Hopeful Living
Discovering unexpected treasures in ordinary and challenging days.Welcome! I’m Marilyn and I’m glad you stopped by.
Lilacs are special to me—call it sentimentality or nostalgia, my grandmother had a beautiful lilac tree in her yard and cut snips for a Mason jar place on her kitchen counter. If I daydream, close my eyes and inhale, I smell the fragrance even now.
Lilacs are a treasure and trademark of my hometown, Rochester, New York. Small slips of flowers were brought to the new world by early colonists and later developed by a horticulturist. Today, thousands of people from around the world, visit a park where over five hundred breathtaking and colorful lilac varieties cover twenty-two acres. As a child, I went to see an array of trees on Lilac Sunday in May.
Small snips from a backyard, acres of trees. Each in its own rite is an extraordinary treasure; small things that became significant. I doubt they realized the impact their plans would have.
Isn’t life like that too? Small moments and big ones, ordinary and challenging experiences? In each, we encounter treasures in unexpected places.
The simplicity of growing up in an ethnic family and gathering for “spaghetti on Sunday” with endless conversation, moving several times in my married life to unique areas, and the greatest challenge of my husband’s sudden fatal heart attack, have shown me the treasure of God’s faithfulness and unexpected gifts in all seasons.
If you want to know more about discovering hidden treasures in ordinary and challenging days, you’ve stopped at the right place. Together, we can find peace during difficulties, wisdom for challenges, learning through waiting, compassion when grieved, and hope when circumstances say otherwise.
Head over to my Let’s Connect page, browse through my site, and meet me at my blog. I’d love to connect and have you join our conversations.
Marilyn
Welcome! I’m Marilyn and glad you stopped by.
Lilacs are special to me—call it sentimentality or nostalgia, my grandmother had a beautiful lilac tree in her yard. If I daydream, close my eyes and inhale, I smell the fragrance even now.
Lilacs are a treasure and trademark of my hometown, Rochester, New York. Small slips of flowers were brought to the new world by early colonists and later developed by a horticulturist. Today, thousands of people from around the world, visit a park where over five hundred breathtaking and colorful lilac varieties cover twenty-two acres. As a child, I went to see an array of trees on Lilac Sunday in May.
Small snips from a backyard, acres of trees. Each in its own rite is an extraordinary treasure; small things that became significant.
Isn’t life like that too? Small moments and big ones, ordinary and challenging experiences? In each, we encounter treasures in unexpected places.
The simplicity of growing up in an ethnic family and gathering for “spaghetti on Sunday” with endless conversation, moving several times in my married life to unique areas, and the greatest challenge of my husband’s sudden fatal heart attack, have shown me the treasure of God’s faithfulness in all seasons.
If you want to know more about discovering hidden treasures in your life story, you’ve stopped at the right place. Together, we can find peace during a difficulty, wisdom for a challenge, learning through waiting, compassion when grieved, and hope when circumstances say otherwise.
You can find more of my story on my Let’s Connect page. I invite you to meet me over at my blog. I’d love to connect and have you join the conversation.
Marilyn
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God Help Me! Guest writer Debbie Presnell
Welcome Debbie! I met Debbie Presnell through writing with Refresh Bible Study Magazine. We've shared zoom calls, writing critiques, and prayer requests. Debbie is founder and director of Shine Camp for teen girls, whose mission is equipping middle and high school girls with Biblical principles to embrace their identity in Christ and discover...
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“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
Psalm 16:11 (NIV)