Finding Joy: October 22:Forrest Gump - Feather ending

 As I continue my theme of "Finding Joy", I am noticing that when I am consciously being more observant of little things around me, it is easier to find some joy, even on hard days.

Today began as one of those tough days.  I noticed that it was the second day that one of my students was absent.  Now in Covid19-land that really isn't a big red flag.  I have students gone every day.  Especially since we are in hybrid learning, I only see some of my students every other day so my classes are very small.  This student is one that was an exception.  His life experiences made it possible for him to continue to attend school every day even during hybrid learning.  With our smaller classes, I have been spending extra time with this student and getting to know him better all the time.  When I saw that he was gone again today, I had a sinking feeling in my chest and asked if there was any information about why he wasn't present.  That is when I learned that my student was missing.  He has been gone two days and his whereabouts are unknown at this time.  

I felt like a hundred-pound weight had just been dropped on my chest.  The rest of my morning, I was contacting my prayer groups to pray for his safety and return.  At lunchtime, I was still feeling very down and rather numb.  No matter how difficult a student may be, I still get so attached to each and every one of them.  

I was at my desk, looking out the windows.  My room is situated between two buildings and I sit a bit lower than the other two.  This creates a whirlwind effect when the wind is blowing more than usual.  Leaves and other debris can swirl around in circles as the gusts blow between the buildings.  All of a sudden, I noticed feathers....blowing in the wind.  There must be a bird's nest on top of the buildings because today I keep seeing feathers float in circles as they catch a breath of wind.  Every few minutes another bright white feather swirls up towards the building's roof then floats back and forth as it gently finds a landing spot, whether on top of the roof or all the way on the ground.  

I remembered the movie, Forrest Gump, as I watched the floating feather.  In the movie, the feather represents the cycle of life, birth, death, and coming full circle to begin again.  That is what I think the feather is telling me today.  Life is a full circle of events. Good, bad, happy, sad, sick, and healthy. A constant churning...and we are all feathers floating between the buildings.  We catch a gust and ride it until the next breeze comes along and hopefully pick up glimpses of joy throughout the process.  

Life as Forrest is famous for saying, "Is a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."  Today my joy was finding a feather and then noticing the succession of feathers playing in the breeze outside my window.  My joy continued when I looked up feather videos to share.  The joy I am finding today doesn't erase the concern I have for my student.  I will continue to pray for his safety.  But life is a cycle and even with the sadness and concern, there is still joy.  

Find Joy! Love God Love People - Danny Gokey with Lyrics

    Lately, I have found that I am constantly obsessing about all the negatives in this new reality of Covid19-Land.  Part of this comes from being a teacher in a public school system where our world is constantly changing.  Protocols, gating criteria, community, and student concerns...the list just gets longer and more complex each day.  The only thing that hasn't changed is the rigor of the material and the love I have for each and every one of my students.  

I find myself worrying about so many things that I have no control over and the effect is a mindset of frustration and anxiety.  I am very aware that this isn't healthy for me or those around me.  I was home from school last Friday, a no school day from hosting parent/teacher conferences during the evenings during the week, and I found I was still full of nervous anxiety. 

One thing I do when I feel this way is deep clean the house.  As if organizing and scouring the environment that I am in will purge my feelings from me.  I think A LOT while cleaning...my thoughts rush in and out and I find myself sorting not only the items in the house but my thoughts as well, categorizing them into sets. Positives, negatives, worries, needs, wants and a myriad of emotions that flood this process.  

I walked into the laundry room and saw my chalkboard, I realized it had been ages since I dusted it and that was when the words upon it hit me, I wrote them when I first hung the board.  One side said: "Wash, dry, fold, put away, REPEAT."  The other side said, "To Do List! Pray for family, Pray for friends, Hug Everyone as much as possible!" and that was when I started to cry. I can't hug everyone.  If you know me, that is a big part of me, I love and need to shower love and hugs all the time and this feeds my heart.  With Covid, hugs are now frowned upon and pretty much taboo.

I got my rag out and cleaned off the side of the board that was household task related and got a big piece of sidewalk chalk out and wrote a new note to myself.

Through all the sniffles I decided to challenge myself to stop letting the negativity all around me envelope me like a mildewed blanket and look for signs of positivity.  (I kept the "To Do List" side because I don't want to forget how things were and hopefully will be again.)

