There is nothing natural or normal about having to stay inside and avoiding getting near another human being outside your home, and I do not expect it to be the “new normal” for any healthy society. Thankfully, Maryland is opening up slowly but surely, and nothing will stop it from progressing back to a better state.<\/p>\n

With the unexpected riots and uproars of last weekend and the ensuing week, one may feel discouraged about the healing of this country. But while the world is raging outside, I can count plenty of things that I have enjoyed about quarantine, societal house arrest, or whatever you want to call it. It has actually been a blessing to me in different ways.<\/p>\n

\n
1. No More Shopping:<\/strong> Because my mom wanted to limit our exposure as much as possible, I have not once gone to a grocery store since a day or two after WHO announced the pandemic. I have no longer gone out grocery store shopping and pleasure shopping for months, and I am very grateful. Before the lockdown, I wanted to work on other things, but I was always going out shopping as usual. Finally: the break I needed.<\/li>\n
2. Working on a Book:<\/strong> As this is a website and blog dedicated to my authorship primarily, I can’t overlook the fact that I wrote the first draft of a short book in the last 2 and a half months. I tell you the truth, I would probably not have written it unless this time of isolation opened up to me. I greatly questioned whether or not it was worth writing, but it was an idea inside of me that I had to get out on paper. More about that later.<\/li>\n
3. Little Things:<\/strong> There have always been little things to enjoy: the crumbs of cinnamon on top of my coffee, the birds singing sweetly, the rabbits in the backyard, the cherry blossoms that came and went, and more. Presently, a thunder and lightning storm is breaking outside of my window. I also had the joy of providing water for one of the backyard squirrels. I would fill the birdbath with water that sat out for the day. Then, for three mornings in a row, it would come down the steps, hop up, and take a long drink.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

   There may be much turmoil and uncertainty in the world, and much concern about safety, but one does not have to fear:<\/p>\n

   God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.<\/em>
   \nPsalm 46: 1-3<\/p>\n

   Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.
   \n<\/em>Psalm 127:1<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n\n

   \n <\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

   There is nothing natural or normal about having to stay inside and avoiding getting near another human being outside your home, and I do not expect it to be the “new normal” for any healthy society. Thankfully, Maryland is opening up slowly but surely, and nothing will stop it from progressing back to a better […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":625,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[70,166,210],"class_list":["post-1416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beautiful-scenes","tag-christian","tag-quarantine","tag-writers-life","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"yoast_head":"\n