9/10/21 9/10/21

Poetry Devotional True Security

Praise ye the LORD.Praise the LORD, O my soul. —Psalm 146:1

I’m glad
God has a plan
And I rest safely
In the palm of His hand.

Sometimes I wander off to do my own thing. Forgive me. Thank you, Lord, that you are there when I come running back, ready to shield and protect. Amen.

8/30/21 8/30/21

Blog Bio Full circle, renovations and Collins Park

Before we started having children, we wanted to be settled. Our rental sold and we found another until my contractor brother built a house suitable for my many limitations.

Paul had several plots of land. We chose one on the land that had been a Nazarene Campground in south Kearney. We chose it because it was south of Collins Park and South of Bryant School where our children would one day attend.

When our kids were preschool age, the park was a blessing. I couldn’t chase after our very active kids. Letting them loose at the park was not an option. Back then, I had another option.

At the park, there was the usual play equipment for everyone else. For the very young children, there was a kid’s play area. Enclosed within a round fence, was play equipment suitable for our little kids. I could stand in the entryway, keep an eye out for our kids, and know they were safe.

We went to the park often on those hot summer days. As our kids entered school, the city decided to expand the baseball area. They ripped out the young child’s area to expand the ballfield and surroundings with bleachers.

The child’s play area was never restored. I felt sad about that, especially for other young parents. However, by then our children had outgrown that play area anyway. While our kids were never into baseball, they still had lots of play equipment they could use at the park.

As children do, our two grew up, left home, attended college, married, and had children of their own. Except for gathering with friends for picnics once in a while, we seldom crossed the street to the park. Nevertheless, I enjoyed hearing the shouts, screams, and laughter as children enjoyed the park.

During the Covid pandemic, the park was silent. Way too silent. I was glad when the park opened up again to children and families. A few months ago, the noise level from children decreased dramatically while the growl of big equipment, saws, hammers, and more echoed.

Once more, Collins Park underwent a major renovation. A splash pad surrounded by play equipment has been unveiled. Once more, I smile as I hear the shouts and laughter of children running through water guns and are splashed from equipment that provides a fun and quick cool down in the heat.

Things come full circle. My two youngest grandchildren beg to go across the street to the park when they visit. While the kid’s play area is gone, in its place is a fun alternative. Love to hear the laughter as my youngest grandchildren enjoy the same park that once captured the interest of their mom and uncle.Thank you Kearney for updating Collins Park.

8/23/21 8/23/21

Blog dangers of historical ignorance

My brother Paul’s birthday is June 22nd. Since his passing in 2019, we remember him by taking his widow out to eat. This year, my sister Karin from Kansas chose to join us. But she had another reason for visiting.

When Dad died in 1988 in International Falls, MN where he made his home, my sister, brother, myself and his wife and family went through his things to make choices for our families. Some items, such as his pastor's collection of books, were given away to other pastors, with other items going to his close friends. We were far from home and needed to return home so much of dad’s things were packed up.

Paul brought them home with the idea Karin, Paul and I would go through the boxes later. Only we never did, and years passed by.Then Paul died and now we had to deal with his things and Dad’s things. Two years later, we’re still going through things.

Part of Karin’s trip to Kearney included going through items from World War II he collected while he was overseas as well as Minneapolis newspapers Mom saved from the end of the war.

We divided pictures and got rid of negatives we would never turn into photos. We found any number of Bibles. one was special. It was a small worn Bible with a zipper that Mom gave Dad and, we suspect, the Bible went through the war with Dad.

There were maps, and books to help soldiers make their way around a foreign country. Dad was a medic in Italy and North Africa right behind the front lines. These soldiers went overseas to protect their own families and nation from the evil perpetuated on European citizens, especially Jewish people, evil that included torture, starvation, experimentation, and death.

At great sacrifice, American and other soldiers defeated the Nazi dictatorship that threatened the entire world. Yet today, and especially since many schools do not teach actual history, many individuals have no clue of the importance of the World Wars to keep America free, It gets worse.

Before Independence Day I heard a reporter ask regular persons on the street what we celebrated on July 4th. A great many had no idea. Our young people aren’t turning away from our Constitutional principles of faith and freedom--they’ve never been taught about them.

Many in schools are taught a form of history that is twisted, bigoted--such as the Critical Race Theory (CRT), and altogether false. If a nation loses its history, it loses its foundation and a nation without a foundation will crumble. There are far too many in places of education and government who are hoping for this result.

I was thankful that we had Dad’s reminders of what Dad fought for so long again. I was even more thankful, that when I contacted our kids and grandkids, they wanted those WWII mementos.

As long as we have citizens who care about the past and share it with the next generation, America might actually survive.

I pray the sacrifices of our soldiers have not been in vain.
© 2021 Carolyn R Scheidies
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8/19/21 8/19/21

Poetry Devotion Truly Free

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
—I John 2:15-16

Grasping tightly is God's plan,
But only to His proffered hand,
Not to the car, the house, the ring,
Not to the bank account which pays for everything.

Then there's the little plastic card,
Which makes present living easy, the future hard.
Debt becomes a way of life,
Greed producing endless strife.

Selfish persons, selfish ends,
Compromise, escape the trend,
While honor and honesty but names,
In a vicious cycle of the game.

God's own people caught up as well,
Is there a difference, hard to tell!
Rationalizing all the way,
Hold fast to what's mine, the only play.

But He calls us to a higher aim,
Jesus who died, His hurting people to reclaim.
Conquered death and hell and sin
The choice is ours to ask Him
to take command within.

Can I tell He lives within?
Or do I keep His love locked in,
Never show His out-poured grace,
Because I cling to my social place.

Oh, Lord, I see what I have done,
In substituting possessions and status for your Son,
Let greed and pride possess my soul,
Never giving you the whole.

In repentance, I lay all at your feet,
The very things I thought so sweet,
Things that warped all I was meant to be,
Lord, I stand condemned before Thee.

Honor and honesty your plan,
Wide open in both heart and hand,
Forgive me, Lord, that I might stand,
Holding tightly to your hand.

With the other, I reach out,
So others might know what your love's all about.
As your unselfish love flows through me,
I thank you, Lord, that in you, I am truly free.

Lord, it's easy to let things take priority in my life. Help me, Lord, to put all on the altar for you. Amen.

8/16/21 8/16/21

Blog Health more than the physical

Just as Americans are adjusting to a life without masks, recommendations are swirling for tighter restrictions again. The truth is--viruses mutate. If we keep shutting down, we will never be free of masks or distancing. We will constantly be at the mercy of government agents who will bully and force the will of a few onto the many.

Those who wear masks throughout a work shift, need to put on a fresh mask several times a day. Masks gather body fluids, germs, and bacteria until they are a health risk. Think about taping a used tissue to your face for several hours. (BTW, I was told about the importance of changing masks by a nurse from Grand Island who worked with Covid patients.)

Some medical personnel are concerned about the long-term use of masks. Masks may impair breathing and may well cause respiratory problems, especially in children. I know of at least one teacher who went out in the hall to rip off the mask and breathe.

Others hardly make it out of the store due to dizziness. An athlete was forced to wear a mask as he ran. He fell unconscious from lack of oxygen. Doubling masks only makes breathing more difficult.

Children who run and play with masks may not receive adequate oxygen. Those who say masks don’t pose a problem are not dealing with reality. Health is more than physical. When a person’s mental, emotional, or even spiritual, state is not considered, then that person will languish and may lose motivation for getting well. Check out the rise in suicides due to the inability for personal intervention.

Years ago, I read how orphans in places like China die in orphanages. Researchers discovered they died from a lack of human touch, love, and care—beyond basic needs. Many children adopted from these places suffered bonding issues.

How many of our children are also going to exhibit such problems when they are separated by space and masks and told getting close is dangerous? Adults also need hugs, touch, and care that only physical closeness can bring.

While video is a wonderful technology, it cannot replace physical presence. In the last couple of years, how many died in care homes because their need for mental and emotional care was not filled? Instead, they were shut away from the very things that make life worth living.

In 2014, I fell and almost died. I was in Good Samaritan in Kearney for 2 ½ months. Without my family as well as friends near, I don’t believe I would have survived. I not only absolutely needed those visits and hugs, but also needed family to, at times, hold the hospital accountable.

In 2020, the only way to have family close was to give up care and prepare to die. I have wondered, in cases with which I’m familiar, if the patient might have lived longer if family had been allowed in without being forced to take the choice of family or aggressive care.

According to https://www.tmc.edu/news/2020/05/touch-starvation/ “When physical contact becomes limited—or, in some cases, eliminated—people can develop a condition called touch starvation or touch deprivation.…Touch starvation increases stress, depression, and anxiety, triggering a cascade of negative physiological effects.

The body releases the hormone cortisol as a response to stress…. This can increase heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and muscle tension, and can suppress the digestive system and immune system—increasing the risk of infection. People who are stressed or depressed, perhaps because of lack of touch, will have problems sleeping,”

Hospitals that separate physical health from mental and emotional health through masks and distancing are actually harming the very ones they seek to protect. I can’t wear a mask. Under today’s restrictions, I would not have been allowed in emergency to comfort my sister-in-law as we watched medical personal desperately try to save my brother’s life after a massive coronary. That can’t be done with Zoom.

Consider the health needs of the whole person when concocting restrictions. The bottom line—to be healthy, we need our loved ones around us.

© 2021 Carolyn R Scheidies
Published in my Kearney Hub column 8/16/2021
Masks effectiveness: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/47-studies-confirm-inefectiveness-of-masks-for-covid-and-32-more-confirm-their-negative-health-effects

8/15/21 8/15/21

Devotion Poetry The Wisdom of Solomon

When asked, "What shall I give?"
Solomon hesitated not,
"Oh, Lord, not for myself do I plead,
but for wisdom and knowledge to wisely
rule, more than that, I do not need."

Because he asked not for himself,
But to be a ruler wise,
God blessed him with both honor and wealth,
And an empire of grand size.

Like Solomon, I want to be,
Wise in all I do,
Help me Lord to live unselfishly,
As I give my all to you.

Lord, I am not very good at taking advice. Help me learn, not only from others, but also, and most of all, from you. Amen.

(A rhyme to share with your children.)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:but fools despise wisdom and instruction. —Proverbs 1:7

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8/3/21 8/3/21

Blog Bio An Adventure, a storm, stairs and attitude

***Photo by*** ***JuniperPhoton*** on ***Unsplash***

Our daughter Cassie, husband Kurt, and our two youngest grandchildren live in Papillion. Cassie’s brother-in-law Grant, wife Tami, and their three children and one--Liam, Hannah, and Max, as well as Tami’s mom Julia, visited them recently from Virginia.

They consider Keith and I bonus grandparents to their children, so of course, we wished to see them. We babysat the four older kids Friday night while the couples went out to dinner. (Julia took care of little Max.)

After the parents got home, we visited a bit before we headed to the Fairfield motel where we were staying. Those who know me know even a curb is too much for me without assistance. Stairs are avoided because they are frustrating and exhausting. To say the least, I like that there is something called elevators.

Friday night a major storm hit the Omaha area. When I got up during the night everything was dark, very dark, and silent. What happened to the bathroom light? It dawned on me that the power was out. Keith also woke up. We were thankful the toilet and water still worked.

We went back to bed, hoping the electricity would be back on when we awake. It wasn’t. Then came the realization. The elevator didn’t work, and we were three floors up.

The room phone was dead. We dressed wondering exactly what to do. Though Keith can do stairs, it isn’t that easy for him either. The cell phones worked more or less. Cassie heard on the news that the length of the outage was unknown and might take a couple of days.

That was not good for us. Cassie and Kurt came to the rescue. Cassie grabbed some smaller bags, but we left the suitcases. They’d brought a flashlight that lit the way down a long, dark stairway.

Kurt helped me down three flights of stairs, one stair at a time, Scary, but with his help, it went better and faster than I thought it would. Still, I was thankful to be on the ground floor and so ready to sit down.

Street lights were out so Kurt took us on a backroads route to their house. I could see all the damage from downed leaves, branches, and trees. Wow! I was very glad to get to their home even though they also didn’t have power. Still, we weren’t stuck three floors up. The kids didn’t care. They had lots of adult attention.

Meals were interesting. I don’t think I want Fritos again anytime soon. (With my allergies, choices were even more limited.) In the evening, Cassie found an open Walmart and brought home food.

She told us, “This was all that was left. The shelves were stripped of everything else.”

As the power was still out later in the day, Cassie and Kurt went to the Fairfield, packed up all our stuff, and checked us out. Now there would be twelve staying in the house. But Cassie found a place for everyone to sleep.

Before then, between 8 and 9 pm, we heard a click, lights flickered and came on. The refrigerator began to hum. We had power! We never appreciated it more. Early on, I chose to consider the whole thing as an adventure--even going down the stairs with only a flashlight for light.

In fact, I didn’t hear complaints from anyone in the house, only ways to make things work and be thankful for what we had, a safe place to hang out, food to eat--even if not our choice, and loving family with which to share our adventure.

Sunday morning, we headed to Lincoln after lots of hugs and goodbyes. Power or no power, we’d made good memories--because we choose positive attitudes. And, isn’t that really the best way to live?

7/21/21 7/21/21

Devotion Poetry Broken or Whole

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
—I Peter 2:24

God sees me as whole
But heals when I am broken
Offering forgiveness and hope.

I see myself as broken
Holding onto anger and hurt
Searing my soul.

Jesus, help me see myself
Through Your eyes
Broken, but whole within Your grace.

Thank you, Jesus, that in my brokenness, you are there.

7/19/21 7/19/21

Devotion Poetry Look Up

And when these things begin to come to pass,then look up, and lift up your heads;for your redemption draws nigh. —Luke 21:28

Grain glistens golden in the scorching sun,
Promise of a bountiful harvest.
Like a stately procession
The long stalks wave in the warm gentle breeze,
And only the farmer's frown
Hints at the disaster he sees.
For, under the sun, hot and dry,
Stalks shrivel, slowly die.
Day after day the farmer searches the sky,
Prays for clouds to darken,
Bows in gratitude as rain falls.

Like the ripening grain, we
Like everything to be
Sunshine, not realizing it is through
The storms of life that we
Most often grow, and thus
Produce fruit,
For Him.

Help me, Lord, not to be unfruitful or to complain when things don't go my way. Instead, help me lift my eyes to You and wait for what You have for me. Amen.

From Journey of Faith
(C) 2016 Carolyn R Scheidies
Print and Kindle versions
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7/13/21 7/13/21

Poetry Devotion Sadly Crying in the Rain—Heart Sorrows

***Photo by*** ***Valentin Müller*** on ***Unsplash***

O Lord my God, I cried unto You, and You have healed me. —Psalm 30:2

Sadly crying in the rain,
Despairing from the sorrows of a heart in pain,
Sunshine then doesn't seem the same,
Though whole the body, the spirit's lame.

Inner being--twisting strange.
The wretched mind--resisting change,
Preferring to wallow in the sorrow,
Refusing hope for a bright tomorrow.

Sorrow may be but for a moment,
Gone as the crisis is spent,
The future beckons like a beacon of light,
Leading from chaos and dismal night.

Healing tears wash away the pain,
Forgiveness unlocks the despair chain,
Inner strength, compassion gain,
Freed to live for Christ again.

No matter how bad things may seem, Lord, help me to trust You for today and to look forward to tomorrow with renewed hope. Amen.

7/12/21 7/12/21

Blog Bio Becoming an author not easy, but you can do it

Some time ago I participated in the multi-author book signing hosted by Sequel Bookshop. I hadn’t done one since my bad fall in 2014, though I continue to write.

It was great to touch base with writer friends, meet other authors, and buy books from these authors. It was so much fun. It made me remember how my love of books and writing began.

Before I started school, I learned my alphabet and rhymed words with “at” –bat, cat, etc. By third grade, I wanted to be an author. I told stories. By fifth grade, I wrote them down. I was learning my craft by reading and writing.

Once my parents read some of my writing, they encouraged me. In high school, I entered a few contests and received some honorable mentions and positive feedback. When my family moved to Iowa for my dad to serve a country church, I met a published author who was part of our congregation.

She taught me about formatting, writing for the market, and how to submit. Under her guidance, I not only submitted my first pieces but also received payment for my work. I began writing for Sunday School papers as well as program pieces used in churches for their programs—and received regular paychecks.

I also wrote features but the effort to market was exhausting and the mountain of rejections for every sale—discouraging. Still, I continued to write, even getting a comprehensive degree in journalism from UNK (then KSC).

Now a resident of Kearney, I focused on short stories and nonfiction. A few years later, my friend Gloria gave me a novel for my birthday. She said, “You can do better than that.” I took up her challenge. I wrote and rewrote. Others, including Gloria, critiqued my writing. My transitions were rough. My character names didn’t always work.

Writers are told, “Write what you know.” What I knew was disabilities and how that changes the equation. Some feedback was, “Like your work, but we’re no longer doing fiction.”; “Has possibilities, but we just went into receivership.” This one floored me. “Nice story, but readers aren’t interested in heroines with disabilities.”

I wrote and rewrote a mystery novel over a ten-year period. (I am thankful my husband encouraged my writing.) Finally, an editor from a traditional publishing house took notice. She promised to get back to me. I waited. Before a decision was made, another editor took her place. I had to start all over again promoting my book to the new editor.

Eventually, the book was accepted, and I received a contract. Six months later, I held my first book in my hands. It had taken ten years of writing and over two years of marketing. With my very nice check, I purchased my first PC computer and went on to sell several more books for the Barbour Publishing Heartsong Presents line—two of which won awards.

Since then, I have worked with small presses all the way up to Harlequin Books—those romances you purchase in Walmart and Target and large bookstores. I have written both fiction and nonfiction and even a few books for children. I didn’t leave my journalism behind as I continued to write features and news articles.

For many years now I’ve written a column for the Kearney Hub. Though there have been huge changes in traditional publishing, it still takes effort, knowing the business, and a solid manuscript, time, and frustration to receive notice from an editor and a contract.

I still write my column, I started doing a newsletter each month for Kearney Christian Women’s Connection (KCWC) and I tried to publish a book a year while promoting older books. I have come a long way from the little girl who worked so hard to rhyme her words down the ABCs.

Most of all, I am thankful for the editors, writer friends, and my many friends and fans who’ve encouraged me over the years. As I slow down, I look back, thankful for the gift God gave me. I seek to use that gift to share truth, faith—and hope.

Over the years I lectured to writer’s organizations, at writer’s conferences, and assisted writers who wished to learn their craft and be published. Eventually, I redrafted my lectures into the well-received book for writers Especially for the Christian Writer -- How-to's, tips, information, and inspiration. It was one way I could give back for all the assistance I’d received along the way.

Every one of us at the signing were once want-to-be authors. Some had published only one book, others more. But we were invited to the signing because we persevered from idea to the finished book.

You, too, can reach others with your writing. It takes good ideas, patience, and learning the basics of writing and marketing. It takes perseverance, writing, and rewriting until the material shines and a willingness to listen to constructive criticism. Most of all, it means sitting down and writing.

Have an idea, think, research…and write. Maybe I’ll see you at an upcoming book signing.

