The Pitter Patter of Little Feet

Good Morning Friends!  Wondrously wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday!  As the receptionist for a pretty large office, I sit at a big desk in the reception area.  I am fortunate to have a great view of our world outside through the large glass doors; there is a long hall on each side of my desk and one to the right of me, pathways for co-workers coming up front to take care of business throughout the day.  During the time that I have worked here I have acquired the ability to recognize the sound of my co-workers footsteps as they approach.   They are surprised when I greet them before I can even see them…..not sure when I first realized that I knew who was coming before they got here, but it adds a special touch to my day!  One special friend tries to trick me by changing the way she walks…just one of the little things that brings an extra smile to our day!  The other day I was telling someone about being able to recognize footsteps and they were amazed; I chuckled and gave myself a slight pat on the back….at that moment I thought I heard something…..Hmmm, there it is again….at first, I couldn’t quite make out the words….then the LIGHT came on!  “Hi Father”  He didn’t have to say it…..I knew that I not heard HIM clearly because my head was too full of myself!  Gently, not chastising I heard His words….”Kathie (calls us by name) I know how many hairs are on your head…I knew you before you were in your mother’s womb…..your mind, hearing, perception are blessings from Me……”  “Oh yes Father!!!!!  Of course, You created us intricately, in Your image…..We are so blessed.”  Father, forgive us when we think we are on our own out here….making our own way!  Without You we are nothing!  Thank you for our amazing senses and enable us to use them to YOUR GLORY in all that we do!

 

Jesus said, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?  Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  Luke 12: 6-7.  The word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;….”Jeramiah 1: 4-5.  By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He will raise us also.  Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ Himself?  1 Corinthians 6:14-15.  You alone are the Lord.  You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them.  You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.  Nehemiah 9:6,  The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.  So it is with Christ.  1 Corinthians 12:12.  Who gave man his mouth?  Who makes him deaf or mute?  Who gives him sight or makes him blind?  Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.  Exodus 4:11-12.  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11.  Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him  Psalm 34:8. 

Love you all!

He Yearns for Our Touch

Good Morning Friends!  True and Tender is our God, Tuesday.  I had the most amazing week last week….a whole week in Fairbanks, AK with Hailey, Clark and my precious great grandson, Tucker!  Blessings overflowing from the minute I arrived until, I sadly left on Saturday…..sitting at the airport alone, I began reflecting on the special times during the week.  There were tons of laughs, too many happy smiles to even count, and the conversations, especially with 18 month old Tucker, were stimulating!  Oh so many precious memories, but the event that touched my heart most deeply was rocking Tucker to sleep….We would sit in the big rocker, snuggled in a blanket all cuddled up;  at first a bit restless, but he soon settled down, as we rocked I could feeling him relaxing in my arms, his breathing slowing, deep and then… just as I felt he was almost asleep, he reached up with his little hand and touched my face, his tiny fingers gently caressing me….my heart….oh my heart was bursting with love, the joy overwhelming….a brief touch…..precious….irreplaceable…..sitting alone in the airport, reflecting on that moment I could not hold back a smile…a smile building from the inside….glowing on the outside.  Pure joy from that little hand touching my face…..My thoughts turned to our Heavenly Father, as I sat there I began thanking Him for the joy of Tucker’s touch……Oh Father, I can only imagine how You must yearn for our touch….for us to reach up to You, touch You and receive Your endless mercy, grace……love.  Thank you Father for filling our lives with joys overflowing, precious memories, and love.  Help us to remember all that we have, every blessing is from You….thank you for Your tender caresses……

 

People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have Him touch them.  When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them.  But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Luke 18:15-16.  Rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.  Colossians 2:7.  Let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  1 John 4:7-8.  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!  Matthew 7:11.  Amen!  Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever.  Amen!  Revelation 7:12.

Love you all!

 

Kathie A. Johnson

God's Loving Rays

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty Marvelous is our God!  Saturday morning Kim and I headed into Ada to get a couple of propane bottles filled and while we were there have breakfast!  Missions accomplished we headed back to Lula; about half way home, I was awe-struck by the beauty in the sky.  The sky was cloudy with a mix of both puffy white and heavier dark clouds with blotches of blue sky peeking through…. huge magnificent rays of sunlight expanded the entire sky…..reaching out through both the white and dark clouds….reaching out….warm and comforting.  As I stared at the breath-taking site I suddenly felt like our FATHER was there with me, shining through the clouds to warm and comfort me, to uplift and guide me with HIS love.  Later on in the day while helping Kim with ranch chores I couldn’t help but notice that the sky was now totally filled with dark clouds…..dark, gloomy clouds…like certain times in my life when I seem to be consumed by heavy dark clouds of stress, worry, family needs, financial…..staring at the gloomy sky, I felt a big smile emerging from within me….I know what is behind those gloomy clouds…..God’s loving rays are always there, shining on us… all over us… from the inside out!  Whether the skies are clear or cloudy HIS Marvelous, Magnificent LOVE shines on us warming our hearts and minds with HIS Peace….Father, thank you for shining on us….forgive us when our worry consumes us and we become weak…..

