Category: Treasures from the Teardrop

  • Tangled Opinions

    Tangled Opinions

    The string holder that had always tethered my kite into the sky landed on the floor in a broken tangled web. I’m still deciding whether to untangle the mess or just toss it into the garbage. Untangling a web of kite string can be as hard as sorting through opinions to get to the truth of a matter.

    My sister sent me an amusing quote about God, the Bible, and our opinions:

    “You know what God left out of the Bible? Your opinions.”

    Miriam Webster defines the word “opinion” as, an idea that is believed to be true or valid without positive knowledge.1 When it comes down to the important things of life, I want to base my decisions on more than an idea. I need knowledge and understanding based on truth that leads to wisdom, and the courage to act on what I know. Some of you will recall how my orphan grandfather challenged me to put halting, incremental confidence in God following a crisis of faith. My grandpa based his security on more than an opinion, and his trust had deepened for over seventy years. Whether we have seventy years or seventy minutes, our foundation of faith in God is equally sure. And as I stretch toward the age my grandfather was that day, I too, have come to stake my life and my eternity on the truth that God is good and can be fully trusted with my life. Check out the video below.

    1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opinion

    The Treasure: God weaves our personal and generational past into the fabric of our stories, even the [tangled] seasons we don’t like and want to forget. (from Rediscover the Dance, p56)

    If you’d rather read than watch the video, here’s the full video transcript:

    I don’t think I’ve welcomed you inside Pilgrim before. But here we are and maybe at some point I’ll take you on a tour, on another blog. It won’t take long; believe me. But here I am. I haven’t untangled the web of the kite string, but I do have a couple of thoughts to share with you (or maybe just one). I’ve had plenty of opinions in my life, even for God. I just knew that I could remind Him of things He hadn’t thought of to make my life a bit easier and have the outcome look a lot prettier than it did now and then. But at this age as I look back, I’m so impressed with His wisdom and understanding and that He didn’t need my counsel at all. In fact, in Romans chapter eleven it says, “Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable his judgements and his ways beyond tracing out. For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God that God should repay him? But of him and through him and to him are all things, to him be the glory forever, Amen. So when I need wisdom, I know I can go to God who’s not going to give me an opinion. He’s going to give me some rock-solid good wisdom. And He says, if you lack wisdom come to me and ask, and I’ll give it to you liberally. I’ll give all you need. But ask in faith. Don’t waver, because if you waver, you’re like the wave of the sea, driven with the waves and tossed. So, I’m just so excited—I don’t know, maybe not excited—I guess I’m humbled that the God of the universe would be so attentive to me and that I could ask Him for wisdom and know that I’m going to get more than an opinion. (from, Romans 11:33-36 and James 1:5)

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  • Island of Refuge

    Island of Refuge

    A spontaneous drive to the island of Chincoteague became a time of wonder on an unplanned boat ride at sunset. Thousands of birds flew past the boat for a night of rest and refuge on a small out-island. As full as the island got, there was still room for another flock to land. Like the birds, my soul seeks refuge some days. Refuge is a safe place—a haven for the soul where God prepares us to keep investing in the difficult chapters of our stories. It’s more than a passive place. Refuge is also a place of opportunity to trust, hope, pray, and (sometimes) mourn. We take refuge so that what happens to us does not become our identity, blinding us to treasure that is born out of trouble.

    The Treasure:
    Refuge is a sanctuary that becomes a launchpad. It transforms us to transcend stuck places, and to walk through thresholds with God into new seasons.
    (From Rediscover the Dance, page 108)

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  • Remembering Steve

    Remembering Steve

    As time approaches the four-year mark of my husband Steve’s last day on earth, my heart has entered the quiet place. Being loved by this man during our twenty-two year marriage is one of my highest honors. I will connect with you again in a couple of weeks.

    The Treasure:

    The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way. (Psalm 37:23)

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  • Ten Minute Talks with Tom

    Ten Minute Talks with Tom

    My friend stunned me the day she offered to make a memory quilt out of Steve’s shirts. Her kindness opened up a friendship between the quilter and the “widow on the hill.” Over three years later Marlene gave me another gift as you’ll see in the video below. The source of a person’s compassion is never an easy story because compassion is born in hearts who have needed kindness themselves.

    The Treasure: Praise be to God … the Father of compassion and  the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

    If you’d rather read than watch the video, here’s the full video transcript:

    No fire in the fireplace today! Temperatures reach 104 degrees. That’s too hot for this New England girl. But I want to tell you about – remembering my friend Marlene who called to say her husband Tom would be driving me to all of my PT sessions until I could drive myself. Physical therapy – there was going to be a lot of it. Post-surgery inflammation and pre-session narcotics made driving dangerous for me. So three days a week Tom would walk from their home to mine, scale my steep driveway with his bi-lingual book on democracy, and off we’d go.

