Hi, everyone!
Sometimes beauty is all you need to be reminded that there is hope yet and God showed me that yesterday in the form of a double rainbow (the photos of the pups are from June 6th, by the way, but Camille did see the rainbow with me!)
Hi, everyone!
The waiting game in the midst of days flying by makes keeping track of time and whether I have blogged difficult sometimes. I am so sorry and promise not to fail y’all again. Pardon my mistake, please!
The days have flown, no doubt, and I don’t see time slowing down, even with little to do but pray, wait, and act to sort out personal stuff in the meanwhile- stuff that I realize I needed to a long time ago. Updates pending, but the projects are coming along and I am excited!!
What’s one good thing that the lockdowns have brought about for you?
God Bless, Michelle
Hi, everyone!
Well, here goes! Picking up an additional gig (along with the work I have, of course!) should be an exciting new challenge and so is my recommitting to learning to play the guitar. Sometimes one new person or thing in one’s life- just one new event, friend, job, activity with a loved one or by oneself, food, perspective on Scripture (although nothing is really new in terms of events and understanding)*, habit……Sometimes that one thing means a lot and I am excited to see what that means in the future! Here we go!
What is your one thing this week? You’re in my prayers, that God will bless and challenge you for your growth and deeper relationship with Him!
God Bless, Michelle
*When I spoke of new perspectives on Scripture, I mean that will we consider everything we learn or do for the first time- for any of us- as new. I was thinking, specifically, of Ecclasiastes 1:9, which, according to the NLT translation, states that: “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” (Thank God for BibleGateway for a handy reference!) That is, nothing is new to God, even though it is to us, and Solomon had tired of the world and its pleasures, seeking to find true meaning for the wisdom and riches God had given Him and reconnecting with the Lord, if, in fact, God is the Author and Meaning of our lives. Solomon found He was, is, and always will be, just as He was before the beginning of time as we know it. Matthew Henry provides excellent commentaries here: Matthew Henry’s Commentaries (concise)!
Hi, everyone!
I am starting to see what I meant now when I said I was looking forward to new beginnings, feeling that the recent layoffs, social unrest, statistics on Google searches for “prayer”, etc. (Russell Brand’s comments surprised me! Maybe he will find the Lord yet! Also, for anyone who knows, would you be willing to clarify the differences between pantheism and perennialism? Thank you so much!)……God has quite some plans in mind, from what I see! I knew there was change ahead, but didn’t know fully what that meant. Now I am starting to see what God was doing and still is.
Maybe this is a time of revival for our country and maybe, just maybe, we will find the Lord again and our nation will not only rediscover and live again by the values on which we were founded (Judeo-Christian values, specifically, including truth, mercy, justice, grace, equality, equity, freedom, understanding, etc. . . .)
I will also admit I’m not exactly satisfied with the pain I went through to get there, as it does hurt at times. That’s regardless of the source of the pain, whether I inflicted it on myself or someone else or they did so to themselves, others, and/or me. However, I see pain as the catalyst for growth in one’s life and a tool to point us back to the Lord no matter what our lives hold. After all, growth often begins in uncertainty and a desire for change, right? Let me know what you think and also let me know how I can pray for you especially.
God Bless, Michelle
Hi, everyone!
Here we go…..new beginnings. I have the feeling that whatever comes of it, I’ll be fine (says me on coffee cup #3 1/2 since the week was a long one and today was definitely a long day!)! Well, I am trusting God for the outcome of my situation because He knows exactly what He is doing. He made me, so He knows what is best for me and how my life will be.
For those who are reading and not doing so well especially, how may I be praying for you? I will also pray for those who are doing well, of course! Please let me know.
God Bless,
Michelle
Hi, everyone!
Going back to work, as Maryland is now in our Phase 2 of reopening, has been a readjustment for sure. I am sorry I hadn’t been writing previously, so ask pardon and promise to write every other day, if not daily, now. Thank you as well to those who keep reading my blog especially, as you are keeping me accountable to blogging, second to God Himself! That and that the pandemic is an unprecedented time in our history- really!- motivates me to keep going. thank you again and I appreciate your time and consideration! Taking a step back, like I mentioned in my previous post, did much to benefit me as well.
As a sidenote, does anyone have any tips for a novice guitarist who is also a violinist to learn and improve quickly and play well so her other passion (writing) can become something more than a hobby? I want to do more with it!
God Bless,
Michelle
*All Scriptures are taken from the NIV 1984 translation of Scripture unless I indicate otherwise.
Hi, everyone!
To do so isn’t new, but when the world gets to be too much, perhaps it is time to step back a bit, pray like Jesus did (remember that He frequently withdrew from crowds to pray). After that, get up again and get moving on loving the Lord and your neighbor as He commanded in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and Matthew 22:34-40, among other passages. That brings me to a related and equally important idea, an idea essential to the Christian faith. I am a Christian, so speak from what I know and will never deny. Never.
We must keep in mind- urgently and always that neither you nor I- or anyone- are exempt from being sinners in need of a Savior. The idea, I think, is well-related in an anecdote from the life of the Christian author, G.K. Chesterton. According to The Gilbert Keith Chesterton Society:
“QUESTION: Is it true that The Times once sent out an inquiry to famous authors, asking the question, “What’s wrong with the world today?” and Chesterton responded simply,
“Dear Sir,
I am.
Yours, G.K. Chesterton.””
