Small miracles around us

Good Morning Friends!  Totally trusting in HIS love Tuesday!  My goodness, hasn’t our environment turned to winter drab in a hurry?  Seems like just a week or so ago there was still green grass in the pastures and leaves on the trees and now….the pastures and lawns are brown, the trees empty just brown branches sticking up in the air….drab.  My commute to work…well when you look around and only see dead grass and empty trees it can get a little, well you know it’s just not the same as spring.  Bleak…..like our lives without our Savior, bleak and dead from sin……But hold on…..look out the window by the chicken coop…..bright red, magnificent cardinals….one, two, three, four….gosh five beautiful, red cardinals on my fence.  Gosh I just love the bright red birds of winter…..they overtake the bleak…..As I stood at the window my heart filled with gratitude….The red birds…..red like blood….the red birds take the bleak out of winter…..Jesus blood gives us life….The cardinals are a small miracle from our Father, a dash of color in an otherwise drab environment…..Jesus’ death and resurrection is the miracle of miracles….life everlasting for us if we simply accept HIS mercy and grace.  Oh Father….my goodness, forgive my whining and help me see Your small miracles all around me, You are an awesome God.  And Father, more than anything, thank you for loving us so much that You gave us Your Son…..the red of HIS blood makes us white as snow. 

 

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.  We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.  We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him.  For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God.  So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Romans 6:1-11.  Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!  2 Corinthians 9:15. 

Love you all!

December 26, 2012

Good Morning Friends! Wondrously wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday! “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…….” I am sure you recognize that old familiar tune and I wonder how many times we heard people say, “Oh I hope we have a white Christmas or I’d give anything if it snows on Christmas.”? Well, here in Oklahoma those dreams of a white Christmas came true! And yes, I must say, that yesterday sitting in the living room, big fire in the wood stove, sappy Hallmark Christmas movie on TV, watching it snow….watching the dry brown pastures turn a pure, magical white was wonderful…..Pure like the baby born in the manager on that first Christmas night……I could feel His love wrapped around me….His peace filling my heart and mind…...lifting my spirit in joy and praise…blessings abounding…..joy, love and peace…..Later in the day we headed to Cooper and Katy’s for dinner and an evening of family fun….more love, more blessings….We started for home, still snowing a bit and so cold; the roads were already beginning to ice up and temperature was dropping…..couldn’t help and wonder about driving to work in the morning. At 1:30 am I got up to go potty, so I called the weather line for work….offices would not open till 10 am….that meant driving conditions were worse…..the Christmas dream was quickly becoming a nightmare…..Roads were one big sheet of ice this morning, cars were slipping off roads into the ditch, accidents everywhere…..utter chaos…….Oh how easy it is too lose our Christmas peace when life gets chaotic….when the bills, pile up, relationships cause pain, sickness, and sorry over take us…..we feel lost and forsaken.....This is when we need to go to the manger…..humbly kneel and give ourselves over to Jesus…..be still and feel His perfect love wrap you close……close your eyes and be filled with HIS peace……Christmas is not just one day of the year……CHRISTmust…..live in our hearts and minds everyday…….when He is there….in our hearts……He can quickly comfort us when the ice storm of worldly woes overtake us….Father, help us keep Jesus in our hearts and minds every day, in every way…….help us to glow with His love, warming everyone around us.

And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Gory to God in the highest and on earth, PEACE, goodwill toward men. Luke 2:13-14. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell I safety. Psalm 4:8. 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.

 

Merry CHRISTmas! Love you all! (be safe)

December 10, 2012

Good Morning Friends!  Marvelous and miraculously blessed, Monday!   Last night Kim and I watched the 10:00 news, mostly to hear the weather….we knew the cold was coming, but when he said there might be a dusting of snow during the night we both laughed.  This morning we were once again watching the weather and indeed they said it had snowed….I got up and looked out the window, of course it was dark but I could see some little piles of white….I said  “all’s I see is the ashes you dumped”  Once again we laughed.  I had just gotten in the shower when Kim came into the bathroom all excited.  He said, “it did snow!”  Cooper just called all excited and said’ Papa it snowed outside, can we go out and play in it?’ “  I had to laugh, but this time laughing at us for thinking we are such smarties!  Yep, Cooper had to call Papa when he saw the snow and ask him if they could go out and play…of course, Papa explained to Cooper that it was really cold outside; way too cold to go out and play in the snow.  I felt a little flutter in my heart as I thought of Cooper calling Papa, so excited and asking him about going outside.  And Papa, my goodness he was all excited that Cooper had called him to tell him the exciting news and asked him a question….made him so proud…..happy…..his heart definitely fluttered too.  As soon as I got out of the shower I ran to take a look outside…..Wow….sure enough, Cooper was right, there was snow!  As I closed the door and went to get ready for work, I again smiled…this time I was thinking of someone else that gets excited when we call on HIM!!!  Oh yes, our Heavenly Father loves us to call on Him, to come to Him about everything….. even the snow!  We are His children, we can talk to Him about everything……He wants us to, not just when we are troubled or hurting, but in the happy times too….He likes to hear our Praises and thank yous!!!!  He would love to hear us thank Him for the beautiful snow……the glistening ice……..moisture that is so needed….We should ask Him to be with the people that had accidents this morning…..and also that He watch over and guide our fireman, EMS, and policemen as they work to protect and help us…..thank Him for the blessing of friends at work that get you coffee when you are unable to leave your desk……for the children that come in the office and are so excited to get a candy cane off of the Christmas tree……ask Him to comfort those that are sad right now….lonely, grieving, financially stressed…..Praise Him that we have plenty of food and warm houses….heck a warm office too……Thank Him for the love of family and friends….Make HIM smile….His heart flutter…call Him a million times today!  Father, thank you for always taking our calls.

And He took the children (we are all His children) in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.  Mark 10:16.  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 Johns 5:14-15.  The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.  Psalm 28:7.  Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.  1 Chronicles 16:8.  Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in EVERYTHING give thanks.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Love you all!