DONNA TURPIN - Blog

Prayer for the Daughter I Always Wanted (TM) - New Year, New Choices

12/31/2025

Three photos in today's post by Donna Turpin

Stay tuned, we are working on a new project. Stories of hope and resilience, the battle to survive confusion, people pleasing, and devastating repercussions, going from empty to overflowing with the mercy of Jesus. Learning to Prepare Love Praise (R) .

Have you been on a journey that seems bleak?
Are there curves and hills that seem endless?
Perhaps right now you only see a blip of light on the horizon?

Maybe you feel like the path is like a conveyor belt you can't get off.

You may be weary this New Year's Eve as you face weeks of clutter and chaos following shredded gift wrap, and late-night movie with pizza binges with friends and family. Maybe you're road weary as you do the sixth load of laundry preparing to return to work.

Whatever you are experiencing, I pray today you will know that you know Ephesians 3:20-21 is true. God can do more than we could ever dream, carrying us from empty to overflowing (TM), into new beginnings if we let Him.

This is my prayer for you, my dear reader. Lord, please use what You have entrusted to me to help this woman face her life with more courage and hope.

Please help her understand the power of learning to trust in You, Father God, when we can only see the next step, or half a mile to the bend in the road. And the power of owning choices, both good and bad.

Open her heart to realize learning is not a straight line. It took some hard hits before I learned true hope exists. Zigzags and re-starts, stumbles and falls, before I got back up to try again.

Prayer for the Daughter I Always Wanted...light on dark paths

12/27/2025

Photo by Donna Turpin

Photo by Laurie Christine

My Prayer for the Daughter I Always Wanted (TM)
As this year draws to a close, I am grateful for so many things.

The opportunity to share with you, my dear reader.
One more Christmas Eve candlelight service, transferring the light from the Christ candle inside the Advent wreath across generations, gathered in a circle.
The gift of Jesus to celebrate every day.
Friendship, the love of family, and this life of faith the Lord has grown in me.
And the light of Jesus shining brightest through the dark places, encouraging me to take one more step, then another, closer to Him and His promises.
Trusting Him when I am too scared to go alone, knowing He will come with me.
I pray you will feel His Presence wrapping you in His loving arms everywhere.

Sometimes a crowded room can be lonely. I've been there.
On the days you feel most hopeless or vulnerable, I pray love surrounds you in a safe place, especially in this holiday season.

I pray you receive simple gifts like the smile of a young child, the blessing of an older friend or neighbor, and simple acts of kindness like walking through an open door held as a courtesy. And you give back, a smile, a nod, a card.
May you expect the promises of God as He leads us each in unfamiliar ways, with gentle nudges. Opening our eyes to see the mercy and grace waiting for us on the other side of 2025.

Gown Girls Surprise

6/12/2023

I heard the metal locker slam as I exited the dressing room. Another of us had arrived after the barcode scan.

We assembled like clockwork daily for six weeks and took our seats in the inner waiting room, scantily clad in hospital gowns. At least, mine was six weeks.

Each radiation treatment plan was unique, like the chemo and surgery. A variety of types of cancer accompanied every lady. But we each fell somewhere on a sliding scale of fear to faith.

A light danced in the eyes of Dawn in particular as she said, "Welcome, Donna. What do you have to share today?" Barely seated, the technician called my name.

I wondered what music my treatment team would play this time. Sometimes they let me pick. Anything to help me relax and remain still as they raised my arms and locked me into position. then took their posts at the command center.

Sunsets and Sunrises

2/4/2020

Image by Angela C from Pixabay

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Image by (Joenomias) Menno de Jong from Pixabay

Embracing change
is often fueled by
our willingness to
shift perspective.

When we left the farm to move back to a metro suburb there were many changes.

I was thrilled to be reconnected to my husband after a 14-month time of transition for his new job and our property sale.

A vastly different lifestyle, environment and outlook awaited us on the other end of this 800-mile journey. Rather than grieving in the new location, however, the Lord graciously shifted our perspective to enter in fully to His new gifts and era.

There, at The Meadows of the Good Shepherd, we enjoyed our animals and the quiet peace, set apart from hustle and bustle of road noise. It was a good life. Simple. Quiet. Joyful. Filled with beautiful sunrises and sunsets, a view of deer feeding, wild turkeys, our redbud grove and peonies as well as the smell of freshly cut hay.

In the new location, however, I no longer see the sunsets, sunrises or have ready access to the serene nature setting I loved so much at my country house. There is a change of dark to light and back, but I cannot behold the brilliant palette of vivid color that graced our horizons on the farm.

The sunrises and sunset are still happening in the city for God does not change. We’ll just have to travel a bit to find them and remain open to the adventure that presents.

It is all a part of the trade offs of one season to the next. Like winter to spring and summer to fall — each has their own beauty.

Come and I will tell you...

11/18/2019

Image by Myriam Zilles from Pixabay

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Earlier this week as I was rising to spend time with the Lord I heard "Come, and I will tell you great and mighty things you know not of."

What caught my attention was the first word -- come.

Jeremiah 33:3 was a verse I had both received and quoted often. However, it begins with the word call. I counted over 40 translations 1 of this verse on www.BibleGateway.com starting with the word call.

A few others begin with ask or pray.

3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3 King James Version (KJV)

Cardinal Love

1/18/2019

Image by skeeze from Pixabay

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Image by rawpixel from Pixabay

Little bird upon the tree
Looking in the window
Grandmother Great was resting
Her birthday at 100

You've waited patiently my friend
The signal to Grandmother
A cardinal seen in her path
She said meant she'd see her lover

This saying from a former day
Of the early 1900’s
Bringing comfort to a family still
In the passing of Grandmother

God knows our hearts and what we need
He is so very kind
To give us hope in a simple way
Quieting our minds

Pressure Cooker Release

5/26/2016

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Pressure cooking 1 was a frequent method in my home growing up.

- Before microwaves it was necessary to cook
more on top of the stove.

Pressure cookers are a handy way to cook both meat and vegetables more quickly while using less energy.

Liquid placed inside the pressure cooker with the contents releases steam inside the sealed container. A weight operated
“jiggly” valve 2 placed on the top allows some steam and pressure to be released to avoid explosion.

The dancing of the valve weight makes a sound as it bounces in the steam release.

Hosting with a Mary Heart

1/17/2016

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38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a
     certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received
     him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus'
     feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came
     to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath
     left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha,
     thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good
     part, which shall not be taken away from her. 1

Over the past two years God has been showing me ways to simplify and streamline my life to allow the most
important things to receive priority.

- Rising early to keep a tithe of my time for the day with Him daily gives me direction and creates relationship. Here I hear encouragement, learn new perspectives and have a blueprint
for reducing commitments to those the Lord says are mine to embrace for this season.

The Difficult Path

10/19/2014

What looks foolish will bring great reward
For those who truly fear The Lord
And you will find that in the end
It pays.

Talk & listen, walk & pause,
Walk & yet barely hear
That still, small voice that beckons us,
Draws us, & affirms our chosen path.

Did we choose it?
Not exactly.
Did we know the cost?
Not really.

How hard the journey
Would require us to lay down
Every comfort
Every hope for ease
And endure harsh words,
Bruised toes,
And bruised egos
Stretching us to take just one more step.

How can we do it?
This is not easy.
What gives us strength?
Is Christ alone.

We Would Love to CONNECT WITH You Soon!

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