Growing towards the Light

Good Morning Friends!  Mighty and Marvelous is our God, Monday!  A couple of weeks after Christmas we put all the decorations away at church.  Someone had donated quite a few poinsettia plants, but didn’t want to take them home, so they were up for grabs.  I had wanted one for my office at work, but Kim and I were going to be out of town for the whole week, so I didn’t think I should take one.  One friend was pretty persistent that I take one, so I finally told her why I was so hesitant.  She said so what, just take it home, water it, and it will be fine; take it to work when you get back.  So I did….now February 8, it is still beautiful!  It’s beauty is amazing, but what I have really noticed about it is that it grows to the light.  I have it on a coffee table in our lobby, we have big double glass doors, so there’s lots of natural light.  When I put the flowering plant on the table it was straight….but in a week or so, it seemed like it was leaning towards the glass doors….the light.  I didn’t say anything, but just kept watching it pointing to the light. I kind of wondered if it was just me imagining, until a co-worker said to me, “Looks to me like the poinsettia is growing towards the light.”  Wow, I wasn’t imaging it, the beautiful flower is growing towards the light!  We made the joint decision to turn it around and see what happens.  I turned it, so that it was leaning towards me, rather than the light of the doors….It’s been less than a week….the flowering plant is now upright again, with just the slightest lean towards the light….I would say in just a day or two it will once again been leaning….towards the light.  WOW!!  All week I have pondered this plant…smart plant!  As I sit at my desk, admiring yet another beauty of God’s creation, I cannot help but think that I need to take a lesson from it….I too need to grow towards the LIGHT.  The LIGHT of the world….Jesus our loving Savior….our LIGHT and our LIFE…..He tells us in John 8…..”I am the LIGHT of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a good way to go!  Father, help us to grow to the LIGHT of the WORLD Your SON our SAVIOR.  Nourish us with light of Your word, so that we grow strong, ever faithful.

 

The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?  Psalm 27:1.  “Arise shine, for your Light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See, darkness cover the earth and thick darkness is of the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you.  Isaiah 60:1.  Your word is a LIGHT to my feet and Light for my path.  Psalm 119:105.  This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you:  God is LIGHT; in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as He is the LIGHT, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His son, purifies us from all sin.  1 John 5: 5-7.  “…God is LOVE.”  1 John 4:8.

Love you all!

 

Our God, the master artist!

Good Morning Friends!  Forever HIS Friday!  WOW!  Our God is an AWESOME God!!!  That’s all I could think this morning as I sat down to breakfast and looked out the kitchen window…the sunrise was awe-inspiring!  I hope you had a chance to see it…..the sky was alive with color, shades of pinks and lavender,  as the sun rose slowly lighting the sky….the sky appeared to be glowing…..like hot embers in the wood stove…..God’s miraculous love glowing for us, warming us in this seemingly, at times, cold world.  I sat still for a moment…pondering…..HIS LOVE for me…for each us….how could anyone deny how HE feels about us after seeing the miracle of HIS creation in the morning sky!  A perfect reminder for us that the heavens and the earth were created by HIM, for us!  We miss so many miracles of HIS creation because we are in such a hurry, or simply do not pay attention….So, this weekend, let’s slow down….open our eyes, ears, and even our noses and take in every miracle we can find!  And more importantly….let’s open our hearts and our minds to the warm glow of HIS love….I close my eyes and see vividly the morning sky….Oh Father, there’s no way we can thank you enough….we know we do not deserve YOU, but Father we praise YOU as big as YOUR little children can.

 

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, “Let there be light, “ and there was light……And God saw that it was good.  Genesis 1.  You  alone are the Lord.  You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them.  You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship You.  Nehemiah 9:6.  He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.  He bestows rain on the earth; He sends water upon the countryside.  The lowly He sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.  Job 5:9-11.  Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.  Psalm 34:8.  This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24. 

 

   I want to share a quote with you that I read this morning from Gloria Gaither, “I’ve heard a lot of sermons in my day, but the best sermon I’d heard in a long time was preached in one word by a busy waitress as she poured a cup of coffee.  God has given us this.  I don’t want to miss it.   ENJOY!”  My prayer for each of you is that you are able to “ENJOY” this weekend.

Love you all!

 

One string at a time...

Feb 3 at 11:09 AM

Good Morning Friends!  Wise and Wonderful Wednesday!!!  Last Saturday I went with Kim to help him feed, he had to get hay out and he says it sure helps him if I open gates and cut the strings while he hauls the huge round bales back and forth.  So nice to be needed, right!!!   I know it seems like an easy enough task, but really…..it’s harder than it looks.  The plan is, take a pocket knife and cut all the strings on one side of the bale;  the problem here is that the strings get buried in the hay and you have to hunt for them….there are about 10-12 strings per bale and sometimes it truly is hard to find them.  OK, once you think you have all the strings cut you walk around to the other side of the bale to pull off the strings…easy enough right??!!  Find the stings, gather them in your hand and pull…remember the bale is on the ground and you are pulling the strings all the way out.  Well, I was having a heck of a time, just couldn’t get them to come out; I kept going around to the other side to make sure I hadn’t missed cutting any strings, then back to keep pulling.  Darn it, this was taking too long, but I just couldn’t get them to come out….I hated to disappoint Kim, but sure enough he was back before I could get them.  He came over grabbed all the stings and pulled….and pulled….and pulled.  He couldn’t get them either (must admit that made me feel a little better), then he dropped all but one string and pulled the one by itself…hmmm it came right out!  He kept pulling one after another explaining to me that “sometimes it’s much easier to do them one at a time.”  For the rest of the day, bale after bale I pulled one string at a time and was quite successful.  Bam….it hit me…..so often I make things so hard….I try to accomplish a task all at once…rather than “one string at a time.”  Kim’s advice is so much like our FATHER’S…..If we come to HIM, tell HIM what we need to accomplish….HE will give us a successful plan….one string at a time….The hard part is….we must go and listen…I would have been out there all day and the cows might not have gotten any hay if I had not listened to Kim’s advice…..One string at a time got the job done, with no stress or frustration…So are so stubborn…we think we can do it all by ourselves, but there’s no need….HE is there ready, waiting and wanting us to come to HIM so HE can make the job, whatever it is, easier.  And I mean anything….no matter how small…why HE even helps when we go to Walmart…just gotta ask!  Thank you FATHER for giving us the guidance we need to pull the strings and get the job done.  We are sorry that we are so stubborn, forgive us because we need YOU so very, very much!

 

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.  Pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.  Proverbs 5:1-2.  Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.  Deuteronomy 8:18. I will instruct you in the way you should go/ I will counsel you and watch over you .Psalm 32:8.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding.  To Him belongs eternal praise.  Psalm 111:10.

Love you all!

 

Acts of kindness waiting for us to deliver...

Good Morning Friends!!!   The dreaded grass fire season hit with a vengeance last week in Lula!  Started on Thursday with a big one, then Friday they got paged about 3:30 another one raging and the wind was so bad.   I had been home a while, had my chores done, was in my jamies and in the middle of trying a new recipe when Kim called.  He wanted me to go to Tupelo and get food for all the firemen….it had been a tough afternoon and going into the night….Well, normally I would have jumped at the chance to help them, but like I said…it was Friday night, I was in my jamies, and in the middle of a new recipe, so my reaction to him was less than it should have been….I reluctantly  said ok, hung up the phone and called in the order.  I made myself presentable and headed to Tupelo….my night vision is terrible so had to go pretty slow…good thing I encountered 3 horses and their riders right along the highway, crazy people!  When I got to Tupelo they were just finishing my big order, they helped me carry it to the car and I headed out to find the fire sight.  Kim had given me good instructions and told me to not get into the heavy smoke.  When I arrived on scene…wow what a sight, trucks and lights flashing for as far as I could see….and it was smoky (I wondered how they could stand it).  I was a little nervous, parking and getting out, but as soon as I did several firemen came to help me.  Oh my gosh!  They were so grateful!!!  They thanked me over and over and gave me big hugs and they were so happy!  Here they were, risking their lives, grueling labor and late after a day at their jobs….happy, smiling, hugging, and so very appreciative of me.  Wow….As I got back into the car to go home, I was so thankful they couldn’t read my minds…I was so ashamed of myself….how could I have ever been so selfish…I continued my drive asking our Father to forgive me….Look what I would have missed out on if I hadn’t had the chance to do that!  Father, help us to see the acts of kindness waiting for us to deliver, forgive us when we are selfish with our time because we miss out on the blessings You have for us.  Help us to remember it is so good to give….to give YOU GLORY with our actions.

