Even though it is easy to get caught up in what is coming this week — from church services to guests to meals to shopping for that perfect Spring outfit to celebrating the resurrection of Jesus — there is today.

Don’t miss it.

Don’t miss this morning. Don’t miss what God is doing.

You might have lists to write and things to accomplish, but this moment is here.

God is here.

He is in the quiet sunrise and the singing birds and the gentle breeze. He is also in the clatter of dishes and the hum of the washing machine.

He is in the breakfast making and consuming and the commute and all the conversations and decisions of today.

Ask Him to be a part of it all. It might be a busy week with many known tasks as well ones you don’t see on the horizon.

But God is here with you.

Immanuel. God is with us.

Blessings on your day!

Liz

This is Holy Week.

There are extra church services as well as family gatherings. You might even have an opportunity to attend an Easter vigil. According to Matthew W. Bowers, an lcms (lutheran church missouri synod) layperson, “It is a solemn celebration. It is the night in which death is undone, light overcomes darkness, and Christ rises as the Firstborn from the dead.”

This is a holy week.

It leads to Easter.

There are times we find ourselves in a vigil over a situation — it might be waiting for a test result or a job offer or someone we love might be nearing birth. And sometimes it is someone we love who is nearing death. We watch and pray because it is all we can do.

But we know there is work happening in the background. In big and small ways, God is working. In the seen and the unseen…in the heard and unheard…in the quiet and in the noise…in the searching and the finding…in the light and in the dark. He is always working things together.

Whenever you find yourself in a type of vigil, watch and pray. And know with full confidence that God sees you and knows the needs. He isn’t dependent on you for a solution rather He is working towards it and preparing your heart for what is to come.

Blessings on your day,
Liz

We are in the midst of looking around the house and making it more of our own space.

I know, I know….it has only taken us 4 years, but there is always a lot going on.

It’ s an ongoing project. It’s a house. It minimally needs maintenance. And sometimes more than that. While we are living in it we want to have some things hanging on the walls. I have all kinds of things to hang up. But I simply do not enjoy the measuring and the leveling and all that.

Over the years God has placed different people in my life who love that sort of thing. And I am so very thankful!

Having friends with different abilities, experiences, skills, and perspectives than I have is a beautiful thing. I look at the people in my life as gifts in my world. They each contribute to my improvement and growth. They brighten my space. Their faces (and voices) are a part of the joy and fun I experience here on Earth.

This Holy Week I am thankful for good gifts of friends and friendships.

And I will always find it amazing that God calls me His friend. God is faithful and full of great love for you!

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

Blessings on your week!

Liz

Are you where you want to be or are you in a place “for now” and waiting for the next location?

We aren’t always in the place where we end up, but we are always someplace on the way with things to learn and experience. There is a benefit to be rooted, but one should be open to being transplanted, too.

But that often means new soil and a different combination of elements. And the length of seasons might be different, too.

Sometimes it requires no moving to be in a new place. One day you might wake up and recognize that you are in a different space and you haven’t physically moved at all. It could be a birth, death or illness. It could be a job loss or change or the beginning or ending of training or education. It could be someone else’s move or change impacts you in a way that you didn’t expect.

We may not know everything going forward but we can always count on change.

Be rooted in God’s Word and planted firmly in Faith and the external circumstances will have less of a devastating impact. There is always heartbreak in the world, of course, but the confidence of God’s provision in the midst of all of it can help us withstand the difficulties of life.

Blessings on your day!

Liz

Heavenly Father, be with those who are in the midst of medical emergencies — be with all injured and ill and those who love them.

Sometimes the injured one is trying to make some heavy decisions but other times it is family or friends. Naturally, doctors are likely involved – they need prayer as well.

Pray for everyone impacted — the relatives unable to be with their loved ones due to distance or finances or schedules that don’t cooperate. And those too young to understand what is happening, only that life at home seems to be a little more stressful.

It rarely is the case when the ill person is the only one impacted. So when I am praying for an ill person I almost always visualize that person and all that might be going on around them — from medical professionals to family conversations to the general disruption that illness can bring.

