A New Adventure

In our area, it is back to school time. This is hard to believe when it is still July. Years ago, we had a sign hanging in our home that said, “The three best reasons to be a teacher—June, July and August.” Our kids and teachers don’t have the luxury of a long summer break anymore. As I walk through stores and see the back-to-school displays, I admit, I am delighted to be a retired educator. It is much more difficult to be a student, teacher, instructional assistant, bus driver, custodian, cafeteria worker, front office personnel or administrator today than it was just a few short years ago. The reasons are obvious so no need to go into them here. This morning, as my youngest daughter set off for her first day at her school’s New Teacher Academy, I began thinking about some of my back-to-school experiences I have had as a student, teacher and administrator. I was always nervous on the first day. No matter how many years I had under my belt, that first day was nerve wrecking and I always felt relieved at the end of day one. As I was reminiscing, I began thinking about my grand blessings who will be going to a new Christian school in a few days and my friends and former colleagues who are in the middle of back-to-school preparations. I wondered what this mom, nana and former colleague could do to help and support them. A memory came flooding back of what a grandmother did several years ago that warmed this principal’s heart. Please allow me to share it with you. Several days before school began, I received a voice mail that went like this: “Hi Mrs. Miller. I am the grandmother of two of the students who will be attending your school this year. I wanted to let you know that I am praying for all of you. In fact, last evening, I walked around your school and prayed for my grandchildren and their classmates, you, the teachers and staff and asked God to bless all of you and make it a great year. I will continue to pray for you throughout the year. Thank you for all you and your staff will do for my grandchildren this year.” This was not the usual voicemail waiting for me each morning. I was delighted! What might happen in our schools and our country if we all do as this grandmother did? Not only pray specifically for a certain school and the children and staff who will be there each day, but also, call or email the principal and teachers letting them know you are praying for them. It was tough being a teacher and principal when I was in those roles. It is many times more difficult today for all involved. Praying for our kids, their teachers and the entire school staff will make a difference. I am committing to pray for my daughter, grand blessings, their schools and all the schools in my community. James 5:16 b states, “…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” How might this school year be impacted positively, across our country, if we pray? Will you join me in praying for the schools of your loved ones and those in your community? If you do, I would love to hear about it.

It is a beautiful late summer afternoon in Central Indiana. My plans for this afternoon changed, so I am taking advantage of a couple of hours to sit outside and enjoy m y patio. As I sit here observing the geese on the pond, I am amazed at the peacefulness of watching them float across the water, in complete silence. The silence and stateliness of this scene is in sharp contrast to what I have experienced before 6AM for the last week or so. Each morning, I have been awakened by the loud, incessant honking of these geese. They would repeatedly fly in, slide across the top of the water and then fly off again, honking loudly all the way. The first couple of days, their honking irritated me. I was not ready to throw back the covers and begin my day. Several days ago, I remembered a Precious Moments figurine we had, years ago, of a girl and a goose. It was titled, “Make a Joyful Noise.” This is from the verse in Psalm 100:1 that states: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. (ESV) Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. (NIV) Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. (KJV) I realized these geese should not irritate me; they should remind me to do the same and make my own joyful noise each morning. When I changed my perspective, the honking no longer irritated me. It made me smile! Beginning my day thanking God and asking him to lead, guide and protect before my feet hit the floor is a wonderful way to start each day. I am thankful to the geese in my pond for the reminder to begin each day by making a joyful noise to the Lord. In fact, all of Psalm 100 is inspiring and a great reminder that God is good, and we should continually praise Him. Let me share Psalm 100 with you. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.  There is so much noise in our world today and much of it is not joyful. I am committed to paying attention to the noise I make and, as often as possible, make sure it is joyful. Will you join me?

