Chapel of Hope Stories

Dear Reader:

While riding down Johnny Dodds Avenue Thursday I saw what looked like a small mini-van with the following words on the back window.

We’re Here to Help Brighten Your Day

From the back it looked like a personal car and I was struck by such open sentiment to mankind … reminding me of Father Tim’s personal mantra “Let me be a blessing to someone today. “

As I got closer, however, I realized it was a store van with the name Bundt Cakes on the side. Admittedly it did take a little ” wow” off my enthusiasm when I thought it was an individual or family car. Still… if you have ever had a Bundt Cake-it really does brighten your day!

I “literally ” fell into some funny pictures of examples of taking signs too literally!

I plead guilty to contributing to its overuse …especially as I get older and life experiences teach me there is more gray in life than black and white.

I think in conversation we somehow think we are more believable if we start or end a statement with ” literally.”

As a writer I should know better. Joe Fridays ” Just the facts madame… just the facts.” would have a hard time cutting it in today’s ” fake news” society. Things have gotten so bad that even the old days of ” yellow journalism” look white comparatively-especially since there actually few if any real facts to back up attacks and accusations.

But if we did live in a ” literal” world…. well it could bring about some creative and figurative actions. Have fun!

So until tomorrow I can literally, actually tell you I believe this statement to be true in my soul!

“Today is my favorite day.” Winnie the Pooh

I love my friend and mentor Janet Bender-she takes giving and helping to a whole other level. She picked up shirt Bekah gave Ben to wear for a picture together-then took it home and made aprons for Bekah and Ady so they will always have a ” piece” of Ben with them . What a fantastic project of love!!!

Dear Reader:

Susan drove me to Wellmore Assisted Living yesterday since she had to pick up some medical tests from East Cooper Hospital.

Ben was in great spirits… he’s exercising now daily and the medical staff is beginning work on setting up a baseline for his medical needs which has been long overdue in creating.

After leaving we picked up lunch and then went to Marshall/ Home Goods for a little shopping and it was there that I got my God Wink… the wooden plaque in the title photo.

As soon as I read the words I knew God was trying to reach me to give me a new perception of my life right now.

Oh how I remember as a single mother thinking that surely one day the peace and quiet I so desperately sought would be available to me. And guess what? It has!

Since my retirement, even with the breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatments, my life has been exactly what I wanted. A new start in my spiritual life with the blog post, my true love writing, traveling, five beautiful grandchildren… my independence to come and go as I please. Like Father Tim…in the Mitford series, when he felt empty… God slowly started filling him back up and his life was never the same… it was better!

As Madeleine L’Engle once observed… ” I am still every age that I have been.” I feel the same way… I still want to learn the latest jargon and dance steps from the grandkids… have adventures.

Sometimes, however, we do need to pause and refresh, as Coke reminds us… when we have sent too much out… we need to wait for us to fill up again before proceeding down our chosen path.

Thank so many of you for adding your own depletion stories and your tools to dig back out! Linda Carson opened her calendar yesterday and wanted to share the daily message! Perfect!

So until tomorrow… ( Madeleine L’ Engle) ” It is when things go wrong when good things do not happen when our prayers seem to be lost, that God is most present.”

Summer is over…. School Days are Back!

Dear Reader:

A great God Wink yesterday appeared while going through a book shelf… the first book in the Mitford series fell out and I read the introduction inside the front cover.

The summary read: Father Tim finds himself running on empty. Just that one line made me so happy-even Father Tim found himself in a similar predicament as myself ! It happens to everyone!

Father Tim has helped so many people discover a new lease on life… now can he find one? Haven’t we all found ourselves wondering the same thing! Proverbs: Physician heal thyself? Before attempting to change other others’ lives, make sure we aren’t guilty of the same faults.

And how does God fill Father Tim back up? With a huge black dog named Barbabas, his secretary Emma who treats him like a ten-year-old, a hostile mountain

boy named Dooley who is thrust in his care. And… Cynthia Coppersmith-the soon to be love of his life!

God has such a wonderful sense of humor as He guides us along new paths unforeseen or expected.

We just have to keep believing God’s purpose for each of us is connected to all the new life experiences God plants in front of us.

So until tomorrow Father restore my strength and curiosity to continue searching for the people who will add heart and soul to our being … so we can then pass it on!

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

With all the rain we have had lately the grandchildren’s Japanese maples are gorgeous!

Dear Reader:

It dawned on me yesterday, while the monsoons hit full force, off and on in strong intervals, that it had happened… burnout had hit me with the same force as the outside gales.

When I got my “newish ” car two and a half years ago after the Vue was stolen and totaled, it was the first time I had ever had a car communicate with me -a light came on when a tire was low, when a battery was low or gasoline… it made me feel so safe.

