raining again...

It is raining here- for, like, the next 3 days.  I gotta tell ya' (imagine a hint of southern accent) that when it rains like that I feel a little down.  It's OK- I'm not like confiscate-my-shoe-laces down, just a tad.  a little grumpy.   a little tired.  OK- actually a lot tired.

I do have a special place in my heart, though, for people who do suffer from mental illness- and it's been on my heart frequently, lately.

I have several friends, and friend's kids who have a wide range of mental health issues- from anxiety to schizophrenia.  It is hard to reconcile a world where people, children especially, have to suffer from illness you can't see and that is a challenge to treat.  I struggle with it, quite honestly, struggle with anxiety and struggle with 2 of my kids having severe anxiety.  Some days it's hard to just get through the day.

There are days that we end the day at 5:30... before it can get any worse.

Through it all, though, I do have faith and I rely on it, cling to it, quite strongly.  I know we live in a broken world, and it isn't anyone's fault that some things happen... While it is easy to question why- why me- why her-why them- why is there so much broken in this world?;  the greater option, for me, anyway, is to just know that my perspective is not God's perspective.  And that is what I cling to the most, I think.

and then I pray some more.

and then I try to thank Him for every opportunity to make it right, to help, to guide, to listen, to learn...

Tomorrow is another day, my friend.  And we are all created with a purpose by divine hands, and those hands belong to One that loves us with a love that humans can't understand.

Awesome!

Another Friday, Another post...

and, some crazy hair....

 SMILE!!!


I have started a Bible study with my friend, Lesley, this week, which centers on the names of GOD.  He has so many (names!) and they all mean something special- which I find, well, very, very cool.

I guess, just like we name our children with thoughtfulness (and compromise and thinking), God has many ways of referring to Himself that represent, or name how He relates to us.  Most of them (so far) are related to His awesomeness, and how He is all consuming, powerful, providing... and, you know, awesome!

It's good news.  It is The good News. And it's better news than what we read about in the paper these days, and what we see on TV.

Our Pastor preached about always rejoicing in the Lord-  It was actually our memory verse last week from Philippians: Rejoice in the Lord always, I say again, Rejoice!

Well, sometimes that is hard to do (shootings, more shootings, government shut-downs, economic crisis, furloughs, unemployment) ...

The thing, I think, is to remember: this is not our home.  We aren't here forever. God has us.  He loves us.  He has a greater perspective.  He is mighty, and awesome.  We aren't home, yet.

So- hopefully, this will brighten your day (even just a little?).

And when you feel stressed, think about looking UP!