Category: Just do it

Posted on in Aging, Collection of Quotes, Faith, Just do it, Listen, Obedience, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Trust, Yield

SATURDAY, MARCH 14

My husband and I have been listening to Lenten meditations offered through our church from Holy Habits by Sister Monica Clare. “Written by an Episcopal nun, author and unlikely TikTok star, our 2026 meditations offer an invitation to rediscover—or deepen— HOLY HABITS of prayer, worship and engagement with Scripture. These holy habits provide a path to a life that is given shape, meaning and direction by being rooted in a deeper relationship with God.” If you want to meet her you can go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=org7Dam8yJg

Quoting Mark 7:20-23 she wrote, “And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” 

She noted we often say, “So and so made me feel judged. But then I remember that no one can make me feel anything. My feelings are based on my own thoughts and perceptions of what enters my heart from the outside. Transforming my reactions into healthy responses is something that happens deep within.”

At first her insight sounds like a tall order. The transformation she speaks of can bring us peace and health like no other. “Transforming my reactions into healthy responses is something that happens deep within.” My reactions, taming myself to form responses instead of quickly reacting. Ooh, so often I am tempted to react. Slow down, Molly, form a response.

James 1:19 “Quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.” I stumble over which one to do quickly and which one slowly. Get it right old woman. QUICK to hear. Slow to speak, slow to anger.

Slow to speak, Molly. Slow to anger, Molly. That is what I need more of, (just ask my husband).

Quick to listen, like my beloved wild rabbits with their acute sense of hearing. Quick to listen. I wish when my ears are triggered by another person’s voice my self would assume a posture of full attentiveness and folded hands. I bet AI could make that picture. Lovely adult cottontail with folded paws and active listening.

Until then, I pray for God to help me become the person aware of her own tendency to defile from within. A woman willing to be changed to someone who is quick to hear, slow to speak, and very slow to anger.

I will, with God’s help.

Posted on in Faith, Just do it, Poetry, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Thanks, Worship, Yield

More Wind Than Usual?

I can just hear the humor of my husband churning up at that title! I’m thinking atmospheric, not the other kind that you pass. The wind chimes have been playing for what seems like months on end, both in the backyard and the front yard. I love the wind chimes. A nice warm breeze refreshes me. Perhaps this noticing has to do with the images in Scripture?

In Acts 2: 1-4 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. NRSVUE

The King James version describes the phenomenon as “a mighty rushing wind.” the image of the Spirit of God as wind began in Genesis and is carried right through to the time the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit.

November of 2025 I wrote the following poem. Looking back, I realize it flowed out of me like prayer. Here is the wonder of it. At an unexpected Zoom meeting I picked up a piece of paper and began taking notes. When I turned it over yesterday I was reading this poem. I was so uncertain that I wrote it that I actually tried to looked it up online.

oh goodness me

Then I checked my document files. Sure enough, 25-11-26, it was right there. So I hope this encourages you and strengthens you in your faith as to what the Spirit can do within you if you simply yield and work with the Trinity.

Mighty rushing wind*  blow over us
Blow away every useless branch
Carry off the finished leaves and twigs
Refresh us with your presence
Lower the temperature of our grasping
Help us stand naked before your power
No shame, just honest awareness

Mighty rushing wind
You come with power and your promises
Promise that we have more potential than we know
Promise that we can be made anew
Promise that in our weakness can be great power
Tempest from God move us over
Help us live more like the unity of the Trinity

Mighty rushing wind
Help us yield to your shaping
Rejoice in your remaking
Agree heartily to the changes you bring
We want to take deep inhalations from your source
Being indwelt by the very breath from on high
We stand still and ask that you permeate our being

Mighty rushing wind
We cannot control you
This day come to us and we will be changed
Your power and promise overflow us
Presence and transparency pervade you
Shine the light of your word upon us
And we shall be known for how we became like you

Mighty rushing wind,
We bow the knee of our heart to you
Touch us and we shall be made clean
Surround us and we shall be shielded
From darkness, debris of soul
Detritus of overgrowth
Unkempt garden of laziness

Mighty rushing wind
Scour the ruin around our feet
Cleanse us from all unrighteousness
Set our feet firmly upon your path
Put your shoes of the gospel of peace upon our feet
And help us walk with your propulsion

Mighty rushing wind
We welcome you
Come and have your own way
In and through us
That praise may continuously ascend
To the Holy Trinity you belong within
As you declare we are in you and you are in us

*Acts 2:2.4a  2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. John 3:8 NIV

Posted on in Aging, Art, Book quotes, Faith, Focus, Just do it, Obedience, Poetry, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Trust, Writing Life

Give or Take?

Listening to another podcast by John Mark Comer he quoted an author reminding us that the second half of life is about giving our life away. Well, duh! Shouldn’t those who read the New Testament know that? No, we do not always remember that! Especially as noted in the quote below.

In a culture that pushes us to focus not on what we can give, but on what we can take, what we tend to take is everything for granted. Andrea Gibson

That is so true. So sadly true of Americans.

Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back – given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Luke 6:38 Message

That is what I trying to do with getting music out of the file folders into the hands of others, printing books and poetry at the lowest cost I can. Giving my life away in texts, emails, personal relationships.

How are you doing this?

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap, for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. Luke 6: 38 NRSVUE

I am not looking for a reward in my giving, though there is a promise stated here. I have simply found that I cannot out give my God.

Poem by me Healed Wounds 1982

I have been told so many things
	and dealt so many blows
But now my heart begins to sing
	an old song, soft and low.

He’s taught me by His words and ways
	the first few miles of loving.
I’ve many lessons yet to learn
	but first I must begin.

Our culture and sophisticated ways 
	just keep us from each other.
Barriers come into play
	where open meadows belong.

My soul is crowded about
 	by specters of loneliness.
The risk of vulnerability has become
	more inviting than the haunt of isolation.

It is as though I am breaking out
	of an ancient inner prison.
I must get close to as many as will let me.
	The risk is not to be counted.

We’ve got to touch,
	we’re not so unalike.
We are all made in His image,
	but we are not our own.

Like calls unto like
	deep calls unto deep,
and the power of His Spirit
	is knitting us together.

The pleasures of His bounty
	are not to be hoarded – but shared.
How can we assume to participate in His Spirit
	behind a crumbling wall of self?
Jesus walks through walls.

In some ways I am scared
 	of investing my small bits
But I tremble at the thought of just
	burying them in Jesus’ name.

Father, You have called me to this.
	as I slowly crept out from that cave.
You alone can put me over,
	to you I belong.

Show me how to be Your child,
	how to represent You well.
I look for help to no other,
	teach me as You did Your Son.

You alone have made me worthy,
	You alone will see me through.
Help me with Your love and mercy,
	deep compassion, grace and truth.

Now I stand before You yielded,
	make me into something new.
You have plans, now please reveal them,
	train me how to touch and move.

Give me holy eyes to see with,
	holy ears and holy hands.
Help me learn to only speak when
	I have heard what You command.

Others may not understand,
	few will ever know.
I’m willing to live by Your plan.
	You are my final goal.

My intimacy with You
	will affect those in this realm.
I’m burdened by this bounty
	I’ve collected from Your stores.
Instruct me how to give it away
	so I can discover more.


MAKE IT A WAY OF LIFE!

Posted on in Aging, Challenge, Faith, Focus, Journal, Just do it, Listen, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Surrender, Thanks, Trust, Worship, Yield

Recriminations and Breathing Room

For a week or perhaps 10 days, I got all complicated about my disciplines. We were having new flooring installed in the sitting/sewing room and in order to do that we basically dismantled the room. There was yarn and all manner of sewing things moved into the office. Writing in that space became more difficult as I could barely move my chair. Somehow that overflowed into my morning disciplines. Suffice it to say I lost my focus. It was easy to heap recriminations upon myself. But not productive!

The flooring is now installed. The contents of the room have been replaced and in their original order, sort of. I will have straightening to do for many hours in the future. When we moved the yarn holders (think cloth shoe pouches that hang from the closet pole) yarn and crochet thread went all over the place.

This morning, when I sat down in my prayer chair, I realized I’d left my tablet some place. Remembered I had used my iPad in the living room. I went to retrieve it and there was no charge left. Even the attached keyboard failed to have any power. So my approach to prayer centering was greatly disrupted. That was not all bad.

Looking for a way to firmly connect with the Spirit of God, I remembered all the times I did that without any electronic devices. Just me, the Book of Common Prayer, my Bible, perhaps a dictionary and a desire to know, and be known by my God. This was a masterful reset. I know I stepped away from my disciplines, not deliberately but a little shift here, a little shift there, a little anxiety here about Bob and the dog walking in icy weather, distraction by A B and C, and next thing I knew I was walking an unproductive path.

The meditation I listened to via my smart phone spoke about finding some breathing room. And that is what I have done this morning. I have some breathing room and a path forward to better union with the Trinity.

So hopefully, now I have regained some perspective. I once again have a renewed awareness of how easy it is to abandon the way of life that is so very good for me. I found myself stumbling about with the way of self in the world. It was not fulfilling. Just frustrating and like sawdust to my soul and spirit.

Father, thank you for showing me myself clearly. Help me above all else to hunger for and maintain my connection to you. You are the source of life. You are living water to me. Keep me and direct my ways to the glory of your name. Amen.

The Rule of Saint Benedict says, “Always, we begin again.”

Posted on in Faith, Humor, Just do it, Nature, Poetry, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth

During Our Arctic Lock In

A friend sent me this and I thought you would enjoy it! “Douglas Florian is one of my favorite children’s poets.  Here is his poem called “Cabin Fever”

I've done the wash.
I've swept the floor
I've fed the cat
And fixed the door.

I've read three books
and last week's news,
and for the fourth time
polished the shoes.
It seems like years
since I've had fun.
I look outside
For signs of sun.

I bite my nails.
I crawl the walls.
For lack of space
I pace the halls.

My mother warned me
of cabin fever.
I was a fool 
to not believe her.

Sound familiar? They say we might return to more temperature in the Ohio valley soon. I am liking the stay-at-homeness, but will also relish  he release to come and go as we please. 

We are having a laminate floor installed in teh sewing/sitting room this week. That ought to tear this up, dirty things up and take time to put together again!
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Art, Cooking, Faith, Focus, Just do it, Rest, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Thanks, Yield

Winter Weather Plans

A group of friends began a group text message. I usually do not enjoy those, as some folks text on and on for hours. They were sharing how they would entertain themselves as the bitter cold and snow moved in. From fantasizing about Chantilly cake to watching football.

Bob and I attended a “staged reading” by Friends of the Groom, hoping to get home before the winter storm hit. (Indeed we did.) Here is a summary of what we saw.

This is a big treatment of a very big story. For a work still in development, it was impressively delivered. The cast wore coordinated black attire accented by select costume pieces, allowing imagination to do much of the work. Alan Pote served as musical director and pianist, while Tom Long staged the reading and coordinated the accompanying slides, projected on the side of the stage area, suggesting future scenic and battle designs. A review from https://www.leagueofcincytheatres.info/in-development-francis-the-man-from-assisi/

Francis at the center with brown shoulder cover
Jocelyn and Tom are both in the back row

After the performance, taking our cue from Dan Cooksey’s favorite habit of having ice cream for dinner, we went to UDF. Made it home without incident. Later in the evening the snow began.

So my plans were to make wild rice porridge with cranberries and hazelnuts, crock pot oatmeal (because it is the creamiest and best), pumpkin pie filling without the crust (yum!) and make a winter hat for my neighbor.

I got the breakfast foods done. Tore up my thumb crocheting. I think I am getting to where a cortisone injection may be needed? The hat is done. A brace on my hand for 2 nights and one day now.

I have been setting up communication with the prayer teams at our church. That is not working too well yet. I am practicing praise choruses so my friend can write them on staff paper for those who read music at the church. I am editing all of the poetry for publication through Kindle Direct. Another friend is formatting that.

I have dressing balls to make that I never got made at Thanksgiving, Shepherd’s pie for Bob and who knows what else? Or right, coconut pudding pie!

I am so busy I decided to stay home Wednesday morning as bitter cold will still be here and I have too much to do! So I write this to you hoping you have had things you enjoy to keep you distracted from being cooped up at home?

All too soon we are likely to be running around with long lists of to do, to buy, to go see. As the earth is resting under the snow, may you also find rest in this fallow time. To everything there is time and a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Nature, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Trust

Darkness and Light

The opening photo was taken in Colorado, 2020 by our friend Dan Cooksey.

Our church offered the congregation the book, A Light Upon My Path, Daily Devotions for Advent & Christmas this year.

