Author: iandthoureflections

Wine & Faith by Nadia Crane: Reflection #2

A Reflection Series for Mental Health Awareness Month

The Stress of Feeling Invisible

Excerpt from Wine & Faith – 19 Days in Napa

Jill is confiding in her friend Amelia about feeling invisible in her marriage.

Amelia: “Do you feel invisible with Derek?”

Jill: “Incredibly so. I’ll tell you a quick story. My friend Carla and I rearranged the living room one afternoon, having a great time mixing things up. When we got back from the store, Derek had moved everything back without saying a word. When I asked about it, he snapped, ‘I will do what I want. You are not the boss of me!’ I felt dismissed, like my preferences didn’t matter.”

Faith Reflection

Have you ever felt invisible to someone you love?

It’s not a great feeling. Is it?

It’s a unique kind of loneliness. You are physically present yet emotionally disregarded or ignored. This type of feeling creates distance. Not only that, it attacks your self-worth, and you begin questioning.

Yourself.
Others.
And God.

In relationships, it’s natural to want to be noticed.

To be acknowledged.
To be affirmed.
These are fundamental building blocks of a relationship.

When others brush aside our efforts or desires, it’s easy to question our value. Jill’s story reflects the tension between longing to connect and being met with indifference.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted – Psalm 34:18

Feeling unseen erodes self-worth and drives a wedge between partners. Seeking support is not a weakness but a step toward healing. When you feel unnoticed, hold onto the truth that your feelings matter. Even when you think they don’t.

Haiku

Eyes that never see
Words that vanish in the air
God is there for you.

Reflective Questions

-When was the last time you felt unseen in a relationship? How did it affect you?

-What steps can you take to feel more valued and heard?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Please comment and “like” this post if you feel led to do so.

#MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #Overwhelm #FeelingInvisible #Relationships #WineandFaith #NadiaCrane #thepaiseleyfrog #LifeJourney

Wine & Faith by Nadia Crane: Reflection #1

A Reflection Series for Mental Health Awareness Month

The Weight of The Overwhelm

Excerpt from Wine & Faith – 19 Days in Napa

Jill, the main character, is having an internal dialogue with herself about her husband, Derek…

“With the teacher conference conversation still fresh in my mind, I felt at a crossroads. I saw a pattern. Derek did not. My good kids were morphing into out-of-control kids. As a mother, I had to fix this problem….So, I decided to call Amelia and finally take her up on her offer for a visit.” – Jill Mandela

Faith Reflection

Have you ever felt like you were at the end of your rope and had to do something fast?

When we get overwhelmed, it feels like the walls are closing in. And there is nowhere to escape. In other words, it is that crushing point when everything feels urgent.

The people we love hurt.
Responsibilities pile up.
And there is pressure to “fix it.”

But sometimes, feeling overwhelmed can be a signal. It tells us that something needs to change.

Jill realizes she needs distance.

Not to escape – but to find clarity.

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” -Luke 5:16

In this passage, we read that Jesus withdrew to quiet places to pray. He needed space to breathe. A place to pause and regroup. Clarity doesn’t always come through effort. Sometimes, it arrives in stillness and prayer.

In several key moments in the book, Jill reads scripture and then seems to receive a divine message. All leading her to greater insights and a softer heart.

Haiku

In the tangled noise
Clarity waits, whispering—
Step back, take a pause

Reflective Questions

When life feels too full, where do you go for clarity?

What’s one area in your life where stepping back could help you see more clearly?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Please comment and “like” this post if you feel led to do so.

#MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #Overwhelm #Relationships #WineandFaith #NadiaCrane #thepaiseleyfrog #LifeJourney

Wine & Faith by Nadia Crane: Introduction

A Reflection Series for Mental Health Awareness Month

Introduction

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

It’s a perfect time to pause and reflect.

In the next few days, I invite you to join me in a series of reflections drawn from the novel Wine & Faith – 19 Days in Napa.

Whether you’ve read Wine & Faith or not, these blog posts are designed to stand on their own. Wine & Faith isn’t for everyone. Yet, in the next few weeks, we’ll explore a few themes that most people encounter at some point.

This book isn’t about mental health in the clinical sense, but it speaks to the emotional burdens we carry. It is the perfect book to use as a backdrop for Mental Health awareness.

A Little About the Book

Wine & Faith touches the heart. It shows patterns that repeat across generations, feelings of loneliness, unmet emotional needs, and a strong wish to be seen and heard. It weaves themes of faith and personal transformation with the rawness of human experience.

In Wine & Faith, we follow Jill, a woman trying to make sense of the growing chaos in her life. The walls seem to be caving in, and she is facing a crisis of faith. Her husband, Derek, carries his own inherited, unhealthy patterns.

Wine & Faith explores how brokenness can slowly lead to healing.

In the next few posts, I’ll share:

~A brief excerpt from the book
~A faith-grounded reflection on a hidden stressor
~A haiku to uplift your spirit
~A journal prompt to guide your thoughts

Let’s navigate through Jill’s journey together.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please comment and “like” this post if you feel so led.

#MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #Relationships #WineandFaith #NadiaCrane #thepaisleyfrog #LifeJourney

A Mother’s Day Tribute

It was Mother’s Day.
Decades ago.
I told my mom I would have a baby, too!

Here is a poem she wrote after she found out..

Our Baby

Our baby’s having a baby –
We can’t believe it’s true!
Seems like only yesterday,
We were diapering you.

Our baby’s having a baby –
We’re excited as can be.
Grandchild number five
Is added to our “tree.”

Our baby’s having a baby –
A bundle in pink or blue;
A little girl or a little boy,
With features from each of you.

Our baby’s having a baby –
Isn’t it exciting?
For the dad’s side, it’s number four;
As we welcome soon one more.

~Connie Walton, 1992
1924 – 2017

Here is my tribute to her, written today for Mother’s Day 2025…

My Mom, The Rock

She never told me what to do
and didn’t map the road ahead.
She listened.
Quiet.
Steady.
Like a rock.

As I poured out my thoughts,
Not once did she say, “You should…”
She only nodded and stayed silent.
Like a rock.

And when I stood in that kitchen,
telling her I’d be a mother too,
she didn’t give advice,
she beamed from ear to ear.
As if she already knew.
Like a rock.

Although I swear I saw a tear,
A tear of joy was shed for me.
Listening was the lesson.
Her warmth, her knowing glance,
Blanketed me with comfort.
Like a rock.

Love wasn’t in instructions or advice,
but in her presence, that was real.
At two o’clock in the morning,
she would answer my email
in the stillness of the night.
Like a rock.

My mom’s face was like a book.
She proudly wore her emotions.
Steady.
Loving.
Like a rock.

A solid rock, was she,
Secretly rooting for me each day.
I know deep inside my heart,
She lives on through me.
Like a rock.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!

#Love #MothersDay #Poetry #Mom #Baby

Finding Calm in a Chaotic World – Part 12: Peace Beneath the Stars

Endless Universe

Image Source: “Open Star Cluster NGC 6791”
by HubbleColor {Zolt} is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.

Last time, we imagined an endless universe filled with shimmering stars. We heard the silent symphony of wonder and grace. And some of us were bold enough to step outside, look upward, and reflect on our Divine Creator.

Today, we conclude this series by letting go of our worries and feeling the vastness of the stars that shine.

Stars

Stretching east to west.
Silent.
Sacred.
Majestic.

And utterly captivating

Let Worries Fade

Let the stars light your path.
To lay your burdens along the way.
Let their twinkles pierce your heart,

As you say goodbye to them.

A Benediction

May you find calm in the living water in a well that never dries.
May you find strength in the roots of trees standing tall.
May you rise with the mountains and conquer the chaos within.
May your worries effortlessly be carried off by the winds of time.
May you hear the songs of flowers that soothe your soul.
May the sun shine and melt your troubles away.
May you find eternal calm in the twinkling of each star.

Thank you for journeying with me in this sacred space.

#April #StressAwarenessMonth #Calm #GodsPeace #Nature #Water #Trees #Mountains #Wind #Gardens #Sunlight #Stars

Finding Calm in a Chaotic World – Part 11: Shimmering Stars

What better way to end a blog series on finding the calm in a chaotic world than to look up to the stars? Because there, we will find peace in the night sky.

Each Star Has a Name


He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

Psalm 147:4
Image Source: publicdomainpictures dot net

Peace Beneath the Stars

Stars shimmer in the sky,
Whispering an endless universe.
Silver rays stretch across the heavens.
A gentle hush.

