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Gratitude and Joy

A spirit of gratitude and joy doesn’t depend on whether or not things go as I planned, whether or not I get that longed-for call or e-mail or text, whether or not my bank account is overflowing, or whether or not my past has left me in a present that I would not have chosen on my own.

It comes from within, where God dwells, and therefore, it need not depart when outward circumstances fail or change, because He never changes. His character is always the same.

So today, I not only rejoice in the new mercies I’m given each day to face these outward elements, but I also choose gratitude for the fact that He will not ask me to face them alone!

By Petals from the Basket | June 4, 2015 | God-and-I-Time, Life Changes |

Your Book Is Available!

Yes, this is your book. You are the (earthly) reason that it exists. And for that, I cannot thank you enough! And because of that, I’m thrilled to announce that Petals from the Basket (Book 2) is now available on Amazon!


In December 2014, I released Petals from the Basket: Devotional Thoughts for Women, praying that it would be an encouragement to the readers of this blog. Instead, the readers of these brief devotional thoughts encouraged me!

“I truly believe that God had you put that devotional in that specific place in the book so that I would read it this morning when I needed that verse and the reminders you shared!” —Reader in Indiana

“I was going to read one devotional a day, but I couldn’t put it down! When is the next one coming out?” —Reader in California

“You helped me simplify my Christmas shopping! I’m giving this to every woman on my list! I loved it!” —Reader in Michigan

How does a writer respond to that? By gratefully praying in sincere humility that this second book of devotional thoughts will be a salve for sorrow, a spiritual booster shot when you feel like shutting down, a reminder of redemption, a glimpse at His amazing grace, and a means for pointing you to the One who all too often gets lost in the crowd of everyday life.

This book, Petals from the Basket (Book 2): Devotional Thoughts for Women, contains several favorite blog posts from this blog. The posts appear in random order of dates, topics, and titles, because try as we might, life generally ends up far more random than our desire for order and predictability would like it to!

Several readers requested additional lines for journaling, so I listened, and you’ll find more room for that in this book! However, not everyone likes to journal their thoughts at the end of the devotionals, so I’m once again giving you permission to leave some (or all) of the lines blank and to simply use them if and when you wish to write in your own thoughts! But I’d also like to encourage you to jot down some of your responses and be honest about what God is doing in your heart as you read and learn. After all, without sincerity and the freedom to acknowledge our weaknesses, it’s difficult to grow stronger.

I say it often, but I mean it: thank you for walking this journey with me! To God be the glory!

[Click the photo of the book cover to learn more about the book and/or to order your copy!]

By Petals from the Basket | May 27, 2015 | Books, Events, God-and-I-Time |

The View from the Middle of the Road

In many ways, this is one of the most uncomfortable blog posts I’ve written in my three years at Petals from the Basket. And that’s probably the reason I’ve put off writing it for at least two of those three years. Because of the familiar Christian terminology that most of you—and I—grew up hearing, I want to make sure that my words are both clearly stated and therefore clearly understood in the light of their true meaning. My fear is that someone will take a familiar term (aka: “Christianese”) and attach his or her own meanings or feelings to it. Therefore, I have been very deliberate in my wording, my explanations, and the choice of the material in this post. I have prayed over it long and hard, and I woke this morning with great peace that today was the day to put “pen to page”—or “fingers to keyboard,” as it were. My one request is that you read it in its entirety. It is a package, the contents of which each rely upon the others contained therein.

My background is conservative, meaning clearly on “the right.” While my home life was a rare one where what was taught was lived and where Scripture was sincerely the foundational element for major (and minor) decisions, I had a very “prescribed religion.” My life followed a plan, and the result of some of that plan was that I followed every segment of it, even those areas that left me empty or uncertain of their purpose. Therefore, as did many of my generational and similarly raised friends, I chose to taste “the left” for a while as well. I learned much from both, and I found that the perfect place for me was smack-dab in the middle of the road.

Pause here…please.

For many of you, your thoughts may be rushing to the words lukewarm or compromise. I am not nor have I done either—not about the things that matter.

Others of you may be thinking even stronger words like weak or unwilling to take a stand. I believe that I am not only brave but also that I am standing firmly in the truths of God’s Word: truths that are unwavering, immovable, and unchanging; truths that provide uncommon courage.

Now let’s continue.

My quietly courageous father reminded me several years ago that I must choose for myself what I will do, where I will stand, and how will that will look in my everyday actions. And in his reminder, he was unquestionably clear that each choice must withstand the test of the commands of Scripture. “But in the end,” he told me with great love in words similar to these, “you will stand alone before God. You can’t take Mom and me with you. You can’t point the finger at leaders who have disappointed you—they will give account for their own actions (though, if those actions are wrong or illegal, don’t hesitate even one second to speak up). You can’t blame institutional or traditional rules that may or may not have been wrong within their given context. It’s just you and God, and if you’ve made your choices in light of His Word, you’ll stand there with joy that you have pleased your Lord.”

So each day, each moment, I choose. I choose to follow Christ from a place that has been carved out for me in “the middle of the road.” I am not as conservative as some of you would desire me to be. I’m far more conservative than others of you would like me to be. The extreme “right” wants me to write about “issues” and to speak scathingly of those who live a life that does not follow the humanly devised pattern of “religious” perfection. The extreme “left” wants me to tell you everything you’ve been taught that you should “throw out the window.” I will do neither of these.

Instead, I will keep choosing to have a clear, unobstructed view from the middle of the road. I will remain zealous (the opposite of lukewarm) in my desire to focus my thoughts, my desires, my words, my actions on Christ alone. I’ll mess up along the way, just as I have in the past and in the present. I’ll change course when necessary, as guided by the unfailing, unchanging “lamp to my feet and light to my path.” And just as I have attempted to do all along the way, I’ll continue to focus my writing on what it looks like to be a recipient of God’s unending, uncommon grace and to claim that, apply that, and live that out on a daily, very human basis…from smack-dab in the middle of the road.

______________________________

I have used my own personal photo today, not because I dig on my own looks, but because these are my words and my heart, and I am willing to own them. 

By Petals from the Basket | May 12, 2015 | Bible Reading, Family, God-and-I-Time, Life Changes |

A New Study in Proverbs!


There’s a new study in Proverbs launching today on Amazon and CreateSpace! This book, titled The Words of the Wise, was published posthumously. The author of this material, Dr. Ben Strohbehn, entered into the presence of his Lord early in 2015, after living with Parkinson’s disease for many years. I am Ben Strohbehn’s youngest daughter and the editor of this book.

At the time of my parents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary (in December 2001), they chose Psalm 71:18 as their goal for their “senior” years: “Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come.”

Because my father was confined to his bed in the last months of his life, it seemed nearly impossible for him to have a means to continue teaching and sharing the Word of God that he so dearly loved. So what better way to show God’s strength to “this generation” and His power “to everyone that is to come” than through the written word, which could reach through the walls of home hospice care and beyond the limitations of this earthly life and minister to others long after the writer could share these truths in person?

It is my desire, in publishing this work, to carry out my father’s earnest prayer that this book will help you to avoid the potholes of life as you listen to and follow “the words of the wise” from the book of Proverbs.

Here are a few introductory words from the book itself, written by my father:

The words of the wise—one of the most interesting and instructive sections in the book of Proverbs. Interesting because its unique content is a series of thirty-five warnings about potholes along the road of life and instructive because it gives insight and directions that, if followed, will help one to avoid those potholes.

This “words of the wise” section consists of two parts. The first, introduced as the words of the wise, consists of thirty sayings found in Proverbs 22:17–24:22. “These things also belong to the wise” (verse 23) introduces us to the second part, the remaining five sayings, as recorded in Proverbs 24:23–34.

This portion of Proverbs is one of the most neglected. Why? Primarily because it is not seen as a unit. This also explains why so many people have fallen into one of the potholes: they have missed the warnings of these timeless gems of wisdom and insight. Anyone who has driven a car understands this. When do we hit a pothole with our car? When we fail to keep our eyes on the road or when we fail to heed the warning signs. In the same way, we fall into potholes along the road of life. How unnecessary that some people experience heartaches and “burned-out” lives when the words of the wise provide answers to the challenges and the crises of life. Insight into many spiritual questions and problems can be found in this section. Additionally, there is practical direction for daily living.

