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

If you are used to conceding, you might need to learn how not to concede. Or at least figure out why you frequently concede or don’t make your interests known.

If you always get your way, you might need to learn that you are not always in charge in every situation and things won’t always go the way you think they should.

And, the magical balance is somewhere in between. There is a time to stand up and there is a time to sit down and we all need the wisdom to know the difference.

If you find yourself in the midst of a conflict, I recommend you pray about it. And you might want to seek impartial and wise counsel to get another perspective.

Is there a way for the relationship to go forward in harmony? Are there negotiations that can be made? Is there an area where there is room to give a little? Is there an underlying fear of yours or the other party that is driving the issue?

Take a step back. Pray. Seek counsel or even a mediator if things are not moving in a positive direction.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5

Blessings on your week!
Liz

It took a long time for me to sort out the struggle of hosting a big event and inviting all my favorite people to it and why it drove me crazy. So, I don’t do it.

Do not put me in a room with all my favorites when I can’t have some private time with each of them. It’s excruciating for me.

I would rather have coffee or lunch with a different friend once or twice a month then have a big event with all the people I love. I need time for that heart-to-heart kind of talk. The “How are things really going?” kind of talk.

Our lives have real challenges and disappointments — and victories! But they aren’t ones we necessarily want to share with the world. Having a few moments to share what’s on my heart with someone who knows and loves me and, most importantly, will pray for my and my corcumstances is so important for me.

I am blessed beyond measure with people in my life who I can share my heart with and I pray you are, too. Of course, God is always there and ready for a heart-to-heart — in the darkest of nights, in the pain and grief of loss. But, it is also nice to have that person you can call or text or meet with to share a real conversation about how life is going.

I am thankful for God’s gift of heart-to-heart friendships!

Love,
Liz

I often have people and situations at the top of my list for prayer. I don’t bring those specific things to you for prayer but today I am.

My friend (Tami) and her husband lost their eldest daughter in a car accident earlier this week. I just found out about it today and I am so sad for her and her family. I can’t help the situation. I can’t fix it. I can’t change it.

But I can pray for them. And I can ask for you to intercede for them, too.

This family has experienced a lot of challenges — and the most recent years include the husband fighting through leukemia.

It was a weather related accident. She leaves behind her parents, two sisters, three nieces and a host of relatives and friends.

I can’t be there. But I can cover them in prayer. And ask that you help, too.

Please lift Tami and her family up in prayer. For God’s peace and provision in this time of great grief.

In Jesus’ Name,
Liz

Getting ready for the day, the week, or a trip all requires some preparation.

Deciding what you need to have, pulling it together, taking it with you, and remembering to use it when you need it is all a part of the process. We spend a lot of our lives preparing for moments, events, and opportunities.

I get distracted by the tangible and earthly things. I don’t spend enough time preparing my heart.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

I definitely have not looked at that as such a priority but, there is is. “Above all else“

As you start, end, and go about your day take some time to think about how you are guarding your heart.

Where have you “let down your guard”? What can you do to “prepare the way of the Lord?”

How has God been preparing you? And for what purpose?

Blessings on your day!
Liz

Ugh!

I don’t like to be the bearer of bad news. I also don’t like to be the receiver.

And I certainly don’t like to have my hopes up about something and have it not turn out the way I anticipated. Sometimes things do not look at all the way we imagined.

I generally try to reframe these types of situations when I can. It just isn’t always possible. I need to make peace with being disappointed. It’s just a regular part of life.

We live in a world where people will disappoint us and, honestly, we will disappoint ourselves.

It’s a fallen world.

And to think that there is something wrong with things not always going “my way” is an illusion. This life is not for me. I am here. I enjoy my life, but it is not the end game.

And life is relatively short in the scheme of things. But sometimes it can feel quite long, depending on our expectations, circumstances, and duration.

So now what?

I have to fall back on what God says.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.  Proverbs 3:5-8  NIV

What stands out to me today?

Don’t be wise in your own eyes!

God’s wisdom goes far beyond my own. And this is where trusting in the LORD comes in.

In what areas of your life are you learning to trust God more?

Blessings on your day!
Liz

Whether or not you recognize or acknowledge the giver of a gift, you have received a gift.

I was chatting with a friend recently who has seen prayer after prayer been answered in her daughter’s life. But her daughter continues to be blind to these answered prayers. I pray one day she recognizes that God has still been lavishly giving to her some beautiful gifts — in answer to her her mother’s prayers —

It seems that many of those who have been raised in a Christian family are actively rejecting the Christian faith. It’s not looking “a little different”, it isn’t about “a different denomination” or a neutral position. It seems to be a complete rejection of God and the Christian faith.

I have listened to a lot of friends who have had similar experiences and it is heartbreaking and so interesting, too.

I grew up in a family with an occasional connection to God. I don’t seem to remember being in one church but a little here and a little there until I ended up at a church where I could have easy, regular access. My brother was the new organist. I was 12. He needed someone to help in the choir and so there I was at church twice a week. Once for choir practice and once for church. And it just went on from there.

My mom had been disillusioned by behavior in the church — quite honestly, I don’t blame her. I have seen some ugly stuff. But, it never caused me to wonder about God’s goodness. And when things did not go “my way” or when I strayed away from the narrower path, I always knew in my soul about God’s grace and God’s gifts. Even if I wasn’t surrounded by it actively His provision was all around me. I longed for that connection — possibly because it wasn’t in my day-to-day experience.

We are encouraged to bring our children up “in the Lord” but maybe all that familiarity squelches any kind of longing for God on their part. God isn’t the forbidden fruit or relegated to an obligatory service two holidays a year in the midst of family life.

Even those who are wrestling with a Biblical understanding of God are still be provided for — in ways they don’t know, see, or acknowledge. I think that is spiritual blindness that prevents them from seeing. And the prayers and petitions are often through a parent, grandparent, sibling, or friend.

Your prayers are a provision. It is a great honor to intercede for those “who know not what they do.” Keep praying!

Blessings on your day!
Liz