Category: On Any Given Day

Extra, Extra

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© jb katke

Read all about it! Have you heard to the news recently?

A young mother has made the national news. Her story can prompt some head-scratching and possibly controversy.

You may find the following offensive, but it is real. Before I go any further, let’s agree there are places in this world that do not offer choices.

Last year a young woman was diagnosed with brain cancer, and she was pregnant.

Her cancer doctors told her what she must do to beat this. To use the best treatments, she must abort the baby. We all want a doctor that will give us the answer to our illnesses. Generally, we trust them because they know more than the average person.

However, this young mom didn’t agree with her doctor. I do not know what her obstetrician may have said.

Many may question her decision. She already had a two-year old child—can’t that be enough? But she determined not to have the abortion. I’m aware of only two women that have faced this dilemma. Both of them based their decision on their faith.

Abortion would not fall in line with their spiritual beliefs. Jesus has never endorsed abortion. He was and is, a giver of life, not a taker.

To some, this woman may have been incredibly brave. To others, foolish. But here is her logic—

“My baby has nothing to do the cancer, killing her would not take the cancer away.”

Next month her baby daughter will celebrate her first birthday.

Watching her interview on television, I noted the woman looked the picture of health. None of us know if she will be cured or how long she will live, but all of us will at some point die.

It’s the choices we make while breathing that make all the difference in the world.

As I write, she is currently out of state, undergoing treatment with different doctors. What kind, I do not know. But this I feel, she had a choice of life or death and today it appears life has won for both mother and child.

As far as her appearance is concerned, looks are deceiving. We cannot possibly know what others are going through, but the journey is real. It is not for me to say whether I agree with this womans decision or not, but I do commend her for living her faith.

Let’s just support each other as we each travel our own path.

The Mystery Within

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© jb katke

What you see is not what you think.                      

Coming from an apple; this seed was trying to sprout internally. Never have I seen the likes of this before. It would have been interesting to see how it developed, if it developed. But how could I have known what was going on inside; to wait and see what the outcome would be?

To my way of thinking, this should not happen in an apple world. But what do I know?

Nature is full of little surprises. Some more apparent than others. I suppose that would be dependent on where you live. Each part of our country has its own perk attractions; which makes for interesting travel. It broadens our horizon on its uniqueness.

The same goes for people. Differing locales have their own accent. For example, I come from the great state of Michigan, but currently reside in the great state of Kansas. People here can pinpoint I’m from the north.  However, when visiting our home state, I get remarks the likes of, “You sound so Kansan.” 

My Michigan isn’t the same as when I grew up there. Kansas weather is not all it’s cracked up to be. It has all the makings of feeling like I don’t belong anywhere. My normal does not always include what is reality.

Kind of like this apple seed. It was trying to develop in an abnormal place. The seed belonged in the apple, but the sprout did not.

Can you relate? Trying to fit into a place where you don’t belong? It could be anything. Your state—your place of employment—college choice—or the friends you hang with? You name it.

Frustration arrives at your door when others don’t understand where you come from. People cannot understand the things you have seen or what you have endured. Words or actions don’t suit their vision of you.

It’s a mystery because possibly no one has taken the time to see your uniqueness. No one can know what is going on inside of you. Time marches on day in and day out, week after week, months, maybe years pass before the outcome can be discerned. Until sometime in the future, even you may be surprised at the outcome.

Whether you can grasp it or not, the fact remains you have perks that were especially created for you. Jesus has a plan for your life that may not be fully developed yet. Only someone who loves you intensely is able to see the potential that resides inside of you.

Hang in there, we all are a work in progress.

Besties

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© jb katke

Do you have someone in your life that you connect with? Maybe you just met, but you know a good friendship is about to take place. Our friends become more valuable over time. Or maybe with time, you realize its time to move on. Either way—you know.

Recently that was brought home to me. I was having lunch with some true-blue friends, only I didn’t feel like it. They loved on me anyway.

At the time I was unable to verbalize how I felt, but I can today. The week was one of mourning for me. It was the final week of having my man home for the summer. His job runs during the school year. And wouldn’t you know it, my week was filled with going out to meetings.

My heart was home, with Dave. He is my best friend and so much more. Dave is not a talkative guy, which on one hand can be frustrating. I don’t always know what lurks around that mans mind. On the other hand, we can be alone together. Words are not always necessary; we can each be doing our own thing under the same roof.

If I need him, he is there. I’m going to miss his presence.

Quickly, I wish to tell you we don’t have a smother love thing. Each of us has the freedom to go and do what it is that feeds our soul. I have known marriages where a spouse clings so tightly that it prompts the other wanting to leave. What we have is nothing like that.

After lunch, I went to visit a former neighbor. Belinda is probably the best neighbor I ever had, but she has moved away. Not so far I cannot see her though.  Belindas’ DNA has kicked in and she is having some memory issues that run in her family.

Our conversation was heartbreaking. She misses her husband terribly. He passed away and she pines to be with him. Seeing old folks help each other down the hall of her current residence is all the trigger she needs to spend a portion of her day in tears.

How does one minister to a hurting heart like that? All I can do is listen and pray she feels a sense of purpose in her new home. And to feel Jesus’ presence.

Then it hit me.

This kind of pining must be what Jesus wishes we feel for him. He can supply so much of what a husband does. Within reason, of course.

Like what? Jesus gives hope and a purpose. Supernaturally he can provide the means for us to live. Jesus loves unconditionally. We can know this by reading his Good Book, which in turn gives encouragement and strength to carry on.

I wish his guidance for you so that you too can feel his presence on a daily basis.

What We Do

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What drives you, makes you want to roll out of bed to start a new day?

My co-worker Jan, had a passion. She lived and breathed bowling—claiming that working in a  bowling alley would be her dream job. It’s what she loves.

A reality TV personality feels farm life is the way to live. No such thing as too many critters to care for, and growing a vegetable garden to be the ultimate.  It grounds them in living simply.

© jb katke

In a previous life, I lived and breathed quilt-making. Sometimes it brought on humorous moments. On a particular fabric shopping trip, I encountered a shopper in an indecisive predicament. Should she buy this fabric or that?  Upon hearing what her desired outcome would be, I offered my opinion; then moved on. At the cutting table I overheard her question the employee, “Does she work here?” 

My heart was in encouragement mode.

Time has passed. I no longer work outside the home. While I continue to watch home improvement shows, quilting has almost become non-existent. The stash remains, waiting for me to make something beautiful. I look forward to that day. Working with my hands in making something purposeful feeds my soul. But it wasn’t what I was created to do.

Unexpectedly, writing has become my new thing. Sharing life experiences that others might relate to gives me satisfaction. It grew into One Day Wonders, Ordinary Days Becoming Extraordinary being published. Telling about Jesus’ involvement in my life has made an amazing difference to what could have been bad or at least frightening experiences.  It’s what I do.

My heart wishes to encourage your heart.

Life is full of turns and you may find yourself in a place never imagined. Have your changes impacted your life in a good way—do your current days fulfill you?

Consider allowing Jesus to become a larger part of your life. Trust me, no, trust him, there is no part of life on earth he does not have access to. That can be both frightening and comforting! But it helps to know he does good. I can attest to that!

Know too, that you have been handmade by Jesus. He considers you to be beautiful and created for a specific purpose. Having a relationship with him brings Jesus great satisfaction and feeds your soul.

A Basket Case

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© jb katke

Some may call me a basket case; that’s okay, I’ve been called worse.

Out of the bunch, I think only two have been purchased. The rest were either given to me or I inherited. It makes no difference; I love them all.

In a previous life I made one. I learned enough that I won’t be doing that again. It takes work, space and skill. Another rightfully belongs to my daughter, Naomi. She made it at a long-ago summer camp. To date, she has not been bitten by the basket bug to make any more.

They may have been useful in their day. Apparently the day is over.

Baskets are not all I inherited. My hutch residing in the dining room is chock full of dishes and tea cups that I never asked for. On Facebook I have noted that a china hutch is no longer desirable. That day is over too.

Every once in a while someone will repost that notice that I have quit reading. There was more to the list of undesirables that I house as well.  What does a person do that has all these reminders of family members that moved to their eternal home?

Some things I use today fondly recalling my Grandma Andrews standing at her kitchen table busy at work with her enamel mixing bowl. Or drying dishes with my mothers antiquated dish towels that are not nearly as useful as the new ones available today. Thinking of these two women and their ‘tools’ of the trade bring me joy.

It has been said, ‘You can’t take it with you.’ How I wish some of the stuff could have gone with them!

All that being said, I learned my granddaughter, Willow, loves antiques. It thrills the very cockles of my heart that I might be able to dump some of my junk on her! I mean give it to her if she has interest.

A few years ago, we went antiquing together with her Boo when I learned of her love for vintage. Going through the store, I thought, “Good grief girl, you could shop at my house free of charge!”

I since then have given it more thought; she may be more into the Mid-century modern. At some point I’m going to have to inform her that’s not antique. It may be old and trending, but it was ugly then and ugly now.

Oops! An opinion just slipped out. I will have to administer grace to all Mid-century lovers, just as you will have to extend grace that my home looks like that of an old woman.

There is nothing wrong with making your home a place of joy as long as we keep in mind this place is not our eternal home.

I’m betting if we can dump the junk in preparation for that final move; family will be most grateful.

Bookworm Days

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© jb katke
© jb katke

Books? Why yes, I have tonnage of them. Stacks everywhere. Thank you for asking.

I even wrote one. Thinking one and done. Those who know me well, know I never imagined myself a writer, much less an author. But here I am, embarking on book two.

Why do I do this to myself; or you? As I entered this world of writing, I learned quite a few things. A writer needs to write something that piques the interest of readers, making them want to read your words. But not everyone is a reader.

What do you enjoy reading? While I do want to know, it’s only fair to tell you what this second book of mine holds. Encouragement. At least that is what I’m aiming for. We all can use a dose of that once in a while, right?

Among the many things that have enlightened my mind recently is having something worth sharing. I’m hoping ‘hope’ is it. Okay, that’s two things I wish to share, encouragement and hope.

A friend of mine is currently writing up a storm, but not necessarily for publication yet. She is focused on writing prayers for our nation. I consider that a needed and worthy cause. Another friend writes amazing poems, again not intended for publication. But I’m telling you the world needs to hear her words. They come straight from the heart and impact as no other can.

The thing is we all are impacted by something. Whether it’s an injustice or a fellow shopper letting you go ahead of them in the checkout line. People not being what you thought they were can leave a sour taste in the mouth unless eyes are opened to goodness.

It’s there, but it might require digging around to find it.

For example. I’m not one to journal my thoughts. Those that do, encourage us non-journalers to start. Mine began as an assignment for one month to note daily something I was grateful for. It was an eyeopener.

Sometimes I wrote of things I was glad to have accomplished, other days consisted of words that ran along the line of ‘glad this day is over!’  We all have an occasional day like that. I now realize each sunrise can be a fresh start.

I wish I could rise early enough to watch the sunrise. It can be a beautiful way to start the day, reminding me of who is in charge. It’s not me. Not to mention the early start to getting my to-do’s done!

Keeping in mind that above requisite for a writer to have something worth sharing. I will pass on a tidbit that might be of interest to you. When starting my day, I have asked Jesus to give me the desire and energy to accomplish what he deems important. So far, it’s working!

Seeing The Light

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© jb katke

Ya know how you know something, but put it off? You know some things will have to change. But not now; you’re too busy, its takes too much time, or it will have to be when you are free of distractions. A good excuse is one you can use over and over again.

As if this tidbit of knowledge were a deck of cards, you shuffle it, push it down to your never-ending list of things to do, hoping it will fall to the bottom.

Grandma Andrews called it, “reading the writing on the wall.” It is more than seeing the light, it’s acknowledging the light.

For me it’s this writing thing I have going on. My modus operandi of blogging is to speak truth to you. It could come from any direction; experience, humor, or having witnessed. As long as it is real, it’s good enough to share.

This time it was reading the Good Book. A group of people followed Jesus wherever he went, the guy just drew people. Crowds gathered either by word-of-mouth rumors or actually witnessed what he did. He was a miracle-worker and his words were the likes of worthwhile quotes.

The story goes that the day was growing late and Jesus instructed his closest friends to give these folks something to eat. It was time for them to return home, but lived a far distance. They would never make the trip on an empty stomach.

“And just how are we supposed to do that, out here in the middle of nowhere?” was the question.

From seemingly little, Jesus saved the day. He always does. His friends should have been able to see the handwriting on the wall. Jesus’ daily miracles became ordinaries; they completely missed his point.

We know what ordinary looks like. It’s a constant stream of routine; we can easily cease to acknowledge what is right under our nose. A blindness of the obvious, not seeing the light. Not realizing the time is now to be open to change.

Opportunities come camouflaged in seemingly impossible situations. Like the above story of feeding the masses. FYI, I said story, but it’s a true one.

 You may share my question. How can my life be an encouragement to others? I’m only one person; a nobody to most everyone.  Who is gonna listen? But…to Jesus, I am somebody and so are you.

He too lived a life on earth as only one person. Yet Jesus gave hope, he healed, he befriended, he taught, he lead by example, he died, and he rose to life again, just so that we could maintain a relationship with him forever. Now as well as later.

Hopeless situations become Jesus opportunities. The difference is him. The impossible is his specialty. But he wants us to see it, to experience it; to be part of the delivery. It’s crucial that the world becomes aware of his miracles right now.   

Read it for yourself, it’s in Mark 8:1-10. Don’t take my word, take Jesus’. (He is even referred to as the light of the world.)  See the handwriting on the wall and know that Jesus changes this, whatever your ‘this’ is. And be thankful for it!

A Funny

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Dave: Did you notice that right after you got gas for the car the garage smelled like a gas station?

Me: Yes I did, and it makes me want to leave the car outside for a while so the odor will fade.

Dave: There is no need for that, it doesn’t do any harm.

Me: Maybe not, but it makes me hesitant to light up a cigarette in there.

Dave: That shouldn’t be a problem because of the ‘No smoking’ sign I have up.

The funny thing; neither of us smoke.

Do you and your significant other ever have meaningless conversations? Or maybe a humorous thing happened in your day that was out of your control?

Just as this picture I’m sharing with you today. We don’t have an airplane or a hangar to put one in if we did. Our sign serves no other purpose than it brings fond memories of when Dave was in the military, working on aircraft.

That is what humorous moments do; they provide fond memories of light-heartedness. We all need those from time to time.

Even Jesus. Would you believe he has a sense of humor? My life is a witness that he does. In my book, One Day Wonders, Ordinary Days Becoming Extraordinary I share several instances.

One of my favorites is a past declaration that I would never live in an inconvenient to-get to home. Like the one I now reside in. Returning home, I must pass home to get to the street to turn in. That street takes me to the street where my house sits, hence, another turn. It’s a trivial first world issue.

Another down side is the fact we are a cookie cutter neighborhood. Never a good idea if you have young children trying to find their way home when they all look alike. Not that we have that issue, we are a community of senior citizens. My point is, it’s not good for us either; we carry some age behind us and can get turned around just trying to take a walk for exercise!

You see, humor is everywhere. All we have to do is look around us. I would love to hear from you on your funny moments. Please make it clean. I probably would not understand anything suggestive and would hate to have to ask Dave for an explanation. He was in the Navy so he knows things that are better left unsaid.

That may sound like a shot at the Navy, but not so, I’ve never been in the Army. See what I mean?

A Time Like This

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© jb katke

As my friend Jon would say, “What a woman!”

Only she wasn’t yet; possibly just a preteen.

Recently we joined family in Branson, Missouri attending the live production of Esther in the Sight and Sound Theater. The town offers more things to do and places to see than I can list; I will focus on Esther.

There are many ways we could identify with her. Hold that thought.

In her youth, Esther was an orphan, taken in by a cousin. She was well cared for, but what jumped out at me was her upbringing prior to being orphaned. At a young age, she was taught to depend upon her Creator.

