Rambling Thursdays

This year is the One Hundredth year for our National Parks. It all began in August 25, 1916. There are 59 national parks that belong to you. That’s right...they belong to us. 

I have visited many of them. Some of my fondest memories includes beautiful landscapes and surreal moments. Times when the words, “wow, how beautiful, amazing” just don’t do it justice.

Standing on the pillar at Perry’s Victory National Monument with my Son and looking over Lake Erie.

Gazing in awe at the Milky Way spread out over the night sky at Agate National Monument in the Nebraska prairie. And an added bonus, the Northern Lights made an appearance.

Seeing the wagon ruts at Scotts Bluff National Monument. 

Awestruck at the immense Yellowstone valley and its beautiful waterfall. 

Seeing a Buffalo for the first time in the Badlands National Park and realizing it’s not fenced in. 

The reflection of the Tetons in Lake Jenny. 

Standing on a mountaintop in Rocky Mountain NP. Breathless and amazed at the widespread 360 views. 

Watching the sun creep into the vast Grand Canyon and enlightening the various rock walls. The sun glistening in the river gorge. It truly was surreal.

Walking amongst the red glowing rocks at Arches NP. I never knew the desert was so beautiful. The snow covered mountain in the distance added drama to the landscape. 

Looking over a otherworldly landscape at Canyonlands NP. It looked like something from Mars.

I dream of these moments many times and wish I could be there again. 

My son has been a Park Ranger the past few years and he loves showing off the Parks where he’s served. He has introduced me to the National Park Passport book. 

Every park sells them, but also you can get them on Amazon. There’s a section for each park, and it comes with a map showing the parks. 

It’s really fun to collect stamps when you visit each park. Each visitor’s center has a station where you can stamp your book. I also collect pins and display them in my office. Each park has their own unique pin. 

Our National Parks are a great destination or just a stop-over on your vacations. I’m sure there are some within driving distance of your home. Or go on that epic road trip. Get out there and make some memories. The memories I have collected are priceless. 

"In this world....

In this world you will have trouble....

It had been a wonderful time on the mountain. A most intimate moment with Jesus. They had been ministered to; they rejoiced and saw heavenly things that filled them with wonder. 

How badly they wanted to remain longer here. Soak up the sweet presence of God and ponder upon this experience. 

Never-the-less it was time to leave. They descended glowing still, their hearts full. It was back to reality. And what an ugly thing reality can be. 

They came upon an unpleasant scene. The disciples who remained behind were involved in a fracas. They appeared to be distressed and confused. People were yelling, pointing fingers, jostling bodies pushed in anger. A group of religious teachers were right in the middle of the melee sneering with accusations. 

Standing off to one side was a father and a young boy who watched sadly. Shoved aside and forgotten in this drama. 

Now I can’t speak for you, but I would probably be tempted to turn around and climb up that mountain to hold onto what warm feelings I have left. Life can be rather difficult at times and it seems much better to escape the ugliness than to bear down and face it. 

Jesus did more than just face it. He rose above the negative atmosphere calmed the situation and touched that father and his son. He was proactive rather than checking out. 

Jesus warned us we would have days like these. “In me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

This life and all that goes with it can be quite overwhelming at times. I get tired of the struggles and conflicts. After a while my soul gets weary, I want to escape. Why can’t the mountaintop experiences remain a little longer? How can I keep my mind on higher things when I’m facing ugly realities that pull me down? 

I think our mindset is the key in how we handle the rough spots. If we are already defeated in our minds, then it stands to reason we will be defeated. What if a football team comes out of the locker room with their heads down bogged down in the disappointment of their last loss?  What if they had listened to the press coverage about their opponents, “This team can’t be beat, and they won’t gain a yard against their defense...”  What if they listened to coverage about themselves? “They played horrible in their last two games. There are just too many key injuries that will hinder them. They can’t win this game...”  

I highly doubt they will play well in this game. They are already defeated before they hit the field. How can you face life’s challenges with a mindset like this?  

What are you confessing to yourself? Does everything look so bleak? Are you proclaiming defeat? A negative mindset can surely bog you down. 

Perhaps we need to change our mindset. Does this mean we are blind to reality? No, it means we choose to see the truth. Truth says: I can overcome the world because He overcame it. I can do all things in Christ, because He gives me strength. I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me. His divine power has given me everything I need for life and godliness. These powerful sentences are in the Word. 

