Echoes of Joy Blog

Our Forever Home

Charlie Bones

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)

As an adult, I’ve had two dogs, and both have been rescues. They were dogs no one wanted initially, and then in both cases, the people who took them in couldn’t keep them. That’s how I ended up with Lilly and then, thirteen years later, Charlie.

After Lilly died, I considered going to a shelter to get a dog. I perused shelter websites looking for the perfect dog. Most of the dogs were big, and I wanted a small one. I stopped looking because it was too heartbreaking.

Then Charlie came along, and he was the perfect fit. He’s high energy—too high energy for some people, which is why he came to live with me when his first owner decided he wanted a calmer dog. I had thought that Lilly had a lot of energy, but she was almost reserved compared to Charlie. The things that kept her occupied didn’t work on him. He loves to chew and has sharp teeth. I engaged him in training and found natural chews that he could tear into—and not bite my fingers or my furniture. Continue reading “Our Forever Home”

When the Task Ahead Seems Difficult

“And God said, ‘I will be with you.’” (Exodus 3:12)

A few months ago, the battery in my key fob started dying. In my mind, changing the battery seemed daunting—I needed to find someone that could change it, drive to the location, wait while they switched it out, and then pay an exorbitant amount of money. Apparently, I thought changing the battery in the key fob was similar to any other sort of car issue—inconvenient, time consuming, expensive, and something only a professional could do. So I switched to the other key fob. Then, a few days ago, that battery started to wane as well. Now that I was faced with two dead key fobs, I turned to Google for help.

You probably already know where this is going. The thing I had put off for so long had a very easy fix—purchase the appropriate battery, the number of which Google supplied on demand, pop open the key fob, and change the battery. No special equipment or expertise needed. And voila, both of my key fobs are now working again. Continue reading “When the Task Ahead Seems Difficult”

Let Striving Cease

“Cease striving and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:1 NASB1995)

Since I started this blog in 2011, I have written many times about anxiety and how I often find myself living from a place of fear. It’s like my default mode, and I don’t recognize it until I am deep into it, exhausted and overextended and trying to get out. It often happens when I seek to help someone, to be needed, to fill a gap for people I wasn’t meant to fill.

If you’ve read my blog for long, you know that I’m an introspective person. Recently, I set out to discover why I keep reverting to this mindset. I find myself wondering, Have I prayed enough? Have I done enough? (See that—doing is the problem, but I keep trying to do more.) Continue reading “Let Striving Cease”

Another Birthday

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

Another birthday crept up on me and flew past this last week. The older I get, the faster they come around. This one isn’t a milestone, but for some reason, it feels like a big one. Maybe because I’m on the precipice of a milestone birthday (the big 5-0 next year), and many of my friends and former classmates have already surpassed it.

For me, birthdays are a time of reflection. What have I learned in the last year? The last five years? The last ten years? Ten years ago, I was about to embark on a major life upheaval. Within a few months of my birthday, I had quit my job, started editing full time, and moved to the big city. I had a handful of friends and acquaintances but only a couple of close friends. Now, I still live in the big city, but I work a full-time office job and edit part-time. I have several close friends—more than this shy introvert ever thought possible, really. Continue reading “Another Birthday”

Struggling to Set Boundaries

“At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.’” (Luke 4:42–43)

Have you ever struggled with boundaries? I’ve been working on creating boundaries—and sticking with them—for a long time. Somewhere along the way, I picked up the idea that a good Christian is always available when someone needs them. I’m a helper by nature, and when asked to help, I often jump in without thinking things through. This leads to frustration with myself, because I feel taken advantage of, and to exhaustion, because I overextend myself.

I’m a relatively cautious person in other areas of my life (meaning I typically overthink things), so why do I do this? When I’m asked to help, it feels good, so I want to do it. The helper part of me doesn’t want to see someone I care about struggling, especially if I think there’s something I can do to relieve their pain. What I’ve discovered is, I can’t fix things for them, only Jesus can. Continue reading “Struggling to Set Boundaries”