Author: terriplace89

In my toddler and pre-school years, I had a ‘security’ blanket.  I cannot remember exactly, but I think it was blue, maybe green.  It was small enough to carry around with me, which I did just about everywhere.  My mom used to tell stories of my sitting on the basement steps on wash day, patiently watching my blanket tumble in the dryer.  Of course, I eventually outgrew the need for that blanket, which was good since it vanished one day. (that’s a story for another day!)  I honestly can’t remember why that blanket meant so much to me, but I do remember that it comforted me when I was scared. 

Which brings me to my topic this week. 

Comfort is not exactly the same as comfortable.  For the most part, comfortable relates to our physical well-being, while comfort relates to our emotional or spiritual well-being.  However, being comfortable physically can aid in being comforted emotionally. 

Merriam Webster’s essential meaning of comfort is, “to cause (someone) to feel less worried, upset, frightened, etc., to give comfort to (someone)”.  M-W also defines this verb as, “to give strength and hope to; to ease grief or trouble of”.   Of the noun form, it says, “strengthening aid; consolation in time of trouble or worry; a feeling of relief or encouragement; and contented well-being.”

What blesses me about the definitions of the verb form of comfort is that they all are about giving comfort to someone.  We as Christians live our lives in the context of giving because love is giving.  It says, in John 3:16 that “God so loved the world that He GAVE…”.  Comfort is something we can give!   And isn’t it amazing to be able to help someone by giving them comfort?  Of course, it is equally amazing to receive a generous outpouring of comfort when we need it.  But there is just something so special about being able to help others.

Comforting someone can be as simple as giving them a hug or a smile.  Letting someone know that you understand their hurt and that you want to help is comforting even if there’s nothing you can do for them at the time.  Sometimes just sitting in silence with someone will give them great comfort. 

One of our most rewarding experiences is when we say or do something that comforts someone without our even knowing it.  Don’t our hearts thrill when we find out later that we helped someone without realizing it at the time?  These incidents occur when our minds reside in giving mode.  In that mode we are not focused on ourselves, but on others.  So our awareness of other’s needs is keen, and God is able to work in us to bless them.  Any act of kindness can comfort a broken heart.  And only God can see people’s hearts. 

God is the greatest Giver – and the greatest giver of comfort.  He works mightily to take care of all His kids and He gives us comfort in times of trouble because of His great compassion for us.  His Word is filled with comfort.  The book of Psalms in particular supplies comfort to me in many situations.  I often just start reading Psalms when I feel down-hearted.  I have my favorites and read and reread those, but just about any of the Psalms supply comforting words that speak to my heart.  Of course comfort isn’t limited to Psalms.  The whole Bible is filled with comforting words about God’s love for us.  I just have to quote my favorite comfort scriptures:

2 Corinthians 1:3,4

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Now that’s a lot of comfort!!

God comforts us in our troubles.  And when God comforts us – we receive all the comfort we need!  So then we can give that comfort to someone else when they are in trouble.  Then they receive and they give that comfort to others and the cycle continues over and over.  And God is blessed! 

I pray that this is not a time that you need comfort, but if it is, I pray that you receive an abundance of it!  None of us want to be needy.  But we must be honest to admit that there are times we need comfort.  The beauty of being part of God’s family is that there are so many caring members who can comfort and help us.  And there are so many members that we can help by giving them the comfort that we have received. 

Note to my readers:  If you want a smile, look up ‘comforter’ in the Merriam Webster online dictionary.  Thanks for reading! 

Take a moment and think about what makes you happy.  There are millions of things in life that make us happy if we take the time to recognize them. 

Have you ever heard the saying, “stop and smell the roses”?  It has been a popular saying for a long time.  However, as it often happens, a saying becomes cliché because of its popularity, and then it becomes unpopular because it is cliché. 

Cliché or not, “stop and smell the roses” is actually good advice.  The gist of the statement is that we should take time to appreciate the good things in our lives.  Even something as simple as smelling a rose, can make us happy if we stop long enough to appreciate it. 

Sometimes, amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we forget to “smell the roses”.  Our busy schedules distract us from recognizing the good things that we have.  Chances are we are surrounded by fields of roses, but we may be walking past them without taking the time to appreciate them.  Another consequence of our busy schedules is thinking that we do not have the time to “smell the roses”.  There are so many demands on our time and energy that we can feel overwhelmed and find our thinking engulfed by those demands.  Either of these scenarios could rob us of experiencing peaceful happy moments that would actually help us cope with our busy schedules. 

When we take time to value the small things, we build a habit pattern of appreciation that can extend to other aspects of our lives.  Consider the people we love.  Family members often make us happy, but it is not uncommon to take one another for granted.  I think this happens because people confuse contentment and complacency.  Contentment leads to happiness because you are no longer searching for something you don’t have.  Complacency leads to dissatisfaction because you don’t appreciate what you do have.  When we appreciate our families, we can be content and happy.  And when we show our appreciation, our families will also be content and happy. 

We must remember that happiness requires some effort on our part.  It requires us to direct our thinking toward a positive focus.  When it comes to relationships, we must focus on each other’s positive qualities and not on the negative ones.  We encourage one another by sincerely appreciating each other’s positive qualities, and by exhorting each other to more worthy endeavors.  Dwelling on someone’s faults never helps anyone – ever!  In other aspects, it is also necessary to maintain a positive outlook.  When you see the roses, expect them to smell good.  And if you come across one that doesn’t, move on!  There will be others with remarkable fragrances. 

