Miracle Musings

If a pain & cancer-free body and freedom from frugal existence were prerequisites for travel, I’d never leave home. Christ, common sense, and coffee coasted with me. There were over 100 miles left and both tanks, gas & body, were nearly empty. “Faith” was at my feet. This rock was a gift. Miracle!

“She wants me to go up there,” my son exclaimed. His wife’s lengthy stature and arms both waved from atop the hill. He darted up the dusty path! As if seasoned climbers, they both cautiously came down. “He needs water!”, my daughter-in-law uttered. My son grabbed bottles and the couple dashed up the trail again at record speed. The heat was dangerously high and dry. Although the Rio Grande appeared cool with its flowing water, the bodies were not accustomed to this heat. Signs across the National Park begged warned visitors to carry ample water supply.  Unfortunately, the only water the endangered hiking couple had was pouring out of their veins. Fortunately, the man’s health improved as my son and daughter-in-law helped with his hydration crisis. The four of them cautiously and gingerly descended. Miracle!

“We prayed for you,” I shared with the exasperated, sweat-drenched, kind older woman. At 5 years old, Asher seemed uncertain about praying for strangers. “We all need prayer,” exclaimed the thankfully rescued hikers. A happy ending for all. Miracles!

The multicolored desert sky surrounded by the Chisos Mountains turned pitch black at nightfall. The loss of electricity one night also made for perfect stargazing conditions. Oh, the joy of camping! We spoke of galaxies, shooting stars, and God’s power. Tears of tiredness, remarkable rock ravishing, and fossil fascination. Wonders of the world, wrinkles of the skin, and the exuberant joy of childhood. Long drives and winded conversations. Walks of discovery, no-holds-barred hugs, dances of delight, and impromptu stops to love more family. Tales of time that rushed like a roadrunner. Miracles!

Camping in the cactus-filled desert reminded me of the dry crumbs I sometimes use in conversation. These dehydrated discussions terminate the truth. Will you muse on the miracles? Or about the hardships of humanity, fears of the unknown, or ghosts of the past? Or the Spirit that can bring life-giving water?

One year ago, today, I felt spooked. Countless vials of blood, tests, and a countdown to a life-altering surgery. My rare cancer explained years of unknowns. Family and friends have loved me through it all. A faith that has sustained me through every fall. Miracles.

Fear? It will never own me. Miracle!

Do you know YOU are a miracle? And…YOU ARE LOVED!💚

Have faith 💚…from Texas to Oklahoma to Missouri…to every state and corner of the globe.

K.L. Hale Avatar

©2020-2024 Flannel with Faith. All rights reserved.

One-Size-Fits-All

It was as if someone thumped my head with a hard shoehorn! Suddenly, it made sense why my feet hurt (I think pain can be like an ignored piece of your wardrobe?).

“Did you know you’re wearing the wrong shoe size?” asked the kind and knowledgeable saleswoman.  If you know me, then you aren’t surprised I started giggling.  She shared tidbits I’ve never been told (or I can’t remember?):

“You need enough room to account for swelling.” “Did you know our feet continue to grow as we age?” “Our feet and toes weren’t DESIGNED to fit into today’s shoes.”

We bragged about our favorite shoes! Oh, and the ones that love us back, like our Birks. They give our toes plenty of room to be exactly the way God designed our feet to be (my dear friend Kim inspired this thought, too).  “Wouldn’t it be nice if I could “plug” in my height, weight, hair color (just kidding, tee hee), and a “one size fits all” shoe would appear? After an exhausting hour of trying different brands and styles I made a choice. So far, so good.

My current views in classrooms offer a variety of sizes! Hearts, minds, emotions, attitudes, learning styles, bodies, and abilities come in “assorted” sizes.

It’s easy to see ourselves through others’ eyes. People will “size you up” quickly. Social media deals a good hand in that game–280 characters, a paragraph rant or rave, or a meme. Whether you’re squeezing into something that doesn’t fit or swallowed by something much bigger than what you need, I know a “one-size-fits-all” God that will make sure YOU fit just right! Ah, surrender. It’s not easy, but necessary and liberating!

 There are times I try to squeeze myself into a worldly shape. Am I trying to “fit” into this world or am I keeping an eternal perspective?

In the end, the size of our shoes, wallets, bank accounts, and homes won’t matter.  Catastrophic evidence of this has been felt across our country.  If a one-size-fits-all compassion, grace, and kindness would exist every day, perhaps we’d stop sizing one another up and just…love.

