Physical – Page 13 – Woman Warrior

envy, faith, Family, God, jealousy, life, light, live, love, peace, scripture, secure, thankful, write

Be The Light

Posted on October 22, 2017October 22, 2017 by deannagreensandgardenart

“There are two ways of spreading the light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it,” author Edith Wharton is quoted. Edith began to write poems, short stories, and novels as a child in the latter 1800’s. Her first published novel would not be until she reached age 40, as it was not acceptable for a societal woman to be active in writing during this era. Edith’s life reflected her love for humanity during the first World War, brave efforts made for her French friends. Days and years, maybe a dimly lit wick, but she persevered in those humane and writing works. Edith Wharton’s influence is seen in literature and the arts today, and she has been gone from earth since 1937.

EdwardHarrisonMay1870EdithWhartonPortrait

“He will not break a broken branch or put out a little fire. He will be faithful to make everything fair,” the Bible verse encourages us in Isaiah 42:3. In today’s world when life seems totally unfair, there is this promise from the Old Testament. Do not put out your own light by living like life is unfair, slanted, short-changed. Stop the envious comparisons to your family member, curtail the jealous plans to out beautify or own more than the Jones, and live your life at peace with yourself , neighbor, and God. Be secure in God. Be thankful. “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine …” Be that candle, and reflect God’s love for you as a mirror to the community you have been placed in.

candlelight

change, hope, life, prayer, quote, words, write

Words Can Change Lives

Posted on October 3, 2017October 3, 2017 by deannagreensandgardenart

People Change

“Words. They sing. They teach. They sanctify. They were man’s first, immeasurable feat of magic. Words are living things. For they are filled with breath of life. Words can change lives,” author Kirk Weisler writes. I have hope. I believe people can change for the better. Do you? So choose your words wisely. Speak life, absent of criticism, cynicism, or sarcasm. And pray unceasingly.

battle, Blog, cancer, daughter, day, Elisabeth, Emotional, Enemy, faith, Family, fear, fight, Financial, God, mother, Physical, prayer, Spiritual, thankful, victory, Warrior, write

Wonder Woman, A Village, And Miracles

Posted on July 24, 2017 by deannagreensandgardenart

A few months ago I began this blog dedicated to the warrior woman God has called each of us to be. This necessity to write about this topic came after my daughter, Elisabeth was diagnosed with two forms of breast cancer, stage 1. Within each of us is a fighter, some more pronounced than others. So I am not speaking of a roughneck girl looking for a fight. (Though I believe either one of my daughters, daughters-in-law and their mothers could hold their own if confronted in a physical battle.) With this blog I am speaking about the spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional fight we as woman encounter on a daily basis. And for some that fight is minute by minute of every day. My Elisabeth had such the fight the past 5 months. She told her story on her social media page, not whining and complaining, but injecting faith and the power God gives to fight against fear and the Enemy. The Enemy, cancer lost! After 5 months of chemotherapy and a bi-lateral mastectomy Elisabeth received the pathology report announcing “CANCER-FREE!” The victory is hers!

In my eyes, and many others’ eyes, Elisabeth is Wonder Woman. She endured chemo treatments every 3 weeks, the nausea and zapped energy level that followed for days. Hair and breasts loss. The mind and emotions battled the lies of the Enemy, refused defeat every step of the way. It takes a village to raise a child. And my daughter had a village praying for her, literally hundreds of family, friends, and church groups surrounded her with love and support, and beseeched Our God. And the countless miracles that followed … her husband’s unwavering support … God’s grace extended from her employer, to work when able… strained relationships focused on one thing, Elisabeth’s healing rather than their differences … a clinic of dedicated medical staff … most expenses covered through the healthcare reform mandate … non-insurance covered special bandages left in the mail box during recovery … gift baskets delivered … and most of all the village’s thousands of prayers said on her behalf.

