Wouldn’t it be wonderful to put on a pair of shoes like this? Especially when you get to be my age. In a couple years I’ll be 80. I never thought I’d make it this long, but here I am. Where am I again?
Well actually, I’ve not completely lost my memory, but each day it seems to get a little more worn out – like every other part of my anatomy. Somehow there is no amount of collagen that will cut through the cellulite. Those dimples are now a permanent part of your hips, thighs and other more conspicuous places.
Retinol, Botox, injections, plastic surgery and body contouring are all options available to anyone who has thousands of dollars to spend on their appearance, but when you’re almost eighty, there doesn’t seem much point in making such an investment when you know you aren’t long for this world.
Americans are consumed with how they look. Those who think they are making a statement with their hair color, body piercings and tattoos are simply following the crowd and eliminating their uniqueness. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all just enjoyed what God has endowed us with?
Memory is important to me for a number of reasons. If you’ve ever read the Sparks book, “The Notebook,” you will understand one of them. I am a writer. It behooves me as such to keep a record of things like the heroine in that story. Her husband read her journal to her, in order to stir her dying memory. It was a real tear jerker and also thought provoking. Since reading the book and seeing the movie, I find it imperative to write things down.
I also am a performer at times. I do less of it lately, but I find it keeps my memory sharper. When you have to memorize lines, blocking, interaction, responses, etc. you rely totally on your brain power to get you through the process.
My mother and both of my grandmothers lived to their 80s and 90s and were sharp as tacks in spite of numerous physical ailments. I pray that I will retain my sanity as well as my memory through the coming years.
Getting old doesn’t have to mean giving up. I refuse to do so. As time wears on me physically and I find it harder each day to do the things I did only a day before, I will continue to trust that God has a plan for every moment of my life. When we think that way, we’re allowing Him to do the good work in us that is totally for our benefit.
Dear Lord, Thank you for all your blessings. Even when the world around us is closing in on us and it seems that things are upside down, I know that only you can bring order from the confusion. Help us to turn to you, to depend and rely on you, to carry out your plan for us. In Jesus name, Amen!
There’s something about the changing seasons that gets me thinking about deep cleaning the house. In the winter, we accumulate so many dust bunnies and fur balls, the thought of getting rid of that excess usually arrives when the birds start to sing again and new life rises up around us. This past spring left me totally devoid of the desire to clean. We were in lockdown and my inner sanctuary belonged to my husband and me alone. I didn’t have to impress anyone. I could let things slide and no one would know the difference.
When summer arrived, I should’ve been cleaning up the winter remnants and getting ready for the new season by planting things and adding a new perennial or two. My allergies exploded and the thought of being a victim of the deadly virus kept me glued to the inside rather than out. Soon I became captive to my TV and old movies and series became the soup du jour. This menu and a lack of physical activity added to my girth and made it even more difficult to get my butt in gear. Remember, I was glued to the flat screen.
The windows were coated with dirt from the construction of a new park in our neighborhood. Raindrops spattered and mixed together with the dirt and made my view almost invisible. Closets were ready to be changed back to winter clothes, but I didn’t have the motivation to rearrange anything.
Last week I enjoyed a wonderful span of three days away from the maddening crowd. There was a television, but I didn’t watch it. Instead I played cards, watched the sun rise and set over the lake, ate amazing food, played with the grand dogs, enjoyed the company of my husband, my son, my future daughter-in-law and her parents. It was just what the doctor ordered. Getting away from the news, the politics, protests and riots, man’s inhumanity against his fellow man and all the ugliness going on right now was a welcome relief.
It gave me a new outlook. Monday, I cleaned the closet that was overflowing with summer stuff and brought out the flannel. The windows were washed and for the time being are clean. This spurt of energy lasted for a day. I wonder if I should follow Maxine’s advice and just delete house cleaning from my daily planner.
Sunlight rises through skeletal remnants of trees that once were lush with a canopy of green.
The sunshade turns from hues of chartreuse and emerald to rust, gold and crimson.
The demise of summer is right around the corner.
When the heat soars, so do our tempers. Our level of patience seems to wither along with the flowers. When fall approaches Minnesota, we know that winter isn’t far off and we want to hang on to every precious bit of sunshine and fresh, crisp air.
