Created in His image

Good Morning Friends!  Totally HIS Thursday!!!!  Recently, a good friend of mine has been in a real funk.  Now, this isn’t real unusual for her, but this time the funk seems to be lingering and leading her to places, in her mind, that are not good for her.  She is important to me, so this really upsets me, I just want her to feel good from the inside out.  I pray for her all the time and try to encourage and uplift her, but she is just stuck in a bad place….yesterday she told me, “I am bad.”  Wow, that hit me hard….criticizing herself to the point of saying she is bad.  I immediately told her…”NO, you are not bad, you are good!”  She replied, “I am not good.”  As I stopped to send up another prayer for her, the thought came to me……She is God’s child, a child of our Heavenly Father, HE made her…..”For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  Psalm 139: 13-14.  Wow friends, when we pick on ourselves we are criticizing our Heavenly Father….That really hurts to think that when I moan about my big nose, short legs, flabby belly I am telling our Father, He messed up…..Let’s look at it from Genesis 1:27…”So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”  How about that…..we, you and me, were created by God in His image….Shame on us for criticizing not only ourselves, but others too….shame on us….Our Father wants us to Praise HIM….HE made us because HE loves us and HE wants us to love others like we love ourselves!  So, before we start picking others or ourselves apart, let’s stop and remember where we came from and then offer up a big thank you and Praise HIM for our fantastic bodies!  Now, when I say fantastic I don’t meant that we are all in perfect shape….nope we still have a responsibility there to try and eat right and get plenty of exercise….because….”do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?....therefore honor God with our body.”  1 Corinthians 6:19.  We honor God by taking good of ourselves and helping out our friends in a funk!  Father, forgive us when we want to criticize, helps us to remember we are Yours.  Enable us to take good care of what You give us and to honor you by reaching out to others when they need a lift!

Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.  Psalm 42:11.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.  Luke 6:31.  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!

Where are the cows?

Good Morning Friends!!  Thankfully HIS Thursday!   Kim has been trying to buy about 10 more cows to finish out his herd for several months.  Gosh, prices are so high and they are really hard to find too.  So, last week when he heard about a special sale in McAllister on Saturday we couldn’t help but get a little excited.  We knew that it was mostly a bull sale, but there were supposed to be some cows/heifers also, so yep we were anxious.  We got up real early Saturday morning and got all our chores done so we could leave around 10.  I stoked the fire to last all day because we didn’t think we would be home till late and left the pumpkin/turkey lights on too…..I was packed and ready for a day at the sale barn (I just love those sale barn burgers) and excited that Kim might finally get his cows (he has been driving me a bit crazy)!  It was a beautiful morning, the drive was gorgeous,  trees flaunting their phenomenal fall colors, the warm sun dancing happily through the fluffy clouds and the company…..my favorite sweetie what a great day!  We arrived early, pulled on our jackets and headed to the lots to get a sneak preview of what we had hoped to bid on.  We could tell as soon as we stepped in that there wasn’t an abundance of animals.  We walked up and down every row….one after another……bull after bull….where are the cows!!!  We finally found two or three pens of heifers…registered at that…but that was it!  Wow!  What a let- down….dang, we had worked ourselves into a state of anxious anticipation and now nothing….With our bubbles burst and our heads hanging we headed to the car….no need to hang around there!  Now what??!!!  Poor Kim, once again he faced the disappointment of not completing his herd…..We were quiet as we hit the road  home….I did talk him into stopping at a couple antique stores so I could brose and we had lunch, but then headed home.  We were sleepy when we got home, so we sat in our recliners and looked for a movie to watch….we both dozed off….the silence was broken by the shrill sound of Kim’s pager…..he jumped up as the voice from Central Dispatch said Lula Fire….you need to respond…unattended death…..We looked at each other, oh how he hates those calls….he responded and headed out the door.  I said a prayer for the family  and went to the office to do something.  It hadn’t been too long when I got a call from him…..his voice was serious, “Kathie can you come sit with a wife who just lost her husband?”  Oh my gosh I thought, oh how sad….can I?  “Kathie, Vera needs you.”  At that point it hit me, a dear friend and neighbor had died…his sweet precious wife of 62 years was all alone.  “I will be right there!”  I headed out the door, crying….poor Vera….oh I will miss Waymon….precious man, poor Vera.  I drove as fast as I dared, Kim greeted me on the porch where he waited for the ambulance.  “She’s on the couch, on the phone, go on in.”  I embraced her, she cried…..At that moment I knew why there were no cows at the sale!  God had a bigger plan for our day…..His sweet child, Vera, needed hugs……God was in charge of our day…..how could we ever have doubted HIM!  Father, help us to trust and believe in Your plans for us and to joyfully obey.  Help us to always reflect Your love in our actions with Your children.

 

“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.  The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.  Psalm 33:11.  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9.  As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Colossians 3:12.

Love you all!

Water anyone?

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully loved by Him, Thursday!  I am a big water drinker; all day every day you can find me with a glass of water at my desk.  I like water….I know a lot of people think that’s crazy, but I really do.  I don’t drink it just because I am thirsty, I drink it because I like it, much better than soda or tea….Yes, I am a water drinker.  I have just begun working out at the gym with a trainer….oh my…..I have always been an advocate of exercise and eating right, but never had a trainer.  Well, in the past year, I’m ashamed to say, I have really been lax in the exercising and eating right departments and it is showing!  Oh yes both my physical body and my attitude are in need of some “working out.”  Hence, with a little encouragement from a friend and lots of prayer I am working out with a trainer!  So far I feel great!  Of course I am sore, but no pain no gain right!!!!!  Yesterday when I finished my workout, I was quite sure I was going to collapse in shear exhaustion and I was so thirsty, my throat was parched and I just knew if I didn’t get to water fast I was in trouble.  Yep, I was thirsty, really thirsty, more thirsty than I can remember being for a long time….I headed to the water fountain and had a good drink, then walked a couple of laps to cool down a bit….Back at my desk I continued to drink water all afternoon…This morning reading God’s word I ran across a verse in John 7 that I had read many times in my life, but in light of my “thirst” yesterday it took on a whole new meaning.  On the last day of a 7 day feast, Jesus addressed the crowd in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”  My thoughts immediately went to my thirst yesterday……I read on, “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (verses 37-38).  Wow….living water….The water I drank yesterday quenched my thirst from exercise, but the water we get through the death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus quenches the fires of sin and death….washes us clean, fill us with the Holy Spirit…..Going to Jesus and drinking of HIS water of the Spirit we have life eternal with him to look forward to and that’s all we need!!  I am looking forward to getting into better shape through my workouts, but looking forward to life everlasting with HIM is what it’s all about!  Father, thank you for quenching us with the blood of Your Son.

 

Jesus answered, (speaking to the woman at the well)  “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  John 4:13-14.  Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”  John 3:5-6. Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, as He who promised is faithful.  Hebrews:10 22-23. 

Water anyone????  Love you all!

He who searches our hearts...

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully HIS, Thursday!!!  A dear friend recently received some horrible news….life altering……the news comes after years of struggling with a certain issue, many worries, stress, feelings of hopelessness for several years, hoping and praying for a positive outcome.  My heart has ached for her, watching her struggle, always praying with and for her, that she be guided by and find her strength through the love of our Heavenly Father.  And now, the devastating news; when she told me, I had no words….no words of comfort, strength, encouragement, only tears…..My heart aching for her pain, I couldn’t imagine how she would go on…..Oh, I knew that she was not alone….Our Father never leaves us alone, but I had no words for HIM either….my heart aching my mind drowning in worry….no words, no thoughts to send to HIM….how will I help my friend?  She needs support…..I need to pray, but nothing comes…..I knew had to do something, so I opened my bible……BAM!!!  A knock to my head…….Romans 8:26-27, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.  And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”  Oh Father, ahh…..it is YOU that searches our hearts….you know all about my dear friend’s problems….She is YOUR child…me too….YOU are our FATHER…..”And we know that in all things God (our FATHER) works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.  Dear, sweet friend…not to worry, He’s got this……He’s working…..it’s gonna be GOOD…..”If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him graciously give s all things?”  Romans 8:31-32.  Thank you Father for searching our hearts…..for hearing our cries…..for working even though we don’t see You….for taking care of everything. 

