When I was a little girl, our family used to go to the beach every summer for vacation. I remember one particular summer when my brother had a severe case of poison ivy. My Mama was concerned about him being able to get in the ocean. The doctor told her not to worry, that the salt water would actually be good for his sores and would help to heal them. Over the years I have returned to the ocean many times for a bit of healing myself. There’s just something about the ocean that is therapeutic. Maybe it’s the sound of the waves, the feel of the sand between my toes, or the salty sea air that I crave. All is know is that when I step out into the water I feel at peace and the healing begins.

Most people like to go to the beach in the summer when it’s warm but I will take a trip to the seaside no matter the season. Just even thinking about a visit makes me happy. When I walk over the sand dunes (I live on the southeast coast) and catch that first glimpse of the ocean waves, my heart is restored. It only takes a few minutes of walking along the shore for my breathing to slow down and my mind to clear. It’s where I have my best conversations with God. Yes, these waters are healing.

During the time I was so sick when going through my cancer treatments, I thought I had to keep the same pace with my work and life. I felt like by doing all my normal, everyday routines that it would help me feel better. What it did was completely wear me out. How I wish I had taken the time for a little healing. It took much longer for my body to recover because I did not compensate for what was happening and slow down a little. This is just one of the many life lessons cancer taught me.

My advice to anyone going through a life changing event whether it be a sickness, loss of a loved one or change in your circumstances for whatever reason, is to take some time away to heal both physically and mentally. The soothing, healing waters of the ocean give me the calm and strength I need. So, take some time for yourself, find your special place and start the process of healing.

Blessings, Cindy J

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silence; it’s a difficult challenge for our culture. We don’t like to be quiet. We feel like we have to fill every moment with noise and activity. My silent place is in a rocking chair on my front porch. I like to sit there alone and simply listen to whatever God sends my way. It might be the sound of the wind blowing through the trees in my yard, a bird singing or at times not any sound, simply stillness. Mother Teresa said, “God is the friend of silence”. I have found that silence can bring much needed peace to my busy life.  It restores me.

There are other times when silence can be a gift to others. When someone is going through an illness or has suffered a devastating loss, simply being there for that person can be enough. If you can’t think of anything to say it may be because the thing they need most is you, not your words. Be silent and listen to them. Sit quietly with them and share their pain. Don’t tell them it will be okay or assure them all is well because for them at that moment, it is not. Being silent shows your love and concern in a powerful way. Let them talk, cry or whatever it is they need to do to deal with what they are facing.

Today I challenge you to take a few minutes and find a silent place. Then practice being silent. Learning to be silent when you are alone helps you to be silent when others need you to be silent for them. Silence is healing.

Blessings, Cindy J

I’ve shed a lot of tears over the years because well, I’m a crier. I still am not sure if that is a good thing or not but I can tell you that when somethings happens that stirs my emotions, I will probably shed a few tears or at least get a little misty eyed. Whenever we watched a movie or even a touching commercial (Hallmark you get me every time) as a family, my boys would always look over at me and say “tear check” because they knew I would be crying. For me, tears just provide that release of emotions that I need at the moment.

Over the last few days I have been shedding a lot of tears due to the dire circumstances being faced by many of our communities here in North Carolina. The little town where my son lives has been forever changed by the destruction caused by Hurricane Florence. The damage will take years to restore and peoples’ daily lives will be disrupted for a very long time. My Mama’s little rural community was entirely covered by flood waters for yet a second time in 19 years. My brother and his wife lost all their belongings in the flood. These are my friends and family. So yes, I’ve shed many tears from just shear heartbreak this past week.

During the days, weeks and months after my cancer diagnosis, it was hard to verbalize what I was feeling. My emotions ran high due to fear, frustration and exhaustion. Again, I shed lots of tears. I cried out to God many times through my tears not even knowing what to say or how to ask for help. My tears were my words.

Someone once told me that each tear is a prayer. If that’s the case, I sure have offered up a lot of prayers. It does give me encouragement and hope though that even when I cannot understand my situation it is okay because God does. He sees my tears and He listens to my heart. He understands my needs even when I cannot. So, go ahead and cry. Shed those tears and offer up those tiny prayers for yourself and others who are hurting. God is listening.

Blessings, Cindy J

Today is one of those days; dreary and overcast. It makes you just want to hide away and be quiet and gray just like the weather. For those of us having battled cancer or a life-threatening disease it seems to be an indication of what our life has become if we choose to focus on the negatives of the disease. Brokenness, disfigurement, energy loss and fear just to name a few. It is easy to get lost in the grayness of what we are facing and stop noticing what is happening around us. It can be that way for anyone really when you get lost in the busyness and stress of living life.

However, have you ever noticed how on days like this that the Earth seems to take on a brilliance of color in contrast to the sky? When the sun is shining bright we tend to focus on it and how clearly we can see. Without the brilliance of the sun, everything else seems to say, “Look at me! See me! I’m here, too!”  These things have been there the whole time right in front of us but like most people we just want to see the brightest and best life has to offer.

Maybe an overcast day is just God’s way of showing us that even in the gloominess of the gray, there is beauty. It is up to us to decide what our focus will be. Will we choose to see only the gloom and dread of our circumstances or will we look for the beauty in the things and the people around us? Let me encourage you to look for the goodness in this season of your life. Before you know it, the sun will be shining again but your life will be forever enriched by the beauty you found in the overcast.

Blessings, Cindy J

In order to help them be their very best, trees, bushes and flowers need to be pruned. I have agonized so many times over whether or not to prune a plant wondering if it was the right time of year, how much I should cut back or even sometimes whether or not I should just leave it alone. However, when I read all the gardening manuals and listen to what the experts say, the answer is clear. You must prune to make the most of your plants beauty and to stimulate growth.

After I have found the appropriate time and cut back much more than I ever thought necessary, I am always amazed and pleased with the results. The following year the plant comes back stronger, fuller and more beautiful than before. I am always glad I took the time to care for the plant and loved it enough to prune away the dead branches and unruly growth. The plant always ends up looking better than ever and is ready for new growth.

The whole concept of pruning started me thinking about how God can use circumstances in our lives to do a little pruning Himself.  Having been through the ins and outs of cancer treatment, I discovered that there were things in my life that needing cutting away along with the cancer that was growing in my body. God helped me to see that all those little things I spent so much time worrying about didn’t really matter. All the “stuff” I thought I needed didn’t really matter, either. What about my timelines, schedule and to do list? Nope! All of that was gently pruned away and I was left with what really mattered; my relationship with Him and the people in my life.

I’ve made it through this time of trial and hardship. By allowing God to use my circumstances and prune away the unnecessary things in my life, I am now stronger, happier and more focused on the true joys of life. I could have let all those things stay, bogging down my life and making me become bitter and angry about my disease but I didn’t. I chose to open up to the things God wanted to teach me and let his healing hand prune away the dead branches. I feel like my plants; I am better than ever and ready for whatever new God has in store for my life.

Blessings, Cindy J