What you say can mean life or death. SPEAK LIFE!

This week was very hectic and exhausting yet fulfilling on so many levels. Please continue to pray for Aryel as even elementary school can be full of drama and very hard. Praising the Lord that she is coming down on her Prednisone, but she still is on a high level for every day use. I pray that one day she will be free of Autoimmune Hepatitis and able to have a calm, happy life.



I got through some labs and X-rays and am praying that if anything is found, it will be something minor. “

"Every flower, even the fairest, has its shadow beneath it as it basks in the sunlight."

Where there is much light there is also much shade.” From Streams in the Desert.



The highlight of my week came yesterday when a childhood friend of Regina's texted me and said,


“I always have been very thankful for you starting my foundation with the Lord as a child. Thank you for being here for me now.” I was deeply moved and honored by her words. I had no idea that she would think that of me, but I’m entirely grateful to the Lord. It was balm to my soul.





I am a word person, starting with THE WORD OF THE LIVING GOD. People, you never know when your words will encourage someone at just the right time. Your kind words may help someone who is going through pain or unimaginable family drama.




What you say can mean life or death.


    Those who speak with care will be rewarded. Proverbs 18:21 New Century Version (NCV)





Streams in the Desert

I have all, and abound (Phil. 4:18).

In one of my garden books there is a chapter with a very interesting heading, "Flowers that Grow in the Gloom." It deals with those patches in a garden which never catch the sunlight. And my guide tells me the sort of flowers which are not afraid of these dingy corners--may rather like them and flourish in them.

And there are similar things in the world of the spirit. They come out when material circumstances become stern and severe. They grow in the gloom. How can we otherwise explain some of the experiences of the Apostle Paul?

Here he is in captivity at Rome. The supreme mission of his life appears to be broken. But it is just in this besetting dinginess that flowers begin to show their faces in bright and fascinating glory. He may have seen them before, growing in the open road, but never as they now appeared in incomparable strength and beauty. Words of promise opened out their treasures as he had never seen them before.

Among those treasures were such wonderful things as the grace of Christ, the love of Christ, the joy and peace of Christ; and it seemed as though they needed an "encircling gloom" to draw out their secret and their inner glory. At any rate the realm of gloom became the home of revelation, and Paul began to realize as never before the range and wealth of his spiritual inheritance.

Who has not known men and women who, when they arrive at seasons of gloom and solitude, put on strength and hopefulness like a robe? You may imprison such folk where you please; but you shut up their treasure with them. You cannot shut it out. You may make their material lot a desert, but "the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose."--Dr. Jowett

"Every flower, even the fairest, has its shadow beneath it as it basks in the sunlight."

Where there is much light there is also much shade.

The Good, Upscale Doctor Repost

The Good, Upscale Doctor

"18-year-old son died of overdose, Grieving mother pushing Oxy ban, 


RX for trouble: Painkiller abuse plagues society, Falling short in fighting addiction," these all were either headlines or editorials recently in our local newspaper. They say in the State of Florida seven people die daily from overdoses of prescription meds.



Until it hits home in your own family, headlines like these will not affect you. It will be somebody else's child, not your own; it doesn't affect you. You can put down people like that, thinking they may be the scum of the earth, not even realizing that some of those children started off like your own kids. Just living their life, going to school, thinking about college and their careers. Then the tragedy of addiction hits the family.



 It may have been a legitimate pain issue, they may have had surgeries young and pain issues that seemed beyond control. You as a parent may have questioned the expensive upscale doctor, voicing aloud to him your concerns. "Why such high pain killers so soon? Aren't morphine patches something given to hospice patients? Will my child still need these medications if they have surgery?"



He immediately tried to pacify you, "It isn't addictive, and it is something they can take their whole life through if necessary."



You weren't convinced, yet who were you? Did you have as many degrees as this doctor? Isn't he noted in the community for his work? Didn't he say he’d do the same treatment for his own daughter or son if in your shoes? It wasn't long before the teen that was in pain was of legal age to continue with the doctor without your consent. And sooner than later the things you were concerned with came about. That is why we have painkiller abuse in our society. I don't have to name names; there are legions in our State and country that were writing prescriptions at that time, with no concern for the long-term outcome, which in most cases was addiction.  