7/8/21 7/8/21

Poetry Ode to a Friend

A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. —Proverbs 17:17

A friend is a friend
no matter how small,
For a friendship’s not based on
how little or tall.
The size of a friend
shouldn’t matter at all,
Only the size of the heart
that hears when you call.
For a friend that is there
when the other falls,
Is a friend who is truly
the greatest of all.

Lord Jesus, help me appreciate my friends and not to turn away when they need me. Amen

7/6/21 7/6/21

Politics Lost Generation

Where are the doctors to treat the ill,
Researchers to find the cures,
Scientists, inventors to solve problems galore,
Creative entrepreneurs?

So many questions unanswered,
And the minds which might have found
The answers to many a thorny problem
Lie forgotten in the ground.

A generation gone,
Sacrificed to selfishness and fear,
But in the holocaust of unborn children,
Have we made a sacrifice too dear?

Did we abort one who might have found,
The cure to many a disease?
Or maybe another Einstein, Madam Curie,
A Plato or Socrates?

In destroying a whole generation
Have we not lost humanity as well?
And, in choosing death brought closer still,
On earth a living hell?

As we choose active euthanasia,
Tomorrow who shall decide your fate,
When no longer can you speak for your life?
Your mother? The doctor? The state?

Today as we play executioner,
(Though given many a fancy name,)
By whatever term we take human life,
We diminish the compassion
of all who remain.

Let us halt this senseless destruction
Of a race bent on killing its weak,
Remember the love of He who died,
The helpless lost to seek.

Replace hate with compassion,
With love like He offers you and me,
To value life as did our Creator,
A love that sets us wholly free.

Thank you, Lord, for making each of us unique. Help me, help others recognize the value of each individual human life. Amen.

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” —Mtthew 19:14

7/4/21 7/4/21

Blog Politics Remember History

History is but people,
And our country's had its share,
Who did their part to make us great,
So let me take you there.

The father of our country,
George Washington of long ago,
Led our land to freedom,
In spite of famine and snow.

There was Thomas Jefferson,
Who helped pen those special words,
Of freedom in the Declaration of Independence,
The entire nation heard.

Don't forget tall Abe Lincoln,
President who freed the slaves,
Though he lost his own life,
The United States he saved.

Speak of Clara Barton
Who brought the Red Cross to our shores,
Or Harriet Tubman's rescue of her people,
And so many, many more.

Yes, I shall proudly stand,
With those who did their best,
To bring us freedom with honor,
And ever stood the test.

For those who bravely went before us,
For all they did for you and me.
Let us honor them with gratitude
Doing our part to ensure
America’s people remain forever free

6/23/21 6/23/21

Blog Bio Memorial Day Remembrance 2021 & Family

So thankful for those who served—including my dad and father-in-law.

I sat in the car not far from where individuals and families, including the Scheidies family, gathered to honor those who fought, and many died for their country.

After a very cold, rainy, muddy Sunday, Monday was warm with enough breeze to show off all the American flags decorating the Minden Cemetery. A few puffy white clouds floated in the blue sky, a change even from the darker clouds showing on our drive to Minden.

At times, the only sound was the flapping of the huge flags and the soft, reverent voices of those searching for graves of loved ones. A variety of flowers on most of the graves added color to green grass and brown, off white, and gray marble grave monuments. I watched parents point out graves to younger children and adults stooping down to carefully place flowers. Memorial Day was solemn, but also peaceful.

The Scheidies family has gathered for years twice a year the last weekend in April and the weekend after Thanksgiving. Last year we had no large gathering as a family--except one, In June we laid to rest LaVern Scheidies, my husband’s beloved father. We’d also gathered, at that same time, to remember Keith’s next oldest brother Mark. Neither died due to Covid 19, but both deaths were unexpected and difficult.

This year, we chose to get together, not in April, but in May, Memorial Day weekend. We’d already spent Sunday together at the Scheidies’ farm--eating, laughing, playing games, crying a bit, and, finally, hugging one another. It was a comfort to be together.

We chose Memorial Day weekend because Keith’s dad was a veteran, and proud of it. A couple of years earlier, two of Keith’s brothers took Dad’s letters and other information and items from World War II and created a book for each family. We have that reminder of him now.

What made this Memorial Day special was on this day, a flag would be dedicated in LaVern’s honor as a veteran. I stayed in the car because the walk to where the service was held would have taken far too long and been too tiring. I couldn’t actually make out the words spoken by the speakers, I heard the background hum and later got to view the new flag flying in the gentle breeze.

In the quiet of the late morning, I thought about those from around the country, my dad included, who answered the calls to fight, many long ago in the World Wars, to leave behind family and friends to protect the country from a horrifying menace of evil, torture and death. These brave men and women accomplished what they set out to do. America survived because of those willing to fight evil. I closed my eyes and gave thanks.

We still have those in the military and on the police force doing their best to protect and serve. Yes, some make wrong choices. Most do not. We must not paint them all with the same brush. Instead, let’s support and give thanks for the many, many who keep us safe.