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Francis of Assisi

Last Saturday I began this piece. That afternoon a friend shared her husband’s passing. His death was unexpected. My heart hurts for her and the family. Even with faith, loss stings. Suffering ends for one and begins for those who stay behind. I cannot provide any words of comfort but, “I love you.” That evening two other friends and I spoke of survivor’s guilt. It seems selfish to share. It’s hard to separate circumstances from God’s purpose. I don’t want to tell someone (or even hear) “It’s God’s will.” Yes, I believe that God will never leave or forsake me. Why do I know that? I’ve experienced it. Can we extend a hand or a hug out of mercy? Compassion without cynicism. If our Western “workdays” were realistic, we’d spend more time tending to our families, gardens, and overall emotional, mental, and physical health. Struggles are real. Suffering unites us; just as happiness can. As my grandkids grow, family and friends age, and seasons shift, blessings are still bestowed. As I balance health, habits, and happenstance, I’ll keep an eternal perspective with an inspired intuitive initiative. There’s very little I can control, but I have a huge part in how I react. Will you join me in forging forward with faith (and how about Flannel?)?

“America is the first culture in jeopardy of amusing itself to death”-John Piper (Don’t Waste Your Life)

***This season includes many memory-making opportunities. I’ll “see” you when the winds blow a bit cooler in a couple of weeks. If you have to choose between responding to me or making a memory, do what’s on your heart (for you’re already in mine). We get one “shot” at this life here–make it count.***

More from flannel with faith

Thank you for subscribing below!

Have you heard of NET, yet? 🦓https://www.lacnets.org/ if you or a loved one are diagnosed with NET cancer, I’d encourage you to visit LACNETS.org for exceptional support and resources.

©2020-2024 Flannel with Faith. All rights reserved.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1

“Tag, You’re It!”

It seems fitting that I was tagged by my blogging friend, Mark, on my first week of substitute teaching AND my fifth blogging anniversary. Before I play, I need to get something off my heart:

A game of tag was going on about 50 yards away. Screams and yells pierced the air as a crew of cuties tangled into a pretzel. They started to scatter at the sound of a nearby whistle. As I approached them, part of the pretzel crowd began telling me yelling about what happened (and who was right wrong). Questions began rolling off my tongue like I had rehearsed them. But, I hadn’t. I realized that the solutions I hoped they could come up with were the desires I wished for all ages. From assessing who was hurt and how I could help them, to ways she, she, she, and he might do things differently the next time, and how can we resolve it? And being me, I talked about forgiveness and grace while stressing the importance of keeping one another safe (this was not a middle school fight where one punched another one in the face–but you can understand what I was trying to do). Back in the room, we played a DIFFERENT game of tag. “When you’re tagged (vocally) would you share something kind about a friend?” Ah, communication. They all wanted to talk at once and very few wanted to listen. Is it me or are they more distracted these days? What did I hope to accomplish? Kindness, empathy, patience, and the list goes on. Tag is a teacher.

Our world has changed, but tag hasn’t. I’m so glad God doesn’t change. And guess what else? Love is still love.

I’m going to chase them all and tag them with love. I’m going to tag YOU, too.

Here are my answers to “tag, you’re it!”

How did you come up with your blog name?

I’ve been embracing imperfection with faith (our God doesn’t expect perfection, but he wants our hearts and will!), flannel, and fresh air for many years. All of these have been essential on my journey. Imperfection and messiness. Ah, brokenness can be a beautiful place to begin restoration! My love for the 3 F’s (and even more–Family and Finley) keeps me grounded in what matters most.

If your blog was a person (fictional or real), who would it be?

Me. It might be Finley? 😉

What helps you create new content if you feel like you need some inspiration?

My time with God, family, friends, and nature inspires me! Life experiences, circumstances, and learning anything new help me create new content! Life IS the content. The hardest part is narrowing down my mind. If I had time, I could write each day. Other writers inspire me, too!

Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with?

Martha taught me a collaboration one time! My time collaborating with all of you as friends and family, even in conversation, is essential to me. What I love about the blogging community is how eclectic and well-rounded all my friends/writers are–from faith to food, the great outdoors and animals, humor to high-jinks, and history to science! I love it all!

Is there anything more you wish you had or would like to learn as a blogger?

I hope to keep improving as a writer and reader. Learning is a great thing—I don’t want to stop!

Do you have a specific style of blogging?

Hmmm. Inspirational essay style? It varies, but most can expect it to have a faith theme!

That basically sums it up. Thank you, Mark, for tagging me. Matt wanted to play tag–so you’re it! Also, my friend, C from Joyroses, and Martha, you’re tagged! Of course, if you’re too tired to play tag, I understand!

https://jesusluvsall.org/

https://joyroses13.wordpress.com/?_gl=1124cwr9_gcl_au*MTI5MzI4ODIzNS4xNzI3NzA4MTcz

https://marthakennedy.blog/

Thank you, EVERYONE, for your support these last 5 years. My family, along with this writing community, former colleagues, friends, and hometown family, continue to encourage and inspire me on my life journey. Particularly my playground-like experience thriving with Stage IV NET. I thank God for all of you. Do you know how loved you are? ❣️

Karla & Finley

Have faith💛

©2020-2024 Flannel with Faith. All rights reserved.