Category: babies

As I walk along the river each day, it offers a great deal of time for me to reflect on things. Whether it be a story, a struggle, or a situation out of my control, I usually have a lot to think about.

Sometimes, however, a thing will pop into my mind that doesn’t have anything to do with any of the above mentioned topics! I call these thoughts, God’s lessons along the way. He shows me something, and then reveals His perspective, allowing me to learn something insightful about the world in which we live.

Today, I saw two trees along my walk, one on either side of the trail, and both within sight of the other. The tree on the left side of the trail had scorch marks covering its lower half, from a fire someone started last year, trying to use the tree as a homemade firepit. The tree seems to be growing fine and thriving, regardless of the damage done to it, with bright green leaves and branches eagerly reaching toward the sun. On the right side of the trail there is another tree, but this one looked far different from the first. This one didn’t have any scorch marks, or any other visible damage for that matter, but half of this tree seemed to be dying, showing no apparent growth, on nearly half its branches. No leaves of any kind grow upon the dry, dead wood, leaving the tree to look weak and sickly. The one tree showed obvious trauma, and yet it grows strong, while the other just seems to be withering from some unseen sickness.

It occurs to me that humans seem like those trees, sometimes. If we see someone whose been traumatized by no fault of their own, but they rise above it to become stronger, we say, “Wow! They’re so strong to have overcome that, it’s just wonderful how they survived. Good for them!” Yet, when we see someone who seems to be suffering, but we don’t see the cause, we back away from them out of confusion, or fear of something we don’t fully understand.

It’s always easier to cheer for the overcomer, than to sit in the gutter with the lost, weak, and/or misunderstood souls, who are being destroyed from the inside out! I’m no better than any other person who might judge another out of ignorance or self-righteousness. None of us are above these tendencies. Being that we are all human, this means that we all suffer with similar human frailties. Everything we see is based on human understanding, not God’s!

While we will always struggle with these things, until we get home that is, it’s OK! God’s Got Us! Rather than feeling depressed about the trees or us, for that matter, I’m left feeling eternally grateful!

The One who tends both the tree on the left and the tree on the right, loves each tree equally! Who knows, maybe the only difference between the trees, was the desire to live!

Just sayin…

Maybe we should laugh more…

I think it’s supposed to be good for us, or something like that.

Just sayin…

I finished reading 1st and 2nd Kings, and I’ve been working my way through Chronicles, but my eyes have begun to cross somewhat, from reading so many names.

In an effort to give my brain a rest, I took a short break from the Old Testament and decided to spend some time with Paul. Over the last few days I’ve been reading through both the letters to Timothy, as well as reading through Titus.

I’ll be honest in saying that I cried through nearly all of 2 Timothy. I almost felt Paul’s desire to be called home, when he spoke of the metalworker, who brutally mistreated him. By the time Paul wrote the second letter to Timothy, pretty much everyone had abandoned him.

When I wasn’t crying, though, I found that I was quite touched by how strongly Paul clung to God’s faithfulness, even in the worst of circumstances. How did he keep the faith, under such constant and often brutal treatment for speaking the truth?

You know how I always go on about reading the bible, even when you don’t feel like it? Well, I think I read something Paul said, back in the book of Roman, in chapter 12, verse 2, that must have sustained him in the darkest of days,

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

In every single thing I’ve read from Paul’s writings, his strength and tenacity for sharing the Gospel, as well as, basic Christian living, are unprecedented! The man simply WOULD NOT quit, or even back away from the truth, often being persecuted for it!

There were many times where he had no one there to wax poetic about God’s faithfulness, so what gives? I believe that it was through scripture, as well as prayer, Paul gained his sustenance, and the resolve to keep speaking the Gospel.

Since I greatly respect the man, I can easily take his word for how to push forward, and continue steadily fighting the good fight!

That’s my story… and I’m sticking to it!

Have a spectacular sunny summer day, everyone… hugs!

Today we shall go on the hunt for the elusive Fluffy Pillow!

We must be very careful not to make any sudden movements or loud sounds, so as not to scare all the fluff out of them!

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Hugs

Sooooooooooooo………. Yesterday, I finished my book!!!

Yahoo!!!!!

Zippity Doo Dah Day!!!

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

………

……….

Ok!

Now that I got all that out of my system, I’m ready to get back to it! It’s time to do my first read through, looking for gaps, loose threads, and other things needing a bit of love.

I’m actually as excited for this part as I would be to read a new book off the shelf! It has taken me nearly a year to fully write this story, so I haven’t seen the beginning for some time.

Honestly, the hard part is over… at least it feels like it!

To be perfectly honest with you, I’m not sure how I feel right now. One minute I feel amazing, completing the first volume of a very large series, with clear skies ahead! Then I think, what if I’m a one and done? What if I get to Volume II and can’t see the story as clearly as the first?

Then I move to the business side of things, daydreaming that a publisher just walks up to my RV and knocks on the door… of course we want your book, ma’am, we’ve simply been waiting with barely contained excitement!

While the odds of that happening anytime soon, aren’t anything I would head to the race track with… a girl can dream, can’t she?

All I know to do, at this point, is to edit the bananas out of the book so that feel better prepared to stand my ground, when I deal with publishers and their editing and illustration departments. I fully expect grammatical edit work, in fact, I’m looking forward to someone else proofing that for me, because I’m not above poorly spelled words and/or going comma crazy, at times.

Anyway, no matter how things play out from here, I know deep in my heart that God is proud of my work, watching over and helping me, as I wrote the whole thing! If God is smiling over this story then I feel pretty comfortable sharing it with the world. My confidence and happiness are not contingent on the success of this book!

Anything beyond pleasing God is a bonus, or a happy accident, if you want to call it that! What I truly want is for the reader to see the world I see, and enjoy a beautiful adventure no matter their age or ideals… that’s it! I’m fairly certain that I will have accomplished that, by the time this book is ready to be printed.

We shall see… we shall see…