For years I have enjoyed two ginger snaps with my morning coffee. To me it is a delicious way to begin the day! I dip a ginger snap in my coffee and enjoy the flavor on my tongue. I take a sip of coffee. I dip another ginger snap and repeat the process. I usually buy Stauffer’s. They brag about being made with real ginger. I can have a couple as they have no frosting and are not likely to send my glucose soaring.
Recently Bob visited Trader Joe’s market where he picked up a tub of their Triple Ginger Snaps. Theirs are made with crystallized ginger, ginger puree, and ground ginger. Yum! We have enjoyed them before. He was disappointed when we opened them and it looked as if they had been dropped multiple times during shipping from California. I told him my friends say the broken ones have only half the calories. We were both content to eat some broken pieces. Mind you, not all of them were broken!
On a recent morning I made my coffee and got out the cookie tin. I grabbed a ginger snap and dunked it in my coffee. 80% of it disappeared into the coffee! Oh NO!! I had forgotten about the shipping damage. It had not looked broken, but obviously was. I got a tablespoon out of the drawer thinking I could get out the piece. Nope it was gone.
When I got to the bottom of my coffee cup later in the morning I was laughing that I had created Ginger Snap soup!
Do you have a recipe for ginger snap soup as easy as mine? Not likely to serve it to anyone but me!
Dunker Styles
Guess the photo defines me as a gone too far dunker! I am more careful now with these maybe broken, but not showing their cracks ginger snaps!
Remember those? Things that make you pause and be glad. Little things throughout the day that have you stop for a breath and rest momentarily? Here are some recent ones I experienced.
Grass is an impossible shade of green (after several days in the 70s and lots of spring rain)
The honeysuckle bushes are leafing out, a sure sign of spring
This sunrise with glorious shades of pink and gold
A truck center named Rush (my maiden name)
The Sandhill Cranes are in large numbers in Nebraska where we once saw them migrating.
It has been said that if we look for glimmers and for things to be grateful for we will see more and more of those things throughout our day. Have you tried this practice?
My granddaughter gave me a manicure as part of my Christmas gift (five of them actually). The first one was a couple weeks ago. My nails are still shiny and I think of our sweet conversation and her love each time I notice them.
The tulips I planted when we first moved in are emerging again. Each year I say I am going to dig them up. They never get to bloom because the rabbits eat them. (I think it is rabbits? Perhaps white tailed deer?) This year I decided those tulips are just a spring salad for some critter that likely needs the leaves more than I need the flowers. I hesitantly think, MAYBE. I am learning to smile when I see the mowing job the critter has done. It proves a Glimmer of life I do not get to witness, but I see the results from their presence under that front tree.
Watch today for things that delight your eyes. Even if it is just a momentary thing it can be important for your health.
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
Many have asked how my hand is after the steroid injection. It is somewhat better though still gets tender if I do too much. When I heard my friend had the pancreatic cancer diagnosis I knew I wanted to make her a chemo hat. Before the diagnosis was certain she showed me one she had started knitting for herself. She said she had made many for other friends and family with cancer and realized she would likely need one too. She was having trouble as her brain kept getting foggy and she would have to put it down because she could no longer follow the pattern. I am not a good knitter so I knew I could NOT take over for her. I prayed for wisdom and tried to pace myself doing the work. I got one done and was able to gift it to her before her husband went to the hospital.
So yes, I am somewhat better. Hand pain did wake me up one night. It is unlikely I will ever be able to crochet like I used to. At the time of the injection I had 2 crochet projects going and then realized they were both for my #2 Grandgirl. I soon got the smaller one finished. The other is a small blanket and I am taking it slow as I try not to aggravate the thumb situation.
I have learned that knitting does not cause as much pain as crocheting. I finished a knit scarf for Bob and decided to begin another one so I do not lose what skills I have built so far. Hopefully this one will not have as many holes and errors in it as the first ones.
I can do both knit and purl now!!
The brace hurts and I am not wearing it much. But I do wear it when I think I might forget and overdo things.
So thanks for your interest and concern on my behalf. I do appreciate it!
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
The phrase “your greatest strength is your greatest weakness” is a powerful paradox that resonates across psychology, philosophy, and everyday life. It suggests that the very qualities that make us exceptional can also be our downfall if not understood and managed effectively.
My friend is about to turn 93 years old. She lives alone and drives herself familiar places. She goes to social groups about 3 times a week. She is a happy Christian. She is aware that she might have to give up driving soon, but she drives an old beater car and is not worried about it. She has had a few episodes in her home where she has fallen.
Then she took a fall with catastrophic consequences. She was taken by ambulance to a hospital. After the ER they put her in intensive care. Three broken ribs, two broken vertebrae and one shattered vertebrae. Doctor told her if she had hit her head instead of her back she would not longer be with us. She told him God is not finished with her here yet. Two days later a step down unit. Then a rehab facility. She must wear a back brace anytime she is out of bed. She may not twist her torso or bend forward. She is not to lift anything over five pounds. She is determined to go home.
Most of us cannot imagine how she can possibly cope at home, alone? She says they are impressed at Physical Therapy by how strong she is. Granted she has been doing exercises at home and lifting her walker in and out of the trunk of her car by herself!
