GRADUAL

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your
adversary the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion, seeking someone
to devour.  (1 Peter 5:8 ESV)

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--GRADUAL

Five minutes to free-write about it

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Several thoughts popped into mind when I saw this week's prompt--the fable of the boiling frog; a memory from long ago when I joined a gym and after going in daily for quite a while, had to skip a  day, and then not too long after that I skipped another, and then another, and gradually, with each day I skipped, it became easier and easier to find excuses not to go in, until before I knew it, I had stopped going altogether; and the time one of my favorite sweet treats had been discontinued and a couple of years later my daughter surprised me with a bag of them she had found on a visit to Cracker Barrel. I thought of how excited I was, and then disappointed when I opened the bag and noticed the candy didn't look the same as it used to, nor taste the same either. Even the picture on the bag, on closer inspection, wasn't quite the same. It was a facsimile manufactured by another company, and not the real thing at all. Nevertheless I kept going back to the bag for more, and each time I did so, the difference started to fade, until gradually I wasn't noticing it at all, and was  quite enjoying my treat. How quickly my taste buds had dulled.

Except for the boiled frog, none of those things had been of any great consequence in the big scheme of things, but in retrospect, they were warnings of how easy it is to lose sight of the things that used to be the most important priorities. It happens so gradually, they are hardly noticed.

I'm thinking that's why there are so many warnings in Scripture to stay vigilant in these last days lest we be distracted, deceived, and spiritually blinded as our eyes become more and more fixed on the pleasures and cares of this world instead of on the things of God. Always busy, always entertained, always sidetracked by the cares of life, but seldom watching and praying or aware of the evil rising around us, until it is too late. (Luke 21:34, 2 Timothy 3:1-4, 1 Peter 5:8, Matthew 24:37). 

When we receive God's gift of salvation, we become new creations in Christ. The past is washed away, and all things are made new (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are given a clean slate, and a new standard of living--not to restrict us, but rather to open the door for us to receive God's blessings, and to become the very best that He intended for us to be. 

Sometimes though, it's hard not to fit in with the crowd, and easy to start making little compromises. After all, what's the big deal about reading that book everyone's talking about? Or going to the movies with friends, even though it's one I wouldn't think of asking Jesus to watch with me. 

It may take a while before giving in to that first little compromise, but then how much easier it becomes to justify the next one, and the next, until gradually our lives are no longer distinguishable from anyone else's in the non-believing world who we were supposed to be setting an example for. How like the unsuspecting frog. 

For those of you who may not be familiar with the tale, it's about a frog dropped into a pot of water. If the water had been very hot, it would have immediately hopped out, but if it was cool or pleasantly tepid, and then brought to a boil ever so slowly, the frog won't notice the gradual change in temperature until it is too late and it gets gradually boiled to death.

Only a fable, I know, but also some good food for thought.

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In those days before the flood, the people were

enjoying banquets and parties and weddings

right up to the time Noah entered his boat.

People didn't realize what was going to

happen until the flood came and swept them

all away. That is the way it will be when the

Son of Man comes.  (Matthew 24:37-39, NLT)

LEAVES OR BUTTERFLIES?

A couple of days ago I caught a glimpse of what I at first thought were bright yellow leaves falling off the trees. 

The thing was, they seemed to flitter and swirl rather than just fall straight down the way leaves usually fall when blown by the wind. Plus, there was no wind, and there were no trees with yellow leaves on them in that spot, plus nothing was blowing off any of the other trees.

After I saw this happen several times, I got up and looked out the window. There were no leaves on the ground where they would have landed either. That piqued my curiosity and I decided to consult Google. Its AI feature suggested they were actually a kaleidoscope of migrating cloudless sulphur butterflies.

I couldn't find a video I could embed in my post, but I did find this link to an Instagram post that kind of looks like what I saw.

So, leaves or butterflies? A mystery it will remain.

FRIDAY FUNNY

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

APPROACH

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--APPROACH

Five minutes to free-write about it

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This week's prompt is very timely, and I am excited to write about it.

As some of you may know, I am a  writer of children's picture books. However, for the last couple of years I have been feeling so overwhelmed by other priorities that my writing--even blogging--has pretty much dwindled  to a standstill. 

