My friends. this is a little story of a hurting soul.  I'm sure there are many around us.  If we open our eyes we may see what this child is going through - or if I look around, I may see what you are going through.  There is hope and unparalleled love - just listen.

Through the tears of despair,
and of sorrow and care
that were clouding her eyes and her heart,
through the haze of her pain,
or when worry would reign,
a glimmer of hope seemed to start.

A glimmer
now shines in a heart that will see
creation which speaks of God’s great majesty
Cotton soft clouds reach down from the skies -
God’s tissues are wiping this child’s tortured eyes.

And
 if she listens closely, she will hear
what demon forces surely fear.
God’s mighty thunder, clapping hands,
drumbeats at her Lord's command.
Amidst the din,
a flash of fire -
a white-hot spear hurled from on high.
Assurance that her master’s hand 
holds strength and power at His command

And when she looks around she sees

a mother dove amidst the storm,
 steadfast, keeps her babe from harm.
 and wraps strong wings around her child,
protective wall of downy love -
a picture of her God above.

For in this place of wind and rain
protection lives within the pain.
Protecting care for us He planned.
His “love” with mighty outstretched hand.

She knows

although God’s might and majesty
may awful fierce or frightening be.
God gave that dove to show His child.
His tender care, love undefiled. 

Seeing now the world He formed
with love and care, and strength and might,
with beauty, and with awesome light,
there’s healing in the broken soul.

Our creator’s voice has made it whole.
Because these awesome pictures show
what our hearts should always know. 

Our Mighty God is in control!

 

Diane Gruchow Nov 2025

 

 

What do you believe your future holds? Do you ever think that God has a plan for you specifically – just for you? 

God’s prophets were sent to help Israel stay close to Him.  And as we read the book of Jeremiah in the Bible, we hear God speaking to those people, through Jeremiah.  God is warning them about the results of their terrible sins. 

But then, in the middle of all the warnings, we see the following comment from God, full of compassion and love.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord,
thoughts of peace and not of evil,
to give you a future and a Hope. Jeremiah 29:11(NKJV)

 He – God, said that He had plans for them, even with the trials they were currently suffering and would have to expect.  He told them that the plans - the thoughts that He had for them were for peace, a future and a Hope.

 Yes, this passage was written to a specific group of people, but the Bible is clear that God has plans for all His Children, all the people who seek Him.  I believe that the plans He had for Israel are the plans He has for us today.  Plans for peace in our hearts, of a future, and a Hope.

God speaks of peace, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil.”  So, my friend, though you may not be able to see the end of the challenges you’re facing today, God has, for you too - thoughts of peace and not evil, peace and not heaviness, peace and not anxiety. 

God still wants to exchange your fear for peace. and Your heaviness for hope.

Are you looking out the window, and seeing nothing there?
Are you waiting for a miracle to reach you from somewhere?

Are you longing for a sweet release
and wishing for some inner peace
and praying for the pain to cease?

Child,
don’t let those anxious thoughts break through.
Let God’s sweet peace fall over you
as you go to Him in prayer.

 

Diane Gruchow 2025

 

 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest. “ Matthew 11:28 (CSB)

Are you weary of the messed-up world we’re living in?  Are you burdened, stewing over the probability of the messed-up world your children and grandchildren will inherit?

What is the answer to that weariness and worry?  Our Bible has it – come to Jesus.  It’s that plain.  Come to Jesus and place that weariness in his hands because He tells us He will give us rest.

Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?  I’m not saying that putting the weariness and worry in His hands will make all the problems go away. 

We live in this messed-up world because of sin.  And although Christ paid the price for our sins, giving us the right to eternal life with Him, Satan’s minions are still around until that final day when Christ comes again to make all things new.  So sin is still present, it’s just that if we trust in Jesus, we can be assured that we, His children, though touched by that sin, do not have to give in to the world.  He will give us strength.  He will give us rest.

Last night, I had a real rough time, thinking thoughts that I know did not make my Savior pleased.  But I remembered that the Holy Spirit was there to help me – and through a lot of crying, a lot of prayer – a lot of asking for His help, He did help me.  He gave me peace.  I just had to come to Him humbly and remember what He has always said in His Bible. 

Oh, I’m so grateful that my church upbringing forced me to memorize scriptures.  Those scriptures come back at my lowest times.    I don’t know how many times I’ve recited in the night - 

Psalm 23 “the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.  

He makes me lie down in green pastures. 
He restores my soul.”  

Psalm 40:2 “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, 
out of the mud and mire; 
He set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.” 

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all of your cares upon Him 
for He cares for you.”

----

The Lord is my shepherd, my rock and my stay. 
He meets me at night when I’m lost on the way. 
He fills with His Spirit the heart’s empty nest 
when worry and weariness keep me from rest.

The Lord is my shepherd. 
He holds in His hand
a peace that will give quiet rest in this land.
He guides with His Spirit; He calms the heart’s fears 
when worry and weariness bring me to tears.

Friend, cast all your cares on 
The Maker, The One
who helps you to rest when you cry to His Son.
When you go to your Savior, His spirit draws near 
to ease your own weariness and to banish your fear. 

Love, Diane

Time or eternity!  We’re living in this world's time and God's eternity!  

God made us in His image. We have a soul, an eternal spirit, as well as an earthly body.  

But God planned life for mankind - an eternal life - with Him - for those who choose to be His children, or without Him, if we so choose.

