Beauty Sows Seeds by Wendy L. Macdonald

 

When I chose my word for 2020, I was unaware of the significant role it would have in the emotional, spiritual, and physical wellbeing of me and the rest of the world. Beauty; the beauty of God revealed through nature is saving the serenity of so many of us.   

More than ever before the beauty of the Lord is my balm in this world. So much has happened and not happened in 2020. But the beauty of creation—of our Creator—has consistently showed up in each season. While the world struggled with COVID 19, nature continued to nurture our minds, bodies, and souls.

I had no idea how important the beauty of creation would factor in my life and in the lives of so many people in 2020. While we were called to physically distance ourselves from anyone outside of our tiny bubbles, we were encouraged to embrace the outdoors. 

All these nature-loving activities everyone is partaking of are sowing seeds. For the art of God—nature—is constantly pointing to its Maker.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Romans 1:20 NIV

I’m wondering if beauty is going to birth a revival. There’s absolutely been a revival in the world’s interest and participation in outdoor recreation. 

Beauty has held my heart and hand while my usual activities have been pruned away. While I may not be able to take my grandson to his music classes this year, I took him to nature parks where we watched crabs scuttle across the sand, fawns follow their mother across the grass, and geese honk in formation across the sky.

Beauty boasts a Builder.  While my grandson asks a lot of why questions about nature, I’m praying he eventually asks a bunch of who questions. Who made the sun? Who made the ocean? Who sprinkled sand on the seaside? Who made me?

I’m also hoping many more people across this planet ask who, what, where, when, and why questions regarding the beauty all around us. Are you also hoping this happens?

Let’s pray together: Father God, our Marvelous Maker, please open the eyes, hearts, and minds of people as they walk, run, hike, ride, boat, drive, paddle, and pedal etc. across Your beautiful world. Help them hunger to know You, seek You, and love You. You alone are able to satisfy our souls. Thank you and praise you for all the beauty around us. You are beautiful, dear God. So beautiful. In Jesus name, amen. 

I’m nosy-to-know what your most beautiful nature experience in the outdoors has been this year?

Beautiful blessings ~ Wendy Mac     

Just Bloom by Carol Harrison

(photo by Kelsi Tooke)

Months after writing a post on my word for 2020 being bloom, I look back on this year that has been one like no other. God continually reminds me to just bloom. Circumstances without and within factor into my emotions, my daily activities, and even family time. Yet God’s Word continues unchanged. His directions remain the same as they have been since the beginning of time.

I contemplated what the word bloom meant to me, its meaning, the verses God showed me to go with the word, and how God continued to unwrap more of its meaning as I flipped the calendar from one month to another. Just as a plant takes times to grow before the maturing happens and a bloom appears, so my life and abilities take time to grow, allowing maturity or a movement closer to it at least. The bloom is the completion of a cycle for the plant – a finishing of what had begun as the seed sprouted.

The longer I spent searching for the meaning to this word, bloom, in my life this year, I felt God encourage me to complete some projects which had been left unfinished for too long. Life held many uncertainties in January as my husband faced serious health issues. I needed to stick close to home, long before COVID restrictions forced it to become a daily reality in most of our lives. Limitations outside the home gave me opportunities to revisit long shelved writing projects and bring them to a stage of fruition. They needed to see the light of day, develop into something stronger, and finally be shared with others when the time was right.

No more excuses. No more procrastination or comparing myself to other writers I admired, and finding myself wanting. 

After all, one flower doesn’t quit blooming because it looks different than the plant next to it. With a renewed sense of purpose and peace at blooming where God planted me, I pulled out a book of short stories I was co-authoring and the two of us revised, put them in an order, had them edited, and sent them to be printed. Making Crooked Places Straight had been a work in progress for almost three years. But the time was just right for this book full of stories of hope and God’s fingerprints in people’s lives arrived during a time of fear and hopelessness for many people.

I pulled out a project to edit for a lady with learning disabilities who needed help with her story. My procrastination on this is something that filled me with regret. Yet the magnitude of help required seemed such a daunting task. God prodded and nudged me to grab hold and trust Him. Her excitement at receiving printed copies of her story brought tears to my eyes, chastised me for waiting so long to begin the revisions, and also allowed me to thank God for helping me bloom a little more.

Then I grabbed a huge project off the shelf. I quit procrastinating on my first novel, A Home for Susannah, and asked God to take away my fear, my urge to compare myself to others, and to enable me to work on it, if the time truly was right. Hours passed as I revised, took the suggestions of a couple of Beta readers, and finally sent it off to the editor. Back and forth we went. Changes complete, the book became available in September.

I am a work in progress. The nasty invaders of comparison and feelings of inadequacy still try and choke the bloom right out of me. Relying on God’s grace and all sufficient help to clear those cobwebs and thistles is needed every hour of the day. There are many moments of teaching, refreshing my memory, and reminders to trust God and not waste time worrying about what He is asking of others.

The brave little sunflower in the picture, waving in the winds of changing weather, shorter than most, has lots of room to grow but the bloom adds colour to the gritty side of a highway. It waits for its seeds to be filled, never complaining of the harshness of its environment, or how different it looks. It just blooms.

2020 has been a year of change as the unexpected took hold. It has been a year of finishing projects and jotting down more ideas waiting to be filled out and released into the world. It has been a year of personal growth, of being willing to let go of the things that hold me back. God has been working on helping me realize the value of being who He wants me to be instead of a copy of anyone else.

Flowers need the rain and the sun, the dark days and the bright ones too. Everything has a purpose. There are times this year, I have been tempted to give in to the tough situations, throw the covers over my head, and quit trying to bloom. Then God sends reassurance, affirmations, friendships, and those who encourage and support. I dive into His Word to find those promises of how unchangeable God is and how He will supply all our needs. I look at the flowers that bloomed in the summer, enjoy their bright spots in an uncertain world, and ask God to help me continue to bloom where I am.

Just bloom – that beautiful process of becoming all God wants me to be. Don’t give up when difficulties engulf but remember the truth of Philippians 1: 6, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Then I can know the truth of Paul’s words in Philippians 3: 12-14 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But the one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

 

 Carol Harrison lives, writes, and sometimes even wants to quit from her home in Saskatoon. Yet she wants to allow God to help her bloom right where she lives. She appreciates those who offer their words of affirmation and challenge her as she shares stories to help others find a glimmer of hope and a glimpse of joy.

Lord, Bless the Children--Part 2 by Sharon Espeseth

Jenny with Newborn Baby Caleb 

For the October prompt, we were asked, “What hot button issues has God invited you to become involved in?" I also take that to mean, “What issues are you passionate about?”  In "Lord, Bless the Children--Part One," I talk about my passion for the well-being of children, which may be why I taught for three decades.

My husband and I have raised our three adopted children. Although they are all independent, they know we are here and will help as we are able. We have supported and encouraged our adult children and their spouses in the raising of their children. 

Together, Hank and I have supported one overseas child at a time since 1975. 

Could we have done more for the world’s children? No doubt. But we are thankful we’ve had the ways and means to contribute toward the well-being of some children and their families, as well as our own children and grandchildren. 

As I also mention in Part One of this writing, I am pro-life, not in the sense that I judge others who don’t have the same views as mine. I am, however, eager to advocate for the life of an unborn child. 

Looking Back

Today there is more assistance for not just unwed mothers, but any woman with an unplanned pregnancy-- any woman or young girl who is in need of counselling and/or assistance, if they choose to keep the child. We give donations to a group that supports women with unplanned pregnancies. I have walked in local pro-life marches. 

I’ve had articles, stories and articles about our family and our adoptions published in newspapers and magazines. I’ve written in the hopes that women who are in a pregnancy predicament can think of alternatives to abortion, including adoption. Below are summaries of a few of my published stories.

Lacey is one more to love

1. “One More to Love” was published in Celebrate Life Magazine.

When our daughter Christie was pregnant with her and Donnie’s third child, the doctor asked Christie if this was “a planned pregnancy.” Christie sort of giggled and said, “No, it wasn’t.”

Before the end of the appointment, the doctor picked up her appointment book and said, “We’ll have to book your abortion.”

“Abortion?” Christie said. “I never said anything about an abortion.”

On hearing this story, one of my sisters said, “I don’t think anyone in our family will ever have an abortion.” Such is the family’s respect and gratitude toward our kids’ birth mothers who chose to give them the gift of life.

2. “Special Gift, Special Delivery” was published in Celebrate Life Magazine. This story was also shortlisted in the Non-fiction category of the Word Guild Contest the following year. Another version of the story, with other details and more farm humour, was published in The Western Producer.

For Jenny’s third pregnancy, she and Rob had invited me to be with them in the delivery room when the baby arrived. The doctor had decided Jenny should be induced, so the schedule was set. I went with her for this “induction” procedure. Hank had dropped us off at the Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton. The nurse said we were free to go, but told us we should phone the nursing station every two hours. 

The rest of the adults--Rob, Hank, our daughter Christie and her husband Donnie were in charge of the kids at Jenny and Rob’s place in Leduc. Hank picked us up so we could join them. Jenny, uncomfortable at this point, went for a bath to relax her. Rob looked after her. After her bath, they came downstairs where Jenny slumped her not-so-tiny body into the closest chair. “I’m not going to make it,” she said.

Her announcement triggered a flurry of activity: 9-1-1, blankets, towels, and a pillow for making Jenny comfortable on the carpeted floor, not far from the front door. That’s when little Abbie woke up. Donnie put a coat on his daughter and whisked her off to Bella’s Hallowe’en party at Kindergarten, thus giving Jenny some privacy. Logan was still napping in the crib upstairs.

Christie, the most experienced or qualified in birthing took charge. Since she had given birth to her daughter Abbie and had delivered several litters of piglets on our small farm, no one argued. Hank sat on the floor and gently stroked Jenny’s forehead and held her hand. 

