Welcome!

What a gift that you would take time out of your busy life to come visit here. I’m a tad nervous creating a blog, but I know you’ll be kind in the learning process, so I’m going to dive in. So often I’m asked if I’ve written a book, or told how inspiring my writing is. Though I’d love to answer, “Yes,” to having a book, life took an unexpected turn and I put that goal aside. Sharing my cancer journey and my faith on Facebook has become a ministry. Longtime family and friends, and people who were once strangers and now are friends, post their encouraging words about what God writes on my heart. It seems only natural to take a leap of faith into blogging. I trust God will be my inspiration here, that His Whispers will continue in the ordinary moments of daily life, aka Whatabouts, and that I will listen when He speaks.

Like many of you, I’m a wife, mother and grandmother. My four adult children Karl, Maura, Matthew and Mark are all in their 40’s now and they’ve blessed me and my husband with nine beautiful, gifted grandchildren: Rebecca, Kirsten, Sebastian, Erik, Jacob, Celia, Brady, Isabella and Christian. We love discovering who they are, though it’s a challenge when they live so many states away. Not being involved in the daily-ness of their lives is an ache in our hearts. It’s only comforted when travel takes us into one another’s loving arms, or we heat up the phone wires talking about what’s happening in school or their sport teams. New Englanders are we, but my husband and I currently live in Florida. Our first date was in high school. I believe it’s correct that it was I who initiated that one. We’ve been married fifty-two years. Nearly half of those were spent as a military family. My husband is fond of saying military life was hard on the family and the furniture. It’s true.

Cancer has taken up a lot of space on my calendar for the last six years. It’s been a demanding and trying challenge. Thankfully, the long list of amazing family and friends who have been walking alongside is more numerous than all the dates for check-ups, chemo infusions, labs, and doctors taking care of my side effects. They pray with more energy than I can muster sometimes. To date, three diagnoses have been rooted in my abdomen. My form of cancer is low grade and recurring. (I’m not too fond of that “r” word.) From the beginning, God has faithfully whispered reminders of His presence and perspective. It’s rather like being fitted with a new pair of glasses that find their vision in the heart.

My faith is deeply rooted in Jesus Christ. He transforms my life with every turn in His direction. I am fully persuaded regarding biblical scripture, with a preference for the Amplified version. More than forty years of leadership in women’s ministries and teaching women’s bible studies has been a source of great strength. If you’d like to talk about that, you’re in the right blog. Spiritual growth is the conversation I’d stay up all night for. When the Holy Spirit began drawing me toward a life-changing contemplative faith, I learned to appreciate holy silence and listening. Today I’m a mentor and a trained spiritual director, a listening-centered ministry, and my favorite journey talks are of the one-on-one variety.

Well, I’ve been talkative, haven’t I. Now you know a little about me. I’m so often verklempt (done in) when God Whispers a phrase or a word and it takes on symbolic application for the Whatabouts I’m engrossed in at the time. I love to share those insights and wondrous moments. Many find them inspiring. Hopefully, you’ll feel the same here while we join hearts in a shared awareness of what God is speaking, and our lives will become richer as we open His gift of words.

Looking forward to seeing you here each week!

Karen Hanson