Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Happy New Year!

I sit here at the breakfast table enjoying still the glow of my Advent candles lit in the dark of morning.  I sit reflecting on this past year of my life - 365 days of my life gone - lived well???


It's the traditional time of year when most people reflect back, look ahead and make resolutions to change their future.  We can only reflect, regret or enjoy the memories of the past - we can't change them - it's a done deal; that ship has sailed.

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Expectations!

There are so many wishes, hopes, dreams, and expectations we have that center around our holiday times with friends and family; many I'm sure we are not even aware of.


Friday, December 26, 2014

What a Difference a Day Makes!

"The spirit of Christmas needs to be superseded by the Spirit of Christ.  The spirit of Christmas is annual; the Spirit of Christ is eternal.  The spirit of Christmas is sentimental; the Spirit of Christ is supernatural.  The spirit of Christmas is a human product; the Spirit of Christ is a divine person.  That makes all the difference in the world."
Stuart Briscoe

And what a difference that is!



The spirit of Christmas is temporal, for sure.
Most people are back to "business as usual" today, the day after Christmas.


Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Into Our Darkness Comes Light

During the recent 4-day snowstorm our region experienced, I lost electrical power twice.  The first time it was about 5:30 in the evening and I was preparing a salad for my dinner.  The lights flickered, remained on for about 10 more minutes, at which point, I thought we had dodged the bullet.  Then they flickered again and went out - and stayed out.

About 10-15 minutes into this enforced darkness, my daughter called and said they had called the electrical company and had been told our power would probably be back on by 8pm.  Okay, I can handle another 2 hours of this, I think!

I got out my flashlights, gathered candles from the other rooms and lit them in the den, where I sat and ate dinner by candlelight.  Nice, but it gets old fast, trust me!


Sunday, December 21, 2014

4th Sunday of Advent - Love

On the 4th Sunday of Advent we light the 4th and last candle which represents love.


"For God so loved.....that He gave......."
John 3:16

God so loved you.  God so loved me.  He gave.....His only Son became God incarnate.  He became man and experienced all that man can experience as man.....because of love.


Thursday, December 18, 2014

Let The Stable Still Astonish

I want to feature a fellow blog-writer today; one whose writing has consistently blessed me. 


Her name is Leslie Leyland Fields and she posted this today on her blog:


Tuesday, December 16, 2014

He's Readying Gifts

"God comes through mangers.  The mundance holds miracles.  Every little thing is going to be okay - you have a Kinsman-Redeemer who takes you and is redeeming everything.  The miracle of gifts is always unfolding under the impossibles.

The miracle of gifts. . .is never not coming.

When your Father's hand isn't readily apparent, it's only because He's readying gifts.  Gifts always come out of the unseen and hidden places."

The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp


God is readying gifts for us.


Sunday, December 14, 2014

3rd Sunday of Advent - Joy

On the 3rd Sunday of Advent we light the pink candle that represents joy!

What greater joy than to receive the promise of the Savior!


"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."  John 15:11


Thursday, December 11, 2014

Held Captive

For the past 3 days, we've been captive to a snow event that has hovered over our area seemingly with no intention of leaving!  We've had rain, snow, sleet, freezing rain, power outages, and all kinds of accidents on the highways and byways.  It promises to hang around still, in a weakened state, but very much in evidence, for at least the next couple of days.


Tuesday, December 9, 2014

The Manna of Relationship

"And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.  And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.  And behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elijah: who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.  And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah: not knowing what he said."    Luke 9:28-33

Have you ever been in a place like Peter was - where you wanted to build a tabernacle and "camp" in the moment, or you at least wanted to be able to re-live it or even re-create it at a later date?

Sunday, December 7, 2014

2nd Sunday of Advent - Peace

The 2nd Sunday of Advent we light the candle of Peace.  This represents the peace that enters into our lives when we experience the presence of Jesus.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Come Looking for Me, Lord

"I don't deserve your love
But you give it to me anyway.
Can't get enough;
You're everything I need.
And when I walk away,
you take off running
and come right after me -
It's what you do...and
I don't deserve you!"
I Don't Deserve You by Plumb

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

My Weakness, His Strength

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:9, 10



This scripture makes no sense to the natural man, does it?  In the natural, we want to hide our weaknesses.  We want to cover them up, pretend they don't exist, pretend we are strong when we are really quaking in our boots.  In the flesh (natural), we don't want to even admit that we could have weaknesses.

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Celebrating Advent

Sunday, November 30th - the First Sunday of Advent this year.


I had never celebrated Advent until just a few years ago.  It was never a tradition that we celebrated when I was growing up.  Now that I know more about it and what it means, I look forward to it every year.

The time before Christmas is called Advent, a season of preparation for Christmas. Christians prepare for celebrating the birth of Jesus by remembering the longing of the Jews for a Messiah. In Advent, we’re reminded of how much we ourselves also need a Savior, and we look forward to our Savior’s second coming even as we prepare to celebrate his first coming at Christmas.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Thanksliving

Last week I had the opportunity to speak at a local MOPS chapter and I spoke on Thanksliving.  Now, I wish I could claim credit for that term, but I can't.  It is original with Ann Voskamp and is used in her book, One Thousand Gifts.


A quote that I shared with the MOPS ladies is a very powerful one, I think:

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Every Good and Perfect Gift...

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning." 
James 1:17

I absolutely love my 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertible. 
There's quite a story behind it and I'd like to share it with you.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

The Narrow Gate

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it." 
Matthew 7:13-14

The picture here, as translated in the Greek, is of a narrow gate, a narrow passageway that is hemmed in on both sides by obstacles standing close to the gate. 
And the Greek word for broad is spacious, implying lots of room to enter in.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Don't Let Anyone "Dull Your Sequins!"

Recently, while at a conference, I heard this story -

A woman, who I will call Sue, had entered a local beauty pagaent in South Carolina and arrived at the home of one of the contestants, who shall be known as Dutchess, to prep for an pre-pagaent event..  The home was a grand affair, much like a real southern mansion.  In the entry way was this HUGE piano, and I do mean HUGE!!  On the piano were lots and lots of pictures of Dutchess in various dresses and hairstyles, etc.  It was obvious that she had been in many pagaents.  On the wall, from floor to ceiling was an artist's portrait of her in full regalia.  There was no guessing about what/who was important in this house!

As Sue was fixing herself up with the other contestants in the room that had been designated "The Prep Room," she grabbed her hairspray to set her style, when all of a sudden Dutchess exclaimed,

Sunday, November 2, 2014

My Little Corner of the World

Almost 2 weeks ago I attended the Allume Conference - blogger's conference in Greenville, South Carolina.  It began on a Thursday afternoon and went well into Saturday night. It was packed full with about 7 speakers a day, tons of books, vendors, and 450 women from all over the country.


Thursday, October 30, 2014

I See You!

I think we all know the story of the Good Samaritan.
It's found in Luke 10:30-35:

"...Jesus said: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers.  They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was, and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.  Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two silver coins and gave

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Remember the Beauty

Here in my "neck of the woods" in Vermont, the foliage is just past prime. 
As I was driving down the road the other day, I was again struck by the beauty of this time of year. 
I have lived here all my life (60+ years) and every year I am still awed by the beauty that surrounds me.
 
But mostly I tend to take it for granted because it's just part of my daily landscape.
 

Sunday, October 19, 2014

What is HeartsEase?

A couple of weeks ago someone asked me what "HeartsEase" meant. 
It occurred to me that I had never really explained it to my readers.
 
I love pansies.
They are my favorite flower. 
 

 
Years ago I found out that the common name for the wild pansy was HeartsEase, so called because it was formerly believed to cure the discomforts of love.

HeartsEase means:
 
peace of mind;
calmness of emotion;
tranquility;
the absence of mental stress or anxiety;
quietness, quietude;
a state of peace and quiet.
 
 
When I decided to start writing a blog, the name HeartsEase came to me right away. 
I wanted this blog to be a conduit of peace; to help quiet the anxiety of heart in an anxious world, to be a place for quiet reflection.

On these pages, I write a lot about my day-to-day walk with the Lord and the things He has taught me over the years; the things He has brought me through.  I share with you out of a heart that loves the Lord and a heart that desires to help bring you "ease of heart."


When I was doing research on the HeartsEase, I found this poem that sums it up. 
The author is unknown.
 
