Living and Actively Working

 

Just call me Alexander . . . you know, that guy who had that one terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day! We’ve all had them; and how we’ve responded sometimes reflects our state of mind before the not-very-fun day began.

I was beginning my seventh day of running a fever and the third morning after sitting up to sleep all night due to breathing issues from pneumonia. I had already had to accept that I would not be leading my new Women’s Bible Study at church that night and someone else would have to cover for me. 

As I opened my medicine cabinet, a decent-sized spider that had taken up residence decided this would be a good time to drop down onto my countertop and try to take over. The spider was wrong . . . I took off my slipper and beat it mercilessly until it was no longer recognizable! 

Next, I went to the kitchen to try and restore some of my electrolytes with a small glass of Gatorade. But it would be a while before my body received any help, as I accidentally hit the glass with my elbow and sent it flying to the throw rug below . . . leaving a pool on the countertop, a pool on the rug, and splattered drink down the front of the dishwasher and across a three-to-four-feet radius on the floor. The words that came out of my mouth probably weren’t the most uplifting I’ve ever uttered! 

Now I was tasked with wiping the countertop and dishwasher, mopping the floor, and eventually washing the rug. I asked God why he thought this was a good idea for me that day when he knew how bad I felt physically. He didn’t answer me audibly; but I knew from a lifetime of walking with him that this probably had something to do with either my growth or his glory. At that moment, I really wasn’t interested in either of those options. 

As I went to get the mop from the wall-mounted mop rack, I was greeted with the fact that the rack was beginning to fall off of the wall. You can imagine how happy I was with that information. All I wanted to do was sit down and rest with some Gatorade. But as I cleaned up the mess, I began to think about some of David’s reactions in the Psalms. 

No part of the Bible is a mistake, but instead is God’s written Word. Even when David or other Psalmists were basically yelling at God and telling him how unhappy they were. Here are a couple of examples: “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1); or “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1). 

But here’s the part of the Psalms that I love: these and other passages validate my human feelings, but they don’t stop there. Listen to the words just a few verses after those quoted above: “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” (Psalm 13:5-6); and “But you do see . . . O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear . . . “ (Psalm 10:14 & 17). It seems that God is okay with our questions and our cries, as long as we remember Who he is and what he’s done in the past and choose to be thankful in spite of our less-than-ideal moments or days. 

I can always count on Scripture to center me and bring my thoughts into proper alignment, even on my worst days. That’s the power of God’s living Word. What a gift we have been given!

Keeping My Mind Engaged

With four grandchildren who all live in the same house together, three of whom are also very close in age, I am always looking for new ideas for birthday and Christmas gifts. And, given my practical and teacher mindset, I usually buy things that will help develop their minds and not just their creative play inclinations. 

 One of my latest gifts for my ten-year-old granddaughter was an Extreme Dot-to-Dot book with pictures of baby animals that each contained hundreds of numbered dots to connect to form the pictures. She started creating almost immediately after opening the gift! But then I had an idea.

 

I also have always enjoyed doing dot-to-dot pictures; and with a couple of long flights coming up for our vacation, I was looking for more than my usual book to read on the planes to help pass the hours of confined inactivity. So, since I was flying internationally for our trip, I purchased for myself an Extreme Dot-to-Dot book with pictures of well-known scenery and other places around the world. And with my mind fully engaged, I managed to conquer eight of the pictures during four flights – including the most difficult two-page picture with 2,201 numbered dots! 

In this technology-saturated world that we live in, I’ve been thinking about the importance of continuing to use my mind as I grow older. While there are some great tools available for that on technology devices, screen time also presents the added danger of mindless activities that do nothing to keep me sharp and alert. And I’m reminded of Peter’s warning in his first letter to “be sober-minded” and to “be watchful” because Satan is prowling around like a lion just looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). 

There is a lot of emphasis in our culture on keeping our physical bodies fit and pushing our physical limits to improve strength and health. But when our minds need help, we often resort to medications instead of putting in the hard work to keep mentally fit. Maybe we could prevent some problems with our minds if we were more attentive to proactive measures before our brains forget how to think. I’m no expert, but I wonder. 

