Trisha Kennedy - Hoolaray!

Happy Fall-ish

Finally the weather has begun to moderate a bit in Texas. It has been an incredibly hot summer, even for us…and we’ve lived in Texas much of our lives. We also lived in tropical Nicaragua for many years. So, for us, living in hot climates is normal. We acclimate quickly compared to many people. But this year has been uncharacteristically humid in addition to the heat. That humidity just saps the energy out of me. Anyway, I am so grateful for the changes in the weather. We spend a lot of time outside in our personal lives and for our chaplain work and prison ministry, so it is finally more comfortable to do so.

Jody continues to defy odds and is doing well. Is he completely back to normal? No, of course not. He has a variety of long Covid issues, but most are minor, manageable, or medicated. He has to pay particular attention to the hot, humid weather, ozone alert days, and any high pollution areas or areas where there is smoke or even ashes from fires. We are careful and remain aware and vigilant and we feel blessed as we move forward, thankful for the extra bonus time that God has allowed.

Take a minute and thank God for this day and for whatever blessings He has poured out on you as you look forward to the fall-ish.

Lord, I am grateful for every day that you have given us. Thank you for allowing us time together and time enjoying your creation.

Answered Prayer

Is it okay if I share something very personal and very remarkable with you? Many of you have walked with us and even served alongside us over many years. I usually try to be pretty transparent, even sharing personal struggles and successes. This one is no different from the others, but also is very different if that makes sense.

If you’ve followed along, you know about the undertaking and sometimes struggles of writing the “Keep Your Hands in the Air When You’re on a Roller Coaster” book. You also know that my main impetus behind the book was to be obedient to the Lord and what I felt he had called me to do. It’s never been about making money or notoriety.

In doing so, I have determined to leave the results and how He chooses to use the book up to Him, while in my humanness I want to know if the book is hitting a chord with anyone or making a difference. Of course, it is not necessarily something for me to know – it’s just that in my frailty as a human I want that confirmation that I have done the right thing at the right time.

God blessed me in an expected, but, oh so, remarkable, way today. I was speaking with a friend (let’s call her Mary) who had read the book and then loaned the book to someone else (let’s call her Sally). Later, Sally told Mary that she had started it and was anxious to continue reading it even though she was very busy and didn’t have a lot of free time to do so.

Some weeks later, Sally told Mary that what she had read so far in the book was making her really think. She said it was causing her to re-evaluate some things in her life and even that it made her want to make some changes in her life.

Now, is that a blessing from God, or what? I don’t know Sally, but I am grateful that it seems that God is working in her life as a result of the book.

And, so, that is a prayer answered. It was a selfish prayer really. I am satisfied to know that the book has touched at least one life. Of course, I hope that it touches more lives in the future, but all the struggles of the journey and the hurdles in writing the book are worth it for one life changed.

Thank you, Lord, for choosing to bless me in such a tremendous way. Continue to work in my life as you teach me more about you every day. Thank you for the encouragement from others that you sent to me to challenge me to write this book. Thank you for Mary who took the time to share the book and then took the time to share with me about Sally. Continue to work in both of their lives too. Hoolaray.

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I encourage you to take the time to share with me any God-stories! The book is available on Amazon in print. An e-book is in the works. Feel free to share about it on your social media if you think it’s worth sharing.

Plumb Line

Today I heard something that made me think about a plumb line. I am not a construction person but I know that those that are use plumb lines to make sure things are straight. They measure their work against the perfect line.

God has given me an ability to see when objects or pictures, etc. are askew. It is actually quite comical at times. I can see things that aren’t straight by a tiny margin. Things that aren’t straight practically glow-in-the-dark for me. Over the years I have had many conversations like this with a few people:

“Yes, it is straight.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it’s too high on the left.”

“No, I think it is level.”

“Please go get the level.”

“Ugh. Okay” [eye roll] …. “You were right. How’s this?”

As time has passed, Jody doesn’t question it anymore. He’s gotten the level out too many times. Other people still question my judgment, but he usually warns them first.

But, I have to be honest and admit that, in my life, I’m not as good at seeing things that are askew. We have been given the perfect plumb line in Jesus. He is who I should be measuring my life against. It is so easy to get just a fraction off the mark without realizing it. If I don’t make corrections right away, I can slip even further off that new mark. One day, I realize that I am twice as far away from the perfect example Jesus has given me on how to live my life.

So, today I am challenging you to join me in examining where you are against the perfect plumb line of Jesus. Don’t compare yourself to someone on television, or a friend, or even someone at church. Compare yourself to Jesus. During your evaluation, if you, like me, realize that you have moved away from the mark, pray and admit it and ask Jesus to help you get back to aiming for the true and perfect plumb line. Ask him to help you see the mark in a glow-in-the-dark or bold sort of way, so that you can clearly recognize it when you slip away from the mark.

Lord, guide my steps. I want to live in a way that is pleasing to you. Show me when I have stepped away from you, even the slightest bit, and nudge me back towards the plumb line.