I have been thinking about my Grandpa Holt often lately. Grandpa was a quiet, tall, lanky and unassuming man with an interesting life that he rarely talked about unless asked. He was what he called a “hobo” and went all over the country by hopping on trains. Grandpa got into an argument with his uncle and his uncle shot him in the leg. He and my grandmother ran off and got married at an early age. They were married for 68 years. Grandpa made “moonshine,” and I remember him laughing as he told me about it. Grandma and Grandpa lived in Bradyville, Tennessee and had two sons. There was little work in their area, but he heard about Ball Corporation building a new glass manufacturing plant opening in Indiana and they were hiring. With a dream in his heart to provide for his family, in 1941 he traveled to Muncie, Indiana and was hired by Ball. After working for a few months, he went back to Tennessee and brought his family to Muncie to begin a new life. It was a good life. Grandpa suffered from a genetic eye disease that causes the peripheral vision to gradually close in called Retinitis Pigmentosa. The last several decades of his life, he was blind. His other senses were enhanced, and I remember, as a young girl, driving north on I-65, sitting in the back seat with Grandpa coming back home from Tennessee. He said, “We should be getting close to Elizabethtown,” (Kentucky). Just as he said that we passed a sign that said we were arriving in Elizabethtown. I was impressed and 55 years later, I still remember. I remember the day in 2006 he went to Heaven. He was 95 years old and all I could think about was he is seeing Jesus and the beauty of Heaven. After years of total blindness, I could not imagine how that must have been for him. Wow! The reason I have been thinking so much about Grandpa is I developed cataracts. My eye doctor first told me I needed to have them removed about three years ago. I wanted to see how things developed and if I could find a natural cure. Two months ago, I went for my eye check up and the doctor was shocked at how much they had progressed since the last time I saw him. He told me I needed to have them removed right away and needed to stop driving immediately. It was not surprising to hear my doctor say that. Everyday tasks were becoming difficult, reading and writing were such a struggle and I only drove within my little circle. Last month I had my cataracts removed and what a difference! I did not realize what I was not seeing. The only downside is realizing that my windows were not as clean as I thought they were. Although, I did wonder who the old lady looking back at me in the mirror happened to be. She looked a lot older and more wrinkled than I thought. Even so, I was grateful that I could see her so clearly. My eyesight grew dim so gradually, I thought it was due to growing older and a new pair of glasses would correct it. That is until just after Christmas this year and each day it seemed to get worse. Years of gradually decreasing vision until suddenly, I wondered what happened. This morning as I was drinking my favorite French Vanilla coffee with French Vanilla cream and pondering, I thought about what is happening in our country. I realized how I assumed my “fuzzy vision” was normal for someone my age until my eye doctor shocked me with the pronouncement that I needed surgery immediately and was putting myself and others in danger by driving. Only realizing the danger of it all spurred me to action! Our country is in grave danger and the choice we make in this upcoming election will have long lasting and irreversible consequences. There is so much disinformation out there and it is difficult to know what the truth is. We cannot rely on “fuzzy vision.” Each one of us needs discernment. Charles Spurgeon once said, “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.” The Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” We must not lean on our own thoughts but ask God to give his divine wisdom in all aspects of our life. In 1 Kings 3:9 (NIV) King Solomon asks God, “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” A discerning heart indicates the ability to listen to all sides and come to true and wise decisions. There is so much misinformation out there. We need to ask God to clear our “fuzzy vision,” give us eyes to see and discern the truth.  I am praying for a discerning heart in all areas of my life, especially in who will get my vote for President. Will you join me in praying for discernment and then following that as you cast your vote?

There was another Miller’s Musings I had planned to post today but the following is burning in my heart. So, a change in plans--- It is 3:30 AM and I have been awake for over an hour. My mind is racing, and I cannot turn it off. The events of yesterday, in our country, keep playing over and over in my mind. • The FBI Director’s testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee. • House Speaker, Mike Johnson forms a bi-partisan task force to investigate Trump assassination attempt. • The protests in DC that were allowed to damage structures and monuments in our nation’s capital. • The reaction to Bibi Netanyahu’s address to Congress. • President Biden’s speech to the American people. Our country is in trouble! We need a miracle! Only God can step in and perform that miracle. In a gathering I attended recently, the question was asked, “What is something you feel could be impossible for God to do?” One of the participants stated that perhaps the state of our country had progressed too far from Biblical principals for even God to do something about it.” I was shocked by that comment. The Bible tells us that nothing is impossible with God, (Matthew 19:26) and that includes our country. In last week’s Miller’s Musing, I asked you to pray for our country with me. I am repeating that request this week. My heart is so heavy for our country, and I am concerned about what kind of United States my sweet grand-blessings will inherit. Will you continue to pray with me for God’s will to be done in our United States?  …Not my will, but yours, Father.

