Musings and Marvelings on my Jesus Journey

  Thank you friends and family for coming along on this musing and marveling journey the last three and half years. The journey is not over. There is still plenty of musing and marveling to do. But for now, I have come to a place of pause and reflection. As 2023 rolls to its close, I am considering taking a step of faith to put this into a book to be shared with those I love, and those who love (or will love) Jesus! All along, it has been about using God given stories and random analogies to encourage and inspire, as together we let life point us to our life-giver, Jesus! And that is my prayer for each of you dear readers...that you may be encouraged, each day, to continue on in this Christ-following journey. Look to Him! Shine for Him! Love Him! Share Him! It is what we are called to do! For this life is all about serving our Lord and bringing others to the Father's throne of mercy and grace, that place where we all find hope, purpose and peace. And to each of our precious grand-c...

   Updated:  Jul 19, 2023 So I have a story. A sweet story. It has to do with my Dad. I love my Dad. He is caring and helpful. He is intelligent and thoughtful. He loves God. He loves his family. And, he wrote a book. A children's book. He called it Ben and Kit. Let's back up a bit. For years, our folks would head down to Florida for the winter. They enjoyed their time there. It gave them a chance to pursue some interests. And to just relax. My mom is a painter. I wrote a blog about her awhile back. You may recall of the winter that she was given an opportunity to paint a mural on the wall of a lanai for a lady that she met down there. She painted a lovely beach scene and had so much fun doing it. She did a great job! Our Dad was proud of her. He shared of how Mom was enjoying this creative venture. We all were happy for her. But I felt a little bad for Dad, who was left alone somewhat while mom was away painting. After all, that was not their norm, for they usu...

   A Valentine's Love Letter On this Valentine's Day, how many of you got a card from someone you love? Precious words that made you feel cared about, treasured...loved! It means alot doesn't it? I especially appreciate when those cards have my husband's (or children's) own handwriting on them, their personal expression, their genuine sentiments of endearment. And so may I take this opportunity to remind all of you, that God has written a love letter for you. Written in red even (perfect for Valentine's Day)! His Holy Bible is your love letter, for it delivers the beautiful Gospel message, the proclamation of hope, the recipe for joy, the instruction manuel for life, the map for salvation. His letter shares of His Creator heart, of His desire for relationship, to have those He can pour all His love into and on. It relates of how He miraculously and lovingly created a beatiful world for His creation. Of how He realized that only by giving His created people a fre...

I am musing about something...  Our church has a new hymn book! And it is exciting! We are still keeping our old ones, just adding a new one into our worship options! Some of us got together the other night to practice. It was fun! We sang. We laughed. We messed up. We tried again. We harmonized. We got it. Sometimes we didn't. But the more we practiced, the more it all came together and it gave us joy! The songs were reverant. They inspired worship. It is my prayer that this new songbook will be a great blessing. That the worship it moves us toward  will be rich. That the words of the new hymns will speak to many hearts. That the times of fellowship and praise experienced as this book is held, will be many! I love that there is a wide gamut of hymns; new and old. Some of the songs date back to the 17 and 1800's! I noticed that one melody was from 1566! Isn't that amazing? Just consider how many voices through the generations have lifted songs of praise to our God using the...

 I am musing a about... The other side of the coin. Two sides. Two distinctly different presentations. Different engravings and wording. That is the situation of both sides of the same coin. When you are looking at one side, you are unable to see the other. I was contemplating this truth the other day in relationship to relationships. How many of you have felt misunderstood in the past? How many of you have misunderstood others? Misunderstandings can hurt. What is it about us that we each desire so intensely to be understood, that others see things from our point of view? We all have a need for validation. But we also all desire, or should desire, to understand. To be able to empathize with the "heart place", the journey, of those we love and care about.  How many times in books and movies, are there ongoing issues in the storyline, that could easily be cleared up if the characters simply stopped, listened and took the time to truly understand one another. Oh the tension that...

