Morning Cuppas With Glenys : Corona Virus

Showing posts with label Corona Virus. Show all posts

Keep on keeping on while we wait for Jesus

Most of the Christian Church is waiting for the Rapture wherein Christ comes for His Bride, the Church. It will be instant and unannounced. But hardly kept secret.

The Scriptures have told us for millenia about the need to keep busy and keep our hearts prepared as we wait for Jesus. But what should we be doing as we wait?

We are urged to keep oil in our lamps which means to be alert and watching for the signs that Christ is at the door. We are to be spiritually aware and physically pure and holy.

The bible also tells us to be minding our own business and keeping looking up. So how do we do this?

We need to be living in a way that is pleasing to the LORD. We are expected to do these things even if we are chronically ill. As when we were saved, we need to be serving Him in whatever calling He has placed us in.

If we are at home, we are to keep serving our family. With all the turmoil in the world, we need to be loving as a wife and mother and diligent as a home maker.

We are to continue working outside the home if that is where you are called and we are to witness through our daily living that we are Christians who have hope. The world needs to see that we are not moved by world events.

Whilst it is true that we are to mind our own business, we are expected to pray for others, both saved and unsaved and to give a reason for the hope that is within us, if asked. With meekness and humility.

It is imperative that we keep studying the Word, praying and worshiping. We must remember that our redemption is closer than when we first believed and we must keep close to the LORD.

Without clinging to Jesus, our hope will dwindle and we must be full of hope and love in order to firstly function for our family, then the world...

In everything we do and everywhere we go, we need to share the hope that is within us, for the lost have never been more in need of Jesus than now with His return imminent. Time is short.

Resolve to keep close to Christ and to share to others whenever possible that they need to know Jesus as their Saviour NOW. But, be glad for whatever calling you are in now, and keep on keeping on.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Songs of deliverance

Corona has made her presence known world wide and there would hardly be a person on earth today who hasn't heard about it.

We are getting used to living our new normal with social distancing, vigilant hand washing and medical consultations by phone.

Corona has robbed many of their finances, employment and more importantly, their lives.

In Victoria our home state in Australia, there have been second waves in hotspots thoughout suburbs of Melbourne and we have seen total lockdown of those hotspots for the next six weeks at least.

It is all very depressing. But in order to boost morale, I have tried to be an encourager of my family and friends.

In our home, I have adopted an attitude of gratitude for my home, being able to access food and medicines and for God keeping us safe from the virus.

I play worship songs, making sure they are uplifting and I try not to watch the news constantly.

I have also limited my FaceBook time as the feeds are totally depressing.

Remembering Psalms and scriptures of God's protection and deliverance also comforts us and lifts morale.

We need to encourage each other of the Blessed Hope, the Rapture of the Church which is imminent, according to all the signs we are told to watch for.

Time is short, we have to tell as many as we can that they must accept Jesus as their Saviour now-and we must encourage brothers and sisters in the LORD to look up.

I am no longer looking for the signs, but listening for the trumpet call- along with songs of deliverance.

John 14:1-2 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

My bucket comes up empty

We are living through strange and difficult times and I am a bit depressed because I am going stir crazy at home. We were just seeing a relaxation of the corona restrictions, but there's been an increase in new cases in Victoria, so it's all been tightened again.

I have had to help some family close to me who are depressed and it is depressing me too. I have been finding some time totally alone is helpful for me. No phone, no computer. I just walk down the back garden where there is a seat. I sit there and watch the clouds, listen to the birds and pray.

The scriptures tell us that Jesus often took time away from the needs of the world to pray and recoup. He also encouraged His disciples to do the same. I see no reason why we shouldn't take some time out to recharge our batteries and commune with God and nature.

Does this mean that we are uncaring and selfish? you ask. No- Jesus cared deeply but knew that we need some time out to restore our equilibrium.

If I don't take some time out, I won't be able to serve others and the LORD without losing my calm. Taking some time out is something I need to do or my bucket comes up empty...

And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. Mark 6:31-44

Eternally His. Instantly.

I have had some times in my life where I have thought I would die. Surgeries for my heart, illnesses wherein I couldn't breathe, and an incorrect diagnosis of a terminal illness have seen me glimpsing death and had me question if I am ready to be with the LORD.

In facing death a few times, I have experienced immense peace in knowing that Christ has me in the Palm of His Hand and that should He call me Home to Him, that it would be instantaneous.

Alive or not, we are His. We belong to the LORD Who also numbers our days. It is a great comfort to remember that when my health continues to fail.

I am afraid of the manner in which I will die, but not of death per se. I have been the LORD's since before my birth and I will be even after my last breath.

His sacrifice has paved the way for us to not be afraid of Hell or with dying. We are forever His as soon as we accept Him as LORD and Saviour.

So in keeping with that, we do not have to fear world events either as we await for Jesus to come back for us. The Rapture will be instantaneous, as will be our death should He take us Home with Him through that means.

Let us not give in to fear with current events and pandemics, but live in peace and security. That security and peaceful assurance is yours too, if you accept Christ as your Saviour.

We are loved by God and are His Children forever. Eternally His. Instantly.

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. Luke 23:42-43

We are His faithful Bride!

So much is happening worldwide right now with nearly every country impacted with the Corona Virus.

Most countries are being put under lockdown but that doesn't preclude us from reaching out to each other via the internet and phone.

It is no light thing to say that even unbelievers are saying the world is coming to an end: it certainly is a time of darkness and fear.

It hasn't taken God by surprise and He hasn't kept it secret that in the end times before He comes for us, His Church, His Bride, that troublesome times will come.

We have church meetings cancelled as well as secular events in an attempt to curtail the spread of this virus. It is as if Satan wants to stop the Word of God being preached and of people being within ear shot if it is.

What he forgets is that WE Christians are the Church. It's not a building or hall. It's every true believer. His Holy Spirit dwells in us and there is no way God's Word will be silenced.

Let us pray for boldness and anointing to preach and speak the Word. How can we from home? you ask. By posting uplifting pictures with scripture. By blogging about God if you blog. By posting of Christ in your Face Book groups.

Let us be Christ's Hands and Mouth and turn this evil pandemic into the biggest opportunity in recent times of reaching the lost for Jesus!

Make no mistake: we are in the end times and the next event on the Christian calendar is the Rapture! We want to take as many as possible with us, but it depends on us as Christ's Church and Bride to continue to live fearless lives and preach the Word. We are not the Holy Spirit, but we can have people hear the Word that plants the seed for the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts.

Rise up, both normal and chronically ill believers and proclaim in any way you can that Jesus is coming soon. We may be ill, but we are faithful! A faithful Bride and Church of Jesus!

He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Ephesians 5:23-30

Staying home with impunity

impunity. If doing something usually results in punishment, but you do it with impunity, you will not be punished for the deed. ... The noun, impunity, comes from the Latin roots im- ("not") plus poena ("punishment"), a root which has also produced the word pain. Impunity, then, is the freedom from punishment or pain.

So, most of us have had to stay home because of the Corona Virus. Homemaking, home cooked meals, bread making and other homemaking skills have come to the fore and we have been forced to reconnect with our family. Depending on the state of the marriage, most marriages have been reenergised as well.

Homeschooling here in Australia has seen a lot of mothers scratching their heads as they tried to come to terms with new teaching methods since they were at school. Homeschooling and running a home plus often tending to younger children is looked at with new respect for not only teachers, but homeschooling mothers. It is good, but often difficult.

Mothers who work outside the home are encouraged to work from home if at all possible, and this has presented them with more problems. Childcare, domestic duties and so on cannot be compartmentalised: the poor working mother has suddenly got to juggle it all..

It is quite ironic that once we stay at home wives and mothers were looked down upon, but now are held in esteem because we do stay home. Not for the first time, too, mothers who work outside the home are remembering how much work they did actually do at home before they worked in outside employment. And according to statistics, they are often quite prepared to stay home if it were possible...

Staying home at the moment with quarantine in place is wearing a bit thin- especially for those folks whose job has ceased due to infection worries, or whose business has failed for the same reason. It is increasingly harder to find money to keep bread and butter on the table.

In an effort to stop the spread of Rona, the powers that be have decided that staying at home is the new vogue and that those who don't face fines and/or prison..

This new development has seen women encouraged to stay home instead of being looked down upon as a non productive member of society. Suddenly we are hailed as heroes...

Perhaps when Rona has run its' course and workplaces open again, we will look back and fondly remember the time when housewives were appreciated and we were staying at home with impunity.

Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. Isaiah 26:20

Any age is precious in God's sight.

So my husband, Chris has been in Emergency at our local hospital a few days ago. Nothing major, just getting his insulin sorted. A registrar who was looking after him popped her head in and asked him a question that floored us.

