T r i a l s : Pure Joy?

   And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God. 

Romans 8:28

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, wrote--




--Consider it pure joy, my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 
        James 1:1-3

Laura Story's "Blessings" is a beautiful song about mercies in disguise.

We pray for blessings,

we pray for peace,

comfort for family,

protection while we sleep.

We pray for healing, 

for prosperity.

We pray for your mighty hand to ease our suffering...

..what if Your blessings come through raindrops,

what if Your healing comes through tears?

What if a thousand sleeples nights

are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life 

are Your mercies in disguise?

...

Go to utube and listen to Laura Story's "Blessings."

You will fill blessed!  You may weep. 

Pass it on to friends.

Mental, physical, and spiritual pain?

Most of us don't escape it.

 Sometimes it appears when we least expect it.

Sometimes we see it coming.

We often do not choose the way we suffer.

{We sometimes do.}

God may allow us to live our lives denied of the one thing

we desire more than anything else...

God's Promise*

God has not promised to live our lives for us--
      but rather, to walk through our lives with us. 
Our part is to be faithful and obedient. 
His part is to lead us, guide us, protect us, and help us. 
Annie Johnson Flint recognized the true nature of God's promise in this poem:

What God Hath Promised

God hath not promised

Skies always blue,

Flower-strewn pathways

All our lives through;

God hath not promised

Sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow,

Peace without pain.

But God hath promised

Strength for the day,

Rest for the labor,

Light for the way,

Grace for the trials,

Help from above,

Unfailing sympathy,

Undying love.

Do what you know you can do today--and then trust god to do what you can not do.

I am with you all the days 
(perpetually,uniformly, and on every occasion),

to the close and consummation of the age.

 Matthew 28:20

 

We need both knowledge
of our circumstances in
life-- and wisdom...
Knowledge provides information
and awareness for problem
solving.
Wisdom, however, fashions
the mind and the heart.   

Dear Lord,

When I am fearful,

I will lean upon You.

Keep me ever mindful, Lord,

that You are my God, my strength, and my shield.

With you by my side, I have nothing to fear.

And, with Your Son Jesus as my Savior,

I have received the priceless gift of eternal life.

Help me to be a grateful and courageous servant

this day and every day. 

Amen

*prayer from 365 Daily Devotions

For Women, Day 110

*devotional taken from

COFFEE BREAK WITH GOD

Honor Books

Tulsa OK

M o r e C o n n e c t i o n s : poetry

I'm going to continue with the 

"connections" thing--

t h r o u g h    p o e t r y
I've written...

I am often intrigued, inspired,

 and even amused by the persons 

who appear in my life 

Possibilities

I study her

As she sits beside me

A face mapped

With directions

Only she understands

Pain

Loss

A dash of pity

A past

Filled with persons, places, issues

She's chosen not to forget

Disappointment reigns

I take her bony hand in mine

She looks at me surprised

Searching my face

The sun peeks out beneath a cloud

Hope merges

A glimmer in her eye

A tear in mine

and the circumstances that surround our meetings

 and sometimes keep us connected for a lifetime. 

I Remember

My mom left first

   I was only three

My dad married someone else.

   My step-mother; she was not my mom.

They fought--a lot.

   I could not sleep thinking about it.

Then, my dad left.

   I was only six.

   But, I remember.

My step-mom packed my toys and clothes

   And called DHS and sent me to school.

I was naughty all day.

   Yelling, whining, hitting.

   I remember.

My teacher took me in her arms

   And I cried until I thought I would die.

   What will I do? Where will I go?

She stroked my hair and held me tight.

   I remember.

We each have social and professional relationships or connections. 

We also have those persons in our life 

who we feel we have a spiritual connection with

--a heart to heart thing. 

San Francisco

5 a.m.: The Palace Hotel.

Padding down the lushly carpeted hall

I have a plan:

Swim a few laps,

Hot tub,

Shower,

Return to Rm 126.

Dropping my hotel-furnished, plus robe poolside,

I walk to the ceiling-high window

And look four stories below.

On the street, a blanket flutters in the wind.

Curious, I watch a person emerge--

He stands, stretches, gathers his few belongings

And disappears in the early morning darkness.

I swim a few laps,

Soothe my muscle in the hot tub,

Shower,

Return to Rm 126

And hold my just-fed grand daughter in the early morning darkness.

Forever changed.

Sometimes, this connection develops over a period of time; 

sometimes, it is almost instantaneous.

Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many... ...God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose... ... there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need for you." On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable... . If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are all the body of Christ and individual members of it.

The Other Side

After fingering the family portraits upon your apartment wall

You slip on your jacket

And scrawl your name in a notebook--along with the time--

and venture out into the sunshine.

Putzing off in your bright red scooter

We watch the birds scatter

And wild grasses bend with the wind

As I sail behind you.

At the cemetery you find my spot,

Touch the wilted flowers,

And wipe your eyes with the red hanky from your back pocket.

I stay beside you as you hobble back to your scooter

And watch for traffic as your return to your new home.

Sitting on the couch

You take a deep breath and fall asleep.

I watch the rise and fall of your chest

And hold your hand.

Airborne Thoughts

Email
Hotmail
Words typed on a screen
Press "send."
Scattered letters and spaces
Airborne
Gathered together again
Just for you.
Something new?
Or
Have my thoughts
Always been scattered
Airborne
Going from me to you?
You to me?
That's why
When we meet
We already know
So much.

...whatever you did for one of the least of these 
brothers/ sisters/ of mine, you did for me.." 
 Matthew 25:40

..

...consider this when you meet someone today and this week...

and reflect the love He gave you.

A single word or phrase, spoken kindly,

may turn one away from error

or cause one to feel loved and cared for....

for a precious moment...

or for a life time...

 Amen

C o n n e c t i o n s

I am often intrigued, inspired, and even amused by the persons who appear in my life and the circumstances that surround our meetings and sometimes keep us connected for a lifetime. We each have social and professional relationships or connections. We also have those persons in our life who we feel we have a spiritual connection with--a heart to heart thing. Sometimes, this connection develops over a period of time; sometimes, it is almost instantaneous.

 

 

Therefore encourage one another

and build each other up

as you are already doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

 

 

The following are short excerpts from four of my books.

In each situation, a life was impacted because of the connection.

 

 



 Introduction

In the spring of 1977, a rusty, lime-green, 1950 Chevy slowly crept up the driveway of the Gary and Cheryl Pearson farmstead. An older fellow stepped unsteadily from the car.

"Is this David?" he asked.

Gary Pearson studied the man. Definitely not from around here. A string bean of a man, weak, and pallid. The stranger wore clothes that were clean, but he appeared uncomfortable inside them.

Gary nodded and said not a word.

******

 



I first saw Star when working at the Red Owl--my first job. ...."Dark meat and lots of gravy. It's what I want and lots of gravy. Keeps my joints lose," he almost shouted like he wanted everyone to know he was there ordering his chicken. A person couldn't miss him if a person wanted to. Star always wore the same thing: black cowboy boots, tight black jeans, a black shirt with pearl buttons and a black cowboy hat. Someone asked him once if he had any other clothes. He studied them a bit and grinned. "Looks good on me, right? If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  ... I would not have paid much attention to Star. I guess you could say he started it. He started asking for me to get his chicken dinners. Like making a request. I couldn't believe my own ears when he first asked for me. "Who's that skinny gal with the long, blonde hair. I'll have her wait on me today."

 

 

********



 



 

When I first saw him at my graduation reception, I was smitten. I can't think of a better word.
I turned around after hugging my parents and there he was. Staring at me. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and wore a dark uniform. He was studying me, and I had to look away.
As I felt my face grow warm, Margo touched my arm and said, "Karen, meet Martin." 
...  his eyes followed me.
And mine were on him.





********





The service opened with the organist playing "Ave Verum," announcements, and the Call to Worship. Other than Pastor Offen and Arnie and Hank who sat next to us, I knew no one. However. when it came to the "sharing of the peace," congregation members were warm and friendly. Some even left their pew areas to greet us and welcome us to their congregation. As the members sang "This Is the Day" and "Thy Word," I looked in the bulletin for the sermong title, "Broken Hearts." My hand started to shake ... .

 

 

 

********

 

Except for the first excerpt, the above are only stories.

However, some believe that life is stranger (or more interesting?) than fiction.

Whatever the case, the world is made up of trillions of unique individuals--all created in His image and members of His body.

 

1 Corinthians 12:14-27 reads--

 

Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.... But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose... . If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need for you." On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable... . If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are all the body of Christ and individual members of it.

 

 

...consider this when you meet someone today and this week...

and reflect the love He gave you.

A single word or phrase, spoken kindly,

may turn one away from error

or cause one to feel loved and cared for....

 for a precious moment

or for a lifetime... .





The Book is Published!

The book, Thou Shalt Not, has been published!
 Over one hundred years ago, an incident occurred
 in David, Iowa, that remained the talk of the county
 for decades. After reviewing scores of newsprint
from that period of time, the story evolved.

**********

I just happened to meet Ellen Elsbury, Mitchell County Historical Museum, recently.Within minutes, Ellen was planning a book signing. I was delighted! What a perfect place to have a book signing for a story that actually occurred in Mitchell County over 100 years ago.

If you're in Osage APRIL 28, 2- 4 p.m. 
please come to the 
Mitchell County Historical Museum for
book signing for Thou Shalt Not.
Refreshments will be served. 

 ******

Like any story, there are stories behind the story.
I'd like to share the process of this particular story-telling adventure.

Do I have a story for you!

A year ago, Penney Morse contacted me and said,  
Come to my house; I have a story for you.
I have all the news clippings.
 I came somewhat reluctantly
thinking I only write fiction.
I'm not sure about doing research.

If you know Penney, you know she loves
all things historical.  You also understand
that when she has an idea, she is persistent.

Here it is, she elaborated,  
pictures and all the court 
documents involving the trial.

Her mother, Frances, quietly agreed, and
her eyes lit up--in that,  
you won't want to miss this!

Penney handed me the large file folder.
Would it even fit in my car?

I plastered a smile on my face
 and walked out the door wondering
when I could get to this. Also thinking-- 
I'll be nice, look it over, and 
tell her I can't do this. 
I don't write historical fiction.
 I'm not capable.

However, after taking the notes home, 

spreading them across my living room floor,

 reading them, 

reading them again, 

 taking notes, 
and reading between the lines--

I felt the story come alive.

No it's not Pingry; it's Pingree.

I ventured outside my comfort level and contacted people about the event.Vivian DuShane, at over 100 years of age, remembered her father telling the story of what happened in David, her hometown. She had included a short telling of this story in her own booklet of David.

Her memory is excellent. She had a familiarity with family names and their spellings.

Using the newspaper reports from 1898-99, I started writing. A bare-bones account about what happened in David, Iowa, existed. And, then, the computer crashed!

I thought about saying forget it; this is too much work. And then decided that the story more than likely needed to be written in a different way. You know how we sometimes convince ourselves that there is a reason why things happen.

I re-wrote, saved, re-wrote, 

saved on both flashdrive and another computer--

not taking any chances this second time around.  

The story evolved as a different story.   

Flesh-on-bones as Sheriff Younker put it.

Thinking I was done, I turned it over to my first-readers for initial reactions.

You have a few typos...

Penney pointed out a few missing details.
Frances smiled--with a twinkle in her eyes.

I like your picture.  Will this be on the cover?

My friend, Dorcas, another history enthusiast, read it--carefully.

Dorcas is a fellow member of Alpha Writers.

And, Alpha Writers are not afraid to critique.
It's what we do....

You're not done yet, are you?

Several weeks later, Dorcas
handed it back to me with--
  
You're not done yet, right?

I thought I was!

Back to the writing drawing board.

With each re-write, 

I added details and 

fleshed out certain scenes and conversations. 

 Dorcas was right--

I wasn't done.

Retired Sheriff Curt Younker had always had an interest in the David, Iowa, incident as it was the only murder in Mitchell County for over 100 years.

There is even a desk made by the prisoner in his office--the desk made while the prisoner worked in wood shop at the penitentiary.

Somewhat hesitantly, I called him and asked if he would agree to read the manuscript.

I usually don't read fiction; --but, yes, I'd like to read this.

He returned it with highly favorable comments.

Margaret at work.

It was time to turn it over to my editor and friend, Margaret Smolik.

After working together on my last book, our working relationship was comfortable.

She tells me I use too many "ing" words.
I think I've improved.
She's doubtful?

********

David Community Church, 1890s

DeForest Fairbanks, Mary Meier, Henry Meier, George Robbins, Mr. and Mrs. Poorte, David McLaughlin and others are characters in the book.  So is the reverend of the David Community Church and its members. 

*******

This writing process all started after my youngest child left for college.

I have always loved to read, but often returned books to the library,

because I could not get interested in the first couple of chapters.

So, I decided to write a book.

After thirty pages, I hit a stone-wall, 

writer's block--call it what you like.

I said a prayer...

Dear God, If I am to write a book, I'm going to need some help.

Thou Shalt Not is the fourth book since the prayer.

Give God the glory!

It's an easy read.

I'll give you more details next week.

If you want to order, click on the amazon.com or 

    barnes and noble link in upper-right hand corner 

     of my blog.

Please, also, consider writing a review... also easy to do.

Questions? Email me at kathystauffer@hotmail.com with  

     Thou Shalt Not in subject line.

Have a great week giving God the glory....


He is risen! 
Happy Easter...