Posts

We Must Not Grow Weary in Doing Good

Image
   I was blessed with three pregnancies, all of which resulted in the birth of a healthy (well, healthyish) baby boy. Some of these pregnancies were hard, especially the labors. I didn’t know how long labor could last until my third pregnancy where I was in labor for five days, in the middle of a heat wave, with a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old at home! Yes, my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart that whole time. But little did I know that the waiting for these precious babies was easy compared to what was ahead!   As my pattern had proved out, by the time my third baby was about 1 year old, my heart started longing for another. The thing was, three c-sections in four years had devastated my body and it was clear that I couldn’t do that again, not any time soon at least. That was ok though, because since I was 16 years old, I’d had a heart for adoption, international adoption in particular. I think it was influenced by the time I spent with my niece when I was that age. Sh...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bloom Where You’re Planted

Image
  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.   John 15:16   You did not choose me, but I chose you   I did not choose Jesus, Jesus chose me. Without Jesus, I was lost. I had no hope. There was nothing I could do about it. So often we encourage people to, “Make a decision for God,” but on their own they can never do that. It is only when Jesus chooses them that they feel the need and the clarity to make Him their Savior. I don’t claim to understand or seek to explain the intricacies of this. I trust that God, in His perfect wisdom and timing, has it all worked out. What I do know, and need to take away in remembrance from this verse, is that it’s all about Jesus. His will, His plan, His timing.   and appointed you   I have been put where I am in this world, in life, in health, in everything, on purpose, for a purpose. I am appointe...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Friend that Sticks Closer than a Brother

Image
  My middle son and his life-long best friend I no longer call you slaves because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father.   John 15:15  I have a rocky and bizarre history with friendships. I remember my first best friend, Mia, when I was in kindergarten. She lived around the corner from me and we would play at each other’s homes all the time. In October of my first grade year, they moved me into third grade, so we didn’t see each other as much, and the next year we moved to McNeil Island in the Puget Sound so that pretty much ended our young friendship. Forty years later, I still remember her though!   As an adult, I learned that most friendships are seasonal ones. They have to do with a shared activity or group, like a church or homeschool co-op. I still follow many of the people that I had these types of friendships with on social media. I still pray ...
Post a Comment
Read more

11 Lies Disabled People Tell Themselves

Image
Image Credit: ChatGPT  Today we continue with Disability Pride Month  posts. A couple of weeks back, my super awesome cousin sent me a video on Instagram that made me choke up. It said some things I needed to hear, and maybe you do too, so I'm going to share them with you today. People who struggle with disability often tell themselves lies. I've found, as the speaker in this video did, that the best way to combat a lie is with the truth! Everything in quotes below is taken directly from the video and all credit for it goes to Moonlit_Kit .  #1 Lie: Maybe I'm just lazy Truth: "Lazy people don't struggle to do the things they enjoy."  I can't tell you how often this lie pops into my head. As I'm sitting, resting on the couch, reflecting on how little I've accomplished in this day, I hear it echo in the back of my mind. "Maybe I don't really need to rest like this, maybe I'm just lazy." Kit's truth really hit home for me. There...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Find Me Gluten Free

Image
  When you have food allergies or intolerances, traveling can be really tricky! That's one of the reasons I love cruising, but even then, you encounter strange lands, like * Miami*  where you have to forage for food outside of the main dining room. When you have Celiac Disease, or you're even just intolerant to gluten, getting exposed while on vacation can put a rather unpleasant spin on your experience. Enter Find Me Gluten Free . This fabulous, crowd-sourced site and app are a great place to start when trying to hunt down that elusive gluten free meal in a new town, or even the one you live in!   The app is a really handy tool to include on your phone and can be found in your product's app store for free. I, however, typically like to do my searching ahead of time on the computer, but unfortunately the web version no longer includes a map for free, so I use the app for that part. I like to start by searching for everything and then begin to narrow it down from...
Post a Comment
Read more

Do the Thing in Front of You

Image
  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.   Ephesians 2:10    Crafting is in my blood. I can say this because most of the hobbies I have embarked on have either been inspired by or accompanied by my mother, if not both. As long as I can remember, I’ve watched my mother with one hobby or another. She’s done everything there is to do with fiber pretty much, from taking a raw fleece through washing and picking and carding and dyeing to knitting or crocheting with it, or even doing felting and weaving. She’s done leatherwork and stained glass. She’s done the most intricate, incredible paper crafting. People often ask me if I take after her and I just shake my head. I could never live up to her levels of skill. But, from her, I’ve received my joy and interest in crafting.  I think that God and I approach our crafting differently, though. When I have a beautiful piece of fiber in my hands, all...
Post a Comment
Read more

Roadmap to Abiding in Christ

Image
   What does loving like Jesus look like ? We can talk about the theory of it, the mentality, all day long, but true love requires action. So, if we are to put feet to our faith and act out what we know, how will others witness the love of Jesus poured out through our lives? Romans 12:9-13 gives us a roadmap to follow with our lives. Love must be without hypocrisy   First off, it must be genuine!   So often we are taught to, “Fake it till you make it,” but the world can see right through this. One of the world’s biggest criticisms of Christians is that they are hypocrites, saying one thing and doing another. This is not the witness we want to have for Jesus who would never do this! Love expressed through us must be sincere, or not expressed at all. You are not better off showing someone a fake love. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good   I looked up “abhor” to confirm my understanding, and where I thought it meant, “hate” it actually means, “extr...
Post a Comment
Read more