Welcome to Fresh Mercy Every Morning

Fresh on the blog today

About the people behind this blog

  • Recalibrating Life, what does it look like?

    Being an introvert, I can get too much people, activity, and busyness in my life. I am a wall flower, I wear that badge, even a homebody.

    In May of this year, we will celebrate 38 years of wedded wildness. And it has been a wild ride, racing from one activity to another. When our children were young, I was known to lament that I wanted the merry-go-round to stop so I could get off! I found myself feeling that way again a few weeks back. And so, I decided-to get off. We are all adults. Take care of yourself. Moms not available. I wish it was that simple.

    Nonetheless, I have been sneaking in quiet times for reflection. And so far, my recalibration has been going pretty well. I have learned I can stop this merry-go-round whenever I need to; I can take a pass on some activities, stay home alone, and be better for it.

    Starting with the mornings, try to slow down and breathe.

    And I have learned more about myself, like how much I like a schedule. And I want to keep the schedule, thank you just the same. I had to explain this to Mr. B. We had a fair exchange of information; I learned new things too.

    Maybe you are also feeling the need to step back and find yourself again. We non-ADHD-ers can be exhausted by the sheer force of energy exuding from our hyperactive loved one(s).

    Honor yourself! Don’t wait for someone else to notice you need a rest. Go ahead and trot your tired self off for a much-needed quiet time.

    It is vital to stay true to ourselves. We can only run so far in daily life on someone else’s music. At first, it’s a novelty and even fun. But then, the fun starts wearing off, and we start to flat-line because we aren’t getting what we need to live happily. Life is full of give and take. No one gets to have it all. We need to remind each other that it’s okay to pull back, take a break, take a nap!

    And it might be time to reassess how much of an activity has to be done today. How small can you break a task down? I mean how small can you make it and still know you accomplished something? For instance, I am cleaning out the fridge. This week I cleaned the inside of the fridge door, wiped the bottles, wiped the shelving, checked dates and tossed a 4-year-old bottle of lemon juice. How? How does this stuff get forgotten? Life, that’s how.

    Life happens at the speed of, well, life. There are real seasons of life when cleaning the fridge isn’t a high priority. Those seasons when cleaning the fridge means wiping up spills when they happen. Done. Over it. And we move on.

    Move in the season of life you are in. I promise you it will not always be like this. Our children grow up. Our bodies change. Our work life changes. Life rolls on. Everything changes. And we are doing really good if we can realize the season is changing and start working into that new way of living.

    I’m cheering you on. You do you. Me do me. And shine brightly in your world. Even as introverts we can shine brightly. I inherited a really nice smile from my mom, my grandmother, and so on. I’m happy to share it. That’s me shining brightly. I have a sister who has a really sweet laugh, it’s a joyful laugh, she shares it lavishly. That’s her shining brightly. You do you!

  • Where Do You Find Worth?

    Where do you find your worth? In what you do? Where you live? Or who you know- here on earth? That is not where I find mine.

    Late 2024 I picked up on a ripple of buzz. You’ve heard of the Fruits of the Spirit? In Galatians 5:22-23 is where Paul writes about the goodness of life. Earlier in the chapter he lists out the evils and sins of life. Paul is strongly encouraging the Christians in Galatia to “Walk in the Spirit” so as not to wallow in the lust of the flesh.

    Paul says to get your heart right with God and you will see freedom from your fleshly desires. Then Paul reminds them that he told them before that if they choose to walk in sin they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. And then, to be extra sure that Galatia got his message, Paul list the Fruits of the Spirit. Verse 22 & 23:

    But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

    • 24: And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with [it’s] affections and lusts
    • 25: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
    • 26: Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

    I always read this passage as through my own works I could produce joy, peace, and love, and be longsuffering and meek.

    Wait a minute. If I believe the salvation from Jesus Christ is a free gift, I can offer nothing worthy of it. I cannot work for the approval of salvation. Then how do I work for the fruits of the Spirit?

    This is where the ripple comes in. I heard the suggestion that the fruits of the Spirit are not gained by our devotion, our piousness’, our efforts or strivings. BUT the fruits of the Spirit are developed by the Spirit as we turn our walk to be walking closer with Jesus.

    Paul says in verse 18: But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law.

    That’s it! Right there. When Jesus died on the cross He cancelled the law. Grace was born. Forgiveness was come. New Life was offered. And that is the way we are to walk, even today. Walk with grace and forgiveness in this new life.

    And so, I believe, our worth isn’t to be found in our profession. Our worth is found in how we do what ever it is we do. When we wrap our heads around the goodness of God. When we accept that life is completely dependent on Him. Just as salvation is completely dependent on the blood of Jesus Christ. Then we can begin to loosen our grip, and let God work through us to do his good work.

    What can you do this week to walk closer to Jesus?