We can also benefit from being happy in our surroundings.  Things always take second place to people in our lives, but things can be a source of happiness if we appreciate them.  When it comes to the things with which we are surrounded, the Bible encourages us to be good stewards.  This means that we take care of our things.  Not because we ‘love’ them, but because we are not wasteful.  Our society has become a ‘disposable’ society.  It seems that the school of thought is, “If you don’t like something, throw it away and get a bigger better one”.  Not only is this wasteful, but it is also driven by covetousness.  People get trapped in the snare of thinking that they must have the newest, biggest, best, most expensive things to be happy, which of course makes them unhappy with the things they already have.  This kind of thinking produces anxiety and discontent, and it is a lie. 

Sometimes we are unhappy with ourselves.  Many of us are overly critical of ourselves.  We (especially women) can be unhappy with our appearance.  Just about all of us are critical of our own abilities and/or accomplishments.  I often find myself thinking about me in ways that I would never think about anyone else.  BUT the habit pattern of appreciation covers this category as well.  See your own value in the small things, then you’ll be able to see it in the big things too.  All of us have positive qualities and we all have something to offer.  Appreciate yourself for who you are and what you have to give. 

I saved the greatest happiness for last.  The best and most enduring source of happiness is God’s Word.  God has given us holy spirit and in Galatians chapter 5 (verse 22) it says that one fruit of that spirit is joy.  We have joy in us that the world cannot give.  Our joy supersedes any happiness that the world can deliver.  However, that doesn’t mean that God wants us to be unhappy in the world.  He’s the one that made the roses for us to smell!  He called us to His family because it pleased Him.  With His great love, He provides for us exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think!  (Ephesians 3:20)  He promised us an abundant life in all categories.  That makes me happy!  How about you? 

When we appreciate God’s handiwork in our surroundings and in the people in our lives, we can rid ourselves of the anxiety and strife that makes us unhappy.  When we are happy, we are able to make others happy, and when we do that, we are even happier!  It’s a beautiful cycle. 

Note to my readers:  Some synonyms for happy are; joyful cheerful, blissful, glad, pleased, ecstatic, delighted, and blessed!  You can be all those things!   Thanks for reading. 

I am a fan of old movies.  In Junior High, I was so painfully shy that when all the other kids were out having fun, I was at home watching old movies.  I enjoyed the old comedians like the Keystone Kops, W.C. Fields, Mae West, Abbott and Costello, and Charlie Chaplin.   In their genre, there was often a storyline in which an attractive young actress portrayed the misfit character in a high society gathering.  Coming from the wrong side of the tracks, she would say things like, “Chawrmed, I’m shur-wa” when she met the designated dignitary.  And the group would roll their eyes or gasp in derision because she didn’t meet their social standard. 

That lengthy introduction was to say that for a long time, when I heard the word, “culture”, I often thought of those movie scenes with the snooty rich people who fancied themselves as culturally superior to the misfit character.  I thought of culture as well-educated museum goers, who love opera and symphonies, and drink tea from fine bone-china cups while extending their pinkie finger.  I thought of culture as snobbish rich people who think that they are better than the commoners.  But that isn’t what culture means at all!

There are at least ten variations in the dictionary’s definition of the noun, ‘culture’.  A brief summary is: “the characteristic features of everyday existence”; “shared attitudes, values, goals, practices, and conventions”; and “the integrated pattern of knowledge, belief and behavior”.  

Every society has its own culture.  These cultures are formed over many years from a variety of influences.  Cultures vary from society to society, and from country to country.  For example, the culture in the United States is very different from the culture in Japan.  That makes travel interesting, but it also can be a little intimidating because we tend to feel awkward if we don’t know the accepted cultural norms.  We don’t want to look foolish or be offensive.   

In addition, the specific overall culture in a country generally has geographic nuances.  For instance, in the U.S., the Midwest culture is very different from the culture in the Northeast.  The culture in the rural areas is very different from the culture in the big cities.  Culture varies from state to state and from climate to climate. However, these nuances generally adhere to the overall cultural structure.

Sub-cultures also exist in society.  These develop from special bonds among people with the same careers, hobbies, special interests, or other endeavors.  These sub-cultures influence people’s behavior, attitude, and appearance.  Skateboarders for example…  There is an identifiable sub-culture surrounding skateboarding.  We see this not only in the performance of their sport, but also in how they dress, how they talk, and how they act.  This sub-culture is so popular that even non-skateboarders imitate their appearance and behavior.  So it is with many sub-cultures.  I still wear my Harley Davidson t-shirts even though we no longer have our bike.  Most of the time these sub-cultures fit neatly under the umbrella of the overall culture.  However, there are times that sub-cultures can challenge the accepted norms.  Whether that is a good thing or bad thing depends on:  1. The motives behind the movement, and 2.  Which side of the fence you’re on. 

Cultures can be confusing and somewhat uncertain.  The first time we traveled to England, I was surprised to feel uncomfortable.  There was no language barrier, but I was not acquainted with their culture.  The only way I could explain it was that I felt like I didn’t know the rules, and consequently I didn’t know if I was breaking them.  I didn’t want to appear to be some boorish American tourist.  Even moving to a different state meant I had to learn about a new culture.  I remember being at work in New Jersey shortly after moving from Ohio and I said, “pop” referring to a carbonated beverage.  Conversation instantly ceased and all eyes were focused on me as if I had just stepped off a spaceship.  I quickly learned to say, “soda”! 

When values, attitudes, and behaviors become common practices, those practices become the established norms, and those norms become the culture.  And because life is ever changing, culture is ever changing.  As society progresses, we are supposed to change with it, but sometimes a culture’s progression isn’t toward a positive change. 

Have you ever thought that life was better, easier, or simpler when you were a kid?  Part of that is our perspective, but part also could be because of an erosion of our culture.  We may not agree with the changes happening around us because the values that we hold dear are being left behind.  And if the values change, so do the attitudes, behaviors, and practices.  It certainly seems like today’s culture is challenging many of the values that I hold dear.  Negative opinions are rampant about God, family, liberty, country, and many Christian values.  So what do we do?

All the references I have made to culture so far in this post have been about the physical culture of the world.  We as Christians are affected by that culture because we live here, but we also have a spiritual culture.  You probably have heard the statement, “we are in the world, but we are not of the world.”  We have the culture that God has called us to live.  We have the culture that God’s Word proclaims as our way of life.  We can live that spiritual culture and live above this world.  The worldly culture may consider that the culture of living as God’s family is a sub-culture.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  God’s Word reigns supreme in this world whether people recognize it or not.  And no amount of contradicting God’s Word changes its truth or power.  When we are committed to live the culture of God’s Word, we disrupt the negative influences of the world, just like they did in the Book of Acts.  When we walk as sons of God with power, the negative influences are paralyzed. 

We can show the love of God to people, so they too can live above the world and be delivered from the crippling forces that oppose God and everything He is.  And the more that the spiritual culture prevails, the less that the negative worldly culture can manipulate people’s lives. 

Let’s show forth the goodness and kindness of God by living the spiritual lifestyle of God’s Word.  Let’s invite people to see how great God’s love is.  And let’s disrupt the devil’s schemes by proclaiming the Word of God so that everyone has a chance to hear it.  Let’s live ‘the integrated pattern of knowledge, belief and behavior’ of God’s Word; and enjoy the benefits of God’s spiritual culture.

Note to my readers:  Never underestimate your value as a son of God and member of the body of Christ.  Thanks for reading!

I thought it might be time for another poem.  I think all authors, even would-be ones, have a work that is special to them.  This is one of my favorites.  It is called, “The Mighty Oak”. *

Outside my window
The grand old oak
Stood fast against the storm

His branches stretched 
His muscles flexed
Declared, “I will fear no harm”

The howling gales
And relentless rain
Pounded the oak all night

But the dawning day
Had much to say
About the brave oak’s fight

Oh, some leaves were lost
And twigs were snapped
And a branch lay on the ground

But the faithful oak
Remained unmoved
Still standing strong and sound

You see, his roots 
Were sturdy
They made his anchor sure

They spread wide
And very deep
And kept the oak secure

We must be like the mighty oak
With our roots
Spread deep and wide

Unmovable from  
The truth we know
God’s Word, which is our guide

For storms will come
And storms will go
But our strength is from the Lord 

And when we trust 
In Him alone
Our anchor shall be sure

So boldly stand
Like the mighty oak
Fearing not what comes your way

For God’s Word
Is a firm support
To strengthen you every day* 

“Learning is an exciting adventure”.  I’ve heard this quote many times, and I have experienced it.  Learning something new is thrilling.  It gives us a sense of accomplishment.  It opens doors for even more exciting adventures.  It satisfies our hunger.   

So, given that I have this opinion about the excitement of learning, imagine my surprise when I looked up “adventure” in the dictionary.  The first entry is, “an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks”.  And all the other definitions, except one, include risk, danger, or difficulty in some manner. 

I understand these definitions with reference to sky-divers, whitewater rafters, or mountain climbers.  Those are certainly perilous adventures that I’m sure are extremely exciting.  Those kinds of pursuits with their inherent dangers have become the standard for adventure for lots of people.  But what about the rest of us who are not so inclined to do those kinds of exploits?  Are we destined to an adventure-less life with no excitement? 

Absolutely not!

Learning is an exciting adventure! 

Consider all the things we’ve learned in our lives.  From infancy, our lives have been a constant cascade of learning new things.  As children, we were barraged with so much information that we really didn’t recognize it as learning.  It was just life.  But think of how thankful you are now that you learned all those things in childhood.  Do you remember when you learned to tie your shoes?  Weren’t you excited and proud of yourself?  It was an adventure!  Aren’t you still excited that you learned to read?  How many adventures would you have missed if you had not? 

Then came the teenage / young adult years when we were sure that we already knew all that we needed to know.  Even then we were learning, although we may not have admitted it to ourselves.  We were learning to formulate our opinions about life.  We had blossomed beyond the innocence of childhood, and we were preparing ourselves for adulthood.  Actually, if we recall those years, they were loaded with exciting adventures!  We learned that we could do things for ourselves when there was no one there to help us.  We got our first real taste of independence.  It was definitely an exciting adventure! 

A few more years passed, and we began to realize that we didn’t know everything like we thought we did, and there was MUCH to learn.  We can now spend our lives learning and enjoying that adventure.

The one remaining definition of adventure is, “an exciting or remarkable experience.”  Now, that’s what I call adventure – no danger involved!  Learning something new is exciting and rewarding.  Think of the times that you repeatedly struggled to perform an arduous task.  Then someone taught you a simple way to accomplish it.  Wasn’t that exciting?  How about some information that you couldn’t quite grasp, then one day, something ‘clicked’, and you understood it?  Wasn’t that satisfying?  When we recognize these kinds of victories in our lives, we appreciate the excitement of learning and the adventure we had on our way to success. 

Learning is not limited to just receiving information.  Experience is usually our best teacher.  And naturally, not all of our experiences are going to be positive.  Much of our learning is accomplished by trial and error.  I often say that I learn more from making mistakes than I do from getting things right.  And a glaring error almost always assures that I won’t do that again!  It’s like telling our children that the stove is hot.  We say it over and over, but inevitably one of them touches the stove and gets burned.  Their experience taught them more than all our words.  Learning from our mistakes contributes to our adventure.  You may feel like I do… I hate when I screw up, but I love the learning that comes from it.

Change is often a marvelous teacher.  Change may be scary at first because it involves the unknown.  It seems that we think of change in light of the definition of adventure involving danger and risks.  But why should we expect the unknown to be dangerous?   Of course there are risks with any new endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be scary.  Risks are just opportunities to rise up to the challenge.  Change can be a remarkable experience for us, and an adventure of success!

Moving is a good example of change.  I have moved several times in my life, mostly because of job requirements, sometimes due to life alterations.  But I can honestly say that each time I moved was an exciting adventure.  Why?  Because I learned something.  I may not have wanted to move, and I may not have liked where we were going, but I sought to make the best of the situation.  I tried to look for the positives of my new environment, and I was always excited to find them.  I enjoyed the challenge of making my family feel at home in our new locale.  Learning about a new area; finding new places to shop, eating at new restaurants, and especially meeting new people are all exciting adventures. 

Now, I know that not every change in our lives will be a positive one.  Sometimes things change for the worse.  But at those times, we can still learn.  We can learn to overcome adversity.  We can learn to find the silver lining.  We can learn to be brave regardless of the pressure.  Any one of those is a great victory, and that victory is exciting.  Even if the only thing we learn is to be patient, we have learned something very valuable. 

Sometimes experiences are thrust upon us.  I often joke, “I was walking along minding my own business and this (whatever the circumstance) fell on me”.  Isn’t that the way things seem to work sometimes?  These times, although difficult or painful, can offer us a great deal of learning.  We learn that we can be strong, often stronger than we thought we could be.  We learn that we are surrounded by people who love and care for us, maybe more than we realized they did.  And we learn that our God is faithful, always beyond what we could have imagined.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not some great adventurer.  The times that I have been successful in my life are due to the power of PRAYER – my own prayers and all the others made on my behalf.  God has answered so many prayers for me that I can’t begin to count them all.  But I am thankful, very thankful.  And allowing God to help me, to guide me, to support me, and to deliver me is definitely a remarkable experience and an exciting adventure! 

Along those lines, perhaps our greatest adventure is learning God’s Word.  What else in life is perfect?  God’s Word is a surety in our lives, an unchanging constant.  It is always reliable.  It never fails.  It answers all our questions.  Think about your life from the first scripture that opened your eyes through all the verses you’ve learned since then. Isn’t that the very definition of a remarkable experience?  It is the epitome of an exciting adventure. 

Wherever your adventures take you, enjoy the journey.  We are never too old to learn new things.  We are never so smart that there isn’t something to learn.  Life is an exciting adventure! 

Note to my readers:  This blog has been an exciting adventure for me.  I rejoice every time that I hear it has blessed someone.  As always, thanks for reading. 

I thought we could use some cheer this week. 

It seems like I’ve been surrounded by sad news lately.  Maybe you have been too.  At these times we surely can use some cheer.  I’m not saying that we should not take sad situations seriously, but we cannot get sucked into the melancholy that encircles them.  We need to remain solution-minded and expect positive outcomes in our lives and in those around us.

Biblically, the words “be of good cheer” are used meaning “take comfort” or “be of good courage” or “be bold”.  For example, Jesus said, “be of good cheer” to a man who was sick of the palsy, to the woman who touched the hem of his garment, and to his disciples when they were afraid.  He could say this because he knew there would be a positive outcome.  We must have the same confidence in our lives, not only for ourselves, but also for all those we care about and pray for. 

This shows us that cheer embodies comfort and courage.  These are essential for perseverance.  And perseverance is essential when facing negative situations.  We don’t always see a positive outcome right away.  Often the solution takes time.  So it is vital that we remain confident (be of good cheer) that we will indeed receive a successful resolution for ourselves and for those we care about and pray for.  And when we have that kind of confidence, we cannot be down-hearted.

After we receive the resolution of a negative situation, we rejoice, whether it’s our own success or the victory of someone we have been praying for.  This is also cheer.  Merriam Webster defines cheer as “to rejoice”, “to utter a shout of applause or triumph”, “to make glad or happy”.  Doesn’t it make sense that cheer begins with comfort and courage and results in triumphal rejoicing?  It all fits together! 

And if we follow this through, we see that we can be cheerful in our lives no matter what circumstances we face.  If it’s a difficult time, we can have comfort and courage, and if it’s a great time, we can rejoice.  Now, I’m not naive to think that we will never be sad in our lives.  We will have broken hearts, we will see loss, we will fail.  But no matter what happens, we can still have courage.  And if we never see the resolution to our problem, we can be comforted in knowing that we’re going to heaven and all hell can’t stop us.  And boy, won’t that be a time of rejoicing!! 

Being cheerful is an attitude we can foster by putting cheerful thoughts in our minds.  Not only thoughts of comfort and courage, but also thoughts of past successes and victorious stories, and most importantly thoughts of love.  We can remind ourselves of how much God loves us.  (He always has, and He always will)  We can remember the great love that Jesus Christ showed us by being our savior.  We can think of all the people that we dearly love.  When we have these thoughts, love will abound in our hearts, and when that happens, our positive believing is energized.  And it all culminates in thankfulness. 

When we’re thankful, our eyes are open to the blessings around us.  From the tiniest sign like the gentle flutter of a butterfly’s wings to beyond-belief miracles, God is always working for us.  With His mighty strength, He fights for us.  With His wealth of resources, He provides for us.  With all the love in His heart, He cares for us. 

