Tag: Change

One Small Act…of Kindness

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Hello…it has been a while since I have written anything. There has been so much going on in life, in family, in country and in the world. Maybe it’s just that it feels to be a little more than overwhelming. Maybe I’ve been uninspired to write. Maybe I’ve not been intentional with making the time to write. Maybe it’s all of the above! We all know that the past 2 years have not been easy. It has been plagued with disease, fires, floods, death, mayhem and not just natural disasters, but human disasters as well and the list goes on.

How do we process and deal with the suffering that is happening all over the world? It’s so overwhelming and I know that I sometimes feel so helpless. I ask myself, what am I supposed to do? I’m one person. There are so many homeless, there are people that have lost homes due to wildfires, there are people still sick and dying from Covid and the floods in Germany, and here, in our own United States. What are we to do?

It’s not an easy answer and as I pass by the homeless man sitting on the ground as I walk into Starbucks, I’m sad, but ask myself, what is it that I can do to make his day a little brighter and to at least let him know that he has been seen? The most immediate thing I can do is buy him something to eat and drink. There is no greater satisfaction that I get than when I give of my own resources and see the smile that comes across his face as I hand him his food and drink. It’s not the food that changes his day, it’s the fact that someone acknowledged him, spoke to him, made him feel human, and didn’t just walk by without even looking. Everyone wants to be seen and acknowledged.

The only thing I know to do that will bring a little bit of positive change, is to continue doing the smallest acts of kindness when the opportunity presents itself. No, I can’t go fight fires…but I can give to the fire fighters fund, or make some cookies and take it to my local fire station to thank them. Maybe I can take a trunk full of donated clothes and shoes to the local homeless camp and let them take their pick. Perhaps I can house a family that has been displaced because they have been evacuated or their home just burned down. There are so many ways we can help and bring a bit of sunshine to someones life and to their day.

I am not ashamed to say that I am fortunate to have everything I need to live comfortably, not extravagantly, but comfortable. So, I can’t very well sit by and watch the suffering going on around me. The way that I can suffer with them, is to talk, to acknowledge, to assist, to fund, etc. in whatever way I can to make a difference by one small act of kindness. If every one of us could do this…the world would change!

How do you make a difference? I would love to hear!

Love in a World of Change

We are to be whole-makers of love in a world of change.

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Happy Holidays to All Readers…

It’s so hard to believe that the year is almost over. What a year it has been. The world was thrown a curve ball this year from out of nowhere. This year has been one that we have all had to do things we don’t like doing. Early on I started calling 2020 the ‘year from hell’. Sadly, it’s so easy to get caught up in the negative event of Covid-19, the negativity of a crazy and ridiculous presidential election, the negative news, the horrific racial tension, negative social media feeds and the negative attitudes around the country and the world. It is extremely hard to not become angry, bitter and self-centered through all of this. 

I would like to suggest to each one of you reading this that you take just a moment and stop! Just stop long enough to look back to the beginning of 2020 and how chaos began to descend. Being told by our states leaders to stay home and to wear a mask when we went out for essential things. After all the countless lives that have been lost and yet, if you are reading this… YOU are still here! I am still here! WE are still here! I can’t help but be grateful for life! Every time we have walked out our doors there has been a high chance of being exposed, possibly sickened with this ugly virus, but no…and if any of you have been exposed, or have had Covid-19 then I am certain you must be grateful that you walked through the experience and survived. 

Now, I would like to call this year of 2020, the ‘year of opportunity’. We have been given the opportunity the last few months to become more aware of others needs than our own. It was a chance for us to draw close, even though being separated. We have been given the opportunity to allow the creativity that we were each given at birth to surface. It was an opportunity for us to become less self-centered and to think of others more than ourselves! It allowed us the time to take a deeper look at ourselves. It was a time to begin to love like we have never loved before. Life is too easily taken for granted! 

A couple of years ago we subscribed to a daily email from a place called The Center for Action and Contemplation, run by a Franciscan Priest and his name is Father Richard Rohr. This may shock some of you that know us, but then it might not, but we have decided to begin a new journey from the traditional evangelical church and step into what is called “Christian Contemplation”. We have experienced, felt, seen, read and heard so much love from this contemplative walk that we can’t help but be drawn into it. The perspective of the contemplative way is simple… we cannot live a dual life. The dual life is our ego (what we personally create), and our true self (who God created). The contemplative way is the journey of having oneness with our creator God, so much so that we are not maneuvered by our ego. This is the simplest way, for me, to describe it. It’s been a beautiful journey and we are learning so much everyday!

I would like to share an excerpt from one of the recent subscribed to emails we receive from Richard Rohr. It wraps up what this whole season of Christmas is about, to me.

 “We can read the history of our 13.7-billion-year-old universe as the rising up of Divine Love incarnate, which bursts forth in the person of Jesus, who reveals love’s urge toward wholeness through reconciliation, mercy, peace, and forgiveness. Jesus is the love of God incarnate, the wholemaker who shows the way of evolution toward unity in love. In Jesus, God breaks through and points us in a new direction; not one of chance or blindness but one of ever-deepening wholeness in love. In Jesus, God comes to us from the future to be our future. Those who follow Jesus are to become wholemakers, uniting what is scattered, creating a deeper unity in love. Christian life is a commitment to love, to give birth to God in one’s own life and to become midwives of divinity in this evolving cosmos. We are to be wholemakers of love in a world of change.” (Sister Ilia Delio)

Our prayer for you, along with my family and for the new year coming, is that we be the ‘wholemakers of love in a world of change’. Let’s not be negative, contrary, ego-focused or dividers! Let’s allow the love of God to point us in a new direction…into the wholeness of divine love. Be open to a whole new perspective for the new year ahead! Surely it will be better than 2020!! 

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year with lots of love, joy, peace and bright hope for 2021!!

Someone to be the Greatest Love

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We all know how 2020 started! It started out with the promise! The slate had been cleared of all 2019’s mistakes and regrets. A new year always gives us fresh hope, new perspective, new goals and desires. At the end of that year we look back and we can see if we were successful with our goals, and if our perspective on life changed at all. Little did we know that the year 2020 would literally be “the year from hell”.

Now as we hit October 2020 we have seen this year our nation has been catapulted to a place we’ve never been before. I, as I’m sure you, can remember when COVID-19 hit. We watched it rapidly spread all over the world. We have had over a million deaths, but thank God, also several million recoveries. We have seen the world basically shut down. Businesses close, schools close, airlines grounded, unemployment skyrocketed, suicide rates have risen to an alarming amount, domestic abuse cases rose, teenagers going crazy at home being separated from friends and our essential workers exposed and taking great risk on a daily basis. We have had to set our personal opinions aside and follow the direction of our government leaders to help protect each one of us, while they navigated the murky waters of this virus.

Beyond the pandemic, we have seen more land burned in one year than any other year in history. As I write this, it stands at over 4 million acres. Our forests have continued to burn with more fires starting on a daily basis. Is it climate change or is it the failure of our federal and local governments to take care of our forests? It’s both!! Our firefighters are exhausted and we are tired of the destruction, tired of the loss of life. We are tired of the relentless smoky air that penetrates the lungs. The amount of lives, homes, businesses, and the beautiful wineries lost in the Napa Valley is devastating.

As if these were not bad enough, then we had the killing of George Floyd. This began the racial protests in cities around the country. The rise of violence increasing in these hot spots has our police on edge, because they are the ones being protested against. They have become the enemy instead of our protectors. Mothers and fathers have lost children, and children have lost fathers and mothers etc.

To top the year off, we have a presidential election happening. Oh my God, are you freaking serious? Need I say anymore?

Daily we ask ourselves, how much more can we take as people, and as a nation? The world is wracked with grief from this pandemic, and our nation is reeling from racial violence, social injustice, destructive wildfires, lockdowns and a presidential election in the midst of a reign of chaos.

What do we do? How do we become a conduit of change? How can we continue in this seemingly never-ending chaos?

I suggest we look at the bigger picture, but yet a more refined picture. We see the world and what is currently happening. How many of us, stop and look at ourselves? I don’t mean look at what suffering we are going through and what is against us, etc. But, let us look at what who we are!

Deep down, in our true being, beyond our surface and superficiality, we are resilient people. We are strong. We are fighters. We are determined. We have all been victims of something, but we are also survivors. We are passionate. We are compassionate. We are people that care. We are a benevolent people. We are a people that know how to rise from devastation. We are a people that can rise above the destruction, the lofty ideals of mans ego, and rise above the chaos and know that this, too, shall pass. Why? Because we were all born to love. Yes, we can love those that disagree with us. We can love those that cause the violence, devastation and destruction.

My heart breaks for this country. For my grandchildren! What is the world going to be like when they become adults? This is my greatest fear right now. Will they have the freedoms we have now? Will this nation succumb to control? Will this nation stop caring about the climate, our forests, our poor and homeless etc.? There is much to be done to leave this world to our grandchildren in a much better place than it is now.

The only way to begin again is…to love!

To end this, I leave you with a few words from a song by James Blunt, The Greatest. These words are for our children and their children after them. But also, those of us who are still alive and kicking, well, it’s for us as well!

