Month: October 2022

Everyone said that we would miss the changing seasons when we moved to Florida.  But we don’t, too much.  Most northerners don’t realize that Florida (unless you live in the southern-most part) still has seasons.  They are a little different than those up north, but there are seasonal changes, nonetheless.

The seasons around here in Florida are:  summer swelter, fall reprieve, winter chill, real spring and 3 or 4 fake springs.  (Fake springs happen intermittently during real spring and feel more like summer swelter than spring.)

A lot of my friends up north say that Florida is too hot for them.  They have a valid point.  It is very hot in Florida in summer (and in fake spring).  But when the northerners a huddled around a roaring fire trying to keep warm in winter, we are wearing sweaters outdoors.  Don’t get me wrong, this part of Florida can frost on occasion, but the thermometer never comes close to the northern winter temperatures.  And if it frosts at all, it’s usually only 2 or 3 times during the whole winter season. 

I will admit that I do miss the fall foliage.  I used to marvel at the vivid colors of the changing leaves against what seemed like the bluest sky of the year.  It was definitely a sight to behold.  But in Florida, most of the trees stay green year-round, and there is something to be said for that.   

But, I really do miss spring flowers.  Flowers like tulips, daffodils, lilies of the valley, and hyacinths do not grow down here, nor do lilac bushes.  And those are some of my most favorite flowers.  But the tropical plants with their brilliant hues make suitable replacements.  There is nothing quite like birds of paradise blooming in your garden!

When I lived up north, I spent most of the winter season inside.  It was just too cold to go out.  When I would get home from work, often I would not go out again, (even for something fun!) because of the cold and dark.  Winter days are shorter in Florida too, but dark isn’t as bad when it’s not so cold.

Now in Florida, I spend a lot of the summer inside.  It is just too hot to go out.  It feels like walking into an oven when you step out your front door.  And when the humidity is high, it can feel hard to breathe.  Humidity can be high in summer up north too, but not for such a continuously long time.  So, like many things in life, seasons up north or down south are trade-offs.

But weather seasons are not the only kind of seasons.  Life has many seasons as is clearly stated in Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, verses 1 through 8.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Doesn’t that just say it all?  Sometimes I think about the seasons of my life – all the seasons that I’ve lived and all the ones that are to come.  At this point in life, more seasons have passed than there are to come, but that’s okay.  Wisdom is received from passing seasons.

From my favorite chair, my view includes four palm trees, a crepe myrtle, our rubber tree, our magnolia, and various bushes and flowers, which all stand against the backdrop of many more trees and bushes in the neighborhood.  As I watch the breeze gently rustle the greenery, I think about this season of my life. 

The late afternoon sun is casting long shadows on the ground and the trees seem to be settling in for a rest.  The magnolia stands in quiet dignity, but the crepe myrtle is spent.  The rubber tree is stately and proud, and the palms just keep growing.  The bushes offer a little privacy and the flowers, a splash of color.  It’s a pleasant scene, and quite tranquil most of the time. 

At this season of my life, the Word of God stands in all its dignity.  After many years of study, I have barely scratched the surface of all the light that The Word has to offer.  Sometimes I read verses that seem like I’m seeing them for the first time, even though I’ve read them many times before.  One of the things I love about God’s Word is that time only increases our appreciation of it.  It never gets old!

My body, on the other hand, is spent.  I have to wear glasses to see and hearing aids to hear.  My joints get stiff and I’m not as strong as I used to be.  I forget things, like closing the kitchen cabinet doors, and I’m easily distracted.  But even with all these things, this season affords me a calmness that many past seasons did not.

However, I still can stand stately and proud because I have faced many things in life and I’m still here.  There have been times that I despaired of life, but I did not quit.  I’ve been knocked down, but I have gotten back up.  I’ve had successes and failures, ups and downs, highs and lows, but all of them brought me to this season of life.  I am proud to be a Christian.  I am super-proud of my family.  And I am proud to be called, “friend” by some of the most wonderful people in the world. 

And even though my age shows on my face and my body doesn’t look or work like it used to, it seems that I just keep growing.  I’m growing older, I’m growing wiser, I’m growing more peaceful inside.  The hubbub of life doesn’t bother me like it used to.  I have much less drama now.  The ‘ups’ are more appreciated and the ‘downs’ are not as frightening.  I don’t compare myself to others anymore.  I try to do my utmost for God, by being faithful to His Word, and by endeavoring to live my life according to His Will.  I love my family and the family of God.  And I pray – a lot.    

So even though the shadows are long on the ground now, this season is a welcomed addition to the patchwork quilt that I call my life.  Every season that I’ve lived has contributed some fabric to the quilt. And when they are all sewn together, the result is a colorful life that is uniquely mine.  Every season of my life has taught me something – even if it was, don’t do that again!  And if I remember that there is “a time to every purpose under heaven,” I can view my quilt with a thankful heart. 

So, no matter what season you are living in currently, find the good and refute the bad.  You have purpose because there is only one you in the whole world, and without you there would be a void.  Every day affords us the opportunity to shine.  Seize that opportunity and shine as brightly as you can.  Make the most of every minute. Delight in the seasons you’ve lived and look forward to the ones that lay ahead.  Remember, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”

Note to my readers:  At the risk of sounding very cliché, life is good.  Enjoy it!  And don’t forget that if you’re experiencing a tough time right now, “this too shall pass”.  Thanks for reading!

What do you think of when you hear the word perspective?  Artists, architects, and photographers may think of “the technique or process of representing on a plane or curved surface the spatial relation of objects as they might appear to the eye.” (Merriam Webster)

Perhaps if you are a teacher, lecturer, or politician, you may think of perspective as, “a mental view or prospect”, or “the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance”, or simply “point of view”.  (Also Merriam Webster)

In any case, perspective is a big part of our lives.  We utilize physical perspective on a daily basis.  We need perspective to navigate when we walk or drive.  Our spatial awareness is critical to keep us from bumping into things.  (And we really don’t want to bump into things in our cars!)  We’ve learned however, that our perception is affected by factors such as distance, and because of that, we adjust our thinking accordingly.  For example, an airplane in the sky is tiny.  An airplane at the airport is giant.  The airplane did not change its size, but our perspective changed.  When you were a kid, did you run down the railroad tracks to see the point where they came together?  I did.  And when I got there, the tracks were as far apart as they were where I started.  Thus we recognize that perspective influences our viewpoint.

Light and dark also affect our perspective.  Driving during the day is exponentially easier than driving at night for me.  Darkness limits my field of vision and changes my perspective.  And for someone who navigates by landmarks, this greatly limits my driving capacity.  How about walking through your house in the dark?  As familiar as those surroundings are to you, you can still bump into something because you can’t see it.  Darkness can intimidate our perspective. 

We understand physical perspective.  Things are not always exactly as they appear.  But what about our point of view mentally?  So much, if not all, of our thought processes are based on our perspective.  Consider where you grew up, how you were raised, your education, your career, any and all of these things have played a role in your mental perspective.  They have been factors in your decision making process over the years.  The people who have been a part of our lives, situations that we’ve faced, our experiences and the things we were taught have all influenced our mental perspective.  Consequently, everyone’s perspective is a little different.  And this is okay because we are and should be individuals.  Bottom line, our mental perspective is a summation of all the experiences we’ve had in our lives, what we’ve been taught, and the corresponding decisions we’ve made.

Another thing about our mental perspective is that it can change.  We probably all have experienced this in our lives.  Let’s say you were raised in the country on a farm.  Your perspective on life is based on farm living.  But you grow up and move to the city.  City life is very different, and you must adjust your lifestyle.  You now have two environments influencing your perspective, so it has to expand and change.  Take it even further, you get married, you start a family, you move to the suburbs.  All these things actively impact your perspective and bring many changes to it.

Now in the course of all this living, we form opinions and hold on to beliefs, which are directly related to our perspectives.  For example, I grew up in suburbia.  And from my perspective, it was a great place to grow up.  So, when I had children, I wanted to raise them in a suburban environment.  That opinion was formed because of my perspective.  Unfortunately, negative opinions can be formed from perspectives as well.  I have a friend who came from a very strict religious background.  As a young adult, she wanted nothing to do with religion because from her perspective, it was too hard to follow all those nonsensical rules.  She got burned out.  So for many years, she held on to her opinion about religion until one day she heard the Word of God that set her free.  She is now completely committed to the truth of God’s Word.  Her perspective has totally changed. 

Have you ever known anyone who always thought that the world was out to get them?  That opinion was likely formed after a series of adverse events colored that person’s perspective.  We cannot control every event around us, but we can control our thoughts and opinions.  And when those thoughts and opinions are based on the positive truths of God’s Word, our perspective will correspond to that.  And we will find that the positive truths of God’s Word will deliver us so that we no longer need to be bound in those negative perspectives.

Things in the world are constantly challenging our point of view.   Our minds are constantly being flooded with information designed to influence our perspectives.  Therefore, people can find themselves like the waves of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed to and fro.  There is only one unmovable truth and that is the Word of God.  When our perspective is based on that, we can be steadfast and secure.  We will be able to see things in their proper perspective and keep ourselves grounded. 

There was a little story circulating online about a father using perspective in seeing an airplane in the sky and then up close at an airport, to show his son that things are bigger the closer you are to them.  The father further explained to his son that God is like that.  He is bigger when you are closer to Him.  This little story blessed me because God is so BIG to all of us who know Him.  Here’s a great verse:

Psalm 145:18

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

Nigh means near, near in place, near in time and near in relationship.  I’ve heard it said that God is closer than your very breath to those who are born again.  When we keep our perspective aligned with that knowledge, we need never be shaken by anything that the world throws at us.

Proper perspective, balance and harmony are found in God’s Word.  When our thoughts are bonded with God’s thoughts, we will see those qualities evidenced in our lives.  We can withstand the onslaught of worldly confusion being hurled at us daily and we can enjoy the peace of mind that only God’s truth can provide. 

Note to my readers:  Thanks for reading!  You have no idea how thankful I am for your efforts to read my blog!  I am approaching two years of this adventure and the journey has been amazing to me.  However, as life happens, other things are vying for my time.  So, I will be posting every two weeks from now on.  I hope that you will continue to follow my writings and that they will continue to bless you.  I am pursuing some other opportunities that I hope I will be able to share with you as well.  In the meantime, thank you again for reading.  God bless you.  I love you.  You are the best! 

After the hurricane, a dear friend stayed a couple of nights with us because she had no power / electricity at her home.  No power is a big deal!  So many things in our lifestyle rely on electricity.  In fact, after a storm like we had, the first thing you ask someone is if they are ok; then, if they had damage to their property; then, if they have power.  Power ranks pretty high on the list of concerns! 

Whether it was storm related or from some other cause, we probably all have experienced a loss of power in our homes at one time or another.  And at those times we see how much we depend on power.  Electricity keeps our food cold in the fridge and provides hot coffee for us in the morning.  It gives us entertainment, comfort, and a sense of security.  We can feel robbed of those things when the power goes out. 

Of course there are more forms of power than just electricity.  But electricity gives me a good illustration to use.  Electricity must have a source, a destination, and a connection between the two, in order to be usable (these are my layman’s terms).  Most of the time when we lose power in our homes, it is somewhere in the connection between the source and the destination. 

In addition, another element in the source-connection-destination circuit is that we can voluntarily break the connection.  We are very familiar with this ability when it comes to electricity.  We don’t think twice about flipping a switch to turn off the lights.  That is breaking the connection.  And of course, flipping the switch to turn the lights on is restoring the connection. The breakers in the box in your garage or basement are called breakers because they break the electrical connection when they are tripped.  The electricity is still present, it just cannot complete the circuit to be usable.

So, as my manner is, I thought about this in comparison to the power of God in our lives.  Like electricity, in order to have the power of God in our lives, we must have the source, the destination and the connection between the two. 

First – obviously, the source of this power is God.  The difference between a physical power source and God being a power source is that God NEVER gets damaged, broken, or unable to work.  God is omnipotent and indestructible.  He is ALL POWERFUL!  He is ultimately the source of all power because He is the Creator.  He is El Shaddai, the almighty God in resources to support, to defend and supply every need.  His power never fails!  God’s power never goes out no matter how severe the storm is!

Secondly, the destination of that power is us.  We are the intended recipients of God’s power.  Just like the appliances in our homes are built to operate on the power of electricity, we were designed to receive and utilize God’s power in our lives.  God’s plan for mankind from the beginning was to have us be His family.  God’s power in us is the gift of holy spirit that we received when we got born again into that family.  Therefore, it only makes sense that God’s original design for us would be conducive to receiving and operating His power. 

Now let’s consider the connection.  There must be a connection between the source and the destination for power to be manifested.  Electricity is flowing all around us, but we can’t see it.  We see the power lines, but not the electricity.  It must connect to something to be evidenced.  The same is true of God’s power.  It is spiritual and invisible. When it connects to a destination (us), it can be manifested.  That connection gets formed when we get born again.  Now, there is one particular difference between God’s power in us and the power in the coffee pot for example.  When the connection is completed and electricity reaches the coffee pot, its function is evidenced automatically.  We can be born again and have received the power of the holy spirit inside, but the manifestation of that power is not automatic even though the connection is complete.  We must make the choice to put that power into evidence in our lives.  Without our choosing to utilize God’s power, it remains latent within us.  It can remain dormant by not knowing or by not believing that power.  But that connection with God can never be broken, even if we allow the power of that connection to remain idle within us for years.  God gave us the power, and He will NEVER take it away.  So think about this – if God won’t take it away, who can take it away?  That’s right!  The answer is NO ONE!   Also, God never forces us to use that power.  He give us the privilege to make that determination ourselves by our free will decision. 

God entrusted us with power from on high – a gift of unspeakable value.  He gave it to us.  And He gave instructions on how to use it.  But He left the decision up to us whether we utilize it or not.  And even if we don’t choose to manifest His power, He still loves us.  What a testimony to the goodness of a loving God!

So, when we got born again, we received holy spirit, and that spirit is a direct connection to God.  It cannot be broken and will never go away.  But it is up to us to manifest that power.  We by our free will can either flip the switch to “on” and believe to manifest that power, or we can flip the switch to “unbelief” and ignore that power.  (can’t lose it but can ignore it).  I think of it like this…  The electricity in your house is working perfectly, but you choose to not turn on the lights.  The electricity is still there, your decision doesn’t change the power of it, you are simply not using it.  Take it a step further; it gets dark outside, and you still choose to not turn on the lights.  Maybe you were reading a book and now you can’t see to read.  The power to turn the lights on is available but you’re not taking advantage of it.  You would find it silly to not turn on the lights, right?  Well, we live in a pretty ‘dark’ world.  Why not take advantage of the connection we have with God and manifest the power we have from Him?

The storms of life can knock us down sometimes, but they cannot separate us from our heavenly Father.  Our connection to Him cannot be severed no matter what our senses tell us.  God is bigger than any and every situation we may face, and He is able to handle whatever we toss His way.  Utilize your connection with God by flipping your believing switch to “full steam ahead”!  You have the power of God in you and a connection that will never fail!

Note to my readers:  Oh, to fully comprehend the power we have!  What a glorious (life-long) endeavor to undertake!  Thanks for reading.    

A hurricane came to Florida this week.  So, I thought I would share my first hurricane experience with you. 

Monday:  First of all, for me (and this is definitely a personal choice NOT a recommendation), I cannot listen to too much of the news.  The way the newscasters sensationalized the storm, I had to fight my mind to not get scared.  I know that they have their reasons for reporting the news the way they do, but it doesn’t work for me.  On the other hand, ignoring the news isn’t good either.  When a hurricane is on the horizon, I can’t pretend that it’s not there and refuse to hear anything about it.  So, I try to get the facts without the hype, which is usually secondhand from my husband.  This day was bright and sunny.  Hot as usual.  The hurricane seemed too far away to worry about.  I didn’t do too much in the way of preparations. 

However, we had a prayer meeting that evening.  The leader said, “There is a lot of material published about what people are supposed to do to prepare for a hurricane, but none of it includes praying.”  This spoke loudly to me because I had not been doing much preparation or a lot of praying.  I guess I was kind of thinking that if I did not acknowledge the hurricane, it would go away.  Generally speaking, that never works!  I began to pray more fervently after our meeting and immediately felt a calmness about the situation. 

Tuesday:  I wrestled with the idea of how much preparation I should undertake.  Afterall, I had been praying a lot.  Would my prayers direct the hurricane away from Florida and it become a non-event?  In that case, I’d feel silly doing all this work.  On the other hand, if I did no prep work, and it turned out to be a significant event, I would be sorry.  I got quiet and decided we should do what was necessary to be prepared.  My bathrooms are now full of potted plants and the garage is full of outdoor furniture and gear.  Now, this was more of an undertaking than I anticipated because there was more stuff to move than I realized, and it all had to be precisely arranged to fit in the space available.  At the end of the day, my husband and I were exhausted, but felt like we were as ready as we could be for whatever was coming our way. 

Wednesday:  I spent most of the morning with one eye on the weather outside.  Being fairly new to Florida, this is my first exposure to what could be potentially life-threatening weather.  My husband said that when you know a storm is coming, the waiting is sometimes the hardest part.  After the preparation is done, there is nothing to do but wait for the storm to start and then wait for it to be over. 

It was definitely overcast in the morning and when the rain started, it was fairly steady.  The wind began to gust at a level that seemed forceful to me (Little did I know!).  Still, for most of the day, it wasn’t too bad.  As evening approached, conditions began to escalate.  The rain became more copious, and the wind began to howl.  Our house is very solid, there was no shaking or rattling, but I could still sense how strongly the wind was blowing.  We watched the news about the storm.  It had made landfall around Naples and Fort Myers.  This time watching the news was not scaring me, it was a call for more prayer.   With nothing more to do, we went to bed.

Thursday:  We were awakened around 2 a.m.  By this time, the storm was upon us.  The wind has intensified and sounded like a freight train rolling down the tracks. It came in waves or bands of varying length and volume.  My thoughts were surprisingly tranquil as I listened to the sounds.  I think I wanted to experience the event a little bit.  Soon though, I decided to spend my time praying for our safety and protection, and that of our loved ones, friends, and neighbors.  It was quite a while that I prayed before drifting off to sleep again. 

The morning light brought the opportunity to witness the aftermath of the storm.  The sky was still quite overcast, and it was still raining with periodic large gusts of wind.  But compared to the sounds of the night, this was very tame.  There was little damage.  From our yard, we could see about a dozen of our neighbors.  All the yards were littered with leaves and twigs and an occasional branch, but no trees were down and there was no apparent damage to homes.  All I could think was, “Thank you, God.”  I was humbled to know that God had provided for us in such a marvelous way. 

I spent most of the day on my phone checking on friends and loved ones and responding to those who were checking on me.  Everyone was breathing a sigh of relief and being thankful that the storm had passed.  There was great comradery having weathered the storm together.  There was great appreciation for the way God had answered our prayers.  We were knit together because we all had come through what could have been a very devastating circumstance, and we were all okay.  There was no end of praise to God for His mighty arm that He bared for us.    

The day also brought more news of the hardest hit areas of the state and the destruction that lay in the wake of the storm.  In addition, the storm was still impacting the east coast.  Of course our hearts hurt for those folks and made our rejoicing a little bittersweet.  But as it says in the delightful poem by Alice P. Moss, “God’s bank ain’t busted yet!”  We Floridians are a hardy bunch, we will rebuild.

Friday:  Today is beautifully sunny and clear.  The temperature is much cooler than the sweltering heat of summer and the storm seems like a distant memory.  We went out around town today for the first time.  There are varying amounts of damage and some power outages, but people were getting on with their lives.  It was actually gratifying to see the resilience and determination that people have.  I am in awe too of the stamina of the greenery in Florida.  Palm trees that were blown for hours to an almost 90 degree angle, are straight and unscathed today.  The two ‘birds’ on my bird of paradise are unharmed.  Of course, many trees were lost, and landscaping was damaged, but for any tree etc. to have survived the storm seems amazing. I have renewed appreciation for the sunny days of Florida that were gone for four days.  And I praise God for His excellent greatness.    

My first hurricane taught me that I don’t need to be afraid.  It taught me that we are stronger together than we are alone.  That there is nothing is too hard for God.  And that we cannot underestimate the power of prayer. I am very thankful – period!

Note to my readers:  Please continue to pray for the folks on the southwest and northeast coasts of Florida.  Sure do love you!  Thanks for reading.