 

Restore us, O God; make Your face shine upon us.  Psalm 80:3.   My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26.  The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.  Deuteronomy 33:27.     The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.  Numbers 6:10. 

Love you all!

Crocodiles in My Kitchen: Believing in what you don't see

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in HIS loving arms Wednesday!  You all remember Cooper and Katy right (in case you don’t Cooper 4 and Katy 3 are our “adopted” grandkids.  They live nearby)?  We live in an old farm house that we heat with wood.  We have a good air tight stove in the living room that for the most part works well, but sometimes when it is really cold we have a fire in the old stove in the kitchen…..until this year we had not done that for years.  Well, quite some time ago, Cooper took a keen interest in that stove and since we never used it we let him open the door and look in.  Well, way over a year ago, one day while playing with his new flashlight upon opening the stove door he discovered crocodiles residing there!  He was quite excited and of a course Papa and I played along with him, admiring the lovely crocks and offering pretend food for him to give them.  The next time Cooper was over, found his flashlight and went right to the stove to check his crocks….and each time we all took a look, playing along with his imagination.  This went on for month after month until finally his sister Katy had her own flashlight and was big enough to join in….Cooper opened the door and showed his sister the crocodiles.  His excitement was uncontainable and Katy joined right in with him.  Now this has been going on for over  a year, never ever do those kids come to our house whether together or alone ,that they do not check on their crocks.  We just smile and thank God for the blessing of children!  Remember the big snow and awful cold we had before Christmas?  Well, I was off work, but Coop and Katy’s mom had to work so Papa and I were keeping the kids.  It was so cold that morning that Papa thought maybe he better light a fire in the kitchen.  I cleared the top of the stove off and he built a nice fire…As he was getting it going it hit me the crocodiles!!!!   What would those babies think if they came over and a their crocks were all burned up….I asked Papa, “think I better get the crocks out and put them in something else?”  At first he laughed and said no and then decided….”yep, you better.”  So, I found an empty trash can and got a towel to cover the top….carefully (lol) I moved the crocks from the stove to the trash can!  When the kids got there we immediately explained that we had a fire in the stove, it was very hot, so they had to stay away…..but…before they could get upset….I showed them where I had moved their crocks!  They were delighted.  Immediately taking the towel off, checking them, holding them…of course we all did and then covering them up and placing them in a perfect place in the kitchen.  Sometime during that day………oh my gosh…..the discovery was almost too much for them!!!  The crocodiles had babies…..precious little baby crocodiles!  What a glorious day in LULA!  I have tried upon several occasions to move crocks and babies back to the stove, but with no luck!  For some reason they like them in the trash can in the middle of the kitchen!  I was telling my sister the croc tale the other day, gramma of 2 four year olds and a three year old, she totally understood and relished in their imagination.  I said to her, “I have been trying to figure out how to get a today out of this wonderful story.”  Immediately she responded, “Faith is believing in what you don’t see…..”  Wow!  Why didn’t I think of that??!!  Those precious children set a perfect example for our “faith” life.  We cannot see God, but with Holy Spirit filled faith we KNOW that HE is our ALL in ALL!  We cannot see HIM with our eyes, but we see HIM through the wonders around us, nature, kindnesses of others, special little blessings….the imagination of children…..Father, keep our faith strong so that we believe without seeing….trust without answers……forgive as you forgive us……LOVE others as YOU have shown us to LOVE….to remember….”Faith without works is dead…”  James: 2 17.

 

Though you have not seen Christ, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.  1 Peter 1:8-9.  It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.  Ephesians 2:8.  We live by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:7.  Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1. 

Love you all!

Shunning compliments or God's Kindness?

Good Morning Friends!  Forever His, Friday!  About 4 months ago I was blessed with the opportunity to reconnect with a niece from my ex-husband’s side of the family.  Our families were very close when the kids were young, she is just a little younger than my Stacy (Stacy would have been 42 in December) and they were best friends.  After the divorce our families drifted apart,  never meant for that to happen, but somehow it does.  The events that brought her back into my life were sad ones, but the blessing in all of the sadness is that I am renewing my relationship with my beautiful niece, Natalie.  She has really reached out to my son in a serious time of need and I am ever grateful.  Most of our communication is through email (she lives in CA), so right before Christmas I emailed and asked her for her address so I could send her a Christmas card; she in turn asked for mine.   I was excited as I addressed the envelope with our Christmas picture and letter, excited to have her back in my life and looking forward to a card (hopefully a picture too) from her.  Well, I never did get a card,(she did tell me yesterday that she and her fiancé had been very sick over Christmas and cards would be late) but yesterday, at long last…..lol!  I had a precious email from her.  In my response I asked her if she got her card and how she liked our silly picture (my thought was poor girl probably wouldn’t even recognize the old woman in the picture)!  Her response surprised me!  She said I looked just like she remembered and that she sure wanted the name of my night cream and I was as beautiful as ever!  Can you imagine!  Now, I have never once considered myself beautiful, so you can imagine how flattered I was by her comments!  The sad part is, guess what I did with them……I emailed back saying the camera was kind and that I really had so many wrinkles and was not aging as gracefully as one might like…You know…I did not even acknowledge her kindness…..too busy griping about my flaws!  Wasn’t until this morning that I realized I had not even thanked her for the compliments….shameful…..contradicting kindness….Her kindness came from love and love comes from God…..in a sense…seems to me I was contradicting God’s love….Oh my goodness, even in my deepest darkest moment I would never want to shun God’s kindness….Acknowledging the kindnesses given to us, is acknowledging that we are God’s precious children, loved….cherished…..blessed with family and friends that shower us with all types of kindness….blessings from our Father….Father forgive us when we are selfish in recognizing the kindnesses shown to us….help us to acknowledge they are from YOU!  And help us to reciprocate YOUR love!

 

Every good and perfect gift (act of kindness) is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  James 1:17.  Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.  Proverbs 27:9.  So we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  1 John 4:16. To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural decent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.  John 1:12-13.  How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  1 John 3:1.   Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  Galatians 6:2.  Whoever touches you touches the apple of God’s eye.  Zechariah 2:8.  Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise.  Hebrews 13:15. 

Love you all!

Life's Interruptions

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully wrapped in His loving arms, Wednesday!  How many times a day do our conversations get interrupted….whether it be conversations with family, friends, co-workers or customers, seems like so often a conversation does not come to a mutual end!  What’s so frustrating about that is that of course, everything we have to say is so very important……well, you know what I mean!!  We think what we have to say, or what we are listening too is important, we want the conversation to be finished, we want all the details….then right in the middle…..something interrupts and so often what was being discussed is gone forever….we simply forget….get busy….get on with other things….and what seemed important at the time and very well could have been, is gone!  Very frustrating.  This morning a conversation I was having with a friend about a week ago here at work came to mind…..on New Year’s Eve while taking down the Christmas decorations in our front office we discussed the fact that we both needed to do that at home too!  Both of us had the desire, but weren’t sure if we would be able to get to it!  On New Year’s Day she was coming into Walmart as Kim and I were leaving, from her car she hollered “did you get your Christmas decorations down?”  I laughed and said, “Yep they are down.”  I walked to the car smiling that she had remembered to ask that.  The next day at work she again brought up the subject wondering if I had finished.  I explained that I had them down, but not put back in storage yet….at that point I remember wanting to ask her if she had gotten hers down and we were interrupted!!!!!  I never thought about it again until, for some crazy reason, this morning on my way to work.  What I felt was shame…..shame on me for being so selfish….blab on and on about myself, but never got around to asking how she did….shame on me….darned interruptions!  That’s when it hit me…..not only do our earthly conversations get interrupted, but also, more importantly our conversations with our Heavenly Father!!!!!  Oh my goodness, how many times a day I start to pray for someone, about a situation, for a need, forgiveness, giving thanks, praise…..you name it…..my intentions are good….but…..interruptions…..Thinking about so many good intentioned prayers that ended abruptly, I just had to smile…..Oh wow…..gosh….How blessed we are!!!!  Our Father knows our prayers before we pray them……He hears and knows all….right through the interruptions!  OH FATHER…..THANK YOU…..for hearing our prayers even when we don’t finish……We are so blessed to be YOURS!  All honor, glory and praise to YOU!

 

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear, “ says the Lord.  Isaiah 65:24.  Dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.  Jude 20.  This is the confidence we have in approaching God:  that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (even if we get interrupted).  And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.  1 John 5:14-15.  The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.  Psalm 145:18.  The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer.  1 Peter 3:12. 

Love you all!