“The command says, “Honor your father and your mother.” This is the first command that has a promise with it… “Then everything will be well with you, and you will have a long life on earth.” Ephesians 6: 2-3 (NCV)   Today, March 5, 2020, marks the fifteen anniversary of my dad, William L. Chever’s,  transition.  I talk about mom a lot in my blogs; but, not so much about dad.  Well, today, I think it’s time.   As I think about the man who raised me and my siblings, I realize how blessed we were to have such a strong, male force in our lives. Like I’ve mentioned before, dad…

“Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisors” Proverbs 11:14 (NLT) Today, February 17 is President’s Day and a reminder, to me, that I should pray for people in office. It is also a reminder that the person in office is human and not God.  I used to stress over the decisions made by those in office and at times I still do. That’s because many times it seems as decisions are made for the elite few instead of for all of us.  Then to calm myself, I return to my roots which are grounded in church.  I remember no matter how much it appears…

“Therefore encourage each other and build each other up” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) I’ve been thinking a lot about falling lately. I guess because I fell last week.  But all this thinking made me remember a simple phrase used by a cute little lady named, Helen.  In her 80’s she was walking through our woods and we cautioned her to be careful.  She just shrugged her shoulders and simply said, “If I fall, I get back up.”  Then slowly, falling and getting back up took on deeper meanings; never give up, keep on keeping on, rise up, always. After all, when we fall, what choice do we have? We can…

“…. If only you would listen to His voice today.” Psalm 95:7 (NLT) I fell several days ago. I was walking my usual route. I flipped over a small, jagged piece of plywood.  It was a hard, rolling somersault-like fall.  I flipped, sending my glasses flying off my face and my walking stick jabbing me under my arm.  As I rolled over to get up, I was more concerned with looking around to see if anyone saw me than I was with if I was hurt or not.  The truth is my pride was more hurt than my body.  Other than having dust all over my clothes and my face,…

Slowly, I returned.  With clarity and gratitude, the healing process began. I was able to talk on the phone without falling apart.  I could call and ask how others were doing. I could go places and genuinely feel good.  The healing really took root when we attended the private showing of the movie “Harriet;” those hugs were heart connections. Then, I began to talk on the phone, get lost in the conversation and feel good. Then, today I woke up with a smile.  I feel good. There is no sadness, no worry, no anxiety.  You know why?  I woke up with hope.  Hope rooted in God’s promises. Hope is defined…

You know how I survived this struggle?  By hope. By gratitude.  My husband, Larry, started the process.  He made a comment that made me pause.  As we were driving, the song, “I’m Blessed,” by Charlie Wilson came on the radio.  I paused as I leaned into his words; he was  singing along to the lyrics, “Ask me  how I’m doing, I’m blessed, yes. Living every moment, no regrets. Smile up on my face, I’m like oh yes, I’m blessed, yes…” Then, he added, “this is my favorite song.” All I could say was, “it is?” I looked at him through eyes of awe and love. Right then,  I felt like…

“Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my hope in God and keep praising him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:11 NCV)   I know my blog is about relentless faith, but for the past three weeks, I’ve been struggling. Struggling to find a purpose in what has been going on with the changes in our lives.  Struggling to somehow put a handle on or grab a hold of something that appears to be out of reach. What’s so difficult about this challenge is that the day before this struggle began, we had just returned from a 3-week trip to Nova Scotia. My…

Hugs heal.  Yesterday, I hugged my brother, Billy; a strong, welcoming, healing hug sending warmth throughout my entire body.  I hugged my sister, Alice, a tiny woman with a strong grip sending strength down my spine.  My husband, Larry, hugged me sending a feeling of devotion shared by two people who have endured much together and by the grace of God will continue to share for years to come.  My sister-in-law, Cheryl, gave me a hug sending a feeling of being grounded radiating to the soles of my feet.  Brother-in-law, John’s hug sent lightness and an inner knowing that “all is well.”  A long hug from Dylan held whispers of…