When I think about the words that Jesus identified as the “greatest commandment”, I am reminded that it involves every part of me . . . loving God with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength (Mark 12:30). So, if I’m going to do that well, I need to use all the power I have to keep all four of those parts of me operating as well as I can. And only a sharp mind allows me to study God’s Word and maintain an undivided heart that is fully devoted to God (Psalm 86:11). 

Time to do some more reading and a dot-to-dot picture or two . . .

Adjusted Dreams

 

When I was nineteen years old, I had the privilege of spending a month in London, England on a study tour and traveling around England as well as to Scotland and Wales. I remember riding London’s “tube” (subway system) all over the city and taking BritRail trains to many other locations in Great Britain. I probably walked a hundred miles in the thirty-some days I was living there, and much of what I did was by myself on my own. 

A couple of months after I returned home, I met my future husband and shared all of my experiences with him. I was anxious to actually share these places with my new love, and soon after we began dating we started talking about marriage and the dream of someday going to Great Britain and possibly Ireland together. As idealistic young college students, we hoped this future trip would take place much sooner than it did. Last week, my husband and I returned from a nineteen day trip to Scotland and Ireland celebrating our 45^th wedding anniversary. It took a long time to take our dream trip, but we finally made it!

But this was not the trip we had originally envisioned when we were young. Unforeseen physical disabilities and food/eating issues that have modified our lifestyle as we have aged dictated that our trip would also need to be modified from our original youthful plans. Walking would need to be more limited, and there would be no trains or subways this time around. We let someone else help us see these countries via tour buses with pre-planned stops. We scheduled a few down days into our agenda when we were on our own for a few days in each country. In more ways than one, we are not the same people that we were when we married so many years ago. 

But we discovered that we could still enjoy this long-awaited trip, and we could still celebrate our blessings. And with an uncertain future (which is always true but more real as we age), we are grateful that we chose to “seize the day” and take this trip now instead of waiting for retirement or our golden anniversary. Only God knows what we will still be able to physically do in the years ahead, and we are very thankful for the life he has allowed us to share so far. 

Let me encourage you to seize the day in your own life – not in the sense of living frivolously and carelessly in the pursuit of pleasure, but in the sense of seizing opportunities and trusting God for the future. You don’t have to travel if that’s not your thing; but, if you are fortunate as we are to still have your spouse, take every chance you get to experience life together – whatever that looks like for you. Celebrate the goodness of God together and appreciate every minute as you share each day. Dreams may change over time, but adjusted dreams can still bring a lot of joy.

Surprised By Grace

I was on my way home from making a quick trip to the store for a grocery pickup order and was stopped at a traffic light with a couple dozen other cars. I was only a few blocks away from my home. And then it happened. 

In a moment that felt both like the blink of an eye and also slow-motion, my foot slipped off of the brake pedal and momentarily refused to cooperate with my brain. As I struggled unsuccessfully to get my foot back on the brake, all I could do was watch my car rolling closer and closer to the car ahead of me. I was helpless as I said “No, no, no” and heard the crunch that stopped my car from rolling. I said a quick prayer for God to help me through the next few minutes that I knew would be awkward.

The driver of the car I hit jumped out of his car and uttered some form of expletive, then motioned for us to cross over the lane next to us to reach a small parking lot. I nodded and followed him over. I didn’t plan what happened next, but as I turned my car off and started to exit my vehicle, I began to tear up. I don’t usually cry easily, but I guess my body just reacted spontaneously to the reality of being the only party responsible for what had just happened. 

My first words to the thirty-or-forty-something man with a broken accent were, “I’m so sorry, sir.” As I prepared to take pictures of the damage with my phone, he asked me, “What were you doing? Were you on your phone?” To which I replied with a wavering voice through my tears, “No, I was not on my phone. My foot slipped off the brake pedal, and I couldn’t get my foot to work fast enough to stop the car. I’m old, and sometimes my feet don’t work right.”

The innocent man started examining the damage to his vehicle (at least one dent), and after a minute he said, “You know what?” I said, “What?” And that’s when he spoke words I wasn’t expecting to hear: “I forgive you.” My response was, “Are you kidding?” He repeated, “I forgive you.” And I persisted, “Are you sure?” He quietly said, “Yes, you have a good rest of your day.” Shocked, I muttered something like, “Thank you . . . bless you!” And then he got in his car and drove away. 

I returned to my car and immediately was overwhelmed with both tears and the realization that I had just encountered grace – both from a stranger and from God. And I was reminded of how God’s forgiveness is a free gift and how God’s grace is unexpected and unmerited . . . and yet generously poured out on all who choose to fully trust him. 

I would have preferred to not have this recent experience, but I am grateful for the opportunity to once again be made aware of God’s love and care for me and his gift of grace that I first trusted when I was just a child. As I drove the rest of the way home, I prayed that God would bless the young man who had chosen to bless me . . . and that he would have the opportunity to know and trust the God I love in the future if he has not already made that choice. Grace truly is an amazing thing!

Celebrating What I Lack

Naturally creative people always amaze me. That’s probably because I am not one of them. 

Some people think I am creative because I’m a musician. I can learn complicated music and play or sing it well. Back in my worship team days, I could listen to orchestrated music on a recording and use my keyboards and the written piano music to replicate the sounds on the recording, adding orchestral depth to the finished performance. But I don’t write songs, and my fellow worship team members were fully aware of my inability to produce an ad lib solo of any kind. I was known for my ability to produce perfectly practiced spontaneity!

Others think that I must be creative because I am a writer. But again, what I write can best be described as teaching or devotional in nature, reflecting study and deep thinking but not creativity. I regurgitate facts and experiences and look for practical applications. Creative people write stories as their minds wander to places my mind has never been. 

That’s why creativity always catches me off guard and amazes me. It’s something that feels other-worldly to me because it rarely graces the world where my mind lives. Maybe that’s why I love taking photos of the natural world – a highly diverse place developed in the mind of the original Creator. Spring and summer in the Pacific Northwest where I live are especially filled with wonderful colors and long hours of light each day. How blessed we are to see God’s creativity on display 365 days a year! 

I never get tired of seeing what God has made, and I never get tired of seeing the creativity he has planted in many of the people I come in contact with. We humans have truly been “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God! And I’m so glad that he chose to make each of us unique with different but equally important qualities – all made in his image, each reflecting some of the many facets of his nature. Which is why we members of his body all need each other . . . to help us know God better and see who he is more clearly, and to shine his light into the world in our own unique ways.

Seeing With New Eyes

 

My eyes have needed correction for distance vision since I was nine years old, which means I have worn glasses or contact lenses for most of my life. The aging process usually carries with it the slow deterioration of many body parts and bodily functions; but I recently experienced a very positive outcome to one of these inevitable changes.

Although I have an aversion to having anyone touch my eyes and can’t even put drops in my eyes very successfully, the time had come to have cataract surgery in order to improve my vision – which was no longer able to be fully corrected with glasses. I had a lot of fear but desperately wanted to see better, so I went reluctantly to the surgery appointment for my right eye. I didn’t enjoy the surgery (which, FYI, you are fully awake for!), but my ride home was amazing. Everything was bright and very clear; and the difference between my two eyes was like night and day. 

Over the next two weeks before the surgery for my left eye, I was continuously surprised at how dim and yellowish everything looked through my remaining eye compared to the bright clarity in the other eye. It reminded me of the apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13:12 – “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” More on that in a minute. 

As the second surgery day arrived, I still was not looking forward to the procedure itself; but I had high hopes and expectations for what the end result would be. And therein was the problem. When the surgery was over, my vision was bright but was not clear; and my eye was very irritated. I had pain every time I blinked. When I woke up the next day, nothing had changed; and my discouragement was palpable at the follow-up appointment with the doctor, who assured me things would improve. By evening there was pain with every minute movement of my eyeball. I went to bed with my expectations shattered and my hope crushed. 

I am happy to report that things were completely different when I awakened the next morning . . . the pain was gone, and my vision was 20/20 in both eyes. No more distance vision correction for me! I was reminded again (as many times before) the role of hope in our lives and the sometimes disastrous ramifications of misguided expectations. Trusting God involves properly placing our hope in him and remembering that what he has planned often far exceeds our human expectations.

And I am encouraged through this hands-on experience to remember that everything we currently see is dim and lacks clarity compared to what it will be like when we see God face to face in heaven. We think we know a lot about how the world works, but we only know part of the picture right now. Thankfully, God knows the whole story and is sovereign over it all. I’m so grateful that he loves me and can be fully trusted! 

