Thursday, December 20, 2018

Where, Oh, Where Has She Gone?

It's the season of Christmas parties and seeing friends. I was asked at one of these festive events if I still blogged. (Gulp) My answer was no. I went on to say that I hadn't blogged much at all since I got married. But, I also said that I hoped to start making time to do it more often. I hope to make more time for it.

Blogging is more for me—at least that's the way it seems. I never did have a lot of followers. I'm not an "Influencer" in the blog world. I'm just me. I'm sharing things that I learn along the way in this maze I call life. If my thoughts inspire or challenge others along the way, then God has used it for His purposes.

I do enjoy writing. My style is more of a conversation in my head that I need to put on paper. So, when you read my blog posts it's a little bit like we're sitting across the table, drinking a cup of tea or coffee, and talking about life. I've done a little professional writing in the past couple of years. I work for a publisher and have published some prose and poetry. I prefer writing prose, but did try my hand at a poem once. I suppose it's because of my blogging that writing prose comes more naturally to me.

My mom was the poet of our family and began writing her poems as a young girl and continued to write throughout her life. She wrote poems about each of her children and grandchildren. Those poems are treasures for all of us! She also wrote a lot of religious poetry. Somehow the content of what she and I write are probably very much the same, but she was able to put it in rhyme and verse, whereas I prefer to write without those restrictions. I never really thought about that before, but I guess we were cut from the same cloth—so to speak. Mom is no longer with us on this Earth. She's now with Dad in heaven and I'm certain that she is enjoying life there.

That is one of the changes in my life since I stopped blogging regularly. There was a period of time when I was taking care of Mom's affairs and seeing to her needs. Blindness robbed her of reading and writing in her final years—two of the things she most loved to do. I've pondered that more than a few times. I don't have any answers to the question of why those two things, but it does remind me to hold everything with an open hand.

Of course, I've mentioned before that I was married almost two years ago. It's amazing to realize that two years ago this week I was making last-minute plans for our wedding! I had a whole lot of help, though. Trying to put together a small wedding in roughly six weeks can be done, but not without help. My fiance (now husband) helped a lot. Several sweet friends stepped in and helped with other details like decorations, flowers, dress shopping, and wedding planning. Whew! That made everything a little easier.

Okay, what else have I been doing? Well, there's selling a house, moving twice, buying a new house, settling into a new life as a married person, and then working full time. Those are just the highlights, of course. In those in-between times, I'm attending church, trying to keep up with family and friends, and dealing with other things that life throws at us. Needless to say, when I get home in the evening after an aggravating commute (traffic is often horrible around here), I usually end up vegging in front of the television with my hubby. It's an escape and a way to relax. Writing is not uppermost on my mind, though I do think about it.

We've been singing about Hope, Peace, and Joy at church—the Advent words. Christmas is more than exchanging gifts. Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus's birth and the Hope, Joy, and Peace that only He can bring. As I sit here writing, I can see our Christmas tree about six feet away. My husband has hung an angel in the room and just beyond that is the star atop our tree. It reminds me of the scene in Luke 2:8-15, when the angel came to the shepherds to let them know of Jesus's birth:

This is the view from my chair. (c) themazeofourlives
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,  
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

'Tis the season to tell the Good News. The angel shared the news. Then the shepherds saw the babe in the manger and then they went on to spread the word. The One they had been awaiting had finally come! Share the gift of hope, joy, and peace this season. His name is Jesus!




Sunday, May 21, 2017

Changes for Better or for Worse

There are many quotes about change. Just Google the words Quotes about Change and you'll find plenty of sources. Change is something that affects every single person--whether we like it or not.

In the months since I last updated this blog, I've seen many changes. My country elected a new president and has sworn him into office. Babies have been born and some people have died. Job changes have been made--some voluntary and some not.

I have experienced many of my own changes. I got married. I moved. I sold a house. Now we're in the process of buying another house and will move again. Those are just the highlights of the past few months. Of course, there are many under-the-radar changes that occur to me/us all the time. We age a little every day so our hair and skin begin to change. Our thoughts and beliefs begin to change as we age. Our weight changes daily--sometimes for the better and sometimes not. I could go on and on.

How do we manage with all these changes? I suppose we all have a different tolerance level for change. It may also depend on what sort of changes are occurring to us, too. Good changes are easier to handle than sudden changes such as illness or job loss. Our maturity levels also contribute to how well we handle changes. As far as politics go, I've seen some people handle the changes well and others [ahem] not handle it well AT ALL.

I must confess that having gone through many of my own changes in the past few months it has certainly showed me how mature I am. Although I've handled most of it well, there have been those inevitable times that I did not. When I was weary of the many changes, when I was overly tired, and maybe just a big "hangry" [hungry & angry is not a good combination], my maturity level degraded to that of a stubborn 3-year old. Those were the times I simply wanted to build a blanket fort in my living room, crawl under it, drink chocolate milk, and hide for a while.

