The true first "Earth Day"

Good Morning Friends!  Feeling the beauty of HIS earth today, Friday!  And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.  Genesis 1:31.  Happy Earth Day friends!  April 22, 1970 was the first day designated “Earth Day” in the hopes of drawing attention to the environment….to preserving our environment….it was the beginning, you might say, of the “environmental movement.”  I have always loved our earth, not always as aware as I should be of taking good care of it, so I think that the basic idea is good for all of us.  Earth Day, to me, began long before 1970…….”In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the water.”  Genesis 1:1-2.  Now, that’s what I call “Earth Day” the beginning…when God decided to create, form out of nothing, the heavens and the earth!  “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  Colossians” 1:16-17.  And what a magnificent job He did, right!!!  No matter where you live you can look outside and experience the wonder of the heavens and the earth….for me living in the country, I of course think I have the best of all, green pastures, full ponds, tall full trees, animals grazing, stars twinkling, frogs croaking….never ceases to amaze me….”but ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you.  Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?”  Job 12:7-9.   wherever you are, you are part of His creation…”Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”   Being made in His likeness, brings with it an incredible responsibility to take care of HIS earth…..we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” Psalm 139:14.  We are His children, blessed to live on His magnificent earth….He has given us dominion over all the earth…..let’s get out there and give HIM all GLORY, as we enjoy and take care of HIS EARTH!  “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.”  Psalm 19:1.  Happy Earth Day, every day….Thank you Father, for loving us so much!  For the wonders of Your creation, for Your Son!

 

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.  Psalm 100:1-2.

Love you all!

Our God, the master artist!

Good Morning Friends!  Forever HIS Friday!  WOW!  Our God is an AWESOME God!!!  That’s all I could think this morning as I sat down to breakfast and looked out the kitchen window…the sunrise was awe-inspiring!  I hope you had a chance to see it…..the sky was alive with color, shades of pinks and lavender,  as the sun rose slowly lighting the sky….the sky appeared to be glowing…..like hot embers in the wood stove…..God’s miraculous love glowing for us, warming us in this seemingly, at times, cold world.  I sat still for a moment…pondering…..HIS LOVE for me…for each us….how could anyone deny how HE feels about us after seeing the miracle of HIS creation in the morning sky!  A perfect reminder for us that the heavens and the earth were created by HIM, for us!  We miss so many miracles of HIS creation because we are in such a hurry, or simply do not pay attention….So, this weekend, let’s slow down….open our eyes, ears, and even our noses and take in every miracle we can find!  And more importantly….let’s open our hearts and our minds to the warm glow of HIS love….I close my eyes and see vividly the morning sky….Oh Father, there’s no way we can thank you enough….we know we do not deserve YOU, but Father we praise YOU as big as YOUR little children can.

 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, “Let there be light, “ and there was light……And God saw that it was good.  Genesis 1.  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.  He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.  He bestows rain on the earth; He sends water upon the countryside.  The lowly He sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.  Job 5:9-11.  Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.  Psalm 34:8.  This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24. 

 

   I want to share a quote with you that I read this morning from Gloria Gaither, “I’ve heard a lot of sermons in my day, but the best sermon I’d heard in a long time was preached in one word by a busy waitress as she poured a cup of coffee.  God has given us this.  I don’t want to miss it.   ENJOY!”  My prayer for each of you is that you are able to “ENJOY” this weekend.

Love you all!

 

The colors of creation!

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Thursday!  I needed to be to work a little early today, so I took special care to stay ahead of schedule.  Because I was earlier than usual it was not as light…funny how just a few minutes can make everything look so different.  The sky was amazing…..varied shades of pink and purple clouds looked like they had been colored by my sweet angel in heaven!  I smiled thinking about Hayden sitting on our Father’s lap coloring the sky….no limits when you are coloring in heaven and the colors…breath taking!  The colors were breath taking,  up in the sky, as well as on the ground!  Have you ever thought of how many different shades of brown there are?  Brown you’re thinking, dull, drab brown….oh take another look……and then imagine Hayden on our Father’s lap with tons of crayons…..greens, blues, pinks, reds, oranges…..Soon He will painting our world with the colors of spring and the drab browns will be a mere memory!  There are times in our lives that seem drab….but those times help us to appreciate the spring times in our lives; He wants us to be at peace and content in every season….and we can if we are with HIM, when we let go of the drab worries, stresses, burdens in our lives, we are going with HIM.  Oh we might not be sitting on HIS lap like Hayden, but HE is holding us up, guiding us, comforting and protecting us….coloring our world with HIS love, contentment and peace beyond all human understanding!  Father, thank you for coloring our world with Your Love, whether it’s drab brown or perky purple!  Help us to see You in all the colors of creation!

 

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider:  God has made the one as well as the other.  Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.  Ecclesiastes 7:14.  Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Matthew 6:33.  Seek peace and pursue it.  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer.  1 Peter 3:11-12.  I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have earned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  Philippians 4:11-12.  The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:7.

Love you all!

