When Screens Go Dark, Look to the Light
Last week, during our ladies’ retreat, my computer screen (projecting the various songs, Scripture, and images on the wall) kept timing out and going dark. I knew there was a simple setting to stop it from doing that, but I couldn’t find it for the life of me. Jason looked for it with equally fruitless results. I googled it, but that only resulted in information about changing particular settings that weren’t even showing up on my computer. Good grief!
On the second day, I was nearly at my wit’s end, so I did another search and stumbled upon another option to try. Lo, and behold, after selecting a single option, there was the simple click I’d been looking for.
From Bad to Worse
As Jason and I drove toward our house after the lovely ladies' retreat last week, we were surprised to see freshly painted white lines on our street. As I mentioned in a recent post, our quiet little road had been under construction, and it looked like the workers had finally finished up Stage One, leaving behind a gravelly, dusty mess. Gazing out the car window, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The road was still rough and gravelly, and the freshly painted lines seemed to mock me as we bumped along. Evidently, Stage Two (the painting of the lines) was also the completion of the project.
"Honestly," I muttered to Jason, "I think the road was better before they started all this construction. What was the point?"
Jason just chuckled and patted my hand. "Sometimes, Dana, things have to get worse before they can get better."
Falling for Jesus
Yesterday, while out walking my furry companion, Tess, I found myself in a bit of a pickle. One minute, I was strolling along, deep in prayer, and the next, I was sprawled out on the pavement like a clumsy giraffe on roller skates. I have no idea what happened—one second, I was vertical, and the next, I was horizontal.
As I sat there in the middle of the road, nursing my wounded pride and trying to figure out if anything was broken, I couldn't help but laugh and cry at the absurdity of it all. I mean, really? Out of all the things that could've happened, I managed to take a tumble while praying. Talk about irony!
Letting Love Fuel Your Ministry
Springtime in Wales is no joke! We go from zero to a hundred in the blink of an eye. One minute, we're bundled up and sipping hot cocoa by the fire, and the next, we're running around like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to keep up with all the events and activities.
Don't get me wrong, I love being part of this vibrant ministry, but sometimes, it can be downright exhausting. This year, I found myself stretched thin like butter scraped over too much bread (to borrow a Bilbo Baggins-ism).
Between the ladies' luncheon, the Easter outreaches, the ladies' retreat, the music for each service, the weekly Bible study, and the seemingly endless stream of meetings, planning sessions, and flyer creations, I was starting to feel like a hamster on a wheel—running, running, running, but never really getting anywhere.
Compassion Over Judgement
How often do we find ourselves judging others, making assumptions about their lives, motivations, and choices? It's an all too common human tendency, one that can breed misunderstanding, resentment, and conflict if left unchecked. Yet, when we take a step back and consider the complexities of each individual's circumstances, might we not find more compassion and empathy within ourselves? After all, we’re all struggling to make it through this maze called life, just with different circumstances and choices.
It's easy to look at someone else's life and think, "Well, if I were them, I'd be doing things differently. I'd be working harder, making better choices, living more righteously." We see a snapshot of their journey and assume we know the whole story.