Happy Thanksgiving

"Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever.
 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol."

Psalm 86:11-13

May your Thanksgiving be filled with joyful praise to the One who has given us all things. May your heart know His great love for you and the wonder of His blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving dear friends,

Linda

Sensory Overload

Is there such a thing as sensory overload? Because if there is, I seem to be suffering from it. I haven't written for days, which is perplexing. There is so much happening in my life right now, I should be posting several times a day. But the words are buried underneath feelings I can barely manage to process.

Our daughter is home. There is laughter and joy, remember whens and deep talk. Tears and hugs and longing for those elusive words of comfort that somehow sound so hollow. So I am quiet. Praying for wisdom.

The holiday season is here. My favorite time of year. There is even a definite chill in the air and fires in the fireplace - oh the joy! Plans for baking and shopping and quiet evenings. The anticipation of the family all gathered together. The wonder of His coming.

There are hopes and disappointments. The miracle of answered prayer. The thankful heartbeat of the season as I look at the faces of those I love so dearly.

In the midst of all of that, the every day, mundane things insert themselves. They have a tendency to whisper "Hurry up!" If I'm not careful, the days will flow by unseen as I frantically spin in a whirlpool of "stuff."

Yesterday, I stood at the stove preparing breakfast. Quietly, and without invitation, a gentle hush fell over my spirit. I inhaled peace and exhaled anxiety. "See," He whispered. "I am your peace."

It is as familiar as "Jesus Loves Me." He offers to take my "doing" and give me peace. In the midst of all the necessary, He comes. In the turmoil of too much to do, He gives rest. This coming Prince of Peace. 

Joining Laura today



Blessings,
Linda

More Thoughts On Aging

  They came, two brothers from far away parts of the country, to check on their aging parents. They found them side by side lying in their bed - undernourished and very sick. After EMS and talking to strange doctors and filling out miles of forms, they looked at each other and knew it was time to make the decision for them. Living on their own was no longer an option.

Three other brothers consulted and the work of finding a place began. It was done with care and love. That was the easy part. Telling parents of a life-changing decision made on their behalf - that was far more difficult. Weakness made it easier. There are times when even those things we least desire are what is best.

So we all came to help in the transition. Out of the hospital and into a strange, new place where the grounds were perfectly landscaped, dinner in the dining room required a jacket, and a nursing home stood at the ready. A lovely place where entertainment came to visit and games and crafts filled the afternoons, should one choose to participate.

Twice a year we gathered to spend time with them. It was a comfort to know they were so well taken care of. It was a comfort to see how neat and clean it all was. But there was something missing. I looked for it every time we came, but rarely did I find it.

Youth was a rare commodity in that pristine place. All the faces were beautiful, with that etching only time can create. But it seemed wrong to see all of a kind - with no variation. We were not meant to be so.

 The beauty of those elderly faces is enhanced and illuminated when placed alongside the unlined faces of young men and women, little boys and girls, tiny babies cradled against wrinkled cheeks.

I walked those velvety smooth grounds for a few years, first beside my aging in-laws and then behind the wheelchair of only one and felt the emptiness.

Blessings,
Linda

This is my Mom. Grandmother and Great-grandmother surrounded by those who love her deeply, in her home. "Show us how to spin Grandma!" And she did.

All Things to All People

Her words speak to the deepest places in me. Sometimes I ponder and re-evaluate. Often she somehow knows just what I've been struggling with and gives the gift of wisdom.

So it was with this post. This season of my life is one of varied hues and shapes. There are adult children with all the struggles and joys of raising a family in a world so different from the one in which they grew up. Aging parents with needs that often seem overwhelming. And then, of course, there's us - quickly stepping into "senior citizen status" - adjusting to the limits of bodies that don't cooperate the way they used to and empty nests.

I heard myself say not too many months ago: "I can't be all things to all people." And it's true. I can't. But somehow it doesn't keep me from trying....and failing. Then I am riddled with guilt over the things not done and needs not met. I try too hard to please everyone. I end up pleasing no one at all.

It isn't the way the Father designed me to live. He knows my weakness. He created me so. He did it in order to invite me to lean on Him. Over and over again Jesus invites us to lay down the heavy burdens and walk with Him. In return He offers strength where I am weak, wisdom when I don't know what to do, peace in the midst of the storm, and grace for every minute of every day.

No. I can't be all things to all people. Not even the ones I love so dearly. But He can - moment by moment, grace by grace, Christ living in me.

Blessings,
Linda

Five Minute Friday - Tree

I can see them from my place at the kitchen table. The one my husband fashioned from huge slabs of pine that once stood tall on a mountainside in Vermont. Sometimes a bird will soar high and land on the highest branch. It must be a spectacular view.

I watch the ancient oaks sway gently in the wind and wonder how long they have maintained their vigil over this land we've come to love. Were there others who dreamed dreams under the outstretched limbs? Or did they grow unobserved from tiny acorns, huddled together against the winds and the rain?

There are days the wind comes screeching down from the north. It is a violent force, and I watch, holding my breath for fear they will fall. But they stand strong bending low to the ground and rising again, gathering strength to weather the next blow.

It is their roots, I think. They go down deep. When everything else succumbed to the years of drought, they remained, pushing down, down to find moisture in the hidden depths.

For weeks they have been dropping their fruit on the ground - dozens and dozens of acorns litter the grass around them. If I stand quietly, I hear them fall - filled with the promise of life. The giants stand unconcerned. They have fulfilled their purpose. The seeds are now in the hands of Someone else.

Joining Lisa-Jo and the Five Minute Friday Community



Blessings,
Linda

An Empty Place

She has been absent for years now - a mysterious disappearance into the mist called "dealing with issues". My little sister. My only sister. I haven't heard her voice for eight years.

Eight years ago, she began to speak in ways I didn't clearly understand. This beautiful soul who looked up to me with an admiration I never deserved and loved with a selfless, giving heart simply decided she needed to distance herself from her family.

We comforted ourselves with the thought that surely it was only a temporary thing. But the days rolled into weeks. Months passed with no word, and our attempts to reach her were met with a wall of silence. Phone calls went unanswered; cards lay unopened somewhere in her home.

Every special occasion brought with it the hope that she would step back into our lives. We were disappointed over and over again.

And all the while a broken-hearted mother and father lived each day wondering why. What had they done wrong and how could they make it right?

The years passed. Years filled with joys and sorrows she knew nothing about. And the silence persisted.

There is no happy ending to this part of my story yet. We pray. It is all we have left to do. It is enough.

I sometimes dream about her. In my dreams I am often angry. When I wake, I think I understand the elder son in the story of the Prodigal Son. I know she will be welcomed back with open arms. And that is right. But I have lived without a sister when I desperately needed one. I have needed her help in so many ways, and she has not been there. I confess to a certain bitterness when I let my mind meander down that path. But I am reminded of the grace and mercy that has covered the very darkest of sins in my own life.

So we wait. With hope. With love.

Joining Jennifer - telling part of my story.


Blessings,
Linda

In A State of Utter "Confusedness"!

I feel a little bit like my little bear right now. I am in a state of utter "confusedness." My darling husband bought me a brand spanking new MacBook Pro for my birthday. I know!!

It is beautiful and shiny and totally amazing. However, I feel just the way I did when I got my first big desk top computer. I am lost!

I'm even having trouble clicking the pad in the right place. All sorts of scary looking boxes keep popping up when all I want to do is click on the the little red button and get out of there.

Things I took for granted like "copy and paste" are now foreign to me. I don't even know how to get my pictures where I can use them. I thought I was being very clever when I stored everything on the cloud and in drop box. They are safe and sound - so much so I can't figure out how to get a single one of them on my blog.

I will resist the temptation to drag the old laptop out of the closet and press on. If you don't see me in a few days - please send a Geek.

Love y'all,
Linda