  • Short read – big tip- check out this podcast!

    I have found a podcast called – Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast. I found it on Spotify. This podcast is reminding me of all the things about Mr. B I had forgotten! Good or Bad? Remember I said forgiveness is needed when you live with an ADHD person?

    Hence, I carry 2 weapons with me every day; forgiveness is one and grace is the second. lf I ever feel stingy with either one of these, my Heavenly Father is right there ready to remind me of my own short comings. Besides, I’m truly in love with Mr. B. He’s my best friend, my lover, my companion in life. And Mr. B feels the same way toward me. We get each other. And we both know I don’t behave well when I am short on sleep, hungry, or stressed. So, this forgiveness and grace works both ways.

  • Why We Don’t Compare

    Why We Don’t Compare

    Comparison, Am I Normal? is bad, it’s a dirty word. Thinking in the vein of – Am I normal – is a trap that leads to depression. If you have ADHD that path to depression is incredibly short. It’s not really a path, more like stepping through a doorway and you’re there — Depressed! In that light we can call comparison the door. This door should remain closed. It hides a very ugly room.

    What’s so ugly about the comparison to normal?
    Being normal has a nasty habit of always putting you and your loved ones in an unfavorable light. How would you feel if the family photographer was always cutting your head out of the pictures they took. You would constantly see your body as it is without the beauty of your smile or the light in your eyes. That’s just what thinking “am I normal” does! You are cutting all the beauty & light out of the picture, leaving only starkness. 

    When our oldest children had reached 5th & 7th grade, they began coming home with talk of Normal. They were coming to the realization that with ADHD they were different.  My response was – let me give it to you straight – “Comparison is not your friend. It will kick you when you’re down. It will turn its back on you when you need a hand getting up. Comparison is Satan’s agent. It is hollow, cold, and cloaked in darkness. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it is the goodness of God. It is not. It will pull the rug out from under you and laugh out loud when your bum hits the floor. Then came my motto: You will NEVER come out on top when you grapple with comparing yourself to others.

    For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

    John 3:16

    Comparison, or seeking to be normal, is a cruel taskmaster, keeping you unsettled down to your soul. It will keep you awake when you should be sleeping, distract you from what you should be doing. It likes to steal all the joy out of your days. It can even immobilize a person by creating great fear in their soul, so much so that they refuse to go out. Comparison is crippling. It gives no relief; it hangs on with a death grip. You want to shake it off. You may even think you have shaken it off, but then you turn a corner and there it is again. Have you had enough? Are you ready for fresh air and sunshine in your days? I can help you find it.

    Jesus is who you need. Jesus accepts you just as you are. Where you are, secrets and all. Jesus has a love for each one of us so vast we can’t comprehend how deep it is. Jesus has enough love for the whole world. Every single person on earth can find more than enough love in Jesus. Once you meet Him it will be much easier to let go of comparison. You will soon be leaning into the great big bear hug of Jesus. He washes away all our grief, replacing it with joy & peace. He tells us that we are enough for Him. We can relax in that knowledge. Jesus loves us just as we are. If we are lacking anything He will provide it.

  • Hello world!

    Welcome to our Florida Fall! The sun is not as intense as it has been, grasses are blooming with feathery plumps, leaves of the Raintrees are turning yellow and flittering to the ground. Some mornings start out foggy. But that is soon burned off by the sun. The best part of Fall in Florida is that the nights cool off, down into the 60’s. Here are the days of every Florida child’s delight and chagrin; chilly mornings require a sweater to be comfortable; every afternoon is too warm for such gear. So, we are in the days of wear the sweater out but carry it home. And most importantly, try hard not to forget it! This year we are having a classic fall. The daytime temps have dropped into the 80’s. Some years we don’t cool off. Some years we soar straight into Christmas with hot slightly humid days. I have celebrated more than one Christmas with a high of 94 F. What’s with all this weather talk? Weather effects our lives! That’s easy to see when the storms roll in and life is put on hold until the storm passes. But even the pleasant days, full of sunshine days, cool breezy days effect our moods and activities. So, why wouldn’t we talk about the weather?

    The day is Yours, the night is also Yours. You have established the light and the sun. You have fixed the boundaries of the earth; You have formed the summer and winter.

    Psalms 74:16-17

    As a child I remember with fondness listening to my father talk about the weather with his brothers. They were raised as farmers. Weather is important to farmers. I grew up on a small farm too. Weather brings the announcement of new seasons, even here in Florida. I love the cooler days of fall. Every day is a race to see how long I can postpone closing windows and putting the a.c. back on. I draw the line at sweating while sitting, 😂 I lived in Ontario, Canada as a young adult. Fall is completely different there. Grey days & cold rain. When we get rainy days they remind me of those days up north. Only they were so much colder!

    What’s your favorite season and why?