That only you can hear.

A Love Whisper

Shhh.
Take a moment.
In the darkness of the night,
Go outside and take a peek.
Look up.
Gaze at the twilights in the sky.

What do you see?

Can you feel it?

The celestial quilt wraps around you,
A symphony of wonder and grace.
The stars glimmer in unison,
Whispering that the day is done.

Action

Step outside in the night sky.
Breathe in its stillness.
Reflect on God’s unending care.
Let go.
Feel the calm.
Let awe settle in.

Reflective Question

Where do I need to surrender to the vastness of God’s plan? Perhaps in your struggles, dreams, or anxiety?

Join me next time as we lay our burdens beneath the stars to find calm in a chaotic world.

#April #StressAwarenessMonth #Calm #GodsPeace #Nature #Water #Trees #Mountains #Wind #Gardens #Sunlight #Stars

Finding Calm in a Chaotic World – Part 10: Sunlight

Healing Sun

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.

Malachi 4:2

Holy Sun

Photo Credit: “Sunbeams Streaming through Leaves” by
Yoshikazu TAKADA is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Its holy glow surrounds the globe and comforts us with warmth. Golden rays nourish nature and encourage her to grow.

Just as we need air to breathe and daily bread.

A Love Dance

Shhh.
Take a peek.
Don’t look up.
Instead, look at a sunbeam.

What do you see?
Do you see it?
A thousand rays of light
dancing all around you.

Dancing just for you.

Sun shines down from heaven and hears our prayers one by one.
As if to listen and then respond with the perfect dance.

A love dance only for you.

Sunlight

Extending across the sky.
Converging to the ground.
Rays dance as they entertain.
Stunning.
Elegant.

And so beautiful.

Let Worries Vanish

As sunlight soothes your soul, cast your worries into its beam, where they will vanish at twilight.

Action

Spend time outside in natural light. Soak in the warmth. Reflect on God’s healing presence.
Let go.
Feel the warmth.
Let peace settle in.

Reflective Question

Where do I need to invite more of God’s light into my life?

Maybe in your thoughts, heart, home, or relationships?

#April #StressAwarenessMonth #Calm #GodsPeace #Nature #Water #Trees #Mountains #Wind #Gardens #Sunlight

A Candlelight Vigil of Hope: Supporting Parents Facing Family Estrangement

This event will be live-streamed for those who are unable to attend in-person. If attending in-person, SpringHill Suites Hotel on Primrose Lake Circle, Tampa is within walking distance. Here is the link to register:

Register on Eventbrite

Finding Calm in a Chaotic World – Part 9: Flowers

Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves is heard in our land.

Song of Songs 2:12

Flowers Calm the Soul

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine a garden of wild, blooming flowers swaying in the breeze. The colors are vivid yet gentle. As if to paint a beautiful landscape right before your very eyes.

Now, take a deep breath and smell the fragrant air. Crisp and carrying whispers of hope and inspiration.

Flowers have a calming effect on the soul. If we let them. Their petals seem to want to gently embrace our souls.

And they seem to sing a song.

A Love Song

Shhh.
Take a moment.
Listen.
Hear the soft rustle of petals in the wind?
A melody of peace, mercy, and grace.
Let the flowers sing.

A love song only to you.

Flowers

Photo Credit: Ruth Walton

A rose of many layers.
A daisy, simple yet resilient.
Wildflowers dancing in the wind.
Each one shares a gift.

A gift of calm.

Let Worries Go

Cast your worries in the garden, where they will churn with the soil.

Let them twist and turn until they die.

Then, next season, seedlings will poke through the ground. And in the place where your fears once lay, hearty stems will rise.

Of new beginnings.
Of resilience.
Of joy rising from the earth.

Flowers don’t cause chaos.

They whisper peace into our chaotic world, telling us to slow down and smell the flowers.

Action

Step outside. Find a flower—any flower. Observe it closely.
Its shape.
Its fragrance.
Its color.
Then close your eyes and breathe deeply.

Let God meet you in that sacred stillness where you are
growing,
blooming,
and deeply loved.

Reflective Question

Where in my life do I need to slow down and allow peace to bloom?

#April #StressAwarenessMonth #Calm #GodsPeace #Nature #Water #Trees #Mountains #Wind #Gardens #Sunlight #Stillness