challenges – Woman Warrior

accept, arthritis, author, book, book, challenges, daughter, death, Elisabeth, embrace, Emotional, faith, Family, friend, God, grace, grandson, hands, health, Holy Spirit, Jesus, journal, joy, lesson, memoir, mind, pain, Physical, quote, Rachel, scripture, sorrow, Spiritual, strength, strong, truth, wisdom, words, write, writer

Truth Be Told

Posted on December 29, 2025December 30, 2025 by deannagreensandgardenart

The year 2025 goes down in my journal as a seesaw year. Up with the birth of my great-grandson and the completion of my memoir, but down with my physical health and the loss of loved ones. This up and down effected my emotional and spiritual vitality throughout the year. Last year I wrote a series of haikus for a writing challenge and entitled the mini book Balancing the Seesaw. One haiku I capsulated with these words … “Joy for the moment, casting all cares aside, swinging to the heights.” True joy isn’t just for a moment. I learned much as I had more to surrender to, look at the truth and embrace it, and glean wisdom from on high. Health has been my main challenge, and the death of friends and another family member was just about too much. Yet God showed Himself faithful as always. I have worked through this difficult year gaining strength in many areas of my life. Emotions can sometimes deceive. The Holy Spirit continues to guide me and those I love like my daughters, Rachel and Elisabeth. Step by step, day by day. Grace abounds.

Pain speaks loudly when the body isn’t functioning as it should. I had to listen to my body. In March began a string of many medical tests, x-rays, and exams. I have lumbar and cervical discs misaligned as well as arthritis found in almost every joint x-rayed thus far. For years we believed I had osteoarthritis but this autumn the pain source was diagnosed as the autoimmune type of arthritis, rheumatoid (RA). I am one of the rare ones whose blood tests do not show RA, but the x-rays and MRIs showed plenty of arthritic damage. Physical therapy and medications have me continuing to work in the kitchen of the local senior center, but with limited hours. I will cut back my hours even more starting in January. The medical reports referred to my hands as “deformed”. Through the years my hands have faithfully served me and my efforts to serve others. These appendages just cannot do what they once could. At first the truth was heart-wrenching, but I am working through the reality daily.

“The joy of the Lord is my strength.” ~ Nehemiah 8:10

The truth be told I am still learning to be the owner of my own joy. Over the years many hobbies have been a source of joy to me, most requiring the use of my hands. Sewing, crafting, gardening, cooking, and then writing in my more recent years. While at the Clarksville Writers’ Conference the keynote speaker and author, Margaret Renkl shared, ” I refuse to quell this joy.” She encouraged the listener, “learn to pay attention by writing, painting, drawing.” My writing has become so essential to my everyday living. I have become attentive to what others would call “small matters.” My writing will continue, if need be, through voice-activated writing. Over the years, history has shown people with severe deprivation still find joy. It is a mindset. My mind is set on “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” I find joy and will continue to find joy despite it all by the grace of God.

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” ~ 2 Corinthians 9:8

breathe, brother, challenges, comfort, day, death, devastation, Family, feelings, friend, God, grief, heart, help, Holy Spirit, hurt, Jesus, love, need, pain, praise, prayer, scripture, sorrow

The Grief

Posted on December 20, 2024 by deannagreensandgardenart

This day before the winter solstice is a cold blustery day. It is colder this afternoon than it was when I was up at 5am this morning. The forecast promises the winter solstice to be the same. The cold wind slaps my face and takes my breath away like the cold-hard fact that my brother is not here on earth any longer.

The grief of it all is too much some days. I went into my boss’ office the other day and had a “good cry”. Just days ago I wrote on my other blog a post about my 65-year-old brother’s untimely death, and how good will come of it. Today, I am thinking, why, God? What good comes from the death of a loved one? And if only Dean or I had been available to take Rick and Joan to the airport, so he wouldn’t have had to clean the snow off their car and have that heart incident the day they arrived back at Lambert Field.

I know I am bargaining now. I cannot reverse what has been done. The “if only” cannot change the outcome. Bargaining is one of the stages of grief. This online resource describes the 5 or 7 stages of grief. These are the basic five: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The seven stages expand on the five: shock/denial, pain/guilt, anger/bargaining, depression, the upward turn, reconstruction/working through, and acceptance/hope.

A friend of ours lost his son and two grandchildren in a fatal car accident on Tuesday. The pain these friends and their family are feeling must be incredibly deep. The wife and mother of the two children, I cannot even fathom where her heart is right now. All I can do is pray, “God, gracious Father, send your Holy Spirit to comfort. Bring each sorrow to a place where a healing salve gently massages the raw, open heart to receive Your Love, Your Words, Your Comfort.”

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

art, atelier, battle, blessings, challenges, Christian, corner, creative, eyes, faith, garden, gardener, gift, give, God, heart, Holy Spirit, husband, mind, passion, path, prayer, road, share, time, walk, words, works, writer

Round The Corner

Posted on August 15, 2023August 16, 2023 by deannagreensandgardenart

“Still round the corner there may wait a new road or a secret gate.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Hard work can be disguised in a hobby. Passion and interest can occupy one’s attention, energy, and time. One starts on a project of great detail. Maybe a cup or two of coffee or tea to keep the momentum going. Then 5, 6, or 8 hours later you are scrambling for a bite to eat and cannot believe what time it is. This is how it has been with baking, gardening, birdwatching, crafting, reading, and writing for me. New brain pathways travelled, mysteries are discovered, prayers said, challenges are overcome, and beauty is found in whatever has been created.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ~ Thomas Edison

Still round the corner awaits another adventure. One that God has placed in my life, your life. A path waiting to be uncovered and walked on. There are bends and forks in the road, and the Holy Spirit is our guide and protector. With eyes of faith an atelier at the cottage here or elsewhere is in the making. A place designated to work on these projects the heart has passion for. A place of our own to create and bless others with God’s gifts. What is around your corner?

challenges, change, death, depression, discernment, embrace, Family, friend, gift, God, happy, health, heart, hope, life, Mental, People, perservance, scripture, sick, sufficient, survival, together, trust, wisdom, world

Embrace The Hope

Posted on January 2, 2021 by deannagreensandgardenart

Ice and snow rang in the new year. If it is not the virus, it is the weather that keeps me close to home. So many dreams and plans put off during the pandemic. And we are not through with the COVID pandemic with millions of people to still be vaccinated. Maybe it was a job change, retirement, wedding, or a dream vacation deferred. Birthday and holiday celebrations with family and friends altered. Or not being able to be with a loved one while they were sick, or worse while they died. Lingering side effects from the virus? I have not had COVID but my heart was sick some days. How about yours? Many times we cannot understand God’s ways, or the ways of this world. The wait, why?

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick”, the old proverb tell us. There is the other half of that proverb which says “but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12 ESV). Studying closer this verse in Proverbs, here is a commentary from the 1600’s English nonconformist theologian, Matthew Poole: “Hope deferred; delays in obtaining that good which a man passionately desireth and hopeth for. The desire; the good desired and expected; acts being oft put for the objects, It is a tree of life; it is most sweet, and satisfactory, and reviving.“ Comparing Proverbs 13:12 to other scriptures, Proverbs 3:18 the “tree of life” connects wisdom and happiness. The NLT version says, “Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.”

Despite this dreary, wintry start, I still welcome the New Year like the finches outside on the feeders. Each waits a turn at the feeder. I embrace the hope and wisdom of a better year in 2021. What is the good you desire? Dig deep using the gift of wisdom God instilled in you. Discern and know God has made you sufficient for such a time as this. Those deep roots have the tree of life for you. Happiness will be life to you when you hold onto the hope and the wisdom.

art, battle, believe, blessings, challenges, community, crown, death, die, differences, faith, Family, friend, friends, God, health, heart, hope, Jesus, job, life, mother, neighbor, pain, scripture, together, trust, veteran

Broken Pieces

Posted on November 22, 2020 by deannagreensandgardenart

In 1944 and 1945 during the World War II, U.S. Army Chaplain Frederick A. McDonald walked where the places of worship once stood. Shards of stained glass scattered the streets. He sent selected pieces to his home in Seattle while the war was coming to an end. He did know the intent other than to preserve what he witnessed while serving as a chaplain. Years later he and a colleague commissioned artist to use the shards of glass for what would become masterpieces of art. The exhibit is owned by the Interfaith Center at the Presidio in San Francisco. “The exhibition is a metaphor for what division breeds — and for what happens when people set aside differences and try to build something out of the broken pieces,” quoting Indra Neelameggham, Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable.

Life has no guarantees, no refunds. Conflict, poor health, toxic relationships, lost jobs. Or worse yet; war, a painful death, domestic abuse, and becoming homeless. These real struggles plague our lives either for ourselves, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our communities. Like the sharpness of broken glass pieces, sometimes life feels like your heart is cut out while the pumping blood spews.

For a few weeks the church next door shared this message on their marquee sign, “Broken things become blessed things if you let God do the mending.” Do you believe that message? If not, it is a walk of faith for those broken things to become blessed things. Faith in our God, not in our own abilities or those of others. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” ~ Proverbs 3:5.

Blog, challenges, change, choice, faith, Family, farmer, father, flower, garden, gardener, God, joy, life, love, resilience, scripture, silence, therapy, write

A Choice To Grow

Posted on June 2, 2020 by deannagreensandgardenart

answer, believe, blessings, challenges, day, farmer, fear, give, God, night, scripture

Do You Know?

Posted on March 30, 2020April 8, 2020 by deannagreensandgardenart

Do you wonder where God is in all the fear and destruction that one virus has brought to this world, and why? I cannot answer the question “why”. But I can look around and count God’s blessings in every moment of my day and night. God is among us. The rocky wall is covered with moss overflowing. This green velvet foliage is not bound by a rock’s edge. This reminds me of our Father who gives in overflowing measure. The egg carton is filled with farm fresh eggs, and more to come. My empty egg cartons supply an urban chicken farmer with much needed containers, who supplies me and a few more families with a dozen fresh farm eggs this spring morning. Give, and you shall receive. The sky is on fire flaming its gold and amber into pink and purple haze. This can only be God’s handiwork, His masterpiece. Commune with Him. This is an opportunity worth taking. Believe me. “Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know Him, and He will respond to us as surely as the coming of dawn or the rain of early spring.” ~ Hosea 6:3.

answer, art, body, bones, challenges, choice, comfort, creative, depression, empty, fabric, feelings, flower, God, health, life, mind, Physical, survival, warm, Warrior, woman, words, write

The Fabrics Of Our Lives

Posted on March 4, 2020March 4, 2020 by deannagreensandgardenart

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

What kind of fabric clothes you? Is it rich with color? A neutral tone? Plush with softness or textured? Paisley print, plaid, floral print, solid pastel, or solitary bold? Does the fabric have a fresh, clean smell of spring, or of warmth like winter wool? Sometimes the fabrics of our lives pick up the stench of offensive stuff, like the burnt smell of overcooked popcorn or a dog rolling on a dead animal. BTW: why do dogs do that? Life brings rotten circumstances that cause us to stop in our tracks and ask “why me?”. Your emotions and anger seem out-of-control. Or life leaves us depressed enough not to know what to ask or say. Just a lump of dry meat stuck in your throat that won’t go down or you cannot throw it up.

I say pick up a pen, pencil, paint brush, chalk, glue stick, or vase. And get at least one word written on a journal page. Or that one paint color of choice brushed on the canvas. Or that one embellishment glued on your choice of media for a collage. Or that solitary flower added to the vessel of choice. You do not have to have the whole story together, just one word. You do not have to have a landscape or portrait finished. That collage comes together bit by bit as you find another medium to add for expression of your feelings. The flower vase may be a simply perfect vignette for the eyes with just that one flower you put in it. Create from your gut. I suppose they call this art therapy. I call it survival with color. Allow the mind to be freed and body feel it down to the bone as you empty yourself. You may not know all the answers, but your feelings come out in a healthy way and adds color and texture to the fabrics of your life. Art is another God-given tool as a woman warrior.

accept, challenges, change, comfort, courage, daughter, differences, Family, God, health, peace, People, prayer, rest, scripture, son, strength, wisdom, worry

Let Go, Let God

Posted on February 9, 2020 by deannagreensandgardenart

Remember the serenity prayer …

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

In other words … let go, let God. Easier said than done. And why is that? I will speak for myself. There are times, even some days I am not present moment with God. I think too much. I think I can take this one more thing on, figure it out on my own. God gives us a brain and wants us to use it. It is also Him who gives us the wisdom on how to use it. But sometimes I overstep God. “Here let me do this so it gets done”, like God is not fast enough to answer my prayers or He wants me to do everything but pray. Or “I know what is best”, like I am placing myself better than God! Or how about this one, “doesn’t God hear me?” God is Omnipresent. He hears and knows everything even before I verbally speak the words or know what the need is.

Serenity Prayer

I am writing these words to myself today. A reminder of what I know already, but need to know today as The Truth For Today. There are so many needs within the family as well as the people God has surrounded me with. “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change”. Serenity means “the state of calm, peaceful, untroubled, and tranquil”. I cannot change the health conditions of my daughters, my sons, my siblings, my cousins, my friends, my colleagues. I am praying for Your comfort and Your healing touch to each of these people on my heart today. There are many, God. My heart is heavy today. Lift this heaviness as I give each of them to You. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7

book, challenges, comfort, courage, crazy, God, purpose, quote, resilience, thankful, Warrior, woman

Escape

Posted on March 15, 2019March 15, 2019 by deannagreensandgardenart

cs lewis cup of tea quote How do you escape from this sometimes crazy world? “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you,” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us. Being thankful is one way to escape from overwhelming thoughts and situations. You say, “that is a challenge right now”. I know. I experienced one of those days today. But more importantly, woman warrior, what recharges you with more resilience, courage, and purpose? Is it being nestled under a comfy quilt with a book or the Bible in one hand and a cup of steamy tea in the other? Is it a brief foray with an art medium or craft you are developing? Writing or making music? Is it an afternoon out with a friend, or date night with the hubby? Or maybe a whole weekend away or at a retreat? Whatever it is, just get there. Make it a priority, plan it, and the escape from this crazy life will come. Go ahead, do it, and giving thanks all the way through … I knew you could.