6/11/21 6/11/21

Poetry Hope He Gives

Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. —Psalm 119:114 KJV

He gave me hope
When darkness clouded
mind and soul
When pain beyond reason
Clutched and tore the
fabric of my insular world
Left me bleeding from every
Physical and emotional pore.

He offered life
When my own ebbed and I
Wished only for the end
Yet, I clung to that nameless something
Implanted deep within
This cannot be all there is!

His gentle voice called, comforted, cared
Even in my rebellion,
Even in my indifference,
Even in my anger
He showed me sacrifice
Someone even dared to die—for me!

Love held Jesus to that cross
God became man—lived, died.
Rose again—for me, for my pain
For my anguished cries
Of heart and soul and mind.

Jesus offered forgiveness, life, hope
He stretched out His hand
My choice. And I, in dread anticipation,
Clasped His palm--Found Him.

Thank you for finding me. Help me to live for you. Amen.
(C) 2017 Carolyn R Scheidies
From The God Connection
Print and Kindle versions

6/8/21 6/8/21

Blog Bio New hope as pandemic gives way to hugs

It’s a new day. More and more individuals are leaving masks behind, along with their fears. Others are no longer afraid to greet family, neighbors and friends. Six feet is too far away these days. Hugs are back in though most ask before making that move.

Do you know how good hugs feel after a year without them? Hugs, time together, and face-to-face conversations are not only something humans do, but an essential part of being mentally as well as physically whole and healthy. We haven’t been healthy as a culture for over a year, a year given over to fears and wondering what and whom to believe about our medical well-being.

Spring has brought new hope and sunshine as well as needed rain. It has opened doors for us to reach out to one another again. We had close friends drop by for a few moments to say “hi.” and to give us a loaf of homemade banana bread bought on a jaunt out of town.

Another neighbor who was walking by with her little dog stopped in when she saw our friend’s car. Not much time then, but we checked out schedules and made plans to meet at Perkins in a couple of days. That was the beginning of the evening.

Two days later, Keith and I got out of the house for haircuts. Got out to buy pots of flowers for cemetery plots for Memorial Day. Got out to meet our friends for supper. We ate, laughed, talked and simply enjoyed each other’s company. After last year we valued our time together.

After supper, we met back at our house and gathered around our card table to play a game Keith bought that had us using words from songs we recalled. It was one of those games in which coming up with songs from the trigger words was fun even if you were in last place on the board.

Again we laughed, talked, and checked up some songs on cell phones. No one cared who moved the pieces on the board. We were friends from long-standing, who knew each other, trusted each other and had always been there for one another. Now we were able to enjoy being together as we hadn’t been able to do during the last year.

We played two games filled with songs, conversation and laughter. Overhead, the sky thundered. Rain fell. It was time to break up and for our friends to head home. We said our goodbyes and watched them go.

For some, it was a small thing, friends getting together. I saw it differently. Friendships had been renewed and deepened. My lips curved into a smile and my heart filled with joy as I filed away a brand-new and precious memory.

My husband and I decided to make this evening a beginning for friends, fellowship, fun--and the making of positive memories. Is it time for you to do the same?

5/24/21 5/24/21

Blog Past, Present, Future--the value of perspective

At my age, it is easier to look back than forward since we don’t know what the future holds or how much of a future is out there for us. This is especially true if we have health issues.

Yet, how we live today matters. How many times have we seen those who constantly relive events from their past? A person may focus on those years as a high school or college sports hero, unable to move forward into the present.

Because these individuals stay stuck in the past, their present is less than their grandiose imaginations. Such individuals may turn to complaints and hopelessness when a glamorized past doesn’t match the present. This may lead to climbing into a drug of forgetfulness, creating even further problems.

Working toward a new dream seems too much work—even though doing so would make life in the present and future more satisfying, Others may be stuck in a time of tragedy. Somehow, they refuse to release past anger, bitterness and fear.

Negative memories blind them to the good of their lives today. It blinds them to what they could do to make today different than yesterday. Blinds them from getting the help they need to come to terms and release the past to a better today and tomorrow.

Dreamers live in the future. I've known those who claim they have been offered a dream job--when they've never even applied. If they did apply, they would not be hired because they don't have the experience or education to do the job. You might think this would impel them to seek the education or experience to equip them for the job they want so badly.

Yet often dreamers wish to live in an imaginary future that has no bearing on reality. Years ago, when I used to both attend and lecture at author's conferences, I met individuals who shared a book idea. Often, the idea was solid. The next year, these same individuals would be back with a whole new idea. When asked about the prior idea, the result was a shrug and the admission that the idea was never anything but an idea. The next year, the cycle played out all over again.

These individuals never did write, never gained experience, never worked at the craft, and never had the satisfaction of finishing, much less publishing, a project. Living in the future robs a person of living in the present.

Others who dream, recognize a dream is only as good as efforts today working toward that dream. Dreams do not become reality without effort, and living today to its fullest to make tomorrow's dream come true.

