J.E. Solinski
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Books
  • About
  • Contact
  • Resources
  • My Favs!

Superstars . . .

8/31/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
“King Solomon then asked for a man named Huram to come from Tyre. . . . Huram was extremely skilled in any work in bronze and he came to do all the metal work for King Solomon.” (I Kings 7:13-14)

A lot of people worked on Solomon’s Temple, but only one man was recorded by name: Huram. Anything made out of a precious metal (gold, silver, bronze) was made by him. As stated above he was “extremely skilled and talented.” Huram was a superstar.



At one time or another, many of us would like to be a superstar. We would love to do something so well that it deserves and receives the recognition and respect of others. We would love to be a Simone Biles, a Rory McIlroy, a Michelangelo, a Taylor Swift, a Bill Gates, a John Grisham, or any other prominent person.

But God doesn’t call all of us to be rich and famous, and I for one am glad. There is a lot of responsibility that comes with being in the spotlight, and though the recognition and respect might be desired, I doubt many of us would want the scrutiny that comes with it.

It is not easy to have your life under a social microscope. The public adulation can create a distorted view of ourselves, and most of us want to hide our failures and flaws, not have them flaunted before the world.

But we need superstars. We need people who excel creatively, athletically, and intellectually, not only to inspire us but to move us forward. And these individuals have a huge social responsibility laid on their shoulders. People watch. People judge. People emulate.

But we, the anonymous, also have a huge responsibility. I Timothy 2 begins by exhorting us to “pray much for others; plead for God’s mercy upon them; give thanks for all he is going to do for them.” Then in verse two Paul says “Pray in this way for kings and all others who are in authority, or are in places of high responsibility.” I believe our superstars fall both in the category of  “others” and of those “in places of high responsibility.”

A life in the public eye might have its high moments but it is a difficult life, and we, as Christians, are called upon to pray for those who live in that fishbowl. Pray for strength, for wisdom, for integrity, but most of all for a personal relationship with Jesus, for we know that only a life surrendered to God can truly be a successful and satisfying one.





0 Comments

Discretion . . .

8/24/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
On a sign in a Tehachapi, California cafe.

"Of all things that come into your head, only 10% should be said." Terry Hebdon

​Words to live by.



0 Comments

Silver Linings . . .

8/17/2019

2 Comments

 
Picture

This past month I took my parents on a month-long trip to visit friends and family in the Midwest. All was going well until my father took an unexpected fall. Needless to say, the vacation took an immediate 180.


Hospitals, rehab centers, and hotels became our daily regime, and our days were filled with many anxious moments. Then driving home one day, the cloud pictured on the left appeared on the horizon, and I realized that despite the hardships, I also had experienced some silver-lining moments.

First, I was able to reconnect and spend time with my Missouri relatives. Because they live over two thousands miles away, our interaction in the past was limited to some childhood summer trips, Christmas card exchanges, and a few family reunions as milestone wedding anniversaries or funerals surfaced. Reminiscing and conversing with my adult cousins and aunts and uncles has been a joy.

Second, I met many of my parents’ friends, whom I can now claim as my own friends. The concern, hours of visits, meals, and assistance from them has been invaluable.

Third, I learned the fine art of conversation. Just sitting and talking with others and not thinking about a second agenda.


Finally, I received love and support from my friends at home. I always knew I had good friends, but this experience only proved it further. My home was taken care of and the prayers just kept on flowing.​

Such times are not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but God is faithful––and so are friends and family.

2 Comments

Grandma . . .

8/10/2019

7 Comments

 
Picture
Monday will mark my Grandmother’s birthday. She would have been 118. Born August 12, 1901, she was part of the generation that saw the world move from horse and buggy to space travel. And though she was a quiet, unassuming woman, she was also a determined, progressive, and godly one who left her mark on all of her descendants.

My grandmother didn’t talk much but when she did, her words were memorable, and her sayings live on: She was the Yogi Berra of the family. For instance . . .

Whenever you were ready to leave after a visit, Grandma would always say, “It’s nice of you to visit, but I’m glad you have a home to go to.” (Meaning––we hope––that she was happy we could afford to have a roof over our head not that we were going.) Now each family parting is accompanied by, “We’re glad you have a home to go to.” (Meaning varies with family member.)



She would always sign her letters with Romans 8:28: “And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good . . .” which later morphed into “All things work together for good––we hope” until the verse was dropped completely and replaced by John 21:18, which reads in part, “And someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Grandma was a practical Christian.

After one particular family unknowingly outstayed their welcome and said they were going to visit a friend for the morning and be back for a light lunch, Grandma responded, “No you’re not.” To this day when visiting each other, we all announce that we are going to “stay for a light lunch.”

But my grandmother was also her own person. She knew what she wanted and was not deterred by others' thoughts or opinions.

On a simple note, she always set the table for breakfast the night before, no matter how many times she was told she could do it in the morning. (You would think we would have learned.)

When her younger brother was injured, she had to stay home with him for a couple of years, delaying her high school education. But she was not discouraged. She began high school when most her age were graduating and earned her diploma when she was twenty.

Then resolute about becoming a nurse, she did not say yes to her pending marriage proposal until she had earned her nursing certificate and practiced for a few years.

When one of her granddaughters wondered why only the grandsons were allowed to be pallbearers at Grandpa’s funeral, Grandma quickly told her that she could be one at her funeral, which led to all the pallbearers at Grandma’s funeral being her granddaughters.

My grandmother was a godly woman but sometimes forgiveness came at a high price. Once she was heard to say, “Mr. (X) never called, but we love him anyway.”

And regardless of the magnitude of the problem (whether a lost button or a lost soul) you could hear her say that she would “put that in her prayer book” and then we would find her on her knees in her bedroom.

Though all of Grandma’s actions and words have impacted her family, it is this last statement (that I never even knew she had said until my mother told be one day) that, to me, is most important and life changing. She once told my mother . . .

“Your soul needs the quietness of the day to recall all your blessings.”​

Thank you Grandma.





















7 Comments

Taking a Break . . .

8/3/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Good morning, readers. Because of an unexpected family medical situation, I am taking a brief break from my weekly blog. I will continue to try and post each week, but should conditions prevent me from doing so, please understand.

In the meantime, I just ask for you prayers: prayers for healing, for comfort, for peace, and for strength.

Thank you so much for your support.

0 Comments

    Author

    Jody Eileen Solinski spent her career teaching in the California public school system where she enjoyed helping young adults take their place in society. A native Californian, she enjoys the outdoors and so loves living in Northern California where she can enjoy the beauty of God’s creation up close.

    Picture
    Subscribe

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

    Categories

    All
    Anger
    Appreciation
    Art
    Attitude
    Balance
    Beauty
    Belief
    Books
    Bravery
    Bullies
    Calm
    Change
    Christian Bloggers
    Christian Living
    Christmas
    Cleansing
    Conflict
    Consistency
    Coronavirus
    Costs
    Demands
    Disappointment
    Discontent
    Easter
    End Times
    Evil
    Faith
    Fatigue
    Fear
    Fires
    Focus
    Foolishness
    Forgiveness
    Frustration
    God's Protection
    God's Sovereignty
    God's Timing
    Good Intentions
    Grace
    Grief
    Healing
    Hell
    Holy Spirit
    Hopes
    Hymns
    Hypocrisy
    Ingenuity
    Isolation
    Jesus
    Legacies
    Listening
    Love
    Memories
    Money
    Mornings
    Mothers
    Music
    New Years
    Opportunities
    Order
    Pain
    Patience
    Peace
    Perfection
    Perseverance
    Perspective
    Prayer
    Pressure
    Promises
    Purpose
    Readiness
    Reading
    Reduction
    Refreshed
    Relationship
    Relevance
    Relief
    Remembering
    Renewed
    Reset
    Rest
    Sacrifice
    Salvation
    Science
    Seeing
    Self-Centeredness
    Service
    Sin
    Sleep
    Spiritual Diet
    Spiritual Life
    Storms
    Strength
    Suffering
    Summer
    Talents
    Temptation
    Thanksgiving
    The Bible
    The Tongue
    Troubles
    Trust
    Truth
    Unity
    Water
    Weaknesses
    Wise Counsel
    Worry
    Writing
    Youth

J.E. Solinski ©2015