Tag: strength

Butterfly Fever #covid19 #children

Bethany has been sick with butterfly fever. No one knows how to take care of this. She does not want me to get it though I don’t think a lion can get a butterfly sickness. She is in a butterfly tree -all alone.
At first I was afraid and reminded of how lonely I was without my family. But then I heard a kind voice in the breeze.

“Judah be strong and of good courage do not fear nor be afraid of these things.”
“But how can strength and courage help when my best friend is very sick?”
“The Lord God goes with you (and with your friend). He will not leave you alone. He will not forsake her.”
“So right now God you are taking care of Bethany for me?
“Yes, Judah it is in my promise.”
“I guess courage can sometimes mean we trust God not ourselves. This butterfly sickness has me worried, but you God are stronger than any sickness!!!”

We have friends right now in many countries. The US, Uganda, other parts of Africa, the Middle East.
Some of our friends (like Bethany) are sick and cant get to the doctor. We pray for them and the God who heals and preserves those who are weak that He will be there as He promises.

Other friends can’t get food even when there is supposed to be food given to them (even in the distant villages.)

And there are those who know of the needs who have hope and a little extra  food who are going to these remote areas.

Judah’s verse is found in Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

The Water’s Will #haiku #photography

split stone

Intent on passage

water’s surge at weakness

stone cannot endure

Haiku gives a place to explore the profound meaning behind words.

Today’s prompt at Carpe Diem is “Willpower.” 

photography: “Split Stone” L. Moon © 2013

Mixture of All Things

You whirl and mix the elements

sometimes silent other times you howl

I am always amazed at your strength

I can stand in the middle of you

you hold me up grab me

swirl me around

I feel displaced in your presence

you pull at the very essence of me

when you are gone I am cleansed

for some you are feared

others to be avoided

for me you are a friend

thanks for the windy photo AlicePopKorn

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicepopkorn/3630446682/)

When Two Worlds Collide

I stood there pensive

not knowing where to turn

you decided for me

your strong grasp was firm

***

The way you pulled me

closer -next  to you

told me a story

what we had to do

***

We  broke our orbit

left the known behind

moved ahead and gathered

all the stars in line

***

Propel our beings

toward -another path

the unknown but surely

worth the risk of wrath

***

In the end they’d find

forever entwined we two

our new world together

never apart from you

***

This amazing photograph:lrargerich’s photostream “Sun World”

Infuse with HOPE (another “I” in a series)

Need for Hope

With all the stuff going on in our world, I was thinking about the need for Hope. I’m cheating a little with “infusing hope” – I know you will excuse the stretch. Hey infuse is an ‘I”!

Hope is not an easy concept to tackle (at all!!!) It’s abstract and hard to grasp on a good day.

Defining two words:

Infuse (verb) to imbue or inspire

Hope (verb) to believe, desire or trust

Hope – Why?

Why infuse hope? Without hope despair can tear at the strongest of characters. Each living Haitian needs hope. Why?  The man looking for his wife– even a shred of hope is keeping that man going. A mother is aching for the arms of her little one. She has an inkling of hope in the rescuers– in life…

The Haitian community has to have hope. They need to believe that the dust can be transformed into charming buildings with trees swaying in the back ground. They need to trust that children will play in the fountains; the marketplace will again be a place to share local gossip.

Without that hope, the people in Haiti will give up. Dirt will be layered on top of another layer – paradise will be gone.

The Infuse Part

How can we infuse hope into our community or in communities that are suffering around our world???

What do you do for a living? What are your hobbies? Are you adept in construction? Help someone (locally) whose house needs repair.  Are you creative? Maybe you could make goody baskets for shut-ins. I recently wrote a radio script about a woman, with cancer, who made encouragement baskets for people who were going through difficult times. Are you a teacher? Spend a summer in a third world country teaching English so others can get ahead.

Through my travels, I have friends around the globe.  When there is a tragedy, I can get money direct to people who need help rather than going through channels where everyone’s hands are out. So there’s an excuse to travel.

Don’t Give Up!

With the world and the economy  in a tailspin, how do we regroup? One earthquake area is patched up and a Tsunami tears through another island. An epidemic hits the world in a matter of months. It would be easy for  people to feel like throwing up their arms and saying enough! What more can I do?

Some people turn to God in situations like these others to good feelings some give to research or…

I have to hold on to the idea that there is a strong, omnipotent being who is taking care of me or I would not be able to get up from the next personal disaster.

Whatever your source of strength may be, don’t give up hope while there is still life to hope for.

Hope (a poem during the storm)

Hope is seen in the eyes of a child

heard in the first notes of dawn

felt in a lover’s first kiss

given freely by a friend

An anchor holding fast

life’s storms cannot tear upon

who never goes amiss

turns the darkness to day

Stands watch over the frail

endures so much

sustains us through life

faithful ‘til the end

You might say

wait Hope closely resembles

a sentiment – Love

hand in hand

two strengths from above