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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For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.

Psalm 143:11 (NIV)

Think how boring and mundane life would be if we always knew exactly what to expect. Bad things happen. Good things happen. Just like the name of my blog, Life Happens. It happens regardless of our economic stature, political affiliation or religion. Sometimes we get unexpected good fortune….but we could just as easily get hit with one of life’s hurdles, like losing a job, a spouse or a child.

All of us want a life of favor and abundance. We’re even willing to work for it! This life of utopia does not come without trouble though. There’s no such thing as a perfect life without problems.

Can we see positive outcomes even in the midst of our hardships? Do we believe that God is trying to lead us? If we consider God as our heavenly father, don’t we also know He wants the best for us?

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?

Hebrews 12:7  (NIV)

When we were children, we didn’t LOVE everything our parents did…but we trusted their love for us. We also instinctively knew that as adults (big people) they knew more than we did. Especially when circumstances are not as we expect them to be….having something (or someone) to lead us in the right direction is so very comforting! We need to see the bigger picture!

My favorite Bible story (from Genesis) tells the story of Joseph. Remember him? He was the brother who had the multi-colored coat his father (Jacob) had given him. He loved to flaunt it in front of his brothers. I grew up with 4 brothers. If my Dad had shown that kind of favoritism to one brother, the other 3 brothers would have let him have it!

That’s exactly what Joseph’s brothers did. They sold him to a group of slave-traders. Then they told their father he must’ve been eaten by a wild animal. They even showed him the torn up multi-colored jacket. I bet Joseph didn’t see that coming!

God showed Joseph favor though. He was eventually put in charge of all the other slaves by Potipher, the captain of the guard. When Potipher’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, (He was very handsome!) he ran away from her leaving his coat. When she accused him of rape, Potipher had no choice but to throw him in prison. I bet Joseph didn’t see that coming either!

Once again though, God showed favor to Joseph. The prison warden put Joseph in charge of many things. Joseph had a gift for interpreting dreams. He always made clear though that it was God who interpreted the dreams.

He interpreted the dream of Pharoah’s chief cup holder who was in prison with Joseph, asking him to remember him to Pharoah when he got out of prison. The cupbearer forgot until much later when Pharoah was troubled by a repeating dream.

Suddenly Joseph was transported to Pharoah’s castle to interpret his dream. Once again, Joseph gave God the credit for interpreting the dream. Joseph told Pharoah that his kingdom would have 7 years of plenty, followed by 7 years of famine. Imagine Joseph’s surprise when Pharoah gave him complete authority over his entire kingdom as the prime minister. Bet he didn’t see that coming!

Joseph’s father and brothers were also facing hardship because of the famine. His brothers did not recognize him when they came to make their request of the prime minister for supplies/food.

 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!  And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 

Genesis 45:4-5  (NIV)

Joseph’s brothers surely did not see that coming! So in the end, Joseph was able to spend time with his father and be there when he died. His family was reunited!

Sounds like a happy ending for Joseph’s family…especially Joseph! All the years and years of hardship…unwarranted hardship. Joseph was able to reunite with his father and brothers from a position of personal power…always giving God the glory for the good he was able to do for others.

God apparently thinks that family matters. Notice that He didn’t incinerate those brothers who betrayed Joseph. Instead He gave Joseph a change of heart. Do we need a change of heart where our families are concerned? We certainly want them to cut us some slack. Can we do the same for them?

Joseph endured years of unjust hardship. Yet he always remained faithful to God. That faithfulness included being kind and helpful to other people.

Let’s all be inspired by Joseph’s life. Perhaps God will show us favor that we did not see coming.

Dear Lord,

Help us to be kind and love others ceaselessly because that is what You call us to do. Whatever life is throwing at us, remind us to be gracious to others just as You are to us. As we continue to follow Your command to love others as ourselves, let us continuously hope for Your grace and favor that we did not see coming!

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but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
 they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31  (NIV)

Do we rely on God’s grace to maneuver our life journey? Some rely completely on their own abilities and connections. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle of those two alternatives. I was certainly one of them for the first thirty-seven years of my life.

My traumatic brain injury changed the way I look at everything in life. I had to rely on God’s grace more than ever. Tragedy or disaster will do that for us! Do we rely on our talents and connections to carry us forward? The combination of those two qualities can lead to a victory of our goals. When life happens, as it will, we realize that our circumstances were not the ONLY source of our good fortune.

