The Virgin Mary Pondered in Her Heart.

 I'd like to share a portion of my daughter's  Christmas letter. Her words touched my heart, and I hope you enjoy them, too. Here's what Lanissa Coker wrote.

Lanissa and Craig Coker

with Mindy, Meghan, and Calvin.

"This year has been different in our house. We have not had the constant flow of guests visiting us. Christmas will no doubt be quieter for us. We will miss the laughter and chattering of family and friends. Last year, we enjoyed one another's company while I prepared Christmas dinner. These changes can bring about feelings of sadness and loneliness for us. We love our families, and it's okay to miss them and long to see them. 

I wonder sometimes if Jesus feels the same about us. Do you think He misses spending time with us? Do you think He misses the conversations that we fail to have with Him because we are too busy?  Do you think that might make Him experience sadness and loneliness? 

Sometimes I think about Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Bible says that Mary "pondered" all the the events surrounding the birth of Jesus in her heart. Not only did she want to think carefully about all that had transpired, she wanted to remember the smallest details of the Savior's miraculous birth.

Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas. He is worthy of and deserves our time, and He so longs to fill our hearts with the peace and joy that only He can give."

                            by:  Lanissa Lewis Coker

Faith and Humor

It Is Well

 

Are you familiar with the hymn, "It Is Well with My Soul?"  If you've never heard it, the link to listen is below.

Finding peace these days is difficult. We all have challenges of some sort.

Millions of people are now without jobs. Businesses are closed because of government shutdowns. Thousands are losing homes and going hungry.

And let's not forget the three thousand who've died with Covid-19.  This terrible disease costs us more than life. We have fear, dread and division as a result of the virus descending on our world.

In addition to the challenges of Covid-19, we have the normal ones. Seniors must endure the side effects of old age. Folks are also dying of natural causes. Teenagers creating havoc for parents. Babies with incurable diseases. Divorce. Loss of income. Drug and alcohol addiction. Car wrecks.

During these difficult days, it becomes necessary to find peace. During the 24 hours of a day, tranquility and comfort isn't always possible

Life causes stress, but there can be peace with our souls.

Horatio G. Spafford, an attorney in Chicago lost his fortune in 1871, and his 4 year old son died with scarlet fever. He decided to send his wife and four daughters to England. The elegant ship they were on collided with another, and his daughters drowned at sea. His wife telegraphed, "Saved alone."

Horatio booked passage to England. When the ship reached the place where his daughters had died, he stood at the rail and looked down into the sea. He was in turmoil, but a peace came upon him, and he wrote the poem, "It is Well with My Soul."  It was later set to music.

As I sing the song, I'm reminded of the challenges in my life. Like you, I have many. However, because of Jesus Christ, I can say, it is well with my soul.

Does that mean I understand why God allows bad things to happen? Absolutely not!! Do I sometimes question Him?  Yes!! I do, but I always remind myself that He knows what He's doing, and that should be enough for me. Is this trust and acceptance hard to find?  Yes, sometimes, it is, and I spend hours and days working on my belief that He knows best, but I find that trusting Him works.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”  Proverbs 3:5

Hymn "It Is Well with My soul"

Faith and Humor

How Dare You Call Me a Racist, and No! You Don't Know Me.

 

On Amazon

I try not to involve myself in political posts on Facebook or Twitter. I participated in a few several months back, and boy! Was that gruesome! I was surprised at the names people called me. I would never issue insults to anyone, but I sure received them.

And guess what?  The insults that shocked and hurt the most were from relatives!

A distant family member tore into me big time and accused me of being a racist because I supported the opposite political party.  

I have friends of all colors, nationalities, and religions. Most of the people in our church speak two languages, and some were born in other countries. We are all friends, and we love each other. 

It's impossible to defend oneself against a person who is intent on believing the worst of you. 

But I tried.

I attempted to answer with kind comments. "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."  Proverbs 15:1.  I suggested to the insulting family member that she read my book, Family Secrets. Although fictional, The book would clue her into my thoughts and beliefs.

She replied, "I don't have to read your book to know what you are." This woman has never been in my home or my church. We've never had a conversation in person or on the phone. As I said, we're distant relatives. Very distant. We've merely participated in a few Facebook posts.

I wrote back, "I'm sad you misunderstand me."  I left the comment up for about 15 minutes and then deleted the entire thread. I stay off Facebook a lot these days. 

I have friends who believe differently than me politically, but we don't attack each other.

When folks bully me, I get irritated.

I try not to be discourteous.

And I'm downright, doubly-sure I'm not a racist.

Folks, be careful. It's too easy to assume the worst of people. And it sure is easy to be unkind.

Family Secrets

Long Term Care Facilities.

 Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Nursing homes are accommodations where we pay large sums of monies to incarcerate our loved ones.

People don't imprison their relatives intentionally, of course.  I certainly didn't. Most, like me, must place our sweethearts in care facilities because we can no longer care for them ourselves.

However, no one knew Covid-19 would come along, and our flesh and blood would be kept from us. Isolation is for their own good, we are told, and to an extent, this is true. But isolation kills too!

Residents in these facilities are declining due to the shutdown. A lack of cognitive skills prevent them from understanding the circumstances. They'll ask, "Why can't you come inside and give me a hug?"  Such questions continue. One after the other.

Jail time in these facilities is expensive. Not only in money, but to the hurt and harm of the sweethearts in these necessary care places. 

Our daughter lives in one. I wrote an article about the isolation in Texas Hill Country. Dementia and Alzheimers are cruel diseases. 

It's past the time to find a cure. 

Texas Hill Country

Still Thankful

 Thanksgiving was days ago. The heavy eating day is gone, but the leftovers remain. Why do we cook so much food on these holidays?  Cooks exhaust themselves, and our scales cry out, "Look what you did to yourself."

I ran across this segment from the ancient show, "Father Knows Best."  Many young people have never seen television wholesome, family-oriented shows, and that's sad.  

Our Father knows best during our troubled times. Let's express thanks every day of the year, and as hard as it is when we are nose-deep in the water, let's trust Him.

Please watch this short clip.

Father Knows Best

And after you watch it, I'd love for you to look me up.

Faith and Humor

Fill Your Sack

 Do you find it difficult to fill your sack with positive thoughts and blessings these days?

Yeah, me too.

I can stuff it with sadness, but it's the Thanksgiving season, a time for me to be grateful.

We forget the simple gifts of life, that is, until they're gone. Then we miss them and wish we had them back. We find ourselves thanking God for the times we enjoyed them. In gratitude, we ask Him to return them.

What kinds of simple things, you ask?

How about an appetite to enjoy food. Air to breathe. Eyes to see. Ears to hear. Nose to smell. Tongue to talk. Legs. Arms. Lips to kiss. Hair on our head. Yep, we miss these wonderful blessings when they are no longer there.

And there's people and institutions: Family. Friends. Government.

What? Government? Yeah, I know. There are a lot of bad apples out there in charge of our lives right now, but we have some sort of order. Before driving laws came to be, motoring was more than hazardous. It was deadly!

Even if we have little this year, we have much. Let's think on the abundance we have.

"Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are hones, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think of these things." Philippians 4:8 KJV.

 You've been given good things. Write them down. Fill your sack with as many blessings as you can think of. Keep the sack handy this next year and look inside when you begin that Negative Nelly thinking.

May God give you grace, love, and peace this season.

Faith and Humor

A Magical Makeover

 

Have you eaten too much lately? 

The shutdown has many of us to do that.

Salons have been closed.

 Getting haircuts and colors have been a challenge.

Gyms haven't  been open, either.

We need help.

We need a makeover.

Valerie doesn't have the pandemic as an excuse for letting herself go.

Her father is a bully, and she believes him when he tells her she'll never amount to anything.

Since her dad doesn't like her and wants her out of his house, he pushes her to become an elementary teacher. Valerie loves her kids and calls them "my littles." After school, she hides and eats.

Sarah, the well-meaning, dyslexic angel, is sent to help Valerie. Sarah loves human clothes and shoes. She really adores stilettoes. But she can't walk in them. Angels go barefoot, but since she's here to help Valerie become a stylish woman, maybe this time she'll learn to walk in them. (Don't count on it!)

After much finagling, Sarah becomes Valerie's roommate and talks her into a gym membership.  

In the heavenly realm, exercise isn't needed. Working out as humans do is an oddity.  Sarah falls off the treadmill and floats barbells.

Sarah, who never diets and is always hungry, takes Valerie to a hair salon. When the stylist brings out brown hair color that looks like caramel pudding, Sarah eats the dye! But the horror of all horrors, is when she glues Valerie's dad's lips together. He can't bully Valerie with his mouth shut, right?

Will Sarah get into trouble for these antics?

Will Valerie overcome her low self-image? 

Can Sarah find a man for Valerie?

A man who will love Valerie because she's worthy to be loved?

On sale on Amazon 

and other online booksellers.

Amazon

A Colorful World

 We are a world of many colors and cultures. God is an engineering genius! Think about what God did. He made us a bunch of collective snowflakes. No two snowflakes are alike, and neither are we.

Of course, we share similarities, but our differences make us unique and the variations are what we use to help each other.

We can't be all things to a person, but we can use our talents and skills to assist someone. I can't treat your medical condition, but I might make you laugh. I can entertain you with my stories and shore up a sad countenance. Someone else is able to cook you a scrumptious meal.

As we returned from the market last week, a tire blew out on our vehicle.  My hubby knows how to change these things, but he didn't know where to find the tire or necessary equipment on his new Silverado truck. We pulled into a parking lot and called Roadside Assistance.

Two gentleman stopped to see if we were okay and if they could help us. Nice, right?

Here we sat, a couple of older, white people in a disabled truck, and two young men of color stopped to assist.

The first man jumped out of his truck and came to our window. Such a kind man!  After making sure we were okay, he left.  About twenty minutes later, the second man stopped to check on us.

How refreshing!  They were both young, strong, and knew how to change a tire on our truck, but we'd already called for assistance.

We live in a time of racial upheaval. Businesses across America are boarding windows in preparation for riots and looting.  Many have already been vandalized.

The participants aren't one skin color. Photos show a collage of skin pigments. Partakers are making choices to break laws and hurt people. The rioters don't care about the skin color of those they hurt. They show no respect for person or property.  These folks are bullies as they express their opinions on social and political matters, Skin tone of others is incidental. Many break and enter merely to steal items.

 But one day last week, it was uplifting to see men who had no racial bias. Two men who saw no skin color and wanted to help a couple with a need.

A positive reinforcement in God's colorful world.

Faith and Humor

Can You Sing and Dance in the Rain?

It's easy to dance and sing when the world is right for you and all goes your way.

But what happens when the skies turn grey without warning? What do you do when life becomes weary? Streets are muddy? Each step is an effort?

That's a different story, isn't it?

Smiling, singing and dancing are tough when life isn't going well. Tears may come daily.

Gene Kelly is a long-ago movie danced and sang in the rain, but he was happy and in love.

Gene Kelly in the rain 

I've heard from friends today. One just found she has breast cancer. Another discovered heart blockage. One told me her hubby had passed away. Three are dealing with chemo. Our daughter with dementia is hallucinating and sobs more now than ever. She has enough brain sense left to know it's getting worse for her.  She said, "I want to die."

And the list goes on.

These folks are in the rain. Some are singing and dancing, but others are crying. What makes the difference? Probably a day in our life and an attitude. A positive outlook comes and goes.  It's difficult to be upbeat during dark circumstances.  That's okay.  We're all like that. One day we're up and the next, we're down.

God understands. Trust Him and ask Him for a moment-by-moment change in thoughts, hopes, and body.

A popular quote says, "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's learning to dance and sing in the rain."

Linda Randal sings about the dark valley.

Linda Randle

Another quote I'm fond of says, "Don't worry about tomorrow. God is already there."

God loves you.

Believe it.

Faith and Humor

Waiting on the Lord

 

Waiting is hard.

I don't like it.

I'm not alone, most of us don't like waiting. 

We have a microwave mentality. 

In fact, I tap my foot while waiting for the microwave to do it's thing.  I sometimes open the door and take out what is warm rather than what would be hot if I waited.

Are we lukewarm? Do we jump the bell and take out a meal that is not quite ready?  We do that with the Lord, too. We take off running with part of an idea. God has the entire concept in mind, not just the bare outline.

We expect instant gratification, so when the Lord says, "wait."  We shout, "No, not now.  God, Give me an answer this moment!" By the way, who are we to order God around? Can we control Him? We sometimes try.

In His Word, Isaiah tells us when we wait upon the Lord, we will renew our strength, and mount up with wings as eagles.  We shall run and not be weary. We shall walk and not faint.  Isaiah 40:30-31.

What are you waiting for today?

The nation and world is holding its breath, waiting to see who will win the American Presidential Election.

A ruler or leader will be in power a short time. God is forever, and He alone moves rulers about. When Assyria threatened Judah in the 6th Century, God removed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night.  Later, Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, lost his mind and lived as an animal eating grass.  Trust God to control the ruler.

The world is waiting for the Covid-19 to end. We tire of shutdowns, masks, and fear of disease and death. 

We wait for 2020 to end. It's been a hard year. Hurricanes, fires, shutdowns, loss of jobs. Loss of important events: weddings and funerals. We want the time of hardship over. And we want it NOW!

Chin up my friend. Let's wait on the Lord together. Let's expand our wings like eagles. God is in control.

Teach Me to Wait 

I Don't Know About Tomorrow

Faith and Humor

Pumpkin Time

 That time of year is here again!

And that means cooler temperatures!  Yay!

Down here in Houston, it will only be 90 degrees today 

That's Fahrenheit. 

What is that in Celsius? About 38?

As the weather cools, I usually decorate for fall.

   

I haven't begun yet to get out my decorations. Many neighbors have interesting stuff out. Some do pumpkins, others are definitely into Halloween.  

Skeletons abound. 

I don't do the Halloween stuff.  I once dressed up as a witch. With my long, black dress, pointy hat and white hair, I looked real.  

For months after the "trick-or-treat" time, 

kids would go by my house and say, 

"That's where the witch lives."  

I don't want to be remembered as a witch, 

so I quit all Halloween craziness.

Now we do trees, pumpkins, fruit, 

and scarecrows.

What do you plan to place inside and outside?

Lots of choices.

Choose this one.

Faith and Humor

Or this one

Humor and Faith

Choices are wonderful, aren't they?  

I wrote a book about them. Mattie's Choice

Dear, sweet Mattie. Other than her blue dress,

She didn't choose too well, but that's okay. She makes better choices as she goes along.

Amazon

Today and Tomorrow

 

I'm thankful I don't know what tomorrow will bring. 

Such knowledge would rob me of the joy of today.

God is in control and knows the future.

No matter how beautiful the day is...or how stormy my day becomes, God knows about it and has it planned.

Elizabeth Elliott once prayed, 

"God, prepare me for what you've prepared for me."

Good prayer, huh?

I pray it these days too.

As I walked this morning, I listed to the old Gospel song,

"I Know Who Holds Tomorrow."

YouTube

The Comfort of Quiet

                            

Have you found a quiet place? One without TV? A spot where no  conversation is needed? No email? No social media? A site of total silence?

It's time we found such a place. Take a moment to shut out the noise. 

When you turn off the noise makers such as music, TV, and phone, what do you hear?

