Update on Helen

My friend Helen made it through her surgery. She will be recovering at Walnut Hills Nursing home and will anxiously await going home to see her beloved dog, Ginger. I recently had the flu, so I won’t be able to visit her for a while. I will continue to pray for her recovery.

Pardon my Dust

When I have anxiety about talking to people, is it a sign that my heart is not in line with God? When I was younger every time I opened my mouth I would offend someone. After I had Kevin, I was too busy chasing him around to even have a conversation with anyone. I noticed that the amount of people I usually offended dropped dramatically. Not because I had better things to say, but because I didn’t have time to say anything. I had this mini-revelation that if I talked little I’d offend less. So then became my mission to say as little as possible. It’s funny how I deceived myself into thinking I had discovered this great way of getting along with everyone. I still had this unresolved question. Why do I make people mad when I do open my mouth? Maybe its because I have this critical, judgmental heart. I wasn’t saying it, but I was still thinking it; critiquing, judging, assuming the worst. When I would say something all that ugliness just came spewing out.

Like a master sculptor, God chips away at me. My heart is softening. My anxiety is lessening as I look at people and respond to them differently. I react with more compassion, grace, and understanding then I did before the Holy Spirit moved in. Sometimes I have to talk whether I want to or not. I still have anxiety when I do have to say something, but it is lessening. Thankfully He never tires of this work in progress. Maybe I should wear a sign that says pardon my dust.