🌀Gathering After The Storm… This may look like a simple tray of regular mini muffins, but it is more than that. Beyond the fact of debuting a freshly-baked offering of Pumpkin Maple Walnut Cream Cheese mini fall muffins, this represents a lovely gathering of hopeful (but hurting) hearts after Helene wreaked havoc on WNC. Even in all the lingering sadness surrounding each of us, we know we are better together — and so we gathered.
What a blessing to join other wonderful women who openly shared their hearts, struggles and hopes. We laughed… we cried… we hugged. We all shared the deep grief we carry with us in the aftermath of the devastation of our beloved WNC. It was a time that offered us a safe and quiet space, helping our wounded hearts and lives to begin healing — at last.
Life is inherently richer, for the people we have in it with us, those we hold dear. Surrounded by a community of deeply caring people, we are bound together by love.
We are better together!
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What the Bible Says about Friends:
CLOSER THAN A BROTHER
“There are “friends” who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” ~ Proverbs 18:24 [TLB]
“Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.” ~ Proverbs 18:24 [MSG]
“There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” ~ Proverbs 18:24 [NASB]
“The man of too many friends [chosen indiscriminately] will be broken in pieces andcome to ruin, But there is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother.” ~ Proverbs 18:24 [AMP]
“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” ~ Proverbs 18:24 [ESV]
🎈Kick Life-Wrecking Lies to the Curb! Letting Go of the Lies Keeping You From Living with Heart and Soul (my newest book) is available on AMAZON and LULUcom:
🌀WHEREVER you — and we — are today, this is NOT The End of the Story!
Some days it seems like the world blowing up everywhere and fires are ablaze all around us. To some it appears “the end is near” as doomsday sign-toting promoters predicted for ages. Let’s dial that all back and pause here for a moment to reflect…
Worry costs us dearly. Life becomes less about who we are as see happiness and freedom slip just out of reach. The painful result is too much time spent overthinking and long days filled with anxiety.
Do you find yourself wanting to stop thinking “when this is over, I’ll be able to…” Allowing worry to live with us negatively impacts every moment of our lives. This also affects the lives of those around us. It’s a real Joy stealer!
Everyone experiences moments of concern and yes — worry. Gaining a new perspective can end the ‘doom and gloom’ spiral. I have a powerful solution to share that will help you stop worrying about what’s next and start living again.
I know it’s hard to believe we don’t need to be overly concerned or work harder to “fix” problems and resolve challenges. This type of thinking is counter to how most of us live life. As a huge DIY’er myself I know — I’ve been there, too! In fact, it sounds downright lazy, when you think about it.
BUT the truth is we don’t have to worry about “what’s next” or struggle to make things better. Does this sound too good to be possible? It does! Let me share some inspiring insight I discovered that helped me understand how this can happen…
😃Here are encouraging words for anyone in the midst of life challenges and crazy-chaotic times so many are experiencing…
Let’s read this and I’ll meet you on the other side of the passage below:
“For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”
~ 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 [New Living Translation]
🤷♀️HOW do we do this??? By reframing everything.
HOW we do this is by reframing everything not in the way we see/feel/think but rather with God’s perspective (through prayer and according to His Word). This allows us FREEDOM from being stuck in a place holding us captive. By letting go of where we are (or were), we are freed from a limiting mindset we placed on ourselves.
It’s easy to see things only with our own personal viewpoint. We’re sure we know everything surrounding an issue. In reality we’re armed only with part of the story. We’re not seeing the whole picture. It’s not possible.
Even so, we often feel fully confident to forge ahead making (what we believe to be) ‘informed’ decisions, taking ‘effective’ actions, basing it all on partial information. No surprise when this leads to mistakes and creating bigger messes!
The truth is we can’t know all there is to know. How humbling is the day when we discover we are much more limited than most of us want to admit!
When we are willing to let go of what holds us back from seeing things more clearly, we are able to consider issues more objectively. We can do this when fully embrace what our (yes — yours and my) heavenly Father has for us♥️He sees things differently. He sees the Big Picture. He knows what’s ahead!
When we seek Him first, He will bless us with insight and understandings we cannot gain entirely on our own.
We can rest assured He is faithful in keeping His promises. He never leaves us alone to fend for ourselves in a mess. He will hold us close, bringing us through.
You can rely on Him every time. We do this when we seek Him first, tossing our concerns to the side by embracing His guidance and wisdom. (SEE: 1 Chronicles 16:11) He’s waiting to hear from you. His solutions are always appropriate!
🤨And how do I know, you may wonder… I have emerged (maybe as you have) from heart-wrenching situations requiring effective answers …I have been presented with difficult life circumstances I could do nothing about to “fix” or personally ‘make better.’ These circumstances changed my life forever💔
As a follower of Christ, I got through them by relying on Him. In so doing, I experienced His Peace, comfort and protection shielding me throughout the ordeal and afterward.
Perhaps you have experienced this as well, and just needed to hear this encouraging reminder to help you on your way. If you have never sought His amazing wisdom and guidance through life’s hard spaces, I highly recommend!
My hope and prayer is anyone who needs to hear this message finds encouragement here for the journey ahead…
So if you’re having some hard times now, I hope you’ll consider handing it all over to The One Who is able. If you haven’t experienced this or find yourself caught up in a mess, I hope you’ll give this a try because God has an appropriate solution for any problem or situation you have♥️
🔭 Putting it all into perspective: Not diminishing even a bit of what’s going on in life right now — but: a moment in our life today is not even a blip on the timeline of human existence for all time. He has this! He loves all of us! I’m so glad He is in charge💜
The world’s chaos continues in a dizzying swirl around us, confusing life and creating a maze of issues. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that we were designed and equipped for such a time as this. We can thrive in chaos. In this article I share 3 ironclad strategies and a toolbox to help.
As we return to our “everyday” in these (supposedly) post-pandemic times, the world’s chaos continues in a dizzying swirl around us, confusing life matters and creating a maze of issues. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that we were designed and equipped for such a time as this. We can thrive in chaos.
Fortunately, we have workable strategies and tools to help us — and, dare I say it — actually thrive in the middle of all of it because of all the chaos! In this piece, I’m going to share 3 ironclad strategies and give you a toolbox to help you thrive in chaos:
Thrive daily — armed with a Big Picture view, we can thrive in chaos
Find purpose and meaning for your life in these chaotic times.
Live forward with confidence in the face of the unknown.
Uncertainty permeates daily life as we discover how things have changed during (and now after) our mandated mass hibernation. Emerging from our pandemic pandemonium, reminders popup throughout the day making it clear that life (as we once knew it) is not the same today in this crazy new world ‘order.’
Some changes will be positive, as:
Surviving businesses implement more efficient operating procedures and better ways to serve customers. They may be more profitable in the long run!
More attention focused on environmental aspects by assuring healthful conditions, upholding higher hygiene standards, rejecting potentially hazardous or unsafe practices.
Programs and activities will be changed-up, streamlined with necessary modifications, including only the essentials, eliminating unneeded fluff.
New ways of doing things may be discovered and implemented, turning out to be “better” and more appropriate than the old ways were anyway!
Previously-overlooked needs may be uncovered and appropriately addressed with new programs, policies or practices.
Of course there have been (and will be) losses for businesses, people and entities that are not in a position (nor can see ways) to pivot, moving forward in times of economic upheaval. Entrepreneurs characteristically exhibit the ability to turn on a dime (make that a $1,000-dollar bill today), as they implement necessary changes to right their listing ship and stay afloat in the storm.
Chaos impacts life, but life continues
In addition to the changes we personally experience, chaos surrounds us. It fills major city streets with violence, looting and fires. It is witnessed in neighborhoods and shopping malls across America. It’s apparent there is a continual underlying struggle for power and control that is not beneficial to humankind as a whole. Meaningful and necessary efforts to help people transition to a healthy, every day life in these uncertain times are not happening on the scale that are needed.
The chaos surrounding us is compounded by festering personal issues. We know challenging times are part of living. Coming back to “Real Life” after a pandemic shut-down is like throwing everyday life into a blender and then dumping it out, as everyone attempts to figure what work and life are going to be now.
Right out of the gate, I was surprised at ongoing difficulties encountered in pretty much everything (it seemed). Ready as I was (maybe you, too), these obstacles impeded moving forward. Simple things, really. Maybe I was overly optimistic.
Once mandates were dropped and we were green-lighted as ‘ready to go,’ gradually things seemed to get a little easier and a bit freer. Still a the threat of a controlling grip persists. It lurks in the shadows. Its presence reminds all that we could easily return to banishment from our everyday life, at a moment’s notice.
During the pandemic, our family (like many others), continued to live life in this strange, new closed-off world. We found ways to maintain contact with our family and friends. We attended conferences and meetings and school online. We had a wedding. Our niece had a baby. We had a death in our family. We had 2 college graduations, and another begin college. After a lengthy job hunt, one of our family members found a great one and relocated, to begin a new life. I published (and launched!) 2 books. Life went on. It wasn’t easy, but it happened.
When the pandemic craziness began to tone down and we were able to live more freely, I was surprised to discover it may take more time personally, to “get back” into life again. If you feel this way, too — give yourself grace and time.
3 Ironclad strategies to help you thrive in chaos and everyday
Often, the answer to our thriving in chaotic times (or even on blissful days) lies not within ourselves, but rather outside ourselves. As our perspective opens up, we see the world with a wide angle lens. In this way we gain clarity and understanding over our lives and the conditions in the world. We can better discern what we need to do, what we are called to do, and how to serve others, living a more fulfilling, purpose-filled life.
Thrive daily — no matter what (armed with a Big Picture view) here’s how:
Spend time in God’s Word (The Bible).
Pick a Bible study (independent and/or group study).
Journal: the Word; share personal insights, ideas, dreams, goals.
Pray often – and about everything! Our heavenly Father wants to hear from you.
Keep a prayer journal – ongoing, including answers and updates.
Know God keeps His promises. He will never leave us. He is in this with us.
Planning events? Organizing events? Serving in events?
Establishing a ministry? Coordinating a ministry? Running a ministry?
Being available — ‘free-agenting’ yourself to serve in a variety of ways.
Volunteering?
Catering? Cooking? Serving food?
What else?
Live forward with confidence. Know these callings are for as long as they are to be and they will serve needs. By our heavenly Father’s design, each of us has purpose in serving in this way. Serving in this way takes us outside of ourselves, beyond our own situations, as we focus on others.
One of the best strategies to thrive is to turn our moments of uncertainty inside out, allowing God to use them for His good! It’s astonishing to see that amidst the tremendous upheaval the pandemic caused, it provided the perfect opportunity for many to find their way back to their loving heavenly Father. New ways to serve in ministry and outreach are being created even now. This is how things work in God’s world — always inverse to man’s ways and view of the world.
Every day offers “ministry” opportunities. No one is required to be associated with an internationally-recognized organization or popular entity to serve God in ministry. (Motherhood is often referred to as a ‘ministry of interruption,’ although I think other ways of serving share this characteristic as well!).
Ministry is serving the needs of others by following His lead. He will provide all that is needed to do the job. God never hands us a “To Do” List and leaves us on our own, to to figure it all out. He stays right there with us and shows us “how.”
3. Dare to ask God the hard questions on your mind, the heavy things burdening your heart. Ask for His guidance, care, presence and tender mercy.
Walk with Jesus every day. No matter your age, skills, or life situation, Accept the urging you feel for the thing He is leading you to do. Even when it seems impossible, He will equip you for it. He always calls the least likely, and reliably shows up in a big way to help!
Here’s a Toolbox to encourage you to thrive in chaos: A 22-Day Scripture Reading List, to read, study, journal – !
A Final Thought: Chaos is not of God. It’s not what He wants for any of us, but it happens in this world. It can be (and is) used for His good, to further His kingdom. In spite of it all, we can live forward in confidence, wrapped in His love and THRIVE.
I leave you with this:
Scripture shows us what we’re to do:
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” ~ Romans 12:1-2 [The Message]
God’s Word assure us — He’s got this:
“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” ~ Matthew 6:16 [NASB]
Press on!
RESOURCES: Journalling the Word can help us through challenging times. Keeping a journal can help us explore complex issues and make valuable personal discoveries so we can free ourselves from our pain and gain clarity. My 9th book, The Grace Daily Challenge Journal, is designed to help readers and writers explore what the Bible says about grace, finding forgiveness, and view challenging things in a Biblical perspective as they Journal The Word. We can thrive in chaos! (Paperback and Kindle eBook)
