Let Go, Let God

"The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of weatlh choke the word, making it unfruitful." ~ Matthew 13:22 This passage from Matthew has always terrified me. I have obsessive-compulsive disorder , which means anxiety is a constant in my life. My brain is hardwired to worry. Does this mean I won't be fruitful? Will the worries of this life choke the word in me? They don't have to. I have a say in

"Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Lord, save us! We're going to drown!' He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." ~ Matthew 8:24-26 A massive winter storm is heading my way as I type. I have plenty of food, water, kerosene for the emergency heater, and power banks

"Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights." ~ Isaiah 7:11 God has given us plenty of signs of his love for us - most notably, the gift of his son , Jesus, through whom we have eternal life. We have no need of another sign of God's presence; nonetheless, he leaves proof of himself and his love for creation all around us. Thanks be to God! We are not always aware of these signs, especially when we are distracted by earthly cares.

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." ~ Psalm 27:14 Patience has never been one of my strengths. When I've done the MBTI, or Myers Briggs assessment , I am an SJ, meaning I prefer Sensing and Judging. One characteristic of SJs is acting quickly to solve a problem - we see what's wrong, get initial data, and act quickly on solving the problem as the data indicates. An example of this can be needing to buy a car. The SJ type of person will feel th

"As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: ' I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way.'" ~ Mark 1:2 My mother shared with me her suspicion that Dad was developing dementia while we were at lunch one afternoon in 2017. She started the conversation by stating that she didn't want him driving into the city anymore because he "wasn't as sharp as he used to be." They traveled a fair amount both locally and long-distance, having fun exploring and, for Dad, doi

Crying is a healthy way to release hard emotions like grief.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you." ~ Luke 11:9 Grief is unsettling, to say the least. As one of Dad's live-in caregivers, my days and nights were laid out according to his schedule, his needs. I knew exactly who I was at any given moment: his caregiver. I started a new job a week after Dad died. I thought it was a great opportunity and I would be happy there. It wasn't great and I wasn't happy.

"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?'" ~ Luke 12: 20 My father enjoyed stuff. He was a hard-core genealogist and had books, newspapers, magazines, photographs, silhouettes, and anything else that might remotely relate to one or more of our ancestors. He vacationed in cemeteries, collecting information for the family tree that now has over 250, 000 names in it. If an

"...'Pardon me, my lord, as surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord.'..." ~ 1 Samuel 1: 26-28 Hannah is a woman of the Bible whom I admire greatly. She not only believed the Lord would answer her prayer, she also accepted the gift God gave in response as just that - a gift. She pra

Why do I even worry? Jesus has my back. I need only to lift up my concerns to him and do that which he directs me to do.