New Life for a New Year

It has certainly been a while since I've posted anything here!  "Life happens" as they say.  The things we've dealt with in the last year haven't much felt like life, though!  Grieving the passing of a dear friend and pastor, fighting through weeks and weeks of snotty viruses, and watching my faithful husband struggle to maintain and grow a business in a changing economy-- all of these have felt more like death than life.  But one thing I know, and that is that "all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes."  That includes me, and you too, I hope!

We all get pruned now and again, by the Gardener!  It hurts, of course, but afterward we can see the growth and reap the fruit.  I hope my time away from blogging will prove to be just that, and that what I post in all my different pages this year will touch people where they need it, how they need it.  I pray that all those touches will have the grace of God in them.

Be blessed this year!  Make close fellowship with the Lord the highest priority.  Maybe this will be the decade that will see the return of Christ to reign.  Let's pray fervently "Thy Kingdom Come"!

What To Do At Low Tide

I'm at a low ebb right now, after a long period of high creativity. It happens, I think, to everyone. I'm sure you've experienced it, and if you're like me, it's a very uncomfortable place to be. Maybe you've felt drained, empty, or even burnt out. Sometimes it feels like depression. Whatever the causes and accompanying sensations and thoughts, the outcome is the same: low creative output.

Here, I simply enjoy the long walks on the beach, so to speak, listen for the distant voice of inspiration, pick up a few shells, rest, and know that, inevitably, the power to create will return like the tide of the ocean. And just about as suddenly as it went out.

Since I draw my life and inspiration from one Source, Jesus Christ, I take the opportunity to get extra rest in Him, let Him do whatever work He needs to do in me, and do the ordinary daily things in life that have to be done. I enjoy my family and close friends, I get some healthy creative input, I spend extra time in the Word and in prayer, and I wait for His life to well up in me in a greater way. And I resist the temptation to fall into sadness and disappointment, or shame and condemnation, because I'm unable to do everything I think I need to do.

So, I just want you to know I haven't quit on my blogs or anything, I'm just in that low tide place, enjoying the quietness and refreshment of a spiritual getaway.