Robin Gilbert Luftig's Blog, page 39

I Learn So Much From Lori Roeleveld

While my heart broke and I wept for the lost in Texas, Lori Roeleveld’s latest post brought peace and clarity to my soul. Her pin-pointed focus always rings true for me. I love this woman as a mentor, guide, and inspiration. But she is also a dear friend.

Please, don’t wait another moment. Read her thoughts on the terror left behind from an evil act in Texas.

https://loriroeleveld.com/blog/on-the-day-they-shoot-me-down-in-my-pew/

Just Drop the Pen

Do you have a critical spirit? Would your friends agree with you? Check out Brandon Adam’s post. I hope it leaves you questioning the use of your “filters”.

Brandon J. Adams

Ever had one of those moments when you’re sitting on something you think someone needs to hear, and finally you say it – and it isn’t until the moment it escapes your lips that you realize how needless and stupid it was all along?

Yeah. That’s probably happened to me more times than I can remember. I’ll think someone needs to hear something, and it will inevitably turn out that I had neither the timing nor the right information, and my comment comes off as flippant and insensitive.

I apologize, ask for forgiveness, turn to God as best I could. And God usually comes through in my relationships.

But you know what? That’s not enough. I don’t want this sort of thing to happen anymore. At all.

So I asked myself, where did that come from? What well of muck deep in my soul even spews forth such things?

The…

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Bruce Brady: Writing Lessons from Cancer

[image error]For any of you who knew Bruce Brady, there’s a cloud of sadness over those dealing with his death. His encouragement was without end. And his wisdom and insight were always delivered with love and compassion. Below is a post he wrote for The Write Conversation in 2016. In remembrance of him, Edie Melson, co-director of Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference shared this post again.

Thanks, Bruce. Your life made a difference.

https://www.blueridgeconference.com/writing-lessons-cancer/

My Scar Stories

Thanks, Mitch. We all find our own reminders that God is all around. And truly, nothing else matters.

Mitch Teemley

The Final Scar?

To read my previous scar stories, click here.

My two greatest hits are on my neck. Oddly, both remind me of God. I wrote previously about one. The other began with a woman doing her lipstick in her rear view mirror as her car sailed blithely into the back of my tinny Samurai.

Several bulging neck discs made their debut that day. The pain level was acceptable (sort of). However, if more trauma were to occur, I was told, I could end up paralyzed. Not acceptable. So a discectomy was scheduled.

The day before surgery, I was laid on a tiltable table and my spine was injected with glow-in-the-dark goo in order to create a scenic map of My Spine, USA. I was fine with that. Of course, I was on Valium, so I’d have been fine with them cutting my toes off and selling…

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Sinners and Saints—Revisiting a Quote

[image error]Years ago I used a quote from Oscar Wilde’s, every sinner has a future and every saint has a past. While I’ve long ago forgotten the blog post, the quote stayed with me.

I remember how my interests drove me to look into Wilde’s life. After my research, I understood how these words came from the depths of his being. Both of Wilde’s parents had been successful. But the examples his parents offered him were filled with selfishness and narcissism. Reality had little importance; perception counted for more than anything. Following their example, he learned how to deal with living a double life—one presented to the public and the other that fed his desires.

His life knew no bounds until he was arrested and went to court to save his reputation. He lost soundly and his fall was precipitous, instantaneous, and very frightening.

Wilde had become a literary success. His matchless writing ability astounded his peers. But in truth, his life was tortured. Not because his lifestyle landed him in prison, but because he sought beauty first and then morality. He hid his true identity from others so he could seek pleasure.

Wilde’s example proves my point. We all know the struggle with living for perception or living for truth. I remember clearly when I stood at the crossroad of my own Sinner or Saint lifestyle. I chose a Sinner’s life: seeking beautiful experiences and possessions. It d[image error]idn’t take long, however, until I realized my life was lacking depth and a something I couldn’t describe. Nothing I set my heart on fixed what was wrong as my life circled the drain.

Then God appeared.

He loved me completely. He didn’t judge me because of my earlier choices—He already knew me. He had always known my heart. Instead, he tended my wounds. And he didn’t let me skate regarding my past choices. I still needed to deal with the consequences of my bad choices, but He was with me every step of the way.

I appreciate His love more as each day goes by. I remember my sinner days and am forever amazed how God still loves me. Every sinner has a future and every saint has a past fits us all. Don’t allow your sinner days to own you. God’s waiting for you, too.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Watch for Hope Prevails Bible Study!

[image error]Sometimes we struggle to get through the day. And even as Christians, we wonder if anyone understands.

Rest assured, someone does. Michelle Bengston, author of Hope Prevails carries many titles. Besides wife and mother, she’s also a Board Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist and helps people every day.

But she also understands depression from the inside out. She’s dealt with her own depression and [image error]found that no matter how dark it gets … hope prevails. She published Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression last year to rave reviews and is now offering her newest book, Hope Prevails Bible Study, being released October 25th.

Watch for it! You can also follow Michelle and learn more about both books, Hope Prevails and Hope Prevails Bible Study at http://drmichellebengtson.com/.

 

No Pretending

[image error]When I stammer and struggle with feelings and words, my dear friend, Lori Roeleveld, has the ability to put life back in order. It’s like she strokes my hair with her calming touch, only she uses words. If we’re honest, the Las Vegas Massacre devastated each one of us. Every last one of us was touched in one way or another.

Lori’s words did it again. They gave me the permission to feel what I already felt but didn’t know how to put them into words. I need to allow myself to lament.

Love you, Lori. My life is blessed because of your friendship and your words.

https://loriroeleveld.com/blog/be-wretched-and-mourn-and-weep/

Remember

[image error]The voices in your head. They can be all-encompassing.

They can motivate you to keep going or freeze you in your tracks.

They can make you cry out or quiet your voice to a whisper.

They can own you or arouse the need for freedom, deep within your soul.

Don’t let the voices in your head decide how you view life. Fear is real. We all deal with it, so don’t run from it. Instead, dig deep into it. Find out where it’s coming from.

What are you truly afraid of?



Are you afraid of failure—or the pressure of success?

Are you afraid of dying—or the sense of missing out?

Are you afraid of being alone—or opening yourself up to the vulnerability of being in a relationship?

Sit back, take a breath, and face today’s fears. Speak aloud to them if you need to. Their power tends to shrink and flee when challenged. Fear tends to flee when faced with truth:

“My God says he will never leave me nor forsake me.

“My God says he has a plan for my life.

“My God cries when a sparrow falls, yet he loves me even more.”

Trust that you have the tools to combat fear … just for today. The glory of it all is that the tools you need for tomorrow will return when you need them. Depression or fear may come again tomorrow, too, but you can be ready.

It’s crucially important to be ready. In John 14:1, Jesus said, “Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me.”

Remember God. Remember Jesus. Remember the sparrow.

Dedicated to my father, who on a lonely morning in the fall of 1979, forgot to remember.

Remember

[image error]The voices in your head. They can be all-encompassing.

They can motivate you to keep going or freeze you in your tracks.

They can make you cry out or quiet your voice to a whisper.

They can own you or arouse the need for freedom, deep within your soul.

Don’t let the voices in your head decide how you view life. Fear is real. We all deal with it, so don’t run from it. Instead, dig deep into it. Find out where it’s coming from.

What are you truly afraid of?



Are you afraid of failure—or the pressure of success?

Are you afraid of dying—or the sense of missing out?

Are you afraid of being alone—or opening yourself up to the vulnerability of being in a relationship?

Sit back, take a breath, and face today’s fears. Speak aloud to them if you need to. Their power tends to shrink and flee when challenged. Fear tends to flee when faced with truth:

“My God says he will never leave me nor forsake me.

“My God says he has a plan for my life.

“My God cries when a sparrow falls, yet he loves me even more.”

Trust that you have the tools to combat fear … just for today. The glory of it all is that the tools you need for tomorrow will return when you need them. Depression or fear may come again tomorrow, too, but you can be ready.

It’s crucially important to be ready. In John 14:1, Jesus said, “Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me.”

Remember God. Remember Jesus. Remember the sparrow.

Dedicated to my father, who on a lonely morning in the fall of 1979, forgot to remember.

A Special Time of Year

[image error]Autumn is my favorite season for several reasons. Mostly because it was my dad’s favorite, too. Not only was his birthday in September, but Hunting Season started then. He said he never remembered the correct date for his birthday because it always came in the middle of hunting season, and he was more excited about that.

So I became excited about hunting, too.

On those magical autumn mornings, we’d get up early and enter the woods before the squirrels started looking for their breakfast. We’d walk as quietly as we could, though acorns continually crunched under our feet. Twigs snagged our pants. Trouncing through the ground cover, the crisp morning air would wrap around my face. My boots would get soaked from the dew. Dad would lead us to a spot—a perfect spot—where we would wait for the squirrels.

That’s how it went—every time. Every magical and perfect time.

No talking. Hunters don’t talk. Instead, we bonded over milk-coffee (mostly milk in my case) and snack crackers or the occasional piece of candy. After all, hunters needed to keep up their strength up as they watched and waited for a good shot.

Thoughts of squirrel hunting came to mind as I walked from the car and to my office building today. On the way in, I[image error] stepped on fallen acorns and listened to the crunch of them under my feet. I stopped for a moment and looked up into the oaks that stood around me—and waited. After a moment, a squirrel scampered down a nearby tree and chattered. Had I disturbed his sleep? Was it the sound of the cracking acorns that made him holler at me? Standing there, I felt the crisp air wrap around my face and felt the dew cover my open-toed shoes.

In that moment memories of a simpler time flooded my mind. I thought about early morning adventures with my dad. When I thought I would always be his sidekick and he would always be my hero.

But Life took different turns … for both of us.

I sighed, wiped a tear from my eye, and continued my trek to the office building. Reaching for the door, I paused for one last moment and listened to the sounds of Autumn. After all these years the sounds were the same. And for a moment, I remembered why Autumn was my favorite season of them all.

Parents, take time to enjoy your children. You’ll make memories for them that will last long after you’re gone. And children (even grown children) give your folks a hug. Ask about their day. Let them know you appreciate them. They won’t be around forever.

There is a special time for everything. There is a time for everything that happens under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1