A Fellow Traveller

Since suddenly breaking my ankle and feeling sidelined, I'm reflecting on how to keep one's optimism during a down time. I'm finding a growing appreciation for simple things. It's easy to take things for granted, especially when life is flying by at top speed. Having it suddenly stop gives you time to reflect..... Now I'm finding a daily choice with how to deal with the negative. Do I focus on what I don't have or do I embrace what I am able to enjoy? Two friends came to visit this morning and our conversation ha s warmed my heart, making me thankful for girl friends and muffins. Now an e mail has come with the following prayer. It sums up my thinking of what I really need for each day. Maybe it's the simple things that can be "just enough". . . . for myself and for those I love. I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear. I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more. I pray you enough happ

I was first of all just a thought, an image, but my creator God knew who I would become. He set to work, fashioning me inside my mother's womb, using everything available to him. In that dark place, cells divided and organs were formed putting all the pieces in place for further development. My personality, my talents, my purpose all were part of that plan. Even at my birth, it didn't matter that I wasn't fully complete, because he knew an entire lifetime would be needed to develop my character. The amazing thing is how he continues to create, using the dark circumstances to add more depth, more texture and interest. Dot upon dot, even the solid black becomes beauty when contrasted with the light. Only a master artist can take what others would consider mistakes and create beauty from pain. Only a master artist can continue a masterpiece until completion, even when others say it looks fine. If he hadn't invested love and poured all of himself into the process, it wo

GOD ANSWER YOU ON THE DAY YOU CRASH, THE NAME GOD-OF-JACOB PUT YOU OUT OF HARM'S WAY. I had woken early with these words from The Message (Psalm 20) in my mind, thinking I'd share them later with a friend who had been having a bad day. About 30 minutes later, I found myself slipping on black ice and going down with an armful of papers. As I heard a dreaded CRACK from above my right ankle. I didn't want to believe that I could be in this much trouble. The pain told me I couldn't ignore it, especially when I gingerly tried to put my weight on a foot that was screaming. A glance up and down the street showed no lights on at any homes; no one up early on a Saturday. My only choice was to crawl back up on the porch I had just stepped off of, only this time to ring their doorbell. As the owners peered out, trying to figure out who was there, I was thankful for their concern. They helped me to their vehicle, drove me home to get my health card and then on to the hospital