Only the proverbial rug was pulled out from under her. The rules of the land hit home. It was back in the day of women having no say in their future that she was forced to enter into a beauty contest. I’m trying not to spoil this true story that sounds unbelievable.

Given six months to prepare for the winning, I envision every Mary Kay and Avon lady entering the scene selling their products. Likewise with the jewelers hoping to make a profit at beaty enhancement. Dieticians may have been part of the mix, advising which foods will provide the sexiest figure.

Times were changing fast, no thanks to a foolish king and his advisors. Power, jealousy and hatred reigned in the palace, headquarters for how the people of the nation will live. Murder was an undercurrent in those who served the powers that be.

Maybe this story impacted me because of our recent Fathers’ Day. How the teaching from her parents who were no more played out in her circumstances. One line was all it took to make a difference in my life so I will share it with you. It’s not verbatim but as I remember it.

“Perhaps this is why you are here, for such a time as this.”

Young Esther made a difference, not just in her own life but the life of her people, her nation as a whole. She did all she could do. All she could do was have a conversation with her Creator, and if she died, then so be it.

She prayed the prayer that cannot fail. It’s not common knowledge what that prayer is, so I will tell you. Ask that events would be in accordance with the Creators’ will.

I’m here to tell you that takes guts. How many things occur in our lives that we have no control of? Yet to tell the Creator of the Universe that the results will be okay with us?

It takes more than guts. It takes faith and trust in a loving Creator. That can be hard to fathom if the father you know on earth is anything but loving. The Father in heaven is just that and more. He provides in ways beyond comprehension. Just ask Esther.

Don’t take my word. Read all about it in the Good Book.

Oh! One more thing. When you read it, note that no where in her story is the mention of God. Yet he was with her in the middle of her circumstances. Just like he is involved in your life, even if there is no mention of him.

Because of that, you can make a difference in the world around you.

The Best Plan

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© jb katke

Do you ever feel as though you are wandering aimlessly through life? I’ve been there.

It’s important to me that you know where there is breath, there is always hope.

Should you feel like you have no control of things around you, I must agree. But perspective makes all the difference in the world.

In my book, One Day Wonders, Ordinary Days Becoming Extraordinary each page reveals an event in my life where Jesus intervened unbeknownst to me at the time. It was an eye-opener. Never imagining to write; yes even this blog amazes me, my days have become purposeful.

One after the other, experiences came to mind; stories to share from  supposedly a nobody. Who would care? Maybe you.

I snapped this picture while on an outing with family. Watching it for a few minutes, the boat did seem to be drifting aimlessly. Actually, it was a fisherman, moving from one fishing hole to another. Seeking fish that would take the bait.

The day was mild, the water calm. Nothing remarkable going on here. Life can be like that, just going through the status quo of a normal day.

How can we know what lies ahead? 

Upon purchasing our first home, a (not so) mobile home; never imagining we would be selling it nine months after sealing the deal. The draft can do that to newlyweds. Only to find years later, Dave didn’t have to enlist, his draft number never came up.

An employer from my past; after seeing my multiple residences exclaimed, “Good heavens, I’ve hired a gypsy!” Not really, just a wife that follows her Navy husband to his military installations.

We tried hard to get pregnant; I resigned us to be childless. It was then that we realized we would be a family after all.

After purchasing a home (without wheels) we figured living there five years, fixing it up and move upwards to a nicer place. Our planned garage instead became a second child. Improving the curb appeal was replaced by a third child.

Ya just never know what life will put in your path. See what I mean by the uselessness of plans? I hasten to say, we would not trade any of our children for what we imagined life would be.

Its what Jesus had in mind for us all along. His way is always the better way. More years than I care to tell you, I did not include him in my plans.

I know better now. Jesus gives purpose and hope to carry on, even when times get tough. Do not be deceived, just because he takes up residence in a heart, doesn’t mean everything will be lollipops and roses. But beyond a shadow of a doubt, he makes life bearable and way more interesting. 

Nobodies are among his favorite people; itching for you to take his hope bait and see what miracles he can do in and for you.