming months but we are not promised tomorrow. I am eternally grateful to her and for the memories she provided for myself, my kids and grandkids.

Grief takes over the mind and spirit when there is a death in the family or anyone close to us. The grief comes in different forms such as deep sadness, anger, numbness, and anxiety.  It will manifest itself in different forms physically and mentally. When we are at our weakest is when Satan and our enemies become more vigilant in their attacks. With God's help we have to guard our hearts and minds when we are grieving.  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

Grief causes the mind to imagine the worst and feel as if we are in a choke hold. The pain from grief is deceiving and the imagination of all is lost can be overwhelming. We can't resist those emotions and feelings on our own. We have to draw near to God who will give us what we need  to renew our minds according to James 4:7-8a Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. 

This picture was taken of my sister n law Glenda fishing with her granddaughter Mackenzie. A great reminder that life is like a vapor which appears for a little while and then vanishes away...James 4:14

Feeling Worthless?

There are many reasons people feel they are worthless. I know in my own life there have been times when I have carried the feelings of worthlessness. At those moments of utter disappointment and sadness I run to the Lord who picks me up, dust me off and shows me that I am not worthless. He helps me find my worth in His Word or at church from some sweet saint. Some times God will bring the perfect book into my life for me to read and reprogram my mind to undo all the harm done. Other days, it will be a sweet card in the mail, an unexpected visit or a kind word from someone. 

Dear Lord, I want to always be an encouragement to those around me and never destroy their spirit with my words.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

This picture was taken after the afternoon rains last week, July 2014.

My Tears for Ukraine

Right now I am engulfed in sadness at what is happening in Ukraine. I am overwhelmed with grief at what I am watching with the men, women and children who are caught up in this horror. I feel powerless that I cannot rise in battle with them for their freedom. I don’t believe they would find it reassuring to see this 62 year old grandma armed to aid them but I definitely would give up my life to fight for their freedom. How could I not when I know many lives were sacrificed for my own freedom.

Growing up we were taught about the dangers of communism and the price of our freedom. My family experienced living in the beautiful country of Spain during the dictatorship of Franco. They saw what that looked like in comparison to the freedom of the United States. I was taught the difference early in my life and it has always been the reason for my patriotism of being an American. 

I have never questioned two things in my life. My faith and my freedom as an American citizen. Those are definitely two things I don’t struggle to believe and to be grateful that I have. Life has given me many struggles in my 62 years but those are two things that have never wavered, thankfully.

My prayer: God PLEASE protect the people of Ukraine! Protect us all from the evil of those who want to take away any of our basic rights. Strengthen our faith as we see the injustices of this war on European soil. Guide us all to do our part to help those who are impacted personally. Give wisdom to our leaders of democracy to be able to creatively assist Ukraine and not cause an escalation in the process. Only you have the power to do this and I lift this prayer up to you to bring Ukraine and our democracy a miracle!!! In Jesus name…..

Psalm 56:8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.  

This picture was taken when we visited Rota, Spain 🇪🇸