Category Archives: Kachemak Bay

February 2, 2021 laughter

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Good morning, DearHeart.
Our Rush has the best laugh ever – and it is contagious! I love it! When was the last time you laughed?
In the middle of the night I woke and realized I was about to push Dale off the bed. He told me about the bizarre dream he was having – and I laughed until my sides hurt. It was 2am.
Laughter heals.
It is a gift from The Almighty that comes as a medicine for the tough times – a strengthener for all times. It leads to wholeness and a certain mending of the heart. Whatever brings healing laughter is sacred. We fail to realize how sacred. We tend to get stuck in goggles of gloom and doom and political hogwash and virus talk – all lenses that need to be shattered away.
Laughter lightens,
realigns,
reorders,
reasserts strength and power – this is the laughter that heals.
It severs us from anger,
changes our habits of thinking,
adds color to the dullest darkness. Laughter makes us better,
more generous,
more sensitive.
Laughter is sacred.
Search it out. Make a note-to-self of the people and places that bring you to a doubled-over, hold your gut, roll in the floor, tears streaming down the cheeks – that level of laughter. Make it a point to go there. It is your healing. It is the healing for those whose lives you touch.
“We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.””
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭126:2‬ ‭NLT‬
Wake up.
Find the place.
Laugh there.
Go.

January 20, 2021 provision

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Good morning, DearHeart.

This is Samson the Rottweiler. Luke got Samson late in the summer … full of puppy life, and he stole our hearts. Then, a series of unexpected events from a parasite, to swallowing a stupid chicken bone, then Parvo – the COVID of canines – took his health (and us, and Dr. Booth) through the ringer. It took nearly two months of … pretty much total care …. eleven days in the hospital, syringe feeding and watering at home… driving home from work at noon to poke more water and chicken bone broth down his throat, laying him in the yard hoping he’d get up and do his business. Sometimes he was just too weak.

The days he would give up, we didn’t.

The days we were sure “this is the day”, then he would rally.

During the early fall, I couldn’t believe I was sleeping in the recliner all night again with a baby … dog! I thought those days were over 20+ years ago.

Even my Mom, who is not a dog lover, but loves us fiercely, was among the daily calls … “what about Samson, is he still hanging on today?”

At 16 weeks, the average rotttweiler pup weighs 45-50 lbs. Sam weighed ten.

T. E. N.

At week 17, he had gained a half pound. Then, a full pound the next week.

Some days he slept all day.

Some days he had life, but he was getting stronger and stronger.

He had a few set backs.

In November, he started acting like a pup again and his Rottie personality started coming back.

Now, mid-January, he is spoiled, rambunctious, eating and making up for all the meals he missed.

Because we had staying power, stayed the course, fortitude, stick-to-it-iv-ness, and a God of miracles, we arrived at victory.

The Psalmist reminds us:

“You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by GOD. You’re blessed when you follow His directions, doing your best to find Him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road He set. You, GOD, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course You set.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭119:1-4 MSG‬‬

As believers, we are called to ‘staying-power’ when the world goes bizerk. Especially, now.

So many miracles unfold from chaos. Even now.

That’s why, in adversity, I can still stand amazed in the presence.

His presence.

I’ve experienced His goodness.

Here we are God’s groundwork has been laid in you and me.

No matter what comes, supernatural provision has been arranged.

Life nudges on through alarm clocks and coffee, through ailments and scars, and little victories dotting the way.

When we check our reserves for compassion, preparation matters. Because, when we are happy we are singing, but when the day comes, and we take hit after hit and we need one more ounce of fortitude, then, we need to know that the stores we have laid in can deliver that one. more. ounce.

Here’s the deal, we don’t need to forgive, until we are in a place where we need to forgive.

We don’t need racks of courage until we need courage is in demand.

And, we don’t need extra masses of compassion or strength or faith until everything we’ve got has been all used up.

This is why you and I stay in constant contact with the God of the Universe. We seek Him, and we find Him. We find Him ever more so when uncertainty, tragedy, the unthinkable comes.

We call on Christ,

we call on His people,

His beings,

the seen and the unseen,

and in preparation,

we. meet. the. day.

We are ready.

Wake up.

Meet the day.

Keep your reserves in check.

God is still in control.

Go.

January 15, 2021 Rock

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Good morning, DearHeart.
When Bryan was doing an internship in Alaska to complete his Bachelor’s from Southwestern, we went there to visit him. I picked up these smooth rocks from the edge of the Homer Spit on Katchemak Bay. I’ve stacked them at least a thousand times – always a reminder of God’s faithfulness to me. (The buckeye on top is a different story for another day 😉).
That year was the darkest of my life. Lessons are learned and absorbed when the only thing you can do to get from one day to the next … one hour to the next … is place every breath on God. To stack rocks you have to get still.
I had to train my brain to get so very still during that time because it was prone to lose focus and scatter in a zillion, even darker, directions. The rocks are in my kitchen windowsill; a constant and very personal reminder of His faithfulness to me. It seems when when tough times come, I look up and they have tumbled again and have to be reset.
A God-is-faithful reset.
His “no-matter-what’ Ang, you can trust me through the process” – that level of faithfulness.
I woke in the night with this tune in my head … I wonder if I was dreaming of rock climbing – or maybe I fell off a rock … and Jesus caught me … again … like he does over and over … and put me back in my place –
“ … on Christ the Solid Rock I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand”.
In Psalms the writer used this imagery in referring to God. Repeatedly.
The psalmist knew it to be true … God was always the protection and foundation he sought after.
“Since you are my Rock and my Fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me.” Psalm 31:3, NIV
God is our Rock. The title “rock” fully describes Him as
my Savior,
Redeemer,
Refuge.
This verse reminds me of all that is strong, secure, and safe about God. I’m asking myself, in these rocky days … am I living each day maintaining, declaring, believing that God is my Rock? If I stand firm on His character and His Word, then my faith will be unshakable.
God is our Fortress. David was trusting God to be his ultimate defense, not depending on any other source. This leads me to a second question – Am I letting Him be the source that I turn to?
“Adversity does not make us frail; it only shows us how frail we are.”
(Anonymous)
It’s true.
In discovering our “frailness”, we also discover our only true source
of strength,
of reinforcement,
and support is our God.
We come to discover we are stronger than we thought becauseHis strength will be our strength.
God is our Rock and our Fortress.
Thank you, Jesus.
Wake up.
Stack the rocks.
My God is faithful.
Go.

April 20, 2020

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Good morning, DearHeart.

I question God a lot.

Sometimes, I think He is ok with it-maybe even humored by it. (Girl, you have the gall to question Me after I brought you through that last pickle?!). Sometimes, I know, He’d rather I simply trust Him. (Ang, I know what I’m doing. This will turn out to be for your deliverance, child).

We all want to live a life full of meaning. What is meaningful for me may look differently for you.

Purpose.

Passion.

Calling.

Dreams.

We are each placed here on the planet earth for a reason. There is something we are to do and our lives will seem empty, until we begin to engage our hearts and do it.

“From one human being He created all races on earth and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live.” Acts 17:26 GNB

God wants us to be ourselves and do good for He has positioned us, so we are able to make a difference. He has handcrafted our lives – very individually, and it takes a lifetime to accomplish His work in us. It emerges from a small and exquisite piecing together of our inner and outer lives …

crafted,

played,

woven together every day,

every week,

every month,

come summer,

come winter,

the same. The overall magnificence takes many years. It cannot be fast-forwarded.

Take some moments today to consider this place that you find yourself today. Take it in, pandemic and all. Know that in this place, in these emotions, in these callings, you have been placed here specifically by our Maker. This, too, has purpose – and, by it you are being moved deeper into His will.

Wake up.

Ponder this place.

Go.

April 15, 2020 authentic

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Good morning, DearHeart.

Do you have stories that stay with you?

Plain, everyday stories?

Bizarre stories that you’ve lived?

Those that you’ve heard?

Crucifixion size stories?

Experiences are moments of magic that become little chapters in your head … and, because they stick around they have a purpose and a life of their own. They stick because your Creator uses them to prove His point in you … through you. When you dress down out of the demands of what others are saying you

-should be,

-ought to do,

-must have

… there you will find authentic, one-of-a-kind, treasures that are your own stories. And, if you begin to tell your unique stories, then The God of the Angel Armies draws people to Him through you.

Your faith grows when you share Him.

Authenticity is magnetic.

‘For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (2 Peter 1:8 HCSB)

Wake up.

Zone in on your story.

Tell it.

Go.

September 27, 2019 dreaming

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Good morning, DearHeart.

I dreamed Alana had two more sons to add to her 4 grown sons. I woke up giggling. Why do we dream the things we dream?

From the sleep, our body relaxes and then rattles back into morning. I believe each dream – even the bizarre ones – come to shake us from the day’s to-do list and make us take a glimpse at our deeper, endless world. Each dream of the night, deep, daring, deliberate, serves to point us into desire for our union with the Holy One. We dream of reunion. We return from a rest of being born and reborn, night after night, with mud caked to the soles of our feet, our hair smelling like the damp earth, our sleep shirt singed on the edge from the campfire.

From the night-land, we step into day clothes and into day lives.

We sit behind a wheel,

behind a screen,

behind a stove,

in front of a boss,

a teacher,

a customer.

We breathe the life of the Savior into every encounter if we so choose … our creations, our corporate world, our decisions, our art, our plans, our education, our industry, our rights, our freedoms, our duties. We breathe Him there. We set our hearts into Him by deliberate choice. The Creator-driven life is not only sustainable in our world, He sustains all worlds.

“And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:11-15 ESV

Wake up.

Dream again.

Go

November 30, 2018 disappointment

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Good morning, DearOne. This little fella really wanted us to share our chips and salsa yesterday. He was disappointed when the waiter ran him off.

The other day I read a quote about disappointment that stuck with me by Ann Voskamp:

“God appoints people who do disappoint – to point to a God who never disappoints.”

Who of us has not been disappointed by those we thought would always stand by us?

And who of us has not disappointed others?

Yet I do not think I have ever thought in terms that they were appointed to disappoint. Since reading this quote, I have not been able to stop thinking about it.

The statement is so true. There has not been a time in my life when disappointed by a person that I have not turned to God. In my hurt & woundedness, there was no other place for me to go but to God. Why? Because He & He alone will never disappoint me.

He will never let me down.

I think the psalmist, David, expressed is so beautifully…

“Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced.”

Psalms 22:4-5

We need to let those who have disappointed us, off the hook. Seriously.

And quite frankly, I want to be let off the hook.

I want to be forgiven for disappointing my friends & family. Can it be that disappointment is a gift that is disguised?  Perhaps in disappointing us, they have done exactly what God called them to do … they pointed us to Him. And He will never disappoint.

Wake up.

Let it go.

Go.

July 27, 2018 lit

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Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” (Ezra 10:4 ESV)

Good morning, StrongSoul-

More everyday, I am convinced that the world we wake up in is not the same as the world we went to sleep in. Have you noticed? In the blink of an eye things

really

do

change.

From lives changed, or lost, or elections, or technology, or chaos interrupting daily routines … it is enough to knock us on our keister and send life spiraling into the unknown. We’re left behind, standing in wonder … ‘what just happened here?’

This, Dearheart, this is where you and I are called by our Creator to step in. Perhaps one of the greatest things we can do in the chaos of the hours is STAND and show the Light of our souls. Simply stand.

Allow yourself to be moved by the change from yesterday to today. Struggling souls catch light from those who walk fully lit- and have the courage to show it.

A path you will cross today needs the Light you carry.

He will be a gift to them.

Shine on.

Wake up.

Stand and shine.

Go.

January 9, 2018 big thing praying

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“I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.” Ephesians‬ ‭1:16-17‬ ‭NLT

Good morning, DearOne.

Have you noticed that when you bump up your prayer efforts when you’re going through a really hard time, making sure to pray about all manner of things, you will see all manner of answers? And, even if God is saying “not yet” regarding The Big Thing you’re asking for… He WILL say “yes” to other things. There is an order. And a process in which He works and delivers.

And when He does say “not yet”, then His “yeses” to other things will both reassure you and build your faith that He is hearing your prayer about The Big Thing, and in time He will move to bring resolution. You can trust Him here. Especially when what you are praying for is the hard stuff – where you have no control for the choices others make. Keep in mind – someone’s mental illness is not your mental illness.

-Their threats do not need to be your triggers;

-their choices are not your “I should’ve been more ___.”

Do this: As you pray, send them love, not suffering over their suffering. Send them light. Send them respect for the journey they have chosen — it’s not your journey. Their mistakes are part of their story, just as you own yours.

Not everyone is help-able. When you are “trying” to be of service to someone — from paying for groceries, to literally trying to save their life — you have to leave a lot of room for the Holy Spirit to move in them. (Get outta His way).

You cannot know what someone’s soul is choosing, or why. That is their choice and goes with their story. You don’t know. Let it go. It doesn’t belong to you.

You’ve got to know and continue to pray for what keeps you well … MORE than well —

strong,

vital,

lit up,

curious.

What you need for you and what others need from you is your light (not your guilt).

Wake up.

Send them love.

Go.

January 1, 2018 set your gaze

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“GOD is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; He won’t leave you. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t worry.” Deuteronomy 31:8 Msg

Good day for a fresh start, Dearheart.

Start where you are.

Breathing.

Standing.

That’s progress. And, purpose.

Start here. Now.

Even if this is one of those days when you feel anxiety rising – redirect the anxiety into anticipation and excitement.

You know that tingling feeling of the Holy Spirit that you get when you’re listening to someone who inspires you to your core? Maybe it happens when you’re with a friend or mentor, or listening to a keynote at an event. Afterwards you feel on fire for days, maybe even weeks. You go into super-productivity mode because you want to make big things happen for yourself and your loves. I live for that feeling. That feeling is what fuels my relationships.

My career.

Our farming and businesses.

That’s why I surround myself with amazing people who keep me filled up with passion, inspiration, strength.

I know following Him will light a spark in you that ignites a blazing fire. I know that if God Most High leads you and me to it, He will stay right in front just a few feet where my gaze and your gaze can settle on Him. He will part the drowning waters, walking us across on dry and safe land. Look at us, you and me, we have a sure and steady history with Him. We can trust Him with this new year, too.

Here we go, 2018.

Wake up.

Set your gaze on Him.

Go.