Memorial Day, which was originally known as Decoration Day, originated in the years following  the civil war and became an official holiday in 1971. It is a day for remembering all those who gave their lives serving this country. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”.  On this day, we remember what it means to be a hero.

As the widow of an Air Force veteran who served this country for 23 years, I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the sacrifices these men and women and their families give every day. In my mind, they are all heroes.  They show up each and every day and do what is asked of them.

There are many Godly heroes in the bible as well. Isn’t it funny how God uses broken and flawed people to carry out his plans?

Adam was made in righteousness and holiness but caved under pressure from his wife and disobeyed God.

Noah, who followed God’s direction and built an ark, even though people must have though him crazy, succumbed to too much wine,

Abraham, chosen by God to be the father of a great nation, lied about his wife saying she was his sister out of fear.

David, a great ruler chosen by God, committed adultery and covered it up.

Paul, the killer and tormentor of Christs’ followers became one of God’s most powerful witnesses,

Romans 3:23, “We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. We are all broken and flawed and have areas in our lives which are far from perfect but, God can still use us to share His love and to be a light in this dark world,  Go be God’s light today.

The Greek word for joy is chara. It is defined as inner gladness, delight or rejoicing. It is not the same as happiness which can come and go depending on our circumstances.

When I was a senior in high school, I watched them carry my dad out on a stretcher and load him into the back of an ambulance. He had suffered a major heart attack and we were not sure if he would live. I was dealing with feelings of fear and uncertainty but, I had a very wise teacher who counseled me. The words she shared with me have always resonated through the hard times in life. The simple statement, “This too shall pass” carries a powerful message,

Storms come into our lives all the time. We face health issues, family issues, financial problems and all the inconveniences life can throw at us, but all of these are temporary. Knowing that we do not face any difficulty alone and that God is our constant companion can give us that inner gladness, no matter what comes.

Galatians 5:22-23 lists nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. They are joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, forbearance, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Each one of these is connected to living a joyful life. It is that ability to find peace and contentment deep in our soul, no matter what storms may rage around us.

Remember, whatever storm you are facing today, it is temporary and will pass. Grab hold of the Saviors’ hand and walk forward with the confidence only He can give you.

Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and I sit and reflect on mom’s and their love. I was an adult before I met my mom and never knew her as a child. I was fortunate enough to have a grandmother who filled that role in my life but, as is the case with so many, growing up without a mom does leave scars.

With the birth of each of my children, I was awe struck by the wonder of it all. The moment this precious baby was placed in my arms, I was overwhelmed by a love so powerful and unending. My greatest desire was to protect this child from all harm or trouble.

This fierce love is found throughout creation. A mother lion will fight to the death to protect her young, This is witnessed time and again in the animal kingdom. We have all heard stories of mom’s doing the impossible to protect their children.

Mom’s are teachers, coaches, friends, caregivers, nurtures and so much more. Their love surpasses time, knows no bounds, is filled with compassion and is always present. I think more prayers are sent to heaven every day by mom’s than any other.

Ephesians 6:13 tells us, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother so that it my go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on earth.”

Jesus showed compassion and love for His mother, In John 19:26-27, it says, “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said, “Woman behold your son” and to the disciple, “Behold your mother” and from that hour, the disciple took her into his own home.”

My mother is gone now, looking down from heaven. I am thankful I had the opportunity to get to know and love her and I miss her every day. This Sunday and always, honor your mom. She is and always will be your loudest cheerleader and the best friend you will ever have.

Forty percent of the American population deal everyday with incurable and ongoing chronic disease. Heart disease, cancer, strokes, diabetes, arthritis, fibromyalgia, IBS, asthma and depression, to name a few, all cause pain and suffering. Often people look perfectly fine on the outside but inside, there is an ongoing struggle to live healthy and active lives.

The feelings of pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, brain fog and isolation are common among the chronically ill.  They have some good and some bad days.  The bad days stop them in their tracks, rob them of their joy and keep them from living up to their full potential.

As humans, we often question why God allows this misery into our lives. We wonder why we must suffer , and why no one understands our struggles. We live in such a broken, fallen world with death and destruction all around us.

We may not like it, but the fact is that suffering refines us. In Isaiah 48:10, it says, “Behold I have refined you, but not as silver, I have tested  you in the furnace of affliction”. We see our strengths and weaknesses during these difficult periods in our lives.

Suffering produces growth. James 1:2-4 states, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance”.

The Lord tells us in Jeremiah 18, “You are like clay in the potter’s hand and I am the potter”. We are all clay, pounded, reshaped and honed by fire. So, remember when dealing with others, they may be struggling with battles you know nothing about.  Be kind and compassionate with everyone you meet.

In this hurry up world we live in, so many seem to be going through life without peace. Lives are full of stress, discontent and lack of time. I see it every time I get in my vehicle and leave the house. There is so much hostility and uncontrolled rage on the road and too many people racing to get somewhere without concern for the safety of others.

People have turned to drugs, alcohol and a variety of behaviors which mask the reality of their lives. Depression, anger, insomnia  and other problems are on the rise. What in the world is happening in the lives of people that causes so much upheaval?

Contrasting this with the lives of people who have found peace and contentment in their lives is like comparing day to night. Those who live with peace are calm, quiet in their soul and are joyful and happy. It doesn’t mean that their lives have no problems or frustrations, but it does show they have found a way to handle it.

What is the answer, how do you find peace and contentment? Jesus told us in John 16:33, “In this world, you will have trouble but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

1 Peter 3:9-11 says, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because this you were called to do so that you may inherit a blessing. For, whoever would love life and see  good days must keep their tongue from evil and lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good, they must seek peace and pursue it.”

God promises us in Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your  hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Take some time today to disconnect from this world. Slow down and let go of anger, stress and pain. Breath deep and talk to your Creator, you will be glad you did.

If they had a company which manufactured worry, my daughter would be CEO. Any time she calls me and I don’t answer right away, she is prepared to call in the National Guard to rescue me from all the “what ifs” which run through her mind.

I have often wondered why we waste so many hours of our precious time worrying about things we have no control over. We cause ourselves stress, sleepless nights, pain and wrinkles. Never in the history of the world has worry changed the outcome of any event, Most times what we worry about never even happens.

Matthew 6:25-27 says, “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not your life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

And in Matthew 6 :34, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

When we do everything in our human power to deal with whatever life throws at us and turn the outcome over to God, we find a great peace in our lives. Just knowing that we can give all our cares and concerns to God relieves us of all that stress and worry.  One of my favorite verses is found in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed , for I am your God , I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

With God holding you up, what in the world do you need to worry about?

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month and I am reminded  of so many of the precious fur babies I rescued over the years. They  came to me with broken spirits, wounded bodies and shattered hearts. They had seen and experienced the worst that man could throw at them and had survived the nightmare of pain and terror.

One of the most amazing transformations would occur very quickly after I took them into my care. They learned to trust again and accept love from another human even though they had no reason to believe it would be different this time. Eventually they relaxed and trusted enough that their personalities began to shine through.

If only man could take a page from the heart of a dog; to learn to show the love, forgiveness and grace  they freely give. How freeing to let go of all the weight we carry, all the perceived wrongs that have been done to us and the  hurt we keep locked inside.  The Bible speaks to us about forgiveness and the importance of it in our lives.

Colossians 3:13   ‘Bear with each other and forgive one another. If any of you has a grievance against someone, forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Our Father died on a cross to save us from our sins and extended grace, love and forgiveness to us.  As His children. should we not strive to do the same?

Are you holding on to anger, seeking revenge or is your heart weighed down with unforgiveness?   Ephesians says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as Christ God forgave you.”  What a kinder, gentler world  this would be if more people practiced this simple action.

