One of my children and I were having a cabin fever kind of day recently, missing the freedom to have big adventures and attend big events. You know what I mean? We had been sheltered-in-place about seven weeks and were missing those moments when someone says, "So, what'd you do this weekend?" . . . and you have something big to say. In those conversations, we tend to skip over the details like we brushed our teeth or took out the trash. Instead, we would mention the one or two things that seemed like a big deal. A birthday party, or dinner at somewhere fancy. During the shelter-in-place, we don't get to go to the movies or the mall. No overnight road trips or even trips to the hair salon. It can seem a little depressing. Yet, sometimes, moments of great joy and happiness aren't found in things we think are a big deal; they're found in the little details of our lives. Today was one of those days for me. I woke up to a good-morning kiss from my husband, as
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I was so blessed to get to share a different version of this story in Guideposts magazine this summer! So grateful for that opportunity. Here is the original. His Spirit Over the Waters “Are you sure?” My husband Tom asked. “Yep,” I answered confidently. “I’ll go.” Excitement and determination bubbled up to push my usual fear out of the way. Despite all that had happened, God’s gentle peace had settled in my heart. I wrestled into a wetsuit. It had been a long year for all of us. In fact, for me, it had been five long years of loss after loss. I lost my job in the pandemic and faced the deaths of some of my closest loved ones, due to a variety of causes. Like waves hitting the beach one after another, I felt pounded, smacked to the ground, and knocked a bit off course. Then, unexpectedly, I lost my beautiful sister-in-law of nearly thirty years to covid. Michelle and I had talked often about being old together some day, caring for our parents-in-law and watching our kids grow
Love Your Calling
Some days, work is work. Some days, work is bliss. Such a fun writing assignment, requiring some research and development. :)
May 31, 2022 Looking ahead while looking back, the Sweet and the Sour I am pitting and freezing a few pounds of cherries today, finding a peaceful rhythm as I halve them with a little paring knife and slide out the pits with my thumb. It is a task filled with memories for me. The memory of blue skies and cheery cherry summers. The memory of my mother showing me how to use the knife. The memories of baking clafoutis with my sister. I pop a cherry half into my mouth. “Do not muzzle the ox,” my grandma would quote, “while he’s treading out the grain.” This principle I learned from her as a child (given three times in the Bible) reminds me I am worthy of my wages. Today, the wages include a cherry or two. Instantly, the taste transports me back to my grandfather’s orchard and stuffed plastic bags of fruit sitting on the kitchen table. I remember eating Rainiers the most, not the deep red cherries pictured in storybooks. Rainiers are a hybrid from the 1950s, a surprising blend of two re
As we cry and pray and hope for Ukraine, we also see Biblical prophecy unfolding as it always does. This video by Greg Laurie tells a little bit about that. I think it's a helpful one, worth watching. Click the "Read More" button to watch the video here or copy/ paste the following link to watch it over at YouTube.com. Blessings-- Janine YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwMegTvUTWc
Focus Friday #39--I love this family's attitude!
Love this family's attitude. <3 Click here to watch first video of Aiden and his parents together. Click here for a second video . Please say a prayer for them today!