My Jeep was dusty and dirty, so it was a perfect day to try out the new Auto Spa. The winter sun poked through bright clouds, so I wasn’t worried about inclement weather.
     I turned my Jeep into a narrow lane to enter the high-tech wash. As I approached the entrance, my tires on the driver’s side suddenly dropped downward, but the Jeep continued to lunge forward. I panicked, my knuckles turning white as I put a death grip on the steering wheel and slammed the brakes.
     “Take your foot off the brake!” the dark-haired attendant in the blue uniform yelled, waving his hands.
     “What?!” I felt confused.  
     “Take your foot off the brake!” he hollered.
     I lifted my foot off the brake as chills ran down my neck. I looked up as the technician pointed to the metal track embedded into the concrete. My tires were supposed to drop into the track so the vehicle could be guided through the car wash.
     But that wasn't all. The attendant barked out two more commands: “Take your hands off the steering wheel and put the vehicle into neutral!" 
     Okay, now I get it.
      I let go of the steering wheel and shifted into neutral. I felt petrified when I realized I had absolutely no control over the Jeep. The Auto Spa had taken over. All I could do was sit back and wait. 
     The Jeep inched along into a darkened tunnel. Gargantuan, roaring mop heads descended from a two-story ceiling, circling and pushing against the roof and windows of my Jeep. A thundering deluge of water slapped against the windows as giant roller bristles swiped the exterior sides, back, and front with foamy, white suds.
     I felt trapped, as if I'd been immersed in a torrential rainstorm. Unable to see out the windows, I worried. What if the ceiling leaked? What if the windows and sunroof weren't completely closed?
     I thought about when we used to take our girls to the "simple" carwash when they were young. I'd tell them when the machine was ready to spread the soapy water over the windows, easing their fears.  But if that had been today, at this Auto Spa, they would have been terrified and crying. It even gave this adult mom the shivers.
     I counted the minutes as the Jeep inched along, and finally, the “storm” dissipated. A shower of clean, clear water rinsed the suds and grime away.  As the light of day approached, I sighed with relief, happy to be out of the dark tunnel.
     Although the visit to the Auto Spa wasn’t on my initial plan for the day, I had prayed about God’s guidance. The “storm” at the car wash was God’s way of reminding me to trust him in life’s storms. I needed to put the brakes on my stubborn insistence on controlling things on my own instead of letting God “take the wheel” to guide me.
     The next time I go to the Auto Spa, I’ll be prepared to take my foot off the break and my hands off the wheel. And the next time I go through life’s storms, I’ll let God take care of the controls!  
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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com

“How was your Christmas?” I once asked a friend who had moved away. 

"It was quiet,” she answered softly.

But I knew her use of "quiet" was her way of saying her Christmas was a lonely one.     
 
Many people feel alone during the holidays. They might live far from family and unable to visit. Others long for the way Christmas used to be or miss loved ones who are no longer with them. Some don't see their family due to strained or broken relationships.   

Christmas can be overwhelming, but when we feel this way, there are a couple of questions we can ask ourselves: 1) Are we being realistic about what to expect? (life isn't perfect). 2). Are our perceptions clouded by worldly expectations that sap us of time, energy, or money, leading us away from what is spiritual?    

For just a moment, tuck the present moment away. Imagine what it would have been like for Mary and Joseph to make the difficult journey to Bethlehem. It would have been a slow journey (even with the use of a donkey), and not easy for Mary who was expecting. Arriving in Bethlehem, and likely weary from traveling, they expected to find a place to stay, but the inns were full and had no room for them.  

How disappointed they must have felt! They were also far from  the comfort of their own home. Even though Joseph was said to have relatives in Bethlehem, for whatever reason, there was no place for Mary and Joseph to stay (despite Mary's condition). We may wonder if they felt alone because of this?   

Finally, one innkeeper offered them a stable. Imagine trying to get comfortable in a place where animals resided—a far cry from the comfort of a room at an inn. However, the stable provided shelter—and hay for the manger that would be used as a bed for the baby Jesus.      

That night, which we think of as the “first Christmas,” was likely a quiet one. In the stillness, sans crowds, advertisement or fanfare, the Christ child was born in a stable. The impact of his birth has been exceedingly far-reaching: here we are, over two thousand years following Jesus' birth, celebrating Him this Christmas season!    

May your Christmas be one of celebration for God's Gift of Salvation to you, to me, and the world: 
the gift of Jesus Christ.  

Merry Christmas!

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"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." - Luke 2:11-12.

*If feelings of sadness, loneliness, or depression are prolonged or interfere with your daily living, don't be afraid to seek professional help. 
*If you are in need of prayer, contact me, and I will pray for you.
 
Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com

It’s that time of year again! You’ve collected your family’s favorite recipes, some handed down from previous generations. You’ve double-checked the shopping list and are sure you have all the necessary ingredients.  

Ah! As the aroma of celery, onion, and other spices simmer on the stove, you close your eyes momentarily and take in the delectable aromas. You look forward to preparing the best meal possible for your family and friends.  

Some guests bring their favorite dishes to share, while others bring hearty appetites, ready to indulge in the meal you have worked so hard to prepare.

But sometimes recipes aren’t perfect, and neither are oven temperatures—or cooks. You’re not sure what happened, but the turkey wasn’t supposed to be dry, and the rolls weren’t supposed to turn dark brown on the bottom. It’s too late to do anything about it now.
  
Families aren’t perfect, either. Uncle Buzz had a few too many beers and yelled at Cousin for changing the channel on the football game.
 
Junior didn’t watch where he was going and spilled a can of red soda all over your new carpeting. During dinner, Aunt Rizzi bad-mouthed the meal for not being gluten-free (but she’d never informed anyone prior to Thanksgiving that she couldn’t have gluten).  

But no matter the kitchen glitches, behaviors of families or guests, ingredients in the recipes, or what dishes are served, one ingredient should stand out as the most important on this holiday: thankfulness.

Family dynamics can cause stress for some people. Times change, and relationships can change. Not one Thanksgiving is exactly like the next. Memories and longings can interfere with accepting present situations and circumstances.

However, despite the uncertainties and imperfections, we can do our best to appreciate what we have (and who we have) in our lives (including forgiveness for certain cooks and the Uncle Buzz’s, Juniors, and Aunt Rizzi’s of the world.
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Thankfulness—it’s one thing we can keep at the top of our shopping list.
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“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” – 2 Corinthians 9:11
“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of the lips that acknowledge his name.” – Hebrews 13:15

​Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com
 

"Nanc'," my husband called as I wrangled with a load of laundry.  "Have you seen my tape measure?" 
"Yes. It's in the second-bedroom closet," I answered. 
I heard my husband's voice from down the hall. "There's no way I can go in there. I can't find a place to walk into your 'walk-in' closet!" he exclaimed. 
Oops. I forgot to warn him about the closet. It was packed from floor to ceiling. I could barely wade through it myself. I retrieved the tape measure after moving a pile of stuff away from the doorframe. 
"How did I create such a mess?" I asked my husband. "We've only lived in this house for five years."   
My husband shook his head. He didn't know what to say. 
The closet's sorry state was my own doing. I'd made the second bedroom my refuge for writing, music, crafts, and other hobbies. But, gradually, the closet became overloaded with everything I needed to support those hobbies. However, a walk-in closet you can't walk into was not acceptable. 

Had I become a miser of all things past and present? I scolded myself. Evidently so.

Something had to change, but  there was a problem:  I was attached to all my "stuff." I'd owned a lot of it for a long time. It felt like the items were part of me. (Have you ever felt that way about things?)

The other problem was that all of this "stuff" was getting in the way—and not just because I couldn't walk into the closet. The overload of owning too many things had become a burden to my well-being. I'd tried shutting the closet door so I didn't have to look at the mess, but that only hid the problem. And the problem wasn't the stuff itself—it was my unwillingness to let go of it.

Why do we hold on to things? Does it give us a (false) sense of security? Possibly. Or, do we fear losing part of ourselves when we give things up? Maybe. Or, perhaps it provides a feeling of fulfillment to own or acquire things.      

I knew I had to do something about the mess I'd created. It had gotten in the way of my living space, and it was taking up needed space in my conflicted heart. I'd been collecting too many "earthly treasures" as mentioned in the book of Matthew.

In Matthew 6: 19-21, the Bible warns about excess: 

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourself treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  
The last line of the verse gets to me. It's definitely a reminder to be on guard to seek the right kind of treasure.  

Over the next three weeks, I purged the contents of my closet. It took a lot of time and it was hard to do, but I had to be honest with myself. To make a decision about each item, I asked myself if it was something I was really going to use, or was I hanging onto it because I was emotionally attached to it?  I found special things I could hand down to my family. That was fine. But other than that, nearly half of the "stuff" had sat on those shelves unused—or rarely used. 

Letting go of things isn't easy, but one thing that helped was thinking about others who could use the things I'd been blessed to own. And besides, the items were just "things," and things can be replaced.

When I finished clearing out the closet, I was elated to have everything labeled and in its place, and we could walk into the closet again! 

Using my hobby/writing/craft/music room is an inviting space now, where I enjoy working. The clean-up experience was arduous, but resulted in a great feeling of personal renewal. 
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What experiences have you had with the "stuff" in your life? Feel free to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by. Wishing God's Blessings for your week!

Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com 

Rocks! They're a seemingly natural attractant: kids love to see how far they can throw them, skip them across a pond, use them in play, or save them in a collection. 

When I was nine and on a family vacation in the Rocky Mountains, I was elated when we stopped at a gift shop. I marveled at a long aisle filled with bins of rocks and minerals. 

Eye-candy anticipation kept me glued to the displays as I picked up each colorful rock. I was in awe of the varied shapes and forms: some sleek, some shiny, some muted with variegated streaks and colors, but all unique in appearance.

 Then, I saw it—a glistening, shining rock at the bottom of a bin of small river stones. I picked up the rock, it's yellow-gold slivers gleamed brightly in the light. This was the most beautiful rock I’d ever seen. I'd just found a treasure—surely it was gold!   

Giddy, I excitedly ran over to my father. "I think I found gold, Daddy!” I exclaimed, holding up the rock for him to see. 

He looked at it and smiled. “Sorry, Honey," he said. "It's a very pretty rock, but it's not gold. It's called ‘Iron Pyrite,’ otherwise known as ‘Fool’s Gold.’” He handed the rock back to me.

“Fool’s Gold?” I replied.

“Yes," he said. "It's called Fool's Gold because people are fooled by it's appearance. Just like you, they think it's gold."   

“Yeah. Darn!" I exclaimed. “If only it was gold, because it sure is pretty!"  

“It is. If you'd like it for your rock collection, we can buy it," my father replied.  

I gladly agreed and was happy to go home with the “Fool’s Gold.”

Treasure! Whether young or old, we seek treasure, hoping to find things of great value in our lives. But, sometimes we are enticed by things that appear valuable, but aren't. Like Fool's Gold.  

Some people spend their lives searching for the “wrong kind of treasure." In the Book of Matthew in the Bible,  Jesus has an important message for us about searching for the right kind of treasure: 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” - Matthew 6:19-21

A striking part of the verse, to me, is the last line: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  It's a good reminder for us to do a "heart check." Are we seeking the right kind of treasure?

May we be seekers of the true treasure that is found through Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 
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Photo courtesy of Vecteezy.com