Power of Prayer

Often I don't share prayer requests. People have so many of their own. I try to be discreet as well. That said, sometimes several struggles come along all at once. If trouble impacts those closest to me, I'm generally sharing with others so they can pray with me. 

This past week, my beloved sister fell quite ill. She's been in a hospital that's about 7 hours from me because we're on vacation. It's been very difficult to not be with her. We pray, and I've asked many others to pray. Mostly friends I've prayed for in the past. That's how love goes, right? We bear one another's burdens. If we believe the heart of God is moved by prayer, then we ought to beseech Him when we've got needs. He's the Great Physician, so He's who we go to. 

During this same time period, my middle daughter took a hard hit and fell backwards onto concrete, sustaining a concussion that lasted several days. Five days later, she still finds bright lights to hurt her eyes. She was feeling ill when the collision occurred, and has been sick a couple of times already this summer. She's a delicate girl, and this job has been a very new endeavor for her.  Working at a physically and emotionally demanding job is quite the opposite of a government type computer science internship. I'm so grateful for the friends who have prayed for her healing. We're blessed to be in a church where everyone knows each of us. 

It's a balance to be found: troubling others with our needs or keeping them between us and God. Pride can keep us from asking, and it can compel us to ask when we ought to hold off. 

Being on this particular vacation, I used to enjoy being off my phone and computer all week. We are still not on the computer doing normal life,  but I've been on my phone a lot for the first time. There's just no way with the health issues and two kids working where they barely get free time to text or call. It's a season. God is faithful to give us the rest we need in other ways. To be broken and spilled out for His use is my dream. At the end of this life, I hope all who know me think of good works I've done to bring glory to the Lord. Whether it be having them over, praying with them, giving them something they needed, or doing something for them. What else is this life for?

Best of the Burg Fredericksburg VA

Two realities make Best of the Burg seem far less serious than it did even a year ago.  

1. It took weeks longer for the results to come out than what was originally slated as the deadline. 

2. As of July 1, 2025, the results aren't posted online anywhere. 

It appears The Freelance Star wanted to try to increase newspaper sales so they allegedly put an insert in the paper with the results, finally, on June 29th. My guess is that one could buy a digital subscription to the paper to see if they can then find the results online. Of course it's the papers prerogative to run the contest and do what they want with the results. I'm just putting it out there that despite my voting, none of this is going to entice me to buy a digital subscription or a paper. Had we been in town, maybe I would have bought a Sunday paper. What is being accomplished is my lack of interest next year in voting. The whole thing seems to have lost its luster now that it's drug on for so long and I still can't see the results. Why bother?

Signed, 

20 yr Fredericksburg resident who voted faithfully the past 4 yrs.

Baby Cacti

These were started as seeds last summer! 15 started and now we're looking at 9. For a while I thought all had died. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong, but they sure grow slow!

Only One Life by C.T. Studd

Only One Life
C.T. Studd

Two little lines I heard one day, Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgment seat;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its days I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say ’twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

The Sting of Death and Remembering

Technology is such a blessing and a curse. I'm torn at the moment on which it is. I've just finished reading an email exchange between my dear old friend and myself from Aug 2015. My friend has been with the Lord for 8 years now, so this was not terribly long before the end of her life. The end was so unexpected and tragic. Out of it was born another wonderful friendship for me between her mom and me. That sweet friendship lasted until 2024 when she, at 93, said her final farewell. Two great losses from the same family. Both caring listeners with comforting advice. Reading my friend's words just makes me cry. I hear her voice in those words and am flooded with memories on what a comfort she was during some lonely years. The narrow road of raising conservative Christian children was often one where I wished for friends. I had this one friend who understood my concerns and why we just didn't fit with most people. 

God knows what we need when we need it. He knows who we need when we need them. 

I'm not sure how I went from being 41 to 51 so fast. How I went from having a very close friend to being someone who tragically lost my closest friend. We all live with loss and we move forward. God shows us blessings and those do ease the pain of loss. I'd never want to trade the friendship with my friend's mom for anything. She was such a dear lady to me. My first widowed friend as a matter of fact. How I loved that English girl!

It is amazing how we can be so sure we need something only to look back and see that we don't need it presently at all. God is so faithful. He has carried me along and now so many things I recall struggling with, are barely a thing in my world. There's still hints here and there at times, but He has filled gaps, given purpose, and given friends to walk this road of life. I don't have the same needs now as I had as a younger woman. 

He gives a greater grace, and He gives it when we need it. My church family has become so important to me. Moreso than I would have ever thought possible. And God has used the tragedy of my friend's loss to always keep the flame burning of truth in mental health issues and how many of the struggles in that category are not dealt with rightly by the world. My faith in psychology couldn't be lower. My faith in mental hospitals couldn't be lower. My belief that mind altering drugs help people is nearly zero, and when they do, it is a needle in a haystack situation. People struggle with real problems and respect for human life and dignity demands real answers, which come from God and His word and those who know how to use it to help. Hormonal changes from cancer and surgery need a very careful handling. Mind altering drugs are not the answer. We have to have a solution to the crisis a woman's body goes through before we remove all her hormones. 

God's timing is perfect, always. And He knows the end from the beginning, yet somewhere in there is human responsibility and consequences to actions. A lot of things do not add up, and I'm thankful I can take comfort that my friend is with the Lord. That is the only way I can relax and leave it in His hands to have the final justice. 

Signing off tonight, remembering Terri and Rita, with love. ♥

Productive Days

Some people make lists and work off them for weeks and weeks, sometimes even months. I've certainly made lists when there are specific tasks I'm knocking out and need to prioritize, but often there are long tasks in my mind that only I can do, and which only really matter to me. They are the hard things that aren't going to happen incidentally or bit by bit. Multiple rooms in the house will be impacted simultaneously while I clean out, organize and restructure spaces. 

Today was such a day of productivity. 

Epic things have happened in this house since May with kitchen cleaning out and reorganization, armoires being reorganized and items consolidated or tossed, and we're using one desk in the living room that finally has all my stuff in or near it, organized. I've done a major culling of my clothing and have seriously tackled my husband's clothes, piling up categories for him to go through when he gets the mind to do it. 

The impetus was packing up my daughter's items from college and then packing all of her items for moving out. Suddenly the volume of what one person can have hit me hard, and I needed to take a solid look at my own clothes hoarding. No longer do my drawers have clothes crammed in them, and I've taken lots out that I simply never wore. It is so freeing. Shoes that didn't work are gone. Why hold on to them? 

This is just the start, and I hope to free up more space in this house before 2026, but at least we're off to a good start. 

The garage needs work yet again, but that can't happen until the desk we removed from the house sells and my daughter's stuff is in her apartment. Meanwhile, I've got more than a few old computers to deal with. That is a project I can't wait to be done with! ♥