Recently, by Divine orchestration, I was introduced to a virtual group. of children's picture book writers. Long story short, mostly out of curiosity, I attended my first meeting which turned out to be all about the best approaches to take in order to promote our books. As I took it all in, a tiny spark started to get fanned, along with the thought that if this was the Lord's nudging me back into writing, He would make a way where there seems to be no way.  

The picture of Blue Violet is the cover of a book I started writing quite a few years ago but never finished. It is on this post to remind me of the commitment I am making to go back and finish it. With the Lord's help and the approaches I learned about at our meeting I know it can be done.

Part of my new approach is to view my current circunstances from a new perspective and trust God to help me meet my needs His way, instead of thinking my way is the best and only way. 

One of the thigs I am working on is creating a newsletter, which means I will then need to build an e-mail list of people who might be interested in receiving it. If any of you would like to be on that list, please send me your e-mail (sksteinde@yahoo.com).

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

ABANDON

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--ABANDON

Five minutes to free-write about it

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My first thought was Hebrews 13:5b--"...God has said: 'Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

The second thought was something I had written in my memoir about how God is the only one we can bank on; the only one whose word can be trusted one hundred percent of the time. 

I don't remember ever actually being abandoned, though in retrospect, that's what my husband did when he chose to take his life and leave me and our two young children behind. But I have been lied to and deceived many times. Once by someone I trusted who told me his word was something I could bank on. 

Lesson learned (quoted from my memoir), Man's word is subject to change. People make commitments they don't always keep. Sometimes it's because they make them impulsively, without first considering the ramifications. Other times it's because circumstances get in the way. Even the most honorable and best-intentioned folks are subject to sickness,  accidents, unavoidable delays, and death.

Circumstances have often gotten in my way, causing me to delay contacting people I care for and think about. That is something I need  to rectify. I have also abandoned projects I really wanted to complete because more pressing priorities robbed me of my time.

Today I went out on my balcony and realized I had abandoned my plants prematurely. Once the weather turned cooler and there was frost at night, I stopped tending to them. I figured the wildflowers were probably all dead by now, and the tomato plant that never bore a single tomato all summer was certainly not going to be producing any now.

Wrong! The tomato plant may not produce any tomatoes, but it is not dead. The leaves smell more tomatoey now than they ever have. And in one pot, a hardy little purple wildflower is blooming--and is surrounded by several little buds. Can you see them?

I am so grateful that God is patient and longsuffering and that He never gives up on me (or any of you) the way I had given up on these poor plants.

My five minutes is up.

FRIDAY FUNNY

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

FRIDAY FUNNY

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

SIGHT

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--SIGHT

Five minutes to free-write about it

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2 Corinthians 5:7 was the first thought that popped into my mind: For we walk by faith, not by sight (BSB). Then I got distracted by this sight that caught my attention as I walked past the balcony door.  The sight of one last wildflower still blooming, while the trees across the way are starting to change into their colorful apparel--a sure sign that summer is transitioning into fall.

Back to the verse, though. We all have faith in something, but is it faith in what is true--or faith in something that is not? There was a time in my life when I had great faith that I was on the right path, but I was not. Fortunately, the Lord came to my rescue and did not leave me there. (If  you are interested, I blogged about it here.)

Or are we putting our faith in what is visible and predictable, which is not really faith at all, as our senses can deceive us, and things we experience can be misleading.

That is why the scriptures tell us to walk by faith (in God and the truth of His word), not by sight. To trust in Him and His promises no matter how things may be looking around us, or what our intellect has to say.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6, BSB).

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

TUESDAY THOUGHTS

"Let not your heart be troubled; you

believe in God, believe also in me.

(John 14:1, NKJV)

Thoughts I am pondering on this rainy Tuesday morning.

Why have I had so many unexpected frustrations day after day that keep eating up my time and preventing me from accomplishing the things on my schedule that need to get done? Is it the enemy trying to mess with my head and steal my peace (1 Peter 5:8); or the Lord overruling my plans (Proverbs 16:9), for His good purpose (which is ultimately for mine as well); or a bit of both?

One of my devotionals this morning was about the phrase "Let not your heart be troubled" at the beginning of John 14:1 (see above). According to British preacher, J. H. Jowett, the emphasis should be on the word heart-- not the word troubled. In his words:The heart is to be clothed in serene regality even when hell is knocking and rioting at its very gates. 

Inner peace is not the result of untroubled circumstances, but rather, of an untroubled heart.

I know this to be true, and yet I'd be lying if I told you that I never struggle to keep my trust and focus on God instead of my problems and frustrations. Some days the temptation to cave and give up is really strong. 

The other devotional I read contained a timely reminder that faith is like a seed. It does not grow strong overnight. Seeds grow a little at a time, a consistent 24/7 growth, until they push their way through the soil and develop into what they were created to be.

Similarly, strong unwavering faith comes from constant meditation on the Word of God and consistently filling your heart with it, 24/7--not just turning to it when you feel like it, or it's convenient, or you have a need.

********************************

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8, NLT).

We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9, NLT).

"I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid (John 14:27, NLT).

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world" (John 16:33, NLT)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isaiah 26:3, NLT).

Then Jesus said, "What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it? It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches" (Luke 13:18-19, NLT).

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up (Galatians 6:9, NLT).

THANKFUL TUESDAY

 

Stories transform. Stories help people

believe that change is possible. ... The

setbacks. The failures. The disappoint-

ments. The moments you wanted to 

quit. Those become the bridges that 

help someone else cross over.

(Les Brown)

Today (actually yesterday, since I am writing this in the wee hours of the morning) was a cross over day. for me. A day with so many unexpected little God winks in it, my heart feels full to overflowing. Little things like following the Lord's prompt to text a  friend I had gone to school with and who I hadn't been in touch with for a long time. I did not realize she was going through a very difficult time, but He did, and He gave me just the right words to send her. Her response about how wonderful it is when an old old friend reappears in one's life when they need it the most and  how I had done that for her, made my heart skip with happy beats.

Today it is my own story that has helped me believe that change is possible. I was reading some of the posts I shared on my other blog--At the Foot of the Cross--when I was feeling discouraged and ready to give up.  But mixed in with the frustration there were many blessings as well (some of which I've shared on this blog too).

It reminded me of  another quote from one of my devotionals about how man's disappoint-ments are often God's appointments, and the things we think are  tragic are often the doors through which He chooses to exhibit His love and grace. How true!

Today was a day that had me thanking God for all my many blessings and singing this song which has now become embedded in my mind. 

 

IS BLOGGER DEAD?

 Is Blogger dead? 

I had been using my Blogger Reading List to get notified when people I follow write a new post, but then I noticed that it had started listing posts out of sequence. Like posts that were written days ago and posts written only hours ago were all mixed up, so there were posts I missed because I thought I was all caught up and didn't realize there were more recent posts further down the list.

And now, as of last night, I'm not seeing anything new--not even when I look up a specific blogger. The only way I can see new posts is if I look up a  specific person, scroll down to the end of the old post that comes up, click on Newer Post at the bottom of it, and then keep repeating that until there are no more newer post links. to click on 

How about you? What do you all use to see what your blog friends are posting?

I honestly don't have it in me to switch to a different blogging venue at this point, and am seriously considering whether or not it's worth continuing to blog if it's going to be such a hassle, and AI and algorithms are going to decide who if anyone gets to see the post. That's how it is on Facebook and Instagram, but I didn't think Blogger did that as well. 

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

BOUNDARY

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--BOUNDARY

Five minutes to free-write about it

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This summer was a mix of unexpected frustrations and unexpected blessings,.

The word prompt, boundary, got me to thinking of the times I felt frustrated because something I expected didn't turn out the way I expected it to, or afraid because I had to face something scary that caught me by surprise (like my unexpected trip to the hospital in May). It also had me thinking of the times when things happened I did not expect--often as a result of what did not look so good at first--that were like huge God winks reminding me that He is the God of the impossible, and there are no boundaries around what He can do.

It was a time of learning to trust Him more  and to let go and rest in Him instead of trying to be in control. A time of learning to look up instead of around, and not try to put Him in a box. A time to accept that His ways and His timing are always best.  

And then, before I even had a chance to write down my thoughts, came the test. The test to see how real my trust really was when I was pressed. Would I cave under the pressure, or would I have peace knowing that my God, who has no boundaries, is truly in total control. 

The test was in the form of a phone call about a very frustrating issue that I had been unable to resolve, and I failed it miserably. Instead of turning it over to God, I tried once again for the umpteenth time, to try and take care of it myself, only to get so frustrated I had a huge meltdown on the phone. 