How thankful I am that my Elisabeth has been healed, and continues in the grace of God! From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for loving my girl! To God be the glory!

daughter, day, Elisabeth, Family, forgiveness, God, grace, house, mother, prayer, Rachel, strength, thankful, Warrior, Women in My Life

Sweep The Front Porch

Posted on July 8, 2017 by deannagreensandgardenart

I awoke this Saturday morn early like most days. Weekday, weekend, it no matter. I am an early bird. And you know the saying “the early bird gets the worm”, but I am sure worms are not on my menu. But time with God is. Yes, I can talk to God (and you can, too) at any time of day under any circumstances. But there is something fresh about the dawn of a new day, quietness and stillness in the house and just outside the house on my front porch. I sit on the porch bench watching the day wake up around me. I am surrounded by shade trees, pots of perennials, the tweeting birds, and garden art. The breeze subtly chills my skin, and rustles the green canopy of leaves. Forgiveness I ask for my shortcomings, and His Grace accepted. Petitions are expressed, asking God for complete healing for my daughters, Elisabeth and Rachel as well as my aging mother. Strength for this woman warrior and my day. With a thankful heart …

Onward to begin the Saturday chores … I sweep the front porch of the twigs, mulch, dog hairs, and dirt blown in with the summer winds. It is an attempt to keep my home tidy. I want to feel welcomed when I come home. Rather be greeted by the warm cinnamon front door, than dirt and grime. I am sure the rest of the family and our guests do as well. Is that not what praying to God is about? Sweeping the wrong motives, ill words, and bad attitudes away while being received in His warm embrace. An Open Door. So happy I chose a comforting color for the front door. Cinnamon. Warm. This morn it invites me into the house to prepare a pancake breakfast and finish those other Saturday chores, and pray all the while.

day, depression, God, grace, jealousy, life, love, mind, peace, prayer, resources, strength

At The End Of The Day

Posted on June 10, 2017 by deannagreensandgardenart

Life is too short to sit idle, hate others, be jealous or depressed, and play mind games. With God’s grace, sincerity and a pure heart is what I desire to become. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10. Pure and as sweet as honey. White as snow. No bargains made or motives conjured up. Just live for my Creator. I answer to my God at the end of the day, every day. And every day is a gift. At the end of the day, I take in account how I spent those precious minutes, my God-given talents, supply of resources and energy? Is my time consumed in front of a screen, iphone-size or mega flat screen TV-size? Size of the electronic does not matter, just how did I personally connect to those around today? Did I pick-up my neighbor’s storm-tossed trash scattered across his yard, encourage my co-worker on her new project, smile at that smelly stranger on the street bench, or pick-up the phone to talk to my kin living a few hundred or 2 miles away? Everyone has something they are good at. My energy levels may be up or plummeted down or be sporadic. Did I use whatever today’s strength is to extend God’s love and grace? Did I pray and be a vessel for peace or healing? At the end of the day …

brother, conquer, die, Emotional, insecurity, jealousy, Jesus, live, Physical, Rejoice, weep

A Single Seed or Many?

Posted on April 7, 2017 by deannagreensandgardenart

As a gardener, I understand the need to let some of my herbs go to seed in the autumn season. The once green, edible plant produces seeds, then becomes brown, and dies with the winter chill. But that seed or seeds have the kernel inside, drops to the fertile soil, and with the right conditions will produce another herb plant. Every year I have voluntary lettuce or basil emerge from the cold soil. Sometimes seeds are intentional gathered to be sown into the fertile soil. Burkee, Seed Savers, and the like make a profit with seed gathering. Yes, undesirable weeds survive with the same process. But the point is something has to die to produce more life, plentiful life. “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” John 12:24

Oh The Berries

Jesus Christ is our example for the Christian life. He lost His life, so that all of us could live eternally. So what have you lost? What have you lost to only gain more later? Sometimes much later, maybe in the next life. “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” Philippians 3:8.

Can you be happy for those who win, even if it is like all the time? At some place or season in your friend’s or brother’s life, they lost, too. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15. This is how we conquer our insecurities and jealousy. Don’t compare your life to your brother’s. “To everything, there is a season.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Lost & Win

faith, fear, forgiveness, grace, hope, insecurity, Jesus, love, prayer, quote, resources, Spiritual, strength, trust, Women in My Life

Invest In Yourself

Posted on March 22, 2017March 22, 2017 by deannagreensandgardenart

Invest In Yourself

Time, energy, money, and prayer spent on yourself is not a waste. We women spend so much of our resources and reserves on others. “If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete,” quoting Jack Kornfield. Our granite strength can crack underneath if we neglect yourselves. With our Rock foundation, our lives are built with love, accented with care, and yet at times splats of doubt, insecurity, and fear appear on our walls.

We each are a treasure to behold and admire. “Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware”, 2 Timothy 2:20. The vessel holds nourishing water until a leak forms. “Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus.“ Philippians 3:12. Seal that leak with your Maker’s salve of mercy, forgiveness, grace, trust, hope, faith, and love. And your cup will overflow again …

Cup Overflows

cancer, daughter, fall, God, Holy Spirit, love, Physical, prayer, Spiritual, strength

When I Fall Short

Posted on March 1, 2017March 2, 2017 by deannagreensandgardenart

Racing along, this project done, another one or two started, excellent customer service given, that word of encouragement shared, another homemade dinner made with leftovers for the week, and then I stop short. Sometimes fall short. Sickness does that to me. Not just my sickness, but the news that one of my children or another loved one is sick can put me at a complete halt, worry with frenzy or analyze the problem until I am exhausted. Neither accomplish what is desired, complete healing even from cancer. God is so gracious to me, to each of us. His Word says, “for though a righteous man falls seven times, he will rise again” (Proverbs 24:16).

Prayer is where I go when I fall short. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). Meditative prayers are said at church each day before noon Mass, like glorious chants reaching the heavens. My presence there uplifts me, I rise again from the pew ready to go about the rest of my day. Unexplained utterances come from my lips at times, when English words cannot say what my heart feels. And this too is promised in God’s Word. “For I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to withstand or reply to” (Luke 21:15) and “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4).

Does not matter where I am, at home, in church, at the office, or on a day outing. Just pray. And I am diligently doing. Please agree with me for complete healing of my daughter. “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them …” (Matthew 18: 18 – 20).

angels, battle, Blog, cancer, challenges, curriculum, daughter, Elisabeth, Emotional, faith, Family, father, fight, Financial, love, Mental, Physical, prayer, purpose, resilience, Spiritual, strength, triumph, victory, Vocational, Warrior, Women in My Life, write

This Woman Warrior Writes

Posted on February 11, 2017February 13, 2017 by deannagreensandgardenart

This Woman Warrior writes to share the challenges, battles, and triumph cries of women such as myself and you. This blog has brewed in the 4-part curriculum “Beyond Resilience” I have written for the employees at my full-time human resources job in a local government entity. With the recent news from my daughter, Elisabeth, and the beginnings of her fight against breast cancer, I felt it is time to share words with the whole world what I and so many other women encounter. Elisabeth came from the womb a fighter. A woman warrior. She will beat this damned cancer. She has a legion of angels who surround her, and prayer warriors interceding for a complete healing. It will be Elisabeth’s toughest battle yet in her 32-years of life, but she will win!

The focus of this blog is on women, common and not so common battles we fight as warriors in this world and beyond. These are physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and vocational battles. We struggle with our health, self-esteem, acceptance, forgiveness, as well as financial and job securities. Real life stuff. This blog is not a political platform to bash political parties or leaders. Nor is it to bash the men folk in our lives. I need men in my life, and I am sure you as well. Oh, how I miss my father today. Our men folk fight their share of battles, too.

We women need each other! We need to stop fighting, malicious gossip, and comparing ourselves to each other. God has made us each unique and perfect. Let us work together towards better purposes. Today I need you to pray for my Elisabeth, her husband, her children, and her supporting family which includes me. Love, faith, and strength unceasing during this battle. A victory cry awaits.

So much to write about in the near and farther future. My Elisabeth may set up your own WordPress blog soon. She wants to share her ups and downs of this battle against cancer, so maybe someone else can learn from her life and words. Elisabeth is a wise woman warrior.