Swing Low, Sweet Slug
As the summer weather continues, I find myself spending more and more time outside on my swing. It's the perfect spot to enjoy the fresh air, soak up some rare Welsh sunshine, and spend time with my furry companion, Tess. I love to use this time to read my Bible, pray, or do some writing. It's my little slice of heaven here on earth.
But recently, my peaceful swing time was interrupted in a most unexpected way. As I sat there, enjoying the gentle rocking motion and the sound of birds chirping, something fell from above and landed in my lap. To my horror, I discovered it was a ginormous slug! Evidently, the slimy creature had crawled up to the top of the swing and either lost its grip or deliberately decided to pay me a visit.
Beyond the Mirror
The other day, my husband Jason came into the bedroom where I was working on my latest book. I immediately noticed a long smear of grease on his face. When I pointed it out, he chuckled and told me he had been working on a project in the kitchen and had gotten a bit dirty.
A few hours later, while I was writing in my office, he left with Tess to take her for a walk and run a few errands in town. When they returned, he walked through the door to my office, and I couldn’t help but smile. He still had the long streak of grease running down his face, and he had walked all around town that way!
The situation reminded me of the passage in James about looking in a mirror, seeing our flaws, and then walking away without doing anything about them. The mirror in James represents the Word of God.
Rest, Run, Repeat
I'm happy to say that my back is improving, and I'm having fewer episodes of intense pain and restriction. It's a relief, let me tell you! However, according to my osteopath, I still have a lot of healing to do. Oddly enough, his instructions to me at the end of each visit are the same: "Move more and get more rest."
Is it just me, or do those two instructions contradict each other? If I move more, I'm not resting, and if I rest more, I'm not moving. It's like telling someone to eat more cake and lose weight simultaneously! (FYI, that doesn't work. I've tried it…multiple times.)
I'll be honest, it's maddening trying to find the right balance of moving and resting. My mind races endlessly: Should I be up and about now? Am I pushing too hard? Is this pain a sign to stop or a hurdle to push through?
On Guard!
Have you ever ordered something online only to receive a product that was completely different from what you expected? Well, that recently happened to me.
I had ordered a supplement from eBay, a product I've purchased many times before from various sellers. But when the order arrived, I was immediately concerned. None of the bottles were sealed, which I knew was odd because I’ve always received sealed bottles.
Looking at the product more closely, I began to notice many strange things. The logo was a bit off, and there were typos on the label. The pills themselves were a different size and much less full than usual. Feeling unsure about what was actually in these supplements, I contacted the seller for a refund.
Foreground Faith
Today, I'd like to tell you a little bit about my favorite design software, Canva. I've been a Canva fan for years now, using it for everything in my writing ministry—from creating images for my blog and social media posts to designing videos and even book covers. Since becoming a missionary, it's become even more invaluable, helping me make everything from business cards to banners.
One of my favorite features is called "Position." This handy tool lets me shuffle elements between the foreground and background of my projects. It's like having a magical switch that lets me focus on one part of my design at a time.
Need to spotlight a particular element? No problem! Just a few clicks, and I can push less important bits to the background, like tucking away clutter behind a curtain. And when I'm ready to bring them back? Presto! They're right where I left them, waiting for their turn to shine.
The Greatest Castle Never Built
Last week, Jason and I took some much-needed time off to rest and refresh ourselves. We spent a few days in northern Wales, taking in many sights, including three castles. They were all impressive, but my favourite was Beaumaris Castle. Now, there's a sight to behold! It's a massive fortress on the coast of Wales, with walls that stretch on for what seems like miles. But here's the thing: it was never finished. King Edward I had big plans for this castle but ran out of money before he could see it through to completion, leaving Beaumaris with the title “The Greatest Castle Never Built.” Bummer, right?
Crying Over Spilled Sand
Because of our house’s limited storage space, the seasonal flower arrangements from the chapels are typically placed into totes and stored in our attic. The problem is that the totes large enough to hold the arrangements are too large to go through the attic doorway unless they’re turned sideways. As you can imagine, this is not the best practice and usually results in my having to “tweak” the arrangements once they come down from the attic before displaying them in the chapel.
Recently, however, the arrangements that came out of the attic needed more than a simple adjustment. Half of the vases had fallen over, dumping their flowers and sand inside the tote. The result was a gritty, mangled mess that took several hours to rework.
Avoiding Spiritual Nose Dives
You'll never believe the silly bird antics I witnessed at our backyard feeder yesterday. I'm still chuckling over this one!
So there I was, heading outside to check if spring had finally sprung, when I spotted this large starling stuck head-first inside the birdfeeder. Somehow, he had wedged his plump body through the tiny opening at the top and gotten stuck. Yup, rather than just pecking at the food from the sides like the other birds, old chunky cheeks got the brilliant idea to nose-dive straight in after a snack!
I did a double take at the bird standing on its head as the poor thing flailed around, feathers flying, trying in vain to work himself back out. His scrawny tail feathers kept getting caught on the feeder’s lip every time he backed up. You could tell the foolish bird had absolutely no plan for extracting himself from that self-imposed trap.
Losing Our Edge
Did you know a dull knife can be more dangerous than a sharp one? It's true! Without that razor edge, you apply more pressure and risk slipping as the blade catches. Who knew?
Similarly, spiritually dull Christians pose hazards, too, often without realizing it. Now, I'm not suggesting we go around stabbing people with convictions, but lukewarm faith does subtle damage.
When passion cools and vision blurs, we drift along numbly. Rather than piercing darkness, our words and witness lose edge. We fear ruffling feathers with truth. But Proverbs 27:6 says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend,” meaning caring rebuke holds more value than mute passivity.
Stirring Up the Soul
There's nothing quite like the smell of a big pot of soup or chilli simmering on the stove during these chilly winter months. The savoury aroma fills the kitchen, bringing comfort and warmth on cold days. I don't know about you, but something about stirring a steaming pot of soup feels soothing to the soul.
As I stand over the pot, swirling the wooden spoon around and around, I'm reminded of what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:6-7:
“6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”