The Map for Our Lives

This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God,    who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. (Is. 48:17)

When I was growing up, my family went on a road trip almost every summer. My dad, a teacher, had summers off, and since his mom lived in Nevada, we would take off and explore various points of the West on our way to visit her. Continue reading “The Map for Our Lives”

The Heart: What Makes Us Who We Are

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” (Mt. 22:37)

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first proclamation to make February American Heart Month. With the ongoing, global COVID pandemic, paying attention to our heart health carries even more importance since the virus impacts the heart.

One of my first jobs out of college was working for an Area Agency on Aging. I monitored the nutrition program, among other things, and I learned about the importance nutrition has on our heart health. Even before that job, I was interested in taking care of my heart because of the health problems run in my family. All four of my biological grandparents had heart problems, and three of my mom’s five brothers have now passed away from heart attacks. Continue reading “The Heart: What Makes Us Who We Are”

When Creativity Stops Flowing

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Ps 19:14)

This blog post almost didn’t happen. Writing an original blog post each week along with other fresh material can be a daunting task. Because I write in a devotional format, I don’t feel comfortable just throwing something up on my blog for the sake of meeting a deadline. I approach each entry thoughtfully and with prayer so that the Lord can use my words for his purposes.

I maintain a long list of possible blog post topics, but even though I had potential subject matter on hand, I couldn’t dredge up the words to pull it all together this week. When I prayed for guidance, I heard…silence. And then I realized that the silence, the lack of an idea, the difficulty writing a coherent blog post, was the idea for this entry. Continue reading “When Creativity Stops Flowing”

The Heart: The Center of Ourselves

 

 

Pictured from left to right: Uncle Venoy (photo courtesy of Sarah Foust); Grandpa Cecil and Grandma Rena (my mom’s parents); Staci, Grandma Velma (my dad’s mom), and Stoney; and Grandpa Fred (my dad’s dad)

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” (Mt. 22:37)

Heart problems run in my family. Of my four biological grandparents, all had heart problems. Of my mom’s five brothers, two have now passed away from heart attacks. Two years ago this March, my uncle Venoy suffered a massive heart attack, passing away just hours later. Were there signs? Yes. He had terrible back pain for three days prior to the heart attack, and even though he rarely suffered from that particular malady, none of us recognized it as a sign of an impending heart attack. Continue reading “The Heart: The Center of Ourselves”