Day 31 of 31! Woo hoo!! Today’s word prompt is “enjoy.”

Today is Halloween! I loved picking out costumes when my sister and I were younger. We sometimes made our own costumes with moms help of course. One year we crafted a sandwich costume!

I so enjoy seeing all my social media filled with pictures of my friends kiddos in their costumes. My friend Sarah had her five kids (two biological, two adopted, and one foster child) dressed as the Wizard of Oz…Glenda the good witch, the tin man, the scarecrow, the lion, and Dorothy. I saw pictures of cute pumpkins, a frog, an adorable hedgehog and many many others.

I enjoy dressing up too. I was a black cat this year. I’ve been an 80s girl, Where’s Waldo and Parmesan cheese. I also enjoy passing out candy to trick or treaters. This year I only had one.

Day 30 of 31 Days. Today’s word prompt is “memory.”

I have a very good memory. I remember details about an event that many others don’t. It might be the style of shirt, the color or what time it was. I remember what I was wearing when I lost my job a few years ago. Green leggings, tan short boots and a flowery Irma with blues, yellows, etc.

I don’t know why but I remember names too. I think it might be because of camp games we played to learn our campers names. It’s a quality that is named as one of my strengths. Parents are surprised how well I remember names.

There are memories in my own life I treasure. The day my kitties came home with me. The days I graduated from high school, college and seminary. When I bought my first car this summer. The changing of seasons. Special times with my friends and family. And so many others!!

Day 29 of 31. Today’s word prompt is “practice.”

Practice, practice, practice! Those are words we often hear when we are trying to learn something new. When I played the clarinet, I had to practice a lot because learning an instrument didn’t come easy to me. The more I practiced the better I got. Yet I never gained perfection.

As a writer, it seems I am always practicing and honing my writing skills. Each new word tells a better story as I expand my vocabulary and help my readers to feel like they are there with me. Practice does make perfect….or at least much better.

Honestly, I don’t think my writing or even I will ever be perfect. There will be editing and proofing mistakes that no matter how much I read my piece, I’ll still miss them. God is the only one who is perfect. God is the perfect peace given to all of us.

Day 28 of 31 Days. Today’s word prompt is “test.”

Life often throws obstacles at us. Death, the dreaded C word, natural disasters, a broken marriage, the loss of a child. The list goes on and on. It is often during these times that our faith is tested. Will we come through on the other side a better person?

I know that my faith has been tested during my 41 years of life. But it was during these times that God truly showed up. God showed me that I was not alone. God would never leave me or forsake you. God never leaves you or forsakes you either.

These tests are not tests that we can study for like a test in school. But Scripture is here for us to turn to during these tests of life. One of my fave Scriptures is Psalm 30:5. “Weeping comes for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Also during death, from the book of Romans, I love the promises in these verses. “If you live, you live to the Lord. If you die, you die to the Lord. So then, whether you live or whether you die, you are the Lords.”

Day 27 of 31 Days. Today’s word prompt is “better.”

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.” This chorus started playing in my head and heart when I read today’s word prompt. This catchy song reminds me of all the people that gave gone before me.

Grandpa Sam, Mom’s friend Karen, Crystal’s mom Renee, Grandma Bess, My cousins little ones Maia and Jack, my friend Justin, my high school English teacher Barb, my high school newspaper advisor Jane, my friend Ben, Professor Ralph, Laura and Rod, Rachel, Stephanie, our dear friend Jim, Grandpa Wilbert. These are only some of the names of individuals that have blessed my life and are no longer on this side of heaven.

I can’t wait to see them again. I can’t wait to see heaven. Most of all, I can’t wait to sit and break bread with Jesus.

Day 26 of 31. Today’s word prompt is “accept.”

Will you accept me for who I am?
Will you like all my quirks?
Will you accept me kitties? Or would you rather have a dog?
Will you like how I need to write words on a page?

Together can we foster kids? Or adopt a child?
How will you show me that you love me?

Will you fulfill my dreams and meet me at the altar?

Will I hear those words “I do?”

Acceptance is important
In my forever love.

We must love each other for who God created us to be.
Unconditional love grounded in God’s love.

Day 25 of 31 Days and this week’s Five Minute Friday. Today’s word prompt is “wait.”

“How long, Lord, will you forget me forever? How long, oh Lord?” These words found in Scripture are words that I find myself clinging to as I wait for God to answer the desires of my heart.

I have even begun journeys to fulfill these desires only to have them stalled. I have begun the process to do foster care twice. I find myself putting this process on hold yet again. It makes me wonder what God is up to.

Waiting is never easy. I thought I was pretty good at waiting until that waiting became longer than expected. That waiting is more than a few minutes, hours but rather days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, months turn into years.

I am thankful that I have a God who walks with me and knows what this waiting is like. God promises never to leave us or forsake us.

How do you get through times of waiting?

Day 24 of 31! Today’s word prompt is “different.”

Have you read the book “Same Kind of Different as Me?” It’s such a beautiful story about an unlikely friendship.

Sometimes God does the same for us. God sometimes brings unlikely and different friendships in our lives. My friend Joni is a nurse. I don’t think I could ever do that job. I a, a writer. She is not.

The world is not the same. If it were the same, the world be an incredibly boring place. However there are also times I wish the world was much more calmer too. The world is made up of people of all ages, races and religions.

Who is the same kind of different as you….as the book title suggests?

Day 23 of 31 Days. Today’s word prompt is “need.”

I love watching the Home and Garden channel. Property Brothers, Love it or List It, Flip or Flop, My Lottery Dream Home, Fixer Upper, and many others. My favorite is House Hunters. It always amazes me what people want in their homes and how much money they will spend.

As I discern where God is calling me next, I know I’ll be moving. After six years living in houses, I’m not sure I can go back to apartment living. I also am nervous about having to pay rent again. I’m thinking I would like a townhouse or condo or maybe rentIng a house.

The new place will have to be pet friendly…because you know, Luna and Neville. The next thing is a garage especially with my new car. I haven’t had a garage for like six years which is crazy in the frozen tundra of North Dakota. I also need a bathtub in my new place. I love stress relieving in a bubble bath and haven’t had a bath in a tub in a few years. I also would love a nice patio space and a great kitchen. I’m also thinking carpet is out.

It sure is fun to think about what my next place will look like. What are your must haves?

Day 22 of 31 Days! Today’s word prompt is “sense.”

Taste, See, Feel, Touch, Hear—using all Your senses.

Our senses use many parts of our bodies. Our ears to hear. Our tongue to taste and feel. Our eyes to see the world around us. Our hands to feel and touch.

How did you use your senses today? My eyes saw the road and helped me get home safely. My ears listened to the radio and to a friend while we caught up on the phone. My tongue felt the seeds I broke up. My tongue tasted the food I ate. My hands felt the steering wheel as I drove. When I arrived home, my hands touched and felt my kitties soft fur. And now I feel the weight of Luna as she lays on my lap.

We use our senses a lot during the course of the day. When I write, I want my readers to sense the experience I am writing about with me.