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Dana Rongione 03/06/2024 Dana Rongione 03/06/2024

Journey Through the Middle

Have you ever felt stuck in a rut? Like a hamster on the wheel, you’re going through the motions but not really making any progress. I’ve been there. In fact, I’m there right now, and it can be discouraging, to say the least. But here's the thing: Sometimes, being stuck in a rut is a necessary step toward where God wants us to be. Just look at the story of Joseph.

Joseph was thrown into a pit by his brothers and sold into slavery. He ended up in Potipher's house, where he was eventually falsely accused and thrown into prison. But even in prison, Joseph rose to the top. He became the keeper of the prison, overseeing all the other prisoners.

Dana Rongione 30/05/2024 Dana Rongione 30/05/2024

From “If Only” to “Thank You”

Have you ever caught yourself saying, "If only I had done this" or "If only I had said that"? I know I have. It's easy to get caught up in the "if only" game, especially when facing a difficult situation or looking back on a mistake we've made.

But here's the thing about "if only”—it's a trap. It keeps us stuck in the past, dwelling on what could have been instead of focusing on what is. And it can rob us of the joy and peace God wants us to have in the present.

That's why I'm trying to replace "if only" with two different words: “Thank you.” Instead of dwelling on what could have been, I'm choosing to be thankful for what is. And I'm finding that it makes all the difference.

Dana Rongione 27/05/2024 Dana Rongione 27/05/2024

Rooted Downward and Bearing Fruit Upward

“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward:” - Isaiah 37:31 KJV.

As I reflect on Isaiah 37:31, I can't help but be reminded of the significance of anchoring ourselves in the Word of God. Just as a tree needs strong roots to grow and flourish, so must we be firmly rooted in the truth of God's Word.

When we read, study, and meditate on the Bible, we nourish our souls and allow the Lord to shape and mold us. We also equip ourselves to bear fruit that will last, both in our own lives and in the lives of those around us.

Dana Rongione 23/05/2024 Dana Rongione 23/05/2024

When Screens Go Dark, Look to the Light

Last week, during our ladies’ retreat, my computer screen (projecting the various songs, Scripture, and images on the wall) kept timing out and going dark. I knew there was a simple setting to stop it from doing that, but I couldn’t find it for the life of me. Jason looked for it with equally fruitless results. I googled it, but that only resulted in information about changing particular settings that weren’t even showing up on my computer. Good grief!

On the second day, I was nearly at my wit’s end, so I did another search and stumbled upon another option to try. Lo, and behold, after selecting a single option, there was the simple click I’d been looking for.

Dana Rongione 20/05/2024 Dana Rongione 20/05/2024

From Bad to Worse

As Jason and I drove toward our house after the lovely ladies' retreat last week, we were surprised to see freshly painted white lines on our street. As I mentioned in a recent post, our quiet little road had been under construction, and it looked like the workers had finally finished up Stage One, leaving behind a gravelly, dusty mess. Gazing out the car window, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The road was still rough and gravelly, and the freshly painted lines seemed to mock me as we bumped along. Evidently, Stage Two (the painting of the lines) was also the completion of the project.

"Honestly," I muttered to Jason, "I think the road was better before they started all this construction. What was the point?"

Jason just chuckled and patted my hand. "Sometimes, Dana, things have to get worse before they can get better."

Dana Rongione 16/05/2024 Dana Rongione 16/05/2024

Falling for Jesus

Yesterday, while out walking my furry companion, Tess, I found myself in a bit of a pickle. One minute, I was strolling along, deep in prayer, and the next, I was sprawled out on the pavement like a clumsy giraffe on roller skates. I have no idea what happened—one second, I was vertical, and the next, I was horizontal.

As I sat there in the middle of the road, nursing my wounded pride and trying to figure out if anything was broken, I couldn't help but laugh and cry at the absurdity of it all. I mean, really? Out of all the things that could've happened, I managed to take a tumble while praying. Talk about irony!

Dana Rongione 13/05/2024 Dana Rongione 13/05/2024

Letting Love Fuel Your Ministry

Springtime in Wales is no joke! We go from zero to a hundred in the blink of an eye. One minute, we're bundled up and sipping hot cocoa by the fire, and the next, we're running around like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to keep up with all the events and activities.

Don't get me wrong, I love being part of this vibrant ministry, but sometimes, it can be downright exhausting. This year, I found myself stretched thin like butter scraped over too much bread (to borrow a Bilbo Baggins-ism).

Between the ladies' luncheon, the Easter outreaches, the ladies' retreat, the music for each service, the weekly Bible study, and the seemingly endless stream of meetings, planning sessions, and flyer creations, I was starting to feel like a hamster on a wheel—running, running, running, but never really getting anywhere.

Dana Rongione 09/05/2024 Dana Rongione 09/05/2024

Compassion Over Judgement

How often do we find ourselves judging others, making assumptions about their lives, motivations, and choices? It's an all too common human tendency, one that can breed misunderstanding, resentment, and conflict if left unchecked. Yet, when we take a step back and consider the complexities of each individual's circumstances, might we not find more compassion and empathy within ourselves? After all, we’re all struggling to make it through this maze called life, just with different circumstances and choices.

It's easy to look at someone else's life and think, "Well, if I were them, I'd be doing things differently. I'd be working harder, making better choices, living more righteously." We see a snapshot of their journey and assume we know the whole story.

Dana Rongione 06/05/2024 Dana Rongione 06/05/2024

From Gravel to Grace

Road construction can be a real pain! Over the past week, there's been a whole crew working on the street right in front of my house. It started off with them just patching up some of the rougher spots and potholes. Jackhammers going off at the crack of dawn, dump trucks rumbling by every five minutes. It was chaos!

The next thing I knew, they were reworking the entire road surface, leaving a bed of loose gravel in their wake. Suddenly, our once-decent road became this rocky, uneven mess. Driving on it is like navigating an off-road course, and our poor car is taking a beating.

Dana Rongione 02/05/2024 Dana Rongione 02/05/2024

The Illusion of Greener Pastures

Have you ever driven by a sheep farm and seen those silly sheep with their heads stuck through the fence, munching away at the grass on the other side? I see it all the time here in Wales, and it always makes me chuckle. I mean, come on, sheep! The grass is the same on your side of the fence. But for some reason, the stuff just out of reach always seems greener, doesn't it?

As humans, we're not that different from those woolly creatures, are we? We've got this bad habit of ignoring the blessings right in front of us and instead reaching for things that are out of our grasp. We're never quite satisfied with what we have.

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Dana Rongione