breathing room for my soul
God, listen to me shout, bend an ear to my prayer. . . You've always given me breathing room, a place to get away from it all...... And I'll be the poet who sings Your glory! Psalm 61:1, 3, 8 The Message
Friday, October 11, 2024
Roadmap to True Abundance
Saturday, October 05, 2024
Hope in the Chaos
"Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them." Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
Like many of you, I see the unimaginable disaster of Hurricane Helene that fills the media. While many of us know people who have been affected, most of us know people who are safe and not hurt, despite all the destruction and disruption to life. The entire East Coast is grieving the tragic loss of those who have died, and is weeping for the life-changing, unbelievable suffering by those in the direct path, the floods and fallen trees, no water or power, business and homes and bridges floating away, and so many people who are still missing. We describe our reactions with words like angry, sad, shocked, frustrated, confused, overwhelmed, and when we get good news, we sigh with thankfulness and relief. Any unexpected, devastating storm reveals a fresh underlying threat woven into the fabric of our lives. We cannot help but examine our emotions of vulnerability.
In Ecclesiastes, we find the wisdom of King Solomon which shakes up our comfort zones, opens up our gates of protection. Bad things happen and happen to all people and happen suddenly without warning. We do not like the injustice of these truths. Words fail us. Grief captures us. Reality consumes us. When our family or community or security is threatened, the truth of our frailty reveals itself. We desperately long for a HOPE that is ever-present!
Unfortunately, the vulnerabilities in life enter into our lives daily while on this earth. Our HOPE is always in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, the redemption of Jesus Christ and the Sovereignty of God. These NEVER change, not with situations, not with seasons. His Presence must be our Comfort zone, our Gate of protection. This HOPE is ever-present - especially in the middle of chaos! ~dho
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Transformed by Love
Friday, September 20, 2024
Purpose in Every Season
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1
"How will we know when to act, when to wait? How will we know when it is our time to lead rather than our time to follow? Discernment calls us to spiritual understanding but also to action." Henri NouwenWhat does discernment mean and how do I apply it to my faith journey? Some of the very questions Nouwen identified above calls me to explore discernment. How do I know when to wait? How do I wait? When is waiting just avoiding action? When does following become the easy answer? What if stepping out in action is not God's purpose for this season of life? How can the soul discern God's purpose anyway? The answers are myriad. Perhaps somewhat of a paradox, the path of discernment can be both clouded by uncertainty and fueled by possibility.
Friday, September 13, 2024
Remnant of Love
September 13, 1974 our family buried my grandmother, 50 years ago today! I have to share this post again! And yes, the laughter was louder! - Donna
Every autumn, every year, my heart remembers a time of personal and spiritual growth. After a brain tumor surgery, my grandmother retains her abilities to comprehend situations, but can no longer verbally express herself. Recalling the summer of 1974 finds me thankful for these last months of sharing, both through tears and gestures, but always laughter was louder.
Reflections of my paternal grandmother's last stage of living always bring to mind an unusual demonstration of friendship. Her friend remains faceless to me. She's just a name that I heard from time to time over the years. And, just as mysteriously, for nearly 5 months, a red rose arrived each day.
A Remnant of Love
Thursday, September 05, 2024
Just Breathe!
After writing this blog for many years, I did something different this summer… nothing! I decided to take the summer off from blogging, a rest, a refresh! The change has been good for me, no concerns and reminders to post, time to reflect without words, breathing room for my soul. Sometimes, just breathing is what the soul needs! Enjoy this new season!!
[God] is waiting to explode our smallness and put us in places of which we have only dreamed. . . Do not settle for smallness, . . . God is waiting to take you into places and open you up to opportunities that exist only in your wildest dreams. Dennis Kinlaw, This Day with the Master
Kinlaw goes on to point out that these opportunities do not come from our own making, rather "you must let [God] give you the opportunities and move you into new places." Why is it that we complain about the smallness of our lives, the smallness of the moments? When does our complacency allow us to be content with our smallness? How often do we go in search of new places and opportunities by ourselves? Do we seek God's will for our moments or charge ahead, desperate to create our own?
These are questions that wrestle with my mind and will. The many possibilities can create conflict for me, and other times, the waiting stagnates my willingness. If these words are true, that God desires to put [me] in places of which [I] have only dreamed, dare I not wait with Him? Likewise, if I must let God provide the opportunities and move me to these new places, dare I not trust His leading? I must trust Him absolutely! ~dho
God, the One and Only - I'll wait as long as He says.
Everything I need comes from Him,
He's solid rock under my feet,
breathing room for my soul.
. . . So trust Him absolutely.
Psalm 62:1-2,8 The Message