Category: Gratitude

Gratitude, healing, Trust God

When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned: A Journey to Contentment

The Kedge Anchor

Sometimes disappointment doesn’t come because something went wrong; it comes because life didn’t turn out the way we imagined. We make plans, imagine our future, and settle into what feels comfortable, only to find ourselves in circumstances we never expected. We wonder how we can find peace when the place, season, or situation we are in doesn’t look anything like what we hoped for.

Recently, I read an article by Karen DelTatto in an email from iBelieve.com that reminded me of my own struggle. Through her own experience of moving into a home and neighborhood that wasn’t what she originally envisioned, she discovered that God’s blessings were not limited to the place she thought she wanted to be. Her story caused me to reflect on my own journey and the places God has planted me along the way.

My husband and I have moved several times throughout our marriage, but Virginia was never a place we imagined calling home. After spending more than 30 years in Florida, leaving was a much bigger adjustment than I expected. It wasn’t because I didn’t appreciate what we had there. I knew how blessed we were. I treasured the warmth, the ocean, the familiar places, the memories we had built, and the life God had given us. That was part of what made the transition so difficult. I wasn’t leaving something I disliked; I was leaving a place that had become home.

I tried to make Virginia feel like home, but there were many moments when I wondered, “Will this ever feel like home?”

But God.

God began to show me blessings I wasn’t always looking for. He provided a wonderful church family and placed people around me who have encouraged me, served alongside me, and reminded me that home is not just a location. He blessed us with great neighbors, and He provided a job for my husband where he is valued and encouraged.

I still miss Florida. I still miss the ocean, the warmth, and the familiarity of a place where we had built so many memories. If I am being honest, I can’t say I love Virginia the way I loved Florida. But God is teaching me that contentment does not mean we love every circumstance we are in. Contentment means trusting that God is present in every circumstance.

As I reflected on Karen’s story, I was reminded that sometimes the place we don’t choose is the very place where God is working. She discovered blessings in the neighborhood she didn’t originally want, and I am learning to recognize blessings in the place God has brought us.

This also made me think about Paul. His circumstances were far beyond anything I have experienced. Prison was not where Paul planned to be, yet from that place he wrote words that continue to challenge us today:

“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” — Philippians 4:11

Paul didn’t find contentment because his circumstances were easy. He found contentment because he knew God was with him.

I am still learning contentment. I still miss Florida, but I am learning that my peace cannot be anchored in a location. My peace is anchored in Christ.

What about you? Have you ever found yourself in a place or season you didn’t choose, but God showed you blessings you didn’t expect? I’d love to hear what He taught you. Leave a comment below.

Gratitude, Stewardship, Wisdom

Don’t Waste the Blessing

The Kedge Anchor

Proverbs 12:27

“Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.” (NLT)

As some you know I am chronologically reading through the Bible and creating a junk journal of sorts; collecting and treasuring scripture as I go. I am taking my time, I am not on a time table trying to get through it in a year. It may be a few years and I am ok with that. 

When I read this verse, it hurt, OUCH! And of course I had to dig a little deeper into this verse and this is where it really hurt.

Proverbs contrasts laziness with diligence by showing that failing to finish what we begin wastes the blessings God has already provided. Like game left uncooked, neglected opportunities, gifts, and responsibilities can be lost through inaction or laziness. A diligent person, however, recognizes God’s provisions as valuable and practices careful stewardship of time, skills, relationships, and resources. Diligence is an expression of gratitude, honoring God by faithfully completing the work He has entrusted to us.

This verse reminds me to follow through on what I begin, faithfully manage what God has entrusted to me, and recognize every blessing as something worth cultivating, putting in the effort needed to transform potential into purpose, fruitfulness, and lasting joy.

I am so guilty of this. It’s easy for food to go bad in our house because it’s hard to eat anything when your eyes see food and your stomach says; “Nope.” Dust piles up, the house gets a little messier and dirtier until one of us can clean it. However, with a chronic illness like migraines and many times with those migraines comes nausea and thus food goes to waste because there have beens many days where I eat very little. I’m not being lazy. If you’re like me there are days lifting my head off the pillow takes so much energy to take care of anything else, it’s just not a priority. That’s not an excuse, that’s just an explanation. I want to be sensitive to those of us with chronic illness and find it hard to be consistent when some days you’re in survival mode. I can honestly say that the migraines are becoming fewer and I am able to be more attentive and consistent with things. It does bother me that food gets wasted. I am working on that. God understands I am not lazy. Sometimes I am a little lazy I’ll admit, but many days I’m in survival mode. 

When it comes to my art supplies; I have lots. Many I don’t use sometimes because I forget I have them because they are stashed somewhere in a draw. Kinda outta sight outta mind. I try to use what I have before I go out and spend money on something I am likely not to use or end up not liking. If whatever hasn’t been used in a while, I’ll donate it and bless someone else with it. 

Then there’s the actual pieces of art that go left unfinished. I get to a point where I either lose interest or deem it not worth finishing because of a mistake or I just don’t like how it turned out. I have lots of those pieces. So I am trying to recycle them and reused them somehow, maybe try and fix them or finish them. There have been times I am just playing and experimenting and I come up with something really I really like and then sometimes it’s just a mess. But I don’t have to toss the whole thing out, there may be parts that can be used.

The image at the top are attempts of me just playing and experimenting . Some are messy, and some just ok. I can cut out the things I like and use them as ephemera in my junk journal. I can also reuse the back and paint on it. And the scraps I can use to make a color palette and test colors and even those can be used for something.  I am human I do make mistakes but I can still be a good steward of the resources God has provided.

As I continued reflecting on Proverbs 12:27, another verse came to mind — Philippians 1:6.

I think there is another layer to this verse that God is revealing to me, one that goes beyond what we do with the things He has placed in our hands.

If this encouraged you today, consider subscribing so you don’t miss Part Two. Also look for me on substack, Facebook and Instagram, Until then Anchor in Hope.

encouragement, Gratitude, healing, Uncategorized

An Anchored Christmas: Why I’m Making a 2025 Christmas Bucket List (And Why You Might Want To, Too)

The Kedge Anchor

I’ll be honest… I’ve never been a “bucket list” girl.
I’m more of a go-with-the-flow, follow-God’s-nudge, keep-it-simple kind of person.

But the past few Christmases have felt different. Losing loved ones has a way of shifting the whole season. The lights still shine… but they shine through a different lens. Some days the glow feels comforting, and other days it feels like too much. Grief is funny like that—it doesn’t run on a holiday schedule.

So this year, I decided I needed something gentle to help guide me back into the heartbeat of Christmas.

Not pressure.
Not perfection.
Just intention.

That’s how my 2025 Christmas Bucket List was born.

Not a “do all the things” list.
Not a “pack your calendar” list.
Just a simple collection of moments—quiet, meaningful, joy-anchoring moments.

Little things that help me stay connected to hope.
Little things that remind me that simple can still be sacred.

Mid-century charm meets grounded faith.
Soft glow. Simple lines. Gentle reminders.

What’s on My List This Year?

A mix of cozy, nostalgic, and intentional—like:

🌟 Drive around to see lights like it’s the 1960s again.
☕ Make hot cocoa and actually enjoy drinking it (not chugging it while multitasking).
🎁 Bless someone anonymously—an Anchor Angel moment.
🎄 Attend one festive event—play, concert, choir—just one.
❄️ Do something slow and cozy on purpose.
🍪 Bake a batch of cookies with zero expectation of Pinterest perfection.
🕯️ Light a candle and pray for the loved ones I miss living far away… letting that moment be holy, not heavy.

These aren’t tasks.
They’re touchpoints.
Little anchors dropped into the season to steady my soul.

Why a Christmas Bucket List Helps (Even If You’re Not a Bucket List Person)

Because when we’re grieving, stretched thin, or simply tired from carrying life…
we need reminders of what brings us back to joy.

We need something to look forward to, something small enough to manage and meaningful enough to matter.

This isn’t about doing more.
It’s about noticing more.
Being present on purpose.
Letting yourself delight again—slowly, gently.

A Christmas Bucket List is permission to enjoy the season your way… with grace for the days that feel light and grace for the days that don’t.

Create Your Own 2025 Christmas Bucket List

I made a free printable you can download—clean design, mid-century modern feel, and space to make it your own. You can download this printable and hand write or hand letter your own ideas or use Pages or Word to type in your ideas. Make it fun with color and doodles. You can do 12 days of Christmas or make it even simpler to just a few, as many as you like.

Whether you use my prompts or your own, let it guide you back to what matters.

Let it keep you anchored.

Let it help you rediscover small joys—the kinds that slip in quietly through twinkle lights, warm mugs, scripture whispered over a morning, or an unexpected moment of peace.

✨ [Download the 2025 Christmas Bucket List] ✨

2025 Christmas Bucket List✨ Download the 2025 Christmas Bucket List ✨


Here’s to a simple Christmas.
A gentle Christmas.
An anchored Christmas—
rooted in hope, wrapped in grace, and glowing with just enough light for the next step.

Need some inspiration? Here are twelve ideas to inspire you. You don’t have to do twelve, you don’t have to do six. Do what your schedule allows and what’s comfortable for you.

!2 Ideas Christmas 2025Download My Christms Bucket list
Gratitude

Celebrating National No More Dirty Dishes Day: A New Perspective on Cleaning and Gratitude

The Kedge Anchor
Photo by Kelly on Pexels.com (btw, not my sink)

It National No More Dirty Dishes Day! So many of you want to celebrate this. Aaaahhh, to never wash another dish or load or unload the dishwasher. An empty sink, a clean kitchen photo shoot ready. Some households you will never see a sink with dirty dishes, others you may find one or two and some it’s never empty. I know that frustrates some to have anything in the sink. I get it.

