Changes

Remember back when our current President was campaigning?  His slogan was, "Change."
He certainly brought that about...and most of it was not for the good of the people, either. However, this is not about him; and I am not writing a political post. I am talking about our every day lives. 

I am to the stage in my life where changes are happening at a rapid-fire pace. Within the last year our sons have moved out into an apartment that they share until July.  Then, both will have to move again to different locations because one is getting married and one has not yet found the love of his life. Both will move to locations closer to where they will be employed next year.

The other day, my younger son and I were talking about some things in my office.  He said, "You know, Mom, I am having a lot of new things in my life." Last year, he graduated from college and took a temporary job in a different town.  He moved to a different location.  He had to get a new(er) car. He fell in love and will begin a new life in September with his bride-to-be. 

Talk about changes!  He has experienced them.  Oh, and, in the near future, he will move again, start a new business part-time, work part-time at another job, learn how to be a newly-wed husband, etc.  He has a lot going on in his life.

While he is making a life of his own, his dad and I are making changes and adjustments of our own.  Our nest is empty! (except on weekends when they bring their voracious appetites with them and come home!) And with all of that comes adjustments...lots and lots of adjustments. And change! 

In the bigger picture, the world is changing.  Our laws are changing rapidly.  People are changing. Our lives are in a continual state of change.

However, with the changes in all of our lives, there is One constant!  He does not change! 

He is not swayed by the speeches of men... of what they promise or don't promise.  He is not swayed by circumstances.  He is the constant in every circumstance whether that change is for the better or not.  He changes not, never has, nor ever will!  That is a change we can count on. 

The words to the song, "Be Still, My Soul",  has these words in the first verse..."In every change He faithful will remain"....  How true that is!

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He never changes. Now, there is change you can believe in!

Thanks for reading!

Donna McHugh

Winter Is Not Forever!

It has been a long, long time since I posted and I have really missed my times of writing. 

My life last year was full of rapid-fire changes, deep valleys and hard places, yet it has been sprinkled with joy.

You might say that this past year has been a wintertime that lasted all year.  However, even in winter there are days when the sun shines brightly and the snow melts away by the warmth that it brings.  There are some things that I have learned in the past year as I have been on my journey of life.

1.  Winter is not forever! It might seem like it, but when we read way back in Genesis when God was creating the universe, He said: 

Genesis 8:22  While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. 

2. Into every life some rain must fall....winter is destined to come.  As I look outside my window now, I see the icy snow on the ground, and the bare trees waving their branches in the strong winds.  However, I also see, among the trees with bare branches, an evergreen tree standing tall and straight against the wind.  That tree has endured the same  weather that the others have, yet it remains green in spite of winter. I know, that it is supposed to be that way, but there are people that we all know who are like that tree.  When the hard times come, they stand strong and rooted firmly, enduring the hard things even though what surrounds them is bitter cold and not conducive to the bright and fresh colors that they wear on the outside.  

However, without wintertime, the earth would not produce the leaves and flowers of springtime, nor the fruit of harvest time.  Without wintertime in our lives, we do not become strong and grounded and produce either.  

3.  Winter is necessary! If all we had was sunshine and blooming flowers all of the time, we would not experience the wonders of springtime after the long, dark, cold winter. Winter allows the trees to rest so that in a few months they will be bursting forth with the beauty of springtime.  In our lives, we have hard times so that others can see those blossoms of springtime when we have endured the heartaches and tears of wintertime. I told my boys growing up that the hard times built character.  They would roll their eyes, but have to endure whatever it was at the time.

4.  When we get through with all of this earth's seasons of wintertime, springtime, summer and harvest time, we are going to a place of perpetual Sonshine!

Heaven is better than this!  No more gray skies, blizzards, bitter cold nor scorching heat! No more heartache, sorrows, pains, hurts, illness, or diseases of this old world... No more darkness of evil!  Wintertime is not forever, but Heaven is!  Travel on, my friend, it will be worth it.

Thanks for reading!

Donna