 

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.  1 John 3:18.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people….Galatians 6:10.  Be kind and compassionate to one another.  Ephesians 4:32.  As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Colossians 3:12.  In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  Matthew 7:12.

Here a chick, there a chick, everywhere a chick, chick...

Good Morning Friends!!!!  Thankfully His Thursday!  Last spring my husband decided to start up the old incubator and hatch eggs….the eggs of course came from my chickens, but oh he was going to make lots of money selling chickens…..OK…..to get lots of money you have to have lots of chickens right….Oh my, I will spare you the gory details of what happens when you end up with a whole bunch of growing chicks and run out of room in the “hatchery.”  Let’s just say it was never the same for my old chickens again….for several weeks he brought the growing chicks down to the house and put them with my chickens…..I never got another egg from my girls….turned out that most of the new chickens were roosters.  Poor hens never had a chance to sit and lay eggs!  Needless to say I was not too quiet about the situation in my chicken coop….so Kim, to save his sanity, caught up the roosters, hauled them to his favorite trader and traded them for a few hens.  However, we did keep one handsome little rooster.  Things were finally settling down in the coop when one day I went out to feed and my handsome little rooster had laid down and died…broke my heart.  Now I know you don’t need a rooster to have eggs, but what’s a chicken coop without one rooster to protect his girls, right?  Well, it just so happened during all the transporting of chicks that one hen decided to live outside the coop.  Never ever would she go in at night with the others, it was the craziest thing; try as I might I could not get her to go, so finally I gave up and let her have her way.  She was always out in the yard during day, but I had no idea where she went at night….one day she showed up with two precious little chicks at her side.  We were pretty proud of her, but figured her little ones would never survive outside the coop.  Well were we ever wrong!  Every day they would come out and hunt and peck with mom and then disappear at night.  When they got just a little bigger she started roosting with them on the pool deck (nice indeed), outside our bedroom window, opposite side of the house from the coop.  One morning a couple of weeks ago, quite early, we heard something odd outside our bedroom…..there it is a again….what is that….Well, for goodness sake it was one of the little chicks trying to crow….too funny!  From then on we have heard him every morning….and Kim finally caught him and put him in the coop so my girls have their….soon to be man again!  Each morning we hear him and make fun of him….his crow is weak and wobbly, so Kim and I have been having a good laugh about his rather pathetic morning wake- up call!  That is until this morning….a light went on in my head…shame on me….that little guy is doing the very best he can!  He is giving it all he has right now and will improve as he matures….Master Rooster is a work in progress.  Wow!  How often do we criticize people, judging the way they do things, maybe even talk about them behind their backs, when in fact they are doing the best they can at the time…..good lesson Master Rooster…..judge not lest you be judged, right?  Isn’t that what our Heavenly Father teaches us!  So from now on, when I am tempted to judge someone, I am going to think of Master Rooster and do my best, to let my thoughts and actions give glory to our Father.  Father, forgive us when we look at others and judge without looking at ourselves.  Help us to always do the very best we can to your glory.

 

Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with 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 of your eye, ‘l when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.  Matthew 7:1-6.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10.

Love you all!

 

Too many treasures on earth

Good Morning Friends!  Today, Tuesday, this day our Lord made for us!  Let’s get happy and rejoice in all HE does for us!  This morning my bible reading took me to Matthew 6:19-21….Jesus is teaching and tells the people, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”   Oh boy, this really hit me, as it pains me to admit, I am a bit of a hoarder….well of sorts, I don’t buy things, but I am so sentimental I just feel the need to keep everything….everything that was ever given to me or to someone I love and left to me, or used by someone I love….heck I have flowers in my mom’s old metal enema can…..yes I am serious!  And then there are the things that I might be able to use someday for a craft, at home with grandkids or at Sunday School with my other kids….did you know you can make really cool chains out of empty adding-machine paper rolls, and angels out of soda cans and you should see what you can do with paper towel rolls!  It’s amazing!  Last Sunday the kids were playing charades, one boy was trying to get them to guess he was one of the old testament kings.  He said, “Ms. Kathie I need to see you in your room.”  The room you see is where we store all of our “things.”  I went in with him and he told me he needed that old Burger King crown….My heart sank; I had kept that crown for years to use at Christmas, etc. until just a couple of weeks ago.  You see, my teachers and I were cleaning up, they not being the collectors that I am are always trying to get me to let go of some “things”  things that I always insist we might be able to use at some point and time.  Well, you have probably guessed, I was convinced to let the Burger King crown go….now Jacob needed it and it was gone!  I was devastated…he needed it and I had gotten rid of it….Dang it!!!  Thank heavens Jacob wasn’t as devastated as me; actually he just got creative with his hands and in just a short time they had guessed who he was….OK, so after reading Matthew this morning, I am thinking differently about what happened on Sunday.  The crown was old, battered, and replaceable…and Jacob just reached into his mind and figured out what to do, used his imagination which is always a good thing for kids, so I guess good stuff came from the purge…..Maybe I am storing up too many treasures on earth…..maybe it’s time for me to let go of some “things” and spend more time storing up treasures in heaven.  How many times do our things distract us from time with our Father, prayer, helping others (treasures in heaven)…..keep sakes are good, no one will ever convince me otherwise….it’s the place they hold that’s the problem…Father, forgive me when my treasures take away from my life with YOU!  You are my all in all!  Help me to let go not only of my things, but of my worries and fears….help me to let go and LET YOU!

 

Therefore I tell  you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  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?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?.....But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own…..(give it to HIM).  Matthew 6:31-34.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:13. 

Love you all!

The perfect Kleenex for our tears!

Good Morning Friends!   Saturday my husband and I went to Norman to get the car serviced….as long as we were there…..I figured just as well make a quick stop at Target, right??!!!  Kim opted to stay in the car while I headed in to check out Valentine shirts and bathroom rugs.  I was moseying through the bathroom things, when I heard a little boy crying desperately for his pacie.   I could hear his Mom tell him he couldn’t have it because it had fallen on the floor and was dirty…unfortunately the little boy found no comfort in his Mom’s logic…..he continued his desperate sobbing….I rounded the corner and found myself in the aisle where he was crying so sadly as Mom was busy looking at towels.  Poor little guy looked pathetic, his face was all red and wet with tears and his little nose was running terribly.  Breaks an old nana’s heart to see little ones so miserable…I continued to the next aisle but could still hear his cries, when he said, “get my boogies….mommy get my boogies.”  He was pleading…. Mom responded, “I can’t, I don’t have any Kleenex with me.”  Once again her logic did nothing to comfort the little guy….”gosh” I thought, “I have Kleenex”  so I headed my cart in their direction, said excuse me to Mom and handed her my Kleenex.  She was very grateful and in just a little bit, the desperate sobbing had ceased.  As I finished my shopping and headed to the car, I couldn’t stop thinking about that little guy’s desperate cries….Oh my goodness, how often do I think my situation is desperate….crying until my eyes are red and my boogies are running….sad, miserable, desperate, and pathetic…..Why do I so often suffer alone when our Heavenly Father is right there with HIS love…the perfect Kleenex to dry my tears….comfort me, guide me….HE sees my pain and suffering and hears my desperate cries…before I even come to HIM….The little boy was finally comforted when Mom wiped his tears and boogies…..thank goodness we do not have to cry as long as that little guy, if we  just stop and come to HIM, bringing HIM all our worries, sorrows, burdens….little ones, big ones….come to HIM and leave them with HIM.  He will dry your tears.  Father, forgive us when we don’t come to You first!  Thank you for taking our worries and drying our tears….

 

…..The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth….Isaiah 25:8.  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles….2 Corinthians 1: 3-4.  The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed spirit.  A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.  Psalm 3417-19.  

Love you all!