 

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39. 

Love you all!

The warmth of His love

Today at 10:38 AM

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully, warmly wrapped in His loving arms, Wednesday!!!  Last Friday I gave a friend a ride to work; it was really cold that morning so when she got in I asked her if she would like the seat warmer on.  She has ridden with me lots of times, but I had never asked her about the seat warmer until Friday….don’t ask me why.  Anyway, she said “yea, why not?  I should experience that once in my life.”  We both chuckled as I turned her side all the way up!  We weren’t but a couple miles into our commute when she snuggled into her seat and said, “Oh yes, this feels really good.”  She’s a good friend and I was happy that she was enjoying her warm ride, but never thought much about it till a couple of days later.  Kim was driving, I was the passenger and it was cold…..I turned my seat warmer all the way up and within just a few minutes….oh my how good the warmth felt on my achy, tired body….I snuggled in….relaxed…..I thought about my friend’s comment on Friday….and thought, you know I use the seat warmer when I drive all the time, why have I not experienced this wonderful relaxed feeling?  Now I was chuckling to myself as I felt HIS gently touch.  “Kathie, my child you are much too often too busy, too stressed, worried, anxious, preoccupied to feel My WARMTH, to RELAX in the COMFORT and PEACE found when you come to ME.  I offer REST for your tired mind, PEACE for your hurting heart, REFUGE from the worries of this world.  Come to ME, snuggle in MY arms, feel the WARMTH of MY LOVE……You are MY child, come to ME I will give you PEACE.  I Love you!”  Oh Father, how come we are so quick to forget how much YOU love us….forgive us, bring us to YOU to snuggle in the warmth of YOUR LOVE.   Thank you Father.

 

And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.  Mark 10 :16.  He tends His flock like a shepherd:  He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.  Isaiah 40:11.  The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ fee, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places.  Habakkuk 3:19.  The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.  Nahum 1:7.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11.  The peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:7.

Love you all!

 

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!

June 29, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Forever His, Friday!!!  A couple weeks ago a new friend at church shared a concern with me about a situation with her husband.  They had been attending a monthly luncheon in their community for the past few months; she looked so happy as she expressed how much they were enjoying it and then her expression changed as she told me that her husband did not want to go anymore because he was afraid they might ask him to lead a prayer.  She was so disappointed….we visited a bit more and then I told her I would prayer about her situation.  Last Sunday, I had a chance to visit with her again and  told her  I had been praying for her and her husband.  Her response surprised me….”Oh there are so many big things to pray for, you don’t need to pray for that.”  I reassured her that, indeed her situation was important and I would continue to pray.  She has been on my mind ever since our conversation……I feel sad to think that she didn’t think her situation was important enough to bring to our Heavenly Father in prayer……Oh my….how silly we so often are….how we underestimate His love, His omnipotent powers, His mercy and grace……Our Heavenly Father knows how many hairs we have on our heads…..every concern that we have….however small it may seem is important to HIM….if it bothers us…..it bothers HIM!!!  From broken fingernails to broken relationships…….tension headache to terminal illness….a few pennies short for a soda to bankruptcy……HE KNOWS…..HE CARES…..Our Best Friend….Take it to the Lord in Prayer!  Father….thank you for knowing our concerns before we do…..humble us to come to You and give you the glory.

 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:8-9.  The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.  A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.  34:17-20.  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.  Matthew 21:22.  Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  Matthew 7:7-8.  This is the confidence we have in approaching God:  that if we ask ANYTHING according to His will, He hears us.  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. 

Love you all!