My God My Everything

Yesterday I went to the store to purchase a new coffee maker. Even after a bottle of descaling solution, my old one was finished. I went to a store that is going out of business and will only be open for 5 more days. There were several shoppers mulling around looking for treasures and bargains. I found a nice option and was getting ready to head toward the checkout line when the lights flickered and went off. They came back on for a moment and then went off again. It was surprising how quiet it was without the hum of the lights. Pretty soon people were using their cell phone…

This morning the alarm clock went off right on schedule. I was so comfortable as the scent of a light spring rain was drifting through the room from the open window. The comforter was just right and I did not want to move. Finally after hitting the snooze button a few times I finally sat up and decided to face the day. It’s only Tuesday, but I’m dragging and the thought of a nice hot cup of coffee made me smile and get moving. Unfortunately my coffee maker was not feeling up to working either. The red light was on indicating that it needed to descale. That means no coffee…

Over the weekend I witnessed many people reuniting after a long winter. All throughout the campground resort area, snowbirds were reconnecting and sharing their winter experiences. Our 81 year old neighbor Warren arrived after a long drive from Arizona to begin settling in for a new season. Even his dog Charlie and our dog Missy were rubbing noses and getting reacquainted. Several times as we walked through the golf course we heard, “Hello neighbor,” and saw handshakes and hugs. It was exciting to see how many of the staff members were also back for another season. My heart was very grateful for the atmosphere of fellowship, friendship and feeling like…

I was looking at one of the “You Matter” cards this morning and the first tab reads, “You are Valuable.” Do you believe that? In my Personalized Prayer Bible there is a section about our identity in Christ that is specifically for understanding our value. Look at the words of God below that express just how valuable you are! Insert your name in the blanks below: ________________________Is Valuable. ____________ is God’s son/daughter (John 1:12) ____________is a part of the true vine, and a channel of Christ’s life.(John 15:5) ____________is a friend of Christ. (John 15:15) ____________is a joint heir with Christ, he/she shares Christ’s inheritance with Him. (Romans 8:17) ____________is…

There are many things that you shake all with the purpose of changing it. You shake several ingredients together to make a smoothie. You shake a sheet to unfold it and make it reach the corners of your bed. Sometimes you might even shake a person to get their attention. My routine is going to get a good shaking. In thinking about it, I feel like a safety net is being taken away. The schedule I know and I’m comfortable with is getting revamped and although it’s a good and necessary thing, it’s also uncomfortable and unfamiliar. Many factors are causing the shaking; work, change of seasons that bring yard…

I was thinking of the saying, “April showers bring May flowers,” this morning and how not only are there beautiful flowers beginning to bloom throughout my yard, but how on a personal level, events that took place in April will directly affect events that will happen in May. A couple of my co-workers are facing some major trials and one mentioned yesterday, “When it rains, it pours.” My heart is heavy for both of them and May will definitely be a time of newness. I kept thinking of her comment and thought about my own experiences in April. It was such a beautiful season of God pouring into my heart.…

As I was looking back over the posts during the Lenten season and through Easter, I’m in awe of that time with God. I felt such passion and purpose and was taught so much in the study times. Then the week after was a time of comfort and peace and He walked me through my own times of remembering. I kind of feel sad now that it’s over. Where do I go from here? It’s like hiking to the top of a mountain and having time to look out across them at the most impressive and scenic views. Now it’s time to move on and begin the next part of…

I have a small book called Prayers to Share – 100 Pass-Along Notes for Joy. As I was readying through some of them today I came across another Barbara Johnson quote that summed up yesterday for me. “The truth is even in the midst of trouble, happy moments swim by us every day, like shining fish waiting to be caught.” It had been a very trying day filled with expectations and changes. Deadlines on several projects were drawing near, conference calls and training webinars stacked up an already busy schedule. And to top it off, I needed to complete my to do list early because I was scheduled for Jury…

I read a quote this morning by Barbara Johnson, “Attitude is the mind’s paintbrush; it can color any situation.” It gave me this mental picture of a clean white blank canvas ready to be painted by the events of the day, with each color on your palette representing a different feeling or emotion, what would your painting look like at the end of the day? Do you remember the artist Bob Ross? He had a TV show called The Joy of Painting and always seemed so calm and happy. When he was asked why he was so happy his response was, “It’s because I can create the kind of world…