On two separate occasions, my father ministered in the country of Togo, West Africa, and he left a part of his heart there each time. Therefore, our family will donate in my father’s name and for God’s glory all proceeds and royalties from the sale of this book directly to the Hospital of Hope in Mango, Togo. 

Click here to learn more about the book and to order your copy (this would make an EXCELLENT graduation gift, birthday gift, Mother’s Day/Father’s Day gift, or personal study book):

Amazon: The Words of the Wise

CreateSpace: The Words of the Wise

 

By Petals from the Basket | May 1, 2015 | Books, Events, Family, Ideas, Life Changes |

Grandma Helps You Prepare for the Empty Nest

Dear Grandma,

My oldest graduates from high school this year, and in the next five years my other two children will be leaving home as well. I have such conflicted feelings and emotions on this. First off, I realize that my time is short and there are still so many things to work on with them. Then I start to think of how my life will drastically change without them at home, and it saddens me. I know this is not the right response, since the Proverbs 31 woman “smiles at the future.” I do pray for the Lord to prepare me for the next step since this has been my life for the last 18 years. What advice/encouragement would you give to a mom in my spot?

~~~~~~~

Grandma says:

It seems like just yesterday that I stood where you are standing. Your question seems to come from a wise mother who wants to plan ahead, be prepared, and have her family prepared. Think of your three children as a loan from a loving God. You do not own them. You get to teach them, by example, values that will guide their choices through life.

“Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:7, NIV).

As you prepare your oldest for college, let him or her know of your prayer support and assure your child of your continued listening ear. Be sure the family does not make the child feel guilty for leaving them. You could possibly suggest that your child follow the same devotional reading plan that you will be using at home. When our first child left for college, this was a blessing to him and to us.

If possible, plan to attend events in which your child participates: major sporting events, musical programs or concerts, drama productions, debate or forensics tournaments, etc. Of course, with the help of technology you can occasionally communicate in a comfortable setting while seeing each other via a smartphone or over the Internet.

Show an interest in your child’s friends and also encourage him or her to have an outreach for the Lord through the use of his or her skills and abilities. This includes encouraging your child to have consistent involvement in a good church. This will not only help your child to continue to grow spiritually, but it will also allow him or her to have the support of a church “family” while in college.

The children who are still in your home may enjoy preparing a “care package” for their college sibling. Everything that they see you do for the current college student will help them to look forward to those upcoming years in their own lives.

Have you taught your children everything they need to know? Probably not. But you have taught them values by your example as you faced difficult or everyday situations.

Let your children know often of your unconditional love for them. Show them the joy of sharing, caring, and being teachable throughout life. This is a great privilege!

The relationship between you and your husband is the most important earthly relationship your children will observe. Look forward to the day when it is just the two of you! Plan some projects in your home that you can do together. Do you remember those early days in your marriage when the dream of just you two being together was foremost on your mind? Well, that time has nearly arrived!

Don’t allow worry to creep in. Remember that worry is our attempt to do what only God can do. (Suggested reading: Ephesians 5:22–33.)

Love,
Grandma

_________________________

Do you have a question for Grandma* (about marriage, children, women’s groups, being a caregiver, etc.)?

Send your question to: Grandma@PetalsfromtheBasket.com

__________

*Petals from the Basket, PetalsfromtheBasket.com, Brenda Strohbehn, and Lorraine Strohbehn accept no legal liability for the answers given in the “Ask Grandma” posts. We reserve the right to refuse inappropriate content and will deny access to false or contrived e-mail addresses. Additionally, should the e-mails we receive in conjunction with this site or this series of posts contain information regarding illegal activity or actions that would cause injury to the sender or to others, the required legal action and reporting will occur.

 

By Petals from the Basket | April 29, 2015 | Ask Grandma, Bible Reading, Family, Ideas, Life Changes |