Author Archives

Norma L. Brumbaugh

Inspirational Writer, Author, and Speaker

PO Box 6432, Chico, CA 95927
nlbrumbaugh@gmail.com

Keep a smile in your heart.

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CHEER UP!

DO YOU every wish for something soft? Something kind. Something sweet. Something warm and fuzzy? I do. Right now, in fact. I want to write a cheery word to brighten your world. The world isn’t a very kind place. But I don’t like to live in that reality.

What cheers me up might be a good place to start. I could write a long list but that would be rather boring! So I’ll spare you. Here are the first ones that come to mind.

  1. A GOOD BOOK
  2. DELIGHTFUL MUSIC
  3. FRIENDS TO TALK TO
  4. FAMILY (of course!)
  5. DELICIOUS EATS
  6. WRITING (my passion)
  7. A CLEAN HOUSE
  8. COFFEE
  9. A HUG, A SMILE, A KISS
  10. A PHONE CALL

Those are just some of my cheerful-to-me-givers. I wonder what are some of yours? Picking delicious, ripe produce off the vine? Soaking in a tub? Going for a walk? Eating out with a friend? Having uninterrupted time to yourself? Receiving a kind note? I’m sure there are many ways you can cheer yourself up.

Another thing that cheers me up is reading God’s Word. His Word comforts me. I like to pray and meditate off and on while I am reading. I’ve had a longing in my heart lately. Now that I have time to soak in God’s presence, to re-enliven my walk with him, I want to go deeper and deeper and grow closer and closer until I feel his closeness. That happens when I pursue God and have time to wait, and not rush, the process. I can truthfully say, my times alone with God where I seek his presence and learn of him are the most blessed of all times. There is nothing quite as meaningful to me as spending time in intimate fellowship with God.

A little girl asked a well-known minister, how she could learn to love Jesus. She was confused. She said she didn’t love Jesus, but she wanted to. The wise minister told her to say “Jesus loves me” throughout the day. He knew this would increase her awareness of Jesus’ love. The following Sunday the little girl joyously ran to the minister and said, “I love Jesus. I know I love Jesus now.” Then she explained how as she went home she kept repeating “Jesus loves me.” Something began to immediately change in her as she thought of many ways Jesus loves the world. Love and appreciation grew in her. In a few day’s time Jesus’s love became very real to the little girl. When she invited Jesus into her thinking, he made himself known to her. We can do the same.

The other night I woke up at 4:00 a.m., wide awake and unable to sleep. I spent the next two hours in prayer praying for everyone I could think of, including some of you. I prayed the same phrase for all. I asked that the Christ Light would touch whomever, you, others. For the Christians, I prayed that the Christ Light would manifest its presence in them, that Christ would make himself known to them. I prayed for my extended family, the world, our politicians, the suffering Christians, the marginalized, the people in ungodly nations, refugees, the persecuted, homeless, the LGBT community, the abused and neglected, hungry and in distress, those doing wrong and those doing right. It is a privilege to pray for others. I believe it is a prayer that God welcomes with tender love.

God bless you today. Make it a beautiful one. Praise and Thanksgiving. I’m grateful for you in the Beloved, who loves us with his everlasting love.

Jesus loves YOU. He loves you more than you can imagine. Be of good cheer, Christ has overcome the world.

XXXXXXX

BLOGS OF INTEREST THIS WEEK

Why People Leave the Christian Faith Dr. Claude Mariottini

When Leaders Fail by Dr. Claude Mariottini

 

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“THE WEE TREE” by Lois Brumbaugh 1980

We would be celebrating a birthday if my sister Lois were here. Today is her birthday.  Every September I publish an annual remembrance of Lois. This time it’s a fun endeavor. I was sorting through boxes of papers at my folks’ place when I came across a neatly organized file box full of Lois’s college coursework.  Inside a file folder I discovered this sweet little booklet she wrote and illustrated for a children’s lit class. I think it’s cute and has a life message. Enjoy!

THE WEE TREE

 

By Lois Brumbaugh — Copyright 1980

 

Once upon a time, there was a wee little baby tree, who lived in an orchard with lots of big and beautiful trees. -1-

 

The other big trees had lots and lots of pretty red apples; -2-

 

But the wee tree had only one, and he was very jealous of the other trees. -3-

 

Every day the wee tree dreamed of being a big beautiful tree. -4-

 

He thought that if he drooped his branches and curled his leaves in self-pity, the farmer would pamper him. But the farmer only said, “Perhaps we should kill that weak little tree.” -5-

 

So, the wee tree tried to steal fertilizer from the other trees by sending up runners from his roots; But the farmer came along and clipped them off. -6-

 

As a last resort, the wee tree soaked up all of the extra sun that he could so that his one apple might ripen before the apples on all of the other trees. -7-

 

Then, to his dismay, his ripened apple went unnoticed, dropped to the ground, and was spoiled rotten when the farmer came to see all of the other ripe trees. -8-

 

Finally, the wee tree decided to quit being selfish, and only joyfully received whatever was given to him. -9-

 

The more he gave of himself, the more the big trees prospered, and the more the big trees loved the wee tree. -10-

 

Quite soon, the big trees grew so big that their roots reached and were nourished by the underground stream, leaving only the wee tree to the farmer’s care. -11-

 

Because of this, the wee tree grew and grew to be a big majestic tree, and was the happiest tree of all in the orchard. -12-

THE END