NBA grace

The idea to Never Be Alone can hit me differently in space and time. There are moments when being alone is peaceful, imaginative, and very creative. There are times when being alone is indescribably anxious and UN-discerning.

It is those moments in the anxious active thought process that the brain journeys to it’s autosave discernment. It’s when my brain jumps to protect me from previous external experiences that have initiated heightened emotion and stress that settles in the gut, and churns and churns and churns.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. There are many anecdotes to capture the external influence that may hinder my well-being. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing offers 5 Ways to Set Healthy Boundaries for Mental Wellbeing.

But, I have also found the spiritual self has provided the best method to manage my mental well-being. It begins with prayer in the morning, prayer in the afternoon, prayer in the evening, prayer in the night, and prayer whenever my selfish self begins to react to the external hits that ignite my brain to react in flight, fright, freeze, or fawn.

My journey over the last few months has been a path of listening to God’s word, unfiltered, as I fall asleep and awake to hear the way God loves and God cares. My brain, wired by the thoughts of my mind are weaving a beautiful path to peace. A path that captures almost every thought filtered through the God’s way of being.

I have made it through to the book of Revelation and find my mental well-being in the scriptures that confirms, I am loved, secure, and forgiven by the creator God, through his son, Jesus, and the gracious gift of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 103:8-13 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love. He will not always accuse us or be angry forever. He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

Isaiah 43:25  I am the one, I sweep away your transgressions for my own sake and remember your sins no more.

Rev 3:19-20  As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous and repent. See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me

For that, I am Always grateful,

Splankna Time!!!

Life has a way of questioning my existences; maybe questioning yours also. It’s been just over a year when I posted, The Sticky Note Resurfaced- Splankna!

All that is happening in the world has grounded me in the compassion, tenderness, and empathy needed to recognize Splankna once again as the deep seated root of emotions that churn the gut and highlight the internal workings of the bowels. In this day and age, the word may be stress – a word overused in light of the many blessings I experience daily.

There is the blessing of taking a deep breath and releasing it as a bodily tool to regulate my emotions. There is watching the snow fall, and blanket the non aesthetic brown grass, as a gift from heaven to embrace the seasons of life. It is the amazement of the hornets nest that is weathering the stormy winds by swinging from a branch seemingly untouched.

This day to day, moment by moment, way of being is grounding me in the strength of the hornets nest I see outside my window. It is the incredible strength built upon layers and layers of pulp. I am also wonderfully made to withstand the storms of life. The lightweight flexibility that makes the hornets nest so strong is the same multilayered experience of mind, body, and soul that we are all built.

Unlike the home of the hornet, my soul is strengthened by the Lord. The Holy Spirit lives in me to guide me to be compassionate, to be empathetic, to be mindful of the many blessings in the day to day.

Just as the Greeks consider splankna a word to speak of the gut reaction as deep emotions, and the hornets nest a strong yet flexible dwelling place, may I continue to sway from the vine that is the Lord. That in all circumstances, there is a moment of joy, alone with the Lord or together with others.

Joy is in the air. I turn to the right and left and there is a message or word from the book of Philippians. Be it splankna, be it neuroplasticity, be it me self-regulating, I am able to settle the emotions and walk this life journey with perspective of Paul’s final exhortation Phil 4:8 “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”

May I continue in this world to exist and do all that is praiseworthy.

Always grateful,

Always Grateful

Do you ever wonder, Why Are You Not Dead Yet? This is a question presented in a study that began in a few weeks ago.

In all consideration of the blessings in my life, I am grateful to still be alive to embrace all the joys in my life. The love note I received from one of my children that removed the lingering doubt of Did we do a good job rearing our children. The joyful visit from a friend, by way of Zoom, that traveled from Argentina and spent the New Year weekend with us in-person.

I am a Silhouette at Noon basking in the sun of discovery. I am grateful for everyone that has poured their experiences, their encouragement, their peace into me. All of these spoken moments and the numerous others unspoken remind me that I am not yet dead because I too must be encouraging. I must send love notes, I must travel to others, I must call others, I must seek forgiveness, and I must apologize.

I am grateful to live in a space and time to witness the good that is the undercurrent of a world gone bad. I am grateful for a God that so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that I may live joyously, forgiven, with the promise that I am never dead for eternity.

So, as I continue in the study of Philippians, may I answer the question- Why am I not dead yet? with the response, the Lord is not done with me yet. There are many more obligations to complete in my assignment as a wife, mom, friend, and disciple of Christ.

Lord, may you continue to guide me through the Holy Spirit with the wisdom of discernment, the graciousness of love, and the daily reflection of your word as my path.

As the word is given in Philippians chapter one, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Lord, I thank you for your word, from Genesis through Revelation, that informs me this space and time I live in 2026 is not a new era but the same ole same ole of a world gone bad. I thank you for the undercurrent of the good in knowing Christ as my Lord and Savior.

Always grateful,

Promises – Promises

It is the holiday season throughout the world. A time when we admit there is a higher power beyond our mere existence. For me, it also a time to reminisce of the happy childhood days with family. Opening gifts, gathering around the table, and performing the dance routines of the popular hit songs.

So many have passed on from this earth but the memories and the joy remain. There is a song that reminds me of the joy in their absence. A song of the promise for my grandparents, mom, pop, dad, sister, cousins, and friends who ran the race until they see our Saviors face. May I too enjoy the promise when it is my time to be Goin’ Up Yonder.

I embrace this good ole gospel song for what it is, a song of promise and joy. A song of extended praise to give thanks for God’s promise “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.And where I go you know, and the way you know.” John 14: 1-4

As I continue in the study of Philippians, may I also be obedient on this life journey to “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

So while I run this race and wait patiently for my time, I sing a more contemporary quick praise of God’s promise to be anxious for nothing for everyday is a Good Day.

Lord, I thank you for your promises. For you have healed me, lead me by your Holy Spirit, and grounded me in faith of your promises. In Jesus name, Amen

Always grateful,

Time to Cozy Up #EOY25

So many ways to cozy up this winter. Find your next read #EOY25 at https://www.smashwords.com/

“A book is a gift you can open again and again” Garrison Keillor

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Thank you for walking this writer journey with me. Lord willing, I hope to continue sharing pieces of me as I continue to figure out how to be in the world, yet not of it.

Always grateful,