Soon enough we’ll have to hibernate again, along with the bears, for at least 5 or 6 months of bone chilling cold. It seems we have become natural hibernators.
Along with the decreasing temperatures, we have a shortage of sunshine and depression can easily set in. Spring brings a treasure of sun into our lives again.
When the sun shines, we thrive. When Jesus is in our lives we also shine and no amount of difficult weather or circumstances can take that “Son” light away.
I wonder if I would be strong enough to physically defend my faith when it came right down to it. Are any of us really ready enough to stand up against persecution? As we look at the world today, there are many who use violence in the name of their beliefs. Is this what the Bible tells us to do?
2 Chronicles 20:9 If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.
Every day we’re called on to defend our beliefs. We may not be in any physical danger, but the fact that our Christian faith is being challenged constantly shows us that we need help in standing strong and staying the course. Even within our own places of worship, the strain of not being able to gather as we used to is causing discontent and grumbling.
Are we ready?
God tells us to call on His name in every trouble, no matter how difficult or impossible it may seem. He assures us that He will stand with us and that He will carry the burdens we bear every day. Even when our lives hang in the balance, He is there to guide us through it. He will never let us go.
We live in world full of corruption, evil, hatred and all kinds of sin. God is our defender and He alone will answer the prayers of those who remain faithful to Him. This is not because of what we do, but because He first loved us. Cling to that amazing grace, for it is the only sure and certain way to overcome our enemies, our fears and our lives.
This past few days have been a time away from all the madness of the world – a time to refresh, relax and restore some of the zest that’s been missing for quite a while. Our son invited us to spend a few days at a lovely lake home. Of course we agreed. How could we not?
As I set aside all thoughts of writing, aches and pains and frustrations of a world gone a bit crazy, I focused on enjoying the beauty of nature and total relaxation. As my friend Oneta, at Sweet Aroma told me, it was a time to refire – not retire.
We all need those getaways from time to time. Time to wipe away the cobwebs and clear out some of the dust bunnies of the brain. We also had the opportunity to share time with ours son’s fiancee and her parents. A great time was had by all of us and I got to share some time with a couple of adorable canines as well. Our grand dogs came along too. It was delightful being waken by a doggy facewash again.
In this world of ours, we need to escape from the noise and clatter of politics, protests, prejudice, anger and hatred. We are all missing the gatherings, the physical touch, the need to be together. We have a lot of lessons to be learned from this long time of isolation. I pray that we won’t let this time go to waste.
As kids return to school after the longest spring break ever, they will face a totally different way of learning. Teachers will also face new challenges. As we slowly emerge from our cocoons, we will all take on a different appearance. I am hopeful that this long period of contemplation, recharging and renewal will cause us to be restored and ready to go – ready to face the world with a positive outlook – ready to worship again in the way we once did – ready to remove the masks and smile at each other again.
Sometimes you need a break from all the noise – from the rumble of the city streets to the clutter of daily life. In these times of loud, clamoring insanity, it’s good to retreat to the safety and serenity of doing nothing.
This will be my situation for a while. I will say goodbye to social media, no more work for a few days and just quiet, peaceful rest. I will be back soon with more art and poetry and words to encourage and inspire. You can’t get rid of me forever.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
A good work ethic means staying late to finish the work someone else didn’t want to do or didn’t feel he had to do. It means giving up lunch to take care of a customer. It means putting in more than your time – and then some. Our country was founded on a solid work ethic. The founders were faced with difficult decisions, but they took this infant government and turned it into one supported by faith in God and a place where everyone could succeed if they possessed that desire to work for it.
Now we have become a nation of many who expect things to be done for them; a country that saps those with a good work ethic, so that those who don’t want to work can take advantage of a system that keeps making it possible. I’m not saying that we should not take care of those who need it, but when we create an environment of entitlement, it’s wrong. Part if the problem is that our churches have failed to step up to the plate when it comes to helping those in need.
It’s imperative that we as parents, grandparents and a nation teach our children that entitlement doesn’t exist for those of us that follow Christ. We are entitled to nothing, but we are given everything because of God’s love for us. Do we then sit back and wait for heaven, knowing that we don’t have to do anything to get there? Of course not. Our work has just begun. Let it begin within our families and our churches.
With grateful hearts for our salvation, let’s thank God for the grace He provided by sending His Son to take our place and make full atonement for our sins. We are not entitled to any of it, but He gives it freely. We then should turn our thanks into action towards those in need. That action isn’t always monetary. It can be something as simple as making a meal, cutting the grass, grocery shopping – running errands – sitting with them and talking – being a friend – giving them a hug.
We’ve been so blessed as Christians. Our cup of joy should spread over all those we meet. If we can do one thing that will genuinely help others, it’s to introduce them to Jesus and let them know what He’s already given them.
Our world is full of hurting people. Depression and anxiety are commonplace. The daily news alone is enough to make us depressed. Those emotions are real and difficult to overcome, but we won’t if we continue to feel we deserve more than we have. In fact, we should even consider our work a gift from God.
BY GOD’S LOVE & THE PRICE PAID BY JESUS – WE HAVE IT ALL!
Passivity is a term best described as being a couch potato. The Oxford Dictionary describes it as, “acceptance of what happens, without active response or resistance.”
Lately I’ve found myself going to the couch more often than I’ve ever done. I don’t think it’s because I would rather work than enjoy life. I just grew up feeling that I had to be doing something all the time.
Being passive in our current times means sitting on the fence without taking any action. In other words let others’ opinions take over and submit to their way of thinking without really having a voice. Today we see this happening when we must be so careful not to offend anyone, while we are being offended and say nothing about it.
I’ve been avoiding the news for the past several weeks, filling this time with other things. Unfortunately I’m spending more couch time while letting the world pass me by. Aging can do that to a person, because we feel entitled to time for ourselves alone. Still God wants us to be active in our lives no matter what our age.
When we have opinions, they should matter just as much as the next guy. When we try to solve problems, we shouldn’t become frustrated or angry if the solution doesn’t occur immediately. Answers don’t always come right away. Patience will lead to results in due time. God knows what He’s doing and He has everything mapped out for us.
Do we remain complacent and let others fight over the firestorms that occur in every day? Do we stand up for the truth? We owe it to ourselves to research every piece of news that comes to us. If we don’t, we’re looking at a short future for our country. We need to do our research and look for facts rather than fake news.
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
It seems every generation has been tagged with some sort of nickname. For example; the roaring 20s, the dirty 30s, the swinging 60s and the disco 70s. Other terms are also associated with each age; such as the Greatest Generation, The Baby Boomers, The Silent Generation, the Me Generation and Generations X, Y and Z.
Whatever we’re perceived as, the important thing is how God looks at us. Our sinful nature guarantees that we were conceived in sin and God should look at all of us as unworthy to approach Him. Thankfully God doesn’t work that way. His love is beyond our understanding and because of that love we have been washed clean of all our ugliness by the death and resurrection of His Son.
The beautiful message of the Gospel, assures our forgiveness if we only believe it. Isn’t it wonderful that in this world, where evil and selfishness prevail, those who have faith in the most important gift of God can still be part of the “Redeemed Generation.” Because of His grace alone we will inherit His heavenly kingdom. Through our faith alone, which is also a gift from God, we receive the promise of eternal life. Through His inspired Word, we have the perfect handbook for life provided by the King of Kings. It isn’t complicated.
Thank you, Holy Father, for all your amazing gifts. Help us to show our gratitude by being like your Son. May we be servants, friends, helpers, workers and sharers of your love. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen!
It’s September and many schools are now in session. Whether the students will learn via the internet or in school classes, its an exciting time for them. It’s been an extremely long spring break for most, having been in a state of suspended animation. They have been longing for face to face contact and re-establishing old friendships.
It’s September and the changing of seasons is beginning to show itself in nature. Bales of hay now fill fields where grain used to grow or in corn fields that have been plowed over for the winter – fodder for the animals to sustain them through the shorter days ahead. Leaves begin to change colors and God’s pallet is filled with the most amazing hues.
It’s September and the squirrels are shaking the branches of the black walnut tree outside our window. Some are hidden for future use. Some are placed in semi-perfect view for the next day. When they tire of cracking through the tough outer skin, they tend to raid the bird feeder for more immediate satisfaction. Flocks of birds are gathering and changing their flight pattern to the south. Flowers are showing off right now as if expressing their last hurrah before they return to the earth.
It’s September and as we age, we also realize that the winter of our lives is getting closer each day – that soon our journey on earth will end and we will rest eternally in God’s own hands. That should bring us great comfort, but death still seems ominous, because it indicates an ending to many of us.
