Favour the Familiar/DONNA MANN

I favour the familiar for many reasons and one of them is that I do not expect to recognize it by my last impression. Even though I have a previous picture tucked away in the depth of memory, I am pleasantly surprised at new dimensions, colour and texture when I revisit the familiar.  I could use this opening sentence reflecting on relationships, writing, gardening or buying a car, but in this blog, I want to explore the thought in terms of experience.

Summer is camping season for us. Doug loves to drive and I am content sitting in the passenger seat and taking pictures. It's also a time when we see our province in different seasons - sometimes before the winter wheat breaks through the ground, or after the leaves have fallen and many times between. I particularly like to go to Manitoulan Island and live on island-time. However, I think I could go stand on the banks of the Grand River and remember the rush and roar of the Fraser River in British Columbia, even though they are different kinds of rivers. Somehow, there is a satisfaction in drawing from the views and sceneries in local areas. Although we have travelled across the ocean several times, been to Australia and Alaska, crossed Canada from shore to shore more than once, I favour the familiar and ordinary in driving by something I know like the back of your hand, and seeing a difference from the last time I saw it.

I wonder how this relates to relationships and to healing and feelings of serenity, much needed in a stressful world. I sense that the familiar is therapeutic and even beneficial. Take a farmer for example who has left the farm and moved to a nursing home. Think of the peace and satisfaction he would feel in seeing the earth freshly ploughed and the sea gulls flying back and forth, diving for that worm. Think of the memories that a windmill standing isolated in the middle of a wheat field might raise. Or the pleasures of seeing a child walk through a field with a fishing pole over his shoulder.

We live next door to the house my Grandma and Grandpa owned. As I sit on our deck I see the huge Spruce tree I played under in the 40s. I see the same trees that keep the 85-foot drop to the Irwin River safe from our curiosity and provide a sense of wonder as they ‘clap their hands’ in response to the wind. I look across the village block from end to end and see lawns touch each other, as through the years the neighbours haven’t erected fences. The familiar: peaceful, contentment and good for the soul

“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12).

Blessings

Donna

Check out donnamann.org

Growth by Tracy Krauss

Growth. It's this month's prompt and quite apt considering that natural growth is all around us at this time of year. I'm sure that many of you have also experienced a tremendous time of growth this past weekend at Write! Canada.

My own growth as a writer has come in spurts and starts. Sometimes it's been through conferences, like the one that just happened, and sometimes it has been through books, webinars, or other helpful resources. More often than not, however, it has come through failure, mistakes, rejection and other difficult circumstances.

I'm keeping it short and sweet today, since I have other commitments like report cards and end of the school year preparations that are keeping me occupied. But I wanted to take this opportunity, especially after the 'high' of something as wonderful as a writers' conference, to remind you that growth can come in many forms. Don't miss out on every opportunity - both the mountain tops and the valleys.

A Garden of Gratitude by Glynis M Belec

Laughing Lobelia

Satisfied Sage

Merry Mint

Today my garden said 'Thank you!' For weeks the droplets have been scarce or non-existent. This year I have been determined to keep all things hydrated so I have been faithfully watering early morning and late evening. Shoots have been a little thankful, and for the most part I have managed to help ward off sizzling seedlings.                                                                                                                                                                                         But then the rain came. It poured. I opened the patio door and I could almost hear my collective vegetables and flowers singing praise to their Master Gardener. They were thankful that I kept them going but they danced with joy when their Creator lavished them with the waters that would do so much more than sustain.                                                                                                                                                                                  

As I gazed at the gulping earth I thought about how that is so like God. He allows us to have a hand in His creation but ultimately He is in control. Sure my little garden hose might have made a little bit of difference, but for me to cause the garden to come to the intended fruition - it wouldn't have happened. I might have helped a determined bean sprout or a frazzled marigold stay upright.                                                                                                                                                                             But one thing I noticed - every night and every morning, there were signs of exhaustion and drooping and discoloured leaves. The ground remained scorched and parts of my little plants were giving up. What I was doing was good, but it was obviously insufficient.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               This morning was different. There was no drooping. No battle weary fatigue. No signs of retreat. There was a new fragrance - an earthy, warm smell. The sun shone and the once tired plants stood tall saluting the Master Gardener. The green looked lush and vibrant. Pretty pink petunias and laughing lobelia held their heads high and their beauty attracted buzzing bees hungry for sweet pollen. A white cabbage moth circled eyeing the green plant waving in the gentle, warm breeze.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    That was when I thought about God. It was time I stopped to say thank you to the Master Gardener in my life. Sometimes I am quick to take credit; when my life and every breath I take is ultimately all about God. I plod along and prattle on, forgetting that He is the One who has poured the Water of Life into my days. He sent His son who poured out His blood so I can be here and be a witness to His glory and grace; His forgiveness and peace. He does more for me than sustain me. He offers me His final fruit - eternal life. When I think about that, I feel like dancing in the rain.   

