Fighting Battles that have already been won. The year 2024 is filled with UTI’s after every run. The reason probably has to do with pushing hard to regain the ability to run. My body has… More
Dark and Cold
Being asked for a second time,
“Are you OK?”
Is it a strange question?
Some think it is crazy to be out in the dark during inclement weather. But the area I live is safe as any and God is watching over me.
I move when I am able!
In case you are wondering about the hours, life happens when my body is ready. Sometimes it takes until 10:00 P.M. for my body to recover from previous days and be ready to move.
Most people hide inside during the extreme weather but the only weather that truly stops me is lightning. My husband understands when my body is able to run I will go outside in wind, rain, sun, blizzard, freezing temperatures, and extremely hot temperatures.
Last year it was a police man who stopped after spotting me. He asked,
“Are you OK, or do you need help? No one else is out anywhere.”
It was a cold winter evening and I remember stepping in slushy ice-water which filled my shoe, sending me home to trade for dry shoes.
Yesterday, I was running Charlie and a vehicle stopped at the stop sign and was waiting for me. After waving him on, he rolled down his window to ask,
“Do you need help?”
Maybe they see how slow I am running with Charlie? It is almost running in place, but it makes Charlie feel like he is able to run still.
The spot this man stopped to ask his question is the same space I see vehicles stop and pause for longer than I feel comfortable, sometimes I change my route because I’m not sure of their intent.
I am trusting God to change my reactions from tragic to concern: from kidnapping to do you need help?
It is a good thing that people are willing to help if I am truly needing help and have no where to go. I’m sorry I do things so different from norm and cause people concern.
God Bless each of you! Amen.
GOD IS STILL GOOD! AMEN.
I started this story December 13, 2025 and today February 19, 2026 we had 60 degrees and sun! It was a good run!
Changing Hours
Frontier comes to set us up with less expensive WiFi!
IT is noon when the technician arrives and my husband wakes me from sound sleep. I am so tired my body cannot stay awake until he leaves then I text the choir director that it would be dangerous to drive because my body cannot stay awake. Sleep takes me until 10:00 P.M., it is strange to eat breakfast at midnight.
Most of my life sleep was normal from 10:00-6:00 with a 3 hour nap in the middle of the day. For the majority of my life I didn’t have the ability to stay awake after 10:00 P.M., because of weakness.
Turning 50 with menopause my sleep becomes disrupted. I started to wake at 2:00 A.M. and stay awake until 5:00 A.M..
Simultaneously as I miraculously gain nerves which create muscles which gives my body the ability to gain strength, I am able to stay awake until midnight for the first time in my life. Not going to bed before midnight takes care waking up in the middle of the night. (There is another story about midnight but that is for another time.)
Add in the driving back and forth to the West coast about 15 times in 5 years has trained my body to sleep at odd times.
A few years ago God taught me to stay awake and finish a story I was working on. He was telling me time doesn’t matter. A few times it stretched to 6:00 A.M..
Most of this time I have been waking in the late morning, but this last year as I am gaining my strength back, more sleep is needed. My wake time has stretched to 2:00-3:00 P.M., and maybe later.
It messes with my mind spending all my life waking at 6:00 A.M., and now my life is up side down going to bed at 6:00 A.M..
Every time I have tried to change it back it doesn’t stick.
But today God suggests He is switching my hours again.
I will let you all know about how God does in changing my hours back to more normal times.
Proverbs 16:9 The heart of a man Plans his course, but ADONIA, The LORD, directs his steps. Tree of Life Version.
It is now 2:00 A.M. and I have an hour to pray and read Bible and confess Truth!
God Bless each person reading with the LOVE OF GOD Filling your soul daily. Amen
GOD IS SO VERY GOOD.
Angles Keep Us Safe
Finishing my 5 mile run on snowy roads:
Sam and I are carefully jogging home with a short 1/4 mile stretch on the street.
Turning on my light to show the vehicles we are here, please make room for us. As I watch the vehicle approaching us, I hug the snowbank. Sam on the other hand hears a vehicle driving up behind on the other side and wants to bark at it leaning into the middle of the road.
As the first vehicle passes, I pull Sam back to me but he is not willing. Expecting the vehicle approaching us to move over or slow down just a bit, but I am taken by surprise seeing the lights bearing down on us with no regard for our safety. I throw myself into the snowbank and pull Sam as hard as I am able to get out of the way.
Thankfully God helped push Sam over to me as the vehicle passes very close. I have a vision of Sam fully in the road broadside with the lights bearing down quickly. How he didn’t get hit I don’t really know. I can still see Sam in the road with the vehicle approaching quickly!
But God is Good!
My husband’s reaction was a surprise, “No big deal. You are safe. That is what life it like today.”
Thanking God for keeping us safe!
God is Good! Amen.
Praying for the driver to be Blessed with Wisdom and Understanding of the people out there to keep everyone safe. Amen.
God Bless us with His Angels watching over each of us keeping us safe, in Jesus’ Blood! Amen.
Fear in Many Forms
Driving in negative windchill fills my soul with dread.
Why?
Being raised in ND, driving and walking in -20 and-30 every winter is daily life.
I remember my fiance’s California vehicle stopping in traffic because the cold. (Vehicles in ND come with heating blocks to plug and warm the engine on cold nights, California vehicles do not) The extreme cold would cause the fuses to break in the panel. After a while we carried extra fuses fix it quickly.
Today I will run two miles in this weather, why does driving give me fear?
My blood pressure is rising, because I desire an answer that cowers to my fears.
What happened to PEACE? THE PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING?
Perfect Love casts out fear. Who is in control? Love or Fear?
It doesn’t take long for me to understand I didn’t check and double check that I heard God correctly.
Instead I decided God is agreeing with me!
I announce to my husband God is saying church is canceled for the cold temperatures.
He said, “You are crazy!”
Church was not canceled and I was able to drive faster than most of the winter’s snowy days. It was a good service and I had enjoyable conversations. I’m glad I went!
I remember back when I learned this lesson the first time 25 years ago.
When the three of us were living in Florida, we adults wanted to return to the North country. One day, my husband receives a job offer from some lady in Chicago.
He asks, “Pray for wisdom!”
I try to pray, but confusing excitement with an answer prematurely stops my prayer!
My desire to return to cold country overplays my desire for a true answer.
Telling my husband, “Yes!”
He calls the company and agrees to the job and hangs up.
But God has His way and fills my husband with an overwhelming dread until he calls them back and says,
“NO!”
The next week plays out about exactly the same
“Yes!”
“No!”
They call a third time.
“Yes!”
The final week my husband puts in writing his intent to leave and hands it to his boss.
God makes him feel so horrible that he humbles himself to ask for his job back.
“NO!”
If I truly sit down to pray, and push through all the excitement and dread TO PEACE I would have had the correct answer.
Thankfully God has the ability to really make us understand the trouble we are in. I have no idea what God did to make my husband know he had to say “NO!” after saying “yes.” But God did.
Again today, (a week later,) I woke with the temperature of -5 degrees. We are singing in the choir for church and need to be an hour earlier. When do they decide if the church is open. Fearing what the roads could be like, I text the choir director to find out the church is open. The roads are good and I an able to drive the speed limit.
Does some of this fear come with older ages?
Or is it just life?
Am I Taking my eyes Off Jesus?
Help me get my passion back Jesus, so I walk in LOVE with NO fear!
God Bless us all with The LOVE OF JESUS! AMEN.
Confusion
Have you ever had a day you thought was a day of rest, but it wasn’t?
Waking up today, recovering from yesterday’s long busy day. I am relaxing. All of a sudden I get a message popping up on my phone saying counseling appointment at 4:00!
Looking back for weeks I cannot find my last appointment, I’m at a loss? My brain isn’t working to explain why I don’t remember.
After sending an email to my counselor, but before getting a response I make the phone call confirming the appointment is real.
Quickly I get dressed and go to my appointment.
Driving, thanking God for the good roads and praying that God watch over everyone on the road, I am wondering what my new insurance is going to cover?
Just then an old song comes on the radio from Casting Crowns. I recognize it but don’t remember the words. As I listen, I hear God speaking to my soul, bringing Peace.
GOD IS WITH ME!
HE HAS THIS!
When I finally see my counselor, she reminds me we met on a Monday. It was a makeup day for the day she missed because of sickness. It all makes sense.
Just yesterday I am talking with a friend,
“I have started thinking maybe I don’t need counseling anymore.”
She says, “The counseling is helping you!”
I believe she is speaking God’s thoughts.