"Happy, happy, happy!": Philippians 4:4

Good Morning Friends!   Thankful to be HIS, Tuesday!  Well, it’s Tuesday….we got through Monday….what are we going to do with TODAY?   Seems like sometimes we are content to “get through” a day, but I’ve thinking….well, Hailey just sent me a bunch of pictures of Tucker….I think maybe we could learn a few things from my one-year-old great-grandson.  First picture he’s in the bathtub, just sitting in the tub, surrounded by bubbles, but the smile on his face tells it all….from ear to ear his smile is shouting “I AM SOOOO HAPPY!!!”  There’s not a ton of toys in the tub, just water and a few bubbles, but a whole lot of HAPPY!  One picture shows him standing on the bed pointing out the window….no toys, just standing there in an unsnapped onesie, pointing to the beautiful world outside…..HAPPY!  Next, he is petting a chicken….he’s not afraid, but instead amazed and curious about God’s creation….enjoying the chicken, leaves, sunshine, clear air, just being outside with mommy and daddy and the chickens….HAPPY!  Seems to me that Tucker appreciates each moment of his day, simply, no great expectations, just HAPPY, that he is loved….Yes, he is too little to know all about the love of our Heavenly Father, but he does know that he lives in a beautiful world and he totally appreciates each part of his day…His precious smile shines with an “attitude of gratitude.”  Yep, I am sure that each of us can learn from Tucker…..today….tomorrow….let’s not just “get through” the day….let’s be HAPPY, like Tucker….TODAY is the DAY the LORD has made….HE made TODAY and all tomorrows for us…..let’s rejoice in each day….Rejoice that we too are loved….Loved and Forgiven by our Heavenly Father….Woo Hoo!!!!  Take a minute today….look outside, if you can go out bask in the beauty of His creation, clear skies, gentle breeze, cool temps, turning leaves….be still….feel HIM….thank HIM….Praise HIM….then go back inside glowing with an attitude of gratitude!  Father….gosh, help us please to see how blessed we are….to appreciate, rejoice, and praise YOU all day everyday with attitudes overflowing with gratitude!!!!  Thank you Father!!!!!

 

This day is sacred to our Lord.  Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.  Nehemiah 8:10.  How many are your works, O Lord!  In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.  Psalm 104:24.  These are but the outer fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him!  Who then can understand the thunder of His power?  Job 26:14.  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.  You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.  Isaiah 55:12. Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Philippians 4:4.  Be joyful always.  1 Thessalonians 5:16.  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13. 

Love you all! 

The Creator and Performer of great and glorious things

Good Morning Friends!  Full of His Greatness, Friday!  “You are, O God, The Creator and Performer of great and glorious things.”  A friend shared this quote with me today…..On first read, might seem like one simple sentence, but if you will “be still” for just a moment and read it again…..Wow!  Of course we all know that God is the “Creator” of our world, just open Genesis 1 for a magnificent recap of the 6 days in which He created-made out of nothing- our world.  It’s the “Performer” part that got me to thinking…..We think about Jesus “performing” miracles, you know healing the blind, turning water into wine, casting out demons, but how about today…..right now…..do we believe that our God still performs miracles or in our weakness do we  tend to forget….forget that HE is the Maker and DOER of all….What “things” do you need “Performed” for you?  Great and Glorious things????  Feeling trapped?  Worried?  Stressed? Anxious?  I think about my son, sick in the hospital in California….I hate to think how much time and energy I have wasted worrying about him rather than Praising our God, our Father, for the great and glorious things He is planning to Perform for Shawn….for you, your family….friends…for me…..Great and Glorious beyond our human imagination….we see His magnificent world in front of us….the works of His hands and still can’t understand how He did it….just imagine….be still and let your mind be full of HIM and be blessed by the great and glorious things our Performer has in store for us!  Thank you Father, forgive our worry and our simple minds! “ To YOU, O God, The Creator and Performer of great and glorious things” be all Honor, Glory, and Praise, now and forever. 

 

Therefore, we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:16-18.  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is He who made us, and we are His/  we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.  For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.  Psalm 100.

Love you all!

May 14, 2013

Good Morning friends!  Thoughtful and meticulous is our God, Tuesday!  This morning driving in….oh my what a beautiful morning, clear skies, green grass, trees full of leaves, and dots of colorful wildflowers….orange, blue, yellow, white….Couldn’t help but be happy….sing praises!  Sunday afternoon we went to our little cabin in the woods to relax and have a special mom’s day dinner prepared for me by my sweetie.  As soon as we got unloaded and set up I plopped myself in a lawn chair in front of the fire!  We had not been up at all since spring had made an appearance, so I was just in awe of the beauty around me.  As I scanned the view in front me, I couldn’t help but notice all the different shades of green from the ground up…..stark, deep-dark green, pale shades almost translucent, medium, luscious shades of cool comforting green….green as far as my eyes could see….a rainbow of greens.  My first thought of course was just the sheer beauty of God’s creations, until this morning driving in….so beautiful our world….and then all the greens were parading through my mind.  You know God could have made just one shade of green, but he didn’t….He could have created just one or two different trees, flowers, birds, animals…..but He didn’t.  He meticulously created infinite shades and varieties of everything for us…..I just had to lift my voice to HIM, Thank you Father for making our world so interesting…..how can we ever be bored or discontent with all the “shades” You provide for us.  Take off our blinders of anxiety, hectic, selfishness, self-pity, impatience, lack-a-daisy and help to see….really see the beauty around us!  Father, help us to see YOU in every blade of grass, flower, leaf, bug, bird, critter……Fill us with a love for YOU so that our joy overflows to everyone around us!