"I cannot ease your aching heart
nor take your pain away,
but let me stay and take your hand
and walk with you today."
 
I can't ease your aching heart; only God can do that.
I can't take away your pain, no matter how much I want to; only God can do that.
But I can take your hand and walk with you and that is my desire.
 
To walk with you through the issues, trials and experiences of this one life we have to live.
To walk alongside you as one who cares and understands because of the issues, trials and experiences I have walked through and the many ways I have seen God come through for me over the years.
 
 
It is my hope that as I share my life's experiences with you, you will be able to glean some practical tips and insights to help in your own walk with the Lord.
 
It is my desire to encourage, uplift and build your faith in who God is and how much He loves you!
 
The Lord has been my constant friend and help for almost 40 years now.  He has done much in my heart and life.  He has taught me much.  He has brought me through much.  He has taught me much about who He is, His character, His faithfulness, His love, His grace and mercy.
 
If only one thing I write here helps just one person, then God's purposes in and through my life have been accomplished.
 
 
My prayer is that He would use my words and this blog in any way He would chose to spread His love, encourage you to trust Him more and truly bring you HeartsEase.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Seasons of Life


For Everything There is a Season
Author Unknown
 
"Wanting his sons to learn not to judge too quickly, a man sent each, in turn, on a quest to look at a pear tree far away and report what he saw. The first son went in winter, the second in spring, the third in summer and the fourth in fall. Finally, the father gathered the young men together. “What did you see?” he asked.
 
The first son reported seeing an ugly tree, bent and lifeless.
 
 
 
The second disagreed, saying it was budding with fresh new life.
 
 
 
The third son reported finding a tree laden with sweet-smelling, beautiful blossoms,
 

while the fourth insisted it drooped with ripe fruit.
 
 
 
The father said his sons were all correct, for they’d seen the same tree, though at different seasons of its life. “Don’t judge a tree - or a person - based on just one season of life,” he counseled his children. “Who they are can only be known at the end, when all life’s seasons have been lived."
 
"Furthermore,” he added, “don’t give up on your own life if you experience a hard season, such as winter,
 
 
 
or you’ll miss out on the renewal of spring,
 
 
 
the joy of summer,
 
 
 
 and the fulfillment of autumn.”
 
 
How true and wise are those words.
 
But we are not wise when we judge ourselves by the season we are in.
And we are not wise when we judge others by the season we see them in..
 
We may not know the harshness of their winter.
We may not have seen the precious buds of their spring.
We may not have experienced the joy of their summer.
Nor did we glimpse the fruit of their autumn. 
 
God does not expect a tree to bear fruit out of season.
 
No one looks for apples on the tree in May.
Neither does the gardener expect to reap the harvest in January.
 
You may be experiencing winter, but there is the promise of spring.
The heat of summer may cause the leaves to droop, but the harvest is just around the corner.
 
Trust the seasons of your life to the one who spoke them into being.
And let Him be the judge.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Trust . . Delight . . Commit . . Rest . . Fret Not . .

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.  Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.  And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him:
fret not thyself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass."
Psalm 37: 1-7



Trust in the Lord
Delight thyself in the Lord
Commit thy way unto the Lord
Rest in the Lord
Fret not.

This Psalm appears to be laid out in degrees....

As we learn to trust in the Lord, He will become our delight.  It will be natural to commit our way to Him which will cause us to rest in Him.  Then we will not fret when it seems that the evil are prospering because we are trusting in God.

It all begins in trust. 
Trust - a firm reliance and confidence in; to depend and rely on.



We are never asked to blindly trust.  We are expected to put our trust in the person and character of a God that can be depended on.

We make the determination that God is who He says He is and we choose to put our trust in Him.
 


We trust -

His love
His mercy
His goodness
His faithfulness
His dependability
His grace
His peace
and so much more.......

Once we have made that decision - to trust in all things at all times - we don't need to visit this decision again.  When we are buffeted about, we go back to the decision we made, based on who He said He was and is - and we take action based on that previous decision.

"Faith is the deliberate confidence in the character of a God whose ways you may not understand at the time." Oswald Chambers

Satan doesn't just send his "minions" to tempt us to sin.  His ultimate goal is to destroy our faith.  He wants to crack the foundation of our trust in a God who loves us.  He whispers lies about who God is and how He will let us down.  He wants us to doubt in God's goodness and His love.  Once we start to doubt, we begin the descent of the slippery slope.  Once we start questioning God's sovereignity and His faithfulness to us, the cracks grow wider and it becomes easier to doubt and the vicious cycle has begun.



Hold fast to the profession of your faith.  Your faith is in the God who is faithful and good and true.

He is worthy to be trusted.

Trust
Delight
Commit
Rest
Fret Not!

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Loss

Driving out of the supermarket parking lot, I looked at my watch to see what time it was.  
It wasn't on my wrist! 
My heart fell. 
I immediately prayed, "God, please help me find my watch." 
I had no idea when I had last saw it.
 
I pulled over into the McDonald's parking lot, got out of my car and started going through my bags of groceries to see if it had fallen into one of them. 
Nothing!
 
Thinking I would go back to the supermarket to give them a description of my watch
in case someone found it and turned it in, I got back in the car.
 
A voice said, "Check your purse." 
I did and there it was!! 
Thank you, Lord!

 
What feelings of relief and gratefulness came over me!
 
My watch is not a real expensive one, but I absolutely love it.  It's actual value is much less than the value I put on it.  Just about a month ago, I sent it back to the seller to have the watchband fixed rather than buy a new one; I love it that much. 
 
The way I felt when I discovered the watch missing caused me to start thinking about loss.
 
Loss -

to be unable to find something/someone we treasure;
to be unable to maintain or keep something/someone we love dearly;
to be deprived of something/someone we strongly desire;
to fail to win something/someone we've always dreamt about or 
to suffer the loss of something/someone we don't want to live without 
creates in us such feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.
 
To experience a loss of any kind is not something we want to go through.
Most of us do not deal very well with loss.
 
Our hearts have a hard time accepting loss.
Sometimes we don't realize just how much we value something/someone until we experience
the loss of that something/someone.
 
Unfortunately, that seems to be the "nature of the beast."
 
We don't miss something/someone that is always available. 
But take it away, and it becomes our greatest desire.
 
God will often use the loss we experience to draw us closer to Himself.
 
I remember when my husband died, I said to the Lord, "I don't think I can live without him."
The Lord immediately responded, "The only one you can't live without is me."
 
What an eye-opener that was to me and also a great comfort.  It caused me to realize that as long as I had the Lord's presence in my life and heart, I would be okay.
 
When we experience a loss of any kind, we need to come to the place where we can accept the loss and trust Him in and through it.
 
After my husband died, I had my wedding band melted down and made into a necklace and earrings that I designed.  I cherish those pieces of jewelry because of the sentimental value of them.
 
I was wearing them one day when I set out to run errands.  I went to the bank, the post office, the local mall where I tried on some clothes, the supermarket to buy groceries and to a Jazzercise class.  When I arrived back home, I happened to touch my ear and discovered one of my earrings was missing.  I was absolutely devastated.  I had no clue where to even begin looking because I had covered so much ground that day.  I started to think about my time at the mall when I tried on some sweaters.  Grasping at straws, I called that store and explained the situation.  The salesclerk told me she would alert the cleaning crew and they would call me if they found it.
 
There was nothing more I could do, but pray.  And pray I did.  I begged and pleaded with God.  I finally got to the place in prayer when I said to the Lord, "I give it up, Lord.  I release it to you.  You and only you know where it is.  It means a great deal to me, but it is just a thing, so I let it go and ask that you give me your peace."
 
A few minutes after 9:00, my phone rang. 
They found my earring in the dressing room!

 
I sat right down and cried.
I was so humbled by the goodness of God.
He didn't have to do that for me, but He did.
What a merciful, gracious God we serve.
 
But, I have not always "found" all things that I have lost. 
Some things just can't be "found."
I "lost" my husband, but I cannot "find" him.

 
In this loss and other losses of a similar nature, we need to trust God that we can live without and move on.  We have to trust that He knows best.  He knows the end from the beginning and He will meet us right at the place of loss; that place of incredible pain.
He understands and He empathizes.
 
What is your loss?
 
Is it, like me, your spouse?
Is it your health?
Your job?
A treasured possession?
A dream?
A relationship?
A marriage?
Your son or daughter?
 