No matter what is staring you in the face, be of good cheer.  God is ready, willing, and able to help you overcome any adversity.  Have courage because He is in your corner ready to fight for you.  His arms are outstretched to comfort you.  And when all is said and done, He has a home prepared for you in heaven.  Knowing these things certainly gives us the ability to be full of cheer.

John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Note to my readers:  Cheers!  I am expecting great things for you!  Thanks for reading.    

Many years ago on a trip to New England with my parents, we were crossing Pennsylvania on Route 80.  At that time, there was considerable construction on that highway and the state had installed rumble strips to alert traffic to it.  These strips were very aptly named as the car truly did rumble when it crossed them; and on this trip, we must have crossed one every 10 minutes for about two hundred miles!  Plus, to make matters worse, I was pregnant and carsick.  Every time I would manage to doze off to ease my symptoms, I would be awakened by the rumbling.  It was so unnerving that we finally stopped at a rest area to inquire how much further the strips continued.  We were told by the woman at the information desk that they continued until the end of PA, which was about another hundred miles.  The alternative was to drive down to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which would have added about two hours to our trip.  After confirming that I would be able to tolerate it, my dad decided to stay on Route 80.  The couple standing next to us opted for the turnpike.  After we got back on the road, the rumble strips stopped in about 10 miles.  Apparently, the woman at the rest area was misinformed.   I always felt sorry that couple who drove so far out of their way. 

When I think about this story, it reminds me how life can be sometimes.  Life is a journey – a million ‘trips’ to a million destinations.  These are not always literal trips, but they all involve movement of some sort.  It may be movement of our bodies or of our thoughts.  It may be changing locations or changing our minds.  Sometimes these trips come off without a hitch, but sometimes there are bumps in the road, detours, or even dead ends. 

Imagine yourself on your way toward something you really want to do.  You are prepared, you are excited, you are ready to go.  You start your trip, and all is well.  Suddenly, an unanticipated problem arises (an annoyance, a hinderance, an unforeseen predicament).  You are then faced with a decision.  How are you going to handle this circumstance?  There are negative choices – freak out, get angry, quit. Or you can be solution-minded.  You must decide which direction your thoughts are going to travel. 

On the trip mentioned above, I started out being positive, “This isn’t so bad, I can handle it”.  But as the annoyance persisted, I grew more and more uncomfortable.  My thoughts traveled toward focusing on my discomfort, and I started getting cranky. I began with the best intentions of handling the situation with a positive attitude.  But since I didn’t see a resolution in a timeframe or manner that suited me, I got frustrated and slipped into a negative pool of thought, which was manifested by complaining.  Being cranky doesn’t help any situation, nor does complaining.  And frustration is a sneaky enemy. 

You know – negative thoughts really are pools – actually cesspools.  Picture a pool of filthy water in your backyard.  Normally you avoid even getting close to it, but once in a while you walk over to check it out.  The water might not look too bad, and you might think it’s ok to jump in; but if you do, you find out that it’s just a disgusting mess.  Maybe you are randomly wandering around your backyard and fall into the pool.  In either case, you soon realize that being in that pool is not where you want to be, and you must get yourself out.  When we find ourselves in a pool of negative thoughts, the way out is achieved by replacing our negative thoughts with positive ones. 

Now picture the same pool in your neighbor’s backyard.  How do you react if you see that they have fallen in?  You might see them flailing around and want to run away.  Or you might think, “that’s their problem”.  There may even be times that you do the unthinkable – and jump in with them.  But none of those are good reactions.  The best thing that we can do for someone who is in a pool of negative thoughts is throw them a rope of positive words to help them get out.  We don’t judge because we know that we’ve spent time in our own pools.  And we’re not hesitant to help because we know that we have needed help before too.

That’s a little side trip about pools, but now we’ll get back to our travels…

We cannot always prevent obstacles from getting in our way on our journeys in life.  They are usually as unforeseen as they are unwanted.  But we can decide which way our trip will proceed.  Are we going to rise above or succumb to negative pressures?   Are we going to remain optimistic or give in to pessimism?  Will we be solution-minded or get talked out of our ideals?  We may need to change the road we’re on, maybe it’s a dead end or full of potholes.  We may need to stay where we are and patiently continue to persevere.  (Along those lines, there is a saying, “this too shall pass”, which always seems to help me.)  Whatever we need to do, we must stay determined to not give up.  We can change directions, we can regroup, we can start over, but we cannot quit! 

Who would have ever guessed that there would have been 200 miles of rumble strips on the highway?  (Note to my younger readers – this was before GPS!)  But you know what?  After those stupid strips ended, the highway seemed as smooth as glass, and the rest of the trip was pleasant.  I give my dad a lot of credit for being patient through the whole ordeal.  It was one of those situations that we kept thinking, “surely this will end soon”, but it didn’t.  And then we found ourselves so far along, we couldn’t turn back.  So we had to keep moving forward despite the hinderance.  It was a real exercise in managing frustration, which I didn’t accomplish very well.

No matter where our life’s travels take us, we may run into obstructions.  It’s just the way the world works.  How we handle those impediments makes all the difference in how our trip turns out.  Jumping into the pool of negatives doesn’t help anyone.  Ignoring a problem doesn’t solve it.  Quitting NEVER works.  But things like patience, endurance, and positive expectations can turn an obstacle into a victory.

Of course, not all of our travels will meet with difficulties.  It would be hard to accomplish anything if they all did.  Smooth sailing is a good thing!  But we may take those times for granted.  Often it seems we revel in the difficult times rather than the easy ones.  We should always remember to be thankful for the easy trips.  I know that overcoming adversity is wonderfully satisfying and I certainly love to hear success stories.  But just because there didn’t appear to be an obstacle to overcome doesn’t mean that trip was not a victory. 

I learned this lesson quite a number of years ago.  A great man, affectionately known as Uncle Harry talked about a car trip from New Knoxville to Dayton Ohio.  There was a rather severe snowstorm, but the trip needed to be made.  So he and those traveling with him prayed for a safe journey.  And when they returned to New Knoxville, Uncle Harry asked a group of us if we wanted to hear about the trip.  The answer was a resounding “yes”.  He said, “We had to drive to Dayton in a snowstorm.  So we prayed for safe travels and now we’re back.”  He must have seen all our faces drop in disappointment.  So he continued, “Were you expecting me to say something like we slid on the ice for a mile, bounced off 3 cars, hit the guardrail and continued unharmed?”  (Which was exactly what I was expecting).  But he explained, “We prayed for safe travels and God answered our prayer.  We had a safe trip.  Just because there wasn’t a dramatic rescue, doesn’t mean that God wasn’t protecting us.”   

I wholeheartedly believe that God wants us to be happy and blessed.  Why wouldn’t He?  I surely want my children to be happy and blessed.  God is always ready and willing to take care of us.  But He can’t help us when we are wallowing in the sludge of negativity; because negative thoughts oppose God and therefore tie His hands.  But when we cast our cares on Him, God is able to go to work for us.  We, by ourselves cannot fix most of the problems in our lives, but God CAN.  He knows the right path through the wilderness.  He can make a way where there is no way. 

Psalm 103:5

Who [God] satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

In your travels, why not allow God to illuminate your path and lighten your load?  He can and will guide your steps, especially over the rumble strips of life.

Note to my readers:  Happy Trails!  Thanks for reading!

I’ve always liked clouds.  And I don’t think I’m alone in this.  Artists paint pictures of them, and poets and novelists write about them.  Clouds are also popular idioms for some of life’s situations.  For instance, “on cloud nine”, or “under a dark cloud”.

My favorite clouds are the cumulus clouds.  Those are the big white fluffy cotton balls that drift lazily around the blue sky changing shapes and evoking our imaginations.  When I was a kid, I used to lie on my back in the grass and imagine I saw all sorts of images in those clouds.   My second favorites are the cirrus clouds.  Those are the wispy brush strokes high in the sky.  I imagined God sweeping the sky and the cirrus clouds being the streaks from His broom.

There is something to be said for the beauty of big white clouds against the blue sky.  They seem to make the sky bluer, or the sky makes them whiter.  Whichever it is, it’s beautiful.  My husband says that clouds add interest because a cloudless sky is boring.  I would have to agree that I watch a cloud-filled sky much more than I do a cloudless one.  Although I’ve always loved the sky’s color.  Have you ever noticed that it is particularly blue in contrast to the autumn leaves? 

Clouds are also responsible for breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.  They capture the sun’s rays and disburse them through their layers to produce all the lovely colors of the sun’s appearing in the morning and disappearing in the evening.  Without clouds, sunrises and sunsets would be far less dramatic. 

One of my favorite cloud scenes is when sunbeams break through the clouds with visible rays of light that seem to stretch to the ground.  As a kid, I thought that meant God was smiling.  I still think that today.  Of course, now it’s symbolic.  But why not think about God being pleased?  That always makes me happy. 

Obviously, clouds are an integral part of the weather, and they have their ominous side.   Without clouds there would be no rain and without a gang of clouds, there would be no storms.  We could probably live without the storms, but not without the rain.  There is an account in the Old Testament where it didn’t rain in Israel for about two and a half years because of all the evil in the hearts of the king and the people.  Without rain for so long, they were in dire straits.   But when it was time, God told Elijah what he should do and then it would rain.  So after Elijah fulfilled his mission and showed God’s power to Israel, he went up to a mountain to await the rain.  He told his servant to go and look for a sign that it was coming.  And you know what his servant saw?  A cloud.  After that it says, “that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.”  (1 Kings 18:45)  Can you imagine no rain for two and half years?  How welcomed those clouds must have been! 

Just like any other element of nature, the sun, clouds and blue sky during the day, and the moon and stars at night influence our emotions.  Think of how you feel on a bright sunny day with the brilliant blue sky dotted with white puffs of clouds.  Especially if you are in a wide open space where the sky seems to spread out forever, you feel spectacular.  Those days seem to warm you on the inside as much as they do on the outside.

Years ago, I worked as a cashier in a pharmacy.  I quickly noticed that on sunny days the customers were happy and on very overcast days they were not.  I would quip that if I were not able to see the weather myself, I could always tell what it was like outside by the customers’ demeanors.

Perhaps the reason that I like clouds is because of their effect on my feelings.  There is contentment in watching billowy clouds float through the sky and serenity watching the high-flying wisps.  Even the clouds bringing rain can be a refreshing cleanse to our thoughts.  And the beauty of the sky after a rainstorm when the sun breaks through the clouds is one of the most invigorating sights I know.   

Clouds can be expressive metaphors / similes for our lives.  When we’re in love, we feel like we’re floating on a cloud.  When we’re much bothered, we feel like there is a cloud hanging over our heads. There are many such comparisons. 

And I’d like to add one… “Clouds add interest because a cloudless sky is boring”, my husband’s statement made me think that our lives would be pretty boring if there were never any clouds in it.  What if your life was always cloudless?  After a while, you might forget to appreciate that or eventually find it boring.  You would have nothing to strive toward, no accomplishments to claim.  What if you never achieved the success of getting out from under a dark cloud?  Those clouds in our lives offer us opportunities to grow by facing and overcoming our challenges and by that, receiving the joy of being on cloud 9.   And then, the icing on the cake – we can use those experiences to help others. 

