Heather Holleman's Blog, page 166

It’s Never Too Late

Today I began physical therapy for a knee that’s bothered me since 1994. 1994! As I learned various stretches to strengthen the ligaments, I felt foolish for never learning these before. We talked about how different and comfortable walking will feel now and how I’ll now protect my knee for years to come. I said, “I wish I had started this sooner, but it’s never too late, right?”

“It’s never too late!” the physical therapist confirmed.

It’s never too late to begin now to make positive life changes. Rather than giving up and saying that starting something like this in my older age wouldn’t make any real difference, I learned today that it’s never too late.

The Bunny Who Makes a Way

I believe the bunny in my backyard came for the berries, the basil, and the clover. We wonder, though. How? We’ve finally fenced in the backyard, and the gate stays tight to the ground. No bunnies could possibly enter.

But the bunny digs. He burrows under. No fence stops him. I watch him feasting with glee in the late afternoon. He’s now probably napping under my porch, so full of my herbs that he cannot move.

I must congratulate the persistent and clever bunny. And I admit that I love watching him hop around the garden like he owns the place. That little white tail! That little twitching nose!

With Foresight

Today I consider what it means to make decisions or to conduct any action with foresight.

Foresight: thinking of what you’ll need in the future and how this moment’s behavior affects that future

Consider this very moment: How will this behavior or decision influence the future? What impact will this have on tomorrow, on next month, on next year, in ten years?

Living with foresight changes how I think about today as an investment into tomorrow. It’s a mindset that keeps me out of impulsive, destructive, and aimless living. And it’s helpful. It changes how I eat (How will this effect me later?), what I watch (What fruit does this bear in my life?), how I spend my time (Is this activity helping my future?) While some might argue that this isn’t a fun way to live, I would offer that everything we do will and is impacting our future. It is. It’s happening now. To ignore this seems foolish to me, so I think about setting my mind on two dimensions: right now and tomorrow.

A Great Little Prayer

This morning in Colossians 4, I read about someone “wrestling in prayer.” Epaphras, one of Paul’s fellow servants of the Lord, was praying for the people of Colossae like this in verse 12: He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. 

I begin to see my role as wife, mother, friend, teacher (everywhere I go) as someone who now wrestles in prayer for you. And what a prayer! Can you imagine living your life as one standing firm, mature and fully assured? I pray that for you. I pray that for me.

I love that Greek verb that means to labor earnestly. It looks like “agonize” in the Greek and denotes a sense of zeal, of strenuous battling for something. Might I pray like this? Might I give my children and husband the assurance that someone in their life prays for them like this?

Remember Spiritual Battle

I often forget I’m in a battle. I’m in a war, and so are you. But I go about my Christian life, plodding along like I’m on vacation (not engaged in warfare), and then I find myself thrust into confusion or discouragement. I find more examples of calamity and distress. Everywhere I look, I suddenly see disaster. More accidents. More injuries. More sickness. More weariness. And I become so confused as to what’s happening.

But then I remember. I’m in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6), and I take up the armor of God once again. Stand your ground. Take up your defense. Move onward with the sword of the Spirit (God’s word). Proclaim victory in every space you enter. Replace lies with truth, despair with hope, confusion with clarity, and weariness with fresh energy and zeal.

Call Out

This morning I read the astonishing words of the Lord in Jeremiah 33:3: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

I consider how we often simply and foolishly do not call upon the Lord. We ask Him nothing. We don’t go to Him with our questions or confusion. Instead, we stew and fuss and deliberate. We anxiously mull and worry. We apply our best philosophy and all the remedies we can imagine. But we do not go to Him.

What would you ask Him? What confusion do you wish He’d explain or soothe? I think about seeking God and listening as we read the Bible and pray. We call to Him, and He answers.

Card Games, Recipes, Walks

The summer days are upon us! I’ve learned after all these years that the good life, the abundant life, and the life full of joy and adventure happens internally; it’s never about where you are or how much you’re paying for an experience. When you don’t want to spend a lot of money, you can still enjoy leisurely days with your children and include activities that cost you very little if nothing. Today, we discover our love of card games, recipes, and several walks a day–some in new locations. We laugh and connect and enjoy the day. We sit in the sun, drink smoothies, and think about a fun dinner to make.

Living with flair means you bring the vacation with you; the relaxation and sense of adventure can happen right in your kitchen, living room, or neighborhood.

Bring a Little South up North

I just discovered that you can grow a potted gardenia in Pennsylvania! You bring the pot inside during the winter, but then you can bring it back out to bloom in the summer.

I never thought I’d have gardenia in Pennsylvania, and it’s truly one of my favorite smells. I also love the contrast of the dark green and white and the sturdiness of the bloom.

So I have a little bit of the south right here up north.

Digestible Spiritual Food

This morning, as I read Hannah Whitall Smith, her phrase “undigestible spiritual food” struck me deeply. As she discussed what’s going wrong in our lives and how we often feel out of sorts or under God’s wrath, she likened the real problem to having consumed undigestible spiritual food.

Something we’ve consumed has harmed, increased toxicity, and damaged. Something undigestible–or something whose byproduct doesn’t nourish at all–has entered the system.

As someone so attuned and so daily concerned with what I put into my body, I’m always asking if what I’m eating truly nourishes me. Why don’t I ask the same of what I’m feeding my soul in terms of media, my thought life, or anything I let myself hear, see, and think about? Does this nourish? What byproduct will come if I did digest this thing?

Consider Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Today, I recalibrate to nourish the soul with a fresh and joyful commitment to feed on God’s word and fill my mind with lovely things. I find myself listening to worship music with new affection and praying more wholeheartedly. I find myself feeding my soul just as I munch on the wholesome nuts and berries in my hand.

Stop and Smell

The climbing roses smell particularly sweet this year. I stop and smell every morning and every afternoon. I pick some for the neighbors. When I hold the bouquet in my hand, I smell the beautiful roses and smile that I live in a world where little pink roses climb up a trellis.