Tag Archives: hope

March 22, 2020 · 5:00 am

Jett Man Is Double Digits!

jett hat

He has been waiting for this day for so long. He starts thinking about his birthday, his cake, his gift ideas, his festivities months in advance. When I told him we couldn’t celebrate his birthday in the way we had planned this year, I watched his eyes well up with tears, and this momma heart could hardly stand it. He didn’t let a single tear fall. He lifted his head and said, “It’s okay, Mom.” And, followed it with, “I still get a gift, right?” You better believe he does.

What a crazy time for him to turn ten. I can find myself getting overwhelmed by it all, but then I look at him and I see him creating. I see him building. I see him lighting up when he discovers something new. I don’t know anyone who loves learning more than he does.

And, I honestly do not know a kinder, more thoughtful soul. I really don’t.

Earlier last week, he looks at me and says, “Mom, what if we take the money you and dad were spending for my party and give it to someone who needs it right now?” I said, “Jett, that is a great idea and so thoughtful of you.” Then, in true Jett Takle “let’s think bigger” fashion, he says, “Mom. I want to start a fundraiser and call it ‘Jett’s Cure.’ We can raise a lot of money to help people!”

“Why do you want to call it Jett’s Cure?”

“Because, we don’t have a cure for the Coronavirus. But we can cure some things.”

So, today, we are launching “Jett’s Cure.” If you would like to help us help others in our community during this time, you can give to Eagles Way Church online at Eagles Way Church. Select “offering” or “event” and type “Jett’s Cure” in the memo. Every single penny will go to help someone in need during this very hard season. If you wish to send a check, you can do so by mailing it to Eagles Way Church, 100 Hudson Road, Griffin, GA 30224. Just write “Jett’s Cure” in the memo. This is what he wants most for his birthday.

And, it’s this kind of hope and love the world really needs.

Jett Takle emanates exactly the kind of hope I need right now.

Jett Man, I think it would be impossible for me to love you more. Your heart is just gold. You never hesitate to let people know that you love them. You take time with people and listen to them. You are gentle. You are so very smart and curious. You are creative and always dreaming so very big. You believe you will do big things, and I know you will.

I love how you love to fish with your Ga-GA.

I love how you love to listen to music and throw the baseball with your brother.

jett - john

I love how you indulge your sister in making videos with her.

Jett Anna

I love how you run straight to Nan the moment you see her. I love how you just love hanging on the farm with your dad. I love how you love your family and want to know every single thing about your family history. I love how you love Far-Far and Cathy and enjoy your explorations with them. I love how you hold your Farmor so close to your heart. I love how you always say, “I love you, Mom.”

I love how you love and care for your friends. I really loved watching you light up when you were finally able to see them online the other day.

I know you must think this time in history is strange. And, I don’t know how long it will be strange. But I do know this…..He that began this good, good work in you will be faithful to complete it. We will get through this together. We will keep exploring. We will keep creating. We will keep learning. Keep loving. Keep dreaming. And, keep fishing. We will keep telling each other how much we love them. And, we will look towards the future with immense hope and joy.

Happy 10th Birthday, Jett Takle. Thank you for keeping hope alive.

I love you more than you will ever know,

Mom

Jett OU

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November 1, 2019 · 12:33 pm

You Never Know How You’re Going To Feel Tomorrow.

I haven’t been looking forward to November getting here, because it means all of the holidays are upon us. Sounds pretty bah humbug, right? I even said to myself that I don’t feel like I’m going to be in the Christmas spirit this year. I just wasn’t feeling like I was going to feel the things I needed to feel, you know? Granted, it’s early to even be thinking in such terms, but let’s face it…..time travels so quickly these days. I found myself thinking about how expensive the season gets, how busy and full our days seem to get blah, blah, blah. You’re like, Dusty, I don’t even know you anymore. I know, right? But I woke up November 1st actually kind of feeling it. I felt that holiday energy I didn’t think I would feel. Maybe, it’s the cold weather outside. Maybe it’s just a new day. Or, maybe it was just I didn’t give myself time.

But, I woke up and just felt different.

I found myself asking Jett what he wanted for Christmas. He said, “I want that poster of Albert Einstein with his tongue sticking out, and I want to put it on the outside of my door!” I laughed, because, who asks for something like this? Jett Takle, of course.

And, I felt what I needed to feel when it was time to feel it.

The point of my story isn’t that suddenly I’m ready for the holidays and in the spirit. The point of my story is something my dad told me 17 years ago around this very time when I was going through a divorce.

“You never know how you’re going to feel tomorrow.”

I remember feeling depressed, heart-broken, wondering if I would ever feel happiness again. I was getting ready to sign divorce papers. I WAS A MESS. One day I was all up in my feelings, and my dad tells me, “You never know how you’re going to feel tomorrow.” I wipe my face and look at him and say, “YES, I DO. EXACTLY HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW.”

