A Picture of Trust

 It is January 20, 2024 early in the morning. It is still dark in Bethlehem, PA. From a live cam on my computer, I can see the sun rising in Sea Isle City New Jersey.

I am in my purple chair……ahhhhhhh

I was reading from one of my favorite devotionals “Jesus calling.” The reference verse I saw is the one that’s in the picture.

I love the youversion app where I can add words, usually words from scripture or quotes that really hit me, to my pictures. 

I am always encouraged by Jeremiah 29:11. For some reason it gets me back to solid ground. When life gets lifey and shaky… I love to be reminded that I stand on solid ground.

So when I scrolled through my pictures to see one that related to Jeremiah 29:11, I found this one. 

Allow me to explain my rationale for this choice. 

The first week of 2024, our family had a week at North Litchfield Beach South Carolina. Practically the whole family was there. The week culminated in my 70th birthday. The whole week was a week of celebration. I did miss my oldest son, Kurt and his lovely wife, Stephanie, and their three boys. But because of life getting lifey for them, they needed to be home and care for themselves and their boys. Especially for their son Joshua. Who went through an operation. Joshua is doing very well by the way.❤️

One of our activities that week was to visit the aquarium in Myrtle Beach. It was a wonderful visit! Very few people were there, and so we had the run of the aquarium. And run we did! Lol.

One of the highlights of the visit was a ride on the glass bottom boat. 👏👏👏 I have to tell the truth, when the life-vests came out I thought maybe this wasn’t such a good idea… But the 5 grandchildren were troopers! They were so excited they were going on a boat ride that they had never been on before. They put on these life vests without any trepidation. They also listened so attentively to the boats captain.

They didn’t know what this trip was going to be like. They had never heard of a glass bottom boat. They didn’t know what the future held for them. But they knew that if their parents and their grandparents thought this was a great idea, then it was a great idea!  They put their trust in us.

What pure trust! 

And I pause, and I ponder in my purple chair a little bit… Trust. Safely trust. Safely trust knowing that we are loved with an everlasting love, and that we are cared for;

Even when we don’t trust.

Written with love, joy, and peace from my Purple Chair to yours, fellow travelers…❤️💜🪑💜❤️

Forever? 🤔 Forever!

 Hi!

These are “traveling” words for our day’s life journey👍

Take a breath, sweet friends, and family, take another breath, and another breath…

And then - Again, Take a breath, sweet friends, and family, take another breath, and another breath….

Settle in, be cozy, cozy, let go of busy busy for a moment.

Grab hold of the peace and the love that passes all understanding. 

It’s yours! For the taking…

Read slowly:

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help?

My help comes from the Lord; Who made heaven and earth. 

He will not allow your foot to be moved. 

He who keeps you will not slumber, 

Behold He who keeps 

“___________” 

{Add your name here or your family’s names or your surname; Fore, he “keeps” all his beloved ones who he created and loves with an everlasting love.}

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper. 

The Lord, is your shade at your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from evil.

He shall preserve your soul. 

The Lord shall preserve your going out and you’re coming in;

From this time 

And even forevermore.”

❤️❤️❤️❤️💎💎💎❤️❤️❤️❤️

Ahhhhhhhh…

Psalm 121 adapted and applied

Choose Joy…

 Hello fellow, travelers!

I had quite the time this morning, From my Purple Chair.

Do you ever do something and the time just flies by?       You’re in the zone. It’s almost beyond measurable time.

Well, I had that time this morning and the result of it is my first video from my Purple Chair Vu;  Directly related to my Purple Chair zone. And so I share it here praying that you will not just listen to it to say oh let’s see what the process is. But that you will listen and watch for connections to your own time when you go deeper. When you spot that treasure, that pearl of great price, that place where you are convening with God in you.

Let me know what you think sweet fellow traveler. Your thoughts and your golden threads and silver strands bless my heart. Your thoughts and your noticing, and your observations are encouraging to other fellow, travelers, in  that God is speaking to all of us and available for all.

Let me know what you think sweet fellow traveler. Your thoughts in your golden threads and silver strands bless my heart I guess to be there, encouraging that God is speaking to all of us and available for all.

And I ponder….💜❤️🪑💜❤️

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0e9oSiC1IHUzspq0zCSVB5Ojw

 Hello Fellow Sojourners!  