I am so grateful that God did not treat me the way I deserved. I am so grateful for His mercy and grace, that He is so longsuffering, and that instead of giving up on me  He extended unmerited favor by using a very kind, caring, empathetic lady to come up with an alternate plan that although it didn't right the wrong, circumvented it, and wound up being an even better plan than the original one I was trying  so hard to enforce.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

WHAT HAVE WE HERE?

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--HERE

Five minutes to free-write about it

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What have we here? Here we have what I thought was a giant weed that had crowded out all the rest of the wildflowers in one of the pots on my balcony.

I was wrong. If you look close, you should be able to see two large buds near the top. 

And what have we here?  Here we have what looks like a tomato plant, but I thought was a dud, because although it continued to grow, it had no tomato smell such as the leaves of growing tomato plants usually have, nor did it have any fuzz on its stalks, nor did it show any evidence that it would be producing any kind of fruit. 

I was about to dump it, but when I went out to water the plants this morning I was surprised to notice that not only was it looking quite a bit taller, but there was some fuzz on several of the stalks, and I could actually detect a faint tomato aroma.

Looks like I was wrong again, which led to a rush of thoughts such as the ones listed here:

* Don't be deceived by outward appearances.

* First appearances can be deceiving.

* Don't be too quick to discount someone or something.

* All is not always what it seems.

* Don't jump to conclusions.

So for now, the tomato plant has been spared from getting dumped. 

I'm guessing it's probably way too late in the season for it to grow any tomatoes, but then again, who can know for sure? Stranger things than that have happened out on my balcony before.

Stay tuned!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

HALF

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--HALF

Five minutes to free-write about it

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This week's prompt showed up just as I was pondering a bizarre (at least to me) display I had seen at Costco yesterday.  Proportionately, to the eye, it does not look half and half because the Christmas trees are so tiny, but that's what it is. A combination of two very mismatched holidays--Halloween and Christmas.

On the other hand, this container of Half-&-Half may seem like a more balanced combination, but the result is a mixture of milk and cream that lacks the distinct identity of either one.

These musings got me completely off track and instead of focusing on the word prompt, half, I found myself considering an analogy between Half-&-Half, and the church of Laodicea who Jesus rebuked in the book of Revelation for being lukewarm and indifferent.

I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:15-16, ESV).

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

DISRUPT

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--DISRUPT

Five minutes to free-write about it

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When I look at the word "disrupt," it is more than just a word prompt for this week's challenge. Add an "ions" to the end of it, and it becomes the perfect word to define what my last several days have been like--full of disruptions.

Pressing issues that require immediate attention keep popping up at the most inopportune times, disrupting my schedule and interfering with my ability to get my work done timely, or accomplish other priority items on my to-do list. 

This morning, for instance, I was shocked by an email (a legitimate one) from Amazon notifying me that my account had been blocked because the bank that issued the credit card I had used to purchase my new computer with in July refused to honor the charge. They flagged it as a fraudulent transaction. 

The e-mail went on to inform me that if this was not the case and it had been an authorized purchase, I needed to contact customer service and make a payment using a different card.

Contacting Amazon customer service is always a time-consuming nightmare that also disrupts my day. Trying to get past the robot that answers the phone and refuses to connect me to a live person has to be one of the most frustrating challenges ever. Not until I am shaking and screaming, "live repesentative right now," do I finally  get to speak to one.

The one I spoke to today was not much help and kept telling me I needed to speak to the bank--not Amazon--even though the e-mail clearly said if I had a problem I needed to contact Amazon. He also asked for information I was unable to provide, because my account really was blocked and I could not even access it to look something up. 

Anyway, after I managed to calm down, I did call the bank and explain the situation. Details of why I had used that particular card to make the purchase and why the bank thought someone had used it illegitimately. are too lengthy for a five-minute post, but at the end of the conversation, I was told I needed to go back to Amazon customer service and have them process the purchase again.

Now you may be wondering about the picture I posted, and how this could really have been a good day to have a good day. Well, as it turned out, it was. I asked the bank if they had a customer service number that would enable me to bypass the robot, and they did, and now I will never ever have to deal with that annoying robot when calling Amazon customer service again.

THANKFUL THURSDAY ON WEDNESDAY

There's always something good in every day, but today was full of "something goods." 

