Getting the job done

Good Morning Friends!  Wondrously wrapped in HIS loving arms Wednesday!  Last Sunday in church I noticed one of our older (yes even older than me) ladies was sitting alone.  Her good friend that she always sat with recently passed away and her daughter-in-law had to work  so, sweet Rosemary was all alone….I too was all alone, so I decided I would march on up and join her!  We shared a hug and snuggled in ready to worship.  During announcements she whispered to me that someone had trimmed the flowers in front of the church.  She was really happy about it, explaining that she had noticed they were so badly in need of trimming, and really wanted to do it, but just hadn't gotten to it.  She went on to tell me, a beautiful smile on her face, that when she does yard work she has to choose if she wants to be on her knees or bend over.  You see, Rosemary suffers terribly from arthritis….mind you she is smiling as she relates this to me.  She chuckled and went on a bit more about her yard work…..but my mind focused on her smile, her attitude.  This woman, has reason to give up the yard work…..terrible pain in her knees and back, but she doesn't…..she picks, according to the degree of pain in each area, the position she will be in to get the job done……she doesn't give up or feel sorry for herself…..she does the very best that she can…she keeps on keeping on despite the discomfort!  Oh wow…..the more I think about her the more I must turn to our Father and ask for forgiveness….how often do we whine, complain, feel sorry for ourselves, even give up at times when life seems to be hitting us hard?  Difficult relationships, more bills than income, grief, critical illnesses….Oh yes Father…..these are the times when we must turn to You for strength you are there, with open arms, wisdom and guidance just waiting for us….help us to be strong and follow Your words from James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy…whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”  Father, we know that life is hard at times, but with YOU on our side we know we can do it and give YOU glory!

We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Romans 5:3-4. For Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12:10.  Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.  Psalm 55:22.  Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18. 

Love you all!

A clean slate

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty and Marvelous is our God, Monday!!!  Each Sunday during Lent in Sunday school, we all (kids and teachers) took a big nail, held it in our hands and in silence thought about our sins, maybe a particular sin that needed forgiving, asked for forgiveness and then we each, still in silence stuck our nails into a brown Styrofoam cross.  We then prayed together for God to help us do the best we can and thanked Him for sending His Son to die for us, forgiving our sins.  Like I said we did this each week so the cross was quite full of nails.  After church on Good Friday, I took all the nails out of the cross, took it home and painted the other side white; my plan was to have a lesson based on because of Easter, our sins are forgiven and we are washed clean…white.   Easter Sunday was very busy at Sunday school, so we didn’t have a chance to talk about the changes in our cross, but yesterday I was excited for the kids to see the white, nail-less cross.  I gathered them all around our table and before I could even get started one young boy, 11, said, “ hey the nails are all gone and our cross is white.”  Ah, I thought, this is going to be great, but then he went on to say, “hey the other side is still brown.”  I tried to skip over that fact and get on with the Easter message with the white side of our cross, but he would have no part of it.  He was determined to keep on about the brown side of the cross and get to the bottom of the whole deal!  Well, I was actually getting a little perturbed at him (oh yes it’s true, I had to ask for forgiveness) as he had really taken the wind out of what I thought was a great lesson.  Well, I finally got him to give it up and went on with class, but I just couldn’t get it off my mind……kids!  As I was sitting in church listening to Pastor….I finally got it……with the help of this young man, I figured it out…..Jesus didn’t die for just some of our sins, HE didn’t wash just half of them away…..HIS death and resurrection gives us a clean slate, wipes all our sins away….front and back…..inside and out….HIS blood makes us clean….Father, bring us to You in true repentance to confess and seek Your forgiveness.  Give us hearts that forgive others as You forgive us.  And Father thank  you for the pure wisdom of children and the lessons we can learn from them. 

“Come now, let us reason together,”  say the Lord.  “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”  Isaiah 1:18.  As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgression from us.  Psalm 103:12.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.  Ephesians 1:7-8.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  Ephesians 4:32.

Love you all!

Mending fences

Good Morning Friends!  Fabulous Friday, loved by HIM!!!!   A few years ago we had a really wet spring….so wet that the creek that runs through our property, filled to over flowing, breaking its banks and flooding a pasture.  The whole event was pretty strong, so when the flood waters broke loose they took down a quarter to half mile of fence bordering the creek.  I mean to tell you…plum flattened that fence, laid it down!!!!!  Now with the fence down the cows and sheep had total access to pastures on both sides of the creek…..not really the ideal situation.  Of course, my husband had good intentions of fixing the fence immediately…..however, life happens!  One year rolled into the next, big plans to get to it, but cows and sheep roamed where they pleased….each year more grass, limbs, leaves grew over the flat fence making a job that once would have been not easy, but very do able, now seemingly impossible!  Year in…year out….can’t tell you how many times I heard “I gotta get that fence up.”  So many times, that got to the point I really didn’t hear him….especially when he complained about the animals being where they were not supposed to be!  Tuesday when I got home from work, he was sitting on the screened porch, munching on chips and dip and sipping a nice cool beverage!  Remember how beautiful and warm it was on Tuesday, so I went in changed my clothes and put up my stuff so I could join him.   He shared his chips and even had a cold drink poured for me.  We chatted about our work days, enjoying our snacks, relishing in the beautiful spring-like weather.  I needed to take care of my critters, as I was heading out the door he hollered, “hurry up, we are going for a ride!”  When Kim wants to go for a ride on a week night he has a specific plan….something that can’t wait to have my attention.  Maybe a new tool in the shop, or the beginning of one of his creative inventions or maybe a set of twin lambs….well, I had no clue what he was up to on Tuesday.  As soon as I finished my chores we hopped in his truck and headed out!  First stop, the gate that leads into the pasture that had flooded….I hopped out, unlocked the gate and in we went.  Within just a matter of a few seconds I knew what he was up to!  No new tool, or baby…..the fence was up!!!!!  The whole length from one end of the pasture to other…..up…..in one day he had, with the help of a young neighbor, put the whole fence back up….one day….not even a whole day, he had done all his farm chores too!  I was quite impressed with his accomplishment and praised him for a job well done….we of course had to drive the whole pasture and check it all out, although not perfect the fence would definitely do its job now!  As we headed back to the house I couldn’t help but think how at times, we let the severe storms of life flatten us….our spirits, our moods, our finances…..flattened relationships…..we procrastinate…..let the messes in our lives get worse and harder to fix when we have the perfect tool with us all the time to get the job done!  Our Heavenly Father is there to guide us with HIS wisdom, support us with HIS love, wrap us in HIS comfort…..HE”S there 24/7……why do we procrastinate….allow ourselves to get depressed, emotionally and spiritually….we make ourselves sick with worry and heartache…..when like Kim, when he finally just did it, got the job done in a few hours…..we can get our fences back up by going to our FATHER, giving HIM our worries, letting HIM carry the load!  Oh Kim’s fence is not perfect nor will our “fences” in life always be perfect.  Life on this earth because of sin is just not perfect….but Praise God He sent His Son to die for us and promises to mend our fences until we get HOME with HIM!   Oh Father, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!  You supply all the tools we need to keep our fences up!!!!!

Just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.  2 Corinthians 1:5.  Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18.  Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.  Psalm 55:22. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  Isaiah 43:2.  The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him  Nahum 1:7.  The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.  Psalm 29:11. 

Love you all!

Lost and found

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully His, forgiven and loved, Thursday!  This is such a special week as we prepare to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior on Sunday….Holy Week….I have been wearing a cross each day this week, just to remind myself of the sacrifice that was made for me….for you….so long ago when our Heavenly Father gave His only Son to die on a cross….for me….for you…..today my cross is on a long chain and is made of tiny, little, shiny gems, so pretty.  It was unclaimed in the lost and found and given to me…..lost and found…..As I look down and see the solid, shiny cross sparkling from the sun’s reflection….I sigh deeply contemplating the sacrifice made for me….I was lost, but now I am found….found by our Heavenly Father through the death of HIS Son…But the cross sparkles, it is empty…..JESUS LIVES!  HE made the ultimate sacrifice, HIS blood was shed, on the cross…..for me….for you.  But the three days later HE shined as HE left the tomb, alive….Because HE LIVES we too will LIVE, eternally with HIM in heaven.  Father, thank you for YOUR grace and tender mercies for us….we are undeserving, but humbled.  All Glory and Praise to YOU!

 

Jesus said, “For the Son of man came to seek and to save what was lost.”  Luke 19:10.  “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:16.

Praying your Easter over flows with the blessings of HIS resurrection.  Love you all!

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind

Good Morning Friends!  Wonderfully Wrapped in His loving arms Wednesday!  Kind of a yucky drive in this morning, the fog was so bad in spots could hardly see more than a few feet in front of me.  Driving in dense fog is such a helpless feeling…..disorientating, down right frightening at times…..I was so thankful when I got to work  safely and didn’t see any accidents; as I was turning my daily calendar I had to stop a minute, breath and ponder on the love of our Father as I read today’s bible verse, Psalm 146:8, “The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind:  the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous.”  I thought about the dense fog this morning……feeling helpless, like I was blind…..”the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.”  Our Father is there when we can’t see….when life seems so futile, overwhelming….He is there, He opens our eyes so we can see His love….the Light of His love to guide us through the foggy times.  He raises us up from the pits of fog that life sometimes brings us….the frightening, unknown times, the sad and grief-filled times….dense fog….”the Lord LOVETH the righteous.”   LOVES you and me!!!  The Lord, our Heavenly Father who gave His only Son for us……LOVES us!  Thank you Father for always being there for us, no matter how dense the fog…..keep us ever faithful.

My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26.  The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him.  Nahum 1:7.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this:  He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.  Psalm 37:5-6.  Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Eo not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9.

Love you all!

What does He see in us?

Good Morning Friends!  Thankfully loved by Him, Thursday!  While I was talking with Hailey on the phone yesterday, Tucker woke up from a nap.  She got him up and was sweet talking him (makes me smile) when she laughed and said, “Tucker, look at your hair…..you got your ‘bed head’ from your Nana!”  She was laughing as she described his hair on the back of his head.  You see, in my family I am known for my “bed head”; my hair just gets in a big ol’ mess on the back of my head when I sleep or nap…..it used to bother me but not anymore and especially not now that Hailey sees me in Tucker’s “bed head.”  Now that is a Nana’s ultimate delight…..of course as Tucker grows up I hope that there are some slightly more significant traits he gets from me, but for now……the “bed head” makes me happy!  Hailey sees me in Tucker…….We love for our children and grandchildren to inherit the good parts of us, we love to see ourselves in them….As I thought about this last night I couldn’t help but think about our Heavenly Father…..as His children….What does He see in us?.....Does He see His love in us, in our thoughts and actions…..how we treat others is a definite reflection on how we are loving HIM……Father, help us to shine with Your love so that we reflect You in all that we do.

 

The Lord has declared this day that you are His people, His treasured possession as He promised, and that you are to keep all His commands.  Deuteronomy 26:18.  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.  A happy heart makes the face cheerful.  Proverbs 15:13.  We love because God first loved us.  1 John 4:19.  He has given us this command:  whoever loves God must also love his brother.  1 John 4:21.  Jesus said, “A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:34-35.You yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.  1 Thessalonians 4:9.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father I heaven.  Matthew 5:16.

Love you all!

The wolf and the lamb...Isaiah 11:1-9

Good Morning Friends!  Totally His, Tuesday!   A couple years ago I was having a terrible problem with mice in the house….it was bad and I was aggravated.  People kept telling me I needed some outside cats, but much to my chagrin, my hubby hated cats and had always refused getting any!  Well, let’s say he has mellowed a bit in his old age and when a sweet friend offered to give me a few of her barn cats he said ok!  I was so excited, I brought my friend a live trap so she could catch a couple and we met on Sunday in town and I took them home.  I let them out by the old chicken coop where Kim had put food and that was the last I saw of them for a while, even though Kim saw them occasionally during the day.  Oh but I knew they were there because things got much better in the house.  A few months had past when we discovered we had kittens…..same thing didn’t really see them all the time, just occasionally, except one pretty little tiger-striped kitten….silly thing started hanging out in the chicken coop!  At first she was really skittish, running from me, but hoping I was bringing scraps…she would eat with the chickens and sleep on top of their feeder!  Really cracked me, didn’t seem to be a lot of animosity between the very different critters.  It wasn’t until last week during the bitter, bitter cold spell that a passage from Isaiah really hit me…..”and the wolf will live with the lamb….”  I walked in the coop to feed and water the rabbits and give the chickens some scratch….I couldn’t believe what I saw….There on the ground was the kitten totally surround by the hens…when I say “surrounded”  I mean totally covered, protected by their feathers….the sight was breathtaking.  The small cat, crouched on the ground, peeking out from under the hovering hens….the hens were keeping her warm….cats and chickens….natural enemies, like the wolf and the lamb……living together in peace…..more than peace….compassion….can you imagine how warm and toasty it was under all those feathers!  Oh Father, please help us learn a lesson of love and compassion from YOUR critters…..help us to live together in peace and accept everyone as they are….feathers or fur!

 

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.  The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirt of counsel and power, the Spirt of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.  He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.  He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.  Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.  The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.  The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.  The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.  They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  Isaiah 11:1-9.      Let’s work to do this now!