The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Colossians 3:15

My traumatic brain injury was in 1997. After emerging from a coma, I imagined an invisible friend named Michele. I have no memory of this…but family members have told me I was always gabbing on the phone, going shopping or out for lunch with Michele.

My mother told me of a time when I had children’s art work on the bulletin board in my hospital room. She was commenting on how pretty they were and wanted to know who sent them to me. Apparently I shrugged and said, “Must’ve been Michele’s kids.”

I think that must’ve been my mind’s way of NOT letting me feel so isolated and alone. That was almost 25 years ago. Michele is no longer a part of my life. Now when I feel isolated or alone, Jesus is my invisible friend.

When we are in trouble or feel separated from others, it should become very natural to turn to God for direction. It’s hard for me to fathom not having our invisible God to give me solace and companionship during those times.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:17  (NIV)

God is not just the God of bad times though. He wants us to acknowledge Him in all things. My invisible

friend is always with me…even when I’m not thinking about Him. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Let’s try to make it our ‘default’ position to keep God always in the back of our mind.

When I ALMOST lose my balance…which unfortunately is more often than I like, I immediately think, “Good save Lord!” We could give credit to our own abilities, but it seems to be MY normal to give credit to someone/something bigger than my own aptitude. That always leaves me with a feeling of gratitude as well.

Starting our day with the Lord is always a noble idea. So is special evening prayer time. Time spent in church, prayer groups or Bible studies are also exceptional ways to spend SCHEDULED time with God. We should be careful in our scheduled prayer time though. The objective is not just to check something off our ‘to do’ list. We’re communicating with the Lord.

When we see Jesus as our invisible friend, prayer time becomes much more personal and natural. We’re not just reciting memorized prayers with our mind on something else. We’re talking to a dear friend…someone who cares…someone who can help us.

Traditional prayers are certainly valuable. If prayed from the heart, they also put us in direct communication with God. Whether talking to an invisible friend or reciting a long-held conventional prayer, always remember we are talking with our God. Enjoy the fellowship…and if making requests, have faith that the prayers have been heard.

Dear Lord,

I’ve read so many books on the right way to pray. The bottom line though is that You just want to hear from us.

We don’t actually see You. So in that regard You truly ARE an invisible friend. We see You in the faces of family, friends and total strangers. We see You in circumstances…in nature. That’s usually where we hear from You too.

Please give us the wisdom to hear Your voice in all the clatter of this world.

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The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

Psalm 14:2  (NIV)

It’s been two years since COVID-19 shut down our world economy and sent everyone into quarantine. The United States continues to be divided and polarized along political lines.

Our sovereign God does not have a political affiliation. He is the Father of us all….and yes, He is still on the throne. Look back at my 1^st blog to see how our worldly views have changed AND yet remained the same. 

September 3, 2020 blog

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33  NIV

This opening scripture may seem like ‘pie in the sky’ to some. To people of faith it is a great comfort and a call to action to pray for our country and our world.

When the COVID-19 pandemic first shut our world down, it seemed America, including our government, was pulling together to help each other as best they could. My prayers were one of thanksgiving that people in power were putting their differences aside for the good of all Americans.

Then concern for the health and wellbeing of our citizens seemed to be replaced with concerns for racial equality. Our government once again became polarized in the midst of a presidential election. What happened to pulling together?

Where is God in all this chaos? I see him every day in the faces of our essential workers. I have a much greater respect for our trash collectors, our postal workers and our grocery store employees. I deeply appreciate our small-business owners…especially the ones who keep my hair and finger nails groomed and provide transportation for me.

Where is God in the shootings, the riots, the violence and the political attacks? What about our failing economy and the businesses that have had to close their doors?

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.    1Peter 4:12 NIV

I think it is human nature to think that through our own will and human effort we can control our outcomes. Perhaps that is why we see people turning to God always in times of crisis. That’s when we realize we can’t do it on our own.

I’ve seen this personally these last twenty-plus years as I’ve struggled to live a positive life with the effects of a traumatic brain injury. Boy has God become real for me now! Perhaps COVID-19 is our wake-up call to remind us of who, in His great love, is controlling our universe.

God is still right here with us. This is a perfect example of the name of my blog: Life Happens. It has certainly happened to all of us with COVID-19!  How are we handling this crisis? Do we believe that with God, all things are possible? Do we believe He loves us…ALL OF US? Do we truly have trust in Him when we pray?

