* The Good Stuff

I live in a small, rural community and go to my local Dollar General for well, everything except groceries! The other day I was standing at the cash register checking out and this tiny little older lady dressed in leggings, boots and a Christmas sweater came bursting through the front door. She was smiling at everyone she encountered, greeting them, and wishing them a Merry Christmas. The cashier obviously knew her and said, “Ms. So & So (sorry, I can’t remember her name), what are you up to today?” She said without hesitation, “Oh, I’m just passing out the good stuff.” I looked at her and she said, “you know the good stuff like smiles, laughter, Have a nice day, Merry Christmas.” I told her that I liked her philosophy to which she replied, “You never know what kind of ice you might break with your good words.”

I thought about what she said all the way back to my car and I’m still thinking about it. In this holiday season when things can get a little hectic at times, family gatherings a bit tense and depression easily sets in just remember, we can all pass out the good stuff of love, joy and peace. Merry Christmas Y’all!

Blessings, Cindy J

* Darkness

Darkness is consuming. In total darkness, you cannot see and you cannot be seen. It’s a safe place to hide away. You can sit in darkness for a while; sometimes it’s even necessary for healing. BUT eventually you need to stand up and walk towards light so the darkness does not destroy you.

Trust me; I understand darkness and the overwhelming feeling of just wanting to disappear. The trials of life can at times be so overwhelming that all you can do is exist from day to day. Hiding away in the darkness keeps you from having to deal with things that are just too hard to bear. It can be pain, sickness, grief, or any kind of life upheaval that shakes you to your core. Darkness though can keep you from coming to terms with the very thing you must face.

If you must hide in the darkness for a season, please don’t do so alone. Make sure you have a family member or friend who can sit beside you and help you hold on. Seek professional counseling or talk to your pastor. It’s okay to need someone. Don’t lose your way in the midst of this darkness. Most importantly, don’t forget to look for the light. Remember that God sees you in the darkness. He is your eternal light.

Blessings, Cindy J

* Today is a Good Day

This morning as I was trying to motivate myself to get out of bed and face another day caring for a painful shoulder injury that resulted in major surgery, I struggled. Then I thought about something my sweet Daddy used to always say. “When you get up in the morning just say to yourself, today is going to be a good day and tomorrow is going to be even better.” I couldn’t help but smile, put both feet on the floor and pray that God would give me the strength to do just that. I thanked my Daddy for “seeing” me from heaven this morning and sending me the encouragement I needed.

As I begin to recover, I feel it is important to remember the struggle so I won’t forget all it took to get me to a place of well-being. I think if we forget, we don’t learn the lesson of the battle we faced. Every day either brings a new challenge or a positive step forward. I want to be prepared for both understanding that tomorrow just might be better.

Who in your life needs encouraging? Who needs to be seen and understood? I have received so many cards, texts and phone calls over the past few weeks from people just to let me know they’re praying for me and thinking about me. Every single one makes a difference and gives me strength. Thank you for understanding that I need you. Today and tomorrow.

Blessings, Cindy J

* How Much More?

With my latest accident that happened when I fell and broke my shoulder I’ve asked this question a lot, how much more? Just how much more can my body and mind take. Ironically, my daily devotion right now is the book of Job in the Bible. Job faced heartache after heartache, even lost his children and his health but he never doubted or cursed God. Do I have that kind of faith? Can I trust God enough to know that He’ll walk with me through each and every thing that comes along? I want to but I have to admit that I am woefully human and doubt.

I received a little book from a friend titled Tears and Tossing: Hope in the Waves of Life by Sarah Walton and another one from my niece and her husband titled Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller. Both books have helped me put this whole pain and adversity thing in perspective. I am not the only person that has suffered. Many people have suffered way more than I have. That in no way diminishes everything I’ve been through, it’s just a reminder that I am not alone. Other people see and understand my struggle. They reach out to hold my hand, encourage me and walk beside me.

How much more? I don’t know. All I can tell you is that I’ll take each day as it comes, deal with that day’s pain or challenge and reach out for those hands that are offered. I pray my faith will continue to grow and I’ll come out of this stronger than before.

Blessings, Cindy J

*Do It Yourself – Not!

*Note: I actually wrote this post just days before I fell and broke my shoulder. Divine intervention of what was to come, maybe?

Yes, I admit that I am a do-it-yourself kind of girl. I know WHAT I want done and HOW I want it done. My Daddy even told my husband before he married me that I was very independent and liked to take care of things myself. He was warned! But you know what, that’s not the way it’s supposed to work in God’s world.

Yes, He wants us to be productive, to work hard and to serve Him. The good news is that we don’t have to do it alone. Jesus died on the cross so that my sin would be paid for. He died so that I don’t have to do anything all by myself, ever again.

I am forever in need of learning that lesson. Having cancer and facing all the struggles with the aftermath of this disease has definitely taught me I cannot do it all by myself. It doesn’t mean I’m weak because I need help; it just means I’ve learned to share the burden with those who love me and want to help.

Slowly but surely, I’m making progress. If I tell you I don’t need help, be patient with me until I figure out that things would be a lot easier if I just said yes. Remember that God does the same thing with us and He thinks we are worth the wait. He waits for me to say, “Let’s do this together.”

Blessings, Cindy J

* Worst to Best

From the worst to the best, that’s how we deal with adversity and let God take control. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say, “Well if God is such a good God, why do bad things happen?” It’s true, God is all knowing and in total control of the universe and our lives BUT He also allows us to have free will. Sometimes it’s because of the free will and actions of others that bad things happen. Other times, things like sickness and death just happen through no one’s fault. They’re just a part of life. What really matters is how we take those adverse events and turn them into a situation that shows just how mighty and powerful God can be.

All of us have a “worst” thing of some type in our life. One of my worst, being diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. My best, writing about my feelings in this blog in hopes of encouraging others. How can you make your worst thing a best thing? Please don’t waste all that pain. Turn it into something full of beauty and grace. It’s the struggle that makes us stronger. I never said it would be easy. All I ask you to do is think about it and make a choice for better.

Blessings, Cindy J

* What Starts with B?

It seems like a lot of my favorite things in life start with the letter B. I’ve written before about things at the beach that start with B but when I started thinking about it, there are many other B words that are important to me. Here’s my list:

Bible – God’s Holy Word; I read it every day. My favorite book hands down. It’s the best instruction book for life plus it’s full of adventure, romance and so much more.

Hubbie – Yes, I know this doesn’t start with a B but my list wouldn’t be complete without him. We’ve been together for over 40 years and have shared so many life events. I am grateful for our season of togetherness now.

Boys – They are grown men but they will always be my boys. They are my heart.

Babies – That would be my grandbabies.I don’t have enough room or time in this blog to tell you how much I love them. They are my heart, too.

Beach – My happy place. It’s where I reconnect with God and nature, refocus, gain energy, and breathe.

Books – Where would life be without a good book to read? Books give us words, knowledge, information, power and so much more.

Blessed – That’s what I am to be alive and living this life now as a cancer survivor/thriver. Every single day is a gift.

What makes you happy? Make your list and give thanks to God for the BEAUTIFUL things in your life!

Blessings, Cindy J

* Sprint or Crawl?

“We need to sprint towards compassion and crawl towards judgment.”

I can’t remember where I heard this quote or who said it but it resonated with me. If we are honest with ourselves, most of us get this idea all mixed up and sprint towards judgment when we should be taking a step back and crawling instead. The point is, we need to take our time before jumping to conclusions about a situation or a person.

I’ve written a lot about this topic recently. I’m not sure why other than I have been giving it a lot of thought and wondering how I treat others. I find I am losing my patience more often with people who judge and I am working hard not to be one of them. It could be that in the past I know I have been the sprinter and I want to change that. The older I get, the more my heart hurts for those who just need a little kindness and patience. It could be that as I age, I find I need for others to show me that same courtesy from time to time.

Or maybe it’s because I finally am understanding how much God cares for me and wants me to follow His example by caring for others who need a little compassion. All I know is that I’m learning to crawl again and I’m the one receiving the blessings.

Blessings, Cindy J

* Community

What is community? Google says it is “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” Don’t laugh but in the past year I have just started going to our local senior center for exercise classes. The other day at class during a water break, I noticed how people were connecting with each other, laughing and talking together, and just having a bit of social time. They’ve found community with people their own age who are doing their best to stay in shape and age gracefully.

Another class I like to attend is yoga. The whole concept of yoga is about creating community and drawing strength from the energy of others. Yoga has taught me to let go of myself and just be in the moment. It’s in the letting go that you learn how to connect with others.

We all have other places and ways we find community whether it’s the neighborhood where we live, the church where we attend and worship with others or the friends we connect with for life. I just recently returned from a bucket list trip to Greece with two of my college friends who’ve known me for over 40 years. They’re my people, my community, and they know me and love me anyway. Community is a blessing; I pray you find yours.

Blessings, Cindy J

* Perspective

Have you ever seen one of those pictures where when you look at it one way it’s an old woman and then look at it another way and it is a young girl? It’s kind of cool how they both seem to exist in the same picture and it really boils down to your perspective when viewing the picture. I am notorious for dropping my medicine on our hardwood kitchen floor and the pill is hard to find because it blends in with the wood. If I only look from the perspective of where I’m standing when I drop the pill, I rarely find it. But if I turn a different way and look, I will typically find it right away. Again, it’s all a matter of perspective and in the case of trying to locate the pill, I have to change mine.

Aren’t major life events like that as well? When we hear the word cancer, death, divorce, or any word most of us feel comes with a negative connotation, we automatically want it to change or go away because we think only bad things will happen. And it’s true, many times bad things do happen when we experience life changing events. But not always. What if we changed our perspective and looked at the things these adverse events can teach us? Here’s a warning though, it’s not always easy.

Cancer has been one of the hardest challenges I’ve ever faced in my life but it’s taught me to cherish EVERY day, to love with all my heart, to give to others who need my time & resources, to say yes more to make plans with friends and family and to speak up about what’s right for me. These are all positive changes because I decided to change my perspective. Yes, it is hard sometimes, but it’s oh so worth it!

Changing your perspective is hard because we all want to view things as we see them in our own little world. Guess what? It’s a big world out there with lots of things to see and learn. God can use our pain and heartbreak to help others. He can use it to change our heart… for good.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Blessings, Cindy J