Tag: faith

Woman to woman, okay? And men, too

Posted in Health, Inspiration, Opinon10 Comments

Sharon Vander MeerBy the time this posts, I will be in the midst of an operation, or in recovery. This is by way of telling every woman to be alert to changes in your body and unusual occurrences for which you have no reasonable explanation. Don’t wonder if that worrisome anomaly is something to be worried about or not. Make an appointment with your doctor and let her or him help you understand whether it is something that needs further treatment.

My anomaly turned out to be cervical cancer and the recommended treatment was removing stuff from my body invaded by this sneaky beast. Fortunately, it was caught early – partly because I have a history of this cancer in my family so I was on the lookout for signs, partly because I’m more scared of what I don’t know than I am of what I do know. The medical team is top notch and I’m confident the next time you see me I’ll be pretty much back to what passes for normal in this upside down world we live in. Okay, maybe not normal, but on the road to recovery.

This message of medical follow-up isn’t just for women. Men are the worst for putting off going to the doctor. It may “be nothing,” but whatever your symptoms are may be “something” that can be treated when caught early. That seems to be the key in the successful treatment of most ailments. Early detection.

I read the other day in a post from Max Lucado, that if you want to put life in perspective, make a list of all the people who will be affected by decisions you make. He was talking about life-altering decisions like cheating on your husband or wife or doing drugs or relying on alcohol to get you through life’s trying times. That same philosophy can be applied to putting off taking care of your health. Make a list of all the people who will be affected if you choose not to seek the advice of a doctor when you know you should. The sicker you are, the more difficult and costly it will be to treat whatever ails you.

Listen, I’m not trying to over-simplify diagnosis and treatment. Sometimes there is nothing you can do, but if you have symptoms and ignore them, you help neither yourself nor your family.

I take part in an online prayer ministry and I’m surprised when people say they’ve been “feeling bad for months,” but are afraid to go to a doctor and find out what’s wrong with them. Their prayer requests may be for healing or for the problem to simply go away. What I pray is that they will let go of fear and beat a track for the nearest doctor or health clinic.

I am a believer in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I have no fear of surgery. I trust the medical team taking care of me. And I appreciate prayer. It works. It heads the list of the best medicine has to offer. So, say a little prayer for my speedy return to wellness.
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 I’m stock piling posts, which will appear on a schedule during my recovery. I love to hear from followers and subscribers, so please comment, like and share.

 

Lines, Poetry in Notion

Posted in Books, Inspiration2 Comments

Lines, Poetry in Notion ($7.50 plus tax and shipping)

Lines, Poetry in Notion

Think of how you feel about getting up in the morning to splashes of glorious color in the sky, or how you feel about your faith, your partner sleeping beside you, or the quirks of life that make you smile… or cry. That is the essence of Lines, Poetry in Notion. Poetry is for everyone. Yes, even you. It tells a story from beginning to end, in many verses or in one. It speaks to the heart and stirs the mind to contemplation or tears, or anger, or love, or any one of a dozen other reactions that invite you to explore something about yourself. Click here to see one of the poems from the book.

Lines, Poetry in Notion is available through this site using Paypal, or at online stores including Amazon.

Through Christmas, 10 percent of all sales will go to Chapter H, a Las Vegas, N.M. chapter of an international organization that supports educational opportunities for women.

The Prayer: Peace & Grace

Posted in Inspiration3 Comments

I’ve listened to this version of The Prayer, featuring David Archuleta and Nathan Pacheco, many times. In a chaotic world this song – so beautifully rendered by these talented young men – reassures and uplifts. Happy Monday.

 

 

Ever the Optimist

Posted in Inspiration, Views, Writer's Block2 Comments

The Optimist

I heard a new definition of pessimist recently. A pessimist is an optimist with experience. I am, as the song from South Pacific goes – a cockeyed optimist. I haven’t quite made it to pessimist, but I do have my days. There are many surprises in life, some of which make it difficult to maintain a positive and upbeat outlook.

But I do.

I’m like Snoopy in the Charlie Brown cartoon shown with this post. Yes, bad things can and do happen, but the rest of the time they don’t.

I have friends who have terminal illnesses of one kind or another. You know the amazing thing? Most of these folks are more optimistic about life than the people around them. One of them has dealt with cancer more than once, but through it all she remained a fighter, and a survivor. This time she knows it’s the last time, and she is preparing and prepared. Her spirit is like starlight on a dark night, brighter than anything around it, eclipsing the sadness and fear, overcoming despair.

When my sister-in-law was in cancer’s waiting room, those of us fortunate enough to be with her through the last days of her life found more comfort coming from her than we ever gave. My mother was the same, but I knew she was ready to move on when she said, “I want to go home.” We all knew she wanted to pass from this life into God’s hands. One day she looked up toward the ceiling, lifted her arms and said, “He’s reaching for me. I’m ready.” Eerie? Yup. Did we think she saw someone, God, reaching down for her from heaven? Does it matter? She believed it.

Others I know who are in treatment for cancer have amazing stamina for the grueling and sometimes debilitating regimen they undergo. Their faith and trust are without question. Are they being optimists, or is their connection with – and understanding of – God so profoundly strong, it colors their every day with a clarity we who want to love them into remission simply cannot fathom? I don’t know. I share the gift of their trust and give it back with prayerful respect, trusting in my Creator God, as do they.

No doubt there are non-believers who are just as strong and just as amazingly inspirational through the trials of cancer and other illnesses. Believers don’t have a corner on bravery and hope. The point is that whether you call it optimism or faith, the bubble of believing is in each of us in some measure. What we can’t know is how our courage brings healing and hope to all the people around us.

In this befuddling world I continue to be optimistic. I continue to have hope that people I love who are struggling will turn their lives around. I live each day believing today will be better than yesterday and tomorrow is a gift waiting to be opened. I believe in miraculous healing. I believe in letting go and saying goodbye to those with terminal illnesses whose suffering has made their lives miserable. I believe there are no easy answers; that does not mean we shouldn’t work through the hard questions.

In the words of Charlie Brown and Snoopy: “Someday we will all die, but on all the others, we will not.” Snoopy was always the wise one… and the optimist.

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The Charlie Brown cartoon was circulated through Facebook, which I hope makes it public domain, and I’m not even sure the caption is the original text.

Thank you for being a reader/subscriber. It is my goal to present informative, interesting and creative content on this site. Your likes, shares and comments are welcomed and hugely appreciated.

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Faith – 8th Poem of Christmas

Posted in Inspiration, Writer's Block

Bisque Nativity – Mexican Folk Art

Friend to all, enemy of none
Angels would guard Him for He is the One.
Incited, indicted some would shun
Thinking to deny Him, He would done.
He overcame all, because of Him we have won.

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Mexican Folk Art – Ceramic Nativity

The ripple effect of kindness

Posted in essay, Inspiration, Views1 Comment

Ripple Effect

The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

Unfortunately much of the daily news is horrific. Thank the Lord for broadcasters who attempt in some small part to find one “good news” story to report, or some heroic act done by a selfless person. Frequently these folks say after doing some very brave thing, “I’m no hero. I just knew I had to so something.” The good deed gets maybe 30 to 45 seconds of airtime and then it’s back to the basics, violence in one form or another punctuated by misconduct, murder and mayhem.

Remember the television show, House? Hugh Laurie said of his television character Gregory House: “As a real person, he wouldn’t last a minute, would he? But drama is about imperfection. And we’ve moved away from the aspirational hero. We got tired of it; it was dull. If I was House’s friend, I would hate it. How he so resolutely refuses to be happy or take the kindhearted road. But we don’t always like morally good people, do we?”

I am troubled by this assessment. Is it because I fear Laurie is right? We want the heroic underdog to overcome, or at least we say we do, but too often we relate to the negative personality or anti-hero. They seem more real to us than the sterling good guy, the Dudley Do-Right. He’s just too good to be true, and if Laurie is correct, we see the good guy as boring or foolhardy while the badass is exciting. I wonder how many battered women feel that way after living with a badass for a while?

The television and movie industry, perhaps the entertainment industry overall, reflects our fascination with negativity. Much of what we see is less about overcoming and more about fallibility. There are few heroes, unless they’re dressed in goofy super-power costumes. The elemental goodness of ordinary people is rarely revealed. Do we not believe in or want to promote goodness?

I believe in goodness. I am uplifted when I see a story in the paper about personal triumph, or about someone who went the extra mile to help someone else. That is what shapes my world.

And that’s the point of life, not what other people do, but how you treat people and give back goodness, even when you have been treated unfairly. Every act of mercy and kindness has a far-reaching effect, perhaps in ways you will never know. One act of kindness may be little more than a drop in the bucket that is life, yet you can be assured it will ripple out and touch others.

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Walk in faith

Posted in Inspiration, Life, She said...

Walk in faith“ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17

My life is not easy, but then I don’t know anyone whose life is easy. The outward person, the one we see every day, bears scars we will never know about. They hurt in silence. I will not tell you my pain; it is no greater or more significant than yours. I will tell you my secret to peace and joy, which is no secret at all. God so loved the world that he gave his son that I might be saved. I believe that. It is not an idle promise; it is God’s clarity beyond any concept we are able to grasp. It is the gift of grace. Despite our flaws and failings, God loves us. He sees our strengths and weaknesses, and helps us build on both. This gift of grace is available to all. When we call upon God He will hear. He will answer. He will comfort. In this truth I find comfort. God loves each of us for who we are. How amazing is that. (Photo: Graphic Stock)

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Thank you for being a reader/subscriber. It is my goal to present informative, interesting and creative content on this site. Your likes, shares and comments are welcomed and hugely appreciated.

Follow Sharon at:
www.vandermeerbooks.com
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