Trials

Trials … oh, how we all wish they did not come upon us!  As much as I dislike them – doesn’t everybody? – I have come to see that without them we would not grow and mature into the men and women that God desires to see us become.  That’s not to say I welcome them but it does give me a different perspective than I used to have.

In times past I cried out to God asking why He was allowing a trial in my life; what had I done to deserve this; where was He when I needed Him; why didn’t He answer when I called out to Him; why me, Lord, why me!  Now after 40 years of practice I have better understanding which actually does make the difficulties easier to handle. 

First of all, God does not cause the situation that gives me grief.  Generally it is just the circumstances of life or the end result of something that I have done that brings distress into my life.  But since it is there God uses it to test me, to increase my faith and perseverance and to show me His power at work in my life and in the lives of my loved ones. 

Secondly, some trials seem to be on automatic repeat … they come, they go; they come, they go; sometimes they come and stay for long periods of time and go for short periods of time.  I wonder why it can’t be the other way around but I try very hard to always enjoy and be grateful for the respites from difficulty no matter how short they are.  Some circumstances never really go away, you just have to learn to live with them and trust that God knows what He is doing in your life.

I am learning also that we are to be overcomers; repeats of the same trial in different disguises may be God’s way of telling us that we didn’t quite get the hang of handling it correctly last time so we need to have more practice.  And the quicker I learn to handle it His way, the quicker it will be resolved by Him.  This is a good one to remember … my lack of faith and patience may actually make a trial last longer than originally intended. 

And sometimes there are those special people on whom God places a heavy burden of deep trial.  I’ve noticed that those who walk this walk may appear to the world to be weak and of little use to society but their indomitable spirit and deep wellspring of hope and determination with the help of God’s power in their lives is an example for all of us – an example of the quality of relationship with our Heavenly Father for which we all need to strive. 

I have known and know now a few such people and they have enriched my life beyond measure.  My prayer is that I, too, can become that quality of person so that His light will be evident in my life as it is in theirs and that their reward will be beyond their wildest dreams.

Blessings,

Down to the Wire

Down to the wire … I feel like I’m in a race and though I would like to call a halt to all this mess – the boxes, the wrapping paper, and my love/hate relationship with scotch tape – now is the time I need to get my second wind and push forward to find a box for every little thing that is now left in this house. 

I think I shall enjoy much more unpacking and arranging all my things in my new home … that’s the fun part so that’s the part I’m embedding in my mind to keep me motivated to get this done.  That, and the fact the movers are coming next Saturday whether I’m ready or not!

Take deep breath … here I go!

Blessings,

Leaving Behind ... New Beginnings

Leaving Behind … New Beginnings … It occurs to me as I pick and choose which items I am going to pack and take with me to my new home, -- and which ones I am going to give away to someone I know who would like them, -- and also which ones are going to be donated to Goodwill so perhaps someone else can find joy in them, -- that I am choosing to leave behind some things and will be bringing into my life new things. 

Sadly I am leaving behind good friends but with the miracle of email and blogging I can continue to include them in my life and its doings; and hopefully they, too, will continue to include me in their lives so that when we have the occasional visit we can easily step back into the comfortable rapport we have now.  As difficult as it is to leave friends behind, I am also looking forward to meeting new friends, joining in new groups, doing new activities – seeking the adventure in life that awaits me.

Change is good … it encourages me to look at myself and who I am, to discern where I need to make some changes, to do things better, to get my daily life in line with my personal picture of myself … of how I would like to act, of what I would like to do, of the me I want to be.  Upheaval in one’s life, whether by choice as in this move or by necessity as has been in some times past, is eye opening and leads to discovery especially if we are looking for it. 

I have an old clipping from a magazine of a little “cartoon like” drawing of a sailboat and the caption says “When God closes one door, He opens a window”.  I cut it out many years ago while going through a difficult divorce because it spoke to my heart.  It reminded me that closed doors are not always bad … that they can lead to new beginnings … and that’s how I’m approaching this move … new beginnings await and those things I leave behind remain a precious part of my life.

Blessings,

It's Not My Comfy House Anymore

Oh what a mess we make when we prepare to move!  My comfortable little home is in shambles ... I'll be glad to get the move over.  Walking through my house now is like walking through a jungle ...

This was my guest room ... not anymore ... we sold the bedroom set.

And the gargarge isn't any better ... only one car can barely fit in now.

It will get better ... eventually.  But for now I'm off to make more messes!

Blessings on your day!

Havasu Sunrise

Eye candy, courtesy of God

Blessings,

Tragedy in Tucson

Tragedy in Tucson … I live in Tucson but I was out of town when the shootings took place this week and will be heading home today.  No matter what your political beliefs or feelings, this is a sad and most difficult time for all those involved in any way.  Each of those involved is an individual person with family and friends whose hearts are in distress.  Even those who were attending and not directly involved in the shootings are traumatized and affected deeply by what occurred. 

This is no time for party politics … it should be a time of bringing the city and its people together to offer love and help to those who may need some assistance.  It is a time to suppress strong emotions of blame and to stand together as human beings who have either witnessed or experienced a heartbreaking event.  It is a time to offer prayers for comfort and healing, not only for the families directly involved but for the city of Tucson.  This is a time for Tucson to show the country who we are; this is a time to come together as a city and be a good example for the rest of the country so that we can be a vessel of healing, not a vessel of hatred and blame.

The shootings were appalling but let Tucson rise above the dreadful happenings of this weekend and become a city of unity and a fine example to our country of how a disaster can bring out the best in its citizens.

No Tents!

Well my husband doesn't have to sleep in a tent ... I found a cute home in Havasu ...



In true Havasu style it has a three car boat deep garage ... plenty of storage!  I'll soon be heading back to Tucson to finish the packing process.  Wish me luck!

House Hunting

It’s been a busy week … finished some packing in Tucson, lunched with friends (I’m going to miss them) and then headed to Lake Havasu to find a rental home for us.  The closing on our house in Tucson is on February 2 so time is getting short and my husband reminds me that he’s not fond of living in a tent. 

This house hunting stuff, especially when you’re on a short time frame, is not all that much fun … lots of driving around in areas I am not familiar with and lots of disappointing drive bys to say nothing of the ones I actually see inside.  It seems that in Havasu the size of your garage is much much more important than the size of the rooms you actually live in.  It’s not uncommon at all to have three car garages, one of which is boat deep (for obvious reasons) attached to a house of only 1100 – 1300 square feet. 

Hmmm … that means that my family room furniture will have no home because separate family rooms in moderately priced houses do not seem to be in existence.  In fact, so far I’ve not found a house that has a great room large enough to hold both my living room furniture and my beautiful dining room table and baker’s rack. 

So the hunt goes on … tomorrow I’m looking at a house that I know is going to be immaculate but tiny … it does, however, have the three car garage!  The price is right so maybe I can make this one work.  As my husband reminded me tonight, it’s not forever – only a year and then we’ll reevaluate what we want to do.  I’m game … it is an adventure. 

Happy New Year

May the year bring you peace and joy, warmth and contentment, and enough "spice" to excite your sense of adventure! 

Blessings,