Robin Gilbert Luftig's Blog, page 44

The Gift of Time

Lew & Robin, 1 year post Robin’s brain surgery

Yesterday is but today’s memory, tomorrow is today’s dream.  Kahlil Gibran

Thanksgiving and Christmas … two holidays wrapped up in gratitude and appreciation. But how do you celebrate these two holidays when you’re hurting, scared or dealing with limitations?

You celebrate the gift of time.

Tha-thump.

If your head hurts, thank God for the sense of feeling.

If you’ve lost your ability to walk, be thankful for all the years you ran.

Tha-thump.

If you suffer from confusion, know the pillow you lay your head on will hold you safe until you awaken.

If your balance is gone, appreciate the days you had when you didn’t wobble.

Tha-thump.

Hear the tha-thump? That’s your greatest gift–your heart beat. You have no control over it. Life is a gift from God every time your heart beats. So why worry about what tomorrow has in store for you? It isn’t here yet! Why fret over what use to be. It’s over! If you can’t enjoy what you remember, leave it behind.

Life was ripe for me April 11, 2011. I had a tumor on my brain that had been there between 10-12 years. I had more strikes against staying alive than dying. But I am grateful it wasn’t my time to pass.

Tha-thump.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) We don’t determine when we die, but we can use our time left wisely. Don’t waste what you have today on what was or what could be. Embrace now. That’s all there really is.

What’s Your Yardstick?

How do you measure success? As an author, do you measure it by the number of your published books? Do you measure it by the size if your Social Media platform?

I am a writer/divorce/brain tumor survivor/child of God. God has blessed me with experiencing many avenues of pain. I pull from these experiences every time I speak to others about the mercy and grace of my Heavenly Father. I understand many of these people. I’ve experienced lots of their types of pain. I know these feelings–as well as the comfort and healing power of God–are real.

But I can’t reach everyone, nor was I meant to. Just as the body has hands and feet (check out 1 Corinthians 12:12-31), so does the body of Christ. And each part of this body has its own objective.

God has instructed us all to love one another, so that’s something we all can aspire to do. But don’t try to do everything. Only put your energy into doing what God has designed you to do.

This time of year, we all have standards we want to exceed. In the midst of all the celebration and hoopla, be kind to yourself. Love those around you. Offer what you can, and be good with that. Your success is following God’s plan. Measure your success by His standards.

Set time aside to focus on that. You’ll be happy you did.

Caution: Bad Temper Ahead

Brain injuries and bad tempers seem to go together. After my brain surgery, I had little tolerance for others if their opinions or actions differed from what I thought was appropriate. I thank God for the grace others offered me. They assured me that they knew how I had acted before the doctors found my brain tumor. They trusted the sweet Robin would eventually return.

I saw James 3:17-18 in action around me. This is how The Message reads:

Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.



Friends and family offered me God’s grace when I was acting like a powder keg, ready to explode. I thought I was all alone in this.

Here’s a post from Michelle Munt, another brain injury survivor, and her experience dealing with emotions shortly after her accident.

Have you had an experience when you thought your emotions were going to get the better of you?

We Are All Responsible

The election happened. It’s over.

Some people are happy with the outcome, Many, however, are fearful of America’s future; even demonstrating in the streets. Some colleges have gone so far as to cancel classes, hand out soothing hot chocolate and even assign comfort dogs to students.

No matter what side of the discussion you’re on, we are all responsible from here on. We need to be responsible to not spew rhetoric but to listen to and speak Truth.

That means you, too, CNN, ABC, NBC, FOX, MSNBC. I watched the evening news last night and saw well wishes offered to Mr. Trump from dictators from around the world, but they were silent when it came to the kind and welcoming words from the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. It was like you, Mr. News Anchor, wanted me to agree with your position of “I told you so, America. The entire world sees our leader as a dictator and will hate us now.”

I have turned to several sources of information because I’ve stopped trusting the media. For me, they’ve lost all credibility.

News stations, you can fix this! Don’t give us editorialized truth. We can handle the real stuff. And we can accept what you have to say if we know you trust us to make our own decisions. We want to trust you, but you have to give us something to work with.

And my fellow neighbors, remember the children are watching us. They are learning how to maneuver Life by our examples. Let’s listen as much as we speak. Offer kindness instead of hostility. See one another as a brother or sister, not an adversary.

We are all responsible from here as to how we plan on getting through this time in our country’s history. Let’s do it with style–with class. Let’s show the world that this is still the best country around.

What do you say?

 

Remember Why Jesus Died For You

It’s the day before our nation’s election.

