The Next Chapter

    I am a person who thrives in one-on-one meetings. I can thrive in groups if I'm comfortable and I can thrive on my own and need that to recharge at times but one on ones is where I feel most comfortable. That's how I usually meet with my friends. And that's how I was meeting with a friend from high school and college one day.

   Near the end of this meeting, I asked the question I usually ask my friends: is there anything I can be praying about for you? It was funny because even though it had been a year since we met my friend knew I would ask that question. She replied and then asked me the same question. I asked for prayer because I was falling into the trap of thinking my life was mundane. 

   Now this friend isn't one that just lets things like that rest. She wants to dig deeper, to search for the meaning behind the words we say. She said that I sounded like her sister who asked her the other day if her life has meaning. To this I immediately replied that I know my life has meaning. Then why are you feeling this way? She countered.

   This caused me to pause because I knew that I was feeling this way, but I didn't know why. I dug deep to try to figure out the reason. I spoke the words as the thought came to me, I was impatient for my next chapter of life. I was bored with my life in general. It was the same every day. Get up, get dressed, read my devotional, eat, work, eat, work, home, eat, relax, sleep, and do it all over.

   And there's nothing wrong with that schedule or your schedule you have. But I'm sure you've faced this problem too. You feel bored or like there's something more for you out there and you want it now. It's okay to want things. It's just that we shouldn't let the desire for those things or new chapters take away from the here and now. In looking at my life as mundane or boring I was missing out on little miracles right in front of me. I was missing out on a chapter God was writing in my book.

   Psalm 139:16 says, "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." God is writing our stories. He has a plan for each of us. We just need to surrender to his will. We need to be willing to enjoy each chapter of life no matter if we perceive it as hard or mundane because God put it there for a reason.

   So, what chapter are you going through in life right now? How do you feel about that chapter? How can you trust God with each chapter of your life?

https://youtu.be/geR0UBzDpdY

Footprints in the Snow

     As a kid, I enjoyed many activities in the snow. One of them was making footprints in the snow. Now, I was organized even as a child. I tried to make footprints only in one area. Also, I kept a specific area in the yard clear of footprints because I liked seeing snow without them in it, but that’s beside the point.

  Why did I enjoy making footprints? Well, other than enjoying acting like a giant, I liked making an impact on something. Once you put your foot in the snow and took two more steps you could look back and see what your shoe looked like. It was interesting looking at the details that the bottom of my boot made. Then I would race off to make a snowman or go sledding and not think about it much more after that.

   My footprint wouldn’t stay there long though. Inevitably more snow would come, someone else would step there, or the snow would melt. But that took time. 

It’s incredible to think about how temporary things are. One minute I made my impact on the world (literally if there was mud) and the next it was gone. That’s how our lives are too. One minute we are here and the next we are gone. Wow, morbid turn I know right. But it’s the truth. Our legacy will inevitably end and what then?

   What will matter in the long run? Will the house you have, the car you drove, how much money you have matter when you die? No, none of that will matter. What will matter? How can you have a legacy that lasts? Paul talks about this in Colossians 3:1-17. He says we are to put away the things of this world. We are to focus on Godly things such as compassion and love. Those are the things that will matter in heaven. That’s what will make a legacy, not for us but for God. And that’s what we should be focused on.

   So, are you focused on your legacy or on God’s and how you can make a difference for him on earth? How can you make an impact for the kingdom each day?

https://youtu.be/PYPJv0pfI3w

It's Good

To all my readers, I apologize for not posting for a while. For some reason, blogger would not allow me to post anything for some time and I do not know why. I am hoping the problem is fixed. Thank you for continuing to read my blog! 

My car is beginning to rust.

It costs so much to fix that my wallet may bust.

But it’s good.

I’m struggling at my job.

And the stress is so much it’s making my back throb.

But it’s good.

I may not be able to coach soccer.

That’s causing my heart to stir.

But it’s good.

I may not get married when I want.

And that’s making me sad if I’m being blunt.

But it’s good.

Things aren’t going the way I planned.

And I may not understand.

But it’s still good.

You may ask why?

Don’t get me wrong, I still cry.

But even through that, it’s still good.

It’s a really simple reason.

I may not enjoy every season. 

But it’s still good.

God is with me through it all.

He will never let me fall.

That’s why it’s still good.

So, through it all do you know it is still good? How can you trust God more each day?

https://youtu.be/_2G6PlSZxZ4

Let Go and Go Into the Unknown

    For much of my life I have gone to a small church. Then I went to a Bible college and learned a lot about God and theology. Now, because my church is so small, it wasn't always easy to find someone to fill in for preaching. One day someone, somewhat jokingly, asked me if I would preach for two weeks. I said yes and that's how I began being a fill in preacher for that church.

   Usually, when I am asked to preach, I wait a bit to see if I get inspired by God. If I'm meant to preach, something comes to me fairly quickly. Many times, it is something that either I can tell then applies to my life or I see it eventually apply to my life.

   One time I was asked to preach during a time of turmoil in my life. A lot was happening, and it wasn't really good things. Changes were coming and I didn't like change. Then I felt led to preach about someone who had to go into the unknown.

   Abraham and Sarah were asked to leave everything they knew. They were asked to leave their family and inheritance and just go where God showed them. That would make me so scared. I am someone who doesn't like change or comfort. And that's the season I was in as well.

   Then, when I was at church one day, there was a time of prophecy. Someone said their prophecy that God showed them was to let it go. Let go of some things. Let go of comfort. That made me realize that I needed to let go and trust God. I needed to go into the unknown God was asking me to.

   So, are you listening to God? Is God asking you to go into the unknown?

https://youtu.be/mh6NO0pWpYU

Serving Like Christ: A New Year's Blog

    Some of you may know that each year I have a spiritual focus that I try to concentrate on. Usually, I pick something that is an area I feel I need to work on. This year was the first year I focused on something that I consider to be more of a strength of mine. I chose servanthood.

   I’m not at all trying to toot my own horn here. That’s never my intention when it comes to my spiritual resolution. I just know I’ve been told by others that I have a servant’s heart. And I went through what I usually go through at the end of the year. In the last days of 2023, I prayed and asked God to give me a focus for the new year. I was surprised when I felt led to servanthood. 

   Then I sat and thought about it. I knew that in 2024 changes would be happening. I was hoping to get engaged and married. I was continuing to work in my new job of being the lead preschool teacher. And I was planning on getting more involved at church. Having the spiritual resolution of servanthood made sense. I just didn’t realize at the time how important it would become.

   At the beginning of 2024, I felt God calling me to leave my job that I had worked at for at least five years. I had just been promoted to lead teacher, so it didn’t really make sense logically to leave. But, through stirring and circumstances, I knew it was time. I began to look for other jobs, but it isn’t easy to find teaching jobs in February. I looked for those jobs, but I kept feeling like I should change careers. I investigated being a Behavioral Health Technician. A BHT is someone who works one on one with a student who has special needs. 

   Now, some of you may recall that in 2023 I focused on patience and prayer. I never in a million years thought I would be contemplating becoming a BHT. I just didn’t have the patience for it, or so I thought. But then I kept hearing God say, “make a difference to the one.” I had been a teacher for years and touched so many lives, but I felt God calling me to impact just one kid. That was strange to me, but I followed his lead. I became a BHT. Let me tell you, being a BHT is not easy, but it is rewarding. And you need a lot of patience and servanthood to do it. 

   I also ended up getting married this year. People said that the first year of marriage is hard. That it is hard to live with someone who may not have the same habits as you. It is not easy at times, but, because I had servanthood as my focus for the year, whenever I began to feel annoyed by little things I remembered to humble myself. I remembered to stop and speak in kindness. I didn’t bury things down, but I did choose to either handle the problem myself or communicate how I felt. That may not have happened if I hadn’t remembered to be a servant. 

   While being a servant isn’t easy all the time, it is so important. Even Jesus humbled himself and became a servant. That’s pretty much what his whole life on earth was. He was a servant. Whether he was healing, listening, teaching, or showing love in action he served. That’s what we are called to do as well. 

   So, have you been a servant this year? What is God calling you to focus on spiritually now?

https://youtu.be/IbcpuoJFRkw

Gram Gram

    Pain, sorrow, anger, numbness, hurt; those are just some of the emotions I'm feeling right now. I recently wrote about how grief is a gift. Well, sometimes it can feel like a burden, especially when it is fresh. Right now, it's fresh. At 3 am on December 27th, 2024, my grandmother passed away. So, right now, I'm feeling these things.

   When someone you care about passes, it's hard not to think about memories, who the person was, what they meant to you, and things they did with you. Before Gram Gram even passed, I thought about the memories I had with her. Many of them were from when I was younger. Grandma was our primary babysitter for years. She took care of us while mom and dad were working. I remember mostly little things. Things like how I would ask her to tickle me, her homemade pot pie, how she enjoyed coloring, how she patiently answered all my questions, that she would watch whatever we were watching without complaint (even if it was Lion King for the hundredth time), how she came to events to support us, just to name a few. 

  But as I looked back, I realized something: I was lucky. While I didn't have many specific memories that stood out, I did have little memories. And those little memories spoke to my grandma's character more than anything. For at least nine years of my life, grandma was consistently there to watch me. She showed me how to love. She showed me patience and compassion when me and my siblings were going crazy. She showed how to support and encourage when she came to our school or sport events. She even showed me how to do things that I wasn't that good at, like gardening, I did not inherit the green thumb. 

   Love, joy, thankfulness, peace; those are more emotions I'm feeling right now. Odd to feel when someone close to you has died. But I feel love because of who grandma was. She loved others. She loved her family. She taught her family how to love. I'm feeling joy because I know where grandma is. I know she's feeling joy and pain free because she's with her heavenly father. I'm feeling thankful because I got to have a grandma for as long as I did. I'm thankful I got to say goodbye to her. I'm thankful because of what she taught her family. She taught them how to love, compassion, how to encourage, and about Jesus. I'm feeling peace because I know her story isn't over and one day I will see her again.

   Grief is still a gift. It is painful and can be a burden, but grief reminds us of what we have. It reminds us to be thankful for the time we do have and to make the most of it. This Holiday season has included more grief than I can ever remember having in my life. But it has also had some of the most loving and cherished times I can remember. Perhaps that's because this season has taught me to look at each moment as a gift. That may not have happened without the gift of grief.

   So, grandma, thank you for who you were. Thank you for teaching our family so many good character traits just by being you. A godly, caring mother, grandmother, wife, and friend. We will miss you while we are here, but we'll see you someday.

https://youtu.be/W8bFysfU0ZM

The Gift of Grief

    Christmas is a time of year that we associate with gifts. I mean, other than Birthdays it's probably the only time of year we get gifts and give them. It's a time of year where we think about hope, peace, joy, love, and Jesus who came to bring that all. This year I was struck by something different than I was usually this season. Sure, I thought about all those things Christmas usually brings but something else happened that made me think of something new: grief.

   On Thanksgiving Day, my family went to visit my grandmother at a rehabilitation facility where she was at for physical therapy. While there, across the hall, a man died. After leaving, my husband and I both said in an odd way it made us more thankful for what we had. 

   Later, toward the middle of December, a family friend who was a part of my parent’s church for as long as I can remember, suddenly died. It was a shock to everyone. And it made me think of how hard it was for me and my family, let alone his family, to deal with his passing.

   Yes, Christmas and Thanksgiving are times we remember to be thankful, have joy, give gifts, and that Jesus came to be our Savior but sometimes it's hard for people to have those things and remember them. Grief is real and it's okay to have. Jesus even grieved over the loss of his friends. But it's also a time to remember the good. To remember the gift that life is. That God gives us this life so we can get to know him, grow in him, help others know about him, and help others grow in him. 

   This life has pain and sadness. This life isn't always easy. We have hurts and hang ups. But God is with us through it all. He sent Jesus so we could have hope in a future eternity with him. So, we could have peace in this life and the next. He came so we could have joy in knowing everything will be okay. That we can spread his love to others so they can have eternal life. Isn't that an amazing privilege and gift?

   So, yes, grief can be a gift. It is a reminder that this world is filled with sorrow, but this world is not the end. We can rest in knowing that God is with us in Spirit here and one day we will be with him in heaven. Thank Jesus that he came as a baby, with the plan in place to eventually die as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, so we could be with him forever. He is the perfect Christmas gift

https://youtu.be/Du0ZsDLwH_0