It’s September and in this season, we experience more physical issues. Falls occur because of vertigo or instability. Muscles atrophy because of lack of exercise. Bodies break down from the inside out. Memory is dulled somewhat and the things that happened only moments ago get lost, as memories of years gone by are as vivid as if they were happening right now.
It’s September and from the onset, we Minnesotans start to think of winter snow and frigid temperatures instead of living in the moment. Maybe God gives us these changes in seasons so that we take more than just a minute to enjoy them.
This painting was done on an extremely hot and humid day, several years ago. The poem was composed on a freezing winter day. The two time periods emphasize the hues of blue that pierce through the heat of summer along with the bone chilling cold that comes with the length of winter. Putting the two together seems appropriate for this transition of the seasons and overcoming some of the blues of the times.
When my son was just a young lad, we gave him some Tonka trucks which allowed him to spend hours digging up dirt and moving it from one place to another. Not only did it fill the time, but he nearly excavated a small portion of our backyard. I also enjoy digging in the dirt and attacking the weeds – pulling and tugging as the long roots are lifted from the earth. There’s something about digging in the dirt that gives great satisfaction.
We’re in prime time dirt digging right now and the mud being slung is probably going to hit record numbers before it’s all over. With the year we’ve been having so far, I don’t know if I’m ready for all the back and forth. 2020 will go down in the history books (if we ever see them again,) as a year everyone would rather forget.
We’ve seen it already in the investigations occurring on a regular basis in Washington, DC. Anger, hatred and malice fuels this activity and turns a simple dig into a huge excavation with holes everywhere.
Debates can be good, but who knows what will happen in this election? We have an incumbent president, who has achieved success by telling everything like it is – whether it hurts another person doesn’t seem important. On the other hand, we have a candidate who has difficulty communicating in full sentences and often drifts off to other topics. To top it off, we have social media, which is filled with personal opinions without fact checking. We have a news media that seems to be hell bent on creating turmoil, so they have something to write about. We have the entertainment industry, spewing their opinions and using their popularity to change people’s minds.
Digging up dirt is usually intended to make room for something new and different. When we’re talking about slander and character assassination, it takes on a whole different meaning. Instead of building up, it is designed to tear down.
With the coming election, we can count on being bombarded by negative advertising, news stories that bring up things from a long time ago and a public that is being led into making a decision based on these dirty stories.
The truth is hard to take some times, yet when that truth is bent on someone’s downfall, it’s downright nasty. We need to do our homework as voters. We can’t sit idly by and listen to the lies and twisting of the truth and base our decision on those things. It’s our obligation to make our own wise decisions, based on facts.
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” Matthew 16:26
One nation under God,” is what our founders said, But something happened on the way. They now say God is dead. I know our God lives on. He stands at heaven’s gate. And He will bring our nation back from greed, and lies and hate.
Under our pow’r alone, we cannot run the race. He sent His dear Son, Jesus, to die and take our place. Because He is our God, He’ll never let us stray. He holds our hands and leads us into His holy way.
In this new day and age, we strive to do what’s right, We try not to offend; we try with all our might, But when the road is paved with misery and fears, Our hearts must stay with Jesus, to overcome the tears.
God is not dead at all. He lives in you and me, If we remain in Him our conscience will be free, So join your hand with Jesus throughout this earthly life, He’ll give you strength and hope. He’ll take away your strife.
When we turn back to God, His arms are open wide. He doesn’t look at our mistakes, instead He looks inside. So let’s get back to basics and remember who we are. Though life may change, our God remains, He’s carried us this far.
We’re surrounded on all sides by danger. It seems to be our constant companion these days. If we go beyond our homes and venture into the unknown, if we take a step out of our comfort zone, if we let our fears over take us, we’re suddenly submitting to the dark side.
So what’s the solution to this constant cloud that hangs over us? We could hold ourselves captive by confining ourselves to the safety of our homes. It would seem the smart thing to do, but if you’re my age and have issues moving with ease, you could fall and injure yourself or simply spend your life in the peace and quiet of the couch – which you could easily fall off of and wind up with a broken limb.
Danger doesn’t have any limits. It can seek us out where ever we are and in a blink of an eye our situation is changed. I’ve had a few dangerous situations in my life. There was the time I was faced with a gun pointing at my head as two thieves robbed the place I worked. I gone into shock during a routine surgery and had an out of body experience. I’ve experienced danger every day of my existence, but knowing that I’ve been covered with God’s protection has given me the armor I need to survive.
That doesn’t mean I will throw caution to the wind or live foolishly. Although I’ve often done that too and am met with even more dangerous situations. My husband was once on a painting adventure in a thickly wooded area on the Mississippi River. He was approached from behind by a vagrant. He turned to face the man. The fellow looked at his face. It was apparent that he saw something more than an elderly man. He ran off in great fear. Paul says he would like to see what that man saw, but he knows that his guardian angel is fierce.
We do have protecting angels and I know from personal experience that mine must look like a mess by now. Those dear angels have had an arduous journey as my protectors, but not only are there the few that look after me, but a whole army of them have been placed around each one of us. Plus we have access to God through our prayers. I call that the greatest defense against danger anyone can have.
Psalm 34:4 ESV “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
I’ve been doing this blogging thing for six years now. I started the process of writing a daily article about my walk through life, my faith, aging, humor, politics, opinion, more humor, art and poetry and again more humor. Through this platform, I’ve created a sort of journal of things I face on a daily basis and hopefully my experiences and thoughts can help someone to get through their lives a little easier.
Along the way, I’ve made some very close friends – friend I’ve never met, but feel totally connected to them. Kindred spirits, you might call them, but they’ve become more than that. I consider many as part of my extended family. There’s Julie at Cookie crumbs to live by. Julie is like my younger sister. I love her ability to teach me new things about history and world events. She’s not only smart, but a passionate follower of Christ, a loving wife, devoted mother and grandmother. There’s Mark Rackley at Hatrack4 who is a story teller par excellence. His stories always lead back to his faith in God. The movie producer, Mitch Teemley has shown us his gift as a writer, a performer, humorist, movie maker, husband and father. Insanity Bytes is a favorite too with her feisty opinions and common sense answers for what’s happening in our world. David Kitz and his wonderful interpretation of the Psalms, gives daily comfort. Lady Quixote/Linda and her husband both suffer from PTSD and overcome anxiety with their relationship to God. Oneta Hayes gives us so much wisdom through her life experiences and Citizen Tom is a great resource for political information.
There are so many more in this vast family of writers. Those who share their stories and bring so much to the table. A veritable feast awaits for those who can find time to read all of them. Like our own families, each one is unique. Each one has a special flavor to add to he recipe. Each one has difficulties in their lives and yet they have a positive influence on our lives.
Our church family is like that too. Each one is different. We all have our special gifts and things we can offer to serve our Lord. Some fall away for a time. Some are zealous and show great joy when they worship while others choose to be humble and quiet. Like the human body, we’re made up of all different kinds of parts, working together for a common goal.
If our world began to think that way, I believe we’d be less angry, hateful, negative and be able to solve problems without so much violence. When we realize that each person God has brought into this world is an important part of the whole picture, our vision should become clearer. I hate the phrase, “We’re all in this together,” but we are all bound together by the Creator of the universe. He has a great plan for this family of His. Even in times of chaos, we can count on that.
As I reach the end of my years, I find I have a lot of good information stored up in this old decrepit mind of mine. If I don't write it all down, it may vanish and no one will have the advantage of my thoughts. This is why this blog exists. I love the Lord, Jesus with all my heart and soul. I know I'm undeserving of all He's done for me, but I also know that His love is beyond my comprehension.
I've always wanted to write. I never kept diaries, but tucked my thoughts in my head for future reference. I use them now in creating stories, plays, poetry and my blog.
I continue to learn every day. I believe the compilation of our time spent with God will have huge affect on the way we live. I know I'm a sinner and I need a Savior. I have One through Jesus, Christ.
My book, "Stages - a memoir," is about the seven stages of life from the perspective of a woman. It addresses all the things girls and women go through in life as they travel it with Jesus, and it is available on Amazon.com.
Life is a patchwork of moments — laughter, solitude, everyday joys, and quiet aches. Through scribbled stories, I explore travels both far and inward, from sunrise over unfamiliar streets to the comfort of home. This is life as I see it, captured in ink and memory. Stick around; let's wander together.
atimetoshare.me 
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