The smells of Spring

Good Morning Friends!  Warm in His love, Wednesday!  The other day when I got back to work from lunch, landscaping was mowing the lawn out front; oh my goodness it smelled so good!  So fresh and clean…… As I opened the door, I took a good deep breath relishing in the magnificent scent of freshly mown grass ……spring……it smelled like spring.  I was smiling as I walked in and sat down at my desk, thinking about spring coming…the wonderful smell was still fresh in my mind when a woman came in….she was smiling too as she said, “Oh my it smells so good outside….”  I replied, “Yes, like spring”  she said, “Yes, I am looking forward to spring…..it has been a long winter!”  I most definitely had to agree with her….we have had such a long winter…..snow, ice, cold….Utility bills have been so high and we have used 7 cords of wood!  That’s a lot for us!  As she left, I couldn’t help but think about spring, a time for renewing, planting, spring cleaning…..all things fresh and new after a long, cold winter….flowers blooming, gardens growing….softly, gently, I felt HIS touch…..I could hear HIM in the buzz of the lawn mower….”Kathie, my child”  spring is a wonderful time of the year….how about a spring time spiritually….You know, renew your faith by cleaning out bad habits and spending more time with Me.  Plant seeds of kindness, thoughtfulness, love and watch them grow and bloom more of the same!  Mow down angers, frustrations, anxiety and worry…..clean out those attitudes that bring you down and get in the way of doing your very best. Life’s winters can be so long and cold….come to Me let Me warm you with My love….let My SON shine on you, refresh you and give you peace.”   Thank you Father….whatever would we do without you!

 

Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understand no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and wary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  The will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, the will walk and not be faint.  Isaiah 40:28-31.  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.  Ecclesiastes 3:1.  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth……And God saw that it was good.  From Genesis 1.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.  James 1:21.  The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness.  Galatians 5:22.

Love you all!

 

Kathie A. Johnson

Receptionist

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!

April 2, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, Tuesday!  I didn’t realize that it had rained during the night, but when I got up I could hear it on the metal roof of the porch….I said a thank you prayer.  As I drove into work the rain was steady….not too hard, so visibility was ok, but steady enough to be a good rain….I said another thank you, grateful for the rain for our dry pastures and low ponds…..My thoughts turned to the pasture Kim and I had checked on Sunday….I smiled as I envisioned the fragile, green- grass yearning to emerge through the dry grass…..I felt my shoulders relax and even though when I left the house my husband was worried and anxious, I could feel a smile forming in my heart….yearning to break out in joy…….My heart and mind were consumed with the many blessings our Heavenly Father rains on me every day…..doesn’t have to be a torrential down pour, the gentle blessings are so wonderful too….you know…..lunch with an old friend…..a call from a grandchild…..fresh coffee delivered to your desk…..dying Easter eggs with grandkids and then hunting them……something you really need going on sale……a visit with family you haven’t seen in a long while…..notice of on-line donations to Rely for Life popping up on computer…..fresh eggs from the chickens you thought never would lay…..homemade ice cream…friends that pray faithfully for and with you…..new tires……the Good Will Store……volunteer firemen…..sweet puppies….good jobs…..French toast made with rye bread and powdered sugar…cold water in the fountain at the touch of a finger…an unexpected box of goodies in the mail from your sister…….gentle rain falling on the pastures…..sunshine that follows the rain……green grass…….Thank you Father for the good little blessings that bless us every day.  Forgive us for being too busy, too dry to appreciate our steady blessings……to Praise and Thank you with grateful hearts….Shame on us Father….Thank you for loving us still!  All glory, honor and praise to YOU!!

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! 

April 1, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty and Miraculous is our God, Monday!  Christ is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia!  Praying that your Easter celebrations were as blessed as ours were!  We headed to church early for our annual Easter breakfast before Sunday School; what a wonderful array of breakfast casseroles, muffins, delicious monkey bread and luscious fresh fruit!  The kids had the tables decorated with baskets they had made from empty plastic containers and several different styles of decorated eggs, and of course let’s not forget the lovely green Easter grass and candy!!!!  Spirits were high as we joined in celebrating the resurrection of our Jesus, our Lord and Savior!  The kids, well me too….had a blast in our egg rolling contest…you know roll the egg, like the stone was rolled from Jesus’ tomb!  And then we headed over to Sterling House with a box full of beautiful vases that the girls had made from empty glass jars, we filled them with beautiful silk flowers, and with special Easter greetings from the Sunday school kids, handed them out to residents.  Really not sure who enjoyed it more the residents or the kids….my heart was warm with the love of Easter as I watched the kids shining brightly with the love of Jesus!  After a nice nap, Kim and I headed out on the four-wheeler to check for new calves and check a lease pasture that’s been empty for a while to see if there was any grass growing.  The sun shining so warmly, I climbed on behind Kim and thanked God for the beauty of His creation.  As we approached the lease from the road we were not encouraged; the pasture was thick with dry, brown grass…..from the road, no sign of any green….new life….food for the cows….we continued down the road, opened the gate and headed in for a closer look.  We hadn’t been in long when we could indeed see green peeking through the dead grass…..even where the dead grass was very thick, looking close you could see the tender, green, grass….hope…..the green of life coming through the dead, dry, brown.  As we covered the pasture we felt quite hopeful that in a couple of weeks there would be sufficient grass for the cows.  As Kim and I headed home, the thought occurred to me that our lives, at times, are thick with the dead, dry, grass of the world…..dry grass that wants to choke out the hope of new, green, life…..I thought of earlier in the weekend when something that happened wanted to choke us with stress and worry….and then my thoughts turned to our church service…..the joy of Easter consumed my thoughts…..Jesus died….but the world did not choke HIM out, no HE rose on the third day……Alive, like the green grass….Jesus is our hope for LIFE everlasting…..no matter how dry the world might get, as HIS children, we are never ever without HOPE….without LOVE….without LIFE.  Father, thank you for YOUR SON, our HOPE…..for life everlasting with YOU.

May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.  2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.  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. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy He has given us new Birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  1 Peter 1:3. 

Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!  Alleluia!

Love you all!