I have had a break from my blog for awhile. Why? Spending time with visiting friends and family this summer and early autumn has taken precedence. Also, for the last 300+ consecutive days I have been doing a daily French lesson on Duolingo. Can I speak French now? No… But I can read and understand some. Time to move on. So, I’m exchanging that focus for now. I’m returning to my daily blog posts. I hope you’ll join me.
Today, I reread a response from a friend who wrote to me back in 2021 with this comment:
“You lit a candle in my mind and heart this morning when I read your blog post … Thank you for spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity through your blog…”
I kept a copy of that blog response in my journal titled, “I Can and I Will, Watch Me!” The entry that day in 2021 was, “I CAN Be an Inspiration.” That is my mission… and I have been neglecting it here on WordPress. But, I’m back!
My journal has 124 entries, each starting with “I Can…” As the “Inspirational Leader” I read one a month last year to my friends at Madison Valley Women’s Club. They responded very favorably to the inspirations. For the next few months, let me share one a day with you, okay? Hopefully you will follow along, and “I Will” be an inspiration to you, too. “Watch Me!”
I CAN Inspire!
I’m not in retirement I’m in re-inspirement Each day a new opportunity To inspire and To be an inspiration grabs me!
What is the secret to being an inspiration?
Love people and Try to understand them.
Reach out in love today.
Sincerely tell at least three people today, “I Love You.”
The topic of the sermon at church this morning was Mary & Martha… Luke 10:38-42
At the Home of Martha and Mary
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Join me with the sermon notes I took in church this morning.
Our church has a new paint color
Here’s the old paint color
That’s our Madison Valley Presbyterian Church in Ennis, MT. I love the new paint color. What do you think? I like to think of it as “Green and Growing.”
The mint green is soothing, don’t you think?
Today’s sermon examined Mary & Martha’s story. Mary’s soothing choice compared to Martha’s busyness. Which choice do you relate to?
Our interim pastor, Brian Conklin, shed interesting light on the age-old story. Here are my sermon notes from this lovely Sunday morning.
Martha is active and faithful She’s committed and frustrated We’ve been in her shoes Sometimes we’re annoyed, too
Jesus, in gentleness, corrected Martha, telling her that Mary Is doing what is right for her But He doesn’t rebuke Martha
Martha’s resentment is clear And it’s easy to understand She’s worried and distracted We are like her all too often
In our culture we celebrate Productivity, and forget to be Present to the importance of today Our stress pulls us apart
Our presence is what’s needed Be present for each other Be fully present in God’s presence Listen to Jesus. Sit at His feet
The posture of your heart: sitting, listening, being attentive Is worship… Stillness reduces stress Christ tells us to pause. Peace! Be still!
Sit in His presence Luke 12:25 reminds us “Don’t worry!” TRUST God is with you. God bless you
Turn your anxiety into prayer Find rest for your soul Anchor your heart at Jesus’ feet Be present with Christ.
Amen?
My peace I give to you.
But Jesus didn’t scold Martha or tell her what she was doing is wrong. Someone has to prepare if you’re going to share a meal, right?
Who do you relate to? Mary or Martha? Why?
My birthday’s this Thursday. No one mentioned it in church this morning. No one sang to me. I want to be Mary, sitting with Jesus. He would sing to me! It’s my week.
Jesus would say, “…few things are needed—or indeed only one…”
And He would probably scold me. “Get your mind off of yourself. Reach out to others. Did you remember to wish Debbie & Steve a Happy Anniversary? It’s their week, too!”
Ah, my friends, Life is Good! Count your blessings… and remember, “…Mary has chosen what is better…” Be still… and listen!
1 Cor. 12:7 “Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits.“
What were you given? Wouldn’t it be fun to have your family and friends tell you what gifts they see working in you? I had that unique experience yesterday at a meeting of our church’s elder board (The Session).
The “gift” I most align myself with is: “Intercessor.” My daily prayer time and the lists of people I pray for daily are an integral part of my life. I am grateful God gave me the gift of praying for others.
In today’s devotional by Bob Goff, he dealt with this subject. Quoting 1Cor. 12:7, he went on to say,
” God has created us ro come together and form a beautiful community that highlights what we each have been given and can contribute.”
Using the familiar story of Stone Soup, Bob Goff wrote, “You know where this story ends already: the soup becomes a delicious simmering pot made up of everyone’s contributions… We all need to throw in what we’ve got and it will be enough.”
What other gift attributes did my friends identify for me? writing bedrock firecracker cooking music (and as mentioned:) prayer warrior
Of course, the one that surprised me the most was “Firecracker.” Is that a gift? Should I associate that with being explosive or being a sparkler? There are many ways to define our gifts, aren’t there? What’s yours? Ask a friend. Bob Goff ended his devotional in “Catching Whimsy” with this faith step:
Ask the people around you. “What are you good at? What lights you up and makes you spring out of bed?”
Here are the gifts my friends identified in each of my fellow church elders’ lives. For privacy’s sake, I will identify them only by their initials
PC patience, music, steadiness, kindness, calmness, humor
CD steadfastness, empathy, compassion, devotion, humor, determination
SH faithfulness, dependability, devotion. willingness, generosity, commitment, obedience
We began our Session meeting in prayer with this scripture as our guiding principle: 1 Cor. 12:1 paraphrased “Don’t be ignorant friends. A variety of gifts are given- We all are made to drink in One Spirit.”
We can (or can we?) control how others see us. Would I have liked others to see in me dependability, thoughtfulness, initiative, wisdom? Of course! Those weren’t mentioned. What can I do about it?
Live mindfully. Love outlandishly. Purpose my life to “Show who God is.”
Are you with me? Throw your gifts in the pot, and let’s make Stone Soup into God’s Love Soup.
Sometimes we are so busy with our “To Do” lists that we forget to take a break. And when we do heed the nudgings and step away from all those tasks for a day or two, the rewards are so great that we wonder, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
Our interim pastor, Brian Conklin, did just that this week. The results of his “break” was a beautiful article for our July newsletter. I am delighted to share that article with you here. Enjoy!
Reflections on Psalm 8:3–5
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?”
—Psalm 8:3–4
I spent the first day of July winding my way up Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park—awestruck by the mountains, shaped by glaciers over hundreds of thousands of years. Honestly, the only reason I made the trip was because friends were visiting from out of state. Like many of us, I had a full list of things keeping me tethered to home in Ennis: dogs to feed, a lawn to mow, a garden to water, an overdue article to write, and a Sunday service to prepare for. A trip to Glacier felt impractical—out of the question, really.
Once again, I had placed myself at the center of my universe, absorbed in my own schedule and priorities. But I had made a promise—and so, I went.
It took less than five minutes inside the park for everything to shift. My eyes lifted from my to-do list to the towering peaks above me. With every mile we climbed, my world grew smaller. The grandeur of creation was overwhelming—humbling in the best way.
At Logan Pass, we hiked through lingering fields of snow toward Hidden Lake Overlook. Along the way, we passed a herd of bighorn sheep, spotted a grizzly below, and watched in amazement as a mother mountain goat and her newborn walked straight down the trail toward us—so close I could’ve reached out and touched them. I stood frozen, breathless with wonder.
That hike filled me with awe and clarity. It made me stop and remember the words of the psalmist:
“What is man, that you are mindful of him?”
To stand surrounded by so much beauty, so much power—wild, ancient, and untouched—and to believe that the Creator of all this is also mindful of me? It’s almost too much to comprehend. I felt small, yes—but also cherished. Insignificant and yet beloved.
My priorities? My worries? They suddenly seemed like paper boats in a vast ocean.
It’s sobering to think it takes this much grandeur to lift my head. How easily I become consumed with my own concerns and forget that the world does not revolve around me. How easily I forget who I belong to.
I’m grateful for the reminders—whether from mountain peaks or quiet whispers—that the God who shaped the stars also holds us close to His heart. When we lose sight of that, our days fill with noise and urgency. But when we remember, everything shifts into perspective.
Henri Nouwen once wrote:
“You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests…
That truth will set you free to receive the beauty of nature and culture in gratitude, as a sign of your Belovedness…
But that truth will also allow you to let go of what distracts you, confuses you and puts in jeopardy the life of the Spirit within you.”
So let us lift our eyes. Let us marvel at the works of His hands. And let us walk through this life—humbled by the majesty around us, but confident in the love that holds us fast.
Regards, Brian Conklin
Thank you, Brian, for taking a break, and for sharing those lovely insights with us! I’m so glad you and your wife, Dawn, are a part of our church family! What a blessing!!
My WordPress friends, what “break” have you taken lately? And how did it affect you?
Montana Poet Laureate Chris La Tray at the Elling House Arts and Humanities Center in Virginia City tonight, Saturday, April 27th at 7:00 PM. I will not be able to attend, but I will be with him in spirit. He is a gifted man. I love his poetry.
La Tray, the Montana Poet Laureate since 2023, is a Métis storyteller and a member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians. He’s the author of ‘One-Sentence Journal: Short Poems and Essays from the World at Large’ and‘Becoming Little Shell’. Why don’t you Google those books… or find ’em on Amazon. You’ll love ’em just as I do!
Chris sees poetry like the spiritual life of an Anishinaabe person: if you live an Anishinaabe life, focusing on the seven guiding principles of the Seven Grandfather teachings – Humility, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Truth, Respect, and Love – then every step you take becomes a prayer.
If you approach poetry in a similar way, seeing that everything that happens can be seen as a poem, and that every moment in life is an experience worth paying close attention to, then every step you take becomes a poem. Whether you write it down or share it with others, poetry becomes another way to tell and share stories. La Tray’s programs remind people that their stories matter, that they’re the only ones who can tell them right, and that poetry, no matter how you define it, is a beautiful way to do so.
Chris La Tray encourages us to focus on Humility, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Truth, Respect, and Love.
Let’s do!
Humility sits in humble silence While courage asks us to stand And honesty demands We approach life with wisdom
Truth is hard to find In a world that lacks respect The only way to discover it Is with love, I suspect.
Reach out in love Tell others how you feel We know the world needs More love. Make it real!
It was true in 1966 when Dionne sang this song… And it’s even more true today. Sing along with Dionne… … and then go out and spread some love.
Today’s prompt was: You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence?
“I want to die with all my marbles intact!”
Intact and sparkling!
Yesterday my friend, Keri, brought her one-year-old Boston Terrier over for a playday with our pup, Kenny. Watching those two play, I knew for a fact that play is an essential part of life. If I want to keep all my marbles right up to the last day of my life on earth, I have to do as Kenny and Livvy did: play together and refresh together, too!
Play and refresh
What else is important if I want to keep all my marbles? Reading! Learning!!
While the pups were playing, Keri and I chatted about our lives. She shared that she has a 93 year-old dad. He is a voracious reader. He’s got all his marbles intact and shining! What a gift, huh? That’s what that CJ Box book is: a gift! We received it in the mail yesterday from our Bonus daughter, Elaina. My husband, Bob, age 86, also is a voracious reader. He’s read every CJ Box book there is… and this is the latest. Just out! Just here. Bob can hardly wait to dig into it!
What else is important for a long, sparkling, coherent life?
Stay connected! Connected to what?
If you know me, you know I was gonna take this message to God, His Word, and the Holy Spirit! Yup, therein lies the secret… Make sure it’s not a well-kept one!!
Share your love… Share God’s love in you… Share the Holy Spirit’s Wisdom in you… PLAY, REFRESH, READ, STAY CONNECTED.
May you LIVE LONG and Keep all your marbles intact and sparkling!
What would the first sentence of your autobiography say?
I am going to take a break from my daily posts while we spend quality time with family here in California. I didn’t take with me the paperwork I needed in order to continue the Word of the Day activity… so I will resume it when we get back to Montana. Meantime, have a very Merry Christmas, my friends, and a Happy New Year!
If something unusual happens here that I feel I just NEED to share with you, I’ll check in… otherwise, I’ll see ya next year. “Bee” well!!
Using the Advent devotional from @SanctifiedArt, I am posting the Word of the Day between now and Christmas. These are “Words for the Beginning” – beginning again – looking forward to the coming of the Christ Child – finding daily inspiration
Today’s word is:
That’s the image AI generated when I gave the word to Artificial Intelligence.
If I go to my WordPress photos, here is the one I would select:
When I think of the word “journey,” I think of this life I am living… and I realize it is a journey of major proportions. One worth savoring.
To savor this life’s journey, We must slow down. To get the most of of it, Wipe away your frown.
Travel each day with a smile, With positive expectations. Open your heart and your hands To all God’s glorious creations.
Journey with your loved ones. Embrace every endeavor. Travel with the assurance that Every step is sure and clever.
Don’t try to go it alone. We’re all in this together. Journey with a song in your heart And dance in every kind of weather.
What images might you imagine for each of these words of the day? Words of the Day: Dec. 1- Begin Dec. 2 – Bless Dec. 3 – Courage Dec. 4 – Possibility Dec. 5 – Remember Dec. 6 – Marvel Dec. 7 – Go Dec. 8 – Together Dec. 9 – Embrace Dec. 10 – Journey
“A Sanctified Art” is the Advent program my friends at church and I are using this Christmas season.
It was suggested that we take or find a photo inspired by the Word of the Day and share it daily on social media. I have been remiss. We’re already nine days into Advent and I have not posted these words or photos for you to see.
But, I have colored the quilt pattern that contains the words… and I have contemplated the meaning of each of the words as they came due. It’s not too late to begin sharing. Today’s word is: “Embrace.”
You might expect me to post a picture of Bob & me embracing, but I’m not going to be so predictable!
It’s easy to embrace those we love, but learning to embrace the storms of life… that’s a different story!
Yesterday’s word was “Together.” That was a much easier word to embrace! It was our bonus daughter, Elaina’s birthday – and she was able to be together with her daughter and son-in-law to celebrate.
And a Happy Birthday to you, dear LainaLainaLaina!!
It was a party day for our son, Ty and his wife, Monika, and they were able to host a large group of leaders from their church. There is such joy in that kind of togetherness!
We returned recently from a three week trip to Switzerland … and the togetherness with our daughter, DeAna, was magical!
When you think of the joy of togetherness, what comes to your mind? And in terms of embracing the storms of life, what is a storm you are facing? Tell me about it… and I will certainly add your resolution to my prayer requests.
See ya tomorrow with the word of the day for beginning your December 10th.