We enjoyed sharing selections at various mealtimes. I was reading the entry for January 6, Epiphany. The author for this entry, Laurie Brock, was contrasting navigational methods and mentioned, “I can think of nothing as inefficient as a star.” She went on to write about celestial navigation over the centuries. She pointed out that “One necessary part for celestial navigation by stars is darkness.”

She quoted that the Milky Way in “now NOT visible by 99 percent of people living in the United States and a third of the people living in the world because of all of our artificial light.” That is incredibly sad. We have been so eager to get rid of the darkness that we can no longer view the heavenly light easily.

Laurie made a good point that we need the darkness to see all of our God. Have you been comfortable with darkness? Can you try to enjoy this short season of diminished light now that we are moving towards the summer solstice when we have the longest day once again and the hours of light are increasing as we move towards it??

Some of our neighbors leave their outdoor lights on year round. When the birds are migrating I want everyone to turn them off as suggested by most of the naturalists. We have gone so far in demanding artificial light at night that our incessant lighting can mess up the migration routes.

A driving force behind the up to one billion birds killed globally each year by human-built structures is artificial light at night (ALAN), or light pollution. The new technology telling us so much about migration has also helped illuminate the magnitude of ALAN’s impact: For the September night that BirdCast predicted 594 million birds would be in the air, an overlaid map of light pollution showed the gauntlet those birds would have to pass through. “Suddenly the whole system of evolving to move at night is under potentially extreme pressure,” says Farnsworth, “pressure that birds would not experience otherwise, and it is creating chaos.” https://www.audubon.org/magazine/new-golden-age-observation-revealing-wonders-night-migration

Audubon goes on to point out that the migration numbers are huge and we are mostly unaware of the movement of these birds!

Light pollution, darkness, fear, finding our way we can learn about all of these things. Are we willing to change even one thing that we might know our God better? You are unlikely to be able to see the Milky Way from your neighborhood, but you can become aware of migration times, watch for the movement of God during the darkness of winter, and draw close to the Light of Life as you are called to bear that light.

We have responsibilities and we can honor God by honoring those responsibilities. I just ordered the stickers that go on the outside of the windows that show birds they should not fly there. Many birds crash into windows on houses because they think it is a clear path. Some of our stickers are getting old and losing their grip on the glass. This is one small thing we can do for the birds in the daytime.

Light, darkness, ours to behold. We need not fear the dark because we have the Light of Life with us.

 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5 NIV

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Focus, Joy, Just do it, Obedience, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Thanks, Worship, Yield

A Prayer from Lectio 365

I recently heard this on the App Lectio 365.

You are wisdom, uncreated and eternal,   
the supreme first cause, above all being,    
sovereign Godhead, sovereign goodness,   
watching unseen, 
the God-inspired wisdom of Christian people.   
Raise us we pray, that we may totally respond    
to the supreme, unknown, ultimate, and 
splendid height of your words, 
mysterious and inspired…   
You fill to the full with most beautiful splendour   
those souls who close their eyes that they may see.

St Denis prayer from The Cloud of Unknowing , 
written anonymously in the fourteenth century.

If you have never used this app, I highly recommend it. No, I do not use it every single day, but I find it worthwhile practically every time I do use it.

The above prayer has kept me praising for several weeks now. I know it is from the 14th century, but it still applies to the God I worship in 2026! Scroll back to the top, then pray it instead of just reading it. When might you be finished praying this one?

The legend of Saint Denis is surrounded by fictional tales and a few facts. All I can be certain of is that if he indeed prayed like the prayer quoted above, he knew my God and how to draw me into a closer relationship with the Trinity.

The prayer is said to come from The Cloud of Unknowing, a powerful tome. “The medieval spiritual guidebook called The Cloud of Unknowing was written by an anonymous English monk. At the core is a mystical approach to Christian prayer, in which God is found not through rote knowledge, but through ‘blind love.’ It has been described as Christianity with a Zen outlook.” J.B. Hare

Saint Denis in his prayer is no less powerful. Come, Lord, and make us more like those who loved you then. Help us to totally respond to You! “You fill to the full with most beautiful splendour those souls who close their eyes that they may see.“

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Obedience, Prayer, Rest, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Trust, Yield

Are You Practicing the Way?

I just realized I never posted this to let you know I was taking a week off. Oops. Well here is this blog entry very late!!

John Mark Comer has written a phenomenal book entitled Practicing the Way. I have been devouring it and trying to live into it. There is also a website that I found only recently https://www.practicingtheway.org/

Even if you have no intention of purchasing the book or borrowing it from your local library, I would encourage you to look a these materials. At the website practice materials are offered freely. Of course, there are also ways to contribute to the effort of getting the materials out.

There was a saying years ago that if you aim at nothing you are bound to hit it! That is especially true of our spiritual walk.

There are one or more areas where we might ignore the teachings of Jesus. The materials help guide us in contemporary ways to apply the teachings and grow in our own walk. I was familiar with the nine practices, but had never applied some of them to my walk consistently. In the New Year I hope to take this material and use it as my own. Hoping for a more fulfilling, God-honoring, lifestyle by bringing the practices into focus in my own life.

As we wind down 2025, I hope you will take some time to rest. We are truly a driven society and rarely allow our Shepherd to lead us into rest and solitude.

I will be taking the first week of January off from writing. I will also be studying materials for Stephen Ministry as I venture into again becoming a Stephen Minister. May your New Year celebration be blessed and warmly celebrated as we begin again to follow the Lord.

Start 2016 with a practice of resting in Christ. I did take that time off. Now I am back at writing, continuing to study Stephen Ministry materials and planning to work on two separate writing projects. All prayers appreciated!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Family, Focus, Joy, Just do it, Listen, Look, Obedience, Praise, Prayer, Special Event, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Worship, Yield

A Thousand Lights

PBS reports that: “Jews across the religious observance spectrum — from Reform to Conservative to Orthodox — focus on the same theme of bringing light into the darkness and emphasizing that even a small, against-the-odds effort can have a transforming effect.” During their celebration of Hanukah they light a new candle each night on the eight branches menorah. As we mourn with the Jewish community in Australia over the murders and injuries there and beyond, I remember being awakened one night with a thought. Our life is to be like a thousand tiny lights of kindness.

How can you participate in this? Every tiny act of kindness that you do makes you a participant.

There was an elderly woman searching in the deep freezer at the grocery store among the frozen turkeys. She just wanted a small one. The one she had chosen did not have a tag on it. I was able to flag down an employee to help her get it weighed and tagged. He wanted me to follow him and I explained that he needed to carry the turkey and escort her slowly to wherever he was going as she was the one interested in the purchase.

There was someone in the same store using an electric shopping cart. She is tiny and seated. There is an item on a high shelf that she is interested in. I ask if I can reach it for her? She is grateful.

Just looking folks in the eye, greeting them with a smile and saying hello has become a practice that cheers many. Most older folks seem surprised that you see them and care. Every age is somewhat startled if you look them in the eye when you greet them.

A tiny thousand lights of kindness. Wishing a harried store clerk a good day. Telling them to take a deep breath while you find your credit card. Urging the world to slow down for one minute. Tiny light of kindness.

Yielding to a car in traffic and being genuinely glad about it.

Thanking the letter carrier for service. The last one I greeted was delivering mail in 13 degree weather. I asked how he stayed warm. He replied you just have to dress for the weather.

Giving the delivery man a home baked cookie when he brings your package to the door.

In the gospel of John we are told

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

The word light is used seven times in the first nine verses of John 1. In the passage above, a mere three verses, it is used four times. We are to pay attention to this idea. We are to shine the light God has given us. Shine and shine and then shine some more. No place does it say the light of the world got weary of shining and stopped. We too are called to this shine work.

Have you ever attended a concert where the performer asked people to turn on their cell phone flashlight? Or they were given wristbands they were to light up at a certain time? Can you imagine if all of those people left that stadium with the conviction to shine the light God gave them to others around the world? You can help with this effort every single day of your life. If you no longer leave the house you likely still have conversations with others. Smile through your words and bring light and life to each situation.

PBS goes on to report: “A menorah is lit in each household and traditionally is placed where it can be seen from the outside, such as a doorway or windowsill, to symbolize the spreading of God’s light to all nations.”

A thousand tiny lights of kindness. “Even a small, against-the-odds effort can have a transforming effect.” Yes, that means each of us. Just as we celebrate Jesus, the Light of the world, at this time of year (and always) we are to be set on fire for the Kingdom good news! Many are credited with this saying, Saint Francis most notably.