miracles Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Flannel with Faith

Tethered Tuesday

Posted on August 13, 2024August 13, 2024 by K.L. Hale — 111 Comments

Was it tethered to a spider web? How was it magically suspended in the air? In the blink of an eye, it started spinning chaotically. The small leaf whirled, circled, revolved, and rotated. With grace, it pirouetted perfectly to the music in my mind.

Harmonic motion? Oscillation? A leaf vortex? An eddy of air?

In nature, I completely surrender to the majesty of our Creator. My brain, heart, and soul are connected—no distractions, only love.

Turbulence and sudden wind shifts can create chaos—or beauty. Unstable atmospheres might unhinge us. OR it might produce an amazing air and climate of clarity!

Perfect pirouette

A whirlwind of emotions will whip. I’m tethered. The gravity of grace, grit, and gratitude grounds me.

https://audio.com/kl-hale/audio/special-love-august-13

Have you heard of NET, yet? 🦓

What a joy to have unexpected family time—a move from Missouri to Oklahoma. In the last 12 years, I’ve witnessed my sons move to Idaho, Alaska, Montana, and Washington state—to Texas and back to Missouri. Two years ago, I never dreamed I’d be able to go any distance. I’ve been asked, “How are you feeling”? Smiling I think of how much grit God gives me to do what I do. Giggling, I say, “I’m operating on 70%!” Some days, I do what I can on 30% “reserves”. It’s best to ignore the “healing” going on in my innards—because frankly, it feels strange and sometimes it hurts! God gives me wisdom and discernment. I’ll lean on faith and common sense.

Last night I stayed up very late watching the celebration of life for the 4 Nelon family members. When the surviving daughter, Autumn, sang on stage with The Isaacs I was astounded by her faith and moved to happy tears. When Nathan’s Dad spoke of his son, he shared HOPE. That’s the faith I DESIRE—and HAVE! I’ll never lose it. At this very moment, someone is celebrating. Another is grieving. One is doubting; another believing. One hurting-one healing. What if we all put down distractions and supported one another? The isolation of COVID is years behind us; yet, just as trauma might end, the lingering effects continue. Humanity is attempting to heal while the hurt continues. Our minds are powerful and what we see, hear, and choose to “digest” will impact us—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. How can we share hope? How can we share love and faith?

What grounds you when the wind & atmosphere are unstable? When you spin chaotically out of control will it turn into a dance?

I have a rare cancer. But cancer doesn’t have me. Grace grounds me. Faith fills me. Love lifts me. It’s a special love—have you ever felt it?

I’m totally tethered.

Have heart. Have faith. 🤍
You are loved.

Embracing imperfection with faith, flannel, & fresh air

K.L. Hale

pics by K.L. Hale

Was it All Just a Dream?

Posted on May 13, 2024May 14, 2024 by K.L. Hale



Was it all just a dream? 
It’s been two years since that day.
Faith, hope, and love are my themes.

Years leading up to checking bloodstream,
Questions unanswered, and pain unknown. 
Was it all just a dream?

Times of laughter, floating downstream,
my mind drifts to precious memories.
Faith, hope, and love are my themes. 

Giggles, growth, and pain extremes,
Unfamiliar places, people, and experiences. 
Was it all just a dream?

Kids, grandkids, trips, and dreams,
A life filled with adventures.
Faith, hope, and love are my themes.

Scans, visits, and medical teams.
A move, surgery, and a miracle.
Was it all just a dream?
Faith, hope, and love are my themes. 
K.L. Hale

Two years ago, ten years in the making–decisions, dreams, and a diagnosis. Treatments, scans, blood draws, and tests. The school of life is forever in session. Life-changing anniversaries continue to make impacts. Every experience an education.

Cancer. It’s like having a rock I can’t remove in my hiking boot. But I cling to the Rock that counts.

Has a diagnosis or disease duped your determination? Does pain prevent you from progressing?

I don’t know why I’m here. But I know God has a plan. You may not believe it. ME? I have to believe. Every difficulty is for my development. It’s in sunrises, sunsets, the birds, and the trees, my kids and grandkids, everything that I see. It would be easy to be cynical, angry, or mad. There’s enough of that—-why not just be glad? I have air in my lungs, a roof over my head, and precious family and friends, what should I dread? I’ll laugh and giggle through the ups and downs, sometimes I’ll cry and might get down. It doesn’t last long because God’s always near. He holds me tight, I have nothing to fear.

