Today’s post is based on chapter 7 of my book, Newness of Life.
Recently I read a post on Jennifer Dukes Lee’s blog about grief, penned by Cheri Gregory. Cheri wrote so beautifully about grief, I want to include an excerpt here.
Newness of Life
A Time for Crying and Laughing
Today’s post is based on chapter 6 of my book, Newness of Life.
I’ve done my fair share of crying. The last time I cried was Sunday evening, when I felt overstimulated in a good way from a meeting with other writers. My tears needed to flow to release internal pressure. I felt relieved and reset after those tears fell.
I won a contest with this post on how God collects my tears in little bottles. If you’re struggling with a time to cry, this post can encourage you.
I intentionally seek out times for laughing to counter my serious, melancholy nature. Here are my top ten favorite sources of laughter:
A Time to Kill Hidden Sins
Today’s post about killing hidden sins is based on chapter 4 of my book, Newness of Life.
It’s time to kill the hidden sins in my heart. The ones I don’t voice to the world, because they would make me seem petty and mean. The sins I hold closely and keep feeding with self-pity.
But I’m taking a chance and revealing one of those hidden sins to you today.
A Time to Sow New Seeds
Today’s post is based on chapter 3 of my book, Newness of Life.
Of all the life seasons I wrote about in Newness of Life, the season I most identify with today is the season of planting. It’s ironic to think of planting in January, when the ground is frozen hard and the landscape is brown and grey. Yet seeds are beginning to germinate in my writing career, here in the cold darkness.
A few years ago I expanded my gardening skills by planting seeds indoors. Most seeds need artificial light to germinate, and a whole lot of it. I keep seed flats under fluorescent lighting on the counter tops in my laundry room, placing the trays mere inches away from the bright bulbs until they sprout. Those tiny seedlings thrive only if they are super-close to warmth and light.
Yet as I read the seed packet for verbena, one of my favorite bedding flowers, I was surprised when it said, “Verbena needs complete darkness to sprout.”
Complete darkness to sprout.