So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 - NLT What is the feeling that comes over you when you read this verse? Me? I feel empowered. Picture someone in your mind who is wonderfully wise, strong, and loving. He knows you well. He truly cares about every. single. thing. in your life. He always wants the best for you. He has all the time in the world for you...to listen and to talk. And he has every resource available to make things … [Read more...]
The blog has been pretty quiet this past week. The week began with a Joy Day! post. We welcomed 2013 with a prayer by The Reverend Billy Graham. I then hinted at my quietness when I invited you to join me in Ann Voskamp's Joy Dare, the following day. So many times I wanted to write here, but just didn't have the right words. Today, I still don't know that I have the right words. But, my mind is camped on this scripture verse... God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 And then it is interesting to me that if we continue to read the … [Read more...]
As we begin our fresh New Year there is much that can be said. But before all the talking, it seems that the best place we can begin is... on our knees. A Prayer for the New Year Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of this new year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the future. We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is ahead of us—but You alone know what it holds for us, and only You can give us the strength and the wisdom we will need to meet its challenges. So help us to humbly put our … [Read more...]
When I can't make sense of the world, or my little world comes crashing in, I find refuge in God's word and in His magnificent creation. Today I offer you a photo of a nearby pasture taken an hour before sunset when the light was pure gold. For me, as I gaze again with both the eye of the moment and my mind's eye, I sense peace. "The peace that passes understanding." I know that peace. It can be found in God and His everlasting Word. Today I really only have a few words of my own. Instead the words I share with you are His Words....Words that will bring each of us … [Read more...]
It's just a few days after Thanksgiving. Are you still in the moments of gratitude? Or have you jumped on the busy bus? I'm not sure why, but I am in a bit of a reflective mood today...savoring the moment....steering clear of busyness. Sometime ago I walked around a small lake. I was enthralled with the lighting and snapped this photo. It has not been altered in any way. I love the ethereal clouds and the way they reflect on the water along with the bursts of the sun. And, I remember the peace and tranquility I felt, as I wandered the path along the water's edge with a … [Read more...]
Joy Day! My favorite day of the week. The day when we count blessings.... ...the good things and the not-so-good things. The day we acknowledge The One who loves us beyond anything we can imagine. Everyday my husband drives through what is called a greenway. The mountainside is immediately on the right and and the gorge to the left on portions of the road. It's beautiful. And true to its name in the spring and summer. He sees lots of wildlife. And dead deer in the fall and winter. Everyday he prays that he won't hit one of those graceful creatures with … [Read more...]
We all do it. We look for the brightest and prettiest....set them up nicely...maybe we even create a tableau to admire. We don't stop there. We place "ours" alongside. And then we do it. We compare. Comparison. It can be our appearance, our house, our blog, our kids, our art...you name it. Theodore Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." How quickly we spiral downhill. It can almost be a free fall. I found myself there today. It's a ploy of the enemy. And I fell for it. I knew better. I knew what to do. But, I … [Read more...]
Some days my heart is heavy. When I have a day like that, I go for a walk in the woods. There I feel the awesomeness of God and his presence. Concerned about the future? Things wearing on your mind? Trust God. In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. Psalm 25:1 He already knows the future and he's already there loving and protecting and fighting for you and me. Just like I used to tell the kids every week... "I know I can trust God no matter what." What's weighing on you right now? Will … [Read more...]
Joy Day! This past week began for many with fear and trepidation. For some of us touched by Hurricane Sandy, the forecast was fierce compared to the wind, rain, and snow that actually pelted our homes. For others of us, the toll was unimaginable. My heart goes out to all those affected. I cannot imagine being without electricity, water, or heat for a week, or being displaced from my home and facing the ordeal of clean up and renovation or demolition and rebuilding. Together, let's pray hard for continued protection, provision, strength, wisdom, and joy for … [Read more...]
Day 28 If you knew you were fully and completely loved.... Would it change the way you live? Would you think more highly of yourself? Would you be more confident? What would be different? We have an amazingly faithful, extraordinarily loving God who created each of us uniquely and is head-over-heels crazy about you and me. This week you may feel... anything but pretty... or that no one cares or notices you... or that you can't bear another burden... or that ___________ (you fill in the blank)... or maybe all of … [Read more...]
Day 22 The other day I was scrolling down my Facebook feed with an attitude. If you're a Facebook regular, especially if you have a fan/biz page, you may be experiencing a number of Facebook unpleasantries lately. I confess, I was irritated. And then I scrolled past a post with this quote by Adele Basheer: "What you think, you create. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you become." Who am I becoming? The last thing I want is my curmudgeonly thoughts to produce negativity in my interactions, creativity, and who I become. It's amazing how quickly I can let … [Read more...]
Day 21 This morning I got up early. Living with a mountain to my East it's darker in the morning than anywhere I've previously lived. As I looked off in the distance I saw just a glimmer of light where the mountain dips a bit. Then, I turned away and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Just a bit later I returned to look out the window. The clouds were pink and violet as the sun was beginning to rise above the mountain. It was glorious. I grabbed my camera and hurried back to the window.... In just those few seconds that it took me to crank open the window, … [Read more...]
Day 14 Some days, it is so easy to get stuck on ourselves and our agendas. To get caught up in the doing....not the being. Do you ever have days like that? We may or may not have started our day with prayer and scripture. And before anyone knows it...we've replaced HIM with US. When we have days like that, it is good to get ourselves realigned. To read verses like this one... It is good to praise the Lord.. to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night. Psalm 92:1-2 That's what we want to do here at An Extraordinary … [Read more...]
Day 11 Today I got up from the table in the breakfast nook and noticed a small famed graphic that usually sits on the generous chair rail there. We had been eating out on the sun porch since Spring and except for dusting the chair rail, once in a while, I hardly noticed the picture there. Isn't that just the way it is? We stop noticing things sometimes, even things we think are important or beautiful. It's sad, really. I'm sure you're wondering about the picture that I once again noticed. It originally was from one of my favorite calendar artists, Ellen Stouffer. Are … [Read more...]
Day 7 Why be ordinary when you (we) can be extraordinary! What can make a day extraordinary? One way... is to have a heart of gratitude. Earlier this year I started counting gifts. It was an intentional discipline on my part. As I undertook the challenge my eyes opened to seeing both the good and the not-so-good occurrences in my life as gifts. There's a verse in the Bible that I love... You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their … [Read more...]
I had the most amazing week, Thursday afternoon. My week was so busy, it went by in a blur. But one moment of time stood out. Have you ever had a week like that? What was that ONE moment? For me... I had an important phone call to make....and I was dreading it. It was one of those times when I felt totally helpless, inadequate, and lost. The matter of concern had also been a matter of prayer...for some time. This day I needed to press the numbers on the keypad and connect with the unknown. I needed help. Just before making my phone call I asked my husband if he would … [Read more...]
This afternoon I realized I had a smile in my heart. It's been a good week. A really good week. A week of joy here at An Extraordinary Day! I've enjoyed sharing special stories. Readers have been blessed. And that in turn blesses me. An Extraordinary Day has gained new subscribers, and has almost tripled this week in views. {Pinch me!} And all of that has happened despite the fact that I'm still limping along with some computer issues. But, even that is a blessing. A friend loaned me his old laptop, though rather slow, it helps tremendously. Plus, in the evening I get to use my … [Read more...]
