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I used to eat because if I didn’t eat I’d get shaky. Now I eat because food taste good. Notice I said food. I can’t think of anything I don’t like. I take that back. I don’t like turnips. My favorite things to eat are snacks. I like popcorn, chips, nuts, crackers etc. etc. The hard part is stopping because they never stop tasting good! I’m asking God to help me eat healthy.

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2

Some days it’s hard to keep from thinking about how things used to be. Before my husband’s stroke he could make or fix just about anything. But now things are different. He can’t do the things that once came so easy. We’re learning not to focus on what he can’t do. That’s not the point. Instead, the point we don’t want to miss is what Jesus can do, will do and has done for us. If in some way things have changed for you too, and you have a new normal, don’t miss the point. Remember…Jesus can do, will do, and has done great things.

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” Rev. 4:8

After all these years I still remember when he kissed me for the first time. My house had a screened in front porch. He walked me through the porch to the front door. He opened the front door for me and I stepped inside the house. I stood in the doorway. He stayed on the porch. With one hand holding the front door open he leaned forward and gave me a sweet kiss. I remember thinking— that’s nice! About a year later he popped the question and asked me to marry him. I immediately said, “YES!” After my “YES” I got scared. At that point, I decided to pray. Marriage is a big promise. It’s forever. I remember that night I knelt beside my bed and prayed. I wanted to marry the man God picked for me. Over the years, I can say without a doubt… God picked Carl for me. The lesson I want to remember is when life brings you to a place where God’s will is not clear. Don’t forget to pray!

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jer. 33:3

Lord Jesus, You don’t need a clock, a watch or a calendar. You are the Time Keeper. You always were and always will be. Remind us again that You are God and in control. Free us from anxiety that causes us to hurry. Take away the regret of time lost. You can make up for lost time. Help us to wait on You and trust Your timing. Thank You, Great God for being Our Time Keeper.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Eccl. 3:11

Have you ever asked God questions like: “Why is this happening? I don’t understand.” “Why wait? This is taking too long.” “Why the pain? It hurts.” The Lord is teaching me in times of no clear answers, the next best step is to bow in reverence to our Holy God. To bow is like saying I choose to look beyond my circumstances and trust God. There is a sense of well-being when we respectfully bow before our Loving God. We can trust Him because He is all-knowing, loves unconditionally and understands our questioning.

Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4-5

Has this ever happened to you? You need to make a decision. You’ve thought about it, talked about it and prayed about it. You’re getting closer and closer to making a decision. But you’re on the edge and still no final decision. It’s difficult when we can’t see the next step. The picture above makes me smile. For me the picture captures the feeling right before making an important decision. Deciding to move was a big decision for us. We didn’t know where we would live, how much our new place would cost or how long it would take to sell our house. Even though there were lots of things we didn’t know, God’s Word reassured us that HE KNOWS. Are you on the edge of making a decision? If so, the truth is that GOD KNOWS all things and wants the very best for you. You can trust Him and rest in His plan for you, because He said so.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer. 29:11

As a little girl growing up on a farm I remember the big pond and thinking how much fun it would be to swim. But Mother warned us never to go near the pond. She was scared we would drown and rightly so. One summer day my imagination about swimming got the best of me. I was playing in the old one-story coal shed. I decided to go to the open window and place my belly on the window sill. I began kicking my legs and moving my arms as if I were swimming; all the while yelling to my sister, “Look I’m swimming!” I bet you can guess what happened next. With all that kicking and waving my arms I lost my balance on the window sill and down to the ground I went. I knocked myself out! I’ve been told my poor twin sister went to get Mother screaming, “Judy’s dead!” The next thing I remember I was lying in bed with Mother standing over me checking me out. I’ve been told as Mother carried me into the house our pet lamb Josephine followed flinging little round brown balls behind her. With all the excitement no one knew how the lamb managed to get into the house. We thanked God I had no major injuries…just shook up from the knock out. I do believe God protected me. I bet you too can think of a time in your life when God was like a protective shield around you.

But you are a shield around me, O LORD. Psalm 3:3

Have you ever wished the fear you face would disappear and never return? I have. When my husband had a stroke I was so frightened. I literally had a deep physical aching in my chest. I tried to calm down and relax but the ache continued. I was so afraid I was going to have a heart attack. I even got to the point of wondering if we would end up in the same hospital room. I kept trying not to be afraid but it wasn’t working. Until…a friend of mine reminded me that true peace comes from knowing God is in control. I needed to be reminded that God’s got it and I can trust Him even when things are falling apart. So much of the Christian walk is about trusting God. Day by day, little by little, over time the aching in my chest went away. Are you facing a fear you wish would disappear and never return? Like me, you may need to be reminded that God is in control and way bigger than any fear you may be facing. We can lay our fears at the feet of Jesus and say to Him…

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. Psalm 56:3

I cannot look at this picture without laughing. Even when I don’t feel like laughing the picture makes me laugh. I believe God created in us the ability to laugh because it’s good for us. Laughter makes us feel better, relieves tension and helps us put things in proper perspective. One summer afternoon my husband and I got caught in a major downpour of rain with no umbrella and no hoodies on. My husband walks slower now because of his stroke so there was no running to the car. As we slowly walked arm and arm, I looked at him and said, “I believe we’re soaked to our underwear!’ He started to laugh and before we knew it we were both laughing. Laughter helped us put things in proper perspective…we were soaked for sure, but safe and sound.

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Psalm 126:2

“Praising God for loving us ALL enough to provide The Solution to the problem we created, but are incapable of fixing ourselves.” quote by Austin Elmer

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11