Last month, on a very cloudy and overcast day, I drove to my favorite beach, where the music of the crashing waves always makes my heart smile.

As I sat in my trusty, old beach chair, I marveled at how beautiful God’s majesty was, even through the blur of haze and fog.

As I looked out over the murky seascape, I noticed something forming in the sky… another cloud? What was it? I blinked my eyes and kept them focused overhead. A large, white, cloudy form continued to grow, until it stretched from one end of the ocean to the other.

I kept blinking in disbelief. Was it a rainbow? A white rainbow? I’ve never heard of such a thing, let alone seen one. But here it was, right in front of me.

I pulled my iPhone out and snapped a picture, grateful I did, because it was gone in ten minutes.

I left the beach, shaking my head in wonderment at this unexpected surprise.

When I arrived home, I emailed a Boston television meteorologist, who told me I had indeed seen a white rainbow, or a fogbow, only seen when conditions are perfect.

My world has been far from perfect lately. It hasn’t felt bright or colorful at all. But that doesn’t mean I can’t see rainbows. I learned that today.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge said rainbows are made up of “tears and light”. I’m sure my tears were in that white rainbow today.

Maya Angelou wrote, “God puts rainbows in the clouds so that each of us- in the darkest and most dreaded moments- can see the possibility of hope.”

May we all keep looking up. God may have a wonderful surprise in store for us today!

As I was sitting today on a picturesque old dock, that stretches out into Maryland’s beautiful Chesapeake Bay, something in the water caught my eye. It was a maple leaf that had fallen from a tree and was floating gently with the tide.

As I watched the leaf move slowly with the current, I was reminded again of this new season of Fall that has just arrived… a time of change… a time of reflection… a time of new beginnings.

When a leaf falls, buds appear, sprouting new life.  The new leaves will make food and nourish the tree, so it can continue to grow and prosper.

The same thing happens to me. When life is difficult, as it so often is,   I fall, too … many times.

I want to learn from this little maple leaf that when I fall, Jesus is always there to pick me up… to encourage me… to lift me… to keep me afloat.

When I stumble, may I always realize that falling is an opportunity for new growth for me as well… growth that will nourish me and make me stronger, just like the maple tree.

I thank God for the gift of this little leaf today. May I hold tightly to its message of change… of rebirth…of hope.

It is Thanksgiving Day, and I am at home sitting in front of a roaring fire… So much is going through my mind as I think about all of my many blessings. This year I’ve been a little under the weather and wasn’t able to travel to join my family for Thanksgiving. So I’ve stayed in my pajamas all day …

A local store sold delicious individual turkey dinners, so I bought one. And as I put my items on the store’s counter, I tried to hide the

turkey dinner so no one would see it and feel sorry for me that I was going to be alone on Thanksgiving.

Since my husband, Steve, died almost nine years ago, I have tried to focus on the thought that holidays and special occasions are “just another day”. It helps me try not to have high expectations so I am not let down or disappointed. And it truly helped me today.

I have focused on gratitude… on being grateful for the countless blessings God has showered upon me… chief among them, my faith, my three incredible children and their spouses… my six precious grandchildren and my wonderful group of friends.

I may have been physically alone today… but I have felt so surrounded by the love and support of my family and friends. It has warmed my heart and filled my day with such joy.

As we now head into the Christmas season, may I hold on to that beautiful thought of “thanks and giving” … so that my heart stays focused on the “real reason for the season”. May I take the time to be present to those around me… and may I realize love is far better to give than any present…

And may I take the time to sit quietly with God… to share time with Him.. to thank Him for His great gifts to me… With so many awful things happening around the world, may I take the time to pray for those who have lost loved ones … those whose lives have been forever changed by horrific acts of violence.

Freedom comes at a cost… may I remember this holiday season and always those who gave their lives for our freedom … may I remember their families left behind… and all those who serve today near and far.

May I take the time to hug my loved ones a little longer… tell those I love that I love them… reach out to someone in need… reach out to someone who is alone.

May I always be filled with “thanks and giving” twelve months a year.

A few years ago I passed by a small church and noticed a sign out front that read, “Autumn leaves … Jesus doesn’t”. And it truly touched my heart.

As leaves turn bright colors now… they fall and “leave”…but the beautiful fact remains that Jesus will always be with us… in good times and bad… offering us hope, unconditional love, peace and joy. He will never leave.

That was so evident to me again two weeks ago when a dear friend of mine lost her 33 year old son suddenly. Amidst our unimaginable pain and grief, Jesus still stood in our midst… He cried with us… He shared our pain and grief… He offered us hope… hope that this young man is now in Heaven … enjoying eternal peace and happiness… and the promise that one day we will all be together again.

And so, as autumn continues to shower us with its magnificent beauty, no matter what is going on in our lives, may we see the falling leaves as a sure sign that God is in His heaven…and that all is right with the world…

because,
although “Autumn leaves… Jesus doesn’t!”

My phone rang the other night, and it was dear friends, whom I hadn’t seen in three years. It was such a gift to hear from them! We decided to meet the next morning and enjoy the beach together, since the weather was supposed to be unseasonably warm for the end of September.

When I met them at their home, they surprised me and said we were going off-roading on Nauset Beach. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself! We drove on deflated tires over glorious, bumpy, sandy roads … passing dune shacks, closed until next summer… and finally reaching the town’s private beaches, that stretched for miles in either direction. We parked the car and put our beach chairs out, inches from the water’s edge.

I couldn’t stop smiling. Here I was, with cherished friends, on a totally deserted beach… in 78 degree weather on September 28th. It just doesn’t get any better than this!

We took a long walk along the shoreline. It was high tide, and the waves were pounding the sand, as they crashed onto the beach. Along the way, I noticed colorful ropes sticking out of seaweed clumps… remnants from fishing nets, lobster traps, bait bags, buoy lines … each piece, with its own story to tell. I collected several pieces.

We sat in our chairs and watched countless seals playing in the surf. We had such fun catching up with each other. When lunchtime came, I was served a delicious sandwich with chardonnay. It was the most spectacular oceanfront restaurant I have EVER been to! The magic of the day just kept going on.

As the sun was getting lower in the sky, we walked in the shallow waters one last time and found more treasures: special rocks, and even a sanddollar.

It was now low tide. We had been on the beach for six hours and had seen the complete changing of the tides.

As I reluctantly climbed back into the car, I gathered my pieces of colored rope and thought of another “Lesson from the Shore”.

These pieces of rope had all broken free from their nets and traps. And I reflected on my life … and about how often I am trapped in my own web of negative thoughts. These ropes remind me that I need to work hard to free myself from the chains of self-doubt … so that I can believe in myself completely… and soar.

Thank You, Lord, for the lessons You are always teaching me on Your shore. Thank You for special friendships … for fun… and for more treasured memories.

Hurrah for Summer’s Last Hurrah!

I am blessed to live on beautiful Cape Cod, where the magic of the ocean is with me every day. I never take for granted how fortunate I am. I love to go beachcombing for treasures, and every time I do, I learn new “Lessons from the Shore”.

With the arrival of September, comes the feel and the smell of crisp, autumn air, surely a time for new beginnings. I have tucked summer’s precious memories into photo albums and into the deepest recesses of my heart. Now, I look forward to what lies ahead.

One of my favorite treasures from the shore is seaglass… glass that once started out whole and perfect… perhaps as part of a bottle… jar… or vase…pieces that have been pounded by the waves over the years… their edges made smooth over time… pieces that have become even more meaningful and valuable with each passing day.

I learn much from my treasured seaglass. I learn that I, too, become far wiser… more “polished” and “valuable” over the years from all of life’s storms. I, too, become more special and beautiful as I age. May I truly believe that… and embrace that… as I look forward to another season…

another “New Beginning”.