THE WORD – Have you ever stumbled around in the dark?

Occasionally if I stay up too late to finish a project, my husband goes upstairs before me to go to bed. I don’t want to turn on the hall light in case he’s fallen asleep already. So I turn off the lights downstairs and creep my way to the stairwell. Okay, so far, so good. My eyes are adjusting to the dark and I know my way around my living room. Holding to the banister, I take careful steps and finally reach the top. Wait. I think its the top.The banister has ended.

I’m pretty sure there isn’t another step and I’ve reached the upstairs landing. But there is that weird, uncanny feeling of stepping out into nothingness. Maybe I misjudged and will end up tripping and landing against a wall Or, and this makes no sense whatsoever, maybe I’ll step out and there will be…nothing.

Just air and space, dropping me into the unknown depths of another world…

Note: This is what happens when you write, there is always that what if element : ) 

Life often brings us on paths that grow dark and we are stumbling our way through, hoping not to trip and fall. We’ve been this way before and we think we know the steps. Yet there is fear and hesitancy.

• What comes next?
• Has something changed on this path?
• Is there a new curve to watch out for or a new pothole in the road?

Rest in His Word. 

God has promised to be our Light and our Salvation. There is nothing to be afraid of. When we feel darkness all around us and fear for our next step, He will guide every footfall.

Jesus is our EVERLASTING LIGHT!  

Leave a comment with your favorite scripture on Light.

IN MY WORDS – Southern writers like to use catchy phrases for their unique style. Southern Fried Fiction, Southern Tales of Sweet Tea Days, etc. They all sound innocent, warm and friendly with a “bless your heart” drawl in the background. Don’t be fooled. Southern writers can be downright dangerous.

My husband and I were traveling home from Long Island last weekend. It was later in the evening on a lovely summer day and everyone, EVERYONE decided to go out at the same time.

Traffic was bumper to bumper and no matter what parkway or bridge we aimed for, it was all backed up. Grand Central Parkway: cars were lined up for miles. Cross Island Parkway: traffic would move for about 3 minutes then come to an abrupt halt. Whitestone Bridge: yeah, we’d get across it eventually, hopefully before the Second Coming. Though that would certainly have lifted us out of it in a flash.

We finally reached a point where cars were moving along at a decent pace. I settled back and begin catching up on emails. “Hey, Connie’s got a new blog post up, want me to read it to you?” Dwayne nodded, happy to have some comedic diversion to our long stressful travels. So…I read it out loud.

About my crazy dazed TN gal and her views on the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference. We were both laughing, agreeing that yes, Connie had spent some tulip-tiptoeing time and definitely worked hard at restful retreating. (I couldn’t even find her one day because she escaped to Black Mt. and hunted through boutiques, coffee shops and what not before slipping back into Ridgecrest under cover) So here we are sailing down the highway and laughing it up but really, it was the last line of her blog that almost put us into the river. Dwayne swerved, I yelled and all was well, we were back on the road.

Oh yeah, I know you’re wondering about that last line. Check it out at https://wisdomfromthedoublewide.wordpress.com/2017/06/11/writer-dazed-after-conference/ 

Just be careful.

IN MY WORDS – Returning home from Blue Ridge Conference is an experience in itself. Re-acclimating to normal day to day life and no longer surrounded by all those crazy, lovable, amazing and creative writer friends. I agree with many of the recent posts on what a marvelous conference we had this year. And kudos to the hard-working, never-slowing-down staff who manage to pull it all together.

But I’m thinking of those who may have been unable to attend and feel like they have missed out. Over the past eleven years, I missed one conference and I was so miserable I wrote a saga of the “Blue Ridge Blues.” : )  My suggestion to those who missed this year is to go back over notes from other conferences. We receive so much material, bring it all home and don’t always find the time to go back to it. Use this time to review and re-visit the conference spirit! Stay active on the Blue Ridge FB page.  I know I missed many people this year including Al & Becky Gansky, Latan, Jan Willis and the list goes on. Please know you were missed! 

The other “forgotten few” are those who may have attended for the first time and felt lost and overwhelmed. I do hope we made you feel welcome so you’ll come back again. Maybe you entered a contest and didn’t win. Congratulations – you are now a legitimate writer who can talk about rejections! Seriously. We have all been there. Perhaps you had appointments that didn’t go as you expected them to. Remember Edie’s farewell speech about God’s scenic journey. He DOES have a plan and a purpose for you. Be encouraged. Think about the inspiring keynotes of T. Davis Bunn, (working on that creative space?) and Steve Laube. I keep hearing his voice in my head saying, “Don’t you dare…!” and it will be my mantra this year to continue the craft of writing. 

Forgotten Few, you are NOT forgotten! Don’t you dare stop writing, there is no excuse.

Warning: if you love Mother’s Day, don’t read on. 

Personally, I try to ignore it every year. Though not an easy task when bombarded by commercial appeals for gifts, cards, flowers….you name it. All it takes is a browse-through a card shop and I’m in tears. I miss my mother and the missing will never go away.

My biggest complaint about this day is that it is no longer personal. It would be lovely if people simply honored their mother quietly at home. In whatever manner they think best. Perhaps taking some of her daily responsibility upon their own shoulders. Sometimes I think they would appreciate that gesture much more than cards and gifts.

But no, this “holiday” is wide spread and you can’t escape it. Unfortunately it has infiltrated our churches. I know many women who will no longer attend church on Mother’s Day. It’s not worth the insensitivity and the embarrassment. If you’ve lost your mother and/or never had children, you understand. While more than half the church are honored, lauded and paraded before the congregation, you sit with the minority and want to crawl under the pew. And it gets worse if they try to point you out as “mothers of the church,” trying to find some appropriate title to include you in their celebration. Count me out.

My husband and I have a standing joke of who will be the first to put their foot in their mouth and wish me a happy mother’s day. It’s guaranteed within the church but one year I was standing on the church steps waiting for the door to be unlocked, when a neighbor strode by and called out a happy mothers day to me. I couldn’t even get in the building without it! And this year, we’re ahead by many days, as an office supply rep wished me a happy mothers day mid-week! Sorry people, not all women are mothers. I’m going to spend some time with other motherless and kidless friends that day and quietly, simply honor the memory of our own dear mothers.

Rant over, and I did warn you…

THE WORD – “A gray head is a crown of glory; it is found in the way of righteousness.” Prov. 16:31  

I have a deep and sincere respect for the elderly mentors in my life.

Seasoned saints who have lived for God through every imaginable circumstance and come out on the other side…in victory.      

I look to them for an example. I need their advice, guidance, encouragement and strength. These wonderful men and women of God have affected my life over and over again.

Look around you. Are there elderly people among your congregation that sometimes go unnoticed?

You may be missing out on an opportunity for a relationship filled with rich treasures of wisdom. 

Do you already have someone like this in your life?  I pray we learn to hear the voice of our elders. They can help us on this path to avoid some of the rough places because they have made their own mistakes. Let’s learn from them. 

“Wisdom is with aged men, with long life is understanding.” Job 12:2

IN MY WORDS – I asked my husband if we could watch a Christmas movie tonight but he refused.

Of course, it was his third time in from snow blowing and he looked like an unfriendly snowman dripping icicles and wet snowdrops all over the carpet, so I closed the subject quickly.

Snowstorms always remind me of God’s power. I find it amusing how so many people today think they can control everything and they have absolutely no need for GOD. And all He has to do is gather together a few snowflakes and the whole region closes down.  No, I’m not happy about the two feet of snow outside but…we do live in upstate NY and it is only March.  Let’s celebrate our final snowstorm (please pray with me on this) with some good Words:   

Lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding. Psalm 148:8

He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes Psalm 147:16 NIV

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isaiah 1:18 KJV

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 KJV

HAPPY SNOW DAY!

THE WORD – Do we ever pause in our daily conversations to think about the words we speak?

Not only the words we speak to others but…when we are “talking to ourselves.”

I’m sure I’m not the only one who does this.

Lately I’ve been noticing how many times I utter these words, “I am so tired.”  And different variations along that theme.

The speed of life continues to accelerate and we manage to plow through but I imagine many of us are using this phrase on a constant basis. Convincing ourselves how exhausted we are. Bringing more weariness and a defeatist attitude.

Let’s change it up! Every time this phrase or a similar one starts to form, try a different slant.

• I am so blessed.
  
• God, I am thankful.
  
• I am pressing on! 
• I can do all things through Christ!
  

 Imagine what a difference this will make in our attitudes.

Do you have a repetitive phrase you fall back on?

Will you join me in using positive words?

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord…”

 A WORD – SHRED: to tear, cut up.

The winter storms we’ve had recently in upstate NY have kept me in, house-bound and bordering close to cabin fever.

I am determined to put the time to good use so I continue to work on de-cluttering and getting rid of “stuff.” I started shredding some old documents and found bank statements and cancelled checks from…the 90’s.  Yeah, about time to get rid of them.

Going through the papers, I’m reminded of God’s provision and faithfulness through the years. Supplying our every need. Guiding us through all our decisions.

And as the papers move through the shredder, leaving tiny undecipherable bits of paper left, I am grateful for His grace.

The grace that takes our past sins and problems and shreds them to nothing as we repent before Him. 

No longer readable .

We can’t go back and look at them again.

And He has forgotten them in the great sea of forgetfulness.

Moving forward in Christ. 

His mercies are new every morning.

Oh, God is good to us!

So…do you have some old things that need to be shredded? Both naturally and spiritually?

Do you trip easily?

Are you a fast walker?

Do you pay attention to where you’re going? 

How often we get caught up in the chaos of everyday life and find ourselves in places we never intended to be in.

This may not always be a forbidden place or dangerous territory. But it can be a place of complete distraction to where the Lord wants to lead us.

As I get older, I find myself intentionally slowing my pace. I’ve fallen before from not paying attention to where I was walking, tripped on a broken sidewalk and broken my wrist. Painful consequences of not “pondering the path!”

I’m sure we don’t want to stumble or fall in our spiritual walk. Or to rush ahead of God’s plan.

My prayer for you: God help us to learn how to ponder the path of our feet and allow all our ways to be established in You. 

Question: This week, have you thought about where you are walking? Is it time to slow down?