Five Minute Friday: "Explore."

Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (ESV) - “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

This summer, I will celebrate five years of being in Colorado.  I still marvel at where the Lord has brought me in such a short time.  I never get tired of telling the stories of His faithfulness and provision. One of the things I strove for once I settled in was to explore my surroundings, know all the fun places to go, learn about new culture, art, and food, and, like Jacksonville, know this place like the back of my hand.  Most importantly, I didn't want to turn into an old fart.

Ha!

I'm writing this at 2:15 a.m. Friday morning.  I'm in my comfortable old lady nightgown, in my comfortable old lady house shoes, sitting in my comfortable recliner (I don't know if that's more old lady, or dude like). I like the fact that I have certain routines and places I frequent.  It's easier to get to know people that way.  But, my explore button is broken.

When I did "My Mythical Year," it was so much fun; I ate at new places, learned some new things, and even cut my hair short.  My only regret was not being able to buy all the badges I'd earned.

But now what?

Can I safely explore alone?  Is there enough to explore without having to be out at night?  Can it be called exploration in the context of safety?  Come on, even Dora the Explorer had Boots and a talking Backpack to keep her safe.

What does someone in my (house) shoes do?

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In case you missed it:  

* My last Five Minute Friday post "Behold" is here.
* My last Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "Barbara's Crab Shack," is here.
* My latest 2022 Book it Reading Challenge review of Belong is here.
* My last Simple Woman's Daybook post "A Buggy Full of Lemons," is here.
* My last Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing III" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "From."

This prompt made me think of "to and from" labels on presents.  Funny to have gifts and presents come to mind.  Pastor Gelinas has started a series on ministry and spiritual gifts (If you're interested in viewing/hearing it, go to https://subsplash.com/+e3c1/lb/mi/+3ypdzrv?branding=true&embed=true&recentRoute=app.web-app.library.list&recentRouteSlug=%2Bn4y8xst ).

I do believe that God has given me gifts to share with others.  What I wonder is who can I put in the "to" column.  As I've said before, will someone accept a good gift if it's wrapped in an ugly box or in wrappings that don't appeal to them?  I know who the gifts are "from." James 1:17 (NIV) says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." Again, how do I wrap them properly?

Is there a bodily equivalent of a gift bag?  Gift bags are wonderful for those of us who don't wrap presents very well.  some tissue paper, a bow, and a lovely card makes a beautiful present.  How do I do that to myself? 

Anybody got any ideas?

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In case you missed it:  

* My last Five Minute Friday post "Summer" is here.
* My last Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "Fourth Down," is here.
* My last Simple Woman's Daybook post "A Buggy Full of Lemons," is here.
* My latest 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge review of Love Does is here.
* My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing II" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Summer."

 

 

Luke 9:25 (NIV) - "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?"  

The Monkees "The Door Into Summer" was among my favorite songs when I was a teenager (this was their resurgence in the 80s--I'm not that old).  While I still enjoy the Nesmith/Dolenz harmonies, the great blend of the instruments, and of course, the prominent bass line I would love to learn, the lyrics (that I didn't understand when I was younger) speak of gloomy regret:

[Verse 1]

With his fool's gold stacked up all around him
From a killing in the market on the war
The children left King Midas there, as they found him
In his counting house where nothing counts but more

[Chorus]

And he thought he heard the echoes of a penny whistle band
And the laughter from a distant caravan
And the brightly painted line of circus wagons in the sand
Fading through the door into summer

[Verse 2]

With his travelogues of "maybe next year" places
As a trade-in for a name upon the door
And he pays for it with years he cannot buy back with his tears
When he finds out there's been no one keeping score

(Lyrics by Chip Douglas and Bill Martin.  Copyright 1967)

To me, the "door into summer" speaks of the fun moments and joys of life that were traded for "fool's gold" and "a name upon the door."  I can easily shake my head at such nonsense and lament over someone wasting their life on doing nothing but seeking riches and status while ignoring simple joys and the possibility of friendship and love. But what am I trading for a chance to step through the "door into summer"? I've never been rich or been important enough to have my name on the door (Ok, I had a name plate on my cubicle at work, but that's not the same).  The past 18 months have found me fighting the temptation to trade my soul (mind, will, and emotions) for following arbitrary, fear-filled rules and regulations; trading mental and physical health for vegging in front of escape entertainment; and trading loving friendship for depressing isolation and incessant scrolling through "anti-social" media.  

My "door into summer" isn't about a season, it's about an attitude. Even with the great things that happened in 2020 and the tragic events in my own family, I can't shake the feeling that the year was a wash and never really happened. I can't shake the feeling that I literally lost a year.  Joel 2:25 (NIV) says, "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten." My "door into summer" is regaining the attitude of summer fun and joy, regaining what I lost, and keeping that "door" open all year long.