Be the young, the brave, the powerful

‘Cause the world is standing waiting

For someone to come and change it

Be the young, the brave, the powerful

‘Cause we need a soul to save us

We need someone to be the greatest love

Changing of the Seasons

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images

God has been speaking to me about seasons lately. I know I’ve written briefly on this previously in the past, but this morning as I was soaking with worship music there was a specific song that I kept on repeat. The song “Seasons Change” is on the United Pursuit album…”Simple Gospel”. When I first heard this song a couple weeks ago that someone shared on Facebook, I had to buy the album. This song is about when seasons change God’s love remains the same, and is an anchor for all we are. This got me to pondering when the seasons change in the natural.

If you think about it, what happens when summer turns into fall, fall into winter, winter to spring, spring to summer? There is a cycle of death and resurrection! The fall season causes the tree to begin to metabolically slow, the leaves dry up and fall off their life source. The flowers stop blooming and the animals are all making sure they are stocked up on food for the winter. The winter season brings hibernation, dormancy and sometimes what appears to be death. But it’s during this season that the old bloom, the old leaf, the old way of living dies and begins to make way for the new life, from the smallest seed, in the darkest of places. While we think everything is dead, because it looks dead on the outside, it’s really not dead. What we don’t see is the growth and new life that is beginning to take place deep within that which we cannot see. The rains come, the snow falls, and the wind blows and still within, there is life.

Fall turns into winter and winter into spring. It’s in the spring we begin to see things turning a more brilliant green and beautiful little buds begin to pop out of what we thought was dead. The buds eventually, with the moisture it received from winter and lots of spring sunshine, begin to open and we see the beauty that was being formed within the shell of something that looked dry and finished; the beauty we behold is stunning. The amazing colors that once defined what we define as life is once again in full view. The cycle of life is too amazing and too complex for our finite minds to comprehend sometimes. In the end, the entire cycle is what defines life, not just the seasons that express the beauty we see; God sees the beauty at our core.

This all brings me to the point I wanted to make. I was looking at the 45 trees that our gardener said we have on our property. I had noticed in the fall when the leaves were falling off, the birds were having a hay day with all the little seeds or whatever it was dropping off the tree. The trees ended up being bare and looking lifeless. However, as I was listening to the song I mentioned previously, I began to think about this. The fact that even though the leaves are gone, the tree is alive. The whole tree doesn’t go away in the fall/winter season. It’s just the fruit of the tree. The fruit, or the leaves, die and fall off, but the tree remains.

In our seasons that God brings us through it is that there may be fruit, reproduction, expansion, and growth, and it is the changing seasons that accomplish the complete work: not just fruit, not just the changing of color, not just the beauty we see in the comfortable season; we still must experience the shift which causes the fruitless things to die and fall away, that there may be new life. All the while, God within us remains and sustains us through the season of change and process. His love, His strength, His grace is resting on us as we walk through it all. He keeps us grounded and rooted. Why? Because we are IN Him and He brings and gives life through every season! Who He is in us is what keeps us stable and in a place where He can bring the change, prune the branches, wipe away the moss that has grown and begins to deposit new seeds within us that will bear even greater fruit than the previous season.

So may our prayer always be…let the seasons come, let them be a time that God takes the old and deposits the new seed of thought, ministry, vision and purpose along with whatever else He desires. There is going to be such radiant beauty that comes from allowing His seed to be planted within us. Don’t fear the season, His grace and love will remain!

Though the music changes and the songs we sing

We still lift our praises to our loving God and King

Though the seasons change Your love remains

Lord You’ve been faithful to plant the seed and You will be faithful to always send your rain

Lord You’ve been faithful to plant the seed and You will be faithful to always send Your rain

You’re faithful

Though the seasons change Your love remains, Your love remains

Though the seasons change Your love remains, Your love remains

Click on the link to watch the video of United Pursuit: Seasons Change

A HEART POSTURED FOR TRANSITION…Part 1

The greatest obstacle we face when entering the unveiling process is the fear of change. Fear can cause us to question the change. Fear also wants us to remain in our comfort zone, and fear will always keep us from being vulnerable.

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Transition: the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.

How many times have you been steadily moving along in life and in a moment, because of a circumstance that changed, something unexpected came your way or you had a paradigm shift about something? Ah, thus the beginning of transition.

We have all experienced times of transition, change or shift in our lives, probably more than we really know or have even thought about. Transition can look very different from one person to the next. It can happen in the physical/natural, mental or the spiritual realms that we all experience on a daily basis.

