From my archives of 2023…

Today has been another beautiful winter day, cloud cover thick enough to block out Mother Nature’s sunset pageant, but wondrous in its heavy colored layers of grays and purples. I just wonder if Mother Nature’s painting was magnificent tonight. I’m ready for the rain clouds to disappear so the sun setting pageants can be seen again. I miss Father Sky and his daily dusk duties of waking the night and hanging the moon and stars.

The birds are enjoying the feeders this morning, happily singing and flitting around. Saw a few goldfinches on the new thistle feeder while I was pondering in the swing. The flock of faithful cardinals always make me smile and think of Chief. He sends the cardinals to cheer me. The male cardinals are so beautiful in their crimson plumage.

I love the family togetherness of Christmas. The celebrations and dinners with my family, watching the Christmas magic in the eyes and expressions of the children. I know Christmas was hard for people who have lost loved ones this year and years past. The holidays are sad when we have empty chairs at our dining tables for the first time. Wish I could say it gets easier to accept the empty place, but in actuality it doesn’t get any easier you just learn how, in your own way, to accept it and trudge on through the holiday season.

I believe we will be reunited in heaven with our loved ones and live together as a loving family. The Bible says “those who have expressed faith in Jesus Christ and led lives according to his teachings will be united with their loved ones in heaven.” These thoughts give me peace and help me accept the loss of my loved ones. “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them,” 1 John 4:16.

Been pondering on this quote today. “Life is about change, sometimes it’s painful, sometimes it’s beautiful, but most of the time it’s both,” Kristin Kreuk. Life is full of ups and downs. We never know what tomorrow will bring. Change is such a big part of our life and sometimes hard to accept. The Lord gives us choices and we decide how we will react to the changes. We can pray and ask for help with our choices or strike out on our own and hope for the best. Mary Shelley said, “Nothing is so painful to the human as a great and sudden change.”

I believe in prayer, I’ve seen it make miracles happen, and I trust in my faith in God. God’s love is always strong and steadfast. His love never wavers. Psalm 18:2 reads, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Our lives are like the seasons, we’re born and we’ll die. We have times in our lives of great joy and times of deep sorrow. When our lives feel unsteady, Jesus will be our rock, a fortress in our times of troubles.

“Without a family, man, alone in the world, trembles with the cold.” — Andre Maurois