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In case you missed it:  

* My last Five Minute Friday post "Quiet" is here.
* My last Wednesday Hodgepodge post, "Salty Dog" is here.
* My last Simple Woman's Daybook post "Junior Asparagus," is here.
* My latest 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge review of Love Does is here.
* My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing II" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Broken"

Mark 14:3, 6 (NIV) - While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head....“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me."

A while back, I wrote a post about the concept of beauty in brokenness. At the time, I honestly didn't get it.  Sometimes I still struggle with it. Since that post, off and on I've been racking my brain trying to find things that are more useful or  beautiful when broken.

Some things that are more useful when broken are: eggs, nuts, herbs
Some things that are a beautiful use of broken items:  Mosaics,  kintsugi pottery, art pieces and countertops  made with broken glass, sea glass jewelry.

So what's my point?  I still don't believe that Father God relishes in the brokenness of his children (that's child abuse).  However, I think that God looks at those broken pieces of my life and like an artist, finds ways to lovingly gather and put them together into something useful and beautiful.  Like kintsugi masters, God binds the cracks, chips, and voids in my life together with the strength and beauty of gold; making something more lovely and more valuable than before.

Ok, so I've come this far.  

Now, how do I allow these pieces to be reformed into beauty?  How do I not sweep these pieces into a dustpan and throw them into the dumpster to never be seen again?  How can I, like Jacob/Israel not hide my limp, but instead have an exciting story of meeting God to tell that makes others want to meet Him too?

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In case you missed it:  

* Last week's Five Minute Friday post "Pressure" is here.
* This week's Hodgepodge post, "A Penny Saved...is Still a Penny" is here.
*My latest 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge review of The Five Love Languages:  Singles Edition  is here..
* My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Finishing and Fixing I" is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Savor."

2 Corinthians 2:15 (KJV) - For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish.

Have you ever smelled yourself? 

I have.

Whether it's after a hard workout, hours of working in the yard (when I had a yard), or sleeping under a box fan on a hell-hot Alabama summer night with a relative humidity of 2643%, no matter how much deodorant I'm wearing, eventually the stench overwhelms my olfactory receptors and I must take action.

How do I get rid of stink? The only surefire method is with a bath or shower.  I can try to cover it up by changing clothes, adding another coat of deodorant, or spritzing on perfume or body spray, but guess what?  I'LL STILL STINK.  In fact, all the extra covering makes the stink worse.

Ephesians 5:25-27 (KJV) says, "... Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."  In other words, the Word of God is the only thing that will wash off spiritual stink.  And trust me, we've all got some spiritual stink that needs washing off.  Plus we've got the stinky spiritual dirt others try to throw on us (lies about who Jesus is, what the Bible says, and what the true Christian church believes).  We can try to cover it with our own efforts, but it will only stink worse.  Only through the Word of God can we be a sweet savor not only to fellow believers, but to those who do not yet believe.  Otherwise, spiritually we go around smelling like an onion patch.

And who wants that?

Hoping for a Patio: The Weekly Hodgepodge

Join the fun! 

Come on over to 

From This Side of the Pond 

for the Hodgepodge link-up!

"Hope springs eternal"...discuss. 

"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life" (Proverbs 13:12 KJV).

I'm a firm believer in hope.  Only when it "springs eternal," yet is deferred or never comes to fruition does it become a problem. 
Much of my life, my hopes were either severely misplaced or I had allowed others to stomp on, pee on, or utterly destroy my hopes and dreams.  However, God has given me new hopes, new goals, and new desires of which He authored and approves. Even through this horrible hopeless season of isolation and loss, He continues to renew my hope and show me his faithfulness.

Last time you needed to 'spring into action' or 'spring to someone's defense'...explain. 

 I'm not sure that any of those apply at present.

Tulips or daffodils? baby birds or baby bunnies? The cherry tree or the dogwood tree? Jelly beans or peeps? March madness or spring training? Peas or carrots? 

Tulips and daffodils are among my favorite spring flowers.  I haven't seen any live ones yet, but I've got a strong desire to paint them.  Speaking of baby birds, I heard a nest of new little birdies this morning.  It was wonderful to hear the twittering of sweet song birds among the Van Halen-style rock songs of all the crows (I am very thankful for both).  I don't know if cherry or dogwood trees bloom (or grow) in Colorado. I'm waiting for the shrub roses to start blooming; they remind me of the azaleas from back home. I like jelly beans more than peeps, but neither are appealing to me. Now, Reese's peanut butter eggs?  Yes, please!  The only reason I care anything about March madness this year is because the University of Alabama is in the "Sweet 16."  #RollTide  Other than that, bring on baseball season.  By the way, Atlanta plays the Rockies here in Colorado on September 5th.  I would love to go, but I don't think going to Coors field alone is a good idea.  Peas or carrots?  Yes.

