Handling Weapons

Life can be a lot. It’s messy, complicated, and honestly, exhausting sometimes. There are moments when it feels like everything is working against you: a boss who seems to have it out for you, a friend who talks behind your back, or even someone you trusted taking you to small claims court. Yeah, it gets real.

When I feel like I’m being dragged through the mud, there’s one verse that always comes to mind. It’s one of those go-to scriptures people quote when things get tough:

Surrender, Connection, and the Gift of Learning

It’s a peaceful Sunday morning. Raindrops are gently falling; not torrential, just enough to cool the air. I step outside my front door and take in the view: grass as green and lush as a carpet, shrubbery shaped like small balls, full of promise and growth. If peace had a form, I imagine it would look like this.

No swirling thoughts in my mind, just the quiet joy of basking in God’s creation. Surrounded. Surrendered. Humbled. Grateful.

Forging Ahead

It's been a while since I've shared anything in this space, and recently, within the past weeks, I have been convicted to write more. It's not just a simple conviction; writing is where I learn to submit, surrender, and share. 

I'm not alone when I say the external factors that comprise our lives have seemed chaotic on a daily basis for the past months. There's political upheaval, which shows up in new policies daily, mass firings, natural disasters, plane crashes, need I go on? And yet, in the midst of this, we must live.

Anchored in Peace, Resolved in Love

January 2025 felt like an entire year! Whew!

Here's what I'm learning and relearning - the more time I spend with God, the less I am disturbed by the circumstances around me. The Peace that passes all understanding takes on a new meaning. There is a resolve that comes from surrendering to God. It dictates my thoughts, my actions, my words. Over time I hope it is producing a calmness in my spirit.

Though I was very jaded and cynical after the results of this years' election, I am reminded that I still must show love, must be love. This is where I am as we start February - restful, present, peaceful, resolute in love.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6,7

What are you learning in this new year?

--Nylse

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Our Bodies

The human body is amazing. At my big age, I can still think clearly, walk smoothly, and push myself to try new things. I'm still afraid of dogs and have an aversion to cats but I often tell myself not to be afraid. The day a dog sits on my lap of my own volition will be monumental. I often feel awkward when my coworkers share pet stories or have their cats walking across their keyboard. (I digress).

Each day when I awake, I'm grateful for this machine that is my body. I hope I never take it for granted and that I nourish it as often as it needs it.

At this age, doctors become our friends; they fill our calendars. Being ever vigilant in taking care of our bodies every new ache may make us run to the doctor. While I'm grateful for doctors and their knowledge I do my best to rule out some things before I immediately call a doctor.

Recently I had a health scare - my blood pressure was ridiculously high combined with a heart

Disconnected: My Journey Through the Abyss of Losing My Phone

I pride myself on always keeping my phone. My phone is the keeper of information for me and my family. It acts like Grand Central Station, providing direction for multiple locations/people.

Late Friday evening, we decided to go out to dinner. I quickly changed, grabbed my phone, and headed to the car. Our first stop was at a restaurant closing in thirty minutes, so the kitchen was already closed. Bummer.

I misplaced my phone somewhere between leaving

Driving Thoughts - Road Conditions May Vary

The daily rituals of living provide many opportunities for us to view life through a spiritual lens; driving is one such thing. Many years ago, I did some posts called Driving Thoughts, which resonated with so many and focused on things I've learned and applied to my life.

When I read this devotional from Sisters In Faith, I knew immediately this would provide a great spiritual application for many.

As you travel, you will encounter ever-changing weather. In some places, you will encounter problems caused by rain, but just as cars are built with windshield wipers, God will clear your vision when things get stormy. 

Much Fruit

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch can not bear fruit without the branches, neither can ye unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit because you can do nothing without me. (John 15:3-4)

Much fruit. Later in that chapter, we're told of the promise of the Counselor or the Comforter. He would be in us at all times. He's the believer's secret weapon because we produce the fruit of the spirit through Him - love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

I'll Always Choose Faith

He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:39,40

Faith is a word we toss around so often we may forget its motivation. Humans without faith are like robots. Without faith, we do not live well, for faith is constructive. We don't just wake up every day and wash, rinse, repeat. Faith just may be the force that keeps us going. We exercise faith to get us through this life.

Recently, we had a memorial service for my mother-in-love at her home church in Jamaica. Before remembering those who passed in 2020, the pastor preached on faith. He spoke from the classic faith chapter - Hebrews 11 but focused on

How To Have Zen-like Peace

The phone rang. By the time the conversation was over, it felt like someone knocked the air out of my chest. Before I answered the phone I was happy, content. I noted that I had a zen-like peace. It was strange because there were anxious circumstances around me – family, job, relationships. I was beginning to revel in this feeling of peace which defied any human understanding.

After the phone call, the brick on my chest was painfully palpable. It hurt to breathe. But I had to keep going. I made some panicked phone calls then walked around the block with my husband. I started to beat myself up, wondering what role I played in this outcome. I came up empty. Then I started to ask why. The why seemed loud initially, but that zen-like peace wouldn’t disappear; it

Your Stimulus Check

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace, you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV

A lot of folks are excited because they received an extra $1200 in their accounts. One thousand two hundred dollars, is a gift, regardless of your situation. For some, it's a lifeline, and for others, it feels like a bonus. The more prudent among us may decide to save all or most of it (if they can) for another rainy day.

A stimulus check is a check sent to a taxpayer by the U.S. government. Stimulus checks are intended to stimulate the economy by providing consumers with some spending money. When taxpayers spend this money, it will boost consumption and drive revenues at retailers and manufacturers and, thus, spur the economy (source: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/stimulus-check.asp).

High Stakes Low Stakes

As a parent, I remember when I first heard the phrase "high stakes testing." It was presented in a pressure-filled manner so that parents would approach state tests seriously. However, because I always took education seriously and knew how my children were doing in school, I approached these tests as low stakes tests - just another test that they would master. I felt that the pressure would be a hindrance, so flipped it on his head and treated the tests as normal, because children are primed to take tests as a way to indicate learning.

We are primed to deal with problems, Jesus told us it would be so. He said, "in this world, we will have tribulations but to be of good cheer for I have overcome the world (John 16:33)." He was letting us know that we should expect problems - no matter their shape, hue or size.

How To Respond to the Unkind Person in Your Life

Hurt happens. It happens to all of us, often when we do not anticipate it. It happens in families, it happens in friendships, it happens with co-workers, and we even hurt ourselves. The most confusing kind of hurt, though, is the hurt that happens for seemingly no reason.

Maybe for you, it's the customer service person who's supposed to be helping you out but keeps making everything more difficult with their attitude. This scenario rubs you the wrong way every time. You assume that kindness is a part of their job description without considering why they may be behaving rudely in the moment.

And Still, Be Still

Stillness. Quietness. Peacefulness. The absence of movement and sound. Something we crave yet we can't seem to find the time to Be. Still. Hush. Be Quiet. Be Still.

Be still, in the morning as you take your first breath before you open your eyes and check the time.

Be still, before the day's tasks get the best of you.

Be still, As you listen to your child's last-minute request or hear the fear in his voice as he faces the day.

They Killed My God on a Friday

Source

Every year, without fail my husband gets very reflective on Good Friday. One year the school the Little One attended scheduled parent-teacher conferences on this day. He said he's not going as, "They killed my God on a Friday." He does nothing on this day but reflect on the significance of the day. Good Friday is sacred to him.

One of the benefits of marriage is you get to see your partner live out their beliefs. The day is called good, but on this day what Jesus went through in terms of suffering was anything but good. But he hung on a cross for our good. He was sacrificed for us, for our sins.  His death made us perfect.

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday, on which the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ is commemorated in the Christian Church. It is traditionally a day of fasting and penance. (source: Wikipedia)

The Good on Friday is equivalent to the suffering we go through in

Grouchy Gideon Becomes a Mighty Hero - the 5th Judge

Rest, disobedience, deliverance, rest. The story of the Israelites is characterized by a cycle of

failing and then renewal. Once more after a period of rest, the children of Israel were disobedient. At the beginning of Judges 6, we see that their current enemy - the Midianites were thick like locusts - they were plenteous, and all encompassing. The Israelites could not escape from them; they pillaged the land and Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. (Judges 6:1-6) This went on for seven years.

We are now introduced to our sixth Judge - Gideon. He seems to be the most reluctant and timid of all the judges we've read about so far. But in spite of his personality, God uses him mightily to defeat the swarming locusts - the Midianites to the point where he is listed as a faith hero in the book of Hebrews. (Hebrews 11:32-34) Intitially, unbeknownst to Gideon, God sent an angel to Gideon to talk and chat with him. When Gideon meets the angel he is threshing wheat and hiding his harvest from the Midianites. Gideon was afraid of the Midianites, yet wise - the hidden wheat meant his family could eat.

The conversation starts with the angel addressing Gideon as, "Mighty Hero." As far we know Gideon never thought of himself in this way and because he's never thought of himself in this manner, he responded, "If that's the case, why are the Midianites terrorizing us? Why does it seem that the Lord has abandoned us? I am the least in my entire family."

More astounding is the response from the angel. He said to Gideon, "Go in the strength you have and rescue Israel. I am sending you."

Gideon says, "Show me a sign that you are indeed Lord. Also, Don't leave until I come back with my offering." Gideon may have begun to realize that this was not an ordinary man he was speaking with. Also, recall from your Sunday School lessons that  Gideon needed lots of signs from God for confirmation.

Gideon returns with a goat meat, broth and biscuits! The angel instructs Gideon to place the meat and the bread on a rock and to then pour the broth over both. Then the angel places his rod on the meat and bread and a fire consumes the meal and disappears. This supernatural act rendered Gideon momentarily speechless and more afraid for he realized that he just had a face to face conversation with God.

The Lord reassures him that he need not be afraid, and he will not die  (Exodus 33:20) as was expected, so Gideon built an altar to the Lord at that spot and referred to the Lord as being his peace - Jehovah Shalom. (Judges 6: 7-24)

Instead of fear, Gideon now had a sense of peace regarding his new assignment. He no longer had to be afraid. God had given him a new identity. What God calls and who you are can be two entirely different things. In the rest of Gideon's story, we will see that he lives up to the moniker that God gave him.

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you! Judges 6:12

--Nylse

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Frustration That Leads to Tears

I had been trying to fix a particular problem for what seemed like a very long time. I researched it, tried different solutions, worked with a support team and even called in the experts, all to no avail. I even prayed. It seemed like all of these solutions were missing the source, the root cause and so the problem persisted. I kept a brave face on. I kept trying. I'd take one step forward only to be stopped dead in my tracks - two steps back. Today, I reached my breaking point and I cried out of sheer frustration.

This problem was impacting my ability to work, to be productive. This problem was consuming me to the point where I felt I was going crazy. When tears rolled down my face, I was in disbelief because some part of me could not believe that the frustration of this unresolved problem had led me to this point.

I felt raw. I felt broken. I felt undone. Right in this moment, I prayed again. Praying is simply talking to God so I had an internal conversation with God where I expressed my disbelief and frustration. Somehow in that moment I also received peace and clarity. At that moment, I knew that this problem was no longer going to get the best of me. I finally had peace.

So I re-grouped, put my thinking cap back on and this time attacked the problem from a vantage point of victory. And finally this time, I was able to try the one thing that was overlooked to resolve the problem.

Have you ever felt like that? Have you used up all of your strength trying to resolve a problem with no resolution? Did the car stop working and you have no idea how to fix it? Did your microwave bite the dust? Is your landlord not doing what he's supposed to? Did your teenager seemingly turn into a monster overnight? Did a relationship unfold differently than you anticipated? Perhaps you need to become raw, broken and undone and take all of that to Jesus.

In all of this, I was never alone. It almost seemed trivial to pray about this - but it wasn't the problem per se, it was what the problem was doing to me. The problem was stealing my joy; today I recognized that and said "no more" in my brokenness.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 [NLT]

Don't let your problems get the best of you instead let the Best Person give you strength, clarity, and peace to handle all your problems.

Mornings With Children

It seems that no matter how much you plan, organize and strategize mornings with children can sometimes be chaotic. Since the Little One missed a week of school she has had to make up a boatload of schoolwork. (BTW, what's the point of missing school due to an excused absence and still having to make up all the work? Isn't that why it was excused?! rant over).

On Friday she found out that she had to do a project in a weekend that everyone in the class had at least two weeks to do. She decided that she would tackle this project and get it done. I don't know if you know, but 8th-grade work nowadays is not like when you and I were in school. They're expected to know how to use technology well and incorporate into their assignments.  She's done more PowerPoint's at 13 than I did at 20. What was a PowerPoint back then?! (Second rant over.) Of course, there's always the Mac vs PC argument, and this teacher wanted the assignment completed in Keynote which is the Mac version of PowerPoint. Well, we're not a Mac house, so that's that. Anyhow she does the Keynote part of the project on her phone very tediously and eventually gets frustrated. The first part was to write a 600-word report.

This morning she wakes up and realizes that there is a capability in PowerPoint to add a voice recording, so she attempts to complete the presentation this morning. Let me add the presentation was completed but part of the assignment was to record an interview as part of the presentation. (As I type this, this all seems a bit much for one weekend.) So she was going to record the interview this morning, This recording took at least 5 minutes. She did it once, she did it twice, she even attempted it a third time but it would not work. Each time she played back the presentation the recording was not included.

It is now 7:50 and we must leave because school starts at 8. She eats breakfast in the car as I drive to school.

She is so sad as she gets to school. She asks, "Why do I miss her so much?" She is just a mess and I pray with her and let her know that she can take her time. We hug for a while until she eventually regroups. She eventually gets out of the car, and I continue to pray as I make my way home.

Even without the specter of grief, mornings can be crazy. I know that she has to go through this and I'll do my best to continue to guide, support and comfort her. Sometimes in spite of our best efforts, things fall apart in the morning. Laundry is misplaced or worse no clean underwear; can't find a shoe or a book that's needed that day;  lunch is forgotten;  homework did not make it to the book bag. There's so much that can go wrong.