Because the words change, shift, and transition can have such negative connotations attached to them, my husband and I have begun to couch these words with a single word that helps us in our process. That word is unveiling. I like this better because it hints to me I’m going to see or experience something new and in the process I might have a mindset change, a lens change or even more so, a heart change. But as I see, it brings even more clarity into my heart, and into the Kingdom of God, which opens me up for even more. My capacity has just been expanded when I open myself up for this to happen.

One of the greatest examples of transition I believe is the character of Paul. Yes, this guy was for real. He unabashedly/unashamedly and intentionally searched for believers to persecute them or even kill them for their faith. Kind of sounds like the ISIS of today. He was one man doing this. I’m sure he had his minions to also help him, but think of it…he was flat out murdering people just because of their faith.

Paul tells his version of the story in Acts 26:12-18 about the day that changed his life forever. While on his way to the town of Damascus a light from heaven, brighter than the sun shone all around him and those traveling with him. They all fell to the ground and he heard a voice addressing him by name. This voice asked Paul why he was persecuting HIM? Then the voice (Jesus), proceeded to tell Paul why he was created. To be a minister of the gospel, and to open the eyes from darkness (Satan) to light (Jesus), so they would KNOW forgiveness and receive the inheritance of Heaven.

Paul ended up absolutely turning the world upside down. He was as dedicated to the mission of the gospel as much as he was on the other end of the spectrum. Paul literally changed from one condition or state to another. I don’t believe everyone needs a “Damascus Road” experience like the one Paul had. I believe that was going to be the only way God was going to get Paul’s attention. Each one of us will experience God coming to us in very different ways. He speaks our language. He knows what will speak to us and get our attention. Let me just say this, God will never bring bad things upon us, but He will use those circumstances for our benefit and ultimately for His glory.

The Purpose of Change

The Lord spoke Paul’s purpose audibly to him, but our purpose is basically the same…to become more like Him and bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth. We have been created for the purpose of carrying the Kingdom of God within us and to destroy the works of the devil.

Change is a process that pulls us out of our comfort zones like nothing else can. You think Paul was changed instantly? No, he was blinded for something like 3 days before he received his sight back. Side note: that had to be scary for him, Mr. Tough Guy, because being blind was the perfect opportunity for someone to get rid of him. He was the guy that caused so much turmoil and pain for people. Being blind for three days wasn’t the end of his change or unveiling. His ultimate change happened when he decided to follow The One who blinded him temporarily.

It is essential that the position of our hearts, minds and lives are in such a way that says, I’m not perfect, I understand that I don’t see things exactly right all the time, but I will keep my mind and my heart postured in a place where God has the permission to show me or speak to me about where or what needs to change in me.

Be Willing to Change

Are you one of those people that always think they’re right and don’t need to change? Perhaps you’re the person that doesn’t deal with change very well and so you stay where you are because you want to remain comfortable? Maybe you’re the individual that doesn’t want to put forth the effort that is required for change because you don’t “feel” like it?

It’s important to know that we have to release ourselves or give ourselves permission to go through the process of change. I’m not sure a caterpillar wants to be in a cocoon for several weeks until it transforms into a beautiful butterfly. To think that it no longer has to crawl on the ground, but will be able to fly to new heights never before realized and experience the freedom and fruit of transition.

There are so many good things that God wants to do in all of us, but if we remain in a place of refusal to change, how can we ever experience what He wants to pour into us? God can do so much more with a heart that is fully yielded!!

Be Willing to let the Unveiling Process Begin

It’s easy to just coast along and not give yourself over to the process. Sometimes it feels that the process is too much work, especially when you see what is being changed. We can tend to fight the process that can set us back.

The greatest obstacle we face when entering the unveiling process is the fear of change. Fear can cause us to question the change. Fear also wants us to remain in our comfort zone, and fear will always keep us from being vulnerable.

Be willing to open yourself up to the Holy Spirit, becoming vulnerable in His presence and allowing Him to show you what He wants to unveil to you, will permit the freedom needed for the unveiling to begin.

Be Willing to be Vulnerable

Surround yourself with people you trust to speak into your life. Let yourself be vulnerable to those people. Change is not designed to be comfortable and sometimes we can even feel like we are being exposed and forced to change even if we don’t want to. But fear will keep us from wanting to change.

Fear of change will keep you in your comfort zone!

God desires to take us from glory to glory as long as we are positioned for the process of unveiling. Don’t let fear keep you from experiencing His grace in your life. Lay aside the fear and embrace the beautiful process of the unveiling that you will experience.

Years ago my former pastor said, “there is only one constant in life and that is change”. It’s true, outside of Jesus. Whether we realize it or not everything is continually changing around us and even in us.

So, Posture your heart in this manner…

~ ~ Be Willing to Change

~ ~ Be Willing to let the Process Begin 

~ ~ Be Willing to Be Vulnerable!