    Tom thought his driving me to PT was no big deal because, after all, I had so many friends. He was sure someone would volunteer. He thought he was doing what anyone could do. But in reality, Tom took something that to me was actually lonely, painful, and scary … and he made it steady. No phone calls or juggling of schedules. All I had to do was get in the car. He was to me the visible comfort of God. I came to realize that each ten-minute ride to physical therapy was more than a ride; it was a gift of safe presence and thoughtful conversation. I did not expect such treasure on a 2.7-mile drive. And although many of our talks were interrupted upon arrival, we picked up where we left off on the 2.7-mile return trip home.

    I did the math today. Tom drove me to and from forty appointments! That equals eighty ten-minute talks … or eight hundred minutes, which totals over thirteen hours.

     At a recent dinner party I wistfully told some widow friends that my ten-minute talks with Tom were about to end since I no longer needed pain pills. One leaned in with a simple solution: “Don’t tell him!” Laughter reminded me that friendships don’t need to end. Sometimes they just need to take on new dimensions.

    So, next week I get to have Tom and Marlene at my table for a meal and we’ll get to have more than a ten-minute talk.

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  • Accordion Jig Time

    Accordion Jig Time

    I fell in love when I was eight years old … with the accordion. My parents suggested I choose a band instrument like the clarinet that they could rent for $25 dollars each year. But no other instrument could compare with my love for the accordion. The year I turned eleven, the squeezable love of my life came wrapped under the Christmas tree. It was a baby-blue kid-sized instrument with only twelve bass buttons. I was eleven years old. My mother drove me thirty minutes from the country to the city for my music lesson every Monday.

    Wally Piascik, my Polish accordion teacher was bigger than life. I can still picture Wally leaning out of the second story studio window, holding a cigar and calling to some friend on the street. He was serious about entertaining and played in a dance band on the ocean boardwalk. Back in those days I was terrified to play in public. But that didn’t matter to Wally. Whenever I performed, he made me memorize the piece, face the audience, and play standing up.  

    When my mother died decades later, I bought my first new Italian-made accordion in memory of her steady sacrifice. Maybe you can hear its rich musette tuning as I play an Irish Jig called the Eavesdropper in the video below. Wally’s gone now too, but I have the cherished gift of music, and a mom who poured more joy into my kid heart than I realized at the time. I love playing in a local folk band and in the praise band at the chapel where I worship. What I would have missed if my parents made me learn to play clarinet instead of investing in the joy of my heart! J

    The Treasure: Accordion wisdom: push less, pull more.

    If you’d rather read than watch the video, here’s the full video transcript:

    Hi! It occurs to me that my blogs can be a bit serious sometimes, so I decided to post a fun blog this time. Because after all, life is not always about the “teardrop.” It’s also about joy and fun. So, I’m going to play an Irish Jig for you—a fun song. I hope you like it.

    Be sure to put some fun in your day today!

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  • A Time to Heal

    A Time to Heal

    The surgeon told me, “Knee replacement surgery is an investment in your future.” So, I smiled and signed on the line. But I did not prepare for how the follow-up pain would scare me. I said to my physical therapist, “Please talk to me about pain and fear.” And this is the wisdom he gave: We fear physical pain because we associate it with damage or danger. That’s bad pain. Agreed. But the pain of physical therapy is not about damage or danger. It’s about deliverance—about removing the old that causes us to limp and replacing with new that empowers us to thrive. This good pain still hurts, but it is achieving something better. So, in physical therapy I find a focal point and breathe as the therapist takes my leg to an “impossible” bend.

    Likewise, we need a spiritual focal point when the troubles of life unsettle us. We breathe our requests to God. We allow doubt to drive us to find deeper answers for our faith. And we take heart that suffering is achieving something of eternal value that we would otherwise miss and may never see in this life.

    The Treasure:
    Therefore we do not lost heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving four us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal.
    (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV)

    If you’d rather read than watch the video, here’s the full video transcript:

    It’s been said that there’s a time for every purpose under heaven—a time for war, a time for peace, a time to be born, a time to die. In my own words, a time to go forth and have fun, and a time to stay home and heal. This is a time of recovery for me, a time of waiting for healing from total knee replacement surgery. I’ve been rather impatient, wondering if I will ever get full range of motions. The professionals say, “No worries. Just keep doing your exercises. Keep doing what you’re supposed to do.” This morning I’ve been thinking: What if this time of waiting is not just about the knee? What if it’s about listening … to God, listening to friends. What if it’s about rest. What if it’s about asking God for next steps, a time of personal inventory. If this is a time of waiting for you, I pray that you will have a gentle day and that God will give you peace.

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  • Bull’s-Eye

    Bull’s-Eye

    I ponder the power of seasons, months, or even the rustic smell of outdoors to spark strong memories. My husband Steve has increasingly entered my thoughts in recent days. It’s no wonder. Four years ago this week we drove to Vermont to pick up our teardrop camper for retirement adventures. It was a “bull’s-eye plan” formed during high elevation moments like when we looked out from the Rockies onto a future we thought was certain. Today the plan looks much different than we thought. Steve is in heaven and I’m traveling in the camper—without him.

