Walking with my neighbors who are so ill has brought me to a new place of asking the Lord for strength. On Monday she and I sat through 2 hours of appointments with 3 different medical and financial persons in the Oncology office. She has decided she will forego treatment. Her pancreatic cancer is Stage 3. Stage 4 is when it moves to any other organ. With treatment there is only a small percentage of a chance to prolong her life. The pain of her death will be brutal, but the treatment would be brutal also. She will turn 83 in a few months. Now she is praying for courage to tell her husband who is still hospitalized and desperately ill. She said when she saw him over the weekend his legs were like tree trunks. She did not know skin could stretch so far. She has watched his treatment and declared she does not want to become like him. By the time you read this she will likely have told him.
It was difficult to sit with her through those appointments and watch her make her decision. I was exhausted last evening. This morning I read several things about strength and finding strength. I am praying that as you read this writing you will be strengthened in your life.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19 NRSVUE
“Grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit.” Yes, please Lord God my Father.
Help me truly be rooted and grounded in love. Help that love to overflow to all those around me who are in need.
“According to the riches of Your glory”, grant this I pray. Help me abide in the love of Christ.
Are you weary today? Perhaps soaking in the above Scriptures and this song will help to sustain you.
I first heard this song at a retreat. In times like this it comes back to me.
On February 4 and March 23 the selections from Amy Carmichael in Edges of His Ways were both about strength. This morning the selection from Just One Thing by Rick Hanson, phd was entitled Find Strength. He wrote:
Strength comes in many forms, including endurance, losing on the little things in order to win on the big ones, and restraint. Inner strength is not all or nothing. You can build it, just like muscle. Appreciate how your strength empowers your caring, protectiveness, and love. Tell yourself that you are strong. That you can endure, persist, cope, and prevail. That you are strong enough to hold your experience in awareness without being over whelmed. That the winds of life can blow, and blow hard, but you are a deeply rooted tree, and winds just make you even stronger. And when they are done blowing, there you still stand. Offering shade and shelter, flowers and fruit. Strong and lasting.
I will with God’s help.
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path that sinners tread or sit in the seat of scoffers, 2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. 3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. Psalm 1:1-3 NRSVUE
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. 30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted, 31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31 NRSVUE
This appeared in Forward Day by Day devotional. We sent it to our friends in New Mexico. They took us to this church to see the wonder of the staircase. None of us took photos that day as the postcards were spectacular. The photos here are from online.
Luke 2:48b.Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.
There is a legend that Saint Joseph built a staircase here in New Mexico. In Santa Fe, the Sisters of Loretto built their chapel with the blessing of Archbishop Lamy. When it was nearing completion, they realized there was no way to access the choir loft. According to the story, the sisters prayed to Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters, and a stranger appeared. Working only with simple hand tools, this man built a spiral staircase with incredible technical precision and beauty. Carpenters to this day regard the staircase with awe. The man reportedly vanished when the stairway was finished, never accepting his pay.
Did Saint Joseph build the staircase? Many have debated, but as in the case of Joseph’s appearance in the gospels, the details are few. The question of faith also plays a role in the telling of the story. Rather than saying “Saint Joseph built it,” the story relies on the connection between the prayer and the mystery carpenter who arrived. It isn’t certainty but rather faith that has us reach out to God in our need and see God’s action in response.
MOVING FORWARD: Where could you use less certainty and more faith?
“a carpenter appeared with only a hammer and carpenter’s square. He built what is now known as the Miraculous Staircase with simple tools, wooden pegs and a rare wood that is not native to the American Southwest.” https://www.lorettochapel.com/our-story
Isn’t it just lovely?!? I always remember that Jesus was a carpenter, too!
I frequently think of a quote about the grip of God upon me. Then I do not remember where I read it, saw it, foudn it ….grr. Well, I came across it again last week. I suppose I need to make a poster or 8 x 10 of it and just put it on my wall!
Amy Carmichael wrote in The Edges of His Ways, March 15,
She says Rotherham translates Ephesians 1:19 According to the energy of the grasp of His might. She goes on to write, “It is not my grip of Christ, but Christ’s grip of me: said an old Scotswoman long ago. This is a great word for anyone who feels futile, but it is also a great word for us all. And I think of Paul so conscious of the greatness of his power (power whose lightest touch could have snapped his chains) that he could describe that power in heaped-up words of wonder. Yet he was so utterly content in his prison – so unoffended – that his Lord could use him to write deathless letters like this. What a God and what a servant! And He, Who made him what he was, is our God, even ours.”
I wish I had known the old Scotswoman, don’t you? Thank goodness her understanding of our Lord is recorded.
I want to be as content as Paul, whatever my condition in life.
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13 NIV
Content – not prone to gripe. Gripe is complain with grumbling. Yuck. Is that me?
We have a neighbor couple who are both desperately ill and there is no cure for either of them. Walking with them reminds me of when Bob almost died in 2018. And it also reminds me that even though I have chronic pain and things that plague my health, I am okay. I am not dying. As Rick Hanson, phd teaches, “I am okay right now. ” Never have Bob and I both been deathly ill at the same time. Our neighbor man is hospitalized and so worried about his wife who is losing strength and is only visiting every other day now. He does not like being away from her but he is still too sick to go home.
Could you be content in a similar situation? Could having interaction with these two remind you not to gripe? We too often feel entitled to gripe and complain. Yet we live in the richest nation on earth. Though the politics in our country has gone outside the bounds of decency we have previously encountered, we have many of our freedoms in tact. Can we practice contentment for one day? One full week? Perhaps a month? Could we follow Paul and learn so much about our God that there would be no room in our life and in our mouth for complaining and grumbling?
Perhaps you might want it give it a try? Lent continues until April 5. Maybe these would help you draw closer to God. Each time you hear yourself out loud or in your mind complaining and grumbling, draw close to God and be still. It could work wonders for your soul. We mostly resist any message about ourselves having sin and needing to be cleansed. However, that is true about each and every one of us. None of us has a pure and blameless heart.
Abba Arsenius said, “If we seek God, he will appear to us. If we grasp him, he will stay with us.”
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4: 7-10 NRSVUE
Today on the Calm app they quoted H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something.
I often tell people, “Remember we are all broken. Some just hide it better than others.”
We are not so unalike. I was recently asked to read my poem Called Forth from the Cave to a group. The stanza “We’ve got to touch, we’re not so unalike,” keeps ringing through my soul.
I first learned of Ubuntu through the book about Joy from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dali Lama.
“Ubuntu is a deeply rooted African philosophy that embodies the interconnectedness of humanity. Originating from Southern Africa, the term comes from the Bantu languages, often expressed as “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”—meaning “a person is a person through other people.” This guiding principle emphasizes community over individuality, recognizing that our identities and actions are shaped by our relationships and interactions.”
We are interconnected whether we recognize it or not. We are all human beings. I had a license plate frame made that reads, “We are humankind. Be both, human and kind.” As wars rage on and unrest grips our country as well as so many places around the world it is more important now than ever before to remember our human link to others. In high school speech class the instructor reminded us to look at our audience as we spoke and remember they put on their underwear the same way we do, one leg at a time.
I challenge you today to remember the above truths. We need each other. We each need kindness. There are many things we can do to practice kindness with one another, even total strangers. Remember, if you see someone without a smile today, give them one of yours!
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 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
My friend Dan posted this and I want to repeat it here for those of you who do not read his posts. In his post he wrote, “The beautiful song, ‘The Blessing,’ sung by an Iranian woman in Farsi and a Hebrew gentleman in Hebrew. Two worlds coming together to bless God. There is always hope in God.”
Yes. there are promises in the word that God will bless us. Let us remember that rather than asking God to bless America, we, the Americans, should be always blessing God.
The Priestly Benediction
22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them:
24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
27 “So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27 NRSVUE
I was privileged to attend the Stephen Ministry regional meeting last weekend. Stephen Ministry is designed by professionals to train lay people to assist in caring for others through the ministry of listening. Stephen ministry materials are used in all 33 correctional facilities in the State of Ohio! “Since 1975, Stephen Ministries has trained more than 70,000 leaders from the United States, Canada and 29 other countries, who in turn have equipped over 600,000 volunteer caregivers. These caregivers have provide emotional and spiritual support to millions of people affected by cancer,divorce, job loss, chronic illness, grief, financial difficulties, and other crises and life challenges.”
This was an all day educational meeting with boxed lunch (delicious) and new people to meet and befriend. I still think the Stephen Ministry logo should be a large listening ear!
There were folks from all over Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan and likely other places I missed. The speakers were from the St. Louis, Missouri headquarters.
The last time I attended something like this I was younger. This time I was wondering if I could stay awake and not get bored during the lectures. I was pleasantly surprised. The sessions were well run and entertaining. They kept the dialogue moving with NO monotone voices. There were breaks to take a stretch, go to the restrooms or get a snack. It was great.
The Agenda for the Day
The news about the new program to help churches combat the mental health crisis was particularly interesting. There certainly is a crisis in this country. Stephen Ministry leaders have noticed and have been planning materials for a couple of years. They are not ready to be released yet, but certainly sound promising.