If you are home, you might hear the washing machine or dishwasher, or maybe the house settling. If you are outside, you might hear birds chirping. 

Turn your ear to your heart. Listen to what your soul tells you. If negative thoughts intervene, shoo them away. This is your moment to listen to God. Ask Him to speak blessings to you, and then sit back and wait.

What He reveals will flood you with relief, blessing, and energy.

Faith and Humor

Humor and Faith

Wating for the Shoe to Drop

Are you tired of waiting for the next thing to happen? 

Me too.

This year has been one of waiting. We wait for Covid-19 to end. We wait for summer to be over. We wait for the election to get here. We'll maybe be done with all the politic rhetoric. We wait for riots and looting to end. 

On a personal note, perhaps we wait for a loved one to call. Or get well. Or visit.

Where's the other shoe? We need two to walk through the ordeals we face.  But alas. We only have one shoe. We're waiting for the other one to drop.

What will it bring with it when it drops? More of the same?

In this day of waiting, it's easy to become discouraged and feel hopeless.

There are Scriptures about waiting.  How about this one? 

Psalms 27:13-14. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord. NIV

God has over twenty Scriptures about waiting for Him. He knows it's difficult, but He likes us to walk in patience.

He patiently waits for us to know Him. To trust Him. To love Him. Why shouldn't we wait for Him?

Scriptures are encouraging while we face bad times and wait for them to change. Maybe they'll get better, or maybe they'll get worse. Either way, I want two shoes to walk through these days.

Amazon

Barns and Noble

Trouble with Amazon

I usually tell people to go to Amazon and type in Gay N. Lewis and they will find my books.

They haven't been there lately.

You'll see gay novels and info about the gay community.

But what happened to my books?  They are scattered around on Amazon, but they don't appear altogether. I just  found out you must use quotation marks around my name. Type in "Gay N. Lewis" I hope the additional quotation marks do the job.

You can find them on B&N.  Try the Barnes and Noble site. I want you to chuckle with Sarah's antics. We all need that, right?

I'm on other online booksellers also. 

Gay N. Lewis On B&N

"Gay N. Lewis" on Amazon

Hope for the Weary

Image by ShonEjai from Pixabay 

Are you tired of hoping circumstances will get better? Want Ole Corona Covid -19 to go away?  Wish your kids would get a grip and get off drugs? Are you exhausted from job hunting? Maybe you're bone weary as you endure a sour relationship.

Don't you wish you had someone to turn to? 

Friends will help. They may offer a phrase that hits the spot and makes you feel better. 

Reading your Bible is a great comfort. When you are weary, look up the word or related words in the concordance and see what the Word says about exhaustion and weariness.

Elijah, with God's help, performed mighty miracles, but afterward, he was worn out. He feared for his life and ran until he could run no more. He prostrated himself under a tree and asked God to let him die.

An angel came along and said, "here old boy, eat this and take a nap."

In other words, God knew he needed physical, mental and emotional rest. Food and sleep made him feel better and his hope returned.

Hope and faith are the glues that keep us together. We must not give them up. Never give them up!  

Eat and rest. It's good for you. Think of your blessings. That helps too.

Always remind yourself there's a better day coming.

Hope is faith on steroids.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what de do not see. Heb: 11:1 NIV.

Faith and Humor

Money Talks

Did you ever give your kids incentive to reach a goal? I did several times. A daughter didn't care for studying. She was and is quite smart, but she didn't like homework. I said to her, "How about this? You make a "C" in math this semester and I'll give you $20.00.  At the end of the semester, I said, "How did you do?  She replied, "I've got great news. I just saved you $20.00."

Money motivates many, but I guess it didn't work for her.  She'd already saved enough from her extra jobs to buy a pair of jeans she wanted. 

Money talks for me.  It says, "goodbye." At least my hubby thinks so. 

Did you hear about the older guy who decided to put his wallet in his front pants pocket? He thought a thief would be less likely to steal it there. Unfortunately, as he aged, he often accidentally wore his pants backward.  

Matthew 6:19-2l says,  GNT Translation.

Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your heart will always be where your riches are.

Faith and Humor

What's the Plan, July?

 The first half was lousy. Let's do better the second half. Okay July, Bring it on!

Alright July, you're here. Stay cool but keep your mask on. 

So, July, what chapter are we on in Revelation now?

July!  Get us out of the Twilight Zone!

Read about 2020 here.

2020

Doctor Tales

These antidotes came from email on the Internet. I don't know who the physicians were, but they had tales to tell. Funny, too.

A man comes in the ER and yells, "My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!" I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab and lifted the lady's dress. I began struggling with her underwear, but she was uncooperative. Suddenly I glanced up and became horrified. There were several cabs, and I was in the wrong one.

At the beginning of my shift, I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest.  "Big breaths, " I instructed. 

"Well, they used to be." She replied.

I was performing a complete physical, including the visual acuity test. I placed the patient twenty feet from the chart and said, "Cover your right eye with your hand.  

He did and read the 20/20 line.  "Now your left."  Again, he read it.  "Now both." Nothing. 

The man couldn't read the large E. I turned and discovered he'd done exactly what I'd asked.  He was covering both eyes.

During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with his cardiologist, he informed his doctor that he was having trouble with the medications.  "Which one?" The doctor asked. 

"The nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours and I'm running out of places to put it."

The patient undressed, and sure enough, he had over fifty patches on his body.  The new instructions now read, "Remove the old patch before applying a new one."

Have you experienced a video chat with a doctor yet?  I've had three. It's kinda nice.

Faith and Humor

Watch Me on YouTube

As most of you know, our daughter lives in an assisted living and suffers from early onset dementia. You'll find a topic on Dementia at the top of my blog.

Because of isolation, I can't go inside the facility, and our daughter begs to see me. I thought about reading a portion of one of my books to her, I thought that would help, so I contacted my publisher. Pelican Book Group owns the video rights, and I needed permission. The publisher gave authorization. I read portions of a book for a few minutes and the publisher posted on our YouTube channel.

The facility administrator showed the presentation to our daughter. It confused her. She thought I was in the room and wanted to hug and talk to me.

Dementia is a sad, cruel disease. So is this quarantine for people in facilities.  I wrote President Trump with complaints and suggestions, but I've heard no response. Residents in these facilities need an advocate.  I'll share the letter in a future post.

Here's my YouTube video.  I hope you'll watch and leave a comment.  I didn't dress up for the occasion. I was sad, but  I made myself do it. I did it in one take. As I look back at it, I should have redone it.  But it's out there. 

Please say hello.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MlnskmC3zA

You Got Mental Issues?

One statistic says one out of four American are mentally ill. Next time you're in a group of four people, if they all look normal, than you must be the one who's crazy.

Another statistic says mental illness strikes one every 60 seconds. Avoid crowds. Quite a few will suddenly become wacko. Pray it won't be you.

One stressed, mental patient returned to his doctor.
Patient: The liquid medicine doesn't work."
Doctor: "Did you drink it after a hot bath?"
Patient: "No, after I drank the bath, I couldn't get down the medication."

Friend: "I heard you have new meds for your mental illness? How much are you taking for it?
Patient:  "I don't know what will you give me?"

Did you hear about the man who read that wine was bad for mental health? He fixed his mental problem. He gave up reading about it.

Mental illness is not a joking manner, but sometimes we laugh to keep from crying. Dementia, and losing one's mind is a wordless horror. We watch our daughter lose brain functions and it's sad. On the other hand, people with Alzheimers and dementia often do and say funny things.  A man with dementia was asked to pray yesterday. He said, "Lord, don't let us fall into a ditch."  Perhaps his request was expressed in an odd, humorous manner, but the listeners understood. He was saying "Keep us safe."

My Books on Amazon