Finders Keepers

I think I am feeling my age lately. I put something down and then forget where I put it. My cell phone is a prime example. I can lose track of it about two times a day, and make a frantic search for it. I guess that shows two things; one; I am too addicted by it, and two;my concentration is hit or miss these days.

Have you ever been there? That frantic search for that one thing you have misplaced? You begin by looking in the usual places and then the search intensifies and you begin looking in weird places, like your closet, your washing machine, your car, your neighbors car, your attic or storage place. All the while you are constantly muttering under your breath ” I just had it, it was right here!, where did I set it down?” And the most interesting statement of all; “It couldn’t have just disappeared!”

And then. We find it, not too far away, but in an obvious place where we placed it, and we feel relief. We might even feel a bit silly for becoming so frantic, when it was there all along, we just didn’t see it. It was obvious, but not to us. But, we always feel proud of ourselves when we finally find our lost treasure, as if we knew it was there and this frantic search had all been a game. But, in the moment, we were panicked, if we would admit it.

I ran across an interesting passage this week from the Book of John, that prompted me to think about finding lost things. To me it seems that if we must find something, then it must be something that is missing, or lost. So, as I was reading John chapter one, I noticed a passage that I hadn’t really thought much about; until now that is.

John 1:41 is that passage. In it John describes Andrew and another of John the Baptist’s followers declaring that they had found the Messiah. The messiah, the long awaited savior and deliverer of the Jewish people (and of the whole world). But, they, being Jewish, were focused primarily upon the prophesied Messiah of the Old Testament. But, what I found interesting, is their declaration that THEY had found him as they went to tell Peter, Andrew’s brother. Keep in mind, they had heard John the Baptist’s declaration earlier that this was the Lamb of God, and were probably near by when John baptized Jesus. If you read further on in chapter one, you will find that Jesus is the one who finds the rest of His team, His disciples.

I doubt that Jesus was caught unaware by being “found” by Andrew. Two verses over, (verse 43) of the same chapter, Jesus “Finding Phillip, He said to him, ‘follow me’.”(NIV) I guess my question is this; do we believe that we find God, or that He finds us? I choose the latter. We might go through our own spiritual journeys that hopefully end up at the feet of Jesus, but I firmly believe, that it is God who draws us to Himself through the Holy Spirit.

We sometimes don’t realize how we are the “lost” item that God is finding, Although, He knows exactly where we are, nothing escapes His knowledge. We might try to say, like Andrew and the other disciple, that we “found Jesus, the Messiah, but He had us in mind all along. And when we are found, He keeps us. -God Bless You- Nancy

Paradise Lost

I close my eyes for a moment and I am back there. To the most beautiful place and time, that can only be described as paradise. My husband and I had made reservations at a highly recommended restaurant and to our surprise at checking in with the hostess, we were ushered up the stairs to the top deck. The timing could not have been better as the sun was setting over the ocean. The tiki torches lining the outside dining were lit, giving the whole experience even more beauty. We were ushered to a corner table with a perfect view of the ocean and golden hour. The waitstaff found out we were celebrating our wedding anniversary and soon returned with two glasses of champagne and a signed anniversary card from the staff and most importantly, the restaurant’s owner, Mick Fleetwood. It was the perfect experience in a perfect paradise; Lahaina, Maui.

That beautiful moment was only ten months ago now. But now it seems like a lifetime. The images of the destruction are unbearable to watch. The wildfire laid waste to everything in that beautiful town, including the restaurant, Fleetwoods, the place of our most perfect anniversary memory. It is just all gone. It feels like a part of our own history is gone. I pray for all those who have been touched by this wildfire. There are no words that can describe what happened in Lahaina. It is simply surreal.

Although I haven’t lost anyone in the fire, I grieve with those that grieve. I have had my own share of firestorms this past year that just leave me overwhelmed. Firestorms in life are like that. They come out of nowhere and do their damage in minutes. Life changes. Grief comes over what has been lost. We hurt. We get angry. We cry. We ask God why and we seek answers or solutions.

We know we can rebuild and we can heal. But just like the streets of Lahaina, there will be scars where the burning embers embedded themselves.These are the physical scars. I know about these physical scars as I was once scarred in a burn accident. I was only a child, barely walking when I was burned, but now in my fifties the scars are still there, embedded in my skin. Someday, I will be healed and the scars will be gone, my skin will be perfect again, but until then, I live with scars from something I don’t remember. I don’t like my scars, but they have helped me to have empathy for others who have been through firestorms.