She tells her niece and me not to underestimate her. She has been stubbornly independent for years. Previously she would not let us help her even in simple ways. She told me once she would let me help when she needed it. There is only so much help that the Council on Aging can offer her. How can she possibility manage to live on her own again?
In my mind it is almost certain she will not be able to drive. She tells me they have her working in physical therapy to turn her head and get ready to drive again. She is to turn her body, not twist while driving.
On a recent visit, I was able to remind her twice, gently, that at times our greatest strength can become a stumbling block or weakness. Her stubbornness might prove to be just that? She considered the idea.
This woman is so accustomed to living alone I am certain living in the rehab facility with a roommate has been a challenge. I am certain she would relish being at home. It will likely take a few more weeks before they can entertain that idea. Her niece was placing an order yesterday for four grabbers to have around the house. I told her that was a good idea. In my experience you use one, put it down where you used it and then wonder where it is next time you need it!
Next time you are wondering how you will carry on, consider my friend at almost 93. Are you determined? Can you apply your determination with wisdom? Is there a middle road that will bring you both fulfillment and satisfaction? Can you balance your strengths and not let them become weaknesses?
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!
Many years ago I would occasionally hear a praise song in my mind. A melody, a set of words, and the next thing I knew I would be singing to the Lord.
I have never done anything with those praises except to write them down. This past year I made a new friend who wanted to put one on staff paper. She did it! And I am amazed.
We decided to pursue the rest of the songs. We have a priest who teaches us simple songs of faith. She is interested in these also, so that was a good impetus towards getting them to a state where they are ready to share.
So here is one melody. I recorded it while picking it out on a different friend’s electric keyboard that she loaned to me. My musical friend said she will likely put them in a key that is more singable.
LYRICS: The Great I Am I know the great I AM The great I AM knows me I am content in this I know the great I AM
It took me a bit to learn how to record the melody. Then how to upload it to the blog. Below is the music for you if you are interested in pursuing this further.
In the move to make worship easier for all our church uses a printed bulletin each week instead of the Book of Common Prayer and a hymnal. Last week in the Eucharistic prayer I was struck by these sentences.
Your redeeming work continued when through the Virgin Mary, you became incarnate in Jesus Christ, so that through him we might experience the depth and width of your unquenchable love.
No, I do not understand all of that language and do not presume to explain to you what I do believe about it. I do know that the love of God IS unquenchable and vast beyond our comprehension!
Have you tasted that unquenchable love in your life? Can you recall that moment and stay with it as the days of Lent unfold?
And again we prayed:
Send your Holy Spirit we pray, into these gifts of bread and wine and send your Holy Spirit into us, that we may RECOGNIZE each other as members of the same body, Christ’s hands and feet and heart, sent for the healing of the world.
Nothing is too difficult for our God. Help me Father to let you open my eyes to the wonders of your redeeming work. Help me recognize your people as members of the same body you have created for the healing of the world.
Another quote posted by Gratitude.com. When Bob pointed out this morning that there was not a post today from my blog I was dismayed. How does that happen? I was certain I had written and posted 5 blogs for the week.
At times I list the wrong time of day for the post to appear. Other times I have simply not written 5 posts. There was no post for today. God only knows where my confusion and mistake occurred.
Nouwen says I must make an “explicit effort to acknowledge” being able to write is given to me as a gift of love, to be celebrated with joy. All that I am and have is given to me as a gift of love.
Here is the Nouwen icon written by Kelly Latimore.
Many years ago I read a few of Henri Nouwen’s books .I really liked them. I think that might be a good reading adventure for me in 2026.
When we pray our evening prayer over our dinner meal I am constantly reminded that we have been given so much. Our lives overflow with gifts. Repeatedly I am reminded to hold all things loosely. Are we aware of how quickly our lives may change and what we assumed was forever can be over in the blink of an eye. Do we continuously make that “explicit effort to acknowledge that all we are and have is a gift?”
My neighbor John just went past the window riding in the car as his wife drives. His vision has changed and he can no longer drive. The independence he knew previously is gone now. His red truck now belongs to his son.
My friend Myrtle took a fall in her bathroom. At 92 years old, having broken vertebrae and ribs is no laughing matter. Yet, when I visited her in person at the rehabilitation center she was still able to laugh. She is not allowed to twist her rib cage or bend forward. She loves the tiny house she lives in. She was driving herself every place. I cannot see how she will be able to return to her house or independence. She trusts that God is in control. She is certain that things will unfold as they should. Her future? God only knows. Since she can smile and trust certainly I must be able to also.
Gratitude is used in many places today. Are we applying it in the way that Nouwen suggested? Can we see even the uncomfortable areas in our lives as gift?
Another neighbor has some illness that has caused her to lose weight consistently without trying since Christmas. She suddenly turned yellow the other day. They are running tests and did a scan stat. Is it a blockage in a duct that needs removing or something more sinister?
How might your life change suddenly? Are you prepared to trust that God holds you in the palm of his hand and loves you? Are you conscious that every blessing in your life is a gift? Might you be willing to trust and wait patiently as what seems like unwelcome circumstances unfold?
Someone said, “It is all a gift.” Lean into that sentiment and be grateful.
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 