Musings and Marvelings on my Jesus Journey

  I am musing about.... Sundowners. So have you heard this term before? Working in a nursing home environment, I hear it mentioned fairly often. It is a term signifying the state of confusion that people with dementia often find themselves in after the sun goes down. For many, there is something about darkness and night time which affects their mental status. What is it about sunshine that lifts our spirits so? Is it not true that things always seem better in the morning? As the sun comes up, so do our hopes and dreams, our ability to cope with life's challenges. So, I had to think about this term this evening. As the days grow darker and more evil surrounds us, are we the church experiencing "sundowners"? Do we find ourselves confused or depressed? It can be easy to be. For the world is getting darker by the day, as the prince of darkness gains followers in the immorality and antibiblical perspectives that abound. So what is our answer? May we continuously look to the So...

  I am musing about.... Awakening to Wokeness Are you woke? Have you awakened to the realization that there is a new, or at least renewed momentum in our country dealing with historical racism, its interpretation and where that reality presently has us and is taking us? Are you aware that Critical Race Theory is gaining momentum, even in the church? Do you know what Critical Race Theory is? Are you ready to admit that we all have things to learn, that no one has it all figured out, that deception is real and knocking at the door and that God's grace and Spirit is available to help us navigate these tumultuous times we are in? So, where do I start? With a prayer. "Dear Lord, please give me your wisdom and grace. Guide my words and my insights. Give me kindness and compassion. Help me to discern correctly and to always point back to you and Your Kingdom message. I realize I do not have this all figured out. I know I do not need to. But I have figured out that You are the answer ...

  I am marveling about ---above and beyond Have you ever had a day that just kept getting better and better? I had a day like that today.  Today was special. A day of transition. A day that marked an end to an era and the beginning of another. I had looked forward to it for awhile now, with mixed feelings.  I knew I would miss what I had known and so enjoyed. Yet, I felt excited and ready for what lay ahead. I knew it would be bittersweet. I knew it would be emotional.  But I did not know how sweet it would be.   I was thankful for God's peace which had lovingly pushed me forward, letting me know the time was right. But I did not expect such kindness. Such validation. It was a day full of surprises. First this happened, and then that. And then something more. I felt humbled, thankful and blessed. Then this evening our son had planned a Zoom call. Unbeknownst to me all the kids, spouses and grands were there celebrating the day! Party hats, smiles, congrats!...

  I am musing about.... How We Look At Things Take a look at this lovely Valentine's Day Card! It was creatively and lovingly drawn by a young grade schooler from our school district. They made cards to be distributed to the local nursing homes. I was privileged to play "mail man" at our home where I work. It was a fun task to hand deliver them and see the faces of the residents lighten into a smile as they reached out for their card. I was so amused by the response of one of the residents. I randomly gave her a card with a picture of....well, it depends on what you see. I saw a child building a sand castle in the sun. Someone else thought it was a boat or a light house. Either way, it was beautifully drawn. Well, this particular lady took one look at it and asked, "Is that someone playing the piano"? Well, of course she would see it that way. This dear women has loved music all her life and was a gifted musician and piano teacher. She actually happened to be mi...

  I am musing about... Facebook Land So I got lost for awhile this evening. In Facebook Land. Now, I realize that this has potential to be unhealthy, if done too often or for the wrong reasons. Just saying.   But I ask you, has anything like this ever happened to you?   It started with a random Facebook message sent by a friend. That message included her grown son's name. I wondered what he has been up to these days. So I clicked on his name..... One click led to another. I heard a neat music video made by that friend's son, found out where another friend's son is now living (in the same town as one of our kids), and enjoyed a precious video of four kids reciting Bible verses made by a young mom (who I had not thought of for years),    After a bit...I came back to my living room and emerged from Facebook Land. It is something how time can pass so quickly. And the things you learn. I was reminded of God's faithfulness, of the many dear people in th...

  I am musing about.... Lacking Love and Redeeming Love On this Valentine's Day, it occurred to me to write something. About LOVE, of course:) But then I recalled a recent event and wondered if I could.  You see, recently I was given an opportunity to show God's Love. And my first inclination was to say no. I had my logical reasons, and they made sense. But at the core of it all, it was because of selfishness. And to make matters worse, we had just been discussing with friends as to how we could "put feet" to God's love. I had failed. In my heart. Miserably. I had let my God down. And then I looked up. To Him. I looked up to His Son, My Redeemer, on the cross, dying for me. With repentance, I looked up, so sorry I had let Him down. And He spoke merciful peace to my saddened heart. And once again, I knew LOVE. So that is what this day is about for me, this year. Yes, it is about, the great LOVE I have for my dear husband; for family and friends.  But most of all, i...

    I am marveling at God stories. What's yours?? Our daughter has a good friend. Her name is Stephanie. She is creative, talented, bubbly, sensitive and loves Jesus! And she wrote a book. For kids. About God. Called Always Remember . It is different then most kid's books. It has a poetic lilt which is beautiful, but atypical in its cadence. It's wording is unique; yet lovely. It is simple and it is deep.  It's premise is pivotal, declaring Truth! It is almost layered in that each reading of this basically simple book helps peel back another level of understanding and appreciation. It is a book that is actually instructional. It should be read often as a way to reflect and then to live. The main theme is teaching kids (and adults alike) to... Stop. Ponder. Remember God. To see Him every day in everything. To align daily with who He is. It is beautifully illustrated, with large colorful pictures that engage, teach, enlighten and intrigue. She shared how the book was firs...

 I am musing about....   Standing Bold and Red Slippers As Christians in today's culture, we find ourselves facing disturbing challenges. As society promotes a "Be Kind" campaign, it seems that it creates a space where Truth is sometimes ignored under the guise that feigning ignorance is "being kind". Tolerance and acceptance are the code for getting along, for being a part of this more gentle yet more shallow societal time. A time gently rocking us into deception. No longer do we feel comfortable verbalizing our own opinions or contradicting others when they go against the norm. We are left to feel that since we are not walking in someone else's shoes, we have no right to have an opinion on what shoes they wear. But what if no one had pointed out to Dorothy that her red slippers could get her home? What if she had traded them in for a new pair at the Mall of Oz because no one had informed her that the red ones she discarded were her ticket to her soul's...