As a mother I've learned to take it easy, because unfortunately yelling or making empty threats just does not help....at all. Also, if I wake up early before all this mayhem, I'm better equipped to deal with it. Thankfully, this is not every day or even most days.

“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. Jeremiah 31:3[NLT]
I hope tomorrow brings a better morning.

It's in God's Hands

These words were recently used, as we are dealing with a major health crisis in our family. But I don't think we recognize the gravity of these words and the peace they can impart. And then as life so often goes this lesson was brought home to me in its own small way.

My brain has been consumed by a decision I recently made. Was it the right decision? Can I correct it? Will I have to grovel to make the change? Well after a restful night of sleep I woke up ready to deal with it but I was still anxious. I said a quick pray and made some phone calls. But at this point nothing was finalized - and then the words came to me, "It's in God's hands."

At that moment I realized that my worrying wasn't going to change the situation, my anxiety wouldn't fix it. Outside of what I could do, no additional worry, thought or anxiety on my part would affect the outcome.
Did this mean that the outcome would be what I wanted? No; it simply meant that I was relieved from worrying about the outcome. It allowed me to think clearly and say if the outcome went one way- great, if not this is where we are. Lack of anxiety and worry allowed me to think clearly. 

The situation we are dealing with as a family is grave, but the principle is still the same. When it's in God's hands, no amount of thinking, bickering, worrying or anxious thoughts will alter the outcome. We just don't have that power. 

Jesus who made us said, "why worry?" "Can all of our worries add a single hour to our lives?" Matthew 6:27

Obviously, not worrying doesn't mean not caring. It simply means after you've done what you can, let it go. God cares for us and in His caring, we can trust Him to help us. We can truly know all things - big and small, are in his hands.


“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:34

The next time you're stressed, worried or anxious, remember it's all in God's hands.

A Roller Coaster Ride

You know that feeling you experience when you’re on a roller coaster - the feeling of anticipation and trepidation?  

There’s the slow build up after you are buckled in and given the clearance to go. The higher the peak the slower the ride and the longer it takes. And then you are cresting the top of the ride. All of a sudden you are traveling at breakneck speed twisting and turning until the ride is over. It’s the longest 180 seconds of your life.

Life has felt like a 180-second ride for the past two weeks. As I mentioned in a prior post, we attended two funerals in two days. Then we had the most epic family reunion ever! My future son in law was welcomed and accepted. I met new cousins while laughing loving and having a good time together. The food was great – this year we used local caterers and every day for breakfast and dinner we were treated to Jamaican food. Lunch was on our own but even then that became communal. Older cousins took younger cousins on day trips – one to the Blue Hole and one to Prospect Plantation. It goes without saying that we were watching the Olympics Track and Field. Someone simply mentioned that Usain Bolt was running and everyone ran to see him. The non-athletic all of a sudden could move and even the caterers stopped serving. It’s expected and was all in good fun. 

I cannot put into words the excitement of watching the Olympics in Jamaica – it’s so different than watching in the States. The coverage is live throughout the day; places of work have a slower pace and if there is  green, yellow, black and gold in the field, you can be sure the nation is cheering the athlete on. In that epic 400m women’s final where the front runners were so close, in the din you could hear my husband loudly yelling “Go Sharicka, Go Sharicka, Come through Sharicka!!!” Sharicka Jackson made the podium with her 3^rd place finish. It should be noted that while I’m an Allyson Felix fan, I was cheering for my Bahamian girl – Shaunae Miller; she had the fastest time coming in and was favored to win. So I’m screaming for the Bahamas and my husband was, of course, cheering for Jamaica.

The next night we were in Port Royal eating fish, and Omar Mcleod ran the 100M hurdles. The whole place was initially quiet and then crescendoed into a shout as he won historic gold. NICE!

In the midst of all of this, I found out that my mom was very ill and was hospitalized. With spotty Wi-Fi, I was grateful for any updates I received and when the seriousness of her illness hit me I went into the bathroom and let out a guttural moan. I then spent the remainder of the day at the beach attempting to regroup.

O God, how I love my children. We were all together for the past two weeks and it felt joyous. It makes my heart smile to see them talking and offering each other advice and also being genuinely welcoming and open to their future brother in law. They’re all transitioning into the next stages of their lives; my husband and I are their biggest cheerleaders and we only want the best for them coupled with a life of faith. We have imparted “seek ye first the kingdom of God…“to them and it is pleasurable yet unpredictable to see how this unfolds in each child.

So I’ve been agitated yet happy, despondent then cheerful, struggling with fear yet choosing to exercise faith within this slice of time. It seems like a lot but in the grand scheme of things, it’s 180 seconds. A roller coaster of emotions that ultimately makes me realize the frailty and beauty of life are all engineered by a loving powerful God. God has given me the strength, wisdom and the right people in my life to get through this and because I lean on Him, I will get through.

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Psalms 16:8[NLT]