But, I didn’t know.

I remember as clearly as this moment is right now, walking into sign those papers and leaving there feeling like a weight had been lifted.

I woke up the next morning, and I felt different. I felt hopeful. And, I felt happy.

I really didn’t know how I was going to feel tomorrow.

Whatever you are feeling today won’t last. Perhaps you’ve been in a season of feeling a certain way that you don’t like. Maybe you’re grieving something or someone. Maybe, you are feeling like you’re not passionate about something you feel like you should be passionate about. Maybe you feel like you’ll always feel this way. Maybe you’ve been dreading something that is being made worse by simply dreading it. Whatever it is, hold this truth close to your heart when you grow weary of that feeling:

You never know how you’re going to feel tomorrow.

So chin up, friends. His mercies are always new. And, you never know what tomorrow may bring.

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November 21, 2017 · 10:09 am

An Appointment With God.

It is honestly hard to be as raw and real as this post will be. Because, I am a positive girl. I take captive thoughts that drain me, that aren’t good for me, and I’m usually really good at making those thoughts obedient to truth. Obedient to the fact that His ways are good and perfect. To the truth that all things work together for the good. ALL things. But, I have struggled these past two months. I haven’t struggled in knowing He is good. But, I have struggled with sadness and disappointment.

For a while, I kept calling it sadness. I am saddened by the immense loss I feel from losing people close to me. I am saddened by the hands some have been dealt undeservingly. I am saddened that I have not done the things personally I know I need to do. I am saddened that any child would feel any amount of love that is less than what my own children feel. I am saddened by the suffering others endure. I am saddened there is a family of seven wondering about their next meal. Grief upon grief. Layered one on top of the other. I have cried, almost daily, overwhelmed by it all.

Sunday night, I poured myself out to Kris. I emptied it all. “I am sad,” I told him. And, the more I shared, the more I realized that my sadness was really disappointment. I looked at Kris and finally said, “I am disappointed in this year.” I have been ready for it to end. I am ready for something new. Something different. I told him that maybe we don’t give grief its proper respect. We know loss is a part of the human experience. We grieve. We cry. But, maybe we underestimate the reality of how that loss affects our daily lives. We don’t give it the credence it’s due. Instead, we try to find the good instead of feeling what is really there.

These have been my feelings. This has been my burden. This has been my past two months.

But the ability to finally identify what I feel and call it disappointment finally changed how I see today. How I see tomorrow. If we wallow in our disappointment, it will kill our passion. It will hinder in my own life the greatest forces in this world: faith, hope, and love.

I am of reminded of a message my dad preached so many years ago. He talked about Samson. Samson forgot who he was. He was disappointed in his choices, in the world he had framed, in the promise he thought was lost. Until one day, he felt his hair touching his shoulders, and he remembered. He remembered his strength…he remembered the living, breathing force within him. He remembered the promise. He remembered who he was. And, he knew in that moment: for every disappointment in life is an appointment with God. And, that changed everything.

For every disappointment is an appointment with God. It’s a reckoning. It’s where we feel what we need to feel. Where we allow grief to be what it is. Where we allow disappointment to be what it is. But, there comes a day when, like Samson, we are reminded of our strength. We are reminded that we have a choice. We can stay in disappointment or we can allow it to thrust us forward. Where we connect the dots. Where we remember who we are. Where we use the very thing that disappointed us to push us forward to do the work He has called us to do.

We can hold fast to faith that screams He is able to do more than we can imagine. Faith that opens our eyes to see the unseen. We can trust in the hope that anchors our very soul. That secures us. That keeps us from tossing to and fro when the waves come. When the disappointments come. And, we can cling to love: who we really are. We can love ourselves so deeply that we actually let ourselves off the hook when we don’t live up to what we hoped we would do and be. We can love others with such intensity that nothing they do can ever taint how we see them: real, living souls who are images of God in the earth.

Kris texted me this morning, “So many times we forget what we are passionate about. Your passions are so powerful, and your words are so impactful. You miss just how awesome you are. Life is good, life is hard, and it’s our faith that will keep us strong. Stop holding back. Stop being afraid. You can do it. No matter what it is.” These were the words that pulled me out of my disappointment. And, this was the time God chose to do it. Because, Kris was God in the moment. In this time.

I felt my strength again this morning. And, I remembered. I remembered my passions. I remembered who I was. And, I remembered that I have an appointment with God.

I have an appointment with myself. An appointment to renew what needs to be renewed. And a mission to bring faith, hope, and love to the forefront of people’s lives.

Friends, to you I say: Stop holding back. Stop being afraid. You can do it. No matter what it is. Because, you have the three greatest forces moving towards you in your favor: faith, hope and love. Don’t miss how awesome you are. Don’t stay in disappointment. Trust in the hope that assures us nothing is ever truly lost. The hope that assures us the best is always ahead.