I don't really have any huge spiritual insights to add to this post. Typically, that's what my purpose of writing on this blog is about. But, as the title of my blog implies, this is the Maze of My Life right now. I enjoy writing and really want to get back into the habit of doing so. Although, as busy as my schedule has been and may continue to be for a while, it's not likely I'll get back into a regular writing routine anytime soon.

The only thing I do know is that God never changes. He will always love me--even when I act like a stubborn 3-year old. When everything around me is quickly changing, I can always look to Him and trust that God is always there.

Oh, and a patient husband is a huge blessing!!

In Him,


I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. Jimmy Dean
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jimmydean131287.html

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. Jimmy Dean
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jimmydean131287.html
I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. Jimmy Dean
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jimmydean131287.html
I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. Jimmy Dean
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jimmydean131287.html

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Help Me Find It

It's Thanksgiving morning and while I'm preparing food to share with friends and family, I am listening to some of my favorite songs saved on a YouTube channel several years ago. Listening to these songs brings back memories, but one in particular just reminded me of God's sovereignty, His loyal love, and infinite kindness to me.

Help Me Find It is a song by a group called Sidewalk Prophets.When this song was first released on the radio, I remember listening to the lyrics and identifying with its message. Perhaps you've been there, too. You're on a path and suddenly the path is closed off and you're not sure where to turn or even why the path was blocked off. Questions abound: What happened? Why? Where do I go now? Lord, was this your plan?

When I found myself in that very position, this song ministered to my soul. I deferred to God and asked Him to show me the path to take.  

Help me find it.

I will trust in You.

Give me peace for the moment.

I will wait for You.

Those days were not easy, living in the unknown. But, leaning on God during those times did help. Each time this song came on the radio, it was another opportunity for me to renew my commitment to wait on God and His plan.

I can now look back on those times and know that God is faithful to His promises. I am ever so thankful that I yielded to God's plan, even in those moments of hurt.

On this day of Thanksgiving, I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for His blessings that often come through those hard times.




I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; 
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. - Psalm 32:8

Pray that the LORD your God will tell us 
where we should go and what we should do. - Jeremiah 42:3


Grateful that God helped me find the right path. 


Thursday, September 22, 2016

Consult Your GPS

I was driving to work one morning when traffic suddenly came to a grinding halt. Road delays are not all that unusual, but the location of this particular stop was unusual. 



This traffic standstill was on a two-lane road with forest on either side. Ahead of me I saw several vehicles turning around to find another route. Ugh! How long would this delay be? Should I find another route? Which route would be faster? All of these questions were running through my mind as I looked ahead as far as my eye could see. Unfortunately, I could not see the cause of the problem.

So, while I was sitting still in traffic (not while I was moving), I consulted my GPS. According to GPS, there was indeed a backup on the road I was on (duh) and a wreck ahead. Okay, that's what's going on. Unfortunately, GPS didn’t tell me important things like how long this delay would be or whether I should find another route. 

The questions continued to swirl through my mind, but this time I decided the best course of action would be to wait and see. Many times the detours don't end up saving me time! I decided not to panic and turn around. 

After I made that decision, traffic began to slowly move and I noticed cars coming from the other direction. That’s a good sign! This was a short-lived delay! Traffic continued to move forward and before long I saw the reason for our slow-down. Two vehicles who had bumped into each other pulled their vehicles to the side of the road so that traffic could continue to flow.

Thankful that I was finally on my journey again, I suddenly realized I had a response to a prayer I asked of God five minutes earlier! 

Minutes before this traffic delay, I was thinking about circumstances in my life that left me feeling discouraged about the future. I breathed a quick prayer and asked the Lord for some encouragement.

I remembered a Bible verse that I'd read earlier that morning. God could make water come out of a rock, so I knew the Lord could handle the details of my life. Thank you, Lord, for reminding me.


He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
 it flowed like a river in the desert. 
Psalm 105:41

I continued on my journey and a new song began to play on the radio. The words to this song reminded me that God's will was more important than mine. Okay, point taken.

As I was pondering these thoughts, that's when I ran into the traffic delay mentioned previously. After I was back on my journey I suddenly realized God had been trying to show me something. Aha! 

God sees me. (Genesis 16:13)
God hears me. (1 John 5:14)
God has a plan for my life. (Jeremiah 29:11) 

God reminded me that there will be delays in life and sometimes He asks me to wait. How long? Hmmmm... I wish I could consult my other GPS (God Positioning System), but that app has not been invented. Sometimes the delay is long and sometimes it’s brief. I do need to trust Him, though. God may detour me or ask me to be patient till He clears the way ahead.

Yes, that encouragement I prayed for had come. I only needed to pay attention and expect an answer. God is faithful!