Still Needed Forward

“Looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on…through Christ Jesus, who is calling us.” Philippians 3:13-14 (LB)

I crossed the county line and took a deep breath and sighed.  I felt lighter as I released the past thirty years of ministry.  I was driving into a new season of life.  I prayed, “Thank you, God, for using me to share Jesus and to walk the journey of life for a period of time with those you placed in front of me.”

Seasons of life.  We all experience them.  Some are short.  Some are adventurous.  Some are tragic.  Some are learning times.  Some seem never to end.  Through all the seasons, God walks with us and many times carries us through them.  I have been in a variety of ministries for the past thirty-five years but lived in the same area of the city.  I have officiated at baptisms, weddings, funerals, made thousands of visits, counseled hundreds of people, and enjoyed meals with friends and extended family and people who became family.  Life has been good, challenging, sad, amazing, overwhelming, active, and everything in between.

God used me as His servant.  I had a purpose and followed God’s plan.  Life did not always turn out as I had hoped or planned.  But I knew God was still with me. No matter what season of life we are in or going through, God is with us and still uses us and needs us for His Kingdom work.  Change is difficult but that is how God created us – to change with the seasons.

I am slowing down the pace of my life while still remaining active in the ministry God calls me.  I am tired of traffic, the city life, and the busyness that is praised by society.  I want to still serve God and enjoy God’s creation and the people around me. We never retire from God or being used by God.

Life can become overwhelming and busy without meaning and purpose. You follow what others expect and what society deems as important while missing out on the enjoyment and blessings God has for us.  Life will always involve hard stuff and seasons of hurt, pain, and loss.  Healing and hope usually comes in the quiet and peaceful moments that the fast pace of life denies us.  There is still good in this world that comes gently if we slow down and breath in the presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

I just moved into a small area of town and live on a cul-de-sac.  There are currently eight houses on my street.  I have already met four of my neighbors on the street and the two that live directly behind me.  Everyone has been friendly.  We do not have any appliances yet, so I am using a cooler as my refrigerator.  One neighbor whom I have known for twenty-four hours is giving me ice each day and letting me keep food in her garage freezer.  We just met but already they are helping us.  We are sharing God’s love and compassion with each other.

I am grateful God has called me to step closer to my biological family and enjoy this season of life with them.  I tried this move a few years ago, but I was not ready to let go and release the busy lifestyle of the city and the memories associated with it.  Now I am ready for the quiet and peaceful life while still serving God.  I will continue my counseling ministry but mainly virtually.  I will enjoy moments with nieces and nephews and siblings and explore parts of the state I have not experienced.

No matter the season of life, you and I are still needed and have a daily purpose in life.  It may look different than the last season which is good.  It was meant to be different.  It is releasing control to God and letting God lead.  God wants you and me to enjoy the beauty of nature He created and slow down.  Get off the merry-go-round of expectations of society and others and find the peace that only God can give.  As I was writing these words, I looked out the window and eight squirrels were racing around the trees in my backyard.  What a joy to watch!

I am looking forward to walking with Jesus in this season of life.  I look forward to being with those God places on my path.  I cherish the memories that will always be a within me and that are a permanent part of my foundation.

I hope you look forward.  Be thankful and grateful for what God has brought you through and how God has worked through you.  God still needs you in this current season of life.  Trust Him.  Slow down and enjoy the life around you.

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You will find all my past blogs on my website – www.livinginthedifferent.com

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

Living In Joy Not On Repeat

“You will teach me how to live a holy life.  Being with you will fill me with joy, at your right hand I will find pleasure forever.”  Psalm 16:11

Each morning, I wash a load of clothes that include my running gear.  I like to wear clean and fresh clothes when I run.  I do not like to leave the smelly and sweaty running gear in my house.  Wash. Rinse. Repeat.  We each have a routine in some form each day.  It may be a morning schedule that keeps you on task especially as the new school year begins.  It may be a work routine or a workout regimen.  Sometimes even our relationship with God becomes a routine – worship, prayer, and devotions.  Rinse and Repeat.

Routines are good and helpful because they keep us focused and on schedule.  They assist in making sure everything necessary gets completed.  But sometimes they become joyless, monotonous, and lead to just going through the motions of life.  We lose the joy of life and just wash, rinse and repeat.  We lose sight of the purpose of life and get lost in the dailyness of what the world tells us is important.  Life seems to be moving and just taking us along without much thought or focus on our part.  We get lost in the doing – the chores, the tasks, keeping up with the basics and attending the events that are required.  We want to be aware and knowledgeable of what is happening around us.  Though this can lead to becoming overwhelmed and feeling that we are not doing enough.  Some days may feel like you are going in circles or you are in the washer – wash, rinse, repeat.

So, how do we live into the joy of life and not on the merry-go-round of repetition without meaning?  I believe Psalm 16:11 is a foundational guide for this change and journey.  We learn through God’s Word that we are to live a holy life.  Holy means set apart.  To be set apart is to not be like everyone or everything around us.  When we get lost in society, the media, the behaviors and addictions of this world, we lose focus.  Anxiety and fear take control, and we are always worrying and being afraid. 

God sets us apart and teaches you and me, He is in control.  The weight of life is not on our shoulders.  God will carry our burdens if we will release them to God and surrender daily to Him.  It is not our responsibility to fix every person.  Really, it is not your responsibility! God will give you strength for each day.  To rely on God is to be in relationship with the One who loves us the most and is always listening and always present.

God promises to fill you and me with joy once we are set apart and focused on His presence and His power within us.  Notice that the joy is not what we create but what God gives us and fills us.  So, what is this joy?  It does not come from the world and outward circumstances.  It comes from within us.  Joy is an inner contentment that has nothing to do with our situation and what is happening around us.  It is an inner peace that does not let worry, fear, and anxiety be in control or even have a voice.  Living in joy is living in the presence of God.  It is when we find pleasure which is fulfillment, contentment, and daily purpose in being with God. 

Joy is being aware of God with you, within you, and all around you.  It is when you breathe in the fresh air of God’s Spirit and release the worries and pressures this world creates within us. 

I find joy when God becomes my priority, and I look at the things of this world and relationships through the lens of God’s love and grace.  I stop just surviving and completing tasks, to actually living life and experiencing God’s presence and peace in everything.  It sure changes my perspective and releases me from worry and fear.  God’s joy is my strength.

Joy awaits you.  An inner peace and contentment in which you worry less and trust God more.  A joy that is deep within you no matter what is going on around you because your focus is on God’s love, grace, and peace, not on the worry, fear and anxiety that the world is creating all around you.  Rinse off the negativity and worry, and live in the cleansing joy of God’s Spirit.

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You will find all my past blogs on my website – www.livinginthedifferent.com

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

Trust The Plan

“I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord.  “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

The hawk flew low across the parking lot in front of me and landed on a branch in a tree.  It had missed whatever animal it had swooped down to grab.  Earlier in the week, I watched the hawk sit on the wire high above the lot and just survey its territory.  A hawk always makes me smile now because it is a reminder of my husband, Dave who had a fascination with hawks.  It is also God’s way of sending me a message that his spirit is with me.  The hawk reminds me of my foundation of love that will always be with me everywhere I go.

Usually, I see a hawk just sitting on a fence or wire, but lately I have been seeing more hawks soaring through the air.  I interpret this as God’s way of speaking to me that it is time to keep moving forward.  It is time to be active and move, and God is telling me that He will be with me.

I am currently packing my possessions and planning for my next move.  Yes, I am moving to a new location.  In a few days I will be leaving an area that has represented my ministry for the past thirty plus years.  I have been blessed with many opportunities to share God’s love and grace with others.  It has been a privilege to walk with people in their joys, sorrows, and everyday life.  I give thanks to God for using me to share the love and compassion of Jesus with so many people.  I will continue to be in ministry the rest of my life but in different ways.  My counseling ministry will continue but mainly virtually.

As I prepared to pack, I made a plan where to start, what possessions to pack first and what needed to be boxed last and unpacked first.  I also have been planning where the furniture and items I own will be placed in my new space.  Yes, I make plans, but I know that no amount of planning and ideas will replace the actual seeing the possessions in the new space and finding their permanent location through trial and error.

Some of us are planners.  We have planner calendars and set goals and make lists of things to accomplish within a certain time frame.  Plans and goals are necessary to help us function in daily life and keep us focused.  But what happens when plans do not turn out like we expected?  How do we handle disappointments, unexpected situations, and complications?  You cannot foresee every possible issue in a plan.  Sometimes it feels like God has plans to hurt us and cause us pain.  Life is unfair, but I do not believe God plans to harm or hurt us.  Choices and consequences of other people’s choices cause hurt and pain and the brokenness of this sinful world.

Through my process of letting go of this familiar location of my life, I have come to accept that there are seasons of life and change is good.  We may have a plan or vision for our future, and sometimes in our planning though, we limit God’s blessings that He has for us.  We are looking at our own plans with our limited strength, vision, ability, and resources, and do not count on God’s power and strength and unlimited resources.  Everything is God’s.

In Jeremiah 29:11, God speaks to us saying, “I will give you hope and a good future.”  Do you believe this promise?  You may have lost hope when life changed, or your hope died with your loved one or another type of loss.  Therefore, it is difficult to see good in the future.  You had plans and now they will never happen.  It is true that they will not occur as you had planned.  Life will be different, and God will work in this different to bring blessings into your life.

It is letting go of our finite, tunnel vision plans and trusting God’s infinite and unlimited plans.  God will only reveal to us one step at a time.  It may not even make sense to you, but it is still trusting God.  Oh, we can play it safe and stay where we are and just exist in the familiar life.  But I believe God has a bigger plan to bless us with abundant life.  And it has nothing to do with wealth, possessions, power, or position.  God wants us to live life to the fullest.  To receive His peace that will bring contentment no matter what is around us.  A good future is God’s promise.  It is God’s promises to be with us each moment.  Life is good because God is good.  A good future and hope is trusting God and living in the present with God.

So, now I make a plan everyday to live more fully into life.  I plan to be aware of God’s presence with me each moment.  To trust God with my future and not worry about finances, possessions, what the future will look like, and even how everything will get from one house to the next.  I am just taking one step at a time and living in the hope of Jesus.

God wants to give you hope and a good future.  Trust the plan.

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You will find all my past blogs on my website – www.livinginthedifferent.com

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

Don't Be Afraid

“So don’t worry, because I am with you.  Don’t be afraid, because I am your God.  I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.”  Isaiah 41:10

I was just finishing my last lap on my morning run, and I heard a noise of breaking branches in the wooded area beside the street where I was running.  Out jumped a fawn who almost stepped on my foot!  I jumped and screamed, and the small deer darted across the street into another wooded area.  We scared each other, and after settling my heart down, I smiled and thanked God for the gift of His creation and the closeness of the deer.  But it took awhile to release the adrenaline the scare created in me.  The little deer was so afraid it just ran.

Two mornings later, the doe – I assume the momma of the fawn – was about twenty feet in front of me in the parking lot where I ran.  She was just strolling across the lot.  I spoke to her, “Good morning, buddy.”  She turned and looked at me and just slowly walked into the grass and tree area around the lot.  She was not afraid of me nor was I afraid of her.  I think she was used to seeing me.

It was two encounters with deer and two different reactions.  One was unexpected which scared both of us, and the other I had preparation.  We had seen each other at a distance, and we have had previous encounters on my morning runs.  I felt safe.  It was just like nature knew me and I knew nature, and all was fine. 

I believe God can speak through His creation and give to us insights for our lives in relation to fear.  When something unexpected happens, we react usually with some type of fear.  Our bodies may jump or freeze from being startled by the fear.  The fright may cause us to become numb or tense.  We may fear being harmed physically or hurt; therefore, we go into a protective mode.  We may react with a fight mentality and jump in trying to figure out what is going on.  Sometimes, we just run away as fast as we can and ignore that anything happened.  This is what the fawn did.  This behavior can influence future situations that cause the same emotional feeling.  Fear can control us and prevent us from living and enjoying life in the present.  Fears can be healthy to make us aware of dangerous situations, too.

When we encounter something different in life like a deer on our path, we can slow down our thoughts and recognize that fear does not need to be in control.  Yes, this world is filled with situations that create fear.  It is a scary place.  Our thoughts can also create stories that heighten the fear factor.  Worry feeds the fear.  Not all situations that at first heighten our fear reaction are really fearful.

Unexpected situations will happen in life – like a deer running in front of you.  Who are you depending on to hold you up through it and give you strength and help you through the unexpected?  Fear and worry will not give you any help or strength.  They just make it more intense.  God promises to give us strength and help us and support us with His right hand.  His right hand is His constant presence.  But before God does anything, God speaks to us, “Don’t be afraid.”  God wants us to know He already has us and the situation, so don’t worry.  That may seem impossible for you to believe or experience since you may worry about everything.  Worry and being afraid and anxious seems as natural to you as breathing.

I am learning that worry and anxiety come when I take my focus off God’s Presence and rely on my own strength.  I am not allowing God to help me and be my person and give me constant strength.  I am allowing fear and worry to be in control, not God. Yes, this world is filled with scary and harmful things, but sometimes we react and internalize things that are just a natural part of life – like an innocent fawn running across your path.

When I get afraid and worry, I remember Jesus’ words to His Disciples – “Don’t be afraid.”  Throughout scripture, this is God’s word or the word of his messengers to holy encounters, “Do not be afraid.”  This is a reminder to me and hopefully to you, God knows we will be afraid and anxious, and God comes to us in the midst of the worry and fear.  God wants us to trust Him and put our focus not on the fear but upon Him.  It is not living in the fear but living in the presence of God.  God’s got you!

Do not be afraid!

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You will find all my past blogs on my website – www.livinginthedifferent.com

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

Love You Back

“Nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the whole world will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:39

When I was appointed to my first church as the Associate Minister, I was single and only twenty-three years old.  A wonderful couple, Dwight and Dawn, welcomed me into their family, and I “adopted” them as my church parents while serving the Church.  The relationship has lasted all these years.  Dawn took the journey to Heaven last year, and I have continued to share monthly meals with Dwight.  When we say goodbye, we hug each other.  I always say, “I love you,” and Dwight always responds, “Love you back.”  The love is mutual.  It has always been and will always be.

 When life changes, and the one we love is gone, we miss being loved back.  We miss our person, and the one we have chosen to love unconditionally and forever.  We still love them, but we cannot feel them loving us back.  That is a true description of loneliness.  It is having all the love inside us, but nobody to give it to fully.  We desire to be loved back and share a mutual sacrificial love.

 In our friendships and family relationships, we form a connection because of being born into the family unit or because we have chosen to share life together.  I have a cousin who is also my dear friend and every time we see each other we hug tightly and say, “I love you.”  It is a friendship that gives back the same love that is given.

 But not every relationship has an equal sharing of love nor is it designed to have it.  Though, there needs to be an equal acceptance and respect for each other as human beings, as children of God, and who you are in this season or stage of life.  This gives dignity and self-respect which are aspects of love. 

 So, what happens when people in your life do not give you back the love you give to them?  Do you resent them, feel hurt, unloved, unwanted, angry or a host of other feelings and emotions?  Do you feel not enough and try to please them to get their love and approval?  You may feel manipulated and used because of your compassionate and caring heart that you are sharing with them.  You may be a person that craves and needs the validation of others to feel loved and have worth.  Your person who gave it to you may now be in Heaven or may be focused on someone else when you need them.  This may create within you a feeling of emptiness and jealousy.  You want to be loved back.

 Relationships have so many different feelings and emotions.  God created us to be in relationship with others.  God created humanity to love Him and to love one another.  God is love, and God loves the world.  God gives to us His love, grace, and forgiveness.  God desire for us to accept His love and grace and to love Him back.  Oh, we cannot out love God because God is love.  There is no place we can go that God is not there and nothing separates us from God’s love.

 God always loves you no matter how you feel about yourself.  No matter what you have done.  No matter how lonely and lost you may feel.  God wants us to recognize He is always with us even in the darkest times of life.  Even when we feel unlovable.  God loves us.  When we are aware of God’s presence and invite Him into the moments of our lives, we are loving God back.

 God will always love us back.  His grace and mercy is His love.  In the tragedies and bad stuff of life, we do not understand the “why” of the situation.  We ask, “Why, God, did you allow this to happen?”  We still need to love God through it and ask for God’s help through the situation.  God loves us back by walking with us through the sorrows and sadness of life giving us His peace and comfort.

 God is loving you even when life is hard and painful.  God does not take us out of the situation, but His love sustains us in it.  God loves you.  Love God back by being aware of His presence in every aspect of your life.  Love you back!

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You will find all my past blogs on my website – www.livinginthedifferent.com

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

I'll Be There

“I command you to be strong and brave.  Don’t be afraid because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go.”   Joshua 1:9

“So where are you going now?” He asked me when I told him I was moving again.  “You are always going somewhere.”  I enjoy adventures, taking trips, going on a vacation from the daily routine, and trying new experiences.  It is being active.  I do not like the word busy because of its negative aspects of being overwhelmed and too busy to enjoy life to the fullest.  I have also been active in moving my place of residence many times.  This will be my seventh address change in the past ten years.  Just pencil it in your address book, please.

Packing and moving is a great way to also downsize, donate, and share your earthly possessions now.  When I pick up each item, I ask myself, “Do I really need or like this?”  “Is it worth packing?”  This is truly a benefit of moving.  It is amazing how much unnecessary stuff we own.  I just take a picture of unneeded items and send the picture to my family’s Facebook page.  Usually someone needs or wants the item.  So everywhere I go, I take less stuff and create more room for memories and adventures.

A change of address brings feelings of excitement for the adventures ahead, but it also brings some anxious feelings of change and creating a new life and new routine.  Life will be different.  Remember, different is not bad, it is just different.  It is focusing on one moment at a time and not looking too far into the future.

The constant in each move is that everywhere I go, God goes with me.  God goes before me to prepare the way.  God walks with me in the changes.  And God sustains me in my life and new experiences.  I trust that God goes with me wherever I go because that is part of my foundational belief in God.  God is everywhere and God is present with me.

So if God goes with me everywhere I go physically, does God go with me in my head, my emotions, and all my relationships?  God is with me even when I do not recognize God’s presence.  You and I can go down some dark holes in our minds causing fear, anxiety, loneliness, and a deep sadness.  I believe Jesus is there with us to pull us out of these holes of despair, hurt, and pain.  There is no place we can go in our pain and hurt of life that Jesus is not beside us with His love and compassion.  All we need to do is look up and cry out, “Help me, Jesus.”

I run each morning and have a running app on my phone to keep track of my mileage and pace.  It has a voice that tells me every five minutes my distance and time and then gives me a statement of encouragement.  One statement is “Wherever you go, I go.”  I believe that is what God says to you and me.  God promises to always be with us physically in all the places we live and go because God’s Spirit dwells within us, and God is everywhere in His creation.  God is also with us in every thought and feeling.  There is no fear or worry that God is not with us, and God wants to carry that burden for us.  God is with us no matter where we travel in this world and where we travel in our minds and hearts.  He never leaves us or forsakes us.  God always knows what we need even before we ask. God is the one we confide in and vent to who never shares our secrets.  God is the only one who can heal our brokenness and understand our tears.  So no matter where I go, God is with me.

Josh Turner has a song titled, “I’ll Be There.”  Part of the lyrics states –

I’ll be a heart mender, a prayer sender

A hoper and believer when it’s all up in the air

A strong and steady shoulder, I’ll be a secret holder

Anytime, anything, anywhere

I’ll be there. 

This is God’s promise to each one of us.  On our journey whether physically or emotionally, God will be there.  Take the step to trust God.  God will be there for you.

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You will find all my past blogs on my website – www.livinginthedifferent.com

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

Remembering The Dance

“Suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.”  Romans 5:3-4

Yes, they are always there, but it is living in hope.  It is living forward.  Judy lived in hope – the hope of her faith in Jesus is what sustained her in the disease.  The hope of Heaven kept her eyes focused on the presence of Jesus.  We do not dance alone in life.  Jesus gives us His Spirit – the Holy Spirit to guide us in the dance of life.  The Holy Spirit leads us, picks us up when we fall, and always encourages us to keep going.  The Holy Spirit gives us the rhythm for life.

I felt the need to visit the cemetery where Pastor Judy Shook is buried.  When I found the grave, a flood of memories filled my mind, and my heart felt a hug from heaven.  It had been 20 years since I stood beside her grave and committed her body to its final resting place.  The days had been many, but the feelings and connection were fresh and strong.

I knew Judy was singing and dancing in Heaven which filled me with joy.  But the journey to Heaven had been difficult for her.  Judy and I were on staff together at a large church.  I was the youth minister, and Judy was the minister of pastoral care.  We had a good working relationship.  Then Judy began having health issues with her walking and then her speech.  She was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).  Her only family was an elderly mother and a brother in Texas.  She had nobody to walk with her in this terminal journey.  God called me to walk beside her for the last fifteen months of her life and organize her care.  I did not do it alone.  I had an amazing group of true servants from the church who became the Body of Christ in action.  I shared this journey in my book – The Final Dance of Life – Our Journey With Judy.

The dance image came from Lee Ann Womack’s song, I Hope You Dance. Judy was given a CD of this song on her last birthday on earth, and it was the hope she held onto through the next months of her journey home.  Judy learned to “dance” in her disease.  That is, she learned to live in joyful expectation, not just exist in life.  She found ways to not focus on the disease, because she was more than the disease.  She enjoyed the moments with whomever was present.  Her eyes danced when her body stopped moving, and her joyful grin filled the room with hope.

Judy taught me and all who came in contact with her how to enjoy the dance of life.  To dance means to be active and not just exist in life.  To dance is to live life to the fullest and not just stand on the sidelines and stay in your fears.  It is not letting the limitations we have stop us from living.  It is being active in whatever way possible.  To dance is to find the good and positive aspects of life.  It is not allowing the negatives, the hurts, and the brokenness of life to be in control.

As I reflect on my time with Judy and what I learned from her through those fifteen months, I first give thanks to God for the privilege of serving.  I am so grateful to God for calling me and humbled to have been a part of this sacred time.  Through Judy, I experienced the intensity and the holiness of the journey of dying and grief.  She taught me patience and how to listen and not try to fix but just be present.  My journey with Judy was the foundation for my next calling and ministry in life – a Hospice chaplain and a Christian Counselor.

I believe God allows the paths of our lives to intersect with others because we need them to teach us, be our guide or signpost to direct us, or help us to develop our character.  We need each experience and person to help us down the path of life and to live life to its fullest.  That is, to truly dance.

I believe God nudged me to visit Judy’s final earthly resting place to remind me of my foundation and to challenge me in this next season of life to dance.  Live life to the fullest even in the changes of life.  Be grateful for the experiences and allow them to be your foundation into the next season of life.

I hope you dance!

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You will find all my past blogs on my website – www.livinginthedifferent.com

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

Trusting In Hope

“Let us hold firmly to the hope that we have confessed, because we can trust God to do what he promised.”  Hebrews 10:23

It is amazing what God can teach you if you listen and focus on what is around you.  I was floating on a raft in a pool watching the clouds without a worry or thought in my head except for the shape and movement of the clouds.  Now that is a rarity for me and probably for each of you.  I was actually purposefully resting and enjoying time away from my normal routine.  When I stepped out of the pool and sat on the ledge with my feet in the water, Harper, my cousin’s Golden Retriever, immediately nestled beside me to be touched and have her belly rubbed.  All she wanted was to be loved.  She was hopeful and expectant and if you stopped, she nudged you to continue.

Oh, the simple pleasures of life – sunshine, water, clouds, touch, and the love of a dog. There was no outside pressure or responsibility.  God always teaches us through His creation whether it is in nature or in his animals.  Nature rests.  Dogs rest.  Dogs know how to relax and not let anything bother sleep time.  Nature rests in the seasons.  There are seasons of growth and the fruit of the growth.  There are seasons of rest and renewal.  We go through all the seasons in our aging process and in the changes of life, relationships, career, and spiritual growth.

I have found that time away from our routine of daily life is important to process and reflect on where we are currently in life and where God is leading us.  It is time to reflect on what we value and place as important in life.  Sometimes life just happens, and we keep going and doing without much thought.  We go through the motions and believe we are doing what is required and needed.  Life can become very routine, and we lose focus and purpose.  We do things because we think it is what God wants us to do and because we have always done it.

When life changes, we grieve the change whether from death, circumstances, or any type of loss.  Then we begin to look at the life we now have and wonder what life will be now.  We have hope that life moves forward.  We believe God is with us.  We trust God.  But do we trust God enough to rest and enjoy life?  That is right, to rest and enjoy life.  We trust God in the trials of life to be with us.  We trust God to be our Savior, Lord, and Heavenly Father.  But do we trust God enough to enjoy the life God has given to you and me?

As I rested by the pool, God reminded me that He did not need my help to run the world, to make sure the clouds moved in the correct direction, to check on the sun to make sure it would set on time, and not even help to keep me afloat on the water.  God could run the world and take care of his children while I rested.  I was not responsible for anyone else’s life or creation.  I was to enjoy the moment and focus on His love and care over me as His child.  My cousin’s dog, Harper, reminded me of the simple pleasures of life is what God wants me to enjoy and not worry about whether God can take care of everything.

Harper trusts my cousin, her owner, to always provide food, shelter, protection, and love.  Harper never worries about it.  So why do we worry so much that we do not rest in God’s protection and love?  Worry and anxiety really states that the hope that I confessed – God will always love me – is no longer true and I have to worry about the future.  Worry and hope do not exist together.

Trust means that I know God is in control and I can rest.  It does not mean I do nothing.  It means I wait on God to lead.  I rest in God’s love and presence.  I rest in His creation and nature.  I rest from worry and anxiety.  I rest in the hope that God will guide me in this new season of life.  I rest in not taking my old routine into the new season.  I trust God to take me one step at a time.

Rest in the trust and hope of Jesus.

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Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

Life - Good and Hard

“When life is good, enjoy it.  But when life is hard, remember: God gives good times and hard times, and no one knows what tomorrow will bring.”    Ecclesiastes 7:14

I asked, “How’s life?”  She responded, “Today it is pretty good.  Yesterday, not so good.”  Another person when asked the same question stated, “I’m good, really.”  Despite all she shared that was happening in her life around her, she was good.  As I talked with another lady, she told me that life has always been hard, but she has survived.  Her faith in God was strong, but she was now asking the “why?” question.  She had survived cancer, but now it came back for the second time.  “Why?”

Good is a relative term.  Each person has a standard to measure good. When I checked the dictionary for the definition of good, I discovered about a hundred synonyms for good.  Some made me smile – “hunky-dory.”  Some were based on slang – “wicked.”  Some were country origin – “up to scratch.”  Good is a quality or level of measure.  How do you measure good?  Is it when everything is going the way you want it?    Is it when all your family and friends are all right and healthy and happy?

Then there is the measure of hard when related to life.  It means life is difficult with problems that seem overwhelming, frustrating, and unpleasant to bear.  Hard life is also based on one’s perspective in relation to the experience of others.  We tend to compare our circumstances to others and make a qualitative assessment of who has the harder life and who has had it easier, or everything seems to go their way.

Life is good.  Life is hard.  No denying this about life.  Our perspective and foundation influence these descriptions.  We may say, “God is good.” We say this when things turn out well and our prayers are answered the way we asked.  God is with us in the good and in the hard days.  Nothing changes God’s presence; it is just we question the hard times wondering why God allows it.

So, when life is good, do you really enjoy it to the fullest?  It may be good days or just good moments as you define it.  Are you fully present and taking in the good and giving thanks for the blessings of the good life?  Or are you filled with anxiety and worry about how long will the good last and when will something bad happen?  If this is you, then you are never completely enjoying the blessings of life God is providing for you.  God is always in your life even when God does not take away the problem or bring healing.  God wants you to enjoy His gift of the present moment.

When life is hard, and God seems so far away.  God is still present, but the difficulties of life cloud our view and our feelings are focused on the pain and hurt.  We go through battles, struggles, and hard times.  This is a natural part of life in a broken world.  It is the way we handle these times that builds our dependency on God.  It is not a punishment though it is difficult to see beyond the struggle.  God is still listening.  God still loves you.  You are not alone.  It is remembering God’s faithfulness in the past and His faithfulness to others who are part of your faith foundation.

I, too, can create my own hard times by my choices and my anxiety and worry about what could happen.  Life is tough enough without creating in your head all the possibilities of what could go wrong.  I start to question if I am making the right decision.  Is this what God wants me to do?  I am learning that God gives us freedom in choices.  Some of our choices make the path more difficult so we learn some tough lessons that strengthen us and give us wisdom in future decision making.

Life is good.  Look for the good and rejoice in it.  Glorify God in the good.  Life is hard.  Embrace the hard. Take it one moment at a time. Know that you are never alone in it.  Lean into Jesus.  Take Jesus’ hand and say, “Walk with me through this next moment.”  Break down the hard in moments.  You cannot carry the load by yourself.  Ask for help and support.  Rely on God in the good and in the hard.

Life is meant to be lived in the now not the tomorrows.  Live in the good and the hard times.  God never changes and is with you in both of them.

********************

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

Consecrate The Memories

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From whence does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”  Psalm 121:1-2

I lifted my eyes to the hills of Camp Otterbein, and I was flooded with memories of this sacred place.  I first viewed these hills when I was in college and worked two summers on staff.  I slept in a tent one summer as support and kitchen staff, and the next summer I was an outpost counselor.  Camp Otterbein was the beginning of my ministry.  I led The Walk to Emmaus at the camp.  I led work camps, church camps and youth retreats and lived in the cabins.  The Camp was part of the foundation of my ministry along with several other United Methodist camps in Ohio.

I made my public confession to follow Jesus at Camp Wesley and confirmed my call into ministry at Camp St. Mary’s.  Church camp was a vital part of my Christian faith journey.  I attended Church camp as a camper for seven years.  Even my first college roommate was a friend I had met at Church camp.  The camps were sacred places in my Christian walk.

On this day though, I was present to celebrate the life of Camp Otterbein and also grieve the ending of its life as a United Methodist camp.  I was attending a funeral – the death of a camp.  The service was called a “Deconsecration Service.”  To consecrate is to make something sacred, to bless, make holy and set apart.  It is to dedicate to God.  To deconsecrate is to transfer from sacred to secular use.  The camp had been sold to a private investor and would no longer function as a Church camp.

I walked that day before the service up the hill to Vesper Hill.  It is an outdoor worship place overlooking the hills.  I sat on one of the wooden benches worn by use and age and looked up at the large homemade wooden cross that had graced this worship space for years.  I looked out into the hills, the trees, and looked up to take in the beautiful blue sky and white fluffy clouds.  I thought of all the times I had sat here with youth and adults and prayed, shared God’s Word, rested from the climb and sat in silence taking in God’s majestic beauty.  I thought of all those who came before me and committed their lives to Jesus on this hill.  The land is sacred and no matter who owns it, the land with remain sacred because the land is God’s creation.

As I walked down the hill and was headed to the lake one last time, I heard a voice call my name.  Out of the woods emerged Tom and his wife, Karen.  Tom was the Outpost Director when I worked as an outpost counselor.  It had been years since our paths had crossed, but this funeral brought us back together in this holy place.  As we hugged, I remembered the love and fellowship we shared together.  I had lived at camp on this holy ground.  It was part of who I am and who Tom and Karen are.  As we talked, the memories just flooded our hearts.

At the service there were others I knew from my camping days.  Stories were shared.  The service was a celebration of the life of the camp.  The history was shared, memories were expressed, songs were sung, and for a sacred moment we were all united in the love of God.  God had used this holy land to bring so many youth and adults closer to Him.  In those moments we all remembered and gave thanks.

Nobody can take away the memories that I have and all those who loved Camp Otterbein have.  The memories and how God used those moments are what are sacred and set apart as holy.  The memories are associated with an actual place, but you take those moments with you no matter where you go.  They are always within you, and the emotions and feelings connected to them are part of one’s foundation.

In the loss of a loved one, the person is no longer physically present, but the love and memories are always with you.  Nobody takes them away.  They are part of your foundation and your sacred place in your heart.  We can pull out those memories anytime we desire.