The last few days have been emotional for me. My family can tell you that tears are always near the surface, and it doesn’t take much for them to begin dripping from my eyes. I have been known to cry because I am sad and just as often cry because I am happy. My sweet grand-blessing #2 often tells me, ”Turn off the waterworks, Nana!” Which always makes us laugh. I don’t know why tears come so easily to me, but I have accepted it as part of my DNA and have learned to live with it. There are a multitude of reasons for my tears, both happy and sad, this past week. • Both my mom and dad’s birthdays were this week. I am grateful for the foundation they gave me and even though I know they are in Heaven and better than ever, I would love to have one more conversation with them. • I unexpectedly ran into someone who was very special to Sweet Husband. It was so good to see him, but the tsunami of memories that conversation brought back, made tears flow. • My days are filled with a new and exciting adventure and what I believe is an assignment. There is a lot to do to meet our deadlines and, at times, the tears have flowed because I can’t believe, at my age, I get to start something new. But…Joshua and Caleb were eighty years old when they entered the promised land, Sarah was ninety when she gave birth to Isaac and Colonel Sanders franchised his first Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1952, when he was sixty-two. I wonder if they cried happy tears, too? One of the biggest reasons I have been emotional this week is watching what is happening in our great United States. I love our country so much and the hateful rhetoric, division and violence breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes. After Saturday’s attempt on Former President Trump’s life and the loss of life of the Pennsylvania firefighter, my tears have flowed easily. The Bible tells us to pray for our leaders, all of them. Whether you agree or disagree with them, we are commanded to pray for them. “I urge you first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2 “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” Romans 13:1  Will you join me in praying daily for President Biden, Former President Trump and all government officials at the federal, state and local level? Let’s also pray for the temperature in the United States. There is much hatred, and it is causing violence. Only God can turn things around in our great country. No matter your political view, will you pray with me -- not my will, but yours, Father.

This month marks the one-year anniversary of moving into my new home. It has been such a blessing and a place of comfort and rest. Isaiah 32:18 states, “My people will l ive in peaceful dwelling places in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.” That describes what the last twelve months on Flynn Place have been like. I am so grateful! With the one-year anniversary comes all the one-year warranty items to be taken care of. There have been multiple days of workers coming by to take care of the little things. Fortunately, the issues I have had have been minor. That is not always the case with new construction, or with others in my neighborhood, but I have been blessed. This morning as I was sitting in my favorite place, my back patio, I was thinking about living here for a year and counting my blessings— • It is quiet here, other than the loud quacking from ducks and honking from geese. • I feel safe and have never had any reason not to feel safe. • There are more electrical outlets in this home than I have ever seen. • Someone else takes care of my outside work. • This house is the perfect size for me. As I was counting my blessings on Flynn Place, my phone beeped. It was Darling Daughter #1 sending a text asking if Darling Daughter #2 and I wanted to meet her and my Grand Blessings for lunch in 20 minutes. Yes! As I was driving to our favorite pizza place for their lunch buffet, I realized that this spur of the moment, who cares what you look like, invitation to be with my sweet family and enjoy tasty breadsticks was one of the greatest blessings of moving to my new home. Our former home was at least a half hour away from any of my family and that thirty minute or more drive made spontaneity next to impossible. I love spontaneity, so getting a text about meeting for lunch in 20 minutes made my heart happy. After hugs and giggles we went inside, got our food and sat down. A seamless flow of conversation began. Between bites of salad, pizza and breadsticks, much laughter was sprinkled throughout the conversation. This Nana’s heart was full. We heard about- • Throwing a pacifier away because he was now a big boy. • Going to a concert in the park last evening and thinking about how much her dad would have loved it. • Sisters giving each other a hard time about boys and manicures. • Fun banter between mom and daughter about a road trip surprise this weekend. One part of our conversation thrilled me. One of my sweet grand blessings was sharing a conversation she had with a friend about Jesus. She is bold and not afraid to share what she believes. She is impacting her little corner of the world for Jesus, even at her young age. Listening to her talk and hearing what her mom and aunt added to the conversation was such a blessing. I just sat back, listened and thanked God for my family. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 17:6- “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged…” and in Psalm127:3- “Behold children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” 3 John 1:4 states – “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” I am certainly feeling blessed by my children and grand blessings as I write this.  As I continue to count my blessings daily, my family is certainly at the top of the list. God has been so good to us, and I am grateful.