You know the ones I am talking about, those days when you can’t seem to get your act together.  You have been doing so well, plugging along toward your goals and moving forward everyday.  then. bam, out of the blue your motivation disappears and you find yourself stuck in this rut. Your diet just fell apart and you ask yourself, why did I eat that? You just blew off your exercise again and your to do list stares at you with an accusing look. What do you do, how do you move forward?

I think sometimes it is good to take a break from the self-imposed routines of day to day life and enjoy the beauty which surrounds us. Ecclesiastes tells us,”He has made everything beautiful in its time”.  Stop and enjoy the fragrance of a flower, feel the breeze on your face, listen to the call of a bird and marvel at the beauty of the night sky. Breath deeply and take it all in.

Psalm 139:14 says that ” we are perfectly and wonderfully made”. If your body and mind is telling you to take a break today, listen to it. Read a book, take a walk or relax for tomorrow is another day. Life is short. Take time today to stop and enjoy all it has to offer.  You will wake up tomorrow, refreshed and unstuck, ready to conquer the world.

From time to time, we all need to stop and take a moment to assess where we are and where we are headed. We need to evaluate our physical, mental and spiritual health.  We must ask ourselves, how am I doing?

I just had my semi-annual checkup with my doctor. I go twice a year and get poked, prodded and answer endless questions Together, we map out a plan of things I need to do to improve my health.  This is important to keep me healthy and active as I travel through my senior years.

Our mental health stems from the internal conversation we have with ourselves in our mind. Is our self-talk building us up or tearing us down?  So often, we let other peoples opinions or words change what we believe about ourselves. So many insecurities in our lives start with what we think.  Build yourself up in your mind today, be kind and gentle with yourself and learn to be your own best friend.

Our spiritual well being is an area we often ignore. When everything in our life is going great, we sometimes forget that God still wants us to check in and talk to him.  Prayer is our direct line to the throne room of heaven. So many people think prayer must be these long, elaborate ramblings to be effective,  but God hears us even when we only utter a couple of words to Him. Some of my most heart felt prayers were a simple help me or thank you.

The Bible tells us, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances”.  I think of God as my constant companion and friend, someone whose opinion I value, who loves me unconditionally and who is always eager to hear what is on my mind, Talk to Him today.  He is waiting to hear from you.

After a long cold winter, spring has finally arrived, at least according to the calendar. As I watch the changing seasons of nature, I reflect on the comparison to our lives.

Spring is the  time of new beginnings and the promise of bright days ahead. The birth of a baby in all its wonder. That babies first wobbly steps and its first words are the beginning markers of the the milestones on this journey of life.  It’s a time of hope and promise and destiny to be fulfilled.

As we move into the summer of our lives, we grow into the person we will become. It’s a time of learning and exploring, of trying new things and testing different ideas. It’s leaving home for the first time, going to college, starting a new job or getting married. We are young, energetic and full of life. There is no mountain we can’t climb or conquer.

As we reach the fall of our lives, we settle into a routine. Our career, our families and paying the bills become our priorities.  We have learned life doesn’t always go as we think it should, we’ve tasted disappointments and pain but we continue to fight for the fulfillment of the dreams of our youth. It’s a time of great joys and great sorrows.

When we reach the winter of our lives, we are wiser in so many ways. We have slowed down, our hair has turned silver or it’s gone, we are slower to anger, quicker to smile and have learned to appreciate life’s many blessings. We are the glue that holds our families together. the voice of reason and the example for the next generation to follow.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible can be found in the verses of Ecclesiastes.

“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die.

A time to plant and a time to harvest.

A time to weep and a time to laugh.

A time to be silent and a time to speak.’

Through all the seasons of our life, change happens. There is a balance and harmony that flows through our days. So, whatever season you find yourself in today, live it to its fullest. This moment will never come again, enjoy all it offers and count your blessings.