When Change is Thrust Upon Us

learning to fly

“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”~C. S. Lewis

My son Josh graduates from high school this Friday. Thank God he’s not leaving the nest, as well. I don’t think I could handle that much change all at once. I’m definitely not ready for him to fly away! J

At times I think—if only he could be a toddler again for one day. Sounds like a good plan, but life doesn’t work that way. And would we want it to? Some days I’d answer with a resounding “Yes!” but then I realize God gives us the fortitude to go through life once—not twice. And it’d be pretty selfish to wish someone else’s life would be put on hold to satisfy our longings.

So why is transition so difficult? We know when we have children, their years under our wings are limited. But we often wish for them to “get grown” while trying to slow them down at the same time.

C.S. Lewis has a point. We balk at change and rail at monotony. We can’t have it both ways. But when change is thrust upon us, a practical solution is to stay busy.

So…

 

Since Josh is graduating and our daughter Lindsay is returning home for an extended weekend, we decided to do a long-overdue deck remodel. Our Australian Shepherd Dixie had claimed the patio chairs as her own, so we replaced the old patio set, our old grill, and added a water feature and deck plants. 

These pics don’t do it justice, but these are the “after” pics. I wasn’t smart enough to think to take “before” pics.

 

 

We left Dixie one old chair to keep her off the new set.  

 

While change is often bittersweet, we can revel in the splendor of the greatest change we could ever experience—when we repent of our old ways and accept rebirth through Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

Praise God!

I heard this song for the first time this week. It fits well with the theme of change. I hope you're as blessed by it as I was.

I’m all about encouragement, so this week I’m asking you, my readers, to share some. What ideas or favorite scripture passages do you have to encourage others going through transition? Perhaps the change is not as happy as graduation but something that leaves one feeling helpless like the death of a loved one or moving to a new city. If you’ve “been there, done that,” share an encouraging comment for those in the throes of change.

And if you have a prayer request or praise report, I’d love to hear from you. E-mail me any confidential requests. Would you take a moment to visit Sgt. Jesse McCart’s page at the top of the blog (new photos added), as well as the Mission page which has the latest opportunity for you to help out? The biggest way you can help, as always, is prayer.

God bless,

Laura ✞

©Laura Hodges Poole

Tomorrow Is A New Day

Choose a new direction

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A radio host recently asserted that ninety percent of our thoughts are the same from one day to the next. Do you believe that?

When you stop to consider, the figure makes perfect sense. Don’t we follow the same routine schedule, deal with the same problems, and encounter the same people? Without conscious effort to do otherwise, it’s logical our thoughts would be the same. We ruminate over mistakes and sometimes blunder ahead with no better choices or refuse to make changes that could lead to a better path.

A trend has unfolded since the first of the year. Instead of resolutions, many folks have chosen a word for the year. Abundance. Dependence (on Christ). Forgiveness. Perseverance. Yet, one word I haven’t seen is the one I mentioned a few weeks ago in reference to fear.

Change.

How can a six-letter word be so scary? Why does it take so much effort to think new thoughts, believe new ideas, and embrace a new path?

The failure to do so is what leads to all other failure in life.

So there you have it. My word for 2013 is change. Better late than never, I guess. J

Some changes this year will be bittersweet, like my son graduating high school, while other change I’ll embrace. And yes, some will be scary. But in the meantime, I’ll cling to a verse that reminds me, no matter what changes in my temporal earthly life, there’s one thing I can always count on to stay the same:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

Can I get an amen?

I will be leaving for The Cove (Billy Graham training center in Asheville, NC) on Friday for a weekend writers’ conference. Please pray for my traveling safety both Friday and when I return on Sunday. Pray that my writing will be edified and my goals strengthened by the presence of the Holy Spirit always in abundance at this beautiful mountaintop complex. My schedule will be chock-full, but I will attempt to blog some photos during the conference.

If you have a prayer request, please share it in the comments below or email me confidential requests. Would you take a moment to lift up those on the prayer list at the top of the blog, along with Sgt. Jesse McCart as he continues rehab?

TC Avey requests prayer for her sister-in-law. It has only been three months since her brother (TC’s father-in-law) died of lung cancer. She was diagnosed a few weeks ago with the same cancer. She is progressing really rapidly. Without a touch for God, she will not make it.

We have a praise report from Courtney’s family on her MRI last week. This is from her Caring Bridge site:

Courtney's MRI showed no changes and the area below the tumor cavity that they have been watching for months, looked the same as last time. Dr. Peters still feels that this may be calcium deposits from prior radiation treatment and not tumor growth. To be sure, she has ordered a PET scan along with the contrast MRI on our next visit in late March. This will determine if it is indeed scar tissue or tumor. Should the PET scan show scar tissue, Dr. Peters plans to address reducing or removing one of Courtney's chemo drugs. She will remain on the Avastin IV indefinitely, but at least she may be able to drop one of the two oral chemo drugs.

Thank you all again for your concern and interest for Courtney. I assure you that we are so thankful and take great comfort in knowing that prayers and well wishes are coming her way, especially on the days we are Duke waiting on results. God bless you all.

The only thing I can add is Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

God bless,

Laura

©Laura Hodges Poole

Photo courtesy of Microsoft.com free clip art