Lenten Photo Challenge Day 6 - Darkness

I am sure many things come to mind when one hears the word "darkness". Things can hide in the dark, people may be afraid of the dark and often there is confusion in the dark. The first thing I thought of  was "I can't see". I simply stop because it takes some time for my eyes to adjust, if they ever do.

I took this picture one morning while trying to capture the sunrise. I can't figure out what this was supposed to be! The picture is too dark with no real focus point. The next picture I took, however, the sun was dispelling the darkness as daybreak arrived.

The word "darkness" can be found in the Bible many places. It is God's will that all people should come out of the darkness, whether confusion, fright or evil. John 12:46 says "I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness." Jesus is the answer to whatever darkness has come into our lives. By giving up our concerns and worries, He will lead us through the dark into His light.

Yesterday my father had serious surgery and today the darkness has passed. He did fine and now is in next recovery phase, thanks to God's power with the medical staff who helped him. We are all thankful to God's comfort surrounding my mother at this time as well. He provides the hugs that I cannot deliver in person.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 5- Wilderness

The Israelites, Daniel Boone, the Union Army ouside Chancellorsville - these all had experiences of traveling in the wilderness. Each was trying to reach a destination, but there were no roads or clearly marked paths to follow. If faced with the area in this picture, I would wonder just what I might find in there or on the other side.

In our modern world we have clearly marked roads and GPS systems on our cell phones, in our cars and even on wrist watches which will give directions to any place one would choose to go.

So why do we still feel lost sometimes? I often feel like I am in a modern technology wilderness! There are no clear paths or even directions for traveling the multiple computer, internet, etc roads. When I was using my first computer, the school technician told me to just "jump in and do something". I could not hurt anything that he would not have been able to fix! The students all had that same attitude and they would just start pushing keys!

I still like to have directions laid out, so exploring an unknown wilderness is not appealing to me. Thankfully God has given me those directions through his word - and many paths show me how to get to my ulitmate destination in heaven and God's promise.  The Bible, church, family, friends, helping others, praying - each plays a part in keeping me on God's path through my personal wilderness.

As I write this, my father is going in for a second surgery for a broken hip and this time he is considered a high risk patient. I am praying that God will continue to guide my mother, brother and sisters and me through the unknown at this moment.  Traveling through this "medical wilderness" for the past month has kept me focused on God's promises and the certainty that He will lead us on the right path through it all.

By the way, the picture above was taken from my front steps, looking out at our front yard - I know the neighbors on the other side :-)

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 4 - Listen

Have you ever felt like the cardinals here? Are they really listening to each other? A good listener is often the most important part of a conversation. Without someone listening, the speaker is simply talking to thin air! I hope God is not speaking to thin air when talking to me! How can I become a better listener?

Body language says a lot when a person listens to someone. As a teacher I gave advice to students on how to improve their listening skills in the classroom: look at the speaker; lean slightly toward the speaker; nod occasionally to show that you are listening (not that you agree with a statement); make eye contact periodically.  When these actions come together a speaker and listener can communicate through their body language.

Many times I felt that I was not focused when listening to God and His word. I realized that I was not practicing the skills of a good listener. If the speaker is God through prayer or the Bible, these skills can be very productive. Rather than simply hearing sounds, one can become an active listener to the Word.

*Look at the speaker - really take time to read the written word or when in prayer, face a focus point where you are not distracted by the surroundings.
*Lean slightly toward the speaker - hold the Bible in a comfortable, direct position or lean forward as if really listening to what God will tell you in prayer.
*Nod occasionally - this simple act makes the listener an active participant in the conversation. It also provides the opportunity to stop and reread something not understood.
*Make eye contact- Really look at the words as you read them, stop and look around to "digest" them, or you may want to look upward as praying.

Proverbs 20:12 - "The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both." Together they help a person listen.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 3 - Return

Returns at Christmas time, "Return to Me" song, return library books when due, return home after a trip - return is when something or someone comes back after being gone. Items go back to a store, the song asks for a lost love to come back, books go back to the library and we go back home. 

For us, the St. Louis area will always be home, although we have lived in Virgina for almost 30 years. We go back to visit family and friends yearly. Then when we leave St. Louis, we are "returning home" to Virginia!

 I attended a women's retreat recently that had the theme "Return to Me", focusing on Lamentations 3:40 - "Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD." We realized that God does not change - we do. When I feel apart from God, it is not because He is ignoring me. I have turned away from Him. He patiently waits for me to RETURN to Him. I pray that I always will.

Lenten Photo Challenge Day 2 - Prepare

Day two and I am already behind - I have not been able to adequately "Prepare"!

This winter has been full of weather surprises for us. It has been exceptionally cold. More snow and ice have fallen than in the past 3 years. We like to be "prepared" for the cold with a pile of firewood for the wood stove. It feels good to look on the deck and see the woodpile full. Right now, however, there is an empty space. We will need to refill our supply before the next snowstorm comes. Once it starts snowing, it will be too late to easily move wood.

Life is much easier when we are prepared. We often complain that "I'm not prepared for..." when troubles come our way. However, learning God's word through the Bible provides help and direction. We do have a place to go for advice, support and comfort. The more we study His Word,  the better prepared we will be to handle life's challenges. And the comfort I get from reading the right passage at the right time is a hug from heaven, reminding me that God does know about me!

Looking back and then forward...

Last month we made an unexpected trip to St. Louis to help my parents. After being gone for two weeks, I am still trying to catch up on everything that I did not do during that time!

Ash Wednesday was yesterday, which is the beginning of the Lenten season for us.  Two years ago  I was challenged to give something, rather than "give up" something. I managed to send out 40 cards to friends and family - simply to let them know that we were thinking and praying for them during Lent that year. I was amazed at the feedback that simple act received. At one time I had planned to do the same this year, but our trip changed that.

Instead, I found a Lenten photo challenge. This will give me a reason to use the camera with a purpose and do double duty as part of my photo -of-the-day work. I have a list of 40 words that will help me focus my attitude during the next six weeks, I hope. My challenge will be to find a photo for each word that illustrates what I am thinking. I have two friends who are also doing a Lenten photo challenge, but it seems that we each have a different list to follow.

Day 1: DUST - I immediately thought of our front steps. I have always been fearful of falling on ice and several years ago I had a concussion from a fall.  (We were in St. Louis to help my father who broke his hip when he slipped on a patch of ice.)  This dirty, messy dust has made it much easier for me to go down our front steps during this most recent ice/snow.

God watches over each of us all the time, as He provided this dusty ash to protect me.

Just for me this time -

I real enjoy making quilts, especially since I discovered this quick, simple pattern that is a quilt as you go project. One of my UFOs for 2014 included making something for me with the fabrics I had been collecting over the years.

As a school librarian I was always looking for fabric that had books, reading or favorite characters. Now I finally got to use some of them-

This bookworm looks just like one I received the first year I was in a school library.

It is simply the best of times to be on a comfortable seat surrounded by books to read.

Then there are my other interests and fabric that needed to be in this quilt:

TI needed some of my Cardinal fabric before the boys used it all!

I received a set of these charm pieces as a gift from Marti at 52 Quits, where my quilting renaissance began!

And it all began 50 years ago this month! I can't believe I am old enough to remember 50 years ago!!!