Can’t God work even in the midst of the rough spots? Can we bask in His presence in the middle of chaos? Is it impossible for God? I believe He can, and I believe that I can overcome. And it all starts in my mind. If it’s all gloom and doom there, then I guarantee that negativity will reign in my world. 

We can be proactive rather than just reacting. We can be a powerful witness. It’s your choice. If you want to remain in the pit of negativity, then you will. You don’t have to remain there. Choose to see truth and confess it. 


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Rambling Thursdays

There are certain pieces of clothing I pull out of my closet time and time again. Not because I lack clothing, by no means! By virtue of loving them so much. 

I’m speaking of Christopher and Banks Essential Tees. Essential is the perfect word to describe these, because that is what they are...Essential. 

I have never had such comfortable Tee shirts. So easy to wear with jeans, shorts, or khakis. Pair them with a jacket, blazer or by themselves. Dress up with a scarf or long necklace. 

There are a wide variety of colors and styles. I prefer the 3/4 sleeves. It’s wonderful to hide those flabby arms. Yes, I have those too. 

They wash very well. I’ve bought cheap Walmart Tees that have lost their shape after one washing. These will not do that. I have some that are a few years old and they still look good. They seem true to size as well. I’ve ordered online and haven’t had any problems in the fit. 

If you are looking for some Tees for the summer, check these out. I highly recommend them. Sometimes they will have a two for $30. So they are very affordable. 

Another new item I found for this summer is a pair of Lee Capris. I loved these immediately, which is saying a lot. It’s difficult and tricky to shop for pants. They have a stretchy waist band which is so comfortable. 

I would say they are true to size. At least my size. Which again is saying a lot! 

As you can see, there is a wide variety of colors. I did not buy mine at Kohl’s. My local farm store, (Big R) sells Lees and I bought them there for less than $20. 

So you could probably find a good deal other than Kohl’s. Anyway, I hope these two suggestions aid you in your search for summer clothing. 

On another note, it has finally warmed up here in Indiana and I have hit the ground running. In fact my legs made their first appearance this past weekend. They need help. 

Enjoy the weekend friends. 

You gotta have heart.

For NFL fans, this time between the Combine and the Draft is a season of speculation. Who will be drafted first? Will my team draft great players who will make an immediate impact? 

The Combine in February is a big deal. All the coaches and scouts converge in Indianapolis to watch potential players run drills, interview and even go through testing. They scrutinize these guys over this weekend, leaving no stone unturned. After all they are spending millions of dollars on these guys. Yet no matter how confident you are in a player, it’s a risk. 

Teams have been burned before. A guy may have a monster combine. Just flat out kill the drills and interview well. He may have been a great college player. But after they have been drafted and go through training camp into the season, they may end up being a bust. They may not have the drive; may not put their whole heart into becoming the best player and teammate. They may not give it their all to win. They don’t apply themselves very well. And so eventually they may be cut, or traded to another team. 

It’s the heart of a person that makes all the difference whether in football or in our spiritual walk. Samuel the prophet was fooled by the outward appearance. 

God sent him to Jesse’s family to anoint the next king of Israel. He stood before seven of his sons, looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before me.”  He looks the part. Checks off all the boxes. Meets all the measurables. But God sees deeper than the physical appearance.

“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

David was the one God chose. He was a small shepherd boy. He didn’t really look the part. Yet he had a heart for God. He was passionate for God. “He was a man after God’s heart.” 1 Samuel 13:14

This is the guy when King Saul told him, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are a youth and he has been a man of war from his youth,” remarked back, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

This is the kind of heart that David had. And it benefited him all his life. 

A NFL coach can’t measure a man’s heart. The coach might know all his physical measurables. He knows how fast he runs, how high he jumps, how he played in college. He even knows his family background. But he really has no clue until the player is out on the field as to how he plays. 

How about you? Do you meet all the measurables? Do you look the part? Do you check off all the relevant boxes? Do you meet the standard?

Don’t worry....I don’t either. 

Believe me, I’ve looked at myself; shortcomings, failings and wonder how I can make an impact. Can God do something great through me? Perhaps other people may look at me and think the same thing. Maybe I even believe it sometimes. 

But you know, this is a lie from the pit! The truth is that “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him.” 

God doesn’t have a clipboard with your measurables on it. He doesn’t look at you and check off the boxes. Okay, this girl has it! I can work with her! 

No, what matters is your heart. Do you rely on Him continually? Is He the strength of your heart? Do you love Him with a passion above all others? 

Did you answer yes? Well then girl, get back out there and do what He’s called you to do. Use those gifts He gave you. Don’t sideline yourself. His glory will be seen through your life. You will make a huge impact with those your life will touch. He’s just waiting for someone to stand up and believe it. 

I’m ending the blog with this lovely passage in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.


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Rambling Thursdays

The gardening season is amping up and my green thumb is tingling. Daffodils are blooming. Flowers are coming up. I love to watch everything come to life after the winter. 

I have a lot to do to prepare for the summer. A lot of things to keep track of. Now what did I plant here? What is this plant coming up? What should I buy and plant this year? 

It can be daunting and a journal helps mightily. I bought a Moleskine a few years ago and love it. It has helped so much to tie up the loose ends. 

This journal has five tabbed sections you can personalize anyway you like. The journal includes stickers and a hinged compartment at the back. 

I glued pictures of flowers I planted and keep tabs on how it grew for me and other key information about the flower. 

There’s a gridded design section I use for planning new gardens and keeping track on where I planted stuff. I even use one section for the weather. I can tell you when our first snow fell three years ago. Vital information! Okay, I’m a weather geek too. 

I love this journal. If you aren’t as passionate about gardening as I am, don’t worry, Moleskine carries a wide variety of journals for any passion you may have. I have a friend who loves antiques and bought a journal to keep track of what they bought and where they shopped. 

I hope you are enjoying this Spring. Stop and enjoy the flowers. Plant some and the butterflies will come. 

Six helpful Bible study tips

How do you study the Bible in practical terms? How does it work in real life? 

In my last blog I shared how the Word of God transformed my mind and even changed the course of my life. I received a great response and so I would like to elaborate on this further. 

*Choose a Bible you can understand. 

There is an array of different Bibles and it can be a bit intimidating. Also there are so many translations. So I’m sure there is a Bible that will fit you. Try it online first. Go to a bookstore and look at them in person. Ask your friends what they like. 

My favorites are: NIV study Bible. I’ve had one for many years and it’s great for in depth study. There are cross references in the middle and commentary at the bottom. The NIV is very easy to understand. 

ESV (English Standard Version), is a new version that I am enjoying. It is a smaller Bible I take to church, my Bible study and I use it when I teach or speak. Since I am a writer I love words, and the ESV is written beautifully. I’ve been very pleased with it. 

The Message Bible. This Bible reads like a book. I use it online from time to time to better understand a verse I’m pondering on. 

These are the ones that I am very familiar with. Again do your research and I’m sure you’ll find one to your liking. 

*Choose a theme, book, or person to study. 

I realize this could be intimidating also. What to study? Which book of the Bible? What studies should I use? 

I’ve used many Bible studies over the years. There are wonderful ones in book form or online. A few I am familiar with are: http://shereadstruth.com/  She reads Truth is an awesome Bible study you can follow online.http://proverbs31.org/ Proverbs 31 ministries have online studies.http://www.precept.org/ I love Kay Arthur’s Precept Ministries. She has online studies and wonderful study books. I use them for my Sunday School class. 

You could also choose a person in the Bible to focus on. Choose a theme, such as faith, prayer, etc... Focus on a certain book of the Bible. There is no set way to study the Bible, just get your spiritual pick and start mining the truths of God’s Word. There are gems there for the diligent and seeking heart. 

*Set aside a time and place to study.

Make it a special place. I have a study/office. My desk faces a window that looks out on my bird feeder. This is my special place every morning. Now  you may not have a place like this. It doesn’t have to be fancy. But just make it your place to meet with Jesus. Moses had his Tent of Meeting in the wilderness where he had his “face to face” with God. 

Now as for the time, that is totally up to you. My best time is in the morning. Yours may be different. It may not be an easy thing to set aside time. There will surely be plenty of distractions to pull us away from that “good portion.” Luke 10:42  

*Use Bible online study helps.

I have two sets of commentaries on my bookshelf and I treasure them. I have The Pulpit Commentary and Matthew Henry. If you don’t have any, there are plenty for you to dive into online. http://www.biblestudytools.com/ Bible Study Tools is a wonderful website that has access to commentaries and different Bible versions. http://www.preceptaustin.org/ Kay Arthur’s Precept Ministries study website is my favorite. You will find an endless supply of commentaries and sermons. She also has some verse by verse commentary. It’s my frequent source when I study. 

*Know that “no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”

In 1 Corinthians 2:11-14 it tells us:  For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

Commentaries, sermons, Bible studies are all wonderful sources we can dive into when we study. But there is no substitute for our teacher, the Holy Spirit. 

He will “open your eyes to the wonderful things in the Word” Psalm 119:18. Pray before you study. Ask Him to teach and show you “the great and hidden things that you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3. 

Take your time. This doesn’t have to be about reading a chapter a day or the Bible in a year, although these are great things. You’re not speed reading. Remember you are mining the gems of His Word. The Holy Spirit isn’t impatient. Ponder and meditate on what you are studying. Sometimes I will camp out in a chapter for a few days. 

Also we need to realize that we are all in different seasons of life. I’m a empty nester who works nights. So I have the day basically to myself. You are probably in a totally different place. 

Whether you are a young mother, a working mom, a empty nester such as myself, whatever stage you are in; this time in the Word is vital like food. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

I still have to make an effort, a choice to get off the couch and away from the TV and social media to study the Word. 

*Write down your thoughts.

I mentioned in my last blog that I keep a journal. I have found this to be invaluable. I love to write anyway, but it’s also very practical. If I don’t write down my thoughts, I will forget them later. I can look back on something I studied a few months ago and the Lord can encourage me through that entry. It’s been a great tool for my blog and for teaching. 

Lastly I want to recommend a Bible podcast that I am loving. https://dailyaudiobible.com/ Daily Audio Bible. I’ve been telling all my friends about this. I listen everyday. Brian Harden will take you through the Bible in a year. He has such a soothing voice. It’s very calming. He usually shares from his heart at the end and always ends with a prayer. You will love it. 

I hope these ideas are helpful and encourage you to study the Word. I guarantee you the Word will change your life and renew your mind. Please feel free to leave any comments on how the Word has changed your life, or if you have further questions on this. 


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The Living and Active Word

March 20, 2001. On this day I began journaling. Since I love writing, it’s only natural that I would delight in writing down my own “Notes Along the Journey”. Yes, that is how I came up with my blog name. 

I have five journals now. Five journals full of rich treasure that range from Bible study insights, special days, anguish, dejection, encouragement etc... As you can see, my journals run a spectrum of emotions I have experienced  over the past fifteen years. 

I remember clearly the day I sat down and wrote my first entry. I was approaching the end of a raging storm that was battering me and threatened to destroy my marriage.  

Of course I wasn’t aware of that at the time. Hind sight and all. At that time I felt like I was right in the middle of it. Yet I had peace and a settleness deep within that came when I surrendered and handed over the controls to the Great I Am. You can read about my story here.

At that time I worked nights. I would get up in the morning and go about the business of the day just like I did everyday. But Jesus began to lead me in another direction. I felt Him drawing me to His Word. To really study it, immerse myself in it. 

Now up to this point sadly, I was hit and miss when it came to my “alone” time with Jesus. He was now drawing me deeper. So on the morning of March 20, 2001 I sat down at my kitchen table with my Bible, the Matthew Henry commentary, (a gift from my brother) and my journal. 

My first entry was from Ezekiel 47. From that point on I studied the Minor Prophets, Daniel to Malachi. My life was never the same again. I was especially broken when I got to Hosea. Hosea will do that to you. 

The Word changed me as I immersed myself in it. It got in my spirit, and transformed my mind. I grew by leaps and bounds. My marriage was healed and restored. I even began to teach Sunday School and eventually led the Women’s group. And now a blog and occasionally speak. 

One memorable entry in my journal is on August 17, 2008. My women’s group had a weekend retreat. It had been an amazing weekend. A woman who I haven’t seen for a long time joined us. 

She told me something so incredible. “What happened to you while I was away? I am amazed at how you have changed and how God is using you.”

I was flabbergasted. It blew me away. I believe God gave me that moment to show how I had grown. To show me the wonder of His handiwork. I’ll always treasure that moment. It proved how powerful God’s Word truly is. 

Beloved, when you take in the Word, when you immerse yourself in it, when it becomes vital soul food, I guarantee  it will change your life. Because it isn’t just words on a page. It’s God breathed. 

“It’s a lamp to your feet”, “It will not return empty”, “It is living and active”, “It’s living and abiding”, “It will remain forever”, “It will renew your mind”. 

It’s not just simply reading it that will change your life. It’s believing it and settling in it. I encourage you today to get alone with Jesus and allow your Teacher, the Holy Spirit to “Open your eyes to the wonderful things in the Word.” 

Leuchtturm is a journal that I am loving. It’s soft covered, it has numbered pages with a table of contents in the front, which is very useful. There are different sizes and colors. I love the paper. At the back is a hinged pocket. Also there are stickers included. 

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