Prescription medicine addiction is a real dilemma in our society and it isn't getting any easier to decide who is right and who is wrong. Of course, I can understand when someone is in dire need of medications that they shouldn't be denied. I am not against doctors who truly must help those who suffer with chronic pain; I am all for good medical care. Yet the utmost scrutiny should be given to doctors that write painkiller prescriptions, too many, too soon. Look at the recent celebrity deaths and the doctors that were a part of each one! We have become such a drugged-up nation; sometimes I wonder if anyone knows real people anymore or are they just someone either doped up or a facade of that person you used to know and love?



Addiction itself has been described as cunning, baffling, and powerful by AA and Al-Anon groups. That means to me that the person becomes so cunning in taking care of their addiction that it is second nature to them to use any form of manipulation to get their source of relief. It baffles the ordinary person to find this such a powerful influence in our loved one. The person you once knew and loved seems to be gone from you forever and you can only hand the problem over to a loving God who alone can bring help for the true pain; the pain that painkillers will never cover.



Try not to judge harshly; statistics say addiction hits all families and social-economic groups before long.  You wouldn't want to walk a mile in the shoes or the grieving mother or father, rehash in your mind what you could've or should've done, or be in the body of the addict who became addicted following doctor's orders. And then we have the issues of people being released from the hospital or mental health wards, who have been on high doses of medications that they are unable to continue on without several appointments at the  psychiatrist’s office; their body may be jerking with tremors, but they can't get in right away for medications. It's all a sad dilemma. 



Yes, the good, upscale expensive doctor is of no help now. Only the healing hand of the Great Physician can have mercy on this kind of hurt.

We go to the Word of God for help and comfort.

  Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
   for his compassions never fail.
 They are new every morning;
   great is your faithfulness.
 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
   therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 (New International Version, ©2010)

I see in this verse that God truly started the “One day at a time” movement long before Bill W. came up with it. We wait on His compassions and healing for our families! 

 Another version that might help:



 I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
   the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
   the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there's one other thing I remember,
   and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

 God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
   his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
   How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
   He's all I've got left.

 God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
   to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
   quietly hope for help from God.
It's a good thing when you're young
   to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take,
   go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
   Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
   The "worst" is never the worst.

 Why? Because the Master won't ever
   walk out and fail to return.

Lamentations 3:19-33 (The Message)

We have a faithful God to whom we can trust our family’s problems and issues.

HOW 23 & ME ROCKED MY WORLD, RIGHT BEFORE FATHER'S DAY

HOW 23 & ME ROCKED MY WORLD

“If what I say resonates with you, it is merely because we are both branches of the same tree."- WB Yeats

 by 

DONNA COLLINS TINSLEY

I went to bed one day knowing I had four half-siblings and woke up the next day to find that I actually have eight! My husband bought a 23 & Me test for me a few years ago for a gift. I wasn’t averse to doing it, I’d already done an Ancestry.Com one that gave me some startling news but then this one seemed to contradict the first one, so I was a little confused. But I’m told as more people put their DNA in the databank, results can change.

The new results looked more like what my recently found uncle told me about my family roots. 23 & Me has a page where people can connect with and opt to compare DNA results. Some of my immediate family are on that page and I hadn’t checked it in a while.

I grew up first living with my grandmother for some years in Chattanooga Valley, or Flintstone, Georgia, then with my mom in Florida. She was a single mom, so to speak for most of my childhood, as her second husband, my stepfather, went to prison for abusing me.

Recently I received this message:

Hello Donna, I’m intrigued by this half-sister relationship.

What?

Who is this? I’m his half-sister?

At first, he only gave me his initials but his name followed in days to come as I tried to give him information about our dad. We texted pictures back and forth and I was looking for what information I might have about our father. I didn’t grow up with him and had found out that he died about twenty-one years ago. J had grown up thinking his dad was his real dad and was pretty startled also when he got his results. Both of his parents had already passed one as had mine, so there was no one to really ask but my uncle in Georgia.

Neither one of us is kids, I’m age 68 and J is 62 so it’s not like we thought we might have a relationship with anyone, although when I found Uncle Henry four years ago, I felt a great sense of family and closure. I’d called Uncle Henry and told him about the new brother, who was born in Germany.

“Are you sure about this DNA thing, Donna?”

My husband says, “DNA doesn’t lie, Uncle Henry.”

“Donna, your dad never went to Germany. We all went to Korea.”

Okay, I’m thinking, Uncle Henry is 90 now and maybe is a little forgetful.

“Well, I’ll call you later in the week, Uncle Henry. I’m trying to process this,” I told him.

Uncle Henry, who is a true Southern gentleman and has the best accent around South replied, “Let me make some phone calls, honey.”

The thing I love about people who grew up in the Valley is they usually try to help each other out. I actually found Uncle Henry by a friend on Facebook who grew up with my Mama getting me connected with him.

Meanwhile I talked with my new brother on the phone. He’d had a good life, seemed like a cool and funny guy and I felt pretty good to connect with him. He lives in California and who knows if we’ll ever meet?

I have a sister in Louisiana and two brothers within ten miles of me here, that I grew up with and I’m not really searching for anyone else. In fact, with life getting in the way of living most of the time, we don’t always see each other much. Surely not as much as we’d like to.

I found an old Facebook page of my new half-brother and enjoyed seeing pictures of his family. Lord knows I’ve got enough things on Facebook that he can pretty much find anything; my life is an open book.

The next day Uncle Henry called me. “Donna, are you somewhere that you can talk private?”

Wow, that didn’t sound good.

“Sure, Uncle Henry what’s up?”

 “I’ve got the number of someone who will talk to you. She’s 80-year-old and your dad’s sister.”

“My dad’s sister, you mean your brother wasn’t my dad?” I could feel the tremble in my voice and my knees turning to jelly.

“Honey, I didn’t want to tell you anything bad. Come to find out your mom dated someone else before my brother. I’ll always still be your uncle though.”

At that moment, I wished he’d been my dad. He was always encouraging; he’d even told me when I was a baby, he came to see me when I arrived home from the hospital because his brother was overseas. One day out of the blue, he called me up and sang a song to me. He is quite a character and had been balm to a heart who always had Father Hunger.

“That’s true, family is who shows up for me and you checked on me when I was a baby. I love you. Thanks for the phone number. I guess I’ll call her.”

“Come see us if you get up this way in the summer!”

“I will, God bless!”

I couldn’t stop the tears that were running down my face like rain, as I told my husband and one of my daughters the news. He came over and gave me a big hug. I think he regretted telling me all the time, “DNA doesn’t lie,” as he’d grown to love my uncle as much as I did and the person who’d reunited us was one of our favorite people.

When I called my new aunt, it didn’t go well. I could see that the information she gave me was probably all I was going to get and she probably didn’t need a new relative in her life. When she described where she’d lived as a child, I could picture it in my mind, a house I passed as a little girl walking to school.  When she said everyone knew whose child I was, it was pretty amazing that I’d never heard it before. Think about the stigma of a teenager getting pregnant out of wedlock in the fifties. I had a whole new rush of compassion for my mom. Getting information about my dad from my mom was never something that worked well for me. Having Jesus Christ as my Lord gave me a father figure, God, my Father, ever-loving and caring. 

I’ve blogged before about something I call father hunger and the affect that can have on a young girl, especially. In looking over those blogs, I see that I still relate to those words. Sometimes I can go months or even years without the deep, soul-wrenching father hunger because of not growing up with my dad and then something will strike my heart. Hearing about someone whose memories were of laying upon their father’s chest as a child, remembering the feel of his scratchy beard, or a father admitting that he failed in the fathering department can bring me to tears. Knowing he can’t go back and change the past concerning his lack in parenting, he decides instead to be the very best grandfather he can be. That’s an awesome thing to me.

As Father’s Day approaches, we know that although many of us did not have that true “father” experience while here on earth, the time in eternity together with the One True Father, Who Never Disappoints, will be a dream come true. And there will be no more father hunger for any of us who have experienced that pain.

As with my half-brother who contacted me, if anyone in my dad’s family happens to find me on 23 & Me, I’d be glad to correspond. But I’ll not be rocking their world as mine was rocked one summer day in 2019.

Old blog: https://thornrose7.blogspot.com/search?q=father+hunger

LORD, DO WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR LOVED ONES

LORD, DO WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR LOVED ONES



Do you ever feel a loss at how to pray for your family? Some years back, my friend’s son was dying of an alcohol-related disease. At first, we were praying, “Lord, heal him.”



I remember one morning, feeling that perhaps he wasn’t going to make it and later that day his mother said to me, “Donna, I just started praying, Lord, do what’s best for him.” He passed over to the other side that day, the day his mom prayed the prayer of true relinquishment. She knew she didn’t want him to suffer anymore and that he would be present with the Lord when he crossed over. Now, please know that every time a mom releases their child, doesn’t mean that the Lord is going to take them home. Don’t let fear take root in your heart.



But it does mean that we as moms know that we can’t plan, fix or help our children when they make certain choices in life. When I get to the place that I’ve prayed every prayer, put every child, grandchild and great-grandchild (Yes, I have one of those, now) on the altar before the Lord, all I can do is say, “Please do what is best for my children and grandchildren.”



That is probably the closest to “Let go and let God” prayer I can pray. It may be my own, “Serenity Prayer.” It may be my “Keep me when I don’t want to be kept,” prayer. It may keep me sane another day, it may be part of my ‘SHOW ME HOW TO LIVE” prayer.




Let’s get serious. These are desperate times for people. There are many of you, that have plates so full, I plead for mercy from the Lord at all times for you. There are so many who have lost children and grandchildren to deaths of natural causes, diseases, and addictions. Many have lost spouses and feel that loneliness. Many know the trauma of losing people who are still alive, but dead
to them because their lifestyles have become too chaotic. The very person you are trying to help may separate themselves from you. What we release to the Lord, he may send back in a better way, but sometimes, even then, it may be a process of work at that relationship. Life isn’t easy, people! But with the Lord as our help, we can live fully and love well. In fact, that’s the only thing I hope people say of me when I’m gone, that “she loved well.”



Sandy Swenson who wrote TENDING DANDELIONS has put so many poignant quotes in her book that they would be worth the price of buying it. Here’s one:



“Imagine trying to live without air. Now imagine something worse.” (Amy Reed)



Today when I read the page by Sandy, THE LAND OF TEARS, I wished it was posted somewhere so you all could read it. I relate to her heart so often. I keep several recovery books right there with my Bible to put good things in my head to start the day. But some days they give me the release to cry, before I press on to the reality of life.





Here are some verses from Isaiah 42, THE MESSAGE to hang on to; find a Word from the Lord and you’ll make it through the day.



“I am God. I have called you to live right and well.
    I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe.
I have set you among my people to bind them to me,
    and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations,
To make a start at bringing people into the open, into light:
    opening blind eyes,
    releasing prisoners from dungeons,
    emptying the dark prisons.
I am God. That’s my name.


But I’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way,
    who can’t see where they’re going.
I’ll be a personal guide to them,
    directing them through unknown country.
I’ll be right there to show them what roads to take,
    make sure they don’t fall into the ditch.
These are the things I’ll be doing for them—
    sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute.”



And my favorite:

“He won’t brush aside the bruised and the hurt
    and he won’t disregard the small and insignificant,
    but he’ll steadily and firmly set things right.”



Let’s go out there and love well, people!

LIVE READY

Things never discovered or heard of before,

    things beyond our ability to imagine[n]—

    these are the many things God has in store

    for all his lovers.

Every day that we live, we are one day closer to meeting our Maker. Let us live in a way that brings glory to Your name Lord and above all let us live ready. I always feel like I need to get my house in order in more than one way, to be ready to go. Sometimes I wonder if that’s why I don’t work harder to do just that? Because although to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, if we’ve personally accepted Him, there’s always a part that wants to live to see Shiloh’s baby, to see Mathis grow, to see the great way the Lord is going to take the disasters and chaos of our lives and use it to HIS GREAT GLORY!



Many times the way is troubling and wearisome and dreams that have died seem hard to revive. That’s when He gives the new dream.

Some new dreams are happening right now though with eyes of the earth we may not be able to truly see that He is at work, sending journeymates, sending angels to surround and hedge in our loved ones. Oh to see with new eyes, eyes that look on with love.



The Word of the Lord that He brought to mind as I was writing:

1 Corinthians 2 The Passion Translation (TPT)

Paul’s Reliance on Spiritual Power

2 My brothers and sisters,^[a] when I first came to proclaim to you the secrets^[b] of God, I refused to come as an expert, trying to impress you with my eloquent speech and lofty wisdom. ² For while I was with you I was determined to be consumed with one topic—Jesus, the crucified Messiah.^{[c] 3} I stood before you feeling inadequate, filled with reverence for God,^[d] and trembling under the sense of the importance of my words.^{[e] 4} The message I preached and how I preached it was not an attempt to sway you with persuasive arguments but to prove to you the almighty power of God’s Holy Spirit. ⁵ For God intended that your faith not be established on man’s wisdom but by trusting in his almighty power.

Wisdom from God

⁶ However, there is a wisdom that we continually speak of when we are among the spiritually mature.^[f] It’s wisdom that didn’t originate in this present age, nor did it come from the rulers of this age who are in the process of being dethroned.^{[g] 7} Instead, we^[h] continually speak of this wonderful wisdom that comes from God, hidden before now in a mystery.^[i] It is his secret plan, destined^[j] before the ages, to bring us into glory.^{[k] 8} None of the rulers of this present world order understood it,^[l] for if they had, they never would have crucified the Lord of shining glory.^{[m] 9} This is why the Scriptures say:

Things never discovered or heard of before,
    things beyond our ability to imagine^[n]—
    these are the many things God has in store
    for all his lovers.^[o]

¹⁰ But God now unveils these profound realities to us by the Spirit.^[p] Yes, he has revealed to us his inmost heart and deepest mysteries through the Holy Spirit, who constantly explores all things. ¹¹ After all, who can really see into a person’s heart and know his hidden impulses except for that person’s spirit? So it is with God. His thoughts and secrets are only fully understood by his Spirit, the Spirit of God.

¹² For we did not receive the spirit of this world system but the Spirit of God, so that we might come to understand and experience all that grace has lavished upon us. ¹³ And we^[q] articulate these realities with the words imparted to us by the Spirit and not with the words taught by human wisdom. We join together Spirit-revealed truths with Spirit-revealed words.^{[r] 14} Someone living on an entirely human level^[s] rejects^[t] the revelations of God’s Spirit, for they make no sense to him. He can’t understand the revelations of the Spirit because they are only discovered by the illumination of the Spirit. ¹⁵ Those who live in the Spirit are able to carefully evaluate all things, and they are subject to the scrutiny of no one but God. ¹⁶ For Who has ever intimately known the mind of the Lord Yahweh[u] well enough to become his counselor?[v]

Christ has, and we possess Christ’s perceptions.[w]

This and That for Today

“Judge tenderly if you must. There is usually a side you have not heard, a story you know nothing about, and a battle waged that you are not having to fight.” TRACI LEA LARUSSA FROM TENDING DANDELIONS

"Every morning

 I lay out the pieces of my life

 on your altar

 and watch for fire to descend."

From "Love out Loud": "O Lord, I give my life to you." Psalm 25:1

 When we consecrate ourselves to the Lord, we give Him everything, we should also know that we give Him everything we are not.

God knows everything about you and loves you unconditionally, so hold nothing back from Him. Let go of everything as an offering to your Lord, and you will be amazed at how free you will feel.

Love God today; If your are ready to consecrate yourself to God Lift your hand to Him and simply say, Lord, I give you my life...everything I am and everything I am not." Joyce Meyer

Praying for all who need healing in any way today and adding prayers for single mothers. Lord please provide for their needs and wrap Your big Father arms around them and their children. Don't miss this song, it is one of my favorites:) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaxxtIxXKF0


Prophecy by Brother C. L. Moore in 1984 & 1986


And I shall cause thee to have ministry among the sisters and I shall give thee favor. But thou shalt also wait upon thy God and I will give thee a tender heart and yea even more than thou dost even have this night. Thou shalt be broken by My word and by My presence many times but not destroyed nor cast down.


I shall fashion you again and again and each time that I mold and touch thee thou shalt rise up in more of a new transformed creation than you were before you came into the presence of your God.