    Actually, remembering Steve breathes life into me today. He’s still the “bull’s-eye” soulmate whose influence I carry in my heart—a gift of having been loved well. I remember the day Steve told me that this life is the only opportunity we have to trust God. As I continue to fight doubt and fear with hope and confidence, I can count on this: life will shake me to the core, but I can trust that God’s plan is a good plan with a future full of hope. Many of you have been the evidence of that hope to me.

    I believe living a “bull’s-eye” life is one with Jesus at the center of my being and all other facets of life finding their place within the surrounding rings. I’d love to hear your definition. In the three-second video below Steve and I had a “bulls-eye” moment that surprised both of us!

    The Treasure: “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

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  • Rock and a Hard Place

    Rock and a Hard Place

    I arrived for knee replacement surgery as if I were sliding into second base during a winning ball game. For years I had been having water drained off my knee, getting steroid shots, and wearing protective wraps in order to walk a rugged trail or ski an easy slope. But it became a no brainer—my knee was shot. Hearing it would be the most intrusive surgery and painful recovery I distracted myself with life as normal including bike rides and even speaking out of town the day before. Waking up (literally) to reality after surgery, I sometimes lost sight of the good this surgery is working for me. Pain can do that. It dulled my spirit even as I received abundant care. So I began to practice a morning and evening exercise that is renewing my spirit. I open my eyes to the day and remind myself of what God’s love for me means. And as I close my eyes at night, I recount how He has been faithful to me during the day. As I complete week four post-surgery, I sense I am turning a corner, coming alive, and getting closer to walking out my door and down the hill with a new knee that will open up pain-free opportunities. 

    The Treasure: It is good to give thanks to the LORD … to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night. (Psalm 92:1-2, ESV)

    If you’d rather read than watch the video, here’s the full video transcript:

    Have you ever been in a rocky spot and you didn’t know if you were ever going to get out? Rocky places can be dangerous. We can get stuck there, we can become distressed … and despondent. But in every rocky place there are lessons to be learned. I think most of my lessons have been learned when I have been between a rock and a hard place. But beyond the rocks you can see down there a trail going out from the rocks that’s heading up over into more beautiful places. So we make meaning in the rocky places and walk out of them with our hand in God’s. Putting our hand into the hand of God is the way to live life to the full. We learn to trust him and to be on a sacred adventure with him when life seems to make no sense, because He makes sense out of the places in our lives that we feel are a waste. It’s a wonderful thing to know that we are not destined to stay in rocky places, but that we can come to new vistas. That’s my prayer for myself, and honestly, my prayer for you too.

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  • Renewal Within the Fence

    Renewal Within the Fence

    Several years ago I posted a video with my camper (affectionately named, “Pilgrim”) within the fence adjacent to my home. You’ll remember how steep the learning curve felt and how hesitant I was to take Pilgrim beyond the fence. Click here if you want to see that message entitled “Meet Pilgrim:” https://blog.dawnlinton.com/

    By now Pilgrim and I have been on some exciting treks together. But a recent surprise reminded me that protected time back within the fence is important too (see 30 second video below). In the relaxed interior of soul care God delights to bring new life to our spirits in preparation for enjoying next steps.

    The Treasure: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:26-27 NIV)

    If you’d rather read than watch the video, here’s the full video transcript:

    Look at this. My propane heater, right within the fence where Pilgrim is was covered with a tarp that rotted. The weather just took it down and it kind of fell right down to the middle here and a mama bird took opportunity to lay her eggs right in this safe spot within the fence. It’s so fun to see new life right here – and she’s covered by the cover of the propane top. I can’t wait to see the babies.

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  • Balancing Act

    Balancing Act

    Unicycle riding has never interested me. I prefer two wheels under me, feet on the pedals, and hands on the handlebars. Even so, the unicyclist pedaling down a mountain road in Montana fascinated me and sparked enough interest to google a few details. Coaches instruct unicyclists to sit high in the saddle, use arms for balance, look ahead (not down), pedal continuously, and try to land on their feet by falling forward if they lose their balance. I’ll stick to my traditional bike, thank you. But when I catch sight of a unicyclist, I’ll admire all the practice and technique it took to equip him/her with such remarkable talent and endurance (see video). Albert Einstein spoke wisdom when he said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” (Albert Einstein)

    The Treasure: For spiritual flourishing we do well to sit solid on the seat of God’s love, balance truth with grace toward others, continuously lean forward into His plans, and keep moving in step with the adventure of God’s Spirit in us. (John 3:16, John 1:14, Proverbs 29:11, Galatians 5:25)

    If you’d rather read than watch the video, here’s the full video transcript:

    This is a unicycle rider riding a unicycle down off of a mountain from Red Lodge. That’s crazy. One wheel. That’s an example of doing familiar things in different ways. Sorry I’m rocking this around because I’m driving my car just to keep up with him a little bit. He has to keep pedaling; he can’t coast on a unicycle. Look at the view he’s got though, coming down off of the mountain. That’s not one of my goals – to ride a unicycle. I wouldn’t mind coasting on my bicycle down off the mountain but … that’s crazy—crazy fun.

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