Posted on in Faith

Genuine

Authenticity. The high school motto the year I graduated was BE.

I spent much of that year searching for authenticity. Now be is associated with kindness and happiness and all sorts of nesses. How about just BE?

Is this how you live your life?

There is in you something that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself… that is the only true guide that you will ever have. Howard Thurman

When are you most authentic? Do you dare to show that part of yourself to others? Do they know how sacred that sharing can be? Do you have others in your life who are authentic with you? Do you cherish their relationship? What might you set as a goal towards more authenticity in your living?

Sincerity, honesty, genuine, true. Is that you?

Posted on in Art, Beagle, Faith, Family, Humor, Illness and Health, medical treatment, Praise, Prayer, Rest, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks

Greeting Cards

I received so many nice cards while I was recovering from toe surgery! I eventually stapled them to a ribbon and hung them from the curtain rod in the dining room. A few of my favorites I actually read multiple times. The sentiments, though written for Hallmark or Day Spring audiences, spoke to me. I hope they find meaning in your heart also.

(Ugh I am still trying to find the most comfortable way to situate myself while writing at my desktop computer. Not easy with one leg elevated!)

It looks much better now, but still swells and then throbs.

The first card remains the funniest. I had confided in my friend Kathy that I was uncertain how I would manage the bathroom on one foot. She was right there when Bob brought me home from the outpatient procedure. She left a card and a small gift for me to open when I was up to it. The gift was this block sign:

And I have relied on her! She will text she is “going to Kroger. Need anything?” And whether I ask for an avocado or throat lozenges for dry mouth, she will find it and bring it to me. Her card was the funniest.

The sentiment reads, “Hope crappy turns into happy …get well soon!” Yes the perfect card for the event and the proloooonged recovery. And sort of looks like Lucky, too!

A little over half way through this recovery I go this one. “Stay positive. Stay hopeful. Keep going.” How did this dear friend know that I would be tempted to negativity. Tempted to lose hope? Tempted to just give up? Likely because I often confide in her my prayer requests. The card shows a close up of the center of a daisy. That is the flower I think of when I think of my daughter. Her birthday is in June and that is when many daisies here bloom. The inside sentiment reads, “I know you’re working hard at getting better, and I want you to know I’ll be rooting for you every step of the way.”

My life has sudden filled with 3 women named Debby. This particular Debby nails it on the head every time! Each Debbie is a blessing in her own right. One has a sister named Sandy. I am able to remember her name as I have cousins who are sisters: Debbie and Sandy!

Another recent card reads: “May each new day bring you gentle reminders of God’s ever-faithful love as He strengthens you with His healing touch.” I would read this and center myself in the knowledge that God loves each of us and I would look for the reminder round about me. There was always something there to cheer me on.

Another card came from a neighbor. This particular woman had been through several crises the last couple of years. I remember praying over her and trying to calm her during one in particular. I am not aware of this couple attending any church, but I try to share my faith wherever I am. They do know I am willing to pray for them whatever they are walking through. When she presented the card to me with a very generous gift card she seemed to take delight in telling me she remembered me talking with her about patience. Now is was her turn to reinforce the message about patience! Her card read, “Recovery is a process. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes everything you’ve got …. and you’ve got a lot – a kind heart, an amazing spirit, and people who really care about you.“

I placed that card on the kitchen counter where I could read it easily from the wheelchair I had to use after twisting my knee (adding insult to injury). It brought me great encouragement and comfort.

These are a few of the things that gave me pause to give give thanks to God. If you are compelled to send someone a greeting card do not underestimate what it might mean to the person receiving it. You never know how God might use you for such a time as this!

Posted on in Aging, Challenge, Faith, Listen, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Trust

Your Tomorrow ….

Starts tonight …NOOOOOO. We have a news channel that says this every day about their broadcast. I suppose they are saying they want us to be prepared, but it is not a good saying to me. “Your tomorrow starts tonight.” We do not even stay up late enough to hear their broadcast.

Guess that news channel never heard that one days trouble is enough for that day.

So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 AMP

Wise up TV slogan writers!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Art, Faith, Family, Illness and Health, Look

Pumpkins!!

There is a new exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum by Yayoi Kusama called “All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins.” Click on the arrow below to get a feel for the exhibit.

We look forward to attending! Evidently there is an admission charge for this exhibit. In the room with the pumpkins and mirrors only 2 people at a time are allowed in the room. And you may only stay for 90 seconds. This exhibit has traveled to several museums and is evidently a huge hit.