I read an article here on the South's best cities on the rise. They are-Baton Rouge Louisiana, Fayetteville Arkansas, Greenville South Carolina, Huntsville Alabama, Lexington Kentucky, Norfolk Virginia, Tulsa Oklahoma, Waco Texas, Wilmington North Carolina, and Winston-Salem North Carolina. Of the cities listed how many have you seen in person? Which one on the list would you most like to see? Have you spent much time in the southern states (USA)? Any spring road trips on your calendar? 

On the rise?  As someone from a small Southern town, these cities listed have never been "on the rise;" they've always been major cities.  I've visited Huntsville, Alabama plenty of times (I have family there) and I've been to the Tulsa/Broken Arrow area several times.  I would enjoy visiting any of these cities, but my heart's desire is to visit my hometown, Jacksonville, Alabama, for fun, relaxation, and eating my way up and down Alabama Highway 21 in Calhoun County. **sigh**

Tell us how your outdoor space needs sprucing up this spring? Which do you enjoy more (or hate the least-ha!) yard work or house work? 

Every time my sister Clara and I talk about my "outdoor space," we laugh.  I live in a second-floor apartment with a patio door that doesn't go anywhere.  Apparently when they built the apartment buildings in 1972, the owners must have run out of money (or have a sick sense of humor).  In my building and the one next door, all of us with end apartments are the only ones with no patio.  I'm hoping that they will remember the patio-less and finish what they started almost FIFTY years ago. #HaveMercy  #YallGotEnoughOfMyMoneyToBuildaPatio 

Anyway...

Since Christmas, I've been decorating my front door/stoop area and I've got some ideas for how to add some plants and flowers to the decor.  Late May is the best time to put out live plants since we're past the threat of freezing temperatures and snow.

As far as housework vs. yard work goes, I don't mind either one, but I'm obviously doing more housework since I don't yet have a yard to tend.

Insert your own random thought here.  

In case you missed it:  

* Last week's Hodgepodge post, "The Greening Party," is here.
* My latest Simple Woman's Daybook post "What Season is it?" is here.
* My latest Five Minute Friday post "Redeem" is here.
* My latest Auntie's Workshop post "Get 'er Done Art Challenge: End of Round Two" is here.
* My latest book review in my 2021 Flip and Sip Reading Challenge is here.

Five Minute Friday: "Redeem."

Ephesians 1:6-7 (KJV) - To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.

Redeem - save (someone) from sin, error, or evil.

Many people, including Christians, think the word sin is harsh and heavy. However, to me the word itself is freedom when fully understood.  Yes, sin is "missing the mark," a "defect of character," but most importantly it is rebellion against God--a rebellion against His perfect love.  When I tiptoe around sinful actions and thoughts by not calling them what they are, I leave Jesus out of the equation.  Instead of leaning on the sacrifice of Christ, I lean on my own power, which always leads to minimizing, justifying, or hiding sin--which isn't freedom at all, but more bondage.  Knowing what sin is (and isn't), openly exposing it to God through confession and repentance (I John 1:9), rather than it exposing itself to others and ruing relationships (Numbers 32:23) brings true freedom and spiritual renewal (Acts 3:19-20).

Job 19:25 (NIV) - "I know that my redeemer lives."

Five Minute Friday: "Design"

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Intelligent Design

Design on a Dime (I miss that show)

Divine Design (I miss that show too)

Deserving Design (Ditto)

I used to love to watch design shows (as mentioned above) back when HGTV was worth watching... well and PBS too.  I would see these awesome artists take some of the most butt-ugly houses or yards and make absolute masterpieces out of them--some on a huge budget, some on a shoestring.

I'm in the process of decorating my apartment (have been since I moved here more than 3 years ago).  The space and rules of apartment living put a few limits on what I can do. My monetary budget is small, but my creative budget is abundant.  I don't have fancy designers to get advice from, but I do have Pinterest, YouTube, and Southern Living magazine.  My studies are almost over, so soon I'll have my evenings and weekends back to dive into creativity with both feet and finish this thing.