Whatever your loss, God knows all about it.
If He hasn't "returned" it to you, it's because He knows the bigger picture and you don't.

 
Trust Him.
Believe that He is always good and you are always loved.
Even in the midst of loss.
Especially in the midst of loss.
 
May He be "found" of you today.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Three Things

I am featuring a "guest writer" today, but unfortunately, it will also be a "ghost writer" because I don't know whom to give credit to.

Hope you enjoy this.  It certainly is food for thought.


Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
Time
Words
Opportunity

 
 
Three things in life that can destroy a person -
Anger
Pride
Unforgiveness


 
 
Three things in life that you should never lose -
Hope
Peace
Honesty

 
 
 
Three things in life that are most valuable -
Love
Family & Friends
Kindness

 
 
 
Three things in life that are never certain -
Fortune
Success
Dreams

 
 
 
Three things in life that make a person -
Commitment
Sincerity
Hard work

 
 
 
Three things in life that are truly constant
Father
Son
Holy Spirit!

 
 
 
May God bless you today. 
May He guide you and protect you as you go along your way. 
God's love is always with you. 
God's promises are true.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Random Thoughts, Quotes and Musings

I remember things so much better if I write them down. 
That's why I have lists of my lists - literally!! 
It's in my DNA. 
I can't help myself! 
It's not unusual for me to find scraps of paper everywhere with some quote or random thought written on it.
 
As I was going through a bunch of folders and papers, trying to achieve some semblance of order, I found a bunch of those papers.  So here are, for your enjoyment, Donna's random thoughts, quotes and musings!!  Some are mine, others I won't claim and in most cases, I will try hard to give credit where credit is due, but in a lot of cases, I just plain don't remember!!
 
"We are desperate; we just don't know we are!"
 
"Satan's plan for our suffering is the destruction of our faith.  God's plan is for life and love."
 
"God is unpredictable."

 
 
"How you handle what you don't see coming will determine the course and quality of your life."
Todd Callahan
 
"God shows us the destination, but doesn't always reveal the route."
 
"Faith see the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible."
 
"It's enough when it has to be."

 
 
"If a heart doesn't respond, it can't be transformed."
 
"Just because you're hitched to a burden, doesn't mean you don't have a desire to fly."

 
 
"Don't waste your life in a place where you're not supposed to be."
 
 
Value - Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
Compensation - Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
Influence - Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first.
Authenticity - The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
Receptivity - The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

 
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.  It's about learning to dance in the rain."
 
"True simplicity begins when you learn to enjoy the amazing abundance of what is already yours."
Thomas Kinkade
 
The real question to ask is not "why?"  The real question is - "Is God good or not?"

 
 
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
 
Even God's will takes us on a rocky journey.

 
 
His love for us is not decreased by the sin in us.
 
"When God intervenes and we get a chance to know we're blessed and to feel blessed, nothing is more appropriate than seizing the happy moment."
Beth Moore
 
I believe in the sun, even when it is not shining.
I believe in love, even when I feel it not.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.
 
"Everything will work out in the end.  If it's not working out, it's not the end."
Max Lucado

 
 
"Faith is the deliberate confidence in the character of a God whose ways you may not understand at the time."
Oswald Chambers
 
"...redemption comes not only apart from calamity...but also through it."
 
"I've chosen not to be defined by what I've lost.  I simply can't live mired in tragedy and sorrow without joy or hope or a reason to get up in the morning."
 
"Life ain't about how fast you run or how high you climb.  It's about how well you bounce."
 
"He looks like he was sent for and couldn't go."

 
 
"Don't climb an oak tree when you're looking for pecans."
 
"I wasn't made for winter.  I want my flip-flops!"
 
"When someone tells you to get a grip, apparently around their neck is not what they meant - who knew?"
 
"Sometimes I just look up, smile and say, 'I know that was you, God.  Thanks!"

 
 
"Defective faith is a faith that believes but can't bring itself to trust."
 
"Sometimes the thoughts in my head get so bored, they go out for a stroll through my mouth.  This is rarely a good thing."
Scott Westerfield
 
God is always enough.
 
"I am...miles from perfect, a work in progress, a lump of clay spinning on a potter's wheel ripe with possibilities."
 
 
Hope you enjoyed these! 
Have a blessed day!