As the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma roared towards the school building with surety, teacher Paulina Trumble prayed. She covered her young students with her body. She prayed with fervor for their safety.

Later, as false rumors of Ms. Trumble’s firing erupted, Superintendent Susan Pierce said, “I prayed before I came here today. I haven’t stopped praying. We haven’t stopped praying. We are a very faith-based community. We all turn to our faiths in times of crisis.”

The strength that comes from these prayers is not from people, it is from God.

My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. Psalm 18:2 NIV

My face is turned towards Him. He is my Father, He is my rock. He has shown me so very much, in so many situations in my life, through personal storms and calm. I focus my entire being on Him.

I appreciate Pauline Trumble and Susan Pierce for not turning their backs to the refuge of God in their time of crisis, despite the rules of man. They kept steady to their faith.

We moved a couple of months ago. When we settled into our new place we opted to not spend money on expensive cable or satellite service.

We dug out the DVD’s and dusted off the books. There are free products left in this world, thankfully, radio is one of them.

People have asked, “What about weather reports?” We have a radio, and we have instant on-the-spot weather radar on our phones. Most of us can zoom the radar image right down to the block that we live on.

People also ask, “What about news?” I’ll be honest, I gave up dramatized televised news a number of years ago. Reading the news across the dicey checkerboard of internet options still requires a discerning mind to pick out what is personal interpretation and what is actual news, but it’s a much better option for our household.

A must-do when sifting through news on social media, especially Facebook, is to determine the source. Look at the date the news actually occurred. Look at who reported it. Ask yourself, especially before you share or react, is the story a hoax? Remember the term heads up? If the story seems way too off the wall, it more than likely is.

Our society has become so used to being controlled by programming. We learn to like what we are told to like. We learn to accept what is laid out before us. Television makes money, it is big business, and we drink it down like we are dying of thirst.  We lose the choice to decide what we want to see and hear, and even more important, we forget how to pay attention to our own values.  I don’t miss it.

Have you thought about, or have you already unplugged the television in your home? What impact has it made on your life?

My father was enlisted in the military, frequent moves were common-place. I dreaded visiting the doctor or dentist. They, too, were military personnel, and I felt they lacked in pediatric finesse. To be honest, I literally had additional symptoms stacked one on top of each other just from the visit itself.

I started fifth grade in a brand new public school. I adored my teacher. I honestly cannot remember her name, but I keenly remember the name of one of the sixth grade teachers, the one that I hoped I was never assigned to, Ms. Rutherford.

Much to my horror, the dreaded assignment letter came during summer break…I would be stepping into Ms. Rutherford’s class the day following Labor Day.

Ms. Rutherford had been a nurse in the U.S. Army. As if I have a portrait of her etched in my mind today, I can see her standing outside her school room door with her arms folded over her stiffly starched white blouse, which was neatly tucked into her straight gray skirt, with heavy stockings and military-issued black shoes on her feet. She also wore heavy rimmed glasses. She was all business…march one, two, three, four…march!

On many occasions, as I walked down the hall to Ms. Rutherford’s room, I could feel her watching me. Sure enough, she would dramatically straighten up, even though I would still be classroom lengths away, signalling for me to straighten my posture, to walk and stand like she did. I might as well have saluted her, trust me.

I feared her. I was intimated by her. I just knew she was out to get me. I was not going to meet up to her standards.

My father was in Vietnam, my mother was hugely pregnant with my sister. I was determined to not rock the boat.

My mother called out to me one evening, “Mary, let’s sit down and talk.” She had a folded piece of paper in her hand. “I received a letter from Ms. Rutherford.” Gulp. Busted. What I feared the most was taking place. “Ms. Rutherford indicates that you day-dream all day, that you don’t look at her in class, you don’t pay attention.” Big sigh. My stomach knotted. I did pay attention in class, probably in the worst sort of way. I replied, “Mom, I do pay attention. I don’t look at her because the light reflects off of her heavy glasses and I cannot see her eyes.” My mother never replied to Ms. Rutherford, she asked me one thing, “Why in the world didn’t you say something?” I did not have an answer. I feared Ms. Rutherford, and I had no idea how to tell my mother. So, from that day forward I gave her full attention, as if I could see her eyes behind the glare of her glasses.  Problem solved.

