TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR*
Give me the eyes of a child, Oh Lord
Fill my inner being with wonder and amazement
Restore this wounded and broken spirit
Replenish my soul to the time of my birth Continue reading
Tag Archives: Inspirational
An Important Message
It was February of 2013, when I stepped out as a novice blogger. I was nervous to put my “stuff” out there as much of it is delicate and painful. I feared somehow it would come back to bite me in the rear. I took a risk and became a blogger and to date have never been sorry. I have “met,” laughed with, shed tears with, resonated with, and admired wonderful friends I continue to cherish. Many of them share from vulnerable places of their hearts making them even more dear to me.
This was my original post back in February. I don’t think it got much notice with it being my first. I am sharing it again today as I believe it has an important message at the end. There are countless, desperately hurting people, deeply needing and desiring help who fall under our radars. Continue reading
Just Like Daddy
When I was a little girl, there was no money for toys. The freedoms and wealth from pre-communist days had been stripped from Cuba. Everyone became equal. Equally living in poverty, with food being rationed; and under the control of Fidel Castro. My family immediately planned on moving to the U.S.
Non-communists or gusanos (worms), were looked down on. My mom kept me from the neighborhood kids for protection, and so I wouldn’t pick up a communist attitude.
You would think an only child receives a lot of attention from family, but attention and affection were scarce in my home. I was often very lonely. I didn’t understand it then, but I longed for healthy interaction and relationships.
Is That A Megaphone I Hear?
In my post yesterday, Why, Oh Why So Much Suffering, I wrote about the pain of suffering in our imperfect world.
I don’t think I will have too many disagree with me when I say,
“Pain and suffering is the pits!”
But there are good things that come from our suffering.
We tend to be selfish and stubborn, wanting our way. We think we need no one, we can do life on our own. We are wired for relationships, especially with God. God’s desire for a relationship with us often gets put off or ignored.
In The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Continue reading
Weeds In The Greenhouse
I have a hoop greenhouse. It was just set up this year so I am learning a thing or two about greenhouses. One thing I didn’t know is that if one is not careful, the warmth intended to strengthen and nourish the plants can end up overwhelming and harming them. There must be a balance between the light, the warmth and water and nourishment.
I figured having tomatoes, beets, squashes, zucchinis, bell peppers, onions and other assorted vegies in a protected environment like the greenhouse meant my plants would be protected from the elements like frost and cold. I thought I would not have to worry about pesky bugs, well not as many anyway. However, if the bees cannot get in to the greenhouse, there will be no pollination and the plants will be fruitless.
I was sure weeds would be a thing of the past. But not so! There are weeds in the garden beds, and in the walking path between the beds.
Some of the weeds were blown in as seeds by the wind. Continue reading
I Can Make A Big Mess All By Myself
Since the beginning of mankind, people have had a tendency to blame others. In Genesis 3:11-13, God confronts Adam and Eve after they eat of the forbidden fruit.
God said, “Have you eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded you that you should not eat?”
Adam said, “The woman You gave me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.”
The LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?”
Eve said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat…”
Adam blames Eve, indirectly blaming God, “the woman You gave me.” Eve blames the serpent. There you have it. When it comes to humanity, as Solomon said in Ecclesiastics 1:9: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
Providence For A Hardened Heart
It was in the mid to late 1990s that I had the worst financial struggles as a single mom raising three teenagers alone. I had no family support, and an ex who refused to pay child support. I worked multiple jobs, yet still could not fully provide for my family. One winter, the temperature dropped to the single digits. My teenage son, who normally, proudly walked around in shorts and a T-shirt in the winter, begged me for a winter jacket to replace the one he had long outgrown.
I was far behind on paying my utility bills. The credit cards I relied on to buy groceries, gas, or sometimes pay utilities were full. One evening, overwhelmed with the desperate situation, I tearfully sought out God’s help in spite of the anger I felt towards Him over our drastic situation. After several years of extreme poverty, I saw no relief in sight. I was physically exhausted, mentally spent, and spiritually tired of God’s silence. Continue reading
Blog Blitz
I’m game! This sounds like a fun idea!
What would it be like if the support, encouraging nature, and community spirit of the blogosphere were ever focused on a single blogger? A few of us have experienced that sort of attention via book launches or other publishing announcements, and still others have achieved that level of awareness through the popular blogfests we host. In most cases there is a lot of work that goes into generating that amount of interest. What I’m talking about is being suddenly thrust into the spotlight, without even lifting a finger. What would it feel like to be the recipient of that kind of exposure? Could something like that even be possible? Can the power of the blogosphere be harnessed and directed?
Everyone knows I like to try new and different things, so today I present to you the BLOG BLITZ. Here’s how I see it working. Sign up on the linky list below, making…
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Filed under Everythingelse, Writing and Author Stuff
Why Are You Doing This To Us?
My kids still talk about the time I was the meanest mom ever. And around Christmas even. My daughters were just reaching their tween years and my son was about eight.
I had already proven myself to be a cruel mother by policing television programs, and limiting their TV and video time to two hours a day. I made them have reflective quiet times spent reading or writing in their journals. In the summer, I extended the TV-movie time to four hours, after much begging. We had a large supply of what I called clean movies. Any movie encouraging good morals, respect for parents, caring for others, and loving God, qualified.
But this time, I really outdid myself. I was “forcing” them to almost entirely go off TV and videos, cold turkey, for a month.
“It will be our Christmas present to Jesus. God gave us a part of Himself, in the best present ever: the baby Messiah in the manger. We give Christmas gifts to each other each year. This year, let’s give God a part of ourselves. The time we would spend watching TV or movies that exclude Him, let’s instead give to Him as a thank-you and birthday gift.” I said. Continue reading
Mistaken Identity
After years of wandering through sullen shadows,
And stretched, somber avenues of abandonment,
Of wearing masks, and living empty echoes of life,
She knew little more than to follow the crowd.
She explored unhealthy places that whispered contentment.
She believed in the hollow promises she sought within.
Singed and torn by unfriendly competition,
She longed to believe that there was something
Of value, one thing, anything, worthy inside of her.
She found no identity to call her very own.
By nineteen, she was overcome by this world.
********** Continue reading
HIS EYE IS ON THIS SPARROW TOO Still Learning to Lean on God 