“Did you hear that?” Amazing Daughter #1 asked me this question during church last Sunday. “No,” I whispered. A few minutes later she looked at me again as if asking the same thing. I shrugged my shoulders. This happened multiple times over the next few minutes. I had no idea what was going on until Amazing Daughter #1 grabbed my purse off the floor, opened it and took out my phone --- my alarm was going off! I was shocked! My entire family heard it, and I did not. They lovingly gave me a hard time in the lobby after church. Sweet Grand-blessing #1 told me I was going to have to leave my phone in the car from now on. It was funny and we all laughed. Over the past couple of days, I have been thinking about this. The weird thing is – I heard absolutely nothing. How did that happen? My daughter sitting next to me heard it. My son-in-law sitting two seats to my left heard it. My brother-in-law sitting two seats to my right heard it. It was right in front of me, and I did not hear it. How could that be? I believed 100% there was no noise. My family believed 100% there was noise. We were each confident in our beliefs, but we were not all correct. This week I read a couple of social media posts that I adamantly disagreed with concerning an event that happened. We saw the same event but interpreted it vastly differently. What was the truth? With all the noise in today’s world competing for our attention and everyone attempting to prove they are right in the twenty-four-hour news cycle or on social media, it is difficult, if not impossible, to hear or know who is or if anyone is telling the truth. I am currently working on an interactive workbook for pre-teens/teens about what the Bible says about various topics such as anger, anxiety, doubt, friendship, etc. Yesterday I was working on the topic of discernment. Discernment is seeing, recognizing and understanding the truth of a situation. The Bible shares a story about when King Solomon, the wisest man in the world, needed discernment. Here is a snippet of that story from 1 Kings 3:16-28. When two women came to Solomon, both claiming to be the mother of a baby, Solomon used the discernment God gave him to come up with a solution to see who the real mother was. Solomon ordered the baby to be cut in half so each woman could have part of the baby. Solomon knew that the real mother would not want her child to be killed. When the real mother said, “Don’t kill him! Let the other woman have him.” Solomon knew who the real mom was.  King Solomon desperately needed wisdom in the above situation. He asked God for wisdom and discernment and God gave it to him. My mom used to say, “You can’t believe everything you hear.” She was right but in today’s world, we now cannot believe all we see. Thanks to technology, AI and all sorts of new ways to manipulate just about everything in our world, how do we know what the truth really is? The short answer is – we don’t. Just like Solomon, we need wisdom to navigate the world we are living in. The good news is that we can have wisdom. The Bible tells us that God will give us wisdom if we ask. James 1:5 states: “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” The only sure truth we have is in Jesus and we need him to help us navigate the world we are living in. Instead of relying on CNN, MSNBC, FOX, Facebook, X, Instagram or the various independent journalists vying for our attention, why not ask God to give you discernment and wisdom to help you know the truth. We cannot trust political candidates, Hollywood celebrities, or those screaming the loudest for our attention. How could we impact our country and our world if we stopped believing everything we see and hear on TV and social media? What if we treated those who have a different political view than we do with the love Jesus tells us to show our neighbor? What if we begin to pray daily for God’s will to be done in our country and ask God to give us wisdom and discernment as we face each day? God, please give us wisdom.

