Lois Williams

The Need

Posted on June 24, 2023 by Lois Williams

 I let another week go by without sending a blog post. I guess it's going to take some time before I do it regularly! I appreciate all of you who read it, and promise to try and do better in the future!

We meet with a small group from our church on Wednesdays. The other day we were talking about HEAVEN and the wonderful hope we have of our ultimate future. I’ve been thinking about the work we will be doing on the New Earth and concluding that this would be joy, and not duty…we will be all that God has created us to be, totally fulfilled in His purpose for us. What might that be for me? Some people say working in the garden; some say cooking, baking, being hospitable, etc. I believe that I would be in a library; and if doing what I loved best, I would be writing. My thought was that for me, writing is the supreme joy, but I put it off until all the “duties” are complete; cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands…all the things I think I should be doing, saving the joy for later, when I have “free time.” Maybe that’s backwards!

I have been cleaning out files and looking through old papers over the past few weeks. So it’s no surprise, then, to find the following poem I had saved. No idea who wrote it, how I got it, or when; but this week it spoke volumes to me! Hope it touches you, whatever you find to be your joy.

The Need
What would I do, if I couldn’t write?
If ominous circumstance some nameless night
removed all paper and pens from my sight…
What would I do?
If I couldn’t share my joys and my tears,
give words to my glee or unspoken fears
and tell how I feel to my soul’s listening ears…
What would I do?
For I’d seethe inside from unpenned desire,
but if I had no means to extinguish the fire
that burns fierce and true…
I know what I’d do:
I’d find me a stick and a sharp piece of stone
smooth patch of earth that was all of my own,
then watched by the world or strictly alone,
I’d write.

Thank you all for reading my words; for listening to my heart, giving me an opportunity to do what my whole soul longs for! I bless you in Jesus’ name.

Speak Up

Posted on May 28, 2023May 28, 2023 by Lois Williams

“Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.” Luke 21:14-15

Today I want to share something about speaking truth to friends and loved ones; the truth of God’s love and saving grace.

I had a very dear friend with whom the relationship went back to high school! That’s a long time, I can hear you say! Yep, over 60 years. We were roommates after graduation, and she was my maid of honor in our wedding. (That is her standing beside me at our wedding in this picture!) It was a friendship based on memories and shared experiences back to when we both had no gray hair! She suffered a ton of medical issues: Insulin-dependent diabetes resulting in a kidney transplant, open heart surgery, vascular surgeries, flesh-eating bacteria, smashed shoulder and shoulder replacement, the list goes on. Her life was fragile, to say the least. Since Fred was in the Navy we lived far apart most of our lives, and whenever we would visit, I told myself, “This time I’m going to tell her about Jesus, and be sure that she is ready to go, should her life be taken.” Each time we left their house I was awash in guilt because I didn’t do it. There never seemed to be the right time or opening to bring up the subject, so I would purpose in my heart, “Next time.”

One day, though, her husband called to tell us she was in ICU in critical condition. Her femoral artery had ruptured and an infection was destroying her vascular system. The doctors were struggling to save her leg…and trying to make sure that enough blood was getting to her transplanted kidney so it would function. We almost lost her when the artery ruptured. Such an amazing story of a miracle, but that’s not where I am going today. My heart was broken and I couldn’t help but sob out to God to give me another chance to share the truth with her, and her husband. To redeem all the missed opportunities, because if she died and I hadn’t told her, I wouldn’t be able to bear it.

God answered my prayer. They life-flighted her from Wyoming to Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle and as she lay in ICU here, I had the opportunity to ask her husband about where they stood with God; to know for sure that they were trusting Jesus for their salvation.

He assured me that they had taken that step and were ready. And then God did an amazing thing. He healed her. Or at least as much as is possible! I was able to talk to her. She was walking and talking and told me she felt better than she had in months. A stent, a patch, good blood flow to her kidney, and infections coming under control. And as I spoke with her, I took the opportunity of asking her directly about her relationship with God and she answered that she had trusted Jesus. My friend is with Jesus now, I’m confident of that!