I hope that I can give you a different perspective on dirty dishes. For me a sink full of dirty dishes means we ate. Our stomachs are full and satisfied. To me it’s a glorious thing. My mom used to have a poem taped to the side cabinet by the sink, you may have heard it;

Thank God for dirty dishes;
They have a tale to tell.
While others may go hungry,
We’re eating very well
With home, health, and happiness,
I shouldn’t want to fuss;
By the stack of evidence,
God’s been very good to us.

(side note here, I would like to credit whomever penned this poem. I searched and found two different authors and one unknown)

Growing up I remember some of my friend’s mom would just lose it if there were dirty dishes in the sink. Now I am not saying we let them sit, let the sink smell and ants start crawling around, that’s not what I am saying. And for me dishes in sink is a good thing. My husband and I lived in Seminole County Florida where there is a hunger issue. Many children go to school without breakfast or a packed lunch. No matter where we have lived there has been an area where families lack food. Google where you live and search for areas that have a food deficit. I am willing to bet those homes have empty sinks.

I just don’t get upset about dirty dishes in the sink. I do keep a clean house. Many times the sink is full of dishes the next morning because we have been out living a life, or one of us was sick and in my house if one of is sick… I’m no thinking about the sink. I don’t freak out when I when wake up and dishes from the night before are there, it means we ate. I may be a little off beat here, but for me taking the time to clean the sink in the morning gives me time to clear my head and focus. I may put on some worship music or listen to a podcast or sermon whilst I clean. Sometimes it just before I make dinner I get to it. It’s ok to have a sink full of dirty dishes. It’s ok to have an empty sink. It’s just where on the priority list is it? I am very thankful for those dirty dishes. It means we ate. It means God has been good to us.
So the next time you see your sink overflowing take a moment to breathe and thank God for dirty dishes.

Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

The Kedge Anchor

Photo by Sasha Prasastika on Pexels.com

Happy Thanksgiving !

Praying everyone has a safe, healthy and blessed holiday! The past few years have been challenging to say the least. Praying that as we gather we can put differences aside and enjoy those gathered around us.

So who is putting up the tree today? 🙂

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good…

Pslam 107:1

Gratitude

30 Day Gratitude Challenge

The Kedge Anchor
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

It’s not too late to join the Gratitude Challenge on our NEW Facebook page! It’s never too late to be thankful and express our gratitude to God.

Recently I came across a book by Dustin Crowe – The Grumbler’s Guide to Giving Thanks. It’s been an eye opener for me in giving thanks and having a heart of gratitude. Apparently I have been doing wrong. There’s a question that Dustin asks; Am I offering thanks as a tax or a gift to God? Ouch. It made me stop and evaluate how I give, why I give and to whom am I giving thanks.

I highly recommend getting a copy. You can purchase on Amazon or through Truth for Life (where I heard about the book) and it’s free when you make a donation in any amount and I do believe shipping is free as well.

So please join us 30 Days of Gratitude!

Gratitude

Can We Know God’s Mind?

The Kedge Anchor
Photo by Anna Tarazevich on Pexels.com

Can we know God’s mind?

“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-16 NASB).

Romans 11:34 “For who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?”

For me, as I see it, in our humanness we are limited. Especially when it comes to understanding ALL that God has for us, i.e. His plan for us, how He works ALL things together for our good and His glory. We will never know and understand everything in the Bible this side of Heaven. John 21:25 “Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” (NLT). I believe ALL that He IS the whole world could not contain the books that would be written (not to add to scripture). Y’know that saying separate your who from your do? What you do isn’t who you are. I think God is the only one who is what He does. God is love. He loves everyone, but not everyone will accept Him. His who is is His do. No?

We may not know or understand God’s mind fully or how He operates. But we can know what pleases Him. And knowing what pleases Him, we can have some understanding about Him. If we are in Christ, verse 14 -16 of 1 Corinthians says, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” “Mind of” being the operative words. We can have Christ like thoughts.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Not only do we learn that we are given the instruction to give thanks it also God’s will for us. So if you’re wondering what God’s will is for your life, start with giving thanks to God. Finding God’s will for us, for our lives, is a journey, it can take time, so here’s a good place to start just by giving thanks.

With the month of November being noted for Thanksgiving, we can take the opportunity to grow our minds like Christ by giving thanks and we are doing His will. Sounds so simple and it is and there is more to this with offering sacrifices and being obedient. Perhaps that’s another post.

Join us on the new Facebook page for a 30 day gratitude challenge. It’s not too late, it’s always a good time to give thanks.

Coloring Page, Gratitude

November 7, 2022 – Psalm 136:1

The Kedge Anchor

Happy Monday! The New FaceBook Page is up and running. Please join us in a 30 Day Gratitude Challenge for the month of November. It’s not too late to be thankful.

Be sure to like and share the FB page and add what you’re thankful for in the comments.

November-7-2022