While I am sad that Camp Otterbein will no longer be a Church camp, and future young people will not have the opportunity to experience life changing moments on this land, the land is forever sacred because it is God’s land and because of all that happened on those grounds.  The sacredness remains in the hearts of all the campers and staff.  The sacredness of your loved one remains in your heart too.

You are standing on Holy Ground -

“We are standing on holy ground, and I know that there are angels all around.  Let us praise Jesus now.  We are standing in His presence on holy ground.”

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Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

Directionally Challenged

“If you go the wrong way – to the left or to the right – you will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the right way.  You should go this way.”  Isaiah 30:21

A client called a few minutes before her appointment and said she was lost. Her GPS took her somewhere other than my office.  She had been to my office numerous times but always used GPS to get there.  Once I realized where she was, I could direct her to my office.  She was directionally challenged – not knowing which way was north or south.  She knew left or right and was able to turn left and find my street.

We all go the wrong way at times when we drive.  GPS does not always take us where we want to go.  It seems to have a mind of its own.  I have turned too soon when following GPS and had to back up or turn around and continue down the street to my destination.  I have also driven past where I needed to turn and had to turn around and go back to the correct street.

We get lost in life too, wondering what path to take when life changes.  A path may be the right way for awhile but then it feels empty and lonely, and we question if it is time for a change.  It is familiar, but you still feel lost and wonder if you should keep doing what you have always done.  We need to ask ourselves some questions about where we are on this path of life and be honest with ourselves.  Is it fulfilling?  Am I here just because it is familiar?  Has it run its course?  Am I afraid of taking a risk and changing directions?  Am I staying because of others and their expectations?  And many more questions but few answers.

I am in the midst of change – selling one place, buying another, and moving to a different location.  It is time again for an address change notification.  It is easier at times to stay in the familiar, but one risks just existing instead of living.  It becomes just going through the motions of life.  You know you can do it, but do you want to continue doing it?  One risks not experiencing the adventures and blessings on the new path.  In each season of life – whether caused by aging, health, loss, or other circumstances, we need to change directions and make decisions which way to go.  How do you know which way to choose?

Are you directionally challenged not just in the compass of north and south, but with your life?  Who are you asking for directions?  Hopefully it is not someone who has never experienced what you have or traveled your direction.  It is not following others because they think they know what is best for you. You need to discern your own path and be guided by the right signposts.

The direction of our lives is determined by what is in our hearts.  Who has your heart?  Society sets career goals with a focus on possessions, wealth, status, security and prestige.  The direction of society challenges us to achieve, acquire, and be busy.  Society makes you choose to stay on course with everyone and become financially secure, develop a reputation, and be comfortable and self-sufficient.  Society sometimes makes you choose between what the world expects and requires or following your heart.

When all of us experience change and loss, the world’s directions leave us directionally challenged and empty.  Oh, I have lived this busyness and the need to achieve even in ministry.  My focus has changed though.  It is not that it was a wrong direction, it just made me learn where I do not want to go.  I have been slowing down and listening to the One who gives perfect directions.  I do not need to choose between following God and staying on course with my life because staying on course is following God’s direction.

How do we know where to go and which direction God is leading?  First, it is slowing ourselves down from the busyness of the world and our anxious thoughts.  It is removing ourselves from the merry-go-round of the media world and the comparisons with others.  It is not just reading God’s Word but listening to His Word speak to your heart.  It is listening to music that speaks God’s Word and love and grace into your heart.  It is choosing God-fearing friends and mentors to assist discerning God’s Word to you.  It is daily seeking God purpose just for today.

If God opens doors that are within the guidance and direction of His Word, then go that way.  Sometimes I believe God gives us choices in directions.  God blesses us with the freedom of choice because He loves us so much.  The challenge is to distinguish God’s voice from the noises of this world.

Begin this journey by saying, “God, I trust you.  I am listening.”  This is my constant prayer.

********************

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

The Tracks In My Head

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you.  Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.”  I Peter 5:6-7

I saw the tracks in the parking lot where the workers had walked through the concrete dust.  It looked like they had sprayed off their equipment and then walked through the water.  They left their tracks.  In the winter, I see tracks through the snow from animals that cross my running path.  I walked across my vinyl floor and left wet footprints because my socks were wet from my morning run. These are all visible tracks that usually clean up with some soap and water or melting snow.

We see railroad tracks that lead somewhere down the line and are permanent.  They are straight and the train that runs on them does not deviate from the rail unless an obstacle or engine failure cause it to jump the tracks.  The tracks go in different directions but connect so that the train can transfer tracks.  We have racetracks where people, cars, tractors, motorcycles and a variety of other types of vehicles go round and round with the purpose of winning a race.  There are lots of different types of tracks in the world.

A track can also be a direction.  For example, a person can be on track to graduate or for a job promotion.  There are many definitions for tracks.  As I was running my well-worn path this past week, I was thinking about all the tracks that are in our heads.  We may have a well-worn track of worry and anxiety.  It is easy to jump on this track when something goes wrong , or we are afraid for the future.  We have tracks that focus on schedules, deadlines, tasks, and the overwhelming details of life.  We have tracks that focus on the future and all the possible outcomes.  We have tracks that think and worry about family, friends, loved ones, and how to fix their lives.  We have tracks of grief, and we tend to slow down on this journey to remember and linger in the memories.  All these tracks or paths in our heads are well-worn and can easily consume and become the focus of life.  Some paths we just keep jumping back on, and it feels like we are going in circles.

Is there a common track that runs through everything in your head - a track that keeps you from going in the wrong direction or being consumed by the negativity and struggles of life?  Can you pull yourself off a path that leads to worry, anxiety, or depression – a thought path that focuses on the things of this world that do not really matter?  I believe the track that we desire is the straight and constant path of God’s Presence.

My head can get pretty complex with all my thoughts, and if I could draw what is in my head it would be a jumbled mess of tracks crossing over each other with some going nowhere and some with an abrupt end.  Some are well-worn because I go over and over them continuously.  Come on, you have to admit those thought patterns in your head can be mixed up, not defined, and feel like they are not going anywhere with purpose.

My desire is that every track of thought would run through God’s track.  That is, I would include God in each thought.  When my mind wanders and I feel lost, anxious or just not myself, I have come to realize these feelings remind me I forgot to include God in my thoughts.

God calls us to humble ourselves and admit that we cannot stay focused on the right track of life without him.  Get on track with God and allow God to set the pace and the timing.  It is giving God all the anxieties knowing He cares for you and me.  God wants to be part of every thought, step, direction, and plan of our lives.  When we get on track in our heads with God, we begin to trust God, seek His guidance, and rely on His peace and comfort.  I am trying not to get ahead of God but to slow down my thoughts and stay on the track of today.

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Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

Trust The Designer

“I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord.  “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you.  I will give you hope and a good future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

In the Church parking lot where I run, the Church is remodeling their main entrance.  Each morning, I observe the workers’ progress from the previous day.  Their supervisor brings the plans and lays them out on his truck hood, and they discuss the next steps.  At least that is what appears to me to be happening.  I have no clue what the plans are nor is it my responsibility to figure it out.  I just need to be patient and wait for the work to be completed and then enjoy the result.  I have no role or voice; I just have the opportunity to watch their work and the progress of the plans.  I can guess what it will look like, but why focus on something that may never happen?  I am choosing to enjoy the steps I encounter each morning.

One morning, the boss had the plans in his hands as he talked with the workers.  It seemed to me that something was not right as the boss pointed to an area of their work.  I assume that there was a deviation from the original plan.  For the project to be successful, the workers had to follow the exact blueprint, or it would not be sturdy and conform to the agreed upon creation.  The workers had to trust their supervisor and the plan.

I believe God as the Great Designer has a plan for each of our lives.  God desires for us to live an abundant life and live a life following Jesus.  God wants us to follow His plan of salvation and life and live forever with Him in Heaven.  I believe God has a plan – a direction and a design for our lives but not a blueprint.  God is with us in every detail, but God gives us freedom to make choices in the plan.  These paths may take us on a winding way and a longer more difficult journey but will eventually lead us to our ultimate goal of living with Jesus now and forever.