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Jody continues to work hard every day. He has adjusted to his new normal by now and most of his lingering issues are not readily apparent if you just spend a few minutes with him. We choose to not dwell on those but instead are just grateful for the bonus days. We are knee-deep in ministry of all types, and we feel so very blessed to be able to serve the Lord together in a variety of ways.

Hard Things

We are just finishing chaplain work in Oklahoma. It was quite hot but so was the ministry there. “Hot” in that God gave us and our chaplain team many opportunities to share Christ and to provide emotional and spiritual care to those we met, but He also arranged some divine appointments. I love how he orchestrates things!

Lord, thank you for how you work to love people into the kingdom. You don’t need us to do this work, but you allow us to be part of it.

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I am constantly reminded about how God is so patient with me. Just like the Israelites, I get so distracted and self-absorbed in my own “stuff” that I forget what He has done for me. Sometimes I act like I don’t know that he is at work behind the scenes always. I’ve had some personal challenges recently that caused me to not-quite-panic, but also to not-quite-trust. Then He reminded me of His patience with me with the phrase “You can do hard things…with my help.” Don’t forget it like I did.

The Majesty of God’s Creation

We are still traipsing through our summer and trying to endure this record-breaking heat wave. I am overwhelmed at our blessings.

We did get to escape the heat for a bit and in doing so we were reminded of the MAJESTY of God’s creation! We had an incredible time with family enjoying mountains and wildlife and cool streams and roaring waterfalls. I am so grateful to enjoy “bonus” time with my precious husband. But I am also grateful to my loving God who has allowed this time together.

More than all that, I am grateful for how our Lord has changed my perspective, pretty much on everything. His glorious creation means so much more to me now than in the past. The way he brings special people into our lives when we weren’t even looking for new people, the way he solidifies those strong family bonds, and improves those that could use some strengthening, the way he uses the hot days to help us appreciate the cooler days, the way he reminds us how short life is, sometimes gently and sometimes not so gently, is mind-boggling.

Lord, thank you for your blessings big and small. Help me to see them as you mean for me to see them. Guide me when I can’t see the forest for the trees.

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A mom and young daughter were talking. The mom was pointing in the distance to a beautiful waterfall trying to show it to her pre-schooler. She was saying things like “look up, look at where my fingers are pointing, can you hear the big sound it’s making? It is beautiful!” As much as she tried the frustrated mom could not get the child to look up and out. Then, suddenly, the little girl started squirming and jumping in delight and exclaimed, “Mommy, guess, what? I see a roly-poly down here by my foot!”

Think about this in your quiet moments as I did. Sometimes our Lord has so much for me and I sometimes just stay in my comfort zone focused on my own stuff, my circumstances, getting my own way, having things the way I want them, etc. And I often miss the special, incredible, amazing things he has for me that are just ahead of me.

Look up!

One of Those Days

Do you ever have days where you answer someone who asks you how your day has been with an answer like, “It’s been one of those days!” For me, today has not been one of those days. This day has been a melancholy day and an exciting day all at the same time. It is definitely a day that has been filled with emotion, even overflowing with those emotions. Even roller coaster-like emotions, including all the highs and all the lows.

May 1 is the same day that Jody and I traveled back to Texas from North Carolina after our stint there in 2021. I can’t believe it really. We were in Charlotte for seven months while Jody was recuperating from his medical crisis. Some would say that it has been a long time, but for us it seems like yesterday. Jody is doing well and we are so grateful for the “bonus” days that God has allowed us to have, but it is hard not to re-live some of the experiences that we’ve been through.

A terrific thing that happened is that today the book was published. I had started writing about our journey while in North Carolina when I felt God leading me to turn that into a book. So, finally, it has happened!

There was another sad component to the day for me, though. As I wrote the book, I chose not to tell many people about that project. It was a personal, private, emotional project for me. I didn’t even tell my sister, Lisa, because I wanted to surprise her with the book. She was a cheerleader for me, and I knew that she would be as excited as I am. Unfortunately, Lisa, died suddenly a week before the book was published, so she never knew about it. Now, I wonder if I made a mistake by keeping the news of it from her. But even with this sadness, there is joy for me because I know that Lisa is in heaven now.

Lord, thank you for the reminders you give us in life. Some are good and others are prickly and even sad. The memories are something unique you have given to us. I want to use them to remind myself how you work in my life every single day and all the ways that you have been so good to me. Help me to continue to cherish the bonus days that you have given to me and Jody.

Thank you for my sister, Lisa. Thank you that you provided a way for Lisa, and each of us, to have a relationship with you on this earth and an eternal life in heaven. You promise that when anyone calls out to you in prayer and invites you to be in their life that you will come into their heart. You further promise those who ask with sincerity, with the understanding that they have at the time, that you will take them to their heavenly dwelling place when they die. That is not a possibility, or a maybe–it is a take-it-to-the-bank promise.

And, Lord, thank you for giving me the courage and the strength to be obedient in writing the book. May you use it as you see fit to bless someone along the way.