The scars on the heart might be around for awhile after a tragedy, but they will be healed someday. Life will not be the same, but it will go on for the people of Maui. There will be scars and the grieving will last for as long as it needs to for each person affected. The fire cannot be undone. But hope and healing can happen. Paradise has not been lost forever. It will return. The scars will be there too, but they teach us to be kinder, more compassionate, more understanding, more hopeful, more appreciative, and to not take anything for granted, especially those we love. God has not abandoned Maui. He loves us all with His everlasting love (Jer. 31:3). We can hope in that. – God Bless- Nancy

True Love

I would imagine that if one were to survey a group of adults and asked them to define what love is, there would be a variety of answers. For some of us, defining love is difficult, because there are many different kinds of love. We love ice cream, or love old movies, we love our children, or even a spouse. We fall into love, and out of love, We love and are in love.

According to others, the Greek language does a very good job of describing the different types of love, brotherly love, familial love, maternal love, unconditional love, physical love. But, I wonder is there something else? How about true love? We hear that phrase tossed around, especially in romantic novels or movies. The hero or heroine claims to have found their “true” love. I wonder if that is in opposition to a “false” love. Were the others just pretending to be true? What does it take to declare something or someone as a “true” love? Longevity? Compatibility? Being the perfect person we had in mind 24/7, 365? Loyalty? Faithful? Now, it sounds like we are looking for a pet or something.

Just how should we determine what true love should look like? If we look to the Bible as a source in defining love; we find perfect or true love coming from God. It is unchanging, constant, infinite and beyond our understanding.

This kind of true love is what the Apostle Paul prayed that the church in Ephesus would know for themselves. Paul wrote: “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long, and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19, NIV). In this passage, Paul is also trying to reassure the church that any suffering he had experienced had been for them and for God’s glory. I think he was trying to tell them if they would know how much God loved them in sending Jesus, they wouldn’t be afraid for him, or feel bad over what had happened. The suffering and difficulties were something Paul was willing to risk, because he himself had grasped how he was loved by God, the source of true love. The kind of self- sacrificing love that is beyond our limited human brain to understand.

If you have happened to read about near death experiences, of NDE’s as they are called, multiple accounts describe being in a presence of love which is beyond anything experienced on earth. It completely enveloped them. It is an interesting perspective on what Heaven might be like, in the presence of a loving God. For those who have been through this experience, they find themselves unable to describe it adequately, but many recount how they didn’t want to go back and be revived, because of this overwhelming sense of love and peace.

For most of us, we choose not to think about life after death. At least not for now, there will be time later when we are old. We are too caught up in life here. We struggle and search for paths through challenges. We search for what makes us happy. We search for a special someone that we can call a true love. But in the midst of this life, striving for all this, there is still a God who loves us very much. Who is a real “true” love, that promises to never leave us or forsake us. He is who we should be looking to, and all the other striving will be less about what we do, and more about what He has already done for us. He is our “true ” love. -God Bless You, Nancy

Believing Is Seeing

I recently ran across an article from 2019, that investigated the claims of a young man that was suing his father. The young man had been in a terrible car accident that nearly killed him, At the time of the accident, the boy was quite young, and his parents were approached to write a book about his miraculous recovery, a recovery that claimed the young boy had died, went to Heaven and repeatedly had visions of angels. Sadly, the boy’s parents divorced and now the young man lives with his mom. Both are suing the father for allegedly fabricating the entire story for his own financial benefit. When interviewed the father denied any fabrication and insists that God knows what happened and that there is no need for him to defend himself over his actions.

What saddened me the most about the article is that the publisher, Tyndale House, took the book out of print out of fear, when the son and mom denied the events happened and it couldn’t be backed up theologically by the publisher’s experts. The theologians said it simply couldn’t have happened as portrayed in the story. Hmm, Is that true? It makes me wonder. We consider God as unchanging in His nature. The bible speaks clearly to this matter, yet, we as humans try to keep God contained in a small package. A package that lists what God can and cannot do. We assume that God in our modern time frame does not do miracles, show up in a burning bush, or tell people to build arks in the desert anymore. In the past He used hands to write on walls, spoke through donkeys and healed people. But what about now? In 2023?

So, is it not possible that God still does these sorts of things? Do we really think that we are the ones who have outgrown a God who does the impossible? Has God retired from the miraculous and impossible? Must we follow the theological interpretations of a select few? Yes, of course I believe in proper theological exegetic of Bible passages, but notice I mention proper. Too many people call themselves experts, but fail to understand context. They believe that God’s work that cannot be explained must be negated. They don’t trust experiential evidence of faith encounters. Why? because they cannot explain them. And because they cannot explain them, they put themselves at risk of being questioned over their expertise and mastery of the Bible. So, it is easier to dismiss, rather than believe.

