The Master Craftsman: Finding Beauty in Life’s Struggles

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

January 14, 2026

The beautiful bowl’s beginning was anything but beautiful. A skilled woodworker turned the bowl from a large tree burl–an old knotty piece of wood. It has been said that stress, on a tree, causes a burl to develop. A car crashes into the tree, storms damage, insects attack, and abnormal rapid cell growth produces an ugly, dense, woody lump.

Stress can do ugly things to us as well. But we have a Master Craftsman who can produce something beautiful with it. God knows what to do with hazzles, heartaches, troubles, and tragedies. He is skilled in creating inner beauty from all of these. No difficulty that we will ever experience is outside of God’s ability to bring good from it.

In the book, “Family Stories for God’s Glory,” you will find an account of how my husband became a skilled woodworker. It all started with a big childhood disappointment. When Marlin was twelve years old, he found a scroll saw inside his Christmas package when what he really wanted was an electric train.

Now, in his retirement, he is having much more fun than watching a toy train run round and round on a track. He finds satisfaction and fulfillment as he works on his projects, plus, he has the added pleasure of blessing others with his finished pieces. He is not the Master Craftsman as this blog is titled. Only God deserves that title, but Marlin enjoys being the Master’s Craftsman.

We have the biblical account of Bezalel, one who was greatly gifted. “…He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship.” Exodus 35:30-33 NKJV

The Master Craftsman has gifted you too. Give Him thanks and use your skills for His glory.

Charlotte

Link:godinlifesmoments.com

“Family Stories for God’s Glory” is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Blessings Book Store, Harrisonburg, Va. Books may also be ordered directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

How to Have a Perfect Christmas

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

December 22, 2025

I had the perfect Christmas for years–in my mind, that is. As I prepared for this wonderful time when children and grandchildren would arrive, I imagined with pleasure just how it would be. The decorations would be amazing, the food delicious (everything being ready at the appropriate time–hot and tasty) perfect gifts, wrapped and ready, everyone having a fantastic time with lots of love flowing all around at all times. Everything was going to be perfect!

It never worked out quite that way.

“Family Stories for God’s Glory” contains two Christmas stories of how my imperfect Christmases turned into perfect ones. The first thing I needed to do to have a perfect Christmas was to not expect it to be perfect. I needed to realize that as an unrealistic goal. We don’t live in a perfect world, and we are not perfect people. The very first Christmas was the only perfect one. Christ came as a perfect Baby who would grow up to die for us so that someday we can live with Him forever in a perfect world.

The next thing I needed to recognize was that God is in control and I am not. When I quit striving and trying to make things happen on my own, He will gladly take over as I relinquish my plans to His. His idea for a two-toned Christmas tree turned out to be much more unique than what I had planned!

1Thirdly, I needed to relax and believe that it’s quite okay if Christmas isn’t perfect or exactly the way I planned. If God is glorified, if we experience Immanuel (God with us), if hearts are touched with His amazing love, Christmas will be fantastic!

Relax and enjoy a fantastic Christmas,

God Bless you and yours,

Charlotte

Link:godinlifesmoments.com

“Family Stories for God’s Glory” is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Blessings Book Store, Harrisonburg, Va. Books may also be ordered directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

Comments are welcome!

Finding Joy Amidst Christmas Mourning

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

December 12, 2025

Christmas joy comes in the morning; Christmas joy also comes in the mourning. Our young grandson found this out one Christmas when he was only eleven-years old. “Family Stories for God’s Glory,” tells the story of how Zach experienced both.

Part of Christmas joy in the morning is waking up with cousins you rarely get to see, excited about the days you will get to spend together. But now that joy was over and sadness had settled in on Zach’s heart as he tried to go to sleep that night after everyone had left for their faraway homes. Zach did what any wise person would do; He went to God’s word for comfort.

He was not disappointed. He opened his Bible to find the exact verse that eased his mourning and gave him the joy he needed.”God blesses those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” (Matt: 5:4 NLT) That joy was lasting and was not diminished by the absence of his beloved cousins.

Christmas can be very sad for various reasons, and joy might feel non-existent. But true, lasting joy can be had when we remember the reason for Christmas in the first place. Immanuel (God with us) came to die so that we now have an open door into God’s presence and can have fellowship with Him.

Are there circumstances making you sad this Christmas season? Do you feel like you are in mourning? Check out the reason for your sadness. Likely you will find it is only temporary, belonging to this world. True, permanent joy for eternity can be yours for the asking.

Joy to the world, The Lord is come!

Joy in Jesus,

Charlotte

Link:godinlifesmoments.com

“Family Stories for God’s Glory” is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Blessings Book Store, Harrisonburg, Va. Books may also be ordered directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

Comments are welcome!

Love Has Many Faces

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

November 30, 2025

Romantic love pours like rain on the wedding day; Tested love soaks in after many years of marriage. Someone made this comparison:

Romance is flying, but love is a safe landing.

Romance seeks perfection, but Love forgives faults.

Romance is fleeting, but love is long.

Romance anguishes as it waits for the phone to ring

to bring a voice that says sweet things,

Love is the anguish of waiting for a call that assures you

that someone you love is safe and happy.

Romance is suspense, anticipation, and surprise,

but Love is dependability.

Romance is dancing in the moonlight, gazing deep into desired

eyes,but Love is saying, “You’re tired,

honey, I’ll get up this time.”

Romance is delicious, but Love nourishes. – Anonymous

Our love for each other had grown through 25 years of married life as we raised our family. “Family Stories for God’s Glory” tells the story of our astonishing 25th wedding anniversary. A jaw-dropping surprise awaited us as we arrived home from church to find our lawn and house filled with smiling faces of family and friends. Some had driven many miles and sacrificed other desired events to celebrate with us. The love of our children had made it all happen.

Love has many faces. Romance, married love tested by the years, love for children, love of children, love of friends and extended family, And, I would be grossly negligent if I didn’t mention the greatest love of all–the amazing, unconditional love of God for each of us who are created in His image.

May your day be blessed with all kinds of love,

Charlotte

Link: godinlifesmoments.com
“Family Stories for God’s Glory,” is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Blessings Bookstore, Harrisonburg, VA., and Rocktown Historical Museum in Dayton, VA. You may also order directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

Comments are welcome!

Death is so Final–Or is it?

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

November 12, 2025

Early this morning, news arrived that death had come as an unexpected, unwelcome surprise to a family member. In my book, “Family Stories for God’s Glory,” the final chapter tells of losing my brother in exactly this same shocking way. No time to prepare, no time to say goodbye, no time to do all the last-minute things you would have wanted to do. It’s sudden, and those left behind are thrust into the challenge of living in a new season of life, one they would not have chosen.

In Biblical times, the disciples of Jesus, who had been His close friends, unexpectedly lost Him at the hands of cruel, unbelieving men. Their hopes and plans for the future had been dashed. They had expected Jesus to set up His glorious kingdom in their lifetime, and they would reign with Him. Their Roman enemies would be conquered, their fears and troubles would be over, and Jesus would be their protector, provider, and king, ruling over all. Instead, He died. He left them in confused bewilderment.

Later, they would rejoice to know that Jesus would not stay dead! He had a plan. He rose from the dead three days later, accomplishing eternal life for all who would believe in Him. Now, death leaves sorrowing loved ones behind, but the departed one also leaves behind the evils of this world and enters into the glorious presence of the One who died for them. Their joy will last forever.

Yes, grief is real, but sorrow with hope that you will see your loved one again.

Charlotte

Link: godinlifesmoments.com
“Family Stories for God’s Glory,” is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Blessings Bookstore, Harrisonburg, VA., and Rocktown Historical Museum in Dayton, VA. You may also order directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

So, What’s the Plan?

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

October 25, 2025

Did you know there is a plan for your life–always has been, even before you were born? Growing up, I never really thought much about my life’s plan. I just sort of lived life from day to day, year to year, and never took the time to consider if or what I should be planning for my life. Honest confession.

I knew exactly what I wanted life to hold for me. I wanted to get married, and have a family. And look what the Lord has done! If you read, “Family Stories for God’s Glory” you will find how He answered that desire of mine in a mighty big way.

Now that I am older and have lived the majority of my life, I rejoice to see that God had plans for me even before I was born. And He did for you, too. The psalmist says, “In your book, you wrote about all the days planned for me before any of them had happened.” Psa.139:16 ERV.

So maybe it’s okay that I didn’t plan my life. But it would have been okay if I had, as long as I was willing to change my plans as God made known His plans for me. They are the best and assure one of a fulfilled life.

Perhaps you did make great plans for your life, but somehow they got sidetracked and you went down a wrong path which led to unhappiness and despair. Maybe you missed God’s plan for your life and now wonder what in the world to do. There is good news for you. God is always waiting to forgive all the past and start you all over again with His plan. It will be the best for the rest of your life.

Happy Traveling,

Charlotte

Link: godinlifesmoments.com
Book sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Blessings Bookstore, Harrisonburg, VA., and Rocktown Historical Museum in Dayton, VA.

You may also order directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

Mystery in the Mums

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

Bright burgundy mums in a gigantic pot,
Gives joy and pleasure, quite a lot,
I think that I shall sit a bit,
A profound truth hides there in it—

Sunbathing in late summer sun.

Small, beneath the leafy green,
A spot of gold can now be seen.
A yellow mum is shining there,
It secretly has much to share–

Sunbathing in late summer sun.

