lifeandheartmatters - encouragement 2020

Encouragement to get us through the year

We could all use a little reminder about now. We’re in the middle of a heat wave during the hottest months of the year. The air is thick and still, bugs are plenty, and water becomes a precious commodity. It can feel like we are trudging along and the finish […]
We live in a chaotic and constantly changing world right now, and we could all use some stability. Children need stability, the weather needs stability, and our 401k’s need stability! High prices, airline delays, shortages, a pandemic, war, crime, 24/7 news and more have all added to our stress lately. […]
lilies of the field, wildflowers
They’re called Garden Huckleberry. I spotted the small flowers growing wild on the side of the road while on my walk. They looked so unique and pretty, growing effortlessly in the grass. You might just miss them if you weren’t looking. But what caught my eye were the purple and […]
A local youth group at a church recently advertised their slogan, “Take back your summer!” What a great idea, I thought. We’ve all lost so much over the last year and especially for our youth. So this is the summer to take back our lives. Get outside and see friends, […]
It’s been one year since the Pandemic began. No one thought on March 11th, 2020 that the next day the world would be thrown into a shutdown, and no one thought a year later we would still be dealing with it. Not a single person. It will be one for […]
There’s no doubt it’s been a rough year. For some, even more than others, but all of us have been affected in some way. No other event in recent times has touched the entire world like this pandemic – all ages, demographics and races. Sadly, it seems to have divided […]
Life and Heart Matters
For the first time in months – five to be exact but who’s counting, it has started to feel “normal” again. I first noticed the change while at the store recently. The atmosphere just felt different. Maybe it was because strangers started talking to each other again instead of averting […]
It’s hard to wrap my head around the events of the last four months. Just when I think I have it figured out, or the experts tell me they have it figured out, it all changes. Is it too much news, the wrong news, or do we refuse to look […]
“I will bring the blind by a way they did not know. I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16 We all have our […]
Pilots are trained for emergencies. They are taught that when the unexpected happens, the number one thing you do is to keep flying. You may have to make some adjustments, but you keep flying the plane. And that’s where we are right now. We keep living. We make adjustments and […]
When faced with life’s challenges, we have two options in our response: Peace or Fear. Choosing peace requires some work on our part, as it does not often come naturally. Fear is an immediate response that requires no work from us, yet takes much in return. Last week I had […]
It’s a beautiful and warm February evening in the middle of winter. The temperature is in the 70’s, a rare occurance even for a Georgia winter, and the sun is shining and pleasant. It’s a great night for a walk around the neighborhood. As I begin my walk down the […]
“You haven’t prayed yet this morning.” a little nudging thought seemed to say to me. I know… I say back to myself in my thoughts, while grabbing my purse and phone and taking that last sip of coffee. … I’ve got to get going for my appointment this morning. I’ll pray […]

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About the Author

Sue McCusker is a writer, Bible teacher, and web developer who loves to share the stories of life and hope she sees around her every day. She has written for Guideposts and Angels on Earth magazines, and teaches the story of God in women’s Bible study. Her stories show how we can experience real faith in our everyday lives.