So, when we trust God, give our hearts to Jesus, and allow His Spirit to live within us and guide us, why is the path so treacherous and difficult?  It is that “why” question we ask in situations that do not make any sense to us.  We know we live in a fallen and broken world.  We know the sins of others bring pain and hurt.  We know God is with us in the sorrows, troubles, and grief of life.  But we still wonder how this could be part of God’s plan.  Why does not God just heal or prevent it from happening?  God has all power and can do anything He chooses.  So why doesn’t God?  We are angry, disappointed, and hurt when we pray and ask God to heal or bless or grant our request and God doesn’t.  We pray for God’s will, but we also pray that God’s plan and will fits our desire.

Oh, it is so hard to trust when we cannot see the plan and future.  We want to know how it fits together and what life will look like before we trust.  Remember, our responsibility is to trust.  God knows the big picture, we don’t.  Oh, but we want to know. This is where our anxiety comes into life, and we focus on the future.  We may then focus on the plan for the lives of others around us and attempt to determine and guide their life plan.  It is not our job or responsibility to choose or guide another person’s life.

Just like I am not privileged to see the plans of the project at the Church and only see the day-to-day progress, God only gives to you and me the plan for the day.  Sometimes God just gives us the plan moment by moment.  Even when I trust and surrender to God, I have a hope and desire that when I ask God to bless or heal that God will grant my request.  There are times we all think this but do not want to admit out loud that we have gone through enough struggles.  We keep score of all the heartaches and pain and traumas and feel that we got more than our share so God should answer our prayers because what we desire is good.

Unfortunately, life does not work that way.  God has provided a way for the forgiveness of our sins through Jesus’ death on the cross.  That is the greatest gift, our salvation.  If that is all God did for us, it would be enough. But God is the Great Designer and has a plan and good future for each of us.  Life is not fair and bad happens within the design, but God is still with us. God still loves us.  Our job is to trust even when trusting seems so hard and so contrary to how we feel.  I do not need to know every step; I just need to know who walks with me in each step – Jesus!

***************************************

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

Comfortable Presence

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.”  John 14:16

Recently, a widow stated her desire was to have a comfortable presence with her son.  She wanted to establish a relationship with her son that was easy in conversation, and she did not want her son to feel responsible for her.  Her hope was that he would not avoid being with her because of the loss of his dad and not want to deal with the grief and death.

This phrase “Comfortable presence” resonated with me, and I have been pondering its meaning and application for life.  We each have shoes that are more comfortable than other pairs.  We have a chair that feels comfortable.  We go to restaurants that feel more welcoming and comfortable.  We have food that we label as “comfort foods” and eat it when we need something to make us feel better.

Comfortable is to provide ease and relaxation.  It is being free from stress, fear or worry.  It is being restful and content.  It is a familiar feeling.  One’s presence is the state of being somewhere.  When your presence is requested, it means you are invited to show up and be in the moment.  It is a connection.

With whom do you have a comfortable presence?  My mom was always my comfortable presence.  I never felt any judgment or negativity from her.  She was comfortable being who she was and therefore her presence brought a calmness and an assurance that I was loved.  I could talk with my mom and share conversations that went deep into our faith and love for Jesus.  I miss my mom’s comfortable presence.

There are people we meet that we form an immediate connection with and feel at ease sharing life with them.  It is usually a common interest or experience that forms this bond.  Recently, I connected with a new friend over the loss of our dear companion dogs.  We shared our grief and talked about how our dogs were our constant companions and were with us through some struggles of life.  We understood each other.  There was a comfortable presence in our sharing that has led to sharing in other areas of life.

In this different life, it is learning to be comfortable with yourself.  Before you can share life again with someone, it is being at ease with who you are now.  I am learning to be comfortable letting go of the expectations I assume others have of me and my own expectations to measure up to the world.  There is a freedom in releasing these and being comfortable in who God created me to be and to do today.  I am comfortable in letting go, changing directions, and closing a door to a chapter of life.  It is not trying to do the same thing because it was familiar.

Are you comfortable being alone with yourself?  That is, without media to distract you.  It is enjoying your own presence and liking who you are becoming.  When you are accepting of yourself, you have less worry and stress because you give yourself permission to be who God created you to be, and you are not focused on the expectations of others.  You take yourself with you everywhere you go, so learn to like yourself and you will enjoy life and live fully in the present.  It then becomes more comfortable to let go and change and live in God’s comfortable presence.

Yes, God’s comfortable presence is my desire.  This brings rest and contentment.  The world and its pressures and stress fade as I become more aware of God’s constant presence.  It is like being hugged and protected and loved all the time which is what God actually does.  We just are not constantly aware, nor do we step into His presence all the time even though God is always present.

Rest in the comfort of God’s Presence.  Share everything with God.  Be in constant awareness that God is with you.  His presence is within and all around.  Smile in your awareness of God’s Presence.  You are never alone. Abide in God’s Presence.  You do not need to carry the load alone nor figure out the future.  Trust God today.  Rest in the comfort that God loves you, accepts you, forgives you, does not hold anything against you, and wants to hear everything that is in your heart – Everything!  To rest in this comfort is to be at ease that God has you and you just need to be in the moment with God. 

Rest in God’s Comfortable Presence!

***************************************

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

Waiting To Recover

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.”  Psalm 40:1

As I write this blog, I am sitting in the waiting area of the hospital surgical unit.  I am waiting for the completion of a surgery.  I look around the area and see others waiting on loved ones.  One person is talking on her phone.  One guy is working on his laptop.  Another person is taking a nap I think because his eyes are closed.  Another is talking with a hospital staff member.  I look outside and for the first time this week the sun is shining, and the sky is a brilliant blue.  It looks inviting, but I sit inside waiting.  I am waiting for a completion of surgery and for the surgeon to tell me “All went well.”

I remember sitting in waiting rooms many times with family, church members’ families, and with friends.  We try to focus on something other than the reason we are all here.  Sometimes the waiting is for a routine procedure that is not life threatening and other times the waiting is filled with fear of the outcome.

Our bodies break, have pain, do not always function as we desire, need healing, have diseases, and have parts that need repaired.  That is the reason for surgery.  We wait for our bodies to heal and recover. Everyone who completes surgery goes into a recovery room for a period of time.  It is a time to come out of the anesthesia, control any pain from the procedure, and prepare for the next step.

So, as I wait, I ponder how the waiting, surgery, and recovery relate to life.  To wait is to stay where one is until something else happens.  This is not an easy task because we tend to be impatient and desire to know the future and what is going to happen next.  To wait for God’s direction and answer is even more difficult because God’s timing is different than ours.  It always seems slower.  Patience involves trust. Just as we wait for surgery, we trust the surgeon who will be operating and wait for his skilled hands to provide the needed help to our bodies. When life has changed, we do not know what to do next because the familiar is gone, and life will never go back to the way we knew it.  So, we wait for direction.  We wait in trust that God will provide what is needed.

The surgery reminds me of what has changed.  Sometimes the loss of a loved one feels like surgery – they have been removed from our physical lives.  Our hearts are broken, and it feels like we will never recover from the loss.  I believe God is the Great Healer, and His healing and surgery comes from His Spirit which we cannot see or touch.  His Spirit is within us healing us from inside and giving comfort and peace. 

Then comes the recovery which is waking up to the reality of life as we have it now.  There have been changes, and in recovery we experience the pain of these changes.  To recover is to return to a normal state but nothing feels normal again after loss.  Another way of understanding recovery is to regain strength, purpose, and hope.

We never get over the loss of a loved one, but we accept the loss and affirm the love and memories are the foundation that helps us take steps into this different life.  We need time to rest, recover, and refresh.  It may seem like we are doing nothing during recovery time but inside the heart and soul God is working His miracle of healing and hope.  You may not see it nor feel it, but one day you begin to realize you are focusing on living and seeking to find joy again.  Just like in the physical recovery from surgery, you may not see your healing, but it is happening within your body.  You begin to be more active without pain.

Give yourself time to recover.  Be willing to wait.  Allow God to bring healing within your soul. Recovery and healing are happening.  Give yourself grace.  Give yourself some rest.  Have some moments you do nothing so that the healing power of God’s Spirit can work within you.  Take it slow but keep taking steps into living.

***************************************

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

Intentional Consistency

As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live in Him.  Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built on him.”  Colossians 2:6-7

I have been assisting a friend whose living space got out of control after she experienced changes in her life through the death of family and other life changes.  It began with bringing things into her space from her loved ones.  Then work papers came home with her.  Then stuff just took over.  She had good intentions to sort through her possessions and organize her space, but life was full of demands, helping others, and just exhaustion.  Her intentions were good but impossible to attain and be consistent.

So we developed an intentional plan.  Here is the plan.  First, she got an empty box and put it in her living space. Every day she would walk through her house for five minutes and find items that she was no longer using or did not have meaning or value to her anymore and she would put them in the box.  Once the box was full, she would take it to her vehicle and drop it off to a donation center.  She had to be intentional and consistent in order for this plan to work and begin to clear the clutter from her living space and develop a healthy environment.

An intention is an idea or task that you plan to carry out and complete.  To be intentional means you have a purpose and plan.  You are deliberate in doing something on your own.  To be consistent is to do something the same way over time.  It is constant, regular, dependable, reliable. 

We may have a plan for our environment to make it healthy, but we may not be consistent in achieving our goal.  We may have a plan to be physically healthy but are not consistent especially when it comes to eating foods that are not healthy but tempting.  We may have a plan to exercise but are not consistent because of our schedules or the weather.  We may have a desire to grow in our relationship with Jesus but are not consistent in spending time in Scripture and prayer and awareness of God’s Presence.

The clutter in our heads may resemble the clutter in our homes.  We have the desire to be free of worry, anxiety, fear, regret, past hurts, anger, and the trauma and emotions of life.  But the emotions pile up and consume without any relief.  We are exhausted.  The loss and grief and changes of life make it difficult to release these feelings and emotions because we have lost the one whom we share the burdens of life.  Or we have nobody we trust. 

What if we started being intentional with the feelings, emotions, pains and hurts that are within us and began to release them into God’s box five minutes every day?  This may sound like a strange idea.  We each have a lot of clutter in our heads that we hold on to that has no value or meaning in our lives.  We hold on to it because we have been hurt and feel the intensity of loss.  We cannot change what has happened.  The only thing we can do is accept it has happened, grieve, and choose to step into this different life.  We can choose to give to God what we cannot release and allow God’s touch to bring healing and hope.

This is a process and that is where consistency comes into the plan.  We need to come to God every day and talk about what is inside of us and what is preventing us from living fully and abundantly into the life God designed for us to live.  It is being intentional to focus on the present and God’s presence.  It is being consistent in letting go of what you cannot change.  It is not living as a victim but as a redeemed, forgiven child of a loving God.

God is intentional and consistent in His love for you and me.  His grace and mercy is intentionally consistent.  It never changes even when life changes.  It is trusting God even in the pain and hurt of life.  It is being intentional to forgive and not be controlled by the one who hurt you.  It is being consistent in your awareness of God with you and living in the moment.

Let’s be intentionally consistent!

***************************************

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

The Tempo of Life

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he lives with you and he will be in you.”  John 14:16-17

I enjoy listening to music.  I grew up with music being played in the house by my mom.  She played a stack of records (now called vinyl) on the stereo throughout the day.  My parents enjoyed Gospel sings and Quartet music, and we traveled around the area to Churches to listen to a variety of Gospel groups.  My parents usually purchased a record, and it was played for weeks and then included in the stack. 

I listen to the words of songs as well as the music and the beat.  Sometimes a group will slow down a familiar song to a tempo that just makes the song drag, and it takes away the enjoyment of the song for me.  The song loses its meaning because the tempo is no longer the familiar version as I learned it.  It is just like when someone singing our National Anthem improvises and changes the familiar arrangement.  That bothers me.  Each song has an original tempo and beat created by the composer and author.

Tempo in music is the speed at which a piece of music was written and created to be played.  Tempo can also be applied to our daily lives, too.  The tempo of life means the pace or speed life was created to be lived.  It is the cadence or rhythm of life.

So who sets the tempo of life for you?  I have heard people say life feels like a rollercoaster ride or a merry-go-round.  Some state life feels like it is going so fast that they cannot keep up.  They need it to slow down.  Some are filled with fear and step out of living life and just exist and quit listening to any tempo.  Others are just on the go all the time and feel exhausted.  The tempo of their lives goes faster than their energy.  Does any of these examples describe where you currently are in life?

You may allow society, schedules, work, the pressure, and expectations of others to set your tempo and pace for life.  And right now, you feel exhausted because of it.  May I suggest we slow down for a moment and take a breath and check our focus.  Who is leading the tempo of your life?  Where is God’s Spirit? I believe God has created a tempo for how life should be lived.

My own life has felt out of tempo recently, and I am trying to adjust it.  It feels like the familiar song of my life needs to change the speed.  As we change seasons of life because of loss, change, age, or location, we need to re-evaluate how we spend our time and energy.  I am praying and asking God – “How do you want me to glorify you?”  “How should I spend my time?”  I have always been very active, creative, and involved in the lives of others.  I am always thinking about creating the next seminar, the next talk, write the next book, devotion, or blog, and who needs a visit or card?  The tempo of the music of my soul has always been upbeat and energized with purpose and productivity.  Do I need to keep up this pace?

Grief changed my inner tempo, but I tried to keep the outward expression on an active rhythm.  Now, I am pondering if that really is necessary and fulfilling?  As I sit writing this blog, the sun is shining, the sky is blue, a slight breeze is blowing through my open windows, the birds are singing their God-given melody, and the sound of traffic is whizzing by in the distance though I cannot see it.  The traffic reminds me of the constant pace of life and trying to accomplish what I think the world expects of me.  The sights and sounds of nature remind me of the peaceful, gentleness of God’s pace of life.  Just to sit in the tempo and rhythm of what God created reminds me of what God desires.  God wants me to live the tempo of a God-breathed life.  What a peace that brings and a quietness to my soul. 

The world demands, expects, requires, and is fast and loud and pulls the life out of us to the point of exhaustion, fear, and anxiety.  God whispers, woos, loves, and breathes life into us.  So who or what determines the tempo of your life?  Why is it so hard to choose God’s tempo?

I am understanding more and more that the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of God – which is within me desires to set the tempo and rhythm of my life if I will surrender and release the control to His indwelling Spirit.  When I breathe in the Spirit and release my control and the control of the world, the calmness of the Spirit fills me, slows me down, and allows me to rest in God’s Presence.  When I do, the tempo of life is determined by God not the pressures and expectations of this world.  I relax and take in God’s beauty and presence.  I begin to experience the joy of living in God’s presence and enjoying what is in front of me.  I release anxiety and worry that I am not doing enough and trust the Holy Spirit to lead and direct my path of life.

Breathe in the Holy Spirit right now.  Follow God’s tempo for your life.  You will be amazed and grateful for the peace and calmness of your spirit.

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Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

Embrace The Different

“But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.  And they wept.”         Genesis 33:4 (NIV)

Recently, I was blessed with several huge hugs from my sweet six-year-old nephew, Wyatt.  He hugged me so tight that I fell over with joy holding him in my arms.  I squeezed him tight and laughed with him, and he kept hugging me.  It was a gift to hold my dear nephew and see his smile and his eyes light up in recognition of his aunt.  He wanted more hugs, and I embraced him in love.

 To embrace someone is to welcome them with open arms, to hold, to hug, and to accept completely.  It is easy to embrace a child who is eager to be held and loved.  It feels so natural and fills you with gratefulness and joy.  I cherish these moments.  We embrace those we love, and we open wide our hearts to those who are dear to us.

How do you embrace change when life is different from what you expected or hoped?  To embrace change means you open yourself up to going a different path and you accept change as a natural part of your life.  So, do you embrace change, or do you try to stay in the familiar and comfortable fighting against anything different?  For example, can you rearrange a room, move furniture, and reduce the items in the room without anxiousness or dread?  If this is difficult for you, you may be a person who enjoys life staying the same and not deviating from the norm.  Embrace this for now, but know life is guaranteed to change at some point.

To embrace is an acceptance of the situation or the person.  To embrace the different is to accept the completion of life as it was in the past.  You embrace the memories.  You embrace the love that remains in your heart.  You embrace with thanksgiving the privilege of sharing life together.  You release yourself to live into the present.

Sometimes life feels like you are hugging a porcupine – it hurts.  Life has pain and heartache, but can you embrace it as part of life?  You may be angry at life and your current situation, and you struggle with acceptance.  You may not be angry at God, but at where life has taken you.  To embrace the pains and hurts of life just means you take in the trials as part of life, and you can still embrace God knowing He is still with you through the pain.  No matter how much you embrace some people in your life, they still hurt you like a porcupine.  It is learning to hug quickly, accept them for who they are, and then step away.  You acknowledge them but do not live in the hurt and pain they cause.

I am learning to embrace the different in life.  I recognize the need for change especially when I get frustrated, discouraged, and disappointed.  It is usually because I assume something that is no longer true.  I expect people to be supportive and to do what I would do in the situation.  I am learning to embrace people for who they are and to release who I expected them to be.  It allows me not to be controlled by the choices and views of others.

In this different, I am also learning to embrace the Presence of God.  I am more aware that God is with me each moment.  God wants me to embrace the life He has for me and to stay focused on His presence. God is always aware of me and waiting to embrace me with His love and grace.  I am learning to live in God’s tempo of life not mine and embrace the present moment.

Life is different.  Embrace the change and seek to find the joy in moments. 

********************

Check out my new book – Live Different Moments.  Each chapter has an Annie story.  Annie will guide you in living into life.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

Tribute to a Gentle and Humble Man

“Humble yourself before the Lord and he will exalt you.”  James 4:10

I received the phone call that my brother-in-law, Don, entered Heaven.  Don was the oldest brother of my husband, Dave.  He was four years older than Dave, and even as a young boy, Dave always looked up to his older brother.  Early in his life Don made a commitment to follow Jesus as His Savior and Lord. He lived his life for Jesus and faithfully served him all his life.  Now Don is with Jesus in Heaven.  We celebrate that he is free from the pain and sorrows of this world and is reunited with all his family in Heaven.  We are sad for our loss, but we rejoice in Heaven’s gain and Don’s new life in Heaven.

Years ago, when I wrote the book – Glimpses of God – I wrote a story about Don being the “Greatest Man I Had Ever Known.”   I would like to share some of this story with you – paraphrased with additions.

Don had many great achievements in his life.  He had a wonderful marriage to Alice and was blessed with two daughters and many grandchildren.  Don graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis.  He earned his wings as a Naval aviator, became a surgeon, served tours of duty in Vietnam as a surgeon, was Captain of the USS Mercy providing humanitarian aid to needy countries, and achieved the rank of Rear Admiral in the Navy.  He taught surgery and provided care to many military families.

Through all these achievements, Don daily read his Bible and lived out his faith daily in his work and home.  Don was always available by letter, phone or in person during the joys and sorrows of life.  Tears were not foreign to his cheeks.  They were tears of strength, support, and a deep love for those he comforted.  Many people achieve great things, but Don’s greatest achievement was his unselfish giving of his Christian love.

As a doctor, the term “bedside manner” has been given a positive step forward as he shared his love and compassion with his patients as if each were the most important person in the world.  And at that moment the patient was the most important to Don.

My first encounter with Don was through a phone call.  Before Dave and I were married, Don called me to send his love and congratulations.  He talked with me as if he had known me forever and sent his love and prayers.  His spirit flowed across the phone, and I already loved him as a brother before I met him.  Through the years, I had many conversations and visits with Don.  We always shared our love for Jesus and the Scriptures.  I treasure the times he interacted with my parents and how he treated them with love and respect.

Over the years my love and respect continued to grow for Don.  As I learned more about all his accomplishments, achievements, and travels, though he was very shy and humble to share them with you, I was in awe of all he had done with his life.  (Google – Admiral Donald D. Sturtz and you will find his achievements).  But what makes him the “greatest man I have ever known” is his genuineness, his gentle spirit, his love, and compassion.  I have never known anyone with such deep, gentle, and outward compassion. When you were with Don, you became the focal point of all his gentle spirit and attention.  Don made you feel at ease and that you were the most special person in that moment.  He lived his faith daily in all that he did in his work and in his home, naturally and without reservation sharing his love for Jesus and his own need to depend upon Jesus.  When it came to looking on the positive side of life, Don walked the straight and narrow path, and he was willing to take a stand for what was wrong.

I could describe in detail all the big and little things Don did throughout his life which would be very uplifting, but being the humble man Don was, he would not want me to do it.  But what I desire to convey in all of this is that being great is not based on human achievements or standards.  Being great and humble is what we do for God and for others gently and quietly without calling attention to ourselves.  It is humbling ourselves before our Lord.

I am grateful that Donald D. Sturtz was my brother-in-law, my friend in Jesus, and the most gentle, humble, and great man I have known.  I give thanks that he was in my life and was an example to learn from and grow in faith together.  I give thanks that he loved me and that I loved him.  I give thanks that he is now in Heaven free from the limitations of his earthly body.    I will miss our phone calls.  I am sad that he is not on earth, but his love and spirit remain in all the hearts that he has touched.  He is part of my foundation, and I am forever grateful for his life and love. 

Fly High, Don!

********************

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/

Step In Step Out

“The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore.”  Psalm 121:8

I watched two little boys – my nephews – go into the house and soon they were outside playing.  Then inside for a snack.  Then outside into the tent.  Then inside on their device.  Then outside to make tie dyed T-shirts.  Then inside.  They were in and out of the house throughout the afternoon.  In and out of activities.  In and out of conversations.  In and out.

There are numerous situations in life where you step in and step out.  You step into your work environment and responsibilities, and you step out at the end of the work time.  You step into an organization, a group, an event.  You participate and hopefully enjoy the experience.  Then you step out.

During grief and change, you may step out of life and the routine and expectations of others for a period of time.  Life is different, and you need time to adjust to the different and re-evaluate who you are now and your new purpose and focus for life.  Sometimes it becomes difficult to find your place to step back into life.  Life has changed.  You have changed, but not everyone else has changed.

Sometimes as you adjust to changes, you need to learn a new way of interacting in relationships, living life, and experiencing the life God has for you.  First, interacting in relationships.  It is learning when to step in and when to step out.  Let me explain.  I have learned through experience, mistakes, and maturity, it is not my responsibility to fix everyone and every situation nor was I born into this world to please everyone.  When I truly seek God’s purpose, will, and guidance, I can step into a situation or into a person’s life, be with them in the moment and even enjoy the time together.  But then I can also step out.  I listen to God’s Spirit to guide me in what I am to do and share, but it is not my responsibility to make everything better, good, or right in their lives.  Stepping out is setting healthy boundaries and releasing the situation to God.

How do you step into life – this different life?  You do it slowly and in moments.  For instance, you step into an event.  It could be a family gathering, a Bible Study, a social gathering, or a concert.  You remind yourself that you are going to focus on just this one event.  You go, and be present in the moment as much as possible, and when you have experienced it, you step out.  You give yourself permission to step out and renew yourself in the quiet moments alone.  You give yourself grace and also recognition that you accomplished the event.

When you break life down into events, adventures, and moments, you can step into them.  Enjoy the moment and then step out to rest and renew yourself.  It does not need to raise your anxiety because you are separating each event and not putting them all together as something that is continuous.  You are just focused on one moment and event at a time.  You take steps in and then permission to step out.

How do you step into the life God has for you?  Again, for most people it is one step at a time.  You step into recognizing God is with you all the time.  God loves you.  You are God’s child.  God gives you His love and grace one moment at a time.  You step out of the negative view, the guilt, and shame of the past.  You step out of the past.  It is your foundation of who you are but you cannot step backward.  Stepping into life is always forward.

To step out is also stepping out of the control of others and the world.  It is stepping into dependency on God and the freedom God gives to you.  The freedom of living fully in the moment.  The freedom from worry and anxiety of the future because you are focused on living fully now.  Your eyes are on the present moment.  When you take a step, you need to pay attention to what is in front of you.

God is with you in each step you take.  Take the hand of Jesus when you take a step in and when you take a step out.  He is present.

My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -

Live Different Moments: Finding Contentment and Peace after Change and Loss: Sturtz, Elaine J. Clinger: 9798989125708: Amazon.com: Books

My Books – Living In The Different  and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/