Monday, October 19, 2026

Wisdom from unexpected sources

‘’It’s hard,’ I told her,

She said, “it’s not
supposed to be easy.”

When I turned to her with a question on my face, she said, “
Love is not supposed to be easy.” 

It was difficult to swallow, and at that moment my only response came from my eyes.   The tears flowed.  That was it.  She asked if I needed a hug - which of course I did, and then she had to leave. 

But those words have stayed with me.  

No, love is not supposed to be easy.  It never was.  When God created man, knowing that mankind would disobey Him and walk their own way, love was hard.  When He had to remove them from his beautiful garden, love was hard.

When after many years God had to cleanse the world and just save one family, love was still hard.  And with all the opportunities He gave man to live in His way, men kept turning their backs and going their own way.  Love again, was hard.

And finally. when God the Son chose to die on the cross, to bear in His body and spirit man’s sins - those sins accumulated from the beginning of time, love was very hard.  It had to have been hard for The Father to turn His back and allow Jesus to do it alone.  Yes, love is very hard.

So when I love my husband and that love hurts so terribly because he hurts. I can be assured that my loving God knows what loving costs – that loving is hard. 

Thank you, Heather, for those wise words.  I didn’t need someone to say, “It will be OK” I needed the wisdom you probably don’t even realize you had.


Monday, October 12, 2026

Father, meet me

 

Father, meet me in the morning 
when the sky is silver-grey.
Reach your loving arms toward me as we feel the birth of day. 
 
Father, greet me in the morning
with your words of love and grace
as I open up my Bible
to a very special place.



In prophecy and promise
I listen as I pray
when I meet you in the morning
help me hear the words you say.

As I wander through the pages
watching for your message clear,
a special message written for your children’s seeking ear,
a message for the morning holding worry thoughts at bay
when I meet you in the morning
help me learn to walk your way.

Father, meet me in the morning
Help me listen when you say
that you’ll walk this road before me
as we venture through this day. 

Love Diane

Very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place where he prayed..  Mark 1:35 (NIV)



Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Morning

 
As I wake from a dreadful dream
and take a breath and look around
to see what pain this day might bring.

I see 

The morning light is seeping in
through curtains where they've  always been.
The day is softly welcoming
as feathered little choirs sing.

My Father, God again has shown
that life is not that awful dream.

Life is held in check by His strong will
and earth and sky are breathing still, 
and fields and hills will flower 'til
God's perfect final plans fulfill
and beauty reigns supreme.

Good morning friends,

Diane


Monday, September 14, 2026

I Am Old

 

This morning I listened to a sermon by Billy Graham titled, 
"Why you must be careful in your old age. "

It was a good reminder that life does not end at 80. (or even 86)  He spoke of the blessings we find in this age, but then he stressed some things we must be careful of now, in our senior years.

  • Thoughts that our usefulness is over.
  • Regrets for things undone, unsaid, or times we hurt others.
  • Becoming comfortable with religion and deciding it's not necessary to keep growing closer to God.
  • Letting routine replace prayer.
  • Believing that being alone is being abandoned.  
  • Underestimating your power to encourage others
  • Living in the past. 

Stop looking backward and start looking upwards

I am old, but I'm not done. 
The past is spent, but my race not run.  

I know there's more
God's plans control
more love to give, more room to grow, 

Our aches and pains, this world says,
give us the right to hide our heads, 
and give a reason not to bear another's burdens -
not to care.

Tho the years leave me a feeble frame,
I will ever call on Jesus name.
And walk then closer every day 

in the strength of Him
who leads the way.

 God knows our hearts. He plans our days . 
He walks ahead.  He knows our ways,
 He is the light on darkest days.  

Yes!

I'll lean on Him and give Him praise.

Love
Encourage
Forgive
Believe

Isaiah 46:

Even to your old age and gray hairs 
I am He,
I am He who will sustain you. 
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.







Saturday, September 12, 2026

In HisTime

This morning I woke to the following song.  Oh, I'm sure we have all heard it may times, but this morning -  This morning - the words dug their way deep into my heart, into my soul, into my pain and then, they sat there - soothing the cares away.  

He makes all things beautiful in his time.

Lord, please show me every day, that you're teaching me your way, that you'll do just what you say in your time.

Lord my life to you I bring, may each song I have to sing,
be to you a lovely thing
in your time.

In your time,
you make all things beautiful in your time. 
Lord please show me every day, as you're teaching me your way that you'll do just what you say, in your time.

In your time
In your time.
You make all things beautiful in Your time.

Psalm 33:20 (NKJV)

My soul waits for the Lord, 
my whole being waits, 
and in his word I put my hope.

It sounds like the Psalm writer may have been in the same place as many of us - bottomed out, and waiting.  But he knew who he was waiting for and who he could trust .

--- 

The song, "In His Time" was written by Diane Ball, in 1978.  As I followed her life I found that she continued to do many things, "in His time."  But today, for me, I'm afraid I just have to learn to wait for "His time," and to learn the lesson of leaving my life in His capable hands.

May God bless each of you.

Diane

Saturday, September 5, 2026

A little update

Dear ones,, my writings are a little disjointed these days.  I fell and broke my hip about a week ago since it this wasn't on my schedule, I was still on a blood thinner so they had to hold off the surgery to fix it until we got the Xarlto our of my system.   So after about 3 more days they did a total hip replacement.  It's been a roller coaster, but at the present time I'm at an Acute rehab hospital, having PT and OT to get my body going again.  I was transferred here on 9/2.  They're hoping to get me moving well enough to go either back to the assisted living place with Ron, or to our house, with Sue.  It's all emotionally disturbing, but God is here in my room - in my heart - in my darling Ron's situation.

Right now I'm writing snippets of thoughts,  which will probably go everywhere considering the day or hour I've had.  This post speaks about a lovely therapist.  I hope you enjoy it.  

 Pain and torture with a smile,

Her heart speaks
warmth
kindness
interest and a desire to help.

But no matter, there's still pain,
and sometimes 
you feel you can't stand up from the chair, even one more time, let alone the 20 times expected of you.

Her heart speaks again of
warmth
kindness
interest and a desire to help.

And you stand, not one more time, but 20,  and if by chance you have any strength left, you tell her you can do 3 more.

You try, 
because you know that this person, this harbinger of pain and torture wants you to succeed.
This, not for her own satisfaction, but for you.
So, she works to think up ways to make it look less like a torture chamber and more like a game.

Good people doing good for others.  
Thank you God for them.


Friday, September 4, 2026

what lies behind the faces

What lies behind the tart retort
the angry stare
unmoving wall
dark sheltered soul, a stranger there?

a twisted tree
in desert hot
bone dry and bare
by choice, or not?


Is this the face his maker sees?
And do you really want to know
what brought him here
with hurts unhealed
with grief and pain
he cannot show?

If we walk in the sandals of that stranger 
and see his soul laid bare,
but then listen to his maker
we may find our brother there.

Can I assume a pain, 
a wounded heart
or just a person torn apart
by circumstance of birth or wealth
lest I then judge his inner heart.

Assume goodness
though hidden from sight
Assume the best of the man
and see if you are right.







Wisdom from unexpected sources

‘’It’s hard,’ I told her, She said, “it’s not supposed to be easy.” When I turned to her with a question on my face, she said, “ Love is n...