The spot of gold seems out of place,
But not at all, just see its face,
It adds beauty to the pot,
You do see it, do you not?

Sunbathing in late summer sun.

Masses of people on this earth
Millions of them ‘round its girth,
Each one different, adding flair,
Each one special–blending there.

God, the Creator, made each one,
And blessed them with late summer sun.

——————————————–

Hello Friends, Here is a much-belated blog. It’s not my usual style, and it’s actually not about the stories in my book either. But I wanted to share what I saw in this unusual display of Autumn mums. I will get back to my “Book Blogging” next time. You can look for me twice a month as weekly became too, well, weekly, and came around too often! See you in a couple of weeks!

Link: godinlifesmoments.com
Book sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Blessings Bookstore, Harrisonburg, VA. 22802
You may also order directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com.
Comments are welcome!

Blessings, Charlotte

The Purple Hippopotamus and Other Crazy Labels

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

Do you have a label? Have you labeled yourself, or are you living out a label someone else has placed on you? I love to read “You Are Special,” by Max Lucado, to my grandchildren. Lucia knows who she is and is unaffected by labels, unlike all the other Wemmicks who are laboring under gray dots or pridefully wearing gold stars. Poor Punchinello is covered with gray dots and gathering more every day. He is miserable, but he doesn’t have to be.

Like two brothers who were, at the moment, not expressing brotherly love. Angry words were piercing little hearts. The older calls the younger a purple hippopotamus and makes him cry. But he is still a cute little boy without a smidgen of purple hippopotamus in him. If he had believed that, instead of his brother’s label, he could have skipped happily off to play. He would have known that calling him a purple hippopotamus did not make him one, any more than calling a garage a car makes it a car. False words hurt, but they do not define.

What other people say about you does not define you. What you may think about yourself does not necessarily define you. Your circumstances do not define you either. Kimberly has lyme disease, but she is not a Lyme victim. She is a productive child of God, a loving wife and mother, and much-loved dance instructor to a class of two-year-olds.

Know who you are created to be. Then you can live free, collecting neither dots nor stars, free to be who the Master designed you to be–His own. You will never need to conform to or be condemned by any other label.

Be joyful in that!

Charlotte

Link: godinlifesmoments.com
Book sold on Amazon, Barnes, and Noble, and Blessings Bookstore, Harrisonburg, VA. 22802

You may also order directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

Flexible or Brittle?

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

June 24, 2025

It’s not easy to be stretched out of our comfort zones, but sometimes, we don’t have a choice. Circumstances or someone else will make a choice for us that is not necessarily what we want. Your job ends, and you need to move to a new location—your church, family, and friends are left behind. Maybe a health issue changes your whole lifestyle and robs you of activities you enjoyed.

Perhaps the change is as simple as an interruption in your day’s plans. Perhaps it’s as complicated as a change of attitude, perspective, or belief. But for every one of us, change is inevitable!

A rubber band that is never used but lies in a drawer until it becomes hard and brittle will break when stretched. New rubber bands are soft and flexible. They do not snap when stretched.

God is not as concerned about your comfort as He is about your character. He will use unpleasant changes to develop a trusting and peaceful mindset in the middle of it. “Family Stories for God’s Glory,” tells how our family faced the challenges of change.

How will you respond to your next unwelcome change?

Be flexible,
Charlotte
Link: godinlifesmoments.com
Book sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Blessings Bookstore, Harrisonburg, VA.
You may also order from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

Dancing with a Broken Heart

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

June 10, 2025

Broken hearts don’t dance, do they? If you’ve ever had a broken heart, you know they don’t feel like dancing! I watched as the 98-year-old gentleman danced with his wife at our retirement home’s Sing-along. Watching this couple dancing, smiling, and having great fun at their age was amazing!

What others watching didn’t know–they both were dancing with broken hearts. Just days before, Carol needed to leave her husband of forty-three years in a unit for dementia patients. With eyes full of tears, she bravely accepted the inevitable and faced the challenge. My heart swelled with tenderness, and my eyes filled with tears as I watched her lead him down the aisle to our weekly Sing-along. They danced close together, her eyes held his; a smile lit up her face. Their joy came from within because their Lord lives there.

Broken hearts are all around us. Nurse Carly saw the broken heart of the grandpa who sat by the bed of his seriously ill baby granddaughter. Carly knew just what to do to comfort that broken heart. I hope you enjoy reading about it in “Family Stories for God’s Glory.”

The only way to dance with joy when circumstances are devastating is to know the tender Shepherd, who loves and cares for you.

Giving thanks to the One who heals broken hearts,

Charlotte

Books sold: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or contact author: chburkholder12@gmail.com

Blog link: godinlifesmoments.com