Contemplating Thoughts on Despair

Some of us are thinking that thoughts of despair have never been more prominent in our lifetime than during the current pandemic (Covid-19).  I, however, have been thinking about how God takes these seasons of despair and shows us how truly powerful He really is.  We are never more keenly aware of His divine care than when he lifts us out of despair and shows Himself strong on our behalf.  His mercies are new every morning and great is His faithfulness.  I know this firsthand because He has lifted me out of despair and refreshed new hope within.  Hope in the midst of helplessness is invaluable.  It keeps us moving forward towards new beginnings and revisiting losses with thoughts of restoration. Only God can lift the human soul out of the depths of despair and give joy beyond human reasoning.  Thank you, Lord, that I am able to focus on your great mercy and power!  You alone are worthy to be praised!

Thoughts of a CRAZY Nona

When the grandbabies made their appearance into my life, the name "Nona" also appeared.  It means grandmother to my grandchildren; it means madam or lady in Sinhalese.   So, I am challenged to be a ladylike grandmother.  I am also a multi-circuit thinker or processer.  I need at least two or three circuits of thought running in my brain at all times.  I love having two or three different conversations at once.  I leave one conversation and move to another and back again without even offering any explanation to those around me.  To my daughters and grandchildren this seems quite normal and they move seamlessly in mutliple conversations at once with me.  We sometimes do have to explain to the third party involved "oh, that was the other conversation" during an exchange of thoughts.  I use to try to reign my thoughts or brain process in but found it very stifling and unproductive for me personally.  It can be very random to the listener standing by, as I might pick up the conversation(s) after a long gap without any explanation at all.  I am also very good at stashing emotions in compartments until later.  It is very difficult for a "strong woman" to be perceived as emotionally tender or even fragile and as a result we are often the target of unfiltered hurtful outbursts.  Now, I have unwrapped for you several tidbits that make up my craziness in an attempt for you to be better able to navigate through my posts.  I hope that it will also explain my crazy writing skills as I use lots of run-on sentences and poorly constructed sentences.  I might add here that in secondary school I won a financial scholarship for an essay that I had written.  It was because of the steady coaching of my English Literature teacher, Mrs. Gertrude Gundacker.  Now, although I am attempting to help you understand my writing skills I find it oh so comforting to know a God who is not random in HIS thinking, in HIS ways or in HIS love for each of us as mere mortals.  HE is intentional and the Bible states HE does not change.  HE is the same yesterday, today and forever.  There is great comfort in knowing that!  Be blessed today as you navigate through your own thoughts and  find peace in the thoughts God has for you.  Thoughts to bless you and give you a future.  If you were able to navigate this post then you will need no further explanation to my craziness.

Putting Some Thoughts Together!

It is sometimes hard to be creative when our contact with the outside world is limited.  I remember when my children were little and I would be at home all day with them by myself.  Their Dad was off working so hard to provide for us that he often spent twelve hours a day on his job.  I would literally meet him at the door upon his arrival home and practically throw the baby at him, why?  I felt I was disappearing as a person.  I longed for adult conversation and something other than the mundane need to feed and keep another human being clean and safe.  Now, with Covid 19,  I could very easily slip into wondering if there is any reason to get dressed, to continue on with what I called the normal everyday of life.  In the midst of all of this I have made a discovery....at my age we might all applaud and say its about time.  My thoughts today ran to the principle of scripture that says I must die to myself if I really want to live.  All of THIS life I have lived and am living has been aimed at one Eternal Thought....to live I must die.  Die to what? My own selfish desires to be creative, to be ever learning, to success as I have defined it for myself, to be liked, even to be loved, to find my place of value in society, to make a difference, to leave a legacy and finally to be valued by others.  I must surrender with joy to the Sovereignity of the Almighty God.  It is in the totality of submission that I find HIM, the author and giver of life.  True life that produces honesty, respect, gentleness, self-control, love, joy, peace, goodness, meekness, temperance, humility, kindness, understanding and compassion.  I started to put some thoughts together about creativity today because I have the best of intentions of writing more consistently on this blog, but I find it difficult to manage my own creativity.  I can barely manage my desire to be Christ-like above all else.  So, I will leave you to ponder this thought today, are we as followers of Christ willing to be conformed to the likeness of HIM no matter what the making process looks like?  I suggest that today that we all find the courage to be totally honest with ourselves in the light of the Sovereign rule of God!  More thoughts in a day or two if I can manage to put them together creatively or elsewise.

Again with the Thoughts

Here I am writing about my thoughts after some extended time away from blogging.  Today, my thoughts are simply "what happened to life as we knew it?"  Many people have asked me if I think this is the endtimes and is Jesus coming soon.  I can tell you this, we are all closer to the 2nd coming than we have ever been,  but the bible also says "no one knows the hour or the day".  So, there are things I do not know and will not ever know.  My thought for today is:  knowing Jesus is the most important thing in my life and I can face whatever the future holds because He is with me!  I pray you will find your thoughts turning towards your creator!  Tune in again real soon as I will endeavor to write about my thoughts in a day or two.

Aging Thoughts

As I age I realize my thoughts are not necessarily aging but my desire to keep my thoughts to myself is aging or maturing.  Of course, I would like to believe is is maturing because that would actually point to some positive choices on my part.  What I do comprehend is that I am content with my convictions on most subjects and that having others agree with me is not of the importance it used to be.  I have matured enough to realize that I cannot change anyone, their thoughts or their behavior.  Personal choice is simply that, personal choice.  At this stage in my life I am using more of my energy to discuss the consequences of choices and the benefits of biblical behavior.  I hope to finish my course and to finish well.  The last few weeks have afforded me the opportunity to hold several of my thoughts captive for my own amusement and not to take in the thoughts of others lest I be robbed of my own inner peace.  Having said all of that, I hope you were able to follow my aging thoughts to this simply observation..... we all have opinions and we are all welcome to our own opinions on ANY and  ALL subjects.  Even God does not force HIS thoughts on us, we get to choose.

Yeah, I still have some thoughts!

Yes, I know six months have passed since I posted anything on my blog.  My thoughts are obsessive as I wonder if we will ever find everything we have lost.  Glasses, keys, and even money.  I am always amazed when I consider what is happening in our daily lives and how it parallels with my knowledge of God and how he relates to mankind.  We are never lost from HIS eyesight.  HIS eye is upon the sparrow why not me?  He knows where I am and what I am encountering.  There is comfort in knowing I am always in HIS care.  My ability to misplace things is not reflective of God's nature at all.  It is reflective of the fact that Popa and I are aging.

Jet lagged thoughts!

Jet lagged means off kilter, out of usual time sequence.  When you travel half-way around the world in a 36 hour time frame it is not hard to understand that the body often struggles to catch up with the rhythm of planet earth.  Often I think of God's perspective as I write and I realize just how majestic our maker is.  HE is ever present in every time zone!  No jet lag in the spiritual realm! God is all knowing and all powerful, ever ready to participate in our lives.  I am grateful as I lay around for three days trying to recover after the long flight from our home in Sri Lanka to our home in Oregon that God is not bound by the confines of time and distance.  Popa and I arrived less than 2 days ago and are enjoying the spaciousness of our home, the lack of barking dogs, and most of all the absence of humidity.  There is a blessing in the lack of schedules, the luxury of a bathtub, and convenience of all night shopping for our favorite food.   I am not in a hurry to form rational thoughts, just want to enjoy the simple ease of sleeping and eating whenever I want.  I am sure that time will sort out the jet lag and I will once again be required to give an account of my life.  Thanks to my creator for HIS grace even in the mundane recovery from jet lag.  Whatever we face, wherever we are, whenever we are in need God is an ever present help.  Call upon HIM, He will hear you and answer!