I have discovered a new and exciting hobby of taking photos and sharing God’s Words as they inspire me to be in complete “AWE” of how great our God is! I hope you enjoy the photos.
Question of the Day: “What can be learned from the Monarch butterfly?”
My older son is having some difficult issues. I don’t feel like mucking through them here, but I have been taking time to meditate and reflect to try…
Question of the Day: “What can be learned from the Monarch butterfly?”
January 3rd, 2024
Elgin, IL
I attended Judson University, it was actually Judson College when I attended from fall of 1982 to spring of 1986. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education and Biological Science.
Since graduating I have used my degree working in a variety of jobs.
My degree has provide me with a firm foundation to expand beyond the classroom to use my knowledge and skills in ways I never imagined. God has so blessed me along this journey.
I have continued to expand my knowledge base by taking free online courses through programs offered by FEMA and MetEd.
I’m grateful for the education I received from Judson College. I am most thankful for the memories from those four years and the bonds of friendship that were forged. I learned many valuable lessons from my time as a student and as an athlete at Judson, some in the classroom but many were gained through the relationships that were born in its fertile grounds.
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
—Isaiah 40:31
~Charlotte, Striving To Live A Genuine Authentic Life, As A Child Of Godu
…A challenge is something new and difficult which requires great effort and determination.
A challenge is something that puts you to the test.
“Be authentically you—being and becoming all that you were created to be and become—facing every challenge head-on knowing that challenges are opportunities to build character, strength and resilience, and, to be the difference that makes a difference!”
—Sandra C Bibb
My biggest challenge in life is wanting to control things that are out of my area of control. I’ve been working on this for a loooong time, I’m happy to say I have had some success. I’ve learned that the one thing I can control is myself. A very caring friend gave me that advice, I’m grateful for his friendship. Thank you, Barry!
“As iron sharpens iron,
—Proverbs 27:17
so one person sharpens another.”
Challenges in life keep us attentive and engaged. I hope you have someone in your life who cares enough to not just give advice but also travels the road with you as you understand and overcome your challenges.
“The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
—Proverbs 17:27
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.”
Thanks for stopping by today, blessings & peace to you ~
~Charlotte, Striving To Live A Genuine Authentic Life, As A Child Of God
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” —Romans 12:2
According to Google, “authenticity means you’re true to your own personality, values, and spirit, regardless of the pressure that you’re under to act otherwise. You’re honest with yourself and with others, and you take responsibility for your mistakes. Your values, ideals, and actions align.”
I am wishing all of you a happy, healthy and blessed 2024!
I chose “My One Word” because it is what I most want to be with everyone I meet. It’s no big secret that most of us want to be liked, be considered funny or smart, creative or philosophical, just to name a few. I sincerely believe I’m living my best life right now. I like the person I am right now! I know that I have made some “not so great” choices in my life, on many occasions I tried to be the person I thought the world wanted me to be; or at least be the person that others would like to be friends with. I have met a lot of very inspiring individuals in my life and by inspiring I mean, they made a lasting impression on my soul. Some good and some were a bit prickly but what I remember the most is how these individuals made me feel.
When I was in first grade, I decided I was going to quit school! I don’t remember all the details, I was only 6! But, the part I remember is being taken to school after I purposely missed the bus, got a spanking with a switch from the walnut tree in our front yard. My teacher telling me I was not old enough to quit school, so in the coat closet, I bit my teacher on her knee! Some kids have the terrible twos, I apparently I was a late bloomer, I had the terrible sixes!! I look back and I am thankful that my parents loved me enough to teach me responsibility and respect at such an early age. Little did my parents realize, this would lead me to spending four more years in school by attending college after high school graduation.
When I was 13, my parents let me go to the movie with a boy! And, they even let me see “Grease” and it was rated “G” when it was first released. I went with a boy that I was hopelessly devoted to! Pun intended! This was a lesson in trust, my parents were pretty cool looking back.
The game of softball from the age of five throughout my 30’s I loved playing this game. I learned countless lessons from participating in this sport. Teamwork, character, motivation, selflessness, personal responsibility, management skills, patience, dignity…I also learned about trust and respect. My parents, especially my mom supported me through all these years. She attended nearly every game I ever played, what a blessing! She was always my biggest fan! These memories are pretty spectacular.
High School graduation, could not wait for it to be over because I was missing out on a softball game! As soon as it was possible to leave the ceremony, I was off to the game!
College, freshman year…I was literally in awe of the world outside of the small corner I grew up in. I loved college! I met two of my oldest and dearest friends during that time in my life. They have supported me and loved me for no other reason than they liked and loved me. I absolutely cherish my friendships with them. They have never made me feel inadequate, unwanted or imperfect. In fact, they loved me long before I loved myself.
“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.”
—Proverbs 27:9
Adulting, I have loved and lost love; and I am a better person because of the losses. I’m grateful for the opportunities I had to love other people. Some of life’s lessons I learned much too late to be able salvage some of the relationships, but I don’t regret them…only wishing I had made better choices. The heart wants, what the heart wants; they say…but it definitely does not come with any instructions. Hindsight is 20/20, but the journey and the experiences we go through; I believe makes us better human beings.
So, reminiscing is good for a while but not a destination. Here’s to the journey of 2024, keep moving forward, explore where God is leading you. I’m so looking forward to…
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.” —Isaiah 43:18-19
~Charlotte, Striving To Live A Genuine Authentic Life, As A Child Of God
December 26th, 2023
I want to share a website I just discovered. Amy’s work is phenomenal and I just wanted to share it. I knew Amy when she was just a kid! So very proud of her and her work.
~Charlotte, Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.
Christmas Day has arrived! How are you feeling? This season is filled with the full spectrum of emotions. Breathe them all in, sit with them because YOU matter. YOU matter because you are a child of the living God. Long, long ago…God’s son, Jesus came to earth to be born so that you and I would have life eternal. This season is about the a baby, a manager, a virgin having a baby, and a man whose faith was firm in believing God and His plan for his life. Joseph doesn’t get a lot of attention in the Christmas story, he’s more of a “behind the scenes” character, but is he really?
Joseph, is a supporting character in the Christmas story. He trusts God, believes in Mary’s virginity and accepts the role of being Jesus’ earthly father. He taught Jesus in his trade as a carpenter and provided essential for sustaining His earthly body. The Bible refers to Joseph as a “righteous man.” I reviewed several translations of Matthew 1:19 and most say, “And her husband Joseph, since he was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.”
Here’s a link if you are interested in reading a few: https://biblehub.com/matthew/1-19.htm
This Christmas, I am thankful for my earthly parents. God blessed me beyond measure and I’m so thankful to have had them as role models, caregivers and the purity of their love for all people. A solid foundation of the meaning of family was instilled in and upon me from the first breath I ever breathed. My parents, along with so many of my friend’s parents are now in Heaven, celebrating with Jesus this very day!
As much as I miss my parents, I know they are exactly where God wants them to be. I am choosing to love on those God has placed in my life. In this, I am truly blessed. Don’t let opportunities pass you by; love deeply, laugh out loud, be present with others and share yourself and your blessings with others.
“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this,
an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is fromthe Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).” – Matthew 1: 18-23
“Jesus is called Emmanuel, which means “God-with-us.”
The great paradox of Jesus’ life is that he, whose words and actions are
in no way influenced by human blame or praise but are completely dependent
on God’s will, is more “with” us than any other human being. Jesus’ compassion,
his deep feeling-with-us, is possible because his life is guided not by human respect
but only by the love of his heavenly Father. Indeed, Jesus is free to love us
because he is not dependent on our love.”
– Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey
To read all the Advent devotionals for 2023 from the Henri Nouwen website, click the link below.
https://wp.henrinouwen.org/?page_id=2224
Thank you for your continued support through this “unlikely advent.” Incredible, here we are the night before Christmas, the beloved Christmas Eve. The eve marking the birth of Jesus, the birth of true Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. You and I can have all four at the same time because of Jesus and because of this, we can face any battle set before us with confidence.
It is my earnest desire that you have a beautiful Christmas and that Jesus is your Savior, guiding your steps through life. He is the Light of the World. Life, my friends can be cruel but even in the midst of our trials, disappointment and even our grief…we can be set free and give thanks to God. There are always something to be thankful for, we only need to open our senses to them. When was the last time you thanked God for creating you(?). You are divinely created by God with purpose and a plan, God has not made a mistake.
Jesus’ Birth Foretold by Isaiah the Prophet
The people walking in darkness
— Isaiah 9:2-7
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his governmentand peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.”
This advent, the “unlikely advent” has not been as I had planned in my head or even on paper, yep I still use paper and pen! I love to give, I’m a giver of things and of myself and this year I’ve been on the receiving side of other givers in God’s enormous family and I am so grateful for this experience.
I have the privilege of reading part of the Christmas story from Luke at my church’s Christmas Eve service today. My work keeps me away during Sunday morning services and recently family responsibilities have kept me away from home. It is my sincere hope to start attending other church activities in the coming year. Connecting with God’s extended family is good for the soul, plus it can be a lot of fun as well. Just as our bodies need food for survival, our soul/spirit needs nutrition to grow as well.
This is what God wants us to know…
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
— Micah 6:8
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”
God wants a relationship with all His children and it may look different from someone else’s relationship…AND THAT’S OKAY! Unless, God specifically ask you to walk around with a poster of Himself declaring you are a follower…try just being KIND! Hold a door for someone, return a smile or better yet, smile at someone you just might make their day! I love this last week of Advent for many reasons but most importantly because of LOVE. The single most important thing we can do as Christian’s; as human-beings is to love one another. Not because any of us deserve it but because we can.
Love~
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:4-13
https://wp.henrinouwen.org/?page_id=2224
December 17th, 2023
Today, I want to share a daily devotional from the Henri Nouwen Society. I have provided the link at the bottom of this post.
https://wp.henrinouwen.org/?page_id=2224
Friends, I take no credit for the above and it is my sincere hope that it provides you joy in both the physical and spiritual.
As mentioned above, there are many things that can provide temporary “joy” but what about lasting joy. Our faith and trust in God is the only true, lasting and fulfilling joy! Daily, we can be drawn into the temporary and self-servicing joy that the world offers and quickly escapes our grasp. There is nothing wrong with the temporary joys in our lives, they can help us to continue to grow and develop goals to be successful in life. Lasting joy has to be planted in fertile soil, tended and pruned and be absent of conceit and falsehood. Lasting joy comes from within, it takes discipline and sacrifices. When we have accepted God as the Lord and Savior of our lives, He provides for all our needs and increases our abilities to live and love like Jesus. Have you ever observed someone going through difficult circumstances and yet they find ways to be positive, even joyful (?) and ever wondered why? With much certainty, I can say that those individuals have the love of God in their hearts and persevere because of their faith in God, they trust in the promises of God; therefore, JOY is always with and in them.
My prayer for you this week is for you to know and trust in the one true JOY, that no matter what situations you face in life you will always have a reason to have joy in your heart. I may never meet many of you in this temporary life on earth but I am looking forward to meeting you in Heaven and we will certainly experience JOY beyond anything we could ever imagine.
It is my sincere hope that others see me as kind, funny and committed to being a good person. I want my faith to be seen through my actions and not my words.
For a large portion of my adult life I had tried to emulate the value and character of my parents and grandparents. In recent years, I have realized that those people that I loved and admired would want me to be my own person. They would want to me to use all my life lessons and formulate my own values.
We all need to assertive ourselves and invest in ourselves. We are all uniquely created by God with a purpose and a plan. We have the ability to seek guidance from our Heavenly Father regarding our purpose and plan at any time.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
—Ephesians 2:10
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
—Jeremiah 29:11
In closing, I did mention more than one thing I hope people say about me, so to honor the question, kind…I hope people will say that I am kind.
December 12th & 13th, 2023
I am delayed yet again in posting but am glad you stopped by today. As in the title of the book I chose for advent, “An Unlikely Advent,” my real life advent continues to be unlikely as well. The feeling of being overwhelmed weighs on my heart but I endeavor to make Christmas joyful! My heart is excited for this time of year of celebrating and honoring the birth of Jesus; however, my “behind the scenes” activities cause me to feel the void of the absence of my parents this season. I would not describe my feeling as sad necessarily, and I will miss them terribly. No, this Christmas for me is about connections with family. God, the main character of this season is also “behind the scenes” working within my life. By no means am I placing God in the shadows, or casting as a minor character; God makes all things work for good. We, mere mortals often do not recognize the hand of God working within our lives but when we do “WOW” it is beyond any imaginable possibility of our comprehension.
During this second week of Advent, the theme is that of “Peace.” In what ways are you experiencing “Peace” this week? I can say that yesterday and today, I have an overall feeling of “peace” unfolding from the inside out. I am experiencing less chaos and turbulence within my daily activities. I’ve been able to relax and enjoy significant people in my life. Just yesterday, with so many things on my “to do list” I allowed myself some grace to be present with myself and those around me. My time is limited with my work schedule and living an hour and a half from my parents home; of which, I’ve been traveling back and forth on my weekends to pack up the house for selling. Yesterday, I had the privilege of having coffee and breakfast with my brother, to start my day. Then, my second cousin, Kayla, who has been staying in my parent’s home just happened to have the day off. I suggested we go shopping specifically for her dietary needs. I suggested “Trader Joe’s” as they carry many organic and gluten free items. After a quick google search the closest was over an hour away, so we decided after we had finished a few tasks to make the journey. God presented us with a gorgeous sunny day for the drive. We listened to classic Christmas songs on Pandora radio and engaged in so many topics of conversation. We shared some of our struggles in life, our accomplishments of overcoming those struggles. We discussed how God has and continues to work in and through our lives. I was able to share some “life lessons” I’ve learned so far in life. We shared challenges we have faced in life and how during difficult times we often can’t see how God is working and making a way for us. Most importantly, God does not delight in our pain and struggles. He loves us and if we are honest with ourselves, the struggles we face are based upon not so great of decisions on our part. Hence, the conversation of “free will” was discussed. What a blessing to be able to share my faith and my less than perfect life. None of us are perfect, we are sinful humans living in an imperfect world. I’m not saying this as an excuse for my decisions or the paths I have traveled so far in life. What I am saying is, I’m thankful for the grace and mercy of God, for my salvation which was paid for by Jesus. Jesus, the baby we celebrate this season who became one of us, to save all of us. Let that just simmer on your heart; “Jesus, the baby we celebrate this season who became one of us, to save all of us.”
Getting back to the biblical “behind of scenes” of an unlikely advent, I had previously shared the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth. In the moment of disbelief, Zachariah was suddenly stricken with the inability to speak. I can easily see where this could be viewed as a punishment from God; but “behind the scenes” God use’s Zachariah to bring glory to God at the moment of the naming of his son.
“Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” —Luke 1:18-20
“When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. On the eighth day they came to circumcisethe child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.” Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.” —Luke 1:57-64
As you progress through the rest of this week, it is my prayer that you experience “Peace” in a multitude of ways. Be attentive to God working in and through you to be an ambassador of “Peace” with those you come into contact with. May you be watchful to God foremost that He is the One true God, creator of all things, the center of all the universe; and also works “behind the scenes” in all our lives.
Until next time… Charlotte!
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