This includes understanding life offers good and bad. Past memories bring joy and sorrow. They help form us into the persons we are today. Even bad events can shape our tomorrows if we use such situations to propel us in a positive direction.

A person who was traumatized may decide to become a mental health care professional to help others deal with similar situations. We also don't want to forget loved ones who've passed on or lose positive memories from yesterday. They should be shared with our families.

That is different from wallowing in a bygone past. Dreams for the future need to become actual goals with plans for reaching that dream, Of course, the dream also needs to be more than an unattainable wish. We have past, present and future. Each has its place for a satisfying life.

I don’t know about you, but I plan to live each day—today and work toward my goals with an attitude of blessing and gratitude.

5/20/21 5/20/21

Politics Racism, abuse and ignorance=Critical Race Theory

What goes around, comes around. As far as America has come in stamping out slavery and its tentacles, a new generation of so-called intellectual elites now teaches that race isn’t inherent.

Instead, according to Critical Race theory, the concept of race was invented specifically to oppress persons of color and that the US was racist from its inception.This Marxist- based theory divides humans into classes based, not on character or location or any other criteria, but race.

They conclude that so-called white persons are less-than, less deserving than, other races, and inherently more oppressive. This theory throws away everything our Constitution stands for –individual rights, equality under the law, freedom to strive and achieve happiness. They also vilify hard work, initiative, and the family unit.

This theory, which is creeping across this nation in our schools and courts, actually takes us, not forward in race relations, but back to pre-Civil War. Many in the segregated South firmly believed, as do those who hold to the Critical Race Theory, that how a person thinks derives from skin color—rather than environment, culture, family and. or national ties.

They encourage everyone, including the courts, to judge not on the basis of the facts, not on the basis of what actually transpired, not even whether or not the action was criminal—but solely based on race. This theory codifies discrimination into law.

If you are black, no matter what you’ve done, you should get a pass. If you are white—even if you are the victim, since you are automatically the oppressor, your rights are to be stripped away, again, regardless of the situation or facts. This hideous discriminatory theory has very real-world consequences.

Many who are growing up with a European ancestry are made to feel shame just because they are who they were created to be. If they are attacked by a person with darker skin, they are to bow and scrape and apologize, rather than to protect themselves. Sounds a lot like reverse racism to me.

I read a news story about a schoolteacher who made the back and white students in class form two lines. Remember, these are just innocent little kids. She forced the white students, who’d done nothing wrong but be born with a certain skin pigmentation, to go down the line and apologize to the black students. How confusing for all the students.

This is an abuse of the children in her care. This is not the America envisioned by Martin Luther King jr. whose wish was for skin color not to even be an issue. Yet today, we see the race card played anytime a person with light-colored skin disagrees with a person with dark skin.

According to Critical Race Theory, issues aren’t important, because only skin color matters. But, blaming one race for all the ills of the world, will not bring peace or hope or unity.

Critical Race Theory is based on historical ignorance of slavery. In Bible days, the Jewish people were enslaved by the Egyptians. That’s what the story of Moses is all about.The great American experience freed many oppressed people including Swedes and the Irish to become something more in America.

Even in the early 20th century, Swedish children of poor families in Sweden were sold, supposedly, as indentured servants. Some children became almost members of a family, others became slaves to those who purchased them. So this is White Privilege?

Those with European ancestry make up only a part of the world. Those with Asian ancestry make up a large slice of the world from China to many smaller nations. Arabs dominate in other countries and do a brisk business trafficking in blond, blue-eyed white women—who become sexual slaves.

Something similar happens in countries dominated by those with a black background. Do these so-called intellectuals of this theory even know how slavery came to Europe?

African nations were tribal-based, as were some of the Indian cultures in America. They fought killed and captured enemies. Many became slaves of the conquering tribe. When Europeans made contact, entrepreneurial Africans saw a way to make slavery pay. They sold their captured slaves to the ship Captains until slavery was spread throughout the countries dominated by Europeans.

Slavery did not have its beginning in the United States of America, nor was it set up to do so. Many opposed slavery from the very beginning. Like other peoples, many black persons came over as indentured servants, until someone brought slaves. Even so, slavery was dying out until the cotton gin was invented which made slavery profitable again.

The inventor wasn’t trying to enslave, he was only trying to make a product to help planters have the means to clean the cotton more simply and easily.

Critical Race Theory is not progressive in bringing people together—nor is it intended to do so, It is a throwback to an era of discrimination and evil. Instead of liberating a race, this theory when practiced, enslaves with lies, division and the encouragement to hate, encourages bullying, at behavior at least on par with the attitudes of deep south slavers.

Why would we encourage the spread of such a devastating theory? The invented idea of White Privilege goes along with this discriminatory theory. Each of us is a special creation of a loving God who wants us to accept who we are without apology or shame—just for being who we are. Accepting who we are and respecting one another means letting go hate to see beyond skin color to care about the person within.

That was the dream and goal of Martin Luther King Jr. That is the goal we should strive for—not some flawed theory that hurts not helps, tears down, not lifts up and divides not brings together. Let’s fight, not each other, but ideas and theories that seek to divide us through hate.

Let’s look for and promote the good in ourselves and others. Also, let’s make sure the new health and sex education proposal coming from State Board of Education will not be accepted until rewritten to exclude both inappropriate sex content and this discriminatory Critical Race Theory.

RESOURCES:https://www.prageru.com/video/what-is-critical-race-theory/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhRPlsa-Y-0 https://www.britannica.com/topic/critical-race-theory

(c) Critical race theory (CRT), intellectual movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of colour. Critical race theorists hold that the law and legal institutions in the United States are inherently racist insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/dec/22/marxist-critical-race-theory-seeps-into-us-courts/?utm_source=GOOGLE&utm_medium=cpc&utm_id=chacka&utm_campaign=TWT+-+DSA&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvr6EBhDOARIsAPpqUPHTFAne0a3QeJSicW6be-C5lLXVWon6rwc7jiJ9QaIyR7gHWazViJ8aAuU9EALw_wcB

©Critical Race Theory — a Marxist framework that views society only through the lens of race-based oppression — is everywhere these days. In corporations, federal agencies, schools, and even the military, it sows hatred and division in the name of “dignity” and “equality.”

This ideology teaches that “Whiteness” is oppression and that all its manifestations — including “the nuclear family,” “objective, rational linear thinking,” and the idea that “hard work is the key to success” — must be stamped out. It rejects the most fundamental beliefs of our nation, that we are all equal under the law and should have the same opportunities to prosper and pursue happiness based on individual merit.

At its core, it rejects classical liberalism, especially its emphasis on equality under law, neutral legal principles, meritocracy and individual rights. It propagates racial stereotypes and teaches that the way people think and act is tied to their skin color, the same type of racist views taught in the segregationist South decades ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_slave_trade#:~:text=The%20vast%20majority%20of%20those,by%20the%20slave%20traders%20in

©The vast majority of those who were enslaved and transported in the transatlantic slave trade were people from Central and West Africa, who had been sold by other West Africans, or by half-European "merchant princes" to Western European slave traders (with a small number being captured directly by the slave traders in coastal raids)..1, 2

"Implications of the slave trade for African societies". London: BBC. Retrieved 12 June2020.
^"West Africa – National Museums Liverpool". Liverpool: International Slavery Museum. Retrieved 14 October 2015

https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectweden aives/feature/indentured-servants-in-the-us/The information on how Sweden handled the children of destitute families came from a manuscript I was asked to evaluate. It was the life story of a Swedish man who became a well-known pastor both in Sweden and in the US around the early 1900s. It was put together from his own notes, journals and letters, along with the memories of his family members.

5/16/21 5/16/21

Devotion Remember God’s Day—Do We?

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.--Exodus 20:8
(Read Exodus 20:1-17)

The word Holy as defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary means spiritually pure, commanding devotion, and sacred.

One summer as I prepared to teach 1st and 2nd graders, I studied what following the fourth commandment actually involved. Did I keep God’s day holy? I thought so.

But as I considered, I recalled the Saturday night, my husband and I stayed up past midnight watching an intriguing movie with some dubious elements. The next morning I was so exhausted, I groaned as I dragged myself out of bed and got ready for church.

I had to keep from dozing off during the service that seemed to go on forever. I got next to nothing out of the sermon and had no idea what God had for me during that service. If keeping God’s day holy meant a day of refreshment and renewal, I failed--miserably.

What about all those sports played or broadcast on Sunday that may keep some from church to participate or watch or might take up the afternoon with an intensity of focus that shuts out God and family? Is God my priority on Sundays, or are sports?

What about times I substituted family time for fellowship with God’s people? If we travel for a family gathering on a Sunday, do I take time first to worship God and read His word? Do we, as a family, take time to pray over our meal and acknowledge Him?

If I forget God at such times, what example do I set for children or grandchildren? Aren’t I saying by my actions that I don’t think spending time with God on His day all that important?

As I look at what I really do and how I behave, I realize how far short I come from truly remembering the Sabbath day and keeping it holy. How far I fall from keeping God’s day sacred and devoted to the Christ I claim to serve. As I have often heard, God didn’t give us 10 suggestions we could follow or not on our whim, but 10 Commandments to be honored, obeyed and followed.

Help me, Lord, keep your day a day of worship and praise to You. In my Sunday activities, help me to first honor and spend time with You and set a positive example to family and others that I truly serve You. But more, Jesus, help me honor You not only on Sunday but on every day of the week. Amen.

Meditations:
Monday: Leviticus 26:1-12
Tuesday: Psalm 118:14-24
Wednesday: John 20
Thursday: Acts 20:7-12
Friday: Romans 14:1-13
Saturday: I Corinthians 16:1-14

I plan my life out a day at a time, so my posting schedule can be erratic.

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