Today I was driving to school and instead of listening to my audible book I turned on my Sirius station and this song was playing,

Danny Gokey's song, "Love God Love People" and it spoke to me as if I was being nudged to not forget my challenge.  No matter how hard it is to be positive, to find a smile behind my mask, literally My Mask, I need to love God and love people and make sure others feel this even without the hug.  

That doesn't mean that I won't have many down days, that I won't want to cry in frustration of the situation when I can't see my kids, or Scott's parents, and my friends from church, bunko and Pitch group.  When I think about perhaps not hugging someone I love and then losing them before I get to again someday, but I intend to try to live searching for the JOY in this Covid world and share the happiness I find with others.  

I am going to dare to seek "Joy" and blog about it.  I want to remember to revel in the enjoyment I get from being with my students at school, I may see them every other day but I can treasure the time I have with them. 

If any of my friends have a joyful observation to share, I will include it when I write.  I challenge all my friends and family to find joy in their lives and share it.  We might not be able to control the pandemic, but we can "Love God and Love People" in the process.  

The Light of His Presence: Anne Graham Lotz

 Comfort is an important essence in our life, and Anne Graham Lotz's new prayer devotional is an uplifting and comforting addition for any Christian's prayer life.  I received an advance Net Galley copy of Lotz's book from Waterbrook and Multnomah as part of their launch team, for an honest review.  

Lotz's book is a lovely addition to any devotional life. It is simply a book of well-written prayers over many topics that are timely for any season in life's journey.  Each prayer is then followed by a scripture passage or an appropriate quote to enhance the prayer.  Some of my particular favorites of Lotz's prayers include, A Prayer to Live for a Greater Purpose, A Prayer to Overcome Evil with Good, and a Prayer to Stay Focused.  I heartily recommend Anne Graham Lotz's Book, The Light of His Presence for your devotional library.

The Librarian of Boone's Hollow

 Whenever I am looking for an uplifting story, one that will bring me joy and a heartwarming escape then I search out one of Kim Vogel Sawyer's stories.  I was so excited to join the launch team for her latest book, The Librarian of Boone's Hollow to be released for purchase on September 15th!  I received this book through Waterbrook and Multnomah as a part of their launch team for an honest review.  

The book is set in the depression era, the backcountry of Kentucky mountains.  Addie Cowherd is a student at the university in Lexington Kentucky. Adopted by loving parents, Addie was raised in the city and given every opportunity to pursue her interests. While at the university, Addie learns that the depression has indeed hit home, leaving her parents unable to continue to support her.  She is given an opportunity to become a horseback librarian in the Kentucky mountains, in a  backwoods hamlet called Boone's Hollow.  

Emmet Tharp is the first of his family to go to college. He graduates with his degree yet the economic times of the 1930s make it difficult to put his hard-earned diploma to use.  He returns to his home country of Boone's Hollow and tries to find employment of any kind.  Fate would intervene, as Addie and Emmet's path's cross in the quest to keep the horseback library program for the residents of Boone's Hollow going.

Through hard work and faith in God the two touch many lives, enriching the community and finding love in the process.  

Kim Vogel Sawyer's books never disappoint.  Each one is a treasure and The Librarian of Boone's Hollow is no exception.  I heartily recommend The Librarian of Boone's Hollow and pray it brings joy as it is read.

Love Has A Name

 Adam Webber has written a gem, a truly stirring book that hits the stores today! Love Has A Name, published by Penguin Randomhouse, is one of the best pieces of inspirational literature that I have experienced in quite a long time.

Love Has A Name, Learning to Love the Different, the Difficult, & Everyone Else is just what we all need when it seems so many changes in the world make us want to seethe with frustration.  I know that I have felt less patient with many in my life when usually I am very tolerant.  I was excited to become part of the launch team for this book for an honest review.  

I think what attracted me to the book, besides the title, was the format that it is written.  In lieu of simply writing the book as a devotional or instruction book, quoting scripture and preaching through the lessons, Webber approaches the book through the use of personal accounts.  He breaks the book into three major parts.  Part 1 is Some People Who Have Loved Me. Part 2 is Some People I'm Learning to Love. Part 3 is Your Name. Within each part are many chapters telling a different person's story and how Christ works His good through them.  

I love meeting people, so getting to know so many unique individuals through the book was a true joy for me.  I soaked up God's love and grace through the stories without feeling like I was having scripture drummed into me.  Instead it simply flowed through me and lit my heart.

I am privileged to recommend Webber's book, Love Has A Name and hope that you, reader, find as much fulfillment from it as I have.  

Last Days Survival Guide

Rick Renner, author of over 30 books has a new release set for September of 2020. Last Days Survival Guide: A handbook to prepare you for these perilous times.  When the book surprised me on my doorstep this summer and I opened the box my first thoughts were, "yep this sounds about right."  In the middle of the Covid-19 2020 fest of one new stress-causing event after another, a book about survival is indeed a captivating read.  I received this book from Harrison House, @HarrisonHousePublishers as part of the launch team for an honest review.

I have a feeling that many now feel that these are the end times, especially with a worldwide pandemic affecting every part of our lives, from how we work, dress, socialize, and even attend worship services. However, I believe that many individuals in every generation feel that the world may be in the end times

        1Thessalonians 5:1-3

         Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 

        2 For you, yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 

        3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as 

        labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.(Biblegateway.com)

Because we as Christians do not know when Jesus will return, it is always important to be vigilant and profess the love and saving grace of our savior, Jesus Christ. That is why, even though some points of Rick Renner's book, Last Days Survival Guide: A handbook to prepare you for these perilous times, do not coincide with my Lutheran Christian doctrine, I found much of the book sharing useful information and encouragement that I could apply to my life as a Christian.

Rick Renner is proficient in the Koine Greek language of the new testament so he is able to provide in-depth word translations to explain the context of a word and how it applies to the passage in the bible.  This makes reading his book very interesting.  

Another area of Renner's book that I found very helpful was the end of the chapter action steps.  At the completion of each chapter, Renner lists steps to take to stay the course of the guidance discussed through the chapter.  Each step comes with a full explanation.  I found these steps to be very applicable to my life and important addition to the book. I sincerely appreciated that in all cases, Renner steers the reader to the truth, The Bible, even when the truth is uncomfortable. God's word as taken directly from the bible, not interpreted to fit societal rules, and then God's word is relayed and reinforced. 

I feel many Christians will find guidance and comfort in Renner's newest publication, Last Days Survival Guide: A handbook to prepare you for these perilous times, and I sincerely recommend it.

Completely Different, Yet Utterly the Same

      We are living in ironic times, my friends.  This thought once again hit me up-side the head today.  I haven't written in my blog since earlier in the summer when my pup Sydney and I were victims of the dog attack.  We have fully recovered from that.  My back is fine again, after physical therapy and a shot.  Sydney is fine and resocialized with help from a dear friend and groomer, Terri, who gave her several playdates at her shop.

      Just the other day I was telling a friend that I was finally really enjoying summer at last.  Sydney and I were taking our daily walks again.  I rejoined the YMCA and started water fitness classes and swimming laps.  The early COVID-19  worry and trauma had diminished in my heart.  I had become comfortable with what is now a "new world" awareness of the presence of a pandemic virus in our midst and was comfortable with the daily news reports, the discussions about various learning possibilities, and always wearing my mask in public.
Then I find out we have been exposed to COVID -19 and must quarantine for 14 days.  That's when the irony of our new world hit me. We are walking a tightrope of a life that is completely different than what we have experienced in the past, yet in so many ways our world is utterly the same as it has always been.

     We live in a world with a highly contagious virus that has the ability to make total strangers ill when they are in our presence, so we must stay in our homes, mandated by agencies, until the danger passes. We do this with just the possibility that we might be infectious.  This is a different scenario than we have had for many years with modern medicine as a luxury in the world.  Yet it is not altogether foreign,  There were times in the past when families would quarantine to protect themselves and others due to contagions. We have just been blessed not to have to deal with this for a very long time. So, while is it different for us...it is also the same.

     The upcoming school year may look very different than past years.  Families may choose to send their students to school buildings and classrooms.  Other families may decide to keep their students at home for remote learning and there are even options for hybrid learning, spending some days onsite and others remote.  With the availability of internet and technology, these choices are possible.  A whole new learning environment for both students and teachers.  Yet, the unknown of a new school year and the excitement and anxiety of the unknown is the same as other years.  Every student and teacher knows the anxiety felt in preparation for a new school year. We have much of that anxiety this year not knowing how everything will work out. Students are worried about who their teacher will be, will they have any friends in their class. How hard will the work be?  Teachers are anxious about what students will be in their classes, will they be able to meet every need, how will they juggle loving their school kids and the demands of their own families and how to follow all the protective protocols.  This is the same every year and hasn't been changed by the pandemic, ironically it has just been enhanced.

Wearing masks all day is different for all of us in public settings.  But showing love for our fellow man through our actions is the same as it has always been.  Another illustration of different, but the same.

As I realized these things, I felt encouraged.  Much the same way that I feel when I watch all my old television programs on my favorite station, "Me TV."   I watch "The Beverly Hillbillies," "My Three Sons," and "Leave it to Beaver" each morning during the summer before I get up for my day.  They are done by eight o'clock in the morning, and a great way to ease into my day.  I love the old shows that were filmed many generations ago because they reinforce that though our world and technology have changed drastically, the people are very much the same as they have always been.  People fall in love, children can be mischievous sometimes but can learn from their experiences, and funny is funny no matter the time period.

I think as we all move forward this year and those years following, we can help ourselves by embracing the differences we must face in our world, with the knowledge that this difference is not so foreign when we love each other the same way we always have.  As my mother-in-law has often said, "We must watch the eyes now." The smile is hidden behind a mask, but we still know how someone is doing by seeing their eyes.  I love this because it tells me to look at the world in a new way, and embrace it.  Yes, there is a worldwide pandemic that has changed our world and how we do things, but caring and love are the equalizers and keeps things just the same as before.  God Bless you and keep you all!

   

Dog Attack, Hurt My Back, Life Lessons

     This past week was one I hope to not repeat again.  My week started out fine, Monday was Scott and I's 35th anniversary, and it was a really nice dinner at home celebration, probably one of the more charming ones that we have had in many years.  So what happened later in the week was equally poignant because it illustrated how tenable life truly is and how it can change in a moment's time. As adults, everyone knows this. Yet like so many events in life, we just as quickly forget the fact.

     Wednesday started out fine,  I went to help at our Church's Early Learning Center to prepare community meals, then attended a Matin's service and did a couple of housekeeping items for the Altar Guild.  Following that, I came home and changed clothes to take m dog Sydney out for a walk before the day heated up too much for her to be able to enjoy the activity.  Before we left, I watered the plants in the yard, knowing that Sydney loves the hose water and would want to play in the water and get soaked, which in turn would help her stay cool when we walked.  We got her harness on, left the house, and began our walk.  We had only walked a short distance around the first side street from home when I saw a black labrador sitting in the middle of the road just ahead of us.  I have never seen this dog before and it was off its leash and no owner in sight.   I saw a neighbor to my left watering her flowers, and my first thought was "Sydney would like to play in that water,"  my second thought was, labs are usually nice, but maybe I should pick up Sydney and hold her as I walk by just in case. Before I was able to even bend down, the black lab came charging at us and went for Sydney, biting her and trying to tear at her.  I desperately tried to hit the dog as Sydney yelped and yelled and I yelled at the dog.  The neighbor who was watering came running to also yell at the dog while running to the home of the person she knew owned the animal.  Finally, I let go of Sydney's leash, and she took off running, speeding by the labrador, and running up the street towards our home.  I couldn't run as fast as Sydney, but after screaming at the labrador to go home I took off running to home as well to check on how badly Sydney was hurt.  By the time I got home, Sydney was barking her little fluffy head off, sitting on the porch, I couldn't see any broken skin right away, so I put her in the house, shut the door, and went back to the scene of the attack to confront the owner.  The owner was remorseful, said her dog was accidentally let out of the yard by her children, and her dog "just didn't like other dogs."

      By the time I thanked the neighbor who tried to assist Sydney and me during the attack, I realized that I had terribly wrenched my back in the ordeal.  Within the span of one hour, from leaving the church to trying to take my dog for a simple walk, my immediate world had changed.  (Reader, my husband did call animal control to report the attack, and we took Sydney to the vet too and she was just bruised and given pain pills.)

The lesson I was slapped upside the head with Wednesday was, although we all know that life can change in the blink of an eye, somehow we forget in between those blinks.

We get complacent and overly comfortable with the situation we are in.  Things roll along, we build a nest so to speak with our family and friends, enjoying good health, simple times, and easy happiness.  But then we blink, and something happens.  An accident, an attack,  bad news from a medical test,  loss of a job,  a change in location of a friend, a worldwide pandemic....and our world as we know it has forever changed.

As blinks go, mine is minor.  My dog is fine.  I saw my back surgeon and got an injection.  It still hurts terribly but I will begin walking by myself every day and try to rehab my back.  I may not be able to go to Group Fight class at Genesis for a while, but in time I will heal.  If not I will go back to the doctor. I am fortunate.

Many people's blinks are much more tragic.

I feel like a lesson is in all of this that needs to be shared.  I think no matter what we are handed when we blink, attitude and response are the most important and must be purposefully chosen.  Anger and frustration are easy to choose.  Worry and fear are also easy to choose.  Sadness and self-pity are certainly simple.
Yet, we are not promised ease in life, we are not promised joy, we are most certainly not promised happiness.  We must purposefully choose to be happy, joyful, and content in all circumstances.

Life will change repeatedly, as this is the nature of time and events. We will struggle, be hurt and our world will change from our comfortably built nest.  But that is okay, as long as we purposefully work to choose a positive response to the change.  My goal for myself and prayer for others is that when faced with change, with pain, or with turmoil, a positive choice will be made, and that the love that exudes from the choice will touch many.

Unveiling The Past

One central theme in Kim Vogel Sawyer's latest book, Unveiling the Past, really spoke to my heart,  Even though Meghan (the main character) has lived most of her life with the fact that her father wasn't a presence in her life, she held on to the assurance that her heavenly Father always was and had always been an enduring part of her world.
I received this advance reading copy as a part of the  Waterbrook and Multnomah launch team for an honest review.
Unlike Meghan, I grew up with a wonderful man for a father in my life who was present for my first 37 years, but upon losing him I felt bereft, that I was suddenly abandoned, but my faith and knowledge that though I had lost my earthly father to the ravages of cancer, my heavenly Father would always be with me, and never leave me, and this honest truth has always given me great comfort. I think that is one reason Sawyer's novel really spoke to my soul.
While reading Sawyer's book, I felt such comfort and joy in the story of Meghan.  She grows up as an only child, raised by her single-parent mother, later joined and encouraged by her spunky and wise grandmother, finding her true love Sean and eventually meeting her absentee father Kevin and building a relationship that will enrich all their lives.  She is a cold-case detective and through her work, she learns to tackle her anxieties about motherhood, and parenting as she befriends and cares for a young woman whose father went suddenly missing in the past.  The end result is a richer life for everyone.
There were so many layers of love and support in Vogel's story.  I love the way she weaves real-life struggles into her character's stories and supports it all with God's unfailing love and grace.  It feels so natural to follow the plot and live vicariously for a short period of time in the lives of her characters.
I have never been disappointed by any of Sawyer's books and enthusiastically recommend Unveiling the Past to anyone in search of a heartwarming story.

Being Known

God always knows what I need, when I need it, down to the nth detail.  This true and simple assurance never ceases to amaze me.  Yesterday,  in the middle of the day of blahs in my heart, a new launch team notice came from Waterbrook & Multnomah, a new galley to review.  I have read most of my books in print, so getting a notice that there was a digital copy available since printing and mailing at this time in the pandemic is difficult, was a happy surprise. 
Well, because of this wonderful treat, nothing got done for the rest of the weekend because I have done nothing but immerse myself in Robin Jones Gunn's newest novel, Being Known. 
I received Being Known from Waterbrook & Multnomah Publishing as a part of their launch team for an honest review. 
Gunn's book fills a hole in my heart that has been deepening since the beginning of this pandemic distancing and stay-at-home time.  One of the things I have been missing the most is the ability to be with and around my girlfriends, getting and giving hugs and enjoying the sisterhood of companionship that all women need.  Being Known tells the story of a group of women living regular day to day lives and trusting in God and his goodness to sustain them through their relationship with Him and each other.  The problems that the women face are common to all wives, mothers, and girlfriends.  Seeing how the characters work through them and come forth stronger is heartwarming, a bit of sunshine during these days of unrest.
I love Gunn's writing style and the gift of making her characters and the dialogue feel as though you know them personally, that they have left the page and become part of your close circle of friends.  I want to read more of her books, and delight in her plots and characters more often, now that I have found her. 
I can't say enough good things about Gunn's new book, Being Known.  It's a literary hug from a new friend that will endure.