Read that again: “I am.” I am the problem, you are, we are. We cannot love God and our neighbors as ourselves if we do not let God love us and surrender to His call on our lives first. We can’t. Man cannot save himself, so to speak. Simply, “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) Adam and Eve brought sin into the world when they ignored God and His warnings that failure to repent when He gave them a chance to do so would result in death and separation from God. Yes!! “But while we were sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) All we need to do, then, is “confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Let Him do the work; you and I are to listen to Him and let Him lead us. If we don’t listen to the Holy Spirit and let Him lead us to the Father through the work of the Son, what else do we have? Nothing. Nothing.
I say this speaking from a conscience heavy with guilt, shame, gratitude, joy….all at once. I can’t be entirely coherent, I feel, at the moment, since I can’t fully express the Gospel and its meaning to me presently. I will, however, point you to Jesus and beg that we be open to Him. He is all we have, anyway, in the end, and He is all we need, all told. May our world come back to Him, starting with us who believe, that we would lead the charge given in 2 Chronicles 7:
“11 So Solomon finished the Temple of the Lord, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do in the construction of the Temple and the palace. 12 Then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said,
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. 13 At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. 16 For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.”
(2 Chronicles 7:11-14, NLT)
(Thank God for BibleGateway.com!)
Just as the Lord called Israel to stay with Him and walk with Him, so we who know the
Lord today are called to lead the charge and bring our world back to Him, starting with
us. Yes, us: our repentance and readiness to follow His lead. Period. That’s it. That’s what
we are called to do. May we all do that in faith, love, and expectation that God will hear
us, if only we follow Him!!
God Bless,
Michelle
Hi, everyone!
If you’re anything like me and/or you’ve been following what I’ve been writing, there’s a good chance I’ll be tweaking this poem/lyric/artistic expression even after I post it as is now. I am honestly not sure if I am entirely satisfied with what I wrote here, but the message remains as in many of my writings: no matter what your skin color, background, creed, nationality, faith, sex and gender, etc. . . . God made humans “very good” and with inherent dignity at the beginning of Earthly time. The work focuses on that and, in light of the murder of George Floyd, to remember that is more important than ever before….especially as, perhaps, concerns over chaos are warranted. All I know is God is in control, as hard as a time as we may have believing that.
In any case, He is and He will make everything right someday…..Pray for that day to come quickly!! As such, without further ado, here is the promised poem/lyric/artistic expression (fluid/open to change on purpose because I feel like there is more to be done!)!
Human
It’s two o’ clock in the morning and I can’t sleep
Wonderin’ about the chaos happenin’ ‘round me . . .
I wonder why some people hold so much hate
That they can’t see (or choose to ignore) that we are the same.
Your skin may be darker or lighter than mine.
You might be conservative or of a liberal mind.
You may have more money or less wealth than I.
Tell me, does that really make us any different in God’s eyes?
Chorus:
We are all human, can’t you see?
We are all human, you and me
We are all human, each one meant to be
Each one made intentionally
Fearfully, wonderfully, beautifully
Just as God made us- intentionally
In His Image, In His Likeness
Each Beautiful Creation- Every Human
Each one of us were made and meant for God’s glory
Each one of us were “Very good” at the beginning
And in our Lord there is neither Jew nor Greek-
There is neither male nor female, slave nor free.
All can come to Him, each sinner made clean
By the sacrifice of our God Who died and rose again
To save each one of us, whether we doubt or believe
Yes, He will give rest to all who accept His promise…
(Chorus)
Brothers and sisters, the time is now
To put aside our differences and spread His love around!
Something’s got to give before we burn ourselves out!
Maybe, just maybe if we lay our pride down . . .
Together- from the “greatest” of us to the down-and-out-
God will hear our call and run the devil’s schemes aground….
Our Father, hear the call of your people now…
(Chorus)
Hi, everyone!
Thank you for your continued support and prayers. I will admit this lyric/poem has been really hard to write because I know what I want to express. However, finding the right words to express my disdain for hate of all types, excepting hatred for sin and anything else God hates, has been difficult. I’m almost there and it took restringing my guitar and starting to write to find the words. Thank you, in particular, to my family, closest friends, pastors and their families, teachers, cops, counselors, medical professionals and all . . . . You have pushed me to keep going and stay grounded in the Lord, no matter what life holds. Thank you.
As you see, there are many, many folks to thank for inspiring me to keep seeking the Lord and fighting the good fight- seeking the Lord with all I am and have and loving my neighbor as myself. Whether that be speaking the truth in love to someone in sin, witnessing to a nonbeliever, buying a cup of coffee for a stranger, sending an encouraging text message to a friend……You get the idea. So, thank you, and with a few tweaks, I should have “Human” up tomorrow evening!
God Bless,
Michelle
Hi, everyone!
Sometimes a little tweaking does the trick, sometimes not. I can’t get the words out the way I want to do when I can’t sleep as well as I need to do or am, perhaps, overthinking what’s happening around me. I want to write, but right now, I can only pray and love God and my neighbor other ways. The writing….so many ideas are going through my head as to how to express what I’m thinking and feeling….God help us. That’s what I keep coming back to thinking. May He protect the innocent, heal the hurting, take the departed Home to Him, comfort the grieving and/or bereaved, and the list continues…..I could continue this stream of conciousness all night, but think my Facebook post on the subject will suffice for now.
I omitted some key details from the photo to protect other folks in my profile photo. Y’all know how I look and such and am okay with having my photo out there. Some folks prefer privacy and that is acceptable as well.
That said, I’ll leave it here and should have the lyrics finished by Friday!
God Bless,
Michelle
Musings on Life from A Work In Progress : Living Life On The Straight and Narrow 