The worst light to come on, of course, is the engine or transmission light! From prior experience I know that if those lights come on… STOP!!! You can’t fudge with those and try making it to a filling station. ( which these days can only offer you a drink and snacks anyway.)

Personally I now realize , as Anne Lamott says, ” Burning out is something that happens-it’s not something you can choose against! ”

” When there is no more gas in the car, you can’t choose to magically have more gas with the snap of your fingers. You need a gas station for that. When there’s no battery juice left in your phone, you can’t choose to boost your battery with positive thinking-you need a charging cable for that. When there is no energy left inside you-mental, physical or emotional-you can’t demand more energy to appear through even the most disciplined thinking-you need rest, recover, and self-care for that!

Burnout, though, isn’t the depletion of only one, or even two, of your stores of energy-it’s a depletion of all three. When there’s no energy left to utilize , our system shuts down.

I wish I had an icon in the top right corner of my vision that could tell me how much mental, physical, and emotional energy I have/had left before shut-down… eh?

So yesterday I slept most of the day away and then dragged myself to Publix where I got my booster shot-anything with the word booster sounded promising to me.

I think the young girl at the pharmacy could have cared less about my ” compromised” immune system due to metastatic breast cancer… just one quick glance at me made me a prime candidate! 🤣

I was completely depleted of everything!

I think they are trying to get rid of the leftover moderna Covid serum-I fit the description!

I now realize sometimes I forget in all my ” Be Kind” reminders to check out the mirror occasionally.

So until tomorrow…Remember you are in control of your decisions…but you are not always in control of the consequences of those decisions! Choose wisely!

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

Last day of freedom before school starts tomorrow and Jake caught his first little brown fish from the pond-all by himself! Let’s hope it is a good omen for a great first grade year!

Dear Reader:

I had to chuckle to myself when I read StoryWorth’s question for this week. “What advice would you give your great-grandchildren?”

I don’t admit to being very good at math but even I know how to add… and the sum of the numbers it would take for my grandchildren to grow up, marry and possibly have children( my great grandchildren) would total…“deceased” for me! 🤣

As the expression goes… I am getting ” Up There” and I still have very young grandchildren! But actually my advice remains the same.

” Be kind, Be kind, Be kind.” I sure wish I could claim this quote ( because it is my favorite) but Henry James beat me to it. After a lifetime of ups and downs, successes and failures, happiness and sadness… I intuitively understand now that whatever is sent out into the universe returns to us… whether it be a kindness boomerang or a meanest boomerang!

It is up to us to discover that the secret to happiness doesn’t rotate around us and our needs… but outwardly to others and their needs

So future grandchildren… whenever you fall into the slumps…think of someone else beside yourself and do something for them. It is amazing how fast the world can right itself again when you perform one simple act of kindness. For starters smile at a stranger and wish them a good day!

So until tomorrow… “In a world where you can be anything…BE KIND!

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

Yesterday Rutledge and Lachlan started back to school -third and first grades respectively while Eloise returns to pre-school. Walsh took two pictures

1. The way we were on the first day -our good memory perception from the past and … now

2. Reality now on the first day of school. The whole family sat down and decided to take every precaution available to keep the family members safe at school and pray for a safe healthy return for all children.

Dear Reader:

I still remember the sheer terror I felt as a youth going to see Vincent Price’s movie version of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum. The whole neighborhood gang went and I didn’t want to be teased so I stayed to the end but paid for it with nightmares for a week.

Since I am under the zodiac sign of the scales… I am a Libra and always feel more comfortable in my skin when my physical, emotional, and spiritual life is in sync and balanced.

Yet, even withstanding a morbid terrifying interpretation of a pendulum, a.k.a. Poe…my grandmother gave me another idea about pendulums that have remained to this day.

Basically she explained that everyone was going to go through good times and extremely challenging ones but the lower the pendulum on one side… the higher it goes on the other.

Life itself does like to stay in sync with a balance so whenever I was going through a tragedy or extremely difficult time in my life… I just envisioned how high the pendulum would soon rise with happiness at the tip top flowing down on me.

To date… it has always worked…IF we have the patience to see the pattern through.

Understanding the pendulum helps me have patience with myself remembering that that all my misses are slowly getting me closer to my goal. Like Goldilocks trying out the porridge and furniture, I must keep trying things out until I discover my happiness zone… where I fit in life.

So until tomorrow… no one can stay happy forever …no matter how much we want the pendulum to stay frozen at the top… life IS change because God, in His infinite wisdom, designed it that way!

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

And change was worth waiting on Saturday to be with my grandchildren, dogs and family again! Here are a few snapshots!

Dear Reader:

I am waiting on the next moonflower bloom to appear and open. Don’t you remember how excited I was when a couple of weeks ago the first gorgeous bloom appeared?

I was at one of my lowest points-tired and sad-then suddenly as I was typing I glanced out my window and there was this beautiful moonflower bloom -a desperately needed God Wink.

Isn’t that the way it is in life? Not just living paycheck to paycheck… but bloom to bloom? We never know when it will happen and that is what makes it so intriguing!

However I must confess that I have never had to wait this long between moonflower blooms before…very strange. I feel like, however, that the evening it unfurls again will be a special time-a moment that exudes hope and happiness.

Yesterday I was happy … Bekah and Ady followed me to Wellmore to see their dad and granddad. Ben was so happy to see them!!

From there I was leaving for the first family gathering in Mt Pleasant…in weeks! We were finally back together before school starts back this week! In other words… yesterday my life was once again in full bloom.

So until tomorrow…”Living life in full bloom means living with hope and purpose in a way that cherishes and honors our planet, spirit, and each other. ” -Elizabeth Murray

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

In Ecclesiastes 3… Scripture reads ” To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the Heaven”…

Apparently God must think we are all challenged learners since just when we thought the worst was over with Covid … a term from the past… here we go again.

Yet there must be a purpose behind this second wave of sickness and sadness. No doubt our faith is being tested once again… and this time touching the most vulnerable spot within us… our hearts and protective love for our children and grandchildren.

God knows our heart already. He just wants to bring it out in our character. God keeps testing us even when we fail… preparing us for the most important test at some unforeseen future point in our lives.

James reminds us that the testing of our faith develops perseverance.

Job asks God why He tests man every morning in every moment.

Peter realizes we have to endure trials to show our faith is genuine.

My faith, like everyone else’s has been tested … especially with my on-going metastatic breast cancer and now my brother’s vascular dementia. But yet God has never left my side or dropped my hand.

So until tomorrow… We pass the faith test when we don’t surrender to despair and bitterness.

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

How many of us have thought to ourselves ” I’ve blown it… if only I had a second chance?”

From the Creation on…the number 2 is the first number that we can divide another number from…as in initially(first) the earth lay in chaos, it’s condition was ruin and darkness.

The second thing recorded was the introduction of light. The Bible says that God divided the light from the darkness and the light He called day and the darkness, night.

With each succeeding second Creation implementation… a new positive opportunity arises. Just like when God gives us second chances at life, at happiness…at success.

Sometimes when we make a mistake in life it feels so final. Yet our God is the God of second chances.

We forget that God is a God of mercy and compassion and that His mercies are new every morning.

Five years ago, in 2016, Mev Schieder put this plaque on -line and I have loved it ever since! I do believe this is exactly what God would like to see all of us believe in and live in….in His House!

Please continue to keep my brother Ben in your prayers as he tries to keep his darkness and confusion at bay while more light and second chances at clarity click on long enough to keep hope alive.

So until tomorrow… ” Your grace and mercy brought me through, I’m living this moment because of you.” ( And a red ladder that bounced or was blown away by God at the last possible second to keep Ben and me alive…

Dear Reader:

I slept last night. What a joy to be able to say that… I had not slept through the night since Ben arrived. I never knew when Ben would appear in the morning-could be six or ten. He paced a lot at night.

I am going to see him today with his new land line phone and check his mail for him. Wanted to give him a day to start acclimating to his new surroundings.

I remember mother always did better when kept to a firm schedule-any deviation upset her. So I am hoping Ben will soon get into a routine that cements his security and builds confidence in his understanding of each day.

When I woke up yesterday morning I felt like the past few weeks’ troubling uncertainties had lifted-at least enough to give me some breathing room.

My first desire was to try to save as many plants as possible after being neglected the last few weeks. I did apologize to my plants and I felt their gentle forgiveness… once again my garden transformed into my sanctuary.

As I was watering the front porch planters…the sun’s rays going through my bottle tree brightened my spirits-thank you God.

However it has always been stories that saved me and while going back through some old posts… God once again made the following selection for me to share with you today. It is an old legend.

Burdens Give Us Wings

Long ago God had a great many burdens which He wished to have carried from one place to another on earth…so He asked the animals to lend a hand. But all of them began to make excuses for not helping: the elephant was too dignified; the lion, too proud; and so on.

Finally the birds came to God and said, ” If you will tie the burdens into small bundles, we’ll be glad to carry them for you. We are small but we would like to help.”

So God fastened a small bundle on each small back and they all set out walking to their destination. They sang as they traveled and did not seem to feel the weight of their burdens at all. In fact, every day the burdens seemed lighter until the loads seemed to be lifting the birds carrying the burdens.

When they arrived at their destination, they discovered while removing their loads, there were WINGS in their place, wings which enabled them to fly in the sky and the tree tops!

They had learned how to carry their burdens and their loads had become wings … carrying them nearer to God. Burdens we carry for others may become wings of the Spirit, to lift us into happiness such as we have never known.

So until tomorrow… blessings can be found in burdens when shared with others.

” Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh