The Race

Do you remember the movie, The Perfect Storm? It was based on a true story of a fishing boat and its crew who were caught in the midst of several storms. No matter what the captain tried he could find no way out. They were trapped.

The ship went down with all crew members.

I've kind of felt like I've been in the midst of a perfect storm for most of the last year. With the illness and death of my sister-in-law, then my sister's battle with cancer and her death, and my mother's home-going in February, I felt like a hapless captain going down with his ship. 

I've mostly been in a grieving place as well as struggling with my loss of vision and physical challenges. Life has been hard. 

But even when we feel there is no way out of our storm God has not forsaken us. He provides for all our needs. 

I am so thankful for the many friends and loved ones who have held me up in prayer. Thank you. I'm beginning to rally. I still grieve (that process will take time), but I'm beginning to feel more like myself.

I was recently reminded that God has given me gifts and talents and long ago He set me off on a race He wants me to run. And so I put on new running shoes and have set off once more to run my race, the one given to me by the One True God.

I'm working on my health and making changes to help me deal with vision loss. And I will be working with a new publisher, WhiteFire Publishing. I have every reason to believe we will do great things together. 

I've plunged back into my novel and am feeling good. I love to write! 

I will try to do a better job of staying in touch with you here on my blog and will keep you up to date on my new story. I think you're going to like it. 

I pray you are feeling God's presence and that you are enjoying the beautiful world He created for us. And I pray you are running your race. Remember, we don't run alone. 

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

It's a Wonderful Life

If you've been following my blog,  you know there have been a lot changes in my life recently. The biggest is that I'm losing my eyesight. That was a shock, and I've been in a quandary - what to do.

When I settled into bed tonight I talked to the Lord and asked Him, "What am I going to do with my life now?" He reminded me of a time when I asked that same question. It was many years ago - 1991. An auto accident left me with injuries that would never heal and chronic pain. Sometimes my pain was debilitating. 

I sank into a depression. I wasn't the person I had been before a log truck barreled around a corner, tipped over and hit my van.

I wasn't the wife or mother I had been. I couldn't take care of my family, they were taking care of me. My body was wounded, but worse than that was my damaged spirit. I asked God what could I do? What kind of life could I have? What use was I?

God lifted me and set me on a new path. He opened doors that led me into the life of an author. I grabbed hold of my feeble courage and stepped through those doors. I spent more than twenty years writing and publishing books. I was a thrilling adventure.

Here I am again asking God to show me what to do, to lead me down an unknown path, and to trust Him. 

A new adventure awaits me. I don't know what it is yet, but I want to share it with you. I will join you here on my blog and let you know what's up with me. And I'd love to hear what's up with you too. 

There is a scene in the movie Secretariat when Penny Chenery Tweedy stands up to people who tell her to sell Secretariat, thinking her foolish to keep the horse. She says, her father's legacy to her is not about money, then says, "You must have the will to win if you can and live with it if you can't. It's about life being ahead of you and you run at it because you never know how far you can go unless you run."

Such powerful words. They inspire me to run the race set out for me because if I don't run how will I know what God set out for me to do. And so I will run (figuratively speaking - I'm a bit gimpy). I will take one step at a time, one day at a time. 

Please cheer me on. I need you. And I will cheer for you too. 

Let's go. We'll do this together.


Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Life in 100 Words or Less - Running the Race

Little things can bring joy.

I had a cardiac stress test today. I was nervous. I'm in poor condition.  With a glance at my cane and learning about my bad knee, neuropathy in my feet, and bad back the tech suggested a chemical test. 

Nope. I was determined. 

I’m wired up. Ready. Start walking. Not bad. Speed and incline increase. Still okay. Incline angled up again, speed increased. I push on, sucking oxygen.

I didn’t give up! I worked it!

We got the readings needed. All looks good. I'm stoked! 

A little thing ... maybe. But there’s a smile on my face and in my heart.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie