PAIRINGS - Dreaming Dreams

I'm a big dreamer... a day dreamer AND a night dreamer :) Some of my dreams are hilarious. Others are other-worldly. Some are sad or scary. A few felt more like a glimpse into the future. I love DREAMS & DREAMING. One of my favorite things is waking up with the memory of a dream lingering.

"There is nothing like a dream to create the future." ~ Victor Hugo

When I looked in the Bible, this scripture about dreaming stood out to me:

“Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike.

Joel 2:28-29

Keep dreaming friends!

WALK #write31days

 Well... this was a SHORT experience. My 93-year old mother has dementia. She's recently fallen & broken a few teeth. She is also recovering from some minor surgery due to skin cancer.  It looks like my "blogging" will be on hold for awhile.  Maybe a few minutes of a sleepless night will give me another opportunity to post. Until then... here's a pathetic post I jotted in 5-10 minutes :D

10-01-22 #write31days  WALK - 5 minute challenge

 Today's word is "walk" and  my 5 minute thoughts are below...

As I write this I'm soaking my feet in Doctor Teal's Lavendar scented Epsom salts. Yes... both of my feet! Last week, I was preparing to leave the house for a great 4-day weekend with the LOML (the Love of My Life - aka my husband) to spend time with family in South Carolina. I was rushing around and sideswiped a door frame with my left baby toe. It hurt but, not like I had broken anything. It was definitely sore though. I was a bit bummed that I would have to limp around at a golf tournament we were to attend instead of WALK unencumbered. 

Well, wouldn't you know it... the morning the 4 of us arrived at the golf tournament another "accident" happened. We were going to be on our feet for approximately 8 hours that day. And... I misjudged a step and walked straight out into the air - severely twisting my right ankle. It hurt like everything and I wondered, "Will I even be able to WALK today!?!" My left baby toe was sore & now my right ankle felt like it was on fire. Yet, I WALKed all over that course for almost 8 straight hours!

The remainder of our 4-day weekend was spent with my foot propped up and cold compresses relieving the swelling. I was prayed for in church on that Sunday morning while in South Carolina. I almost felt like the prayer had already been answered -- the day before when I was able to WALK with my twisted ankle. Both injuries left me with very colorful feet due to bruising. But, both injuries have gotten better so much faster than I expected. 

We often take things as simple as WALKing for granted. But, what a blessing that simple thing is. Always give thanks for the simple things. Gratitude in the simple things goes a long way.

(Day 1 done... the next ones will be better, I promise.)

Worrying, Waiting, Watching... Believing!

Began this post on 9-6-12...

I'm trying not to worry about tomorrow. I'm doing all I can do -- as far as planning. But, there are so many possible scenarios of what could happen. How do I possibly plan for each outcome?

And, worry is something I saw too much of as a child. I don't want to analyze every possibility and then stress over what the best options. I want to constantly focus on the "what is" rather than the "what if".

I believe God can bring GOOD from any situation. I continue to pray for that. I truly believe God will bring good from this situation. But, as we all know, God's timing often isn't our timing.

How long do we have to wait to see the good. I believe I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. I wonder, does "land of the living" mean a.) our mortal lives here on earth? or b.) our eternal lives with Christ in heaven? Regardless... I believe I will see the goodness of the LORD. 

How about you? I'm walking a tight rope these days. I have to keep my arms wide open just to keep my balance. I can't glance down but, must look straight ahead. The end is in sight -- but, oh so far away! But, with arms wide open & eyes focused ahead and above, we can all be perfectly situated for greatness in our lives! It's a promise given from our Heavenly Father!

And... talk about sleeping when you're walking a tight rope... that's not easy. The trust in someONE & something supernatural will keep you from plunging to the rocks below. You can be quieted by God's love!

Regardless of what we face daily... there is help & hope. Hang in there friends! All will be well!

Remaining Open to New Possibilities

From one of my favorite authors...

"YOU WAKE UPON a winter morning and pull up the shade, and what lay there the evening before is no longer there—the sodden gray yard, the dog droppings, the tire tracks in the frozen mud, the broken lawn chair you forgot to take in last fall. All this has disappeared overnight, and what you look out on is not the snow of Narnia but the snow of home, which is no less shimmering and white as it falls. The earth is covered with it, and it is falling still in silence so deep that you can hear its silence. It is snow to be shoveled, to make driving even worse than usual, snow to be joked about and cursed at, but unless the child in you is entirely dead, it is snow, too, that can make the heart beat faster when it catches you by surprise that way, before your defenses are up. It is snow that can awaken memories of things more wonderful than anything you ever knew or dreamed."  

-Sudden Snow, originally published in Telling the Truth by Frederick Buechner

I absolutely LOVE that post by Frederick Buechner! I had one of those mornings... 

I woke up worn out from the activities of the previous 3 weeks - helping our 92 year old parent transition from a home of 25+ years to a new apartment in a retirement community. We've all been trying to figure out and gently navigate the world of short term memory loss & dementia. That made this "time of changes" more challenging than we anticipated. Going through a home full of possessions from years & years filled me with joy one minute and left me emotionally drained another. BUT, when I awoke and looked out the window that one morning... the new fallen snow brought a special peace - the kind of peace that passes understanding.

Sometimes we just need something to distract us from the reality of this broken world. Sometimes we need to be reminded that each day holds a new opportunity... a chance to restart... a reminder of the faithfulness of God.

Whether it's an unexpected new-fallen snow in the winter or the sound of birds heralding the rising sun in the spring, our hearts and eyes should remain open to new possibilities.

We Remember You...

