Spiritual – Page 2 – Woman Warrior

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A Season For Martha And For Mary

Posted on November 29, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

I am coming out of a very busy few weeks with St. Jude fundraiser and Asheville outreach projects. I finally am able to sit down and breathe deep breathes even though Thanksgiving brunch preparations started. Cooking for nine or ten family members seems easy compared to cooking for the hundred or double that many meal-on-wheels and seniors on any given day last week. I have a four-day weekend ahead of me. Nice.

As Christians, we cannot have Martha without Mary, and vice versa, Mary without Martha. This is the pull for each of us. “Faith without works is dead.” Then there is the contrasting scripture. “She has chosen the better,” Jesus tells Martha after her complaint about Mary sitting at our Savior’s feet. I sit in the quiet before sunrise, before steps are heard from any other eleven family members (including the furry creatures) in the cottage and meditate. So much to be thankful for. God, You give me life. You give me Jesus. You give me the Holy Spirit. You give me love.

My Novena Rose Prayer
O Little Therese of the Child Jesus,
please pick for me a rose
from the heavenly gardens and
send it to me as a message of love.
O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God to grant the favors
I now place with confidence in your hands…
St. Therese, help me to always believe, as you did,
In God’s great love for me,
so that I might imitate your “Little Way” each day.
Amen.

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Warmth For Wear And Your Soul

Posted on November 3, 2024November 3, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

Yesterday my 5-minute drive to my morning occupation was met with a cold fog. I craved a hot cocoa and anticipated fixing a mug of frothy warmth and comfort when I got into work. No hot cocoa mix in stock at work and its now placed on the order list for next week. All day I was craving that chocolatey comfort which only hot cocoa can provide. After a long, busy week, Friday evening I finally sat down on my living room couch and indulged in a cup of warm cocoa. My daughter’s two dogs, Beatrice and Grimmy joined me for some cuddle time while I cradled the hot mug in my cold hands and my favorite blankie hugged my legs. This is comfort at its best. I am thankful to be given this comfort I craved. Let me not take this privilege for granted.

October’s brisk mornings have led to November’s colder air arrival and the promise to get even colder, prepared or not. By the grace of God, Dean and I have several layers of clothes and warm bedding to prepare for the impeding winter season. Jeans, leggings, long underwear, long sleeve t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, wraps, ponchos, capes, coats, gloves, hats, scarves, socks, boots, slippers, blankets, throws; plenty to layer up in. Most of us go into the cold-weather season equipped to stay warm while about outdoors or living snug in our homes. But some folks have less for one reason or another, so why not share? How many people do not have these garments and blankets, wrought with poverty, calamity, crises, poor health, and a devastating hurricane?

“Know that all things of the heart root for you on this new day…Your heart knows what to do. Trust it.”

~ SC Lourie, Butterflies and Pebbles

My heart has been preparing for the people of Asheville, North Carolina. No way could these people have known what would happen with a tropical storm that started hundreds of miles away from them late in September. Preparations were none. Dean and I are traveling to Asheville in less than 2 weeks. We hope to bring the SUV filled with winter wear for the folks who are recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. This will be a very long recovery for so many. Their first full winter in the mountains will be a trying one. We have gathered some clothing items and a couple of throws but could use more gloves and hats of all sizes as well as blankets and throws. These provisions are a dent in the great need.

If your warm soul would like to donate, you are in the St. Louis area, and we are FB friends, please send me a personal message. Together we will figure out the best way to get your donation to us before we leave. Also, if you care to directly donate funds to the Asheville folks, I have this donation link to an established non-profit organization called BeLoved Asheville. This faith-based group has provided clothing, housing, food, job training, etc. to the community of Asheville for years. Here is a link to a news article about this wonderful organization. Pray, and let the Holy Spirit guide you.

“For it is in giving that we receive.”

~ Saint Francis of Assisi

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Need

Posted on October 6, 2024October 24, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

I had an odd feeling this week; it was kind of like a deja’ vu feeling. But instead of the feeling that I have been somewhere already, it is the feeling that I need to be someplace I have been before. And that need to be somewhere is now, or as soon as I am able. It is a place Dean and I had vacationed at for a 3-day stay while Airbnbing for a 9-day vacation through Tennessee and the Appalachians over 7 years ago. Asheville, North Carolina. We fell in love with the mountains and streams there. I felt a spiritual connection to its people. For my health, it is a locale we considered moving to for milder winters than the St. Louis area. God hasn’t moved us yet. We are needed here in St. Charles, Missouri as a help to our children and grandchildren.

"We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them." 
~ 1 John 4:16 NLT

Asheville and surrounding counties are one of the hardest hit areas by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Helene over a week ago. Death and devastation for so many. Out of this disastrous storm follows stories of great loss, but also great humanity, sacrifice, love, God’s love seen through His people. The Appalachian people will have months and even years of recovery from this one. The need is calling us.

"Your Father knows what you need even before you ask." 
~ Matthew 6: 8 CEV

This week Dean and I looked over our calendar of commitments, and mid-November is the best time to get to Asheville for a weekend of hurricane relief service. We already booked a place to stay nearby where we stayed 7 years ago. We will keep our eyes peeled and ears open to hear God’s voice on the best organization to be involved with to provide assistance. I hope to be cooking meals. Dean wants to be loading and unloading supplies. We will see what the needs are of the people in Asheville when we get there. Meantime, we will gather bottles of water and toiletry items to take for one of the charitable organizations to distribute.

"In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words." 
~ Romans 8:26 CEV

Our God’s Holy Spirit is at work in us. It is with confidence that we can pray because God, Our Father knows what we and those we love need even before we do. The Holy Spirit prays for us. God loves us, so we can come to Him by the grace that He has given just when we need it.

"Let us have confidence, then, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it." 
~ Hebrews 4:16 GNT

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What Am I Aiming For?

Posted on September 11, 2024September 12, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

My husband and I recently had a visit with a nephew, his lovely wife, and their adorable 3-month-old baby girl. Being with this young family brings us back three or four decades, when we each were up in the middle of night for diaper changes, feedings and then, trying to catch a few ZZZ’s during the baby’s daytime naps. Nothing compares to the joys of those cuddles in the rocking chair.

“There is a large measure of joy in ordinary moments ” ~ Susan Gale Wickes

I feel I rushed those moments that turned into years while looking for the next season and stages of life. Isn’t it living in the present moment that is most essential? Watching the birds feed and protect their young warms my heart. Time spent in nature with the trees, rivers, beach, and meadows of wildflowers calms any qualms. Writing poems and short stories keep me balanced along with reading Holy Scriptures and inspirational words.

The feeling of regret is uncomfortable; therefore, I have chosen to slow down a whole lot in this season of my life. With my partial retirement, I am shifting to a lower gear. I don’t want to stop discovering and living a full life. My energy is spent on worthy endeavors. Lifelong learning, embracing newness, intimacy with my relationships, thankfulness, and giving to others continue to be my aim. What do you aim for in this season of your life? If need be, start all over again.

“If you knew that hope and despair were paths to the same destination, which would you choose?” ~ Robert Breault

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A Turned-Up Hand

Posted on August 17, 2024August 17, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

“There is a time and place for everything“ an old saying goes probably based on the holy scripture in Ecclesiastes. I know it is not what you or I want to hear after a turned-up hand shows up in the face. I have had plenty of turned-up hands, rejections, and boundaries set lately. But a boundary set gives me permission to thrive and live within the boundaries God has given me.

“There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens …” Ecclesiastes 3:1

For the time being I have laid aside teaching culinary classes. The continuing education courses at the local community college have made too many changes I am comfortable with. Hence, the boundary set, and I take heed to. I will and have taken opportunities to teach culinary and writing-related workshops to young adults and adults. I am open to more venues to share my love of cooking and writing. In the meantime, God has prepared a time space whereas I can be more available at the senior center. Besides being a culinary professional, I have taken on more training and duties with regards to inventory and ordering at this season.

“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” ~ Flannery O’Connor

I have completed the first draft of my memoir. I have two readers combing through proofreading and making edit suggestions. The next steps are a professional editor, then the publisher. I have folks in mind for each of those roles for my first full-length book. There may be a hand turned-up in the process, but those brakes are a barrier that leads me to something better. In the meantime, I completed a 49 haiku challenge, seven haikus written for seven days. It was very therapeutic, and I was able to see my thought and feeling process after a difficult week. Writing does that for me. A green light means “go for it”! I have taken the opportunity to have my haikus printed into a mini book entitled Balancing The Seesaw.

Prayer was a very significant part of my difficult week, too. Relationships hurt sometimes. I was able to give my feelings of rejection to our God, who “knows when I sit and stand … understands my thoughts from afar” as Psalms 139:2 tells me. Are you listening to your own comfort zone? What stop sign have you encountered? What has God laid on your heart? What new path is the Spirit directing you to? There is a season for everything.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time for hate,
a time for war, and a time for peace.
~Ecclesiastes 3: 1 – 8

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Order My Steps

Posted on July 24, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

"There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." ~ Proverbs 21:30

Doesn’t time seem to stand still when change is desired? Difficult circumstances can suffocate the good air that is left to breath in. Stifling. Do your thoughts spin like a migraine that won’t let loose? Stuck between a rock and a hard place, no space for movement. With all the knowledge and wisdom, the world has to offer still it is our God who orders our steps and is in charge. We may not see that we are weary, and we need to rest. Be still and quiet long enough to listen and hear His voice. Make that choice to listen to our God. The key is found in His written word. Then step out and know in your heart, “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.” Trust our God who loves you and me.

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Where Is My Trust?

Posted on June 21, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

Trust is a big word, because it induces big faith with big action. While I read the Word of God, Psalms says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord, our God.” Chariots and horses are not what most of us deal with in our everyday lives. But what or who do you put trust in for protection, comfort, and provision as you battle everyday life? Our talents, intellect, job, bank account, personality, heritage, health, and people we associate with can all change at any moment’s notice. Another version of this Bible verse says it like this: “Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.” What or who do you take pride in?

“Some people trust the power of chariots or horses, but we trust you, Lord God.”
~ Psalm 20:7 CEV

Here is a Pray The Word podcast where pastor and author David Platt goes into depth about this scripture. Platt summarizes this Bible verse, “our God is the only one who is worthy of all of our trust, all of our hopes, all of our plans, all of our dreams can be trusted with God. All of our lives, our family, our work, everything we have, everything we are, we can trust God with them.” Trust in our God, who is worthy of trust.

“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the Lord.”
~ Proverbs 21:31

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In The Pink Reflections

Posted on May 20, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

These past few days have been a mixture of memories and enlightenment as I continue to write my memoir. Original poems, short stories, and recipes collected in one place. I am thankful and humbled by all the experiences I have lived with some incredible people. My Father God has blessed me beyond measure. Surely, I am having in the pink reflections.

“Pink is a beautiful color, because it is one of the colors that the sun makes at twilight and in the dawns.”
~ C. Joybell C.

Pinks, purples, fuchsia, and orange melt the evening skies this month. Fuchsia painted the night sky when the Northern lights came to us on May 5. Varied shades of pink roses, peonies, and wildflowers bring color to the yards, fields, windowsills, baskets, and vases. The warm weather season’s clothing and linens shout pink, the color between red’s passion and white’s purity. My heart.

My favorite is the brightest pink color, fuchsia. It evokes feelings of happiness, excitement, romance, maturity, assurance, acceptance, safety, self-confidence, and achievement. It’s warm red characteristics can have a comforting effect, promotes relaxation, intuition, and reflection. Fuchsia represents femininity, creativity, luxury, royalty and wealth. All provisions from God.

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Still The Waters, God!

Posted on April 26, 2024April 27, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

Do you ever feel the ocean’s tide, the rough sea, or the stormy lake waters? For me that is my life right now. While reading Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lysa Terkeurst I am reminded that God spoke about this already in the Holy Scriptures.

"The waves may toss and roar,
    but they can never pass the boundaries I set."
~ Jeremiah 5:22 NLT

There are natural boundaries, spiritual boundaries, and emotional boundaries. Boundaries for every realm and situation we are placed in. I want to scream “stop” to the rough waters. Paddle my way to a quiet cove. As always it is God’s perfect timing and purposes that prevail. This morning the Holy Spirit spoke to me again when I read in my devotional.

"Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to Him.  
That is all the doing you have to worry about."  
~ St. Jane Frances de Chantal

As God has commanded, onto the shoreline I am, eyes on God. The boundary God has put in place is before me. “Watch how you are safe behind this line I have drawn. Pray for the others you concern yourself with.”

"Be still and know that I am God."  
~ Psalms 46:10 NLT

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This Easter Hallelujah

Posted on March 30, 2024March 30, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

What a joyous season we are in! Hallelujah cries are everywhere! The birds. The bunnies. The flowers. The people sing. “Hallelujah” means “giving praise to our God!”

“Let them all praise the name of the Lord! His name is greater than all others; His glory is above earth and heaven!”
Psalms 148:13 GNT

Here is a more in-depth study on this word by author, Dr. Dikkon Eberhart. The famous song “Hallelujah” composed by Leonard Cohen has been sung by many musical artists such as Susan Boyle, Jeff Buckley, and Rufus Wainwright. Sisters, Cassandra and Callahan Star’s version is one of the greatest. The lyrics give the meaning to this spring celebration we call “Easter”.