Trasured Moments

My day began early, just as the sun was giving a slight hint of its impending coming. I sat in the quietness of the living room looking outside the window at the shadows the trees and rose bushes made against the still mostly dark sky. Peaceful moments, alone with God, allowing Him to touch my heart and my mind. The God of the whole universe likes to spend time with me. Amazing, isn’t it?

I wanted to hear more from Him, so I headed upstairs to my office space in the loft to read my Bible. The sun was obviously rushing to this part of the world and it was starting to get brighter outside. I sat down at my desk, opened the precious book, and continued to read Genesis. I’ve been reading from Genesis for a few weeks now. Jacob blessing his family before he died. God at the center of every blessing.

God is truly at the center of every blessing. Anything good I have or that happens to me, is a gift from Him who loves to shower me with beautiful things.

Looking at the brighter day on the other side of the window in front of me, I couldn’t resist but put on my tennis shoes and go outside to explore the morning. The early hours of the day have a strong pull on me, and the summer days make the cool mornings simply irresistible.

I walk outside and smile when I feel the coolness of the air on my skin, and the sounds and sights of the world right before the sun shows up. I head to the paved path behind the houses. On the other side of the path, in the distance, the mountains sit in silence still hiding the sun. A neighbor was watering her garden. I had to stop and compliment her on the beautiful yard she has, with the green grass, abundance of flowers, and feeders for all kinds of birds that are frequent visitors to her green haven. She smiles and thanks me.

I am surrounded by green on both sides of the path, with trees, some yielding ripening fruit, and by flowering bushes. The scent of the plants is invigorating and sometimes I have to release my energy with a light jog. I smile and wonder if I’m the only jogger who smiles while running. The others don’t seem to. I can’t help it though. It’s a natural reaction of the feelings building up inside.

Did you know that trees release a chemical called phytoncide that boosts our immune system by increasing the activity and number of natural killer cells? It also reduces stress, and promotes mental health. That’s why spending time in nature is so important to our overall health, and we should find opportunities every week to submerse ourselves in the natural world. You may learn more by doing a search on forest bathing. I love these words by the way. A bath of forest. Delightful!

It was when I approached the top of the hill during my early walk that I noticed hot air balloons taking off from an open space nearby. Soon the sky was filled with colorful balloons. In fact, the neighborhood was taken over by a flock of balloons passing by everywhere! As the sun sent its first rays across the land, the colors of the balloons became brighter. What a feast of colors right above me. As I passed fellow early rising neighbors, we joyfully commented on the personal Balloon Fiesta we were having this morning. Of course, I had to smile some more. How can one not smile when surrounded by colorful hot air balloons, the beautiful morning sunshine, birds singing, and all the phyntoncides being released by the trees? It’s unavoidable!

I kept walking while taking in the sights, sounds, and scents around. Soon I came to an open space where I could no longer hide from the sun, so I decided to embrace it. Its hug was so warm and bright. A baby bunny crossed the path running away from me. One day the bunnies will no longer have that fear of people and will let us pet their adorable little bodies to our heart’s content. But for now I can only admire it from a distance, hopping away from me showing off its cute cotton ball tail.

My thoughts turn to God. This was a difficult week with difficult projects, criticism, unkind words, and unloving expectations. This beautiful world, my treasured morning moments, tainted by the difficulties that sin creates. I asked God if it’s possible to experience pure and unrestricted joy while living in this blue planet of ours stained by evil? He didn’t answer, but reminded me to give it all to Him. So I did just that. My hurt, sadness, insecurities, my broken dreams, all placed at His feet for Him to take care of for me.

As I head home I am again in awe of my surroundings. In spite of all the bad, God still places so much good around us. Wonderful love that didn’t leave us alone in the mess we created. Amazing grace that reaches through the great divide and saves us from ourselves. So I’m at peace. My God is taking care of me.

I reach my house and I’m grateful for the place He has given me to live and the people inside, my family, whom I love so much.

My dog greets me at the door. She wants to go outside and bark at the balloons, so I let her. How awesome that she barks and they slowly obey her barking and disappear out of her sight. I decide to water the garden. I can’t wait for harvest time. The baby hummingbirds sit still in their tiny nest. And a brand new day, which God made especially for me by the way, has began. And I smile…again.

In His Care

Photo by Roman Kraft

The tall pine tree in front of my window dances wildly with the wind, and the sound of the fast air moving through the pine needles and branches remind me of the sound of the ocean. How I miss the ocean. A tiny airplane way up above travels who knows where. In the distance the sun casts its last colors as another day comes to an end. The birds do their acrobats up in the sky as they head to their place of rest for the night. The Sabbath is almost over, another week is about to begin. Hopefully this next week will be a little calmer, so I can better enjoy a recent blessing God has given me and my family.

You see, a while back we were pondering the possibility of moving to a different house so to be a little closer to my son’s school, but then we thought that we didn’t want to go through all the trouble of moving again. With that idea in mind we decided that when time came, we would renew the lease and stay in the house at least another year.

But life often throws unexpected things at us, and our plans get altered, and so our landlord decided to sell the house. Since we didn’t want to purchase it, we had to look for a new one. We had to move after all!

With limited time to pack and find a new house, lets just say life got a little more stressful. In spite of knowing that God would provide, as the days went by and we couldn’t find anything that would work for us, I worried.

It was then that we decided to see a house that had been on the market for a while, but had no pictures online. Why were there no pictures? After looking at the house and understanding why there were no pictures, we drove around the neighborhood for a bit. It was different. I liked it. There were trees, and the lawns had grass instead of the desert landscape we are used to. Tall brick houses reminded us of being in a different state.

As we stopped at a stop sign to turn and go back home, my son says “for rent!” We looked and sure enough, on the fence of a house there was a for rent sign. We quickly turned around to see another for rent sign on the garage door. Thinking there was no way we could afford a house in this neighborhood, we called the number on the sign and left a message. Two days later the owner called to explain a little about the house and to set a time for us to see it. And we did, and loved the house, and it was within our budget, and an amazing group of friends helped us move, and we’ve been here for almost one week now.

The house is bright, the backyard is larger than our previous one, and it has more trees. Fruit trees even. There are garden beds for me to play in the dirt, and we wake up in the mornings with our new feathery friends singing on the trees right outside the windows.

I will always be in awe of how God takes care of us so beautifully. And how often He not only gives us the desires of our hearts, but also so much more than we can think of or imagine.

As the now dark sky reveals the stars shining above, I am reminded in this recent experience, once again, that I am in my Heavenly Father’s care and I need not to worry.

Whatever you are going through, know that God, who loves you so much, is caring for every little detail of your life. It may be stressful at times, it may hurt, you may suffer. Life in this world is crazy like that, because our enemy wants to make our existence miserable. But, and I love this word at times. But God, who wants to make your existence an amazing adventure with Him, will get you through whatever you are going through. Because you too are in His care, and need not to worry.

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."

I Peter 5:7

15 Minute Car Trip

Photo by Frank McKenna on Unplash

Driving to work earlier this week, I was smiling from ear to ear as I was thinking of Heaven.  A life of eternal joy and peace, as distant from sin as eternity, made my heart happy. Just can’t wait! The morning was beautiful, clouds played above the snowy mountains in the distance, and the sun shone brightly above them. The beginning of a new day, and all I could think about was Heaven. Bliss!

But then I looked in the rearview mirror at the car behind me and I was brought back to earth. A woman drove, but the shadows of the car hid her face so that I couldn’t really see her. On the passenger seat, the sun shone strong on the face of the young man sitting beside her. He had Down Syndrome. My mind started thinking about the mother’s love, patience, and challenges as she strove to prepare her son for life in this world.

This was a busy and emotionally stimulating week. There is so much pain. We truly go through  much hardship on this earth. A friend who believes her prayers don’t pass the ceiling of her home. A friend going through a divorce and struggling to make ends meet. A friend who lost an important amount of money to a trusted loved one. A friend whose young nephew is struggling for his life due complications of the flu. A friend who closes up in her depression. Unplanned pregnancies. Unable to conceive. Feelings of guilt. Struggling with anxiety. Loss of health. Separation of loved ones by distance or death. Work problems. Marriage problems. Parenting challenges.

I thought about all this. The faces of people whom I love attached to all these problems. And I’m still struggling myself to learn to live in this world without any of my parents.

I looked at the car beside me, a young man in the driver’s seat, and wondered what his struggles were?

Overwhelmed by emotion and sadness, my eyes filled with tears. What a horrible world we live in. What a difficult lot sin has placed in our existence.

Thankfully, God gently reminded me that I am to place all my anxieties upon Him. So I did. I placed in His hands each one of my friends and loved ones, including myself. And I felt peace. Because in God’s care is where we all need to be.

How precious then are God’s promises of Heaven and eternal life with Him. How wonderful that our suffering is contained to his earth only. Soon we will be enjoying life, real life, forever separated from sin and its effects, in a place of joy and peace. It’s going to be amazing!

By the time I got to work, I was again smiling from ear to ear. Heaven was, once again, on my mind. What a beautiful day. What an awesome God I serve.

"And the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.

To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."

I Peter 5:10, 11

Reflections

Sitting at my desk at the end of another day. January quickly vanishing in time. Where does time go? Where does it come from? The clock constantly ticking the minutes and hours away, never to return. Everything seems so insignificant and yet so full of meaning. In the scope of eternity, these fleeting moments of time, though apparently unimportant, are filled with essence and purpose. Precious time. Heavenly gift.

And as I reflect on my day, my mind wanders to my favorite time this morning. The early rush was causing me stress, trying to get everything ready for the day before heading out the door. The chaos of the many things to get done before leaving.

Then my son sat at the piano and started playing. The sound produced by his fingers was beautiful. His heart touching every single note. And I couldn’t resist but stand still with the time. I sat on the couch behind him savoring every bite of my breakfast, looking at the little birds on the other side of the patio door enjoying theirs, while listening to the pleasant sounds happening near me. Chopin, Bach, Paul de Senneville and Olivier Toussaint among others, all blending together in beautiful music. My son at the piano. Precious peaceful moments that I will treasure forever. My mother would be so proud.

I believe I carried the effects of these quiet early morning minutes with me for the rest of the day. And as I reflect on it I feel gratitude. Although there is so much I don’t understand about this one life God gave me, although I so often have to press on by faith because I just can’t see it, He fills my life with moments that touch me and change me forever. And for that I am grateful.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time."

Ecclesiastes 3:11

 

Foot Prints on the Sand

Sitting here in my home office looking out the window and thinking about the past year. I would love to say that 2017 was the most horrible year of my life, but I can’t. It was an extremely difficult year, I can’t deny that. This past year I attended at least eight funerals, including my own mother’s. I lost friends and family to illness, to homicide, and to accidents. And there were other trials. Many other trials. During this time, my family and I spent several weeks apart due to obligations out of state - even out of the country - and work schedule conflicts. We were away from each other during some of the toughest times. The emotional and spiritual struggles were extremely intense.

Yet I just can’t bring myself to say this was the most horrible year of my life. I can’t because the whole time I know without a doubt that I was being carried in the arms of Jesus.

Do you know that story of the footprints on the sand? A person had a dream about walking with God on a beach and all was well until he noticed that during his most difficult times there was only one set of foot prints on the sand. Upset, thinking that God had left him when he needed Him the most, he complained to God. Lovingly God explained that the foot prints the man saw belonged to Him. During the person’s trials and tribulations, God gently carried him in His arms.

That’s where I have been this past year, and still am. In God’s arms. There is no way I could’ve done it on my own. So as I look back at the foot prints on the sand, I only see on set: God’s.

This close to Him I’ve been able to see life a tiny little bit the way He sees. In His arms I’ve felt safe and loved. He has given me strength, comfort, and peace beyond human understanding, and given me the courage to hold on tight to Him during the most difficult times.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to put my feet back on the ground and take some steps on my own. I trust He will gently put me back down when the time is right. Even then I don’t have to worry, because I know I’ll walk under the shelter of His wings. And if needed be, He'll pick me up in His arms again.

Photo by Bill Kasper

"He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and protection."

Psalm 91:4

Healing my Broken Heart

    I was getting ready for my morning jog. I put on my tennis shoes, grabbed my sunglasses, my phone, put my ear phones in, and got ready to hit the pavement in the company of motivational people like Rich Roll, Dave Ramsey, or maybe some great TED speakers. I stepped outside the house and was about to start my podcast app when I felt the gentle touch of the warm sun and the cool morning air on my skin. It felt so good and peaceful that suddenly I wanted silence and quietness. No longer did I want the company of people through my podcasts app. I put the phone away and started walking down the street to warm up while enjoying the beautiful morning. I love mornings, and what a beautiful encounter God had planned for the two of us at the beginning of that new day.
    As I walked, I began to hear singing. The song was familiar, but I hadn’t heard it in a while. The melody was beautiful and perfect and made my heart rejoice. I wanted to find the singer, and as I neared the sound I finally saw him. I looked up, and on top of a tall tree, a male house finch greeted the day with the most beautiful song. I stopped for a few seconds looking up to admire him. I had to smile as I tried to imagine why he was singing so happily. Summer has ended and cooler Fall days have started to embrace this part of the world. Perhaps he was happy because he had spent the last few months raising his family and knew he had prepared his children well for life in this world. He was probably rejoicing on a job well done. Or maybe the house finch on top of the tree was a young male who had spent the Summer being raised by good loving parents, and was happy that he had been well prepared for life as an adult. Whatever the reason, I was certainly witnessing a praise session. That little bird was content and he made me feel content too.
    I started thinking about how I had woken up that morning. As I slowly opened my eyes from sleep and realized it was the beginning of a new day, I had to smile. And then I smiled again because I don’t remember waking up smiling in a very long time. And I smiled some more because I knew my Heavenly Father had placed that smile on my lips.
    2017 has been a difficult year for me. From January until now, Murphy Law has tried to take over my days again and again, sometimes with much success. Words like “horrible, depressing, let down, discouraging” and many others like these have been part of my vocabulary for the past several months. I have experienced loss, hurt, criticism, sadness, and disappointment. However, as God helps me to see deeper, I have also experienced love, compassion, growth, generosity, healing, and so many more amazing things. With my eyes on Jesus, who helps me focus on the good, I can wake up smiling in spite of the storm that has encapsulated me for the past few months. I pray I keep my eyes on Him at all times! As I have learned before, and I'm experiencing it again, God doesn’t waste our pain, but always makes something beautiful out of our suffering.
    Several weeks before my mother passed away, she told me how she was ready to rest from it all. Hurting, I told her we were going to miss her very, very much. “You’ll be ok” she told me looking away.  The first few weeks after she died I would remember her words and in the midst of my pain think that no, we were not ok, but as God does his gentle work in my life, I’m starting to see my mother was right. Moms are always right! I am ok and I shall be ok. I do miss her deeply, and often the sharp pain of my loss comes out in a stream of tears down my face. I don't know when or if that will ever end. However, my mom knew that God has promised to heal the brokenhearted and to save those who are crushed in spirit. That's how she could say we would be ok. 
    If you are going through a difficult time, know that God sees your pain. Not one tear you shed goes unnoticed by your Heavenly Father. He cries with you, but more than that, He is very near, embracing you with love, strength, and comfort. Simply curl up in His arms while the storm passes by. And the God who loves you more than anything, will too heal your broken heart, bind your wounds, and gently turn your pain into something beautiful.

    So 2017 has been very difficult, but also very good. I have a beautiful life, a wonderful family, a job I thoroughly enjoy, great friends, people who enrich my prayer life, and a God that wow,

every day surpasses all my expectations and understanding. He loves me unconditionally and is healing my broken heart. He also gave me great parents who prepared me well for life as an adult in this world. Parents who gave me everything I need to continue my journey on this earth until I go to my Heavenly Home. Until that day, I'll just stay close to my Heavenly Father as He does His work of shaping me more into His image.
    I am content and as I was coming home from my morning jog, I decide to join the house finch in song.
 

 

I love you Lord, and I lift my voice,
to worship You, all my soul rejoice.
Take joy my King, in what You hear.
May it be a sweet, sweet sound, in Your ear. 

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Psalm 147:3

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 34:18

Bear Tracks

   

I had been looking forward to a nice hike up in the mountains. We were spending a few days in nature with friends, and the hike up on the mountain was high on my wish list. The setting was beautiful and the scenery from the top was breathtaking. We collected delicate flowers, an orange feather, took many pictures of the view, and had fun exploring when we decided to go for a hike. While exploring we started noticing different tracks. Some human foot prints, deer prints, some we new belonged to dogs, and then we saw them…bear tracks! They looked pretty dry so I assumed they weren’t recent, but as a group we became naturally a little more alert of our surroundings. One member of the group expressed that it was probably a good time to go back to our car, but not everyone agreed.
    We continued exploring the trail, taking in the beautiful scenery, the mountain top views, the different type of birds with their songs, and enjoying the fresh mountain air when we stumbled upon another set of bear tracks...smaller bear tracks. We thought they might be from a cub and where there is a baby bear, there is most likely a mother bear. This time there were more expressions of concern and even fear. Some in our group strongly expressed the need to go back and as I learned that day, fear is contagious. I finally asked who wanted to go back and it was decided that the majority was ready for a u-turn.

    We hiked back where there was a restaurant and more people, a safer place to explore. As we were looking around we found a map of the trails in the area. When we looked at the trail we had come from, we noticed that in the middle of the loop there was a lake. A mountain top lake! How cool it would have been to have seen it. It must have been beautiful. As we all pondered on the idea of a lake on top of the mountain, someone suggested going back and finding the lake, but by then it was time to get back to ground level. Just then we realized that we had missed a great opportunity because we allowed fear to dictate what we should do. Fear had won and we missed out on something that could’ve been really cool.
   

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world. We were definitely defeated by our fear of possible bears and may have missed out on a very nice experience. I’m not saying we should be careless with wild life. We should be very cautious and alert, but there were other groups on that trail, before and even after us and the tracks didn't seem too recent.
    Fear can be very debilitating in our lives, not only when hiking in the great outdoors. Think about the fears you have. Maybe you’re afraid of flying on an airplane, so you miss out on experiencing beautiful places that are far away. Maybe you’re afraid of changing careers, but you may be missing out on a great professional experience. You may be afraid of telling that special someone that you like them, but you may miss out on the relationship of your life! Maybe you're afraid of restoring an old friendship damaged by hurt feelings, but you’ll be missing out on the peace and joy that comes from forgiving and being forgiven. Maybe you're afraid of committing to a life of following God, but you'll be missing on your greatest adventure for this life and for eternity. Perhaps your fears are preventing you from running after your dreams, but you may miss out on the mission and purpose of your existence.
    Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, once said: “One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.” It’s amazing what we can do when we overcome our fears. Don’t let fear get in the way of your dreams or of reaching your full potential. You and God can do all things together. We fear what could be, often an idea that is only in our mind, but if we overcome that obstacle, we will have wonderful opportunities. So get up and face your fears head on. Perhaps on the other side of the trail you’ll get to experience a beautiful mountain top lake. 

"Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10