I tell you this today to encourage you not to wait to share Jesus with your loved ones. Sometimes it is easier to tell a perfect stranger than to tell those closest to us. We keep thinking that there will always be an opportunity; that we will wait for the perfect opening, but I’m thinking that maybe it will never come, that we may have to take the bull by the horns and create that opportunity. To pray that God will give us the insight and alertness and readiness to share. Be ready. You may not ever have another opportunity. I am so grateful that God provided one for me and wanted to share my burden with you; to offer encouragement. There is nothing worse than losing someone to whom you might have given the hope of the gospel and failed to do so. Only God knows the heart, that’s true, and it’s entirely possible that He has shown His salvation in some other situation, through someone else, but make sure. It’s worth everything.

I have another friend now; one who recently lost a friend who blatantly did not want to hear the message. Yet my friend kept on speaking it. I’ve watched her, and admire her courage to show her friend God’s love in hundreds of ways. Though our loved ones may continue to reject Him, it doesn’t negate our responsibility to share His good news.

Thanks for stopping by. I pray God’s sweet touch of opportunity upon you today. I’ll welcome you back here next week!

Love, Lois

Leaning

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Lois Williams

Greetings, dear friends!

I’ve had some computer issues this week! My computer is very old and I plan on getting a new one soon. But in the meantime, it’s so frustrating to be robbed of its use. I’m sure you all agree it brings us up short when we can’t depend on a machine that is supposed to be reliable.

I have been thinking about dependability lately. We have certain things that in life we have come to depend upon. For instance, the weather. It’s winter, so it’s supposed to be (here in Washington) cold, gray and rainy. We also depend on the fact that spring will come, bringing beauty! We depend on a lot of other things as well, usually until they let us down or disappoint us. I’m sure we can think of a lot of instances that require a dependence on something we consider tried and true.

So I’m sure you can guess where I’m going with this! It strikes me this morning, just how completely dependable God is. How we depend on Him for everything, really, even if we don’t acknowledge that we are doing so. And He never fails. Behind the scenes, in the front and center of our lives, He is working. Whether or not we see or sense it, He is on the job. Don’t we all know this at some level in our thinking? Yet, let’s pause for a minute and ponder the blessed reality of the truth. We can rely on Him. Besides trust and dwell and abide and wait, there is “rely”.

Leaning.

Apparently this is not the first time I have pondered this subject! Looking back through my first book, Psalms From The Pathway, I found a meditation I had written a long time ago. I’m sending it as a reminder, to myself as well as to you. It is called “Leaning”.

One never leans
with expectation of falling;
the very act of leaning
is one of faith and trust.

I want to lean on God.
My head tells me He will not fail
but I don’t seem to let go and lean.
From where comes my fear of falling?

From where comes the tightness of the grip
that says holding on to this world
supports me more completely than God?

I think there is no way to learn to lean
than simply to lean.

“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33:27. This precious verse is inscribed under my signature in each copy of my new book! It is one of my “life verses”.

Oh, how blessed we are to know the One whose everlasting arms are underneath us. Rely. Rest. Lean.

I am intrigued with this photo of a broken, decrepit barrel, about to fall over! Of no use, really, but as a reminder of how important it is to have something dependable on which to lean.

I’ll be back next week, or plan to be if I can depend on the repaired computer!!

Love,

Lois

The List

Posted on February 14, 2023 by Lois Williams

Greetings Faithful Ones!

Occasionally I find a real nugget of truth in The Message version of the scripture, so I am using it with this post. I have been lately trying to find rest in my life; discovering what is important and what can be set aside. I’m challenged once again by this meditation written some years ago. I think it’s an issue I need to address…still! I don’t think I am alone…

THE LIST

“I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. Matthew 11:28-29

This morning I made a list. It seemed like a necessary thing to do. Tasks awaited and I needed to make myself focus…or so I thought. But I heard a Voice say, “Learn the unforced

rhythms of grace…let go of your list.” I pondered what this would mean…letting go of my list…and couldn’t understand why it is something I must do.

Then I realized that I depend on a crossed-off list as a sign of my usefulness and purpose.

I cried out, “Abba, how can I dispose of my list and still accomplish what I must do? You know me, the scatterbrained woman You have created; must I really make a paper airplane out of my list and sail it heavenward?

And I hear Your answer… “There is nothing wrong with a list; but do not let it define you. Let it be a tool, not a thermometer that determines your worth in your own eyes.” And I see how the rigidity of my incessant list-making accuses me and discourages me. I use it as a whip when it should simply be a reminder. Your Matthew scripture says to come to you, learn from you, and you will give my heart rest.

So Father, though I am overwhelmed this morning, and though my list seems daunting, I am reminded that You are the Overwhelmer Overcomer! Okay, I’m laying down my list! I am willing to learn. Amen.

His Angels

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Lois Williams

Greetings, my friends!

I am really trying to be regular in posting on this blog…but I find the days slipping by at an alarming rate, and here it has been 2 weeks, instead of 1 since I last posted. Things are calming down after the mad dash that characterized November and December! Book sales are still happening, and affirmations and encouragement abounds. So, I thank you, all of you who take time to let me know your thoughts and experiences.

I wrote the devotional some years ago, but was reminded quite recently of God’s powerful protection. Twice I have fallen in the past month; one a face plant on the garage floor, and the other a tangle with the counter stools where I lost my balance and landed on the floor with the stools on top of me. It boggles my mind, but in neither fall did I really hurt myself! Nothing broken, and at my age it is a rarity to fall so hard and not break anything. Honestly, I attribute it to God’s protective angels who catch me, in a way, and let me down easy.

So, I remember this day, the day I met one of His angels. It really happened just this way…

HIS ANGELS

“For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” Psalm 91:11

I am so grateful for His angels. Actually I think I met one today! Leaving home this morning, my feet a bit unsteady in my dress-up shoes, I caught my heel against the concrete step, and knew in an instant that I was falling. But I was immediately righted, my balance restored. It happened so fast that my conscious mind did not register it.

But as I lay in bed tonight I was awakened several times with that sensation of panic earlier felt, followed by the absolute knowledge of giant hands holding me, setting me back on my feet, followed by this verse ringing in my ears.

I was breathless, filled with praise, as the perception washed over me again and again. Headed out to what God had called me to do, speak to a group of women, He beautifully affirmed that calling by sending His angels to catch me so I would not fall. I wonder, how many times He does that for us. Thousands of situations of which we are not aware surely call His promises of protection into play.

Gratitude should pour from our hearts…I know it does from mine, because for me that morning, Scripture HAPPENED!

Thank You, Father, for Your angels. May I learn to be more careful, more intentional, in my steps, but trust You to send Your ministering angels when necessary. Hebrews 1:14. Amen.

WHILE THE EARTH REMAINS

Posted on January 16, 2023January 16, 2023 by Lois Williams

“Then the LORD said in His heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth, nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer and day and night shall not cease.’” Genesis 8:21-22

Reading in Genesis, as it’s the beginning of a new year, I found myself fascinated with the phrase while the earth remains. Wondering why it struck a chord, I thought, it is a reminder that what we experience now is not all there is! That this earthly life has an end. Troubles and pain, and all that distresses us will be over someday. But, until that day, we rely on God’s promise of His control; His sovereignty. Nature obeys His commands; He sustains the status quo.

Often after a long dreary winter, spring feels far away, especially in climates that can be harsh, we wait impatiently for the change of seasons, but never do we truly doubt that it will come. We inherently believe that the sun will rise in the morning, because deep inside there is a part of us that does not doubt, but believes. While the earth remains, we have God’s promise that He is in control.

There is hope, to me, in that phrase. When we are in a dark and harsh circumstance, we can trust that relief will come…that pain and struggle will someday be made right. The earth will not always be this way; there is a big change coming, but while it remains, we can trust in the word of God, His promises. There is a new day coming to those who faithfully trust while the earth remains.

Greetings and Happy New Year!

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Lois Williams

Yes. 2023 is here! Everything feels new, and fresh possibilities abound. Or at least that’s how I feel. Although I wonder about that sometimes. I’ve had a frustrating morning, struggling with a stubborn computer all day trying to put this blog out!

This morning I began once again my reading the Bible through. That would be Genesis, of course! I did notice something new in these first few awesome chapters. One thing that struck me was the word “let”, and the other is the phrase, “it was so.” It fascinates me to consider how some word or phrase that I’ve read 100 times can strike me anew with truth. Thus, my New Year thoughts:

IT WAS SO

“Then God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’ Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament, and it was so.” Genesis 1:6-7

In Genesis 1, the little word “let” appears 13 times. I was considering what an ocean of meaning there is here in this context of creation. “Let”, “allow”, “permit” all carry the idea of Someone, with authoritative power, granting something desired. After granting an act of creation, wherein God speaks, “Let there be light,” or “Let there be a firmament,” etc., the scripture says, “and it was so.” Our sovereign God opens His mouth, speaks “Let it be…” and it was so. His power, His Word are unfathomable to us as humans, yet we believe it, and we cling to the truth of that sovereignty, so that when we hear Him say that we are His and He will never allow anyone to snatch us out of His hand (John 10:27), His power is absolute and He can say “I will never let anyone take you away from Me,” He means it. Just as He put His stamp of approval on His creation. He spoke…and it was so! I know when I may feel lost and deserted and alone, I can rest on His promise…You are Mine. Because, It is so.

A great promise with which to begin a new year. He is sovereign. Trust in it.

Hope to see you back here at Love Notes next week!

Love, Lois

The Lamb

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Lois Williams

Greetings! Welcome back to my “Love Notes”! Just a word of explanation to my Christmas poem below. I have always loved the connection between sheep and God’s people. As well as the idea that I am Jesus’s little lamb! A friend who knows my love for sheep, sent me the picture above and I treasure it. It seems fitting therefore, to pair it with my story-poem of The Lamb. What a sweet picture! And further, what a beautiful picture in the words. I hope you will enjoy it! Merry Christmas, all you little lambs! Know you are loved in a special way by the Shepherd of your souls!
Love, Lois

THE LAMB

The night is dark and chill.
Grateful for my rough robe, I pull it tightly around me.
A baby lamb nestles in the crook of my arm
and I rest my cheek against its woolly side.
Lulled by the fluttering beat of its tiny heart, I sleep.

From slumber to terror in the blink of an eye.
A penetrating light, a presence,
a being speaking in our midst.
We bolt upright, fists pressed against eyelids
burning from the glowing radiance.
“Do not fear,” we hear. “Today is born your Savior.”
The lamb bleats in fright and I know I’m holding him
too tightly, but the sky is suddenly filled with—can it be—angels?
Singing! Praising God!
As quickly as it began the spectacle is over
and we gaze after it in awe.
Quietly, purposefully, the older shepherds
turn toward Bethlehem, darkly silhouetted
against the starry sky.
I struggle to follow; I am just a child,
frightened to be left behind.
Small legs running, sandals flapping
on the narrow rutted road,
and my lamb, my little pet lamb,
snuggling against my chest.
I cannot think of leaving him,
he is all I have.

The city is inky and still;
No lights here, no celebration—
But we creep to a quiet stable
from which brightness spills into the street.
A straw-filled trough holds a babe;
a young man and a pretty girl huddle close by
with animals shuffling about,
disturbed by the unrest.
I can only see between the legs
of the bigger shepherds,
but my heart suddenly fills with joy.
Is it true?
Is this the moment we’ve all waited for?
The Messiah? The promised Lamb?
The One Who will be our savior?
I must get closer; I must look for myself.
Pushing through the group, I peer at the babe
and inside me, like a breath from Heaven;
I somehow know He is the One.
Again, my little lamb bleats;
again I’m holding him too tight.
I love him so.

Yet an impulse greater
than I can understand
bids me let go, and
I lay my lamb at the feet
of the Lamb of God.

Birth of a Dream

Posted on December 4, 2022December 5, 2022 by Lois Williams

Greetings!
Welcome to a sort of re-birth of my website! I am committed to making this work, to be consistent in posting and sharing what is on my heart. I have just released my fifth book, CRADLED, and as I was looking through some of the things I have written over the years, I found the piece below. I wrote it when I sent the manuscript to the publisher for my first book. But what I realized is that these feelings were much the same as I experienced when I hit the “Send” button for my fifth.

So, I am sharing them with you, to describe some of the emotional impact of writing this book. And I hope you will subscribe to the website and come back and visit again!

Love, Lois

Birth of a Dream

Painfully, slowly, the process begins.
A fulfilled dream is being born;
I am releasing it; I have finished my part—
from conception…the words breathed into my heart;
through gestation…the dream taking shape,
becoming an idea,
growing into a goal, then a plan
as it burgeoned inside me.

Now it is time.
Words, thoughts, prayers have formed
into pages, a cover, a name, all held tightly within me.
It has been mine.
But it is not mine to clutch anymore.
God has asked me to give it to Him
and so I am editing the final proof,
beginning the birth pangs.

Tears wash my eyes—tears of joy,
of grateful praise.
Sensing that as a mother’s body
nurtures a child, so I have
nurtured this book within my heart.
I am swept away with remembrance
of the times God has met my need,
breathing His words to me,
and Hallelujahs break forth in my soul.

Yes, it is time, and I am ready.
I dot the final “i”, seal the envelope flap
and with a final push into the mailbox,
I birth my dream.

WISDOM

Posted on November 6, 2020 by Lois Williams

WISDOM

Greetings! I have to admit that the new discipline of posting on my blog hasn’t really taken hold! I guess it takes time to create a new habit, so I will attempt to begin anew. All of you who read what I write, I thank you, and appreciate your patience and faithfulness…and perhaps a prayer once in a while that I will gain some diligence!

I was reading a favorite psalm the other day, one which holds sweet praise and promise. Psalm 90; in my Bible titled “The prayer of Moses the man of God.” Enthralling words: “Lord You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or even You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Psalm 90:1-2. Somehow the solidity of that statement fills me with joy and comfort.

Reading further I find Verse 12: “So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” From everlasting in creation to the numbering of our days, God remains, and maintains His presence as our dwelling place, and if we remain, the reward will be a heart of wisdom.

For 2020 I chose the word “wisdom” as my “one perfect word” for the year! Who knew what this year would hold for all of us, and how much I would need that promised heart of wisdom. I once wrote a definition for wisdom… “Wisdom is the bucket which we can lower into the well of knowledge God places in our souls, and use to water the earth around us.” Timothy Keller in his devotional, “God’s Wisdom for Navigating Life,’ says “Wisdom is not only for ‘deep thinkers.’ It is how you get through daily life. Our wisdom will guide us as we grow in the knowledge and image of God’s Son Jesus, who is Wisdom itself.” But it is up to us to seek Him and daily explore His wisdom and truth.

Oh, how we need this! More and more this year it becomes apparent that the knowledge of God that we gain through the scriptures fuels good decisions and wise counsel. Thus, I propose that we make Verse 17 our prayer. “And let the beauty of the LORD our God upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands.” Amen and Amen.