Write it Down, Make it Plain

It used to be hard for me to write things down – the kind of things that are personal and for my eyes only.

Years ago I wrote something so private and meaningful, and a person close to me not only found it, but they read it and belittled me for the words I had written. I was left crushed and silently vowed I would never write my thoughts down again.

Some of this mindset changed when I became a Christian. I love beautifully designed journals and I actually started collecting them and writing in them.

You Just Have to Believe!

It’s Christmas time and there are signs of it almost everywhere you go. I keep noticing a particular phrase in holiday decorations. The phrase is simply one word – “Believe.” And if that isn’t enough, there are even Christmas songs telling us to “believe.”

The phrase is catchy and even fun for children as they wait for Christmas to come. One day as I was walking through a store and saw a piece of wall art with this phrase, it occurred to me how God asks us to believe Him for many things all throughout His Word.

How are You Asking God for What You Want?

My granddaughter and I have this ongoing banter every time we see each other. After tons of hugs and kisses, she will come straight out and ask me if I will buy her a toy.

I always tell her I will, if she buys me a pair of shoes. With all the confidence of a four-year-old, she excitedly tells me she will buy them!

She’ll ask again two or three more times if I will buy her a toy, and we go back and forth between toys and shoes until she gives up and moves onto something else.

Not a Queen but Still Royalty

My mom and I were sharing a memory from when I was a teenager. I and two other young ladies entered a competition in a local community organization. The winner was going to be crowned Queen and the two finalists would be crowned Princess and Duchess.

I came in third place and was crowned Duchess. I thought I would feel sad for not winning first or even second place. But once that crown was placed on my head, all I felt was joy. I was royalty!

Keeping In Sync With God

I recently bought a fitness tracker through my insurance company because of the benefits they offer for meeting certain fitness goals. The device has to be synced to a computer or via Bluetooth on my phone in order to record daily fitness data.

Initially I would sync the device through the computer but I wanted anytime access so I downloaded the app to my smartphone. The first time I tried to sync to the app instead of through the computer, I kept getting a “FAILED” message.

Quit Complaining and Count Your Blessings!

I was complaining about everything – not out loud to anyone in particular, but in the solitude of my thoughts. On the top of the list was all of the household chores, not enough time to work on projects, people’s lack of accountability and aggressive drivers on the freeway!

I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. Psalm 77:3

I finally decided to do something about these annoying thoughts. I opened up my laptop and let my fingers furiously pound the keyboard documenting all 52 complaints. (It wasn’t really 52 but it certainly felt like it!)

God Calls Us Friends

I have been blessed with some amazing friends and I can share my joys, struggles and sorrows with them. They have seen me at my best and worst. They are friends I can trust to be honest with me. Honest enough to tell me how I really look when we’re shopping and trying on new clothes!

A friend loves at all times Proverbs 17:17

A couple of these incredible friends have moved away and I don’t get to see them as often, but we do keep in touch by phone calls, text messages, occasional visits and social media.