  I am musing about... When life is hard. Really hard. There are dear ones who's lives are hard. There is no other way to put it. At times, I think about those who live in third world countries, or in slums, or the ghetto, or crack houses. Those who were born into poverty and pain. Those involved in addiction, maybe trafficking, sickness, heartache and despair. It is real. It sounds beyond hard. It breaks my heart. But not enough. There are those who appear to have good lives in a middle or upper class situation. But their lives are  full of challenges, confusion and sadness. There are those who things just do not seem to go well for. They suffer rejection and disapointment time and again. There are those who find themselves reaching for things they know they should not to try to heal the hurt. Even those who have reached for the Great Physician and have come to know His love and grace, and still they succumb and fall. And the layers of hard deepen. I recently listened to an a...

 I am musing about... Malls, Nostalgia and God I know. Random, right? You just never know what the Lord will lay on my mind to share. But this time...it has to do with shopping malls. Have you been to one lately? I do not know how it is in your "neck of the woods" but around here they seem to be a thing of the past. Their glory days have come and gone. I remember being in Jr. High and all the excitement over the building of the Northwoods Mall in Peoria. It was a big deal. It became the shopping experience of my generation. Heading to the mall for a fun outing with friends! And you have to admit that it was a convenient way to get multiple purchasing tasks done. But thanks (or no thanks) to the arrival of Amazon and digital shopping, the brick and mortar retail industry is on an obvious decline. At least around here. The mall nearest us (not Northwoods) is just sad. One after another, the anchor stores have closed. It has been quite awhile since I have been there, but honestl...

  I am marveling about... The Touch... Of the Hand of God. The other morning I looked out the window and once again was touched by the beauty of the dusting of fresh snow on the row of evergreen trees in our back yard. It was just a touch, mind you, a feathering if you will...but it transformed those trees into something so picturesque and lovely. I had to reflect on what a difference God's touch can make. Just a touch from the Lord... -can turn a disapointment into a stepping stone, -a challenge into a milestone, -a heartache into an ebeneezer, -a detour into a fresh journey, -a question into an understanding, -a time of confusion into a time of surrender -a fear into a victory. Often, it takes time. It is not something that happens overnight, like a winter snowfall. At times, His touch looks more like a peaceful sense of calm as He provides strength and hope in the wait.  There is no mistaking the effect of the touch of God on our hearts. We all need it. God's touch. Every d...

  I am musing about.... wishing you all, my dear readers, a... Happy New Day  AND  a Happy New Year!! There is something about the marking of time that reigns significant within the human spirit!  I think we all appreciate a new opportunity, a chance to reflect and evaluate, an obvious way to acknowledge the passing of time. There is something redeeming about a new year. A new chance. A time to "start over" if you will, to approach life afresh. But there is where I want to take this, dear readers. Are not God's mercies new every morning? Is His grace not there for us each and every day anew?? How good He is! How understanding and generous as He promises, we His struggling creation, to be there for us, time and again, with an outpouring of His "steadfast love" and an abundance of His available help and grace!  He does not give up on us. His love never runs out. It is fresh every morning (actually every moment). It is there for the taking. We just need to humble o...

  I am musing about.... Preparation! I have a feeling that most of you moms are like me...in preparation mode! Preparing our homes for family festivities; planning menues, prepping food, wrapping gifts, making lists, washing linnens, baking goodies, shopping (by car or by click), adding decorating touches here and there...the list goes on. We prepare with excitement and anticipation as we look forward to our door swinging wide open as we welcome our dear ones home. Our minds may be in overdrive and our "candles burning at both ends", but we are motivated by the joy of having our family assembled together once again. So as I take a break from the wrapping, and sit down at my laptop, my mind goes to this idea of "preparation". Am I preparing my heart daily for the time to come, when our King, our Heavenly Father will swing open the glories of Heaven and welcome us each home, into the joys that He has been preparing for us. Does not His Word share that "In my Fath...

I am musing about... Seeing through "newborn eyes"! What is it about the wonder and joy of watching a newborn open his eyes and look around, taking in the world around him for the very first time. It grabs at your heart with sweet intensity, it awakens awe.  We just got home from California and being with our son and his family as they welcomed their third child, a precious little boy, Oliver. As I held his cuddly little body (swaddled so tightly and lovingly by his mother), and gazed into his sleeping face, I couldn't help but stare. And stare some more. Just taking it all in. Feeling the love swell inside for this newest member of our growing family! His sisters were taken in as well, oohing, and aahhing, kissing and smiling. Baby brother was here! As I watched his innocent little face, it would contort into the funniest expressions at times. It made me smile and sometimes, even chuckle out loud.  And then his eyes would flutter open, only to quickly close again. A seco...

 I am marveling about.... A Man named Jason. A man who had a big heart. He had a love for Jesus that was palpable and a concern for others that was undeniable. His life was hard. Really hard. But it was blessed. Really blessed. He knew his parents' and family's deep and abiding love, and he knew the support and friendship of many, oh so many! Back during his teen years and early twenties, he was care free. Enjoyed his friends. Partied. Then came that fateful day. He and his friends, out on the Mackinaw. Doing what they had done often before. Diving from a tree limb into a deep area of the waters. For some reason (well, he said he was showing off) he attempted a flip which took him beyond the deep area and landed him on a sandbar. And it broke his neck. Life would never be the same. He became destined to life from a chair. Unable to walk or even use his hands and arms like they were meant to be used. He became dependent on others to care for him and see to his most basic needs. ...

  I am musing about... Pilgrims. Do you like "the pilgrims"? I like them. I loved the stories we heard in school of how they came from across the ocean in search of religious freedom and greater opportunity. I was touched by the accounts of the hardships they faced; loss at sea, sickness, extreme cold, needing to clear a wild land to build rustic shelters and prepare virgin soil for the planting of seeds. All while dangers surrounded them on every side. I love the redeeming story of that first Thanksgiving; a table laden with the fruits of their first bountiful harvest. A time of gathering with friends, new and old, those from their home land and those from their new land. I love the beautiful story of the kind natives who came along side them, providing practical help and instruction. It was a joyful time of giving thanks to God for His provision and faithfulness. The early pilgrims helped form the backbone of our country. They exemplified courage! They exhibited a strong an...

  I am musing about.... Silence I am sitting here in front of my laptop in a place of silence. No big revelations about what to write about. Except, actually... there it is, I will write about how.... there are times...  when God is silent. His presence is felt. We are assured of His nearness. But we hear....nothing. Nothing but the beat of His heart in the love He pours out as shown by the many provisions that surround us, the way He cares for us. Nothing but His breath in the blowing wind. The breeze; His touch as it epitomizes His creation and His power; ever present, constrained at times, awaiting it's full manifestation. Nothing but His voice in the sounds around us, if we are truly listening.... the laughter of children, the bubbling of a brook, the voices of praise, the cry of a newborn baby, the song of a bird in flight.... Nothing but...maybe... Silence, quiet, solitude.... A gift in itself. Sit in it. Bask in it. Learn from it. Grow in it. Lean into the silence and k...

  On this Veteran's Day, I am musing about how we are... FREE! Free.... to destruct or thrive!  0h THANK YOU Heavenly Father for the free nation that is ours! THANK YOU to our service men and women of today and to all those who willingly fought and unselfishly gave...so that we could be free. Free to let our voice by heard, to worship as we please, to vote our conscience! Are these freedoms being challenged? Yes! Is free speech being censored? Yes! Oh there are concerns...ample concerns! So, a disclaimer of sorts. Is what I am about to relate my own humble, personal opinion?  Yes, it is. I am basing it on God's Word which is where I obtain my world view. Which is where I find Truth. Dear readers, I surmise that most of you agree with me, but if you do not, that is your right. We both have rights to express our opinions.And that is because we live in a country that allows us this privilege! And for that, I am thankful! Aren't you? So, getting back to my message. Yes, there...