Shine Today

The title of this post is what my uncle wrote on my cast when I broke my foot in 4th grade (in a swimming pool, WITH water in it). Clumsy much? You could say so.  Pretty much my entire life I have been a clutz. From tripping over nothing to getting hit with a basketball and even running into a fire hydrant. Let's not stop there--slamming my own thumb in my car door, sewing my finger, walking into door jams, I'm always dropping food on myself, always drop the drink container I use, stubbing my toes, dropping cups & bowls, running into people, knocking things over, walking into our tv stand...I know there's more. Oh and let's not forget I naturally walk crooked.  But, this last week for some reason there was more emotion about it. First I bumped a lid to a pot and it shattered, then 2 days later I dropped a plate with food on it and it broke (see my pics on my facebook). Honestly I wanted to cry. Not because I broke things, but because I broke things, make sense? Whe...

Recently I was asked to share a thought to be used as a devotional. At first, I panicked because im not good at it. There's so much going on it's difficult to find a space, and I have a hard time being consistent. Just because I work at the church office doesn't mean I've got it all figured out, I still struggle. I don't always find the space or time to just sit with God and listen.  The great news is God is not disappointed in me and He doesn't love me less. So, I have two things I'd like to share- a verse and a song. The verse is Habakkuk 3:17-19, you can read it yourself, but it says how all these things aren’t going right and then he says  “yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength;” I call it my “yet” verse because even if things are not going the way I think they should, I will still rejoice in the Lord. Then there is this song, “Goodness of God.” I play this on repeat often. There are a few ve...

It's been a bit since i've written. Life just flies by. I think part of the reason i havent written is i find myself wondering what to share. So I'm just going to be real. Life has been hard these past few months. Actually, a few years. The most challenging is my inability to get my house in order. I want to be able to get to the place to have people over again and they have a place to sit. I want to be able to have dinner at the table, or play games, or build a puzzle. But theres just so much stuff, everywhere. And then we got a puppy, because having a full house with two children isn't enough. My husband brought her home. I get it, i've done it. but we weren't ready for a puppy. In the middle of all this, my sister-in-law died from a complication during surgery. The reality of grief has hit a whole new way, and all the "firsts" without her were immediate, like the next day! Oh and don't forget, menopause arrived! And then another grandbaby was bo...

Being an adult isn't a horrible thing. We get to have children, grandchildren, do things without asking for permission, just to name a few. Of course there are some things about the growing up that can be challenging--having to pay bills. Realizing that you can't do the same things you did when you're 20. And my favorite, having several things that need to be replaced at one time. Things like a car tire, a close dryer, a water heater, a toaster,  a  food processor (although not a priority), and a garage freezer.   In the midst of all these things, our bathtub and washing machine backed up... challenging as this can all be, I'll take being an adult over going back to homework and being a kid any day. 

We showed up at church this morning and there was a homeless person camped at the door. Someone explained she would need move because we needed the door. But she didn't, not out of spite or anger but because she was cold and tired. So we worked around her. I text a gal who leads our outreach ministry to see if she had anything for her. She brought some toiletries and a sandwich. Someone had clothes they were going to give away and gave them to her. Then after service was over, I knew we had coffee left. So I brought her a cup. She is an older gal, maybe my age or a little older.  She asked if we had creamer and I had my daughter take some to her. By now she was moving around, but still at the door. I knew I had a blanket in my car, so I went to get it, and found a light sweater. I brought them to her. She said thank you. And then, she asked if I happened to have hand sanitizer or tissues. I did. And I remembered I had another one in my car. When I got the one out of my car I grabbe...

To the LGTBQ+ community, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the pain you have endured just because you are you. I'm sorry for the hurtful words people have said about you, just because you are you. I'm sorry for the physical pain, even death, caused by people, just because you are you. I'm sorry for the words spoken by Christian's who tell you you are wrong and need to repent, just because you are you. I wish I understood why people respond to you the way they do, just for being you. I wish I understood why people are afraid of you, why they are so against you, why they speak such horrible things, why they feel the need to "correct" you & "fix" you, and why so many of them dare to use the Bible to point out how wrong you are---all because you are just being you. I wish people could see how kind, generous, compassionate, and loving you are.  #lgbtq+ #pride #love #loveoverhate