Having lived in this earthly body for 85 years, I’m kind of tired, and I’m looking forward to that time when I step over the doorway into a life with my Savior, my God.  But I’m finding out that He is not through with me yet.  For some reason I still feel a connection to this earth.  So, though I am tired, I believe there is still work to do.  My only question is, what work?

I’m capable of “thinking, smiling, helping (sort of) and talking“– though not always out loud.  My interaction with friends and strangers can be the work that God has set out for me. Possibly?   But my conversations with Him are more important, since they impact everything on this “time/place” we call life.  They impact my attitude, my interaction with others, my judgements and my “work” for Him.

So I pray because I’m tired.  I pray because I don’t know what I am capable of doing while my time on earth is now.  And I pray -  because sometimes I feel that I am of no use to God. Sometimes I feel empty, and that feeling is not so bad because

That empty place within my heart -
is waiting for a mission - one I’m capable to fill.
I pray dear God, 
please show me how I’m meant to do Your will.

My God, I leave control to You,
and in your strength abide.
Please help me do my best for You,
to see my life the way You do,
and place my helplessness aside.

Father, God, Almighty Friend.
I smile and know You hear my prayers
 for wisdom, strength, desire,
 to know and do your will. 

The young and fit - You “run” with them.
And you’re
”walking” 
with me still.

I pray that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,”  Ephesians 1:17 (ESV) 

Love, Diane

He's the Rock

 

Isaiah 26:3-4
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.

Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
---------
Sometimes life’s storms split my world in two,
or the riptide of fear steals the peace that I knew,
and the pain makes me look at myself not at you.
But
I’m told you’re the Rock.
You’re the God who cares,
who answers prayers.
 
That tide grips my life and I’m racing behind.   
This world’s noises torture my heart and mind.
But in this I will pray that Your peace I will find.
 
So I pray to the Rock.
You’re the God who cares,
who answers prayers.
 
 When I cry for the turmoil, the trials, to cease,
when I ask you, my God, for that blessed release,
I turn to you, Father, for your incomparable peace
 
And I know
 you’re the Rock.
You’re the God who still cares,
who loves all His children and answers their prayers.
 
May God bless you today with assurance that He hears.

Diane Oct 2025

Love your .... enemy

 Jesus said, “Love your enemy.”

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ... “ Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV)

We often ask when reading scriptures, so who is my neighbor or who is my brother?  But do we ever ask, who is my enemy?  If you’re like me, you’d be hard pressed to name anyone as a personal “enemy.”  I mean someone I hate, or someone that I know wishes me harm – that would be an enemy.  Right?

I read something recently about loving your “Political” enemies and was struck by how easy it was to identify that person, or party or group, or country.  Wow!  If I am going to Love my neighbor and my enemy, that will include - heaven forbid – those people who stand for things that I don’t support.  It would include people who stand in opposition to my firmly held political beliefs, my religious convictions, and my faith.

It is not up to me to “hate” another person, no matter what they do to me, or what they stand for.  Jesus says, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  So there is not an “if they” or an “unless” in His teaching.  He just says, “do it.”

That’s a lot to think about.  I’m afraid that, in this world of anger and strife and hatred between people who disagree with each other, it’s very hard to feel love for others.  But love is NOT a feeling, it’s an action.  So I must be careful of my tongue, what I say about people I disagree with, or what slogan I post on my car or my blog, because those actions show where my heart is.

I appreciated what our minister said this morning about praying for those in our government by name, asking God to bless them in whatever way pleases Him.  So that is my plan – because it’s God’s plan.

Love,

Diane

Promises

 Dear friends,

I’ve struggled with this last post – had a lot of ideas, but when it came right down to it, I felt that my ideas were not what  my friends needed to hear today.  I decided that only God’s love and truth would be my focus.  

John 1:14  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  

I think sometimes all we need to think about is the amazing truth that Jesus, the Son of God came to earth as a man and lived a life that was constantly in the “giving” mode.  He died “giving” us all the chance to connect with Him – God in flesh and with the Father - God who answers our prayers, and the Holy Spirit - God who has come to be our helper, our comforter, our teacher, our friend.

Today, that is the way I want to see our amazing, powerful, almighty God.  He allows us to see so many facets of Himself in the scriptures and in His creation. And today we focus on His care and His love for each of us.

God is with us.  He is for us.  He loves each of us and He walks on the paths of our life, each step with us.

My mom had a plaque on the wall of her dining room.  I couldn’t remember the exact words, so I looked it up and found that it is a poem by Annie Johnson Flint (1866-1932)

God hath not promised Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised
Sun without rain, joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor and light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.

Mom didn’t always have an easy life.  She and my dad raised 4 children on a policeman’s pay.  It wasn’t easy even in those days.  Mom saw her share of grief and death.  She worked hard to make sacrifices for her family.  She cared for her mother in our home when it was, oh so hard.  Mom lost her husband, the love of her life, when she was only 60, and although she didn’t know how she could go on, she did, sometimes in sorrow and many days full of life and joy.  

God was my mother’s help.  She spent her life close to Him.  Her Bible was well used, and her children, friends, and Saint John’s church were blessed by the work of her hands.  

So I’ll remember the poem on her wall, but I’ll fiercely depend on the words from the Bible she was so fond of.

Psalm 42:8 (ESV) By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Romans 8:28-29 (ESV) For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Psalm 86:15 (ESV) But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.