Category: Life

Do You Ever Wonder What Happens After the Headline?

by atozmom, posted in Life

I’m talking about all those news stories you read where someone dies, a tragedy befalls a family, a child gets kidnapped and killed, and then the story disappears from the news, replaced by the next “tragic event”?  I’m not talking about those that stay in the headlines like Casey Anthony.  I’m talking about the hundreds of stories in your local paper you hear about every year that you never hear about again.

These are families, impacted for life.  I wonder what happens after the tragedy.

Yes, people go on.  Sometimes because life moves on and you must move with it.  And sometimes the paper will do a follow-up story.  But not usually.  I guess there are too many new tragedies to report on to follow the old ones.  Life…

I often wonder how I’d react if such an event happened to me.  I usually pray for that person and then thank God for my family’s blessings.

Then I think of all the people who are suffering personal tragedies–those whom you don’t hear about.  Such as health problems, work problems, money problems, kid problems, and on and on and on.

Life is so many things:  tragic, fulfilling, complicated, simple, full of hope and love, full of sadness and neediness, rich and beautiful, blessed and ugly and dirty, torn down.

My husband’s grandmother always says, “In 6 months, your problems will change and this “problem” you are going through will be just a blip on the radar screen of life.”

So true…

Ah, Now My Day Can Begin…

by atozmom, posted in Life

Lately, I’ve been dragging myself out of bed for various reasons.  I have been going to bed later.  My husband has been working the night shift so he comes home around 5 am and wakes me. Occasionally the dogs want to be let out.  You get my point.

I would still be in bed right now except for one thing and one thing only:  coffee.  In fact, I laid in bed for ten minutes before the thought of coffee drove me to my feet.

I got up, put the kettle on, turned on my computer, and awaited that sweet-sounding whistle.

I then poured the water into my french press and set the timer.

The timer beeped.  I got my coffee.

Now I’m sitting in front of my computer, telling you all about it.

Now my day can officially begin.

We are preparing for a trip back home next week so I got a ‘To Do’ list a mile long.

But it can wait.

All because my coffee is at the perfect temperature.

“I Don’t Know What to Pray, Lord, But I Love You…”

by atozmom, posted in Faith, Life

Have you ever just been so overwhelmed with life’s events that this is all you can pray?

This has been my prayer for many days now.  I lay down at night and this is all that comes out.

Yet, somehow, I feel this is enough.  I don’t feel like anything else need be said.

God knows my heart.  He knows my thoughts.  He knows where I’m at right now in life’s journey.

And sometimes simple is better.

“We Often Look So Long and So Regretfully Upon the Closed Door that We Do Not See the New Ones Which Open for Us”

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews, Life

Words I needed to hear courtesy of Mary Pope Osborne and her Magic Tree House Series.  Here, Osborne quotes Alexander Graham Bell in Night of the New Magicians.

The entire quote of Mr. Bell’s:  “When one door closes, another door opens.  But we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”

LOVE THIS!  Especially now as I look to close the door on my life and move to another state.

I cannot praise this series enough.  I have learned so much myself let alone my kids.  Every book has a great life lesson to apply to life or a great quote from a historical figure (like the one above) that we all need to be reminded of.

In the Night of the New Magicians, Jack and Annie discover 4 secrets from 4 “Magicians”: Alexander Graham Bell, Gustave Eiffel, Thomas Alva Edison, and Louis Pasteur.

Edison’s Secret:  “Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.”

Pasteur’s Secret:  “Chance favors the prepared mind.”

Eiffel’s Secret:  “From my father I inherited a taste for adventure, from my mother a love of work and responsibility.”

All great quotes from geniuses in their own right.  Way to go, Ms. Osborne!  Thanks for teaching my kids and reminding me of great, timeless advice.

This Happens Every May…

by atozmom, posted in Life

God takes me down to remind me my place in this world.

I’m sick.  My throat hurts.  My voice is almost gone.  I have a runny nose and feel all around absolutely miserable.  I can’t sleep. I’m cold.

On Wednesday, our music teacher told me I looked really tired. I’ve been thinking for a couple of weeks now I need to take a break, not work out for a week, not set my alarm for a week but I haven’t.

So God does what I won’t do.

Since August, I’ve been faithfully working out 2-3 times a week, doing BSF every day, working on my novel, and doing all the kids stuff (school, activities, etc).  And getting up early every day in order to accomplish such personal goals.  Not to mention running a household and keeping the dogs alive and my husband happy.

BSF is finally over.  My final edit which took two months instead of two weeks is finally done.  I’m on the verge of being done researching homeschool curriculum.  School is almost over.

Obviously, I need a break.  NOW.

As usual, God has to hit me over the head in order to do it.

He got my attention.  I’m listening…

Creation Part 2: John 14

by atozmom, posted in Faith, Life

John 14:10-14  Jesus is speaking to Philip and says, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?  The words I say to you are not just my own.  Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing the work.  Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.  I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father….You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

John 20:22  “He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Translation:  Because we have Jesus (those who have accepted Him into our hearts) the Holy Spirit now dwells within us.  Jesus explains whoever has faith in Him will do what He has been doing and will do even greater things.

Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

I believe God can do anything through me.  My mind, my hands, my body are His.  I create with such.  He has granted me the gift of creation because He dwells within me.  I create on a human level, in an Earthly world.  God creates both in Heaven and on Earth.  I create what God has allowed me to create; what He has ordained to fulfill His purposes for me here on Earth.

A Gift Given

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews, Faith, Life

I think ‘give’ is one of the most powerful words in the English language.  All the self-help books I’ve been reading say, “If you’re depressed, give.  If you’re selfish, give.  If you’re prideful, give.  If you’re empty, give.” God gave us His most precious gift, His Son, which I think is a good reminder of the power of a gift.

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola says just this: “…any gift is beautiful because it is given. Whatever you give, the Baby Jesus will love, because it comes from you.”  This was sage advice an old woman was giving to a young girl who was sad because she didn’t have a gift for Jesus on Christmas Eve. So the young girl picked weeds, which turned into the poinsettia plant after she prayed.

For those of you not familiar with kids books, Tomie dePaola is a classic in the field.  He wrote and illustrated Strega Nona amongst many other tales.  He also writes and illustrates a lot of stories with Biblical themes such as this one and on the Saints.

The message is powerful.  It’s a great reminder of why we are here: for others and not ourselves and when we give, we get a glimpse of Heaven.  This is something I constantly need to be reminded of because for me this does not come naturally.  I’m constantly fighting my selfish tendencies and I’m hoping by reading all of these books my kids won’t be quite so much like me.

How Does it Feel to Pray to Jesus?

by atozmom, posted in Faith, Life

This was a google that landed on my site.  And after a moment, I thought it was a REALLY good question.

How does it feel to pray to Jesus?  I’ll give you my response and then I’d love to hear everyone else’s.

It feels:  comforting, good, safe, happy, loving, relaxing, relieving, beautiful, joyful, heavy-hearted at times, and wonderful.

When I sit down to pray, when I lay it all on the line and say, “Ok, God, here it is” something is lifted off of my shoulders, I can breathe afterwards, and I can continue on with my day a bit lighter.  Sometimes I still try to carry my burdens by myself but throughout the day He constantly reminds me I am not alone.  I always end the day lighter than I began it.

Safe is my favorite descriptive word.  I can tell God anything, things I would never tell others and I’m never judged in return.  In fact, I feel He embraces me in my darkest hours–when no one else could or when I don’t allow anyone else to.  He’s there.  Always.  And we can talk about anything.

Sometimes I am mad at God.  I do question His ways because I don’t understand them.  I question my earthly existence and things that happen.  But I never question Him.

Praying is one of the best gifts God has given us.  It’s a way to Him, through Jesus, that sometimes is the only thing we have to hang on to.  Prayer is the only thing we have when we receive the phone call in the middle of the night and the rest of our body is numb and our brain has shut down.  God gets us through and praying is how we can connect with Him.

The more you pray, the more you feel God, know God, and love God.  The more you pray, the easier life is.

Prayer is a critical component to knowing God.  And it’s one of the easiest.  You can do it anytime, anywhere.

All it takes is “God…”  The rest is taken care of.

The Answers I Seek Lie In God’s Word

by atozmom, posted in Faith, Life

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard, “Just open the Bible to any page, start reading, and you’ll find an answer to your problems.”

Lately, for whatever reason, I had been thinking this is hokey.  I mean, if I’m looking for comfort, wouldn’t I turn to the pages on comfort?

But, Day 5 of Lesson 19 in BSF changed all of my thinking, gave me peace in my myriad of minor problems, and turned my thinking around.

I was wallowing in self-pity again when I completed Day 5 and wrote this conclusion: “There is no other Rock.”  This sums it up for me.  If God were my Rock in every situation every day of my life, I’d be a lot happier and much more fulfilled and joyful.  Only God can fill me.  If I am full of God, then there is no room left for miscellaneous ‘idol’ distractions, mini-crises, or unnecessary drama.  God and His blessings would rule.  The Devil would have no place to hide.

This was from Isaiah 44, a passage that didn’t seem to have any bearing on my current dilemma or state of mind.  But the universal truths of God as my Rock struck me and made me realize He wasn’t my Rock in this situation.  He wasn’t my Rock in my mind.  In fact, He was dwelling far away.

I sat and meditated on this fact for a while.  I have been stressed lately:  we’re trying to decide where to move and when and the indecision is getting to me.  Hence, minor little things have been blowing up all around me.  And I haven’t been turning to God’s word for the answers.  I’ve been praying but doing little else.

Until I read Isaiah.  Then I realized (again) God was not my center.  He is my Rock.  And if I’d just slow down for a few minutes and remember that, everything else would fall into place around Him.

I must remember to pray before I flip out.  Pray in every situation.  Read His word and find comfort as it speaks to me.  And all of it (the Bible) speaks to me.

Keep God first.  Remember His faithfulness.  He will do the rest.

Prayer of the Day

by atozmom, posted in Faith, Life

Romans 5:3-5  “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

So, through our suffering we have hope that love will be poured into our hearts.