The weekly Five Minute Friday word prompt for this week is “relief.” 

When I first heard the word prompt I had to get my mind out of the gutter. All I could think of was relieving ourselves in the bathroom. Little kids learning to potty train. Babies and diapers. Laughing so hard that you have to pee your pants.

Once I got that out of my mind, I was able to move onto a different kind of relief. Relief that comes in beautiful and holy ways.

An infant in my arms

Relief

Laughter in the midst of tears

Relief

Joy in the midst of sorrow

Relief

Hope in new beginnings

Relief

Playful kitties

Relief

Great music or movies

Relief

“Weeping comes for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

Relief found in peace

Peace that only God can bring

But sometimes that peace

That relief isn’t enough

Or comes too late

Or isn’t seen

Please pray for our community

A 7th grader committed suicide outside our middle school earlier this week. From what I understand, he posted it all to SnapChat. My heart aches so deeply that our youth are having to deal with this earlier and earlier.

The weekly Five Minute Friday word prompt for this week is “sacrifice.”

“For God so loved the world…”

An infant son

Born to save the world

Emmanuel

God with us

“For God so loved the world…”

Jesus

A game changer

Table turning

Lover of all people

“For God so loved the world….”

Jesus

On a hill on Calvary
Shouts out

My God My God

Why have you forsaken me?

Then Jesus breathes his last

Blood shed

A sacrifice given for us all

“For God so loved the world…”

Jesus

Risen from the grave

Sent by God for us

“For God so loved the world

God gave Gods only begotten son

That whoever believes in him

Shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

The weekly Five Minute Friday word prompt for this week is “direction.” It is so good to be back here after a break over the holidays.

North, south, east, west

Up, down, sideways, backwards

Directions lead us along the journey of life, but often that journey is not as clear cut as we would like. There are times I wish God would put traffic signs to tell me what’s next…

Yield, merge, stop, go.

Directions are all around us. I love following a recipe to try something new. I’m in love with JoAnna Gaines cookbook Magnolia Table. I can’t wait for her new one; the next edition to come out in the Spring.

Last night though, I went back to my German Russian roots and made knoephla hotdish (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoephla). I also love it as a soup. A casserole dish, knoephla, bacon, sausage, chicken broth, cream and pepper. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. It’s better with onions, sauerkraut, and potatoes. I left out the onions and sauerkraut because my sister doesn’t like them. I simply forgot to pick up potatoes at the store. Oops! But it was still yummy!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”—John 1:1-5

The days are slowly becoming lighter out longer….minute by minute. This time of year one cannot help but be reminded by the darkness in our world. Darkness that surrounds so many with the darkness of mental health issues. Darkness that comes from death. Darkness that comes from war and the potential of war. Darkness that comes in so many ways. Yet the darkness cannot and does not overcome the light of Emmanuel; God with us.

There were so many days from October of 2017 to December 2018 that I could not catch my breath; that it truly felt like the darkness was winning. But then slowly, the darkness broke way to light as the sun rose on a new day. That sun born in the Son of Emmanuel; God with us.

IIn a manger, in Bethlehem, Jesus cries pierced the darkness of that holy night as Mary birthed her son; the Messiah, the one who came to save . The wisemen followed a light; the star, to bring him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And years later, Jesus breathes his last on that hill on Calvary. Only for the women to come early the next morning, the light of the morning sun leading their way, to find an empty tomb.

Darkness can so easily take over. But you only need a little light to see. Think about it. In the midst of a power outage, you only need a few candles to take away the darkness a little. Or during a dark winter night, you only need your cars headlights to be able to see.

Darkness bears way for light. Yet one must first have darkness for the light to be born. I’m reminded of the Japanese art form of kintsugi. In kintsugi, they take a piece of broken pottery and put it back together. Then they place gold lacquer over the cracks because it’s the place where the light gets through. The truth is we are all human and we have and will experience times of darkness but because of God’s love for us, Jesus comes to overcome the darkness.

I know this because death comes but new life will too. I know this because I’ve seen resurrection take place. I know this because my Lenten weary roads have led me to Easter morning. I know this because I’ve witnessed the beauty of light breaking through the darkness to create a sunrise only God’s master hand could create.

The darkness in our world will not triumph. The light is the promise of Emmanuel; God with us, the Word made flesh for each and everyone of us…..

“For the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.”

I’ve always been a crier. In fact, I’ve been known to cry at Hallmark commercials. However, there is something holy about tears that come from the reality of loss and grief. 2018 was filled with its share of tears. However 2019 also had its fair share of shed tears. There were days that the tears were still wet upon my face. Yet I came out of 2019 more whole than when I went into it.

Becoming whole again takes hard work. It means getting the proper care no matter what that looks like. It could be medicine or simply chatting with a professional. But most of all, it means trusting in the Great Physician…God our Father.

I went into 2019 ready to do some hard holy healing work. Yet it often came in unexpected ways. When I was asked to attend Shepherds Canyon, everything in me clenched up and didn’t want to go. I went reluctantly. Yet I was so blessed by that place and my new friends. There is something holy in knowing you are never alone. Tears streamed down my face as I laid my rock with the words of things that I would leave behind at the foot of the altar. I was leaving behind fear.

I didn’t know that months later I would find myself wondering what God was up too. There were days I loved my job. But then the joy was lost…and then simply gone. Change was afoot and I found myself walking away knowing it was the healthiest thing for me.

I still don’t know what’s next. Yet I am at peace. I’m stronger and much more whole than when I went into 2019. And I know that with hard work, transformation will come as the healing continues. Healing that produces beautiful holy tears! Holy tears that remind me that this journey is never done alone.

“Beautiful are those who brokenness gives birth to transformation and wisdom.”—John Mark Green

2019 was all about healing; healing from so much loss and grief but from healing comes transformation (http://prayingontheprairie.net/from-healing-to-transformation/) So 2020 will be all about transformation. When I think about transformation, I think of a cocoon bursting forth into a beautiful butterfly. Transformation takes time. It’s, as a friend shared in her one word post, about becoming.

2020 will be the year of becoming and being fully who God created me to be. In fact, transformation is about discovery. It’s about fully discovering who God created me to be as a beloved child of God! I will fly and soar into using my gifts to the best of my ability. I will live into fulfilling my deepest desires.

The truth is becoming and transformation are all about living into the reality that the only constant is change. “The wings of transformation are born of patience and struggle (Anonymous).” In other words, transformation comes about when we are patient and fully trust who God is in the midst of life’s struggles.

I’m not sure what this year will look like but I trust that God will mold and transform my life into something so beautiful. God will show me that from death comes resurrection. I’m once again reminded of one of my all time favorite quotes by Clarence W Hall “Easter says you can put death in the grave, but it won’t stay there.”

Transformation is letting the work happen and not confining it. In the words of Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”