The Unconquerable Soul and Perseverance

 This poem, written in the 19th century was one that my Dad often quoted and felt he related to. Not being a religious man, Dad believed each person is the controller of his own destiny, his own fate. Although I believe the Lord Jesus is the ultimate controller of all things, I understand how individuals have choices they make in all types of circumstances each day. In this way we steer our lives, our souls. This poem reflects the attitude of perseverance. My Dad suffered much uncertainty throughout his life, yet he continually chose to stand firm, not become a "victim", but to walk steady onward with a positive spirit. His walk lasted almost 99 years!

        INVICTUS

By William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,

      Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

      For my unconquerable soul.

 

In the fell clutch of circumstance

      I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

      My head is bloody, but unbowed.

 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

      Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

      Finds and shall find me unafraid.

 

It matters not how strait the gate,

      How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

      I am the captain of my soul.

                                                 Perseverance...pressing on, pressing upward!

Daddy's Angels- then and now...

 Daddy's Angels  (By Kathie Smith written in 2005)

   “Charlie’s Angels”, a popular TV show I loved to watch in the 70’s, focused on three beautiful, big haired, adventuresome young women out to solve all sorts of crimes. My Dad had three “angels” of his own to deal with during that same time, and although not beautiful, and big haired, we certainly added adventure to his life spelled A-N-I-E-X-T-Y. 

   My sisters Sherri and Debbie and of course myself made up this dynamic trio. Being close in age we were quite a handful for Dad to contend with during our teenage years. Remember the 70’s? Oh my! Mini-skirts, love beads, marihuana, loud rock concerts, flower power, sexual revolution, black-light posters, the Vietnam war, birth control pills, long haired boys, rebellion to authority, terms like “far out”, “dream on”, “can you dig it?” “Psychedelic”  are  just a few of the “highlights” parents were challenged with.  This is about the time Dad began taking blood pressure, nerve, and sleeping pills. All quite justified.  We were no longer his sweet, darling little “daddy’s girls” who lived to serve him and please him. OH NO, those times were distant memories.   By the time we hit 15, 16, and 17  we were all wanting to use the car, fighting for the shared bathroom and the one stereo to blare our music through, not wanting a curfew and refusing to obey it in any case. Lots of battles were fought by all, lots of feelings hurt.

    Gosh, now, when the three of us reflect on that period we are overwhelmed with embarrassment for the shameful things we did and the agony our precious Dad endured (because he loved us).  The good news is that at  52, 53, and 54 we had again become “Daddy’s Angels” delighting in serving and loving him.

                                         Daddy’s Angels in 2007. Debbie, Sherri and Kathie

    Time has passed, and now reaching 69, 71, and 72, our precious Dad has passed away at 98, leaving his angels to fend for themselves without his physical presence. Make no mistake however, he continues living in our memories and influencing our lives.  He has become our “Angel”, forever guiding his girls.

                                        He is precious, deeply loved, and forever in our hearts.

Daddy’s Angels 2025. Kathie, Sherri, and Debbie

Dad in 2007

Losing my precious Father....

 Death of My Precious Father....

William Carl McDougall Jr.

August 26, 1927 – May 16, 2026

William “Bill” McDougall, beloved husband, father, and lifelong champion for children and families, passed away surrounded by the love of those who knew him best. Born on August 26, 1927, in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada he shared a devoted marriage with his wife, Dorothy, and took immense pride in his three daughters—Kathie, Sherri, and Debbie as well as his five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

In the early 1950s, Bill served as a civilian seaman in the Merchant Marine, an experience that nurtured his sense of adventure and broadened his view of the world. After this, he pursued higher education with determination, earning a bachelor’s degree from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree from Kent State University.

Bill dedicated his professional life to helping others learn, communicate, and thrive. He worked as a speech and hearing therapist, a school psychologist, and later as the director of special education primarily in Dayton, Ohio. His compassion, insight, and unwavering commitment touched countless students, families, and colleagues throughout his long career.

