​Even when I walk through the valley of deep darkness, I will not be afraid. . .Psalm 23:4
 
Good Morning, Brave One, yes you!

          Elvis Presley sang a beautiful gospel song entitled, “Peace in the Valley.”  The lyrics begin with a refrain that resonates with my soul.  “Oh, I’m tired and so weary, but I must go on.  And the lyrics continue with the hope of finding peace someday.

          I get it if you feel weary.  We are all under the stormy cloud of the Covid 19 virus.  Thousands have died and others are suffering in hospitals alone.  Our medical workers, the heroic ones, are doing their best; but they are tired and weary as well.  And bless the hearts of clerks doing their best to remain calm while checking our groceries and facing long lines of cranky customers.   Our routines have changed dramatically.  Jim and I are super isolated adhering to the social isolating that will slow the spread of this deadly virus.

          But, dear one, here’s the good news.  You don’t have to wait till someday to find peace in the dark valley.  You can experience deep inner peace right now, right in the middle of the storm.  But you must choose it.  Yes, we have to adjust our expectations.  Yes, we have to claim and proclaim, and proclaim again, that we are not alone.  God is with us.  Not one of us knows what tomorrow holds, but we know who holds the future, and we proclaim, He holds our hands.    
                      We must go on, 
​                                 Linda

                   
                             Weeping may last for a night, but
             Joy comes in the Morning
 
 
Good morning, brave one,

        Easter is definitely not the same at our house.  I did not wake at 5 a.m. and rush to church to deliver an uplifting Easter message.  No chocolate bunnies or lilies.  No Easter ham roasting in the oven for a family gathering.  Lots of nos.  This day feels different.  And that is ok.    
                    As we are in quarantine, we have choices and decisions to make about today and also for our time to come when we can once again  safely enter the community.    We choose our attitude. We can weep in the darkness, but friend, Jesus emerged from the tomb, and we must also.  We have a new life ahead of us.  I believe we have the opportunity right now to learn what we value most and to create our new life with joyful expectation.
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Points to ponder:

1.  What have I learned about myself while in quarantine?
2. What about being in shelter has brought me new joy?

                                                        Love ya,   Linda

In Him, there is no darkness. . . 1 John 1:5
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Hello dear one,
          The darkness of Coronavirus continues to shroud the earth and as the number of those infected rises and resources to fight diminish, we continue to deal with the demon of fear.  I continue to seek ways to bring God’s glorious light into every darkened space within my home and heart.  Some of my moods are far from sources of redeeming light.  Just keeping it real.  You and I are in a spiritual battle with the powers of darkness and I will not allow evil to win control of my mind.  As I wrote last week, step one for Jim and I was to fight lethargy and step into the light and walk around our neighborhood.  We increased our ventures outside to three a day.  I was looking for a trumpet to blow on our seventh day.  I decided that while I am not musical, I have a voice and breath.  Even if that voice is only self-talk, I will affirm over and over, “I choose light. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light” until the walls of fear come tumbling down. 
        You and I need to choose our words carefully.                                                                                                                                                                         Linda

​I am the light of the world. John 8:12
 
Hello dear one,
          The darkness of Coronavirus is shrouding the earth.  In the dark, fears loom large.  They cast shadows and appear bigger and scarier than they really are.   Jim and I are elderly and health challenged.  I am immune compromised and Jim has congestive heart failure. Most can get the virus and recover quite nicely.  We are in the group that must remain socially isolated.   Separated from family and friends.   Inside four walls that seem to be squeezing in on us, taking our breath of life.  Until there is a vaccine, this might be our new normal.  So how do we (you and I) respond?  How can we bring those walls down and regain life?  So, I chose to go to scripture and what came immediately came to mind was the battle of Jericho.  In the first battle fought by the Israelites in the course of the conquest of Canaan, the Israelites marched every day around the city and on the seventh day, they blew their trumpets, and the walls came tumbling down.  So, step one for Jim and I, today we left our darkness and stepped into the light of the Son and walked around our neighborhood, each step bringing us life-giving fresh air and hope. We chose light:  energy, truth and beauty.   And light destroys darkness and fear.  You and I need to choose to be in the presence of The Light.                                                                                                          Linda

 Set your mind on things above. . . Colossians 3:2
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Good Morning, dear one,
        I love you and I am praying for your health: physical, emotional, and spiritual.  This virus will attack us in every aspect of our lives.  It is very important that we be vigilant (on watch) for an attack by the enemy.  And sometimes the most vicious battles we will have to fight are in our minds.  Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8 to meditate on these things: whatever things are true, honest, just, pure, whatever things are lovely. This is great advice for us this morning. Set your mind.  Make a deliberate decision to control your thoughts.  The Amplified Bible reads, “Set your mind and keep it set.”  That means that you must keep watch and reset your mind whenever it starts to wander into fear territory.
        Do not let your mind ramble.  Let means to allow, permit, or give permission.  Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.”  Do not give evil thoughts a foothold in your mind.  Set your mind.  Only one little letter (L or S) determines your mental health in this crisis.  Let or Set.  I believe that even now we can choose an attitude of gratitude.  We can choose joy.               With God’s help, we can do all things.  Linda               

​Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow… Matthew 6:34
Good morning, sweet one,
          No doubt you have been bombarded this week with info on the coronavirus.  Twenty-four/seven newspersons are issuing dire warnings about the spread throughout the United States, numbers of those already infected, and how to protect yourself from contracting this virus.  While I believe it is important not to hide your head in the sand and pretend coronavirus is not a serious health threat, I also don’t believe in becoming overly anxious.  Jesus said, “The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy your joy.”  You and I must not let fear control our minds.  This is a time to fall into faith.
          In this very moment, you are fine.  We must live in the now.  Cherish today, for tomorrow isn’t promised for any of us.  Bucket lists are fine, planning a vacation is fine, saving for retirement is fine. But use today, this precious 24 hours wisely.  Connect with your loved ones in a deeper, rather than superficial way.  Instead of asking, “How are you?”  you might ask, “What is making you joyful today?”   Even, ask yourself, “Am I joyful?”  Joy is defined as calm delight. 
          If you are concerned about the virus, take appropriate precautions.  As the CDC says, wash your hands, etc.  The Bible says, “Do not fear.”  Let your faith transform your mind from worry to worship.  Choose joy today.
                                                 Lifting you higher, Linda

​Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.                                                                                                                                           Hebrews 10:24-25
Good Morning friend,
          What the world needs now is love, sweet love, not for some, but for everyone.  This week, we will celebrate Valentine’s Day.  How I wish our cards would encourage us to spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  How I wish the cards would encourage us to really love our neighbors.  This world needs more love, deep Christian love even toward our perceived enemies.  It’s a Biblical mandate!  Not a suggestion or a nice thought.  Notice that the writer uses the phrase “Let us” three times.   First, in verse 24, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on.” The word “consider” means to fix the mind on.  It’s a deliberate decision.  Second, in verse 25, “Let us not give up meeting together.”  Yes, you may be different races, sexes, religions, political affiliations, but meet together, find common areas of agreement. Third, the writer says, “Let us encourage one another.”
          I recently read story about a second-grade boy who was trying out for a part in the school play. When the day came for the auditions, his mother took him to school and waited for him to come out. She was nervous because she knew he couldn’t sing, couldn’t act, couldn’t dance, and couldn’t memorize very well.  She was surprised when he came out after 45 minutes with a big smile on his face. “How did it go, honey?” “It was great, Mom. Guess what? I’ve been chosen to clap and cheer.”  Well, guess what, my friend, the phrase “Let us” in our scripture today means you.  You’ve been chosen to clap and cheer for your family, neighbors, friends and even your enemies.                                                                                                                                    I’m cheering for you, Linda

​My prayer is that joy was in your heart this morning when you first opened your eyes.  How glorious it is to have a brand new day before you!  Even if you are facing difficult circumstances today, your soul can be at peace knowing that Christ goes before you.  Into every doctor’s office.  Into your relationship.  Into your finances.  Into your work.  Christ before you, Christ within you. Christ has your back. He’s beside you.  Holding you to keep you from falling.  He’s the lifter of your head. 
          Dear one, choose joy today. Biblical joy is defined as “calm delight.” Pause and breathe in the peace of God that passeth understanding.   It’s going to be okay. You are not alone.   Choose faith over fear.                                                                                                                                                Linda

See, I will not forget you. . .I have carved you on the palm of my hand. Isaiah 49:15

​Good Morning, Dear One,
          On Friday morning my dear friend, Harriette, sent me this image with her favorite quote from Isaiah.  Coincidently, it is one of my beloved scriptures as well.  And I have seen this art before, however, it arrived at the exact moment I needed to be reminded that I am, indeed, remembered and loved by God.  There is no doubt in my mind that God used Harriette to speak words of comfort to me in that very moment. When I woke feeling achy and out-of-sorts, God reminded me of my blessings and having a long-time Christian friend who has the gift of encouragement is certainly a cherished gift.  And I was blessed by much loved words of scripture that brought comfort to my weary soul.
          So, this morning, I am praying that you will find solace and rest for your soul as you contemplate our weekly scripture and the beautiful image of God holding you. 
                                                     Love you always,                                                                                         
                                                                Linda