Mama Kat Thursday: Living With Purpose

-
The Mama Kat writing prompt today is to write a post inspired by the word, "purpose."


     Let's face it. Everyone needs a sense of purpose, a way to feel useful.
     Are you acquainted with Joni Eareckson Tada? She's been a quadraplegic since 1967 and well known for her art that she paints by holding a paint-brush in her mouth as well as her Joni & Friends ministry to others with disabilities in the Christian community. Also an author, I read one of Joni's devotional books some years ago. It was filled with stories of insights from her life experiences and one especially memorable story I recall is one relating in particular to the idea of having "purpose."
    I'm retelling it from memory, but the gist of it was this:
    One day, Joni and another handicapped friend, as part of her encouraging ministry, drove out to visit another handicapped lady in her home, whom I'm going to call Mary for clarity. Mary was severely handicapped--- so much so, she can't do anything for herself. She can't walk, can't dress herself, can't feed herself, can't do anything without the assistance of a care-taker. 
     In view on the wall just above Mary's bed, where she can see it, is a large bulletin board covered with tons of photos of peopleand every morning, before her care-taker comes in to do their morning routine, Mary spends an hour, her eyes moving from picture to picture, her lips silently moving as she prays for each one. After that, her day begins as the care-takers comes in to bath, dress and feed her.
     This is the lady Joni and her friend came to encourage; instead they were the ones who left encouraged, inspired by Mary's example. Even though her body was useless to her, Mary still had a mind and used it to do the one thing she could still do and that was to pray for others.
     She had purpose.    
 ********     
     Jesus said, "If you ask Me anything in My Name, I will do it."   John 14:14        
********
You can view Joni's art at her Pinterest board here.

Thanks for Visiting

Comments

Kim@StormsAndStardust said…
Oh, wow. I read about people like this and am just amazed by them and feel like such a slacker. Especially as I still haven't figured out what my own purpose is!

<a href="https://stormsandstardust.net'>Kim</a>
Dec 5, 2019, 5:40:00 PM
John Holton said…
That's pretty amazing. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.
Dec 6, 2019, 10:35:00 AM
Paula Kiger said…
That's incredible; thank you for sharing it.
Dec 8, 2019, 7:19:00 PM

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment!

Popular posts from this blog

Good Eating Monday: Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing!

-
Image
Now this some wicked good dressing!  I tried it for Thanksgiving this year and everyone loved it! I've been looking for just the right dressing and I may have finally found it!  It's also healthy with a tasty combo of fruit, veggies and a mix of white & whole wheat bakery breads. It will fill a  fill a 9 x 13 pan.  You can use fresh or dried herbs. I've included the measurements for both. Just remember dried seasoning is more concentrated in flavor because it is dried, so you need less of it then fresh herbs. I have fresh Parsley growing outside and this was a great use for it! I found leftover over stuffing wonderful heated up and topped with a over-easy egg for lunch!  Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Ingredients:  5 1/2 cups fresh European style or sourdough bread, white, sliced and cubed 2 1/2 cups wheat bread, whole grain sliced and cubed 1 lb ground pork or turkey ( I used Jimmy Dean's Turkey Crumbles, which was 8 oz and that worked great! ) 1 1/2
Read more

Good Eating Monday: Peach Cobbler Dump Cake!

-
Image
Yes, I tried another new Pinterest recipe and this one is a winner! The primary dictionary definition of a "Dump Cake," is an easily made cobbler in which cake mix is dumped over canned fruit or pie filling.  This recipe was pinned from Del Monte, which means it's been a recipe that's been created & tested in a corporate test kitchen. That's one benefit of all those label, can & box recipes provided by manufacturers on their product packaging. You can even buy cookbooks featuring nothing, but package & label recipes of which many are vintage. The only changes I'd suggest is add one more 15 oz can of fruit. It can be more peaches, cherry fruit cocktail, regular fruit cocktail or whatever you want. (So, I've noted 4 cans of peaches in the recipe.)   It just needs a little more volume on the fruit quantity.  And stir a teaspoon or two of cinnamon into the fruit! Otherwise, this is an excellent, quick dessert you can serve hot with v
Read more

Good Eating Monday: Old Fashioned Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding!

-
Image
Welcome to the first week of February! It's supposed to be 31 degrees tonight, so after cleaning up the front walk beds, I went around covering various things that either are blooming, about to bloom or that have sensitive leaf buds, like my hydrangea's.  I picked all the yellow daffodils and brought them inside for a cheerful vase on my counter. For Garden Pic Wednesday this week I have an excellent photo of a pine tree flower! You didn't know pine trees flower?  Well, you'll have to stop back for a look! Today's Good Eating Recipe is a family favorite my Mother used to make often for us as kids: Old Fashioned Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding! What Old Fashioned Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding Looks Like This is just your basic wholesome old fashioned bread pudding made with just eggs, bread, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar & raisins! No sauces to make. Just simple bread pudding. We'd eat it hot with a little evaporated milk poured over the top.
Read more

Garden Pic Wednesday: Ajuga & Lettuce Crop

-
Image
T oday's Garden Pic is a nice January shot of some Common Ajuga draping over the edge of a large container out front & my bumper crop of lettuce Ajuga: It's a ground cover with a burgundy tinge to it's leaves. It reaches it's best color in shade, but can tolerate light sun. This Ajuga just gets morning sun. It throws runners like a strawberry does, spreading along the ground. It's reaching for the ground and will establish once it touches around the shady side of the stump the container sits on. It's a member of the mint family.  My Winter Crop of Lettuce: This is a french head lettuce I got ordered from Seed Savers for spring 2021. It went to seed in May 2021, then dozens popped up around Sept. I separated them, this whole 4 x 8 raised bed with them. I dined on fresh crisp lettuce all winter! I've left 2 to go to seed on one end of the raised bed, so can have lettuce all winter again!  I've joined a group a ladies in a Book Club that meets once a mo
Read more