Spiritual Reflection

Thank you for subscribing-may these words bring a quiet moment of peace and reflection to your day.

Backstory:

As I was listening to the audiobook, Welcome to the Honey B&B by Melody Carlson, something one of the characters said really stuck out to me. She had been caring for her husband who had FTD, an early-onset type of dementia. She said to her daughter and granddaughter that she heard God speaking to her one day. He told her to stop asking why and just to trust Him in the future. That can be applied to our lives. We all have hard trials we have to go through in this life. If we stop asking God, “Why is this happening to us?” and just trust in Him and His plan for our lives, then we can find more purpose in our trials.

From Why to Trust

I woke up one day not feeling like me,
As I fell to the floor on bended knee.
I knew something wasn’t right with my body and mind
Because I usually had more energy and strength than I could find.

I went to so many doctors and was put on so many medications,
Only to be dismissed and not have very many explanations.
I started asking my Heavenly Father, “Why was this happening?
And why was my life so different than I had been imagining?”

When chronic illness strikes its ugly head
And you struggle to get out of your bed.
You go through this cycle of asking why
When you are alone in the darkness and you cry.

If you stay close to your Father in Heaven,
You can eventually see that He is there for you without question.
Even though you may never know the answer to why,
You make peace with your diagnosis and you feel like you can try.

You try to trust in your Heavenly Father’s plan for you,
As you pour out your heart to Him, for that’s all you can do.
So you patiently wait for His guidance and peace,
As you try to let your worries and cares cease.

The Takeaway: We all face hard trials in this life that feel like they might break us apart. For those people with chronic illness, every day can be a struggle between constantly asking, “Why is this happening to me?” and trying to trust in your Heavenly Father’s plan for you. He is always there, ready to embrace you with open arms and loving hands.

Watch the YouTube short of me reading part of the poem here:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Xgu3_StszhM

My Daily Musings-August 12th, 2026

I read John 14:2 again today and it really intrigued me this time.

It reads, “In my Father’s house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you.”

It’s always been interesting to me how I can read a scripture many times and it just hits me differently one time than any other time. I think this verse intrigued me this time for a couple of reasons.

Jesus said this to His disciples at the Last Supper. I learned that the Greek word for “mansions” is monai, which can mean dwelling places, rooms, or abiding places. Since I have been focusing on “Abide” as my word of the year, this translation really resonated with me. So basically, what Jesus is telling us is that we can abide with Him and His Father in heaven, after our lives on earth.

When Jesus was on the earth, He picked so many different people to be His apostles, from a few fishermen to a tax collector and a Zealot who had a very different political background than the others.

Then Jesus wasn’t particular about whom He blessed and healed. He healed the poor, the rich, men and women, Jews and Gentiles. So basically, all are welcome to “abide” with Him, no matter our background, our wealth, our family, etc.

But We need to do our part and follow Jesus, keep His commandments and do the things we know we should do. Then we can abide with Him and our Heavenly Father after this life on earth is done.

What does it mean to you to “abide” with Jesus? How does knowing that Jesus’ invitation is open to everyone bring you comfort or hope?