Triumphant Tomato 

Delighted Dill

Stalwart Stevia

   A summer rain brings refreshment and renewed life. Jesus brings us that same kind of rejuvenation in our lives when we turn to Him and trust Him and allow Him to control our weakened state. We are no less worthy because we turn to Him. In fact, when we do turn to Him in all areas of our life, then growth happens. Our roots are made secure. Our core is established. Fruit appears. 

Lettuce pray!

A Garden of Gratitude

Playful Parsley 

I, for one, am happy the Master Gardener is tilling the soil and sending the refreshing rain in my life! 

“And it shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil.”  

Deuteronomy 11:13-14

(Now to get to those pesky weeds that also love the refreshing rain - literally and figuratively) 

Glynis lives, loves, laughs and does an awful lot of reading, writing, publishing and praying in her home office. 

Her latest children's book, which happened to be shortlisted for a Word Guild award in the Children's category - Hopeful Homer - offers hope and encouragement to never ever give up!

SURVIVING SELF-SABOTAGE - by Heidi McLaughlin

Curiosity can kill the cat or open the sabotage door. Strangely enough my curiosity on the golf course affirmed the sub-conscious power of self-sabotage. I’m not a great golfer but on a good day I can play a pretty decent game.  I have a dream to shoot a certain score and I know I can do it. So why hasn’t it happened?  A pattern has unfolded that forces me to look at how I actually sabotage myself from reaching my goal.  When I am at hole 15 or 16 and know that I am close to a good score, I add the numbers to see how close I am to my dream objective. I start to get it excited. Very soon the game changes and the next three holes are a disastrous Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. Target missed. Then the walk of shame.  Why do I defeat myself? Again and again!

My husband has seen my dismay and voiced my frustration: “Honey why do you check your score before the game is over. You always end up sabotaging your dream?”  I agree with him and am beginning to understand the verse in Bible that says: “The thief approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaughter, and destroy” (John 10:10 VOICE). Ok I know I am stretching the analogy of a golf game but I am becoming aware of this concept in many areas of life.  Perhaps a goal of writing a book, speaking to a large audience, pursuing a radio program, raising funds for a worthwhile project or opening a Day Care Centre. There is an enemy (Satan) playing dirty to steal our dreams and joy through making us believe voices of defeat and accusations that are not true:

a.         You don’t deserve this.

b.         You’re not smart or capable enough.

c.          You will never amount to anything.

d.         Why would anyone want to hear what you say or write?

e.         Who do think you are anyways?

Those negative thoughts have burned into our sub-conscious to sabotage our glorious and fulfilling future. They sneak into our soul through the trap door of fear, unworthiness and shame.  It’s important that we recognize them because they are not from God.  In Philippians 4:13 NLT it says: “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”  You can do ANYTHING my friend.  The number one regret that people have is: I wish I had been more true to myself.

If you are standing on the brink of a big idea for a book or you want to take up painting, decorating, scuba diving or run a marathon. Dismiss the voices in your head and tell them:  “Oh, it’s you again.” Then step up to the plate and embrace the life that God has given you to live with passion and joy. In the second part of the John 10:10 Jesus says this: “I came to give life with joy and abundance.”

If you have children you know how much you want them to enjoy the gifts you give them. Our God is a good Father who has lavished us with gifts and abilities for our pleasure and to make a difference in this world. Let’s not allow fear or shame to defeat us, instead let’s look sabotage right in the eye and say: “Oh it’s you again” and move into your glorious future.

 Heidi McLaughlin lives in the beautiful vineyards of the Okanagan Valley in Kelowna, British Columbia. She is married to Pastor Jack and they have a wonderful, eclectic blended family of 5 children and 9 grandchildren. When Heidi is not working, she loves to curl up with a great book, or golf and laugh with her husband and special friends. You can reach her at: www.heartconnection.ca.

Her new book RESTLESS FOR FOR: Fulfillment in Unexpected Places will be launched July 4, 2016.

Your Life Can Change in an Instant – by David Kitz

We all know that life has it's ups and downs, but for the most part I can say my life is quite predictable. But...

But every once in a while the unexpected happens and your life is suddenly changed in a moment. Two recent events brought this truth crashing home. 

Cathedral Grove, Vancouver Island

On the morning of May 6th I was on a leisurely morning stroll with my sister on a quiet residential street in Churchbrige, SK. I was on the tail end of a spectacular family vacation that had taken us to Victoria, Nanaimo and now Saskatchewan. Life was good. For the first time in about forty years I was home for Mothers Day weekend. It was great to be on this morning str...

Boom! I was struck from behind and sent flying. My knees hit the pavement as searing pain shot through my body. But the minivan that hit me kept coming. I rolled out of the way as my sister banged on the van and yelled for the driver to stop.