Please watch, listen, and praise the Creator of the Universe. He’s in control today, tomorrow … as well as Wednesday and beyond.

 

 

God Always Honors Our Choices

Whatever you choose, God always honors your choice. He may close a door, but if you choose to enter through a window, He will honor your choice and give you the fruits of that choice. Doubt me?

Remember enjoying that second piece of German Chocolate cake when you know your limit is only a sliver? You know you get sick when you eat too much chocolate. But it tastes so good … and you just want more. Nothing mystical. You just want more. All that gooeyness on top of  chocolate delight waits for you.  In no time your tummy later reminds you why so much richness at one time isn’t a good idea, and you’re sick for the rest of the day.

All choices are like that. We have free will. And consequences always wait for us. God is consistent.

In a week we will be asked to make a choice. Do you vote on what makes sense to you? Do you vote on what people tell you is right? Or out of pure frustration, do you choose to not vote at all? All choices. All bear consequences.

I am not going to try to influence your choice, but only your process. Seek wisdom before your choose.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5 (NIV)

After you make your choice and the results are in, remember two things: God is bigger than the election and He is never surprised. If you are not happy with the results, thank God. If you are happy with the results, thank God. Remember, He honors your right to choose–he honors free will.

As Christians, we are just passing through. Be the source of light for others to influence their choice–for Christ. That’s the choice we need to be concerned about more than any other.

Keeping Focused After Life Happens

I just followed an interview with Lacey Buchanan discussing her upcoming book, Through the Eyes of Hope (available January 2017) and it left me speechless.

Lacey’s book offers the shocking reality of what can happen when life goes unplanned. Can anything be more shocking? Yet her words are touching. Her tenacity is unwavering. Her heart is focused on two things–her love for God and family.

What a lesson to learn. I think about my own life. While I dealt with a brain tumor that rocked my world, I, too, needed to focus on my love for God and my family. That’s what got me through. But was I tenacious? Were my words motivating and inspirational as hers? Was my focus on the love God and family enough?

Who can say? It probably could have been more of what I needed to be. But I can learn from Lacey to help me through my tomorrows. I think of friends who have lost jobs, marriages and even children. How can I help them to focus on God and family as Lacey showed me?

God’s placed a burden on my heart through 2 Corinthians 1:4 … who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Lacey comforted my heart today. I hope to be who God wants me to be by comforting others. Is that a goal of yours? How is God leading you?

It’s My Cancer-versary…

Many people die by not embracing the gifts God gives them. That is not the case with Kim. Read her latest blog and celebrate with her. This is how you take a swan dive into life. Happy day to you, Sweet Survivor.

Kim's Blog

There are lots of things in my life that are amazing and awesome, but this is downright unbelievable.  It’s crazy.  Insane, actually.  Today marks 3 years since I was diagnosed as having advanced stage malignant melanoma.  So much has happened (and if you’ve been with me from the beginning you’re well aware of that) but as I soaked it in today through all of the wonderfully mundane things I did, I realized that so much is the same.  How can this be?  How can my life look so normal?  It’s unfathomable (don’t worry, I’ll run out of adjectives eventually…)

It’s wild to think that three years ago today I was at work in our church office with my cell phone right beside me just waiting for it to ring.  I already knew.  I knew I was sick but there was that small glimmer of hope that they were just wrong…

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Dysphagia Caused by Brain Injury

While many of my posts have been focused on writing or emotional healing, I am also sensitive to brain damage survival. On April 1, 2011, I suffered a seizure that led the doctors to find a meningioma tumor on my brain and was given ten days to live. Thankfully, I blew past their diagnosis.

Here’s a post from Michelle Munt, car accident / brain damage survivor … and someone who understands how brain damage can flip your world topsy-turvy.

 

 

The Giants that Grow Quietly within Us – Interview with a Giant-Killer #5

I am thrilled to share an interview taken by my friend Lori Roeleveld, promoting  for her newly-released book, Jesus and the Beanstalk (Overcoming Your Giants and Living a Fruitful Life).

I blushed when I read the beginning of the interview:

“So privileged to bring you my friend, Robin Luftig’s interview. She is truly a giant-slayer of the first order and I’m honored to have her friendship in my life. The title of her website says it all: Not only Surviving, but Thriving. Her testimony is proof that we can not only defeat the giants in our lives, we can thrive in the midst of the battle. God can use us when we’re prepared for the fight and also when we’ve been knocked down.”

What are some of the giants you need to kill?

 

Contact Lori , join her at her blog or visit her  About Me page to explore her other writing. Invite her to speak to your women’s group! Subscribe to stay in touch weekly.