Joy in the Morning


In this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer.                                                                                                 John 16:33
Hello dear ones,

          Today is my 57th wedding anniversary.  On facebook, a picture of our 52nd anniversary cake was on my feed.  Jim and I had decided to make our 50th wedding cake every year and just change the number inserts.  Last year, Jim had just been gone for a few weeks when our anniversary arrived.  I had a cake made and tried to celebrate and ended up in a psychiatrist’s chair the next day.  This year, I wanted no cake and no reminders of the pain and still my heart managed to break into shattered shards.  There is no moving on from my grief.  I have to figure out how to move forward carrying my grief with me.  I interpret Jesus’ words to be of good cheer as telling me not to give up.  I am not alone in my struggles.  Many of you have challenges as well.  Loads of pain.  Buckets full of tears.  Last week I printed a quotation in large print and have it beside my writing chair.   It reads:
Some days, the sadness soaks deep down to the bone.                                                                                  Some days, it demands to be let out in waves of emotion.                                                                                      All days bring their own challenges.                                                                                                                       May we take one day at a time.  Even, one moment at a time.                                                                        With God’s strength, we can endure hard seasons.                                                                            
 
In case no one has told you today I love you bunches.                                                                                                                                                                                                   Linda  .

Finding joy in the morning


Good morning, my sweet friend,

            Our scripture story this week is from John 5:1-8, “Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” The man who was paralyzed for 38 years told Jesus he was waiting for someone to put him in the pool when an angel stirred the water. Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well?” I want you to imagine that Jesus is beside you right now asking you the same question. Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to be joyful?  Do you want to heal your finances? Your relationship?

          Dear one, let us pick up our mat of depression and take a first step toward healing.  My word for 2023 is ACTION. I decided on New Year’s Day that I would seek healing for my health and my grief.  And God is faithful and has presented me with a myriad of prompts and opportunities to take that difficult first step. Each morning I journal, “God, what ACTION steps do I need to take today?”  And the answers keep manifesting. I am so grateful for a God who listens to our heart’s desires and pours abundant blessings into our path. Let us you and I celebrate each small step as we make progress on our healing journey.

PRAYER: Gracious God, take our hand and walk beside us. In a world full of distractions, we long to hear your voice of encouragement. Amen.        

                                                                                                     
Enjoy every moment of this journey. In case no one has told you today I love you bunches.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Linda  
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                 Finding joy  in the morning 
Good morning, my sweet friend,
           I’ve missed you.  Our scripture this week is from Psalm 90:14, “Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives.” 

          I recently heard a story:  A young mother was driving her second grade little boy to school one morning.  From the back seat, the little boy asked, “Can I take the confetti out of my pocket?”  Mom, sounding a little irritated thinking of the mess, inquired, “Why do you have confetti in your pocket?”  He answered simply, “I keep it there in case there is something to celebrate.”

          Dear one, let’s celebrate life!  Let’s anticipate a joyful moment, an awesome moment of synchronicity and wonder.  Moments lost can never be recaptured.  How we spend each moment adds up to how we spend our days, our weeks, our lives.   I have decided that joy will be a non-negotiable part of my day. Today I have 86,400 moments in which to find joy.  You do too!  Carry confetti in your pocket just in case you find something to celebrate.
PRAYER:​
Gracious God, we join together to worship you, to prepare for the coming week, to reorient our minds and hearts in a world full of distraction. Open our eyes to wonder.  Amen.                                                                                                              
Enjoy every moment of this journey.  In case no one has told you today, I love you bunches.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Linda  

​Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.                 1 Thessalonians 5:18 
 
Good morning, my dear sweet friend,
          It is my deepest prayer that you woke this morning feeling rested, refreshed, and radically blessed.  Our scripture tells us “To give thanks in all circumstances.”  I believe that God is whispering to you right this moment that he wants you to know your life is not over.  He has a plan and a purpose for you, and he wants you to discover a life greater than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams” (Ephesians 3:20).
          You and I can stay stuck dwelling on negative thoughts and living in worry or fear, or you can believe God has something greater for you.  Here is the key:  You have to take the first step. We must rejoice.  Scripture tells us to make a joyful noise unto the Lord.   Next, pray continually.  And then, give thanks in all circumstances.  There are always praises amongst the pains.  Three steps to a hope-filled, joyful life.  Rejoice!  Pray! Thanksgiving!  By faith, you make progress one step at a time.  God has promised to do his part, but you have an important part to play as well.  Walk the path that God has lit for you; you will never lose your way.     Loving you always,      Linda       

Good morning, dear one,

            It’s the beginning of a new week and my deepest prayer for you is that you find peace and contentment each day.  And, in the mix, I pray that you find even a smidgen of joy.  Sometimes, we have to look pretty hard to find the hope and blessings God promises.  I know your stories about sadness, loneliness, and heartache.  You may also be great at hiding your pain going about your day with a happy face while carrying a broken heart that makes breathing difficult. 

            I have been reading the story of Jane Marczweski, age 30, who performed on America’s God Talent.  She had terminal cancer and was given a 2% chance of survival and six months to live.  She knew many hardships including the end of her marriage just after her diagnosis.  Yet, often times, out of such tragedies, come great wisdom and perspective. Here are a few of her quotes:

1.      “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore until you decide to be happy.” I don’t know about you, but I’m still waiting for the day when life ceases to be difficult. Yet the reality is that we often experience trouble in this life. We may have different definitions of what it means to be happy, but we need to choose to find joy and good in our lives, today, even amidst the pain. Not after the pain stops. But right now.
2.      “Just because someone leaves you doesn’t mean that love isn’t real.”                   
3.       Some people can’t see God because they won’t look low enough.”  “I remind myself that I’m praying to the God who let the Israelites stay lost for decades,” she wrote. Especially in the midst of suffering, God lives in the low of it. He is often right there and we need to open our eyes to him and ask God for help.

Nightbirde was a devout Christian who found hope in the midst of unimaginable suffering. She chose joy and continued to write music and perform. Life can present us with difficult circumstances; yet you and I can do hard and holy things.  “Jesus is the lifter of our heads” (Psalm 3:3).  Allow Him to give you a hope and a future.   
           Praying that you find encouragement from Nightbirde’s words,                                                                                                                                 Linda

 The righteous man shall flourish like a palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.                                                                            Psalm 92:12                                                                                                      
 Good morning precious soul,

            I love doing research.  When I looked up scriptures about vitality, all of them connected vitality with righteousness.  “They grow from strength to strength, every one of them” (Psalm 84:7).   “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter” (Proverbs 4:18).  I have been obsessed with my health (and rightly so). After all, I am a cancer thriver.  However, I am learning that health is not the absence of disease and has everything to do with your vitality. As a society we need to redefine our concept of wellness.  At 78, I will never have the physical appearance I had at 20.  There is no wrinkle cream or magic potent to achieve that;  however, scripture informs us that we are to “grow from strength to strength, shine brighter as we age.”  So, let me pose some questions to you:
             How are you growing stronger?
             Is your faith stronger?                                                                                                                                                    How about your ability to forgive?                                                                                                             
            Is your focus on helping your neighbor?                                                                                                                      Are you shining brighter day by day?  Do people notice your vitality?

            If your answer to any of the above is NO, it’s not too late to change some old habits and beliefs. Get a vision of what you want to become.  You have to see it to become it.  Picture the energy you want—the outcome you want. Don’t try to re-create your 20’s ideal.  Decide to love the body you have and take care of it.  For example, my son is a vegan and has been cooking amazing foods.  Breakfast today was sweet potato hash and guacamole.  Delish!  Not the bacon and pancakes of yesteryear.  I am making better choices now. There will be days when you don’t want to exercise.  Just walk more than you did yesterday.  You and I can do hard and holy things.  Like the palm tree, we can bend under life’s challenge without breaking, and our roots are strong like the cedar in Lebanon and nothing can vanquish our spirit.  Let’s grow. Let’s gain some amazing vitality for life.  Love and encouragement on your wellness journey.        Linda

Come to me all ye who are heavy laden and I will give you rest.                                                              Matthew 11:28-30 
                                                                                                             
Good morning, dear one,

          How are you feeling this morning?  A little weary and burdened?  I get it. Life can bring you down to your knees.  This morning I was notified that my high school best friend died.  And then, just a little later, I got an e-mail from a dear friend with a poem her mother had written about loss and I felt my soul sink a little lower.  You might think that is a bad thing, to have your heart, your soul, and mind sink.  But when I go deeper, it is there that I discover a Presence that is always with me.  I hear words of comfort from scripture.  We have to go deep beyond the surface, beyond the bustling, beyond the world’s noise and sink into the loving arms of the Savior always available—if we are willing to sink deep.

           Listen to the above verses of scripture in the Message translation.  “Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.  I’ll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.  Learn  the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” 

          I long to live freely and lightly always trusting that God has a plan for my good.  For me, it’s a daily return, minute by minute decision to sink deep into God.  It is only there that you and I will find rest and the promised peace Christ so freely offers. 
        Grab my hand, let's travel deeper together, Linda.        

     Jesus said, “I came that you may have life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows}.”  John 10:10

Hey friend,

            Happy Monday to you!  Not feeling it this morning?  Do you have the blahs?  I love to journal and the question I have been asking myself each day is, “What is my intention today?”  Is it my intention to grouse and complain?  Is it my intention to worry today—about money, the kids, my health?  Is it my intention to fault-find my co-workers? Or, is it my intention to enjoy today?   You and I don’t sit with our journals and deliberately write I am going to be cranky today.  Yet, we often wander through our precious hours dragging our feet and just trying to make it to dinnertime.  Then, we tell ourselves, I’ll relax and be joyful.   Then?  Don’t wait till later for joy.   Intentionally, set your compass to joy.

            Friend, we need to revel in each beautiful day.  It is a gift God gives us: one day.  And then the next. And it can be joyful no matter the circumstances.  We can find reasons to be happy.    Deep breathing first thing when I get out of bed.  Praise God, my lungs are functioning.  Joy!  The aroma of my morning coffee brings me joy. A butterfly unexpectedly flies by kitchen window.  Beauty in nature.  Joy!  Grab a pad of paper and write down three things you are grateful for.  Don’t miss the small, oft-overlooked blessings.  Soon you will find joy, joy, joy, joy, down in your heart and you might even break out singing.
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                          Wishing you sunshine and lots of smiles, Linda

​Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still.  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. Mark 4:39
Good morning my dear one,   
          I wish for you many blessings this coming week: peace, joy, love, all the good God fruit just hanging on the vines waiting for you to select for yourself.     Will you pick peace?  Will you reach out for joy?  We always, in all circumstances, have a choice.  You and I can choose to look at our troubles and grumble.  Or, we can actively participate with Jesus in calming the storms of our inner minds.   Through mindfulness training I am learning to identify my thoughts and consequently, my feelings, because feelings always follow a thought.  And when I’m sad or fearful, I am learning to speak kindly to myself with compassion.   I wish to share with you one of these techniques.
           Of course, my session always starts with being still and closing my eyes.  Next, I use my breath as my anchor to rule out any negative thoughts.  Then, I place my hand on my heart and repeat loving phrases to myself such as:                                                                                                                                                     May I be filled with loving kindness.                                                                                                                             May I be safe and protected.                                                                                                                                         May I be well in body and mind, strong and healed,                                                                                                 and may I be happy.
          Jesus said that we are to love others as we love ourselves.  It is only from a compassionate heart that we are able to empathize with our neighbor.  Friends, try this exercise.  Say the words slowly and with kindness to your own hurting places. I am healing.  You can as well, it just takes intention and practice.  I wish you peace.                                     Linda

A man was at the pool who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” (John 5:2-9 NASB)

Good morning gorgeous,

          I pray with all my heart that this week ahead of you will be filled with blessings.  And I pray for all my friends who are suffering with emotional, physical, or spiritual pain.  Life really does, for a season, present each of us with suffering.  The man in our Bible story had been ill for 38 years.  And Jesus asked him, “Do you want to heal?”  You might be thinking, “Well, Jesus, what an odd question. Of course, he wants to be healed.” 

          I must admit to you that this week, with my Jim being gone five months, I finally made the decision that I wanted to live.  That insight came in an instant—I knew I wanted to get well.  I have made a lot of good decisions on my journey of healing by seeking professional help, but a moment came when I knew that even though I will still go through the process of grief, I wanted to move forward with my life.  As I was studying, I came across a scripture that read, “Even in old age you will bear fruit” and I realized that God still has work for me to do in the here and now.  My life still has a purpose.

          Let’s be honest, friends, do you want to heal? Will you forgive your parents for not being perfect?  Will you let go of the unforgiveness you hold in your heart?  Will you allow yourself to heal from the pain of your divorce twenty years ago.  How long will you hold that grudge? Choose to ask God for healing in your hurting places and allow the process to begin.  Jesus told the man by the pool to pick up his mat.  He is asking you to take that first step as well.  You and I will walk upright again when we surrender our pain to Jesus and allow his healing work to begin in our heart.  Let’s decide to really live, to find joy again. 
​                                                                      I love you, my friend    Linda