A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 46                       November 27, 2023

Thank You for Moments of Peace 

Thank You for moments of peace. 

We find moments of peace in the middle of the day when the noise goes soft, the movement stops, and we close our eyes and take a deep breath. 

We find moments of peace in a worship setting with like-minded people in total silence.

We find moments of peace when we hold a newborn baby in our arms.

We find moments of peace when a grandchild crawls up in our lap and falls asleep. 

We find moments of peace when the meal ends and sit around the table, sharing the joy with our family. 

We find moments of peace when we are alone, all devices or off except for the one playing our favorite music, and we allow our minds to drift wherever the music takes us. 

We find moments of peace in coffee shops when that song plays, and we stop what we are doing to listen to it to the very end and then play it again. 

We find moments of peace in the car or on a walk alone with our thoughts. 

We find moments of peace on the beach or in the mountains, in awe of His creation.

Thank You for moments of peace. We long for them, we enjoy them, we need them. 

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2023 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 45                       November 20, 2023

Thank You for My Family

Thank You for my family.

Thank You for the family I grew up with. The family I partly grew up with is my mother (who died when I was eleven), Dad (who died when I was nineteen), my two brothers, and my sister. I was the youngest. My maternal grandparents lived nearby. My aunt and uncle ran a grocery store about a quarter of a mile from our house. That was the immediate family. 

We were neither rich nor poor. We had enough to not be in need, but not so much that we were special or looked down on others. That was my family. I loved growing up with that family, and I loved them and still love them. Thank You for my family. 

Thank You for my extended family. Thank You for the aunts and uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, neighbors, school friends, people who knew my parents, people from our church, and people in the community. These are the people who, in one way or another, contributed to me becoming an adult. They taught me, encouraged me, and loved me. Those still alive continue to teach, encourage, and love me. Thank You for my extended family. 

Thank You for my family in the faith. Everywhere I have lived, my family has expanded because of the churches where I served. Our family joined other families, and they became our family. They enriched our family, and we would not have survived some of life’s events without those families. We would not have the joy in life we have without those families. 

In this season of giving thanks, I thank You for giving me my family and being my family. 

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2023 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 44                    November 6, 2023

Thank You

Thank You for the cooler air, rain, and a few colorful trees. 

It was a long, hot, and dry summer. We wondered when, and sometimes, if it would ever change. The grass in the lawns and fields and pastures had turned completely brown. The tree leaves looked sad as they hung on for any little bit of sustenance they could get.

Then a front came through with thunderstorms and rain, and behind it, milder temperatures—relief at last. The grass came back to life. The leaves are smiling again. The earth 

Experiencing the change from summer to autumn reminds me of how spiritual life transitions from one phase to another and often cycles back around. 

The heart gets hard. The capacity to be sympathetic and empathetic gets low, and becoming apathetic is tempting. 

The soul grows weary. The soul grows weary when there’s too much sadness and disappointment. It gets harder to remember one’s purpose.  

The mind gets overwhelmed. Information comes from every direction twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Much is good. Much of it is terrible. With the influx comes the pressure to decide what one thinks. 

The strength gets diminished. Life gets hard, tiring, and draining. Sometimes, it results in the temptation to stop doing good. 

Like the earth, it takes refreshment to recover. It may be a vacation, a day off to relax, or an extended period of writing, walking, or extra sleep. It may include quiet time in the Word. What works, like the earth, we need to be refreshed and nourished. 

I find it helpful to remember that to the best of my ability, I love the Lord with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength, and He loves me more. That thought alone refreshes my soul. 

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2023 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved