Just Be Still

 “Be Still and Know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10, NIV)

Every year, I choose a word to help guide me through the next 365 days. Nearly six months ago, I didn’t proclaim just one word for the year; I went with one of my favorite Bible passages.

Over the last couple of years, on December 31, when I looked back over the past twelve months, it felt like it had been another tough one. So much going on, so many people and situations to pray for, so much going wrong in this world.

And here I am, not quite six months into 2023, and I – I have nothing to say. It’s been brutal again.

When, Lord, are things going to get better, get easier? When will we find peace and comfort?

To which He answers, “Once you have sent your prayer, let it go, because I have heard it, and I will take care of it. I will take care of you and your loved ones. Be still. Be calm. Be at peace.”

If you read last Sunday’s blog, you realize that God has been telling me that for a while. I really need to start listening, or at least be still and know that He is God and He has got this.

Flashback Friday - a word from Dino

I’ve been skimming through all my old blog posts, hunting for ones to include in my latest book – a 40-day devotional about dealing with pain. Funny thing, when I started this blog, in 2010, I was dealing with a frozen shoulder. And though I’ve been suffering with low back pain for the past twelve weeks, the back is somewhat better right now, but that right shoulder is killing me.

I’m thinking it is all arthritis, as my mother predicted I would be assailed with by the time I reached this age.

Anyway, it’s been fun and nostalgic reading through all those old blog posts. This one ticked a lot of my boxes, including that irksome back pain. Can't wait to go camping next month, though it won't be the same without our four-legged sidekick. 

My Big Adventure

Well, finally, I get to write on my own blog. Momma names the thing after me and then never even lets me use it. She seems to think I can’t type with my big ol’ puppy paws. Duh, Mom, they don’t call me the wonder dog for nothin’.

So, since Mom is taking a break from telling her life stories (boring!), I got some internet time and here I am to tell you about my big adventure. Mom and Dad took me camping up north! They call it the U.P., but – hello – just call it up, like I can’t spell or something.

We stayed in this cool campground where there were 100 other dogs, and way more people than that. Or that’s what it seemed like coz some dog and their people were walking by our trailer like every five minutes. And Mom or Dad would tell me to be quiet. But it’s like, why can they say “hi” to everyone and I can’t?

Where we camped, they don’t let dogs on the beach. I don’t get why, but you know Mom and Dad – always having to follow the rules. But just a couple miles down the road there was a really cool park, and we went to it every day. And I got to run in the water and get chased by waves. It was so awesome. I pretended the waves were a really big mean kitty. And I let them get as close to me as I could and then I ran back to shore. But the waves still always caught me and got me all wet. It was awesome.

We rode around in the truck a lot. I don’t know what Mom and Dad were so fascinated about, but they seemed to really like looking at the big lake. I’m kind of thinking, if I can’t play in it, I sure don’t want to just look at it.

We also took a couple walks in the woods every day. Mom and Dad seemed to be looking for something all the time. We would walk for a while and then we would have to turn around. Dad said it is because Mom’s back hurts so she can’t walk as far as she would like. Poor Mom, I wish I could make her feel better. Sometimes she acts so old.

I was very happy to finally be home today. I really liked the long trip, but I like it in my own backyard too. I can’t wait to sleep all day long tomorrow. Love, Dino.

Welcome to the World, Little Babies

Ah, the first day of summer.

Eighteen months ago, a power surge blew out our garage door openers, and we ended up leaving the overhead doors open the rest of that winter. By the time spring came, and we were ready to take the old openers down and put up the new ones, a mother robin had built a nest on top of one of them. I thought I wrote an entire blog about it, but this is the only one I found.

Last fall, after she had a second batch of babies, and the mother and all her offspring had flown the nest, we took it down along with the old opener and installed the new one.

Then this May, with the garage door opener going up and down twice a day to let my car in and out, that silly bird built another nest in the same spot. I made Hubby take it down right away so we could have the garage back, but Momma came back and continued building.

Every time I went in the garage and saw her sitting on her nest, her face as serious as could be, I would say hi to her and tell her she was doing a good job. With my back still bothering me, I wasn’t able to climb a ladder for a better look, but Hubby assured me she had eggs.

Then maybe a week ago, he said he saw a chick in the nest and the next day he saw two more.

Today, I finally managed to get out and greet the new arrivals. Aren’t all babies adorable?

Now, we’ll see how long before Momma lays a new batch. Could be a long summer. But that’s better than a long winter. 

 

Never Quit Praying

          Give your burdens to the Lord. He will carry them. He will not permit the godly to slip or fall. (Psalm 55:22, Living Bible)

Every night, after going to bed and turning out the lights, I start my nightly prayers – thanking God for all He has done for me, praying for forgiveness for the many transgressions I commit every day, and asking God to grant a long list of favors. Most recently pleading with Him to take away my back pain, but also that my children figure out their lives, that my cat doesn’t have any more seizures, that adequate rain falls, that my husband doesn’t get bored not working over the summer, that there is peace on earth, and that millions of non-believers turn their lives over to Jesus Christ.

So I pray all these things (and more), and I picture God holding out a huge silver platter, nodding and saying, “Offer up all your prayers, place them all on this platter, turn them over to Me.”

And I put all those things on the silver platter.

The next night, in bed again, I start saying my prayers. God shows up, and He’s still carrying that giant platter. And it’s still full of all of the prayers from the night before.

So, I ask Him, “Why are all my prayers still there? Aren’t You at least working on answering them?”

He nods and tells me to just keep praying, keep putting all my requests on the platter.

And I don’t know what to say; I just give Him this look like, “What? Why should I keep praying for this same stuff if You aren’t going to take care of it?”

He nods again and says, “Trust Me. I got this.”

And so it goes, night after night, until I have an epiphany. 

Yes, I keep praying and I know that God is taking all of my requests seriously. And I also know that He can carry that platter no matter how full it is, how heavy all of my prayers are.

I can’t carry it; I can’t even pick it up. I need to keep the faith and trust God in all things. He will always be stronger than me. And He knows how best to answer each and every one of my prayers and when.

Thank You, Lord, God, for always carrying every one of my burdens. Amen

(And the picture is of the largest platter that I have, not that this post has anything to do with Thanksgiving. Except, I guess it does. We need to give thanks every day, not just once a year.) 

 

Been Here Before

 
A lot of the pictures from today’s post might look familiar. I visited this place last fall and blogged about it this past February.

The Highground Veterans Memorial Park, four miles west of Neillsville, is the largest manned Veteran’s Park in the nation. 

It is currently a 155-acre Park that includes a museum, a gift shop, pavilions, picnic areas and four miles of hiking trails and is supported totally by donations and grants. 

The Park is free to the public and open 24/7/365. 

It’s a very moving place.

Be sure to stop if you are ever in the area.

Life is a Journey

Here we go. Summer is here and I’m not waiting around any longer to get out and do stuff.

Okay, but still taking baby steps.

Sunday, I took a short ride to Spirit Falls, which is only about 20 miles away. The friend who rode along and I made a few other stops (at three different cemeteries where I have family!), but I only took pictures at the Falls. And not even very many of them. 

Many more adventures are right around the corner, along with many more pictures. Life is a journey!

 

Prayer for Peace

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

 

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

I shared this prayer here many years ago and haven’t read it probably since then. But for some reason it has been on my mind lately, so I thought I would share it today.

At one time it was thought to have been written by St. Francis of Assisi, but there is no proof of that. Generally, it is considered to have been written anonymously. Thank you to whoever did write it; it is beautiful and should be written in our hearts.

(And since St. Francis is known as the saint of animals and nature, I thought a picture of the bunny who has been living in my yard the last two years was appropriate.)