Today is going to be a good day.

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September 17, 2014 · 7:17 am

He Is For You.

Originally written and published in The Grip January 2014.

Romans 8:31 says, “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” Minsters quote this all of the time. Heck, you’ve probably posted it as your Facebook status before. But, what does this truly mean? If God is for you, who can be against you? Does it mean exactly what it says? That, He is for you? Always? If this true, then that means ALL moments are for you. Because, God is in all moments.

That interruption in your day you weren’t expecting. That moment was for you. The cereal spilled all over the counter. That moment was for you. The trip back to your child’s school, because he forgot his lunch. That moment was for you. That busted pipe over the recent freeze. That moment was for you. Your spouse walking out the door and leaving you a single mother. That moment was for you.

That amazing sunset you paused to watch. That moment was for you. Witnessing the birth of your child. That moment was for you. Your littlest putting his nose to your nose and saying, “I love you, Mommy.” That moment was for you. Enjoying that incredible dinner with good friends. That moment was for you. Falling in love again. That moment was for you.

It doesn’t mean God caused any of the difficult circumstances. But, He as certainly been in them. And, in all moments. Because, He is for you. And, when you can wrap your head around the fact that if God is for you, then all moments are for you….then, you can learn to say, “Nothing goes wrong in my world.” But, all moments have been for me. On Christmas Day, when my husband and I realized our hot water had been leaking and ruined our downstairs floors….Neither of us became upset. Neither of us said, “We can’t catch a break” or “just our luck.” Neither of us felt attacked by a devil. It’s just life. Things break. And, instead of focusing on that inconvenience, our thoughts turned to gratitude for a wonderful first Christmas on our farm. When my oldest had a lot of questions about his dad leaving, I explained to him that if his dad could go back, he would make a different choice. He responded, “I wouldn’t want him to. Because, then I wouldn’t have my Daddy Kris and my little sister and brother.” Oh, if we could all see life’s moments as a child.

My most difficult moments have been my greatest teachers on forgiveness. My most beautiful moments have been my greatest teachers on thankfulness. And, I know He has been in them all. Because, He is always, always for me. And, He is always for you.

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February 11, 2013 · 10:14 pm

And, I Felt Like I Was Failing.

Jett - february wp

After a very hard evening with Jett, I sat on my sofa exhausted.

Weary.

Feeling I failed in that moment of being his mother.  Even grasping for hope for an easier evening tomorrow.

Tears streamed down my face, and my head collapsed in my hands.

Then, I heard the tender voice of my oldest say, “Mom……..I believe Jett is going to be great.”

Jett is going to be great.

Finally those words began echoing from my own Spirit.  And, then, I began to give thanks.

I am thankful for so many who whisper words of Christ to me.  Who encourage me.  Who renew my mind.  But, there is nothing like your very own child reminding you of who you are.  And, who THEY are.

Jett is going to be great.

I am going to be great.

YOU are going to be great.

Stop believing whatever your mind is telling you.  You tell your mind what to say to your spirit.

Because of Christ IN you….you have everything you need to do everything God has called you to do.

Because of Christ IN you….YOU ARE GREAT.

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May 24, 2010 · 9:09 pm

Who Knows What the Tide Will Bring.

Kris and I watch the movie Cast Away most every time it comes on television.  I’m not sure why.  There is practically little to no dialogue during the first half of the movie.  Come to think of it… Maybe, we like there is little to no dialogue.  Once you have three children, silence is bliss.

Anyway, we were watching recently and I heard Tom Hanks’ character say:

“I have to keep breathing.  Because, tomorrow the sun will rise, and who knows what the tide will bring.”

Many have inquired about my little surgery and biopsies and whathaveyou.  It was all good, friends.  All good.  I was never really fearful, but there is always an awareness of the fragility of life when our lives are stopped head on with major interruptions and more doctor’s appointments that we care to attend to. 

But, I am a wife.  I am a mother.  And, most importantly, I am a follower of Christ.  I have continue to walk in truth.  I have to keep pressing toward the mark no matter what is staring me in the face. 

While our current situation may look grim or seem hopeless, we have to keep breathing.  We have to keep praying.  We have to keep trusting in our Father who loves us more than we can fathom.  Because, tomorrow the sun will rise, and who knows what God will do.

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.  Psalm 30:5

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January 21, 2010 · 10:26 pm

I Have A Favor That Can Change Lives.

Dear Friends,

I have a favor.  It’s a small favor, but it can pay huge rewards.  If you are a Facebook member, I am asking for you to become a fan of Chase Community Giving here.  Chase is giving one charity $1 million to pursue a Big Idea.  You can learn more about this project here.

Once you become a fan of Chase Community Giving, you can cast your vote for the charity you would like to see funded by Chase.  I humbly ask that you consider voting for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Network Cares.  Heard of EDS?  Most have not.  The EDS Network Cares writes,

“EDS is a life-threatening, painful, crippling genetic disorder caused by faulty collagen. It weakens the connective tissue causing fragile skin, joints, ligaments, organs, and blood vessels. EDS is misunderstood, grossly misdiagnosed, and some 90% never receive a proper diagnosis in their lifetime. There is no funding for research. There are no treatments. There is no cure. Today, we are at the threshold of promising research that can change all this and offer those who suffer, HOPE. It’s estimated that 1,358,640 people are affected worldwide, and thousands die. Sadly, many are diagnosed at autopsy after catastrophic internal ruptures. Yearly, 30,000 children are born with bleak futures as they struggle with lifelong consequences due to EDS. Our HOPE is to continue to fund research, increase education/awareness, find treatment options, and save/improve lives. Help us find that cure.”

You can read more about EDS and their Big Idea here.

Why is this charity so important to me?  Because, I lost a best friend in 1998 to Vascular EDS.  His name was Josh Doss.  Few have ever been as passionate about life as Josh.  He was a lover of Christ and a lover of people.   His son, Karsten, was only seven weeks old at the time of Josh’s death.  In the few short days after Josh died, his mother, Debbie learned that Karsten had the same disease. 

And, there is no cure.

Please, watch this video as a tribute to Josh and Karsten.  Then, please cast your vote for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Network Cares so Karsten, and so many others like him, can have a chance at long life.  Vote for EDS.  Vote for hope.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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November 5, 2009 · 6:00 am

No Matter.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.  Ephesians 3:20 (The Message)

I love this scripture.  I especially love The Message translation. 

Yet still I sometimes overlook it.

Then, I discover it again.  And, I pray that this time, it will remain written on my heart.

Because, it is foundational to my faith.

To my life.

It is hope.

It is truth.

And, we need not forget.

That no matter what place we are in.

No matter how fiercely our battles wage.

No matter what the report reads.

No matter how high the mountain is.

No matter how long the walk through the valley takes.

No matter.

God can do anything, you know.

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October 1, 2009 · 8:14 am

My Pre-Blogging Life: Part Three

journal entry jan 03 wp

January 16, 2003, my divorce was final.  Below is the latter part of my journal entry on that day.  If you are going through a difficult time today, I hope these words give you hope.  I hope they help you realize that in the middle of your storm, God’s presence and goodness is always there.

I know these things for certain:

1.  I’m blessed with a beautiful son.

2.  I have friends that carry me, make me laugh, and love me.

3.  My parents love me, and my happiness is their greatest concern.

4.  There is release in forgiveness.

5.  I am strong.

6.  I’m not afraid to love or put my heart on the line.

7.  I’m ready to, pardon the cliché, spread my wings and fly.

8.  Doors are wide open.

9.  It is good to laugh long and hard every day.

10. I’m better than okay.

11. God has only good things for me.

12. Tribulation produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope.  And, hope does not disappoint.

13. This, too, shall pass.

14. I love my life.

15. I miss my dogs.

16. I love to dance.

17. Running releases stress.

18. I’m the luckiest girl on earth.

19. I’m thankful ’02 is over.

20. I’m thankful for ’02.

Life is an incredible journey.  I learn and grow from every second it offers.  I’m in a great place, and I’ll be in a better place tomorrow.

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January 7, 2009 · 6:00 am

Sulking is an art.


Or, at least, I have the ability to make it one.  If I want, I can even make such an event complete with an assortment of all of my favorite comfort foods from Junior Mints to Sour Patch Kids.  Of course, such delicacies don’t need the occasional sulking for consumption.  For real.

There are times we have all the reason in the world to sulk.  To feel sorry for ourselves.  Because, let’s face it.  Sometimes, life is just plain unfair. 

The key is not to stay there.

No matter how bad the circumstances appear.

Most of you know my story.  I was pregnant with John Henry with a realization that I was about to be a single mom.  On top of the pain, I had a few of those sulking parties.  My dad has always had this charming way of dropping bits of wisdom here and there.  He let me sulk.  But, he wouldn’t let me settle into my pity.  I will never forget the moment when he said, “Dusty, someone has walked out on his spouse today.  And, she has no one.  Look at what you have.”

I could go on and on with stories of people – friends – who made life better for me. 

A lot of love surrounded me.  And, I had this remarkable hope because of the One.

Feel free to sulk every once in a while.  And, if you’re having Mayfield’s Moose Tracks ice-cream or chocolate in any form, invite me to join you.  {I’m also available for the occasional chips and queso.}

But don’t stay there.

Eventually, you’ve got to look at what you have.

And, if the King is living inside of you, you have it all.

And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?  My only hope is in you.  Psalm 39:7

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