Something I heard this week:

Assign positive meaning to your trials. You are going to do it anyway, so if you are intentional, they can help pull you together rather than rip you apart.

Photo I saw that spoke to my soul: I saw this painting in the hallway of the funeral home. It was as if it was calling to me to come and walk the pathway. The sides dark and ominous. The whole thing reminds me a passage of scripture.

Proverbs 4:25-27 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
²⁶ Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
²⁷ Do not turn to the right or the left;
    keep your foot from evil.

What is straight ahead? The Light – the un-shadowy places.

Quote from the Art Advent reading – DAY 3:

Have the courage to be yourself despite the despair we often experience.
Grief can ruin or it can mature us.

Wounded in Spirit – Advent Art – David Bannon

Bible Goodness: The godly and logical King Jehoshaphat was faced with an army of people coming against the Israelites. Instead of running into battle, he called them to battle in prayer. First, he recognizes the power of God, and that God is God of all kingdoms, of all nations, of all the earth and indeed of heaven itself. He recognized God’s great works in the past on behalf of His people. He prayed with both knowledge and understanding of God’s word. But it was his last words that caught my attention. They are full of humility and the response we all need when facing trouble.

“…nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

2 Chronicles 20:12b

Notes in the journal:

All run the race but only one gets the prize. Run with self-control for an imperishable prize. (1 Cor 9:24-25)

Some call them disciplines, practices, even training. Training is required in the spiritual life to gain the prize. We must endure to the end. But you and I cannot endure if we do not participate in training that strengthen our spiritual muscles and all of these are needed…

There are training of engagement and training of abstinence:

Engagement:

• discipleship
• study
• worship
• confession
• service
• prayer
• giving

Abstinence:

• fasting
• silence
• solitude
• simplicity
• sacrifice

Another Picture that caught my eye: It’s beautiful and haunted with loneliness and quiet. This one different than the first with its straight path through the dark into the light.

Hard Stuff: My Mother-in-Law passed away on Dec 3. She was a loving and caring person. She was always up to something that would bring her family together to hang out and eat good food together, https://www.cedarmemorial.com/Obituary/2023/Dec/Elizabeth-L-Smith/

Something beautiful: We went to a choral and orchestra concert, and I managed to take a little snip of the orchestra playing the song, what Child is this. There is nothing to see, only to hear. So click and close your eyes and listen.

Thanks for Listening,

Starla