Showing posts with label visitors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label visitors. Show all posts

Monday, September 22, 2014

A little piece of home

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty Awesome is our God, Monday!  Yesterday began as a typical Sunday morning at church; I was finishing up my Sunday school superintendent duties, you know offering, attendance, leaving Pastor a copy of attendance on his desk…the usual; as I came out of his office I noticed we had visitors looking at our bulletin board.  I stopped, said good morning and introduced myself….the wife turned to me, took my outstretched hand and said “Tina”  then her husband shook my hand, “Keith, and this is our daughter Jessica.”  I started to ask them where they were from when Keith got the oddest look on his face, he raised his hand kind of pointing at me and slowly said, “this is a stretch, but are you from Terra Bella?”  Oh my gosh my heart leaped as I said “yes.”  He said, “you were my Sunday school teacher.”  We were both in a state of shock!  Indeed, Keith’s parents were friends of mine at my home church in Terra Bella, California….many years ago…..my mom’s family were founders of the church and Keith’s family long, long time members so our families had known each other and worshiped together for decades…..I get goose bumps right now just thinking about such a wonderful coincidence…..I was so excited as I drug them around introducing to my current church family….Keith was excited too!  I had to go finish up with the kids, Jessica was quite willing to go and meet them, so off we went.  As soon as Sunday school was over I found Keith and Tina, introduced them to more people and asked if I could sit with them.  I was so excited I wasn’t sure I could sit still and of course I had to introduce them formerly during announcements…Gosh, what a wonderful coincidence I thought all through the service, my mind raced with memories from all those years ago, smiling, remembering what a cute little boy Keith had been (nice looking man now, I must add).  After the service, as we were getting ready to say our goodbyes, Keith expressed how happy he was that we had meet again after so many years.  In a serious voice he said, “I feel like I got a little piece of home.”  Hugging him I had to agree, it was all I could do to hold back the tears as Tina expressed that even though she had not ever been to California, she felt a “piece of home too.”  As Tina and I hugged I was filled with a  special peace….a peace and joy beyond human understanding…..oh this reunion was no “coincidence”  no way…..This was our Mighty Awesome God at work with a gift of love for Keith, Tina, and me, that we didn’t even know we needed, but HE did…And the piece of home we felt was unity and love of a Christian family….shared faith in our ONE TRUE GOD and SAVIOR…..a piece of home on earth, a foretaste of the HOME we will share in heaven with our FATHER….oh my goodness….goose bumps for sure!  Father thank you for such precious, special blessings that we sure do not deserve….thank you FATHER for the awesome bond we share with YOUR children….You pour your love over us in ways that we cannot even fathom….Thank you Father, all honor, glory and praise to YOU!
 
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:8-9.  Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies.  Psalm 36:5.  From everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children.  Psalm 103:17.   So we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in Him.  1 John 4:16.  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!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

July 30, 2013

Good Morning Friends!   Mighty awesome is our God, Monday!  Kim and I had some unexpected, as well as uninvited visitors yesterday morning!  A group of lawn mowers……trouble with them is they cut down flowers and all!  Have you guessed yet….Yep, as we got our coffee and headed to the porch we were greeted by about 30 lambs mowing our lawn…thank goodness I got to my flowers before they did…..stinkers they came a long way down the road….from green pastures to get to our house…..never happy….(remind you of anyone).  Well, no sooner than we sat down, they turned and headed back towards the road.  Shepherd Kim was not happy…..couldn’t let them go out to the road again…..30 lambs on the road spells disaster anyway you look at it.  So, Kim got the four-wheeler, gathered them up and headed up the road to their pasture.  He had me follow them in the car with my flashers on; mind you, I was just out of bed….not dressed or anything….yippee!  Shepherd Kim seemed to have everything under control, always there to take care of his lambs, guiding them to safety and lush pasture.  Everything seemed to be under control, getting close to their home when one lone lamb decides to head out on his own.  Shepherd Kim attempted to get him back with others a couple times, but then went on with the group….I too gave it a try but to no avail.  This young lamb was bound and determined to take off on his own, no clue to the dangers awaiting him.  As I turned in the road to lambs pasture, Shepherd Kim was already turning around and heading out.  I backed out of his way and watched him go right to where the young lamb had wandered off…..he patiently…oh so patiently,  coaxed him back, back to the flock….in safe lush pastures.  How often are we the wandering lamb…….How blessed we are to have the Perfect Shepherd to come back for us….take us into His flock….love us and forgive us!  Thank you Father!
 
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.  “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:  I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.  As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after My sheep.  I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.”  Ezekiel 34: 11-12.  Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”  John 10:11.  “I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”  John 10 14-15.  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want……Psalm 23:1