Blessings on your prayer time!
Liz

God designed His creation to carry on through husbands and wives having babies. In a perfect world, it would happen perfectly. But, here we are, in a very imperfect world.

Wrap your loving arms around each family expecting a baby. Protect all “secret places” and help the moms and dads as they prepare their hearts for new life in their family.

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:13-16

I have a sweet friend who is experiencing a bit of complications during her pregnancy, so please pray for her and their little one. Calm her fears and anxious thoughts. Help her medical advice to be on target. Help her to not push the limits on what she is allowed to do. I am also praying with a grandma who is awaiting three more grandbabies. We might as well pray for safe growing for all babies — even though God has provided a wonderful safe place for growing, man has dropped the ball in protecting this place.

Blessings on your day!
Liz

I am always surprised at the connections we have with one another. We can find ways to make connections if we want to.

And if we want to build a barrier, we can find every little thing that isn’t similar with someone we don’t want to be connected to.

It’s our choice, of course. We can look for differences or look for similarities.

We can find ways to bring up the topics that cause division or look for opportunities to discuss things we have in common.

I am not a lover of conflict. We may not agree on politics or religion or any number of things, but I am pretty sure I can still have a fun conversation with you because I am not inclined to discuss those things. I haven’t found too many people who can discuss those things calmly. And there are soooo many different and more interesting things to talk about.

Just like you can look for the good in others you can look for the commonalities you have with others. You’ll never regret knowing how to have at least a neutral conversation with others. Not every conversation requires sparring.

Building bridges builds connection and compassion. And at least gives you the opportunity to walk over and get a better sense for the other person’s perspective.

Blessings on your day as you connect with others!
Liz

I slept wrong in the wee hours of the morning and now I have a kink in my neck I can’t get rid of.

Not that it is worth complaining about but I noticed it is slowing me down. It occurred to me that physical pain slows me down — and emotional pain can interrupt my progress just like physical pain.

And if the pain lasts a good while it is easy to understand that people might seek relief in a variety of ways.

I have not experienced a lot of chronic pain in my life, thankfully. I am pretty pain averse. This is why I will never get a tattoo. Pay for someone to inflict physical pain on me? No way.

But heartache and gut-wrenching pain is no joke. And neither is chronic physical pain.

Know of someone in physical or emotional pain? If you have an opportunity to bear some of the load, offer. But at least lift them up in prayer.

Blessings on your day!

Liz

Little things can add up!

Sometimes I only have the capacity for little things. And, thankfully, they do add up.

A coffee date here.
A quick prayer there.
A short note.
A text.
A phone call.

These, by themselves, are just little things when they stand alone. But each little thing is built on the thing before and can result in a lifeline and life time of connection.

A short note is better than no note. A quick coffee is better than no face-to-face. If someone is on your heart, reach out to connect. Take the initiative.

Sometimes our need for big plans can interrupt us doing anything. Little steps are perfectly fine. And actually do more to get you where you want to go than those big leaps.

Blessings on your day!
Liz

I tend to want to insert myself in the middle of things that are not moving as quickly as I want them to. I am often impatient to let the process happen.

It’s like letting someone plan the meal and do the cooking but I want to get in there and “stir the pot” to make sure it is happening.

I impatiently wait. I pace. I wring my hands. I try to “help things along” but, things that are not in my control are not in my control.

In my impatience I can pray. I can offer the circumstance to God. I can offer my perspective if requested.

We are all on different timetables and in different stages of life and processing Sometimes we are on different pages in different books. My playbook is not necessarily the same as everyone else’s. This is particularly the case if you are in situations that involve both believers and non-believers.

When I look at this verse, it gives me something to do while I wait:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

If you are in a season of waiting, trust that God is working even if you cannot actively see His movement. Remember, He works in big and small ways. He works boldly and in the quiet. He is always working and our work is often in the waiting.

And the waiting is the hardest part!

Blessings on your day!
Liz