1986 for Donna:  Many have been the winds Many have been the storms There’s been times you’ve been shaken There’s been times you thought you were out of the barn (?) But the Lord says, I do place thee and though I shake thee I’ll never leave thee and I will keep thee and Surely a lamb is sufficient for the house Claim it, rest in it, shout it and rejoice in it and wait to see the Lord To reveal it. (Amber, my lamb, was born 2 years later)

For Bill: Surely stand in the gap, stand in the gap And I will give those that will stand with thee. You say, this is not the order I dreamed of Well, God didn’t ask for your order God just asked for you to be in submission to His plans His ways and His means Therefore says the Lord, I will clothe thee And I will cause the tongue ye to speak a word Thou hast not known and A word will be in strength When you thought you were totally weak.

Book Review; Murder at the Canaveral Diner (A Florida Murder Mystery Novel) by Jay Heavner

Murder at the Canaveral Diner (A Florida Murder Mystery Novel) by Jay Heavner is a genre that I don’t normally read. But Jay is a fellow member of Word Weavers Volusia County member and I like to encourage and support our members. As I told Jay recently there were some parts I absolutely loved and some that really grossed me out, such as the description of the crime scene.


That being said, I love reading books that have actual locations that I’m familiar with. I’m acquainted with a lot of the locations in Brevard County as I lived down there for some years. I’m also familiar with the route they took past St. Augustine to the FL/GA line and probably the many rest stops they took a break at. Actually, I was surprised at the number of pit stops that the guys made and the references to that. LOL!

There were some scenes in Chapter 9 that were hilarious. Chapters 14 and 15 have some great content, very pro-life and anti-slavery. I love when Roger talked about his wife. I have to say Chapter 16 was a bit hard for me. As for Roger, he had a sad backstory and Bill seemed to be a likable fellow, but together they seemed like a lot of guys I’ve known from the South. I loved the conversation that Roger had with the Pastor and anytime the book went to spiritual matters. Great quotes, “God’s like that, always there watching even when we can’t see or feel His presence.” And later he said, "Anytime, Roger. Anytime. My door’s always open to those truly in need. Remember, Roger, there’s none so damaged that he cannot be fixed by the hand of Almighty God. God loves you. His love for imperfect and fault-filled people is matchless and too big to be measured. It lasts a lifetime and beyond that. You’re His one of a kind wonderful masterpiece that cannot be replaced. He always has His eye on you.”


I’m not sure if this would be considered a Christian book, but I appreciate the parts that were. It was certainly a mystery novel and that seems to be what Jay writes best.

This review is my own opinion, having bought the book from Jay under no obligation to give a good review. I’ll be checking out some of his older books, I’m sure when I get some extra reading time.

BOOK REVIEW of THE HEART OF A KING by Jill Eileen Smith

 THE HEART OF A KING by Jill Eileen Smith


This is the first novel I’ve read by the author but I have a feeling it won’t be my last. 


I love reading historical Biblical fiction and Jill made the words and people in the Bible come alive.  I love the familiarity of passages of scripture interwoven in the dialogues of Solomon and his mother and wives.


I sometimes wished he’d used his God-given wisdom in a better way as far as family relationships. Especially when he compromised the commands of the Lord. 


It was beautifully written, very descriptive and kept me turning pages.


I look forward to reading the next book by Jill. Write on!


Thanks for my complimentary copy from Revell on the author's behalf. I was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

What to Do When You Feel Dumped On

What to Do When You Feel Dumped On

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and

shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in,

their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.

~Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

“In the end only three things matter; how much you loved, how gently you lived and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.  (ANON OR HAND OF GOD from TENDING DANDELIONS)

Lord, sometimes I feel like a dumping ground. A place that people who have life issues that they’re not working on, try to spread their venom and death. Let me not get caught up in their many dramas, I pray. Help me to keep my eyes up on You, ever mindful that You are a kind and loving God and Father.



You keep me when I don’t want to be kept, and You vindicate and reveal truth in Your timing. I lean on You. I trust in You. You’ve said in Your Word, many are the afflictions of the righteous but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 34 is one of my favorite psalms. THE WORD OF THE LORD

I will bless the LORD at all times;

His praise will always be on my lips.

My soul will boast in the LORD;

let the oppressed hear and rejoice.

Magnify the LORD with me;

let us exalt His name together.

I sought the LORD, and He answered me;

He delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to Him are radiant with joy;

their faces shall never be ashamed.

This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him;

He saved him from all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,

and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Fear the LORD, you His saints,

for those who fear Him lack nothing.

Young lions go lacking and hungry,

but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Come, children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

Who is the man who delights in life,

who desires to see good days?

Keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from deceitful speech.

Turn away from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,

and His ears are inclined to their cry.

But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

to sever their memory from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears;

He delivers them from all their troubles.

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted;

He saves the contrite in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the LORD delivers him from them all.

He protects all his bones;

not one of them will be broken.

Evil will slay the wicked,

and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.

The LORD redeems His servants,

and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Sometimes the only thing to do when you feel like a dumping ground is remove yourself from the drama until it runs its course. That being said, it’s not always easy but it may be necessary for a time. People pushing your buttons are doing it for a response and even if it’s a bad one, they feel vindicated that they’ve won or had the last word.

Mark Gregston speaks about this, “Drama draws and demands our attention.  Kids are the same way.  They perform.  They magnify things.  They embellish their stories.  They are crying out for people to look at them.  The essence of drama is conflict, so when kids look for attention, they often use conflict as a means to get it.



The problem is that once we respond to that drama, we often become part of it.  Unwittingly, we get sucked in.  Hey, this is your teen we’re talking about.  He or she knows exactly what buttons to push that incite your emotion.  Right?  It’s tempting to respond by matching, or increasing, the level of conflict.  And the result is always the same:  a virtual meltdown between child and parent.  Once we get hooked into his or her emotion, we can become defensive … only adding fuel to the fire.” https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/teens/drama-responding-to-your-teen.html





This is how I want to be, instead of a dumping ground, a watered garden of the Lord.



The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. (From Isaiah 58)





Personally, I find that my heart loses joy and my body may even respond with health issues when I allow myself to take it all in to myself, as if I could fix anything but myself. Prayer is a wonderful tool that the Lord gives us. It can be used to change the coldest heart to the glory of the Lord. When joy runs low, I return to “living from the heart that Jesus gave me.” It helps a lot in the world we live in, to try to live that way.


Dumping ground or watered garden? Sometimes the choice is up to us.

SHINE YOUR LIGHT

I like to save things. It’s always hard for me to throw away things or even sometimes to give them away, because it seems like we may need it for something down the road and not have it. I’ve recently learned the hard way, that saving my writings for a better day to send out, a better edit or a better market was perhaps not the best thing. When even THE GEEK SQUAD couldn’t help us, I’ve had to accept what I cannot change, that at least six years of work is lost. I feel like a part of me is lost, many times, as some things just can’t be recreated, especially poetry.

Not that I didn’t give away a lot of it but a lot sat in my computer, waiting until it was good enough to share or send out.





This is one thing that I’ve learned: Don’t hide, save or store away your gifts, no matter how small they seem to you.



Bill and I both have this thing about looking around, seeing the people with REAL giftings, talents and yes, at times even beauty, and thinking that we perhaps got overlooked. We have most of the time felt to be the “least of these” and that’s not always a bad thing, as it keeps us from being haughty.



When I was a little girl, I could play piano “by ear” or “by heart”. When there was a painful trauma in my childhood, I let the enemy quieten that gift; a gift that could’ve been honed for the Lord. It is to my shame I admit this; I have many pictures of me, age five, at my grandmother’s recitals, playing before a whole church of people. In rereading THE CREATIVE CALL by Janice Elsheimer, I’m tempted to retry playing. But as life seems to continually get in the way of living, my time is really not my own, even more so, lately.



The words to the children’s song, THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE, were running through my head as I wrote this. Hide it under a bushel. No! I’m going to let it shine.



So today I’m having some regrets but I can’t live there. I will focus on things that I can change, focus on the WORD OF THE LORD, try to find what my new season is, and BE GRATEFUL. I will try my best not to hide my gifts under a bushel. I will try to live better and along the way, one of the best things I’ve found that I am good at, is encouraging YOU and your beautiful giftings. While I can’t be your personal cheerleader, I do say, go out there and SHINE, people. You are unique, you are SPECIAL, you are CALLED OF GOD. Use your gifts.





Let your light shine. Today!



Beautiful, new version of song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVeB7ACVgO0



Older version; gospel version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx3nTsFJEQE



Kid’s version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki5CA4oXL7w