But what of my most important design project?  How do I design my life around God's plan for me?  His budget is endless and His loving creativity knows no bounds, but what about my own limits?  I saw an article from Forbes that gave five steps to designing the life you love.  I believe the Word has its own spin on these steps:

1. Design in small doses.  In Matthew 25:14-30, three stewards were given small sums of money to invest for their employer.  Those who did well were given more to tend to.  I believe that as we trust God by following His design for our lives, we are given even more to work with.
   
   
2. Emulate your heroes.  In I Corinthians 11:1, the apostle Paul instructed the church to follow him as he followed Christ.  This holds true in any area of life.  If you hero in the faith is building a life that follows Christ's example, take cues and learn from from him or her.  If not, move on.
   
   
3. Rescript self limiting beliefs.  "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]" (Romans 12:2 AMP).
   
   
4. Blend need-want tensions. "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Psalm 37:4 KJV).
   
   
5. Let design values underpin your dreams. This step is really a blending of the other four. If you value what God values, His dream and your dream will match.  If not, it's up to you to allow Him to change your dream.  Trust me, His is better.

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Five Minute Friday: "Disappoint."

Romans 10:11 (NASB) - "For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed..'"

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To disappoint is to "fail to fulfill the hopes or expectations of (someone)."  We flawed humans disappoint each other without even trying.  Sometimes our lack of action produces disappointment in others. However, most times our expectations are what produce disappointment.   This is not to say that we shouldn't have reasonable expectations of others we depend on.  They key is reasonable.  

God has guaranteed in His Word that He will never disappoint us.  Why?  The Scriptures tell us what to expect. We get disappointed with God when we don't know what to expect due to ignorance of His Word, we expect God to honor our timetable rather than us honoring His, or we expect godly perfection from each other.

As I continue to grow in my Christian walk, I've learned to analyze my disappointment. God is never the problem; my own lack of understanding or unreasonable expectations of others is always the culprit.  The more I learn about the love and care of God, the more I trust Him and the better I can receive from Him.

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Five Minute Friday: "Loud"

Ecclesiastes 4:10 - "...But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up."

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Loud.

Everything was just too loud.  I head a headache most of the time I was in Alabama.

Grief rings loud in my ears. Yet I must remain silent.

The weeping of my family at my mom's graveside is a loud symphony of sorrow.  My stoic strength is what they all needed, yet stifling my loud grief hurt like hell.

The breaking of my heart is as loud as a whole china cabinet full of fine crystal and dishes being dashed to the floor all at once, yet I must remain silent to respect my family's brokenness at saying goodbye to mama.

My family coped by making noise--loud music, loud talking, cussing, and stupid questions about why I'm not married yet, loud behavior, and the loud breath of alcohol, cigarettes, and weed.  So loud that I felt sick and needed to get away--not from my family, but from the loud!

But where could I go?

Even when I got in the car and drove around Anniston, everything still felt too loud.  I got no comfort and no relief.  I was not there for me, but for others. I had to accept that.

When I got back to Colorado, I finally got quiet and my headache went away, yet the loud roar of pain was still there. There is still no comfort, only the loud, hateful noise of sorrow.

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Five Minute Friday: "Mercy"

 

 Proverbs 28:13 (NIV) - Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

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God's loving mercy is amazing.  The fact that He gives us so much that we don't deserve and sent His Son to redeem us from getting what we do deserve is mind boggling.

Micah 6:8 says, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Everyone wants to focus on the first part--acting justly and loving mercy--but neglect the second, and most important part of the passage.  We must walk humbly with our God, which includes receiving his mercy in order to know what true mercy is, and extend it to others.   Without the humility of walking with God, we try to determine what mercy is and who should receive it, which leaves a lot of people caught in the cracks and in need of God's love.

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48).

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Five Minute Friday: "Progress"

 

Song of Solomon 2:15 (KJV) - Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

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I've never liked the saying "three steps forward, two steps back."  One of my favorite authors, Chuck Swindoll, even wrote a book with that title, which incidentally, I've never read (and don't plan to).  Who likes the idea of most of his progress being reduced to nothing?  Why should progress take so much regress?

Yet here I am.

I recently celebrated my 12th year of recovery.  We're taught in recovery that relapse is to be avoided at all costs--and it is.  We're also taught to accept imperfect progress.  But what happens when imperfect dominates progress?  What happens when you're made to feel that your imperfect is not welcome, only your progress? 

Like I said last week, we all hurt.  Please respect those who are hurting.  Respect any progress they make.

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Five Minute Friday: "Respect."

Acts 10:34-35 (NIV) - "God is no respecter of persons. But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."

Acts 10:34-35 (MSG) - "God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open."

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What is true respect?  Unlike humans, God does not base His love on socioeconomics, gender, ethnicity, political party, or anything else so trivial.  He loves all whether all love Him and bases it on the blood of Christ shed for all (1 John 4:19, John 3:16,  Romans 2:4).

