Do you hear what I hear?

Good Morning Friends!  Fabulous Friday, loved by HIM!  This morning sitting in the living room, in my house, with all the windows closed, I could hear one dog….one little bitty dog barking….in the kennel…..behind my house….the back side of my house, living room is in front…..behind the carport…..one little bitty, yapping dog….I could hear him plain as day……yipping….a constant, irritating yip….in my house….with the windows closed…..As I sat there irritated, becoming quite annoyed at the barking dog…..behind my house, behind the carport…..in  my living room with the windows closed…..I chuckled to myself….isn’t it funny that I can hear that dog….you know where……but quite often I do not hear my husband speaking to me when he is sitting a couple of feet away…….Now just how crazy is that!!!!!  At first I chuckled, then I thought….hmmm that little dog is irritating me in the house, but my poor husband often gets ignored a few feet away……I felt rather ashamed of myself….why can I hear that dog way outside, but don’t hear my husband…..Hmmmm….yep……because I choose, selfishly at times, to “not hear” “ignore” him….quite human of me…..while the dog continued to yip, my annoyance building I thought…OH MY…..Father……I too am a yipper…..whining and complaining to You all the time…..begging, pleading day in and day out!  Yet, You never get annoyed with me….never….Your love and compassion are endless, engulfing my life inside and out…..PLUS…..You NEVER IGNORE me either…..OH Father, thank you for hearing my constant yipping and answering my prayers!  Forgive my selfish nature, help me to listen compassionately to others.  All glory, honor, and praise to YOU!

 

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.  The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him!  Isaiah 30:18.  Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  Galatians 5:13.  As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Colossians 3:12.  Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be glory both now and forever!  2 Peter 3:18. 

Love you all!

Kathie A. Johnson

Receptionist

Administrative Services

Division of Housing

Warmed by His love

Good Morning Friends!  Totally trusting in His care, Thursday!  Tuesday evening, I was disappointed when I got home and discovered that Kim hadn’t kept the fire going doing the day; he did have his reasons, but none the less, the house was cold.  While I changed, did my evening chores, cleaned up the kitchen, you know the drill, Kim worked on getting a fire started.  As soon as I could, I got into the living room and gave the fire my special “hurry  up and get hot” touch, all the while complaining about the cold.  As I poked and prodded, adding wood, Kim asked if I wanted him to start a fire in the stove in the kitchen.  No, I said, mumbling and complaining more about how cold it was in the living room, not to mention the kitchen my gosh…how in the heck was I gonna get dinner cooked in the ice box!  Again he asked, “want me to start a fire in the kitchen?”  Again,  in  my stubbornness I said, “NO!”  Just didn’t want the hassle.  Well, this scenario went on for a while longer, me poking and prodding the fire, complaining about the cold and Kim suggesting a fire in the kitchen….Finally….I shrugged off the stubborn and conceded!  Kim got up, brought some wood into the kitchen and within a few minutes had a nice fire in the old stove…..few more minutes I could feel the chill being overtaken by warm, cozy heat; my body relaxed, my toes thawed and I was energized to go take care of dinner!  As I was cooking I thought to myself….why am I so stubborn?  Why did I fight so hard against lighting a fire in the kitchen, when I knew it was the best thing to do…when I  knew the agony of a cold house would be gone if I just let him light the fire?  Why did I waste so much time complaining when if I would have just listened to him….given up my stubborn attitude and let him start a fire……Oh my Father…..OK, OK, I get it…..what needless worry, stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, grief, worry, stress, grumpy moods, hateful attitudes, anxiety we inflict upon ourselves because we fight YOU…..fight against YOUR WILL for us…..fail to TRUST and Believe, surrender, pile it all on YOU, when all we need to do is sit back, listen and be WARM….Warmed by YOUR PERFECT LOVE, INFINITE WISDOM, MERCY, GRACE and YOUR DESIRE to take care of us…guide us….comfort, and forgive us.  Father, thank you keeping YOUR FIRE of LOVE burning for us and please keep on prodding us when we are stupidly stubborn!

 

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.  God will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.  Isaiah 2:3.  The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him!  Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is He who trusts in the Lord.  Proverbs 16:20.  He who trusts in the Lord will prosper.  Proverbs 28:25.  Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.  Proverbs 29:25.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5.

Love you all!

Kathie A. Johnson

March 11, 2013

Good Morning Friends!!!  Mighty is our God, Monday!  Yesterday afternoon a neighbor came over to help Kim with some computer work for the fire department.  She brought her young sons with her, I think they are about 10 and 8.  While Kim and the neighbor were working I had the pleasure of the boys company.  They played with our new puppy and then we went outside to feed all the critters, of course they loved handing out treats to everyone.  Back inside, I needed to get a cobbler in the oven for a luncheon here at work and they were great help with that!!!  After we popped it in the oven I asked them if they would like to play Jenga (the game where small rectangle blocks are stacked into a tower and you take turns pulling one and adding them to the top…the loser is the person whose pull tumbles the tower).   They thought that would be fun, so I got out the blocks and stacked them into a tower; the tower appeared strong…..Nathan went first, then Ty, I was last….we were all successful for several turns, but after a while we had to be so careful, making sure we found a loose block and pulling it ever so carefully…..and then all of a sudden when we least expected it….Ty’s pull seemed fine….then…..it all came crashing down around us!  Blocks everywhere…the tower was gone.  Well, we rebuilt of course and played another game, which of course ended just the same…we screamed and laughed, so much fun, but after they left I couldn’t help but think how the game of Jenga reminds me of life.  We work at building our towers…..oh we think we are being careful…..building a strong, secure life and then all of a sudden, in the blink of an eye……life comes tumbling down around us…..What we do when that happens depends on the source of our blocks……What have we built our lives on?  What is our foundation made of?  Job, money, possessions……or faith…..faith in the mercy and grace of our Heavenly Father?  If we build our lives on things of this earth…..we will tumble and rebuilding will be difficult….But if we….. oh gosh… one of my favorite Sunday School songs comes to mind….You might know it….The Foolish Man….remember, the foolish man built his house on the sand and when the rains came it was washed away……the wise man…he built on the rock, so when the rains came his house stayed strong…..last verse…So build your house on the LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!  The Lord Jesus Christ our ROCK….our FIRM FOUNDATION….hmmm bet we could all use a little remodeling…..Heavenly Father, fill us with the desire to build our lives with You as the Rock of our foundation so that when things tumble around us we turn to YOU and stay strong.

Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sad.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”  Matthew 7:24-27.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5.  The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him.  Nahum 1:7.  Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.  Isaiah 26:4. 

Love you all!