dual personalities

Tag: hope

March 28, 2022

Blessed assurance

by chuckofish

The sun came out, but it was windy and cold here in flyover country this weekend. March is still roaring like a lion! We are awaiting the lamb…

God is good and I look for and find small pleasures in his name*.

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?

—Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

Daughter #1 and I had fun hanging out and singing along to Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. On Saturday we buzzed around, shopping for fabric and children’s clothes and perusing an estate sale. We went out to lunch. We gabbed away in the Florida room and enjoyed happy hour at home. On Sunday she got up early and drove downtown to have breakfast with a college friend before church. I went to my adult education class at church and then the OM, boy, daughter #3 et al met up at the 11 o’clock service. The seven of us almost take up an entire pew!) The wee twins were again super well-behaved, keeping their natural depravity in check during the hour and a half long service. I was super impressed.

After church we went home and ate bagels and jelly beans and, although it was chilly, played outside for awhile.

Rapunzel!

As my mother always said, “Keep it simple,” and my friend Nicki said, “Lower your expectations.” Praise the Lord–everything will work out.

*Read this for more on this subject.

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January 22, 2021

Meanwhile the world goes on*

by chuckofish

I don’t know about you, but if I read one more article/blogpost that starts off like this:

“Here are some things you can do to lift your spirits like take a walk in nature, connect with a friend, clean out clutter or your closet and donate things you don’t need, spend time with animals or adopt a pet, log off social media and read a book, binge a new show or volunteer…” 

I’ll scream!

Oh good grief! Is this truly the best we can do? These are valid suggestions, they are. But we’ve been hearing the same old drone for 10 months. By now everyone’s closets must be organized and their homes neat as a pin, right? But I doubt it.

Removing myself from social media and blocking out the news cycle has helped. It has helped a lot. And I continue to recommend watching old movies, like Pal Joey (1957) with Frank Sinatra crooning old Rodgers and Hart songs. Hard to beat.

But all those things only give one a fleeting escape and ultimately I agree with Tim Challies, who says:

For now my confidence is in the goodness and sovereignty of God, my trust is that his plan is perfect, even when it doesn’t feel like it. And, when worries return, when I feel fear… when my mind clouds and my pulse quickens, instead of looking forward to project grief I look back to remember grace, instead of looking inward I look upward, instead of dwelling on projections I dwell on providence. For worry, I know, is as senseless as predictions.

Hold your loved ones close. (But not too close.)

Look upward.

And pray.  “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day?” (Psalm 13:1-2)

*Mary Oliver

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