It's a big first day for these grandchildren!  

It's the first day of middle school for Joshua on the left and the first day of kindergarten for Charlie on the right. And that's James Duke in the middle - his first day at home with just he and mommy!

It makes me pause....

Time passes by so quickly - 

Every day brings so many "firsts" --

I am filled with gratitude ...

For these grandchildren, 

For milestones and for the "little stones" of life.

And so grateful for God's ever-presence in their lives and all our lives.

And I pause --- 

It helps me to pause by starting with a verse or a word or a poem... 

It helps me stop, listen, wait, rest...

Peace....

Anticipate ---

Here is a prose that I especially like to use at my Noon time pause times.... 

You may like it too - 

Maybe - this is your first time to pause at noon....

Enjoy and be Refreshed sweet fellow travelers!

With love and joy from my Purple Chair - 

Stigma and Propaganda VS Inclusion and Truth: Checking/Reflecting on Our Perspectives

 It is early Sunday morning, November 21, 2021 -- 

This is basically my journal from my purple chair --- 

We know that writing down our thoughts is an excellent practice... It helps with discernment, reflection, and for me, it calms and clears my heart.

I begin my purple chair time - Gathering
I gather my thoughts and incoming "data" :) 
Vaccinated/unvaccinated, republican/democrat/etc,  propaganda/truth, news/media/books, prayer/tears/confusion, freedom/slavery, love/hate, mandate/educate, fear/love.... 
Through my writing - I un-encumber my brain -- Truly - this is an exercise that never fails :)

So - I come up with the title of my time 

And I break it down --- Stigma and Propaganda...
As I reflect on my thoughts and feelings - I see alot of stigmatization going on around me... and perhaps in me?

and so I ponder - 

Inclusion and Truth... --- and i breathe. Truly I find myself taking a big, deep breath.

Reflecting - And I pause...I'm in the middle of one of life's struggles.  I am feeling tugged and pulled - and yet, when I settle in on "including and truth" - I breathe more easily - I can see more clearly -- and I "hear" LOVE.

And I "come upon" this video - Where this doctor (who I have found to ask really good question!)  anyway - I find this video comparing and contrasting "criminals." 

https://youtu.be/geYmRdwOwaU  

And I ponder --- and as I ponder,  pray, read, and meditate something happens.  I find myself relaxing and calming down.  And I realize - 

I am inspired, illumiated, "in"-couraged, 
Psalm 91 comes into my VU - such inspiration; such "righting" of my heart; such in-couragement...

I was feeling so "tossed about."  And i am sensing that many folks are feeling tossed about in these times of economic, political, pandemic.... 

And I see and interpret Psalm 91 from the Message version:

"You, Kathy, you are sitting down in the High God's presence,
You have spent the night in Shaddai's shadow,

So you can say this, "God, You are my very refuge.  Oh Yahweh, I can trust in You and I am safe!"

And I am reminded - That's right --- Shaddai tells me, "I rescue you from hidden traps, and I shield you from deadly hazards."

Dearest Kathy - says this Inner Divine Voice tells me - "Dearest Kathy,  My huge outstretched arms protect you - and under them you are perfectly safe; These arms - will fend off all harm."

So - 

"Fear nothing - not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows in the day,

Not disease that prowls through the darkness, not disaster that erupts at high noon..."

(And the Psalm continues to encourage my heart as I read and personalize it -- )

the closing verses - as I have personalized them...
"Hold on to Me Kathy for dear life - I'll get you out of the inner and even the outer trouble in peace.  

I'll give you the best care ... Just sit with me awhile and get to know Me even better.  

I am always accessible to anyone -- Just try it out - 

Call Me and you will see that I will answer - for I am always at your side..."

(Please not that I have personalized Psalm 91utilizing and inspired by the Message by Eugene Peterson)

And I proceed in peace --- 

With love to you, my fellow sojourners, from my Purple Chair Vu - 

 I feel so affirmed and good and free and intelligent... just because I wrote it down!

I just watched Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene speak boldly and honestly and from her heart to her fellow representatives about the loss of freedoms and rights we are currently experiencing in the USA.   I was compelled to comment below the video clip and this is what I wrote as it poured out of me:

"Well said!!!  Please folks - listen to this wisdom.  Try to take off your blinders, your bias.  Please please  please just consider, truly take a step back and consider, the damage some of our governors, the CDC, ("...a private, nonprofit organization classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity." by the way --- PRIVATE organization.  With people leading it who have not been elected by us or anyone for that matter)

the damage that our federal government and unelected officials are doing in the name of "protection!"  They have certainly not protected our rights - and they have certainly not protected the nation, that our children and grandchildren will inherit.  They have certainly not honored our ability to think and choose for ourselves.  And I have to confess that I sat there and followed the "rules" --- I wore/wear the mask for "others."  I stay 6 feet away.... 

But then I realized ---

There was no legislative process connected to forced closings, forced masks, nor forced vaccination (i realized we haven't gotten to forced injections yet - but it feels like it's closing in quickly).  

Someone said to me, "Aren't you afraid you will catch the virus and die or get very sick or get someone else very sick?"  

I said in my mind (because i am totally uncomfortable and frightened to speak aloud thoughts that could get me cancelled). 

I continue - I responded in my mind, "i am much more frightened at the speed that my/our rights are being stripped away.  Much, much, more frightened about that.  Frightened by the partnership of big corporations and our government.  Much more frightened that we are not allowed to speak a difference of opinion.  I was taught that discussion and debate and critical thinking and speaking were highly valued in the USA."  (In fact, I taught middle school and high teachers and administrators methodologies to teach their students to be critical thinkers.)  

That is what I wanted to say aloud... but i didn't.  

However, I said it here ---- maybe next time someone asks the same question I will have the courage and boldness to say it aloud - and say it again and again until someone listens.  I have a feeling that many of you believe this way too.  So i guess i am talking to the "choir."  But it sure does feel good and free and healing to speak aloud my justifiable and real fears.  

Thank you for reading and listening... let's not give up! 

So, that is what I wrote.  And this is my very own blog.  And I can say it here.  And you don't have to agree with me.  And perhaps we could have a discussion with facts and evidence and data and perhaps we could come to the agreement to not agree.  Perhaps. 

And we would be free and we would honor one another - and we would agree to stop the discussion when necessary and hopefully to open it up again for further consideration. And we would still be friends who respect each other and would never think to silence one another.  Perhaps.

By the way - writing is so good for the brain, heart, mind and health.  

And I have the experience and the evidence to support that statement!

I close from my Purple Chair  still pondering and meditating and praying;
With much love and respect for your being and your right to an opinion. 

💜💜💜

 

 Focusing on "Glad"...

I wrote a text to my husband, Paul today and feel compelled to share it with others.  It's at the end of this entry.

I think we can all agree that these are "crazy" times.  This past year has been interesting to say the very least.  And there are alot of "things" that can make a soul sad.  A deep soul sadness and anxiety, is what I hear from others, if I have on my true listening ears.  And if I am listening to my own heart, I hear sadness and anxiety there too.  These are real and true feelings and sensations.  And they make my soul sad.

However, (and I love that word "however" - it's got hopefulness in it!)

However - I can focus on "glad."  When I do, I sense more grounding, stability, peace and calm.  I have more to give to myself, others and God when I am focusing on "glad" rather than "sad."

It doesn't mean that I disregard these "sad" feelings and thoughts.  It just means that I observe the "sad," bring it to my awareness in a nonjudgemental way, and then try to lay it down.  

The best way I can lay the "sad" down is to pick up the "glad."

I believe that we are made to be thankful - It's an action and it can be practiced.  It is a Practice.  It's as vital to our well-being as is air, food, and water... and relationship.

So - I am going to practice "glad" today.  Want to join me?

With love and "glad" to my fellow sojourners, 

From my purple chair vu - 💜💜💜

"Hi Babe - love you soooo much too - Have a truly wonderful day -- its the only March 10, 2021 we will ever have 😊  I’m going to try to stay positive today -- i know a lot of the stuff happening in our country gets me a little sad... but i’m going to focus on the glad today 😊  And I am surely sooooooo glad for you my love.  Looking forward to being with you tonight -- dinner, conversation, maybe a walk and a relaxing TV and TEA time too 😊 Such precious gifts

!