Prayers for a New Leader

 

I am not a Catholic, and I don’t usually pay much attention to who the Pope is or what he has to say. As a Protestant, I do not believe that the bureaucracy and hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church through the centuries has been entirely Biblical. But as a Christian believer, I have come to understand that I cannot just ignore what happens at the Vatican.

That’s because, whether I like it or not, for billions of people around the world (both followers and onlookers) the Catholic Pope represents all of Christianity and what it stands for. People everywhere look to him to make moral, social, and spiritual decisions for them and to guide their views on politics and world affairs. Even though I don’t adhere to all of the tenets of the Catholic Church, my identification as a Christian is viewed by many through the lens of what the Pope says. So his character, his words, and his actions affect the witness I have in the world to non-believers. We are connected as “Christians” even though we don’t have the exact same beliefs.

The late Pope Francis did a lot to change the Catholic Church in positive ways. By all first impressions, it appears that Pope Leo XIV will continue to bring a softer, more relevant approach to his role as Francis did. Humility goes a long way, and it seems that Leo possesses this trait like his predecessor did. Will he make all the right decisions and get everything Biblically correct now that he is the Pope? Of course not, because he isn’t God; and only Jesus lived a perfect life. But if he daily seeks God’s help, he will be guided by God and lead with both truth and grace like Jesus did.

I hope the Catholic Church continues to see reform and seeks to align itself more closely with the Biblical model of the church body, with Christ alone as the head. What happens at the Vatican affects every Christian worldwide regardless of denomination. And as Protestant Christians, instead of separating ourselves from other denominations and ignoring what they do, we can pray for God’s truth to triumph in our broken world . . . and that He will use each of us, including the Pope, to further His kingdom and bring more and more people in this world to know Him and love Him. Whether justified or not, the Pope carries a huge weight of responsibility and will be held accountable by God. He needs all the prayers he can get.

Grandma's Joy

 

My last post was the day before I left to spend two weeks visiting my son and his family who live several states away. Today, I have recently returned from that trip with a full heart from spending time with my grandchildren. At this point in my life, nothing brings me more joy than being with my grands in person and sharing special moments with them. And this trip was FULL of special moments!

In 14 days, I attended four programs or concerts featuring one or more of my grandchildren; I was privileged to spend a day at their school visiting classrooms, attending chapels, and eating lunch together in celebration of “Grand Day”, an annual event for grandparents of students; we worshipped together at their church for Good Friday and Easter services; we celebrated my younger grandson’s 5^th birthday; and I was blessed to be able to witness in person my two granddaughters’ baptisms as they publicly declared their faith in God and desire to follow Jesus. And it is always a highlight when we’re together to “bake with Grandma” . . . this time special cross-shaped brownies for Easter weekend. It was a busy but wonderful time!

But while I enjoyed attending all of these events and feel blessed to have the opportunity, I think it is the unplanned moments with my grandchildren that mean the most. Like when your 5-year-old grandson burrows into you while watching TV and says, “I love it when you hug me . . . I love to snuggle you.” Or when you hear the words, “Grandma, I’ve missed you so much,” or “I love you so much.” Or when your 5-year-old and 10-year-old grandsons squeeze together into a narrow seat with you on the couch because they both want to “sit with Grandma”. Or the simple beauty of a grandchild spontaneously leaning against you or holding your hand. I could go on, but you get the picture.

The distance between our homes means I don’t see my grandchildren as often as I would like to. But these special moments and memories are what keep me going in between visits. And they remind me that I play an important role in my grands’ lives despite the sparseness of our time together . . . and that God is forming a bond between us as only he can do. Looking forward to our next adventures together down the road! 

A Granddaughter's Love

 

The last time my grandchildren were at my house, my older granddaughter gave me a priceless gift. It was a few days after Christmas, and she was enjoying one of her new Christmas presents – a Polaroid-type camera for kids that could instantly print the photos if desired. As I was reading a book with my older grandson (her brother), she snapped a candid shot of us. Then she printed it and wrote a message on it. As a long-distance grandma, every moment and every word is precious.

