#ThursdayThoughts Guest post by Rebecca Wetzler

Good Morning Friends,

As always it is a great pleasure to introduce you to a new-to-me author and today's guest is no exception so please welcome Rebecca Wetzler to our blog.....

Rebecca Wetzler, originally a California girl, has lived in Alaska since she was eight years old.  The oldest of five children, she was often needed in the surrogate mother role; therefore, she matured quickly. From early in life she was an avid reader, and subsequently developed an interest in someday writing her own books. Her favorite school subject was English writing assignments. To support her two children, she completed an accounting degree, towing her interest in writing along by minoring in English. Her successful career included advancing from an accounts payable clerk to a financial analyst­—a far cry from the Christian author of her heartfelt dreams.    

She has been a believer from her earliest memories as a small child in Sunday School asking Jesus into her heart. As her life progressed, Rebecca has realized her faith gives her a steady spiritual regrounding to weather the drama of real life, and she wants to share the spiritual truths with others so they may also follow God’s light past the world’s darkness.  Bread Box for the Broken is her first book, and she has ideas for more devotionals, some Bible studies, maybe Christian romance fiction with mystery and suspense.  It is important for her to share that faith in Christ is her foundation for challenging and purposefully overcoming life-long struggles with loneliness, self-esteem, depression, chronic pain from migraines and a permanently injured neck, and finally unexplained heart failure. Forced to early retire, she really doesn’t know what the future holds, but she knows Who holds her future.

Rebecca J Wetzler

www.rebeccawetzler.net Holy Spirit Dove blog

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-j-wetzler-7b763a49/

https://www.facebook.com/authorrebeccajwetzler/?ref=bookmarks

https://twitter.com/rdove1919

So nice to meet you Rebecca! I'm anxious to hear your thoughts so please share.....

I live at the top of the world in the largest state in the union – Alaska.  With short seasons except for winter, summer is a very busy time for several industries including commercial and sport fishing, which are both dominant factors in Alaska’s economy. Thirty-five years ago I worked for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the federal agency tasked with managing fisheries within the 200 miles off the coast of Alaska.  While working there I learned first-hand about the local, national and international importance of our fishery resources. And besides family fishing outings, one of my brothers-in-law has operated a charter boat out of Seward, Alaska for years. Originally just for fishing, he has expanded to sightseeing, hunting, and surfing – uh, no, not me!  I have not surfed in warm water, let alone the frigid arctic waters of Resurrection Bay. But apparently there are plenty of people who do, much to my surprise, and my brother-in-law was one of the first out there in the North Gulf Coast.   Since I will not try arctic water surfing, it’s no surprise I much prefer summer to winter, though I know there is value in both. What I like most… its warmer! I have never gotten into Alaska’s winter activities such as skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, or ice fishing – I do not like being cold. Now that I think about it, though, I am not active in Alaska’s summer activities either, such as camping, fishing, hunting nor hiking. When I was young my family went camping and fishing, but I did not learn enough to attempt it on my own in these later years. I have neither the skills nor the funds to go on outdoor adventures, despite occasionally wishing I could experience it again.  I wish I wasn’t quite SO clueless about it; maybe it is time I purposefully look around for outdoor educational opportunities. 

However, for as long as I can remember, I have purposefully striven NOT to be clueless about our Creator, who spoke our unique Alaska great outdoors into being. Staying with the topic of fishing, just as it is important to Alaskans, it was also important to the people in Jesus’ time. Matthew 4:18-22 tells the story of Jesus walking along the Sea of Galilee where he called his first disciples, brothers Simon Peter and Andrew and the brothers James and John, all who were fishermen. He commissioned them by saying, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And the Bible records two separate instances where the Lord miraculously fed thousands of people with just a few loaves of bread and some small fish, because the people did not want him to stop teaching long enough for them to go into nearby villages for food. 


Reading these biblical accounts, it gives me pause to think, have I ever been so deep into His teaching I would not put down my Bible long enough to eat? Rather shamefully I say rarely if ever; rather once I realize I am hungry, my concentration is broken, and I am rummaging around in the kitchen. I thought it humbling to note that Jesus did not forget the people needed physical sustenance even as he fed them spiritually. The Lord cares about our healthy well-being – spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally.   As you escape in to summer with camping, fishing, hunting or hiking, look at the outdoor beauty around you with the spiritual lens that it is God’s Creation, entrusted to us because he cares about our well-being. While entertaining yourself with the bounty our country is blessed with, thank Him for His provision and generosity. With the prophet Hosea (6:3), “Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

Wow! I'll be visiting my brother in AK next month, Rebecca...on Willow Lake...not sure how far that is from you but I'd love to connect and perhaps visit. Email me and we'll see if it'll work out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

Hope you enjoyed the post friends and that you'll check back weekly. 

Meanwhile, Rebecca's book, Breadbox for the Broken can be purchased at her website in print and Ebook as well as Amazon for Kindle and in print also!

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT