I am a “project” oriented person. I am not content to do just one thing. I love writing, making things, photography, cooking…. Sometimes I feel like I have so many things I like to do that I can’t settle on just ONE thing. I get bored easily so, I like to stay busy. I have often seen this as a bad thing. I would love to tell you that I am the only one in my family afflicted with this problem, but, sadly, I’m not. My father worked forty hours a week, sometimes more, and then he would come home and work on a farm. By the way, a farmer’s work is never done. He was always working on something. Sometimes we helped him with “farm” chores, but not always. He liked to have things he was doing. What a godly example of The apostle Paul’s exhortation to “work with your hands!” I believe God wants us to be active… working. I imagine, staying busy was easier in past times before the “technical revolution”. In many cases, if you didn't work, you didn't eat. In today's society, it is very easy to be lazy. We have things that have made our life easier, but that also means we don’t need to stay busy. One of my favorite Bible verses is: “In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand;For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.” Elaine translation: Work hard from the time you get up, until the time you lie down to sleep, doing many things because you do not know which effort will be rewarded.” It’s good to have many things going on, after all, one, if not all, of them is bound to do well and even if they do not, at least I won’t be bored.
There are tragedy and sadness in everyone's life, No one is exempt. Yet, in the midst of the hurt and pain, God is there. He takes the things that hurt us and make us sad and turns them into things are beautiful. The death of my mother was a tragedy to my dad. However, because of that tragedy, my dad began to see his need for God. In his brokenness, he found a God that could make him whole. God turned his ashes into beauty. My dad, in turn, taught me to love God. I am blessed to know God as my savior because of my dad. God also blessed me with a lovely step-mom Life is harsh at times, and many things are sad, Yet, if we let him, he will take our ashes and make them into a work of art. He delights in making the ash heaps of our life beautiful. When we are broken, God is near, and where there is sorrow, he will turn it into dancing. Thank you, God, F...

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