A Norvell Note

Joy Is in the Eyes and Ears of the Observer

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 49 December 18, 2023

Joy Is in the Eyes and Ears of the Observer

The angels announced, “We bring good tidings of great joy” during events and circumstances that appeared to the casual observer as anything but joyful. I have found that to be true in my own life as well. So, I’ve concluded that joy is in the eyes and ears of the observer. Sometimes, we must search and become serious observers of what is happening in and around us.

When I become a serious observer, I find joy in these things (listed in the order I thought of them, not in order of value or significance).

I find joy when I have a nice meal at a nice restaurant with my wife.

A nice meal with friends.

A good hot cup of coffee.

A quiet, comfortable space to work, reflect, and write.

I find joy in hearing laughter from my grandchildren and my children.

Playing golf with good friends.

Finishing a good book.

I enjoy going on a trip and then coming home to my bed.

I find joy in reunions.

I find joy in holding a newborn baby.

When a soul comes to know Jesus and surrenders to His leadership.

Good music moves my soul, touches my heart, and brings me joy.

I find joy in doing the things I am created to do.

I find joy in eating ice cream.

I find joy in things that are done well.

I find joy near the ocean and in the mountains.

I find joy in a good joke and story that is told well.

I find joy in the story of Jesus’ birth.

These are a few of the things that bring me joy. I look for them, and I listen for them. When I look and listen, I am rarely disappointed. You won’t be either. There is joy all around. Search for it. Enjoy the joy.

Tom

May We Have Peace

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 48 December 11, 2023

May We Have Peace

One of my wishes this Christmas is that we have peace.

May we have peace.

May we have peace in our marriages.

May we have peace with your children.

May we have peace with all your family.

May we have peace in our workplaces.

May we have peace in our churches.

May we have peace in our neighborhoods.

May we have peace in our cities.

May we have peace in our nation.

May we have peace between nations.

May we have peace in the world.

May we have peace in our hearts.

We may have peace because the God of peace has come to the earth to give us peace.

May we have peace.

Tom

Hope Is Everywhere

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 47 December 4, 2023

Hope Is Everywhere

Sadness and despair often demand our attention, but hope is everywhere.

I was born and grew up in Hope, Arkansas. I graduated from Hope High School in 1970. I had a shiny silver stone on my desk with the word hope for many years. It broke, and I replaced it recently with a polished black hope stone. I work for Hope Hospice, where we strive to have and share the heart of hope. I see and hear the message of hope everywhere.

Hope is everywhere.

I see hope in the faces of the couple exchanging the vows of marriage.

I hear hope in the voices of expectant parents and parents of newborns.

I see hope in the faces of newborn Christians.

I hear hope in messages of forgiveness and grace.

I see hope when a person makes a leap of faith into the unknown to improve their situation.

I hear hope in the voices of choirs singing of the newborn King.

There is hope when we see soldiers reunited with their families.

There is hope when first responders are honored for their service.

There is hope when Christ lives in His followers.

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)

Hope is everywhere. Look for it. Listen for it.

Tom

Thank You for Moments of Peace

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

Thank You for My Family

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

Thank You

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

Please Don’t Let IT Become the Norm

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 43 October 30, 2023

Please Don’t Let It Become the Norm

I confess I’ve been angry this week. I’m angry because of the news of another mass shooting where eighteen people were going about their lives enjoying an evening with their friends and family when a man walked into the businesses and started shooting. I am angry because of the fear and terror that the act of violence created for the people of Maine and far beyond, including my own heart and home.

I confess I’ve been angry by the wars and threats of war in the Middle East, the loss of life, and carnage. Add to those reasons for my anger the continuing war in Ukraine.

I further confess that much of my anger and sadness over these bigger-than-me events in our world is due to my inability to do anything about them. I can’t stop the shootings. I can’t stop the wars. I can’t stop the violence or take away the fear or the agony.

I also confess these same events made me deeply sad when I listened to a father talk about losing his son and saw the death and destruction of the wars. Sadness is too slight of a word.

So, my final confession is that I am concerned that we allow these kinds of things to become the norm. I would rather be angry and sad than become so calloused that I yawn and feel nothing. At least in this mental state, I regularly remind myself to do whatever I can to bring more kindness, gentleness, calmness, peace and love to my place in the world.

Tom

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For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

When Life Seems Out of Control

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 42 October 23, 2023

When Life Seems Out of Control

When life seems out of control, and it does most of the time, what do you do? These are go-to words that help calm my soul and relieve my anxious spirit.

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5-7)

These words remind me that the Lord is near, so be gentle. Be gentle with me. Be gentle with the people most dear to me. Be gentle with strangers. Be gentle with all.

These words remind me to give it all to God. Whatever is troubling you give it to the Lord. Pray about it all. Present it to God. Admit you cannot handle it and acknowledge that you trust Him to care for it.

These words remind me that God’s peace is available. His peace is real. His peace does not make sense, but it is possible. Accept it. Enjoy it.

If your world seems out of control, give that to the One who understands your concerns, and rest assured that He can handle them.

Tom

To follow updates on Junie, go here: welovejunieblue

For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

Observations

A Norvell Note

Vol. 27 No. 41 October 16, 2023

Observations

We are stressed and nervous. God can give us peace.

We see danger all around us. God is our safe place.

We are fearful and uncertain times. God is our refuge.

We are fretful and worried. God will provide.

We are surrounded by anger and hatred. God loves everyone.

We are restless and fatigued. God is our rest.

We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. God does.

Tom

To follow updates on Junie, go here: welovejunieblue

For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

Vol. 27 No. 40 October 9, 2023

Help In Our Weakness

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. (Romans 8:26-28)

Thank You, God, for sending Your Spirit who helps me in my weakness. Correction: in my weaknesses. There are many. Thank You for knowing my weaknesses and helping me when I don’t understand how to overcome my weaknesses.

Thank You, God, for all the times when I don’t know how or what I should pray for, but You do. Somehow, You take my wordless groans, desires, hopes, whimpers, whines, and cries from my heart and turn them into something that makes sense to You.

Thank You, God, for knowing what is in my heart and mind better than I do and for interceding. My thinking is not always in line with what You think and know is best, but You know me so well that You reinterpret what I say or try to say to Your will. And You know that although I don’t always act like it, Your will is what I want.

Thank You, God, for knowing, loving, and living in me. I cannot live without You.

Tom

To follow updates on Junie, go here: welovejunieblue

For past articles, go here: A Norvell Note.

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