Month: March 2022

This weekend didn’t go as planned. I caught an “under-the-weather” and I’m lying low.

There is always a lot to process in anyone’s life, and paring down to the bare minimum is a good way to limit the distractions from what is important.

At my age (almost 60 now) I have more focus on what is truly important and what is meaningless.

Some of you are still watching the drama play out in my colorful existence. It continues despite the paring down. Thank you for your concern, your continued prayer, your help. I’ve been in sore need.

I still feel raw.

I realize that grief is a process, that it takes its sweet time. There is no prescription for grief. We can chant the typical line-up of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. I know I’ve fluctuated between all of these on a regular basis.

Today I feel a bit like bargaining.

I accept that my life is a mess, but I still want to bargain with God for something to look forward to here on earth. Fruitless hope that it seems to be right now.

Covid 19 has stripped us all of family and friends, time and experiences. We’ve all had to give up much to accommodate everyone. It’s been tough. Relationships have suffered. Children have been scarred, deprived.

One of my fellow teachers claims that the face of education in the USA has been altered forever through the pandemic.

I believe it. I can see the effect of two years of masking and isolation on children. Kids have almost no attention span, they are subdued. They don’t care anymore.

They’re sweet, and I love them.

I also pray for these kids daily, as they are facing life with challenges that previous generations never dreamed of.

I was privileged to watch a short video clip of two Ukrainian army chaplains talking about their current experience recently. Despite Russian missiles falling around them as they serve the troops on the front, these men were cheerful, trusting, and thankful. They mentioned specifically the south Korean military and their strong influence of faith and encouragement to them in their current situation. Past training from Korea had a massive effect on these Ukrainian chaplains. I believe that the Holy Spirit truly comforts in times of great stress, and it appears that is the case in Ukraine right now.

One good thing is happening in Ukraine (besides many other unreported things) the Russian goons have all been called back to their homeland.

Ukraine has a chance to stand alone.

Propaganda is real, folks. Putin is a sick man, in more ways than you’d believe.

I look like his mother. I even used her picture has a profile photo on Facebook once and everyone thought it was I. My friend jokes about my appearing to him, chastising him for his bad behavior, aggression, and narcissism. If only that would work. Playing a ghost isn’t exactly anything I’d approve, in any case.

I pray for Ukraine. They have been beaten and bullied since history began, a fertile jewel between worlds of power. The Ukrainian people have suffered enough. They are turning to God in droves, and I know that God hears their prayers.

Joe Biden is the most incompetent president, leader, human to ever hold office. I pray for him and his salvation, before dementia captures his soul. To be such a pawn in the hands of the puppet masters is truly alarming. I thank God that His Holy Spirit still restrains the evil powers that will soon come forth.

I’m a prophecy watcher. I know the end of the story. These events could be those predicted from 2,000 years ago, or we could have another foreshadowing.

My eyes are looking up. I’m not discouraged about the world stage. Everything is going swimmingly according to plan.

I focus on my own life and desire to do what is right.

Today’s “Daily Light on the Daily Path” had a verse that really convicted me. I Peter 4:19: “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”

There is so much that speaks to me in that verse today.

I suffer. I realize that my life, and everyone’s life plays out according to God’s will, that God keeps our souls (perhaps not our bodies) and HE IS THE CREATOR. There is suffering according to God’s will.

His rules, His plans, His ways, His everything. His will.

We must trust. We must obey. We must wait patiently, with hope in our hearts.

There is a war going on, but God wins. According to the verse in I Peter I need to do well, do good even in the midst of suffering. Lord, help me.

Jesus will reign.

Be aware that there are dark powers afoot. You need the armor of God to withstand the darts of the devil. Are you under that dark power? Is your life mocking God’s grace? Are you encouraging sin in your fellow men and women? Have you repented of sin?

Watch out.

MARANATHA!

Since January and February are the months to practice the Scandinavian principle of “Hygge” we come out of the quiet with new thoughts and splendid ideas.

I tend to suffer from depression, seasonal and other, and I have struggled with that this Hygge time. I got little done, but my mind kept working.

I was astutely learning Chinese with my language partner in China, on Duolingo, and my textbooks. I felt that I redeemed the time somewhat that way.

I also knit a little sweater for a grandniece about to be born.

I subbed and worked at the hotel regularly, and I met with my new boss weekly. I wasn’t entirely fetal.

Cherie and Ed practiced their own Hygge. We try not to be critical of each other but we don’t see everything that is going on in our lives, even if we share our living space. We all think that we all should be doing “more.” Cleaning, studying, laundry, cooking, you name it.

It’ s easy to judge someone going through an unseen battle.

As the sun returns and warmth increases outside we leave the fireplaces and head toward industry.

Something interesting came up. Ed always tells me things I never knew before: Winnie the Pooh is really about the seven deadly sins.

I wrote a paper about the seven deadly sins back in high school. Those High School assignments never leave you, apparently. I’ve thought about the seven deadlies ever since.

John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress. The book gave birth to amusement parks themed with Christian’s journey. Puritans thought up the idea to do this. Ed told me this, too.

Who would have thought that amusement parks are CHRISTIAN—!!!

Because of this lesson learned we are thinking of making our Japanese garden a Pilgrim’s Progress theme. The project is just a fun thing at this stage. I expect it to become burdensome and inspiring at the same time over the next few years. Such is a project of its nature.

I’m still trying to solve the water in the basement problem. It has me stumped. Maybe the Japanese garden project will also result in a better water solution. I confess that my cries to God for help seem unheard.

Thoughts upon waking: (you know those thoughts before fully awake?) Why do some people with huge messes in their lives end up apparently good-to-go with great outlooks, and other people (like me) with smooth paths meet seasons of chaos and disappointment, grief, with no happy end in sight?

I confess to being downhearted and depressed about things.
I know God is good.

He defines Himself as good. He defines Himself as Love. I accept His definition. I may have trouble understanding His ultimate plan. I certainly don’t see my significance, yet I know He loves me. I simply must accept His control of my life, my future, my everything.

I guess that is the safest place to be, even if it doesn’t appear safe. It doesn’t appear good. It looks scary, even.

As we watch the world descend into the New World Order orchestrated by the puppet masters and their diabolical spiritual head we can rest in God’s plan. That is true hope.

I learned that two people in Kiev who are literally sleeping in a bathtub are praying for me. They are my friends, but I am humbled by their concern, as I should be prostrate before God lifting them in prayer for His protection. I am floored by their sweet interest.

Will you pray for V and V with me? Pray for their protection and their ministry there.

Who is on your snatch list? Jude 23

I am going to keep asking this until the Rapture of the church in Christ. We need to be praying daily for the salvation of many, of the world!

MARANATHA

Corgi Hollows reactivated on Facebook. It was time. The time of the singing of birds has come. The winter has past, and the rains have sprung. Come Away! Come Away!

There is a theme in both George MacDonald’s and Tolkien’s works that crops up. It has to do with beautiful youth in age.

Think of all the characters that are “ancient” yet appear youthful.

As we all age, day by day, we see the effects of a fallen world. Death is just the end, but daily our existence reminds us that the good fades away. We are in a spiral towards the end.

God chooses to give us hope, though. He promises eternal health and joy. Anyone that has experienced that indescribable place called Heaven can attest to that eternal bliss.

As I grow older that promise of perfection becomes more dear. I hate seeing the effects of decay and death. It must be endured, but I still hate it.

I’m seeing the decay of winter outside my front door. Spring is nosing in after this bitter, deathly cold we’ve endured. The temps are nudging above freezing.

I’m recovering from a slight cold, headaches, all the ominous symptoms. I took my horse medicine and my tonic water. I’m fine. I’m just a little sad and tired, nursing my red nose.

I guess I’m feeling my old age.

We are still loved, we are still valued. We are still here.

We are waiting for the return of our eternal King, and it cannot be long now.

Endure to the end. Eternity promises to be worth the pain of now.