I need to remember, God will pay for what He knows I still need.
IT IS ALL ABOUT TRUST!
Who do I trust? God my provider and protector, King of the Universe, or the devil who has lost the fight.
Perfect LOVE casts out fear!
There is no fear in LOVE; but perfect LOVE casts out fear, because fear involves punishment and the one who fears isn’t perfected in LOVE. 1 John 4:18 NASB
GOD IS SO VERY GOOD!
TRUST AND BELIEVE HE IS GOOD AND DOES GOOD!
HE MAKES ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD! AMEN.
God Bless us all with safe travels in the winter weather. Amen.
Keep Going, Trust!
Something in my soul is ready to erupt but…
Yesterday feels as if it is a waste. Depression is trying to take hold. I can’t even listen to music as I pray. “The House of David,” becomes my comfort.
Keep Going!
God helps me realize my strength IS
growing!
Some days are recovery.
I did run 3 days ago.
Today, starts with some energy!
Yeah!
I start laundry and do a few loads!
My husband reminds me we accomplished paperwork yesterday. It doesn’t feel like much but it is important!
Sam is suggesting we walk at 10:00 P.M., looking at the temperature for how to dress, it is 4 degrees with a wind chill of -2 degrees. Not bad. We do have winter this year.
The picture is not the best but it proves we got out into the winter weather all dressed up for the cold.
Keep going putting one foot in front of the other.
Pick one more thing up off the floor.
Maybe make a new dish for dinner.
Find something to enjoy! I enjoy snow! I enjoy snow pictures!
God Bless each of us with get up and go!
God Help us find JOY and LOVE TODAY! AMEN.
GOD IS SO VERY GOOD!
Peace Returns
It has been a full seven days since my last run.
First today, I made it to choir practice. It is the first time in a week to make it to church. Then I went running in snow with warm temperatures of 14 degrees which feels like 5 degrees, and taking a relaxing hot bath! My blood pressure drooped to 84/65!
Last week was stressful:
Watching our neighbor’s dog with an added stress presenting itself.
My siblings contacting me, wanting me to discuss things I want to stay out of.
Missing church and prayer meeting because of weather.
Monday my blood pressure was up to 152/91!
My counselor helped me remember I have worked hard for the last 20-30 years to change my attitude from, “Why try because everything will go wrong,” TO “I Trust God! He wants Good for me! I Know He has everything handled! GOD IS SO VERY GOOD!”
I Choose Joy!
Romans 8:28 We know that God causes all things to work together for Good to those who Love God and to those who are called according to His Purpose.
I have learned to give God my stress and worry and leave it with Him. My body tells me if I have taken it back. Sometimes it is hard to leave it with God for that I have learned how to WORSHIP! IN REAL WORSHIP OF GOD, ALL MY WORRIES FALL AWAY!
God is changing all the garbage of my childhood into a ministry of helping anyone in need of encouragement.
Last fall, I met a retired social worker. When she heard a bit of my story she was confused at my Joy. My story fit in with everyone else’s story but my attitude has a different feel than she has been accustomed to.
God does work miracles in people and most of them take our agreement. I purposely choose to change my thinking from:
“I messed everything up again and said everything wrong! I lost another friend.”
The words on my fridge remind me,
“I am a child of God and He works everything for Good because He LOVES me.
I am LOVED.
I am the Beloved.
I am the Righteousness of God in Jesus!”
Confessing for 20 years that I am the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus has washed my soul clean from most of the garbage planted as a child.
IF you want to change your thinking and attitude just ask Jesus to come make you clean and fill you with Holy Spirit. Read the Bible, His Word, and ask Him for His guidance and understanding. He will show anyone asking what to do and how to act.
Joyce Meyer learned how to be a Christian in the grocery store as God taught her to put the cart back! And many other things about acting righteous and having a good attitude through all situations.
God Bless us all with Peace and Joy in Jesus! Amen.
GOD IS SO VERY GOOD
Scoliosis
Today took me by surprise!
After waking at 2:20 P.M., I was struggling to be able to walk from the bedroom to the living room.
This in itself is not strange but the fact that I could not get going and every trip to the bathroom was with the speed of a sloth all day!
I end up texting to say I can not make choir practice because it is too far to walk.
