My Jar of Stones

Recently,  I began going through old writings and found this piece. It's worth reposting. During my 64 years of ups and downs, joys and sorrows, I discovered that God loves all of us, and we are His divine creation, His divine idea. It has been my personal experience that he is not the punitive God I thought He was as a child, growing up in a strict household. That took a while to sink in.  I knew God loved me but felt my failings always let Him down. And I would think, is this why I got cancer? Is this why I went through a divorce? The questions had piled up over the years, and, yes, they were weighing me down.  My journey has seemed endless at times, with twists and turns that were bumpy and crooked, frustrating and heartbreaking, but I am still here at 64. It's taken a lot of thought, prayer, listening, reading, and growing, and I can wholeheartedly announce that I finally get that God loves us—no matter what! He doesn't take it back because we act unwise or make mista...

I just  got off the phone with my oldest sister. She told me a story that delighted me. The more I thought about it, the more thrilled I became. Excitement bubbled inside of me, and I knew this was a word from God.  My sister had been praying for one of our nephews. He and his family wanted to move to her state but were still looking for a house. Despite being generous, they put in two previous home offers and lost out on both. My sister spoke to my nephew and could hear the frustration in his voice, so she did what she always does for us. She started talking to God.  I'm very familiar with her style of prayer, which is direct and to the point. I appreciate it, and I'm sure God does too. I would tire of people adding all the fluff and flowery language instead of being honest. Imagine the millions of prayers coming to Him daily. My sister finished the prayer, and suddenly, an idea came to her. She added the word  Godspeed  to the end of it. Within a few days of h...

       I love fall in Michigan.  The trees look like they are on fire, pumpkins are at every farmer’s market and grocery store, and mums stained deep purple and light lavender rest on porches with twinkling lights. Fall is a time of raking leaves, going to cider mills for cider and donuts, and tromping through the woods with your dogs on chilly days.    Last Sunday, one of my stepdaughters was in town, and I had the family over for white bean chili and pumpkin pie. It was a day of good memories and stories we will tell for a long time. These are the times I like to remember and write about.    In just a month or two, the weather will transition to snowy days, and I will drive my Mini Cooper around the lakes through gorgeous blizzards that turn my world pure white. I love those days. I love the crackling fires and negotiating Thanksgiving Day dinner dishes and times with the rest of the family. I love the promise of the approaching holidays an...

       One of my best memories growing up was swimming with the swans on Mullett Lake in Michigan. There was a bevy of about seven or eight of them that would emerge from Little Pigeon River every morning, gliding out of the tube toward our dock where they knew I would be waiting for them.      My mother would warn me to not feed them, but I did. I know I shouldn’t have, but I did it anyway. I sat on the end of the dock as they swam up to me and I handed them small pieces of lettuce, tossing it to the others farthest away.      I have to admit to you right now that I’m not always the brightest person when it comes to wild animals. I love them. Most of them anyway, and I love to be in their presence. When I was young, I enjoyed them more than people. I was very quiet and it seemed that animals didn’t mind that.      Anyway, I won’t prattle on all day about my love for them, but my husband does call me Snow-whit...

      I’ve always spent my summers in northern Michigan . It’s no wonder I’m a lake girl. It was not only gathering stones that filled my days, but also water skiing, diving from the boat off of Red Pine Point (the deepest part of Mullett Lake), and swimming with my sister and our best friend, Kevin; it was packing lunches and meandering down Indian River as we ate. There was an abandoned hotel that I loved to dream up ghost stories about as we passed. We motored across the lake to Topinabee, a tiny town with the best ice cream parlor on the lake. We would get huge Blue Moon Ice Cream scoops and then swim at the beautiful white sandy shore.      Mornings were my favorite time of the day. By 8:00 a.m., I would get in our fishing boat, start the motor, and slowly drive to Kevin’s dock, which was two docks down. Everyone around our cottage was up early, and he would be looking for me after a quick breakfast. We would head through the tube, which once wa...

       Memories are like rocks. There are millions of them everywhere. If you collect rocks, like I do, you will find yourself surrounded by jars and jars of them. Like rocks, our memories are everywhere. If you collect the good ones and think about them daily, you will be renewed with the positive energy they are made of. They are beautiful and a gift from God, because they make us feel good. Remembering is powerful.  God knew that when he gave us our memories. Science confirms the theme of “change your mind,” which runs throughout the bible. Our minds are the single most powerful gift from Him. Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. -Romans 12:2 (New Living Translation)      Like those jars of countless Petoskey stones and blue slags that I collect every year o...