(from my archives)

Ten years ago, when my life was a 9-1-1 call, a beloved spiritual mentor gave me five things to do each day:

1. Show up for life.

2. Seek God with all your heart, mind, and strength.

3. Tell the truth.

4. Be of service.

5. Detach from the outcome.

In my previous blog, I confessed that I allowed myself to get overwhelmed by life and neglected to take good care of myself. But it's just life: within the last two weeks, the dryer quit drying, the refrigerator quit cooling, I had a fender bender in my new car, the dog had to go to the vet, and three rooms in our house lost electricity.

Okay, those aren't fun things to deal with, but I'm humbled by God's reminder of when:

• I didn't own a dryer and had to dry my panties in the oven on a cookie sheet (seriously).
• I referred to my truck as a "reservation special", which is what we Indians call transportation that merely gets you from point A to point B (if you're lucky).
• I couldn't afford a pet.
•  The temperature inside the house I rented as a single mother never dropped below 85 during the summer and I slept with a bowl of ice in front of a fan to keep cool.

I am not experiencing one crisis after another. I am experiencing life. And even with the not-so-fun things I have to take care of, it's a good life--a blessed life. So it's back to basics. "Thank you, God, for your perfect provision in the middle of and outside a crisis.

How about you? Are you overwhelmed by life? Make time today to bow before the Lord. Let Him love you. I know from personal experience, things have a way of working out for those who love the Lord.

If you're in a crisis, take a deep breath, ask God to direct your steps. Are you willing to believe that God will bring you further than your current circumstances?"

Psalm 119: 105 "The Lord is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."