The materials for “how to care for and relate to those with cancer and their loved ones” especially appealed to me trying to relate to my neighbors who are both ill. The text book “Cancer, Now What” is used in many cancer facilities all around the country. I bought two copies. One for our neighbors and one for me. Hey! No shipping cost when bought at the conference 🙂 The book looks daunting at first with over 300 pages, but there are blank pages, it is done in large print, and the short chapters are ideal for those who are ill or who have “brain fog.” Here is the link if you are interested https://cancernowwhat.org/default.cfm
I took lots of notes as you can see from this page alone.
And then my humor kicked in. They told us to turn to page 12 in our celebration program. At a glance I thought it said something about shoplifting. I was like ??What?? The actual title was Spotlight Shifting. When I told the other 2 Stephen ministers from our church about my reading error, our fearless leader could not stop laughing. I’m nothing if not entertaining!!
Yikes, Molly!
And each time I say to God, “I am trying, Lord.” He replies, “Yes, dear, very trying.”
More than likely I have shared this song before. It has not grown to mean less to me! There are heavy prayer requests in our neighborhood and among our friends.
One family has a member with heart disease along with leukemia. He was hospitalized with what ER doc called an irritated heart. That is a new term to me. Perhaps doc made it up to not worry the wife who was diagnosed last week with pancreatic cancer. She is a ghastly shade of yellow/green sort of like Fiona from Shrek. She will have another scan this week and a port put in to facilitate chemo. She has been given 2 years to live. That is in just one family.
Another family has a dad with aggressive Parkinsons’s disease. He has been in nursing facility, brought home due to bedsore and poor care. Has been on in-home hospice care. He will go to facility for hospice care on Friday so his wife can get some rest.
My 92 year old friend got home from rehab facility over the past weekend. She is tired and rather frail, but holding her own , so far. Next week she turns 93. So far, refusing most help when we offer it. She has learned how to put on her back brace. She must wear it when she is up and about due to the 3 broken ribs and 3 broken vertebrae. She is using her cane inside the house and has a grabber in four out of five rooms. Therapist wants her to use the walker, but there is not enough clear space in the house for that. Hopefully when therapist comes to her home they will insist and assist in clearing away some of the stuff so she can use that walker in the house. She is not to bend forward or twist her torso.
There is another awaiting appointment with back surgeon for likely surgery appointment. One healing from skin graft after removal of cancer from her scalp. One with rare autoimmune disease whose husband has Parkinson’s. One with so many untreatable diseases and multiple back surgeries she is basically bed fast. Another in her late 80s recovering from colon cancer. One in her 90s recovering from colon cancer. Aging, disease and death just keep marching on. That is not even concerning the many wars around the world.
Twice I have found myself awake in the night and then my brain slips into overdrive ruminating with concern over these and several other situations. How do you stop that? Here are a few of my ideas.
I breathe in deeply to count of 4. Then exhale slowly to count of 8. This helps. This practice is easier if I have been practicing meditative prayer daily. Regardless, it can work. Lifting these concerns in prayer does not always bring me relief and get me back to sleep. Focus upon breathing can.
I imagine each person in the arms of Father God, those everlasting arms of care and love. Remembering that there is nothing I can do to change their situation, I let them go to the care of the Trinity. They are so much more concerned than I am, and so much more powerful to make a change in the circumstances.
The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms Deuteronomy 33:7a and b
This morning this song came on and I was reminded that this is the answer every time. Rest. Trust. Know none of us are alone. “I am sure the One who made me is catching every word.”
We can try to encourage the ones we know who are suffering. We can make a meal, deliver a flower, pay a visit. We can pray and send a card. We can lift them and let them know we are lifting them. We must also take care of ourselves. Just as the airline says, “In case of an emergency to put your mask on first,” we need to do our best to take care of ourselves if we hope to be an aide to others in their need. Pray, hope and most of all love one another. Share one another’s burdens. Trust God to do what is best in each situation.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 NRSVUE
Give thanks for each life though there is suffering. We are each blessed to be alive though we may be disappointed with our state in life.
Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 NRSVUE
I wanted to go out on the back deck to marvel at the sun and look to see if the Thumbelina daffodils had started to bloom yet. The dog was in front of the door. She could not decide if she wanted to go out or not. I slid open the door and growled at her “Go in or go out! I do not care!” After she moved I stepped outside. Before looking at the daffodil leaves I looked up and to my left sensing something looking at me. I saw this wonderful hawk in the nearby tree. It was not startled by my growling.
I texted Bob “Hawk on back deck.” knowing he would grab his camera and come see. His photos were much better than mine. Here was our visitor! He likely saw our feeder as a bait station. Like Sonic says, “You gotta eat!”
r m dutinaMy favorite by r m dutinar m dutina
“Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars and spreads its wings toward the south? 27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes its nest on high? Job 39:26-27 NRSVUE
We often hear the hawks calling from high in the sky. Sometimes we can see them, sometimes not. We are always blessed when they come to close to us! God is in control of them, certainly not us!
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 