Articles

Jun 25 2021

Good Morning Officer

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: 4 Comments

 

 

 

Good Morning Officer,

Over the years I realized I have a heavy foot. I am constantly late and must speed to get to appointments on time. My family blames my California roots for all my bad habits.

I struggle with time management and over the years and assume I have plenty of time when I have no time at all. And yes, the police and I have had our discussions over several tickets.

I always want to respect the police, but I grumble when the tickets I feel are undeserving. But, in my heart, I know I deserved far more tickets than I have received. I am reminded of a time when I was on my way to an appointment and a police car pulled me to the side of the road.

I knew I had not been speeding (thank goodness for the speed control) and surprised to learn my taillight was faulty. The officer walked back to his patrol car and confirm my certification and data. Watching him walk back, a thought occurred to me: what a thankless job he has. I cannot imagine that people are always grateful and kind for their tickets these days. I know I am not!

When the officer came back to my car, he handed me my license, insurance card, and an extra ticket. I thanked him for his service, for my ticket, and for a good job is doing to make our highways safe. He did not know what to say for a moment and, thank me, and said no one had ever said that to him. How sad. As I drove away, I giggled and wished I had taken a picture of his face. Priceless.

Makes me want to do it again. LOL. Isn’t it amazing to honor someone else and you get the joy in the deepest part of your soul?

 The Bible says:

Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name.

Isaiah 26:8 NLT.

 “Well,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

Matthew 22:21 NLT

 I am so glad that I did not react to the young officer the way I felt like. After all, I was in a hurry to doing God’s work. But while I am here on earth, I am to trust the Lord, obey his laws and the laws of the land. And to bring honor and glorify His name. That is my purpose as I walk daily, staying close to him. ©.

Thank you, dear friends, for spending your time with me.
 I love you all and am praying.
Have a wonderful week, keep Smiling!  
HUGS,
Lovingly, Karan

Jun 19 2021

The 10 Second Twist and Shout

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: 11 Comments

 

 

 

 

The 10 Second Twist and Shout

As I enjoyed a shower the other day, and just completed shampooing my hair when an object landed on my shoulder. It was a spider. I started dancing on the bathmat while the water was still running, trying to get him off me. Poor thing, by the time I quit dancing he was floating toward the drain, absent two legs.

When I think about it, the spider must have been roaming on the ceiling, and with the humidity, he slipped and fell. I am certain he surprised himself, too. How grateful I was for a new shower mat. With a rapid 10-second twist and shout I could have been laying on the floor along with the spider.

How strange one little spider could send me into a tizzy. Spiders and mice are the two things that cause me the most stress.

Somehow, I thought as I aged, I would get over my fear of mice and spiders. However, the more mature I am, I have still not developed a friendship with them. These days, I seem to have more questions than answers about life. Sometimes I wonder, have I learned anything, or have I just forgotten what I learned.

The one thing I know for sure is having a personal relationship with God gives me great peace. Through the highs and lows, disappointments and joys, sickness, and deaths, God is a trustworthy and loyal friend. Holding me up, calming my heart, and giving me the confidence to keep moving, even when I feel numb.

In the past, I have shared my sweet husband has been living in a senior lodge for the past three years. This last year and a half have been tough with all the lockdowns. Lyle found it hard to understand, not seeing the family.

Lyle’s memories have faded without the regular prompting of conversations and pictures we shared to help him remember each family member and the special memories of the past.

We speak on the phone daily to keep in contact, but he still will gets confused with faces and conversations. I know many of you have experienced these same situations, which is heartbreaking. There are many circumstances that we each walk through which bring stress and sorrow to our lives, and each one is painful.

When I know the creator of life and believe in Him, I am convinced I can trust him. I have a God who holds my life and my loved ones in His hands. I know He is better at handling the details of my life more than I ever could.

How blessed I am with God’s incredible protection, love, and forgiveness. I trust you, Lord; you know what I need and see me. I am not alone. I love you, Lord.

You keep track of all my sorrows, you have collected all my tears in your bottle,

you have recorded each one in your book.  Psalm 56:8

So be strong and courageous, all who put your hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

Thank you, dear friends, for spending your time with me.
 I love you all and am praying.
Have a wonderful week, keep Smiling!  
HUGS,
Lovingly, Karan

Apr 09 2020

He Is Alive!

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: 3 Comments

He Is Alive!

 

 

Dear Friends,

I am checking in to see how you all are doing? I have been praying for you and your families as we celebrate the Easter Weekend. Be safe.

I’m going into my fourth week of lockdown.  I live in an eight-unit senior apartment; however, we rarely leave our apartments because as you know mature people need to be careful. Funny, I don’t feel all that mature. Lol.

In the last few weeks, I have cleaned cabinets, washed clothes, cleaned closets and shredded bags of papers and old files.

I’ve been working on all the things I have put off for years because  I didn’t have time. Now I have nothing but time!

The world today is challenging and complex. With extra demands in our homes, families, and work, we face many difficulties. We search for hope, peace, and strength among the isolation we find ourselves in. 

In all the uncertainties of life, the awareness of having a personal relationship with God has given me great peace.

I, too, am anxious about all the unknowns, but in those moments, God calms my heart and gives me the courage to keep moving forward. He is the same today as He was yesterday.

The same God, who settled the storms and healed the sick so many generations ago, lives today.  A living God who can be relied on today. He is everything I need.

Because I know the creator of life and believe in Him, I can count on Him even when I am afraid. I have a God who holds my life and my loved ones in His hands. I think he is better at handling the details of my life, don’t you agree?

When I look back on the life God has given me, my family, how can I not trust Him? I am blessed with God’s incredible protection, love, and forgiveness. Today, I choose you, Lord, and I trust you for my future because of who you are, not my circumstances. I love you, Lord. ©

18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the            things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.  2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT)

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love   28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God—those whom he has called according to his plan.  Romans 8:28 (GW)

 

Thank you, dear friends, for spending your time with me.
 I love you all and am praying. 

Have a wonderful Easter Weekend, Be Safe
 
HUGS,
Lovingly, Karan

 

Mar 24 2020

The Messy Look

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: 4 Comments

 

Sorry I couldn’t resist this one!

 

The Messy Look

I stopped at Costco to pick up a few staples and as I wandered up and down the aisles, I became aware of a man who was staring at me. “I like your hair, he said.  “I know what it’s called, it’s a messy bun.”

I felt suddenly self-conscious and thought the messy look was not what I was aiming for. He then explained he had seen a young woman with the same hairdo, and she told him it a messy bun.   I thanked him for his comment, but in my heart, I was feeling insecure about my thinning hair.

Last year when I returned from a vacation in California, I was so overwhelmed and fatigued and unable to get enough sleep. Along with sleeping problems, I noticed a large amount of hair falling-out. After visiting my doctor and tests taken, he confirmed it was Lupus.

During the time it took to find the right medication, I watched my hair go from a ponytail to a miniature tuft.  Seeing the balding and thinning at the sides and back of my head was traumatic.

I now spend time searching the web and watching YouTube videos on how to find a good wig, extensions or a great hat. Lol

After I left Costco, I reflected on my hair problem. The thought of people looking at my missing hair had made me anxious and fearful when in reality no one likely noticed. My insecurity became so severe I didn’t want to go anywhere or see people and I just stayed home and felt sorry for me.

And then, at my lowest moment, someone mentioned they admired my hairstyle. Thank you, Lord. You knew just what I needed, a new perspective! God delivered a gift at Costco that afternoon.

For almost a year, I put so much emphasis on this problem and it robbed me of joy. I am so thankful God is gentle in leading us to consider new perspectives when we lose our way.

God uses the old, the broken and the messy lives of ordinary people to show us His great love and compassion.  How many times have I believed the sting of Satan’s lies? “Telling me I am unworthy and not good enough to serve a Holy God. The lies we believe take our joy and confidence, so we stay home.”

What are the lies that you believe that steals your joy?

Should we hide in shame from God? He is the one who knows us best and will always love us?

I am so glad God uses ordinary, broken and hurting people to share His Good News and love to a broken and hurting world.

Philippians 4:13      For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength

Jeremiah 1:7    Don’t be afraid of the people, for I, the Lord, will be with you and see you through.”

Father, help me stand with open hands before you, surrendering to your will. I want my ordinary life to be extraordinary for you.©

Do you ever feel you are too old, too broken, flawed or wounded to be usable to God? Do you think it’s too late for you?     I would love to connect, let me hear your thoughts.

Thank you, dear friends, for spending your time with me.
I love you all and am praying. 
 God loves you,

Lovingly, Karan

 

 

Feb 13 2020

A Joyful Noise?

Author: Karan Gleddie • Discussion: 2 Comments

 

 

 

A Joyful Noise?

I am not a good singer, and I am self-conscience of my voice. But that doesn’t keep me from singing because I do love to sing. After all the Bible says in Psalm 66:1, “Make a joyful noise unto God, all the earth.” I always think God must have included that verse for me!

They say, “Music washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” I believe those words. There have been times of sorrow, depression, and sadness in which I found it hard to keep my mind and heart from constantly dwelling on them.

I’ve often said,” It’s a long way between my head and my heart.” When we don’t understand our circumstances and find ourselves in hard places, we often want to rely on our knowledge, experience, and know-how to make everything better. But in our hearts, we feel afraid, worried and confused.

There have been times in these last few years that my head knows all the Bible verses and promises from God’s word, as well as all the praise and worship songs. But my heart still says, why? Have you ever had those feelings??

I have found over the years when I listen to music it lifts my spirits. It is something that gives me energy and joy when I can turn up the volume and sing as loud as I want. I have found the car is a perfect place for my personal concerts also.

17 I will thank the Lord because he is just;

    I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.   Psalm 7:17  

2 I will be filled with joy because of you.

    I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.  Psalm 9:2 

Being able to sing lifts my spirit and helps me to delight in the love and care of God. Singing also reminds me there is no problem or circumstance that is too hard for Him. When I am singing my heart and head are one and at peace with Him.©   Are their any singers out there?

Thank you, dear friends, for spending your time with me.
Happy Valentines Day!
 I love you all and am praying. 
HUGS,
Lovingly, Karan