I know that the world is not capable of unconditional love and true mercy, but what is most hurtful is to see professing Christians act like they aren't capable of it either.  We who claim Christ should be fully equipped to show the unconditional love and mercy of God to all who are hurting.

And who isn't hurting?

Don't let people's facades of success and independence fool you.  Their hurts are well-hidden behind fake smiles, the fog of substances, locked doors, gated communities, or Pinterest pages.

We.  All.  Hurt.

How do we break through the hurt?  Not by arguments, vitriol, separatism, violence, or insults.  We break through the hurts by respecting people as God's hurting children, throwing out the world's divisive idea of respect, and sharing the goodness of God with all.

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Five Minute Friday: "Endure"

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Genesis 8:22 (NIV) - “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

God spoke these words after the greatest disaster on earth--the flooding and destruction of every living thing on earth, save Noah, his family, and the pairs of animals.  Even after such a tremendous catastrophe, God still proves faithful to love and provide for his children.

The pandemic is not nearly as catastrophic to the entire planet.  However, to many individuals, it has been a destroying force, for some it has been a season of loss and unwanted negative change; for some, a mere inconvenience.  Whatever the category, we must still rely on the Lord and His faithfulness to see us through this.

As for me, I fall somewhere between inconvenience and loss.  Blessedly, I didn't lose my job or any friends or loved ones, but I've suffered other forms of loss.  It's been difficult to endure the psychological effects of the first months of extended isolation which also negatively affected my physical health.  Yet God has been faithful and let me see some victories through it all.  He's bringing me out, but the road to full recovery is long.

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 This song has been on my mind all this week.  Despite all that is going on,
every day, He gives me a reason to thank and praise Him.

Five Minute Friday: "Question"

 

 

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This July, I'll have been working on my recovery for eleven years.  One phrase often uttered in Celebrate Recovery meetings is "God never wastes a hurt."  Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."  I've come a very long way, but, unfortunately, there is still much hurt to deal with.

Most people who have sordid childhoods say that God used that hurt to make them better spouses and parents.

I have lots of questions for God.  The main one right now being how will my hurts not be a waste since marriage and children are not in His playbook for me?  I'm fine with that, since I never want to pass the hurt to anyone.  However, how do I pass the healing on?  I never want anyone to experience the hurts that still haunt me to this day.  I can't stop someone else's hurt, but I hope that somehow I can be useful in mentoring someone through the process of stopping those past hurts from ruining the present and stealing from the future--a process I'm going through right now.

How will this hurt not be wasted?

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Five Minute Friday: "Well"

 

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I've known.  I've known for a long time, but I tried to muddle through for a while without it.  Wellness and total healing require community.  I'm not just talking about doctors, nurses, and mental health specialists, though those are great and necessary.  No, I mean the other things we don't want to admit we need; accountability partners, mentors, friends, and ourselves.

Yes, I said we need ourselves in the mix for total wellness. 

Everyone around me can want me to be my best, send me well wishes, offer to help, and be there for me, but if I'm not there for me, forget it.  That may be why Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethesda, "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6)  Even the Lord Himself doesn't force wellness onto those who don't want it.  He continues to love, continues to draw us with His goodness (Romans 2:4), and all we have to do is ask.

Since I've been in Colorado, I have asked for such community.  I thought I could muddle through without it, but I was failing miserably without it.  Not only do have good medical doctors to monitor my physical health, I've also found a Celebrate Recovery, an affordable fitness facility, and a mentor/coach/counselor close by.  I'm slowly making friends and surrounding myself with healthy people.

Do I want to get well?  Yes.  Absolutely.  Yes!

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Five Minute Friday: "Promise"

 

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Growing up in a household where my dad never made any promises made it hard to understand that God always promises.  My dad never made promises because he wasn't going to be beholding to anything he couldn't do or provide.  My Holy Father can make all the promises He wants because He can and will provide and do exactly what He promised.

My struggles lately has been the worst of the year, yet His promises keep me going--they get me out of bed, feed me, get me through my day, and put me to sleep at night.

I'm holding tightly to the promises in Isaiah 54:1-5 (NIV):

“Sing, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband,”
says the Lord.
² “Enlarge the place of your tent,
    stretch your tent curtains wide,
    do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
    strengthen your stakes.
³ For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
    your descendants will dispossess nations
    and settle in their desolate cities.

⁴ “Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.
    Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
    and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
⁵ For your Maker is your husband—
    the Lord Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
    he is called the God of all the earth.

I need Him to keep being the Father, Husband, Brother, and Friend I so desperately need. 

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