"In light of your age, we need to know if something happened to you, God forbid, do you want us to perform CPR? Yes? well then I need to inform you of possible side effects of that!.... if your heart stops and we have to do CPR, there's a possibility that you could have fractured ribs or sternum. If your brain has been starved of oxygen for any length of time, you could end up a vegetable..." "At which point, you can then pull the plug!" I interjected.... "Very well, that has been noted!" and then she exited with her paperwork that Chris had signed....

We just looked at each other with open mouths, quite incredulous at what she implied. "In light of your age.." Chris is 69 nearly 70, which is certainly not that old in my book. The implications were that as we are closer to 70 than 60, we are ready to fall off our perch and are not considered of enough value to fight to save.

With recent hospitalisations of my family- aged 67 and over- the reports have been that compassion is lacking. There is a distinct lack of compassionate care which is starkly obvious when compared to past years as a younger patient. Even my (then) 80 year old aunt always said that they let the old ones die. I considered that a gross exaggeration: now I am not so sure.

Our younger generation are being brought up on the idea that the older people in society are a blight on their economy and are easily disposable. Seventy years of age is the cut off point for their tolerance and forbearance. The inference is just go on and die and get it over with!

The government in Australia is phasing in the aged pension only to workers of seventy years of age. In fact, instead of the previous 65 year retirement age, I was made to wait until I was 65.5! Others will have to wait until they are 67 to retire and get a pension: a pension to which they have contributed all their working life. They are aiming to eventually make retirement age 70!

It is interesting that we Australians are considered able to work till 70 but are classified as old and at risk of dying from complications of Corona Virus at over 60! Maybe the young ones would prefer we start dying off at 60? We can't encumber them with more expense or taxing of the health services!

It seems to me that the most vulnerable of society: the unborn and the aged, are getting phased out of their right to live. This just leaves us a window of acceptable longevity from birth to 60 if we are lucky.

There is no delight in a baby's impending birth or compassion for the ill retiree: we are worthless in society and therefore totally disposable.

From the womb to the grave, our worth in the world is based on someone's warped opinion of us. If we don't measure up to standard, we are terminated or encouraged to roll over and die.

Prophecy is unfolding just as foretold: the love of many has grown cold as the love of money has increased. The unborn and aged are precious only in God's sight.

His judgement of us is that we are valuable from conception to death..... Maranatha, Lord Jesus! We are precious in God's sight at any age!

Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:32 and The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness Proverbs 16:31

The stuff dreams are made of

With all that's happening at the moment with the Corona Virus, the events worldwide sometimes make me think I am dreaming and will soon wake up.

But of course I don't wake up because it's real and the world is still coping with stopping Rona spreading further. The dream is more like a nightmare.

I am finding the state of lockdown, infection control and data regarding new cases and deaths, surreal. It's like something one would expect at the end of the world. Pandemic. Fear. Death. Confusion.

With a start, I realise that this may not be the end of the world, but it is prophetic. Pandemics and wars, people growing cold and heartless and thinking just of themselves are indeed prophesised as the beginning of the birth pains.

Birth pains that will grip humanity and shake the world before the coming of the LORD and His Saints for the judgment of unrepentant sinners.

All scripture points towards Jesus receiving His Bride- the Church of believers soon. It's the blessed hope we are told to await eagerly.

Now is the time to be awake- the Rapture is by all accounts, imminent. Jesus is coming for us soon.

And as we look around and see the beginning of the birth pains, we can see that staying here is not so attractive: that would be a nightmare for real.

But looking up and waiting for Jesus to come for us is the end of that awful dream for us as believers: we are not appointed for the wrath of God.

A heavenly mansion awaits us with eternity spent with our LORD. His Word is our promise. The believer's future is bright and full of hope and is the stuff dreams are made of.

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:1-2

So grateful tonight

So I have lit the lamps and drawn our drapes. The air outside is cold but our home is warm. The smell of cooking still hangs in the air: a fragrant reminder of a lovely meal eaten in quiet enjoyment.

We watch the flames of our fire and give in to reflection of the day. It has been a good day. With full tummies and grateful hearts, we hold hands and talk. There is contentment in our hearts and words.

Outside we have people in the front lines of health and security- police, doctors, ambulance workers in essential fields of service that ensure our well being and standard of living are taken care of. They are heroes.

But the peace inside our home is closely guarded as we turn off endless news programs and feeds in social media of conspiracy theories and death tolls and predictions regarding the Corona Virus.

We know they are there, but they are not welcome in our home. Our thoughts are brought into the captivity of Christ. We think only of that which is true and good.

As we prepare to retire soon, we are grateful for electric blankets and soft pillows and even for the little cat who loves to snuggle with her family. So many the world over are living in fear of death from this virus, and many are homeless. We are blessed.

As I hold Chris's hand, I am grateful for the absence of violence in my life, for many are living in a place that isn't safe and this isolation for them is far more than inconvenient: it is dangerous.

We invite the Holy Spirit to fill our home, and I refuse to allow anxiety to weigh my heart and mind down: God has us in His Hand and even if I were to contract Rona, He would do what He wills with me. I am ready to go Home in illness or in the imminent Rapture.

Tonight, when I turn off my bedside lamp to go to sleep, I will say what I say every time before I go to sleep or under the knife in surgery: "Father, into Your Hands I commit my spirit!"

And I will fall asleep knowing that God has all things under control. I am so grateful tonight!

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Staying busy

In the wake of the Corona Virus, comes anxiety and fear for the future and for a lot of us-(let's be honest-most of us), we don't know what to do with our days.

Being at home is both exciting and challenging and it can leave us unsure of what to do and how to handle it.

My friend, Mrs Sylvia Britton of Christian HomeKeeper is a very gifted writer. She has blessed me so much with writing her Lists for the chronically ill woman. I follow them most days and they have helped me so much for many years now.

Sylvia graciously allowed me to post her Lists here and on my other blog and I am eternally grateful.

Recently she has written a post which is so very helpful for us concerning coping with isolation and the Corona Virus. Once again, she has graciously allowed me to share this with you. Thanks again, my friend.

Here is what she wrote:

We’ve been in semi-isolation because of covid19 for 4 weeks today. It is very similar to how we live our lives as older, semi-retired people. So, we’re not doing too badly here. I do miss my children coming ’round and I miss all the sweet little grandchildren being here.

It is a little harder for my husband who is newly without a job from being laid off. I say newly, but he’s been without work for 6 moths now. Still, it’s new for him, he has worked all our married lives and longer. So, I think it is a little harder for him to adjust. I, on the other hand have been ‘at home’ for over 35 years.

Since I am an old hand at being at home, I have a work flow, a way of doing things and getting things done, resting, participating in hobbies, chatting with friends online and then doing more work, that he is just now developing for himself. But in all, we’re staying busy.

This is the key to being content during this strange time in our world: staying busy. You remember of course that old saying that idle hands are the devil’s workshop? I also believe that an idle mind is his workshop.

But by staying busy I don’t necessarily mean work, work, work til you drop! What I mean is, your mind needs to be occupied with noble thoughts and good things instead of worry and sin.

It is possible to go sit under the tree outside and rest and still be busy with positive and good things.

Don’t dwell on tomorrow.

Don’t worry about yesterday.

Don’t stress that you can’t do more today.

Just do what you have in front of you to do.

It might be dishes, preparing a meal. It may be reading a book or drawing a picture.

Write that letter.

So, stay busy friends. Find some project that you would like to have done at your house or in your self and work on it. Whether it is a puzzle that has sat on the shelf for too long or cleaning out a room, starting a new Bible study or weeding a flower bed, now is the time to do it.

This will all end and you’ll be able to do more, go places and enjoy friends again. In the mean time, do what you can and do it well.

Wise words and so encouraging. If you want to be encouraged and are a Christian woman, you might want to join her FaceBook group: Christian Homekeepers

Blessings, Glenys

Everyone helped his neighbor, And said to his brother, “Be of good courage!” Isaiah 41:6

I see love

Because of Rona and us being made to stay at home, I have had to ring people instead of going to see them. Although through necessity I had to make a few stops off at places of business this week.

People are keeping well back and practising social distancing at the post office and chemist. There has been almost a camaradie in people I talk to from business people to customers in the chemist.

They have been respectful and maintained their distance but did make eye contact and smiled. Whether in person like that or on the phone, the conversation has always ended with being told to be safe and take care!

I would return the smile and admonish them to do the same, and somehow this interaction lifted my spirits.

Why did it lift me up? you ask. Because in that kind admonition to stay safe and take care, I see the fear that truthfully we all are experiencing in one degree or another.

I also see that people generally have taken on board the complexity of this hidden enemy and the need to be cautious and careful.

