We are always His priority

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully HIS, Tuesday!  Last week, a new neighbor called Kim about having cows on his place….oh boy, Kim headed right over to our lease and headed out to find the hole!  This was new territory that he not been into before, he soon found a fence down and fixed it, thinking all was well.  That’s what he gets for thinking…..next day he gets a call from the neighbor again….more cows out…..so, once again, he drops what he’s doing and heads over to try and get the fence fixed once and for all.  He heads deeper into the woods, searching for the problem, the woods are thick, the bugs terrible, and the ticks…well use your imagination!  Plus, he has to carry t-posts and wire through the woods…once again, he finds a bad spot and thinks he has the problem taken care of once and for all.  The next day he heads out to do his regular work which he is now behind on because he has had to drop everything and head to the woods to take care of a more pressing matter!  This went on for 5 days….boy did he ever play catch up on Friday, but he did what he had to do!  On Saturday, we….well…he decided we needed to take down our old pool (it pooped out on us, no more patches) and put up the new one…..Oh boy, sounds fun right!  Well, we did have fun, worked hard, got the job done, but again, we had to let our regular Saturday chores go….and Kim always saves a few “special” chores for me on Saturday, so I knew my  Sunday afternoon would not be quite as relaxed as I like…We did get the pool up and were happy with the job, but of course, on Sunday afternoon we had to go out, in the rain and get our Saturday work done….Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the pool up and get chores done too….Monday morning as I stood in the shower, I was going over our weekend in my mind….we had to let Saturday work go to get the pool up, just like Kim had to let his weekly, regular work go in order to get the fences fixed and keep the cows in.  All of a sudden I started laughing!  Wow, I thought, I am sure glad that our Father doesn’t have to let my little needs go in order to take care of someone’s bigger, more urgent needs!!!!   Nope!  Not our Father, HE is all powerful, all knowing, and able to take care of all of our needs at the same time…..mend our broken hearts, heal our wounds, calm our anxious minds, feed, us, clothe us, guide us, love us….all of us…..all the time!  Thank you Father for taking care of each and every need of each and every one of us all the time!

 

And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.  Philippians 4:19.  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  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 8:37-39.  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  (oh yes you are, all of us!)  Matthew 6:26.  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 3:1a.

Love you all!

Don't blame it on the dog!: Matthew 7:1-5

Good Morning Friends!  Forever His, Friday!  Yesterday I told you a bit about our dog, Holina Dos; today I am going to share a cute story that my dear friend Julie shared with me about her precious dog, Annie.  Julie got home after work, the day it had been raining, Annie was outside but very anxious (she is a bit of a worry wart) because there was a big truck parked next door.  So anyway, Annie was in a big rush to get into the house.  As soon as they got in the door Julie noticed some mud on the floor.  She scoffed at Annie, grabbed a cloth and went to wiping off Annie’s paws…..Annie wasn’t thrilled about it and was so excited that Julie kind of had to follow her through the house to get each paw.  She was irritated that she kept wiping, but there was still mud everywhere!  I wasn’t there, so I can’t be sure, but I would just bet that Annie was getting chewed out pretty good…..after a few minutes and lots of wiping on Annie’s paws, Julie discovered….oh my….ready for this….the mud she kept seeing was on her shoes!!!!  Annie was innocent, blameless….but was so quickly accused of making the muddy mess when actually….the accuser was to blame!  Ouch!!  We were laughing as she shared her Annie story, but it got me to thinking.  How often do we…..place blame on others rather than looking at ourselves, our actions first?.....Husband/wife a grouch????  Kids whiney??? Co-worker rude???  Grocery store clerk snotty???  Neighbor selfish????   Hmm maybe we should check for the mud on our feet, before we accuse everyone else around us of the wrong doing……Father, forgive us when we look to blame others before we look at ourselves.  Help us to be more like YOU…..Fuel our lights to shine brightly with kindness and love.

 

Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘let me take the speck out our your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?.....first take the plank out of your won eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  Matthew 7:1-5.  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  Ephesians 4:22-24.  We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10.  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!  Have a wonderful weekend

June 17, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty Awesome is our God, Monday!  My ex in-laws and I are still very close, even though I have been divorced from their son for 33 years; shortly after Kim and I moved to OK, they came from CA for a couple of visits…Ben was originally from Holdenville, but had never been back since his family moved to CA when he was about 7.  We actually found his old home place.  Mom was born in Arkansas and had never been back their either, so they both really enjoyed being back here.  Well, low and behold about 3 years after our move, Mom and Ben bought a home in Arkansas and moved back lock, stock, and barrel!  They love their home in Harrison and don’t regret their move, but they are quite elderly and live on a very fixed income, so if they have any kind of problem, they really struggle.  I call Mom every Sunday morning and try to send them little extras once in a while, but I really am not able to help them in a big way, so when Mom’s car became terminal, it was devastating to them.  Diagnosis, new engine….well there’s no way they had money for that…..Mom was so sad…..Mom is pretty crippled up with arthritis so it’s hard for her to get in and out of Ben’s truck, not to even mention driving it….but she was….she had no car and had to get to exercise (at 83), so she would drive herself in the truck.  Each Sunday she would tell me how hard it was for her and it’s so big she had a hard time parking.  I hate Mom to be upset and wished I could afford to get her car fixed, but I knew that was not feasible, so I just prayed for them like I always do….probably more for Mom’s safety and contentment than anything because I knew they would never have the money to get her car running again.  That’s how much I know, right!!!!  Yesterday, I called Mom as usual, we were just chatting away when she casually mentioned something about her car!  “YOUR CAR!!??  YOUR CAR IS RUNNING??!!!”  I couldn’t believe she was so nonchalant in her response, “Oh yes our neighbor (mind you, they have made friends with one neighbor since they have been there) helped us.  He worked on it and financed what we needed for the engine.  He is the best friend we have ever had!”  Well, I guess he is!  I rejoiced with her and as we said our goodbyes my heart and mind were overflowing with thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father!  I could feel HIM there with me….patting me on the back….reassuring me that HE is quite capable of taking care of terminal cars in HIS own way….and time.  Gosh, I couldn’t help but smile and feel so relieved to think that my prayers for “HELP” are answered perfectly according to the will of our Heavenly Father…..Pray….trusting and believing….leave the rest to HIM!!!!  Oh Father….forgive me when I think I need to have all the answers….thank  you for always hearing my cries for help!  And Father, thank you so much for taking care of Mom and Ben!  Care to join me in a round of, “Seek and Ye shall find, Knock and the door will be opened, ask and it shall be given….. “  His love is all around!

 

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.  (even if we don’t know what to ask!).  1 John 5:14-15.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:16.  The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayers.  1 Peter 3:12. Those who know Your name will trust in You, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.  Psalm 9:10.  The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him.  Nahum 1:7. 

Love you all!

April 23, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Totally wrapped in His loving arms Tuesday!  Last Saturday I was on a mission! I desperately needed  half a day in my house!!!!  So, I gave up breakfast with Cooper and Katy and headed outside to get my ranch chores done quick as I could, so I could get in my house and get to work….oh my what a mess I had.  Well, Kim and I worked hard and believe it or not I was back in the house by 11:30 and got right to work.  I was going gangbusters.  About 30 minutes later Kim called…..Oh boy I thought…..wonder what’s up.  He was frantic to say the least!  “Get the 4 wheeler and get up here now!  Sheep are out and all over the Beagles, going crazy, they’re acting crazy!”  I grabbed my jacket and a bottle of water, who knew how long I would be gone….started up the 4 wheeler and headed up the hill.  Kim meet me at the cattle guard and waved me to follow him, he was fit to be tied.  We went to the intersection at the top of the hill, our property on one side, the Beagles on the other.  Jumping out of his truck he hollered at me to stand in the road and make sure they went towards home, he headed down the side road to stop them, turn them around and head them home…..I stood in the road and waited and waited and waited……oh gosh, I thought this is not good….thinking he might need a little help, I said a little prayer.  Finally, I could hear the 4 wheeler, the sheep (about 150 with lambs) making a ruckus, and Kim hollering at them and me.  “Don’t let them go up that hill (if they got up the hill they would be out of my reach and would head the wrong direction…not good).  Well of course 5 or 6 head right up that hill too steep for the 4 wheeler and besides Kim was busy trying to keep the rest from doing the same thing.  No other choice, I had to head up the hill, glad I had on my good boots…..I got up just fine, before they got away….headed them back down and then….well let’s just say getting down the hill wasn’t quite as easy as getting up.  Kim was right; they were acting crazy, like they had been locked up in a dirt lot all winter, and the green grass had them crazy when actually they have eaten lush green fodder all winter…..150 sheep plus lambs acting crazy is not a pretty site on CR 1600 on Saturday…yes we did finally get them on 1600, but it wasn’t easy, Kim got stuck and they headed into the trees….finally got them out of the trees and heading down the road now….would they turn in where they were supposed to….could I keep them out of the neighbor’s yard……could I warn traffic in time to slow them down……I jumped in the truck and turned on the hazard lights just in time to slow down a car…..well we lucked out…..they turned in the right gate and headed out to pasture!  What a relief and Thank you Father!  We headed back to the house for lunch, shaking our heads, wondering what in the heck we were gonna do with them…..crazy sheep.  I didn’t think much more about them until Sunday morning in church when Pastor read the Gospel lesson from John 10:22-30.  Jesus was talking to some Jews that needed some proof that He was the promised one….He said I already told you I am, but you don’t believe because you are not part of My flock……”My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  Oh my gosh, it was all I could do to not burst out laughing right in church!  I thought not always…..they don’t always listen or follow!  My thoughts returned to Saturday and our crazy sheep…..they had everything….green pastures, fresh water, dogs to guard them, mineral on demand, green pastures….and what did they do….tore up good fences and took off….no clue what was out there….no regard for the dangers outside the pastures….Oh no……Father…how frustrated you must get with Your sheep….us….when we tear down the fences…and head out to the unknown without YOU…..not listening to Your voice….not following You….looking for the greener grass when You provide us with everything we could ever need…..Protect us, forgive us, love us, comfort us, heal us…….Father, forgive us when we don’t listen to Your voice, help us to hear and to follow You.  Remember this song…”I am Jesus Little Lamb, Ever glad at heart I am…..”

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.  He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before m in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil’ my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Psalm 23.  The God of peace be with you.  Philippians 4:9.

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!

February 5, 2013

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty and awesome is our God, Monday!  Well, Kim’s trip to Kansas last week was productive….he got his cows….3 year old, black angus and all pregnant.  He was quite excited Friday evening waiting for them to be delivered.  The trucker called about 7 and said he should be there about 9.  Sure enough he called right about 9, so Kim and a neighbor meet him at the fire department so he wouldn’t get lost.  Kim came in about 10 all excited.  “We are going to brand them tomorrow!”  Just last week he got an electric brand he had ordered…he was quite proud of our lazy K-hanging J brand.  A good brand is really important for cattle owner’s protection.  We got up early, Saturday and got to work on our regular chores, so he could work the cattle in the afternoon.  About 1:30 I sent him off with a PB&J sandwich and some tea…..he was so excited-2 neighbors were going to help him, so I could stay home and get my work done.  He hadn’t been gone long when he called and needed me to bring some wormer.  As I walked up to the chute I could see Kim holding the hot brand on a cow.  One guy was helping to hold her while Kim held the brand….she did not like it…..you could tell it hurt her.  I knew it was important, but I hated to see her in pain.  I left the wormer and headed home, but my thoughts stayed on the cows being branded so they could be identified as ours.  Wow, we too are branded….branded with the cross that Jesus hung and died on for us……but our branding hurt HIM, not us….Jesus took all the pain of our sins and in turn branded us with HIS love…..We don’t walk around with a lazy K-hanging J for everyone to see….to identify us as HIS, but others will see that we are HIS by our actions, by our love….like the song says, “They will know we are Christians by our love.”  Father, thank you for the gift of Your Son….the brand of Your love on us…..Your mercy, grace, forgiveness.  Help us to show others….and bring glory to 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 our hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.  2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Romans 12:10.  Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:2.  Keep on loving each other.  Hebrews 13:1.  No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.  1 John 4:12.  The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.  Galatians 5:6. 

Love you all!