Pressing On—Rain or Shine

I admit it. I’d rather be out running around on a sunshiny day than dodging puddles and trying to keep my glasses spot-free on a dreary, rainy day. I’ve been known to avoid water rides at theme parks too. I guess I just don’t like getting wet.

But while I may stay holed up singing rain, rain, go away, I’ve noticed that our feathered friends don’t let a few showers get them down or sway them from their tasks.

As long as the weather is not severe and even though they may get a little wet-for-the-wear, I still see birds out and about, singing and faithfully taking care of business—flying, looking for food, eating, working, and patrolling their territory among other things. Yes, they continue on.

Could the same be said for us when the showers of life come raining down? Do we continue on or do we easily get discouraged and pull back or even pout and give up?

Let’s consider some things that might discourage us from pressing on with our work, our personal growth and goals, or our walk of faith.

The answers might be different for you, but for me as a writer, I’ve been tempted to give up when I experience rejection or when the things I must do to compete in the industry overwhelm me. I’ve also gotten derailed by the distractions and demands of life, burn-out, lack of support, and weariness or other physical problems. Just like anyone else, I’ve gone through periods of discouragement.

As I consider these culprits of discouragement to my writing life, I see that some of these same factors also hamper me in my personal and spiritual pursuits. It’s hard to stay enthused when I don’t feel well or when too many demands clamor for my attention or when I feel alone. On the spiritual front, I’m also impacted by feelings of failure when I sin or when the enemy uses ongoing tactics to defeat me. I bet you experience some of these same kind of struggles.

Will we let circumstances or setbacks dampen our enthusiasm and keep us holed up singing rain, rain go away, or will we faithfully continue taking care of business? Let’s not be afraid to get wet. Let’s press on—rain or shine.

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7 NIV

*What do you do to battle discouragement?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early May. Sign-up is FREE! *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and also my Wedding Inspiration cards, check out my Books/My Work page.

Photo by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash

God Can Make Our Accidents and Mistakes Shine

Sometimes I capture my best photos by accident. I didn’t even realize I caught the cardinal above in flight until I checked the shot later. Woohoo! Gotta love it when accidents shine like that, huh?

Other times while trying to focus a shot, I take the picture prematurely. But every now and then, my mistake looks perfect. Evidently, the camera captures it in mid-focus at just the right moment. I can’t take credit for it, but I sure do celebrate it.

No, it’s not me that makes something good out of my foul-ups. God’s the one who can make my accidents or mistakes shine. And not just where photography’s concerned.

In spite of numerous parenting mistakes, God used my efforts and grew our daughters into the amazing women they are today. When it comes to marriage, God has kept Don and me together through all the ups and downs despite our many shortcomings. He even blesses with shining results in lesser things—like when my baking efforts hit an unexpected snag or when I take a wrong turn.

On a worldwide scale, we’ve all heard about inventions and medical discoveries that happened by accident. The world has benefited by penicillin for years now thanks to one of Dr. Fleming’s petri dishes that got contaminated with mold. God made that accident shine indeed, didn’t he?

Our accidents or mistakes may not have such far-reaching effect as penicillin, but isn’t it good to know that God can take our missteps—and even our sins—and make something good out of them? He is not only a great Creator, he is a great Redeemer as well. He can make us shine. And I sure do celebrate that.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

*When has God made an accident or mistake of yours shine?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early November. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*My photo

An Autumn Prayer

Friends, I pray that the following prayer will be a blessing to you and a joy to our heavenly Father this fall. May God bless each of you as you draw close to him!

“Father, as we enjoy autumn this year, may the delightful characteristics of the season also color other areas of our lives. May the refreshment and beauty of fall radiate from us as it does in the world around us.

Help us to inspire vitality and fresh energy and offer real refreshment to all those whose lives we touch. May we offer comfort to those in need and always provide a safe haven where they feel wrapped in love and upheld with understanding. May we shine for you with a brilliance and beauty that’s a natural overflow of our walk with you, and may the beauty of our lives draw others to you, Lord.

 Father, may your glorious autumn season be seen in our lives this year!”

 “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV

 *What characteristics of fall would you like others to see in you?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regular issue, comes out in early November. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Starbucks and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free! Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

A Radiant Face: Shining for the Lord

4343362783_86598e06fd_z“. . . his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD.” Exodus 34:29b

Moses—the Moses of biblical fame—is known for many amazing things, one of which is the appearance of his face after his second Ten Commandments encounter with the Lord. (You may remember that Moses, after discovering the great sin of the Israelite people in making a golden calf idol, broke the first stone tablets on which God had inscribed the Ten Commandments. Later on, Moses spent another forty days and forty nights with the Lord on Mt. Sinai, at which time God wrote the Ten Commandments on stone tablets once again.)

When Moses came down from the mountain this second time after meeting with the Lord, his face looked radiant. The scripture above tells us why. His face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. He had had a divine encounter and it showed.

What about our faces today? Who or what do they reflect to the people and the world around us? Are our faces radiant because we spend time with the Lord? Do they reflect the fact that we’ve had a divine encounter?

You or I may not display the same extraordinarily radiant face that Moses displayed, but our faces can shine with the joy and love of the Lord. Others should indeed be able to see that we’ve spent time with him. He should make a difference in us that the world can see.

So let’s do it. Let’s spend time with the Lord and then let that joy be seen on our faces. Let’s shine for him!

“. . . they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13b

*Of course, we’ll also have times when our faces show anger, grief, frustration, and other emotions, but what can we do to make sure our faces most consistently shine with the love and joy of the Lord?

*Flickr photo by prayerfriends, Creative Commons License