There is concern in strangers' voices as they say this in parting, and it resonates in the spirit like the greetings and admonishment at Christmas to have a happy one.

I see something deeper in these admonishments: I see the milk of human kindness. The acknowledgment that we all are frail against this foe and a wish for each other to overcome and live.

It's a recognition that we are all equally vulnerable but equally precious. It's more than words that I hear: I see love!

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:2

Are you a delightful cuppa?

Troubling times bring out the best or worst in us. We are all like tea bags sitting in pretty tea cups waiting to be filled with water to make delicious tea.

We all have the tea leaf of our favourite tea in our bag. But add lukewarm water, and we sit largely untouched and of little use or pleasure to the tea maker.

By adding boiled water, we release the flavour that delights the tea maker and is pleasant to the palate.

In our trials, whatever they are, God does not sit aloof but watches with the love of a father to see how we will react. He wants us to turn to Him in our times of trouble and to trust Him.

Because of His great love for each of us personally, His eye of concern is on us and how we respond. He wants our response to be one of childlike faith. We don't have to understand everything.

It is easy for us to be confident and loving and trusting when little heat is in the water of adversity- but what happens to us when the boiling water of long and extremely harrowing trials come our way?

Do we allow the boiling waters of adversity to steep us in faith, love and trust- or do we give up on our faith and run from God, boiling but lacking tea in our bag?

I don't know anyone who isn't touched by this latest trial in the form of Corona Virus, and I don't know why God allowed it and hasn't intervened. But I can say that even though we are afraid at times, that God is not idly sitting by or caught by surprise. He is calling us to Him.

He is watching our reaction, and the world is watching us. How we react to adversity is the benchmark of how much tea is in our bag. Jesus wants us to overcome fear and find our strength through Him.

We don't need much tea: in fact a mustard seed size of faith is enough to move mountains. But we must have tea or we will be useless to others and a misery to ourself because we have no peace.

Let us resolve to keep tea in our bag and to allow the boiling water of adversity to make us stronger! Let's keep close to the Teamaker and be a delight to Him as we lean on Him with the eyes of faith instead of fear.

We want to be steeping in strength through clinging to Jesus! Are you a delightful cuppa?

"The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders." Deuteronomy 33:12

She's coming home!

Our granddaughter works as an entertainer on a big cruise ship and has been unable to get back to Australia for weeks. All the passengers have disembarked but the crew had to stay onboard.

With more than two weeks with no one getting the Corona Virus, our granddaughter has finally been given permission to disembark and get a flight home.

But that doesn't mean we will see her soon. Not only are we in quarantine, but she must be taken to a nearby hotel in Melbourne in quarantine for two more weeks.

But at least she will be back in the country. All the family can then breathe a sigh of relief.

It would appear that the curve of new cases is flattening, but there's still a lot of time left to stay in isolation.

We can only do what we are told and pray that God allows the pestilence to dissipate quickly.

Until our granddaughter touches down in Australia, we will be fervently praying that she travels easily without picking the virus up.

With all the doom and gloom, it is heartening to know that she's coming home!

Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. Isaiah 26:20

Only His shoulders can carry us through

We are living in a time of global tribulation. Pestilence in the form of the Corona Virus is frightening most of the world and those who aren't taking it seriously are fools. It is a time to sit and ask yourself where your faith lies.

Certainly we can have faith in doctors and nurses who risk their own lives to save those who succumb to this virus. But they cannot save everyone.

We can have faith in the governments of the world who try to contain it. But even so, it is proving difficult.

We need to take on board that God has us all in His Hand. All we can do is comply with what the authorities are telling us to do and trust that God will allow the virus to dissipate quickly with minimum loss of life.

We can only take on the problems of today... and we can only overcome by acknowledging that God is in control, even when it seems that He is not. He is never taken by surprise.

Jesus told us that we would have tribulation in the world and that sufficient unto the day are the problems of the day. We can't take on more than what we are doing in the present.

We must trust in Him Who bore the sins of the world upon His shoulders. Only His shoulders are broad enough for taking on eternity. We must relinquish our anxieties and trust in Him. He will keep us in safety and carry us through this troubling time.

Our shoulders can't take on more than the worries of today. Only His shoulders can carry us through.

Painting by Nathan Greene

"The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders." Deuteronomy 33:12

He works all things together for good

As you may recall, we were living in a RV fulltime for six months until my physical problems meant I became housebound. With great disappointment, we had to find another home to rent.

God blessed us so much with finding our cottage in the country. With selling or giving away all our furniture to live in the van, we had to buy furniture all over again, just like newlyweds.

Again, God blessed us by guiding us to places that allowed us to pay our furniture off through renting to own it or by doing Afterpay.

When we look out our back garden, we can see His Hand in all this. He knew what I was hungering for and graciously provided it in this cottage. I am a country girl at heart. Of course, He knew that!

It is not uncommon for me to sit watching the birds and taking it all in, and becoming overwhelmed with grateful tears to the LORD. I am a weird person who doesn't cry much in pain or adversity, but who cries with happiness.

With the Corona Virus, Chris and I have been thinking how God blessed us by having us get out of the fifth wheeler and into a stable home. The government in Australia because of Rona, have shut down caravan parks, with only those with permanent homes given permission to stay. We would have had nowhere to go.

Just the other day Chris said it was a blessing in disguise that I tore my meniscus in my knee and we had to go back to renting. We agreed that God planned this for us as of course He wasn't taken by surprise with this Virus.

Also, I might add, since moving out of the fifth wheeler, my knee has improved dramatically. With all that has happened recently, it is evident to us that God has had His Hand on us all this time. What seemed like a disappointment has been turned into a blessing.

This has just deepened our faith and our hearts are swelled with gratitude and praise.

It is good to remember that when one door closes, another one opens. God works all things together for good for those who love Him.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

It's not just me!

I am not the sort of person who sits taking her pulse all the time, but since this Corona Virus outbreak, that has changed.

Now every time I cough or feel wheezy, I freak- am I hot? no. Do I have a sore throat? no. Honestly, I am over myself!

But truly, it's not just about me, though goodness knows, I don't want Rona. But I don't want to share it- not with Chris or anyone else.

I have been a little wheezy the last few days and the doggy in the pic is what I look like. But honestly, if it wasn't for this current situation, I wouldn't think twice about it. I have been wheezy like that many times.

Poor Chris gets The Look when he wants a kiss. Do I risk it? even if it's a one in a million chance that I have got Rona? He says he doesn't care and we kiss. Then I feel anxious. Even though the chance that I would test positive is about the same as me winning the lottery!

When I am FaceTiming my kids and I cough: this is the look they give me! And that's just on the phone!

Rona's got us all bluffed and anxious and I know I am not alone. But meanwhile, I take my pulse and temperature and reassure everyone who Skypes me that I am OK.

Then I cough, and this wall comes up along with eyebrows and I see once again: they too are anxious and it's not just me!

Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. Isaiah 26:20

I guess I am essential too!

In Australia, we've just had that debate about what's essential. With this Corona Virus, we are at stage 3 which means we must stay home unless it's essential work and if we meet in groups of more than 2 people, we will be fined $1600 on the spot.

Weddings with no more than 5 people: bride, groom, celebrant and two witnesses. No more than 10 at a funeral. And one is the deceased!

It got me thinking about what is really essential. You know, in jobs and in relationships as well. I think for me, keeping a grateful heart for what we have, not focussing on what we've lost is essential.

For me, loving Chris, loving my home and loving God is essential. Living in the present is essential to mental health as well. So to me, hugging and loving our family at home is essential now.

Keeping in touch with family during this time of isolation is also essential to alleviate anxiety and missing them. Likewise, keeping up with prayer and Bible reading is essential always, but more so in a time of trouble. We need to keep the faith and remember the promises of God.

Home has never truly meant more than now with us needing to isolate ourselves and it is up to us wives and mothers to keep the homefires burning.

Essentially keeping the home a welcoming and cosy place to come aside and allow this pestilence to pass is no small thing. I am taking this very seriously.

We won't hear it in the media, but housewives are essential in keeping up morale in families.

Therefore, I guess I am essential too!

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17b-18

Get some sun and air

Fresh air and sunshine are important elements for good health. Even though we are mostly self-isolating due to the Corona Virus, it is still essential to get ample fresh air and sun.

History has shown us that people who were taken outdoors to convalesce following surgery or during an illness such as tuberculosis, generally fared better than those kept in dark musty rooms.

Convalescant homes by the sea were very popular and the seaside still is known for its' therapeutic properties.

Although we must stay at home, it would be very salubrious to go outdoors if you have a garden, or sit and read by an open window if it is possible.

Staying at home isn't existing for two or so weeks in a dank dark room. See if you can get some sun and air.

Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. Isaiah 26:20