If dark clouds are hovering in your life right now, remember that clouds wander the sky, they are never in one place for very long.  And once they drop their rain, they dissipate.  Remind yourself also that “every cloud has a silver lining”.  With prayer and trust to God, we can rise above our troubles and see the victory that God will provide, and then rejoice in our triumph.

Note to my readers:  If you’re on cloud 9 right now – I’m rejoicing with you.  Enjoy!  Thanks for reading. 

It seems that the world is topsy-turvy right now.  It’s scary.  It’s messy.  And the future seems uncertain.  But I am reminded of a verse in the Bible…

Ecclesiastes 1:9  [NIV]

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

…there is nothing new under the sun.  It has all been done before.  It might have had a different face, but it has always been ‘the same stuff, different day’.  Why is that an uplifting thought?  Because since the days of Adam, the world has been topsy-turvy, and people have managed to survive.  If people have done it before, we know that we can do it again.  We can learn from the past and put that knowledge into practice so that we can turn things around in the present.  Of course, the Bible offers us valuable insights, but much can be learned from our study of history itself.

My mom lived a lot of her childhood during the Great Depression.  Her family was put out on the streets because they couldn’t pay their rent.  She had to wear shoes that were too small and hurt her feet because there was no money to buy her new ones.  But despite these and many other hardships, she still had fond memories from those years.  Her family adapted and managed to survive those bleak times to go on and live happy full lives.  Those lean years taught them to be frugal and industrious.  They learned that there was always someone less fortunate, and they shared what they could with them.  They learned to be thankful for the little things.

We all probably have heard stories of past hardships from our relatives.  My parents’ generation saw not only the Great Depression, but also WWII.  Their parents lived through WWI, which was called, “the war to end all wars”.  Did you know that there was a hurricane in Galveston, Texas in 1900 that destroyed much of the town and killed an estimated 8,000 people?  It is still considered the worst natural disaster in our country’s history.  All of these events and many more like them, although absolutely devasting, led to some kind of positive recovery. 

Look at the world’s history.  There have been hundreds of occasions of hostility and unthinkable cruelties, of abject poverty and suffering.  Slavery was commonplace in ancient cultures long before the time of Moses.  There have been natural disasters and manmade calamities over and over again.  And through all these things, mankind has managed to progress. 

I bring up these unpleasant periods to illustrate that people have been able to survive them.  They banded together and figured out how to overcome their circumstances and make things better for themselves and their families.  “What has been done before will be done again”.  We also can overcome our circumstances and make life better. 

There is something to be said for the strength of the human spirit, or survival instinct.  This is a basic ability that God instilled in man. Think about the Pilgrims that first came to our country.  They survived incredible hardships to secure their settlement in Massachusetts.   What about the day to day lives of civilians who were oppressed in occupied France during WWII?  Consider the impacts and the aftermath of natural disasters.  These kinds of occurrences can showcase the human spirit at its best.  People bond and take care of each other.  They work together for the profit of everybody.  I have to think that God is working in these situations as well, for that greatly strengthens men’s resolve.  There have always been and always will be those who selfishly use the hardships of others for their personal gain.  And they are the people who oppose the human spirit.  But even in those instances, good can succeed and with God’s help, good will succeed. 

The Bible is full of wonderful accounts of God delivering people from hardships, wars, and calamities. 

Noah is a great example. 

At the time of Noah, society was as corrupt as it has ever been.  It says in Genesis 6:5 that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And in verse 6, it says that God regretted that He had made man.  But the account goes on to say that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah was the only person who believed God in his day and time.  No one else, not even his family believed.  So God worked with Noah to deliver him and his family (mercifully), and God made a covenant with Noah.  We all know the story – Noah built an ark and it rained for 40 days and 40 nights.  But think about the specifics of his task.  First of all the ark was a craft like nothing that had ever been seen or built before, and it was HUGE.  Plus, the situation for which it was being built was beyond comprehension.   Noah had to completely trust God’s instructions to accomplish this task and it took around 120 years to complete.  Consider Noah’s plight.  He was the ONLY one who believed in what he was doing.  He didn’t even have the support of his family.  And I’m sure that all those evil-thinking people around him were not kind nor helpful to him.  So for about 120 years, he labored alone in this endeavor, and probably suffered ridicule and criticism constantly.  But he persevered because God was with him, and he believed. 

Noah was 600 years old when the flood came, and he, his family and all the animals were in the ark for a little over a year.  And when they left the ark, their entire civilization and everything they had known was gone.  What must that have been like?  There is a lot we can learn from Noah’s experience.

So far in our world today, we haven’t reached the level of widespread evil thinking that took place at the time of Noah.  And it helps to remember that the evil we see now has been evidenced before.  Therefore, as God took care of Noah, He will take care of us.  We know for a certainty that we are not alone as Christian believers.  (There are millions of us who believe God and trust in Him.)  Look at what God did to take care of just ONE believer!  What will He do for all of us?  He was willing and able to do it before, He is willing and able to do it again!

When the news seems too much to bear and you have reached the end of your rope, remind yourself that there is nothing new under the sun.  The craziness surrounding us today is as crazy as it has always been.  There is nothing new about it.  Dig down deep and renew your conviction to rise above the craziness and enjoy seeing what God will do for you. 

Note to my readers:  Another key for survival is prayer.  Praying is not new.  It worked before, and it will work again.  Surround each other in prayer.  Thanks for reading. 

Several years ago, I showed my high school graduation picture to one of my husband’s co-workers – why is a long story.  But his response when he saw it was (and I quote), “Wow, you used to be pretty.”  On another occasion, I went to a local donut shop to get a cup of coffee.  The newly hired server had to ask the manager for help to prepare my selection.  Then when it was time to pay, I received the “senior discount”.  The young server questioned the manager’s decision to give me the discount as she had not seen my ID.  To which, the manager replied (and I quote), “If they look old enough, give them the discount”.  I was not a ‘senior’ at that point.  I share these rather embarrassing experiences with you as examples of how words communicate.

Now, I easily could have been offended in either of those situations.  But I wasn’t.  Why?  Because neither person who spoke really meant any harm.  And because I don’t take myself too seriously.  I have learned that it is healthier to let ill-chosen words roll of my back than it is to harbor them.  Usually the people who say these kinds of hurtful things, don’t do it intentionally.  So why should I be angry with them or take their words to heart?  And if I’m honest with myself, I was pretty in high school, and I’ve always looked older than I am. 😊 So there is no reason to let these passing words bother me.  I have told both of those stories on many occasions, and they always generate lots of laughter.

Words are the foundation of our communication.  We speak words, we hear words, we read words, we translate words into ideas and vice versa. Think about how we teach children to talk.  We show them an image and tell them the word that it represents.  We even identify ourselves by words. Remember the thrill it was to hear your child say, “mama” or daddy” for the first time?  This word-based teaching is also used for children’s behavior.  A child quickly learns the word, “NO” because they hear it so often. 

We understand communication in our minds by the use of words.  Words convey images, and we communicate those images by words.  It is a marvelous cycle of speech hearing and sight working together.  Words can have a profound effect on our lives.  Therefore, we must guard the words we take in as well as the words we give out.

There are times when people say very hurtful words purposefully – usually in a fit of anger, jealousy, or frustration.  These words are often cruel attacks that are not true, or at least are greatly exaggerated.  But true or not, they are hurtful none-the-less.  How do we deal with these kinds of words?  If we can’t resolve the issue with calm agreement, we must determine what we are going to do with those harsh words that we can’t unhear in our minds.

I often think of my mind like a bank vault full of safety deposit boxes.  I have the most frequently opened boxes toward the front for easy access.  These hold the most relevant information for my day to day living and are organized by priority.  Then there are boxes for other information that are arranged by frequency of use.  And way in the back as far away as possible, are boxes that I use to lock up all the information that I don’t want to think about.

We can take those hurtful words spoken in the heat of an argument and lock them up securely in the back corner of our vault.  As those boxes remain untouched, they begin to rust.  And as they rust, they become more difficult to open.  Eventually their rusty state overshadows our inclination to open them, and the contents of those boxes fade from thought.  These boxes can help us refute all of the unprofitable information that comes into our minds.

Have you ever written a letter?  Oops, just dated myself – written an email?  Maybe you just met someone and spent time getting to know them; or stayed up late talking with a friend.  How about sharing the deep feelings of your heart with a loved one; or talking on the phone with a far-away relative?  All of these involve words.  Our relationships require communication, and communication requires words.  Now don’t get me wrong, communication involves more than words alone.   Inflection, tone, facial expressions, eye contact, touch, actions, etc. are all involved in effective communication.  This is evidenced by how often an email or text is misunderstood.  In the course of speaking, those things accentuate the words for clarity and emphasis.  But they can also undermine our words.  For example, a wife says, “I’m fine”, but she is crying.  Her husband doesn’t believe her words.  Conversely, a husband smiles and says, “you look nice tonight”.  His smile has given credence to his words. 

Relationships are a vital part of our lives.  And words are a vital part of relationships.  Words are how we get to know someone.  And words are how we unveil ourselves.  Think about one of your fondest relationships.  Different things may have sparked an attraction, but the relationship developed by getting to know each other through conversation — words.  And it grew by continuing to share personal and heartfelt words.  Being able to talk about anything including your most intimate thoughts is a big part of any satisfying relationship. 

The words we speak can make or break a friendship, or any other bond.  The Bible refers to the tongue as an “unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:8)  That is figuratively referring to the tongue as it is used for an organ of speech.  With our tongue, we carelessly blurt out hurtful words that we don’t really mean.  With our tongue, we criticize, judge, and condemn one another.  With our tongue, we are quick to revel in someone’s misfortune.  With our tongue, we speak hateful words that can cut someone to the bone or break their heart.  Therefore, it is crucial that we make every effort to control the words that come out of our mouths, and not permit ourselves to utter any of those kinds of words.  A good rule to follow is “speak as you would like to be spoken to”.

Of course I cannot talk about words without considering the greatest words of all time-the Bible!  The Bible is called the Word of God because it is God’s communication to us.   With words, God reveals Himself to us.  With words, He directs our steps.  His words set us free.  His words never fail.  When we make God’s words, our words, our speech will be seasoned with grace and sprinkled with love, so we won’t fall into the trap of speaking hurtful callous words like the world throws at us.  When we speak God’s words, they will accomplish the things that God wants accomplished because they have power.  Think about it… we can speak the words that lead a soul to salvation!  How great is that?  We can speak words of deliverance, words of kindness, words of truth, and words of health.  What a privilege God has given us!

So the next time you open your mouth, think about your words before they are voiced.  Do your best to speak only words that bless people, not tear them down.  Words that will encourage people, not discourage them.  Words that you would like to hear. 

Note to my readers:  Words are a big part of my life.  I hope my words have blessed you today!  You’re the best!  Thanks for reading.