More facts: “Born in 1929 and raised in Matsumoto, Japan, Yayoi first encountered pumpkins in the fields surrounding her childhood home. Her family cultivated and sold plant seeds, and pumpkins became a recurring motif in her artwork, serving as a self-portraiture. Before entering the installation, visitors can also view a rare collection of a dozen acrylic pumpkin paintings on canvas created between 1990 and 2004.”

“I hope that our visitors’ interests are piqued, and that they are curious about Kusama, her practice, and what she is doing within the contemporary art realm today. She’s still a living artist. She is a practicing artist,” Cameron says. Today, Kusama is 97 years old. “As a museum practitioner of ways that sort of take us out of our typical experience, to take us out of our day-to-day existence, that’s what this can do. I want people to walk out of that room with a bit of a reset. I hope it encourages people to manifest a joyful reality in similar ways that Kusama has created for herself and for us.” says Cameron Kitchin, Louis and Louise Dieterle Nipper director.

Kusama suffers from physical and emotional abuse administered by her mother. Her art is one way she copes with that.

Just in time for autumn around the corner. LOL! Wonder if they will serve pumpkin spiced lattes? HA-ha!

Posted on in Faith, Listen, Look, Music, Prayer, Rest, Trust, Yield

The Power of Maybe

Can you. Stop for a moment. View your situation through the lens of maybe? Maybe this is for the good. Perhaps this is going some place you had not imagined. Maybe you do not have all the facts. Could be you only understand in part?

Stop. Pause. Breathe.

Maybe is a powerful word. May – I am able. I am free to do.

Maybe shows uncertainty and also possibility.

Too often our minds decide a situation and close upon one conclusion like a steel trap.

There are many places we make major decisions in life and also the myriad decisions we make every day. Places where we can and ought to insert the word maybe.

It may be that I have misinterpreted something. This sort of thought dethrones the ego who wants to be God and by doing so invites the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our heart to new insights, possibilities we might not have thought about.

Maybe this will give you food for thought. May Be.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Focus, Nature, Thanks, Traveling

What Do You See?

Bob took me for a drive around the Lake at East Fork State Park as we ate our soft serve ice cream cones from Legendairy in Bethel. This little pond is one of our favorite places to watch the seasons unfold.

First I saw duck weed, lots and lots of duckweed

Then lily pads

But wait are those pink blooms? pink water lilies?

Nope, those are wild mallows blooming on the edge of the pond

Here I have blown up the image for you

Earlier I mentioned our mallows in the garden. I have been delighted by all the wild mallows I am seeing this year. The lake edge is a perfect example!

We took one turn off and as we came out I spied a plant with a butterfly. By the time it registered from my brain to my mouth we had passed it. On our way back I asked Bob to turn in at that spot. Here is what we found.

There are at least 3 butterflies in this photo

I especially wanted to show him (below) the shape of the sepal and how it seemed an extension of the plant’s stem.

The center flower cupped by sepal

The plant is commonly known as a teasel. “The dried heads of the plant were once used in the textile industry to raise the nap on woolen cloth.” Wikipedia

The butterfly is a silver spotted skipper.

Great ice cream. Terrific, relaxing drive.

Praise the Lord from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all the depths;
8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
9 Mountains and all hills;
Fruitful trees and all cedars;
10 Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and flying fowl;
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and maidens;
Old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted;
His glory is above the earth and heaven. Psalm 148: 7-13 NKJV

Posted on in Aging, Faith, Humor, Illness and Health, medical treatment, Memories, Music

Did You Sing This?

As I child I remember the song that went something like this:

Great green gobs of 
greasy grimy gopher guts
Little oggy doggie tails
mutilated monkey meat

That is what my week has been like, coughing up the entrails of this nasty virus.

Bob even asked if our tissues are one ply. No, they are not. These are just two tissue blows!

They say the song is important as they give kids a way to express the gory truth about life, usually to the parents’ disdain.”It is extremely popular because children often enjoy taboo subjects and references to things that are disgusting!”

Nope, not something I coughed up. Just as Osage Orange you might see along the road!

So do not catch this summer cold. It is disgusting and exhausting. Spray, throat lozenge, blow, neti pot, blow, pills, throat lozenge, blow and pray for a good night’s rest!

All the while thumping around in this boot that is beginning to feel massive. Yes, I do need another ice pack!

Posted on in Aging, Amazing Creations, Collection of Quotes, Faith, Focus, Illness and Health, Joy, Just do it, Look, Nature, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Thanks

A Little Bit of Awe

Bob reads Time magazine. I occasionally pick it up if there is an article that catches my attention. In the throes of this recovery from surgery we both caught a wicked cold. The headache and coughing are exhausting. When I moved his magazine this article caught my attention, “5 Ways to Experience a Little Bit of Awe Every Day. ”My first reaction was , “Not again!?”

I was finding it difficult to think about awe in the midst of the ripping sound of Velcro, hot ortho boot, inability to move about the house without forethought and planning, gripping abdominal pain from coughing so long and so hard. Now someone wants me to find awe?

When I finally stopped long enough to read the article I realized the exercise was exactly what I needed. Dacher Keltner a psychologist and author is quoted as describing awe as the feeling you get “when you encounter things that are vast and beyond your frame of reference,” shifting attention away from self and toward something larger.

You can read the article here. https://www.pressreader.com/australia/time-international/20260727/281754161083947

I read through the list of 5 ways and made myself look away from the coughing and the lingering limitation to my walking ability. I found indeed there could be a shift in my thinking. I knew this to be true, but have not experienced this noticeable shift in several months. The shift is very difficult when you feel unwell.

For example, we had some nasty storms pass through our area recently. One tornado came within a handful of miles from our house. We watched the neighbor’s trees twist and turn in the wind as never before and the elephant ears in our garden were being whipped into a frenzy. I wondered what would happen to the newly bloomed mallow flowers on the shrub next to the giant ears. Two days later we were both marveling at how the flowers seemed to be entwined and hugged by the elephant ears in our garden. In other words, the plants were still standing and prospering despite all the storm threw at them.

If you don’t feel good and are limited in your physical function one challenge you don’t want to encounter is the invasion of the tiny black ants. One treat I am allowed is a couple of ginger snaps or a few select low carb cookies with my morning coffee. I opened the can with the coconut cookies and it was literally crawling with ants. So many in fact that I just threw the cookies away. There was no way to pick off a few and save the cookies.

Bob helped me pull things out of the closet and vacuum up ants. I sprayed bug killer and shut the pantry door. If would take hours to wash things off and replace them in the pantry. By the time I was finished I was exhausted. At some point in the housekeeping event I remembered the verse about consider the ant you sluggard, while contemplating how do they even get inside this house? Look they are congregating around the edges of the dishwasher. How do I spray there?

6 Go to the ant, you lazybones;
    consider its ways and be wise.
7 Without having any chief
    or officer or ruler,
8 it prepares its food in summer
    and gathers its sustenance in harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, O lazybones?
    When will you rise from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
    a little folding of the hands to rest,
11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
    and want, like an armed warrior. Proverbs 6:6-11 NRSVUE

We find those tiny critters on the dining room table. I will occasionally find one walking up my arm. I am getting to the point if I feel like something is crawling on me I check to be sure it is not an ant.

There is the reset button! This invasion did not have to be more fuel for frustration and despair! We may never win the battle with the ants, but we can hold a little bit of territory. There are likely ten thousand upon ten thousand ants living in our backyard alone. When Bob pulls up a solar light to change the battery he often encounters them going mad up his arm and all over the light. A moment ago he saw none. Then wham he is battling for his own skin.

This marvel is occurring in all the neighbors houses. Some even find the ants where this is no food about such as in an office. Yet the ants explore and send out sentries and food gatherers. Can we just for a moment be in awe of them?

This awe is one thing that makes it possible to turn away from the attention my ailing self demands and look to the Lord. This marvel, even for a moment, helps me move towards praise and pray again. It is no slight thing to find a way to focus on the Risen Christ when your body of flesh is clamoring so loudly. Here again is a big reason why I admire Amy Carmichael so much. Her writings delineate her turning away from the flesh and the world to God Almighty.

You might want to try it today, if even for a moment.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Illness and Health, Praise, Rest, Surrender, Thanks, Trust, Worship

Limitations Can be Fun?

Everything, even the hard things, are wrapped up in the loving kindnesses of the Lord, and His loving-kindnesses “have been ever of old.” Psalm 25:6 I have searched, but I cannot find the place Amy Carmichael is quoting from with this passage about even the hard things.

I have been trying to sing “Li-mi-ta-tions can be fun,” but through the sarcasm I try to realize the truth of the matter.

Amy quoted Isaiah 63:7: I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He hath bestowed on them according to His mercies, and according to the multitude of His loving kindnesses. Douay-Rheims 1898

I am truly sick and tired of the limitations after foot surgery. Then Bob and I both caught a VERY NASTY cold. What a mess. Doc said it is not covid or the flu. Likely a virus. I wondered about covid as I coughed so hard I feel as if I tore all of my abdominal muscles. You know it is bad when you wonder if it might be less painful to cough with a corset on? So yep, holding my belly and trying not to cough though coughing has been productive and gunk is clearing out of my sinuses and throat. Doc said 7-10 days until I feel better.

“Everything, even the hard things are wrapped up in love.” I have been searching for the love wrappings here. At times that wrapping is difficult to discern! Over a year ago my granddaughter gave me a bunch of crocheted squares that she grew tired of. She thought perhaps I could join them into a blanket, “or something.” They were placed in an area with other unfinished crochet projects. With this arthritic right thumb I have to be careful how much I actually crochet or I aggravate the joint into throbbing pain. When I grew tired of making hats for children I began putting an edge on the squares and noticed right away the increase in thumb pain. So I did just a bit a day. Soon I had the squares joined and began to plan how to increase the overall size.

I had purchased similar yarn to join the squares. I even have a deep turquoise but uncertain I will use it. I did not try to match the yarn she used. Besides, she had thrown away the wrappers, so I could have searched for a long time and would likely never find it.

Here I am seven weeks into this recovery. It has been difficult to pass the time without losing my cotton pickin’ mind. There is some what of a routine, but I would gladly toss that routine out the window for the ability to function without foot pain and swelling; from 4:00 PM on is the worst.

There are times I wonder if doc implanted a chameleon foot in place of my other one? It can turn the most awful shade of purple if I leave it hanging down for too long.

The other day I was remembering how I used to be able to pick things up with my toes. Those days are gone at least for the left foot! Looking for chameleon photos just now I wondered if this new toe could fetch me snacks like this chameleon is about to enjoy?

Love those little front paws/hands!

Nope, I have not learned origami though I started one piece. When the pattern got difficult I realized I was losing my patience and put it aside.

I have been able to do more things around the house than those first few weeks. Bob tells people he used to have to do 200 things for me everyday. Now he is down to about 40? Sometimes if I ask him to do something he will tease me saying, “45!” Such a clown. My strength and endurance is increasing.

Several friends have come from time to time to work on my list of things to do that I cannot do. They have been such a blessing to us both! Their help reduces the things I require from Bob. Lord knows, he has been doing PLENTY!

I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,
    the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,
because of all that the Lord has done for us
    and the great favor to the house of Israel
that he has shown them according to his mercy,
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love. Isaiah 63: 7 NRSVUE

Grateful for the healing that is occurring. Grateful for a loving husband willing to do whatever I ask during this time of recovery. I praise God for church family who lift me constantly in prayer and in person, through texts and greeting cards, always there with me through this long season of recovery.

Posted on in Aging, Challenge, Faith, Focus, Joy, Just do it, Listen, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Trust, Worship

Zing!!

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 NIV

And God said, “Gotcha, Molly!” Indeed my attention was fully clasped upon that verse.

Yep, I have at times been less that patient in my afflictions. Not always joyful in hope. Trying to be faithful in prayer, but even there I often fall so short.

And where was I convicted? While watching a movie on the channel Great American Family. During recovery, I spend most afternoons watching a movie and trying to do a few rounds of crochet. This particular channel is showing Christmas movies and at commercial breaks they show a Scripture verse.

So there I was with foot elevated, coughing and being convicted that maybe I could live Romans 12:12 a bit better.

Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer. Romans 12:12 NRSVUE

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. Romans 12:12 NLT

Rejoice, be joyful – can you do that even when forced to stillness, Molly?

Patient in affliction, in trouble – healing is going to take almost every single day of this summer season. And then I will need to learn to walk with this new equipment in my toe, or as my friend Dan said, my own “hardware store” in my toe.

Persevere, keep on, be faithful in prayer – yes, those needs, Molly. There is the one across the street still battling cancer and now a widower. The church as we try to reach the hurting with the Good News and comfort of Jesus. There is Pete’s family as they prepare his house for the market and decide what to do with his belongings. The one who suffers from Parkinson’s. The two widows down the street. The other with the awful struggle with antisynthetase syndrome. She who is practically bedridden with back pain and a variety of other ailments. The needs for prayer are always there, Molly. Will you be faithful as the Holy Spirit leads you to pray?

Lord, forgive me I pray for falling short of this call from Paul. Help me to bring joy to your heart. Help me to hear you singing over me. Please do not stop encouraging me to do better as your child and daughter of the King of Kings. Amen.