I’d been racing frantically around the house. I even suggested boiling water. “Not unless you want tea,” Christie quipped. Jenny calmly told me to sit down, shut up and hold on. (Those were her original instructions for me when I nervously about being in the delivery room.) “This is it!” she said. 

Sitting down beside Hank, I was awed by the whole experience. Just as Christie announced the baby was coming, three EMTs walked through the door. Because of the courtesy rule of “Ladies First,” the female EMT caught Baby Caleb. The professionals took it from there.

Later, I told Christie that, had the EMTs not arrived in time, she could have done this. 

Shrugging her shoulders. Christie smiled teasingly at Jenny and said, “It just like birthing pigs.”

 3. "A Gift that Keeps on Giving,” was published in “Offerings” in the Edmonton Journal. 

Updated to 2020. Our three children, now in their early forties, continue to be the gifts that keep on giving. Our two daughters are married, so we’ve also been blessed with their husbands as part of our family.

Michael and Hank

Christie and Donnie now have three children and Jenny and Rob have three children. We are, therefore, Papa and Nana to a “pride” of six grandchildren. Our Michael, who lives on his own in Calgary, is also a big part of our family. One of the kids named him “Unto Mito,” which we still hear occasionally, even though we have no more baby talkers.

                                                               

Isabella's Graduation
Proud Supporters: Caleb, Rob, Jenny, Logan

Back: Sadie, Abbie, Donnie
Front: Lacey, Teddy, Christie

Hank and I are proud of our three adult kids, the sons-in-law and the grand ones. I wrote the first version of this blog--the one my computer and/or Blogspot turned into gobbledegook--in October, which is the Canadian month for Thanksgiving. We consider our family to be one of our greatest blessings. Normally, we love to get together with the bunch. Sadly, those visits are restricted due to Coronavirus numbers rising. We pray for the day when we can freely spend time with family. For now, we are careful and follow Covid guidelines.  

Thank you, Dear God,  for our families and loved ones, for the gift of life, and for those who support life and realize its importance at all its stages. Amen.

2020: Not the Way I Planned It by Steph Beth Nickel

2020: The Year of ______

No matter how you filled in the blank w-a-y back in December 2019 or January of this year, it’s almost guaranteed these past 10 months have not gone as you expected.

COVID-19. Economic uncertainty. Kids at home … all. the. time.

Pivot. Overwhelm. The New Normal.

I know too many people who have faced unfathomable challenges this year to offer platitudes or pat answers.

I do, however, want to encourage you, knowing your plans for 2020 have not unfolded as you expected.

Here are seven things that can help you purge some stress and possibly, give you hope for 2021, despite what has become The Year of Unmet Expectations.

Pick up a pen (or sit down at your computer) and pour out your questions, uncertainties, and frustrations on paper. No one else has to read these musings—ever. In fact, you can crumple them up or feed them through a shredder to make sure that never happens. However, it can be very cathartic to come face to face with what you’re truly thinking and feeling.

Be kind to yourself. Just because other people have achieved things they’d long been putting off, maybe getting a little extra rest or having a long, hot soak in the tub is just what you need. (Know that if, day after day, you find it difficult to drag yourself out of bed or you find yourself binge-watching Netflix series you don’t even enjoy, it’s probably time to talk with someone. A family member. A good friend. A professional counsellor. Recognizing your need for outside help is another way of being kind to yourself.)

Look for opportunities to be kind to others. Meeting other’s needs, as you are able, has a way of filling your emotional tank. (Sometimes, it takes no more than a phone call to brighten someone’s day. Sometimes, it means preparing a meal for someone who is sick or running an errand for someone who is fearful about venturing out.)

Spend time with family and friends. You may think, “Spend time with family? As much as I love them, I need a break.” The increased hours you’ve spent with your spouse and children may be adding to your stress. But why not do something just for fun, something you all enjoy? And if you have family who live at a distance … (One of my sons and his wife live in Scotland; the other lives two provinces over.) If your situation is similar to mine, Skype, Zoom, and FaceTime may be among the only ways you can stay in touch. Work out a time that is doable for everyone involved and stay in touch. And when it comes to friends, many coffee shops and restaurants are open. But if that makes you uncomfortable or is beyond the budget, taking a walk in the park together or having a socially distanced BBQ outdoors can meet emotional needs you didn’t even know you had.

Create a gratitude journal. Even listing one thing each day you are grateful for can cause a mind shift. If you get into the habit of deliberately looking for the things you have to be thankful for, it will help you deal with all the negatives that bombard you day after day.

Don’t give up on the idea of making plans for 2021, but seek to create reasonable expectations of what you will be able to accomplish. Learn from the uncertainty of this past year and allow it to make you more adaptable. (I’m shifting from Dreamer to Doer, narrowing my focus, seeking to keep fewer plates spinning. Instead of grieving what I fear I’m giving up, I’m looking forward to working on some projects that will require perseverance for the long haul.)

And remember that none of this took God by surprise nor has His character changed. He is still loving, faithful, and trustworthy. You can rest secure in Him no matter what the future brings.

Steph Beth Nickel is an editor, author, and blogger. You can visit her website-in-progress, nurtureandinspire.com