In that instant my life took on a different complexion. Who knows when I'll be out on a stroll again? Six weeks later I'm still in an air cast using crutches. The pain has subsided but is still present. 

Sometimes life will bring us to difficult or even impossible situations. That's where I found myself. We can see no way forward and it's impossible to turn back. That's the situation the people of Israel found themselves in as they set out to escape from Egypt. The sea blocked the way before them and the Egyptian army was pursuing them from behind. They had nowhere to turn but to the LORD.

What did the LORD do? He didn't take Israel around the problem or over it. He took them through it. We read these words: Your path led through the sea… (Psalm 77:19).

Inner Harbour, Victoria, BC

During the dark days of World War II, Winston Churchill gave his nation this advice, “If you are going through hell, keep going.”

Don't stop. Don't give up and hang your head in despair. You don't know the moment when the LORD will intervene on your behalf. You don't know when the sea will part. You don't know when you will be called to follow the LORD's invisible footprints onto the floor of the sea. That requires faith—steps of faith. And don't dillydally along the way. If you are going through hell, keep going. If you are going through the Red Sea, keep going. You don't want to be caught in the middle. That's what happened to Egypt's army. Have faith the LORD will bring you through and by all means keep going.

That brings me to the second sudden event. Last Thursday I got an e-mail message from someone I didn't know informing me that my novel had been approved for publication by a large US publishing house. In a moment everything changed. After fifteen years of frustration a positive answer came. 

Wherever you are remember this: Life can change in an instant. 

David Kitz lives and limps in Ottawa. Visit http://www.davidkitz.ca/

Obey the Nudge

Tail lights in the long line of vehicles ahead turned bright red as traffic slowed to a crawl just after we transitioned to the Gardner Expressway.  Sitting on a superhighway on a hot summer’s day with three children in the car was not our first choice in family activity.  It was an anticipated outing to visit my sister in Hamilton back in the mid-sixties and it looked as though it was going to take a lot longer that we expected. 

Just before the slow-down, a bright orange-red VW bug had passed and pulled in front of us.  For some reason, I noticed the driver, a blond-braided young woman gripped the steering wheel.  The driver’s window was open and the breeze blew tendrils of her hair across her cheeks. In the brief moment I saw her face, I noted a determined look in her eyes.

Did you ever have a time when a brief happening had a lasting impression on your life?  Right then and there, that young woman’s determined look tugged at my heart—I sensed there was turmoil and doubt struggling with her determination.

Had the traffic moved on quickly, the moment may have passed without further thought.  But it didn’t.  We came to a stop. Even sitting in the car behind her, I could see her hands drumming on the steering wheel.  She brushed back the strands of her hair and looked at herself in the rear-view mirror.  I noticed a University sticker on her back window, and suitcases and boxes visibly taking up the back seat of her car.

Imagine my surprise when I found myself praying, “Dear Lord, please don’t let her run away from your plan for her life.” 

Come on now, Ruth!  What makes you think she’s running away? It seemed rather audacious to be uttering such a prayer for a complete stranger that I had never met and had no reason to believe such things.

For the entire length of the expressway, that little VW stayed in front of us in the stop and go traffic—for most of an hour. The urgency never left my heart, and I prayed quietly, letting the Holy Spirit direct my words.  I prayed the same Spirit who heard my prayer, would surround that young woman with a real sense of the presence of God. I asked that the folly of going her own way may be made clear, and that she would feel assurance that if she followed the path that God had chosen, he would walk every step of the way with her.  

As we approached the Queen Elizabeth on the west side of Toronto, the traffic picked up and the little VW dashed ahead and was soon lost in the stream of traffic. 

The VW had disappeared from my sight, but the picture of her face and the urge to continue to pray stayed with me. Her face is still vivid in my memory. The same kind of prayer passed my lips often that summer. In the fall my prayer changed to thankfulness and an appeal for God’s continuing presence in her life. For the next year or two, I’d occasionally think of her, wonder what she was doing and ask God to bless her.

 I have no idea who she was, nor what she has done in the fifty + years since that brief cameo when we travelled close to each other for an hour. I can’t give a report on the effectiveness of my prayers.  I know not if her life was saved from greater or lesser calamity, or what God has been able to do through her.  I only know that for a reason God only understands, he asked me to pray.

That experience has had a big influence on the rest of my life: and perhaps especially on my writing.  Often I feel my heart tugged to write a note or card to someone in need or at a tough spot in their life. Sometimes I feel nudged, to write a letter to the editor, my member of parliament, even the Prime Minister or some other public figure. Sometimes I awake in the middle of the night with an idea (as I did for my children’s book) or with an article or story already formed in my mind.  I try to follow those nudges for sometimes I do find out that it was the right thing at the right time.  The rest of the time, I know that I’ve done what was asked of me and I leave the rest up to God.

 Visit Ruth Smith Meyer at www.ruthsmithmeyer.com