A little piece of home

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty Awesome is our God, Monday!  Yesterday began as a typical Sunday morning at church; I was finishing up my Sunday school superintendent duties, you know offering, attendance, leaving Pastor a copy of attendance on his desk…the usual; as I came out of his office I noticed we had visitors looking at our bulletin board.  I stopped, said good morning and introduced myself….the wife turned to me, took my outstretched hand and said “Tina”  then her husband shook my hand, “Keith, and this is our daughter Jessica.”  I started to ask them where they were from when Keith got the oddest look on his face, he raised his hand kind of pointing at me and slowly said, “this is a stretch, but are you from Terra Bella?”  Oh my gosh my heart leaped as I said “yes.”  He said, “you were my Sunday school teacher.”  We were both in a state of shock!  Indeed, Keith’s parents were friends of mine at my home church in Terra Bella, California….many years ago…..my mom’s family were founders of the church and Keith’s family long, long time members so our families had known each other and worshiped together for decades…..I get goose bumps right now just thinking about such a wonderful coincidence…..I was so excited as I drug them around introducing to my current church family….Keith was excited too!  I had to go finish up with the kids, Jessica was quite willing to go and meet them, so off we went.  As soon as Sunday school was over I found Keith and Tina, introduced them to more people and asked if I could sit with them.  I was so excited I wasn’t sure I could sit still and of course I had to introduce them formerly during announcements…Gosh, what a wonderful coincidence I thought all through the service, my mind raced with memories from all those years ago, smiling, remembering what a cute little boy Keith had been (nice looking man now, I must add).  After the service, as we were getting ready to say our goodbyes, Keith expressed how happy he was that we had meet again after so many years.  In a serious voice he said, “I feel like I got a little piece of home.”  Hugging him I had to agree, it was all I could do to hold back the tears as Tina expressed that even though she had not ever been to California, she felt a “piece of home too.”  As Tina and I hugged I was filled with a  special peace….a peace and joy beyond human understanding…..oh this reunion was no “coincidence”  no way…..This was our Mighty Awesome God at work with a gift of love for Keith, Tina, and me, that we didn’t even know we needed, but HE did…And the piece of home we felt was unity and love of a Christian family….shared faith in our ONE TRUE GOD and SAVIOR…..a piece of home on earth, a foretaste of the HOME we will share in heaven with our FATHER….oh my goodness….goose bumps for sure!  Father thank you for such precious, special blessings that we sure do not deserve….thank you FATHER for the awesome bond we share with YOUR children….You pour your love over us in ways that we cannot even fathom….Thank you Father, all honor, glory and praise to YOU!

 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:8-9.  Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies.  Psalm 36:5.  From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children.  Psalm 103:17.   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.  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. 

Love you all!

Fall: A Showcase of God's Magnificent Palette

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Thursday!  My goodness, this morning it seems that the beginning of winter may have touched our beautiful fall……Yesterday on my drive in I was just in awe of the beauty of fall around me….we have been so blessed with frequent rains that the grass is still green and the green grass with the fall colored leaves  framing it is simply spectacular….the reds, yellows, oranges against the green…..Our God is an awesome God….And did you notice the sky yesterday, my gosh pure white clouds sharing the bright blue sky with clouds of every shade of gray……breathtaking….I had intended to write about all that beauty yesterday, but the day got away from me, so this morning….Well, this morning when I got into my car and headed to work…..the scenery was even more impressive, intense….This morning the green grass glistened….sparkled….danced...with the first frost gently covering every blade ….the sun in the clear morning sky shining so brightly  the grass appeared to be covered in tiny sparkling gems….Breath taking….Our God is an awesome God!  How could anyone wonder about HIS existence!  As I drove, my heart over-flowed with love and gratitude to our Father for the beauty of His world, for the blessings that fill each day, for family, friends, job, home, church, for struggles that make me stronger and draw me closer to HIM……I was seeing His love in the sparkling grass……and I want to sparkle for HIM.  Father, our Creator….thank you…..Your world is magnificent, help us to be good caretakers and Father help us to sparkle with Your Love.

 

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.  But he way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.  My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart (and sparkle with them); for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Proverbs 4:18-22.  The Lord their God will save them on that day as the flock of His people.  They will sparkle in His land like jewels in a crown.  Zechariah 9:16.  Jesus said, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  He who has ears, let him hear.  Matthew 13:43.  RISE, SHINE, GIVE GOD THE GLORY!!!  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth……AND IT IS GOOD!  Genesis 1:1.

Love you all!

Yuck! Our pool is green! August 30, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Forever His, Friday!  Didn’t we have an awesome break in our typical summer heat this year!  Oh yes it’s warm right now, but gosh our temps were so nice and the rain….Wow!  Fantastic!  The only negative I could find in the pleasant break was it was too cool to swim….the water in the pool got really cool!  Well, after last weekend Kathyrn and I decided that it was time for a dip with the kids, so Monday after work they came over for a much anticipated swim!  The kids came into the house looking for me, so excited in their swim suits!  I had mine on too, but was brewing tea, so sent them on out.  In just a few minutes I headed out too.  I could hear the kids squealing with delight, but it’s what Kathyrn hollered to me as I got close that threw me for a loop!  She said, “IT’S GREEN!!!”   I couldn’t believe my ears…..Green….there’s no way!  True we had not been swimming in a couple of weeks….but Kim had run the filter…..Oh my gosh, I couldn’t believe my eyes!!!  GREEN, really GREEN and full of debris from all the rain and wind…leaves, bugs…tons of dead june bugs floating….gross!  Kathyrn cleaned the plugged filter and began skimming, I begrudgingly got in and played with the kids stirring the water so it would filter better.  We filled the chlorine containers and just shook our heads……when Papa got there, he couldn’t believe it either, stating it wasn’t green on Saturday…..Well, after the kids left home I couldn’t help thinking about our green pool…..how quickly it had turned from a clear, clean pool to a yucky, murky GREEN one!  Talking about it with a friend here at work, he said the same thing had happened to his pool….he said, “All the conditions were just right.”  Conditions….just right……to turn clean to GREEN…..that’s when it hit me!  Oh my, how often is my life like the green pool….How often do I let “conditions” in my life, turn me GREEN….murky…..stressed, anxious, worried, ill-tempered, short, grumpy, jealous, hateful…My heart and mind are not “clear”……not clearly focused on the pure love of our Heavenly Father…..Rather I let “conditions” turn me murky……like the green swimming pool I am undesirable to those around me…..and I know that my Father is disappointed…..Thankfully, conditions can change.  Our Father, unclogs the filter of my heart and mind, refills me with HIS love and skims off my sinful actions through the blood of His only Son, our Savior……Clean again I pray that my actions will sparkle with HIS love…….me, HIS child, loved and forgiven…..Thank you Father, for the loving clean-ups!  All Glory, honor and Praise to YOU!

 

My flesh and my heart may fail, but my God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26.  I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.  Jeremiah 33:8.  God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16.  Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.  Psalm 79:9.  The Lord bless you, and keep you:  The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you:  The Lord lift up His countenance on you, and give you peace.  Numbers 6:24-26. 

Love you all!  Have a great holiday weekend!  Be safe

March 13, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Wondrously wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday!  Well, today was my first official day of trying out an alternate route to work (yesterday didn’t count because I had to take my car to the shop).  Back and forth in my head I went over the pros and cons of my choices….I finally decided I would go the Tupelo route rather than 1560.  I planned ahead and left several minutes early because I was sure it would take me longer.  It did, but not much and by leaving as early as I did the traffic was light….just got to keep watch for the deer.  Yep, must say a successful plan indeed …..”Kathie, oh Kathie….. “

“Oh good morning Father, aren’t you proud of me for picking a successful alternate route to work?”  “Well, yes, of course I am proud of you….you are My precious child, but Kathie…..I must ask you to stop a minute…..be still….and listen, just for a minute.”  “OK sure Father, You are the Boss…..right….you know, You are my AWESOME God, maker and keeper of all……freely loving and forgiving…….Oh Father……I think I know what you need to say to me.  I am so sorry!  I just took off this morning such a smarty pants thinking I was in total control of this ‘alternate route’ situation…..Father…..forgive me forgive me for charging off on my own without talking with You first…..without taking You with me…..no ‘route’ can ever be successful without YOU!”  “My dear child, you are forgiven.”

The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him.  Daniel 9:9.  “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord.  “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”  Isaiah 1:18.  Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.  Psalm 79:9.  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”  Revelation 1:8. 

Love you all!