Simple little blessings like waking up to a morning cool enough to open windows and turn off the A/C; noticing that my wildflowers are still looking pretty despite the lanternflies; finding out there was more money in my checking account than I expected when I went to the bank; a pleasant visit with my daughter who stopped by for supper and Yahtzee on her way home from work; and an unusually uneventful, stress-free day that of itself would have been more than enough to fill my gratitude cup.

I just want to thank you Lord!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

AN UNWELCOME SHIFT

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--SHIFT

Five minutes to free-write about it

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This is the sad tale of a very unexpected and unwelcome shift. 

It didn't start out that way though.

For the first time since I can remember, summer started pest free. There were no hordes of stinkbugs or lanternflies on my balcony--not even one. What a great shift from summers past,

I looked forward to thriving plants, and to being able to sit outside for a change without worrying about bugs flying on me or my hair, or inadvertently carrying one into my apartment on my clothes.

And then came the unexpected shift. A couple of weeks ago, I spotted one loan lanternfly crawling along the ledge outside my window. Then a couple more on the balcony railing. And then two or three gathered in the corners of some windows. And then, what I dreaded most, one comfortably feasting on a leaf. Ugh!!!

Feeling grateful that so far it's been nowhere near as bad as it has been in the past. Hoping against hope they don't keep multiplying and that my wildflowers survive.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

AFFORD

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--AFFORD

Five minutes to free-write about it

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This is my very first post on my new Macbook Neo computer.  

The very old computer I had been using was on its last legs. It needed  to be replaced, but how?  There seemed no way I could afford a new one--let alone another Mac.

Thinking I would have to settle for a refurbished PC, I called my grandson-in-law who is an expert in such things to see if my Mac files could be transferred to a PC. Imagine my surprise when he told me that Apple had just come out with a brand new, no frills, very affordable model--the Macbook Neo, which he suggested I check out.

Not only was it half the price of a regular Mac, but I could pay for it in 12 no-interest monthly payments. 

The easy part was purchasing it on Amazon Prime, which got it to me in two days. However, figuring out how to set it up, migrate everything over from the old computer, and then install the new Microsoft Office package (which my daughter gifted me when my old version wouldn't work after being migrated), turned into a huge challenge that literally took several days of repeated effort because I kept doing things wrong and having to do them over and over before finally getting them right.

In my frustration, I questioned why I was having to struggle like this. Why couldn't I just enjoy my unexpected blessing without all this effort. And then I remembered a very old parable about a man who found an emperor moth cocoon and took it home so he could watch the process of the moth emerging. As the moth struggled to get through the tiny opening in the cocoon, he felt pity for it and enlarged the hole with a snip of his scissors.

That enabled the moth to emerge easily, but its body was swollen, its wings were all shriveled up, and it would never gain the ability to fly. Preventing the struggle had deprived it of the very vigor it needed to be able to do so. 

The struggle the moth needed to engage in as it tried to emerge through the narrow opening was God's design for forcing fluid from its body into its wings. Similarly, what may seem like frustrating challenges to me, He allows as catalysts for growth and inner resilience.

How fast my perspective changed, as did my attitude to one of gratitude, as I realized that what had at first seemed like wasted time, had not been wasted at all. It had exercised my mental muscles, giving my brain cells a much needed workout, even as it strengthened my inner resources as well.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

IN ITS LAST PHASE

This post was written for Five Minute Friday

Word prompt--PHASE

Five minutes to free-write about it

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The last few days have been particularly challenging. I've been praying for the Lord to strengthen my inner resources so I can stand strong and not cave in at times such as these, and He has been doing just that,

It seems as though Satan has been working overtime finding ways to attack me on the battlefield of my mind. He may not be omniscient, but he sure seems to know my vulnerabilities and which buttons to push. I'm having to constantly remind myself of verses such as John 8:44b--He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

This morning when I was out watering the plants on my balcony, I pondered the plight of this spotted lanternfly that was in the last phase of its life, having gotten trapped in a spider's web. Immediately the taunts began as thoughts, like flaming arrows, penetrated my mind trying to convince me to believe that I am in my last phase as well.

True, I am in the winter of my life, but age is just a number. And I'm far from the age of 120, which was Moses' age when he was still going strong. As per Deuteronomy 34:7, Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. 

And then we read about Caleb, who at the ripe old age of 85 stated that he was just as strong for war as he had been when he was 40 years old and Moses had sent him to spy out the land. I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then (Joshua 14:11).

Raise a Hallelujah!