After this I start my day with coconut oil pulling and drinking lemon-lime water, ending with a breakfast of 4 fried eggs and dry toast with sausage.
Soon after this I fall asleep and sleep until 12:30 A.M.. It is now 4:42 A.M. and God is suggesting I write a story before going to be. Typing seems to be going fine or actually well. Amazing.
Missing choir practice because of not being able to walk is a new thing.
Life is not a straight shot up to strong and healthy. The body wears out and needs rest. Wouldn’t it be nice to know when my body is going to shut down?
It is my back muscles that control most every thing I do! They quit helping me move because the 12 inches of metal make my muscles tire and want to quit being used.
Two d
ays ago God gave me the ability to get up and move at about 8:00 P.M.. I suggest walking around the block even though the windchill is below 0!
After the walk I make food and eat a salad which takes an hour or more.
At 1:00 A.M. I start making coffee cake and have a bite before cleaning and moving furniture around in the living room.
One thing I have learned is I need to do what I have energy to do when I have it because it won’t be there in the morning. This is why I am cleaning at 3:00 A.M. because I am able. It has been many years since I have done this so it is time to get at it again.
Tuesday I run 3 miles with the windchill of -1 dropping to -3 before I finish. I felt the difference.
The pictures are for your enjoyment. Winter snow and sunlight are a joy to me.
Remembering tomorrow is a new day!
We all have another shot to get busy doing life. Keep pushing forward each day knowing God is with us helping us when we ask and sometimes because someone else asks.
Find Joy even when things don’t go the way we want.
GOD IS SO VERY GOOD.
Did I Do Good?
I ask God all the time, “Did I Do Good?”
This comes from the many times I have done exactly what was expected and end up in trouble.
Living in the house of our new dad, I am in trouble for plugging the Christmas lights into the outlet. I am 10 years old.
Our weekly job is to oil the teak furniture. Looking for the approval I go into Dad’s office and oil the teak desk. I am very careful to pick everything up to oil under it and not move anything out of place.
When he arrives home and I tell him of the good job I did.
He responds, “HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY STUFF!”
It is confusing because the whole house is his and we are ironing his underwear and polishing his shoes.
Eleven years later, after my accident when they finally allow me to leave, the doctor tells me,
“Do not put your foot down until I see you!”
I am staying at a house of a friend’s parents. When they take me to the doctor’s office, the first thing he says is,
“Why are you still on crutches!”
This makes the people I’m staying with think I am trying to get sympathy.
I believe the doctor realizes his mistake but doesn’t say anything. Instead he gets busy measuring my broken pelvic bones and how far they moved.
He says, “You lost half an inch on your left side.”
There are so many other times I am in trouble for obeying.
What I need is healing.
Jesus is the Biggest Healer.
He is able to heal this open wound.
I know He Accepts me and is Proud of me every time I try!
Is this a daddy wound I need healed?
Psalm 27:10 my father and mother have forsaken me, But The LORD will take me up.
The meaning behind this is He is picking me up and adopting me because my parents cannot do what I need them to do.
Psalm 27:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, and Lead me in a level path because of my foes.
There were years I spoke this out loud every time I got into my vehicle to drive somewhere. Why? I don’t know, it came up out of my spirit to protect me from what ever was out there. It didn’t occur to me that it was in the 27th Psalm.
God does heal especially when we ask. Sometimes it is immediate but other times it is slowly over time.
Maybe just maybe what this is about is becoming the adult that I am suppose to be and not cowering when confronted by an authority figure.
God has been working on this and telling me,
I AM WORTHY!
I AM WORTHY TO BE LOVED!
I HAVE ENOUGH WORTH TO ASK FOR HELP!
Does my story flow?
Do you understand it?
Is this a way God brings healing as we walk through questioning things, and realize other things are true that each of us has WORTH!
GOD IS SO VERY GOOD! GOD BLESS EACH PERSON WHO READS AND UNDERSTANDS. AMEN.
Learning to Respond NOT React
Falling for the text meant to rile me.
I have spent two days in a text conversation with my brother who I hardly talk with. After getting it shut down and I am pondering, “What did I say that made him think I am anti people of any race?”
Instead of defending myself I need to Trust Jesus with this. I need to either not respond or ask the question, “Where did you get that from what I said?”
Help me Jesus! Help me walk in the steps You want me to walk in and Be LOVE especially in stressful situations.