So, what do you think? Does God still perform miracles? Does He still call people through extraordinary ways? Do people visit Heaven and come back, after being resuscitated? Do people see angels? Do people see Jesus? If they should is that a bad thing? After all, Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples, told the others, that he couldn’t believe in a resurrection without seeing Jesus first hand. And if you know the story, Jesus gladly showed Thomas His scars and let Him touch them. To see if it was all true. Maybe some people need to see to believe a bit better. Maybe for some faith is not blind, but based upon seeing what they believe.

I suspect, that if the truth comes out about the bitter divorce from the article I read, the son is protecting his mom and the mom is simply bitter for being left by her husband. Tragic events, such as the accident that was the result of the father behind the wheel, might have led to a mom’s bitterness. That bitterness can become rooted and grown into resentment. A resentment that the son grew up around and began to change his perspective of his father. What should have been an amazing story of God’s interaction with a child who was injured, led to finger pointing and a broken family. And that is the real tragedy. God Bless, Nancy

Comforting

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).

The verse above is one of my favorites, as it reminds me of my responsibility to others. When I see someone who is hurting, I tend to want to help them right away by offering comfort or advice. Over the years I have learned that there are some who reject comfort, I know it might sound strange, but believe me I have seen it happen.

I’ m not sure, but maybe it is because they are too self reliant, or proud and think they can handle whatever pain they are feeling. Or maybe they don’t want to appear weak, so they lie about being hurt, keeping all their emotions bottled up inside. For whatever reason, it just is difficult for me to understand. When I am feeling hurt, I cry. Or I might raise my voice, or I might withdraw, I might even ask for help and tell others I am hurting.

From the verse above from the apostle Paul, we understand that God is our ultimate comforter. He comforts us in our pain and suffering. And as the verse goes on to say, it is so we might understand others who are hurting and offer comfort. God gives us the example we are to follow.

Compassion and mercy shown to others, is not always easy for some people. They can be too concerned with themselves to offer anything to anyone else. I find this pretty sad. But, I do believe that God tries to work on those people to teach them compassion and mercy, it just might take them a little longer to finally get God’s lesson.

But, if we can focus on the first part of that verse, it says we are to praise God. Why? because He is the God of compassion and the God of ALL comfort. If we stop and think about it for a moment, maybe we will think back to times when God comforted us. It might have been through a friend or a kind word from a stranger, or just a sense of peace from God that floods into our soul at the right moment. We should stop and praise God for who He is and what He does in comforting us.

When we fully understand what has happened to us, maybe then we will get it. We will be motivated to comfort others from a place of thankfulness and gratitude to God. When we know we have received comfort we can openly share that comfort with others. Stop and meditate on the verse above, until it begins to sink in, and then ask God for opportunities to share in God’s comfort to a hurting world around us. -God Bless You – Nancy

Shortsighted

If you grew up in church, then you probably have heard more than once the story of Esau, who for a single meal gave up his birthright. We don’t think much about birthrights here in the United States, as we believe every man, and woman for that matter, has an equal opportunity to be and live as they wish. There are no special blessings to be given just because you are the oldest. Parents tend to divide their property equally in their wills. It was very different when Esau gave up the right of blessing for a momentary filling of his stomach. I mean to be fair, we’ve all been there; so hungry we vow we would eat anything. We grab the candy bars by the check out to snack on or pull through the fast food restaurants to satisfy an immediate need for food, rather than going home and spending an hour preparing a meal. Or maybe that’s just me.

But have you ever taken the easy way or the fastest way to solve a problem because you believe it will satisfy your emotions and avoid conflict? I admit I have. Have you ever listened to bad advice and followed it without much thought, only to regret it later, like Esau selling his birthright? I have and let me share an example.

About 14 years ago, one of my uncles stopped by our house. He lived in another state, so it was really nice that during his trip to visit his sister, my mom, he stopped by for a meal. I hadn’t grown up around this uncle and my mom had only a few years before this visit, found him and was reunited with him. My mom and her two siblings had been separated as small children when they were taken away from their mom. I was very happy and excited to see him. One of military assignments had brought us to a state close to where he and his family lived and we were able to meet him for the first time and visit a few times before we moved back home. I had looked forward to his visit to our new home.

