When covid hit, though I had been a traditional church goer all my life, my church closed for 3 months. Nothing. I rediscovered God when I started attending a charismatic church that reopened after only a month’s closure. They reopened maskless, full praise band in attendance. I kept attending because the pastor was Biblical based in all…
When covid hit, though I had been a traditional church goer all my life, my church closed for 3 months. Nothing. I rediscovered God when I started attending a charismatic church that reopened after only a month’s closure. They reopened maskless, full praise band in attendance. I kept attending because the pastor was Biblical based in all his teaching and asks us every week if we have our Bibles with us. As I have gone along now, nearly four years, in, there are things that don’t mesh with my traditional church upbringing, so I have returned at times to my old church. My husband would never leave our old church. I had to forgive a lot of covid excesses at the old church, but I have come to appreciate that people were frightened and just needed to be told what to do. They were the sheep, so to speak, but the shepherd was not the Good Shepherd but the Prince of Lies. Many now realize that they were gaslit and lied to. They may not say it aloud, but they know. We’ll see where the rubber meets the road.
I find myself, too often scrolling through this substack reading through comments. This is the only substack I follow, though I often read, other commenters suggestions. I am not on X and most social media, but I can still too often find myself going down online rabbit holes. I have to stop and ask myself if this is what Jesus really wants me doing? Is this my God given purpose? The answer is No. so, I pull back and start over again to find my gift from God and use it.
I don't think there is a single person on this page that has not had changes in their lives since 2020, and have had to deal with the feeling of loss in one way or another. Including changing churches, friend groups, jobs and so on. While most of us have not met in person we are a kind of 'family', and have learned a lot and gotten a lot of encouragement here.
I agree that balance is key, life in rabbit holes is not a great life, although it's hard for me. I do (business) research for a living and have for over 25 years now and digging into stuff is in my blood. But am also really into my flower beds which is my opportunity to unplug, reflect and pray.
Then we really do have something else in common, one of my many loves is flowers and my Michigan flowers keep expanding against my best efforts to throttle down. Being outside is a great calming influence. This is a place where many of us have so much in common.
I ADORE growing beautiful flowers, Donna - and looking at them always REAFFIRMS my belief in the CREATOR OF ALL LIFE!!! Thank you for posting this about what you do to offset the stressful 'aura' of today's world.
About half of our yard is flower beds. This time of year it's 30 min to an hour a day most days, more on the weekend. I have been transitioning to more perennials in the past few years but you can't beat annuals for continuous color. Of course the MO season is roughly March - Oct/Nov with some random clean up days in the winter. But I also have a lot of house plants. Have a few pepper plants on my deck but have mostly given up on vegetables as we have too much shade and too many squirrels/rabbits/raccoons.
WOW--our growing season here in southcentral PA is from late April to late October and I have chosen to stick with "annuals" for my yearly "plantings". My friend, Jeff, with whom I cohabit is a magnificent gardener and landscaper - he took the "tangled mess of illogical plantings" all around this condo he bought in late 2019 and now 5 years later...it is pristine and SO magical to observe as his perennials are usually a delight. He has had to "move around" some of them as they weren't getting sufficient sun to thrive. He finally found a perennial that thrives in "shade" - called ASTILBE--do you know of it, Donna? I am an avid gardener...but not as knowledgeable as Jeff. I wish I could share some "BEFORE" and " AFTER " pics of this condo!!
KEEP ON PLANTING, Donna!! As the saying goes..."You're closest to God in a garden!!"
When covid hit, though I had been a traditional church goer all my life, my church closed for 3 months. Nothing. I rediscovered God when I started attending a charismatic church that reopened after only a month’s closure. They reopened maskless, full praise band in attendance. I kept attending because the pastor was Biblical based in all his teaching and asks us every week if we have our Bibles with us. As I have gone along now, nearly four years, in, there are things that don’t mesh with my traditional church upbringing, so I have returned at times to my old church. My husband would never leave our old church. I had to forgive a lot of covid excesses at the old church, but I have come to appreciate that people were frightened and just needed to be told what to do. They were the sheep, so to speak, but the shepherd was not the Good Shepherd but the Prince of Lies. Many now realize that they were gaslit and lied to. They may not say it aloud, but they know. We’ll see where the rubber meets the road.
I find myself, too often scrolling through this substack reading through comments. This is the only substack I follow, though I often read, other commenters suggestions. I am not on X and most social media, but I can still too often find myself going down online rabbit holes. I have to stop and ask myself if this is what Jesus really wants me doing? Is this my God given purpose? The answer is No. so, I pull back and start over again to find my gift from God and use it.
I don't think there is a single person on this page that has not had changes in their lives since 2020, and have had to deal with the feeling of loss in one way or another. Including changing churches, friend groups, jobs and so on. While most of us have not met in person we are a kind of 'family', and have learned a lot and gotten a lot of encouragement here.
I agree that balance is key, life in rabbit holes is not a great life, although it's hard for me. I do (business) research for a living and have for over 25 years now and digging into stuff is in my blood. But am also really into my flower beds which is my opportunity to unplug, reflect and pray.
Then we really do have something else in common, one of my many loves is flowers and my Michigan flowers keep expanding against my best efforts to throttle down. Being outside is a great calming influence. This is a place where many of us have so much in common.
I ADORE growing beautiful flowers, Donna - and looking at them always REAFFIRMS my belief in the CREATOR OF ALL LIFE!!! Thank you for posting this about what you do to offset the stressful 'aura' of today's world.
About half of our yard is flower beds. This time of year it's 30 min to an hour a day most days, more on the weekend. I have been transitioning to more perennials in the past few years but you can't beat annuals for continuous color. Of course the MO season is roughly March - Oct/Nov with some random clean up days in the winter. But I also have a lot of house plants. Have a few pepper plants on my deck but have mostly given up on vegetables as we have too much shade and too many squirrels/rabbits/raccoons.
WOW--our growing season here in southcentral PA is from late April to late October and I have chosen to stick with "annuals" for my yearly "plantings". My friend, Jeff, with whom I cohabit is a magnificent gardener and landscaper - he took the "tangled mess of illogical plantings" all around this condo he bought in late 2019 and now 5 years later...it is pristine and SO magical to observe as his perennials are usually a delight. He has had to "move around" some of them as they weren't getting sufficient sun to thrive. He finally found a perennial that thrives in "shade" - called ASTILBE--do you know of it, Donna? I am an avid gardener...but not as knowledgeable as Jeff. I wish I could share some "BEFORE" and " AFTER " pics of this condo!!
KEEP ON PLANTING, Donna!! As the saying goes..."You're closest to God in a garden!!"