What some refer to as luck or good fortune, I believe to be God showering us with His favor. We don’t need a tragedy to experience God’s grace though.

God’s grace is His unmerited favor for us as his children. We don’t do anything to deserve it! We are just part of God’s family. That’s what family does! I felt God’s grace dramatically after my accident.

God’s grace is most manifest when it’s combined with grit. That mean’s God’s favor combined with hard work! As a marathon runner, I always thought that I was the epitome of grit. I knew how to endure in difficulty and persevere to the end. And I certainly knew about passion!

What exactly IS grit? Yes, it’s our passion for something with the determined effort to achieve it. It’s also a diligence that never lets us give up on the dream. I thought that’s all that grit entailed. It’s not that simple though.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

1 Peter 4:10  (NIV)

Grit means reevaluating our goals after setbacks occur. I could write a whole book on setbacks! Grit also requires a positive outlook on life. We call this hope. Finally, grit always looks out for the common good of all. That means it can’t be all about us!

 In an effort to become all that God wanted me to be AND increase my grit score, my new mission became finding all the ways I could help and include others in my goals. That was actually pretty easy with the business I established. I had become a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. My motive was to be out in the world again and prove to myself I could do it! I wanted to pass on to others the strategies I had learned from my years as a physical therapy patient. I never dreamed I would be inspiring my clients or students, but that’s exactly what happened!

After years tucked away in my own head, it’s wonderful to be interacting with others every day. Surprisingly, this took grit for me. It’s much easier to go my solitary way and not concern myself with the needs or desires of others.

By grace, my life was saved and my outlook always remained hopeful. By grit, I used my determination to forge an active, yet challenged life where not only me, but all those around me could be positive and hopeful.

God’s grace is a free gift He gives to all of us. Let’s find ways we can combine that grace with our natural talents to make the world a better place for others!

Dear Lord,

Help us use our grit and determination to communicate the message You want us to give to others…a message of hope!

You know what we struggle with. We want to do it ourselves. We don’t want to bother You. Remind us always that Your grace for us can carry us through any situation we encounter in this life. We CANNOT do everything without You!

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Yet I was surrounded by God’s grace from the moment my accident happened. I still continue to see His grace in my circumstances every day. After my accident, friends and family kept constant vigil.

Once I became independent enough to live on my own, others didn’t feel the need to check on me all the time. I became so obsessed with recapturing my physical “normalness” that I was okay to spend hours every day exercising and doing physical therapy.  I had become self-absorbed with tunnel vision for my own self-improvement. So I did not reach out to others who had been there for me through thick and thin.

God’s grace is most manifest when it’s combined with GRIT. As a marathon runner, I always thought that I was the epitome of grit. I knew how to endure in difficulty and persevere to the end. And I certainly knew about passion!

What exactly IS grit? Yes, it is passion for something with the determined effort to achieve it. It’s also a diligence that never lets you give up on the dream. I thought that’s all that grit entailed. It’s not that simple though.

 Grit means reevaluating goals after setbacks occur. I could write a whole book on setbacks! Grit also requires a positive outlook on life. I call this hope. Finally, grit always looks out for the common good of all. That means it can’t be all about me!

In an effort to become all that God wanted me to be AND increase my grit score, my new mission became finding all the ways I could help and include others in my goals. That was actually pretty easy with the business I had established. I had become a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. My motive was to be out in the world again and prove to myself I could do it! I wanted to pass on the strategies I had learned from my years as a physical therapy patient. I never dreamed I would be inspiring my clients or students, but that’s exactly what happened!

I teach a class in balance and stability. The ladies and men feel confident that my class is a safe place to try challenging moves. They couldn’t possibly look as silly as I do! My new normal has become poking fun at myself as I move about awkwardly to keep my balance. That usually includes holding onto a chair.

No, I am NOT the ideal example of an active, tenured fitness professional. I do, however, try to look the part with the best yoga pants and athletic shoes, as well as fitness tops in every color of the rainbow. Then I try to use my knowledge of aerobic fitness, strength, flexibility and balance to demonstrate the best ways to accomplish their exercise goals.  Exercise takes discipline, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun!