Happy and blessed New Year everyone!

Wow, Christmas is already a whole month behind us! It came and went in such a blur this year for me! Was it that way for you too? I hope yours was blessed and that you are off to a great 2017 ahead!

I ran across something at Christmastime which I'd like to share with you. It came typed in the shape of a Christmas tree, all pretty with a gold star at the top. The purpose was to inspire some great "gift ideas" for Christmas. But I have not packed it away with my other holiday reminders. I have read and re-read it several times and feel it is worth sharing, even now that the New Year has begun–and actually, especially now that the New Year has begun. Why? Because with so many folks making and breaking New Year's Resolutions, perhaps we can all find maybe just one thing on this list of great ideas to give over the next week...month...year...  We could make it be Christmas all year!

Here is the list:

Be kind
Be gentle
Apologize
Write a letter
Mend a quarrel
Forgo a grudge
Keep a promise
Encourage youth
Forgive an enemy
Try to understand
Give a soft answer
Welcome a stranger
Laugh a little more
Express your gratitude
Think first of someone else
Seek out a forgotten friend
Gladden the heart of a child
Examine your demands on others
Manifest your loyalty in word and deed
Speak your love and then speak it again
Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust
Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth

Some great ideas huh? If we all took just even one of these "gift ideas" and gave it on a regular basis we could make it be CHRISTMAS ALL YEAR! And it wouldn't cost us a dime! I don't know about you, but that works for my budget.

Merry Christmas everyone!

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Autumn is upon us and I love it! I love it all–the crispness in the morning and evening air while days remain warm, the occasional rain showers with cooler temps, nature’s vivid cloak as leaves morph into brilliant hues, the rekindling of cozy fires, the resurgence of favorite comfort foods, the anticipation of the holidays ahead... You get the idea. The trees in this picture live just up my street. Their breathtaking foliage is just one example of the changes I enjoy during Autumn. Beautiful, aren't they?

Autumn brings change. The activities and frolic of summer are giving way to a new season…a quieter season. Yes, change is in the air. For me it’s also a time to turn inward...to reflect…to quiet my soul. I’ve come to call it “Cozy-Down Time.”

All of life is full of change. Nothing stays the same really. Day by day change is inevitable. There are those variations to our “normal” that are good and welcome, while others are harder to accept. But no matter what we do, we cannot prevent change from happening. Every day brings a new beginning!

While some folks resist change, others learn to embrace it with the possibilities it presents. How do you react to change? Do you resist it? Or do you embrace it as a part of life, extracting all the blessing you can possibly get? How do you handle the hard changes? Do you take time to grieve your losses? How about the good changes? Do you celebrate them, or take them for granted? How about changes you desire to see in your life? Are there steps you can be taking to set those things into motion?  

I invite you to join me for some "Cozy-Down Time"...some time to reflect...to celebrate the good changes in your life, and to give appropriate response to any hard changes which you may be experiencing. Change. One thing that won’t change is that change happens. But who knows? Maybe that change in the air is just the new beginning you’ve been waiting for!

Have a bright and peaceful Cozy-Down Time!

There is power in prayer!  In this month's Encouragement Memo I included the following link to view a compilation of President Reagan's wisdom on this subject.  It was such an encouragement to me and I hoped to those who also would view it. (If you are not on my mailing list you can join on this website...susienelsen.com)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8s9cmtwqM4

On a personal note, prayer has been an integral part of my life for many years.  I don't know what I would do without my "Papa" to go to...to petition, to dump on...to thank...and to just chat with.  It is a link to the divine which accomplishes miracles and brings peace!

But what do you do if you feel like your requests are falling on deaf ears?  I have been asked this question more than once recently.  I have empathy for those asking, because I too have felt that way at times. I liken it to some analogies we can relate to in our lives:

1.  Do we think much about what happens to the food we eat?  We just eat it, enjoy it, and are no longer hungry, and go on about our business. We don't analyze the steps it goes through as it is broken down and processed into energy by our bodies.  But that doesn't change the fact that it is.

2.  Do we think much about what happens to our muscles when we work out?  We just finish our exercise, shower, and go on about our business.  We don't analyze the conditioning that is taking place underneath our skin and within our bodies.  But that doesn't change the fact that if we are diligent, we soon start to notice the benefits of toned muscles.

3.  Do we think much about what happens within our minds and bodies during sleep?  We just crash, wake up, and get on with the next day. We don't analyze the repair and renewing processes going on within us while we catch ZZZs.  But that doesn't change the fact that when we awaken, we are recharged and ready for another day because of all those processes.

So it is with prayer.  Sometimes we don't see immediate results. Sometimes, we don't see the results we want at all.  But that doesn't change the fact that an All Knowing, Supreme and Sovereign Being is at work.  The deal is that He is God and we are not. (If, by the way, you ARE your own god, good luck with that!)  God sees the big picture, we see only a sliver of the whole.  God has the end of the story sewn up, we are still living out the middle chapters.  But, at the end of the day, it's still worth going to Him with our cares, problems, and triumphs.  The trick is to leave them there!  Either we trust Him with them, or we don't. If we take them back, to try to work it all out on our own, we will just exhaust ourselves.

I am in the process of watching a HUGE miracle unfold in my life.  Make no mistake, this is a very difficult situation.  But God has moved mountains to bring our grandson, who will be 6 this month, home from Africa.  He is in the process of moving mountains to help him settle in, and He will continue to move mountains in his life here in his new home, with his new family. I will continue to talk to God about it all, and rejoice as I see the answers coming...some slower...some faster...but still on the way!

How about you?  What mountains do you need moved in your life?  I would love to hear your story.  I encourage you to go to "Papa" and let Him know how you feel.  He's not deaf...He's not blind...but He is Sovereign and worthy of our trust and faith. 


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​Just as May’s Encouragement Memo was dedicated to moms, this month’s is dedicated to dads.  With Father’s Day just around the corner, I want to honor you, dads, and wish you a heartfelt “Happy Father’s Day!” 

Dads, I think many of you may not realize just how much you mean to your kids and what you bring to their lives!  There is so much pressure upon dads to do so much for their families and I want to encourage you to relax a little and keep in mind that you don’t have to move mountains, or plan major events, to impact their lives and leave an indelible imprint upon them.  Although major events and grand plans can become treasured memories, it’s often the little things–the “boring things”–that have the greatest effect and make the most cherished memories for your children as you are simply present in their lives, being a part of their ordinary.  I know that is the case with myself and my own father.  One of my favorite early memories of him is of the two of us simply lying on a chase lounge together out on the back patio on summer nights watching for falling stars–nothing special, no money involved, just lying there watching, talking, and being close.

I was recently watching the movie “Up” with three of our beautiful granddaughters when I realized that one of the major themes in this delightful movie brought this truth full circle.  In the movie Carl Fredricksen, an elderly and childless widower, is accompanied inadvertently by Russell, an eight-year-old Wilderness Explorer trying to earn his one remaining badge–his “Elderly Assistant Badge.”  Carl is on a quest to transport his house from his neighborhood to Paradise Falls in order to fulfill a dream of his beloved late wife Ellie.  To accomplish this he ties thousands of balloons down through the chimney to lift it off its foundation.  When the house takes flight, Russell happens to be on the front porch and away they go!  During their sometimes dangerous adventure through jungle landscapes and rugged desolations the cantankerous old man and his exuberant young traveling companion begin to forge a meaningful friendship.  Russell has shared that if he could just earn that badge his dad promised he would come to the ceremony to pin it on him.  One evening while walking along quietly, with house in tow above them in the night sky, he also confides in Mr. Fredricksen about his waning relationship with his daddy, who now lives with his new wife Phyllis.  Listen to this dialog under a bright moon:

Russell:  “Know what Mr. Fredricksen?  The wilderness isn’t quite what I expected.”
Mr. F:  “Ya?  How so?”
Russell:  “It’s kinda wild…I mean it’s not how they made it sound in my book.”
Mr. F:  “Get used to it kid.”
Russell:  “My dad made it sound so easy.  He’s really good at camping and how to make fire from rocks and stuff.  He used to come to all my sweat lodge meetings and afterwards we’d go get ice cream from Fenton’s.  I always get chocolate and he gets butterbrickle.  Then we sit on this one curb right outside and I’ll count all the blue cars and he counts all the red ones.  And whoever gets the most wins. (Thoughtful pause) I like that curb.  It might sound boring…but I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most.”

Then the action resumes and the moment is over.  If you haven’t seen it, you’ll have to watch the movie to find out the ending.  It’s definitely worth it!  And maybe you could even watch it with your kids (or grand-kids, if you have them) while eating some ice cream.

Be encouraged dads!  It’s the little, seemingly boring rituals that make the biggest memories and build the strongest bridges with your kids.  Lighten up on yourself and go out there and bring on the boring…have some fun with them…and just remember how very special you are to your kids–be they still little or all grown up.  God bless you as you lead and love your families.  Each and every one of you are amazing, treasured, and LOVED!
 
Have a bright Father's Day!

Moms...We all have one. Not one is perfect. But each one holds that special place in our lives and our hearts that no one else can hold!  Moms, may you know how much you mean to us, your children. To honor you I would like to share something I wrote for my mother shortly after her passing in 1998.  I pray it will bless you and encourage you. Happy Mother’s Day!

In loving memory of my mother
Geraldine Florence Stanhope
February 14, 1917 – June 19, 1998
 
I wrote this for my mom to express what I felt in my heart as I sat with her through her last night here on earth. She went home to be with the Lord at morning's first light. On that precious occasion, and at other times during her illness throughout her last year, I pondered…
 
…”My Mother’s Hands”
These precious hands–
            As I sit holding yours, I remember back to the many times you held mine–
Comforting, admonishing, teaching, showing,
Holding, nursing, helping, protecting…
…leading me down life’s path.
            Now that I’m a mother, I realize the power in a mother’s hands – to build up or to tear down.
            Thank you Mom, for building me up when I was a little girl, growing into this woman who sits here now, holding your hands, so grateful for the honor of–
Holding, nursing, helping, protecting…
…the one who so long ago did those things for me so tenderly.
            Your hands are so beautiful, go graceful…your fingers so long and elegant.  I marvel at the things these hands have accomplished in eighty-one years of life.  And I wonder if you can possibly know how much I love holding them now–here with you on the threshold of eternity’s door.
            Now these hands will behold your Savior, and embrace His marvelous presence…no more sorrow or pain.  Oh the glory of it!
            I cannot begin to comprehend what you will see and do! But I can be grateful for these beautiful hands, and know that one day, when I join you in the Lord’s presence, I will hold them once again, and we will walk together with Him.     
                                                                   Love,
                                                                             Susan
Have a bright Mother's Day!

I heard the first bird’s song of the season a few weeks ago. 
Every year, when I hear that first little trill, breaking through the silence of winter, it’s a special moment for me.  It is a divine reminder from my Creator that spring is on the way…renewal is possible…even inevitable.

Now, when I leave the house before dawn to go exercise, I hear a symphony instead of silence.  The birds flit merrily from tree to tree and chirp as if they are sharing their plans for the day with one another, heralding the promise of possibility wrapped up in the hours ahead.  It makes me smile.  Then, as the day unfolds, there is the joy of watching new leaves burst forth from their buds, one by one, each making its grand entrance–so fresh, bright, and pure!  These yellow leaves are ablaze on the bush outside my home office window. Beautiful!

Outside my dining room window are my absolute favorites, the Aspen leaves pictured above, with their lime green brand new brilliance! So tender and full of hope, reaching up as if in praise to the One who brought them forth!
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There is newness, freshness, and the promise of renewed life all around us!  We just celebrated Easter–the ultimate celebration of new life!  Amidst the bad news we hear of bombings, disparaging political comments flying unrestrained, and the day-to-day stresses of life, our minds and hearts can become weary.  Life is challenging; that’s a given.  And we sometimes find ourselves under the weight of long-term, seems-like-this-will-never-end trials and seasons of suffering or loss. BUT…spring.

I invite you to take a breath with me, notice a new leaf, and listen for the bird’s song.  The old saying, “This too shall pass” is so true. Nothing ever stays the same. There is new life all around us.  It’s here beckoning us to believe for the better yet to come.  I pray it will lift your heart today and put a smile on your face.

Have a bright day!
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We've suffered a great loss.  One week ago, after an unexpected hospitalization, our dear friend of 17 years, pastor for the last 11, and brother in Christ left this earth to go be with Jesus. No one saw it coming. We don't know when our time here will be over. And yet...in hind sight I see so clearly that our Loving Father was preparing us for this for quite some time.

Eric van Rhee was only 53, lived large and with great passion, and impacted thousands and thousands of people worldwide. We grieve for ourselves, for his beautiful wife and four adult children and three of their spouses, for our church family, and for the world which now has a huge hole in it that only Eric could fill.  But we do not grieve as those who have no hope because we know where Eric is–so happy to be with the Lord he loved so deeply, and the Lord we also love. No more sorrow...no more tears...no more pain. The Lord has plans to fill that hole with HIS great purposes and plans.

Grief is real and legitimate. It must be experienced fully. There is no way around it–only through–to arrive on the other side of it. One way I grieve is to write. It is therapeutic for me. Hence, I share with you a tribute I've written to Eric encapsulating my wide range of emotions and thoughts over the "First Days" without him.

                             A Tribute to Eric van Rhee…
                ...My Friend, My Pastor, My Brother in Christ
                       March 9, 1962 – February 18, 2016
 
                                     “FIRST DAYS”
Stunned.
There are no words. Only shock, disbelief.
How can this be?!
NO!
Tears.
   Pain.
      Sorrow upon sorrow.
Reflection.  
Remembering…
   Smiles,
      Laughter,
         Joy.
Wait–how can this be?!
So much life yet to live…
So much yet to do…
Numbness.
   Exhaustion.
      Finally sleep…brief.
Awaken to remember…
   He’s gone.
Pray–Comfort her! Comfort them! Comfort me!
Received–“I’ve got her.” “I’ve got them.” “I’ve got this.”...
“Remember…
   Passion!
     Life FULLY lived!
        Poured out and FULLY spent!
           Legacy left COMPLETELY, will go on…
      And on…”
Time to go.

  Passed the torch.









Remembering…
   Smiles,
      Laughter,
         Joy.
Journey here complete.
   Well done!
       
A week now…
Having those “One week ago today…” thoughts.
Shock and disbelief giving way to full blown grief.
Grief.
   Painful.
      Sometimes bold, in your face…
         Sometimes subtle but always there, playing in the background…
            Hits you out of nowhere, in waves, crashing demandingly upon shores of emotion, needing its place…carving out the “new normal.”  What is THAT?!!!  What is normal???  Nothing will ever be normal again.  And yet…
HIS HOPE does not disappoint (Romans 5:5).
Hope…Having Our Perspective Elevated.
YES! 
Looking up…to the One Who has past, present, and future in His sovereign, capable, and loving hands.
         Bigger picture…grand plan…
            Seeing glimpses…
 
Take the torch!
Remembering.
   Smiles,
      Laughter,
         Joy.
Journey to complete.
      Not done!

                                       With love,                             

​Spring is Coming Early!!!
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Yep! That’s what Punxsutawney Phil has predicted! Here he is checking for his shadow this morning at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania as his formally-clad onlookers are waiting with baited breath! No shadow this year, and “Glory Halleluiah!” for those of us who are looking forward to warmer weather!




​I always get a kick out of Phil’s cute little mug, whiskers twitching, while accommodating the photographer for yet another photoshoot to mark this momentous occasion. And although I realize his shadow, or the lack thereof, is not a true predictor of our seasonal fate, Groundhog Day surely is a fun tradition.
 
While I commemorate the events and results of this Groundhog Day 2016, I am warm and comfortable in my home. Yet beyond the windowpanes of my office lay a deepening blanket of Utah’s world-famous snow. The temperature today is only expected to climb to a wintry 28°.

Our 6-inch deep quilt of quiet white will not be melting anytime soon. And although I am looking forward to warmer days ahead, I must admit that I do enjoy the beauty of a winter wonderland, complete with its protruding trunks and sticks of brown, while it lasts. I am reminded that nature is taking a rest, and what lies dormant beneath will soon be springing forth with fluorescent lime greens, brilliant yellows, and pretty pinks, purples, and blues.  Vibrant new life will soon debut to play another part on the landscape’s stage.

Seasons are miraculous, really. And they are not exclusive to nature alone. We also experience seasons in our lives. Life is cyclical. Times of dormancy sometimes descend upon us. We need only remember that, when “winter” comes, it’s appropriate to step back, rest, and let what lies beneath have adequate time to prepare for “spring.”

​Have you ever experienced a “dormancy” in your life cycle? What new season did you experience when it ended? Are you in a season of “winter” right now? Hang on…Punxsutawney Phil says spring is right around the corner!

Have a bright day!