But this simple gift was a twofer for this grandma. When my grandson asked me to read with him that day, there wasn’t room in my small chair for both of us. His 10-year-old body had surpassed the usual position of sitting next to me that we had been accustomed to in the past. I was surprised when he decided to climb into the chair and put his legs across my lap. I felt special and cherished the moment, as I know it won’t last forever. Alas, we only have two more books left in the special series of twelve that we have been reading together whenever we have been with each other over the past couple of years.

Not only did my granddaughter unwittingly capture this special moment in time on her new camera, she chose to print the photo and give it to me. But then she decided to write a message on it for me: “You are the best Grandma in the world!” Music to a grandma’s ears! Especially when it comes from someone that I only get to see in person 3-4 times a year. At the end of my most recent visit to her home last August, this same granddaughter spontaneously broke into tears and didn’t want to let me leave for the airport. It’s hard to say goodbye when you’re only nine.

So this little piece of paper means a lot to this grandma, because it represents relationships that we have been able to develop despite distance. Yes, I wish I could spend more time in person with my four grandchildren. But I am very thankful for the technology that allows us to stay connected even though our homes are several states apart. And I’m also thankful for parents who welcome and encourage our involvement in their children’s lives. I have discovered that it is possible to make a difference as a grandparent even without consistent physical proximity. And part of the reason for that is that we have a shared faith. Many of the things we talk about and share with our grandchildren have eternal significance, even if time spent in person is limited. Only God can bind us together across the miles.

When I leave this world, I’m afraid my children are going to have a lot of sentimental things to sort through. My scrapbooks are full of mementoes and hand-written notes from my own children through the years. But now I also am gathering a collection of special treasures from my grandchildren as well. Sorry, not sorry! And I’m going to keep collecting because these memories bridge the physical distance between me and the ones I hold most dear.

They also remind me to keep listening to each one of my grandchildren and to keep building spiritual truth into their lives while we laugh, read, and play together. Even an old grandma like me can make a difference just by being present and paying attention as they grow, even if it’s more often than not via video calls. But hang on, precious ones, Grandma will be with you in person soon! And I can’t wait.

The Living Word

 

I wouldn’t say I was surprised, but I would say I was amazed. In fact, I’m always amazed when it comes to the power of God’s Word. It’s one of the many reasons I continue to believe in its truth after a lifetime of trying to follow what it has to say.

Last week I finished leading a three-month study of my first book, A Faith of a Different Color: Honest Lessons on Trusting God in Real Life, with 15-18 other women. Although I have led this same study at two other churches, this latest timeframe was the first time I have led it at my current church.

The book is a practical look at how to trust some of God’s characteristics on a daily basis, and it grew out of a painful and difficult time in my own spiritual walk that lasted many years. The book is filled (some might say over-filled!) with Bible verses to look up and ponder in our quest to trust God fully, along with personal stories representing each aspect of God’s work in our lives.

So here’s the amazing part: the group of ladies in my latest study ranged from young mothers to middle-aged women to senior citizens – and included brand-new Christians, seasoned lifelong followers, and everything in between. And yet the overwhelming takeaway at the last meeting was that God had used his Word to speak directly into each person’s life through this study, meeting each woman exactly where she was at in this season of her life. And that’s what only God is able to do.

I have read a lot of really great books in my lifetime, and many have taught me important things about God. But if I read any of them over and over, they would lose their ability to hold my interest or change my life. Not so with God’s Word. Verses I might have read thirty years ago or more can take on new meaning in my present life as the Spirit of God does his work behind the scenes and in my heart.

I’ve been experiencing this my whole life, so I don’t know why I still am amazed. Maybe because this ability to enlighten can only come from God. And maybe because every time it happens I am encouraged and spurred on to continue to “work out” my walk of faith as God “works in” me for my growth and his glory (Philippians 2:12-13). I know I can trust him fully and rely on his Word completely to finish the good work that he began in me so long ago (Philippians 1:6). Amazing, but definitely true.

The Promise of Spring

 

It always happens this time of year. I don’t like hot weather, and I love Fall and the coziness of winter. But by March, I’m ready for some brightness and a little warmth. I even recently bought myself a small bouquet of flowers at the grocery store in order to bring a little touch of Spring into my house!

Where I live, we’ve had an especially cold winter compared to usual, so I think I’m even more anxious for spring to arrive than I usually am. But the past few days and the upcoming forecast are an indication that the seasons are colliding. We have had nearly every weather phenomenon occurring, nearly simultaneously, every single day. Spring is trying to come, but winter is fighting to stay. It makes me wish for the legendary perfection of Camelot, where it supposedly never rained until after sundown!

The collision of the seasons reminds me of the ups and downs and back and forth of human relationships. We are temporarily stuck in the imperfection of life on earth in a fallen world, where each of us fights for control and doesn’t always play nice with others. Just like the changing seasons, we sometimes experience overlapping emotions and disagreements leading to conflict and confrontations. And just like my longing for spring, I sometimes long for what the Garden of Eden must have been like in its perfect, harmonious state.

But I have Eden to look forward to again in the future, because this world is not my permanent home! And even though this earthly journey sometimes can seem long and extra cold like this winter, I can choose to look for joy and count my blessings and not dwell on the negatives that sometimes occur. The promise of spring is new life, and I can count on spring to show up eventually because it always does. And this promise of new life isn’t just for this world, but for the next as well.

Stories Matter

 

Most of the time in our culture, people who are in their nineties don’t get much recognition or respect. And most people at that age don’t contribute a lot to society anymore and aren’t considered to be very productive. But you haven’t met Barbara.

Every month or two at our church, there is a casual get-together for women where one person is asked ahead of time to share their story. I have heard many of these stories and also had the opportunity to share my own story a few months ago. But last night we had the rare privilege of listening to 91-year-old Barbara’s story.

Barbara is one of my friends, so I already had heard most of what she had to say. She has a lot of energy and joy, and she never fails to give God the glory for everything that has happened in her long life. But I was struck last night with how inspiring it is for the rest of us to hear about God’s faithfulness in Barbara’s life and how it encourages each of us to keep trusting God individually. It reminded me that our stories matter and that we need each other. Because that’s the way God designed us – to need him and to need each other.

No two people will share all of the same experiences, and we each have to walk the life of faith as individuals. But God knew that we couldn’t do it completely on our own, so he designed us to be In community with others to find the full expression of what faith is all about. Even one of the most solemn books of the Bible recognizes that “two are better than one” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). We all need encouragement and to be lifted up by others at times.

So don’t be afraid to share your own story with the people in your community, whoever they are. We never know who might need to be encouraged in any given moment and how our words might be used to inspire someone else. One thing I’m sure of: God is always faithful and will use us when we are willing to be used by him. Even as we age, and even if we live to be over ninety years old!

Looking Back

 

It’s almost time to renew my passport, which means another ten years of my life has gone by. It’s got me reminiscing and thinking about all that has happened in the last decade. Life has changed a lot in those years.

In 2015, my husband and I were looking forward to a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Israel – hence, the need for the passport. Since then we have traveled to many other new places and re-visited a few others. We still like to travel.

The last time I applied for a passport, I didn’t know that within a year I would be moving an hour north and that the next ten years would include a total of three moves and three different houses. Some future things are probably better unknown.

Because I didn’t know I would be moving to a new city, I also didn’t know that I would become a member of two different churches in the next decade and have many new opportunities for ministry with new people I hadn’t even met yet.

Ten years ago, I couldn’t envision what my grandparenting journey would look like and that in 2025 I would have four wonderful grandchildren. I didn’t know back then that one of my future grandsons had already been born and my first granddaughter was already on the way. As grandma to adopted kids, I wouldn’t meet them for another 2-3 years.

I had no way to know at that time that my second son would meet and fall in love with his future wife and that they would be celebrating three years of marriage this week. And I didn’t know that the rest of 2022 would hold our “circle of life” experiences of losing my Mom along with getting a new lease on life for my husband.

And there was no way I could know that my future flights to see my older son and his family would no longer take me to California but rather to the Midwest. Like I said, a lot has changed since 2015.

I’ve heard people say that they wish they could know what the future holds. I’m a planner, so I can understand that sentiment. But after reviewing the past ten years in my memories, I think it’s better that we don’t know everything that’s coming down the line - because life holds both joy and pain, and facing each thing as it comes gives us the opportunity to trust God every step of the way.

And one thing that hasn’t changed is God’s faithfulness and his presence with me through every up and down. That’s something I can count on no matter how many years go by and how many other things change.