I want to thank my family for their steadfast support and love during this cancer journey; my sons, daughters-in-love, my grandkids, parents, my twin, sister, niece, nephew, brother-in-law, and hosts of aunts, uncles, cousins, and loved ones. To all of you who continue to pray (I’ve been on the prayer list long enough!)-my WP family and community of friends. My school family and friends–those who have invested in me. To those who sat by the fires at the campground, the sister who drove me to appointments, and the friends who laughed, cried, and put up with me–thank you. Here’s to many years of giving back. When I’m weak, my shoulders are still strong enough to hold your thoughts, burdens, and tears.

I’m here to listen and support you as you do me.

We are not promised tomorrow. How do you wish to live? May my blog be a book. A book that reminds you that you can be strong in the face of uncertainty and have faith when facing fear.

You are loved more than you’ll ever know! ❣️

Have faith 💚

A note about my poem. It’s called a Villanelle.
When you’ve got an obsession or another intense fixation, write about it in a villanelle. It seemed fitting, at my 2 year “C” Day anniversary, to write a new form. The villanelle is a poetic form that originated in France, initially as a variation of pastoral poetry. Villanelles are specifically about obsessions and follow a strict form:
• 19 lines
• Five tercets (five lines)
• One quatrain
• ABA, ABA, ABA, ABA, ABA, ABAA rhyme scheme
• Line 1 repeats in lines 6, 12, and 18
• Line 3 repeats in lines 9, 15, and 19

Embracing imperfection with faith, flannel, & fresh air

K.L. Hale

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

Sacred Signs

Posted on September 16, 2023January 4, 2024 by K.L. Hale — 95 Comments

From the mouths of babes, “Lord, you’ve got this.”

The signs surrounding us are on display,
they're created by nature or man.
What do they mean, what do they convey?
Do they deliver emotion or elicit a plan?

Do they give you relief or make you pause?
Do you halt at a standstill and wonder why?
Reasons will vary, you may not know the cause,
Every so often I just gaze and cry.

Not all the tears drive me to sorrow,
for there's still good on this Earth.
Many miss signs thinking of tomorrow,  
the ones from God mean rebirth.

Seeing, observing, and being aware,
providence, planning, and saying a prayer. 

K.L. Hale

Encouraged a few minutes ago by teacher, Martha Ann Kennedy, I wrote my first English sonnet. She said to be a writer, you must write. The last few Saturdays I visited local places and festivals (some with friends!). I must take advantage of good hours-to get out, walk, and SEE, not hide. I choose to move and hurt, rather than sit and hurt. Not always an easy thing to do! But there are many “signs” of why I must! Last Saturday, feeling led, I walked into a church by my house. The message was about Ruth. It encapsulated providence, planning, and prayer. Life may not turn out the way you expect. The first thing Pastor Craig Groeschel said was, “You’re not in your final chapter.” We can all write our life as a book with many chapters. Some you might want to leave out. Your story isn’t over. What is your plan, friend? Is your health bad? What are you going to do? Is your relationship in a struggle? What’s the plan? Do you need to have better habits? What are the steps? For many, we’re in a “zone”. You might be busy raising children or hours at work. What do you do when you’re alone? What do you do when all of that is gone? Take a deep breath and know you’re not alone. “Rest in me, my child,” Jesus says to me. Our works can become like devotion and we miss the signs. Maybe we need to put down the phone, go for a walk, smile at a neighbor, and remember to talk. Letting go of that which we can’t control, releasing it to my Savior, so I can grow.

Have you heard of NET, yet?🦓

Friends, the next two months will bring “excused” absences, tee hee. First, a bucket list trip (bubble-wrapped by friends). MANY appointments, another medical test, and preparations for a life-altering surgery. This last nearly year and 1/2 has seemed surreal. What is REAL is the love of God, family, and friends. Looking BACK I can see how I got to here. No, not the disease, but the utter and complete reliance on God.

Thank you to my virtual support group, and friends, from LACNETS.org (http://www.lacnets.org). For without them I wouldn’t have been referred to Dr. Jaydero Del Rivero, who then escalated me to Dr. Johnathan Hernandez. Several of us are going to have changed lives. The hours in pain improve my posture of perseverance (although it has TRIED to get me down—if you see the zebra shoes below, an elevator had opened when I was vulnerable after leaving the dr’s office, she stood there, my patient advocate, with open arms, wearing these shoes). God is working all around.

As for me, right now, my focus will stay on what matters most. I’m reserving every “ding” on my phone for a “Snap” of my grandkids or a message from family. Friends, do you know how loved you are? God loves you and so do I. The signs are all around.

Have faith 💚

For most of my life my faith has been blind. It just existed. I believed. Yet, I appreciate the cold hard facts and evidence. Jesus did too. He provided evidence. And I have experienced it. As shared in devotion by a former atheist, J. Warner Wallace, “I came to understand that the biblical definition of faith is a “well-placed and reasonable inference based on evidence.”