Author: Carol Gibbs

In this year 2020, may you be blessed with: 

Vision to see the people on your path, 

A listening ear,

A mind absent of judgement,

And a heart to respond with love.

Happy New Year!! 

Many Blessings, Carol Marchant Gibbs

Stories Changing Lives

Merry Christmas! 

The Christmas season is a beautiful time of year. The lights, the singing, the celebrations and memories of the past, give us a new sense of thankfulness and joy. We have a greater awareness of God and His love for us.

And yet, at the very same time, there are those who are struggling under the weight of hardship, sickness, and loss. It can be difficult to experience the joy of the season when you are feeling crushed by circumstances. Some are burdened and many feel lost and alone. Their season is not so joyful

But, in the midst of it all “God came down.” God entered the world to not only show us His love, but to show us how to love one another. 

During this season of joy, remember those whose lives are filled with challenges and respond with love. Sometimes loving others requires surrender; a surrender of time and material possessions.

This season, find special ways to brighten the lives of others. Be the Presence of the Holy One.

Peace to you,

Carol Marchant Gibbs

An incredible canvas stretches across the world. 

Vibrant colors and textures reflect the beauty of every being. 

All different but each carrying a light within. 

The imprint of the Creator. 

Stories Changing Lives

Not everyone grows up having an artist for a father. My dad was a brilliant and exceptionally talented man. During the day, he used his talent to produce commercial art, but outside of those hours, he would create amazing masterpieces. Each masterpiece was done with intention to communicate something special from deep within his heart. He painted with passion using oils, acrylic and watercolor paints, and sketched with pencil and charcoal. Every piece was unique and a reflection of his love for the world around him. 

I imagine God’s creation of our world to be very similar. From a colorful palette, every living being was intentionally created, all unique and beautiful. Out of the depths of His heart a collection of masterpieces was created by His hand.

This week, take time to recognize the beauty of creation. Value the amazing diversity of the world around you. Everything was intentionally created with love. 

Stories Changing Lives!

Love reaches through the trees of my life and warms my heart.

I am stilled by the power of Your Presence.

My eyes close to rest and I behold Your greatness.

You have captured me by Your love and I am at peace.

Stories Changing Lives

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,

and to the republic for which it stands,

one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”

The pledge to the flag was probably one of the earliest passages I memorized in grade school. I had no idea of the meaning of it in my early years, but it was part of the morning ritual, along with the announcements, so I recited it with everyone else.    

Originally written by Francis Bellamy, a socialist Baptist minister, in August 1892, the pledge was created to be used by any country. Bellamy believed in the “absolute separation of church and state,” so the original form of the pledge was as follows: 

“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

The pledge has gone through two additional modifications through the years. The “United States of America” was added in 1923. In response to the  threat of war with the Communists in 1954, President Eisenhower requested that Congress add the words “under God”.  This has become the pledge that we recite today.

I love this country, and as I read through this very short passage that was intended to symbolize America, I have so many questions. Does this pledge truly represent what I have witnessed over my lifetime? Do we live as though we are “one nation under God?” Are we “indivisible”… living in unity? Are people actually free to live without oppressive restrictions… in “liberty”? Are people really being treated fairly… and “justice for all”? 

Let’s live in a way that makes the pledge a reality.

Stories Changing Lives

I spend a great deal of my time listening to people and sometimes, I am a really good listener. If I concentrate, I can simply listen and wait for the person to complete their thoughts before I respond. But… I don’t always. I can resist the urge to interject a word of encouragement or a solution. But… I don’t always do that either. It’s difficult to hear of someone’s pain and not offer a word, hoping that your similar life experience might be encouraging to them. Sometimes people need that kind of encouragement. Other times, people just want to be heard, to verbally process, to evaluate their situation out loud with someone. They just want someone to listen. People are encouraged when you care to spend time with them. You don’t always have to have all the answers. 

This can be especially true with grown children. As parents, our desire to swoop in and fix the situation is a huge challenge, no matter how large or small the issue. After all, we did that constantly when they were young. We mentally take out the “bandaids and ointment” hoping to bring healing to their affliction, when all they wanted was to share and have you listen…not to offer a solution. 

I am definitely not perfect at this… but I do find that more than not, when people share with me, I try to ask more questions than offer suggestions. “What can I do to help?” 

This week, as you spend time with others, give the gift of listening. Ask questions. Wait for the invitation to speak into a life…it is a gift when given without expectation.  

Stories Changing Lives! 

Carol Marchant Gibbs

My husband and I have had the distinct pleasure of raising two sons. They are 16 ½ months apart in age, and though their little personalities were distinctly different, we assumed that their interests would be similar. So, when they were young, we enrolled them in activities we believed every little boy loved; baseball, basketball, and gymnastics. 

For a while, they seemed like they both loved what they were involved in because they always went along happily. We thought that their different approaches to activities was just reflective of their personalities. But, there were signals along the way that revealed that our very unique children could possibly have different interests. Our older son was quite the athlete and took sports very seriously, even at a young age. Our younger son, though he was very coordinated and even exceptional at gymnastics, had a different approach to sports. He would sit in the outfield and lace wild flowers through his baseball glove. When I would call to him to “get in the game, Jer”, he would smile with delight, wave his glove, and stand up in the field. Flowers still laced.

The light went on one day when my husband related a conversation he had with a friend on a business trip who was sharing stories about his twins. He spoke about their differences, different interests, and how he and his wife offered diverse opportunities to help them identify their curiosities. We really were very attentive parents and realized at that moment that we had lived under the assumption that our two very different little boys would like the same things. Fortunately, they were still very young, ages four and five, so we didn’t totally miss the boat on parenting. We started to expose them to an array of experiences in hopes that it would reveal a special interest or talent…and it did. As we studied our sons’ curiosities and talents, we discovered that they did have a few similar interests in common, as well as some very different ones. From that moment on, our boys did not just play sports. The arts became much more a part of our lives and our children thrived.

We can have a lot of assumptions about people…even our own children that are the closest to us. Take time to listen to someone’s heart this week. You may be surprised by what you learn about them.  

Stories changing lives!

When I was a young mom, my mother-in-law had a saying, “Don’t put up your umbrella before it rains”. Having a propensity to worry, this saying really spoke to my heart and has been a wonderful reminder throughout my life. 

When we worry, we can spend much of life thinking about things that never really happen. It can become a tremendous burden, and if you’ve ever carried an umbrella for a long period of time, you understand how exhausting that can be. The worst part is that carrying an umbrella of worry can prevent us from seeing the beautiful blue skies above. 

Many of us carry umbrellas if we have been hurt in the past. There was great pain in leaving our church of 25 years. Our family was no longer welcome because our younger son is gay. This has created some wounding that has manifested itself in my present life, three years later. I have found it difficult to fully commit to another church. Oh, I can attend a church regularly and even serve on a team, but stepping into the life of the church has been a real challenge for me. I could be hurt again. The “What ifs…?” remind me of the potential for future hurt. But… if we spend our lives protecting ourselves from the “what ifs”, are we really living? Can we receive all that God has for us?

Jesus never mentions umbrellas in the bible but He does speak about worry. Worry is an obstacle to living fully but we don’t have to live that way.  I am finding that when I take a step forward in faith and trust in God’s love for me, I am empowered to resist the urge to protect my heart. I may have an umbrella clenched in my fingers some days, but it remains closed most of the time.

This week, don’t let worry be your guide. Live life to the fullest trusting in His love for you. Check out the blue skies!! 

Stories Changing Lives!

Carol Marchant Gibbs

Have you ever driven somewhere and wondered how you even got there? You were so deep in thought that you allowed your GPS to guide the way, barely seeing anything before you? Everything is a complete blur and yet you actually arrive at your destination in one piece. How does that happen? It’s as if the world has become invisible, all except for the road ahead. 

We can walk through our entire lives this way, failing to see what is all around us. So overwhelmed with activity, we can miss the people and experiences along the way. We desire to connect with a divine purpose but the rate at which we are moving causes us to miss that as well. 

Why do we live this way? I think there are several  reasons for this but the primary reason is fear. Many of us believe that there is value in being “busy”. I can’t tell you how many times I have inquired about someone’s life, to have them respond with “Busy. I am so busy.” We often wear that as a badge of honor. If we slow down we are no longer productive or have the same value.

I, also, believe that being busy can help us avoid things we do not want to address. Stopping to “see” might cost us something; time, money, or even heartache. When we do stop to engage, we may not know what to say or do. So, we press on in the cycle of busyness. It feels familiar there. 

I want to challenge each of us this week to dump the GPS. Take time to pause and notice the world around you. There are people out there that need to be seen. The landscape is filled with much beauty. Take time to see it. 

Stories Changing Lives

Carol Marchant Gibbs