He commands us to pray for our country and our leaders. He commands us to love one another as He has loved us. We’re supposed to pray for His will in all things.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.        Philippians 4:6 NIV

So we are not powerless in our desire to make our world a better place. We are not powerless to stand against this virus, injustice, and inequality. As I said in Welcome to My Blog, I believe with all my heart that ‘GOD’S GOT THIS’. I’ve made a conscientious effort to remove from my vocabulary the saying, “All I can do is pray.” Prayer is the most powerful force in the universe!  It should be our first line of defense when life happens.

Please pray for peace and healing for our broken world!

Dear Lord,

Bring a sense of peace to all of us, so we know that You have this troubling and chaotic time under Your control. Take our worry and replace it with resolve to continue loving and taking care of each other. Help us to bite our tongue when tempted to criticize what others are doing…or NOT doing.

All of our lives have changed from what we thought of as normal. Keep reminding us that You are right there, guiding us through our ‘new normal’.

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Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

 Romans 5:3-5  (NIV)

We all suffer pain…both physical and emotional. Are we able to live our life with pain without bemoaning our circumstances to others? Can we truly glory in our sufferings?  As the opening scripture says, suffering produces perseverance.

Perseverance  means to persist or endure when things get tough. That builds character. Character can’t be built if all we do is complain about our issue. We have to earnestly look for ways to make our hardship a learning experience for ourselves…maybe for others.

I like to think that how I manage the physical deficits of my traumatic brain injury (TBI) inspires others to persevere and make the most of hard situations in their life. Let me give a perfect example of when I did NOT inspire others!

The body imbalance caused by my TBI has never ever caused me any physical pain  (unless I fell the wrong way)! Last week though I experienced true physical pain. I had been dealing with soreness in my arm for weeks, but kept on teaching my exercise classes. It really didn’t hurt unless I was lifting a weight from low to high across my midline. Then one morning I woke up and couldn’t move my left arm without pain.

I took an Ibuprofen, canceled my morning class and went to Kroger. Every time I turned my basket to the left, I winced with pain. It’s hard to smile and wince at the same time, so I couldn’t keep a happy face. I wanted to cry out for someone to stop my pain.

I didn’t say a word but kept thinking, “Don’t look at me! Don’t look at me!” Others always look at me when I walk because I’m so imbalanced. I knew I couldn’t handle that with a smile on my face that day. The pain caught me by surprise, so I hadn’t prepared for how to handle it graciously.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps.

1 Peter 2:21 (NIV)

I thought of Jesus carrying the cross after being beaten and scourged. He didn’t say a word either. He was surely in pain, but I bet He wasn’t thinking, ‘Stop staring at me!’

Jesus endured the pain of the cross out of His love for us. He wasn’t even angry with those who persecuted Him. Could we be that forgiving of our enemies? That’s what He asks of us.

Suffering happens just like Life Happens. It’s part of being human. Can we try to handle it the way that Jesus handled His…not making excuses  or blaming someone else?

When tough times come, we need to seek God. We need to aggressively look for Him. “What would You have me do?” I did NOT turn to Him in my pain. I did later when I was alone with my thoughts. Me…of all people… should have instinctively turned to Him. I seek God when I want energy to teach a class, transportation to Kroger, stability in all things. This pain tripped me up though.

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

1 Chronicles 11:11  (NIV)

If we can endure our pain, it will develop our character. Character will bring us to that wonderful longing for a better tomorrow that we call HOPE. Hope can put a smile on our face…even when the pain is unbearable!

Dear Lord,

Help us remember to seek you especially when the pain is bad. You are the God of good times AND bad times…the God of the ordinary AND the unordinary.

We believe in Your love for us as Your children. Let us remember that love when pain or hardship comes into our life, trusting that You are working everything out for our good.

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“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,

Ephesians 4:26

Webster defines exasperated as irritated, angry or vexed. I had to look up the meaning of vexed. It means agitated, disturbed, or annoyed. Ever felt that way? I know I have.

A few weeks ago, my dishwasher broke down. I didn’t want to bother anyone about it. So I just looked in my phone contacts under Appliance repair. Obviously this was something I’d dealt with before…because there were 3 contacts listed. So I called the 1^st one. BIG MISTAKE!

He came out immediately. My dishwasher was running alright, but the door would no longer close and latch. That would require a new part that should be readily available. So I renamed that phone contact Dishwasher Rob to keep me from confusing his number with the other Appliance repair contacts I had listed in my phone.

Dishwasher Rob had to fix the side hinge on my dishwasher door and wait 24 hours for it to dry. When he came back the next day, that’s when he determined I needed a new door latch. He charged me for half the job…seemed reasonable to me since he’d spent several hours in my kitchen. He set a return appointment for the day after the New Year holiday. I never saw him again.

We texted back & forth numerous times. He was always busy with other customers and would try to squeeze me in. I was livid because I had moved other appointments to wait on him. At that point, I had been without a dishwasher for over a week. Dishwasher Rob scheduled and didn’t show 2 more times before I finally ordered a new dishwasher.

My friend, Nicole was helping me with a new computer program I was trying to set up during Dishwasher Rob’s 3rd missed appointment. My demeanor gave me a new appreciation for the word ‘vexed’. Nicole kept telling me to let it go. “You think he’s worked up about this?”

Then Nicole used that familiar saying, ‘What would Jesus do?’ I have to admit that stopped me in my tracks. So I did what Jesus would do. I shut up and washed my dishes.

Jesus doesn’t just tell us to stay silent when people wrong us. He asks us to pray for them. I now understand why Jesus asks that. I didn’t want to, but I prayed for Dishwasher Rob and immediately saw him as another precious human life…instead of a curse on my life.

 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Matthew 5:45 -46  (NIV)

The sense of peace I felt was unexpected and very much appreciated. How many times have we worked ourselves into frenzy over something that we had no control over? Those can be difficult times for control freaks like me!

Then I remembered the name of this blog…Life Happens.

My broken dishwasher happened to me. It was the original dishwasher in my condo unit. So it’s been here longer than me. It was time for a new appliance.

 Admittedly, I was mainly upset because I assumed Dishwasher Rob was taking advantage of my disability. In retrospect though, I think the only reason he kept communicating with me is because I was that ‘nice little disabled lady’. He was unreliable and unprofessional. I assume he knew what he was doing…but maybe the job was too big for him and he didn’t want me to find out.

Who knows what really happened? I knew I had to forgive him and as my friend said…’just let it go’!

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Mark 11:25 (NIV)

Life Happens! Sometimes it’s messy. Many times it changes our plans. We can’t let it color our whole outlook on life. We can’t let our broken dishwashers let us forget all that’s beautiful and meaningful in this life!

Dear Lord,

We will sometimes become exasperated with what’s going on in our life. When it happens, remind us to look to You first. Help us not to speak or act in our anger.

Remind us always that we are Your representative here on earth.

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,

 For they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.

 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 3:1-3

As a Christmas gift, my father gave each of his six children a book he had written entitled, A Collection of Life Stories. With the help of my sister-in-law, Tracy, he answered 51 questions about his life and Tracy compiled his writings into a book, with many precious family photos. Most of the questions were of topics we had discussed many times as a family. We were actually present for many parts of the story. There were a few surprises though

It was very heart-warming to read Dad’s reflections on the 51 topics chosen. It also gave us a chance to remember the joy, humor and sadness we had shared in the last few decades as brothers and sisters.

For most of us, family ties are a strong indicator of the kind of person we will become. That’s why the way we train our children will have a lasting impact on their lives. When my nieces & nephews were younger, I used to chuckle at the way my brothers disciplined their kiddos. It was just like hearing my father when I was a little girl.

In my book The Light Through My Tunnel, my book dedication is to all the members of my family. I refer to my dad as my hero…and the one whose opinion matters most to me.

In HIS book, A Collection of Life Stories, I can see clearly where my values & beliefs came from. Dad speaks of the necessity of practicing your faith and leading a Christian life. He also believes…”There is no substitute for discipline, but it must be tempered with love. It is also important to stress being the best you can be and not to accept mediocrity when you know you can do better.”

Faith was of the utmost value in our home. So was smart work and personal fulfillment. We had more than our share of happiness, joy and achievement. Our family also had sadness and tragedy mixed in with the good times though.

My traumatic brain injury (TBI) was one of those tragedies. When tough times hit it affects the whole family. I could not physically do many of the tasks I did before my accident. God’s grace has given me the opportunity to stretch beyond my tragedy to live with my physical limitations in a way that inspires and encourages others. Because of my parent’s influence, I’m still trying to be my best and not accept mediocrity. So MY story is a direct result of the story I grew up with.

A tragedy can definitely change the way we live life. It will become part of our story… but we shouldn’t let it become our whole story. Life is so much bigger than our personal struggles. If we choose to make them our focus…we risk missing much of the beauty in life.

Maybe we need to REINVENT our story. When difficulty changes the circumstances or direction of our life…try to see it as an invitation from our heavenly Father to focus in a new direction…a better, God-inspired life path. We can’t be afraid to replace the old with something new. The Holy Spirit is there to lead us. Our job is to be perceptive to His calling.

If not family, we can always find someone to give us encouragement and positive direction. This is the time for prayer. Ask God where He wants you to go. How many times have we asked, not thinking He’s listening? Then poof! A door opens.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Isaiah 30:21  (NIV)

I feel blessed to have been raised in a loving family where God was always put in first place.  Doing our best was simply a way of life. So too was sarcasm and humor, but that’s a topic for another blog.

We are all the author of our own story. If we don’t like the way it reads right now, ask the Lord where and how He wants to change it. Remember that others are watching our story too. We can influence others without even knowing it. We may not be best-selling authors, but our story will affect all those watching it…especially our loved ones.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11  (NIV)

Someday we will all answer to God for the actions of our life….of our story. So let’s live the best life we can and give God the glory for our accomplishments!

Dear Lord,

You give us a lifetime to write our story. You also know that there will be shining parts…and dark spots. Let Your spirit lead us as we make our journey.

Let our story be an inspiration to those who hear it…and give us all a happy ending in Your kingdom after we’ve followed Your directions here in our earthly life.

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)

Matthew 1:23  (NIV)

Sometimes I think my middle name should have been Christmas. I love everything about the season. I love the lights…the decorations…the carols…the gatherings…and finding the perfect gift for a loved one! All of these bring an anticipatory excitement of the special holiday we’re about to celebrate.

The true reason we celebrate Christmas does not bring excitement though. It brings a silent joy as we honor the birth of the one who came to show us all how to love and honor our father in heaven. As Christians we believe Christ was crucified and rose again to open the gates of heaven for us. If we do as God asks us to do, we will spend our eternity with Him.

I adore all the classic Christmas carols. A few years ago a new carol appeared on the scene…”Mary Did You know”.

It speaks to Jesus’ mother about all the wondrous things He would do to save all people from a life of selfishness and evil. Listen to a video of this special song.

LISTEN HERE: https://youtu.be/U73OIKkJ0DI

The opening scripture verse tells us that Mary would give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)

God is with us as we live our lives in this frequently broken world. Even in troubling times, we can close our eyes and feel Him in our heart. In another blog I shared a prayer I pray every morning that ends with…

“Show me what it is You want me to do, and I will do it.”

Let us trust that our Father in heaven will direct our hearts to act and think in a way that pleases Him.

May God be with us all as we celebrate this holy season!

Dear Lord,

We celebrate the birth of Your son this week. No matter what is happening in our lives…let us pause to reflect on the promise that we celebrate this Christmas time.

Thank You for loving us enough to send Your only son to die for us so that we could spend eternity with You.

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Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6  (NIV)

We certainly have plenty of things we could be anxious about in 2021.  Our health…our economy…our livelihood. It’s so easy to reflect on, and sometimes dwell on the things that we don’t have, or issues that are concerning us..

Think of all we have to be grateful for though! Are we sleeping in a tent? No. Do we have others around us to love & care for…while they do the same for us? Clothes on our back…food in our stomachs? Netflix on the television? 

Thanksgiving is becoming the forgotten holiday. It’s the precursor to Black Friday. For me, it’s a call to bring out all those Christmas decorations again. I LOVE anything Christmas! Thanksgiving seems to just get lost in the shuffle though.

Thanksgiving is more than just the last Thursday in November. Perhaps it’s our call to be grateful in all things. Can we be thankful when things are not going our way? When we are not happy with what’s happening in our life? That’s what God asks of us.

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1Thessalonians 5:19  (NIV)

It’s not always easy to have a grateful heart. It’s a mindset! Try NOT to smile when thinking about the loving (and silly) friends & relatives God has placed in our life. When they’re neglecting us or driving us nuts, be thankful that they are even in our life! They’ve made a difference, even if just giving us a different outlook on things. Life would be pretty dull if we all thought about & cared about the exact same issues!

Most importantly, we are always thankful we are sons & daughters of a mighty & glorious God who loves us and looks out for us even when life is tough. When I know God with me, I can react to life positively despite my current circumstances.

Maybe we don’t feel full of thanksgiving right at this moment. Then just fake it! Having a grateful heart can be very contagious. Next thing we know, we’ll be believing what we thought we were just pretending.

Feeling grateful also has a tendency to make us want to give back. We’ve been so blessed, we want to share it with others. Isn’t that the way God made us? We serve a very generous God…and we were made in His image. Maybe that’s why giving makes us feel so good!

Then giving can become just one more reason to have a grateful heart.

Dear Lord,

This is the time of year that we put being thankful on our calendar. Remind us to have a grateful heart the whole year long.

Sure. We could complain if we wanted to. Remind us also that being thankful keeps our focus on who and what is good & blessed in our life. That’s the way You designed us to live.

Most importantly, we are thankful You created us.  You put us on this earth to be both givers and gracious recipients of all You’ve made available to us.

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When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,  having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2: 13-14  (NIV)

We can’t turn on the news these days without hearing about our Cancel Culture. Are we seeing it in our daily lives? What exactly is Cancel Culture? I looked it up on the internet.

Cancel Culture is defined as “a modern form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles – whether it be online, on social media, or in person. Those subject to this ostracism are said to have been “cancelled”. The expression “cancel culture” has mostly negative connotations and is used in debates on free speech and censorship.

We’ve all experienced ‘cancelling’ in one form or another in our lives. Have we ever been let go from a job? Have a friend abandon us? Maybe we had to move to a different neighborhood or city. We don’t ‘click’ with the same people we used to. We don’t have the same influence. Life is different now.

Sometimes we brought it on ourselves. Sometimes it’s circumstances beyond our control. The bottom line is the same. We are left out…abandoned. We’re not privy to the same information we were before. Somehow, we’ve become the bad guy. We’ve been ‘cancelled’.

I know firsthand the cancelling that can come from being disabled. It’s understandable…but it still hurts sometimes. I’m different from others. I’m unbalanced. I’m slow. It requires extra effort to spend much time with me. I can wear others out with the way I move!

Friends & family understand that I do not like it that they always have to support and help me. They understand it…and love me despite of it…or perhaps BECAUSE of it. I know what I was capable of doing before my accident & brain injury. All my perseverance and hard work have not been able to beat my disabilities. Was I cancelling myself?

I had not considered that option until I started writing this blog. Cancelling ourselves is something we should never ever do! The way we value & approach life is just as relevant as anyone else! We need to think of someone who loves & values us. Ask them for all the reasons we should not be cancelled.

 Better yet! Take it to God in prayer…our Father, who loves us unconditionally. He loves to give His grace to anyone who asks. I believe with all my heart that God wants to communicate with us…and wants to show favor to us.

Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you; don’t be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

Remember that this too shall pass. We need to stay patient, strong and hopeful. If we’ve done something to cause our cancelling, correct it! We should all strive to lead peaceful lives of forgiveness. We may not see immediate resolution, but life will turn out better on the other side of cancelling.

Remember that the world cancelled Jesus Christ. He was God’s begotten son who spent His time on earth proclaiming God’s word, healing sickness & disease, and performing all kinds of miracles.

Then He was cancelled by ‘the powers that be’. He was beaten, ridiculed and died a shameful death of crucifixion. Out of fear, all of His disciples abandoned Him. Fear can lead us to do we didn’t think we would ever do.

But God’s grace, if we choose it, can forgive us. Then the opening scripture will ring true. He forgave us all our sins,  having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

Jesus died & rose again to make this possible for all of us. That’s the type of righteous canceling we all want in our lives!

Dear Lord,

Ostracizing what You have created is wrong. Help us to live in peace with all people. Our media gives us another’s view of things. Help us remember that it’s just one more way of looking at issues. Remind us that facts can be presented from different and opposing angles.

Remind us also that You created and LOVE us just as You made us. ‘Cancelling’ may be a new term, but has always been around. Please help us to live lives of inclusion. Then we can live the kind of life You intended for Your children to have.

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