Some Things I Learned this Summer

"Spend time with those you love. One of these days, you will say either, 'I wish I had,' or 'I'm glad I did". – Unknown

It turns out one of my first loves is my family. The family I created, the family I married into, and the family I was born into, and this year, for the first time in a long time, I had concentrated time with every variation of my family.

At the beginning of July, we enjoyed a long weekend at my brother's house for what we hope becomes an annual event - a family reunion. The

A Prayer for Gripping Times

Dear Lord;
Lord, right now, it seems as if we are living in gripping times. We are bombarded on every side by news cycles providing information couched in dire circumstances - a virus running rampant, living longer than anyone anticipated, and a mounting death toll. I think sometimes we don't know what to do with all of this information, and we are overwhelmed.

But your Word reminds us that when we are overwhelmed, as we call out to You, You will lead us to the Rock that is higher than us (Psalm 62:1). A rock that is sturdy and secure in these changing times. A Rock that is You.

Notes From My Daughter - Letting Go of the Time Constraint

Notes From My Daughter are occasional notes from my second daughter. I never know what to expect when she writes but I am always blown away. Did this child come from me? Read on

It’s the beginning of a new year, and many of us are reflecting. There's wisdom in reflection. 2018 has felt like one of the longest years ever which got me to thinking, "what makes time meaningful?" It’s a question I ponder often, and some of those answers I want to share with you.

1. Community makes time meaningful. Comparison is only the thief of joy because it robs you of a sense of community. When you come to understand who supports you and the mutual commitment each has to see the other thrive, there is no need to compare anyone's journey to your own.

Taking Back What Is Yours

In a popular video, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) is adamant that her time is not wasted so she redirects the questioner's rambling in response to her question again and again with the phrase “Reclaiming my time,” an invocation of House procedural rules. This axiom became the basis for many memes but there's truth in the phrase "reclaiming my time" as it sounds an awful lot like redeeming the time and has a similar meaning.

Update

I haven't written for a while because I've been quite busy with work. I work from home in an esoteric little field known as E-Rate management; this is the busy time of the year.

I was feeling a bit melancholy a couple of weeks ago and it may have been a combination of work and the sadness that invariably envelopes me this time of year. Even if I'm not thinking about it - it sinks in to my psyche. During the month of February, my brother was dying. He had a terminal illness and while those alive were willing him to live, it seems he was ready to go. It was a turbulent time.

March 5th is when I received the call that my brother had left this earth and moved on. You hear it so often, but until you experience losing someone close to you, there are no words. To me it felt like a thud in the chest. After that thud, I remembered that 20 years ago, I gave birth to my first child.

So March 5th is always a little weird for me while at the same time very emotional. My son is 23 years old today; I don't know what it means to become a man, but to watch him, it seems to be a struggle. He has caused my prayer time to increase tenfold and I guess that in and of itself is a blessing.

Regardless of what happens in life, all we have is time. We don't know how much we have so I hope we all learn to use our time wisely.

So, Dalton I know that you are resting and hanging out with the saints and worshipping Jesus. I know that you are in no more pain and for that I'm grateful. Your family is doing well and figuring out your absence daily. Son, I hope you find your way soon.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4;4 (NIV)
Thanks for reading.