"In Memory of those gone from our lives too soon... We remember you in the morning, in the night, when we look at the stars, hear a song, revisit a place, and catch a familiar smell. You are always with us in our hearts." ~ Unknown #quotes #stuckinindiana

Do you miss someone and grieve for them? Grief and loss come in many forms. We miss those who have passed on. We miss those who once were cherished friends or family member but are no longer a part of our lives. Although not experienced in our family... I can imagine "missing & grieving" a child who passed prior to or at birth. 

Love comes with some sort of expectation of what the future will bring. The absence of a loved one can be strongly felt at the most expected times -- clearly out of the blue. Love doesn't necessarily stop when a person is no longer a part of our day to day lives. One of the most wonderful things about love is that it lives on and survives and even thrives when the loss happens.

Hold tightly to those feelings of love. They will bring comfort in the most uncomfortable times. They will be an inspiration that love is worth the cost of losing it.

TODAY... Chant the Beauty of the Good

Today... I'm going to try very hard to CHANT THE BEAUTY OF THE GOOD.

Real life isn't a picnic. Neither is real love or... real "almost anything" 

But, today I am encouraging YOU (and me) to shout out about the BEAUTIFUL GOOD to be found around us. In the words of Emerson:

"Don't waste yourself in rejection, nor bark against the bad, but chant the beauty of the good." ~ Ralph W. Emerson #quotes

#stuckinindiana #MorningThoughts #AtTheENDoftheDAY 

YET AGAIN... Waiting on the Porch

Last year... was especially a hard one for me. As a matter of fact the first half of this year hasn't been a lot better. 

We've experience loss, illness, death, injuries, sadness and a lot of trials! I'm reminded that my story isn't that unique when compared to the stories of others. LIFE is hard for all of us. 

The price of deep love might feel as though it will kill you. But, those feelings are usually just the "painful middle" in what will turn out to be a beautiful story.

I'm a daughter, a spouse, a parent and a grandparent. My parent is aging and experiencing challenges that often seem surmountable. My grandchild has faced and will face many situations we had hoped would never happen. And... my children aren't really "children" anymore. 

SIDE THOUGHT: Did anyone else out there think that when your child turned 21 that the biggest part of your "parent job" would be over? 

Well, I guess it is... the "parent job" is pretty much over by then. But, the love for each child never diminishes. The hopes & dreams you had in your heart as you held your infant have grown & flourished. You still hurt when your children hurt. And, their pain is no longer a skinned knee or bruised elbow from falling while playing. Their pain can be from loss of a job or a failed relationship or an unmet goal or a dreaded medical diagnosis or...

The list of things which we cannot protect our loved ones from goes on & on & on. How do we cope with that? What about the times when we can't really share what our family is going through out of respect for our loved ones? What do we do when our involvement is no longer desired from those we love? Life is full of times when we find ourselves "waiting on the porch" again to see an answer to unanswered prayers?

Once again I find myself...

At a Loss for Words...

I'm finding myself at a loss for words... and the funny thing is... it's okay...

Finding myself in the midst of Him, beyond the music - beyond the noise

Word of God speak; pour down like rain; washing my eyes to see Your majesty

Be still and know that You're in this place...

Please let me stay at rest in Your holiness...

All that I need is to be with You and in the quiet to hear Your voice...

Word of God speak; pour down like rain; washing my eyes to see Your majesty

Be still and know that You're in this place...

Please let me stay at rest in Your holiness...

I'm finding myself at a loss for words... and the funny thing is... it's okay!

question ... Five Minute Friday 6-21-19

Five Minute Friday, 21 June 2019
The word: question      

For the past 18 months, I've been battling a huge question... "Where were you in all of this God... when things started to unravel."

For the first time that I can remember in my adult life, I've been thrown by a situation which occurred that was in direct violation with what I felt was the Lord's will. I did everything humanly & spiritually possible to make sure that I felt the Lord's hand upon this situation since mid 2012. And... I had a total peace about what was happening & what I felt was God's will to happen. 

But then... in late 2017, it began to unravel. The process was pretty fast... but, felt like it stopped time. During that time, I continued to pray for the will of the Lord - feeling & believing that I knew what that was. But, when all was said & done... things didn't work out as I had hoped, prayed, desired...

"Where were you in all of this God..."

Though my world was shaken... and continues to feel unsteady, I am not giving up on the faithfulness of the Lord. I am trusting that He sees down the road and that He is at work in all of this.

BONUS: A great video from Mercy Me and exactly how I have felt...

Word of God Speak

Love the quote below and have shared it several times over on the "When You're STUCKinindiana Facebook page".

God is always present, always at work, so there are no God-forsaken situations, only situations that have been forsaken by His followers. God is answering our question with another one,

"I’m right here; where are you?'” ~ Mark DeVries  #quotes

#FiveMinuteFriday

NEW BEGINNINGS in 2019...

HOW DID I MISS POSTING THIS ONE :D

New beginnings are on the way in 2019...

Saying good-bye to 2018 and looking ahead to 2019! Giving thanks for family, friends, faith... and more! 

This has been as especially tough year for "mrs. stuckinindiana". There have been changes that were NEVER anticipated. There have been times of disbelief and denial. There have been questions about what God had spoken in the past years. There were questions about what the future would hold... what the past has meant...

AND there have been QUESTIONS: 
Is this anything that is specific to only me... mrs stuckinindiana???

NO! Life holds disappointments & hardships & confusion for all! 

How do we walk the days ahead?

We must walk as if we are CONFIDENT in the HOPE of a brighter tomorrow. Because... we are CONFIDENT that tomorrow will show us that GOD wasn't surprised by what happened... and that God has been planning ahead for this...  

HIS HAND IN ALL OF THIS WILL BE SEEN! Nothing that was ordained by Him is forgotten... nothing that has been blessed by Him will be un-blessed! He is working for the BEST for each of us!

Here are a few posts shared by us from https://www.facebook.com/stuckinindiana/