Heather Holleman's Blog, page 114

Give Thanks—For He is Good

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

    his love endures forever. —Psalm 118:1

Consider! We give thanks for God’s goodness and enduring love. Yes!

Thankful Hearts

As you know, I love finding a way to thank God especially during hardship. Essentially,   this blog began as a challenge to “give thanks in all circumstances” and find the flair in ordinary living. So I continue. Today, I’m thankful for delicious medjool dates, purring cats, music, and the smell of pine. I’m thankful for laughter. I’m thankful for soft blankets and candlelight. I’m thankful for the bare tree branches at twilight.

Some Powerful Moments in Psalm 119

I love meditating on Psalm 119. What a beautiful treasure in the Bible! I noted a few special moments in this psalm this morning that work as powerful prayers.

First, I love verses 35-37 as a prayer for my family: “Direct [us] in the path of your commands, for there [we] find delight. Turn [our] hearts toward your statues and not toward selfish gain. Turn [our] eyes from worthless things: preserve [our] life according to your word.” Can you imagine if God turned our eyes from “worthless” pursuits?

I also love this simple truth from verse 45: “I walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” I love the requests in verse 74: “May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.” How wonderful to walk about in freedom and to be the kind of person who causes others to rejoice when you enter a room.

Finally, I love the promise of verse 89: “All things serve you.” It means that no matter what’s happening, God can use it; all things serve His purposes.

Look Around: There’s Always Something

We notice so many blue jays on our cold walks. Why are they here? What are they doing? Why are they so active right now? I learn that blue jays are strange, strange birds. Nobody knows quite why they do what they do. Sometimes they migrate; other times they stay right where they are if the food source suits them. I spy them eating the berries of my winterberry, the acorns on the ground, and any seed they can find.

And they’re loud. 

I will keep watching all these blue jays and learn more about them. I have learned they warn others when the hawk circles overhead. That’s a good thing. I also learn they like to be together. We’ll walk past the bare brown trees that seem ornamented with blue and white: the blue jays have gathered to feast in that tree.

In every season, there’s something to observe and something new to learn.

All Must Go Right

This morning, I read Hannah Whitall Smith’s words of great encouragement:
Wherever the Lord is, all must go right for His children; His presence is enough. 
She explains how God’s presence assures of us comfort, rest, and deliverance, and if we could truly understand this, “a wellspring of joy would be opened up in our religious lives that would drive out every vestige of discomfort and distress.” 
There’s a pathway to this wellspring of joy. I’m also reading Dallas Willard’s Renovation of the Heart–something my counselor recommended 20 years ago that I could hardly grasp intellectually or spiritually at the time. What a joy to reread it now! Willard heartily argues for the pathway to “soul rest” and joy through spiritual formation; we get there by inviting Christ to form His own resurrected life within us. I highly recommend this book as it’s teaching me how to continually “nourish” myself in Christ’s presence moment by moment.

Wherever the Lord is, all must go right for His children; His presence is enough. Hannah Whitall Smith
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Adding in the Joy

Today I thought of a fun question: How can I add joy here?

In any situation, I might contribute meaningfully to reflect the joy of the Lord in endlessly creative and unexpected ways–through speech and action but also prayer.

 

A Day to Celebrate

I’m so thankful today! Today marks the last day of in-person instruction at Penn State. I made it! I didn’t miss a single class due to illness! What a great day.

The Greystone Devotions for Your Children

Several years ago, I wrote some devotional material for Camp Greystone campers that added to Greystone’s collection of great words of encouragement for children and teens alike.
Greystone sends out a short, daily devotion written by counselors and former staff. They are so good! I love reading simple, clear, and powerful words of instruction intended for younger audiences. I find myself challenged and inspired each new day. If you need some wonderful words of encouragement to share with your own children, you can discover these short devotions here: https://devotions.campgreystone.com/blog/2020/11/kind
Today’s devotion I wrote many, many years ago, but it spoke to my own heart in a fresh way and sent me diving back into 2 Timothy this morning. Paul writes this to instruct young Timothy:
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 2 Timothy 2:24
Was I kind to everyone? Was I patient with difficult people in my life? Could I become someone who doesn’t quarrel anymore?
I thought of the kindness and patience of Jesus. I thought of His teacher’s heart. I thought of how He always rose above quarrels and pointed people to truth with that blend of truth and love.
I invited the children reading to ask the Lord to help them become a new person inside because we cannot live this way on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to make us new and produce this impossible, beautiful life in us.
Can you imagine becoming a person like Paul describes?

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. (2 Timothy 2:24) Such a good challenge today to become like this with God's power.
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Less Than You Might Do

Especially around the holidays, we exhaust ourselves. But living through a pandemic with all its uncertainty and fear means we’re adding this stress onto what’s already exhausting us. Do you remember 10 years ago when I wrote about making your Not To Do List? The Not to Do list can start now as you list things you choose not to do in order to create more peace and rest in your life.

What You Need to Put Up With This

I’m learning from some great professional development coaching questions from Andi Saitowitz that she provides in a personal development journal called Rise and Shine.
She invites readers to pick something in their life they cannot change. Then, she challenges them to accept this thing and then see that thing as a blessing (hard to do!).
Finally, she asks this great question: What can help me put up with this? 
What can help me put up with this? 
I love this question. It’s empowering. It shifts my internal conversation from complaint and wallowing to forward movement. It might be as simple as a daily chore I don’t want to do. What can help me put up with this? Music. Talking on the phone.
I make a list of things I don’t want to do and things I cannot change and I love the challenge of what I need to help me endure the situation. It might involve a treat, a mindset shift, or changing the environment. It might involve reward.
I’m off to complete some chores and tasks I do not want to do, and I’ll involve all the things I need to help me put up with it.