But, unfortunately my happiness turned to sadness, grief and anger after he left our house. He thought it would be best to relay gossip that he heard about me. He spared no detail and informed me that they were talking about me and the choice I made to forego college to get married. Now, he never did say who the “they” were, for he had visited my parents, my brother and his wife and my aunt, my dad’s sister. All of which lived on the same street. I didn’t even want to know who said what, although I had suspected my Aunt since she had never married and was a college professor. I was angry and hurt. I had never wanted to go to college right after high school and I also was very proud of my husband and our children. I had enjoyed being a stay at home mom while my husband served his country. My husband and I had lived an adventurous life the military had provided us. When we chose to move back to our hometown, we never expected our family to feel this way about us.

I was hurt and in my own shortsightedness decided that I could not host the big holiday meal for the entire family that year. I just couldn’t believe my own family saw my life as a failure, and wished I hadn’t gotten married and had children.

What I didn’t realize until later was that my uncle was trying to cause trouble. Eventually we had to set boundaries for him in order to protect our family. He would share inappropriate material over our social media feeds, and was himself estranged from his own grown children. But, I realized too late that I had believed his tea when he spilled it, instead of ignoring it. Over time I spoke with my mom, but she brushed me off. Ten years later as I was about to earn my master’s degree I spoke to my Aunt and she was very excited and proud of me, and it made me realize that it probably wasn’t her. My Mom never saw me earn my master’s degree but watched me as I studied for my bachelor’s degree before she died in 2014. I learned that what my uncle had said was probably not true. My parents and my Aunt were very much happy with our children and proud of my college accomplishments that I pursued later in life. I only wish that I had not listened to my Uncle, who turned out to be untrustworthy. I had lost a few years of an open, happy relationship with my Aunt and endured years of suspicion and hurt that I didn’t need to experience.

Over the years since then, I try to be more careful about what I believe when people tell me about others. I know how much misleading words can hurt. Spreading rumors might seem worthwhile, as believing the rumors can be, but remember to ask questions about the tea spiller. Are they trustworthy? Are they angry at the person they are spreading the rumors about? Are they looking for attention? Are they trying to harm you or make you feel devalued? Are they trying to create turmoil in your relationships? Its best not to react right away and consider what you know about the person that is being gossiped about. Its best to not believe the first thing you hear. You might just ruin a relationship. If you are the one someone else is gossiping about it can be difficult to clear your name and reputation. People tend to believe what they choose to believe and that is not your responsibility, Be true to who you know you are. Set boundaries if necessary to protect yourself. Allow God to be your vindicator and try to live at peace with all men as the Apostle Paul advises. God Bless Nancy

Value Added

What is it that you value? Your home? Your family? Your work? Your bank account? Your self? The list is probably limitless and varies from person to person. It can be strange to think of valuing our selves, but why not? We certainly aren’t value less. God has created mankind in his image. The Imago Dei. in the image of God. We are beautiful and capable and wonderfully made. We are not just a bunch of cells that dragged ourselves out of a pool of brackish water to rise to the creative humans we are today. We create, we think, we protect, we rationalize, we cry, we get angry, we feel sad, we feel overwhelming joy, we see beauty, we sing and make music. We write plays and produce films. We write songs and symphonies. We paint and we draw. We build houses and cities. All because we are made in the image of a creative and holy God, who displays emotions, love us deeply, and protects and provides. He created the sunsets, stars, mountains and flowers. And He loves all mankind deeply, beyond what we are able to perceive. He gives us grace and mercy when we don’t deserve it. He asks us to love Him and love our fellow man.

We miss so much when we don’t value others. When we don’t see others as made in the image of God. In fact, we often devalue others. We define the unborn children as mere cells and tissues. We label those with handicaps as having a less life, a less quality of life, and we often choose to judge our quality of life, or a normative life as the standard for quality of life. We believe the lies that older people are past their usefulness and aren’t worth saving when they get sick or injured. We value even less those with mental and intellectual disabilities, and in some places choose to abort babies that might have such a disability in utero. We see people as products of the flesh, of an animal nature, but we are not animals. We have the gift of self-realization and awareness, that animals do not posses. We have the ability to communicate with God and reflect Him.

Sometimes, when we aren’t feeling very valuable, we try to add value to ourselves. Maybe through a promotion at work, a new car, a larger home, a title, a college degree, a marriage, a relationship, a bigger bank account, or changing our physical appearance. But, in reality, we don’t need any of these add- ons, we are already valued and loved by God. We are not just “enough” we are more than just “enough” we are God’s beloved. – God Bless You, Nancy

GOTCHA

Have you every been trying to catch a bothersome fly? You know, the kind that flies away as soon as you try to swat it away? It keeps returning, buzzing around your head and landing on you. It’s persistence, while commendable, is annoying. Maybe, eventually, you will be able to swat it, catch it or maybe it will decide that you are just not worth bothering anymore and leave.

I’ve noticed that recently my thoughts have acted as those annoying flies. I try to swat them out of my way. I keep busy, distract myself, or try to think about something else. But, they can be as persistent as those flies. The thoughts that annoy me the most, are my anxious thoughts or my negative thoughts. They are persistent.

The good thoughts seem to flutter by as if a butterfly, flitting along, stopping on a flower in front of me, bringing me a moment to joy, and then, they’re off.I really wish there were more butterfly moments that fly moments. I’ve realized that there can be, but I just need to change my perspective. If I dwell on my anxiety, it keeps pestering me, but when I stop and look for the good thoughts they are there too. They are just quieter. Less demanding. I have to stop my busyness and distractions- like my smart phone and laptop to wait for them to land in my mind like a butterfly. It sounds like a good idea, being quiet and pausing. Taking a deep breath, setting my phone down, closing my laptop, removing my earbuds. But it is really a battlefield and I am a soldier. The apostle Paul put it into perspective:

The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)

He also wrote:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.(Romans 12:2)

Paul got it. This world is at war. Our thoughts are our enemy at times, and are persistent, unless we know how to fight them. First, we must recognize they are not good thoughts from God, but thoughts from the enemy,the devil, who tries to destroy our faith walk. He likes to discourage us, confuse, and rob us of our peace- the peace that Jesus gave us. The world’s pattern is always stressed, anxious, worried and fretful. But, we can take these thoughts and capture them, according to Paul. I know we would like to think that life back in Paul’s day, was less stressful. There were no passwords to remember, no social media rants, no crazy economic issues, no traffic and bad drivers.

But, they had problems too. Shipwrecks, beheadings, political turmoil, arrests, religious persecutions, famine, racism, political oppression by a world dominating force- the Roman Empire, taxes, pollution, diseases, just to name a few from the Book of Acts. They did not live in a butterfly world either. So, Paul instructed others to not let the thoughts keep pestering them. The believers had authority over them. They did not have to live hopeless, but could be proactive. When everyone else was complaining and caught up in anxiety, Paul said to fight back. That doesn’t sound like a very passive action to take, but by calming ourselves, pausing, breathing, putting away technology’s distraction, we are fighting back the negative, persistent thoughts.

A respected pastor who recently passed, Charles Stanley, used to say “fight every battle on your knees” I like that. Prayer is battle against the enemy. God fight for us and with us. Next time, you are overwhelmed with the persistent anxious and negative thoughts, stop and capture those thoughts before they have full run of your mind and say, “gotcha” God bless, Nancy

What You See Vs. What You Get

They say you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover. I do not know who “they” are but I believe they are right. I have been slowly learning this age old adage in practical ways. I really like it when God shows me lessons from the everyday routine of life. He can take the ordinary and teach me something extraordinary. That is, something that I need to learn. He exposes my own selfish motives and misunderstandings. And my shortcomings in judging by what I see versus what is reality.

Recently, here in the United States, we celebrated Mother’s Day. My adult children gave me a beautiful floral arrangement. It was delivered a few days before Mother’s Day and to be truthful I was expecting it, as they give me flowers every year. But it still amazed me how nice it was. There were pink roses and white hydrangea blooms. There were ferns and wild flowers. And then some weird looking green pods. I noticed them because among all the beautiful blooms and filler fern leaves, they just didn’t fit. I do a small amount of gardening myself and I am familiar with flowers, but these weird green pods didn’t look like any flower I had seen before. I began to wonder why the florists had added them to the bouquet.

As the roses began to fade and the edges of their petals turned brown, I noticed something about the green pods; they changed color too. They were beginning to fade from deep green to a softer, paler green color. A few days later, as I removed faded rose blooms, the pods began to change shape and form a point on one end. A couple more days went by and I was awarded a spectacular view of this once green pod opening into a white lily bloom. I had wondered before if this was a lily, but it was so tightly closed, it made me doubt what it was. I also was confused as to why the florist wouldn’t have just added lilies in bloom for the arrangement. But, what I could not see before, finally revealed itself. This beautiful bloom had been there all along, but I failed to see it. I only remarked about the beautiful pink roses. But, now as the roses have faded by and turned into an unsightly brown, I have a new fresh white lily bloom to admire. I now see what the florist was doing. This beautiful bouquet, a gift in celebration for a single day, will now continue to give me joy for longer than the roses have.

Another lesson learned that what I see in people is not always what is going on in them on the inside. People might look ordinary, yet as I get to know them, they reveal an amazing personality and ability. We tend to judge others by appearances, and fail to see their beauty. The beauty that God knows is there all along. We are all His amazing workmanship. Let us try to see others as God sees them. And be patient with others. Maybe they are just waiting to bloom. -God Bless, Nancy

Re-framing the Shot

So, a little known fact about me is that I work part time as a wedding videographer. My position is a second shooter to the lead videographer. It is a newly acquired skill that I am still learning. One of the characteristics of filming a wedding is the adaptability to change. Schedules rarely stick with their preplanned time line. All the vendors know this and try to accommodate the wedding party. It is their day after all. We just have to adjust to the situation and changes to create the most enjoyable moments for the couples and their guests.

For photographers and videographers, we all know that we must work in all conditions to get the perfect shot. Whether it is a small chapel with barely enough room to navigate the side aisles or in the blazing sun, freezing cold, or downpours. There is only one opportunity to capture an important day in the lives of the clients. It has to be right.

One step I take with every wedding is stopping to frame the shot. While I use a moving video and photographers take still pictures, the concept is the same; the people and objects must be in a certain part of the frame to look right. In video production the screen actually displays “thirds”, lines which help to keep the objects in the right part of the frame. For ceremonies, cameras are placed on tripods and set up and framed before the couple walks down the aisle.We double check everything as we wait for the groom first and then the bride to walk down the aisle. And then the music begins and we start rolling the video.

That’s when we can either validate our work in setting up the cameras, or when we can find that we are in fact not framed right. And we must react and reframe the shot. We can tilt the cameras’ angle either up or down, or pan left or right to make sure we capture the people in the frame.

No matter how well we plan the camera angles, there usually needs to be an adjustment. The framing does not always fall perfectly into place. And then there are the people who stand in front of the cameras. Not on purpose, but without realizing it, they have ruined our view of the bride and groom. Not intentionally, but never the less, we must adjust the camera and reframe the shot.

Recently, I was filming a wedding ceremony outdoors near a rock wall. My camera was all set. Perfect. The music started. The bride was walking down the aisle. I was set to capture the groom’s reaction as he saw his bride for the first time in her wedding dress. Everything was set. And then. A photographer stepped right in front of my camera. I had to reframe the shot and scramble to pick up my tripod and camera and lift it over the rock wall, all the while rolling. It was frustrating to be sure, but thankfully I got the shot. I have never had to carefully lift the gear and move it that much while filming, but it was important to not miss anything. Like I mentioned before, I have to get the shot.

This has reminded me about life. I get all my ducks in a row- that is everything ready and planned out, and there is always something to disrupt my plans. Just like the wedding guests or photographers who unintentionally block my view, in life the same can be true. And there are not do overs.

We find that we have to constantly adapt and change to life. Plans do not flow as expected. We have to deal with others and their schedules. Not everything in life will be the way we would like it to be. We have to step back at times and reframe out perspectives. Sometimes we literally have to take a step back and move from our position- whether actually a physical location, or an opinion, and see a different view.

Other times we must change our thinking. We must stop thinking the negative thoughts and choose to think about the positive. Sometimes we need to change our attitudes from negative to positive to reframe our thinking. Our minds will go in whatever direction we allow them. But we have the ability to stop and pick up thoughts and move them out of the negative. If we want to improve our thinking and attitudes we need to keep them in the frame. And in focus.

If you are finding yourself needing a reframing of your thoughts or attitudes lately; here is a great verse from the apostle Paul: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8, NIV).

If you take each part of the verse and stop to think about something that fits the description, it will change your perspective. I have tried it before and found that it works for me.

What was something true about today? What was something noble- that is something good someone did for you?, What was something that was right? What was something that happened that was good today? Did someone help you? Was it thoughtful and unexpected? Did you notice anything that was so selfless that it amazed you? Is there someone you can give thanks to? Can you thank God that you are alive today?

Think of these as guidelines on your perspective. They will keep your thoughts in frame and from going south. Life happens and we can choose how to react to it by choosing our thoughts. Keep them in the right framing. God Bless, Nancy