Each and every report card came in with, “Mary is quiet, too quiet.” I thought a child was supposed to be quiet. The teacher did not allow talking in her class. her class was squeaky clean quiet. Then the big letter came, Ms Rutherford said I would be failing math unless I began applying myself.

What was the problem? I decided to speak up and tell my mother that I was good at math, but I was good at math my way. I knew I could do circles around everyone else in class if only I completed the work based on my own formulas. My response was rejected. Ms. Rutherford told my mother that it was imperative that I learn math the proper way. It was crucial for my future.

My Math grades continued to decline.

Out of the blue, Ms. Rutherford approached my mother with something that changed my life. She said she knew I was capable of doing well, and she wanted to see my work. She gave me a chance. It worked. I excelled.

Obviously, she pivoted when she allowed herself to have faith in one young lady…me! Who knows, it might have changed how she handled students from then forward. Because of her faithful approach, I enjoyed going to Math class for the next six years. I was the student that zipped to the front of the class filled with encouragement and correct answers.

I learned multitudes of things from my experience. None of us think alike. None of us learn the same way.  Always speak up for yourself, and always ensure children understand that they have to speak up for themselves, it is to their benefit, when they are doing their best – even if they feel intimated. Above all, remember that we can gain so much from listening to each other…there is no perfect box…we all make the world go ’round, so remember to bend!

We really are human in the manner that despite our best intentions, we are going to feel sorry for ourselves occasionally. We get sulky. Once we’ve entered the door to feeling mopey, though, we normally continue to walk down the dark steps, and we proceed downwards until we find ourselves in a virtual basement without even a sliver of light in front of our faces.

As we bump around in the basement, trying to find the light switch, feeling the agony of wondering when the darkness will pass, we counsel ourselves with thoughts and comments similar to “this will pass soon.” More often than not, It does not feel like it is going to pass soon.

I’ve found one way to get back on the bright side of the door –  focus on giving rather than receiving. Seriously, the age-old saying, “It is better to give than receive,” really does work. I am not sure how it works, it just does.

Try it, the next time you are in a rut, feeling like nothing is going right, make a deliberate effort to turn to the ones you care about, or complete strangers as you go through your day, with the self-promise of not sharing your misery. Instead, make (even the smallest of attempts) to brighten their day.

It works for me. It could work for you.

Do good, feel good.

“When I feel good about myself, things start happening for myself. When you look up, you go up.”  - Herschel Walker

(I am not a trained counselor. I share my own experiences. Please seek a medical doctor for treatment of lasting and/or severe depression.)

You feel as if you are in a small boat being tossed around by furious waves in the middle of darkness, alone, without anything to grasp onto. Salt water is slashing at your body, mixing with the tears that stream down your face. You wonder, why am I not being rescued? I’ve done everything just right. Why me?

I’ve been there a thousand times.

Seek and you will find safety in His wings, His protection, His wisdom and His will. Call out and ask for it.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. – Psalm 91:4 NIV

This passage tells me that I will find refuge (a place to hide, with shelter and protection). To find the stronghold (to come across it, discover it) I first have to be seeking it. I must not expect it to drop into my lap without looking for it first.

His faithfulness doesn’t take a treasure hunt, though. Seeking it is a matter of calling out. He hears our voices from the storm, the darkness, and even from the calmest days that we’ve set sail.

His promise is in the words, “He will (cover you).”

Whining is not winning when it involves social media.

I can not count the number of times I’ve banged out sentence after sentence filled with frustration and disappointment and then not hit the publish button.

Personal pages are perfect places for occasional short-sized whines and grumbles. I am sleepy (bored, not focused, cold, or hot)! This is a biggie –  I so dislike phone automation! Doesn’t that rank nearly #1 on the scale of day-shattering events?

Anything beyond a short and very infrequent negative blurb, I have to ask myself what value am I adding to someone’s day, life, world, or business. What am I accomplishing? What purpose does social media serve for me, my business, or my community?

Is it wise to use social media as an outlet for unhappiness?

I stared at the floor as people walked by. I noticed how lustrous it was despite the constant flow of traffic. I listened to people speak and noted how they were happy, tired or even commenting that they were hot. I had just finished a conversation with the receptionists about growing old gracefully. The laughter flowed. I did not realize that I had forgotten what was troubling me when I walked through the doors into the busy lobby.

As if He had approached me from behind and tapped me on the shoulder, He said, “You can stop fretting now.”

I knew who He was. He approaches me at unusual times. It wasn’t the first time. It was not going to be the last.

I did not have to put deep thought into what He was addressing.

Then He asked, “What did you learn?”

As if that very moment I removed a pair of distorted and heavily scratched glasses and replaced them with a brand new pair with crystal clear clarity, I knew what I had learned.

I bowed my head, “I learned to trust who I am, and what I believe in, despite what others say.”

“You learned well. And you will understand even more things as the days pass,” He replied.

It is good to question yourself. Keep a check on what you do. Keep a check on whether you are doing your very best. Make sure you are filled with love and compassion. Do it for God, do it for others.

Do not ever, and I mean never, allow anyone to cause you to question your relationship with God. Your relationship is personal. Nobody, no flesh and blood person that walks this earth, has the right to question it.

As several days passed I grew more concerned for other people who might encounter hurtful situations like I had, sheer rejection that was based on assumptions. What if someone was not as strong as I was? What if they did not understand that God works through us, that he lovingly lets us endure pain as we grow and learn? What if someone listened to the words of human judgment and took it to heart, so much that they no longer saw their own self-worth? What if they gave up?

Yes, my vision was still sharpening as the days continued to pass. I am joyous in the vision that was given to help stomp out judgment and assumptions, to promote love and understanding. God deserves it. So does His children.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 NIV)

Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.

- Andrew Carnegie

Do your best. Nothing else compares to that effort. Undeniably simple.

We age daily. From the moment we are born the clock starts ticking.

At some point in our lives, mid-way or before, our face begins to form lines, our hair begins to lose color, and our bodies can begin to slow down and take on aches, pains, and stiffness.

When I was a young girl I loved the soft feel to an older woman’s face and hands. To me, it represented well-earned love and wisdom.

I am disappointed in today’s culture. Somewhere along the path of time it became disgraceful for women to age. Gray hair became a no-no, and the appearance of aging translated to a woman not taking care of herself.

Popular or not, I believe people should take care of themselves as best as they can. I, however, hold a sense of reality in the fact that people age naturally, and they deserve respect as they do so.

My thoughts – gold stars to you if you want to slow down, cover up, or reverse the signs of time, and applause to you if you decide to embrace the beauty of time – just as it is. Strength forms deeper roots when you allow yourself to be exactly who you want to be.

Gray hair is the crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness. Proverbs 16:31 NIV

We all experience times of uncertainty.

Even when we are following a meticulously laid out plan, when we think we know what our ultimate life and business expectations are, we find ourselves in the middle of a pivot with our head turning both to the left and to the right, wondering which way to go.

My spirit is focused on listening for the direction in which God wants me to go, but still, I momentarily get squeamish and restless and sometimes say, “I don’t like this. I feel uprooted!”

Today, Marsh Engle, posted this statement on Facebook, “My darkest times of uncertainty have given way to the greatest understandings of my Sacred purpose. I’ve found that the more and more I allow myself to be comfortable in the uncertainty, the more and more the true callings of the most empowered steps can be revealed.”

I experienced the pooling of thoughts after I read Marsh’s post.

• Remember to look at life as through the eyes of a child – be diversified, allow ourselves to bend, allow wonderment and newness to lift us up to reveal our purpose.
• Allow ourselves to feel uncertain. What harm is there in not knowing which direction we (He) wants us to turn, at least, temporarily? There is no panic, as long as we are doing our very best!
• We never know our true callings unless we quietly wait for them to surface. When we allow the knowledge and messages to glide in, without attempting to usher them in – muddy them up – with our own propulsion, it will be revealed to us what we are empowered to achieve.