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, “Let there be…..And God saw that it was good.”  Genesis 1:1. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.  Psalm 100:4.  I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.  Psalm 34:1. Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.  Psalm 100:1-2.  There are different kinds of service, but eh same Lord.  1 Corinthians 12:5.    God has made everything beautiful in its time.  Ecclesiastes 3:11. 

Love you all! 

April 25, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Thursday!  From my desk, I can see out the front doors of the office and it’s a hub of activity!  The landscaping department is here in full force with a truck load of flowers…..yep, beautiful spring flowers…..planting love, that’s what they are doing for more people than they could even imagine.  To them, it’s their job, load the truck with flowers, make sure they have the tools they need, head to the site and plant them…..to me and so very many others their work is an act of love…..beautiful flowers in a rainbow of colors…..God’s creation…..our Perfect Creator….Artist Extraordinaire! Green grass, blooming trees, and rainbows of flowers…..how can we not feel loved….I will make a point to thank the landscape crew, but how often do we miss a chance to let people know what a great job they are doing, how what they have done has blessed our day….taken a chunk out of the hectic and replaced it with a smile….peace…..There are so many opportunities in a day for us to share a little bit of God’s love…..we don’t have to plant a 100 acres…..one flower, one little blub or a tiny seed can blossom and change a day deemed for gloom into a day in a garden of love….Sharing God’s love….planting His seeds…..Growing love…..Now that’s a happy thought isn’t it…..Growing in God’s love and then transplanting it to others……till with kindness, fertilizer with a smile, water with buckets of joy……Oh gosh can’t wait to harvest our gardens!  Father help us to plant your love wherever we go….even in the most unlikely of places…there’s always someone that needs a little love…..Help us to be tools of Your work.  To You, our Heavenly Father, all glory, honor, and praise!  Thank you for loving us so much!

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.  Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it’s not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails……And now these three remain:  faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.  1 Corinthians 13:1-8 and 13.

Love you all!

March 15, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Fabulous Friday, I am His and so are you!  The last couple of days I can’t help but notice all the signs that spring is coming.  The tree across from my office is heavy with beautiful white blossoms, the grass is a vibrant green, bright yellow daffodils dot the roadsides, and every pasture has young calves happily frolicking.  The sun is shining and warm…..A wonderful time to Praise God for the wonders of His creation…..Not to be negative, but simply realistic……as beautiful as it is outside right now….in a matter of seconds it could all change….spring storms are known for damaging winds, hail, and possible tornados……Not every day is a beautiful spring day……flowers don’t always bloom and the grass is not always green……but storms pass…..and for us…..we are never alone in the storm….Our Heavenly Father is with us, shielding us from the winds, holding us through the tornados…Loving us….always and forever!  Father thank you for wonders of Your creation right now as we are enjoying special signs of spring and thank you for holding us through the storms.

Have a wonderful weekend….enjoy God’s creation.  I am including our Today from one year ago….just seemed fitting!  God Bless you.  Love you all!

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Thursday!!  Cruising into work this morning as usual, thinking about my day and praying, I remembered a dream I had last night.  When the crazy thought came into my head I immediately remembered that I had dreamed it last night; I don’t recall too much of the dream, but what I do remember left me with a worthy thought.  I was driving in someone else’s car, but I was the driver.  There was one person with me, seems like the person was not too familiar to me, anyway we were driving someplace I had never been and we were definitely on some kind of an urgent mission…..seems like there was tension in the car.  Like I said, I was the driver and what I recall is that we were driving up a very steep hill….I am talking almost straight up, like scary straight up…almost like a roller coaster.  I remember feeling stressed, but was doing my very best to not panic….I distinctly remember thinking……”I don’t think my VW would make it up this hill…….that’s it….that’s all I remember.  Here’s what I got out of it…..We never know when we head out in a day what hills we may have to climb…..what struggles we may have to overcome…..what grief or pain we may have to bear…….getting to the top depends on our power source.  The car I was driving in my dream had a powerful engine…..I am sure I made it safely to the top.  My little VW (as much as I just love it and it does awesome here), on the other hand I am not sure would have made it…….the trip would have been much more difficult!   Yep Father, I hear You, I understand…..without You as our power source……without You pushing us up our hills………without YOU….don’t even want to think about it!  Heavenly Father, thank you so much for empowering us with Your love.  Fill us with the faith- giving power of the Holy Spirit so that our faith continues to grow stronger enabling us to climb our hills with strength and confidence and filled with Your Perfect Peace.

Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm.  Nothing is too hard for you.  Jeremiah 32:17.  Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.  Jeremiah 17:7-8.  Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  Isaiah 41:10. 

Love you all!