Candee Fick's Blog, page 31

Planting Good Seed

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Now that my flower beds are ready and the lawn is green, my fingers are itching for the garden. But there are a few things I need to do before digging in the dirt.

First, I plan. How big will the garden be? What varieties of vegetables and how many of each? (Definitely make sure there isn’t too much zuchinni!)

Second, I get the seeds. Planning to plant doesn’t do a thing unless I have the raw mater...

Blooming After Winter

Something amazing happens in the Spring. Grass turns green. Trees get new leaves.

And the bulbs I buried in the dirt send up green leaves and a stalk stretching for the sky. Atop each, a bud forms and grows until it shows a hint of the color within. And, seemingly overnight, the flowers in my yard unfurl their petals in an explosion of color and fragrance. Hyacinths and dafodils. Tulips and lilies. Followed by the lilac bush and cherry blossoms. And the roses. Oh, the roses.

It’s a celebration...

Erect A Memorial

As our nation celebrates Memorial Day to honor those who died in service to our country, I am reminded of other memorials and why they were set up.

For example, deep in the pages of the Bible are numerous stories of those who saw God’s hand at work and the memorials established to help mankind remember. The rainbow was set in the sky as a reminder of God’s promise to never again destroy the Earth with water. The Passover feast is held annually to remember Israel’s amazing deliverance from slav...

Handed The Baton

While I’ve been watching a lot of baseball games this spring, I can still remember the years I coached track. The relay events were a highlight ofevery meet, especially the mile relay.

In the relay, the first runner steps up to the starting line with the baton. The gun fires and the race begins. While clutching the team’s metal tube, the runner finds his pace, focuses down the lane, and uses a long stride to cover the course. After rounding the last turn, the lead runner heads for the exchange...

A Soundtrack For the Journey

Have you ever heard a song that seemed to capture the essence of your journey? A theme song of sorts?

When I was back in college and trying to figure out which direction to take, there was a song by 4 Him titled “Where There is Faith” that resonated with my spirit. As long as I had faith, there was a voice calling and reminding me that I wasn’t alone.

Fast forward to life as a young, overwhelmed mother with a special needs toddler and her very active younger brother. There were days when I was...

No Turning Back

Last month, afterbuying and watching the second installment of The Hobbit movie, my youngest son and I indulged our fascination with Middle Earth by watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy again. Right in the middle of the tale, a single message wound around my heart and gave me new determination to press on toward my owngoals.

At the end of The Two Towers movie, Sam reminded a weary Frodo about the many stories they heard as children. Stories of incredible darkness where heroes rose up to turn...

Adopted But Not Home Yet

I have a writer friend whose family has adopted a precious little girl from the Congo but is currently stuck waiting to bring her home. The adoption is final and the darling carries a new last name, but they are waiting on an exit letter from the government allowing her to board a plane and leave the country. Unfortunately, they aren’t the only ones in this situation and many are petitioning our government leaders to intervene and do what they can to help speed the process along.

While I was p...

Faith, Hope, and Love

When the journey gets long (and it usually does!), there are three key things that keep me going.

First, my faith and trust in the one sovereign and wise God who is in control of the universe. He knows exactly what He’s doing and has the Almighty Power to turn even the hearts of kings for His purposes. I can depend on the fact that He loves me with an everlasting love and has promised to never leave me alone. Not only that, I believe that He has only good plans for my life. Plans to give me a...

Beside Still Waters

There are days (and weeks and even months) when the journey feels incredibly long and weariness saps our strength. In times like these, I desperately need a break and am reminded of King David’s words.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me besidestill waters, he restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:1-3a)

Take a moment and soak in the imagery. Fields of lush green grass beside a sparkling lake reflecting the deep blue sky. A gentle breeze o...

Let It Go

If you’ve been anywhere near the Internet, YouTube, orthree-year-old nieces, you’ve probably heard the main song from Disney’s Frozen, “Let It Go!” more times that you care to count. And, since I mentioned it,I’ll bet the chorus is stuck in your brain right now.

Over the past week, the annoying phrase transformed into memorable wisdom. There are so many times in life where we should just let it go.

Someone hurts our feelings and we find ourselves consumed with bitterness, internal debates about...