Outside of work, Bill embraced life with curiosity and enthusiasm. He loved to travel, play games, garden, cook, read, and spend time with his family and friends. He had a sharp mind, a warm sense of humor, and a gift for spirited conversations—especially when the topic turned to politics or history. His laughter, wisdom, and steady presence will be deeply missed.

William leaves behind a legacy of service, learning, and love that continues in the lives of his family and all who were fortunate enough to know him.

Christmas #10 in Sedona!

 

 

  Another Christmas in Sedona.  

 2023 is the end of  a year of laughter, tears, and reflection on my life. My 70th year.

     This past spring, I traveled to Dayton for a family visit. While there, my sister, Debbie, and I made a trip to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Michigan. We had been wanting to do this for years, and it was worth the wait. We spent 4 days exploring all the exhibits, including the Ford Factory, where we watched the F-150 trucks being built. It was fascinating, fun, and a special time together.

   Before returning to Sedona, my mom (now 92) had a serious fall and ended up in the hospital. She was unable to return to her independent living apartment, so we had to find and move her to an assisted living facility where she could get proper care. It was extremely stressful. My dad (now 96), also in assisted living, continues to “hang in there” despite his many health issues. He is amazing, and I am thankful for both of them.

   Mike and I were able to enjoy two road trips. The first one was the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, which we found quite different from the South Rim. Abundantly green, less crowded, much cooler, and more spectacular. Our second trip was to Moab, Utah, and Canyonlands, where we experienced breathtaking views of colorful canyons, mountains, and desert vistas. It was awesome!We plan to return and explore the area in the future. 

   Of course, our princess, Mookie, is #1 in our lives. Now, at 19 months, she is past puppyhood (which we didn’t think we could survive) and is slowly becoming a more obedient girl. She is by far the cutest dog in Sedona, loves going on neighborhood walks, and has her own “window” where she enjoys checking out the world beyond our fenced yard.

    On a serious note, recently, a friend of mine passed away quite unexpectedly. At her funeral, a poem was read that dealt with the shortness of life, like the dash between the dates of birth and death engraved on a tombstone. It made me ponder how I live my “dash.” With love and compassion, or criticism and unforgiveness? Generosity and service, or greed and self-absorption? Peace and harmony, or anxiety and irritation? Faith and trust in the Lord, or living like I am God? There were three truths I came away with. 1. Life is brief; 2. Eternity is real; and 3. Jesus is our only true source of satisfaction. He is the reason for this season.

  I pray that this coming year I give more attention to how I live my “dash.”.

Have a blessed, joy-filled Christmas season.

 

 

 

The Narrow Road.....

 

Matthew 7:13–14  “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

   God’s promise to always be with us does not guarantee an easy life. We often expect God to protect us from harm when we seek to live for Him. If our comfort were God’s primary concern, He would immediately transport us to heaven. So we find ourselves in a world where the majority turn away from Him. Following God requires swimming upstream – living a countercultural life. It means walking the narrow road, entering by the narrow gate.  Speaking for God means proclaiming truth that some people mock and most reject or ignore. How do we continue to stand up for God while facing overwhelming pressure? What if obeying God makes your life harder, not easier? God does not promise to spare His children from trouble, but He faithfully upholds those who put their trust in Him. We may face harsh circumstances, deep suffering, and painful rejection.  Sharing God’s heart means caring more about the spiritual peril of others than personal ease.  We live surrounded by people consumed by this world’s charms and oblivious to the realities of eternity. They walk the broad road that seems easy yet leads to destruction. As we enjoy the incomprehensible benefits of salvation, we must remain alert to the spiritual needs all around us. God calls His children to share His burdens, speak His message, and trust Him with the results.... the narrow way leading to life. From BSF 2023

Made in God's Image...

 

Creation... the earth, the cosmos, mankind.....beautiful.

God’s unique connection to human life emerges clearly in Genesis. “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness …” (Genesis 1:26). God shares His breath of life with mankind. God’s life and image impart dignity and sacredness to all human life. The entire Bible consistently underscores this truth. Throughout church history, this truth has been captured in the Latin phrase imago Dei, which literally means “image of God.”

The way we relate to God and one another reflects God’s image. Reason, emotion and will are foundational elements of human personality shared with God and other people. God expresses all these perfectly. While human expressions are imperfect, our capacity to relate in all these ways reflects God’s image in us. God’s thoughts are not limited by any flaw, and He balances all interests in absolute perfec­tion. Humans make reasoned decisions and explore the deeper meaning of life. God’s character includes love, joy, hate and peace. God designed people to experience joy and pleasure. We enjoy beauty, delicious food, art, fragrances, music and fine craftsmanship. God demonstrates perfect relationship among the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We yearn for satisfying human relationships.

Every human life holds value beyond the shallow measurements of external beauty, exceptional intellect or astounding accomplishments. Our human longing for identity and significance can only be satisfied when we understand our value to God. Deep within, our hearts long to know the God who knows us. We wrongly idolize many things because God instilled in us a need to worship Him. Finding identity and purpose in anything but God leaves us wanting.

Acknowledging God as the source of human dignity raises our passion to alleviate human suffering. The atrocity of human trafficking, murder, racial injustice, mistreatment of the disabled and elderly, and other social issues gain context when we view people as image-bearers. We can love and accept people not like us because we understand what binds us together as humans created in God’s image. To fail to see God’s imprint on humanity steals the worth and value God intended for all people. Without our life centered on God, we value things more than people and our own comfort over the welfare of others. Recognizing the image of God stamped on humanity changes the way we view ourselves and others.  From BSF Genesis 2020 Notes

Sinful beyond Measure

 

… Sin … a slippery path...

Romans 7:13  Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

  Beware of thinking lightly of sin. At the time of conversion, the conscience is so tender that we are afraid of the slightest sin. Young converts have a holy timidity, a godly fear of offending God. But sadly very soon the fine bloom upon these first ripe fruits is removed by the rough handling of the surrounding world: The sensitive plant of young piety turns into a willow in later life, too pliable, too easily yielding.

  It is sadly true that even a Christian may grow by degrees so callous that the sin that once startled him does not alarm him in the least. By degrees men get familiar with sin. The ear in which the cannon has been booming will not notice slight sounds. At first a little sin startles us; but soon we say, “Is it not a little one?” Then there comes another, larger, and then another, until by degrees we begin to regard sin as but a small matter; and this is followed by an unholy presumption: “We have not fallen into open sin. True, we tripped a little, but we stood upright for the most part. We may have uttered one unholy word, but as for most of our conversation, it has been consistent.” So we toy with sin; we throw a cloak over it; we call it by dainty names.

  Christian, beware of thinking lightly of sin. Take heed in case you slip and fall little by little. Sin a little thing? Is it not a poison? Who knows its deadliness? Sin a little thing? Do not the little foxes spoil the grapes? Doesn’t the tiny coral insect build a rock that wrecks a navy? Do not little strokes fell lofty oaks? Will not continual drippings wear away stones? Sin a little thing? It put a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head and pierced His heart! It made Him suffer anguish, bitterness, and woe. If you could weigh the least sin in the scales of eternity, you would run from it as from a serpent and abhor the slightest appearance of evil.

Look upon all sin as that which crucified the Savior, and you will see it to be “sinful beyond measure.”

Taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon

Storms in Life....Dealing with Hardship

  

“When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.” – Genesis 39:3-4a

    Disappointments, suffering, our life "storms" do not define our ultimate destiny. For God’s child, His unseen realities are truer than the pain we may feel. Flawed people, fleeting pleasure and fading hopes should propel us toward God, the only One who can satisfy our deepest longings. Disappointment, pain and even lingering suffering are profitable when yielded to God, who knows and loves us best. Injustice in this world makes us long for His perfect justice. Pain in this world makes us long for eternity, where pain and tears will be abolished. When the "storms" of our life look threatening and promise to break us of spiritually debilitating self-will and pride, will we trust that God is doing something good? When people fail us, will we remember God cannot.

    As humans, we long for resolution. We enjoy movies and entertainment that solve all the suspense and tension in the allotted time. Some of us enjoy googling our questions to receive instant information. We like to see things resolved, and preferably fast. We do not like waiting. Waiting implies dependence on someone or something else to bring an answer or solution we lack and long for. We wait for the doctor because we need the expertise that a professional brings. We wait for needed rain because we are powerless to produce it ourselves. Waiting for God to bring resolution to suffering is perhaps hardest of all.  What are we waiting on God to resolve, or at least help us understand? His plans and purposes far exceed our limited vision and understanding. Can we trust God, even when the answers are few, the pain is deep and the solutions invisible?

   Even for believers, faith falters. In this life, our trust in God is neither complete nor perfect. Sometimes we face the day with bold, decisive faith. Other days, we struggle to believe what we know is true. Do we ever genuinely want to trust God but find a constant pull to focus on the obstacles? God is not shocked by our faltering faith.  What do we do on that hard day when our faith falters and the visible challenges loom large and our "storm" seems headed for destruction? In these moments God Himself stokes the fire of our faith with His strength and power. He calls out faith when we struggle. God lets it be hard here so we will discover He offers more than this fallen world can offer.

Faith is not denying our "storms", but trusting God in the midst of it

The Fall of Mankind

 

“So the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this … I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.’ ”– Genesis 3:14-15

    Something is severely wrong with humanity and the world. Why does it seem I never measure up? Why do I gossip, blame, lie, cheat? Why do I struggle with fear, anger, bitterness, hatred, lust, shame, pride, insecurity? Why do I experience grief and loss? Why do terrorism, murder, human trafficking and racism exist in the world? Why do I constantly think about myself, rather than God and others? Culture boasts that human­ity is basically good. An honest look at myself and the world says otherwise. Let’s face it: The human race has fallen, and left to ourselves, we cannot get up.

  Genesis 3 unveils humanity’s problem – sin. Sin and its consequences invaded the world when Adam and Eve rejected God’s perfect character, love and authority. Evil, suffering and death now pervade life on earth as a result. What can we do? As fallen sinners, we can do nothing. Only God, Creator of the world, has the right and power to redeem what was lost and broken. In this week’s passage, we witness both the devastation of sin and the astonishing display of God’s mercy. While sin’s consequences tragically remain, we are not left without hope. Our eyes eagerly look to the Savior who has come and will come again. 

Sin offends God, destroys all and is inescapable without our Savior Jesus Christ.

Hard Seasons of Life

 

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” – Isaiah 43:2

    Life seems “right” to us when things feel easy. We yearn for happy days and comfortable ways to dominate our lives. Perhaps this internal longing for perfection is rooted in our God-given desire for what only He can provide. Life is often harder than we expect, and certainly more difficult than we prefer. 

   Our challenges come in a steady stream and from many sources. Life in a fallen world brings sickness and suffering. Our own sins and those of others complicate our lives. We face political unrest, relational conflict, and the constancy of change. How do we face the questions that arise within us? Where is God in all of this? What does it mean to follow God amid fallenness and dysfunction? Why does God use what hurts to reveal what matters? How does pain accomplish God’s purposes in our lives? Isn’t there a better way – or at least an easier one?

   God’s purifying purposes for Israel and Judah took them into foreign exile. The Assyrians attacked the northern kingdom of Israel and hauled away the people. The southern kingdom of Judah faced a similar fate when attacked by the Babylonians. Certainly, God’s covenant people failed to honor God and live as He intended. Yet, at this point in the story, we witness God’s chosen people headed into deep suffering by His design.

  How do we hold onto hope when our world crumbles? Our faith in God needs to go beyond glib clichés and easy answers. Our real lives offer an opportunity to trust God in specific, personal ways.

God can be trusted to accomplish His purposes through our pain.