It is June in Indiana and that means strawberries are everywhere! Strawberry shortcakes, strawberry pies, strawberry and spinach salads, strawberry milkshakes, and so ma ny more ways to enjoy this delectable fruit. My grandmother used to make the most delicious strawberry bread and I pulled out her recipe this morning. I haven’t made this bread in years but decided today was a good day to do some nostalgic baking. The strawberry bread is in the oven and the wonderful smell is wafting through my home. It smells delightful! All these thoughts about strawberries sent my mind back to the time Sweet Husband talked me into picking fresh strawberries. I can laugh now, but getting down on the ground, fighting the heat, humidity, dirt and crowds to pick berries was not an experience I enjoyed, and I may have gotten a little cranky. My idea of gardening and picking fresh fruits and vegetables involves the produce section of a well-stocked grocery store or a local farmers market. As often happens, the thought of strawberries piqued my curiosity, so I went to Google to find out more. Did you know that, according to countryliving.com-- 1. There are two hundred seeds on an average strawberry. 2. Americans eat an average of 3.4 pounds of fresh strawberries every year. 3. California produces 75% of strawberry crops in the United States. 4. Ancient Romans believed strawberries had medicinal powers. 5. Don’t rinse cut strawberries under water until you are ready to eat them—it speeds up spoiling. 6. There is an entire museum in Belgium dedicated to strawberries. I also read that many people use strawberry plants for ground cover. Ground cover?? Well, that explains why I did not enjoy getting down and rummaging for my strawberries so many years ago. The name strawberry plant is misleading. It is strawberry ground cover and not fun to pick! The article stated that strawberries as ground cover will spread and take over an area if not purged routinely. Being a grocery store produce section type of person, I will take the author’s word for that, but it did get me thinking. Ground cover—if strawberry plants take over an area and influence the landscape by growing, spreading and covering the ground, can I, as a follower of Jesus, cover the ground of my neighborhood, city and state with prayer, love and influence for good? Our world is angry, hurting and in desperate need of love, kindness, and to see Jesus in us. What if we would be like strawberries and: • Grow and spread kindness and love to our world. • Cover the ground where we live with faith over fear and helpfulness over division. • Let sweetness flow even when someone figuratively “takes a bite out of us.” The Bible tells us in Galatians 5:14, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” In verses 22 and 23 the Bible lists attributes that Jesus followers should show to those around them, these attributes are called the Fruit of the Spirit. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  I remember the strawberries we picked were smaller but sweeter than the strawberries from the grocery. Each of us is only a small piece in the big picture of helping our country and those around us heal. Our small actions may seem insignificant, but they are not. Just like strawberries, no matter how small, we can bring sweetness and a powerful taste and aroma for good to those around us. By acting out the Fruit of the Spirit we can show Jesus’ love to the hurting world around us, no matter how small our actions may be. I am going to work on being a strawberry this week. Will you join me?

One of the biggest challenges I have had to face during the past two and a half years is learning to cook for one. To be honest, instead of facing this challenge head on , I have chosen to eat out, order take-out or run through a drive thru. In the last several weeks, I have realized it is time to get back into the kitchen, eat healthy and learn how to cook for one. Last evening I attempted to cook one of my favorite dinners—salmon and roasted vegetables. When eating out, I enjoy ordering salmon, especially if it is blackened, but have never attempted to make it myself. To my utter amazement—it was delicious! Salmon is rich in vitamins and healthy fats that can keep bones, brain and eyes healthy. At my stage in life, that is important. As I was eating, I began thinking about salmon and how I always heard they swim upstream. I wanted to know more so I picked up my phone and googled. Here is some of what I found from strikeandcatch.com . “Salmon enter fast flowing freshwater systems and swim up their natal rivers to find a suitable spawning location. The rivers running water and habitat provide both plenty of oxygen and shelter for the eggs and juvenile salmon, which increases their rate of survival… As many salmon stocks breed in vast river systems that can span dozens or even hundreds of miles, their journey up stream can be both very long and extremely demanding.” The article goes on to say: “The river stretches with gravel beds that salmon use to spawn in are usually extremely shallow, making it difficult or outright impossible for larger predators to reach.” The information I learned about why Salmon swim upstream impressed me. Salmon instinctively know their offspring must be protected. They fight the current of rivers and swim for miles to lay eggs in a place that is safe from predators. Nehemiah 4:14 from the Bible tells us, “…Fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” Salmon certainly fight for their “children” by swimming hundreds of miles against the flow of the rivers back to their native river to lay eggs that will be protected from outside influences and dangers. I believe that is what we humans must do, as well. We must be willing to swim upstream and against the flow of our culture to protect our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends. Today’s world is a dangerous place for our kids. The need to be protected and taught truth and the moral absolutes we find in God’s Word is of the utmost importance. Salmon isolate their young by going “home” to lay eggs in shallow water so predators cannot reach them. In our world, we cannot isolate our children from the craziness of today’s culture, but we can and should insulate our children. How do we insulate the next generation? Teach them what the Bible says, help them remember or hide it in their hearts and model for them how to live out those principles every day. Someone shared with me the following phrase that sums it up — “battle ready.” We need to insulate our children with the truth of God’s Word so they can be battle ready when it is time to “swim against the current” in their world, just as the Salmon do. If we don’t teach our children to follow Jesus, the world will teach them not to. It is not only our children that need to be battle ready. We adults as well need to be battle ready and willing to swim upstream against the culture in which we live and work. If we learn what the Bible says, remember or hide it in our hearts and live out God’s Word every day, I believe we can be the salt and light our world needs. Let’s impact our world for Jesus! It is in desperate need of Him.