I Wondered Why

by Kay Heitsch

After doing some shoveling today, I decided to take a little walk around our neighborhood. As I was walking past a neighbor's home, I noticed the ramp outside their front door. I wondered why.

I kept walking when I saw a woman and a little girl walking towards me. As we walked closer, we recognized each other. It was my neighbor, Jen, who had the ramp in front of her home.

I was so happy to see her. We hadn't seen each other in a long time. Many years before, we had actually worked together in the same facility. I asked Jen why they had the ramp going into her home.

Much to my surprise, Jen told me her husband had had a stroke. I was shocked as they both were young enough to be my children.

We started to chat. I mentioned how Todd would be around her husband's age. Jen said she didn't know anything about Todd. This gave me a perfect opportunity to share how God had brought many positive things out of Todd's death.

We gave each other an air hug, and we were on our way. I was almost home when she drove by. Jen stopped and thanked me for the chat. I told her I would bring her over the book, Have A Great Day-Every Day! by Norman V. Peale with my story in it.

I wondered why the ramp. Now I know why I decided to take a little walk. God gave me another opportunity to share His love.

Let the SON Shine!

by Kay Heitsch

When I gave my life to the Lord, I asked Him to please bring something positive out of our son Todd's death. It's interesting to see how God used the words, "Let the SON Shine!" to do that!

Todd died in a car accident on a Saturday. To replace a negative with a positive, I began sending out encouraging emails on Saturday. I gave them the title, Let the SON Shine!

When I started on Facebook, I began playing a game called Farm Town. I met some beautiful people playing this game. I gave my farm the name, Let the SON Shine! Not everyone understood the meaning of the word. Several people thought I had spelled SON wrong. This misunderstanding allowed me to share my testimony.

Our youngest son Brandon helped me to start this blog where I could write, store, and share the unique experiences God has given me. As we know, I called this blog, Let the SON Shine! I've had the opportunity to use my blog to share many stories of how God has brought positive things out of Todd's death.

A couple of months after Todd's death, an ad was in the local newspaper asking people to become Boosters for area children. With my husband Bill's encouragement, we became Boosters to several children who needed a positive influence in their lives. When I was asked when I wanted to pick up our first child, I replied, "Saturday at 1:00." I believed this was the time Todd had died. Picking Ricky up when I thought Todd died gave me another opportunity to bring something positive out of Todd's death and Let the SON Shine!

Every day I post inspirational devotionals on Facebook and on Kay's Insights 4 Living. These are other ways God has brought something positive out of Todd's death, and I can Let the SON Shine!

The Best Plan for You

by Kay Heitsch

How many times do we look at someone else's life and think we need to do what they are doing? Somehow, we figure if we did what they were doing, we would have the same result.

Years ago, I visited a nursing home once a week. I would pass out candy and hugs. My friend, Betty, knew I was going to this nursing home, and she said, "I think maybe I should do what you are doing. But I don't like going to nursing homes. I feel uncomfortable."

For some reason, Betty thought since I enjoyed going to this nursing home, she should do it too.

We don't all enjoy doing the same things. What one person does and seems to have a gift for is not something we may want. That's fine. We are not called to do what someone else is doing.

I love this Bible verse. The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." Psalms 32:8.

The Lord will guide us along the best pathway for our life. He will advise us and watch over us. God has a personal plan for our lives. We don't all have to do what someone else is doing to have a great life. God will guide, advise, and watch over each of us.

Grab Your Popcorn

by Kay Heitsch

It's time to sit back and watch the show! I couldn't get this thought out of my head today!

We are living in some exciting times. Every day when we wake up, we are not sure what the day will hold. I believe many of us are not one bit surprised at anything anymore.

We have a choice of how we're going to live. We can choose to live upset and stressed by all the chaos. Or we can choose to live each day by keeping our focus on the Lord and looking for the good.

Let's keep praying. Let's put everything, including ourselves, in the Lord's hands. Then let's grab some popcorn, sit back, and watch the show.

Why This Verse?

by Kay Heitsch

Today, I chose a verse from the Bible that may seem odd to some people because of the difficult time we are living in. I chose this verse because it helped me to understand I could choose to be happy, even in the most challenging times in our lives.

You see, at the time, our 16-year-old son had recently been killed in a car accident. I knew I wanted to move forward, but I wasn't going to if I didn't change my thinking.

Here is the Bible verse I typed out and put on the refrigerator. "This is the day which the LORD has made; let's rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 NASB

Did I feel like rejoicing? No, I did not! But to be strong and keep healthy mentally, physically, and spiritually I needed to choose to rejoice in each day.

Yes, we are going through some difficult times. Let's stay strong by choosing to rejoice and be glad in each day the Lord has made.

Good News

by Kay Heitsch

Years ago, I bought a cheap paperback Good News Bible. I needed some good news. I bought a highlighter at the same time.

The first thing I did was to write a Bible verse on the front page. I had no idea why I chose this verse at the time. Here's the verse, "Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end." Hebrew 12:2 TEV

The next thing I did was to hold the Bible to my face and pray. I asked the LORD to teach me what I needed to know. I did this every time before I opened the bible.

Amazingly I would open the bible to the same verse each time. This verse said, "What is truth?" I highlighted it! I remember saying under my breath, "Yup, this is what I need to know."

I didn't realize it at the time, but I was starting on a journey. I was learning so many things that were helping me in my daily life. I was also unlearning things I had been taught. I was so intrigued by what I was finding I wrote in the Bible, "If God meant for us to live life on our own, He wouldn't have given us this instruction book."

I began to put what I was reading into practice. I started to use the following verse when I needed confidence. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 Somehow, I knew it wasn't my strength, but it was through Christ that I was able to step out with confidence.

I was beginning to see why I was highlighting "in Him" and "through Him." Living an abundant life wasn't about me. It was about letting Christ live through me.

I remember well the night I highlighted this verse, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8 & 9.

As I look back on the verses I highlighted at the beginning of my journey, I now understand why. It is "in Him" and "through Him" that we live a life of eternal value. It's not about us and our works that we earn eternal life. It is a free gift of God.

The verse, "Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. Hebrew 12:2 TEV was precisely what I would need to do to grow in my faith.

One night I came upon this verse, "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 I was looking for the truth, and the truth in this book has set me free. Now that's good news!

Living an Abundant Life

 by Kay Heitsch

Life is a one-time offer. Use it well. ~Live a Great Life Quotes ~

I had never heard of living an abundant life until I read books by Dr. Norman V. Peale. Dr. Peale talked a lot about living and overcoming life. I was fascinated when I learned I could live this life right here on earth. I wanted this life! But I didn't understand how. It took me some time to understand, but I didn't give up.

Interestingly, I didn't have an interest in the Bible or God. However, as I read Dr. Peale's books, I was beginning to see how living an abundant life was directly related to the Bible. I was shocked!

I bought a Bible and started to highlight verses that seemed to speak directly to me. One particular verse spoke about this abundant life. It said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10 NLT

How much of my life had I allowed the thief to steal through worry, fear, and dread? Let's just say plenty! Now I could see that Jesus not only came to give me eternal life, but He came so I could have an abundant life right here on earth.

I'll admit, there are times when I still allow the thief to kill, steal, and destroy my life through wrong thinking. But I haven't given up! Because of this verse, I know that Jesus wants me to live an abundant life. I want to live the life that Jesus died to give me.