Petals of Friendship

I recently clipped a flowering branch off a tree in our yard.   I thought I could keep it blooming so that I could take a photo of it.   Within minutes, cut away from the branch and without water, it wilted.   The photo opportunity faded. The beauty of the branch was gone as the life it held evaporated.   And so, it is with us.   Can we truly live if we are cut off from the vine?   If we are separated from God, where do we go to get life?   Where do we go to stay alive?   To have breath and to live in the splendor and truth of how we’ve been created ?    The blooms on the branch looked radiant while attached to the tree.   The collective display was grand, a picture of its purpose.   It reflected beauty, grace and God’s glory in nature. Then I looked at the wilted branch I had collected and the flowers on it. They were dead. In Luke 24:1-7, we read about the women who went to Jesus’ tomb and when they arrived,...

Our lives have been interrupted. This interruption has taken my eyes off the things that give me life.   The countless emotions keep me distracted just enough to keep me stuck in a space where I feel unmotivated and frozen much of the time. I’d call it loss of focus, but it’s more than that. Sunday mornings are filled with hope as I sit comfortably in my home and attend virtual church services through my laptop. I listen and hope I can retain eloquently revealed truths. In need these truths and I want them to replace the mindless thoughts I so often entertain these days. Will they carry me through the week? Sadly, my retention rate is pretty low. But this past Sunday, I decided to take in a second message cast through my daughter’s church in Oklahoma.  The message title seemed a little odd, considering all we're experiencing these days, but I tuned in intently.   Moving from interrupted to inspired. I’ve listed to many great messages about ...

Happy New Year, mighty woman of God. A friend sent me this text message and it took my breath away.   I don’t think she had any idea of the impact of her words.   Big words that swept through my heart and mind making me shrink and soar at the same time.   Shrinking at the thought of how far-fetched it sounded, soaring at the possibility of it.   Refusing it and embracing it.   I could wrestle with that forever.   I locked the message in my phone so I wouldn't inadvertently delete it.   This message was special because of one powerful thing.   Encouragement.   It held a blessing in it that covered my soul with something simple, yet extraordinary.   A virtual tattoo that brought life to my heart. Words of encouragement are sometimes easy to miss.   I could have deleted that message in a flash.   I could have simply dismissed it as a nice comment and gone about my business.   But there was somethi...

We're all searching. We may not realize it, but we are. We try to find that perfect thing that will make us feel loved, valued, and complete. And so, we search. We try to find it in our work, our kids, our causes, etc. The list is endless and it provides a temporary fix. We all belong to the same club. A club filled with broken people...in search of. But God sees us. He sees us running to whatever it is that catches our attention for the moment. He sees that we're tired and weary as we pursue what we are truly in search of. And what is that? Love. A Love that can only be found in HIM. And so for me, I pray. I pray I can be aware when I am caught up in my "search". And instead of looking down, to the left or to the right, that I would lift my head and gaze into the eyes of Love. Into the promise of God who says... I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!   Jeremiah 31:3  The Message This Christmas, know this... You a...

I recently heard a statement that said September is the new January. I get that!  I am so ready for the crisp weather that's around the corner.  The fall also signifies new beginnings for some of us.  Starting school, new projects, etc.   Yes, I'm a little sad to see summer go, but I am also anticipating what God has around the corner. Since I "retired" earlier this year, I've been busy and one of the things that has been in the works is a workshop I am presenting in September called the Discover Your Personal Mission Workshop. Does that sound intimidating to you?  Well, it might.  But don't check out just yet. What is a mission statement anyway?  Dave Ramsey describes it like this: A personal mission statement defines who you are as a person (or as a team member where you work) and identifies your purpose, whether that’s in the office or simply in life. It explains how you aim to pursue that purpose, and why it matters so much to you. To me, a mi...

Blooming in the Gray by Re Kielar A few months ago, I made a huge decision. I decided to retire.   I use the word retired, loosely because I truly feel I have more of me to give in life.   The problem is, I just don’t know exactly what that is.   In January, after undergoing shoulder surgery, I was certain I’d be back to work and slide easily back into place.   Nope.   Not a chance.   The recovery time period was never really explained to me (maybe I wasn’t paying close attention), so I was propelled home after an unsuccessful return to my job.   I found the rest I needed at home, and after more time passed, I finally felt ready for a second attempt to return to work. I was all in.   Sort of.   Something in me was stirring and I wasn’t sure what it was.   I shared my thoughts I had with my husband and he matter-of-factly said a few words that seemed to set me free.   “Stay home,” he said.   I almost asked him to say...

It has been a tough winter, hasn't it?  We are more than ready for a new season!  For some of us, it might mean a change in a season in our lives, and that could look like many different things. Maybe it's simply a time to get back to the basics of understanding how deeply loved you are.  To really allow yourself to rest in that and to fully invite God into your journey.  Baby steps, my friend! This post include a devotional to help you take one baby step.  You will enter the story of Jesus' interaction with the woman at the well, and will explore the kindness and grace of God. Be bless on your journey- Re A Walk to the Well Devotional - click here

Write your mission statement! In my last post, I talked about purpose.  More specifically, I talked about creating the foundation of your purpose by writing a personal mission statement for your life.  I realize this may sound daunting to some of you, but let's review the benefits of this exercise.  If you had time to consider your spiritual gifts, knowing what those are can be a great help to help you form your mission statement.  Your personal mission statement will: Validate your gifts. Give you direction on what you will and will not do in life. Be an inspiration to yourself, and it will inspire others as they see you working through the gifts God gave you. Give you freedom and clarity, enabling you to live through your God given gifts. Where do you begin? Set aside time for prayer.  Ask God to show you your gifts and talents. Write down moments in your life when you were doing something and you felt most alive. Take note of th...

Purpose.  It’s a word we hear and we can either run to it, or run from it.  If you are drawn to it, then maybe this post is for you.  If you are already thinking this isn’t for you.  Give it a chance.  If anything, you might find a piece of your heart. So, I’m really not going to talk about purpose so much as I am going to talk about the foundation underneath it.   And while we have heard the word purpose a lot, we may not have heard the idea of crafting a personal mission statement. Businesses have them, typically.   But in real life, who really has one and does it resonate the truth of who you are?   I am not suggesting that this becomes a self-serving exercise.   It’s actually the opposite. There is a nudge or stirring in each of us, especially when we reach that midpoint in life that adjusts our focus to look forward to our "second half".   Some people think it's retirement.  Or, maybe you haven't reach that midpoi...

The agave plant is beautiful. It grows in hot, dry climates mostly in the southwest.  Close to home, we might be acquainted with it as a sweetener.  The agave has many other beneficial uses, but it is also poisonous and can lead to problems if it punctures the skin.  Aren't we the same?  We possess both the bitter and the sweet. The poison that can pierce a heart and the ability to speak sweetly and convey love. Beautiful and ugly, good and bad. Each quality resides in all of of us.    What do we do when we've been hurt by someone we love?  Strike back with our own woundedness? Run? Retreat? Shut down? That's what I tend to do. I nurse my wound and feel sorry and angry at the same time. It's not a healthy place to be. In my head, I believe I have to figure it out on my own. And in that place, I usually remain stuck. Only until my heart starts to listen to the nudges of the Holy Spirit, do I stand a chance to make progress.  And so I have to ...

It is a mystery.   My husband held his hand out and in it was a lovely sea shell.   He heard it land on the driveway from out of nowhere.   We both wondered where it came from. Maybe a bird found it and dropped it in flight.   Or maybe the shell was caught up by the wind and happened to find its resting place near where Joe was working.   It was the last thing he expected to see.   The shell appeared delicate in structure, and it would seem the fall alone could have chipped it, but it didn’t.   Researchers have learned that sea shells are formed with a strong and resilient design structure.   This design endures the stress of their environment and allows fractures to appear where they would do the least harm to the organism inside.   It’s all about protection.   Isn’t that amazing?   What a great picture of how God uses His strength and resilience in our circumstances.   How He takes on the stresses so we don’t “break”. ...

The beginning of Petals of Friendship So what is  Petals of Friendship ?   In 1997, I was still what I would consider a fairly new believer.  I had a thirst for God and wanted the important people in my life to know HIM, too. My desire to know God on a deeper level led me to read and learn.  I also had a great community of women around me who helped me grow in my new found faith.  Thinking back, we were all in different places in our journeys, but one thing rang true.  We loved the Lord and shared that love in our own unique ways.  For me, it came through the creative process of writing.  And so,  Petals of Friendship  was what came from that.  I came across my original newsletter in some old papers I've kept and was surprised to see the date of my first newsletter.  The very first newsletter (top photo) was printed sometime around 1996, on a pin-feed printer.  I vaguely remember that first "edition".  I chuckl...

Dolores was someone who impacted my heart and yet, I never met her.  I learned about her at her memorial service, where her family gathered and shared loving memories and anecdotes about who she was and how she impacted their lives.  Her children and grandchildren conveyed who she was through stories filled with humor, tears and  tenderness.  Her unique and authentic qualities were a common thread throughout the evening.  Each shared memory drew a clear picture of who Dolores was, and as the stories unfolded I began to get a sense of her spirit and personality. Dolores not only sought joy, but she gave it away, freely.  It was a big part of who she was, and it was a significant trait she shared with her family and friends in abundance.  Her life was built upon it, and she communicated this to her family by telling them they each had a choice in life.  That each day, they had the ability to choose joy .  To her, it would be one o...

A bold white line on the right side of my lane and a bright yellow line on the other side.  Orange cones warning me about fresh paint.  I was driving down a freshly striped road. Great.  Now I have to really focus and make sure I don’t veer out of my lane.  I felt a little nervous. If I veered just a little bit, well…I’d be creating a disaster. If you have ever driven over fresh road striping paint, or seen a car that has, you know it really ruins a car’s paint job.   Please let me stay within the lines .  That was my prayer.  Isn’t that how we sometimes try to live our lives?  Staying within the lines so we can have proof that we are doing it right?  I go outside the lines so many times.  It is easy to do and I don’t even recognize it at times because I just go about my merry way.  Yet, I veer off in seemingly simple ways.  By comparing myself to others, by puttin...