Hello, friends. Thank you for stopping by my corner of the internet world and I encourage you to check out the posts from Heather Gerwing and the other writers!

Let's dive into April! 

Something Loved: We had a lovely Easter Season at church. Thursday we gathered around the tables in the fellowship hall, read the Scriptures of the Last Supper, had a potluck dinner, and served each other Communion. Friday night was a somber service as we read the Biblical account of the last evening before Jesus went to the Cross. Candles (and lights) were extinguished, one by one, as each hymn verse was sung and Scripture read. We left in silence to ponder the sacrifice that Jesus made and to anticipate the resurrection.  Both services were very meaningful and brought such joy on Sunday when we could worship together and praise God in His victory over death. We also were able to have lunch with dear friends from the first church we served 20 years ago in Pennsylvania! It was so fun to pick up where we left off and catch up!

Photo by Morgan Winston on Unsplash

Something Gleaned: I didn't think I would get so much out of this book, but here I am sharing another part I gleaned from Throw the First Punch. On a side note, "gleaned" means "to learn, discover, or find out, usually little by little or slowly."

In Chapter 11, titled Satan wants me afraid. God makes me brave, Beth Guckenberger shares the following: "As God's kid, I have rights I don't fully appreciate and definitely don't always take advantage of. One of those is never to be afraid." 

Wow, I know I'm not to be afraid, but it's my "right" as a child of God? That totally feels different and changes my thinking. I am an heir with Jesus and receive all of the inheritance, because of my faith in Him. 

She goes on to say, "God is more than willing to offer me peace, and yet sometimes I sit out, forgetting my rights as His kid." 

"Shalom is the Hebrew word meaning 'peace' and is defined as 'complete, wholeness, a literal filling in of our cracks.' When we don't ask God to fill in those cracks, what's exposed is vulnerable to the Enemy. If we are afraid or worried, that enemy can literally steal our time as we envision over and over all the possibilities." 

I have neglected to ask God to fill in the cracks and allowed the enemy too much access to my mind over my lifetime. 

In the past few weeks, I have started following Beth's counsel, "If I start to worry...I just say, 'Not today, Satan. I will not give you one ounce of my thought life.'"

She also encourages the reader to "...see fear not as my weakness but as Satan's trickery. I am quicker to denounce it and move on in God's strength." I have always seen my fear as a weakness that I needed to correct. However, now that I'm viewing it more as a scheme of the enemy, I am quicker to ask God for His rescue, and strength and peace are at hand for me to enjoy.

"My peace is the legacy I leave to you. I don’t give gifts like those of this world. Do not let your heart be troubled or fearful". John 14:27 (The Voice)

Something Braved (or Saved): Heather added "saved" to this category, because many of us writers were having trouble coming up with something braved and she didn't want anyone to be stressed. I'm glad I wasn't the only one, but I persevered and even have a "braved" update this month. 

I wrote in a previous blog how I learned the "back way" to take a patient, afraid of elevators, up the back stairwell. Well, this week, I had the opportunity to do this by myself. It's quite involved, with unlocking and relocking doors, both on the way up and when they come down to leave. It is a lot of walking, but worth it knowing I can do something new and help my co-workers by allowing them to attend to others.  

Something Achieved: Since January 1st, I read and some days listened to the New Testament and I finished last week. I used the reading guide from You Version called The Bible Recap and also listened to the podcast (from 2021-Year 3). I enjoyed the overview of the entire New Testament and read in a couple of different translations. It was amazing to see the flow and allow the Lord to speak new life into familiar passages.

How was your April?