Tag Archives: Jeremiah 29:11

Dear Graduates….

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Today you are going to walk across that stage and receive your diploma. It is hard to believe that over seven years ago, our paths crossed when I first walked in the doors of the community of faith where you attended Sunday School, were Confirmed, and where you often could be found serving God’s people.

This day I woke up reflecting on the many ways I have seen you grow over the years. I am proud of the men and women that you have become! You are a group of people who understand what it means to serve the church outside the church walls. You are men and women whose faith has been nurtured in your own homes and through caring, trusted relationships. Please know that I wish I could be with you today….and that my prayers are also with you on this day.

Today graduates, take a look around the gym and see the many people who have walked with you. You will see your parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts/uncles. cousins, family friends, and so many others. Know that their love…and especially God’s love will carry you through. Remember always that you are a child of God. Never forget who and whose you are.

Since I am not with you today,  I want to leave you with a few tips as you take this next journey.  These are things that I have learned along my 36 years of life.

**Take time to laugh! Laughter really is good medicine especially during final’s week. Make sure you study but also take time to laugh…and have a little fun. But not too much fun! Stay safe!

**Don’t be afraid to try new experiences. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t try new things. I wouldn’t have gone to work at a Bible camp. I wouldn’t have gone to seminary. But those experiences truly blessed me and made me into the woman of faith that I am today.

**Find a community of faith. Just a few weeks ago (I think), you were presented with quilts in worship. Those quilts are a reminder that no matter where you go, you will always be wrapped in a community of faith. The quilt I was presented by DLC when I left sits on my couch and every time I wrap up in it I remember the wonderful ways that I was blessed by you and all the people there. It reminds me that I am ALWAYS being prayed for.

There are so many things that I wish I could tell you today. My blog friend Jennifer Dukes Lee wrote a letter to graduates several weeks ago….20 truths she wish she could share with you. It is such a great post so I am going to let her finish by sharing those truths with you. Here is the link: 20 Truths for Graduates.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Jeremiah 29: verse 11: “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not harm you, plans to give you a future of hope.” These are great words to live by, but it is also ok to know that even when you don’t know, God does. God stands with us in the midst of the uncertainties. God stands with us in the midst of the hard. (Check out the rest of the book of Jeremiah)

But I think the truths of life can truly be best summed up in these words from Laura Ingalls Wilder. “The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.”

Enjoy today, dear graduates! Then go out into the world “blessed to be a blessing”

Linking up with Anita and Carol for Inspire Me Monday (Even though it is a Tuesday)

A Different Plan (Five Minute Friday)

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I am linking up for the Five Minute Friday. The FMF is hosted by Kate Motaung on her blog Heading Home. Today’s prompt is “Plan.” Write for five minutes; unedited.

As a little girl, my sister and I spent many hours dressing up our dolls in our own baby clothes; the very clothes that our mom used to dress us up in. There is the faded yellow dress; the very first dress my daddy bought me. We would take those dollies and play house for hours. And as we played house, it was the very plan I had for my life. I was going to find that special man, get married, and have a family of our own. But often life doesn’t end with that “happily ever after” that we always pictured and planned for ourselves.

It is Thursday night and I am sitting in my house alone. The television is on for noise and as my companion for the night. My arms are empty; silently waiting for that special little one to snuggle and care for. My plan; the plan I pictured as a little girl is not the plan that has happened for me.

I still pray that someday God will bring that special man into my life. I’ll still get married and I will still have a family. But this plan is not the plan God has had for my life. I still don’t know what God’s plan is for my life. Maybe it will happen the way I always pictured it. Or maybe I’ll become a mom through foster care or adoption. The truth though is that God indeed does have a plan for me…and God has a plan for you too!

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you; to give you a future with hope.”–Jeremiah 29:11

Who is Boss?

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Sometimes God has this sneaky way of confirming things to us, doesn’t he? The other day I picked up a devotional off of my dresser to read that day’s reading. This devotional is a book my friend Sue shared with me last August and I have been enjoying it ever since. The devotional is “Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in his Presence” by Sarah Young. Each devotional reading is written from Jesus’ perspective.

And these were the words that I read that night: “Approach this day with awareness of who is boss. As you make plans for the day, remember that it is I who orchestrate the events of your life. On days when things go smoothly, according to your plans, you may be unaware of my sovereign presence. On days when your plans are thwarted, be on the lookout for me! I may be doing something important in your life, something quite different from what you expected. It is essential at such times to stay in communication with me, accepting my way as better than yours. Don’t try to figure out what is happening. Simply trust me and thank me in advance for the good that will come out of it all. I know the plans I have for you and they are good.” (Sarah Young; Jesus Calling Devotional)

BOOM!!! Mic drop!!!

Yep that is exactly how I felt when I read that devotional the other night. God whispering to me, “Do not be afraid! Trust me!” As “brave” chose me, I have found myself wishing another word had found its way into my heart and head. In fact, every time I type my one word “brave” I find myself shaking in my boots *a little* or maybe *a lot*. Yet these words are confirming to me that God is with me on this journey of being brave. God is the one who orchestrates the events of my life. God indeed knows the plans God has for me and they are good.

And my friends God indeed knows the plans God has for you too and they are good!

I Am A Daughter; Part Two

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I am a daughter! Yet somedays it is easier to be that daugher than other days. As many of you know who read this blog, I am a daughter of a woman who lives with a mental illness. She has taught me more about faith and life than I can even begin to tell you. She has never let her illness get in the way of who she is. She is the most faith-filled woman of God and has nurtured faith in both me and my sister.

Yet somedays it is harder for me to be the woman she has created me to be. Perhaps I am writing this blog post because that good ol’ Lutheran guilt has slipped in. But I really think I am writing it because I too am human. There are days that I find myself snapping back when she asks me the same question twice. Then within a moments notice, I realize that I snapped back. Today she called me as she does every Sunday and asked me if I preached. I told her no, but I know I said it rather quietly because I was in a major department store. She asked again and I said “No” again. It’s these little moments that make me realize that I am a sinner just like everyone of us is a sinner. And I wish I wouldn’t be so quick to react.God knows I love her with every fiber of my being just like she loves me and my sister with every fiber of her being. Yet it isn’t easy.

It isn’t easy being the daughter of someone who lives with a mental illness. There are days that I wish my parents wouldn’t have gotten divorced. There are days that I wish mental illness wasn’t part of what I am called to share and educate about in this world. There are days (probably more than I care to admit) when I ache, ache to have my mama whole; free from this illness. I wonder who will go wedding dress shopping with me when I finally find my Mr. Right. But then I remember that God gave her to me for a reason; to love and to cherish. I am reminded of these words, “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you; plans to give you a hope and a future.”—Jeremiah 29:11

When I snap back, my mom forgives me without a second thought. When I ache, God reminds me that I am not alone; that I am never alone. God reminds me every day of God’s gifts of grace. That gift of grace is continually shown to me through my mama. God’s grace is a gift that is freely given. And in that grace, God reminds me that we dont always understand why things happen in life but that God walks with us. God shows us daily what God’s love, grace, mercy and peace look like. And knowing this grace, may we all share that grace in the world.

I love my mama with all of my heart. Yet somedays it is easier to say I am her daughter. Growing up I have a feeling she probably said that about me and my sister somedays too yet she continued and continues to love us. So my friends….

I AM A DAUGHTER (a daughter of someone who daily lives with a mental illness)